Chapter 47: Dim Sum

“What?”

Huang Fu’s face finally showed an expression unrelated to lust.

He looked at Zhang Baozhu in some surprise, as if watching a rabbit speaking human language. He hadn’t expected her to dare ask a question.

She hasn’t gone mad!

This lecher hasn’t gone mad!

A glimmer of confidence suddenly arose in Zhang Baozhu’s heart.

“I asked,” she steadied herself, “do you truly like me?”

This dialogue clearly caught Huang Fu off guard.

In his imagination—or rather, he hadn’t even considered it—those women who stayed inside all day without seeing the outside world were no different from rabbits. Once bound and brought here, they would be too frightened to speak.

Interesting.

Huang Fu grinned. “Of course.”

“You must say the same to every woman,” said Zhang Baozhu.

Every woman? Huang Fu was momentarily taken aback, then tasted something different in her words.

It seemed almost like jealousy.

“My dear sister,” he said, gripping her hand, “your older brother only has eyes for you.”

“But I’ve never seen you before. I don’t even know who you are,” Zhang Baozhu trembled, suppressing her fear as she asked.

Huang Fu became interested and sat down beside her. “I’m your cousin from the Huang family. You might not remember me, but I used to see you every day!”

Seeing Zhang Baozhu’s shocked expression, he gently rubbed her smooth, delicate face and smirked, “Not only did I see you, but I watched you bathe and dress many times. Say, you know what part of you I love the most?”

His gaze slowly traced her face and trailed down her neck. Zhang Baozhu felt as though a venomous snake had slithered past her.

“It’s those little breasts—small and delicate, so adorable… Haha, I’ve wanted to touch them for a long time.”

Zhang Baozhu was a virtuous woman. Even after marrying Li Er and engaging in marital relations, she had been shy and reserved. She had never heard such vulgar words before. Instantly, her pretty face flushed deep purple. She trembled all over, feeling nauseous.

“But now it’s all good. After we get married, I can touch them every day.” Huang Fu lustfully pinched her and tried to pull her up to perform the wedding ceremony.

Zhang Baozhu was dragged roughly, nearly stumbling. She felt ashamed, angry, shocked, and terrified, almost ready to cry.

“Traditionally, marriage is arranged by parents and matchmakers,” she desperately summoned the last of her courage, trying to appear less frightened, “if you truly have feelings for me, why haven’t you come to propose?”

Huang Fu threw her to the ground. Upon hearing this, he suddenly became furious and spat on the ground. “Your old man certainly looks down on me for having no ability!”

Huang—the surname Huang—he also mentioned that he used to see me every day… These words rushed through Zhang Baozhu’s mind like a gust of wind, and she suddenly remembered a Huang family that lived nearby.

She seemed to remember her parents mentioning them a few times, warning their children to stay away from that family’s son.

Was it him?

“How could that be?” Zhang Baozhu hurriedly said. “I heard your family has a good background too. We live so close, wouldn’t that make us a suitable match?”

After years of marriage, she had come to understand how much men valued their pride. Previously, she often used similar flattery to please Li Er, with excellent results. She just didn’t know whether this would work on this criminal.

Huang Fu was indeed momentarily stunned, then thought it made sense.

A suitable match?

Right, my ancestors were once prosperous. It’s just that I’m temporarily struggling now. In a few years, I’ll rise again. Who couldn’t I match?

“You’re actually quite insightful, little girl,” Huang Fu looked at her with more appreciation.

It worked!

The effect was unexpectedly good. Zhang Baozhu was even startled herself. She quickly seized the opportunity. “If you had come to propose back then, wouldn’t it have been convenient for our families to interact? Then I wouldn’t have had to marry into the Li family and suffer!”

Huang Fu had lived many years but had never heard such nice words before. He immediately felt his spine straighten, as if his bones had lightened by several jin.

He casually sat down on the ground. “So, you married a fine husband back then, but now you’re unhappy?”

