Tianquan held her hand tightly: "I'll wait for you."
This person is too good, almost unreal. Touched, Xiaoman lowered her head and said, "I hit you before and said a lot of hurtful things to you, please don't take it to heart..."
He didn't say anything, but simply raised his arm to embrace her body and gently kissed her forehead.
This time, Xiaoman didn't back down, but remained silent with her head down. After a long while, she suddenly said, "Traveling far and wide is tiring, and money is essential. You don't have any money on you..."
Before she could finish speaking, she slyly pulled out two gemstones, twirling them in her palm. The gemstones were polished with countless tiny facets, a style characteristic of Mount No Return. He was taken aback, then both amused and annoyed: "You still kept some for yourself?"
Xiao Man coughed twice: "I've been running around for so long for no reason. Even if I haven't done anything great, I've still put in the effort. Consider these two gems as my reward. I'm being very generous."
He laughed, released her, and looked at the sky. It was almost dusk.
"Let's leave tomorrow morning. I'll arrange horses for you."
Xiao Man nodded. She grabbed his sleeve and shook it twice, smiled gently, and then turned and left.
Tianquan leaned against the window, quietly watching her back, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.
She is a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. She possesses a vibrant life, an exquisitely resilient beauty. Anyone who witnesses such beauty would be captivated. He wanted to lock her away, to keep her by his side, yet he couldn't bear to harm her. He could keep her at a distance, out of sight, it didn't matter; she was bound by a rope, tied to his hand.
In the end, she will still be his.
"Someone come here." He called out in a low voice, and immediately two men in black landed on the windowsill, waiting with their hands at their sides.
"Protect her from behind. Don't let her find out. If anyone tries to bully her, kill them without mercy."
The two men agreed and immediately jumped into the yard. They disappeared in no time.
Tianquan took a deep breath. The sky grew darker and darker, a black cauldron looming over him. Like a gigantic, pitch-black cocoon, he was trapped inside, never knowing what it meant to break free.
Xiaoman actually regretted borrowing a horse from Tianquan. She rode it all day and traveled all day, but she almost couldn't get off. Her back and buttocks were in excruciating pain.
Surrounded by desolate mountains and wilderness, with no village or shop in sight, she began to doubt whether she had gone the wrong way. She was on her way to Zhenzhou, and she remembered that when she took a carriage, it only took half a day to get from Zhenzhou to the Tianquan manor on the outskirts of the city. How come she had been traveling for a whole day and was still wandering around in the mountains?
As darkness fell, there was little hope of reaching Zhenzhou City before nightfall. Xiaoman struggled to dismount, looked around, and searched for a cave where she could spend the night.
The terrain in the mountains was complex, and there was still snow on the ground. She had to be careful to avoid falling down the slope. It was getting dark, and she could no longer see the road. She had to light a torch, but her mount was probably not well trained. It was afraid of the fire and turned around and ran away.
Xiaoman hurriedly chased after it, grabbing the reins; all her possessions were in the bundle on the horse's back!
"Good horse, good horse, be obedient, come on, we're not afraid, let's go forward..." Xiaoman patiently tried to coax it, but it just snorted and its hooves rubbed restlessly on the ground. No matter how she pulled it, it wouldn't move.
She grabbed the horse's head and said urgently, "Why don't you leave! Are you going to stay here forever? There's nothing to eat here, I won't care if you starve to death!"
It couldn't understand what she was saying at all, and stubbornly refused to move. Xiao Man got angry, grabbed the reins, and pulled hard forward, dragging it along no matter what.
Just as they were locked in a stalemate, a shout suddenly came from the mountain, and a large burst of flashing fire rushed straight towards her. Xiaoman was startled—bandits?! No way, could she be so unlucky? Encountering bandits on her very first day?!
She leaped onto the horse, slapped its rump, and shouted, "Run!" With that, she threw down the torch in her hand. The horse finally obeyed and took off running. But after only a few steps, the shouts behind her grew louder and louder, and the torchlight suddenly rushed over, surrounding her. Xiao Man suddenly pulled on the reins, and the horse reared up, almost throwing her off.
