"Carly, I only realized today that Grandet is actually a decent person. I may have had some misunderstandings about him before." The middle-aged man glanced at the salted fish on the table and nodded in satisfaction.
"Yes, Father, we should be thinking about how to find the gloves now, rather than discussing Uncle Grandet's character."
The middle-aged man glanced at his daughter:
"You said you had it, so figure out how to solve it yourself." With that, he took the salted fish and left.
Carly glanced silently at her father as he gracefully departed.
"Should we really go and find those robbers to get some information? But the profit from these gloves is too amazing. You can make three and a half black loaves of bread no matter what you do, so it's worth the risk."
The weather grew warmer day by day, but Carly's heart grew colder. She hadn't found any trace of the robbers. Before, when she ran around covered in dirt, she could always find some clues, but lately she hadn't found a single thing. "Could they be hiding?" she wondered, growing uncertain.
Moreover, Uncle Grandet had already urged her several times, so she had no choice but to make up an excuse to get through it.
Today, Carly hid in a relatively secluded spot, observing the intersection ahead. The area ahead was a special place, as all caravans coming from the land had to pass through it. She hid here for two reasons: first, to see if any outsiders would come again, and second, to see if any bandits were gathering information here.
She hid there and observed for a while, but the result was still somewhat disappointing. As usual, there was no movement. "Could it be that those robbers have really gone into hiding? Or have they moved to another place?" She no longer even had a chance to secretly eavesdrop on any news.
But to Carly's complete surprise, there were people all around her, and her actions had been clearly seen by others; she was already surrounded.
"Sigh, it seems this deal isn't going to happen," Carly muttered to herself as she prepared to stand up and leave.
"Ah!" Then a hood was put over her head.
She felt everything go black before her eyes, and her feet left the ground. She struggled desperately, but it was no use. So she tried screaming, but that didn't help either.
The place was rather remote, and no matter how hard she shouted, it was no use. Even if some passersby heard her, no one dared to interfere. So she just lay down and obediently let them carry her away.
Not long after, Carly felt herself being set down, and then she saw light, her temporary discomfort subsiding. She slowly saw a very burly man staring at her directly in front of her, with many people standing on either side of her. They all looked like bad people, and one particularly conspicuous, flamboyant individual stood out. It was impossible to ignore him.
Carly thought to herself, "Oh no, we've stumbled into the bandits' lair."
She was a little scared, but maintained a relatively calm demeanor. She decided to see what the robbers had to say first, and if possible, ask them for information.
"Miss Carly, don't be nervous. We mean no harm. We just wanted to ask you for some information," the muscular man said calmly.
Carly felt much relieved. It must be about asking about outsiders. It seems both sides have this idea, which makes things easier.
"Ah! Chief, please don't call me Miss, that was a long time ago. Just call me Carly. Please feel free to ask me anything, and I will do my best to satisfy you if I know the answer."
The muscular man looked at the intriguing little girl: "It's like this, Carly, you used to be a guide for a stranger, right? Do you know anything about him?"
"Yes, Chief, but this is the first time I've met that stranger. I only know that he came to trade for salt, and I haven't asked him about his past." Carly was telling the truth.
"Yes, Carly, you're not lying, but you should also know that the outsider killed one of my guys, which makes me a little sad."
"Oh, Chief, that is indeed a pity, but the stranger has already left, and I don't know where he came from," Carly said apologetically.
"Yes, Carly, I've found the outsider's trail. I have to make him pay the price."
"Ah! Congratulations, Chief! Now that everything is clear, may I leave?" Carly planned to leave first, then follow them to see which direction they went.
"No, Carly, I've not only asked you about the situation, but more importantly, I need you to be my guide to find that stranger."
Carly cursed the muscular man a hundred times after hearing his words.
"I don't know the way, why would I be a bird guide?"