Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside Chapter 1525: Beaten Up

Zhang Zhong was guarding here because Qin San Lang had gone into the city, and the atmosphere in Beicang Prefecture was a bit out of the ordinary. Worried something might happen in camp, Qin San Lang had Zhang Zhong personally bring men to watch the gate.

There were three people disguised as peddlers: one middle-aged man and two young men.

One of the young peddlers, smiling all over his face, said, "Military Officer, we heard you all just came up from the south and are short of supplies, so we specially brought goods over to sell. Take a look, all good things you can use. If you fancy something, buy a bit—fair price, not expensive!"

Now that Zhang Tu didn’t have to carry the government army Military Flag, he was here helping watch the camp gate. Hearing this, he snapped angrily, "Are you, peddler, deaf? What are you babbling for? Get lost, now! If you don’t scram, believe it or not we’ll hack you lot to pieces?!"

The young peddler, upon hearing this, put on a scared look and turned to glance at the middle-aged peddler.

The middle-aged peddler, carrying his pole, walked over with an honest smile and said, "Military Officer, don’t be angry. We aren’t bad people. It’s just that we’re locals of Beicang Prefecture, and our family has some connections here to get goods, so we bring them out to sell to passing folks and earn a bit of small money to fill our bellies."

As he spoke he took out a household register and handed it to Zhang Zhong with both hands. "Military Officer, have a look. This is my Old Jin Family’s household register. Everything’s written clear as day, where we live and all. We wouldn’t lie."

"Another one surnamed Jin." Zhang Zhong gave the middle-aged peddler a once-over, took the register, and examined it carefully. "You’re called Jin Huaisu? What relation is that Jin Fu to you?"

"Military Officer, don’t misunderstand. We’ve got nothing at all to do with the Jin Fu family!" Jin Huaisu hurriedly explained. "The surname Jin is a big clan name in Beicang Prefecture. Our Magistrate here is also surnamed Jin, so everyone surnamed Jin likes to throw his weight around. But in truth, Jin to Jin, many don’t even know each other. We stopped being kin five hundred years ago."

The matter of Jin Fu and the others trying to cheat Qin San Lang and then being seized by Qin San Lang was known to many people around the city gate district.

But no one bothered to interfere—after all, the dead weren’t their own.

"Military Officer, we really are honest commoners. Please let us go in, or at least let those who want to buy things come out and have a look at the goods, and give us a bite to eat," Jin Huaisu pleaded.

Zhang Zhong said, "You wait here first. I have to go in and ask the Company Commanders’ Wife before I can decide."

Jin Huaisu was overjoyed. "Military Officer, go on, no rush, no rush. We little ones will wait here."

They’d heard that women from the south were especially pretty and dewy, those little faces and figures terribly enticing. Anyone who could be a Company Commanders’ Wife had to be quite the beauty!

They were about to feast their eyes.

...

Gu Jinli looked at the household register Erqing handed over and asked Zhang Zhong, who was standing outside the door, "Did you watch those people’s lower bodies and how they walked? And their accents and the order of words they use—does it match the usual habit here in Beicang Prefecture?"

Zhang Zhong said, "Their accents and word order do sound like locals, but their lower bodies are steadier than ordinary people’s, like they know martial arts."

Those three peddlers, although they walked with a few deliberately staggering steps, most of the time had very stable footing. Anyone who knew what they were looking at could tell at a glance they must have footwork training.

Gu Jinli frowned as she listened. Coupled with the news Qin San Lang had sent back, she already guessed these were likely spies from the Rong People’s Witch Army.

She said as much.

"They actually came knocking on our door, and the lord isn’t back yet. What are we to do?" Zhang Zhong was greatly alarmed and asked, "Madam, do we drive them off, or ignore them?"

They couldn’t arrest them. If they did, the other Rong People’s Witch Army would know they’d been exposed, and then the matters the lord wanted to investigate wouldn’t be uncovered.

The lord had said they couldn’t startle the snake in the grass.

Gu Jinli shook her head. "No. Neither of those will do."

She fell silent, drank a few sips of hot water, then lifted her eyelids and shared the plan she’d thought up with Zhang Zhong, Erqing, Nanny Tao and the others.

