Meat buns.
Eating meat every single day.
Several displaced people standing not far away pricked up their ears and quietly moved closer to where Tudou and the other children were talking.
Seeing that his plan was working, Tudou swallowed hard and said, “That sounds wonderful. We can’t do anything in broad daylight, so we’ll go tonight and steal plenty of meat buns… By the way, where exactly does that family live? Tell me all the details, and I’ll bring a few more friends along.”
One of the children rolled his eyes thoughtfully and replied, “It’s in that alley over there, the house right at the very end. The gate looks old and broken, but if you look closely, the walls are really high, so we can’t climb over them. We’ll need to bring a ladder…”
Having said everything that needed to be said, Tudou turned and ran off with his little companions.
Meanwhile, the displaced people exchanged glances, greed shining clearly in their eyes.
“We’ll make our move tonight. That old woman is already half in the grave, yet she eats meat every day. She ought to be careful she doesn’t choke to death.”
“I couldn’t agree more. Good food like that belongs in our stomachs anyway. I’ll go take a closer look and check out the situation right now.”
Although they were homeless and displaced, they were not entirely without sense. They knew very well which people they could afford to provoke and which ones they could not. When they learned that the household consisted only of an elderly woman and her young maid, they assumed it must be a family that had fallen from grace, leaving behind nothing but an old woman with no power or influence.
They lost no time in going to survey the location and plan their actions.
Wei Jinhu, who had been hiding in the shadows watching everything unfold, said, “Alright, let’s leave now. We’ll keep a close watch tonight, but remember—no lives are to be taken.”
It was a dark night with strong winds, the kind of night people often associated with acts of violence and crime.
Just as most people had fallen fast asleep, a sharp scream suddenly cut through the quiet air.
Inside the remote small courtyard, the elderly matriarch had been tied up tightly and thrown onto the ground, while the young maid had already been knocked unconscious and lay motionless nearby.
The group of intruders were all large, burly men with fierce, menacing expressions. “You old hag, hurry up and tell us where you keep all your valuables, or I’ll kill you right here and now!”
“Boss, come and look at this! There’s so much good food in the kitchen! Look, there’s fine rice, high-quality flour, and even meat…”
“This old woman has got some nerve, living so well all by herself! There are also expensive tea leaves here, and look at this—silver ingots, and even gold nuggets…”
They ransacked every corner of the house, turning everything upside down, and found all sorts of precious and valuable items.
“We’ve struck it rich! Hurry up and gather everything together and let’s get out of here fast!”
“What should we do with the old woman? Let’s just kill her to be safe…”
These were men who had long since abandoned all decency and morals; they robbed and assaulted others without hesitation. Worried that the things they had stolen might be seized and taken back if the matter was reported to the authorities, they decided it was better to finish the job completely and kill their victim.
The leader hesitated for only a moment before picking up his heavy blade. “Old woman, don’t blame us for this. It’s just your bad luck…”
“How dare you harm me! Do you know who my son is? He is…”
“How dare you commit robbery and assault! I’ll make sure you all pay for what you’ve done!”
Before the elderly woman could finish her words, Wei Jinhu, dressed all in black and with his face covered, rushed into the yard wielding a large sword.
Although the intruders outnumbered him and had strength in their numbers, Wei Jinhu’s loud shout immediately woke up all the neighbors living nearby. Hearing the commotion, people rushed out of their homes armed with whatever tools or weapons they could find.
Realizing the situation had turned against them, the intruders dared not stay to fight. They scrambled over the courtyard walls and fled into the night.
…
Inside the disordered, ransacked house, Wei Jinhu cut through the ropes binding the old woman’s hands with a single stroke of his blade. “Madam, this is all the help I can offer you. Whether you are able to resolve this matter and find justice is no longer within my power. If fate allows, perhaps we will meet again someday.”
The elderly woman looked around at the empty courtyard and then at the mess inside her home, her chest heaving with anger and indignation.
By this time, all the neighbors had gathered around her.
“These heartless scoundrels! When will all these displaced villains finally be gone for good? All they ever do is bring harm and suffering to ordinary, honest people!”
“Nowadays, no one dares to keep silver or valuables in their homes anymore, and families without strong men to protect them don’t even dare to sleep soundly at night. When will these hard and dangerous days finally come to an end?”
Hearing the neighbors’ cries of grief and anger, the old woman surprisingly regained her composure. “There is no need for all this distress. This is nothing we cannot overcome. I will go to the authorities and demand that justice be served.”
