The sun was shining all over the earth, and it was rare to have such a good weather in winter. This winter was always overcast, the wind and cold dampness soaking through to the bones. The people in the farmstead were thinking about sitting in the square after finishing their work to enjoy the sun. Maybe even get the mattress out and dry it. The south was humid, and there was always a feeling that the quilt was also damp.

Only half an hour after starting work, the sound of a bronze bell rang and echoed in the square.

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“Have you heard? There is a drill today and we can all go and watch it.”

“What drill?”

“It’s the new group of people, the leader surnamed Chen, who brought a hundred and twenty brothers here. They will be doing drills with our people here!”

“It’s a sparring, but you are not allowed to aim for the vital parts of the body. You can’t get up again if you fall to the ground and the weapon is a wooden stick. We’ll see who is more powerful.”

“Then I have to go and see!”

“This is the first time I’m encountering such an awesome thing!”

Lin Yuan was also sitting on a high hillside to watch the proceedings. Jiang Gui sat beside him.

As for Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Baisong, they each commanded a hundred people to fight each other.

Although there were only a hundred people, Lin Yuan also wanted to see who would be more formidable when the numbers on both sides were similar.

Jiang Gui looked at the people below, chewing the salted fried soybeans in his mouth, and asked Lin Yuan, “Which side do you think will win?”

Lin Yuan said: “Just keep looking and you will know.”

Zhu Yuanzhang was only a young man in his twenties, and he had not fought any battles. In addition to having just a bit of theoretical knowledge, Zhu Yuanzhang’s knowledge came more from actual combat training. And the actual combat training he experienced was only twice and both were small battles, maybe even not much different from a group scuffle between two villages.

But Chen Baisong was different. He had survived by fighting different bandits and bandit villas. He has no theoretical knowledge or even literacy, but he had rich experience.

The more Lin Yuan looked at it, the more he felt that Zhu Yuanzhang still needed to learn.

In history, Zhu Yuanzhang was just a small soldier at the beginning who charged at the forefront in every battle, leading the way.

All his experience and decision-making on war came from the experiences of having repeatedly brushed against death’s door.

In fact, Lin Yuan also thought that Zhu Yuanzhang might one day not be willing to follow the orders of others, perhaps one day he will stand on his own.

But Lin Yuan didn’t want to never promote Zhu Yuanzhang or even kill him directly just because of this possibility.

He was not originally a person of this era. From the time he came here, his first thought was to guarantee his life.

He didn’t need to have any wealth, but just wanted to have a place to take care of the original owner’s family.

Later, he wanted the farmstead to grow positively and be self-sufficient.

Now he felt that the general trend was upon them with the farmstead now having more than a thousand people, food and money——although it was just fake jade. All of this added up to a sweet steamed bun that would incite covetuous eyes. So he felt that he needed to strengthen his fighting force to protect himself as well as guarantee the lives of everyone in the farmstead.

Lin Yuan lowered his head, he didn’t know if he had developed ambition.

But how many men have no ambitions?

Lin Yuan clenched his fists.

It was never wrong to have ambitions, but it was wrong to have ambitions but not enough intelligence to match said ambitions.

Lin Yuan rubbed his neck and continued to look at the following battle. He thought that from the first step he took, he was already prepared to enter the chaotic situation.

He could accept the final result no matter what it would turn out to be.

Have him take his people to join the Red Turban Army? That was unrealistic. The problem with the Red Turban Army lay in internal conflicts. Despite both belonging to the Red Turban Army Guo Zixing and Sun Deya had fierce internal fights.

He asked brother Dao, Yang Zi’an, Li Da, and Zhang Shicheng to go to Xinghua. The purpose was that Zhang Shicheng understood Xinghua and made friends with the salt miners at the bottom. Brother Dao and the others could also use this to break into the ranks of the salt miners. When Han Shantong and the others rebelled, from within the salt people they could instigate rebellion internally, and when the time came, this internal force should cooperate with the outside, and it would not be difficult to capture Xinghua.

The reason why he didn’t tell the truth to Zhang Shicheng was because he didn’t trust him.

He could trust brother Dao, Yang Zi’an and Li Da.