"Bandits!" Xiao Man sat stiffly on her horse, staring blankly as the men carrying torches approached. She gripped the reins tightly and forced a smile, "Gentlemen...gentlemen, heroes! I...I'm just passing through, I don't have a single coin on me! Um...I'd really appreciate it if you could be lenient with me..."
A man holding a torch approached, looked her up and down, and seeing that she was a thin, frail little girl, he sighed and shouted back, "A poor wretch! No chance!"
The voice was soft and crisp; it was actually a woman's.
Suddenly, a group of people surrounded them, holding torches. They were of varying heights and builds, and although they all wore headscarves, their delicate eyebrows, fine noses, and soft breasts revealed them to be women!
The woman at the head of the group waved her hand, about to signal them to leave, when suddenly someone in the crowd shouted, "She has a horse! And a bundle! And her clothes are quite nice too!"
Upon hearing this, all eyes turned to Xiaoman once again. She clutched her collar, staring at them in horror. Could it be? Taking the horse and the bundle was bad enough, but now they were going to strip her clothes too?!
The woman at the head nodded and said, "That's right!"
She stuck the torch in the snow, then reached out and pulled Xiaoman down to take off her clothes.
Xiao Man grabbed her hand and said urgently, "You...you might as well take me too! The people, clothes, horse, and luggage are all yours!"
The woman nodded and said, "That's right! Take her up with you! Let her do some manual labor!"
Xiao Man was immediately lifted up by a group of people and slowly swayed towards the top of the mountain.
The Killing of Crows, Chapter Seventeen: Let's Set Off (Part Two)
Updated: 2008-10-15 0:14:49 Word Count: 3695
Two more updates to come, this is the first one.
It's more accurate to call this a village than a bandit stronghold.
Xiao Man was carried up to the mountaintop in a daze, only to find the whole village rushing out, shouting and yelling like it was New Year's Day. One asked, "Did you finally catch a fat one this time?" Another said, "Why is it just a little girl! She doesn't look like she's rich!"
Women, women, women... The village is full of women! You can't even see a single man's pubic hair!
The woman at the head of the group, probably the bandit leader, tossed aside her torch and sighed, "The heavy snow has blocked the mountains lately, making it hard to catch anything good. This girl at least has a horse, and her clothes are worth a few taels of silver. She even volunteered to come up with us, so let's just consider her an extra maid."
The group had no choice but to lead the horses away, take down the bundles on them, and open them. Inside, they found only a few worn-out clothes, a broken pipa, and some beaded thread to make knots; nothing else.
Xiao Man was put on the ground, still a little shaken. Seeing everyone looking at her, probably because they liked her fox fur cloak, she quickly and generously took it off and handed it to the leader: "Take this, consider it my greeting gift. If you want to pawn it, it will cost at least fifty taels of silver. Don't be cheated by the shopkeeper."
Her generosity immediately moved everyone. The leader patted her on the shoulder, almost knocking half of her body off, and shouted, "Good! You're a nice girl! I like you! Come on in and have a drink!"
She grabbed Xiaoman's shoulder and dragged her into the largest room, which was brightly lit by a fire, with a tiger skin spread on the floor. Apart from that, it was no different from an ordinary house. And perhaps because it was inhabited by women, it was very clean, with half an unfinished embroidery on the table.
The female leader tossed the embroidery into the inner room. She pressed Xiaoman down into a chair, and immediately someone brought over a large table. Chairs were arranged around it, and several young women served wine and dishes—not particularly lavish. The table was surrounded by women, all burly and robust, not unlike the men. They were presumably the leaders of the bandit village.
Xiaoman was offered a cup of wine, and the generous female chieftain clinked her cup against Xiaoman's: "Here! Thank you for the horse and clothes! Fifty taels of silver is enough for our whole village to get through the winter!"
