Records of the Lost Cases of Helaitang in the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 240 Counterattack
A few days later, nearby villages were ablaze with flames, probably after a massive burning and looting.

A dozen or so scattered soldiers appeared, and it was impossible to tell what their unit number was. They lingered around the villa all day.

The four of us from other villages were so frightened that we hid behind the wall and dared not breathe. Fortunately, the soldiers disappeared at dawn the next day and our whereabouts were unknown.

Mr. Chen was puzzled and asked me why these scattered soldiers seemed unable to see other villages?
Yu Fu Niang and I had already reached a tacit understanding that only the two of us knew about the Yunke barrier and that it must not be spread to others. So I pointed to the portrait of Guanyin Bodhisattva on the table and said, "Maybe it was Guanyin Bodhisattva's blessing."

Old Man Chen seemed to understand something and kept prostrating himself and kowtowing.

Over the next month, soldiers passed by the villa from time to time, but without exception, they ignored the villa which was so close to them.

My mind has finally settled down, and I feel even more grateful for Yunke’s kindness.

A few months passed in a flash, and one day there was a sudden rainstorm, and the sound of killing could be heard from afar.

After that, stragglers appeared around the village every day. Many of them were wearing tattered clothes and had injuries on their bodies. Thick smoke rose up and the villages on both sides were burned down again.

After all, Chen Sou was older and more experienced. He was afraid of startling the women, so he quietly pulled Yu's sleeve and said in horror, "The defeated soldiers, what should I do, sir?"

I had been staying at home for a long time. I didn't know whether it was the left army that occupied the county and claimed to be General Pingnan that won, or the government army's counterattack that won. But I firmly believed what Yunke said, that there would be a turning point in half a year. So I comforted Mr. Chen and told him not to panic and to focus on growing vegetables. The Bodhisattva Guanyin would protect us.

At noon the next day, two uninvited guests came to the gate of the villa.

A one-eyed soldier whipped a young girl and drove her eastward.

The young girl staggered with her hands tied behind her back. Although her hair was disheveled and her clothes were tattered, her beauty and slim figure could not be concealed.

The soldier looked ferocious, and was whipping the young girl to death. The girl was covered in blood, but she was still struggling. As they struggled, they approached the bamboo fence of the villa.

At the foot of the fence, a bamboo knife was stuck diagonally. Perhaps it was dropped by Mr. Chen when he was pruning flowers and trees a few days ago.

The young girl kept her eyes on all directions and sat on the bamboo sword, refusing to move. She allowed the one-eyed soldier to beat and scold her, and begged for mercy, "Boss, I really can't walk any more. Please let me rest for a while before we continue on our journey."

The soldier must have been tired after beating and scolding for a long time, so he simply sat on the hemp stone at the entrance of the villa to get some fresh air.

The young girl was very clever. She took advantage of the soldiers' fatigue and cut the rope with a bamboo sword.

After a short rest, the soldier pointed to the sky and cursed the earth again. The young girl also understood the situation and took a few steps forward to follow him to show her obedience.

The soldier thought the girl had been beaten into obedience, so he walked in front without worry. Unexpectedly, the girl pulled out a bamboo sword and hit him on the back of the head. Blood spurted out as the sword fell.

I had been trapped for many days, and I was always on edge at the slightest sign of trouble. I was surprised to see the superiority and inferiority of the two men changed in an instant.

The soldier was seriously injured because he was not prepared. After all, he was tall and strong, and he grabbed the young girl's neck with his backhand.

The young girl was no match for the soldiers, but she took the initiative and severely injured the soldiers, giving her a chance of survival.

The two fought for their lives, their fighting moves were completely unsystematic, and every move drew blood, which frightened the four people including Bie Zhuangyu behind the fence. The sun was shining, could it be that the king's law had disappeared?

Until the two of them collapsed in front of the bamboo fence due to exhaustion, I held my breath and concentrated, and found that both of them seemed to be dead.

Two bodies inexplicably appeared in front of the door. I couldn't ignore them and had to deal with them.

I had already warned Mr. and Mrs. Chen not to leave the villa, so for safety reasons, I waited for several hours. As dusk deepened, I pressed the crane on the jade slip, temporarily closed the barrier, opened the fence door, and together with Mr. Chen, I dragged the two into the villa, and then quickly opened the barrier again.

Thank God, nothing unexpected happened during this period of time.

Mr. Chen and I cut down a few green bamboos in the bamboo forest behind the house, dug a deep pit, and planned to bury the two men.

The soldier was completely dead and stiff.

Chen was dragging the girl, but suddenly stopped and said in doubt, "This girl is still breathing."

Fu Niang reached out her hand to feel the breath, and sure enough, there was still breath.

This brings up problems. Adding a stranger to a secluded place undoubtedly brings many dangers.

I lowered my head in thought, then looked up and saw Fu Niang smiling at me. The couple understood each other very well, and it would be wrong of me to watch someone die without helping.

So they settled the girl down and asked Chen to take care of her. She washed her wounds, applied medicine on them, and fed her some porridge. She slept soundly all night.

Early the next morning, Aunt Chen came happily to report that the girl had woken up.

Fu Niang went to visit her immediately and heard the girl say that she was from a neighboring village named Jiangxian. Her parents' house were burned and killed by the bandits under the command of King Feishan. Because King Feishan wanted to choose a concubine, the bandits wanted to abduct her and take her to the mountain to present her to the king, so they spared her life. Fortunately, she picked up a bamboo sword on the way and broke free from the ropes, so they took advantage of the situation and killed her.

As Jiang Xian spoke, she felt somewhat uneasy because she had killed a bandit.

Upon hearing this, Fu Niang comforted her and said that the bandit had been buried by us long ago and no outsiders knew about it.

Jiangxian didn't know where she was, and Funiang told her that the Han family's home was quite remote and that anyone who wasn't a familiar guest would never be able to find the door.

Jiang Xian was overjoyed and settled down here with peace of mind.

My husband and I have been shut up at home for a long time, cut off from all contact with the outside world, and we really want to know what is going on.

Who was the Feishan King that Jiangxian mentioned? Why did a bandit suddenly appear near a major city like Nanjing? Was the Feishan King crazy?

So he went to ask Jiangxian whether the government troops had recaptured the county town and whether the left detachment of General Pingnan, who had occupied the county town at the beginning of the rebellion, was still in Jiangning?

It's a pity that Jiangxian knew nothing about it. She must have hidden herself away like my husband and I did when the chaos broke out.