After this incident, Zhao Chunmei’s feud with that family was completely settled. When they set off again, although both parties were sitting in the same cart, they couldn’t stand the sight of each other. The eldest daughter, who had been relatively friendly toward her before, now avoided making eye contact as much as possible, fearing her mother’s scolding. To be honest, Chunmei felt more comfortable this way—at least she didn’t have to force herself to maintain superficial politeness with them.
Apart from the first day when they could stay at a relay station, the following nights were spent camping on the spot. Fortunately, it was early spring and the weather was warm; otherwise, this escort business would have been impossible. Still, one couldn’t help but admire the professionalism of the experts.
Under Shao Jie’s leadership, they not only found clean water sources but occasionally even caught some game to improve their meals. At night, someone took turns keeping watch, making the journey quite safe. However, the provisions were mostly coarse grain cakes, which were indeed dry and hard to swallow. Luckily, Chunmei had the steamed buns Wu Dalang had given her. Made from high-quality refined flour and preserved well in the cool April weather, they could last three or four days without spoiling.
Every time Chunmei ate her buns, the woman opposite would deliberately take out the dried meat she had bought and cast a smug, disdainful look her way. Chunmei inwardly rolled her eyes, turning her body sideways to ignore her.
Another four days passed like this, and finally, a glimmer of hope appeared. When they learned they would reach Bianjing before dark, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Eager to complete the task quickly, Shao Jie, who was very familiar with the capital, avoided the official road and instead took a shortcut over a small hill to enter directly through the West Gate. The area around Kaifeng Prefecture was flat, and the so-called “small hill” was little more than a large dirt slope with hardly any trees, offering a wide-open view. On the way, they encountered another escort team led by a man surnamed Cai, who had a round face and looked quite amiable. He immediately recognized Shao Jie by name and mentioned that they had met in Lin’an a few years ago, expressing great admiration for his character and abilities.
It’s often said that competitors are enemies, but for people like them who make a living on the edge, there’s always a sense of mutual respect when they meet. Seeing that they were almost in Tokyo, the two even made plans to share a drink.
Team Leader Cai glanced enviously at the two oxcarts behind Shao Jie. “Brother, you must be earning quite a bit from this trip, huh? Ah, working for the officials is always better. People like us take on private jobs all day—not only do we earn less, but the employers are also full of demands.”
“Just lucky, that’s all. I happened to have two families who decided to share the ride at the last minute, otherwise there wouldn’t be much profit,” Shao Jie replied modestly, shaking his head. Unexpectedly, Team Leader Cai didn’t take the hint and instead eagerly inquired about what goods Shao Jie was transporting this time and the backgrounds of the two families he was escorting.
In the jianghu, it’s hard to avoid being cautious. Seeing this, Shao Jie lost interest in the conversation and brushed him off with a few vague words before taking the initiative to part ways.
Realizing he had spoken out of turn, Team Leader Cai smiled awkwardly and didn’t press further.
Soon it was noon, with the sun high in the sky, making everyone sweat profusely. Continuing the journey would not only be unbearable for the people but might even cause the old oxen to collapse. So Shao Jie decided to take a break for now—after all, they were almost there.
Zhao Chunmei had an upset stomach from something she ate in the morning and needed to relieve herself. She went up to Shao Jie to ask where would be a suitable place.
The man impatiently pointed in a random direction, then turned to instruct his subordinates to tend to the livestock.
Ever since the conflict at the relay station where Zhao Chunmei publicly humiliated him, Shao Jie had been treating her with indifference.
Knowing his temperament, Chunmei didn’t say much and simply headed in the direction he indicated. When she reached a large tree, she was about to undo her pants but suddenly paused. She sighed, then walked a bit farther until she was sure she was well away from the others before feeling at ease.
Not long after she left, Leader Cai approached again. This time, he didn’t pry aimlessly but mentioned that he had some leftover dried meat and asked if they wanted any.
Seeing this, Shao Jie’s expression softened slightly. He shook his head and said, “I appreciate the gesture, but we’re just taking a short break. When we reach the city tonight, I’ll treat you to a proper meal.”
“That sounds great. I’ll be looking forward to your hospitality,” Leader Cai replied with a grin, not at all offended. “But brother, you’re transporting so much stuff. Isn’t there anyone in the city coming to meet you?”
Why did the conversation circle back to this again? Shao Jie felt irritated and snapped impatiently, “We’ve been doing this for years. Do we really need someone to meet us for such a small shipment?”
“Is that so? That’s wonderful,” Leader Cai said, still wearing the same smiling expression.
“What’s so wonderful about it?” Shao Jie retorted, displeased. Just as he was about to stand up, he suddenly felt a chill in his lower abdomen, followed by a sharp, intense pain.
Leader Cai drew his knife and sneered, “Now all your belongings will belong to your grandpa!”
…
Zhao Chunmei took a long time to finish her business, so long that her legs went numb before she finally stood up.
“What on earth did I eat that upset my stomach?” Chunmei stretched slightly, feeling puzzled. Could it have been the steamed buns going bad?
It was no wonder she was worried. After all, this was the Northern Song Dynasty, where medical conditions were poor, and even diarrhea could be fatal!
After adjusting her clothes, she went to the river to wash her hands. Once she was tidied up, she leisurely made her way back. Just as she was about to reach the spot, Chunmei suddenly stopped in her tracks.
What was that smell? Why was it so metallic?
She felt confused and hesitated for a moment. Remembering that she was currently disliked by everyone and that no one would likely lend a hand if something happened, she decided to play it safe. She crouched down slightly and slowly moved forward.