She woke the young maid who was still unconscious from the blow she had received, and together the two of them set off straight for the county government office.
It was destined to be another sleepless night.
Government soldiers and officials were dispatched in large numbers, and every displaced person they encountered was arrested. By the time dawn broke, every person in the county town who had committed crimes or misdeeds had been rounded up and locked away in the local prison.
Meanwhile, other displaced people who had been secretly planning or considering similar criminal acts were so terrified by what had happened that they did not even dare to breathe too loudly. They kept their heads down and stayed out of trouble, focusing instead on finding honest work to earn a living.
As the sun rose and morning came, Shen Ying stepped out of her residence to find people everywhere talking about the events of the night.
“Have you heard the news? Finally, someone has put a stop to all those wicked troublemakers. The authorities have arrested every single one of them—it is truly wonderful news!”
“Now we can finally live our lives in peace and safety. Before this, we were even afraid to go out in public, always worried we might be robbed or attacked.”
“Our county magistrate is truly a good official; he has finally stood up for us ordinary people and given us the justice we deserve.”
At long last, the problem of displaced people robbing and harassing local residents had been resolved.
Shen Ying kept her role in the matter completely hidden and returned quietly to the small courtyard.
Not long after, Wei Jinhu came back from outside, looking proud and pleased with himself. “Sister Ying, you are truly incredible! You did all this without shedding a single drop of blood or fighting a single battle, didn’t you? It was absolutely brilliant! With just a simple plan, you managed to get rid of all those troublemakers.”
Shen Ying’s expression remained calm and composed. “Remember this well: from now on, do not be too quick to resort to force or violence, and never seek glory through reckless acts of courage. The most important strength you can have is the ability to think and use your mind.”
Wei Jinhu scratched his head and laughed sheepishly. “I know that I should use my brain more, but the problem is, I just don’t have much of one to use.”
Hearing his words, Chunya and little Tudou burst out laughing and doubled over with amusement.
Shen Ying sighed in resignation. “Well then, for the time being, just make sure you listen carefully and follow instructions. By the way, I bought two types of medicinal tonic pills for all of you. They will help strengthen your bodies and improve your physical condition, which will also make it easier for you to practice martial arts and develop your skills.”
Thinking about the cost of the medicine, she still felt a pang of regret. They had been extremely expensive. Each single pill had cost no less than a hundred taels of silver.
Wei Jinhu took the pills, opened the container, and smelled the contents. He immediately recognized their high quality. “I can smell a very strong scent of ginseng here, and it’s clearly ginseng that has been growing for at least a thousand years. Giving such precious medicine to someone like me—isn’t this a terrible waste of something so valuable?”
“Only a few days have passed, and you have already learned so much. You’ve even started using proper idioms and expressions now,” Shen Ying said with a smile as she took the medicine and popped it straight into his mouth. “We should make the best possible use of every resource we have. If you practice your martial arts diligently and grow stronger, you will be able to protect all of us much better in the future.”
“Understood. You can rest assured, I will do everything in my power to keep all of you safe and sound.”
After seeing how skillfully Shen Ying had handled the entire situation with the displaced people, Wei Jinhu’s respect and admiration for her grew even deeper. He had already made a firm decision in his heart: for the rest of his life, he would follow Shen Ying’s lead and regard her as his most trusted guide and leader.
Shen Ying had no idea of the resolution he had made, as she was fully occupied making detailed plans for what they needed to do next.
Soon enough, the day arrived when they were supposed to collect the carriage they had ordered.
Shen Ying took Wei Jinhu with her and went to the horse market.
As soon as the shopkeeper saw Shen Ying, his eyes lit up with joy and deep gratitude. “You are truly my greatest benefactor! Look at all these horses—every single one of them is healthy, energetic, and in peak condition. I have earned more silver these past few days than I have in a very long time, all thanks to you.”
Shen Ying glanced around the surroundings, her expression still calm and unreadable. “We have simply helped each other and benefited from our cooperation. How is the carriage I ordered coming along?”
“It has already been completed! Come and take a look right away!”
The shopkeeper was a highly skilled craftsman, and every single detail of the carriage had been made exactly according to Shen Ying’s instructions. It included hidden compartments and built-in defensive mechanisms, everything she had requested was present and perfectly crafted.
Shen Ying was extremely satisfied with the result. “Thank you very much for your hard work and attention to detail.”
The shopkeeper quickly waved off her thanks. “This is all part of my job and what I ought to do. However, there is one small matter I would like to ask of you, though I know it may be presumptuous of me.”