Brother Dao was reckless, but he had brotherly loyalty. This was a rare personal charm and would not be a problem to become brothers and friends with the salt people. He estimated that six or seven months of familiarity would be enough for him to make hundreds of sworn brothers.

Yang Zi’an had the brains. Among the sworn brothers, Yang Zi’an was the most clearheaded. He could analyze the pros and cons and was also literate and understood logic and reason. At the critical moment Yang Zi’an would be the one deciding the endgame.

As for Li Da……he was just there to fill in and provide an extra hand, and Li Da’s wife was still in the farmstead.

Zhang Shicheng’s role was just a guide to lead the way.

And Zhang Shicheng’s brothers were also still in the farmstead.

As for Chen Youliang, Lin Yuan never considered this person from the start. Chen Youliang was a dictator. He was similar to Zhu Yuanzhang in the field of tactics, and was a typical example of keeping the power in the hands of a few people, but he was not as lucky as Zhu Yuanzhang.

He was ambitious and intelligent, but he was too suspicious and couldn’t trust anyone. If he took refuge with Chen Youliang and Chen Youliang eventually becomes the emperor.

Lin Yuan touched his neck.

It was likely that he will lose his head literally, let alone brother Dao and the others.

The current plan was just to take one step at a time.

The most important thing was to have the armed forces to protect yourself.

“It’s almost over.” Jiang Gui said from the side.

Lin Yuan concentrated his attention and stared at the battle situation below.

Chen Baisong won, as expected.

Zhu Yuanzhang actually commanded very well, but on the one hand, he and his soldiers were just ordinary people, and on the other Chen Baisong and his men were of bandit origin. The combat strength of the two sides was completely different.

Coupled with the fact that Chen Baisong’s command was also not bad, it was not surprising that Zhu Yuanzhang lost.

After all, Zhu Yuanzhang had not yet experienced the baptism of war.

The winner could eat meat today.

When Lin Yuan went down, he happened to see Zhu Yuanzhang sitting on the side. He had his head lowered, making it difficult to see his expression.

“What’s wrong?” Lin Yuan also sat on the floor, watching Chen Baisong and the others cheering in excitement.

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his head with the same smile on his face: “It’s nothing. If you lose, you lose.”

Lin Yuan asked: “Where did you lose at?”

Zhu Yuanzhang was taken aback for a moment: “Just now I shouldnt have broken into squads in order to flank the other?”

……It seems to be right……No!

Lin Yuan said: “You just lack experience. Chen Baisong and the others depended on this for their livelihoods. We have raided the bandits only once or twice. It was not as frequent as they had, and the battle was not only about the commander, but also about the capabilities of the soldiers.”

“Correct?”

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: “Boss is right.”

Lin Yuan patted him on the shoulder: “Don’t be discouraged.”

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Lin Yuan, and he asked, “Boss, your temper is naturally born?”

Lin Yuan asked: “What temper?”

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said, “I have never seen you lose your temper.”

He had thought Lin Yuan was going to scold him.

Lin Yuan reacted and said with a smile: “Lose my temper? There is nothing to be angry about.”

Zhu Yuanzhang: “You’re not angry that I lost?”

Lin Yuan: “It is better to lose now than to really lose on the battlefield later, right?”

Zhu Yuanzhang asked in a low voice: “I wanted to ask when you had brother Dao and the others go to Xinghua, are you ready to……capture Xinghua?”

Lin Yuan knew that he would not be able to hide it from Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu Yuanzhang was smart, tactful, and observant so it wouldn’t be possible to hide it from him. He just said: “I indeed have this idea.”

Lin Yuan asked him: “Do you want to ask why I didn’t have you go?”

Zhu Yuanzhang: “Sure enough, I can’t hide it from Boss, but I also know that Boss doesn’t trust me yet.”

Lin Yuan shook his head: “It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s that the fewer people who know about this, the better. Even brother Dao and the others knew just before I had them leave. And with them leaving, there must still be people in the farmstead.”

Regardless of whether Zhu Yuanzhang believed it or not, at least at this moment he couldn’t show any doubts.

He nodded and said, “Boss is making painstaking efforts.”

Lin Yuan said: “You are now a battalion commander, and you are in charge of more than 200 people. I won’t say much about anything else. If you believe it or not, you think about it yourself.”