Xiao Man had no choice but to lower her head and take a sip. The wine was very strong, and she almost cried when it was snatched away. However, seeing that although these women were rude, they meant no harm, and the house was tidy, she felt a little relieved. She said softly, "My name is Xiao Man. Gentlemen... eldest sister, what's your name?"
The female leader smiled and said, "This is Chenjia Village. The women here don't have names, so you can just call me Sister Chen. From here down, the names are Second Sister, Third Sister, and so on up to Thirteenth Sister."
Xiao Man ate a bite of salted fish and chatted with them for a while. Gradually, they all relaxed, and she also told them a little about her own story. When she got to the part about Zexiu dropping her embroidery and turning to leave, Sister Chen's eyes reddened, she sniffled, and choked out, "She's such a pitiful child. Your man is so ungrateful. Next time you see him, you must slap him hard and teach him a lesson!"
Xiao Man laughed and said, "I'm afraid I won't see him again, and he's not my man."
Sister Chen was gentle and said softly, "If we are destined to meet, we will definitely meet again. A woman can never live a good life without a man. Like us, we have no choice but to become bandits in order to make a living."
Xiao Man asked cautiously in a low voice, "May I ask why there are no men in the village?"
Sister Chen sighed, "Because of the war, all the men were conscripted. Only a few orphans and widows were left in the village, struggling to make a living. If we weren't forced into it, why would we become bandits? Have you ever seen a woman become a bandit? We were all forced into it!"
Xiao Man sighed a few times, and after a while, she suddenly said, "Robbing like this isn't a solution. A group of people rushing in is disorderly, and if they encounter a large group, they'll be in danger. Besides, not everyone can rob. Sometimes, if you run into a martial arts master, you not only won't get any money, but you might even lose your life. The key to being a bandit is to be bold and careful. First, choose your target carefully, then arrange your numbers, advance and retreat strategically, and don't reveal your identity. That way, even if you fail, you won't attract the attention of the authorities."
The women were all stunned. Sister Chen hesitated and asked, "Then... how do we choose a target?"
"It's simple!" Xiaoman patted her chest confidently. "I can tell at a glance whether someone is rich or not, and whether I can steal their stuff. You guys need to extend your search area, don't just stay on this hilltop all the time. Go out and explore, and once you spot a target, come back and report immediately. Then we can prepare here. That way, we can be more efficient!"
Sister Chen whispered, "Then... what are the characteristics of a rich person?"
Xiao Man laughed and said, "You can tell just by looking at his demeanor. Rich people never travel alone; they must have guards around them. And because they are used to being pampered, their necks are always straight, their heads are held high, and their temperament is different from that of ordinary people."
Seeing everyone staring at her blankly, she slammed her hand on the table: "Fine! I'll rob it for you! I'll show you how to be a bandit!"
Being a bandit is physically demanding, a fact that Xiao Man has come to realize.
She was now wrapped in a large fur cloak, hunching her shoulders and constantly looking around. Several female bandits behind her kept asking her, "Have you seen any rich people?"
Xiao Man sighed, "Ladies, rich people aren't like sparrows; they don't just appear in droves all at once. You have to be patient. You have to lie low for a long time, then spot your target and go all out! At least you can live a good life for a year. It's worth it!"
She sat for a long time, and her hands and feet became numb from the cold. She couldn't help but stand up and jump around a couple of times. Immediately, someone handed her a jar of wine: "Drinking some will warm you up."
"Thank you." She took the jar and took a big gulp. Seeing that it was getting dark, she feared she would have to return empty-handed again. Just as she was about to say she was calling it a day and heading back up the mountain, she suddenly saw a group of about five or six people walking slowly towards her in the distance. They were leading several horses, each carrying a large box, and looked very tired.
She immediately narrowed her eyes and waved for the women to stop laughing and talking.
