Chapter 320: Wonderful Kitchen Chapter 342: Going Out

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

No one in the courtyard spoke; those who took knives and axes took them, those who took long sticks took them.

Some crept to the door and hid to one side, while others hurried to close the room door and opened the back wooden window, ready to jump out and escape at any moment.

Old Huang had not yet spoken when the person outside shouted: "Inside! Old Lady followed you here by your heels, just saw someone go in, what are you pretending to be stupid for now! Open the door!"

Then she shouted again: "I've put up with you for days! Do you live in a latrine? Don't you mind the stink! That filth has flowed into my courtyard!"

Speaking, she slammed the door hard again.

Everyone in the room fell silent, hearing an old woman's voice, yet they all looked at "the daughter" as if by agreement.

The latter hesitated, then finally stepped forward and opened the door.

The door latch was pulled, and a great force pushed in from outside: an old woman holding a rolling pin, followed by a woman holding a laundry bat, both coming in aggressively. As soon as they entered, they looked left and right, without waiting for "the daughter," "Old Huang," and the burly man behind them to stop them, they had already found a corner of the courtyard.

The woman slapped her thigh, stamped her feet, and cursed: "So dirty! Is this a pigsty? Is it clean or not? I said no wonder it smells so bad inside our wall, and dirty water flows over here—damn it! My dried cucumbers and dried vegetables! All ruined by the stench here!"

The old woman, however, did not look for "the daughter," but grabbed "Old Huang," pulling him and saying: "You've only been here a few days, defecating and urinating, piling slop water in the courtyard, won't you even give the money for a trip? The courtyard wall is broken and not repaired, letting stench flow straight into our courtyard! Also—didn't you kill fish the other day, throwing fish gills and fish intestines at my door? The stench made my son wash for two days and still couldn't wash it off!"

Saying this, she tried to pull the person outside.

Old Huang hurriedly shrank back and made eyes at "the daughter."

"The daughter" and another burly man stepped forward to block them once, rescued Old Huang out, and followed him to the next door.

Separated by a wall, the other side soon became noisy; after a while, the two ran back.

"It's nothing, no word leaked, it's just that the foot of the wall loosened, water seeped through, and flowed onto their drying food—a small matter, those two women are like old crows, noisy to death, and even clamoring for money; if it were usual days, I'd have slapped them long ago!"

Hearing the burly man explain, realizing it was not the government office coming to the door, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The burly man then stretched out his hand to everyone, saying: "Give me a few coins and I can send them away."

This sentence was like poking a hornet's nest.

"What?"

"Pay money? What dream are you having?"

"You didn't watch your own place, what's it to us! Beat them early, do you think Old Man is easy to bully?"

Seeing everyone here dissatisfied, someone beside them advised: "Very unlucky, quickly send them off, it's not good to cause trouble now, lest we attract government runners; Old Huang still has a Sea Capture Document on him!"

A group were all swindlers and cheats wandering the Jiang, few with good tempers; hearing so many words, they were still indignant.

After all, "Old Huang" was still fearful, most afraid of attracting government runners, and hurriedly said: "Forget it, why bother with her? After we leave, we'll use urine to smear their doors and vent our anger!"

At that moment "the daughter" went to the side to take money from a bag, just counting it, when another knocking came at the door; the old woman called through the door: "Just take out some money, are you going to be reborn? It's dark and you still haven't taken it out!"

She also said: "Did my rolling pin fall inside?"

Cursing in her mouth, very unpleasant to hear.

The burly man had just been arguing across the way and was already full of anger; at this moment he couldn't help but curse the old woman's eighteen generations of ancestors, stormed out angrily, looked down, and sure enough, not far behind the door there was a rolling pin, probably dropped carelessly by that old woman when she came in.

He didn't pick it up, but kicked it, kicking the rolling pin far into the corner—precisely where everyone had been urinating these days; the wall root was broken, letting dirty water leak over to the opposite place.

Seeing the rolling pin roll a few times in the urination spot, thoroughly dirtied and unusable, he then went to open the door, shouting: "What are you making noise for!"

A burly man went out, but the others no longer took it to heart, sitting in the room and discussing matters in low voices.

"Old Huang, you took this job, is it really fine? Why does it feel wrong!"

"That's the meaning; how could the drawing be so alike—I've been wandering the Jiang these years, seen many Sea Capture Wanted Posters, none like this! Could it be they invited a painter from the Imperial Palace?"

"I've also seen portraits on those antique calligraphy and paintings, none like this—did you inquire clearly? Only took a few coins; if you provoke some extraordinary person!"

