The courtyard fell silent.
The woman cooking the porridge didn't even stir it with her spoon, and the old people stopped weaving baskets, all looking up at the Yun Shuyue on the stone.
Yun Shuyue opened her mouth, but didn't speak.
She lowered her hands from her waist, then put them back in, then lowered them again.
Tiedan added, "Grandpa Sun said that the people from Bluestone Ridge next door are the real bandits. Last month they intercepted a salt boat and got six hundred catties of salt. What did our village get last month?"
"... Twelve eggs." Yun Shuyue's voice trailed off, her face flushed with embarrassment. She jumped off the rock, dusted off her short brown robe, and cleared her throat.
"You guys don't know anything."
She put her hands behind her back, paced back and forth a couple of times, trying to make her steps appear steady.
"The most important thing for a bandit isn't robbing homes or stealing on the road, it's..."
She paused, her mind racing for the right words.
"It's about building momentum."
Tiedan tilted his head. "What stance?"
"It's just... it's just waiting for a big deal." Yun Shuyue's confidence waned as she spoke, so she simply changed the subject, "Alright, alright, is the porridge ready yet?"
Tiedan didn't ask any further questions, but he muttered something under his breath.
The sound wasn't loud, but everyone in the yard heard it.
"We've been waiting for three years, and there's still no sign of a big deal."
The courtyard was quiet.
The woman cooking porridge stopped, Old Master Sun chopping wood chuckled, and Auntie Zhao weaving baskets suppressed a smile.
Yun Shuyue slipped and almost lost her balance.
He quickly grabbed the bamboo pole next to him, pretended nothing was wrong, and cleared his throat.
"What do you know?"
She jumped off the rock, walked up to Tiedan, and patted him on the head.
"The boss has his own plans for everything. Have you memorized your lessons?"
Tiedan Egg frowned. "Do bandits have to memorize books? I'm not going to take the imperial examination."
"Who says bandits don't read?" Yun Shuyue bent down and poked his forehead. "How can they write a robbery note if they don't read? How can they steal something and not leave a single piece of paper behind?"
If I get arrested by the authorities and can't even understand the indictment, wouldn't I just be getting beaten for nothing?
The logic was completely twisted, but Tiedan was actually fooled. He opened his mouth, but couldn't refute it.
Old Master Sun, standing nearby, chuckled and tried to smooth things over, " Tiedan, the chief's arrangements have their reasons. You're just a kid, don't worry about it."
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Yun Shuyue changed the subject, patted Tiedan on the shoulder, and swore to the heavens, "Fine, you're not convinced, are you? Let me tell you, the next one passing through our territory!"
She held up one finger, her expression serious.
"I'll personally guide you up!"
Tiedan's eyes lit up.
Several children nearby started chattering, saying things like, "I want to get a stick," "I'll be in charge of yelling 'Stop!'," and "I'll move stones to block the road."
The words had barely left his mouth.
The sound of hooves and wheels rolling over gravel came from the mountain road not far away.
Everyone turned their heads in unison.
Yun Shuyue reacted the fastest, taking a step to the back of the crooked pine tree by the yard and peering down the mountain.
Tiedan followed behind, his little head peeking out from under her armpit.
The three women put down their spoons, and the elderly people also gathered around.
A car slowly swayed along the dirt road at the foot of the mountain.
The vehicle was old. Two wooden buckets were placed on the sideboard, one of the lids was askew.
The cart was pulled by an old donkey, which took three steps and then rested. The old man driving the cart was dozing off, with the reins loosely draped over his knees.
The wind blew up from the foot of the mountain.
The aroma started to come too.
Yun Shuyue frowned.
Tiedan wrinkled too.
Old Master Sun covered his nose with his sleeve.
Manure cart.
silence.
A long silence.
Tiedan looked up at Yun Shuyue, his expression extremely serious. "Boss, are we going to rob it or not?"
Yun Shuyue froze for two breaths.
Of course not.
Why?
" Black Wind Mountain Stronghold has principles." She withdrew her hand from the tree trunk, brushed the pine needles off her short coat, and said with her head held high, "We won't rob people of their livelihoods."
"Besides, there's no point in us fighting over manure."
Tiedan said "Oh," his face clearly saying, "I knew it."
