anwhile, Shi Touyu sat cross-legged on the kang with her eyes closed.
She stayed silent, calculating the ti in her mind as instructed by Qian.
The place was too impoverished, not even a clock was available, so she counted in her head. Qian had told her to count 1,000 seconds, and when the estimated ti was nearly there.
Shi Yu opened her eyes and spoke to Da Baozi, who was joyfully counting money.
"There’s a fire in the direction of Tong Nu. You better take so people to check it out."
"What?" Da Baozi put down the money.
"My little ghost told , Tong Nu is in trouble and there’s going to be a fire. Quickly bring people to put it out. If the fire isn’t extinguished, there’ll be a major disaster!"
Da Baozi was skeptical.
Heading outside, he reconsidered and returned, locking the door from the outside, and then went towards the courtyard. Shortly after leaving, he saw thick smoke rising from the direction of Apo’s place.
"Auntie was absolutely right!" Da Baozi exclaid with admiration as he ran in that direction. Shi Yu watched him run out before quickly climbing onto the kang, wrapping a roast chicken and large stead buns in cloth and tying them behind her. She opened the window and jumped out.
Why was it so easy to run?
Initially, after buying a bride, Da Baozi should have nailed the window shut from the outside, but Qian had Shi Yu pretend to be a deity, scaring him so much that he forgot about this important task.
This gave Shi Yu and Qian a chance.
Shi Yu, with escape provisions on her back, quickly climbed over the low courtyard wall and relied on her mory of the journey to run towards the village entrance.
In another direction, just a few minutes before these events unfolded, Qian had already entered the courtyard with Apo following close behind.
Apo was pulling the bolt on the door when Qian suddenly swung the basin she held and directly smacked it over Apo’s head.
Apo had no ti to react; the basin was already on her head. Qian opened the door and kicked her inside. Then, grabbing the oil jar from the stove, she bolted out. She struck the injured area of Apo, who despite appearing to be in her 60s, was actually only in her 40s. Life’s hardships had prematurely aged her, and although she was originally strong, Qian’s repeated sches left her gravely injured, rapidly reducing her combat power. Qian’s attack and theft of the oil jar happened in an instant, and by the ti Apo shakily got up, Qian had inserted the door bolt from the outside.
In other words, Apo was confined inside the room.
Why didn’t she run like Shi Touyu?
Because her windows were nailed shut from the outside, a lesson learned from previously purchasing a girl and fearing she’d escape, effectively digging her own grave.
Apo could only watch helplessly as Qian swiftly dashed towards the woodpile, poured oil over it, and after a burst of black smoke, flas arose instantly.
Qian didn’t hesitate any longer; she sprinted away, knowing that Shi Yu would soon escape as well.
Apo shouted at the top of her voice, while Da Gen, her neighbor, sat kneeling on the kang, pulling the curtain as he fervently washed his little brother. After finishing, he took a sip of water, which tasted odd...
Upon hearing Apo’s screams, he smirked.
"Huang was absolutely right, indeed there’s a little ghost from hell seducing him. Trying to make him open the door and look outside?"
No way!
The child, he must be born!
Qian ran swiftly in the cold wind, with the warm winter sun and the desolate village fading into the background.
Perhaps soone saw her, perhaps no one did, but it didn’t matter, as nobody could stop Qian’s impulse to flee towards freedom.
Why choose dayti?
Because at night, she and Shi Yu were unfamiliar with the area, and failing to escape might end up falling into a ditch and dying. At this ti, most families were eating, as well as those deceived by Shi Yu into shutting themselves indoors to avoid disasters, increasing the success rate.
By the ti people realized they’d been duped by Shi Yu and ca looking, it would be too late; these phony tricks might not last until nightfall.
Shi Yu’s escape route to the village entrance was easier, but not for Qian—it was too far.
The fire at Apo’s place had likely beco a raging inferno, and people must be busy putting it out now.
But it was too far to the village entrance, and Qian was soon discovered after making it halfway.
The person who found her was none other than Apo’s second son.
His family was eating late and while picking up firewood, he saw soone running past, recognizing her as the wife bought by the third sibling’s family.
Thinking she might be escaping, he grabbed a sickle as he returned ho and chased after her. Seeing soone running towards her with a weapon, Qian realized that returning along this road was the only option. Should all her effort be wasted here?
Suddenly, a carriage raced by, and Shi Yu shouted at Qian, "Qian! Quickly, get on!"
After pulling the reins, the horse stopped. Qian scrambled aboard impatiently, and though such a skinny horse was carrying two adults, it was clearly struggling.
"When did you learn this skill?"
"I picked it up while playing with my dad at an estate abroad! I also know a bit about horse training! Hold onto so you don’t fall off; we don’t have a saddle!"
"Thank the depraved capitalism for its decadent lifestyle!"
At that mont, the second son was less than ten ters away.
Shi Yu had already reached the village entrance and waited for a while, fearing sothing might happen if Qian didn’t show up. She noticed the wealthiest family’s carriage outside, which was used to transport corn. She unhitched the carriage and just rode the horse, then returned to save Qian.
The second son could only watch helplessly as Qian and Shi Yu dashed outside.
He wanted to block them, but this horse was exceptionally spirited. With its frail figure carrying two not-so-plump girls, it charged forward fearlessly. If he dared to block them, he would surely be kicked and injured. He could only watch as Qian and Shi Touyu fled in such an incredible manner.
As they dashed out of the village entrance, Qian looked back. Thick smoke billowed from the village, uncertain of the extent of the fire’s damage.
Shi Yu, with Qian riding the horse, traversed a bumpy path and entered the mountain road.
"Qian, do you trust my riding skills?" Shi Yu eyed the narrow path and swallowed hard.
"I don’t trust it." By now, Qian understood; Shi Yu had managed to bring the horse here with divine intervention. It’s a miracle she hadn’t been kicked off, so letting her navigate this road posed a challenge.
"That’s great, I don’t trust myself either. What do we do?"
"Let’s run. Horses perform poorly on mountain roads, prone to falls on downhill paths, and they prefer to align sideways during descents."
"Why would this horse end up in a mountain village in the first place?"
"Do you really have ti to consider chicken-and-egg philosophical questions now?"
Qian dragged Shi Yu forward as they ran. At the mont, no pursuers were visible, but it was clear they’d soon catch up.
The mountain road took at least two hours to drive, and if a person wanted to run it, it would take half a day, and that’s assuming full-speed racing. With the limited stamina of young won like Qian and Shi Yu, they were bound to be caught eventually. Yet, even if there’s only a glimr of hope, they must bravely forge ahead!
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