Chapter 87 — Kidnapped

They had barely stepped down from the carriage when Wu Shan spotted the maid called Su Xin at Dou Yan's side, her face flustered, jumping down from a hired carriage.

He hurried forward. "Su Xin, why aren't you at Fourth Sister's side?"

Bie Su Xin turned her head, forced a smile and bowed to Wu Shan and the others, then turned and headed inside. "I still have business—I must go see Aunt Cui..."

"Stop right there!" Ji Yong's face darkened and he barked loudly. "What exactly has happened to Fourth Sister? If you dare tell a single lie, I'll have the slave broker come this instant and sell you off!"

Bie Su Xin's face flushed red and paled by turns.

Wu Shan shot Ji Yong a glare, then said gently, "Su Xin, don't be afraid. We mean nothing by it—we're only worried Fourth Sister has run into some trouble and want to help you..."

For all her fortitude, Bie Su Xin was no more than a girl just past her coming-of-age, and with Dou Yan's fate unknown she had long since lost her head. At Wu Shan's gentle words, her tears fell beyond her control. "Fourth Miss... Fourth Miss has been carried off by kidnappers!"

"What did you say?" The faces of Wu Shan and the others changed drastically.

Bie Su Xin simply told Wu Shan and the rest all that had happened.

"Quick, quick, notify Third Uncle and have him go rescue her!" Dou Yong said, his face ashen, only to be held back by Wu Shan and Dou Huaide. "This must not be made known." Wu Shan's gaze was like ten-thousand-year ice. "We must send our own people to rescue her!"

Hearing this, Bie Su Xin felt somewhat reassured.

"Then use my people, shall we?" Ji Yong waved his folding fan, smiling as he looked at Wu Shan and the others.

Wu Shan and Dou Huaide exchanged a glance, then resolutely answered, "Good."

Ji Yong summoned his retainers and, taking the lead, leapt onto horseback.

Wu Shan and the Dou brothers were astonished.

Ji Yong opened his eyes wide and looked at the three in puzzlement. "Don't tell me you aren't planning to go yourselves?"

The corner of Dou Huaide's mouth twitched. "Go—of course we're going!" With the help of Ji Yong's retainers, he mounted the saddle.

Ji Yong instructed his retainer, "Ride double with the young master. If the young master falls off, I'll hold you answerable." With that, he cracked his whip and galloped off toward the city gate.

Dou Huaide could not help complaining loudly, "This fellow—is there anything he can't do?"

Ji Yong's retainers all lowered their eyes and pretended not to hear.

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When Dou Yan awoke again, she found herself lying on a half-new luohan couch, her clothes and ornaments intact, and she could not help letting out a long breath of relief.

Su Juan lay asleep beside her; there was no one else in the room.

She sat up.

Her head was still a little dizzy, but nothing serious.

She listened carefully to the sounds around her.

There was only the rustle of wind through leaves.

Dou Yan slipped softly out of bed and cautiously pushed the window lattice open a crack.

Outside was a small courtyard paved with bluestone, planted with a row of poplars whose trunks were already as thick as a wine cup. To the east of the courtyard stood a stone roller, and a hen with several chicks was pecking at pebbles beside it. All around was dead quiet, not a soul in sight. It was, astonishingly, a typical farmyard.

Dou Yan was wondering whether she should press her eye to the crack in the door when she heard the kidnappers' voices from the main room next door: "Damn it, who'd have thought Dou Juan's guards would be so tough? We agreed just to knock the man out, and now he's wounded, and our brothers are all banged up too—I wonder if he'll honor the deal?"

Another voice, sinister and cold, said, "If he honors it, we take the silver and clear out. If he doesn't—heh heh heh—then we tell the Dou family all about it. Just you wait and collect the silver."

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Sisters, brothers—once we reach Hangzhou, you'll be sharing a room with Lin Jiacheng, oh (*^__^*) hee hee...

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