mtl008 Chapter 148 Live Animals Profit from Flood, Jingmu Hanyi Saves Father and Daughter
Chapter 148 Live Animals Profit from Flood, Jingmu Hanyi Saves Father and Daughter
A man with a pockmarked face picked his yellow teeth with a straw, kicked aside the dead men blocking his way with his leather boots, and shouted in the crowd. Behind him, three ruffians carried a crooked, thin wooden box. Black water seeped from the cracks in the worm-eaten wooden planks. This was the coffin that a woman had just sold herself in exchange for, and inside was her mother.
"Those without money can exchange goods, or even sell themselves as maids. We'll find maids for the various lords in the city, and the term will last five years. You'll have food and drink, and three taels of silver to settle down!"
The pockmarked man shouted.
Logically speaking, these few broken planks shouldn't be worth five taels of silver. But if you don't buy them now, they'll just rot. At least these people bought a coffin and dug a hole to bury the person, so at least they can be considered to have a peaceful burial.
Li Erjie's fingernails dug into her palms. Her younger sister was running a high fever, her forehead burning like charcoal. Their father was gone, their home was gone, and she had to find a way to bury their father before she could save her sister.
Given the current situation, she doesn't have the money to buy a coffin to bury her father, nor the money to buy medicine to save her younger sister.
It is said that people become stupid in despair, and she was no exception. As she listened to the pockmarked man shouting again and again, a thought involuntarily sprouted in her mind.
If I were to sell myself to get a coffin, they said it would only be as a maid or servant to a wealthy family in the city, and the term would be five years. They would also give me three taels of silver to settle down. That way, I would have a coffin, and the silver could be used to buy medicine and pay for my sister's medical treatment...
So, supporting her younger sister, she mustered her courage and went to the front of the dilapidated temple, timidly asking, "Is it true that selling yourself can get you a coffin and money?"
Upon hearing this, the pockmarked man looked Li Erniang and her sister up and down, then nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad, not bad. If you sign a contract of servitude with me, you'll not only get a coffin and three taels of silver, but I'll also bury you for free. I won't sell you anywhere else. We're here because wealthy gentlemen in the city need maids. Which of those high-ranking families isn't incredibly wealthy? Even their servants have meat every meal!"
The pockmarked man made up a story off the top of his head, but to his surprise, the two sisters actually believed it. Li Erniang said, "Then... then let's do it this way... I'll sell myself. My father is over there, and the money will be used to buy medicine for my sister..."
"This little girl is sick? It's alright, three taels of silver, and any illness can be cured!"
As he spoke, the pockmarked man pulled out a pre-prepared indenture and asked, "What's your name?"
"Li Erniang".
"Alright, Li Erniang...once you've signed the agreement, I'll collect your father's body."
The pockmarked man's spittle landed on the indenture, and the edges of the parchment were decorated with a twisted spider drawn in vermilion.
Li Erniang was illiterate and was about to sign the document when she felt a sudden panic. Crows suddenly took flight from the treetops, and her younger sister also suddenly coughed violently, vomiting a large amount of yellow fluid.
"Look how sick she is! If she doesn't get treatment soon, she'll die! Sign the papers quickly, getting money for your sister's medical treatment is the most important thing!"
The pockmarked man seized the opportunity to urge them on.
Seeing this, Li Erjie lost even the last bit of her rationality. Trembling, she bit her thumb and signed her name.
The moment they pressed their blood seals onto the indenture, three ruffians standing nearby suddenly stepped over the thin coffin and dragged the two sisters directly into the dilapidated temple.
"What are you doing? Where's the coffin? Where's the money?!"
The two sisters were terrified, and Li Erniang loudly questioned the burly men around her.
"Young lady, you don't know yet, do you?"
The pockmarked man ripped open his shirt, revealing an eight-legged spider tattooed on his chest, and grinned maliciously, with a hint of lewdness in his grin.
"These days, coffins are more valuable than human lives; you're not even worth the price of a coffin! Your sister has to come too!"
Having said that, he grabbed the girl and pulled her into his arms. His fang-like yellow teeth bit her earlobe. "After I've had my fun, I'll send you to the Drunken Spring Pavilion to serve customers!"
"Let go, let go! What? Zuichunlou? Weren't you supposed to be a maid in the city?"
Li Erniang pushed aside the few hooligans beside her and stood there stunned. Zuichunlou was the most famous brothel in Puzhou City.
"Oh! Look at this little vixen, still daydreaming? You think you're some kind of pampered princess, wanting to be a maid in a grand mansion? You're not worth three taels of silver! Look closely, this indenture clearly states in black and white that you voluntarily sell yourself to Zuichunlou. You signed and sealed it. If you dare to deny it, even if you go to the authorities, it won't do you any good!"
The pockmarked man pointed at the indenture with his finger, making a loud cracking sound. Li Erniang instantly collapsed to the ground! She couldn't read a single word and had no idea what was written on it!
