"You're truly a fortunate old man, Old Wang! A Yu has become Lady Lin's apprentice and will become a head chef in the future!" Old Woman Li said with evident envy, though she regretted that her own son was already too old for apprenticeship.
She genuinely felt happy for Old Wang and his granddaughter. Having been neighbors for decades, they knew each other well. The Wang family had struggled through difficult years, but now that A Yu could learn cooking skills from Lady Lin and secure a promising future, there was finally hope for better days ahead.
"This is all thanks to Lady Lin's willingness to teach A Yu," Wang Shan replied with a beaming smile as he set down the prepared steamed buns for the day, his words filled with gratitude.
Wang Xiaoyu began helping Lin Yao at the food stall today. She took the steamed buns from the basket and imitated Lin Yao's technique, making a small cut in the center of each bun.
Lin Cheng had helped carry all the stall necessities to the dock early in the morning before heading up the mountain with his backpack. This was the arrangement he and Lin Yao had agreed upon – with A Yu's assistance, Lin Cheng would be responsible for transporting items to and from the dock daily. During his free time, he would hunt and gather herbs in the mountains, providing an additional source of income to ease their financial situation.
At the stall, Lin Yao was busy stir-frying rice while Wang Xiaoyu handled the Roujiamo. Being new to the work, Wang Xiaoyu's movements were still somewhat clumsy – she either put too much or too little meat in the buns. Lin Yao kept an eye on her, offering occasional guidance.
Lin Song wasn't idle either. Carrying the small basket that Lin Cheng had specially made for collecting copper coins, he buzzed through the crowd like a little bee, thoroughly enjoying his busy role.
After working all morning, Wang Xiaoyu felt aches throughout her body. While the work didn't seem particularly difficult, the constant stream of customers left little time to catch her breath, leaving her completely exhausted.
"A Yu, you must be exhausted," Lin Yao said as she approached with three bowls of fried rice, each topped with a generous layer of Lu Zhu Xia Shui that looked appealing and smelled delicious. "Here, eat while it's hot."
Wang Xiaoyu quickly took the bowl and eagerly scooped a large mouthful of rice. The enticing aroma had been making her mouth water since she started working that day.
Without Lin Cheng's help, the three of them had been overwhelmed with work. Once they got their food, they finished it rapidly like a whirlwind sweeping away fallen leaves.
After the meal, Lin Yao and Wang Xiaoyu rested briefly before packing up the stall items and waiting at the dock for Lin Cheng to meet them.
But after waiting for two hours, with the sun climbing higher in the sky, there was still no sign of Lin Cheng. As they gazed toward the mountain path in the distance, a growing sense of unease settled in their hearts.
The longer Lin Yao waited, the more she felt something was wrong, increasingly worried that Lin Cheng might have met with an accident in the mountains. She instructed Wang Xiaoyu and Lin Song to watch the stall at the dock while she hurried toward the forest.
It was noon, the hottest time of day when most people were resting, so there were few travelers on the road. Anxious and worried, Lin Yao quickened her pace.
As Lin Yao walked faster, passing through a bamboo grove, a masked figure wearing a black face covering suddenly emerged. Without a word, the figure swiftly closed in on Lin Yao and threw a bare-fisted punch straight at her face.
Startled, Lin Yao instinctively sidestepped. The fist, cutting through the air with a whoosh, grazed past her cheek, stirring several strands of hair at her temples to flutter in its wake.
"Who are you? Why are you attacking me!" Lin Yao shouted, her hand already reaching into the small cloth bag she carried with her. Inside were the flour she always kept on hand and the small knife her brother had specially bought for her when he went to town a few days ago.
She was not someone who would easily suffer the same loss twice. The fact that Hu Shi had dared to come and cause trouble last time meant the news about their business could no longer be kept secret. The main branch of the Lin family had long coveted their livelihood and harbored ill intentions—how could she be unprepared?
The masked man did not answer, his hands forming claws as he lunged straight for Lin Yao's throat.
Lin Yao was horrified. At this life-or-death moment, she had no time to think. Instinctively, she crossed her arms in front of her, only to feel a tremendous force strike her, numbing her arms and forcing her to stumble back several steps.
The masked man pressed forward relentlessly.
At the critical moment, Lin Yao seized her chance and flung the flour in her hand with all her might toward the masked man. The snow-white flour instantly spread through the air, forming a dense white haze that obscured the man's vision. Seizing the opportunity, Lin Yao turned and sprinted in the opposite direction. But in just a few moments, the flour began to disperse in the wind, and the masked man quickly closed the distance between them.
The masked man grabbed Lin Yao by the shoulder and threw her toward the edge of the bamboo grove. Lin Yao's body flew uncontrollably and crashed heavily against a thick bamboo stalk. A sharp pain shot through her back, as if her bones were about to shatter, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth.
