In Love With My Fierce Farming Wife!
Chapter 958 - 963: Encounter with River Bandits

Chapter 958: Chapter 963: Encounter with River Bandits

Xiren also understood Su Pan’er’s laissez-faire attitude toward her, which made her hesitant to take the initiative to report without authorization. Now that Su Pan’er asked, she naturally dared not conceal anything.

"Old Mrs. Qin has not eaten a grain of rice for half a month, and she has become so thin that she is unrecognizable, young lady, you see..."

Su Pan’er thought for a moment; she could let her fend for herself, but she couldn’t allow any incidents to happen on the government ship she was aboard! Thus, she instructed someone to fetch a doctor, but there was no doctor on the government ship other than Su Pan’er herself.

In the end, Su Pan’er ordered the government ship to temporarily dock, and only then a capable doctor was summoned. With prescribed medicine and administered acupuncture, the situation finally improved somewhat.

Meanwhile, Su Pan’er’s attention turned to matters other than the two children.

Even though she wouldn’t say she had a photographic memory, the few unfamiliar faces on the government ship still caught her eye.

She immediately became more vigilant, and unexpectedly discovered that these extra crew members came aboard every time the ship docked for supplies. These individuals were clearly experienced, boarding the ship in groups of three to five each time, not so many as to stand out, yet able to infiltrate without notice—a testament to their meticulous planning!

Su Pan’er quickly summoned Lui Muyi and Su Lao Si for a private discussion, and then meticulously began a covert investigation into the matter.

What she found was startling.

The number of infiltrators on the ship was well over a hundred! Each of them hid deadly weapons, were extremely vigilant, and spent their entire days in the cargo hold beneath the ship’s hold. They never showed their faces, and even handled all their eating and drinking inside the cargo hold.

If it weren’t for Lui Muyi’s familiarity with the cargo hold, these people would not have been discovered.

"With so many people on board, the enemy must be planning something big, Pan’er. Should I send someone to capture all these unidentified individuals?"

"There’s no need to capture them; we can use them as bait to see who exactly wants to target me. However, arrangements must certainly be made separately for Little Yan Yan and Little Sugar Bean," said Su Pan’er.

She was considering further possibilities.

Since the other party was targeting her with such thorough preparation, they must have a backup plan. Even if there were more than a hundred people on the ship, there were undoubtedly countless others watching this place in secret. If she were to alert them by making a move, catching the other party might prove difficult.

Lui Muyi agreed with Su Pan’er’s decision.

"Now that we know the enemy comes prepared, I will immediately deploy people to wait nearby. Once they appear, we’ll catch them completely off guard. I refuse to believe that our sizeable group will be intimidated by their mere hundred or so," he said.

It’s worth noting that there were two to three hundred soldiers on the government ship at the moment. Many among them were elite soldiers trained by Qin Yi, each one able to take on three opponents without falling short.

"What I’m curious about, however, is exactly how these people managed to get on the ship?" Su Pan’er asked, looking at Lui Muyi.

With a wry smile and a bit of hesitance, Lui Muyi responded, "My subordinates found out that the arrival of those people seems to be related to the Su Family..."

It was Su Lao Wu who had arranged for these people to board the ship. At every dock, Su Lao Wu purchased a large amount of local specialty products to bring on board. Most of these infiltrators hid among the delivery crowds and, after coming aboard, they stayed in the cargo hold rather than leaving.

"He gets ten taels of silver for each person he brings on board. My subordinates noticed that these individuals were very conscientious with their payments upon boarding. At first, I thought they were trying to take advantage of the government ship’s journey to the capital, but it wasn’t until later, when the opposing party’s suspicious behaviors were discovered, that something seemed amiss," explained Lui Muyi.

"Profiting from both sides!"

Su Pan’er cursed angrily, "Keep an eye on Su Lao Wu and prevent any further contact with outsiders. If necessary, one can..."

Su Pan’er’s hand suddenly tightened, slowly bending her fingers and then suddenly clenching them in the air!

Su Lao Wu, huh?

They hadn’t even arrived in Shengjing yet, and she was already engaging in selfish acts for personal gain. Once in Shengjing, amidst the wealth and decadence, who knows what trouble she might stir up.

Lui Muyi had people watching closely, and whenever a stranger came aboard, the surveillance tightened even further.

Before long, word came back.

"Another six miles ahead, and we’ll pass through a canyon. The waters in the canyon are rapid, and the cliffs on both sides are steep—historically, it’s been infested with river bandits. Could these people be that band of river bandits?"

Su Pan’er had also observed that these men didn’t seem as well-trained as the officials’ soldiers, but rather had more of a ragtag appearance. It was very likely they were river bandits.

It was true that river bandits robbed passing boats, but this was a government ship, which didn’t have any valuables onboard worth robbing. The presence of these river bandits was too strange!

"Since they’re not official persons, you don’t have to be restrained in taking action. Just remember one thing—keep some alive to find out what exactly they are after."

Lui Muyi naturally agreed, "I understand. Rest assured, my men will definitely protect your safety."

"If that is the case, Pan’er will thank Big Brother Lui in advance."

Su Pan’er’s laughter was enchanting to Lui Muyi.

After this period of easing up, the overwhelming feelings he originally had for Su Pan’er had gradually receded. It was like a flower bud that missed its blooming season, missed the rains, and then encountered the cold dew. Before the bud could bloom and shine, it had already wilted...

He could only bury this affection deep in his heart.

A world of difference!

He cautiously withdrew his thoughts, leaving nothing else behind, save for staying by her side as much as possible. As long as she still needed him, he would always be there.

As expected, the government ship continued to advance, and by nightfall, it had entered the canyon.

Since government ships transporting people to the capital seldom encountered river bandits, the schooner’s managers, though they had stepped up patrolling, did not take it seriously enough.

But Su Pan’er had earlier had her meal and gathered both children in the room.

This room was not the cabin she had been living in originally. Better safe than sorry! If it were just Su Pan’er herself, naturally she wouldn’t be afraid. But with Little Yanyan and Little Sugar Bean, she didn’t want to gamble, and couldn’t afford to!

As the government ship reached the middle of the canyon, suddenly a few small boats came straight towards it, colliding head-on with the ship!

Not only that, but countless dragnets fell like dumplings down from the cliffs on both sides.

This kind of dragnet is usually used to catch sea fish in the ocean, but now they were being used here by the river bandits.

The people on the government ship quickly noticed something was wrong, a series of urgent and loud whistle blasts rang out, and in an instant, countless figures flitted across the deck.

But the river bandits were quick too, and as soon as their small boats crashed into the government ship, countless shadows gathered silently, with more climbing aboard the deck to engage the officers and soldiers.

Su Pan’er watched the commotion outside with a cold eye, holding a child in one arm, her bright eyes gleaming in the dark.

"Ma’am, it’s not good! The river bandits have gone under the ship, they’re drilling holes in the bottom. Ma’am, you must think of something fast!"

-

Regarding the issue of Qin Yi’s ranking, some readers have mentioned it in the book review section. Because Qin Yi is not in the Imperial Family Tree, he cannot be ranked within it.

That means, originally the Seventh Prince was Prince Wei, yet now, although Qin Yi is about the same age as Prince Wei, he is actually slightly older.

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