Chapter 56: Meat Ticket

  Meat ticket

  These bandits were caught off guard and killed, and due to hunger, they had plenty of bravery but lacked strength. After a fierce attack by the Li family's generals and armed guards, they immediately suffered a great defeat.

  At that time, the official road was in a state of chaos, several bandits were cut down on the spot, blood flowed all over the ground, and life and death were unknown. The remaining bandits gathered together, exerting their strength to wield their knives in resistance.

  Seeing this bloody scene, Yao Fan's throat rolled involuntarily, his muscles stiffened, and his whole body tensed up.

  His eyes were fixed on a cargo box in front of him, where folding knives were stored. He thought that if he rushed up to grab one, it might serve as self-defense.

  But he hesitated, this loading was a bit of a hassle, requiring him to step on the protruding foot pedal at the front end and then pull the string tight, during which process, if his hands and feet were not quick enough, he would be in trouble if the bandit cut him down with one knife.

  Just as he was thinking wildly, the woman beside the leader waved her hand with a single knife and shouted: "Brothers! Today we've got it! Put down the goods! Let's go!"

  As soon as this was said, the bandits shouted "Run for your lives!" and fled into the depths of the sorghum field, waving their knives.

  Yao Cong was caught off guard and had his wrist grabbed from behind, flipped over and pinned to his lower back, the pain left him limp and unable to move.

  "Brother, let's take this guy as a hostage! Turn back and make these people pay double to redeem him!" The red-faced man who grabbed Yao Feng shouted.

  That dark-faced man immediately agreed and, together with the bandits, dragged Yao Fang away in a whirlwind-like manner into the sorghum field.

  Without the supervision of the knife-wielding bandits, Yao's men quickly scrambled to their feet from the ground. Seeing that the bandits were about to take Yao away, Li Jun's heart was burning with anxiety, and he immediately rushed forward, pulling out a stick inserted in the carriage. The other men also came to their senses, each taking up sticks, some even drawing out * (daggers), using their feet to press down on the stirrups, ready to strike.

  He Shicheng saw some of his men preparing to shoot, and hastily stopped them with a worried expression, ordering: "Don't use crossbows! Be careful not to hurt the boss! Brothers, get your clubs ready and chase after him!"

  Yao Feng was dragged by the bandits, rushed into the cornfield and ran wildly for over 100 meters, then was thrown onto a horse's back with his face down, his hands tied behind him and taken away.

  The bumpy horseback and the pommel of the saddle in front made Yao Feng's stomach ache unbearably, just wanting to take advantage of the rider's distraction to escape with his life, when suddenly the back of his neck was heavily struck, and he fainted...

  ………

  When Yao Weng woke up, he found himself lying on the cold ground in a mountain cave, with his hands and feet tied up.

  "A cold voice said: 'Boss, you're so clever to plot, actually bringing disguised officials and soldiers to deceive me into joining the White Horse Society!'"

  Yao Wenyi looked up and saw that it was indeed the dark-faced man who was speaking, now crouching in front of him with a gloomy expression.

  It's a matter of life and death, Yao Fan didn't dare to slack off. He let out a sigh and said: "If you want to add crime to me, how can I be without words? Good fellow, think about it, I'm just a businessman, with no grudges or grievances against you, why would I risk my life to set up a plot to harm you?"

  Those who held the knives were all Li's family servants, and the Li family was the one I met at the inn in Weifang County, also going to Jinan Prefecture. So everyone agreed to travel together, a group went to Jinan, on the way it's good to have someone to take care of each other, but unexpectedly I was stopped by the good fellow first. Now thinking about it, they must have followed up and found out that the good fellow was robbed, so they came up to help and fight.

  "Good fellow, think about it. If I had planned to take you down, I would have prepared clubs, knives and guns, and we would have been locked in a stalemate on the official road for a while. Once the Li family surrounded you, wouldn't we have been able to attack from both inside and out? How could we have ended up being caught off guard instead, with your knife at each of our comrades' throats? Isn't this just playing with our own lives?"

  The dark-faced man thought for a moment, and Yao Fan's words were logically correct. He nodded sincerely: "You're right, I was wrong to blame you. However, I still can't let you go."

  Yao Feng saw that the leader of the horse thieves was still somewhat clear-headed, so he asked: "What's going on? Are you heroes going to vent your anger on me? Do you want to kill me?"

  The black-faced man squatted in front of Yao Fang, shaking his head and saying: "Why should I kill you? But the mountain stronghold's winter expenses this year will have to be borne by you. Besides, during the previous battle, I lost seven brothers, and my family's pillar is gone, these people's families will inevitably struggle to make a living. This resettlement fee will also be added to your account!"

  Yao Fan calmly sighed and said, "Since I have the fate to meet you all, I can still afford this little money. From the moment we met, I saw that you are a hero with an extraordinary appearance, and you will have great achievements in the future."