“I’ll go over there first.” Lin Yuan said to him.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: “Please go ahead.”

Compared with Zhu Yuanzhang’s low morale, the people on Chen Baisong’s side looked much more excited. After they knew that the reward was meat, their expressions became more vivid. They gathered around Chen Baisong and discussed whether the meat they got should be eaten directly or have some saved.

As soon as Lin Yuan came over, the group of bandits moved out of the away——they had already heard that Lin Yuan was a god descended from the heavens.

And they don’t know why, but they believed it very quickly, and Lin Yuan felt that it must be Chen Baisong’s contributions to fanning the flame on this matter.

“Unhappy about winning?” Lin Yuan asked Chen Baisong, who was expressionless.

However, Chen Baisong said: “The battle was onesided.”

Lin Yuan smiled: “In a few years, you may not be able to win.”

Chen Baisong turned his head to look at Lin Yuan, his eyes were deep, like the eyes of wolves and tigers, and seemed to be gleaming: “Young master underestimate me?”

Knowing that he had said something wrong, Lin Yuan quickly said: “I don’t underestimate, just making random comments.”

Only then did Chen Baisong curbed the look in his eyes.

The two talked as they walked.

“What do you think of Zhu Yuanzhang?” Lin Yuan asked.

Chen Baisong thought for a while and said: “Brave and intelligent, dare to fight, can advance or retreat, and in time he will be a fierce general.”

Lin Yuan looked at him strangely when he heard him speak so professionally.

After seeing Lin Yuan’s gaze, Chen Baisong asked, “Why does young master look at me like this?”

Lin Yuan: “Where did you learn these words?”

Chen Baisong was exposed and frankly admitted: “There is a scholar in my villa, and that’s what he said about me.”

Lin Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, he knew it, Chen Baisong didn’t recognize many words and was a bandit leader, so how could he know to praise someone in such a way?

Lin Yuan said: “When you have time, go and talk to Zhu Yuanzhang. You two can communicate more and learn from each other.”

Chen Baisong was not an arrogant person either. Just now when he had fought against him, he had naturally discovered Zhu Yuanzhang’s good qualities. Now, after hearing Lin Yuan’s words, he nodded and responded: “Okay.”

“Strive to train all the existing 1,000 people.” Lin Yuan said, “When the beginning of spring comes, I will organize a training session.”

Chen Baisong asked: “What is a training session?”

Lin Yuan: “It’s field training. You can’t bring anything except weapons.”

Chen Baisong only half understod, and he nodded in agreement with a bewildered face.

For a thousand people to do field practice, naturally they could only go deep in the mountains and old forests. In addition to exercising the body, the most important thing was to exercise their mentality. If they encounter bandits and bandit villas, they can even use it to practice their fighting moves.

It could be said to serve multiple purposes.

It would take almost a half month for the round trip.

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“So this is Xinghua.” Li Congrong looked at the city wall in front of him and couldn’t help letting out a sigh, “It really is a big city, different indeed from Wu city.”

Li Da said next to him: “How small is Wu city.”

Zhang Jiusi said from the side: “Let’s go in first.”

Because they were dressed neatly and orderly, and because they gave some money to the soldiers who guarded the city, as well as saying that they were here to look for their relatives, so it was not difficult to enter the city.

The population migration in the Yuan Dynasty was very convenient. Except for merchants who needed travel pass/authorization, there were no restrictions on ordinary civilians traveling anywhere.

Zhang Jiusi first took them to find a cheap inn, and then said: “My brothers are all outside the salt mine. They must be working now. We will wait to find them after dark.”

“Okay.” Li Congrong promised, “But I think Xinghua is not bad at all.”

Pedestrians were bustling on the road, vendor stalls were bustling with excitement, wealthy families in the city live in large houses with lanterns hanging at the doors.

Wu city was a small and remote city with a small population, and it could not even compare to Xinghua’s crowds and prosperity at its livliest time.

Zhang Jiusi said: “This is just the place where the rich lords live.”

Xinghua had a clear distinction between the poor and the rich. The salt people didn’t even have enough to eat, but the rich lords were ridiculously wealthy.

