That big, simple-minded man.
Shen Ying frowned and made her way toward the crowd. When she heard that the person had been beaten until his head was split open and bleeding, she quickened her pace toward the place they had mentioned.
Along the way, Chunya’s face was tight with tension, her expression grave and serious.
Shen Ying walked swiftly ahead, turning left and right through the streets, until they finally reached the area where the refugees had gathered.
The narrow lanes were dimly lit, and people in tattered, ragged clothing were everywhere.
As they drew closer, a thick, foul stench washed over them.
Ignoring the curious and watchful eyes that followed her movements, Shen Ying kept her face cold and stern, gripping the dagger hidden in her sleeve firmly in her palm as she strode deeper into the area.
Chunya stayed close by Shen Ying’s side, her eyes sharp and fierce. Whenever someone looked their way with ill intent, she would immediately lift her head and stare right back, her gaze unyielding.
Before long, the two of them reached the corner of a lane.
There, a man lay on the ground, his face and head covered entirely in blood.
A light breeze drifted past, carrying the sharp, metallic scent of blood through the air.
Shen Ying walked over, gently turned the man’s head toward her, and recognized his familiar features. Her voice grew heavy and serious. It really is you. Let’s tend to your wounds and bandage them first.
Wei Jinhu struggled to open his eyes. When he saw Shen Ying standing before him, his eyes turned red with emotion. I’m sorry, Sister Ying. I’ve caused trouble for you.
Stop wasting time with words. Can you still walk? Should we take you to a medical clinic right now?
I can stand up. I just need you two to help support me. My head is spinning and I feel dizzy.
He had been injured on his head, but his arms and legs were completely unharmed and still strong.
Working together, Shen Ying and Chunya used every bit of their strength to help the tall, heavy man stand upright and keep him steady on his feet.
The people standing nearby watched the whole scene unfold, and many of them began to speak out loudly.
Some people really just don’t know their place. They dare to stand up against us and even try to fight back. Do they even understand their own strength and status?
I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll spare your life. But next time you dare to meddle in things that don’t concern you, I’ll make sure you pay with your life.
They knew that Shen Ying carried a dagger, yet the refugees showed no sign of fear. On the contrary, their faces were filled with menace and hostility as they shouted threats and warnings.
Wei Jinhu was burning with anger and rage, and was just about to shout back in response when Shen Ying quickly placed her hand over his mouth to stop him. A gentleman waits ten years to take his revenge; there is no need to rush.
A quarter of an hour later.
The wounds on Wei Jinhu’s head had been cleaned and bandaged properly, and they had also purchased a large supply of medicine and medical supplies.
When Wei Jinhu saw Shen Ying take out gold ingots to pay for everything, he looked pained by the expense and was overcome with deep guilt and regret.
For the whole journey back home, Wei Jinhu followed behind Shen Ying like a child who had done something wrong and was waiting to be scolded.
As soon as they entered their home and closed the door behind them, he dropped to his knees with a heavy thud.
I’m sorry, Sister Ying. This is all my fault, and I’ve wasted so much of our money.
Shen Ying sat down calmly and said nothing for a moment. She slowly picked up her teacup, gently stirred the liquid to move the floating foam aside, and took a slow sip.
In the flickering glow of the candlelight, the white bandages wrapped around Wei Jinhu’s forehead looked blindingly bright and stark against his skin. The man who was usually so full of energy and vitality now had a face as pale as paper, and tears welled up in his eyes, threatening to spill over.
The room was silent and still, and his feelings of guilt and regret grew heavier and more painful with every passing moment.
After a long silence, Shen Ying tapped her fingers lightly against the tabletop. You have indeed made a mistake.
I will correct my ways. I will work as hard as I possibly can to earn money and pay back every single copper coin I have wasted…
Do you even know exactly what you did wrong? Shen Ying continued to press him for an answer.
Wei Jinhu lifted his head, doing his best to hold back his feelings of shame and humiliation. The world is in chaos right now. I should not have meddled in other people’s business, and even more importantly, I should never have caused trouble for you…
You are wrong.
A faint smile curved at the corners of Shen Ying’s lips. You have made a grave mistake, and your reasoning is completely wrong. Your error was not that you caused trouble for me. Your mistake was that you tried to handle everything alone and carry all the burden by yourself. Since we have chosen to travel and live together, we must stand united through fair weather and foul, and share both good fortune and misfortune. When something this serious happened to you, why did you not send someone back to let us know immediately?
Or could it be that in your heart, you do not trust me enough? Do you believe that even if I knew you had been badly hurt, I would never come to help you or save you?
Wei Jinhu was completely stunned and taken aback. Having his innermost thoughts laid bare so clearly made his pale face turn bright red with embarrassment. He stammered and hesitated for a long time, but could not find a single word to say in response.
Shen Ying let out a soft sigh. Do you really think so little of me? Do you believe I am such a cold and heartless person that I would abandon you and leave you to suffer alone, even knowing you were injured and in pain?
