CH 60

Chapter 60 A heart as boundless as the sky and sea

Gu Yu Qi had not expected the man to be so strong. She hurriedly retracted her sword but it still poked him in the chest. However, Gu Yu Qi moved fast enough so the wound was not very deep.

The man looked at Gu Yu Qi angrily, “Little girl, are you going back on your word?” He growled angrily.

“I naturally will keep my word.” Gu Yu Qi took out a white silk handkerchief with a smile and wiped the long sword clean, then she put it in the scabbard. “Since you’ve lost, your life is up to me. You can die when I tell you to die!”

The man was startled at first, then he glared, “If you want to hurt and humiliate me, I’m not willing! It’s better to die cleanly!”

Gu Yu Qi could not help but chuckle, “Why would I humiliate you? You’re ugly for one and secondly, you have a bad temper! Alright, you’re all hungry too. Dai Mei, don’t we have some food left? Bring it out for them to eat.”

Dai Mei jumped out of the hidden carriage and bowed to Gu Yu Qi with a smile, “Yes, Young Miss.”

What kind of medicine was Gu Yu Qi selling in her gourd? Not just those bandits, but even Liang Huai Yu could not guess. She looked at Gu Yu Qi a little nervously. Intuitively, she felt that she should trust her daughter, but with her mother’s instinct, she could not help worrying. After all, these people were bandits. Seeing her daughter’s intentions, was she trying to win them over? Liang Huai Yu did not want to understand what it meant to win over these people.

“Little girl! What the hell do you want?!” The man was obviously also confused by Gu Yu Qi’s actions. They were fighting to death just now, but why was she suddenly starting to treat them to a meal? What was going on here?!

“Naturally, I’ll give you a way to live,” Gu Yu Qi blinked and smiled.

“Are you going to let us go?” The man asked in surprise.

During the time he was talking to Gu Yu Qi, Dai Mei had already taken out the bowls and chopsticks. She was a little reluctant. She had carefully selected these bowls and chopsticks in town. Although they were not comparable to the cost of the ones in the Marquis’ residence, they were already the best in town. Along the way, she had carefully wrapped the porcelain cutlery carefully, afraid they would break. Now to take them out for this gang of bandits, she was really a little reluctant.

However, now that Gu Yu Qi had ordered it, then she would use them. If anything, they could buy a better set when they arrive in Jiangxia. She heard that Jiangxia City was the gateway between the north and south. It was a very lively and prosperous place where there should be lots of good things for sale.

“Letting you go would be letting you off too lightly!” Gu Yu Qi hummed softly, “How can I put it, I’ve spent a lot of effort trying to catch you guys.”

When she said this, all the bandits looked sideways at each other with disdain. Come on, you just picked some flowers here and had a good meal. It was their own stupidity, not knowing the level of the idea and rushing into it headlong.

Thinking of this, these bandits were a little discouraged. They had been looting here for a few years for the sake of survival. However, being able to stay here for so long without being annihilated by the officers and soldiers of the Jiangbei Camp, they also had a little bit of a reputation in the green forest. Who knew that their ship would capsize in the gutter today and they would be cooked into a pot of stew by this little girl who looked delicate?! Even with all their experience, they had still messed up. They had no face to see anyone in the future.

However, the food brought over by that girl with pretty eyebrows was really delicious. Although they were leftovers, for the people suffering here, eating a whole meal was a luxury. Having been caught but still being able to eat such delicious food, it was really… Moreover, the young miss was so beautiful. Even the maids were all pretty. The maid who brought over the food was even prettier than the prettiest girl in their village. Really… tsk tsk…

These bandits busied their mouths, gulping down the food brought by Dai Mei in big mouthfuls. Their eyes were also busy, looking at Gu Yu Qi and the others. Say, this influential family was really fastidious. All the maids that emerged were more beautiful than the previous one.

Dai Mei held up a bowl of food and handed it to the bandit boss. The man turned his head, “Just what the hell do you want?!” The food was really aromatic. He knew that his brothers had begun eating already and he was already so hungry his stomach was rumbling. But he had his integrity! Although he wanted to shout before and not let his brothers eat the food donated by these women, seeing his hungry brothers one by one, he was ashamed and miserable from the bottom of his heart. If it was not for him being useless, how could these brothers who had followed him all these years not have enough to eat? They were bandits, but they could count on their fingers how many times they had eaten a full meal in the past few years.

“You eat first and we’ll talk slowly after you’ve finished eating,” Gu Yu Qi was not angry even after being questioned by the man several times. She just looked at him with a smile.

The man steeled his heart, “Fine, I’ll eat! Even someone in jail about to be decapitated would be willing to eat a meal. Even if Lao Zi dies, I will still be a hero after 18 years,” he glared at Gu Yu Qi angrily. Then he took the bowl from Dai Mei’s hand and scooped the food into his mouth with the chopsticks.

