A crunching sound of footsteps in the snow came from outside, followed by knocking and hushed voices.

"Fatty, open the door, it’s me."

"Oh my, who’s lying here?"

"Damn fat woman, exactly where she shouldn’t be, lying here."

With a "thud," a falling sound was followed by Skinny’s cursing.

Fatty opened the door.

Fatty said, "Leave no traces, let her freeze to death."

Skinny let out a chilling laugh under the moonlight, always saying Fatty wasn’t ruthless enough. Today, Skinny finally showed his brutality.

Dead, Mrs. Jiang was better than alive—after all, dead people can’t speak.

"Why did it take you so long? Did the letter get delivered?" Fatty asked expectantly.

Skinny rubbed his hands and exhaled, saying, "Delivered. I was afraid that kid might trick us, so I climbed the big tree at the Nie family’s gate to observe for a while. Madam Nie was crying as she gathered the silver."

"After tonight, we’ll strike it rich. Then, we’ll go to Yangzhou to enjoy ourselves," Skinny said.

Fatty laughed, sounding like mice scampering in a bellows.

"Forget the other three kids, but that boy can’t stay," Fatty said, nodding towards Xiao Long.

This mute kid inexplicably scared him, as if keeping this brat around would bring disaster.

Skinny laughed and said, "What harm could a mute cause?"

The child was so beautiful that he’d sell easily in Shengjing.

Anyway, he couldn’t speak. His predator-like gaze merely showed he hadn’t been tamed or witnessed their capabilities. Once they got the silver and left with the children, they’d torture him until he behaved.

Hadn’t Mrs. Jiang, with numerous disobedient girls, subdued them all ultimately?

"He doesn’t talk, no matter how we torture him; he won’t make a sound. Tie him up, prick with needles, burn with fire; don’t feed him, don’t give him water. Within two days, he’ll be obedient," Skinny advised Fatty, who seemed hesitant.

A handsome boy like this meant silver. Skinny didn’t want the money to slip away.

Fatty thought Skinny made sense and decided to keep Xiao Long.

The two spoke without avoiding the children; Man Er and others shuddered at the methods of torture.

Xiao Long firmly held Man Er’s hand, maintaining his mute persona, but his gaze at the two kidnappers grew more furious.

"A mute dares to look at me like that," Fatty, enraged by Xiao Long’s stare, lunged to grab him.

Today, he’d make him submit.

Xiao Long deftly dodged, causing Fatty to stumble.

Man Er couldn’t help but laugh.

Fatty, embarrassed and angry, shifted his attention from Xiao Long to grab Man Er.

As Man Er struggled to escape, Xiao Long slammed into Fatty from behind.

"Ah,"

Fatty crashed into the wall, rebounding with a wail, landing on Chun Wang.

Chun Wang woke up from being sat on, howling uncontrollably.

Furious, Fatty slapped Chun Wang, dislodging the cloth from his mouth.

Chun Wang howled like a pig being slaughtered.

"Shut up!" Fatty stood, panting, and roared.

Chun Wang trembled with fear.

Unwilling to concede defeat to Xiao Long, Fatty picked up a stick from the ground to beat him.

"You little mute, how dare you play me?"

Xiao Long ran around the pillar, with Fatty chasing, breathlessly failing to catch him.

"Skinny, help me catch him," Fatty angrily demanded of Skinny.

Skinny, looking down on Fatty, thought if he couldn’t handle one child, how could he be a good partner on the run?

"You can’t even manage a mute."

Skinny rolled up his sleeves, deciding to teach Xiao Long a lesson and intimidate Fatty. Now that Mrs. Jiang was out, one of them needed to take charge.

As Skinny reached for Xiao Long, he unexpectedly stepped on a stone, falling flat.

Not only Man Er laughed, but Yaozu and Duo’er joined in.

Instead of impressing Fatty, Skinny lost face, growing angrier.

As he stood, he cursed at Xiao Long, "You brat, you little mute, I’ll deal with you."

Chun Wang watched the scene, dumbfounded.

Like Chun Wang, Man Er, Xiao Long, Yaozu, and Duo’er had been captured by the kidnappers.

Being older and more cunning, Chun Wang got an idea, crying out, "He tricked you, he’s not mute."

Fatty and Skinny looked at Chun Wang.

Chun Wang shrank back, ingratiatingly saying, "I’m from the same village as them, they really tricked you, he’s called Xiao Long, he’s not mute."

Man Er glared angrily at Chun Wang, scolding, "You’re so bad!"

Fatty and Skinny realized Xiao Long wasn’t mute, which meant the girl who said he was mute wasn’t a simpleton either.

How much truth was in what these four kids said?

Fatty squinted and asked Chun Wang, "Are they from the Nie family?"

Chun Wang pointed to Xiao Long, Man Er, and Yaozu: "These three are from the Gu family, from our village."

He then pointed to Duo’er: "She’s from Black Dragon Pond, her mom and dad separated, and now she lives with the Gu family."

The two kidnappers, upon hearing this, grew furious.

They believed they’d caught big fish and awaited the silver from the Nie family and Yan Guan Town’s village chief, only to find out these children deceived them.

Exchanging glances, the two kidnappers couldn’t let the humiliation from being played by four kids slide.

"Idiots," Xiao Long sneered disdainfully.

The kidnappers, driven mad by Xiao Long’s contempt, spread their arms and cornered the kids further into the room.

"You grab those two, I’ll take these two,"

Skinny pointed at Man Er and Xiao Long, leaving Duo’er and Yaozu to Fatty.

Duo’er, terrified, clung tightly to Man Er.

Though scared, Man Er held her ground, clutching the chili water.

As Skinny reached for Man Er, he suddenly changed course and lunged at Duo’er, making Duo’er cry loudly.

Just then, Man Er sprayed the chili water into Skinny’s eyes.

"Ah, ah," Skinny cried, covering his eyes.

Xiao Long took advantage, sweeping Skinny’s knee, making him fall and wail.

Before Fatty knew what happened, Yaozu sprayed him with chili water.

A second later, both Fatty and Skinny howled in pain.

Man Er picked up the stick Fatty dropped, alternately striking Fatty and Skinny.

The two kidnappers never expected to be outdone by four children.

Chun Wang was stunned.

Seeing the kidnappers couldn’t get up, Man Er walked towards Chun Wang, waving the chili water in front of his eyes.

"No need for that trouble; just break his legs."

Xiao Long had disliked Chun Wang in school, and now that he’d betrayed them, he deserved the consequences.

Chun Wang, terrified, fainted with a roll of his eyes.