Soon, Chunmei would be grateful that this was the wisest decision she had ever made in her life.
Leader Cai released the hair he was holding and absentmindedly wiped the blood off his long knife.
The sharp-tongued woman who had been strutting around arrogantly just half an hour ago now lay on the ground like a discarded rag. Her once-proud head was tilted to one side, connected to her neck by only a shred of skin and flesh.
Her children were in an even more tragic state. Perhaps to finish the job quickly, the bandits had stormed into the carriage and hacked away without a word. The bodies were now unrecognizable.
“Is everything taken care of?” Leader Cai asked.
A subordinate flashed a bloodthirsty grin. “All done. That Shao guy couldn’t control his men. When we were getting friendly earlier, they all drank the water we gave them. A bunch of weaklings—they were cut down in no time.”
Leader Cai nodded in satisfaction, then stepped forward to open the crates Shao Jie had been transporting. He inspected their contents.
His subordinates crowded around to look, but upon seeing what was inside, they began cursing angrily. “What the hell is this? Is that Shao guy insane? Transporting a pile of stones all this way? What a waste of our time!”
“Idiots! What do you know?” the leader, Cai, cursed, his eyes gleaming with greed. “The current emperor loves these rare stones, and prices in the capital are soaring. Damn it, we’re going to strike it rich!”
The others cheered upon hearing this, but Leader Cai kept a clear head. Knowing they were near Tokyo and that acting here was already risky, he couldn’t afford to delay any longer. He ordered his men to quickly gather the valuables and leave immediately.
Meanwhile, Zhao Chunmei, hiding behind a tree, was so terrified her legs had gone weak. She was only about a hundred meters away from the bandits, close enough to hear their words clearly and even see the gruesome state of the bodies around her. The dead woman’s unblinking eyes were fixed on her, and Zhao Chunmei could even see the blood slowly trickling from the woman’s neck…
Even in her previous life, lying on a sickbed, Zhao Chunmei had never faced death so directly.
As mentioned earlier, the trees on the hill were sparse, and all she could do now was hold her breath and try not to be discovered.
“Everything packed? Let’s get going,” Leader Cai called out.
“Almost, but…” one of the underlings stammered.
“Spit it out!” Leader Cai snapped impatiently.
“Well, including the woman outside, we’ve killed four people. But when I was chatting with them earlier, I think I heard someone say there were five people in the carriage…”
Leader Cai paused, then roared in fury, “Why didn’t you mention something so important earlier? Search the area quickly! That person might have seen our faces!”
The underlings hastily agreed and scattered to search.
Zhao Chunmei assessed the distance and knew she would be discovered sooner or later. Remembering the fate of her companions, she decided she couldn’t just wait for death.
Staying meant death, fleeing meant death—she might as well fight for a chance!
Taking a deep breath, she picked up a stone and hurled it into the distance. While the others were distracted, she turned and ran!
However, despite all her calculations, Zhao Chunmei had overlooked her own physical stamina. Although the original owner had been a maid for a few years, the Ximen Family had ensured she lacked for nothing in terms of food and clothing, and she rarely did heavy labor. Compared to most people outside, she had lived a life of relative comfort.
In ancient times, there were no physical education classes, and over the past decade or so, she had likely seldom even walked briskly. After just a few steps, she was already panting heavily. Seeing her pursuers closing in, Zhao Chunmei desperately threw a dagger at them.
But such a small object couldn’t stop them. Instead, she lost her balance from the momentum and fell to the ground.
“You little wench! Keep running!” the man sneered, gripping a steel blade as he slowly approached.
Zhao Chunmei knew there was no escaping this. She hadn’t expected this second chance at life to be taken away so soon. At least she had done a few good deeds since crossing over, so her journey hadn’t been entirely in vain.
With a sigh, she gently closed her eyes.
As the blade came within inches of her, the girl could even smell the blood on it. But then, with a clang, she felt a sudden warmth, as if several streams of heat were spraying toward her.
Zhao Chunmei opened her eyes to see the bandit’s head gushing blood. Without even time to scream, he fell silent.
As he slowly collapsed, a burly man with round ears, a straight nose, and a square jaw was revealed behind him. In the sunlight, his large, bald head was particularly conspicuous.
At that moment, the remaining pursuers, seeing their companions attacked, all brandished their blades and charged forward with menacing gestures.
The stout monk swung his staff, instantly felling two more, and cursed angrily: “Damned scoundrels! You beasts, I haven’t even sought you out, yet you come to strike me! Don’t blame me for showing no mercy now!”
With that, he leaped forward and continued the chaotic fight. Despite his portly appearance, the monk moved with astonishing agility. Among those present, even the leader Cai was like a three-year-old child in his hands.
Seeing the situation turn dire, Leader Cai attempted to beg for mercy, but the burly monk gave him no chance. Without even using his staff, he raised a fist the size of a vinegar bowl and delivered a fierce blow squarely to the face. Leader Cai was struck so hard that blood gushed forth, his nose twisted to one side. With just that one punch, he was left gasping for breath, unable to exhale.
To avoid drawing attention, their group had only ten members in total, and now all had been slain by the monk. After scanning the surroundings to ensure no enemies remained, the monk finally crouched down and spoke gruffly to Zhao Chunmei, who was splattered with filth and blood: “Lady benefactor, are you alright? What is your surname? Do you need me to help report this to the authorities?”
Zhao Chunmei stared blankly ahead, her eyes glazed over. Too much had happened in this short hour, and even with her resilient mind, she was now somewhat terrified into a daze. It took her a long moment to process the monk’s question before she replied in a bewildered tone: “I… my surname is Zhao…”