After hearing it, everyone’s eyes lit up. Zhang Zhong said happily, "Madam, that’s a fine idea. If it works, we might dispel the Rong People’s Witch Army’s suspicions and get them to pull these secret sentries back."

Gu Jinli ordered Zhang Zhong, "Go bring those three fake peddlers in here."

She then said to Erqing, "Go find Aunt Xiong. Tell her we’ve been targeted by the big backer of the Hundred Wolves Mountain Nine Villages Bandits—the Eagle Food Gang. The Eagle Food Gang’s fierce bandits have already sent spies disguised as peddlers to scout us. Have her gather some tough women to pretend to be buying things, and when the time comes, act on command and seize those three fierce bandits."

"Yes." Erqing and Zhang Zhong hurried off to carry out their orders.

Nanny Tao went to the left and right wing rooms to notify Mrs. Han and Ji Zhenniang, telling them to stay in their rooms and not come out no matter what noise they heard, because bandit spies had come.

"B-b-bandits are here again?!" Ji Zhenniang nearly fainted, sobbing, "Wuuu, what are we going to do? Xie Cheng and the others aren’t back yet. Are we going to die here?"

She grabbed Nanny Tao’s arm and said, "Nanny Tao, I can’t die. If I die, my Zhuzhu will be bullied by others."

Nanny Tao’s arm hurt from her grip. She called Xiao Ji over to pry Ji Zhenniang’s hand off, then said, "Lady Xie, it’s just three bandit scouts disguised as peddlers testing the place. With my lady’s abilities, a single packet of Poison could send them on their way. You don’t need to be afraid."

But how could Ji Zhenniang not be afraid? She was crying so hard she was practically hyperventilating.

Nanny Tao grew annoyed and said, "Lady Xie, my lady said that if you don’t stay put in your room and keep quiet, she’ll throw the bandits into your room. You know how much those bandits like pretty women. You’re the one who keeps boasting you’re the prettiest woman in our camp."

In truth, Ji Zhenniang would rank at most third. Though Mrs. Han had borne two children, her looks and figure were in no way inferior to Ji Zhenniang’s.

Ji Zhenniang was scared half to death and literally choked by a sob. Once she caught her breath, she hurriedly said, "I’ll behave. I won’t cry, I won’t make a sound."

Don’t throw the bandits into my room. If her people back home found out, her chastity would be gone, and her aunts and cousins would laugh her to death.

"Nanny Tao, go on and get busy. We’ll keep Lady Xie company." Mrs. Han saw the commotion over here and, afraid that once Gu Jinli’s plan was in motion Ji Zhenniang would let out some scream on this side, brought her children and servants over to stay in the same room as Ji Zhenniang.

Ji Zhenniang clutched Mrs. Han like she’d grabbed a lifeline, saying joyfully, "Sister Han, with you here I’m not afraid."

Mrs. Han pulled her hand back and said, "Shut all the doors and windows, go into the inner room, and don’t cause Sister-in-law Qin any trouble."

"Yes, yes, yes, I’ll listen to Sister Han." Ji Zhenniang was utterly fawning, doing whatever Mrs. Han said.

Hmph, once her letter got back to her maiden home, the whole Ji Family would know she’d become sworn sisters with the young lady of the Capital Earl Mansion. By then, everyone back home would be green with envy!

...

Jin Huaisu and his two companions were overjoyed after hearing Zhang Zhong’s words and hastily carried their poles into the camp.

They walked quickly, but their eyes were sharp, memorizing the camp’s layout as they went.

By the time they reached the old courtyard, Gu Jinli was already sitting under the front veranda waiting for them.

Honestly, the moment they saw Gu Jinli, the three Rong People’s Witch Army men nearly blacked out... This woman with a face full of pustules was the Company Commanders’ Wife? That was disgusting. Which Company Commander was blind enough to marry such a monstrosity?!

And what the hell was that stench?

Ugh!

The three Rong People’s Witch Army men had undergone training to withstand foul smells, but this stench was so overpowering they couldn’t help dry-heaving.