“What, Miss Xiaobei was kidnapped?”
“Who’s Miss Xiaobei?”
“The girl who was following Factory Manager Dongdong around the village a while back, always wearing a blue dress.”
“Oh, I remember now. That pretty girl who greeted everyone with a smile. Such a sweet and sensible lass, why would villains kidnap her?”
“A few days ago, I heard from Tiezi that Miss Xiaobei is amazing, making money for Brother Feng in the county town, earning loads. Probably someone got jealous.”
“Yeah, I heard that too. She sent all the money back to build spinning wheels and houses for our village. The salt Brother Feng gave us also came from her efforts in the county.”
“My little sister works with Factory Manager Dongdong. She said the textile factory’s earnings mostly go to us. Last month, when we built the new workshop, Brother Feng even covered over a hundred taels of silver for the factory. That money came from Miss Xiaobei’s work in the county.”
“She’s done so much for our village. Now that she’s in trouble, we can’t just stand by. Brother Feng, take us to the county to save her!”
“Yeah, take us to save her!”
The villagers shouted excitedly, waving their kitchen knives and sickles, clamouring to go to the county.
“Everyone, calm down,” Jin Feng said, raising his hand, and the villagers quieted.
“I understand and appreciate your feelings, but the county is too far. It’d take two or three days to walk,” Jin Feng said. “Besides, if everyone goes, who’ll build the new workshop? Who’ll fire bricks at the kiln? Leave this to Brother Liang and his team.”
“Exactly, if you all go, what do we do?” a veteran shouted. “You can’t take our job!”
Zhang Liang ran his troops in Qinghuai’s style, treating the veterans like brothers but training them strictly with high discipline. By rule, veterans weren’t supposed to speak now.
Seeing Zhang Liang glance over, the shouting veteran shrank back, retreating behind the others.
“That brother’s right. Everyone has their role. Fighting is for Brother Liang’s team. We just need to do our jobs and not cause trouble for Brother Feng,” the village chief said, stepping in. “Go home, everyone. We’ve got work tomorrow.”
He then dispersed the villagers.
But Jin Feng asked the chief to stay.
Only the veterans and female soldiers remained, and Jin Feng’s expression grew serious.
“You’ve heard the situation. What should we do?”
“Master, anyone who dares touch our Xihewan people will face our wrath! No matter who took Miss Xiaobei, just say the word, and even if it’s the gates of hell, I, Zhang Liang, will bring her back!” Zhang Liang, who used to call Jin Feng Little Feng or Brother Feng, now called him Master as Jin Feng’s prestige in the village grew.
“Right, we won’t stand for it!” the veterans shouted in unison.
“Good!” Jin Feng nodded. “Muluan and I will take a group first. Brother Liang, arrange some men to stay and guard, then bring the rest of the brothers and female soldiers after.”
When defeating the Dangxiang, Jin Feng captured many warhorses and brought some back. Later, Qing Muluan brought more. But with Big Liu needing horses in Guangyuan to protect Tang Xiaobei and the Black Wind Ridge relay station requiring some, few remained in Xihewan, not enough for every veteran.
“Understood!” Zhang Liang nodded and went to organise the men.
“Chief, I’m taking most of the people. Someone might take advantage of our absence. The village is in your hands,” Jin Feng said to the chief. “Also, tomorrow, send someone to Maomao Mountain to have Iron Bull bring his men to help you.”
Since learning in the county that the court gave catapults to the Dangxiang, Jin Feng’s sense of crisis had grown. With money in hand, he recently recruited more veterans, but the village couldn’t house them all. He had Zhang Liang station them at Maomao Mountain, where bandit-built houses and suitable terrain made it ideal for training.
It was too late to fetch them now.
“Don’t worry, Brother Feng. I’ll go to Old Guan first thing tomorrow and rally the tiger-hunting teams from both villages. Anyone who dares cause trouble, we’ll take them down!” the chief said, pounding his chest.
“Right, take them down!” Jin Feng gave a rare smile.
Having tasted good days, no one wanted to return to the old times of hunger and cold.
Xihewan and the Guan family village were no longer the timid villages that cowered before bandits. Loyalty was best maintained by shared interests. If bandits came now, the villagers would fight back to protect their own.
Seeing the female soldiers bring the horses and torches, Jin Feng gave the chief a few more instructions, then mounted.
Including the three horses Monkey brought back, only fifteen warhorses remained. Some needed to stay for Zhang Liang’s carts and scouting, so Jin Feng could only take ten men.
Besides Qing Muluan and Amei, he picked eight skilled veterans and female soldiers.
As they prepared to leave, Guan Xiaorou and Tang Dongdong approached.
“Brother Feng, where’s my horse?” Tang Dongdong asked, seeing every horse had a rider.
“You’ve only just learned to ride. Night travel is too dangerous. Follow Brother Liang later,” Jin Feng said.
“No!” Tang Dongdong, usually obedient, shook her head stubbornly, grabbing the reins.
Tang Xiaobei was her only family in the world. Every minute was agony, and she couldn’t bear waiting to travel slowly with Zhang Liang.
“This…” Jin Feng sighed at her determined look. “Fine, ride with me.”
Neither he nor Tang Dongdong was heavy. Together, they weighed less than Hammer, the hefty guy. Night riding would be slow, and the warhorse could handle it.
Tang Dongdong let go of the reins, took Jin Feng’s hand, and mounted in front of him.
It was a bit cramped but manageable, though she had to press close to Jin Feng’s chest.
In Xihewan, everyone saw Tang Dongdong as Jin Feng’s woman, so no one, including Guan Xiaorou, found their shared ride odd.
Jin Feng, thinking Guan Xiaorou was only eighteen and childbirth might harm her, timed their intimacy to avoid her fertile days.
Unaware of this, Guan Xiaorou, married for so long with no pregnancy, blamed her “night enchantress” curse. Feeling guilty, she became more proactive and hoped Jin Feng would marry Tang Dongdong soon to continue the Jin family line.
Her face showed no jealousy, only deep worry.
“Darling, it’s dark. Don’t ride too fast,” she said.
“I know, don’t worry. With Dongdong and me gone, keep an eye on the textile factory. Don’t let anything go wrong,” Jin Feng said, bending to touch her cheek.
Like a kitten, Guan Xiaorou nuzzled his hand, nodding reluctantly.
“Hyah!” Jin Feng shook the reins, leading the horse team away.
