Chapter 21: Encounter with Bandits

“Mother, look!” Su the eldest son opened a corner of the bag, revealing six or seven large frozen grass carp inside. Each fish was about half an arm’s length and a palm’s width.

Having gone two months without any meat, the men’s eyes naturally lit up at the sight.

The elderly Madam Su tightened her hold on the child in her arms and pursed her lips. “Go prepare something to eat.”

“All right!” Su the eldest replied cheerfully. Before leaving, he leaned over and gave his daughter a quick kiss on the cheek, whispering, “Little one, we’re counting on you these days. Once we reach our destination, your father will work like a beast of burden for you!”

“Get back to your work! Don’t get cheeky!” the old lady scolded him, shooing him away.

At the stove, when the women and children saw the meat, cries of surprise and delight rose up one after another, their excitement unmistakable.

Seeing this, Madam Su sighed softly. She looked down at her little granddaughter and quietly asked, “Darling, be honest with Grandma. Does eating these cause you any harm? Grandma’s heart is uneasy.”

Sweet Treasure blinked and shook her little head.

“Really? Don’t lie to Grandma. I know you understand, and I know you’re good. If it does cause harm, don’t try to bear it. We’ll be in Yongzhou in just over ten days, and Grandma will find a way to get us through.”

This question was hard to answer with words.

Sweet Treasure remembered how her three older brothers had proudly pounded their chests to prove themselves. She immediately raised her small hand, mimicked their gesture by patting her own chest, her eyes sparkling.

Sweet Treasure is strong! Sweet Treasure has it and is willing to give!

Madam Su’s worries eased as she burst into laughter at the little one’s solemn gesture.

“All right, all right, Grandma understands,” she said, gently patting the child’s back with tears in her eyes. “It’s all thanks to you, dear.”

Otherwise, whether the entire Su family could make it to Yongzhou was truly uncertain.

Although she had said she would find a way, in truth, there was no real plan.

Ten mouths to feed.

No money, no grain, and they still had to hurry to reach their place of exile before the deadline.

If her granddaughter hadn’t occasionally tossed out something to fill their bellies, they might not have even made it this far, all together.

Thinking this, Madam Su suddenly froze and looked up again toward the stove.

There, the eldest couple, the second couple, three little grandsons, daughter Xiu’er, and the old man were all busy together.

After dozens of days of arduous travel in the cold winter, none of them looked neat. Their hair was messy, clothes shabby, and their faces chapped and reddened by the biting wind, more like a band of beggars.

---

Yet strangely, despite the freezing weather and harsh conditions along the way, everyone’s spirits remained high, and not a single person fell ill.

The four little children stayed healthy and lively.

Even Madam Su herself, despite long hours of walking that left her feet covered in blisters, never felt mentally drained.

She slowly lowered her head, staring blankly into the eyes of the little granddaughter playing with bubbles in her arms.

“Old woman, why are you still sitting there? Come on now! The fire is blazing, come over and warm Sweet Treasure up!” the old man called out, his voice strong and vigorous, betraying no sign of the leg injury he’d recently recovered from or his nearly fifty years.

“...Ah! Coming!” Madam Su answered, her smile slowly blossoming, her eyes unusually bright.

She couldn’t resist giving the little one a hearty kiss on her rosy cheek.

Oh my!

Their Sweet Treasure truly was a treasure!

The little girl wiped her cheek with her hand, sighing. Being so young was no fun—always getting kissed with no way to resist.

Her gaze flicked toward a certain direction. How much longer would that strange person hide behind the big tree? They had been following them for days.

Clad in purple, the figure lurked behind a dead tree trunk about thirty meters away, his gaze murky.

He was a secret guard, ranked among the top ten in his camp. Initially, he had been reluctantly assigned by his master to escort this ordinary group, barely giving them a second thought.

He came merely to complete his mission.

But...

His hawk-like eyes pierced the darkness and fell upon the infant swaddled by the fire.

It was no illusion—the little child had seen him.

But how could that be?

As he hesitated, the sound of galloping hooves grew close.

The figure in purple quickly concealed himself.

The Su family was completely unaware.

The fish roasting on the fire were nearly done, filling the air with a mouthwatering aroma.

At the old man’s signal to eat, everyone eagerly tore into the fish, too hungry to worry about burning themselves.

Beside the stove, a pot of fish soup simmered—it was specially made for Liu Yuelan. The family always remembered that Sweet Treasure had to be well-fed for Yuelan’s sake, and they never let the two go hungry if conditions allowed.

---

“Grandpa, Grandma, Father, Mother, this fish is delicious!” The three little ones—Su An, Su Wen, and Su Wu—filled their stomachs halfway before speaking, their voices full of praise.

The warm fish flesh made everyone feel cozy inside. Su the second added, “It’s really tasty. If only we had some oil and a bit of salt, it’d be even better.”

“I’ll never shut you up!” Madam Su scolded. “Look at ordinary folk—how many still eat chaff and vegetables? In our situation, being able to eat meat is already incredibly lucky.”

“Who needs to look at others? This time of year in past years, our family was huddled around the fire eating chaff and vegetables too.”

The group recalled past hardships, their hearts both aching and slightly amused.

Looking on the bright side, they realized they weren’t in the worst predicament after all.

“Wait, did you hear that?” Su the eldest suddenly asked, expression alert.

“Hear what? There’s no one here but us at the foot of this mountain—” Su the second was about to speak when the sound of galloping hooves rushed in, rapidly approaching, accompanied by the flicker of a dozen torches.

Everyone’s faces hardened.

Madam Su lowered her voice and commanded swiftly, “Hide the food! Women and children, get behind the earthen mound!”

From their experiences on the road, the Su family had learned to be cautious and immediately took action.

They were at a small crossroads at the mountain’s base, surrounded by withered trees and numerous earthen mounds.

Not far behind them was a large mound, concealed by night, enough shelter for several women and children.

Madam Su, the old man, and the two eldest sons remained seated by the stove, not hiding.

The fire was burning bright, and hiding everyone would only have drawn unwanted attention. Better that these four stay visible and attract notice.

Their bodies stiffened as they awaited the riders’ arrival, silently praying they were just ordinary travelers.

But fate had other plans.

The lead horse pulled up before the four, reins drawn. Before they could see the riders’ faces clearly, a strong, metallic scent of blood filled the air.

The man on the horse exuded a bandit’s aura. The large saber hanging at his waist caught the firelight, gleaming coldly.

The blade’s tip dripped with blood.