“Let’s stop for a break,” Shen Qinghuan said. “Let everyone have some water and loosen up their legs.”
The carriage gradually came to a halt, and everyone jumped down.
Wang Hu stretched lazily, his booming voice startling the sparrows in the trees. “This ride’s been comfortable!
The roads in Jinzhou Prefecture are smooth, much better than the pothole-ridden mud roads outside Capital City!”
Su Wen strolled over to the tea house and cupped his hands in greeting to the old man selling tea. “Old sir, bring us ten bowls of cold tea!
And cut two pounds of braised beef, with some flatbread to fill everyone’s stomach.”
The old man nodded and moved quickly, bringing out coarse porcelain bowls and pouring the cooling, thirst-quenching tea. From the stove, he brought the sliced braised beef, glistening red and fragrant.
Everyone gathered around the stone tables outside the tea house, sipping tea and nibbling on flatbread with beef, thoroughly enjoying the moment.
Shen Qinghuan had taken only a couple of sips when a commotion arose from the neighboring shop—a mixture of a woman’s crying and a man’s furious shouts—shattering the peacefulness of the mountainside.
“You can’t do this!
This shop was left by my father! I will never sell it!”
The woman’s voice was choked with sobs, yet stubborn and defiant.
“You brat! Drink what’s offered, or face the penalty!” a rough-voiced man shouted. “Our Master Li has his eyes on your shop—consider it your fortune!
Sign the papers quickly, or I’ll burn your pitiful shop to the ground and sell you off to the brothel!”
Dongmei furrowed her brows, fuming. “Who are these people? So overbearing!
Daring to seize a shop in broad daylight—what law is left in the world?”
Linfeng’s gaze sharpened, his hand resting on the sword at his waist, ready to rise—but Shen Qinghuan raised a hand to stop him.
“Let’s see first,” she said calmly, though a glint of cold light flashed in her eyes.
Everyone followed her gaze and saw, at the entrance of a small general store next to the tea house, several brutish men surrounding a young woman in a plain cloth dress.
She appeared about eighteen or nineteen years old. Her hair was pinned simply, and though her face was streaked with tears, she held her head high, clutching a ledger to her chest with a stubborn, unyielding look, like a little stubborn ox.
At the forefront was a bald man with a face full of coarse flesh. He gripped a piece of paper—apparently a pre-prepared deed—and shouted, spittle flying. “Sign it or not? If you keep resisting, I’ll break your legs!”
“I said I won’t sell!”
The girl gritted her teeth, tears welling in her eyes. “If you don’t leave, I’ll report you to the authorities!”
“Report the authorities?”
The bald man laughed as if hearing the world’s greatest joke. “The Prefect of Jinzhou? He’s sworn brothers with Master Li! Go ahead and report—let’s see who dares meddle in our Li family’s business!”
Upon hearing this, the girl’s face turned pale, and tears finally streamed down her cheeks.
The bystanders dared not speak, whispering to each other: “This is the owner of Zhang’s General Store, Zhang Yulian. Her father passed away less than half a month ago, and the tyrant Li came to seize her shop.”
“That bully Li is Li San, a local despot of Jinzhou Prefecture. He relies on his connections with the Prefect, oppresses everyone, seizes fields and property, committing all sorts of crimes. Who dares to oppose him?”
Shen Qinghuan’s hand paused with her tea cup, the faint smile in her eyes fading entirely.
She despised nothing more than those who used power to oppress the people.
Wang Hu, quick-tempered as ever, slammed his hand on the stone table with a “smack!” The cups and dishes jumped from the impact. He charged toward the group of men, roaring, “Damn it! I can’t stand cowards who bully women!”
The bald man, puffing up with arrogance, was startled by the shout. Turning, he saw Wang Hu—tall, burly, with a full beard and eyes sharp as a leopard’s. His heart skipped, yet he still barked, “Who are you? Dare to meddle in my business? Want to die?”
Wang Hu ignored him, grabbing the man’s wrist and applying slight force.
A crisp “crack” sounded, accompanied by the bald man’s scream, like a pig being slaughtered. The deed in his hand fell to the ground with a “plop.”
“Ah! My hand! It hurts to death!”
The bald man grimaced in pain, cold sweat on his forehead.
The other thugs grabbed sticks and poles from the corner to surround them.
“Seeking death!”
Linfeng, Zhao Feng, and the others rose too. Some drew swords, some unsheathed knives, all moving with decisive speed.
Zhao Feng’s sword glinted, immediately held to a thug’s neck; Chen Wu swung his broadsword, cleaving a pole in two, wood splinters flying.
The thugs had never seen such a display—they trembled, dropped their weapons, and retreated.
Zhang Yulian stared in shock. After a moment, she bowed deeply to Shen Qinghuan, choking on her words, “Thank you, young master… thank you for saving me.”
Shen Qinghuan stepped forward, picked up the deed from the ground, glanced at it, and casually tore it into pieces. The fragments scattered in the wind.
Looking at the bald man writhing on the ground, she said coldly, “Leave. Tell your Master Li that I’m protecting this shop. If you dare return, next time it won’t just be your hands that are broken.”
The bald man, terrified, didn’t dare speak another word. He fled with his subordinates, not even daring to retrieve the sticks they had dropped.
The onlookers clapped and cheered, giving Shen Qinghuan and her companions thumbs up. “Young master, what skill! You’ve eliminated evil for the people!”
“Now it’s settled. With the young master backing her, the bully Li will never dare trouble Miss Zhang again!”
Shen Qinghuan smiled, turning to Zhang Yulian. “Don’t be afraid. With us here, they won’t come again.”
Zhang Yulian wiped her tears, gratitude in her voice. “Young master, your kindness is beyond repayment…”
Shen Qinghuan waved her hand. “It’s nothing. I’ve just arrived in Jinzhou Prefecture and am looking for a place to settle.
How about this—I invest in your general store. We run it together. You manage it, I provide the capital, and I protect the shop. How does that sound?”
Zhang Yulian’s eyes lit up, as if grasping a lifeline. “Really? That’s wonderful! Thank you, young master! I promise to manage the shop well and won’t let you lose money!”
Chuntao and Dongmei exchanged a glance, seeing the same smile in each other’s eyes.
They knew their young master was about to do another heartwarming, righteous deed.
The sunlight fell gently on Shen Qinghuan’s face, highlighting her serene features.
She watched the cheering townspeople, saw hope rekindled in Zhang Yulian’s eyes, and listened to the praise around her, thinking silently: Jinzhou Prefecture is indeed a good place.
What she did not yet realize was that this small conflict was only the beginning of her foothold in Jinzhou.
The forces behind the bully Li were far more complex than she imagined. The Prefect of Jinzhou had colluded with Li San for years, oppressing the people, creating deep-rooted corruption.
A new storm was quietly brewing.
By the time Li San returned to exaggerate the story, the ruthless Master Li would not let the matter rest peacefully.