Threat

"Yu Niang's arrangements truly hadn't been without purpose."

Li Chengfeng carried the grain away. Looking back at the two youths leaving arm in arm, he shook his head. Thinking of how hard their lives were, a trace of pity flickered in his eyes.

But then he thought of Liu Yuniang's arrangements and felt fortunate that he had transmigrated here. Otherwise, even with that money, the original owner would surely have been dragged off by those two to drink and gamble it all away.

In the end, he would lose both money and possessions, perhaps unable to afford even a meal.

"The original owner and these youths were all honest common folk at the bottom of society. Drinking was one thing, but how had they picked up such a vice as gambling?"

Li Chengfeng was somewhat puzzled. But then he recalled that the root of it all seemed to have been brought by some of the Zheng Family's hired laborers. Realizing something, a chill ran through his heart.

Could the Zheng Family be deliberately leading them astray? So they would never have money, would always work for them cheaply, and eventually be forced to borrow money—or even sell themselves into slavery...

An unbelievable thought flashed through Li Chengfeng's mind, but when he considered the usual conduct of these landlords, it seemed perfectly plausible. He paused, then silently carried his grain away.

No matter how others tempted them, making such choices was still their own decision—whether willingly or unwillingly, it had already come to this.

As for other people's affairs, he had neither the inclination nor the strength to change them now.

Better to respect other people's fates...

With that thought, Li Chengfeng silently quickened his pace and carried the grain home.

As he passed an alleyway, he vaguely sensed a familiar figure there. But when he turned to look, he saw nothing.

Frowning, Li Chengfeng did not dwell on it and headed straight home.

After he left, a broad-waisted, pot-bellied man emerged from the corner. Looking at Li Chengfeng's departing back, he sneered.

"I had Liu Hong arrange for the money on you to be stolen. How much money could your family possibly have? Now that you've bought this little bit of food, let's see what you do when it's time to pay the gang's protection fee at the end of the month."

The pot-bellied man sneered and spoke in a low voice.

If Li Chengfeng had been there, he would have recognized him as the hired laborer who had urged him to sell his sister-in-law to Master Zheng.

"A poor mud-legged peasant dreaming of getting ten taels of silver? Keep dreaming."

Thinking of the ten taels of silver he had previously promised Li Chengfeng, Liu Yong sneered inwardly, pleased with himself.

Master Zheng indeed intended to spend ten taels of silver to buy Li Chengfeng's sister-in-law.

But Liu Yong had no intention of letting him have it!

Let alone ten taels of silver—even one tael was more than he wanted to give him.

"When the Black River Gang comes to collect the protection fee and takes you away, I'll make a trip to the Black River Gang. Wouldn't that settle everything?"

Liu Yong chuckled as he schemed. "With that fellow's knowledge and nerve, wouldn't he piss himself in terror after being caught by the Black River Gang? If I get him out, won't he be endlessly grateful to me?"

"I happen to know Rat from the Black River Gang. Getting someone out would be easy as pie—just bring him a roast chicken."

"Then I'll say a few words to scare him, toss him a few copper coins, and won't I be able to take his sister-in-law away just like that?"

Liu Yong chuckled to himself. Looking at Li Chengfeng's retreating back, he curled his lips in satisfaction and walked away with his hands clasped behind his back.

Thinking of Li Chengfeng's sister-in-law, greed surfaced on Liu Yong's face. That sister-in-law of his was truly a fine woman.

"Perhaps when the time comes, this brother can have the first taste before Master Zheng..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Li Chengfeng rushed home carrying the dou of rice, a jin of coarse salt, and the copper coins he had bought. Amid Liu Yuniang's delighted expression, he hid the money and food in the hole they had dug beneath the floor at home.

The family's grain stores had nearly run dry, but they had suddenly been replenished by so much, with so many copper coins saved as well. Liu Yuniang's expression was full of joy.

When she looked at Li Chengfeng again, she only felt that her young brother-in-law had grown up and become a real man.

