Chapter 35: Kicked to pieces

After leaving the Liu household, Ji Tangtang found a secluded spot and transferred the rice and flour from her basket into the Qian Kun Bag. She also took out a piece of wild boar meat and packed a small bag of wild fruits, covering them with some wild vegetables, then carried the basket to the small courtyard where she had sold ginseng last time.

From her previous experience selling ginseng, she knew the people in that courtyard held relatively high status in this era. They didn’t even bat an eye at 2,000 yuan and had prepared plenty of gifts for her. These were important clients, and she had to treat them well.

When Ji Tangtang arrived at the courtyard with her basket, she found no one at home. Just as she was about to leave, Lu Yuanqi returned from outside. Ji Tangtang feigned complete unfamiliarity and said, “Hello, comrade. Do you live here? An elder in my family asked me to come over and deliver some local specialties to the comrades here.”

Lu Yuanqi grew even more puzzled. He had no relatives nearby and never accepted gifts from subordinates. Anyone who knew where he lived would also know his habits and wouldn’t send gifts. So who was this person?

“My master came by yesterday,” Ji Tangtang continued, noticing his expression. “She isn’t able to come today, so she sent me instead.”

Hearing this, Lu Yuanqi immediately understood and warmly invited her inside, personally brewing and serving tea. That morning, he had received a call from his second uncle, who said that after drinking the tea from the benefactor, his body felt much better. His grandfather had also taken the ginseng bought from her, temporarily escaping life-threatening danger. Several senior experts marveled that this ginseng was truly miraculous, incomparable to any ordinary ginseng on the market. His second uncle instructed him that if he encountered the benefactor again, he should prepare a generous gift to properly thank them. He had been worrying about where to find her, yet she had specially sent her disciple to deliver the gift.

Ji Tangtang took the wild boar meat out of the basket. “We caught a wild boar in the mountains. My master asked me to thank you for the gifts you prepared yesterday. Our villagers don’t have much to offer, so I brought some meat for you to try.”

“You are too kind! This is what we should be doing,” Lu Yuanqi replied politely. Then he introduced himself, “I am Lu Yuanqi. May I know your name, comrade? My second uncle already told me, after taking the medicine my grandfather is out of danger, and we owe you much thanks. May I visit your home sometime to pay respects?”

“My surname is Ji,” Ji Tangtang said. “Comrade Lu is too polite. The elder’s good health is due to the younger generation’s filial piety. Neither my master nor I dare claim credit.”

Lu Yuanqi realized that Ji Tangtang was not ordinary. “You are too modest. We all know whose effort helped my grandfather recover. If I do not visit to pay respects, the elders would think me impolite. Please allow me this chance to express my gratitude on their behalf.”

Ji Tangtang blinked and smiled. “My master often travels deep in the mountains, so I don’t know when I’ll see her again. In a few days, I will be getting married. Comrade Lu, if you have time, please visit my home then.”

“Congratulations, congratulations!” Lu Yuanqi said. “Which day exactly? I will definitely attend to offer my respects.”

“The 30th of this month,” Ji Tangtang replied, giving him the address before taking her leave.

After leaving the Lu courtyard, Ji Tangtang planned to take some more wild boar meat from the Qian Kun Bag and try the black market. However, she hadn’t gone far when she noticed a few tails following her. A smile curved on her lips. She deliberately slowed her pace and headed down a more secluded street.

Once in a quiet alley, the persistent tailers could no longer restrain themselves and confronted her at the alley’s end.

“Little beauty, heading home alone? Need us to escort you?” Zhou Qiang’s leering eyes fixed on Ji Tangtang like a starving wolf.

As Fang Juan had said, this girl was truly exquisite. Up close, her flawless skin looked like soft tofu, inviting one to pinch it. Zhou Jie and Feng Bing felt the same, their eyes full of astonishment.

Ji Tangtang laughed at them. “You have quite some nerve! Don’t you know the authorities are cracking down? Following and harassing a female comrade openly on the street?”

“We’re not harassing her! We’re doing a good deed, making sure she’s safe. If anyone finds out, they’ll praise us. Maybe she’ll even marry me out of gratitude!” Zhou Qiang said fearlessly.

He had experience; women valued their reputations. If he managed to “get her,” she would not dare make a scene. Not only would she lose face, but her family would too. They’d rather risk themselves than bring shame to their family. Yet she was so beautiful, he couldn’t let her die like this. If he could, he might consider marrying her.

Zhou Qiang then glanced at Zhou Jie and Feng Bing as a warning. The two subordinates understood—they were to stay away. Although they were reluctant, given their boss’s authority, they reluctantly stepped back.

“Here, comrade, let me carry your basket for you.” Zhou Qiang shamelessly reached toward Ji Tangtang, intending, as he usually did, to grab her into his arms first and satisfy himself.

But before his hand even touched her, Ji Tangtang kicked him squarely to the ground. He clutched his groin, eyes bloodshot, letting out a scream like a slaughtered pig.

The two followers were startled by this sudden turn of events. Instinctively, they covered their own crotches and stepped back in fear.

Zhou Jie stammered, “Y-you… you little bitch! What did you do to our boss?”

Ji Tangtang chuckled. “Are you two blind? Didn’t you see that I just crushed his little soft balls?”

The two men were first shocked that a woman could shamelessly say something like that—and even claim to have actually done it. But then they looked down at their boss on the ground, his face twisted in pain, unable to make a sound.

They suddenly realized Ji Tangtang wasn’t exaggerating—she had really destroyed their boss’s family jewels. Fear gripped their hearts. Any thought of punishing Ji Tangtang to avenge their boss vanished, and they bolted.

However, after only a few steps, something struck their backs, and they both fell to the ground.

“Weren’t you going to escort me home?” Ji Tangtang asked with amusement, teasing them, “Why aren’t you doing a good deed anymore?”

The men looked at Ji Tangtang as if they had seen a demon. This level of strength—was this even possible for a woman?

“Heroine, we know we were wrong! We’ll never do it again! Please, spare us!” Zhou Jie ignored the pain in his body, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed awkwardly to Ji Tangtang.

Feng Bing quickly added, “Y-yes, we’re innocent! It was that woman surnamed Fang! She sent us to cause you trouble. She said you’re beautiful, rich, and promiscuous, always seducing men. She told… told us to come and ‘take care of’ you!”

“Take your revenge on her if you must; we have no quarrel with you. If it weren’t for her, how would we have even targeted you?”

“I’m the only male child in the Feng family for five generations! My family is counting on me to carry on the line. Please don’t kick me!”