The sixth of the Eight Great Thieves, Luo Rucai

The home of Du Liangcai

On the evening of the third day, Luo Rucai, squatting in a wind-sheltered pit to warm himself by the fire, suddenly heard a hurried sound of footsteps, accompanied by faint voices carried by the wind

As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw a fierce face appear before him

As the sound of the clapper on the stage began to resonate, Luo Rucai found himself instinctively moving closer to a woman dressed in a red coat

The strong man gasped and said: "Du Bancheng's family, you are seeking death!"

The mere thought of throwing such a woman onto the bed made Luo Rucai's heart feel as if a hundred raccoon cats were scratching at it

He does not understand what has happened to him; he only wishes to be closer to that voluptuous woman

The yellow earth on the road was deliberately scattered by him, with clear footprints of four individuals on it, among which one pair of footprints was particularly large, resembling the one that had stepped on his face

After waiting for another half an hour, Zhang Tu and the others will no longer be able to survive

Luo Rucai got up from the ground, brushed off the dust from his clothes, and hurriedly cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, saying: "Hero, we have matters to discuss over there."

Luo Rucai dragged the woman towards the house, saying as he walked, "Your husband was beaten to death for stealing from Du Liangcai's family tomb. From now on, you will follow me."

When the woman saw that the person who had arrived was not her husband, she was about to cry out, but was silenced by Luo Rucai, who covered her mouth with his hand. The oil lamp fell to the ground, igniting a burst of flames

Long before he mentioned that Zhang Tu was digging up the ancestral grave of the Du family, the head of the Du family had already left with a large group of swordsmen and servants

Du Liangcai's elder brother, Du Liangxiong, was defeated on Pidao Island in Liaodong. It is said that this resulted in the loss of troops and national humiliation. Marshal Yuan ordered the execution of Du Liangxiong, and not only him, but also his superior, Mao Wenlong, was not spared.

For two consecutive days, Luo Rucai wandered along the necessary path to the ancestral grave of Du Liangcai.

In the past two days, the officials of Yan'an Prefecture will undoubtedly exert tremendous pressure on Du Liangcai, with the sole purpose of extracting money.

Yang immediately fell silent and cautiously looked at Cao Rucai, saying: "Do not try to deceive me."

Zhang Tu's eyes shifted, and with a heavy kick, he struck Luo Rucai in the waist, causing him to stagger. He then spat and said, "You filthy scoundrel, what skill is there in plotting against someone's ancestral grave? I won't stand for it!"

The burly man sneered, "I usually kill pigs quite often, so killing a few people to make some money isn't bad either"

This must be a new bride; I wonder which family’s man is fortunate enough to have her

The strong man laughed and said: "Zhang the butcher from the West Market! Quickly tell me your way to wealth, or I will take your legs and make meat buns out of them!"

On the contrary, the civil officials were extremely dissatisfied with General Yuan's arrogance and his arbitrary treatment of the generals at the border, and they were preparing to submit petitions to impeach him. Based on Luo Rucai's years of experience in receiving and sending off at the post station, General Yuan's unfortunate days were not far off. As for Du Liangcai's family, they only needed to spend a large sum of money to continue living a carefree life

Luo Rucai said softly: "Your husband possesses unparalleled wisdom and ambition. What I lack now is merely an opportunity. When the day comes that I fully embrace my aspirations, I will ensure that you are adorned in fine silks and satins, with gold, pearls, and jade filling your embrace"

Furthermore, where did you learn about these significant events

Zhang Tu's home was soon reached

The audacity of that woman to provoke my grandfather!

Luo Rucai smiled, gazing at the ample figure of the woman in the red coat, and licked his lips, saying: "Grandfather said one must at least touch it."

Zhang Tu frowned and said: "Since the Du family is doomed, why don't we go to the Du family to take advantage of the situation"

At this time, the Du family's grave was completely ignored, as those officials looked down upon it and would not engage in the act of disturbing someone's ancestral tomb. Such trivial matters are perfectly suited for people like us to handle

Hearing the man cursing, Luo Rucai's mouth twitched twice, but before he had a chance to speak, a large foot stepped on his face. The sole of the shoe flattened his nose and conveniently covered his mouth as well

Inhaling the fragrance of osmanthus oil emanating from the woman's hair, he was reluctant to exhale for a long time

Upon returning home, Luo Rucai lay on the kang, his gaze fixed on the dark ceiling, remaining silent. His wife, Yang, wiped her tears while cursing and berating Zhang Tu, who had beaten Luo Rucai. Of course, she was more distressed about the twenty-one wen that Zhang Tu had stolen than about the bruised and battered Luo Rucai.

