Now I'm Your Man

Chapter 18: Now I'm Your Man

"Waaahhhh—!"

Jiu'er wailed as if her heart were being torn apart, clutching Jiang Hao, her fingers digging into his clothes, terrified that if she let go, it would all turn out to be a lie. She didn't want to go back to the fear and darkness before.

Jiang Hao held Jiu'er, patting her back steadily, letting her cry it all out.

She was just a woman. She was only eighteen.

Over this stretch of time, she had endured too much—too many hardships.

Forced to marry Old Leprosy. That night, she'd seen his pockmarked, orange-peel face and been filled with terror. He'd tried to climb into her bed, and she'd held him off with a pair of scissors, guarding herself through those two nights as best she could.

When she went back to her family home, her inhuman father only told her to return, only cared about the bride price, only worried about his big black mule—not a shred of concern for whether she lived or died.

No sooner had she gotten back to the distillery than she was dragged to the police station and locked in a cell overnight. Luohan and the others barely managed to rescue her, and after just two days of peace, the bandits snatched her again and threw her into this wooden cage.

Terror. Helplessness. Grief. Fear.

That was her story.

Why did her life hold so much suffering? Who could help her escape it?

She'd been asking herself that over and over.

And then, this man appeared. She watched Jiang Hao shoot Old Man and Helper dead, and felt not a shred of fear—only relief. For two days, she'd been treated like a dog, eating, drinking, and relieving herself inside that cage.

She cried because she'd been saved. Finally, someone had come for her—and that someone was the man who had taken her for the first time.

Bald Sanpao saw this scene and was now completely certain: everything the man had said before was a lie. Someone buying his life? No—this man had come to rescue the woman.

He'd truly failed to keep his eyes open this time. He'd robbed plenty of big families before, but who could've guessed that snatching a widow would stir up such a fearsome character?

After crying her fill, Jiu'er let go of Jiang Hao and composed herself. She knew the man still had more important things to do.

Jiang Hao returned to the main room, strode up to Bald Sanpao, his face fierce, the Box Cannon pressed hard against Bald Sanpao's bald head.

"You've treated my woman like garbage. I'll boil you alive."

Right beside Bald Sanpao was the steaming pot where beef was cooking. A fire still burned beneath it, the water bubbling and sending up clouds of steam.

Bald Sanpao was terrified. Ruthless as he was, he still feared death. He begged, "Boss, boss, I swear I never touched her. She's Li Mafeng's wife—he's got leprosy. I don't touch that."

"She's my woman," Jiang Hao barked.

Hearing Jiang Hao say that, Jiu'er felt a sweetness in her heart, and the look she gave him held far more affection.

"Yes, yes—she's your woman, boss. I was wrong. Spare me, please, spare me. Three thousand Silver Dollars—I'll buy my own life." Bald Sanpao pleaded desperately, just to survive.

The gun pressed to his bald head loosened slightly. Jiang Hao asked, "Where's the money?"

Seeing a chance to live, Bald Sanpao hurriedly said, "This isn't my main base, but I've got some savings. There's a clay jar in the cellar with eight hundred Silver Dollars. For the rest, I'll scrape it together somewhere else for you, boss."

Jiang Hao thought for a moment, then called Jiu'er over. He pulled out his other Box Cannon, worked the bolt to chamber a round, and handed it to her. "Take the gun. If Bald Sanpao so much as twitches, blow his head off."

"I... I don't know how to use it," Jiu'er said.

Jiang Hao taught her hand over hand how to grip and fire. "Put your right index finger here. Just squeeze hard, and the bullet goes out. Simple."

Jiu'er held the gun with both hands, trembling slightly, aiming at Bald Sanpao. Staring into the dark muzzle, Bald Sanpao's eye twitched, terrified the woman would get nervous and pull the trigger.

Jiang Hao went into the next room and found the cellar entrance, covered by a wooden plank. A ladder led down. The cellar was small, filled with jars of liquor. He searched around and found the jar holding the Silver Dollars.

He gave it a gentle shake—the coins clinked. Jiang Hao carried the jar back up, found a piece of cured cowhide in the room, spread it out, and dumped the Silver Dollars onto it.

Clatter!

Several hundred silver coins piled together made quite an impact.

He gathered up the cowhide, tied it with rope, and secured the money. Bald Sanpao watched him finish and said, "Friend, let me go, and I'll definitely come up with the rest. Or you could come with me to get it."

Jiang Hao gave a contemptuous smile. "Go with you? I'm afraid you'd spring an ambush."

Bald Sanpao's face changed—he knew his little scheme had been seen through again. "No, no, absolutely not."

Jiang Hao walked over to Jiu'er, took hold of her gun hand, and said to her, "This man put you through hell. Want to kill him yourself?"

Bald Sanpao's face twisted in terror. He struggled hard and shouted, "You have no honor! Take the money and spare the life—that's the rule of the road!"

"You dare talk rules to me? The people you've robbed, the women you've violated, the innocents you've butchered—can you even count them anymore?" Jiang Hao stared at Bald Sanpao.

Bald Sanpao had no reply.

Jiang Hao asked Jiu'er again, "Do you dare pull the trigger?"

Jiu'er glared hatefully at Bald Sanpao, gritted her teeth, but still couldn't bring herself to fire. After all, she was just an ordinary woman.

Since she wasn't willing, Jiang Hao wouldn't force her. He took the gun from her hand and fired three shots into Bald Sanpao.

Bald Sanpao's eyes went wide. He tried to say something, but his mouth opened and closed, spitting out a string of bloody foam. His head lolled to the side. Dead.

"We're going home," Jiang Hao said.

With one hand holding Jiu'er and the other carrying the money pouch, he walked out of the butcher shop. After just a dozen meters, he stopped again. He thought for a moment, set down Jiu'er and the money, and turned back toward the shop. "Jiu'er, wait for me a moment."

"Okay," she replied obediently.

Jiang Hao went inside, found a jar of kerosene, and splashed it around the room. He pulled a burning log from the stove, tossed it onto the kerosene-soaked spots, and the room burst into flames. Jiang Hao strode out quickly.

Destroy the evidence and avoid leaving trouble.

The two walked a long way off and looked back. The Butcher Shop was engulfed in roaring flames. After the fire burned out, nothing would remain—the sins and the stench of blood would be scoured clean by the blaze.

Eight hundred Silver Dollars weighed about forty catties. Jiu'er took the money pouch from Jiang Hao and slung it over her own back. Feeling the contents inside, she looked at him again. "Aren't you a sedan-chair bearer? How'd you turn into a bandit?"

"Who said I'm a bandit?" Jiang Hao asked, looking at Jiu'er.

"Then where'd you get that gun, and how dare you kill someone? Are you a soldier?" Jiu'er asked, puzzled.

"Heh, don't worry about what I am. For now, I'm your man—got it?" Jiang Hao said with authority.

Hearing this, Jiu'er didn't find the man crude; instead, she felt a sweetness in her heart.

They walked a bit further and reached the spot where they had ambushed Bald Sanpao. Jiang Hao was surprised to find that the three horses were still there.

It was fate.

Carrying dozens of catties of silver coins and several long guns and pistols was truly exhausting on foot. With these horses, they could save a lot of effort.