The way Huang Ying called him "Brother Xiao Bei" made Chen Xiao Bei blush a little. No girl had ever called him that since he arrived in Da Cang Country.
But remembering Huang Ying’s angry glare earlier, Chen Xiao Bei could only cough.
"This, we call it the 'Er Ti Jiao'," he said.
"You'll know in a moment."
As Chen Xiao Bei started making the second one, Huang Ying took the initiative and, with a few swift movements, finished even faster than Chen Xiao Bei.
After she finished, she excitedly held it up to Chen Xiao Bei. "Look, is it like this?"
Chen Xiao Bei was secretly surprised by her quick hands.
He smiled and nodded. "Yes, yes, exactly like this."
Huang Ying wanted to make more, but Chen Xiao Bei stopped her. "Alright, Sister Huang Ying, let's test it first. If it works, we can make more, okay?"
"Okay, okay! Then let's go test it quickly."
The group, in high spirits, returned to the small river.
Chen Xiao Bei placed the finished Er Ti Jiao on a flat stone and lit the fuse. He had only taken a few steps back when he heard a muffled bang behind him.
Chen Xiao Bei quickly turned his head to look at the sky. Cui Hong Yu and the others, who were also looking for targets, saw Chen Xiao Bei looking up and quickly followed his gaze.
*Bang!* A muffled sound echoed in mid-air, and a burst of fire erupted.
"It worked!" Huang Ying was the first to shout, jumping up and down with joy.
The sudden, loud noise startled the dogs in the yard, and soon half the village, then the entire village, erupted in barking. Chen Xiao Bei continued, launching two more Er Ti Jiao, both successful. Sudan Novel Network.
As everyone laughed, the village guard captain, Li Dong, along with over a dozen team members, rushed over in a hurry.
Li Dong shouted from a distance, "Village Chief Xiao Bei, what’s going on? Why is there fire in the sky?"
Chen Xiao Bei smiled. "It's nothing, nothing. I'm just tinkering with some new contraptions. Soon you'll see the results."
Li Dong finally relaxed and said to the crowd, "Alright, alright, everyone disperse. Disperse."
Chen Xiao Bei also felt a bit embarrassed. "This is my fault, everyone. Ah, I'll treat you all to a feast soon to make it up to you."
Upon hearing the mention of a feast, everyone cheered and dispersed.
After everyone had left, Li Dong came up to Chen Xiao Bei and asked, "Is this the signal you mentioned earlier for communicating between the mountain and the valley?"
Chen Xiao Bei nodded. "Yes. Some raw materials will arrive tomorrow. Once I make more, we can start experimenting."
Just then, the dogs in the village started barking again, a chorus of barks originating from the village entrance.
Chen Xiao Bei and Li Dong exchanged a look and quickened their pace towards the village entrance.
Seeing this, Huang Ying hurriedly shouted, "Ah, Brother Xiao Bei, wait for me!"
Du Juan also hurried to follow.
Shen Zi Yan watched them with a helpless sigh. "Sigh, she was just glaring at him fiercely, and now she's calling him Brother Xiao Bei."
As she spoke, Cui Hong Yu's mind stirred, but she merely smiled and said nothing. "Alright, Sister Zi Yan, you should go back and rest. Let him play if he wants to."
Shen Zi Yan shook her head. "No, I have to go and see him. I hope he doesn't cause trouble again."
By the time Chen Xiao Bei and the others reached the village entrance, they saw a vast crowd of people entering. It was Liu Ru Mei returning with her entourage.
Seeing the crowd of people, Chen Xiao Bei didn't think much of it and simply nodded at Liu Ru Mei, acknowledging her presence.
However, the subsequent scene left him bewildered. Yang Zhi and Yang Chun entered one after another, only nodding at Chen Xiao Bei.
But then, on the next carriage, Da Lao Hei was tied up and bound. He sat slumped in the carriage, his head down, eyes half-closed, lost in thought.
Huh? What's going on here?
Da Lao Hei and Xiong Fei Hou Liu were tied up, yet why was Yang Chun walking freely below?
He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not voice the question.
At that moment, Er Mao suddenly exclaimed, "Uncle, is that you?"
Chen Xiao Bei slapped his forehead. Right, Da Lao Hei is Chen Er Mao's uncle!
Upon hearing the shout, Da Lao Hei's eyes snapped open, and the first person he saw was Chen Xiao Bei.
He then looked at Chen Er Mao beside him. "Er Mao, weren't you exiled?"
Hearing this, Chen Er Mao began to cry. "Uncle, my father and mother are both dead. The imperial court ordered me to return to observe mourning for three years."
"Uncle, what happened to you?"
Da Lao Hei sighed. "Alas, I made a grave mistake, a sin unforgivable. Well, it is enough that I can see you again. I will be able to deliver a message to your parents in the netherworld."
He glanced at Chen Xiao Bei, opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately gave up.
Li Dong stepped forward and patted Chen Er Mao on the shoulder. "Alright, let's go."
Chen Xiao Bei returned home, his mind in turmoil. Da Lao Hei's capture confirmed some of his suspicions.
It meant that the events on Qing Niu Mountain were indeed related to Da Lao Hei. But why was Yang Chun unharmed? There was only one explanation: Yang Chun had joined Liu Ru Mei's group, meaning he had betrayed Centipede Ridge. This was the only logical conclusion.
Hearing Chen Xiao Bei tossing and turning, unable to sleep, Cui Hong Yu asked with concern, "Husband, what's wrong?"
Chen Xiao Bei sighed. "I suddenly feel that letting Liu Ru Mei and Yang Zhi live in Hetou Village was a mistake."
"You saw just now that they captured Da Lao Hei."
"And Sun Jian's subordinates are still being held in the forest."
"I'm worried that the arrival of these people will bring disaster to their village!"
Cui Hong Yu reached out and gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "Husband, we are honest, hardworking farmers. Even if there are factional disputes, they won't harm innocent people, will they?"
Chen Xiao Bei hesitated. "Let's hope so."
Meanwhile, Liu Ru Mei called Ma Biao and Liu Ce into the house, and the three began to confer.
The first item of discussion was raised by Liu Ce: moving back to the county town. Now that Liu Yuan Wu was dead, there were no obstacles to relocating to the county town. However, Liu Ru Mei did not want to leave.
"It's fine here, even if it's difficult. Once we're far from Qing Niu Mountain, our response time will be slower," Liu Ru Mei stated her objection directly.
Ma Biao cupped his hands. "Miss, it's only about twenty li from the county town, less than half an hour's journey. It's really inconvenient for so many of us to stay here."
Liu Ce also spoke again, advising, "Yes, Miss, how about this: leave some people here to take turns keeping watch, and the rest can retreat to the county town first. This way, the target will be smaller."
"Alright, then you take the men back, and I'll stay here with a few people."
Ma Biao and Liu Ce exchanged a look. They realized that further persuasion would be futile and had no choice but to agree.
"Alright, tell me, who do you think is suitable to escort my brother's coffin back?"