A Good Country Wife-Chapter 691 - 684_1

The brothers had been waiting and waiting, initially thinking that the kidnappers would make a move on them, but there was no movement from the outside. They were all growing wearied from the wait and puzzled. Hadn’t those people said they would use them as bait today? Why then had they still not taken action? Could there be a change in plans or had they changed their minds? It wasn’t until the evening that the brothers had lost all hope for any actions today. However, they then heard some noise outside, followed by the sound of the door opening. They quickly braced themselves for what was to come, and then two kidnappers walked in.

"I say, brothers, they’re just children. They can’t turn the sky upside down. Locked in such a room, there’s no need to keep them tied up all the time. Quan An is really too cautious. Look here, they’re all meek and quiet." Upon entering and seeing Dalang and his brothers all tied up and huddled together, still appearing as scared as before, not daring to say a word and behaving obediently, the kidnappers spoke with a sense of disdain, obviously feeling Quan An’s previous instructions were unnecessary. Kids from the countryside are, after all, more honest. They’re nothing like those cunning children from noble families, who really require vigilance. Thinking this, the kidnapper couldn’t help but feel a degree of contempt and lowered his guard towards Dalang and his brothers.

The brothers had a tacit understanding among themselves and, following Er Lang’s advice, had deliberately put on this act to confuse the enemy. Now it seemed to have had an effect. Er Lang, seeing the kidnapper’s demeanor, flashed a look but didn’t let his guard down. He even took advantage of the kidnapper’s inattentiveness to remind Dalang, San Lang, and Si Lang with his eyes to stay vigilant and not to relax lest the kidnappers were merely tricking them and they revealed themselves.

Having grown up together, the brothers had an extraordinary rapport. Previously, when they’d fought with the other village kids, they had often cooperated with each other. With a single glance from Er Lang, the brothers understood, blinking their eyes to signal their agreement and to reassure Er Lang.

The brothers made these subtle movements very discreetly, specifically avoiding the kidnappers’ notice. Naturally, the kidnappers did not detect anything. However, the other kidnapper was not like the casual kidnapper who had spoken earlier. Clearly more obedient to the orders from above, he still followed instructions despite his personal doubts.

"You’d better hold your tongue as well. Since the order has been given from above, it can’t be wrong to act on it. These kids might look obedient, but they’re a little too clever for comfort. What’s abnormal is suspect. We’d better remain cautious. If something were to happen, it’s not something you or I could bear."

The brothers felt quite frustrated by the kidnapper’s words, and Dalang was especially worried that with the kidnappers being so careful, they might not find an opportunity. However, Er Lang was more stable and calmed the other brothers with his gaze.

Hearing this, the previously speaking kidnapper remained unconvinced, "What could possibly go wrong? It’s just about hand delivering a few kids to them. It’s just a moment’s journey; there can’t be anything going awry. Brother, I think you’re being overly cautious, wearying yourself needlessly with this constant tension. The boss isn’t here right now; let’s not be so stiff."

Upon hearing these words, the other kidnapper didn’t respond, but his expression relaxed somewhat. It was indeed tiring to keep watch here all day long. As mere henchmen, what could they do? They were the ones stuck with the most exhausting and thankless tasks. Besides, moving a few people out really couldn’t cause any trouble.

Lin Yue had Haishi drive to the address on the note, and indeed, they encountered the same situation as before upon their arrival. Lin Yue, holding her anger in check for the sake of Dalang and his brothers, went back and forth three or four times before finally reaching the destination, the place the kidnappers ultimately demanded.

The reason Quan An had put them through such hassle was because he was very wary of Lin Yue’s capabilities. In those days, when Ceng Lu had people gather information around the Zhao Family, they could not find out anything and were instead made a laughing stock by the villagers of the Zhao Family’s village. No one wanted to take on the job of going there again. Though Quan An hadn’t personally dealt with the matter, he knew very well how things had transpired. Moreover, hearing that the Zhao Family had backers and that there were many servants, he feared Lin Yue might play some tricks. Ostensibly accompanied by only two people, she might have a large group following in secret. Thus he had to be prudent, leading to the roundabout trips repeated so many times to spot anyone tailing them.

"This woman is not bad looking and has quite the guts to dare to come and redeem the hostages with only two men," said a man following Quan An, sizing up Lin Yue with lecherous eyes. "Seems like she’s anxious about having to explain herself to the boss when he returns. After all, all four kids are in our hands, but she hasn’t considered we wouldn’t fulfill her wish just by taking her silver. Don’t you know the boss wants more than just silver? That’s why they say a pretty face alone is useless for a woman."

"What do you know! Do you think this woman is really that brainless? Let me tell you, looks can be deceiving. This woman isn’t only bold – her brains are something fierce too. It was this woman who ruined my plan before. A simple act of hers foiled my well-laid scheme. I had to leave with my tail between my legs, along with my men. I still feel suffocated thinking about it. If you dare to underestimate this woman, you might just fall into her trap," cautioned Jian San. He held a grudge against Lin Yue for driving him out of the Zhao Family’s village and thus was extra careful around her, believing her to be unlike any other. Few men were as formidable as she was, no wonder she could keep her family’s business afloat even in her husband’s absence.

Still uneasy, Jian San then turned to Quan An, "Boss, I think we should test her further. This woman’s got a cunning mind. She dares to bring ransom with just two people; perhaps she’s already planned something we haven’t detected. Maybe we should have her run a few more rounds?"

Quan An glanced at Jian San, feeling that he had been scared by Lin Yue and now had shadows in his heart, hence his overly cautious behavior. It was frankly a bit too paranoid. That Zhao Lin, no matter how deep her plots, was still just a woman, and her cunning surely had its limits. He didn’t believe Zhao Lin could outsmart him. Moreover, he had been very careful which was why he had Zhao Lin go round and round the large part of Xin’an City, with many people watching. Since no irregularities were noticed, there were certainly no issues; otherwise, he would have realized already.