Chapter 53: Are You Showing Off to Me?

Half a month vanished in the blink of an eye.

Cheng Dashan drove his donkey cart into town.

With money finally in the family coffers—the daily dividends from the Fragrance Pavilion alone rivaling half a year's previous income—they had bought a donkey at Cheng An's insistence.

It was useful for delivering goods and convenient for fetching the children in daily life.

"Cheng An."

Just as he was about to board the cart, Gu Xiaorou trotted up from behind. Hesitating, she asked, "My father sent our coachman out to run an errand, so he said we could catch a ride back on your cart. Would that be all right?"

"Of course it is!"

Cheng Dashan agreed readily.

Smiling, he said, "Why wouldn't it be? As long as the two young ladies don't mind, feel free to ride with us whenever you come to town from now on. It's right on the way anyway."

Since his father had already spoken, Cheng An could only offer a wry smile.

How could he not know Gu Changqing's intentions?

Yet one does not strike a person who smiles, especially now that the two families were in business together. If he refused to help with such a trivial matter, what would outsiders think of him?

His parents, in particular, were beyond satisfied with Gu Xiaorou and had more than once urged him to spend more time with the Gu sisters.

They practically wished he could marry her tomorrow!

Along the way,

Gu Xiaoyue's chattering mouth never stopped, which somewhat eased the awkwardness for everyone.

The atmosphere quickly warmed up.

"Cheng An."

"Hmm?"

Cheng An turned to look.

Gu Xiaorou's delicate face flushed slightly, and she asked with a touch of shyness, "When my father went to the county town a few days ago, he happened to acquire a few ancient volumes. Would you like to read them?"

Cheng An's interest was instantly piqued.

"Are they rare editions?"

"I think so..."

Gu Xiaorou felt a flutter of triumph inside.

Feigning ignorance, she continued, "Anyway, I heard my father say those books are very precious, and quite old! Father spent a lot of money before the owner was willing to part with them."

"That..."

Cheng An hesitated slightly.

Judging by Gu Xiaorou's shy demeanor, these words had undoubtedly been coached by Gu Changqing, and the purpose was transparent—to hook a son-in-law!

Yet rare books in this era were genuinely hard to come by!

Especially for a scholar.

Whoever could master more knowledge stood a better chance in the imperial examinations!

Yet...

Under the feudal system,

all things of value were monopolized by the few.

Culture included!

The aristocratic families monopolized learning, keeping thousands of years of cultural heritage locked in their hands, giving them a natural head start over others.

Even if you were a genius,

with limited access to knowledge, you would still find yourself unable to progress.

This was why many talented youths from humble backgrounds, despite working themselves to the bone, ultimately could not escape the fate of being enslaved by the nobility.

As they chatted,

they unconsciously reached a fork in the road.

"Halt!"

By the roadside thicket,

five or six burly men suddenly lunged out.

"This road is closed!"

Everyone was startled.

Judging by the posture of these men, they were undoubtedly bandits!

Cheng Dashan's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly shielded the children behind him.

"G... Good heroes,"

he fumbled for his money and offered an ingratiating smile, saying, "We have no grievances between us. I have some silver here; take it as you wish, just spare these children."

"Ha!"

The leader sneered, mocking, "Since I've come, would I bother with this paltry sum? Cut the chatter, get down from the cart!"

Steel blades pressed against their necks,

leaving everyone with no choice but to comply.

Cheng Dashan tried to resist, but he was no match for their numbers.

Within moments, he was beaten to the ground.

Another man marched straight toward Cheng An and hoisted him up with one hand.

"Xiao Liu!"

Cheng Dashan panicked,

struggling like a madman, yet unable to break free.

"Father..."

After a brief panic,

Cheng An quickly regained his composure and said helplessly, "Stop fighting, Father. Judging by their stance, they're here specifically for me; there's no need to suffer in vain."

"Ha!"

"As expected of a scholar, truly smart."

The big man laughed with absolute impunity.

Cheng An's eyes flicked as he suddenly smiled, "It was Dong Dakang who sent you, wasn't it?"

Most ordinary bandits only sought wealth, but these men had made a beeline for him and even knew his identity, meaning it was hardly a coincidence.

"Kid,

I know you're smart..."

The bandit sneered, "Save your breath! I won't say a single word of what shouldn't be said. If you know what's good for you, hurry back and prepare a ransom of two hundred strings of cash, and you might still keep your life!"

"The two of them have nothing to do with this. Let them go."

Cheng An glanced at the panicked Gu sisters.

"Haha!"

The bandit let out a mocking laugh, "These two lasses clearly come from a wealthy household. I'm a bandit—is there any reason to turn down money when I see it? Tie them up as well!"

"Understood!"

The bandits rushed forward and seized the three of them.

Cheng An cursed wildly in his heart.

Damn it!

Weren't bandits supposed to have a code of honor?

Those damned, unscrupulous television dramas had ruined him!

...

Cheng Dashan was sent back to raise the ransom.

Meanwhile, Cheng An and the Gu sisters were dragged by the bandits deep into the mountain forests.

After an unknown passage of time,

the path beneath their feet grew increasingly treacherous, surrounded entirely by thorns and overgrown weeds.

Cheng An paused slightly,

standing on tiptoe to scan his surroundings.

"Who the hell told you to stop?"

"Move!"

The lead bandit barked a curse.

Gu Xiaorou shivered with fear, nearly stumbling to the ground.

Cheng An grabbed her arm and comforted, "Don't be afraid. They're just after money; once my family sends the silver, you'll be able to leave."

"Really?"

Gu Xiaoyue's eyes were red with terror.

"Yes.

Don't be afraid, you'll get back."

Cheng An's tone remained relaxed.

Yet deep down, he knew...

Did captives taken by bandits ever meet a good end?

Especially two delicate young lasses like these—if they fell into the hands of some inhumane beasts, their lives would essentially be ruined...

No!

He had to find a way, at the very least to save the two sisters first.

The further they went up,

the harder the mountain path became.

The surrounding vegetation grew denser until the path vanished entirely.

The leading bandit stopped,

using a stick to shove aside a pile of weeds on the left, revealing a waist-high cave entrance.

"Get in!"

"It's so dark in there. Are there ghosts?"

Cheng An feigned terror, taking a few steps back while stealthily slipping the sachet from Gu Xiaoyue's waist, quietly loosening its drawstring and sprinkling a small amount of fragrant powder.

"Cut the crap!"

The lead bandit delivered a kick to his backside,

then cursed, "Once you enter our Black Wind Fortress, you've stepped into the netherworld! Even if there are ghosts, you'll bow down to me!"

The cave was not particularly long.

After a few minutes of winding travel, a glint of light appeared.

In a low-lying mountain valley,

several buildings formed a simple stronghold.

Cheng An was shoved inside.

It was crude!

There was no grand assembly hall from the television shows, nor any tiger-skin chairs.

Only a broken armchair sat dead center.

A burly man in his forties sat upon it, casting a sideways glance.

"Is this the 'hostage'?"

The chief glanced at Cheng An, then frowned, "Wasn't there supposed to be only one? Why are there two extra lasses?"

"Hehe!

You wouldn't understand, Boss..."

The lead bandit chuckled smugly, continuing, "We were taking hostages anyway, and these two lasses are dressed richly; their family certainly isn't short of money!"