The scent of wine and meat come from behind vermillion doors, but the roads outside were covered with the bones of the frozen. This was the true portrayal of Xinghua.

Once you were a salt man, then for the rest of your life you were a salt man.

Generations could not leave the station they were born into.

It was getting late, Zhang Jiusi took Li Congrong and the others to the place where the salt people lived. Without the big mansions with carved beams and painted lanterns, what came into sight were low flat houses. The people who came in and out were thinly dressed and could not keep them warm in the winter. They walked along the road in a hurry, everyone with a bitter face.

“Brother Zhao.” Zhang Jiusi knocked on the door of a house, its dilapidated wooden door had long lost its original color.

The person inside called out: “Who is it!”

Zhang Jiusi lowered his voice: “It’s me, Zhang Jiusi.”

The person inside came to open the door.

After the wooden door was opened, a middle-aged man of about 40 appeared in front of Li Congrong and the others. But his temples were already gray, his back stooped, and practically looked like withered wood with deeply wrinkled and loose skin. He said: “Zhang Jiusi? You are still alive?”

Zhang Jiusi said: “Brother Zhao, let us in first, it is not convenient to talk outside.”

Brother Zhao only just realized and opened the door to let them in.

Seeing Zhang Jiusi, who had been missing for so long, come with three people he had never seen before, brother Zhao’s expression became a little puzzled.

Zhang Jiusi chose him for a reason. Because this brother Zhao was a bachelor, he had no father, no mother, and no wife and children. He lived alone and only had to be concerned for filling his own stomach. So he was not worried about others being in the house. And apart from making friends with Zhang Jiusi, he had no other close friends.

Zhang Jiusi knew him well because Zhang Jiusi helped him before by giving him food when he was out of all grains.

It could be regarded as a life-saving grace.

“They all said you ran away.” Brother Zhao sat on the side of the bed. The room was very small, with only one table, a broken wooden cabinet and a bed. He greeted Zhang Jiusi and the others to come and sit. “Everyone said you must have died outside.”

Zhang Jiusi’s expression was complicated: “I’m not dead yet.”

Brother Zhao smiled and said, “I also know that you have a tenacious life, and you will definitely not die. Say, why did you come back this time?”

Zhang Jiusi: “Don’t talk about this for now, let me introduce them to you first.”

Zhang Jiusi introduced Li Congrong and the others, and then asked: “How have the salt people been recently?”

Brother Zhao sighed and thumped his leg: “What else? It’s still the same as it was, after all, no matter how much work we do, we still can’t have enough to eat.”

Zhang Jiusi was angry when he heard this: “A bunch of bastards! They all have black hearts.”

Brother Zhao smiled bitterly: “What can we do? Other than enduring it?”

Zhang Jiusi remembered his purpose, and said quickly: “Brother Zhao, I came back for this! The last time I left, I went to explore the way. A living Buddha descended to the earth in the south, anyone who followed him can eat fully and dress warmly. Aside from doing some work, you don’t have to worry about your livelihood.”

“He asked me to come because he heard that there are still many brothers who are the same as me who are suffering so he asked me to bring you all back together.” Zhang Jiusi puffed up his chest and said, “Brother Zhao, you can’t trust others, but can you still trust me?”

Brother Zhao suspiciously said: “Is there really such a good person? Such a good thing?”

Li Da hurriedly said: “He is right! Our Boss is a benevolent god!”

Brother Zhao: “Benevolent god?”

He had never heard of this god before.

Li Da recounted the words circulating in the farmstead and gave some examples.

Including how Boss took in the refugees, how they saved the ordinary people who were captured by the bandits, and how they cared for the weak.

Practically calling Lin Yuan an all around superman.

This stunned brother Zhao who had always been in the salt mines.

He looked at Zhang Jiusi, and Zhang Jiusi nodded in agreement, indicating that what Li Da said was true.

“No lie?” Brother Zhao asked finally.

Zhang Jiusi hurriedly said: “If there is a false statement, let me be struck by lightning.”

Brother Zhao was stunned for a long time, both overjoyed and deeply sorrowful: “Oh my heavens, there is such a person in this world, it is truly a god descended from the heavens.”

“If there are too many people, it may be difficult to leave.”

