"If there were a way, we would have found it long ago, and we wouldn't still be here? Yesterday, the village chief told everyone that he abducted the women from our village because he was instructed by the mountain god. These women would eventually be restless and tarnish the Liu family's reputation. Selling them off early could at least bring back some silver. Although some people no longer believed his deception, a portion of them started to worship the mountain god again." What worried Mother Liu even more was that from now on, whenever a family in the village had difficulties, others would blame them, thinking they had offended the mountain god and he would no longer bless the villagers.
Wu Caiwei understood their predicament and wanted to leave. However, fearing that the original owner couldn't let go, she found the village chief and his son on a dark and windy night, beat them up, and gave them a warning before quietly departing.
Her actions might sow the seeds of trouble in the village chief's heart, but she believed he would be more cautious in his dealings from now on. The Liu family's life would be relatively peaceful for a while.
"What? You want to leave? Our business has just gotten on track, and we've earned quite a bit of money. Why would you have such an idea? If you think a fifty-fifty split isn't acceptable, I can do sixty-forty, or even thirty-seventy. Primarily, I want to befriend you," Shopkeeper Zhou was greatly surprised to hear Wu Caiwei wanted to leave. He couldn't understand why she had changed her mind after a trip back, as he had never heard of such a thing before.
"That's not the reason. I have some personal matters to investigate clearly, and I plan to go to the capital. We've been working together for a long time, and I won't demand an exorbitant price. Ten thousand taels of silver, and you find a reliable person to learn the key techniques from me. Continuing to operate like this, making a fortune daily, is not a problem." She had already earned enough money and wouldn't be in the rouge business anymore. Selling Shopkeeper Zhou a favor might be useful in the future.
"Are you really set on leaving?" Shopkeeper Zhou was somewhat moved. These formulas were family heirlooms, and he never expected her to be willing to sell them to him at such a low price before leaving. This was a golden opportunity that wouldn't come again.
Wu Caiwei smiled and nodded. Shopkeeper Zhou sighed before saying sincerely, "This time, I've taken advantage of you. To express my gratitude, I'll write you a letter of recommendation. If you encounter any trouble in the future, go to the Zhou family in the eastern part of the capital and look for my elder uncle. See if he can help you."
This time, Wu Caiwei didn't refuse. Arriving in the capital, she was unfamiliar with the place. If she wanted to do business, she needed a supporter. Although she didn't know her uncle's official position, she could inquire slowly after arriving in the capital.
After settling all matters, she packed a small bag, mounted a horse, and slowly headed towards the capital. It's worth mentioning that Shopkeeper Zhou felt it was too dangerous for her to travel alone and offered to have her travel with the escort agency. Wu Caiwei politely declined his kind offer.
Traveling alone and enjoying the scenery was pleasant. While traveling with the escort agency would save her trouble, they had to rush. As a woman, it was inconvenient for her to be with them.
The further north she went, the flatter the road became. Sometimes, when she couldn't reach a small town, she slept in trees. Of course, there were also times when it rained, and she stayed in a farmer's house.
Some rural people were very simple and kind. Seeing that she was alone and traveling with difficulty, they tried their best to offer her the best food and drink their homes had. Wu Caiwei was touched by their kindness and gave them an extra tael of silver when she left. They were extremely grateful.
Of course, there were also those who became greedy. They thought that by paying one tael of silver for a night's stay, she must be wealthy. Moreover, the outside world was not peaceful. They falsely claimed to be bandits who would rob and kill her, and people would only consider her unlucky. Of course, such people were all dealt with by Wu Caiwei.
She had traveled for more than half a month and covered only half the distance. One evening, dark clouds covered the sky, and it was about to rain. Wu Caiwei rode her horse at full speed. She finally saw a small village. This village was truly poor; as far as the eye could see, there were thatched huts, and some even lived in wooden houses.
She casually found a household and prepared to make do. After knocking for a long time, an old man tremblingly opened the door.
After Wu Caiwei explained her purpose, the old man's face showed no joy or sorrow, only a hint of sadness. Wu Caiwei entered with a look of confusion.
This household could be described as bare. Apart from a table with a missing leg in the middle, there was not another decent piece of furniture to be found. According to Su Dan Novel Network.
Logically, for such a poor family, offering one tael of silver for a night should have made them happy. With that one tael, they could live comfortably for the next few months. Yet, why did they seem worried?
Dinner consisted of a simple plate of green vegetables and a few white flour steamed buns. Looking around, Wu Caiwei noticed that the white flour steamed buns were all placed in front of her, while they ate dark, coarse grains.
Several poorly dressed children looked at the white flour steamed buns in front of her and swallowed hard. The old man glared at them fiercely, and the children lowered their heads.
Wu Caiwei didn't have a large appetite. She divided the remaining steamed buns in half, giving each child half.
The children eagerly extended their hands, looking hesitantly at the old man. He looked at Wu Caiwei with fearful eyes, "The children are ignorant. Please be magnanimous and do not hold it against them."
"You are too kind, old sir. I came uninvited and disturbed you. I have eaten my fill. The rest is for the children to enjoy. Of course, when I leave, I will definitely pay you enough silver so that you won't lose money," Wu Caiwei said with a smile. She felt there was something she didn't know and tried to use her amiability to lower their guard and see if there was anything she could help with.
"You're really not from that group?" a younger woman involuntarily voiced her doubt.
As soon as she spoke, she regretted it. If the other party were indeed from that group, wouldn't she be walking into a tiger's den and implicating her family?
Looking around, her family members also looked at her with reproachful eyes.
"What group? When I entered, I told you I was passing by, and I didn't lie. It's going to rain, so I'm just borrowing a place to stay for the night. I'll continue my journey to the capital tomorrow. Of course, I've been learning martial arts since childhood, otherwise, I wouldn't dare to travel alone. If you have any difficulties, I can help," Wu Caiwei looked at them with the most sincere eyes she had ever had.
The old man recalled her behavior just now and felt that she was indeed not from that group. If she were, how could she kindly share her steamed buns with his grandchildren? After a moment of hesitation, he said softly, "If you continue north for forty li, there is a range of undulating mountains. Be careful, it's best to travel with an escort agency."