Starting from 40, holding the Star Mall to lead the motherland

Chapter 18 Preparation
Han Hui listened to the man with the broken waist groaning in pain and said in annoyance, "Xiao Cao, use something to cover his mouth."

Xiao Cao not only blocked his mouth with a rag, but also found a rope to tie his hands and feet together: "Miss, what should we do next?"

Han Hui hadn't slept much since last night. She yawned and said, "Don't worry about them. Let the mayor handle it when daybreak."

Xiaocao was shocked.

Huang Shufen was very worried: "Xiaoman, why don't we leave now? When it gets light, their accomplices might come and retaliate against us."

Han Hui wasn't worried about this: "No, these hooligans only bully the weak and fear the strong. After seeing how miserable they are, they won't dare to mess with us again."

"But you killed someone, what if the mayor pursues you?"

Han Hui pointed at the two thieves lying on the ground and said, "They're not dead yet. They're still breathing. The mayor won't do anything to us."

Huang Shufen was still worried.

Han Hui looked at her face, sighed, and said, "Mom, I didn't think it through before. We're too eye-catching on the road like this. We need to make some changes."

When she arrived, Huang Shufen was emaciated. This was understandable. A husband with no regard for her, a son missing, and herself abandoned in the countryside—a blow few could bear. If she hadn't been concerned about her original self, she would have passed away long ago. For the past six months, she'd been hunting to improve the family's diet. Feeling Huang Shufen was bored at home, she asked Xiaocao to invite some women from the village to come and chat with her. Life had improved, her heart had relaxed, and she'd recovered.

Huang Shufen had a typical oval face and naturally fair skin, but now that she had recovered, her complexion was rosy and radiant. She had grown accustomed to it and ignored it, but in this world, it was very dangerous for Huang Shufen to go out in this state.

Xiaocao had heard many of the sisters-in-law in the village say that Huang Shufen was beautiful, so she immediately understood Han Hui's concerns: "Miss, you go and rest, I will look after them."

There were two thieves in the yard, so how could she sleep? Instead of lying in bed and thinking about all sorts of things, she might as well stay in the yard and watch the thieves.

Han Hui nodded and said to Huang Shufen, "Mom, you should go back to your room and rest! Don't worry, I'll take care of everything!"

Although Huang Shufen was still worried, she didn't say anything more after seeing Han Hui like this.

Han Hui was woken up at dawn by two men from the town's security team who came to inquire about what happened the previous night. No one knocked on the door that night, but someone had gone to report the crime early in the morning.

Han Hui explained the reason to the two men and then asked the man with the broken waist to repeat what he had said yesterday: "They intended to rob our family of their money and even kidnap my mother. They deserve to be beaten to death."

In this era, it is not illegal to kill thieves who break into your house. These two people are still holding their breath! After the tall man took the roll of money that Han Hui stuffed over, he took the two people away.

When they got outside, the short man held the fifty yuan he had received and said, "Lao Xu, these women have rosy faces, they must be rich."

The tall man glanced at him and said, "Black Dog fights like a madman, and Chen Laizi is a big, strong man, but now both of them are seriously injured. Do you think the other party can be a good person? Fifty yuan is already a lot. Be greedy and you will lose your life."

Although the girl was only sixteen years old (fake household registration), her eyes were cruel and cold. This kind of person must have seen blood. He didn't dare to offend such a person.

The short man said nothing more, but he was unwilling to give up. It was a rare opportunity to come across such a fat sheep, and he didn't want to miss it.

Han Hui closed the door and asked Huang Shufen, "Mom, did someone from next door come to your house and see you a few days ago?"

It was too late yesterday and she was very tired and wanted to rest, so she didn't ask about it.

Huang Shufen clearly remembered the man with the broken waist's words: "On the second day after we moved in, the neighbor came over and asked to borrow some soy sauce. I refused. I never imagined she would collude with thieves to harm me." She had only been there for three or four days and hadn't even bought soy sauce. Although she had some money, with Shanghai's high prices, she saved whenever possible.

Han Hui reminded her, "Mom, the world is in chaos now. Don't let strangers into your home. It's too dangerous."

Huang Shufen said gloomily, "I understand."

After breakfast, Han Hui went to the pharmacy and bought a lot of medicinal herbs, and then went to the grain store and grocery store to buy some things.

Back home, Han Hui asked Huang Shufen and Xiaocao to help pound the herbs into powder. The three of them worked until the afternoon, and Huang Shufen and Xiaocao's hands were so sore they couldn't even lift them.

Han Hui poured the prepared powder into the water and boiled it until it became thick. Then she took it out and said, "Mom, when it cools down, apply it on your face, neck, hands, legs, and other exposed skin."

The world is always precarious, and being beautiful makes it even more dangerous. Although she has many weapons, she will not use them easily to avoid being discovered by the Japanese. She is not afraid, but Huang Shufen and Xiaocao are in danger.

"Okay." Huang Shufen said.

Huang Shufen guessed that this yellow sticky substance was what made her ugly. She had originally thought of wiping off some soot from the bottom of the pot before leaving, hoping that her daughter's stew would be better.

In the evening, Han Hui went to see Bucktooth Chen. The house couldn't be rented out because of bad neighbors. Bucktooth Chen cheated her: "They are colluding with bandits. Not only do they want to rob us of our money, they also want to sell us off. Boss Chen, this is really not a good idea."

Bucktooth Chen didn't argue: "It was indeed my negligence, but the contract has been signed and it's not easy to back out."

Han Hui slapped the wooden table, splintering it into pieces. Bucktooth Chen broke into a cold sweat and quickly tried to make amends: "I'll refund all the rent."

Han Hui didn't come here to ask for the rent. He said, "I hope you can find someone to teach them a lesson and let their family know that I am not someone to be trifled with."

Bucktooth Chen thought to himself, you crippled two grown men with ease, and now everyone in this town knows you're not to be trifled with. "Don't worry, I'll definitely teach them a lesson today."

Huang Shufen applied the ointment as soon as it cooled down, and applied it everywhere except her private parts.

Xiao Cao hesitated and asked, "Girl, don't you and I need to apply this ointment?"

Han Hui smiled and said that there was no need for them to apply ointment. She was not outstanding in appearance, her skin was tanned, and Xiaocao was thick and dark, so there was no need to look ugly.

That night, Huang Shufen, covered in ointments, prepared dry food. Han Hui had learned from others that fried flour and rice could keep for several days without spoiling, so she prepared 20 kilograms of each. She also brought pots and pans, and a quilt. Huang Shufen was frail and couldn't bear sleeping outside without a quilt.

The three of them were busy until after ten o'clock before they went to bed. Huang Shufen got up at three o'clock to make breakfast, and by four o'clock she could see the road clearly.

Considering that the journey would take about ten days, they had to bring a lot of stuff. A wheelbarrow can transport both people and goods, and most importantly, it is lightweight, so Han Hui bought one specifically for this purpose.

To accommodate more and make Huang Shufen's ride more comfortable, Han Hui installed two wide and long bamboo baskets on each side of the wheelbarrow. Heavy items that took up space were placed on the wheelbarrow, while light items like clothes were placed in the baskets.

After packing up all the things and pushing them outside, Han Hui went back to the yard, bolted the door, and climbed over the wall to go out.

(End of this chapter)