268 - Destroyer of Ice and Fire

Bandit: "Everyone get in there and behave. Don't try any tricks, or the men will be sold as laborers, and the women will be sold to brothels." Ning Songwu and the others were locked in the woodshed, their hands and feet bound with hemp rope, rendering them immobile. From outside came the indistinct voices of the bandits talking. Zhou Huaxiu edged to the door, pressing her ear against it to listen carefully. Bandit B: "Do you think the chief will really release them once he gets the ransom?" Bandit A: "You’re new, so you don’t understand our Liangshan's rules. The chief values honesty above all; he definitely will." Bandit B: "What rules?" Bandit A: "We're robbing the rich to help the poor. We target the rich for their wealth, not the individuals themselves." Bandit B: "It's a pity. That woman in white inside is as beautiful as a flower. Why doesn’t the chief keep her as a wife? And her maid isn't bad-looking either. The brothers could have some fun before selling them to Chunxiang House for money. Heh heh." Bandit A: "Shut down your improper thoughts. If you want to stay in the band, you’ll follow the rules and listen to the chief." The conversation that Zhou Huaxiu overheard transformed into fragments: robbing the rich, chief's wife, brothel. Upon hearing this, Zhou Huaxiu collapsed in a tremble, overcoming with fear. She sobbed uncontrollably, her mouth gagged with a rag so that her words were unintelligible. Ning Songwu surveyed their surroundings; all she saw was firewood and straw. Despair seeped in—were they really going to fall here? Meanwhile, Ran Fanyin was also investigating, and her attention was caught by a salted vegetable jar in the corner. "Mmm! Mmm!" She murmured through the gag, pointing her chin towards the corner to signal Ning Songwu. Ning Songwu understood her intention. She nudged Chale with her shoulder and pointed towards the jar and the stack of prepared firewood beside her, indicating for him to use the wood to break the jar. Chale was puzzled. Ning Songwu repeated herself several times until Chale, showing a look of distress, shook his head vehemently. Chale mistakenly thought Ning Songwu wanted him to use his head to break the jar, which he couldn’t afford to do since he hadn't yet married or repaid his parents' care. Frustrated but resolute, Ning Songwu took matters into her own hands, clamping the firewood under her arms with great difficulty. Just positioning the firewood took her enormous effort. Sweat poured down her brow and dripped to the floor like broken beads, leaving her exhaustion visible. At this moment, Ran Fanyin assisted Ning Songwu by stabilizing the firewood under her armpit. After a brief rest, Ning Songwu edged to the corner and vigorously struck the jar with the firewood. After several hits, the jar shattered with a muffled sound. With her back to the jar, Ning Songwu picked up a shard and painstakingly sawed through the ropes binding her hands and feet. Just as she was nearing complete exhaustion, the ropes finally broke. Immediately, she stood up, removed the rag from her mouth, and untied Zhou Huaxiu's bindings. "Mother, are you alright?" Ning Songwu's face was filled with concern. "Songwu, these bandits are inhumane—they don’t keep their word. They'll take the money and still sell us to the brothel. You must think of something, heavens, isn’t there any justice left..." Zhou Huaxiu launched into a tirade as soon as the gag was removed, not even bothering with the soreness in her wrists. Ning Songwu examined Zhou Huaxiu's wrists and ankles, which were slightly swollen but otherwise unharmed, and hurried to free Ran Fanyin, too preoccupied to respond. As she moved to untie Ran Fanyin, she noticed Zhou Huaxiu still muttering incessantly and instructed, "Mother, you untie the others." "Oh, oh, look at me, I'll do that right away," Zhou Huaxiu replied, realizing her lapse. "The bindings are too tight, and her skin’s broken. Fortunately, I have some ointment." Ning Songwu muttered as she observed the injury on Ran Fanyin's wrist and took out a small medicine jar from her sleeve. "It might sting a bit, bear with it." Ning Songwu gently dabbed the white ointment on the wound, constantly glancing at Ran Fanyin to check her reaction, fearing she might be causing her pain. After applying it, she blew softly on Ran Fanyin's wrist as if it could ease the pain. "Mother, did you hear the bandits’ conversation just now?" Ran Fanyin, feeling a sudden flush in the air that she couldn’t quite pinpoint, assumed Ning Songwu’s concern and spoke up. "Yes, they’re despicable. We must escape quickly, or we’ll be lambs to the slaughter. It’s all your fault for not letting me bring..." Zhou Huaxiu continued to complain as she untied the others. "It's still daylight, and there are many eyes and ears outside, not to mention our unfamiliarity with the terrain here. We need to wait until night falls. Chale, stay by the door and alert us to any movement," Ning Songwu planned their escape. "At night, when they bring food, we will..." Ran Fanyin leaned close to Ning Songwu’s ear, whispering their plan softly. Ran Fanyin’s warm breath tingled Ning Songwu’s ear, creating an itch without a physical touch, causing her face to flush and her ears to turn red. Her obvious gulping betrayed her nervousness. Despite Ran Fanyin’s voice buzzing clearly in her ear, Ning Songwu couldn't remember a single word. Embarrassed, Ning Songwu said, "Can you repeat that? I... I have a bit of a hearing problem." How could she have issues at such a young age? Ah, making it this far was truly difficult. Though Ran Fanyin was slightly annoyed, she repeated the plan. "Did you hear clearly this time?" Ran Fanyin asked. Ning Songwu responded, "I heard clearly." "Do you understand?" Ran Fanyin pressed. "Yes, I understand," Ning Songwu replied. At that moment, Ning Songwu resembled a chastened student obediently receiving the teacher’s criticism. Initially considering setting a fire to distract the bandits for an escape, Ning Songwu abandoned her plan upon hearing Ran Fanyin’s more reliable and safer one. In the kitchen, the bandits were busy unloading snacks and local specialties that Ning Songwu and her group had brought, preparing for the evening meal. Starving after a long time without a proper feast, they eagerly anticipated the good meal to come.