Yang Zi’an said at this time: “Before I left, Boss asked me to stop and wait for him to send a letter.”

Brother Zhao and Zhang Jiu Si asked at the same time: “What letter?”

Yang Zi’an said secretively: “Boss is a god descended from the heavens. Naturally, there are methods of the gods. How can he tell us casually? Boss said that by next May, there will naturally be major changes. This change is our opportunity. “

“He told us to come at this time, just to make the salt people feel at ease. Maybe by then, they can live a good life without leaving their hometown.”

Brother Zhao and Zhang Jiusi were confused.

“You guys just wait.” Yang Zi’an said vaguely.

Of course, Yang Zi’an was not talking empty words. Lin Yuan told him a few more famous events, all of which have not happened yet. He only needed to say something eloquently and mysteriously, and those who want to believe will naturally believe it.

Soon, there were rumors that sprung up among the salt people, and it spread far and wide.

It was said that there was a god descended to this earth, born with the heart of a Buddha, wherever his fingers point, the land will become fertile, wherever his eyes look, the people living there will find peace, and even the breath that came from his mouth could make people feel invigorated and at ease.

And this god found out that they, just lowly salt people, were suffering here, so he rescued Zhang Jiusi first——because Zhang Jiusi was a person with brotherly loyalty and was also a kind and generous person. He felt that Zhang Jiusi was a person worth saving, so naturally he also thought that the salt people were also worth saving.

Thus, he sent some people here.

And this god was very considerate of them.

In order to enable them to live a good life on the land where they were born on and had roots, he casted a spell to make a big event happen in May this year. In this way they will be able to welcome a good life soon.

What was the big event? This was a secret from the heavens, how could it be leaked?

As for the secrets already revealed by the people he sent——those were all trivial matters and were for the purpose of alerting the salt people. Therefore the living god used up some of his lifespan to let people leak those secrets out, just to reassure them.

All the salt people believed it.

Their lives were too lacking in hope. Now that they have something to place their hopes in, naturally none of them remained unbelieving.

“Second brother, those are really what the fourth brother told you? So accurate?” Li Congrong was also confused now, and he began to believe it as well.

Yang Zi’an himself was also shocked. He himself was skeptical at first, but in the end all Lin Yuan said was fulfilled. He also felt that Lin Yuan might……maybe…… have something special about him, maybe he really was connected to the gods?

Not only did the salt people believe it, but also many ordinary people.

However, what they believed was different, and what Yang Zi’an told them was also different from what he told the salt people.

The people believed in Lin Yuan and believed that they can lead a peaceful life if they place their faith in him.

They also gave Lin Yuan the name “South Bodhisattva”. (TN: I’ve been using Buddha before but for LY’s new title I’ll be using Bodhisattva instead as a Buddha is someone who has already achieved enlightenment, while a Bodhisattva is either someone who has almost achieved enlightenment or has delayed enlightenment out of compassion for the mortals. So the second usage seems more appropriate.)

Because Lin Yuan was in the south.

If they knew that Lin Yuan was from the north, they would probably change it to “North Bodhisattva”.

Lin Yuan did not expect Yang Zi’an to have the ability to turn both the salt people and ordinary people into believers.

He became the faith of these believers.

When the salt people chatted privately, the topic changed:

“It is only January, and there are still four months left.”

“I don’t know what’s the big event but I’m too anxious to wait.”

“Nowadays, I can endure all the yelling from the salt supervisors. Just wait some more, wait some more and we’ll be able to live a good life.”

Some people also asked: “So South Bodhisattva is truly that amazing?”

“Truly amazing, you don’t know, the people he sent over, their calculations had never been wrong, different from the jianghu liars.”

“Furthermore, who is Zhang Jiusi? He won’t lie to us, he also said that South Bodhisattva is a celestial figure, and the people he brought over there are eating well and drinking well, and their workload isn’t much.”

Because of Zhang Jiusi and Yang Zi’an’s “prophetic” ability, the salt people and the ordinary commoners were particularly convinced.

Some people even used mud to create a statue of Lin Yuan for worship, everyday offering some clean water and food.

Later, the rumors became more and more outrageous. In less than three months, even the wealthy in Xinghua began to believe it.

