“How many?! Over twenty people?”
Mei Erhu was so startled that he sat bolt upright. The others also couldn’t help but gasp upon hearing the number.
“When I saw them before, there were only five or six people in their group…”
Mei Erhu’s expression turned grim as he finished speaking.
He looked at Han Shi and asked again, “Sister-in-law, are you telling the truth? Did Han Lao’er not deceive you?”
“My second brother didn’t specify the exact number, but he said you have a knife, and with too few people, they wouldn’t be able to subdue you—they might even get hurt by you. They needed more people.
He also said each person would need at least five catties of grain, or at the very least, they’d have to give him over a hundred catties of food.”
Han Shi counted on her fingers and said, “That does indeed mean at least twenty people. I even asked him at the time where he’d find so many people.
Lao’er also said that if it weren’t for so many brothers supporting each other, how could they have made it safely this far?”
What Han Lao’er said wasn’t false. Just looking at the things they had done, it was clear they were locked in a life-or-death struggle with others. If their numbers were small, the ones who’d end up dead and disgraced would be Han Lao’er and his group.
However, the fact that people like Han Lao’er had managed to survive safely until now was nothing but misfortune for others.
Now, Mei Erhu was completely worried about Mei Qian and added, “Today, Steward Chen San also said that once we pass Yixian Gorge and enter the territory of Ming City, soldiers will come to escort us.
The road won’t be as unsafe as it is now.
Those families who had previously offered to help us are now mostly taking a wait-and-see approach. After all, it’s only two more days until we pass Yixian Gorge. If they can avoid a major conflict, they’d rather not act.
Not to mention hearing that there are over twenty people…”
The more Mei Erhu thought about it, the more his initial determination to deal with the Han family began to waver. He looked at Mei Qian, who had remained silent, and tentatively asked, “What if our family could also hold out until we enter Yixian Gorge…”
“That might have been possible before.”
Suddenly, Mei Qian spoke up, dashing Mei Erhu’s hopes:
“But earlier, we chose to take the initiative and even revealed our family’s resources. Or rather, to lure them in, we exaggerated our resources.
Even if our family wants to endure these two days, will the Han family agree?
Once we pass Yixian Gorge, it’ll be difficult for them to act. Aunt, when you went to see them these past two days, did you see how much grain they had?”
Han Shi shook her head upon hearing this. She truly hadn’t seen many luggage or bundles at the Han family’s side.
Then, Mei Qian turned to Mei Erhu and asked:
“Father, the news you received today probably isn’t confidential, right? Many people should know about it by now.”
Mei Erhu nodded. That was indeed the case.
Earlier, when Mei Qian learned that the Xirong had breached Yunzhong City and intended to march straight to the capital, she guessed that the eastern part of Xing’an Fu would soon face a full-scale battle with the Xirong.
However, now that Ming City could still dispatch soldiers to escort them, Mei Qian didn’t think it was because the officials were particularly compassionate toward the common people.
Another possibility was that these soldiers were actually meant to escort the Junzhu and her party.
People like them were merely benefiting from the situation. Still, such news was enough to deceive them for the time being.
Mei Qian pondered and continued, “So, even if Aunt doesn’t agree, Han Lao’er will find another way to act. Rather than not knowing when or how he’ll strike, it’s better for us to turn his plan against him now.”
Grandma Mei nodded upon hearing Mei Qian’s analysis. “At this point, we should think of a way to properly deal with the Han family.”
But saying it was easy. As soon as Grandma Mei spoke, the whole family fell silent.
Han Shi looked hesitantly at Mei Qian and asked, “But… going along with their plan to trap them—how can we do that with so many people? Our family really is short on numbers…”
Since this matter started because of Han Shi and the idea came from Mei Qian, for the moment, Han Shi could only ask Mei Qian if she had a good plan.
However, Mei Qian appeared calmer than the others.
There were many ways to deal with enemies. Since the simplest and most straightforward method couldn’t be used, it was time to consider other ideas.
Mei Qian had grown up in an orphanage. How many dirty deeds had been flaunted before her eyes because she was alone and helpless?
In the end, she had done almost everything—what she should and shouldn’t have done, things that required a ruthless heart and things that didn’t.
“Aunt, after you agreed to give them the grain, what exactly did they say?”
Mei Qian didn’t immediately share her next steps but instead continued asking Han Shi for details.
“He said that tomorrow night, I should trick Second Uncle and Shitou into going far away. Then he’d have people teach them a lesson and use Second Uncle and Shitou to threaten Mother, forcing her to bring the grain to ransom them.”
“Who would believe that?” Grandma Mei sneered. “If they really have that many people, and I bring the grain tomorrow, it’ll be like throwing meat buns to a dog—gone forever.”
Mei Shitou, who was chopping firewood, looked up with a fierce glare. “They can try their luck against Second Uncle and me.”
The family scorned the Han family’s crude plan, but their lack of manpower was indeed a weakness.
“So, they didn’t set a specific location with you? They just told you to lure them out after dark, right?”
This detail was crucial. Seeing Han Shi nod, Mei Qian raised her eyes, her gaze passing through the campfire toward the Junzhu’s carriage team, which stood apart from their group.
Memories of what she had observed about this team over the past few days flashed through her mind, and a new plan began to form.
Mei Qian thought for a moment, then looked up at the crescent moon in the sky. After pondering for a while, she finally asked, “How many curved swords did we take from the Xirong soldiers’ bodies last time?”
“Four in total.”
Three of them had been taken by Mei Shitou, who remembered clearly.
After hearing this, Mei Qian looked at her family and said quietly, “I have a risky idea that doesn’t require asking other families for help to deal with the Han family. But if something goes wrong, the most likely outcome is that the Chen family will kick us out of the group.
However, that would only happen if the Han family and their people are… gone.”
Listening to Mei Qian’s words, Grandma Mei asked, “And if nothing goes wrong?”
“If nothing goes wrong, then our whole family stays here, and the Han family is gone.”
Mei Qian turned to her aunt and asked, “Aunt, can you accept the outcome for the Han family, whether something goes wrong or not?”
“I…”
Han Shi hesitated, her words catching in her throat. She wanted to ask what Mei Qian meant by “gone,” but her intuition told her it was exactly what she thought.
Seeing everyone in the family looking at her, Han Shi hesitated for a moment before finally stiffening her neck and hardening her heart to say:
“Of course I have no opinion, what does the Han family’s affairs have to do with me?!”
Almost in a fit of pique, Grandma Mei turned and patted Han Shi’s back. Han Shi looked back at her mother-in-law and heard Grandma Mei say: “Exactly, you are part of the Mei family, the Han family’s affairs naturally have nothing to do with you!”
After saying this, Grandma Mei even glanced at Mei Qian, somewhat displeased with her for asking Han Shi such a direct question.
Meanwhile, Madam Jiang, sitting beside Mei Qian, reached out a soft hand to hold Mei Qian’s somewhat cold palm. She looked at Mei Qian with a gentle smile and whispered: “Tomorrow, be careful.”