Chapter 610: Chapter 610: Human Trafficker
Si Niang understood what one hundred taels meant; it was enough to buy ten acres of prime farmland, sufficient to support a normal family of three for a lifetime.
So when she saw a reward notice on the wall, stating that anyone who could help find the traffickers who took their child could come to claim a reward of one hundred taels, she was quite astonished.
She couldn’t quite comprehend why such traffickers were so valuable.
Qin Yao walked over to the reward notice board for a closer look at the notice Si Niang had pointed out and explained, "Traffickers are criminals who specialize in kidnapping people. This notice is from a family whose daughter was taken by traffickers. The family is heartbroken, so they posted a reward notice."
As she spoke, Qin Yao looked more closely at the other reward notices on the board. She had initially focused only on the reward amounts and hadn’t noticed the content; upon careful inspection, she realized there were not just notices for lost livestock but also four or five missing persons notices.
The missing were all children: one five-year-old, one eight-year-old, and another already thirteen years old.
Seeing so many missing persons notices at once, and then looking at the one hundred taels reward for clues on traffickers, Qin Yao frowned slightly; this was definitely no coincidence.
The family discussed the high reward notice as they returned to the inn. It was mealtime, and the main hall was almost filled with people.
Qin Yao’s family rented the kitchen to prepare their own meals, so they didn’t eat here. The shopkeeper saw them, quickly greeted them, and then turned his attention to serving other guests.
A table in the middle of the hall burst loudly into conversation, and because of the noise, the shopkeeper advised them to quiet down, causing the diners to complain discontentedly.
In usual times, Liu Ji would have joined in the excitement, but now he was concerned about this large family’s meal, having no time for that.
He put Si Niang down from his shoulder and, taking on his master’s airs, called out, "Ah Le, come with me to the kitchen to prepare dinner."
Yin Le replied, said something to Qin Yao, and followed Liu Ji to prepare the evening meal.
Qin Yao and her four children stayed behind. Seeing that their Mother had no intention of returning to the room, the four Da Lang siblings also stood nearby, openly watching the diners at the table in the center of the hall as they continued their quiet discussion.
Their voices grew louder with excitement, and one could vaguely hear words like "trafficking gang," "targets children," and "they have men and women, even seniors as cover, difficult to guard against."
Si Niang tugged at her Mother’s sleeve, and Qin Yao lowered her head and asked gently, "What’s wrong? Hungry? Thirsty?"
Before the child could respond, Qin Yao had already taken out a small half-string of copper coins, ready to send Da Lang and Second Lang to the snack stall at the inn’s entrance to buy some snacks.
Si Niang quickly stopped her, sighed helplessly, and hastily explained that she wasn’t hungry or thirsty, she just wanted to talk to her Mother.
"Mother, everyone is talking about traffickers. Does that mean there are many of them here in Yu Zhou who specifically kidnap children?"
The little girl looked serious and a bit scared, though she tried not to show it.
Having a sense of danger was good, so Qin Yao didn’t mock the child’s concerns and fears. She replied earnestly:
"That’s certainly the case. So you four must remember not to wander out of an adult’s line of sight. If you see suspicious people, move away from danger. If you want to go out alone, inform an adult first, understand?"
The siblings nodded obediently, indicating they understood.
Sanlang, with his quirky way of thinking, always voiced some odd ideas and asked fearfully, "Mother, do these traffickers kidnap children to turn them into meat pies?"
As soon as he asked, he was met with eye rolls from his elder brothers.
Da Lang said, "You think traffickers are dumb? If they wanted meat, they’d just steal pigs; why steal people and break the law? In Sheng Country, those who traffic people into slavery face hanging!"
Second Lang sympathetically touched his third brother’s chubby cheeks, "Silly Sanlang, traffickers kidnap people to sell them. If lucky, they get sold into wealthy households as slaves; if unlucky, they’re sold as child brides and laborers, suffering hardship, barely surviving! Human meat isn’t tasty either."
Sanlang, with his bright eyes, asked further, "Second brother, how do you know human meat isn’t tasty?"
"The book said so, a miscellaneous note. Don’t ask which one; if you ask again, I’ll hit you." Second Lang shot a dangerous glare at his brother, his threat effective, and Sanlang responded with a soft ’oh,’ obediently covering his mouth.
Qin Yao shook her head with a smile and still took the children out to buy quite a few snacks. She didn’t know if the children craved them, but she certainly did.
Packing it into two portions, they ate one today and saved the other for the road tomorrow.
After loafing about enough, the family returned to their rooms, only to be met with a big eye roll from Liu Ji, who had finished making dinner but couldn’t find anyone.
Of course, the eye roll was only aimed at the four little ones; he still had to placate the bigger one, "My dear, I’ve got the water ready. Wash your face and hands, and we’ll start our meal."
He naturally extended his hands to take the two big bags of snacks Qin Yao was carrying, clicking his tongue secretly at the extravagant move.
"What did you say, Liu Ji?" Qin Yao, suddenly turning her head while washing her face, asked doubtfully.
Liu Ji stumbled, nearly tripping over the door beam and falling flat, quickly regaining his stance and innocently blinking, "My dear, I didn’t say a word?"
"Really..." she murmured, shrugged, and continued to wash her hands.
With hands and face cleansed, the family sat at the small table and started eating.
A bowl of fresh stir-fried wild vegetables, a plate of fragrant sautéed pork belly, a bowl of fried tofu, plus a big bowl of thick egg soup—not elegantly plated, yet enough to make all seven of them drool over, leaving no time for talk.
Their silent dinner finished, the four Da Lang siblings volunteered to wash the dishes and wipe the table, returning the clean dishes to the inn’s kitchen.
The adults prepared for an early departure the next morning.
Qin Yao and Yin Le got up to feed the horses at the inn’s backyard.
Liu Ji brought in the clothes that had been washed and dried the previous day, folded them neatly, and watched as the four children checked their own luggage, only leaving the clothes, shoes, and socks needed for the next day outside the bags.
Taking advantage of the kitchen’s still active fire, Yin Le and Liu Ji made enough dry food to last two to three days.
They worked until late into the night and finally got some rest.
A restful night’s sleep, before dawn the next day, the whole family was up.
After having the breakfast prepared by Liu Ji, the adults, together with the children, loaded the luggage into the cart. Once the accommodation was paid for, and the city gates opened, they headed out, continuing toward the next destination.
Today’s weather wasn’t great; the sun didn’t come out in the morning—it was a cloudy, overcast day.
The road was all forests and mountains, leaving the children uninterested in the scenery, so they took out books to read, passing the boring time.
By noon, they finally exited the mountainous forest area, arriving at a flat small village that opened up before their eyes.
This was a place frequented by traders, and at the village entrance, local villagers had set up a tea stall for passersby to rest.
Liu Ji quietly rubbed his sore rear end and, eyeing the quaint tea stall ahead, boldly suggested, "My dear, shall we take a break, buy a few bowls of hot tea, and have lunch with our dry food?"