It turns out that these people were taking advantage of the women's desperation to get help, luring them to sign indentures. The women were generally illiterate and didn't know what was written on them. They claimed that the indentures were for becoming maids, but in reality, they were all indentures for selling young women into brothels!
"Little sisters, with looks like you two, even if you went to the Drunken Spring Pavilion and had someone do your hair, you probably wouldn't fetch a good price. Why don't you give them to me, your brother? Come on, both of you!"
With a wave of his hand, the pockmarked man summoned several thugs who surrounded the two sisters and began to undress them.
"stop!"
Just then, a burly man, soaking wet and wielding a silver spear, entered the dilapidated temple and silenced the group of ruffians who were about to commit violence.
"You son of a bitch—"
One of the hooligans, having disturbed the peace, turned around and, following the sound, threw a punch back.
But the group of hooligans didn't even get a clear look at the newcomer's face before the attacker was sent flying, crashing into a tree trunk outside the dilapidated temple. Blood splattered onto the pale white trunk of the locust tree, like plum blossoms suddenly blooming.
Amidst the neighing of the green horse, the man's spear tip was already pointed in the direction of the pockmarked man and his companions.
"Sir, where do you work, and how should I address you?"
Seeing that the man with the pockmarked face was imposing and strong, and was carrying a weapon, the man assumed that he was a government official and thus spoke to test him.
"My name is Hao Siwen, and I am not a member of the government!"
The man replied.
This person is none other than Hao Siwen, the forty-first hero of Liangshan in the original novel, who corresponds to the Earthly Hero Star.
This place is Puzhou. In the original novel, Hao Siwen is Guan Sheng's sworn brother. Because his mother dreamed of Jingmu'an being reincarnated before she was pregnant with him, he is called Jingmu'an.
Although he was proficient in all eighteen martial arts, he had no official position and was imprisoned in Pudong along with "Big Knife" Guan Sheng. "Big Knife" Guan Sheng even became a minor official in Pudong, but he didn't even get an official position.
This person was quite skilled in martial arts among the Earthly Fiends, but many people remember him because of how he died. During the campaign against Fang La in Hangzhou, he and "Golden Spear" Xu Ning led a patrol team all the way to the North Front Gate of Hangzhou, where they were ambushed by the enemy.
He bravely broke through the encirclement, but was captured alive by several southern generals and brought into the city. "Golden Spear" Xu Ning tried to turn back to rescue him, but was shot in the neck by a poisoned arrow and eventually died from the poison.
After being captured, Hao Siwen was torn to pieces by Fang Tianding, and his head was displayed on the city wall. He was arguably the one who died the most tragically among the Liangshan heroes!
Thunder rumbled in the downpour. Hao Siwen had come here because he had heard that a group of people were luring and trafficking women here, and as a chivalrous person, he naturally could not ignore it.
As for his brother "Big Knife" Guan Sheng, he is not here. The title of patrol inspector originated with Emperor Zhuangzong of the Later Tang Dynasty during the Five Dynasties period. During the Song Dynasty, two chief patrol inspectors were stationed on the east and west sides of the capital city, and one patrol inspector was stationed at each of the four gates of the capital. Patrol inspectorates were also established along the borders, rivers, and coasts to train soldiers and patrol the prefectures and counties. Their authority was quite significant, and they were later subject to the control of the local county magistrates.
To put it bluntly, Guan Sheng, the "Big Knife," is currently tied up with very important official duties and simply cannot come.
Therefore, Hao Siwen, nicknamed "Jingmu Han," can only act as a chivalrous hero here all by himself.
However, upon hearing that he was not a government official, these people changed their attitude and became arrogant instead.
"I told you you're not one of the government officials, yet you dare to meddle in our business! You're blind as a bat!"
The pockmarked man regained his arrogant demeanor, but Hao Siwen, nicknamed "Wellwood Frog," didn't tolerate him. Instead, he struck the pockmarked man in the back of the knee with the butt of his spear.
"Ouch!"
The pockmarked man was struck on the back of the knee with the butt of a gun, fell to his knees in the mud, and shouted, "Charge!"
Several hooligans actually pulled out short weapons from their bodies, including short swords, iron rulers, darts, and so on.
"I knew you weren't good people!"
Hao Siwen, nicknamed "Wellwood Falcon," gripped his spear tightly, ready for battle.
Although the pockmarked man spoke toughly, he had already planned his escape route. He suddenly threw out a handful of lime powder and pulled the little girl in front of him to use as a shield.
The moment Hao Siwen spun around to dodge, the three ruffians simultaneously threw out chain darts. The black dart heads gleamed with a ghostly blue, clearly indicating they were poisoned.
"Be careful, sir!"
Seeing that they had used hidden weapons, Li Erjie picked up half of a coffin lid and threw it at the three chain darts. The third chain dart pierced directly into the coffin lid.
Amidst the rotting wood fragments, a cold glint flashed as Hao Siwen, known as "Wellwood Falcon," pierced the decaying coffin lid with his spear tip, pinning a person to the broken coffin like a string of candied hawthorns.
As the silver spear trembled, the hooligans' screams startled the crows in the withered forest.