"I've also inquired; it's just a shop selling breakfast and food, business is quite good, but has no background—the owner is a young lady, her father has gambling debts and jumped into the River at the beginning of the year... wasn't that coachman here this morning? You heard what he said!"

At this moment, the "son" took up the conversation.

An older, steadier one said: "No matter what, this matter isn't right this time; we're all carrying cases, originally one shouldn't rashly provoke local snakes as a passing dragon, and this is Jingcheng—forget it, let's pack up and hide first?"

Once these words were spoken, the others all fell silent.

After a while, Old Huang said: "Tossing about for so many days, only given a few gold as deposit; we people can't even chew enough! Just leaving like this isn't good for explaining to the Bao surname..."

Everyone heard the intention to retreat in his words and hurriedly gave him a ladder.

"Only given a few gold deposit; are we supposed to sell our lives to him?"

"Exactly; it was because the wind was tight on the Jingzhao Prefecture side that we hid over here; now there are Sea Capture Documents here too, clearly not seen by many, yet drawn so alike—afraid of being recognized by people from the West..."

"Better hide to the South; otherwise, if we implicate ourselves, it'll be trouble!"

To be honest, today when we reached Cheng Men, we wanted to test the wind, but saw our own old face so blatantly posted on the wall—the shock then, Old Huang still hasn't recovered.

Alike!

Too alike!

He can smear his face, wipe off the mole, cover the wound on his ear, but can hide for a while—does he have to hide for a lifetime?

Even tigers have times they doze; people naturally become negligent.

For many years, the cases he committed were not just one; frauds were even more numerous; he always made a big score and changed places; to be honest, this time was just a small matter; originally planned to cheat a hundred strings from the client, then make another hundred strings from the customer; run as soon as the money was in hand; who knew nothing would go smoothly.

People walking the Jiang always pay attention to Feng Shui, Kan Yu, and Qi luck.

If we continue to stay in Jingcheng and get involved in this matter, what if we capsize in the Whirlpool in the end?

Actually, the intention to escape had arisen early; at this moment, taking the slope to dismount the donkey, after being advised by someone, Old Huang didn't delay much and almost immediately said: "Fine, the Bao surname isn't any good thing either; he got me into this state; not causing him trouble is already good—let's pack up, in a while..."

Old Huang was speaking when suddenly he felt something was wrong; he turned and asked: "How long has Si'er been out? Why hasn't he come back in half a day?"

Almost as soon as these words fell, there were loud bangs of "Boom, Boom" in succession; the door and window were almost simultaneously pushed open from outside.

Everyone in the room were old hands on the Jiang; sensing something wrong, not even having time to see who was coming, each either flipped toward the back window or went to pick up knives, axes, and sticks to one side.

It was also ill-timed: earlier a mother and daughter had come, and everyone had already been on edge once; after confirming nothing was wrong, they casually put things back, then someone else came asking for a rolling pin, and hearts were on edge again. Now it was truly a bad moment, carrying a flavor of "one drum raises courage, the second weakens it, the third exhausts it," and their reaction slowed by just a beat.

Inside, there was a movement, and the person rushing in immediately shouted loudly.

"Don't move!"

"What are you running for!"

"Run again and I'll shoot an arrow!"

All of them had cases on their backs, who would pay heed, and some even thought with experienced hearts—just some Patrol Soldiers, shooting arrows—do they think I'm some ignorant fool?!

The faster runner first flipped the table in front of him with force, blocking those coming ahead, then he himself flew back several steps, seizing the chance to turn around, one hand pressing on the window, and poked his head out.

Behind him someone followed up, grabbing that person's leg, cooperating tacitly to help push outward.

Push once.

Huh? Why won't it budge?

This person only thought something was stuck somewhere; in such a rush, he still didn't forget to spread his legs apart, making a horse stance, took a deep breath, and pushed the person ahead outward with force, shouting without urging: "Occupying the latrine but not shitting! You damn well put some effort into it!"

But no matter how hard he pushed, that person was simply like rooted on the window sill, neither leg willing to lift; not only that, he struggled desperately, constantly dodging his hands, and kicked wildly.

"You won't run, but I still need to escape!"

In the flurry, this person grabbed the one on the window and pulled him aside, exposing half a gap; using that leverage, he did an Eagle Flip, his lower body already landing on the ground outside; just as he turned back, he saw a ring of people standing outside, no fewer than ten or twenty, each raising their bows—there really were arrows!