She walked over and helped Wei Jinhu stand up again. Listen carefully. We are a team, and we are companions. We will never, under any circumstances, abandon or leave behind one of our own. When something as serious as this happens, your very first thought should be to seek help and support from us, and to turn to us for assistance.
Losing a little money is nothing to worry about. Money is something that can always be earned again once it is spent, but your health and your life are the most precious things you will ever have. Now tell me everything exactly as it happened.
Seeing that Wei Jinhu was on the verge of breaking down and crying, she quickly changed the subject to help him calm down.
Even so, Wei Jinhu could not hold back his tears. He began to weep openly, tears and snot running down his face as he spoke between sobs. Sister Ying, no one has ever treated me as well as you do my entire life. Since I’ve been with you, I have always had enough to eat and warm clothes to wear, and I even get to eat meat regularly. Not even my own mother ever gave me meat to eat when I was growing up…
They say women are made of tears and tenderness, but does that also apply to men?
This strong, grown man simply could not stop crying.
Shen Ying looked on with a look of utter helplessness and exasperation. Having lived within the imperial palace for so many years, her heart had long since grown hard and unyielding, like forged iron. Seeing a grown man cry so openly and uncontrollably made the hair stand up all over her body and gave her goosebumps.
Enough of this. Let us get back to the main point. I will go with you and help you settle this score and restore your honor.
Yes, let’s talk about what happened… Those bastards are nothing but bullies and thugs…
In short, the whole incident came down to the old truth that when people are driven to extreme poverty, they will resort to all kinds of desperate and unethical measures to survive.
The refugees living in those narrow lanes were not good people at all. They had robbed and stolen from many of their fellow travelers and companions, and it was only with the money they had stolen that they had managed to pay the required fees and enter the county town.
The money in their hands was only enough to get them inside the town, but not enough to sustain their lives or provide for their daily needs. That was why they hid themselves in those remote lanes and lived by stealing and robbing from others every single day.
These people were too cowardly and afraid to target wealthy and powerful families, so they chose to take advantage of ordinary, defenseless common people instead.
Wei Jinhu had spent several days moving around the county town and had made a few friends along the way. One of them was the owner of a small wonton shop.
On the day of the incident, Wei Jinhu had gone out to purchase weapons and equipment, when he came across a group of refugees cornering the shop owner in a lane and demanding money from him by force.
Seeing injustice, he could not hold back his anger and spoke out against what they were doing.
Possessing a naturally righteous and heroic spirit, he could not simply stand by and watch his friend suffer misfortune and danger. Without hesitation, he rushed forward to intervene and protect the shop owner.
But no matter how strong and sturdy he was, or how skilled he was in martial arts, one person could never defeat a whole group of attackers. He was overwhelmed by numbers and beaten severely, leaving him bleeding from wounds to his head.
After hearing the whole story, Shen Ying frowned even more deeply, her expression turning dark with displeasure. How dare they act with such boldness and cruelty?
They have no choice but to do these things. To stay alive, people will do whatever is necessary and use every strength they have. But what I cannot understand is why they only target ordinary people instead of robbing the wealthy families who have more than enough money and resources. The owner of that wonton shop has family members who are seriously ill, and he has no extra money or savings to give to them at all.
As he spoke, Wei Jinhu grew more and more furious. Damn it all! They have no sense of honor or fair play at all. They ganged up on me and attacked me all at once. If we had fought one-on-one, I would have beaten every single one of them to the ground.
Shen Ying rolled her eyes in disbelief. Listen carefully to what I am about to say. What does honor and fair conduct even mean in a situation like this? When you are dealing with matters of survival and conflict, you do not ask about the methods or the process—you only care about the final result. They clearly had the advantage in numbers and could easily attack you together. Why would they ever agree to fight you one-on-one and give you an equal chance?
Wei Jinhu was left completely confused and unable to find an answer.
Chunya, on the other hand, looked as though she had just discovered something completely new and profound. Does that mean that as long as you achieve your goal, you are allowed to use any means necessary, no matter what they are?
Shen Ying nodded her head without the slightest hesitation. That is exactly right. When you are dealing with people of integrity and honor, you naturally act according to the principles of honesty and virtue. But when you are dealing with people like those thugs and criminals, there is no need to show them mercy or kindness. Being compassionate toward your enemies is the same as being cruel and destructive toward yourself and the people you care about.
Let me ask all of you this question. If one day you were sent to wipe out an entire enemy household and kill every single person there, and after you had done everything, you suddenly found a young child only a few years old hiding somewhere—what would you do?
Of course I would let the child go. It is just a small child. What harm or danger could it possibly pose? Wei Jinhu answered immediately and without a moment of thought.
Chunya, however, frowned and remained silent, deep in thought.
Tudou was naturally timid and easily frightened. As soon as he heard talk of fighting, killing, and violence, he quickly hid himself behind his sister, too scared to speak.