“What kind of fine husband?” Mentioning the Li family, Zhang Baozhu was already filled with resentment. Her words contained six parts truth and four parts exaggeration. “A scholar sounds good, but can everyone become an official? There are plenty who never pass the exams their whole lives! He only focuses on studying and asking for money, completely unaware of hardship. He speaks lightly, as if money just fell from the sky. My in-laws are stingy and always find ways to belittle me. My younger brother-in-law is idle and even tried to seize my dowry…”

Huang Fu only knew that Zhang Baozhu had returned to her parents’ home after being wronged and had secretly overheard her crying, but not in such detail. Now, upon hearing this, he began cursing too, first at the Li family, then at the Zhangs, and finally at Zhang Baozhu for being blind.

“You blind little whore! You married him back then, and now you’re crying about it!”

Zhang Baozhu was already wronged and confused, kidnapped by this lecher. Now, recalling the past felt like a distant memory. She didn’t know whether she would ever see the light of day again. Her sorrow deepened, originally seven parts grief swelling to fourteen. She collapsed on the ground, sobbing loudly.

“It was all because I couldn’t see clearly. If I had married a capable man, I wouldn’t have ended up like this!” She cried and spoke at the same time. Halfway through her crying, she suddenly became aware of her situation and had to focus on coaxing Huang Fu again. “Compared to you, Huang family’s older brother, with good background and courage, you just didn’t come to propose. Now look at the situation!”

Crazy, crazy!

While crying and shouting, Zhang Baozhu felt as though she had split into two people—one cowering on the ground trembling, the other filled with an inexplicable madness, desperately fighting like a trapped beast.

She had never felt her heart beat so fast and heavily. Her whole body felt like a tightrope walker, swaying precariously on a thick rope, ready to fall and die at any moment.

But besides going crazy, what other options were there?

She couldn’t think of any.

Kill me, she even thought. Once dead, everything would be resolved!

Unexpectedly, Huang Fu, watching her cry, instead of his previous ferocity, only grabbed her slender neck and angrily scolded, “Stop crying! You’re giving me a headache!”

He wanted to repeatedly humiliate women who looked down on him. But this girl’s words were all praise, making it hard for him to be harsh.

Rarely encountering a woman with insight, Huang Fu proudly thought to himself. If he killed her immediately, wouldn’t that be a pity?

Wait, he didn’t strangle me like he did before!

Zhang Baozhu had cried until her eyes were swollen before suddenly realizing this.

Did he believe her?

Not entirely, perhaps, but at least he had softened!

Realizing this, Zhang Baozhu suddenly felt much braver.

With tear-stained eyes, she steeled herself and said, “If you truly treat me well, I wouldn’t mind marrying you. But marriage is a serious matter. Even without guests, shouldn’t we at least have a proper banquet? If no banquet, then at least prepare some wine, meat, fruits, and vegetables.”

She hadn’t eaten for a long time and was already starving, her front chest sticking to her back. The pastries she had eaten in the sedan chair were drugged, making her even weaker now.

She needed to eat and drink to gather strength for escape. Otherwise, even if an opportunity arose, she wouldn’t have the energy to run far, she thought to herself.

While speaking, she appeared calm on the surface but was extremely nervous inside.

This was the first time she had actively made a request to her captor, and she couldn’t guarantee how long his momentary softness would last.

What if he became furious?

What if he suddenly turned hostile?

But thinking again, at this point, the worst outcome was death anyway!

If it worked…

Huang Fu had never seen a woman like this before. He found it quite fresh.

He stared at Zhang Baozhu for a long time. “Makes sense! Makes sense!”

Then he shook his head and growled, “No, wait. You must want to eat and then escape!”

“I’m just a weak woman. You’ve taken all my jewelry and money. Now I’m completely helpless, scared stiff, hands and feet too weak to run anywhere,” Zhang Baozhu, fearing his refusal, quickly interjected.

