Chapter 2804 The Substitute Was Forcibly Taken by the Bandit's Wife 09

The morning light is dim.

Jin Chen slept soundly last night and woke up earlier than usual. A Yan had already prepared hot water and opened the box that Gu Fanghe had sent yesterday, asking the young master which set he liked.

Jin Chen casually picked out an indigo brocade robe with cloud patterns, tied a jade belt around her waist, and loosely tied up her dark hair.

When Ayan saw his attire, her eyes lit up. "Young Master looks radiant today. These clothes suit you well and are much better than those plain clothes you wore before."

Breakfast was delivered from the village and was much more plentiful than in the past few days. In addition to congee and side dishes, there was also freshly steamed osmanthus cake. As Ayan served the food, she whispered, "The kitchen specially delivered this today, saying that the head of the household ordered it."

Just as I put down my chopsticks, I heard some noises outside the courtyard gate.

Ayan went out to check and soon brought in two people, the two young bandits who had followed Chen Xiaoshan and come to arrest people that day with great momentum.

As the two entered, they clasped their hands in a respectful greeting. "Young Master Jin, we were rash that day and misunderstood you. We hope you will be magnanimous and not hold it against us!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Thank you so much, young master! If it weren't for you... the school building would have collapsed in a few days, hurting the children, including my little brother. I really don't want to think about it."

Jin Chen looked up at the two of them, her eyes slightly upturned, "You really want to thank me?"

The two bandits nodded in unison, their expressions sincere.

Jin Chen leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table and propping his chin up. "Then you guys figure out a way to get me out of this Black Mountain Stronghold, okay?"

The two petty thieves: "!!!"

The older one waved his hands repeatedly, "You mustn't! Young master! You are a guest personally invited by the head of the gang! How could we dare to do that!"

"Yes, yes!" the other one exclaimed, equally terrified. "Young master, please don't make things difficult for us! If the chief finds out, we'll both lose our heads!"

Jin Chen looked at their terrified expressions, his smile deepening, but he didn't try to frighten them any further.

"To be honest, I have never met your leader before and have no connection with him whatsoever."

"Why did he insist on keeping me here the moment he saw me? There must be a reason."

The two bandits instantly turned into dummy gourds with their mouths sawed off, heads bowed and eyes darting around.

The reason? How could they dare to say!

We can't just say it directly, because you look like our boss's beloved young master Ruan, can we?

If these words were to slip out of their mouths, they wouldn't even be allowed to leave behind a complete corpse, let alone their heads.

The two decided to play dead, remaining silent no matter how much Jin Chen scrutinized them, wishing they could bury their heads in the ground.

Seeing this, Jin Chen clicked his tongue in disapproval and waved his hand, "Alright, go down."

The two felt as if they had been granted a pardon and withdrew, fearing that their ancestor might ask some more potentially fatal questions.

After they left, Jin Chen stood up and said to A Yan, "Let's go for a walk."

On a fine spring day, the village was peaceful and serene.

The craftsmen were busy rebuilding the school building, and the fourth master personally supervised the work, directing people to move the timber.

Ayan followed half a step behind Jinchen, looking at the surrounding scenery. "Young Master, it's strange, we've stayed in Black Mountain Village for the past few days. Apart from being locked in the woodshed at the beginning, later... it's really not what I expected."

Jin Chen remained noncommittal. As he approached the main courtyard, he happened to meet Chen Xiaoshan and the Fifth Master Shi Meng walking towards him.

Shi Meng carried two men, one in each hand, who were tightly bound and dressed in Hu (non-Han) clothing but clearly had Han (Han) features.

Upon seeing Jin Chen, Shi Meng nodded as a greeting.

Chen Xiaoshan couldn't bring himself to do it, so he just snorted and glanced at the brocade clothes on Jin Chen's body. He frowned. He recognized the clothes; they were the finest Yun brocade that the caravan had presented to him a few days ago. A single bolt was worth a hundred gold pieces, and his elder brother was actually willing to give them to this man to wear.