Hao Siwen, nicknamed "Jingmu Han," knew they were not benevolent people and were ruthless, so he immediately launched a killing blow!
"Ah! This is a tough one! Time to get out of here!"
The pockmarked man dragged his crying younger sister toward the reeds as he fled, shouting for the hooligans to retreat.
Hao Siwen, nicknamed "Wellwood Falcon," glanced at the disheveled Li Erjie, took off his cloak and wrapped it around her. Then, with the tip of his boot, he picked up a chain dart from the ground, and with a cold glint, severed the Achilles tendon of the last human trafficker who was walking out.
The man fell to the ground, and it was clear he couldn't leave. Hao Siwen, nicknamed "Jingmu Han," went up and knocked him unconscious with a single shot, then gave chase.
When Hao Siwen, nicknamed "Wellwood Frog," chased the villain to the riverbank, the villain was raising his knife to strike the unconscious girl.
"Damn it! If you dare to chase after me, we're both done for!"
The man shouted.
Just then, Li Hanxiao, who had been lying in wait for a long time, swung his three-pointed double-edged sword. The trafficker's steel knife flew out of his hand and into the muddy water, and his wrist was cleanly severed. Hao Siwen's silver spear had pierced through his shoulder blade and directly stabbed him to the ground.
The moment their eyes met, the turbid waves of the Yellow River crashed against the riverbank, sending up a cloud of salty, foul mist.
The moment the rain curtain was cleaved through, Hao Siwen's silver spear drew a half-arc on the muddy ground. The instant the pockmarked man's shoulder blade was pierced by the spear tip, he instinctively released his left hand that was gripping the little sister's throat.
Li Hanxiao grabbed the girl and gently tossed the unconscious girl onto the willow branch behind him.
"What a clever feint!"
Hao Siwen understood that if Li Hanxiao hadn't already blocked their escape route, things would have been very troublesome.
Suddenly, the pockmarked man let out a strange laugh like an owl, and with a trembling voice, he shot out three black spider darts from his sleeve. The sound of the hidden weapons tearing through the rain curtain was very distinctive, like the hissing sound of a venomous snake flicking its tongue.
Li Hanxiao easily spun around and swung his knife, knocking away two of the projectiles. The third one, however, curved and went straight for the little sister in his arms.
The silver spear suddenly swung like a dragon's tail, and Hao Siwen, known as "Wellwood Falcon," thrust the shaft into the muddy beach, using the elasticity to leap three zhang into the air, and actually caught the poisoned dart with his breastplate.
The spiderweb-like cracks on the mirror reflected the terrified and distorted face of the human trafficker. This move, "Rhinoceros Gazing at the Moon," struck directly down.
&34;Stay alive! &34;
Before Li Han's joke had even finished, Hao Siwen, nicknamed "Wellwood Falcon," had already killed the man on the spot with his spear.
Li Han thought to himself that since these guys dared to openly traffic people here, they must have connections. They might have already tricked many innocent women into prostitution. It would be better to find out the truth!
Unexpectedly, Hao Siwen was too quick!
At that moment, a thunderclap exploded, followed by a muffled rumble from upstream. Li Hanxiao's expression changed drastically. This was the beacon thunder used to warn people in Liangshan Marsh—the sound indicated that a larger flood peak was approaching. Li Hanxiao had just instructed everyone to disperse, and he himself, having reached the vicinity of the dilapidated temple, witnessed "Wellwood Falcon" Hao Siwen rescuing people.
He lifted the pockmarked man by the back of his collar with one hand, his three-pointed, double-edged sword sweeping away the floating coffin debris: "Take the girls to higher ground; there's a Dragon King Temple three miles away!"
The turbid waves had already rolled up white lines on the horizon. Hao Siwen, known as "Jingmu Han," tied his younger sister to his chest, pulled on Li Erjie's belt to make him sit behind her, and then spurred his horse to gallop away.
Li Hanxiao stood on the hillside, holding the human trafficker upside down, gazing out at the murky river water, which, carrying mud and sand from both banks, resembled a yellow dragon that had been imprisoned for a thousand years, twisting its body with its scales peeling off as it tried to break free of its cage.
The roar of the splashing yellow water shook the ground. The river crashed against the jagged rammed earth at the breach, sending up sprays more than three meters high, which, mixed with the salty, fishy steam, poured down on our faces.
The laborers patrolling the riverbank at night had just raised their lanterns when they were swept away by the waves, tumbling down the riverbank with their horses. Their screams were instantly drowned out by the thunderous roar of the water.
The flooded riverbed, bathed in moonlight, resembled a tilted bronze mirror. Rotten wheat straw swirled on the surface, only to be pulled into eddies by the undercurrents. The roots of an old willow tree on the opposite bank danced wildly in the torrent, like the hands of a drowning person pleading for help. When the first flood surge crashed against the brick walls of the river god's temple, several white lines suddenly burst forth from the cracks in the blue bricks—the bleeding of the building, crushed by the high-pressure water.
This is the power of nature!