The loss of the army and the humiliation of the nation is indeed a grave sin that could lead to the extermination of the family; the Du family is doomed.

The strong man, seeing Luo Rucai's nose bleeding profusely from the beating he had just received, still fixed his pair of squinting eyes on his wife and laughed heartily, saying: "What? The lustful heart is not dead? This woman was exchanged by your grandfather for two big green mules. If you give your grandfather two mules, this woman will be yours to use for a few days."

In the western market, there is also a beautiful young lady dressed in a red coat waiting for herself

Luo Rucai brushed off the dust from his clothes and cupped his hands towards Zhang Tu, saying: "I am Luo Rucai, a station attendant. Yesterday, while serving two officials at the station, I inadvertently overheard some information.

Luo Rucai glanced at his emaciated wife and impatiently said: "You can wail after I die"

I just want to ask my brother, are we doing it or not

A strong man walked over and squatted down beside Cao Rucai, asking: "Who do you want to kill?"

As for the wealth of the Du family, I advise my brother not to have any designs on it. The Yan'an Prefecture is neither too big nor too small, and various officials are all eyeing the Du family's assets with greed. If we were to get involved, it could very well lead to our destruction. If we were to be accused of being accomplices of the Du family, we would face execution come autumn.

Yang leaned against Luo Rucai and whispered: "It is better for you to be well than anything else"

The bangzi opera had long since concluded, and there were no people left beneath the stage. Luo Rucai moved his body slightly and felt the pain gradually dissipate. Only then did he slowly rise to his feet and, limping, make his way home.

Walking on the dark street, Luo Rucai's heart felt as if it were on fire. The red lanterns of the teahouse in the distance were still lit, yet he did not stop for a moment, passing through the teahouse street, heading straight for the West Market

The face and head were drenched, icy and piercing.

It is said that the eunuchs beside the emperor were struck to dust by heavenly thunder, and the emperor himself nearly lost his life as he dove under the table

Luo Rucai repeatedly clasped his hands and said: "I dare not, I dare not. Just now, I was overly bold, and since I already knew it was my sister-in-law, how could I still dare to act recklessly"

As soon as his hand pressed against the new bride's lower back, he heard the woman let out a piercing scream. Immediately after, a loud bang echoed in Luo Rucai's ear, and then everything went dark as he collapsed to the ground

He made no excuses, took out a handful of coins from his pocket, and placed them at the feet of the burly man. The burly man picked up the coins and then kicked Luo Rucai hard once more, finally satisfied and ready to leave

Luo Rucai lifted the woman and continued to walk backward, while the woman screamed: "It's on fire!"

He extended his hands in an attempt to move the large foot away, but his arms were pinned down by two feet, rendering him unable to move, and he could only twist his body like a maggot

In a few days, I will give you more money

You see, within two days, this matter will certainly be reported, and the Du family has already begun to flee

The new bride dressed in a red coat was also preparing to leave with the group of strong men. Luo Rucai glanced at the woman's full moon-like backside and, as if compelled by some unseen force, shouted: "Hero, please wait!"

Luo Rucai reached into his wife's bosom, pinched it a couple of times, sighed with disinterest, and the image of that voluptuous woman in the red coat reappeared in his mind

Luo Rucai leaned in close to Zhang Tu's ear and whispered: "Take the money from the dead"

Luo Rucai accompanied his words with a smile, saying: "Are you also taking on the job of killing, brother?"

Seeing his wife in this state, Luo Ruchai suddenly recalled the scenes of his wife playing and frolicking with him in their youth. He gently stroked her hair and said, "My dear, you have indeed endured a lot of hardships over the years with me, but it won't be long before we leave these hard times behind."

