The people on the road were murmuring and discussing among themselves. After a long while with no movement, they finally approached to take a closer look.
A braver young man tried to reach out and turn one of the bodies over. The crowd collectively gasped.
A wooden splinter on the ground had struck the man squarely between the eyebrows, and he had already stopped breathing.
The others were similarly killed. But they didn’t move the bodies again. Instead, they knelt to examine them closely. Some had been stabbed in the neck, others in the chest or the forehead—none had survived.
“Report this to the officials! Hurry, report to the authorities!” someone shouted in alarm.
A calmer person quickly stopped the passersby, urging them to stay and serve as witnesses for the yamen. In the chaos, Xi Qingyue and Xi Weilan—merely two young girls—went unnoticed. They kept walking leisurely.
Xi Qingyue glanced back at the disorderly scene, her gaze cold and detached. Those who wanted to kidnap her and her sister for silver, who saw their lives as worthless—they didn’t deserve to live in this world.
As for Rich Man Wang, she would settle his account come midnight.
Xi Qingyue led Xi Weilan along without stopping. Since there were many travelers on the road tonight, she decided against taking out her electric scooter for now. Since they had just eaten, a stroll would do.
Xi Weilan looked back curiously, then tilted her head up at Xi Qingyue, puzzled. “Sister, there was no pit on the ground back there. Why did they fall?”
Xi Qingyue put on a serious expression. “Lan’er, maybe you misremembered, or perhaps they tripped carelessly in the dark.”
“Oh.” Xi Weilan didn’t press further. Whatever her sister said was right—her sister was never wrong.
When the two were near the village, Xi Qingyue stopped. She put her hand into her wicker basket, filled it with items, and also took out a bag of coarse flour to carry in her hand. Then she hoisted the basket onto her back, took Xi Weilan’s hand, and headed into the village.
“Qingyue, you’re back so late? And you brought little Lan’er—it’s not safe in the dark. Next time, come home earlier.”
At the entrance of the village, they ran into Scholar Han, who greeted Xi Qingyue kindly.
Xi Qingyue smiled and nodded at him. “Alright, Uncle Han. I’ll be careful.”
She had a decent impression of Scholar Han. He was the one who had named both sisters, though their family insisted on calling them “Big Girl” and “Little Girl,” saying humble names brought easy raising.
From the east end of the village to the west, they encountered several villagers. No one found it strange that she carried a full basket and a bag of grain—everyone knew she had sold a large wild boar, and the copper coins she earned could buy many things.
Xi Qingyue greeted the familiar villagers with a smile. Once word spread, everyone would know she had bought plenty of supplies. From now on, no one would question what she ate or used.
As for thieves—she wasn’t afraid at all.
It was good to let people know she had silver to buy food. Otherwise, if everyone thought she couldn’t afford it yet saw her eating meat every day, that would truly be strange.
Back home, Xi Qingyue went to the kitchen and took down the old iron pot, replacing it with the new one she had bought.
She told Xi Weilan to wait inside, then picked up the old pot and a wrapped roast chicken and headed to the village head’s home.
She guessed that getting their household registration processed the same day was thanks to the village head slipping some copper coins to the officials. Since her father wasn’t present, the authorities could have found excuses to delay. She should show gratitude to those who had helped her.
When she arrived, the village head’s family was having dinner. Seeing her with a pot, they were puzzled.
“Yue girl, have you eaten? Why bring the pot here? Without a pot, how will your family cook?” Li Wanqiu said, stepping forward to pull her inside.
Xi Qingyue smiled, set the pot on the ground, unwrapped the roast chicken, and placed it on the table.
The village head frowned at the sight of the chicken. “Yue girl, what are you doing? If you need something, just say it. There’s no need to bring gifts. You and your sister should save your food and not waste it.”
“Grandpa Village Head, you misunderstand. I’m fine. I went to the market today and bought many things—both rice and flour are plentiful. I also bought a new pot. I brought you this—you have a big family and might find it useful. And I bought several roast chickens. We can’t finish them all before they spoil, so please help me eat one. I’ll be going now.”
With that, she turned and ran off before anyone could respond.
After she left, the village head muttered, “So wasteful. She’s only earned a little copper and doesn’t know how to save.”
Li Wanqiu smiled and pointed at the chicken. “Forget it—since she brought it, eat up. I can tell this girl is capable; she won’t starve. Don’t worry.”
“Yes, Father. I think cutting ties with that Er Niu family was a good thing for her. She went into the mountains and soon brought back a wild boar and two rabbits. If she can hunt a boar a month, she’ll never go hungry.” The village head’s son, Liu Xin, chimed in.
In the end, the village head said nothing more. He tore off a chicken leg for his grandson and granddaughter.
Back home, Xi Qingyue found Xi Weilan squatting by the doorstep, chin resting on her little hands, peering out as she waited.
“Sister, you’re back!” Xi Weilan ran over happily when she saw her.
Xi Qingyue took her hand and led her inside. “Are you craving that sweet drink again?” she asked.
Xi Weilan nodded eagerly. “Mm-hmm, Sister, I still want two bottles.”
Once inside, they closed the door. Xi Qingyue first took out a small lamp, then set up a table and chairs before placing two bottles of drinks on the table—one coconut juice and one orange juice.
“Sister, what’s this?” Xi Weilan asked, curious about the orange juice.
“It’s orange juice. It’s sweet too. Consider it a reward for keeping your mouth shut and not saying anything.”
Xi Weilan’s eyes lit up. Then she reached out to Qi Yue. “Sister, you promised me two bottles. This one doesn’t count—you still owe me one.”
Xi Qingyue was momentarily speechless. This kid was really sharp with numbers.
“Fine. But too much will hurt your teeth. I’ll give you one more tomorrow morning. That’s it for tonight.”
“Okay.” Xi Weilan picked up the orange juice and happily took a sip.
After drinking, Xi Qingyue led her to a corner of the room and helped her brush her teeth over a basin. Then she packed the basin away and cleaned it in her storage space.
Next, she took out a large basin she had used the night before and gave Xi Weilan a bath, washing her hair thoroughly and drying it with a hair dryer.
Once Xi Weilan was sound asleep, Xi Qingyue got up again and slipped foot covers over her shoes.
In the dark night, she became a blur along the path to the town, moving like the wind.
Soon, she was outside Rich Man Wang’s mansion. With a single leap, she scaled the wall and entered.
She went straight to his courtyard and into his room.
Looking at Wang, who was snoring on the bed like a dead pig, Xi Qingyue raised a Tang sword in her hand and struck downward.