Dai Mei frowned. The food she made should be used, alright? But… Forget it. Dai Mei had also been hungry when she was a child and she knew what it was like to be hungry. If she had not met Young Miss, her fate would still be unknown.

She kindly went to pour water for these people to prevent them from choking.

Zhao Wu and the guards surrounded the bandits. Watching them gobble up food, they shook their heads. To be bandits like them was going far enough. Looking at the few of them, although they were big and stalwart and a little scary, Zhao Wu looked carefully and saw that they had thick calluses on their shoulders and fingers. They were probably farmers from birth and because they had to plough the lands and carry loads, they had calluses in these positions.

When they fought just now, they all knew some basic martial arts and they had been taught by one person. Zhao Wu, who had been a teacher before, could tell from a glance because their close combat skills and swordsmanship were completely the same routine.

Zhao Wu shook his head involuntarily and asked, “Where are you farmers from?”

The bandits who had their heads lowered and were shovelling food into their mouths raised their heads and looked at Zhao Wu suspiciously, “We’re bandits!” Someone shouted. When he finished shouting, the others burst into laughter, then echoed, “Yes yes, we belong to the streets!”

“Stubborn!” Zhao Wu glanced at them with contempt. The bandits had been robbed instead, they really had been mixed up well! “Speak honestly, our Young Miss will not do anything to you. If you’re not honest, I will send you all to Jiangbei Camp! You’ve not seen the means those people use. Even if a good person goes in, they’ll be skinned!” Zhao Wu threatened.

These bandits had long heard that the officers and soldiers of Jiangbei Camp were powerful. Otherwise, the bandits around here would not have been killed by them. Zhao Wu had guessed their identities. They were just farmers who had not experienced the vast world and so they were threatened by Zhao Wu’s few sentences. Their hearts could not help but beat like a drum. Even the few people who were laughing felt a little embarrassed. They retracted their smiles and kept their heads down to shovel food into their mouths.

The rest of them glanced at each other. Although they were impetuous, none were willing to speak. They turned their attention to their boss again.

The boss also listened to Zhao Wu’s words and felt a bit grievous. He pretended not to know that his brothers were watching him and ate two mouthfuls of food. In a moment, the big bowl of food had all been raked into his stomach.

Gu Yu Qi was not in a hurry. She had just found out what Zhao Wu discovered. In fact, she had already made up her mind when the bandits had been captured and shouted to let their boss run away by himself. Otherwise, she would not have spent so much time on these people.

Although their clothes were dirty, they had been patched in places where they had been torn. Those patches were finely stitched and it was definitely not the handiwork of these big men. The direction of the stitches varied which proved that it was not the same person who mended all their clothes, because the same person would use needles unconsciously according to their own habit.

They had families nearby.

The officers and soldiers at the Jiangbei Camp were very fierce in suppressing bandits. If they did not have people nearby that they cared about, they would stay away from Jiangbei Camp. It would be better to go to other places to rob. It was not difficult to guess from the words they shouted that their elderly mothers were nearby. Hence, Gu Yu Qi assumed that they were not some vicious bandits at all. They were just villagers from nearby villages who could not survive and had been driven to drastic measures to become outlaws.

They had taken advantage of the natural advantage here to rob, but it was remote here and few caravans passed by. That was why they were in such a quandary.

“Where are your fields?” Gu Yu Qi waited for the boss to finish eating before she asked abruptly.

The man was drinking water from a cup. Hearing this, he could not help but choke. He raised his eyes and looked deeply at Gu Yu Qi, “What’s the point in telling you?! You’re not the government authority, how can you manage so many things?” After saying that, he smiled contemptuously, “Even if you are a government authority, why would you care about the lives of those like us?!”

His words confirmed Gu Yu Qi’s guess. They were indeed villagers from nearby.

“Where is your village, can you take us to see it?” Gu Yu Qi asked again.

“What do you want to do?” The man suddenly became alert and was suddenly regretful of what he said. It was equivalent to indirectly admitting to their identities!

“Forget it, it doesn’t matter whether we go to your village or not.” Gu Yu Qi gave way to the side and made a way out, “Now I’ll give you a choice. I’ll give each of you ten taels of silver, take them home to give to your family. These ten taels of silver will be enough for them to use for three years. It’s money for selling yourself for the next three years. I’ll wait an hour here for you. After an hour, those who are willing to come with me will find me at the end of the canyon. Those who don’t want to come with me can stay at home. Don’t worry, I won’t force you to come. Ten taels of silver is enough for you to open a small business. I’m only waiting an hour for you. After an hour, I will leave. If you want to follow me, then try to get here within an hour. I won’t ask for anything else, just that during these three years, you must be absolutely faithful. After three years, those who are willing to follow me can continue following, I’ll welcome you. If you don’t want to continue working and want to go home, I’ll pay the toll! One tael of silver per year for three years. After three years, 50 tales of silver a year. However, I’m warning you, if you have any other intentions, don’t blame me for being ruthless! Think for yourself. You can go now!”

