Cai Lihua had already pulled a cleaver from the cart and was holding it in her hand.
Perhaps because old Master Li was getting on in years, and the few of them were all dirty in their own ways, Li Dachang stumbled forward and suddenly flinched:
"Ah? Meng... the Meng family?" kuAiδugg
Meng Shaode stood with his arms crossed, with Tuoba Yan, Zhao Kun, and Wu Dalei flanking him on either side, forming a line to cheer Cai Lihua on.
Frightened, old Master Li plopped to the ground, all his courage vanishing instantly. Coupled with his mad dash, he had no strength left to run back.
"What... what do you want?"
A Jiu got out of the cart with a rope and threw it on the ground:
"Mother, tie him up first. If the bandits catch up later, it will be a loss."
"Alright, we'll do as daughter says." Cai Lihua held her cleaver and stepped forward, patting Li Yuanwai's face a few times. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes in fear:
"When we reach a safe place, I'll hold a grand meeting for you myself and settle old scores."
A Jiu looked at the trembling old Master Li, who probably wished he were dead at that moment.
"After all, we've known each other... let me off this time."
Old Master Li realized that the Meng family's team had grown, with a few more strong men. He couldn't escape.
Cai Lihua didn't buy it at all. How dare he buy her daughter! She grabbed him by the collar, her movements skillful, tied his hands, and tethered the other end to the cart.
"Old Master Li is still vigorous, he can run a few more miles with us."
Cai Lihua clapped her hands: "Old Meng, let's go for a walk with the dog."
"Got it!" Meng Shaode was full of energy, almost humming a tune as he hitched the horse.
This bumpy journey unexpectedly led them to an old dog. It could relieve their boredom and help their daughter vent her anger.
"Slow down... Brother Meng, slow down, okay? This old man knows he was wrong... please slow down,
My old bones can't take this much tossing around anymore."
Li Yuanwai, with his hands stretched out behind the cart, stumbled along. If he couldn't keep up, he had to trot a few steps, otherwise, he would be dragged and scraped along the ground by the cart.
A Jiu leaned out of the back window, looking at Li Yuanwai: "Where is my slave contract?"
Li Yuanwai cried out in pain: "Ninth Miss, please plead for me! That contract, along with my money, was robbed! If you don't believe me, search me."
Robbed?
A Jiu had her father stop not just to torment the old man, but for that very contract.
Seeing that he was only wearing his underclothes, it looked like his clothes had also been stolen, and the contract was likely gone too.
A Jiu closed the window in disappointment.
The bandits wouldn't have much use for that slave contract anyway. Thinking of this, A Jiu felt the old man had lost all his value.
"Father, just throw him away," A Jiu said, sticking her head out.
"Why? Your mother still needs to interrogate him. At least we need to get that deed of sale back," Cai Lihua thought the same as her daughter.
"He said he was robbed by bandits." A Jiu told the truth.
"What? Robbed? No, I won't believe just his words." Cai Lihua needed to confirm it with her own hands:
"Old Meng, drive the cart into that forest. I'll deal with that old thing right away."
Meng Shaode heard the command, pulled the reins, and drove into the forest.
Li Yuanwai, who was behind the cart, had collapsed from exhaustion at some point, and it was unclear how far he had been dragged. When Cai Lihua yanked him up, his face was covered in dirt.
"Give me my daughter's deed of sale, or I'll flay you today." Cai Lihua held her cleaver and repeatedly patted Li Yuanwai's face.
He was half-dead at this moment: "It... it was robbed, if you don't believe me, search me, search me..."
"Granddaughter, come here." Granny Wang, who had just gotten out of the cart, was sitting in the forest without a care in the world.
A Jiu crawled into the forest and squatted beside Wang Shi, watching her mother deal with Li Yuanwai.
"Girl, are there any spiritual fruits left in the cart?"
"Spiritual fruits?" A Jiu shot up. There were none left in the cart, but she had been in such a hurry earlier that she had forgotten to pick the watermelons and peaches:
"Grandma, it's bad, I forgot to pick the spiritual fruits I planted."
"Ah?" Wang Shi jumped up.