Especially the females of those families.

Because some people say that the South Bodhisattva can bless the birth of children, and can also guarantee the births to be sons.

Especially when a female believer gave birth just one month after believing in the South Bodhisattva. Not only did she give birth quickly, it was also a baby boy.

So even more people began to believe.

If the birth was not easy, the baby was not a boy then it must be due to a lack of pious belief. It was definitely not the problem of South Bodhisattva.

Otherwise, it worked for other people, how come not for you?

After the female family members became believers, the men began to half doubt half believe.

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At this time, someone said that South Bodhisattva was an almighty god who can bless the favorable weather and the fertile land.

Then the farmers began to believe.

By the time Xinghua officials found out, this wind had blown throughout Taizhou (TN: province, Xinghua is one of the cities in it), not just Xinghua.

AN: Lin Yuan: “???”

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Don’t know when, but some strange rumors suddenly spread around the farmstead.

Gou zi and Er Liang were playmates of the same age. Sometimes they work together and often sleep together, talking more than with others. Gou zi squatted in the yard digging for weeds that day, and said to Er Liang, “They are all talking about the rumors.”

Er Liang: “What rumors?”

Gou zi said: “They said that Boss was sent from above.”

Er Liang: “……? What do you mean?”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Gou zi scratched his ears and his cheeks, trying to find a good explanation, but there was no ink in his stomach (TN: no education, don’t have a repertoire of vocab). After thinking for a long time, he could only say: “It means that Boss is not human.”

Er Liang: “……Who?! Why is my young master not human! I think they are not human! The young master gives them food and clothes, now they have courage to talk bad! Daring to talk bad about young master! Everyone of them are itching for a beating!”

Gou zi quickly said: “That’s not what I meant!”

Er Liang: “What do you mean then?”

Gou zi whispered: “You think about it, Boss bought such a large property at such a young age. Aside from this, Boss has also taken in so many people, even the disabled have not been driven away. Can ordinary people do the same?”

Er Liang straightened his chest proudly: “My young master is definitely not an ordinary person!”

Gou zi: “They said that Boss was sent by the Buddha.”

He didn’t mention the even more outrageous rumors that some people were spreading, that Boss was the Buddha descended to the earth.

Er Liang was stunned. As a person close to Lin Yuan, he actually felt that such a statement made sense. He said to Gou zi: “I have followed young master since I was a child, and young master has been a benevolent person since I was young. As long as someone asks for his help young master rarely refuses. Serving the young master is the best as he is not picky and always treat people sincerely.”

“It used to be fine that way since the Lin family had the wealth and means.” Er Liang analyzed carefully, “But when we arrived in Wu city, young master saw that the refugees were pitiful, so he had them come and build the house. After the house was built, the refugees didn’t want to leave, so young master let them stay.”

Er Liang clapped his hands: “What they said is very true! Young master is like the Buddha!”

Gou zi spread what Er Liang said to the others in the farmstead, and everyone believed fully that Boss was kind since childhood. What do young children know? No one must have taught this. Didn’t this mean self-learning without a teacher and being born with a benevolent heart?

So the rumors went back and forth several times, and when the truth was lost, Lin Yuan became a benevolent god from the heavens who couldn’t bear to see the people suffering on earth, so he took his leave from the Celestial Emperor and descended down to save the common people. Of course, the Celestial Emperor could not bear for him to leave and tried to have him stay. But the benevolent god was also big-tempered, and didn’t give the Celestial Emperor face, secretly descending down to earth.

Someone asked: “But Boss has also driven away a person, can the benevolent god do that?”

Someone else said at this time: “Man has likes and dislikes, and Gods naturally have likes and dislikes. Lord Dragon walks through clouds and cast down rain. If you provoke him, there will be droughts or floods. Then does that mean the Lord Dragon is not a good god?”

The origins have been compiled, and Lin Yuan’s background was painted in a mystical light.

The arguments were rather chaotic, but later on, they seem to have unified themselves. The final version was this: when Lin Yuan’s mother was pregnant with him, she dreamed of a golden light appearing on the horizon. His mother was frightened and shocked, so she knelt down and asked why the heavenly immortal had come?