As soon as Gu Yu Qi finished speaking, those people suddenly widened their eyes and looked at Gu Yu Qi as though watching a monster.

Was this little girl crazy?!

They were bandits. Although the tables had turned on them, they were still bandits! This little girl had the ability to catch them but she did not punish them and let them go home, and gave them each ten taels of silver! She even offered them favourable conditions and after three years, their wages would be 50 taels of silver per year. Even the shopkeepers in Jiangxia City did not have such high wages! Could this little girl be crazy? They did not hear it wrongly, right?! Several of them were already picking their ears with their fingers, wanting to listen clearer, “This young… Young Miss! Was what you just said true?!” A daring bandit hurriedly raised his hand and asked.

He did not know what to call the beautiful girl in front of him, but he heard her maids call her Young Miss, so he just used the title.

“Of course it’s true,” Gu Yu Qi said with a smile, “Run Ying, bring the money. Give it to them, ten taels each. After taking the money, you can go back to see your family. For those willing to follow me, I’ll wait for you at the other end of the valley. Remember, one hour. I won’t wait longer.”

Run Ying also felt that her Young Miss had gone crazy. However, when she thought about it, her own Young Miss had never done any business that resulted in a loss yet! Thinking of this, even a money grubber like her went to fetch the small bag of money.

They did not have much cash on them, only around two hundred silver. It really hurt to give it out.

Qiu Yue helped Run Ying carry the silver and they stood on the side of the road. Xiao Liu Zi was the first to limp over. He tentatively stretched out his dark hands towards Run Ying. Run Ying gritted her teeth and took out a silver ingot worth ten taels from the bag. Xiao Liu Zi was overjoyed. He stretched out his hand and grabbed a corner of the ingot. Run Ying still could not bear it and would not let go of the money. The two of them were at a stalemate.

“Run Ying!” Gu Yu Qi looked wryly at Run Ying who was gnashing her teeth. She could not help but shout at her.

Run Ying raised her eyes and looked at Gu Yu Qi pitifully. She sighed, then let go.

Xiao Liu Zi took the silver in his hand then hurriedly bit into it with his teeth. Then he looked at Gu Yu Qi ecstatically, “Are you really giving it to me?” He asked in disbelief for fear that when he walked away with the money, an arrow would fly from somewhere and shoot him to death!

Gu Yu Qi threw a bottle of medicine at him and said with a smile, “This is a very good jinchuang ointment, use it on your wound. Sorry for hurting you! The silver is for you, just take it.”

Xiao Liu Zi took the medicine bottle as if in a dream, stunned for a moment. Only then did he take the silver and bottle, and limp towards the depths of the valley.

With Xiao Liu Zi taking the lead, the others came to their senses. They threw away the bowls and chopsticks in their hands then stood up to pounce at Run Ying. The frightened Run Ying took a few steps back. It was Zhao Wu who acted and knocked down the few people at the front who reached out to grab. He shouted, “What’s the hurry, Young Miss said there would be some for everyone so there definitely will be! Get in line! If you keep grabbing, be careful, I won’t be courteous!”

Under Zhao Wu’s violent suppression, the bandits suffered a little and immediately formed a long line in front of Run Ying. Run Ying painstakingly handed them silver one by one until they were all gone. Only the boss was left. Gu Yu Qi asked with a smile, “Why aren’t you going to get it?”

The man shook his head, “I have no family left!”

“Take it too anyway.” Gu Yu Qi walked over and took an ingot from Run Ying’s hand, then handed it to the man, “Take it and go home. Same goes for you, if you want to follow me, then just come find me at the other end of the valley!” After she finished speaking, she stuffed the silver into the man’s hand. Then she spoke to the others, “Pack up, we’re going through the valley now.”

Several maids went over to help Dai Mei put away the tableware and chopsticks. According to Dai Mei’s intentions, they should throw away the bowls and chopsticks. However, they thought about it and kept them. They all saw Gu Yu Qi handing out quite a lot today. Young Miss was being such a big spender and Eldest Young Miss was also letting her run wild as she pleased. If they as maids did not know how to be frugal, it was likely they would have to survive on air before they arrived at Kuizhou.

