Starting from a peasant family, he mastered the profound art of martial arts.

Chapter 5 Hidden Ambush

Now that the decision has been made, it is time to put it into action.

Since it's about settling scores, there's no need to pick a day; as long as it's suitable, every day is a good day.

Meng Chen walked out of the room. The crescent moon hung in the sky, yet the heat still lingered.

After picking up some pebbles, Meng Chen drew a square frame to represent the Yan family mansion, and then began to make plans.

The Yan family's new house was not far from the old Dragon Pool. Despite their sudden wealth, they did not forget to guard against thieves. The walls were much higher than ordinary earthen walls, and there were no tall trees within ten feet outside the walls. They also kept vicious dogs in the house, so it would be impossible to climb over the walls at night.

Moreover, Meng Chen was unfamiliar with the layout of the Yan family mansion, and his rash intrusion could lead to too many unforeseen events.

After much thought, the only option left was to ambush and kill them on the road.

Not long after the Yan family rose to prominence, Master Yan retained his peasant habits and, in addition to supervising the tenants' work, he often wore a straw hat and led three or five relatives who had come to help him, wandering around the neighborhood.

As for Yan Bao, he often rode his horse on the fields and roads. However, due to the recent hot weather, Yan Bao couldn't get up early, so he only rode a few laps in the evening when it was cooler.

Of course, it's probably impossible to make a move during the day. Now that the wheat has been harvested, the fields are wide open, and people can be seen from afar, making it unsuitable for ambushes and sneak attacks. Therefore, the only option is to do it at night.

But the Yan family father and son might not necessarily go out at night. Besides, when people go out, they either ride horses or carriages, and they also have hangers-on following them.

After thinking for a long time, Meng Chen realized that killing the Yan family father and son would be extremely difficult.

"This is probably what 'momentum' means. When the opponent is powerful and you are weak, it is inherently difficult to defeat the strong with the weak."

Murder cannot be done with a sure thing, but with waiting for the right opportunity. Meng Chen was not discouraged. Although he didn't have a good method, he had a simple one.

Meng Chen thought that he would go to the road in front of the Yan family's house at night from now on, and whenever they went out, he would have an opportunity.

You have no suspicion of others, but I have malicious intentions. Anyway, if one day isn't enough, I'll wait three days; if three days aren't enough, I'll wait ten days; if ten days aren't enough, I'll endure a month.

Nothing in this world is difficult if you want to kill someone.

As Meng Chen sat under the old jujube tree, planning his attack and escape route in the dark, and how to guard against unexpected events, a knock came at the door.

"It's me!" came Qingyu's voice from outside.

When the door opened, I saw Qingyu carrying a basket under her arm. She had been doing too much farm work lately, and her face had become increasingly tanned, almost invisible in the night.

"Have you eaten?" Qingyu walked straight into the yard, still talking, "I haven't finished the steamed buns from yesterday, Grandpa asked me to bring them to you."

"Thank you." Meng Chen was a little hungry and didn't refuse at all.

"Then you should eat it quickly, it's hot and it will spoil if you leave it until tomorrow." Qingyu put the basket on the stool under the jujube tree.

Meng Chen didn't waste any time and picked up the steamed bun to eat.

Seeing Meng Chen start eating, Qingyu bent down, circled the old jujube tree twice, and then reached out to touch it from the roots. But after only a few touches, she hurriedly backed away, "Ptooey! I touched a bug!"

Meng Chen sat further away and continued eating his steamed buns.

Qingyu hurriedly ran to the kitchen to fetch a ladle of water. While washing her hands, she said, "Why haven't you said anything? Are you still thinking about the Yan family? Are you going to become their tenant farmer?"

Meng Chen, preoccupied with murder and arson, had no time to talk to this little girl and simply said, "I'm not going."

"That's right!" Qingyu immediately agreed. She washed her hands, smelled them, and then rubbed them on her clothes, saying, "If you ask me, even though we couldn't take back the land he forcibly seized from us, we shouldn't stoop to being his tenants!"

Qingyu made a very good point. She said earnestly, "Even if it means doing hard labor on the river or working as a harvester, I'd rather go to the Yan family! You may eat a lot, but you're reliable and capable. Are you afraid you won't survive? Do you really have to eat the Yan family's food? A real man can find a way out no matter what he does!"

"Who taught you to say that?" Meng Chen asked casually, seeing that Qingyu's words were extraordinary.

"That's what my mother said!" Qingyu grabbed a stool and sat down opposite Meng Chen. Her face was dark and hard to see clearly, but her eyes were bright. "You know, I come from a boat family. My family's boat was small, so my father worked for my second uncle, but he had to be subservient to him in everything. My mother said that a real man shouldn't rely on relatives and friends; he'd be ashamed of himself for no reason. We're not missing any hands or feet, and we can go out on the water. Even if the small boat catches fewer fish, we'll still be carefree."

After relaying her mother's words, Qingyu concluded, "Brother, we can't get the land back right now, but we can always find a way to survive! Don't you think so?"

"That's right, your mother is insightful." Meng Chen wholeheartedly agreed with Qingyu's mother's words, and couldn't help but ask curiously, "So, what happened later when your parents went into business on their own?"

Qingyu, who had initially appeared full of ambition, burst into tears upon hearing Meng Chen's question. She said, "My parents endured three years of hardship to finally get a bigger boat, but our good days didn't last long. Then a great flood came, and the boat was swept away. My parents tried to chase after it, but they were swept away too. I wanted to go after the boat, but my father wouldn't let me. Later… later, we never found my parents. We don't know where the flood took them. Waaah…"

Meng Chen didn't know what to say for a moment, so he comforted her, "Your father is protecting you and doesn't want you to take risks..."