Huang Fu thought about it and realized she was right. Besides, he was also hungry.

But if he left like this, he still felt uneasy.

After much consideration, Huang Fu fetched a rope and bound Zhang Baozhu’s hands and feet, stuffing a cloth in her mouth. “Alright then, I’ll be right back.”

Zhang Baozhu wanted to beg him not to tie her up but knew it was impossible, so she reluctantly agreed.

Huang Fu took the opportunity to grope her a few more times before reluctantly heading out. At the door, he turned back to threaten her, “Behave yourself. Don’t try any tricks on me. If I catch you, I’ll rape you first and then kill you!”

Zhang Baozhu shuddered and nodded repeatedly like a pecking chick.

Taking advantage of Huang Fu opening the door, Zhang Baozhu desperately glanced outside. It was pitch-black and eerily silent, without even a hint of light.

Where am I?

She wondered. Could I already be outside the city?

Certainly. The Dragon Boat Festival was approaching, and the city of Kaifeng was bustling with activity. Even in the early morning, she should see distant lights and hear faint sounds from the streets. It couldn’t possibly be this deathly silent…

“I know you don’t have the guts,” Huang Fu smirked proudly. “Behave, and there’ll be rewards.”

With that, he locked the door from the outside, pushed it a few times to ensure it was secure, and then left.

Once Huang Fu was gone, the room instantly fell silent. Zhang Baozhu remained stiff for a long time, confirming he was truly far away before her entire body relaxed, and tears streamed down her face.

She was scared. She was genuinely terrified…

Meanwhile, at the Kaifeng government office.

The investigation had now identified Huang Fu as the prime suspect. Tu Yao personally oversaw the case, issued wanted notices, and dispatched hundreds of officers and soldiers to search for him.

“It’s been nearly two days since the incident, and news is spreading. The temple fair is approaching. If we don’t solve the case soon, the public will inevitably panic. I entrust this to all of you!”

The group first went to the grove where the sedan chair had previously stopped. As expected, there was no sign of anyone.

After a quick inspection of the grove, they found no fresh traces. It seemed unlikely that Huang Fu had entered the woods.

It was more likely that he had hidden nearby in advance and then abducted Zhang Baozhu once the bearers left.

“Huang Fu doesn’t have travel documents, so he can’t enter other towns. He must be hiding outside the city,” Xie Yu observed, looking at the footprints and animal tracks on the ground, speaking quickly. “He’s carrying a woman. If Zhang Baozhu resists slightly, it would attract attention. It’s unlikely he’d stay at an inn or a stranger’s house.”

According to neighbors, Huang Fu was greedy, pleasure-seeking, lazy, and couldn’t endure hardship in the wilderness—it would be worse than death for him.

Without inns, no lodging, and unable to camp in the wild, the only remaining possibility was…

He quickly assigned tasks. “Huo Ping, go immediately to the land office to check property records. See if the Huang family has any other residences. Yuan Pei, have you compiled the list of Huang Fu’s close associates?”

Yuan Pei handed him a list. “All here.”

“Good,” Xie Yu gestured to Huo Ping. “Take this list with you. Check all these people’s properties and see if any are outside Kaifeng. Also, investigate any abandoned temples or houses outside the city. Hurry!”

The Huang family had long declined, making it unlikely they had a second residence, but it still needed verification.

No one knew how long Zhang Baozhu could endure. The sooner Huang Fu was captured, the greater the chance of saving her.

Ma Bing was also anxious. “Sir, even the most vicious criminals need to eat. Why don’t I take a few people to ask nearby farmers and markets? Maybe Huang Fu will come out to buy food?”

Neither Huang Fu nor Zhang Baozhu could cook, and hiring someone to prepare meals would risk exposure. They had to buy ready-made food.

With the hot weather, they couldn’t buy too much at once, so Huang Fu would need to go out frequently.

As long as he went out, someone must have seen him!