Chen Daqiang, being the most guilty, was finally relieved to see Chen Qiao'er and Cui Hongyu safe and sound.
The crowd swarmed around, asking questions. Chen Xiaobei smiled but said nothing, not wanting to publicize the matter. However, his silence didn't mean others would remain quiet.
Chen Xiaowen and Chen Xiaobo immediately took on the role of volunteer explainers. After all, they had eaten so many meat buns; it was time to put in some effort.
"Do you know? Our captain was so imposing! He stood at the foot of the mountain with his hands on his hips and told the bandits, 'Take them down for me, or I'll have the army wipe out your stronghold.'"
Chen Xiaobo's dramatic narration captivated everyone, who stared at him intently, not daring to breathe.
"Guess what? After a while, those bandits actually brought them down."
Hearing this, the crowd looked at Chen Xiaobei with confusion.
What did that mean? Was it true?
Chen Xiaobei waved his hand, "Alright, alright, everyone, back to what you were doing. I haven't eaten yet."
The crowd dispersed. Some stayed at the village entrance on guard, while others went home to eat. Chen Xiaobei, with Cui Hongyu and Chen Qiao'er, returned to his own home.
Although they had only been away for a day, it felt like a long time since they had been home.
They were preparing dinner. There wasn't enough time for anything substantial, so they decided to make some noodle soup.
Before they could even start the fire, the door opened, and their neighbor Cuihua walked in.
Upon entering, she greeted them warmly, "Hongyu, you're back! Oh, you have no idea how worried we were about you."
"By the way, Xiaobei's place is ready for dinner, why don't you all come over and eat together?"
Chen Xiaobei refused without a second thought, "No need, we ate on the way."
Hearing Chen Xiaobei's words, Cui Hongyu felt a warmth spread through her heart.
Along the way, in front of Chen Xiaowen and Chen Xiaobo, there were things she couldn't ask.
Now, Cui Hongyu was eager to find out how Chen Xiaobei had rescued her, so she didn't want to go for dinner.
Cuihua didn't insist. After saying a few more words, she turned and left.
After she left, Chen Xiaobei and Cui Hongyu exchanged a knowing glance and a smile. Only they understood the meaning behind that smile.
They made some noodle soup and also boiled a few wild eggs. While they ate, Cui Hongyu eagerly asked if it was true, as Chen Xiaowen and the others had said, that he had rescued them with just a few words.
Chen Xiaobei didn't hide anything. "Did they dare not comply? I made it clear to them that if they didn't release the people, I would request the county magistrate to send troops to surround and suppress them. Da Laobei would naturally be afraid."
Cui Hongyu was skeptical of Chen Xiaobei's explanation.
"Husband, from what I know, these bandits have been entrenched in Centipede Ridge for many years. If a few words could scare them, they wouldn't have lasted this long."
Chen Xiaobei looked at Cui Hongyu in surprise. "Then what do you mean?"
"I think these bandits might have had other intentions. Do you remember Yang Chun saying that Da Laobei would come to apologize personally another day? Why would a bandit treat ordinary people like us like that?"
Hearing her words, Chen Xiaobei also fell into thought.
Cui Hongyu had a point. It was true, why would a bandit come to apologize to an ordinary person like him?
That night, Chen Xiaobei tossed and turned, unable to sleep. This incident made him think of several things. First, reinforcing his courtyard walls was an urgent matter.
Secondly, to ensure Hongyu and Qiao'er's safety, he needed to add something else: getting a couple of dogs.
At least if someone entered the house, the dogs could bark and alert the village guard team.
Of course, the most important thing was to reform the night duty system of the village guard. It wasn't good for the team members to be away from home every night.
No sooner said than done, the next morning, Chen Xiaobei went to Lidong's house.
"Brother, what are your thoughts on the house repairs? I want to get started as soon as possible."
"The craftsmen have been contacted. I was planning to tell you these past couple of days, but I heard about Hongyu's incident and thought you might wait a few days."
Chen Xiaobei smiled and shook his head, "I can't wait. The sooner, the better. Tell me when we can start, and it would be best to prepare in advance."
"Then let's start tomorrow. Today, I'll gather everyone and arrange for someone to purchase all the bricks and tiles."
Chen Xiaobei took out a silver ingot from his sleeve. "Is this enough? If not, I can go back and get more."
"It's enough, it's enough. Just give me a deposit. Someone will deliver the bricks and tiles later."
At this moment, Chen Xiaobei truly understood the joy of having money to make things happen.
After eating breakfast at home, Chen Xiaobei picked some of his green vegetables, about forty to fifty catties, loaded them onto the donkey cart, and then hurried off to the county town.
When Wu Zhong at the vegetable market saw him arrive, his face lit up with a smile.
"Kid, where have you been these past few days?"
Chen Xiaobei could only smile vaguely, "Nothing much, just doing some odd jobs at home."
"By the way, Brother Wu, please watch my stall for me while I go around."
Wu Zhong smiled and shook his scale, "Go ahead. If anyone buys, I'll help you sell."
When Chen Xiaobei arrived, he realized he didn't have a scale at all. Selling vegetables depended on Old Wu's help, so it was better to hand it over to him.
Chen Xiaobei's destination was the livestock market in the bustling square. He wanted to get two dogs.
When he wasn't home, dogs could protect Chen Qiao'er and Cui Hongyu.
But his luck wasn't great today. There were donkeys, horses, sheep, and chickens for sale, but strangely, no dogs.
This made him feel very disappointed.
But there was nothing he could do. In this era, dogs were considered a luxury, not something every household could afford.
Seeing him return, Old Wu directly handed him five large coins.
"Sold five catties in total."
Chen Xiaobei smiled slightly, "Don't worry about the money. Just leave me five catties of vegetables later."
Wu Zhong didn't stand on ceremony and pocketed the five coins.
Chen Xiaobei leaned against the donkey cart, selling vegetables and chatting idly with Wu Zhong.
Suddenly, a voice rang out, "How much for these cucumbers?"
Huh? Chen Xiaobei couldn't help but freeze. The voice sounded familiar.
He looked up. It was Xiaoyue!
Yes, it was Xiaoyue, the one he had given five taels of silver to in the dilapidated temple.
Xiaoyue looked much better now, but her face still showed signs of exhaustion.
As he looked up, Xiaoyue also noticed him and couldn't help but exclaim with surprise, "Brother Xiaobei!"
Me.
This somewhat intimate address still surprised Chen Xiaobei.
Old Wu looked at the two of them with a look of astonishment.
"You, you know each other?"
Chen Xiaobei nodded slightly, acknowledging it.
"It's Xiaoyue! Are you here to buy vegetables?"
Chen Xiaobei could only make small talk.