“What should we do with these people?”
After dealing with the group, Song Wei clapped her hands and asked.
The truck drivers, finally snapping out of their shock, now looked at Lin Zhen and Song Wei with complex expressions—filled with gratitude, admiration, and even a hint of fear.
Especially when they looked at Song Wei, they all silently wondered if they had unintentionally offended her along the journey.
Heavens, we just watched this seemingly delicate girl twist a thick iron rod into a pretzel with her bare hands.
“We can only leave them here.”
Seeing those few who didn’t move, they felt nervous and couldn’t help but move over to check their breath. If they were beaten to death, it would be a big problem.
Fortunately, all the robbers were only unconscious and still alive.
“These guys must have done this plenty of times before. Hasn’t anyone ever reported them?” Song Wei asked.
“Sure, but nothing ever comes of it,” one driver replied, exasperated.
“Someone’s always covering for them. Besides, we can’t afford to delay our cargo. We need to leave as soon as possible.”
Song Wei felt dissatisfied. “This doesn’t seem fair. They frightened us so badly. Don’t we deserve compensation for emotional distress?”
She turned to Lin Zhen. “Search their pockets for anything valuable.”
The drivers froze. Wait, who’s robbing whom here?
Lin Zhen hesitated. As a principled former soldier, he felt uncomfortable about this idea.
But Hei Dan, the young boy, had no such qualms. Understanding Song Wei’s suggestion, he eagerly ran over and began rummaging through the robbers’ pockets.
“Sister Song! Money and tickets!”
Hei Dan ran back, his voice bright with excitement, holding several bills and ration tickets in his hands.
“Awoo!”
The two wolf cubs also joined in, tugging at the robbers’ pant legs. Soon, they returned with something shiny in their mouths.
Song Wei looked at the item and chuckled. “Well, well, a gold bracelet!”
Seeing this, the truck drivers couldn’t resist joining in.
We’ve already been ambushed, and if not for Lin Zhen and Song Wei’s help, they would have been robbed. Taking back a little compensation should be fine, right?
Lin Zhen stood aside, resigned, and decided to pretend he didn’t see anything.
Once the last robber was thoroughly “searched,” everyone began moving the rocks and tree trunks blocking the road.
The stones were heavy, and it took several men straining together to move even a few.
Song Wei, however, casually walked over to the large tree trunk.
“Let me help with this,” she offered.
“M-miss, no need. We’ll handle it. You’re a lady—” Zhou Peng started, only to trail off mid-sentence as Song Wei easily lifted the massive tree trunk on her own.
“Huh?”
Turning her head, Song Wei flashed a relaxed smile, her ease starkly contrasting the men’s struggles.
The group of men fell silent, their egos taking a hit.
Song Wei casually carried the tree to the roadside and tossed it aside with a loud thud.
“You need help with the rocks?” she asked Lin Zhen.
He grinned with pride. “Yes, please.”
With Song Wei’s help, the rocks were cleared much faster. Zhou Peng and the others couldn’t help but feel like they were the burdens here.
Zhou Peng sidled up to Lin Zhen and muttered, “Brother Lin, your fiancée is incredible. If you two fight, won’t she just pin you down and beat you?”
Lin Zhen’s gaze softened as he watched Song Wei, his smile overflowing with affection.
“She wouldn’t. She’s reasonable and treats me very well. We have a great relationship.”
Was that a subtle flex? Zhou Peng thought, rolling his eyes.
With the road finally cleared and the robbers groaning on the ground, the three trucks resumed their journey.
Once back in the truck, Song Wei and Lin Zhen began tallying up their spoils.
“This gang must have robbed a lot of people; they’re quite well-off,” Song Wei remarked.
They had recovered over a hundred yuan in cash, several ration tickets, and even a bicycle ticket.
“A bicycle ticket? That’s a jackpot!”
Lin Zhen nodded, equally surprised. “That’s definitely stolen. These guys must’ve been at this for a while.”
His eyes narrowed slightly. “We can’t let this go on. But to deal with them, we’ll have to take down whoever’s protecting them first. That won’t be easy in an unfamiliar area.”
“We’ll think about it on our way back,” he added.
“This gold bracelet’s pretty hefty,” Song Wei said, examining their haul. “And look—jade earrings and a silver bangle, too!”
She cheerfully stored everything away, feeling no guilt about taking from thieves.
Lin Zhen, far from disapproving, found her delight endearing.
Song Wei handed Hei Dan three yuan. “Here’s your allowance. You worked hard today. Once we reach H Province, you can buy yourself something nice.”
Hei Dan’s eyes widened in disbelief. “For me? Really? This is a huge sum of money!”
“It’s yours,” Song Wei confirmed, pressing the money into his hands.
“And as for the wolves, they’ll get fresh meat once we arrive.”
Taking out some jerky, she fed the wolf cubs, who gnawed at it happily.
“Our family sure eats a lot of meat,” Song Wei sighed.
Between herself, Lin Zhen, Hei Dan, and the wolves, their meat consumption was substantial.
After all, the two wolf cubs are not dogs. Dogs can eat rice soaked in water, but wolves are pure carnivores and cannot survive without meat.
“My brother is on an island. He should be able to go fishing in the sea. If not, he can go to the beach to catch seafood. I don’t know if these two like to eat seafood.”
Lin Zhen was less indulgent. “They should be grateful just to get meat.”
The next two days passed without further incidents.
When they finally reached H Province, Zhou Peng, grateful for Lin Zhen and Song Wei’s help at Hongjiawan, insisted on dropping them off at the port near Song Jing’s military base.
When Lin Zhen offered to pay for the ride, Zhou Peng waved him off.
“No way! Without you two, our cargo might’ve been stolen, and we could’ve been hurt. Don’t insult me by insisting on paying.”
Lin Zhen, ever pragmatic, replied, “Brothers should settle accounts clearly. These things cannot be mixed up.”
Zhou Peng patted him on the shoulder and said, “We got a lot when we searched those people. It would be awkward to say more. But if you want to stay here for a month, we can’t wait for you to go back together.”
“No problem. We’ll figure something out,” Lin Zhen assured him.
In the end, Zhou Peng did not take their money.
With heartfelt thanks and a wave goodbye, they parted ways.
Leave a Reply