Chapter 146 - 146. Snatching The Child
Chapter 146: Chapter 146. Snatching The Child
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Qiu Yongkang wanted to find a suitable husband for his sister in Su province and marry her off before Shuisheng, and Su Qing returned.
However, he didn’t know anyone in Su Zhou, and he couldn’t just randomly pick someone on the street and let Qiu Yue marry him.
Since ancient times, marriage was decided by the parents and the matchmaker. However, Qiu Yongkang had his way. The matter would be solved as long as he found a good matchmaker.
It didn’t matter if he wasn’t familiar with the people or the place; he could always ask around. Qiu Yongkang drove the carriage to the most prosperous street in Su province and stopped the carriage at a grain store.
There was a long queue outside the grain store. The news that the Barbarians had taken down Yu City and Guo City had already spread to Su province. Everyone was madly buying living supplies and only felt at ease after filling their grain tanks at home.
Qiu Yongkang asked Li Daniu to look after the cart while he followed the group. When he saw some older women with good personalities, he started to talk to them,
“Sister-in-law, sorry to bother you. I want to ask if there are any good matchmakers in Suzhou.”
He had a handsome face, an elegant temperament, and was very polite when he spoke. The woman he asked was happy to answer.
“Young man, you haven’t married yet, have you? What kind of girl are you looking for? I can introduce you to one.”
This Auntie was warm-hearted, and she immediately introduced a wife to Qiu Yongkang.
While Qiu Yongkang was looking for a matchmaker to marry his sister, Su Qing, Ji Shuisheng continued to rush to Su Zhou.
In the past, Ji Shuisheng thought that the most dangerous place was the safest. However, along the way, he realized that Su Zhou was neither safe. The checks here were rigorous. Fortunately, they had changed their appearances and were still safe.
Along the way, there were armored troops. The dry rations they had brought with them had long been used up. Ji Shuisheng did not dare to use his excellent archery skills. He had been hungry a whole day and had drunk all the water. However, he had not found a water source and could only be thirsty.
Su Qing had water in her system and the mantou that little seven had made, but she didn’t have the chance to take them out.
The refugees had long eaten the wild vegetables on the roadside, the tender leaves on the trees, the tender bark, and the grass roots. Su Qing finally understood the meaning of the saying, ‘Even a clever housewife can not cook without rice.’
The refugees’ eyes lit up when they saw their carriage. The big black horse had become meat in their eyes. Those who were bold enough to approach were whipped away by Ji Shuisheng. The armored soldiers did not care about the affairs of the refugees. They only looked at them and did not allow them to leave the official road. They looked like sheep officers who were driving sheep.
People had three emergencies. They could go without eating or drinking, but they couldn’t go without pooping.
The old Qin master could not hold it in any longer and called Ji Shuisheng to accompany him to the toilet. Once they left, Su Qing found an opportunity and quickly took out a dozen steamed buns and three bamboo buckets of water. Then, she sat before the carriage as if nothing had happened and slowly moved forward.
Ji Shuisheng and the others wanted to go to the forest to relieve themselves, but the armored Army did not allow them to. They had no choice but to turn around by the side of the road.
The escaping team seemed to have a tacit understanding. The men went to the left side to use the toilet, and the women went to the right. The armored Army didn’t allow the women to hide behind the trees to use the toilet. Some women would rather pee in their pants than go to the toilet in front of those people. Reputation and integrity were more important than life.
The old Qin master was an important official in the court, and he had never done such a thing as peeing on the ground. His face was red from holding it in. In the end, he found a tree and peed on it. He didn’t even dare to raise his head.
Ji Shuisheng didn’t mind. What was there to be ashamed of when there were men here?
After they went to the toilet, the old master dared not raise his head and followed Ji Shuisheng back.
“My child is gone; where’s my child? My God, the child is gone.”
A woman’s miserable cry sounded. Those refugees with children hurriedly looked for their children.
Ji Shuisheng saw two men hurrying in front, and they seemed to be carrying a child.
“Sister-in-law, the man in front is carrying the child.”
Ji Shuisheng couldn’t deal with it, so he told the woman who had lost her child. The woman ran to the ironclad Army,
“Soldier, my child has been taken away by those two thieves. Please help me.”
The woman was full of hope, thinking that the Army of the Imperial court would not ignore the ordinary people. However, the armored soldier despised her for blocking the way and whipped her.
“Get lost.”
The woman’s skin and flesh were torn, but she still cried and knelt on the ground, begging. The armored soldiers were impatient and pulled out their knives. The woman was so scared that she fell back and sat on the ground. She watched the armored soldiers walk away with tears in her eyes.
The two men who had taken the child away looked back proudly and whispered,
“The baby’s meat is tender, and this child is quite fat. I’ll find an open space on the side of the road and roast it with a fire to eat later.”
As the two of them were talking, they passed by Su Qing’s carriage. Su Qing looked up at the child in their arms. The child was fair and clean and looked only two or three months old. He had big, black eyes, and his gaze was clear and bright. He did not seem to know the tragic fate that he was about to face.
Su Qing jumped out of the carriage and tripped the thief carrying the child. The thief was caught off guard, and the child slipped out of his hands. Su Qing caught the child. The other thief panicked when he saw Su Qing taking their food. He took out a dagger from his pocket and attacked Su Qing.
“Sir, they are spies. They have knives.”
Su Qing shouted and ran toward the armored soldiers. When the armored soldiers heard that there was a knife, they immediately came to check. The thief didn’t have time to put away the dagger, and his face turned pale when he saw the soldiers. He said to the armored soldiers incoherently,
“Sir, we’re not spies. This knife is for self-defense. I’m only holding it because he stole our child.”
The armored soldiers didn’t listen to his nonsense at all. They cut off his wrist and then kicked him to the ground. Immediately, some people came over and tied up the two thieves who wanted to eat human flesh.
Su Qing stood at the side with the child in her arms. She looked like she was trembling in fear. The armored soldiers only took one look at her before riding away.
“My child, my child.”
When the woman saw that Su Qing had snatched her child back, she immediately cried and ran over. She cherished her child very much.
She knelt and kowtowed to Su Qing. Su Qing saw that his merit points had increased. It was worth saving this child.
Su Qing carefully returned the child to the woman, afraid that he would hurt the child. His eyes were glued to the child’s angel-like face.
She also wanted to have a child. It should be very blissful to hear her baby call her mother in a baby voice, right?
Ji Shuisheng and old Qin rushed back and were shocked by Su Qing’s action of saving the child. Fortunately, she did not reveal her martial arts. Otherwise, she would be in danger.
Wasn’t Su Qing very cold? Why would she be so kind as to save a child?
When he saw Su Qing’s gaze on the child exuding the radiance of a loving mother, Ji Shuisheng understood that Su Qing liked children. Her heart was soft.
Old Qin and Ji Shuisheng smelled the fragrance of the mantou the moment they got on the carriage and thought they were hallucinating due to hunger.. Where could they buy mantou in this place?