Chapter 1348 - 1283: Interception
The peasant woman did not refuse. After crushing the herbs, she applied the medicine for him. When she opened his clothes, she saw the pure white and smooth silk garment inside. She glanced at it only once before lowering her eyes to apply the medicine.
Seeing her compliance, Tuoba Yilu stated he was hungry and wanted to eat, and he promised, "Once I find my trade caravan, I will certainly reward you handsomely."
The peasant woman smiled and agreed, deliberately taking out a small bag of wheat. "We only have coarse grains like this at home, dear guest, please wait a moment while I grind the wheat to host you."
Tuoba Yilu considered this her duty, so he nodded.
The peasant woman took the small bag of wheat and left the house, finding the soldiers searching at the marketplace. She said, "Officer, a stranger came to my house, injured, wearing silk undergarments. He claimed to be a merchant ambushed by bandits here, but I think he is the person in your picture."
Tuoba Liuxiu had gathered all who could draw to sketch his father, but because everyone’s drawing skills varied, nine out of ten drawings didn’t resemble him.
Recognizing someone by the picture was nearly impossible, but each drawing had two common traits: tall stature and a full face of imposing beard.
But the peasant woman did not rely solely on the picture for identification. Even without it, she could recognize him from his words alone.
Soon, the peasant woman returned with a small bag of flour. A team of soldiers quietly surrounded the house from behind, with a few bending down to hide by the wall, signaling her to go in and call the person out for confirmation.
The peasant woman pushed open the door and entered. The yard was very quiet, and the house was also very quiet, as if there was no one there.
She thought for a moment and then shouted toward the main room, "Dear guest, I brought back the flour, I’ll bake the bread for you now."
After saying this, she turned to enter the kitchen. As she stepped in, a cleaver abruptly flashed in front of her. Startled, the flour bag hit the ground. Seeing the person holding the cleaver, she became furious, "How unreasonable you are! I kindly took you in, yet you wish to harm me."
Tuoba Yilu glanced outside, noticed nothing unusual, and hurriedly put away the cleaver, saying to the peasant woman, "I’m injured, my hearing isn’t good, I didn’t hear your voice. When someone suddenly came, I thought the bandits were chasing me, and startled my sister-in-law. Please forgive me."
The peasant woman’s expression then eased. She picked up the bag of flour, brought over a basin, looked around, and said, "Please help, dear guest, and dip a ladle of water."
The water jar was outside under the kitchen eaves. Tuoba Yilu responded, put down the cleaver, and went outside.
The soldiers hiding outside the wall peeked out their heads and recognized him at once. With a signal, they immediately leaped over the wall.
Upon suddenly seeing them, Tuoba Yilu immediately realized he had been betrayed. He fiercely swung the ladle and instantly turned to rush back into the kitchen to take a hostage.
As he left, the peasant woman picked up the cleaver he had put down and hid behind the door. As soon as he entered, she chopped down at his head.
Startled, Tuoba Yilu dodged to the side, avoiding the attack, then kicked her, sending her flying.
The peasant woman flew backward, crashing into the yard, but she quickly rolled over and got up, glaring at him with the cleaver in hand, shouting vehemently, "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and capture him! Don’t let him get away!"
The soldiers who were ambushing from behind the house also rushed in. However heroic Tuoba Yilu might be, his two fists were no match for four legs, especially as he was unarmed. Soon, he was captured, and by then, half of the peasant woman’s kitchen had been destroyed, almost unusable.
Only now did she feel pain in her abdomen. She lifted her clothes to look, and saw a black mark on her belly.
She clutched her waist, leaning against the wall unconcernedly, and asked the soldiers holding down Tuoba Yilu, "Now that you’ve caught the person, what about my reward and cattle and sheep?"
The squad leader said, "Rest assured, after reporting, your reward won’t be less."
The peasant woman said, "I only want cattle and sheep, you can keep the gold. My stomach hurts terribly; give me some money to see a doctor. You can have all of the one hundred gold, divide it among yourselves."
The squad leader, hearing this, thought for a moment and agreed, pooling some money with his men to give her a money pouch.
Seeing her in severe pain, they decided to bring her along since there’s no doctor here. To get medical treatment, she would need to go to the marketplace at least.
But the soldiers knew a bit about treating injuries. After pressing her belly, they said, "It’s not serious, a bruise that will heal in time, but taking medicine would definitely be better."
She seemed quite old, almost at an age to be their grandmother, in poverty, with her clothes patched multiple times. Because she had reported them, striking with one swift action, the soldiers respected her and didn’t make things difficult for her.
Tuoba Yilu, whose mouth was stuffed, glared at the peasant woman with resentment.