No one wants to die when they can live. The few women had no better options, so they nodded in agreement.
One of the women, surnamed Li, mustered her courage and asked, "Miss Fu, are we going now?"
"Yes, we are going now."
Fu Xin Ci also feared that delays might bring trouble, so she informed Madam Fang of her departure, saying she would return tomorrow at the earliest, and then set off with the other women.
"Ci'er, you should still bring some food."
"Okay." Her grandfather's reminder made her realize she wasn't alone. She immediately went to the kitchen, packed some steamed buns and meat paste into her backpack, and then set off with the other women.
"Sigh." Madam Fang saw them out of the courtyard and secretly sighed, lamenting the fate of these young ladies and wishing those cursed pirates would just die off.
On the mountain path, Fu Xin Ci moved as if on level ground, but the other women found it much harder. They were all exhausted, their steps faltering as if they were old women, yet none complained of hardship.
When they reached an open area, Fu Xin Ci finally led them to rest.
"Are you all very tired, sisters?"
"Not tired," replied the eldest among them, leading the answer.
"Have some water. Let's rest for a while before we continue."
"Thank you, Miss Fu."
Fu Xin Ci noticed that with no one else around, they spoke a little louder.
After resting for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Fu Xin Ci led them back on their way.
They finally managed to cross a mountain ridge, and the sun was nearing its setting.
"There's a cave ahead. We'll rest there tonight. Sisters, gather some twigs and dry branches nearby. I'll look for some wild game."
"Miss Fu, please be careful."
"Alright."
Fu Xin Ci did not take long. By the time the last ray of sunlight vanished beyond the western mountains, she returned with two rabbits in hand.
With a fire starter, a fire was quickly lit in the pitch-dark cave.
Fu Xin Ci made the fire blaze brightly, illuminating everyone's faces.
The women were all capable workers and didn't waste time with idle talk. In a short while, they had prepared the two rabbits.
"Miss Fu, how should we cook these rabbits?" The woman surnamed Li was the best cook among them.
"Let's roast them," Fu Xin Ci said. She then took out several steamed buns from her backpack and told them to roast those in the fire as well.
Before long, the aroma of roasted meat filled the cave, and everyone's stomachs began to rumble.
Fu Xin Ci pretended not to hear, sitting at the cave entrance and gazing quietly outside.
It was completely dark outside. She used the twilight to build a sturdy fence around the cave, ensuring that ordinary beasts and people could not easily break in.
"Young lady, the rabbit meat is cooked." The woman surnamed Li brought the first piece of roasted rabbit meat to Fu Xin Ci.
"Thank you, Sister Li."
The woman surnamed Li said shyly, "You're welcome," and continued to turn the rabbit meat over the fire.
After eating the steamed buns, everyone shared the rabbit meat.
...
As dawn once again graced the land, Fu Xin Ci had already led the women on their way.
Perhaps it was the good rest they had, or perhaps they had found the courage to live, but the women's spirits were noticeably better than in the previous days, and they walked much faster than yesterday.
The two mountain ridges they had to cross today seemed easier than the day before.
Finally, they saw the familiar valley, nestled amidst tender greenery.
"See? That's Long Town."
At Miss Fu's words, the women all stretched on their tiptoes to look. Not far ahead, a vast valley unfolded before them.
Within the valley, houses were arranged orderly, streets were neat, and people were busy in the fields for the spring plowing.
They stood on the mountain ridge, and the small town in the valley was as beautiful and serene as the paradise spoken of in legends.
The women remained silent, and Fu Xin Ci said nothing. It wasn't until the women secretly looked at Miss Fu, their eyes filled with fear of being hurt, followed by timidity, much uncertainty, and finally, a flicker of hope.
However, this spark of hope was so faint, it was almost invisible if one didn't look closely.
Sigh, Fu Xin Ci felt like sighing too. She was a straightforward person, not one for indirect speech, and not very good at persuading others.
But these women were all her rescued charges, and they were so young. She genuinely wanted them to live well.
Just as Fu Xin Ci was unsure how to begin, she heard someone calling her name from a distance: "Xin Ci."
"Xin Ci."
"Haha, Xin Ci, you're here!"
Looking at the enthusiastically approaching group of men and women, all with striking appearances. Even the portly man didn't look bad, his sturdy build like a towering mountain.
The women who had been standing beside Miss Fu now instinctively stepped back, feeling unworthy, as if they might tarnish these angelic figures before them.
The captain was the last to approach. He glanced at the young women behind Xin Ci and, without asking, understood Miss Fu's purpose with just a look.
"Let's go, we'll talk about it back home."
"Alright," Fu Xin Ci agreed and beckoned the sisters to follow.
The women lowered their heads, as if making a firm decision, and slowly followed.
The captain glanced at Xin Ci again. Xin Ci then quickened her pace by two steps and whispered, "We took care of all the pirates a few days ago."
The captain was about to say, "Why didn't you call us?" but his gaze fell upon the women, and he simply asked, "You saved them."
"Yes. Captain, please help me settle them, or my rescue will be in vain."
"No problem, you can count on it. Xiang Tong was just saying the other day that we're short-handed here."
"That's wonderful! Sister Li and the others are very good at work." Fu Xin Ci deliberately raised her voice slightly, speaking for the women following behind.
Indeed, she heard them let out a long sigh of relief.
Fatty hadn't quite caught up yet. He nudged Xiao Ai aside and whispered news to Xin Ci.
"Let me tell you, Xiang Tong has been looking for you these past few days. If you didn't come soon, he was going to send us to find you."
"What's he looking for me for?"
"The little pigs, little cows, little sheep, and so on. Have you forgotten?"
"I haven't forgotten."
"Good. Xiang Tong is demanding the purchase of these items from you now."
"That's easy. Ten or eight heads are no problem."
"Xin Ci, don't forget Qilin Town either."
"I haven't forgotten. They're all prepared too."
"That's good, otherwise Lan Tianyao would cry to you."
"No way." Seeing how exaggerated Xiao Ai was being, Fu Xin Ci looked around, hoping Xiao Ai was not telling the truth.
"You might not believe it, but Boss Lan is getting more and more unpredictable, capable of putting on an act at any moment."
"No way, he's a city lord, after all."