"No, that's not true!" Qingyu sobbed even harder. "My dad said I'm a jinx, and he's never let me on his new ship..."

"..." Meng Chen really didn't know what to say.

Qingyu's tears came quickly and went quickly. She wiped them away, sniffed a few times, and said, "Brother, you are reliable and capable. You will always be able to turn things around. Even if all else fails, becoming a live-in son-in-law is still a way out."

"You just said I'm a real man and shouldn't have to live at the mercy of others, and now you want me to be a live-in son-in-law?" Meng Chen frowned and asked.

"This..." Qingyu was stunned for a moment. She wiped her tears with her sleeve. "My mother said that you have to bow your head when you should."

You're always right. Meng Chen didn't argue, only saying, "Alright, it's getting late, go back and rest."

"I can't sleep now, I still need to drink from the donkey again tonight!" Qingyu sniffed, slung the basket over his shoulder, and then went out the door.

Meng Chen watched Qingyu return to the next room, then looked up at the sky, only to see the stars dim and the crescent moon hidden.

However, inspired by the blue fish, Meng Chen became even more motivated.

After finishing the steamed buns and drinking half a ladle of water, he tucked the sickle into his waistband, hung the hemp rope over his shoulder, and then went out the door.

Meng Chen's family lived at the west end of the village, and the Yan family's house was just west of that, so there was no need to worry about being seen by the villagers chatting and relaxing at night.

Continuing westward, you will see the Old Dragon Pool.

After passing Laolongtan and walking for about a while, the outline of the Yan family mansion came into view in the night.

There were no other houses around the Yan residence. A road was built in front of the gate, leading directly to the main road. There was a mulberry tree by the roadside, only about a hundred feet away from the gate of the Yan family.

This mulberry tree is extremely old, with lush branches and leaves. Every day after inspecting the fields, Master Yan would sit under the mulberry tree to cool off, and he once said that the tree's canopy was like a canopy, indicating that a noble person would emerge from the Yan family.

The crescent moon was dim in early June, and Meng Chen was dressed in gray linen clothes. As long as he didn't make a sound, it would be difficult for others to notice him when they came up to him.

Moreover, this place is not far from the Yan residence, so if someone from the Yan family comes in or goes out, even if it is dark at night, we can still see the general situation.

Meng Chen immediately took down the hemp rope, tied one end to the mulberry tree, and pulled the other end to the other side. In order to be inconspicuous, he found some wheat stalks and stubble, not only to cover the rope, but also to scatter some around it.

In this way, if someone were to ride by on horseback, Meng Chen could simply straighten the rope to act as a tripwire.

Of course, arriving by carriage wouldn't work. However, this ambush was planned for the right moment; if it didn't succeed the first time, they would try again.

Meng Chen lay prone on the ridge opposite the mulberry tree, holding the sickle in front of him and gripping the rope tightly with his other hand.

Before long, instead of seeing the person, mosquitoes swarmed around him. Meng Chen wasn't afraid of death, so he could tolerate a few mosquito bites.

They waited and waited, but there was still no movement from the Yan family. However, Meng Chen showed no impatience. He was weak and could only wait for a good opportunity.

Covered in bites, Meng Chen endured until well past midnight, then, realizing he couldn't go on, he groped his way home.

The next morning, Qingyu came to call Meng Chen to have breakfast again, but Meng Chen refused to go.

Since you've decided to kill to avenge your family, there's no need to get close to others anymore, lest you implicate innocent people.

Seeing that Meng Chen wasn't just acknowledging her presence, Qingyu didn't say anything more. Instead, she went back and fetched a handful of mugwort, saying, "Look at all the mosquito bites on your face and head. Put this in your room when you sleep!"

After Qingyu left, the village head came to the door again.

"Let's go to the Yan family. Master Yan and I grew up together, so I can put in a good word for you. We can just be his tenant farmer for a couple of years!" The village headman made a good point.

"Uncle, let's forget about it." Meng Chen refused. "I plan to go to the county town to find a way to make a living, save some money, and then go find my father."

Niu Lizheng offered a few more words of advice, but seeing that Meng Chen had made up his mind, he said no more.

After a period of peace and quiet, Meng Chen cooked some wheat porridge to fill his stomach. Then, carrying a grain sack, he went to grind ten catties of flour.

After committing murder, he would have to flee, which would make it difficult to find food and drink. Pancakes and steamed buns couldn't be kept for long, so Meng Chen fried some flour to prepare.

That evening, Meng Chen went to lie in ambush in front of the Yan family's gate and didn't return until four in the morning.

The weather grew hotter day by day, and two more nights passed, but Meng Chen still hadn't found anything.

On the fifth night, Meng Chen, as usual, took his sickle and hemp rope and lay down on the edge of the field under the mulberry tree.

There were no stars or moon today, not even a breath of wind. The countryside was extremely hot and humid, even the cicadas chirped weakly, and only the mosquitoes kept buzzing incessantly.

They waited and waited, until the third watch of the night, but not a single star appeared in the night sky.

Meng Chen felt a little sleepy, so he chewed some mulberry leaves. When it was past midnight, a gentle breeze suddenly rose in the wilderness.

For a moment, the leaves rustled, and the stuffiness of the past few days eased a little.

The stars and moon were hidden in the shadows, and the black curtain that fell between heaven and earth concealed everything.

The wheat harvest is over, and just as Old Chen said, thunderstorms are coming.

Just as Meng Chen was about to leave, he suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves coming from afar.