novelraw Chapter 380: Danger Approaches
Chapter 380: Danger Approaches
"It’s strange this year, the streets are filled with government officials watching closely. Several plump little lambs I had my eye on have slipped away."
"Don’t rush. Be patient to find a target. Yan Guan Town is wealthy. Catching just one plump little lamb would be enough for us to chew on for a year."
Among the crowd, a fat man and a skinny man whispered to each other.
These two men are kidnappers, and the plump little lambs they refer to are the children of Yan Guan Town.
Their targets are specific: either kidnap children from seemingly wealthy families, whose parents could pay a ransom, or take those who are good-looking. Boys could be sold to brothels as companions, and girls as courtesans.
Yan Guan Town is prosperous and wealthier than other towns. Every year during the Lantern Festival, a grand lantern fair is held, so these two men set their sights on Yan Guan Town.
They wandered around all night but didn’t succeed.
"Where did that Magistrate Yao come from? Not only did he suppress the mountain bandits, but even our business has been greatly affected."
The skinny man, gnashing his teeth in hatred, cursed Magistrate Yao as government officials passed by.
Magistrate Yao, upon reviewing the cases from past years, noticed that cases of kidnapping occurred in various counties and towns on the day of the Lantern Festival, with some children vanishing without a trace.
Therefore, a few days ago, Magistrate Yao ordered the entire Ning City to prevent not only fires and thefts on the Lantern Festival day but most importantly to guard against kidnappers.
Lord Liu was instructed to strictly enforce Magistrate Yao’s orders, dispatching all the government officers.
Especially in major towns like Yan Guan Town with its crowded lantern fair, most of the officers were deployed to patrol the area overnight.
"Hey, you two gentlemen, what are you looking at?"
Mrs. Luo, pushed along with Chun Wang, ended up next to the two kidnappers and overheard their curses, realizing at once that they were professional traffickers.
Mrs. Luo, her eyes glinting, approached to engage them in conversation.
"What’s it to you, old woman? Be careful, or I’ll kill you." The two kidnappers, with sinister intentions interrupted by Mrs. Luo, threatened her fiercely.
"I heard what you just said. Aren’t you just looking to kidnap children? I’ll tell you a clever way. See those kids over there? Their family is the wealthiest around here, with shops, land, and silver."
Suppressing her fear, Mrs. Luo pointed to Man Er and Xiao Long, who were clustered near the acrobat troupe’s protective ropes.
The two kidnappers looked over at Man Er and the others, their eyes lighting up.
These children were indeed well-dressed.
Especially the little girl in the front and the boy behind her, both in bright new red jackets, as sweet and lovable as the lucky kids in New Year’s prints.
With children this fine, there’s no need to sell them to brothels. They could be directly sent to Shengjing and sold to those young nobles with special tastes. This trip would then be greatly profitable.
The fat man and the skinny man exchanged a glance, understanding each other without words.
Mrs. Luo could tell from their expressions that she had convinced the two kidnappers. On this cold day, it felt as if she had drunk a bowl of hot soup, spreading warmth throughout her body.
Widow Tong had her daughter-in-law and granddaughter working in the pigsty but refused to let her son do the same, even during the pig slaughter just before the New Year.
Ever since Chun Ni started working in the pigsty, she became increasingly disobedient.
On snowy nights with fierce winds lately, having the habit of getting up at night, she had Mrs. Cao by her bedside, ready to empty the chamber pot, whereas Chun Ni, sympathetic to Mrs. Cao, spout nonsense about mistreated women separating from their husbands.
Now that Mrs. Cao and Tong Pandi work together every day, Mrs. Luo worries that Mrs. Cao will be led astray by Tong Pandi.
And Man Er, a little troublemaker, secretly taught Chun Ni to read. How dare a girl do so? Mrs. Luo was so furious that she tore away the paper and pens Man Er gave Chun Ni and gave them to Chun Wang instead. In Mrs. Luo’s eyes, girls learning to read was an outrageous act of rebellion, as both Widow Tong and Gu Taohua became unruly and disobedient after learning to read. She feared that if Chun Ni learned to read, she’d become wild and impossible to control, making it hard to marry her off for a good bride price.
Mrs. Luo believed that Chun Wang hadn’t yet grasped his studies because Man Er was a bad influence at the private school.
The actions of Widow Tong’s family had such a significant impact on her son’s family. Her grandson even went to fetch a lantern earlier and mocked her in public. So why not take advantage of the kidnappers to ruin Widow Tong’s family?
With the children missing, let’s see how long Tong Huaqiong can remain smug.
Mrs. Luo was already gleefully picturing the scene of Tong Huaqiong crying bitterly and the Gu family plunged into chaos.
"The parents of those children are elsewhere watching the lanterns. While they’re not around, you should quickly gather them up."
Having finished her instigation, Mrs. Luo planned to return with Chun Wang, wanting to ensure the Gu family children were kidnapped while she was on her way back.
Unexpectedly, the fat man stopped Mrs. Luo and Chun Wang.
The skinny man looked around, then, along with the fat man, shuffled Mrs. Luo and Chun Wang into a secluded, dark spot where no one could see them.
"This little lamb is quite plump." The skinny man lifted Chun Wang’s chin, pressing the knife in his sleeve against Chun Wang’s chubby cheek.
This plump little lamb had decent features. Though not as good-looking as the other kids pointed out by the old woman, he wasn’t suitable as a companion, but he could be castrated and sent into the palace.
That would still earn a few dozen taels of silver.
Chun Wang was too scared to move, dropping his candied haw and lantern to the ground.
"Since you came to us willingly, do you think you can just leave?" The fat man laughed as he stuffed a rag into Chun Wang’s mouth and tied him up.
Mrs. Luo was dumbfounded. She didn’t expect that by providing clues about Man Er and the others, she’d inadvertently drag her own grandson into the mess.
If she were certain Tong Huaqiong had nothing to do with them, Mrs. Luo might have suspected these two were with Tong Huaqiong, fishing for her.
"No, gentlemen, my family is poor..." Mrs. Luo desperately tried to grab Chun Wang and scream for help, but seeing the skinny man brandishing a knife before her grandson, she swallowed the shout in her throat out of fear.
This old woman had no value; no wealthy family would want her as help, and she’d just be a waste of food.
The skinny man struck Mrs. Luo on the neck, causing her to collapse to the ground.
The fat man stuffed a rag into Mrs. Luo’s mouth and tied her up, tossing her onto a snowbank that hadn’t yet melted by the roadside.
Chun Wang couldn’t make a sound, his body trembling like a leaf, tears streaming down uncontrollably.
The skinny kidnapper tossed Chun Wang to the fat kidnapper, then turned towards the acrobat spot.
He was afraid the other kids might have been retrieved by their family.
The fat kidnapper dragged Chun Wang to the corner and stuffed him into the carriage.
"Mrs. Jiang, here’s one." The fat kidnapper said to a middle-aged woman inside the carriage.
"My, this lamb is plump enough." Mrs. Jiang pinched Chun Wang’s chubby cheeks, showing her satisfaction.
She had been waiting in the carriage the whole night, her hands and feet numb from the cold, thinking the trip might have been a bust until now.
"Mrs. Jiang, over there are several nice, plump lambs. You will surely be satisfied."
The fat man said this, closed the carriage curtain, and eagerly moved towards the acrobat stand.
At the acrobat stand, Man Er, Xiao Long, Yaozu, and Duo Er were watching with rapt interest.
Little did they know that danger was approaching.