A closer look revealed who the master was. Having witnessed the grandeur of the wealthy, she was certain the old man riding a horse in the center was the master. Such people were usually not merchants; they could be retired officials returning to their hometowns with vast amounts of gold and jewels. They were undoubtedly very wealthy.
"They're here! Quick, let's go back!"
Xiao Man tore off her cloak, turned and ran, running all the way back to the mountain stronghold. She quickly made arrangements, dividing the female bandits into several groups, each with its own task. After the arrangements were complete, she said, "Bandits can't be too ruthless, so we'll only take some of the gold and silver. Thieves should also be ethical; leave the lion's share for the owners, and we'll take the smaller portion. Otherwise, if we rob everyone and the authorities come to raid us, we'll only face certain death. Also, remember to wear masks, and absolutely do not speak! Don't let anyone discover that you are women! Do your work on that mountain path at the back. Don't do it at the foot of your own mountain! Do you all understand?"
The female bandits nodded in unison.
Xiao Man waved her hand: "Let's go!"
It was her first time being a bandit, and she felt both excited and nervous. She followed Sister Chen and the others along the path to the back of the mountain to wait.
Before long, the group was indeed frightened by the men arranged in front. The guards chased after the female bandits who were running around everywhere. However, the mountain roads were complicated, and they were not like these women who had grown up in the mountains. After wandering around for a long time, they could no longer find them and had to return in defeat.
They harassed him like this three or four times, only to terrify the old man so much that he clung to his horse's head and fled for his life. Xiao Man whispered, "Let's go!"
With a whoosh, Sister Chen and the others emerged from the snowdrift and pounced on the lone old man and his advisor. The two men were already frozen in fear, and Sister Chen slapped them off their horses. The group grabbed the two boxes on the horses' backs and ran off, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Xiao Man turned her face away and tried to run after him, but she slipped and fell to the ground in the snow, the black cloth covering her face falling off. In her haste, she glanced back and saw the clerk coming over with a torch to grab her. She jumped up and ran, but after only a few steps, she met Sister Chen, who had come to pick her up. Sister Chen grabbed her, hoisted her onto her shoulder, and ran faster than a rabbit, leaving the clerk no chance to catch her.
The group rushed back to the village and hurriedly opened the boxes to check their spoils. Sure enough, they had made a fortune. One box was filled with silver, and the other was filled with all kinds of jewelry, antiques, and calligraphy and paintings.
The whole village was in an uproar, tossing Xiaoman up and down with joy, treating her like a savior from suffering.
That night, everyone drank heavily. Xiao Man was both happy and amused, so she drank a couple more cups. Her head was a little dizzy when she heard Sister Chen say with admiration, "Even bandits need to know these things. Xiao Man, we've really learned something from you."
Xiao Man chuckled and said, "Big sister, listen to me, after you've done this, it's better not to be a bandit anymore. This money is enough for you to live on. Raising some cattle and sheep is much more stable than being a bandit. Also, even if you've spent the money, don't let those paintings and calligraphy circulate, otherwise they'll find out where they came from."
Sister Chen nodded and said, "You're right, sister. It's one thing for us to be thieves, but we can't let the children be thieves too."
She put her arm around Xiaoman's shoulder affectionately: "Why don't you stay in our village, little sister? I really admire and like you."
Xiao Man shook her head: "No, I have things to do and can't stay any longer. Besides, they saw my face, and staying here will definitely cause trouble. It's better to leave as soon as possible."
Sister Chen tried to persuade her to stay a few more times, but seeing that she was determined not to stay, she had no choice but to have someone bring her horse over, and her bundle was still tied to it without being moved.
"We've returned everything to you, sister. The whole village is grateful to you. You must come and visit us again."
As she spoke, she took out a cloth bag containing some jewelry and silver: "This is your share. The success of this operation is mostly due to your efforts. Take this money for your journey. Also, when you see your man, don't slap him; make sure he treats you well." Xiaoman nodded and smiled sweetly: "Thank you, elder sister. Come, let's drink! We won't leave until we're drunk tonight!"