Seeing that Jin Chen seemed to be heading towards the main courtyard, Chen Xiaoshan stepped aside and blocked his way, his voice harsh.

“We need to discuss important matters with the chief. No unauthorized personnel are allowed to enter.” He stared at Jin Chen with sharp eyes. “Don’t think that just because you’ve done a good deed, you can stay safely in this Black Mountain Stronghold. People of unknown origin are ultimately a threat.”

Jin Chen turned her head to look at him, raised an eyebrow slightly, and said in a rising tone, "Oh? Judging from what the Second Master is saying, you're planning to send me down the mountain?"

Enraged by his attitude, Chen Xiaoshan gripped the hilt of his sword, his eyes flashing with ferocity, and deliberately threatened, "Apart from the useful craftsmen and doctors, no one who has entered Black Wind Stronghold has survived peacefully! If you don't know when to back down, I'll chop you down right now and throw you down the mountain to feed the wolves!"

Just as the knife was drawn half an inch from its sheath, a pebble suddenly flew through the air and struck Chen Xiaoshan's wrist as he was holding the knife.

Chen Xiaoshan felt a sharp pain, his wrist went numb, and the knife fell back down.

Gu Fanghe came out of the main courtyard and first gestured to Shi Meng: "Take the person inside."

Shi Meng responded and led the two pale-faced men into the house.

Gu Fanghe's gaze first fell on Jin Chen, then turned to Chen Xiaoshan, his brows furrowing slightly. "Xiaoshan, you wrongly accused Jin Chen earlier and almost hurt him, and you haven't apologized yet."

Chen Xiaoshan, "Big brother! I..."

"The second-in-command just said he was going to kill me and throw me down the mountain," Jin Chen said at the opportune moment, his tone low and gloomy.

Gu Fanghe: "..."

His gaze was fixed on Chen Xiaoshan's face.

Chen Xiaoshan also had some doubts: When Young Master Ruan stayed in the village, his elder brother treated him with courtesy, but he had never seen him protect him like this, or even indulge him.

Why are they so interested in this fake, whose origins are unknown and whose appearance is only somewhat similar?

However, Gu Fanghe held considerable power, and Chen Xiaoshan ultimately dared not disobey him. He clasped his hands in a fist salute and turned his head towards Jin Chen, saying, "I was rash before and misunderstood Young Master Jin. I apologize!"

Jin Chen accepted the bow with a smile, his tone light: "Yes, it is good to admit one's mistakes and correct them."

Chen Xiaoshan: "..."

He could only glare fiercely at Jin Chen.

Unlike Chen Xiaoshan's awkwardness, the ordinary bandits were genuinely grateful to Jin Chen for saving the children.

Seeing that the second-in-command had bowed his head, several of the bolder ones came over to express their gratitude, making it quite lively.

Just then, a little boy of about five or six years old emerged from the crowd and ran up to Jin Chen.

He was at the age where he loved to play, his body covered in mud and grass clippings, his face smeared with dirt, and in his hand was a coarse flatbread, bigger than his face and slightly burnt, as he looked up at Jin Chen.

"My benefactor, here you go! A flatbread, it's delicious!" This was clearly the best thing he could offer.

The surroundings fell silent instantly.

Everyone looked at Jin Chen with some tension, afraid that this seemingly noble young master would look down on this crude item and scold the child.

Jin Chen lowered his eyes and, under the increasingly anxious gaze of the child, reached out and took the cake. In front of everyone, he tore the cake in half and handed one half back to the child.

"Hmm, the taste is acceptable, and you're more polite than the second-in-command."

The child, still somewhat dazed, only understood the praise. Seeing that Jin Chen had actually eaten his pancake, he immediately grinned, revealing his missing front tooth, and ran away with the pancake in his arms.

"I'm better than the second-in-command!"

Chen Xiaoshan: "..."

When will this person ever stop?!