Thinking of this, Liu Yuniang's eyes glittered as she looked at Li Chengfeng. But as she kept thinking, she suddenly remembered how he had kept practicing thrusting his hips in the yard yesterday, and her cheeks reddened again.

"Yu Niang, I'm leaving."

Li Chengfeng did not know what Liu Yuniang was thinking as her expression shifted from happiness to flushed cheeks.

He thrust his hips once, tightened his belt, picked up his bow and cleaver, and tucked the two rice balls mixed with pheasant meat—made by Liu Yuniang with the last of the food left from before—into his chest. Then he spoke to her.

"Ah, all right. Be careful. I'll wait for you at home and have the food ready for when you come back to eat."

Liu Yuniang did not dare look at Li Chengfeng's waist as he thrust it again. Looking at his face, she answered gently.

Li Chengfeng smiled at Liu Yuniang's expression, nodded, and reminded her to keep the door shut while she was alone. He then turned around, took an empty gourd from the yard, picked up another full of water, and left under her watchful gaze.

He practiced thrusting his hips because he wanted to catch prey, so he would have strength, so he could fill me up...

Watching Li Chengfeng's retreating back, a thought flashed through Liu Yuniang's mind. Her cheeks reddened slightly, and she hurriedly withdrew her gaze, shut the door, and returned inside to sit down.

"..."

Entering the mountains with his bow and arrows again, Li Chengfeng moved far more swiftly than he had last time.

He hurried out of the city along the main road and soon reached the fields outside.

Just as Li Chengfeng emerged carrying his bow and arrows, a familiar figure happened to appear behind him. Seeing his back, the man sneered mockingly.

"Yesterday, you stepped in dog shit and got lucky enough to catch some prey, and now you don't know the height of heaven or the depth of earth. You're going up the mountain again today? Hmph, be careful you don't die in there."

Liu Hong watched Li Chengfeng's departing back, snorted, and cursed aloud. Thinking of how he had actually been frightened away yesterday by that brat's empty show, anger surged in his heart.

He looked again at Li Chengfeng's back, his eyes shifting. Then he suddenly turned and headed toward Li Chengfeng's home.

Liu Yuniang listened to Li Chengfeng. After he left, she securely bolted the door from the inside and hid at home without showing herself.

After Li Chengfeng left, she had still felt somewhat shy as she did odd chores and let her thoughts wander wildly.

But before long, a burst of shouting suddenly disrupted her thoughts, and her expression changed at once.

"Hey, little lady, your young brother-in-law has gone into the mountains to hunt again. I tell you, people are just greedy beyond measure. Yesterday, he got lucky and ran into some prey, and today he thinks he can soar to the heavens, going into the mountains to hunt again."

The unpleasant voice and lewd words rang out beyond the courtyard gate. Liu Yuniang's face darkened as she peered outside through the crack in the door, her expression sinking.

It really was that rogue Liu Hong!

"Doesn't he know the mountains are fraught with danger, and prey isn't so easy to catch?"

Seeing that no one in the house answered, Liu Hong did not leave. Instead, he sneered at the wooden house. "Going up the mountain so recklessly, he'd better not fail to catch any prey and get himself killed in there. Then you'll be all alone. Perhaps I'll have to take good care of you, little lady. What do you say? After all, you're a woman. Without a man to lean on, how could you possibly survive?"

Liu Hong seemed certain Liu Yuniang was home. Even without a response, he continued speaking in a mocking, insinuating tone. Afterward, he peered inside. Seeing no one speak, he sneered.

"In a few days, Master Zheng will take you in, but the Black River Gang's collection date comes even sooner. Today, we'll just see whether that useless Li Chengfeng dies in the mountains. But if I still don't see you coming tomorrow night, don't blame me for going to the Black River Gang and having them collect the protection fee early!"

"By then, never mind that Master Zheng has set his sights on you—if Li Chengfeng is still alive, he'll be beaten into a cripple. Even if he gets silver, it'll be useless. Think it through carefully!"