"But he might have some dry rations and coins on him."
A five-year-old girl tugged at Tiedan's sleeve and whispered, "Brother, the Boss said the same thing last time. And the time before that too."
"Alright, shut up." Tiedan covered her mouth.
Yun Shuyue turned and walked back.
"I told you I'd take you on a big heist. What's a manure cart worth? Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut?"
He quickly calculated in his mind.
The silver she swindled from that grain merchant in the neighboring county who oppressed the tenants the day before yesterday, plus the money she stole from her father, was enough to last her half a month.
There are still two bags of coarse grains in the rice bin.
No rush.
She returned to the middle of the courtyard, picked up a thin wooden board, and leaned it against the bamboo frame.
Five characters were written on the wooden board in ink.
Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness.
The handwriting is neat and tidy, with horizontal and vertical strokes aligned perfectly, and each stroke is precise and orderly.
Anyone would know that these are not the words written by bandits.
"Okay, since the porridge is not ready yet, come over to class first." Yun Shuyue patted the wooden board twice and waved to the children, "Today we will talk about the word 'benevolence'."
Tiedan was the first to sit down, muttering, "In the morning we practice slogans, run laps, and after that we have to learn to read. Boss, is this a bandit's den or a school?"
"Yes, they are." Yun Shuyue squatted down in front of him. "Learning to read and practicing martial arts can't be neglected."
When you grow up, you can be bandits if you want, or you can become top scholars if you want. The path you choose is yours, but first you need to have a choice.
Tiedan was silent for a moment.
Then he picked up a branch from the ground and wrote the word "Benevolence" crookedly on the dirt.
After finishing writing, he looked up and said, "Like this?"
Yun Shuyue looked at the character; the vertical stroke on the right was so crooked it was almost lying down.
"... That'll do. I'll write it ten more times."
Tiedan lay down on the ground and started carefully scratching.
The other children also found their own places to practice, and the yard quieted down, with only the rustling of branches scratching the soil and the bubbling of porridge on the stove.
Yun Shuyue sat down beside her, her short sword resting on her knees, her left hand supporting her chin.
As the sun slowly rose higher, most of the fog dissipated.
The distant mountain ridges emerge, layered upon each other, a vibrant green, stretching endlessly.
She looked up at the winding road leading down the mountain.
For three years, the people who have passed by this road have been either manure carts, woodcutters, or peddlers carrying loads.
Occasionally, a passerby on horseback would appear, but before she could even set up her formation, he would vanish without a trace.
The only time she encountered someone dressed in silk, she excitedly took Tiedan to ambush them.
It turned out that the man's carriage contained eight armed servants. She glanced at the formation, grabbed Tiedan, turned and ran, stopping only after running for two miles.
Tiedan later asked her why she ran away.
She said, "Assess the situation carefully. A true man can bend and stretch."
Auntie Zhao came over carrying a bowl of porridge.
Smiling, she sat down beside him, picked up a needle and thread, and began mending a child's garment, muttering, "We still have enough grain for half a month. We're almost out of salt."
"Knew."
"Also, Old Master Sun's plaster needs to be replaced. The one you got last time didn't work; it didn't get better even after three days."
"That's for horse stickers, I took the wrong one..."
Yun Shuyue touched the short sword at her waist.
The strip of cloth wrapped around the hilt of the knife had come loose, so she wrapped it around twice more and tied a tight knot.
The wind on the river has gotten cold.
The oil lamps in the cabin were lit very brightly.
We've reached the climax of the story. Tonight's reader is Shen Ling'er.
"The prince pulled her into his arms." Shen Ling'er, holding the book, her voice trailing off, "Lowered her head and kissed her... her..."
Shen Ling'er's voice suddenly stopped.
She turned halfway through the book, her eyes widened, and her entire face instantly turned bright red, even the corners of her eyes glistening with tears.
"What's wrong?" Murong Xue urged.
"Next... see for yourself!" Shen Ling'er slammed the book shut, threw it on the table, turned around and ran out of the cabin to the deck for some fresh air.
Su Yao frowned, reached for the book, and turned to the page she had just read.
Her gaze swept across two lines of the book.
His slender fingers turned one page, then another, before calmly placing the book back on the table.
Are you sure this isn't a pornographic film?