Chapter 121: The Delivery Convoy Is Robbed

Three days later, on the morning of the third day, Xu Mo and Xu Tieshu were talking in the soap workshop when a sudden commotion erupted outside.

While they were still puzzled, Xu Hui rushed in, looking anxious. "Father, Cousin," she said, "it’s terrible! Our shipment of soap has been robbed."

"What?" Xu Tieshu exclaimed, immediately turning his gaze toward Xu Mo. Xu Mo’s brow furrowed at once.

Xu Hui pointed toward the door. "Father, Cousin, you must go see for yourselves. Several members of the delivery team have been injured."

Hearing this, Xu Tieshu bolted out of the workshop. Xu Mo and Xu Hui followed close behind. Soon, the villagers working in the workshop heard the news of the robbery. Work came to a halt as everyone rushed out to see what was happening.

By the time Xu Mo arrived, Niu Da and the rest of the delivery team were already gathered outside the workshop. Many villagers had crowded around, and the scene was chaotic. Xu Tieshu and Qin Mutou were already inspecting the injuries, their expressions filled with deep concern.

"Master Xu is here! Master Xu is here..." some villagers shouted upon seeing him.

When Niu Da saw his employer, he immediately signaled for Niu Er and Niu San to join him. The three men were covered in dust and dirt, their clothes torn in several places, and Niu Er and Niu San had sustained minor facial wounds.

Niu Da looked somber and, filled with self-reproach, said, "Master, I am terribly sorry. We... we couldn't protect the cargo. Those bandits took it all!"

Xu Mo was not concerned about the goods at that moment; he was worried about the people. "Niu Da," he asked immediately, "was anyone killed?"

Niu Da shook his head at once. "No, Master! No one died. Everyone only sustained minor injuries; it’s nothing serious."

Relieved to hear that no lives were lost, Xu Mo let out a breath and said, "As long as no one died, that is what matters."

Niu Er, looking indignant, frowned and said angrily, "Master, don't worry! My brothers and I will track those people down and retrieve the stolen goods!" Niu San nodded in agreement, adding, "Master, we will definitely get the cargo back!"

Niu Da nodded heavily as well. Though he remained silent, his determination to recover the goods was the strongest of the three.

"We will talk about the cargo later," Xu Mo said. "The priority is to dress everyone's wounds and let them recover."

As he spoke, someone in the crowd shouted, "Look, the Village Chief is coming! Old Song is here!"

Xu Mo looked toward the end of the village path and saw several figures approaching, including the Village Chief and the elderly man known for his medical skills. The old man was surnamed Song, and the villagers affectionately called him Old Song. He had previously treated the injuries of Ning Yaxin’s men when they were in the village.

Xu Mo gestured for Niu Er and Niu San to assist the others, then pulled Niu Da aside to a quieter spot to hear a detailed account of the ambush.

According to Niu Da, they had encountered the bandits only half an hour after leaving Gushan Village. Because the attackers were so numerous, the delivery team of a dozen men was overwhelmed. Acting on the principle that lives were more important than cargo, Niu Da had made the difficult decision to abandon the goods and retreat.

Under Xu Mo’s questioning, he learned that there were at least thirty or forty bandits, led by two men—one tall and thin, the other short and fat—both of whom were masked.

Xu Mo immediately recalled the gang he had encountered previously. When he described the two men, Niu Da confirmed with certainty that they were the same ones.

"Niu Da," Xu Mo said, "the fat one is called White Hair, and the thin one is called Peng Dong. Those are the same men we ran into before!"

Niu Da clenched his fists and nodded grimly. "White Hair and Peng Dong... Right! I’ll remember them. I’ll make them pay for this!"

Xu Mo felt a sense of bewilderment. "It’s strange. That gang only had a few people last time. How could they have expanded to thirty or forty so quickly?"

Niu Da thought for a moment. "Master, many of them looked like refugees who had fled from the north. I suspect they were desperate and chose to follow White Hair and Peng Dong."

"How are you sure they were refugees from the north?" Xu Mo asked.

"Master," Niu Da replied, "most of them were gaunt and malnourished, wearing rags. There were no women among them, but there were people of all ages. They were armed only with wooden sticks or stones; they didn't even have proper weapons."

Niu Da continued, "And behind them were several men with blades. They were in command. If the refugees refused to charge, they would beat or curse them, or even strike them with their swords."

Xu Mo nodded. "In that case, they were definitely refugees."

Just then, Chen Miaoyi and Ning Yaxin arrived, anxiously asking for details.

"Niu Da, go look after the others first. I’ll be there in a moment," Xu Mo said. Niu Da nodded and hurried back to the crowd.

Once he was gone, Xu Mo told the two women what had happened. When Ning Yaxin heard that the entire shipment had been stolen, she grew agitated.

"Master Xu, we must report this to the authorities immediately! We cannot let this slide," she said indignantly. Chen Miaoyi nodded in strong agreement.

Xu Mo frowned. "We will report it, of course, but the current priority is to comfort everyone and then figure out how to continue our deliveries to the city." The inventory at the beauty store was limited; if they didn't deliver goods within two days, they would run out of stock.

"Master Xu," Ning Yaxin said immediately, "I brought ten guards with me. They can help with the delivery! If you feel that’s not enough manpower, I will find a way to get more!"

Xu Mo nodded. "Miss Ning, let’s discuss this later. I need to check on the wounded."

After examining everyone, Xu Mo was finally at ease. Because of Niu Da’s sound judgment, the injuries were not severe; they would recover after a few days of rest and medication.

While Xu Mo and Xu Tieshu were comforting the team, an old woman rushed into the crowd, repeatedly calling for "Sanshui." She was Li Sanshui’s mother. Upon hearing that the delivery team had been robbed, she had rushed over in a panic to check on her son.

To her surprise, she discovered that Li Sanshui hadn't joined the team at all that day, and no one knew where he had gone. However, his mother insisted that he had left home early that morning. Though she hadn't found her son, she breathed a temporary sigh of relief, assuming he had likely gone off somewhere to slack off and would return by nightfall.