48 Hours a Day

For Wendy, she had no other choice. Since she had chosen Zhang Heng, she could only rely on him no matter what would happen. At the same time, Zhang Heng gained valuable knowledge and skills, and since it could be considered part of the reward, his doubts didn’t bother him too much.

To avoid having to spend the night in the wilderness, the two sped up their horses. Zhang Heng could actually make Radish run faster. After all, he came to Lincoln County alone. Only one thing worried him-Radish would become difficult to control if it started running more quickly, in turn, increasing the risk of accidents. Hence, he felt that the journey shouldn’t be rushed.

But when compared to sleeping on the grass, a little suffering was nothing.

In the end, the two arrived at Glen Town at about seven in the evening.

“This is the town.” Wendy pointed at a bar in the middle of the town square. “My father always tells me about this place, saying that their apple pie is delicious. Every time he passes by, he will buy one, and sometimes, even two for my mother and me.”

Zhang Heng nodded, “Let’s stick to your plan. You go inside and ask when the last time your father showed up and if he passed through here on his return trip. I’ll head to the hotel to book two rooms.”

If he wanted to, Zhang Heng could actually head to the bar himself to ask those questions. Nonetheless, the terrible experience he had to endure when he entered a bar last time made him decide to keep a low profile and leave the communications part to Wendy. Even though the latter was only twelve years old, the rancher’s daughter was very good at what she was supposed to do, and she also knew how to communicate well, revealing maturity far beyond her age.

Undoubtedly, the harsh environment she lived in played a big part in shaping her into who she was today.

Every time her father went out to sell cattle, he would have to leave home for an extended period. During this time, she was required to take care of the remaining horses and cattle in the ranch and look after her mother. Coupled with the townsfolk’s hostility, being brave wasn’t just an option.

“Okay,” Wendy nodded. “Don’t worry, just leave it to me.”

“See you at the hotel.”

The hotel and bar in Glen Town were very close to each other. After the two separated, Zhang Heng paid for the accommodation and asked someone to care for Lightning and Radish before retreating to his room. There, he removed his revolvers and used the time to perform simple maintenance on the guns.

However, after a quarter of an hour, he didn’t see Wendy entering her room. Thus, Zhang Heng waited another five minutes before he got up and walked downstairs.

Wendy carefully avoided a pile of horse dung and what seemed to be vomit under her feet and pushed the bar’s doors open.

A woman with a flower-dotted skirt was near the door. Seeing Wendy, she said, “This is no place for a child.”

“I’m not a kid anymore, madam,” Wendy said.

“I am not a madam either,” the woman smiled.

“Oh, you are that...” Wendy suddenly exclaimed, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to discriminate against you.”

“It’s okay. Your attire is terrible. Are your parents abusing you? Fortunately, you are actually quite pretty. Perhaps when you get older, you can come here to find me if you want to escape marriage, a husband, or your children.”

“Thank you, but I don’t think something like that would be possible,” snorted Wendy. “Actually, I am here to inquire about something,” she said after a pause.

“Many people come to the bar for information. Usually, they buy me a glass of wine first. But for the sake of us both being females, I will not ask that of you.” She then nodded at Wendy, “What do you want to know?”

“I want to inquire about a man named Matthew Robbins. He is a rancher who should have passed this place fourteen days ago. He was in a gray shirt and some old-looking boots and is about thirty-five years old. His eyes are firm, and there is a scar on his left abdomen. He may have stopped by the past few days. Do you remember seeing him?”

“I can say that this man named Matthew is definitely not among those I slept with,” scoffed the woman in the flower-dotted skirt. “Sorry, I don’t stay in this bar all the time. I will go to the second floor if I have work. Now, fourteen days ago... let me think. Business seemed to be pretty good that day. Maybe he came in while I was working.” The woman in the flower-dotted skirt rushed to the bar and said, “Perhaps you can ask the bartender over there. He is always here.” “Thank you, madam... oh, sorry.”

Wendy squeezed a smile on her face, but before she could walk to the bar, she felt someone slapping her bum.

“Is this the newcomer you told me about two days ago? She is younger than I thought. Is she really 16?”

The man stank of tobacco, and his behavior frivolous.

“Ah, it appears there’s a misunderstanding. Bacchus, this lady here is not the Maggie I told you about.” Noticing how Wendy’s expressions had suddenly changed, the woman in the flower-dotted skirt realized that something was wrong. So, she hurriedly stood up and helped her.

Bacchus then shrugged, “It doesn’t matter. I’m fine with her. Although she is kind of ugly, at least she is young...”

Before he finished speaking, he saw Wendy suddenly pulling out a knife from her pocket and was about to stab him. By a stroke of luck, Bacchus reacted quickly and blocked it with his hand at the critical moment. He managed to avoid being ripped apart, but the knife sliced into his hand, almost piercing through his palm.

Instantly, Bacchus erupted into a string of curses.

The woman in the flower-dotted skirt covered her mouth at the sight of the bloody scene. She then hurriedly walked up to him and said, “Oh god, Mr. Bacchus, are you okay? I’ve said this is all a misunderstanding!”

However, in a senseless outburst of anger, Bacchus shoved her aside. Her waist was slammed on a table next to her, spilling along with her the drinks of two other customers.

“Royce, what the f*ck is wrong with your people?!” Bacchus roared in fury. He plucked out the knife from his hand, and blood started gushing out of the wound. It spattered and spewed onto the floor, almost forming a bloody mini stream.

“Mr. Bacchus, you need to look for a doctor in town to deal with that wound!” Royce ignored the pain in her waist and persuaded the man to look for treatment. Although this was her first time meeting Wendy, she had a good impression of this girl. In retrospect, she did not expect the latter to react so harshly.

This was just a small misunderstanding, and a simple explanation could have solved it. With Wendy stabbing the man with a knife, however, the situation had definitely escalated. Then, she saw Bacchus’ eyes flashing with a bloodthirsty and murderous intent. It was pointless talking him out of it. The most important thing to do right now was to ensure Wendy’s safety and to stop Bacchus from doing something stupid.