Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Encounter Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Encounter Xunbei could be considered a large city, whereas Miyi County was a small county town under the jurisdiction of Xunbei City, and it was still some distance from Xunbei. By carriage, it would take about three to four days to arrive.
Nanny Jin’s relatives lived in Miyi County, and the closer they got to Miyi County, the more uneasy they felt in their hearts. They didn’t know whether they were still there after so many years without any communication.
Upon entering the city, in order to fully look the part of poor people, they still chose an inexpensive inn to stay in. After inquiring with the innkeeper about whether the journey to Miyi was an easy one, they casually ate some soup noodles and steamed buns before closing the door and resting in their room.
Although Xunbei was a large city and the largest one they had encountered since leaving the capital, bustling with prosperity, the two women, both alone, didn’t cause any trouble and stayed obediently in the inn, planning to go out the next morning to find out if there were any merchant caravans heading to Miyi County or carriages they could share.
Even though they had already been very careful, eating the simplest foods and wearing the most worn-out clothes possible all the way. They didn’t dare to show the few pieces of relatively substantial gold and silver jewelry they had brought with them.
Even so, they had caught someone’s attention.
The second morning after they arrived in Xunbei City, Ye Xinyan and Nanny Jin had a quick, simple meal and went out into the streets. After a day of inquiries and finding a broker, spending dozens of large coins, they finally found a few small traders to accompany them, agreeing to set out together on the third day toward Miyi County.
Whether it was the high professionalism of Xunbei’s thieves or Ye Xinyan’s good luck running out, the two of them, who had been unobtrusive and had not caused any trouble thus far, were targeted.
The targeted Ye Xinyan and Nanny Jin were completely unaware as they thought about setting off again the next day and needed to purchase some dry food supplies. They didn’t rush back to the inn but wandered around in the Western Market of Xunbei, buying some necessities for the road.
No sooner had they entered the streets of the Western Market than a dispute broke out among the bustling crowd, not even a few steps in.
Unfortunately, the two disputing individuals were right in front of Ye Xinyan and Nanny Jin, and the dispute quickly took a turn for the worse. A few words were exchanged, and the two started grappling with each other, looking like they were about to escalate into a fight.
An associate who was with them stepped forward to intervene, and the three began to scuffle.
As soon as Ye Xinyan and Nanny Jin saw the beginning of the dispute, they moved to the side to avoid it. However, those who had intentionally plotted against them wouldn’t allow them to dodge so easily. Additionally, with the Western Market being busy, though not swarming with people, there was a constant stream of passersby, making it not so easy to quickly get away.
As Ye Xinyan pulled Nanny Jin, trying to dodge pedestrians to retreat, the three scuffling individuals had already approached them. Not only did they bump into Ye Xinyan, but they also caused several other passersby to stumble.
At this moment, two more individuals stepped forward to break it up, and the scene became even more chaotic.
Ye Xinyan and Nanny Jin, having run away from home, naturally couldn’t afford to stir up trouble. Even though they were bumped a few times, they ultimately didn’t dare to argue with anyone and quickly retreated from the chaotic crowd.
Just as they had moved away, someone shouted, “The government officers are coming!”
The people who were fighting heard the shout, immediately stopped their scuffle, and vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye. The pedestrians on the street looked around and, seeing nothing amiss, continued on their way as usual, and the street quickly returned to normal.
Ye Xinyan was the first to sense that something was amiss, feeling something was wrong at her waist. Looking down, she saw that a big hole had been torn in her coat around the stomach area, with cotton spilling out. She and Nanny Jin supported each other, and the hole wasn’t fully exposed, not particularly noticeable.
Ye Xinyan instinctively glanced at Nanny Jin’s clothes, and Nanny Jin also realized something was wrong, looking down with her face instantly turning pale. She was about to scream when Ye Xinyan quietly hushed her, “Nanny!”
Nanny Jin’s eyes, filled with shock and anger, looked over, and Ye Xinyan was already firmly gripping her arm, covering the holes in their clothes, trying her best to make her voice sound normal, “We still have to go back to the inn to prepare. Let’s hurry back.”
Nanny Jin opened her mouth, then quickly came to her senses. They had no one to turn to and could only conceal their true identities. If they called out about losing their money, they would undoubtedly have to report it to the authorities, and at that point, their identities would become an issue.
They supported each other as they walked, and to avoid drawing attention, they used the gesture of support to cover the worn spots on their clothes around their bellies.
Once they turned into a secluded area, Nanny Jin’s tears began to fall. “Those heartless thieves, we were already struggling so much, and now we’ve been robbed.”
Ye Xinyan hurriedly took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears. “Grandmother, please hold back your tears. We have no identity and mustn’t let others know we’ve been robbed.” If they showed they were robbed but didn’t dare report it, anyone with sense would know there was something amiss with them.
Nanny Jin quickly stifled her sobs, but she couldn’t hide the panic on her face. Without any money, how would they manage to get by from now on?
Ye Xinyan said helplessly, “Grandmother, there is no chance of getting those things back. We can’t arouse suspicion about our identities; you must act as if nothing has happened. Only then can we safely leave Xunbei City.”
Not daring to make any fuss about the nearly thousand Silver Taels of property just stolen, they knew that if people learned of their situation, they might face blackmail. Xunbei City was no longer safe for them, and the sooner they left, the better.
As they walked slowly, Ye Xinyan softly persuaded her. By the time they returned to the inn, Nanny Jin’s expression was no longer visibly sorrowful.
Once in their room and away from others, the tension they had been holding gave way. Without even the will to mend their clothes, they just sat silently on the edge of the bed, too disheartened to speak.
After a long while, Ye Xinyan finally asked, “Grandmother, when do you think those thieves started watching us? The small traders we agreed to travel with shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
If a Broker or the small traders were involved in the theft, they couldn’t travel with them and would have to find another way.
Nanny Jin pondered over their actions before and after leaving the house, and said weakly, “We’ve lived in the capital for a long time, where many people always followed us when we went out, so we never paid attention to these matters.”
“But those traders seemed to be each on their own, just brought together temporarily. Besides, one of the traders was accompanied by his wife. For a robbery, you typically need a few reliable people. I don’t think it has anything to do with the traders.”
Ye Xinyan felt comforted by the thought. Such an event had almost scared them to the point of seeing enemies in every shadow.
In her previous life, Ye Xinyan had walked the bustling streets many times, but she had always been cautious. As long as she kept her belongings secured, she had never had any issues. She had never encountered thieves so audacious they could silently cut through thick cotton clothes to steal, all without making a sound.
Perhaps this was a result of the lack of industrial development, demanding more exquisite craftsmanship, even from thieves. It had to be admitted that the methods of thieves in this era were indeed highly skilled.
Heh, encountering such skill and craft was quite a story for her.
The valuable items they brought were stolen, and now they were left with only a few silver pieces. Fortunately, when they went out today, in order to make purchases more convenient, they each kept some silver pieces in their pouches and sleeves, narrowly avoiding being robbed of every last coin.
Their original plan was to buy some dry food for the journey, but now, it seemed wiser not to. They would buy some coarse flour outside, pay the inn a few firewood money, and make their own dumplings and flatbreads, which would be cheaper than buying prepared dry food.
Not just now, but for quite a long time, they would have to live thriftily.