Naturally, Dai Mei did not know where Gu Yu Qi’s confidence came from. Run Ying knew but she was obsessed with money and having just lost so much money, she was incredibly hurt. Even now, she felt pain in her heart so how could she be willing to waste anything else? She also quickly washed the tableware and chopsticks with water and packed them away.

Dai Mei thought that since Young Miss was intending on bringing those people along, these bowls and chopsticks could be used for them in the future. When they arrived at Jiangxia City, she would just go into town and buy another set.

Gu Yu Qi led the others through the canyon blithely. As they neared the narrowest part, even Zhao Wu felt a little frightened. If they had not stopped in time and Young Miss had not tricked those people down the mountain, they really would have suffered great losses here!

This canyon was not particularly long. It took them only one stick of incense’s time for them to pass through. Gu Yu Qi reached the opposite side of the valley and allowed everyone to take a rest and wait for those people.

Only then did Liang Huai Yu walk to Gu Yu Qi’s side and ask softly, “Why did you make such a decision just now?”

“Mother.” Gu Yu Qi took Liang Huai Yu’s arm coquettishly and walked with her among the splendid wild flowers in bloom, soft green grass underfoot. Gu Yu Qi leaned on Liang Huai Yu’s shoulder. The mother and daughter felt peaceful and tranquil in their hearts. “After we arrive in Kuizhou, we would definitely need manpower. So daughter thought that instead of recruiting people we don’t know, why not keep those people by our side?”

“Do you know them well enough?” Liang Huai Yu smiled.

“Mother, didn’t you realise that Sister Chun Xing and Sister Xia He are missing?” Gu Yu Qi winked cheekily at Liang Huai Yu. Then she smiled proudly.

“Right! Where did the two of them go?” Liang Huai Yu just remembered she had not seen a trace of the two of them and cried out. After thinking about it, she laughed, “What did you send them to do?”

“I told them to secretly follow those people to their village.” Gu Yu Qi said with a smile, “Mother is so smart, seeing through it immediately!”

“This child! Making fun of me!” Liang Huai Yu laughed from being teased by Gu Yu Qi, “If I was smart, I would have already guessed what you were doing!” She paused before continuing to ask, “But I didn’t see you talking to them just now. How did you tell them your intentions?”

“Mother, this you wouldn’t have known!” Gu Yu Qi raised her chest proudly and said, “Speaking about it, we’re considered to be from a family of generals. I just gestured at them with a few simple movements. I was bored on the road a few days ago and just thought that this gesture would be very useful when it’s inconvenient to speak. So, I shared my thoughts with Sister Chun Xing and Sister Xia He and the two of them thought it was possible, and we discussed it. I hadn’t expected we would use it here.”

Chun Xing and Xia He both hid above in the trees and without Gu Yu Qi’s advice, they would not appear. After the boss of the bandits had left, Gu Yu Qi signalled at them and at a glance, they understood what Gu Yu Qi meant so they quietly followed behind the boss.

Naturally, Gu Yu Qi would not do something she had no guarantees about. Although she had guessed the identities of those people, it needed to be verified. That was why she had Chun Xing and Xia He follow in secret.

The two of them were sharp, and both their martial arts and Qinggong were good, so Gu Yu Qi could rest assured with them.

“This child!” Liang Huai Yu looked at her daughter with surprise and joy. She could not help but feel proud from the bottom of her heart, “When we go back, teach me those gestures too!” She said.

“Of course. Not only Mother has to learn, but all our guards have to learn. Sometimes, it’ll be unexpectedly good,” Gu Yu Qi said. She had been inspired by modern warfare movies and had come up with this. In the last life, she had put all her thoughts on Yun Ke and had only thought about how to make Yun Ke fall in love with her.

It was different now. Gu Yu Qi felt like she was a fish that had escaped the fishing net and was swimming freely in the ocean. Having rid herself of the small area of the capital, her whole heart had opened up and her thoughts about problems were no longer limited to Yun Ke who was in his own territory.

She felt that she had been really stupid in her previous life. She obviously had more advantageous knowledge and experience than people in the ancient era, so why on earth did she have to hang herself by the neck on such a crooked tree like Yun Ke?!

Gu Yu Qi now had a peculiar look between her eyebrows and she carried herself with great momentum. She was no longer constrained to the capital, no longer confined to the palace or the Marquis’ residence. Her vision had widened and her feelings had also matured.

She had said that she wanted her mother to be ten times more dignified before returning to the capital, so she must do it!

Seeing the look on her daughter’s face, Liang Huai Yu felt that she really had chosen right. In the Marquis’ residence, her daughter had been meek but with an unspeakable depression. Now, Gu Yu Qi clearly seemed more like a bird soaring the skies or a fish leaping freely, free and joyful.

May she live happily ever after, Liang Huai Yu prayed silently from the bottom of her heart to the bright blue sky.