Gu Qingcheng understood.
Even though there was a disaster, it hadn't pushed the villagers to their breaking point. Moreover, the government was starting to deal with the locust plague, giving the villagers a sense of hope for the future. As long as there was hope, there would be no chaos.
The old man had said so much without mentioning Phoenix Village by name. It seemed that although Phoenix Village had gained some renown, it wasn't yet a target for attacks from surrounding villagers.
Gu Qingcheng couldn't get any more information, so she gave the elder three hundred wen, saying she bought the basket as well.
The old man was extremely grateful.
A used bamboo basket was worth less than three wen, and the vegetables only cost twenty wen. Giving three hundred wen was truly overpaying.
Mi Guo carried the bamboo basket, and the two walked to a corner. Gu Qingcheng then put all the vegetables into the storage cabinet.
"Sister, it seems the situation is okay. Although there are bandits, the people's hearts are not yet in disarray," Mi Guo said, having learned to analyze the situation.
"Yes, the southern regions are not as dire as the north. The north first suffered three years of severe drought, leading to near-total crop failure. Then, their stored grains were all eaten, forcing people to flee. After that, they encountered extreme cold.
If it weren't for the extreme cold, the common people would have likely revolted long ago.
Although the south encountered extreme cold, it was still bearable. Moreover, they didn't have a severe drought before, so their grain reserves were always sufficient.
Now, they have only encountered one season of locust plague; it should be manageable," Gu Qingcheng said.
"Sister, since the common people are not in chaos and Phoenix Village won't be in grave danger, we can go back to pick up Mom and Dad!" Mi Guo said gleefully.
"Alright."
The two returned to the village together.
Halfway there, Gu Qingcheng winked at Mi Guo.
Mi Guo understood.
Thus, the two quickly darted into the roadside grass.
"Huh? Where did they go? Weren't they just ahead? How did they disappear all of a sudden? I told you to stay close, but you insisted on spreading out! Now look, where did you go?"
Before long, a stream of curses could be heard on the road, sounding like quite a few people.
"Boss, I've been watching these two on the street for a long time. They've been buying things everywhere; they must still have quite a bit of silver on them. If we rob them now, we'll definitely get rich. Let's not rush; they must be nearby. Why don't we split up and search?"
A fawning voice said.
"No need to search, we're here!"
Just then, a somewhat childish voice rang out from above them. The few robbers looked up and saw that the two they had been following to rob were now standing on a thick branch of a large tree at the side. Both of them held bows, their arrows pointed directly at them.
"Haha, don't think we're afraid just because you have a bow! Brothers, charge! There are only two of them, and there are over a dozen of us!"
The bandit leader waved his hand.
The others agreed, and under their leader's command, they surrounded the large tree.
Gu Qingcheng stopped talking. Villains die from talking too much. She drew her bow and nocked an arrow, aiming for the bandit leader to capture the king first.
"This is godly archery!"
Mi Guo exclaimed.
Gu Qingcheng's arrow pierced the bandit leader's heart.
The bandit leader was full of bravado. He didn't expect a sudden chill in his chest, and then he saw an arrow protruding from his own chest...
With their rapid-fire, unerring volleys, the attacking robbers cried out in pain and fell to the ground.
Seeing that the robbers had lost their fighting ability, the two jumped down from the tree and went to check on them.
"Spare us, young masters, spare us!"
Some were still alive, having been shot in the leg. Seeing the two approaching with knives, they cried out in fear, begging for mercy.
Gu Qingcheng and Mi Guo kicked the one who was crying out the loudest and asked,
"Where are you from?"
"Young masters, we are from the local Wushan Village. We are ordinary commoners. Due to the locust plague, we were forced to become bandits.
Today was the first time I came out to rob with them. I haven't done anything bad. Please be magnanimous and spare me!"
"Why did you target us?" Gu Qingcheng demanded.
"We have informants in Zhanchun Town. We identify anyone who spends lavishly, then we tail them. Once we confirm our target and know they're not from this town and have to travel mountain roads, we gather to rob them."
This one, perhaps out of fear of death, spilled everything.
"Oh? What happens after you rob them?" Mi Guo asked coldly.
"If it's a woman, we take her to the mountain stronghold to be a wife for our brothers. If it's a man, we take their belongings. If they're willing to join the stronghold, they do. If not, we kill them and throw them by the roadside."
This person was a bit foolish, saying everything.
"Is that all?" Gu Qingcheng asked.
"Yes, that's all."
After listening, Gu Qingcheng told Mi Guo to search the bandits, retrieve all the gold and silver jewelry they had stolen, then delivered a few more blows, and left them.
"Wushan Village?" Gu Qingcheng murmured as they walked, "Should we investigate this village? They say it's not far from here, about half a day's journey. We've never heard of it before; it must have appeared during this locust plague."
"Sister, why don't we go now?" Mi Guo said, fearless of consequences.
"Alright, let's go!"
Gu Qingcheng looked at the map in her system and located Wushan Village. The village was precisely pinpointed, about 15 kilometers from their current location.
It would take about half a day to get there, just in time for nightfall.
After a brief discussion, the two dragged the bandits to a large, naturally formed pit in the deep grass by the roadside and threw them in.
With their task completed, the two headed straight for Wushan Village.
Gu Qingcheng had a path marked by the system, so their journey was very smooth.
Halfway there, they sat on a large rock, drinking hot tea and eating meat buns, having a simple meal.
Of course, if outsiders knew they called this a "simple meal," they would be speechless.
Having white flour meat buns and excellent West Lake Longjing tea, and calling it a simple meal?
This was the life of exquisite piggy girls.
After eating their fill, the two continued on the hidden mountain path.
Suddenly, they heard faint human voices from behind.
Having taken the Strengthening Pills, their hearing was far superior to ordinary people, so they heard the commotion from a distance.
The two quickly hid in the roadside grass.
Anyone traveling this path at this time was likely not a good person.
"Hurry up, why are you crying? Going to the stronghold is going to a life of luxury! Isn't it good to be a bride every night?"
Seven or eight bandits were escorting three women down the road.
They had raided and plundered, reaping a good harvest.
The three women being escorted, the eldest around 30 years old and the youngest only 13 or 14, wept as they walked.
They were often subjected to lewd teasing from the bandits. Not only did they talk, but some also started to grope them.
Thus, the mountain path was intermittently filled with the women's startled cries and the bandits' dissolute laughter.
"Sister, this is too despicable!"
Mi Guo frowned.
Gu Qingcheng let out a cold snort and said, "Let's follow them!"