  However, good fellow, you've tied up my hands and feet, but this isn't the way to treat a guest! I've been bound for so long that my hands and feet are numb. Just untie me and I'll be fine. A real man keeps his word, I swear to heaven that I won't try to escape."

  The man with a dark face hesitated for a moment, but it was the woman beside him, with a face as white as a silver plate and eyes like flowing stars, who spoke up and replied: "Alright!"

  He then ordered Xia Shang, who was standing beside him, "Jia Xiang, untie his bonds."

  The black-faced man saw the woman agree and nodded, saying: "Alright, I'm not afraid of you running either. If you dare to betray me and run away, I'll catch you and whip you with a hundred horse whips."

  After Yao Fan was untied, he looked around and found that this was a mountain cave. The lighting relied on a single pine torch inserted into the wall. Due to incomplete combustion of the pine tar, the air was filled with smoke and flames, making it hard to breathe. The cave wasn't large, and there were only six bandits inside. Yao Fan guessed that the other bandits were probably outside the cave.

  Yao Fanzuo sat on the ground, rubbing his numb hands and feet while saying to the dark-faced man: "If you don't trust me, why did you untie me?"

  The black-faced man was speechless for a moment, unable to utter a word.

  Yao Feng smiled and said: "Hurry up and give me something to eat, I'm hungry. You can rob me if you want, but you can't starve me to death."

  The black-faced man also smiled and said: "You're quite bold, we've been running for a whole day without eating a single bite, and you wake up from your sleep wanting to ask for food."

  "Did you bring the trunks of my companions? Inside, there are the pancakes and sauce meat we bought in Weixian Inn."

  Yao Feng mentioned stir-frying pancake with sauce and meat, all the horse bandits in the cave couldn't help but swallow their saliva.

  The black-faced man said: "I knew it earlier, I would have grabbed a cargo box and brought it with us. We left in a hurry, only taking the purse of silver for the road that your partner had."

  "What's going on? Aren't you all hungry? Quickly take some silver and go buy something to eat."

  The English woman smiled and said: "You're a strange fellow, being kidnapped and brought here, yet all you think about is eating."

  Yao Fandao said, "Why should I be afraid? If you want to kill me, then just do it. Since this is a kidnapping, it's like doing business - we exchange silver for people."

  "The girl said: 'Don't be impatient, the brothers outside are cooking, wait until it's done, there will be a share for you. Let's talk, how much money did you pay to redeem your ticket?'"

  Yao Fangdao said: "The goods on those carts of mine are worth about 100 taels per cart. With 31 small carts, that's 3,100 taels. How about it?"

  But unexpectedly, the woman didn't seem anxious at all. She squatted down and asked: "Where are you from, shopkeeper?"

  Yao Fang was taken aback and thought to herself, "Why is she asking this?"

  "I am the boss of Qingdao Kouzao Fan Merchant, surname Yao, name Fan. How? Have you met me, Heroine?"

  The woman spoke in a soft voice: "Is there a good doctor in your Qingdao city?"

  In the dimly lit cave, Yao Fan looked at the woman by the light of the torch and saw that her eyes were filled with melancholy. Yao Fan's sharp mind was immediately moved, and he said: "There aren't many good doctors in this place, but there are some good medicines brought by Western cargo ships."

  The woman's eyes lit up and she hastily asked: "What kind of foreign medicine? What disease is it for?"

  Yao Fan pursed his lips, licked them lightly with his tongue, and said thoughtfully: "There's something that can cure festering wounds. After eating it, the pus will dissipate, scabs will form, and the wound will start to heal."

  The woman's face showed some disappointment, and Yao Fang licked his tongue again, saying: "There is also a cold heat high fever to eat, after eating can reduce fever, go cold heat."

  The girl's big eyes flashed and she asked anxiously: "Is there any foreign medicine for leprosy?"

  Yao Feng gazed at her, and upon closer inspection of the woman, he discovered that there were already fine wrinkles beside her eyes. Her hands, which were resting on her knees, were thin and slender, with visible blue veins underneath. The valiant and spirited look in her eyes earlier now seemed simple and melancholic.

  Yao Fanzhen thought that this woman must have relatives and friends who had contracted tuberculosis, and if he said he could cure it, he would gain an advantage.

  But Yao Fan was also afraid that he couldn't be sure whether the patient had an allergic reaction to the medicine or how severe the patient's condition was.

  Yao Weng said: "Tuberculosis is such a big disease, foreigners are also helpless. However, if I hear about any foreign medicine that can cure tuberculosis in the future, I will definitely find a way to tell you."

  Yao Fang gave up the idea of branching out and thought that getting away quickly was the most important thing.

  The woman's eyes dimmed, thinking that Yao Fang was intentionally leaving a suspense to get close to her. She lowered her head and coldly said: "The ransom money is 3100 taels, the silver in the bag earlier will be considered as the funeral expenses for my deceased brothers."

