Chapter 119: Clear Soup Wontons

“I’m from Qiyun Stronghold!” Yan Lao’er arrogantly declared.

The mountain bandits patrolling the area were about to exchange secret codes with him, but he impatiently cut them off. “Save the nonsense, just lead the way. Haven’t you seen what we’ve brought? We’re paying in cash, one hand for the money, one hand for the people—no delays, no debts, all silver.”

He casually tossed the gleaming white silver in his hand, dazzling the bandits.

Faced with silver, the bandits lost some of their confidence. Besides, who would pretend to be one of them? After all, being a bandit wasn’t exactly a prestigious profession.

These guys even had proper wooden cages for transporting people—how thorough.

“Are you new? How do you know about this trade?”

“I also know that Cloud-Piercing Stronghold is your middleman. Our bosses think they’re too slow and inefficient, so we came instead.

Don’t worry, we’re paying the same price as them—not a coin less.”

Yan Lao’er casually stated the price.

The bandits thought that was fair—it seemed these people were here to compete with Cloud-Piercing Stronghold for business.

“If we give you the people and Cloud-Piercing Stronghold comes to demand them from us, what do we tell them?”

Yan Lao’er impatiently snapped, “Each of your little strongholds has its own turf—just go grab more people from the main roads! Do I really need to teach you this?”

The bandits thought that made sense. But since Qiyun Stronghold and Cloud-Piercing Stronghold were rivals, they figured they’d take the opportunity to raise the price.

“You can have the people, but not at the old price.”

Yan Lao’er sneered. “Oh? You want to raise the price? Look at your pathetic little stronghold—do you think you have the leverage? Don’t push your luck! Take a good look at my men behind me—who gave you the courage to make such bold demands?”

The bandits glanced at the force behind him, which vastly outnumbered them, and promptly shut up.

The disaster victims were brought out one by one. The bandits tied the children together with a rope, while the rest followed behind in silent misery, afraid to make a sound lest they provoke their captors.

The exchange went smoothly.

The bandits, delighted with their silver, found Qiyun Stronghold much better than Cloud-Piercing Stronghold, who only paid after the transaction. These guys were obviously well-funded.

“Hey, you—get some men to help load the carts. There’s no water up here; we need to take some with us.”

Since they had just received payment, the bandits readily agreed.

It was normal not to let them handle the water themselves—after all, in their line of work, backstabbing was routine.

Some bandits dragged the rope-bound children down the mountain, barking orders that made the kids tremble in fear, too scared to cry. The older ones comforted the younger ones, covering their mouths to keep them quiet. Parents followed closely behind, not daring to lag even a step.

Another group of bandits led them to a water source.

Yan Lao’er excused himself to “take care of business.”

When he returned, the bandits were already riddled with arrows. He avoided looking at them and strode down the mountain.

Yan Huaiwen hadn’t been keen on letting him lead the operation, but there was no helping it—Yan Lao’er fit the bandit persona too well. No one could play the role better.

So, with repeated warnings, he was sent with a full team.

The bandits who had been lured down the mountain had just finished loading the children onto the carts when they were mercilessly slaughtered.

The wooden cages were opened, and the children were returned to their parents.

After a brief explanation, Yan Huaiwen led his team up the mountain for the next phase.

Unexpectedly, the job up top had already been handled.

The carts were ready to go, and looting the bandit hideout had become second nature.

By the time they returned with several fully loaded carts, they had—predictably—gathered another large group of refugees.

…

Yan Lao’er’s throat was burning from all the talking he had done that day.

Resettling refugees was a massive task, and compared to last time, this one was noticeably less smooth.

After some thought, he realized it was likely because Liang Manshan, the young scholar, had played a big role last time, saving them a lot of trouble.

Since they’d already worked together once, he was now a “skilled worker”—a talent they couldn’t let go.

Yan Lao’er grabbed Liang Manshan, afraid he’d slip away.

“Help me out! We just rescued these refugees, and my voice is already hoarse—I can’t seem to explain things to them properly.”

Liang Manshan reacted quickly. From his cooperation with Yan Huaiwen’s team earlier, it was clear he was sharp and eloquent.

Yan Lao’er could have managed the communication himself, but he had no patience—he was eager to get back to cooking…

His wife had been struggling with her appetite lately, and only his cooking was passable enough for her to eat. Skipping meals wasn’t an option, especially for someone expecting a child. Right now, being the cook was his top priority.

Liang Manshan understood immediately. Without hesitation, he informed his family and rounded up a few trusted companions to help.

With Liang Manshan handling the communication, Yan Lao’er hurried back to knead dough and chop fillings.

He planned to make clear soup wontons.

His wontons followed the northern style—plump little dumplings with a meatball center.

He mixed wild scallions, minced wild ginger, salt, chicken essence, white pepper, soy sauce, and pure lean meat. With practiced hands, he poured in oil and stirred it evenly.

The ingredients were limited, but the person making them hadn’t changed. The familiar flavors awakened Li Xuemei’s appetite.

She smiled and sat down, quietly watching the man working hard for her.

Yan Lao’er noticed her shadow in his peripheral vision. Without pausing his hands, he said, “Too bad we don’t have shrimp, seaweed, or dried shrimp—it won’t be as flavorful.”

Li Xuemei disliked fatty meat, so their dumplings had always been made with pure lean meat. For wontons, they usually added shrimp for texture and extra flavor, using more oil and essential garnishes like seaweed and dried shrimp. The result was always delicious.

Whenever they didn’t know what to eat, wontons were the go-to choice. The whole family loved them and ate them often.

“I think it smells great,” Li Xuemei said with a smile.

“Haha! Then you have to eat more! Don’t be polite with me—just tell me what you’re craving, and I’ll make it happen, no matter what!”

Yan Yu couldn’t hold back her laughter.

Her father’s “no matter what” had such a vivid mental image—it was hilarious.

Following the sound of laughter, Yan Lao’er spotted his daughter sitting on the cart, swinging her little legs.

No wonder he hadn’t noticed her earlier—he was too used to her crouching or hiding away. The sudden change in height caught him off guard.

“Who made these soap bars? Why are they so misshapen?” Yan Lao’er asked, eyeing the oddly flat pieces drying in the open air.

“Big Brother made them. Pretty unique style, huh? He just pressed them with both hands—bam! Instantly shaped, haha!” Yan Yu mimicked the action. “Dad, yours look way better.”

Yan Lao’er smirked. “Your dad does everything with style! Your brother needs more practice—these look too ugly to sell, only good enough for our own use.”

“He says they feel weird in his hands.”

“That just means he hasn’t done it enough. No worries—he’ll have plenty of chances.” Yan Lao’er checked the time. “Go call your uncle and the others for dinner. Whatever needs doing can wait until after we eat.”

—

Homemade wontons are best with a bit of shrimp in the filling. You guys should try it—it adds a nice, bouncy texture. Dumplings work too, especially with chive and meat filling. So delicious!