Before she could recover, the masked man strode over to her, looking down at her from above. "I won't kill you. I only want your two hands." The masked man raised his foot and stomped hard on Lin Yao's right hand. An excruciating pain instantly shot through her entire body, and she couldn't help but let out a piercing scream.
"Ah—who sent you? I'll pay double! Please spare me!" Lin Yao gritted her teeth, beads of sweat rolling down her forehead. Her eyes were bloodshot from the pain.
The masked man remained unmoved, his expression cold and indifferent, his eyes like ice. He increased the pressure under his foot, and Lin Yao's right hand bones emitted a terrifying cracking sound under the weight.
"Triple! I'll pay triple!" Lin Yao endured the pain, trying to negotiate with the masked man.
Hearing this, the masked man hesitated for a moment, his movements pausing briefly. Seeing his hesitation, Lin Yao immediately pulled out the small knife from her bag and, with all her strength, stabbed it into the masked man's leg. The knife sank deep, and the masked man let out a pained cry, staggering uncontrollably.
"You wretched girl, how dare you hurt me!" the masked man roared, his face twisted with rage and fury. He raised his hand and swung it hard toward Lin Yao's head. Lin Yao instinctively turned her head to the side but still couldn't avoid it. The wind-whipping palm struck her cheek, igniting a burning pain.
But the masked man, too, staggered from the wound on his thigh and fell to the ground. Lin Yao didn't dare delay. She scrambled away from the spot, her heart pounding like a drum, her legs weak, her disheveled hair flying wildly in the wind. Sweat and tears mixed on her face, blurring her vision.
Lin Yao's chest ached from the intense running, but the masked man's agonizing groans behind her drove her forward relentlessly, survival instinct leaving no room for hesitation.
Suddenly, three horses galloped out from a side path, their riders clad in tight-fitting attire, silhouetted against the light with faces obscured.
Startled and unable to stop, Lin Yao stumbled directly toward one of the horses. Fortunately, the rider reacted swiftly, yanking the reins hard. The horse reared up with a sharp whinny, halting just a step away from her.
Though she avoided collision, Lin Yao fell hard, landing face-first in the dirt. Yet she breathed a heavy sigh of relief—she had recognized the rider as Xu Zhiheng.
"Whoa—" Xu Zhiheng dismounted and helped her up.
Taking in Lin Yao's disheveled state and the wounds on her face, Xu Zhiheng was astonished. What grudge could anyone hold against a mere pancake vendor? "Lady Lin, why are you in such a panic?"
"They… they tried to kill me! No—not kill, they wanted to cripple my hands!" Xu Zhiheng's expression turned grave. He patted her shoulder, trying to calm her. "Don't be afraid, Lady Lin. Speak slowly."
Lin Yao took several deep breaths, her chest heaving as she struggled to steady her frayed nerves. Her voice still trembled. "I don't know who he was. I was on my way to find my brother when suddenly a masked man leaped out from the bamboo grove. He attacked me immediately, saying someone paid him to destroy my hands."
Mention of her brother sent a jolt of fear through her—Lin Cheng! What had happened to him? "Please, Young Master Xu, help me find my brother! I can pay! He went into the mountains to gather herbs today. We agreed he'd meet me and my younger brother at the dock by noon, but he never came. I'm afraid he…"
Seeing her distress, Xu Zhiheng softened. "Don't worry, Lady Lin. I'll help you find your brother. First, calm down and think—where does he usually go for herbs?"
After a moment's recollection, Lin Yao said, "Usually the eastern woods—there are more herbs there. But it's a vast area…"
"No matter. Let's get you to a physician in town first, or your hands may truly be ruined," Xu Zhiheng turned to his companions. "Jin Yu, Mantang, search the woods for her brother."
Jolting along on horseback, Lin Yao gradually collected her thoughts. She meticulously retraced the masked man's words and actions, searching for clues.
"Someone paid to have my hands crippled…" she repeated inwardly, utterly baffled. What grudge could anyone hold against an ordinary farm girl who'd never provoked such hatred?
Except perhaps the main branch of the Lin family.
But without evidence, she couldn't openly accuse them based on speculation alone.
Upon arriving at the medical clinic, Xu Zhiheng dismounted first, then helped Lin Yao down. "Lady Lin, let the physician examine you thoroughly first," Xu Zhiheng said.
Lin Yao nodded. The clinic was filled with a faint medicinal aroma that gradually calmed her heart.
The physician carefully examined Lin Yao's wound. "Young lady, this injury requires proper care. You must not lift heavy objects in the coming days," the physician said. "Had the person struck with more force, your hand might have been permanently damaged."
After applying medication, the physician prescribed several doses of medicine. When settling the bill, Lin Yao couldn't help but lament how expensive ancient medicine was—it cost her a full tael of silver, wiping out several days' earnings.
Seeing her pained expression, Xu Zhiheng found it somewhat amusing. What a little miser.