Repudiating a Good Wife Is Out of the Question

135. Luck Grows out of Adversity

Translator: Sissy That Walk

Cao Mo asked Xiao Cheng to burn the fire beacon to send signals.

They didn’t have a long time to meet this attack, but luckily Cao Mo had made an emergency plan beforehand in case the villagers started to open plunder on a large scale.

Cao Mo had refitted the vehicles used to transport compressed biscuits. The vehicles were now dismountable, equally valuable as a stepping-stone for offense or a strong point for defense.

Four pieces of an inch-thick dam-boards were established in each vehicle, the dam-boards were in sawtoothed shape at the bottom which could be embedded into the ground and could be used as shields as well. A small window was left in the middle to shoot arrows, small as it was, it was perfect to shoot arrows.

The spokes on the spoked wheels were actually arrows, there were about two hundred vehicles, one vehicle had four wheels and each wheel could carry about two hundred arrows.

Soon two hundred vehicles formed a square formation and there were compressed biscuits scattered ahead of the formation.

The bandits were surprised to see a formation emerging in a short time, they slowed down and started to shoot arrows to the formation.

But the dam-boards served as perfect shields, the arrows couldn’t hurt anyone.

Cao Mo shouted in a calm voice, “No need to panic or fear, relief troops will be here in a hour!”

The victims saw Cao Mo as the Saviour, no one questioned him, they all did what they were told.

Cao Mo asked the veterans came with him from the capital city to assume their positions and get ready to fight.

Hearing the clatter of horses hoofs, Cao Mo broke into a cold sweat despite he had made a perfect emergency plan, little did he expect there would be so many bandits.

The bandits started to shoot more arrows, some arrows got so close to the people and you could hear gasps from now and then.

Cao Mo had never felt time passed so slowly, each minute felt like a century!

The leading bandits started to charge triumphantly, but the horses slowed down as they approached close to the formation, they were drawn by the compressed biscuits on the ground.

“You useless beast! It’s not time to eat!” the bandits fumed and whipped the horses.

The horses roared in pain.

“Now!”

Cao Mo shouted.

The veterans had been waiting for a long time, they shot arrows readily, and the leading bandits fell from the horses with several thuds.

The leader was shot as well, he shouted, “Charge! He who breaks through the formation will be rewarded one hundred taels of gold!”

Hearing that, all the bandits were excited, they took up the positions of the fallen and rose to fight one after another.

Soon they got closer and closer to the shields, some bandits even started to hit against the shields, Cao Mo complained in his heart, ‘Where the heck are the relief troops? Is this ready my doom?’

An exclaim came when Cao Mo was about to give up hope, “Charge! Get them all!”

The veterans who were on the front line exclaimed, “Shizi Madam! The relief troops are here! They are here!”

Cao Mo heaved a sigh of relief, “Finally! That was freaking scary!”

What meXiao Yugui’s eyes when he arrived was a square formation and a mess outside the formation. There were many dead bodies, compressed biscuits on the ground and several horses wandering around.

To Xiao Yugui’s surprise, he checked the bodies and found the people died from trampling instead of arrows. The horses wanted water after they had the biscuits, but their owners whipped them and wanted them to charge, so the horsed went out of control and started to stampede.

Seeing the horrible scene, the rest of the bandits dared not to charge forward, plus Xiao Yugui had arrived with the relief troops so they retreated.

Xiao Yugui didn’t pursue the bandits for he was worried about Cao Mo and the victims in the depot.

Cao Mo asked the veterans in the front lines to put the shields aside and make way for Xiao Yugui.

Xiao Yugui was surprised to see no one died, only two veterans were slightly injured from the arrows floated down from the sky.

“Such a great job you’ve done!”

Cao Mo’s lips twitched, ‘Should I reply no, not at all?’

Xiao Yugui noticed Cao Mo’s facial expression, he knew Cao Mo must have had grown some dissatisfaction, Cao Mo had done more than enough for the victims, so he said, “You have done a brilliant job indeed, the victims are doing much better, why don’t you go back to our manor and take a break, we will take care of this.”

Cao Mo replied with disbelief, he found that too good to be true, so he blurted out, “Don’t play with me!”

Xiao Yugui’s face darkened, “My word is good. Our manor needs a madam to manage, and Yi is going to attend Imperial Examinations soon, you can go back.”

“Father, thank you so much!” Cao Mo jumped for joy, “I want to go back home, too!”

‘Ha! This is luck grows out of adversity!’ thought Cao Mo.

… …

Xiao Yi had already heard what Cao Mo just went through when Cao Mo was still on his way back, “Three thousand bandits! How committed you are!”

“The weapons the bandits used are what the military used to use.” the secret guard reminded Xiao Yi.

“Back in the days when grandfather was in the military, right?” Xiao Yi’s face darkened, “Father will try to cover it once he finds out it concerns Second Uncle, I need to figure something out.”

“You go send this letter to Prince Xing.” Cao Mo moved the books on the shelf and handed a letter hiding behind them to the secret guard.

The secret guard didn’t ask Xiao Yi what it was about, he was sure it concerned their private troops in Dingzhou.

Xiao Yi picked the book Doctrine of the Mean from the shelf with a solemn face, he had read the book for about a hundred times now, he could recite every paragraph of the book, but it was easier said than done! ‘Second Uncle, you started it, so don’t blame me for what I’m going to do!’

Xiao Yi thumbed through the book like a robot, all he had in his mind was Cao Mo, ‘Is Mo all right? How scared he must be!’

Xiao Yi paced back and forth in his study and he asked the servant to arrange him a horse, he was going to meet his wife halfway!

Cao Mo was anxious to return, he kept rushing the carter and said no need to slow down no matter how bumpy the road was.

The carriage galloped at full speed and they missed the tavern the second night, Cao Mo was hungry but he kept telling himself what he needed now wasn’t a tavern or a good meal, he needed to see his husband as soon as possible.

The carriage halted abruptly.

“Why are we stopping?” Cao Mo asked.

“Mo, I’m here!” a familiar voice rang.

Cao Mo lifted the curtain and what met his eyes was Xiao Yi dismounting from his horse, “Mo, I miss you so much!”

Cao Mo jumped out from the carriage and threw himself at Xiao Yi, he closed his eyes and rested his head on Xiao Yi’s chest, it wasn’t until now did he believed this was actually happening, Xiao Yi was really here.