The arrows were already nocked, aimed right at him; as soon as the bow was drawn, they could all shoot at once, pinning him into a hedgehog full of spikes.

He suddenly understood—no wonder that person earlier was stuck dead on the window; no matter how he lifted his leg, he just wouldn't escape outside!

This made it seem as if he himself was holding that person on the window, preventing his escape!

Having lived so many years, seeing so many bows and arrows aimed at himself for the first time, this person's leg went soft; without time to think, he turned back again, and indeed saw his companion glaring at him with a face full of anger.

He did an Eagle Flip, pressed on his companion's head, and hurriedly went back into the room through the window.

This time it wasn't so easy to come and go freely.

Almost as soon as he landed, two people grabbed him head and hands, pressed him face-down to the ground, and soon his hands were bound behind his back.

"What are you running for!"

"Where are you from! What's your name! Where did those knives and axes come from!"

"Have you committed crimes! Confess honestly!"

In the neighboring courtyard, the two old women and women from earlier poked their heads out; hearing so much commotion, after more than a short while they saw a group of people, each with a black cloth hood over their head and hands bound behind their backs, being led out, all looking frightened, and they hurriedly grabbed the Guan Cha guarding the courtyard.

"Sir! What kind of people are these? So fierce; if they get out of jail, will they come cause us trouble?"

"Yes, if they come to our door to cause trouble, our family has only five or six people, while they have about ten, all strong and brave—how could we withstand them?"

"The search inside turned up many stolen goods and weapons, plus travel permits and identity documents of unknown authenticity; these people definitely won't come out in a short time, at least exile—rest assured—today you helped catch an escapee, remember to go to the government office to claim your reward!"

The two were suddenly both surprised and delighted, and also a bit slow to catch on.

"They really are escapees, and there really is reward money!"

"They really are escapees! I said, everything was fine, this house had no trouble with previous tenants, but after this group moved in, they're rarely seen day or night, and they throw things around and don't like cleanliness! They ruined my dried sweet potatoes and dried vegetables—damn it!"

"Oh my, and there are weapons! If I'd known earlier I wouldn't have dared go over just now—fortunately I didn't know, otherwise how could I get reward money!"

In broad daylight, a group of people being escorted away by the government office—no matter how low-key, they still couldn't escape the eyes of those who cared.

Soon, the news was sent back to a house in City West as well.

Inside sat seven or eight burly men; hearing this news, almost everyone changed color.

One simply couldn't believe it, exclaiming: "No! Everything was fine, we told them to hide well and not go out randomly, wait until night when things are done... how did they suddenly get caught?!"

"Who caught them? Didn't we already sent word to the patrol stations at Nanxun, Xinzheng, and Wansheng city gates? Where are they locked up now?"

The messenger said: "Not the patrol stations, but the Capital Prefecture Office itself made the arrest; they've already been taken back, and they even borrowed Garrison Soldiers from outside the city—heard they even brought longbows; who could escape!"

This person paused, then said softly: "Seems they found many travel permits and identity documents, all genuine; I had someone inquire for a while, seems they're all old hands, and I don't know if they have cases on their backs..."

Everyone's faces looked even worse.

"If they really have cases on their backs..."

"We fear nothing else, just murder cases; otherwise we'd probably need to ask the Head Steward to make any headway!"

"What to do? We originally said the food shop matter was left to them; now... fortunately they haven't seen us, otherwise once they implicate us, we'd probably suffer too!"

"Should we still report to the mansion? Otherwise if we really stirred up a hornet's nest, I'm afraid it can't be settled with just a scolding!"

After the group discussed, knowing this couldn't be hidden, they indeed sent the news to the Wu Family.

Not long after, the messenger returned dejected.

"The Head Steward conveyed the Master's meaning: as long as that young lady is unharmed and her hands are fine, nothing else matters—even that house, if it can be kept it's best, if not, forget it..."

"Also urging, saying the matter has dragged on too long, the Master is already very displeased, telling the leader not to delay anymore, first find a way to send the person back!"

When these words came out, many pondered, exchanged glances, and looked at the leader.

"Leader, Song Ji hired many escorts, people follow them in and out; there are Patrol Officers and Patrol Soldiers at Zhuque Gate; we have no one with influence there, we can't exert force..."

"We've already used many people, had ambushes on the road and troublemakers, but in the end nothing came of it!"

"Without a pretext, we can't just forcibly abduct..."

The latter gritted his teeth and said: "That cart driver wasn't caught, right?"

Getting an affirmative answer, he said: "Call him over first!"

The group discussed for half a day; when night came, they quietly went out the door.