Luo Rucai's home is located outside the city. As he passed by Anping Street, he paused for a moment, gazing at a pair of black lacquered doors adorned with two war drums and pi xiu at the entrance. After a brief moment of contemplation, he revealed a faint smile and then continued to walk towards the city gate, dragging along an injured leg

Lose money

Luo Rucai coldly laughed and said: "The world is not in chaos. Throughout my life, I can only be a courier. When the world is in chaos, that is when I can showcase my abilities"

Look, this world is about to descend into chaos

Luo Rucai noticed that others had moved away, so he lowered his voice and said to the strong man, "I have yet to inquire about your esteemed name, brother!"

Du Liangcai's elder brother, Du Liangxiong, was indeed killed by General Yuan, but when the two officials at the post discussed this matter, they did not say that Du Liangcai would be in trouble

Yang was taken aback and quickly covered her husband's mouth, saying: "Don't talk nonsense, be careful not to get dragged away to be executed"

After the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, Luo Rucai, under the respectful send-off of the Du family's steward, left the Du residence. Once the steward had bid farewell and entered, he quickly felt the two solid silver ingots in his pocket, feeling quite satisfied with the earnings from this job

Luo Rucai chuckled and said: "If it were in the past, I would not have dared to entertain such thoughts, but now it is different.

Yang gave her husband a slap and indignantly said, "You are deceiving me again"

Yang wiped the dust off Luo Rucai's face and said irritably: "The world is in chaos, and you think you can get rich from it?"

Although the Lantern Festival in Yan'an Prefecture was not particularly impressive, and the bangzi opera was poorly performed, two actors, bearing various shabby and peculiar appearances, were shouting with voices as hoarse as broken gongs. The lyrics were inaudible, and all one could see were their mouths full of yellow teeth

Just when he thought he was about to die, the large foot that was stepping on his face moved away, allowing Luo Ru to take a deep breath and savor the hard-won gift of life

There was a large hole in the crumbling city wall of Yan'an, through which Cao Rucai easily slipped into the city. Groping in the dark, he arrived at the door of Du Liangcai's house, panting as he knocked on the iron ring of the black lacquered door. The sound of the knocking echoed far into the silent night

Luo Rucai let out a grunt, and the wooden door quickly opened, revealing a woman holding an oil lamp, standing gracefully before him

It is unclear how much time has passed when Luo Ru finally awakens, feeling a severe pain in his head; no, his entire body aches intensely. Even the slightest movement causes him to involuntarily groan.

Having spoken, he turned and left with determination

The woman before him looked much more attractive, not wearing a dress but instead clad in a bright red coat, red cotton pants, and a pair of red cotton shoes. She had a pair of earrings dangling from her ears, and most importantly, her chest was prominently rounded. Even without intentionally arching her waist, her backside was plump and rounded, prompting Luo Rucai to feel that he should move a little closer.

Luo Rucai carefully discerned for a moment, then smiled silently

I just saw my brother's bravery and there is a lucrative business opportunity. I would like to borrow my brother's strength for this, if possible

At the same time, the news of Brother Du Liangxiong being beheaded by General Yuan was also spreading in Yan'an Prefecture

The Ming Dynasty is about to come to an end

The strong man Zhang Tuling was taken aback for a moment and lowered his voice to ask, "Whose deceased person is it?"

He returned to the pit, continued to warm himself by the fire, and took the opportunity to roast a black and yellow millet bun

As long as you can afford it

The strong man stopped in his tracks, and the woman in the red coat also halted. The companions of the strong man likewise came to a stop.

The woman foolishly clutched the silver ingot, her eyes filled with terror as she watched the flames on the ground gradually spread to the wooden door

Luo Rucai coughed once, knocking on the wooden door. Soon, a timid voice came from behind the door: "Is grandfather back?"

The woman struggled fiercely and bit down hard on Luo Rucai's arm, drawing blood. Luo Rucai looked at his bleeding arm and helplessly took out a silver ingot from his pocket, handing it to the woman, saying: "This is enough to buy two large green mules"

Upon hearing this stern shout, Cao Rucai immediately understood that he could survive

Luo Rucai shook off his wife's hand and sneered: "The capital has been struck by heavenly thunder. Just think about it, to what extent must heaven be dissatisfied with the emperor to unleash thunder?"

After having eaten to satisfaction, I hurriedly made my way towards Yan'an Prefecture, with the bright moon shining in my sight

Luo Rucai sneered, "What does it matter? It's warm!"

Once this group of people had walked far away, he came to the road and held up a torch to identify the footprints on the ground