  Yao Feng said with a smile: "Please, heroine, get me some paper and pen. I'll write a note to have someone deliver it. My subordinates are familiar with the Li family, they will definitely be able to borrow some silver."

  The woman said: "If you can't borrow it, you can also pawn something worth that much money."

  "Rest assured, a man of his word will keep his promise. I've told you, and I won't go back on it."

  The black-faced man said: "You're so generous, boss. If I meet you again on the road in the future, I'll definitely not make things difficult for you."

  Yao Feng smiled and cupped his hands: "Thank you for your concern."

  The woman then went outside the cave to find paper and pen, after which a quarrel was heard from outside. The black-faced man hastily ordered his subordinates to guard Yao Fang, and he himself ran out of the cave.

  Yao Fan heard it clearly in the cave.

  "...He can readily produce 3,100 taels, he must be a wealthy magnate! Let's just ask him to take out 5,000 taels!"

  Big brother! The grain price has risen sharply, one hundred kilograms of rice costs seven taels and six cents! Three thousand taels of silver can only buy at most forty thousand kilograms of grain. Our village has more than a thousand people, young and old, can forty thousand kilograms of rice last through this winter?

  Then there was an argument.

  Yao Feng heard that the woman was called Big Sister, and her voice said: "The most important thing in Jianghu is the two words 'faith' and 'righteousness'. According to the rules of Jianghu, this silver is already not a small amount! When my father was alive, why didn't I see you talk so much about Dingzhong Mountain?"

  Then the black-faced man's voice came out and said some harsh words, so no one outside argued again, and the noise subsided.

  The woman known as "Da Sao" walked in and placed paper, pen and a thin bamboo tube in front of Yao Fang, saying: "You write."

  Yao Fenger frowned and said, "How can I write without ink?"

  The girl explained: "There is dry ink in this bamboo tube, you can use your saliva to moisten it and write."

  Yao Feng cried with a sad face, enduring the smell of ink in the bamboo tube, spitting out saliva on his palm, wetting the pen tip, and writing a congratulatory note to Xing Shi for the silver paper.

  The woman took the note and left.

  Yao Weng had planned to make a bloody sacrifice and escape, but he didn't know if the cave in 2011 still existed or not. What if he transmitted himself into a collapsed stone cave and got buried alive? That would be troublesome. Adding to that, he was both tired and hungry, so he leaned against the mountain wall in the cave and fell asleep.

  Over the next two days, Yao Feng became familiar with the white horse in the stable and also got to know his groom better. Yao Feng would often chat and tell jokes, and he found out that the big sister's son was a consumptive, now seven years old, the child was thin as a skeleton, coughing all day long.

  Yao Fan thought about it over and over again, but didn't dare to take the lead. After all, he himself was still in danger, how could he afford to make a big show of himself?

  The white horse took Yao Fang's note and inquired that the Yao family business team and the Li family car team had already retreated to Shili Fort, so he ordered the horse thief called Jiaxiang who was responsible for sending messages to send a message. He Xiacheng saw the messenger and exchanged the silver ticket without saying a word.

  That's when Big Sister saw Jia Xiang bring back the silver ticket, and she, along with Black-Faced Hanzi and two others, took Yao Fang and rode horses to the outside of Shili Fort.

  "Both of you, the mountain doesn't move but the water does. Who knows when we'll meet again? I, Yao Fang, will definitely help you find out about the foreign medicine for treating scrofula. The only problem is, if I do find it, how should I notify both of you?"

  That dark-faced man hesitated, unsure whether he should speak or how to say it.

  The woman looked at Yao Fang with a pair of bright, black-and-white eyes that shone like shooting stars, and said bluntly: "Outside the Ten Mile Fort, on the official road, there is an old locust tree as thick as a man's hug. Just have someone cut off a piece of bark from the tree, write the word 'medicine' on it, and I'll come to your family's store in Qingdao to find you! The silver you lent me today will be repaid without a single penny missing! And I'll also add some extra money for medicine!"

  Yao Fan nodded and walked towards the direction of Shili Fort town without saying a word.

  That heroic and refreshing woman and the dark-faced man looked at Yao Fang from afar.

  The woman suddenly said: "Dahuo, you say there really is a foreign medicine that can cure leprosy?"

  The dark-faced man swallowed his saliva and frowned: "Xiao Qi, even if there is, I'm afraid we can't afford to buy it."

  Gentlemen, it turns out that this woman is called Bai Xiaoqi, the only daughter of White Horse Village's old master, White Jiugong. The black-faced man is Xi Datou, Bai Xiaoqi's husband. Before his death, White Jiugong handed over the village to his own daughter but not to his son-in-law.

  "If it's really there, I'll risk my life to get it!"

  Having said that, he turned his horse's head around, squeezed his legs together, and the horse galloped out.

  This is a mother's vow.

  Xī Dà Hǔ silently lowered his head, tied the reins of the empty horse that Yáo Fǎng had ridden earlier to the saddle, and rode away.