The heavenly immortal pointed to her belly and said: “There is a merciful son in heaven, and he will enter your belly tonight. This is a great fortune. When this son is born, you will also have succeeded in doing a virtuous deed.”

So Lin Yuan’s mother gave birth to the child and passed away. She was not dead but just having completed her mission and therefore rewarded with being allowed to ascend to heaven as a heavenly immortal.

And speaking of, when Lin Yuan was being born only thunder could be heard coming from the skies. But as soon as Lin Yuan was born, the dark clouds in the sky dispersed by themselves, the sun shown down all over the earth, and the phoenix led the birds through the forests in celebration. Even the fish didn’t stay where they should be but jumped ashore, wanting to be closer to Lin Yuan.

The rumors and legends finally reached Lin Yuan’s ears.

Lin Yuan’s first reaction when he heard these rumors was “Is someone trying to make trouble for me?” However, after thinking about it carefully, he found it unlikely. After all, such rumors were beneficial to him no matter how he looked at it.

In the West, monarchical power was bestowed by God, elevating the king above the common people.

In China, the emperor was the son of heaven and essentially equated with the gods.

This was a kind of spiritual rule, just like the White Lotus Society being just a very simple faith at the beginning.

But the more the followers believe, the easier it was to be incited.

After Lin Yuan heard about all of the rumors, he didn’t know what kind of expression he should show for a while.

These rumors were probably due to the fact that the people in the farmstead have no daily entertainment activities, coupled with their low level of education, and the deep-rooted feudal superstition thinking. Likely having arisen from idle chat, only the more they talked about it the more real it seemed to become. But still it didn’t sound like something uneducated and illiterate people could come up with.

“It is likely arranged by someone deliberately.” Lin Yuan said to Jiang Gui.

Jiang Gui was also a clever person. He nodded and said: “This is definitely not something they can make up, but I don’t know why the person made up such a thing.”

The person who made the story must be in the farmstead, but there were so many people in the farmstead, rumors spreading by word of mouth, so it was nearly impossible to know where it first came from.

Jiang Gui had people inquire a few times, however, the person who made up the story actually showed up himself.

He slipped out of the dormitory in the middle of the night and squatted outside the courtyard where Lin Yuan lived. He probably wanted to find a suitable opportunity to see Lin Yuan, but the light inside was always off, and the person inside did not wake up. So he squatted there with his neck tucked in, looking both pitiful and hilarious.

Jiang Gui saw him when he was about to enter, and lead him into Lin Yuan’s room.

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This person, based on appearance, looked to be around his fifties. His physique looked sturdy enough, but his face, hair and beard showed signs of aging. He had rather big eye bags and his face overall looked mean and gloomy, with a mouth that drooped down and generally not very friendly looking. He didn’t dare to sit, and when he saw Lin Yuan, he instantly knelt down to the ground. Before Lin Yuan opened his mouth to speak, this person had explained it all by himself.

“Boss is a dragon among the people a phoenix among men!” He stubbornly said, “Only this origin is worthy of Boss.”

Lin Yuan asked him: “What benefit is it for you to spread these rumors?”

The person moved over on his knees: “This humble old man is now fifty-two, and do not have many long days to live. In this lifetime, I just want to see this chaotic world find peace, and the world unified under one rule. I see that under Boss’s lead everything is organized, the people perform their duties, the rewards and punishments are fair. Boss has lofty aspirations and ambitions, and this humble old man is willing to provide all of my meager contributions.”

Lin Yuan stood up and helped he person up, and asked with a smile, “Where is Mister (TN: in Chinese the word Mister, Mr. is often used for respected and learned people) from?”

After Lin Yuan asked, he soon knew that the old man’s name was Song Shizhao. His ancestor was an official of the Song Dynasty. Later, the Song Dynasty collapsed and the main Song family died for their country. However, the branch families managed to survive, but even so they still remembered that they were citizens of Song Dynasty. Almost every moment they thought about overthrowing the Yuan Dynasty and reestablishing the Song Dynasty.

They lived in seclusion in the mountains and forests, but as time passed some younger generations left down the mountain, and then many left one after another.

They were all young teenagers. Who would want to spend a lifetime in the mountains and old forests?

Although their ancestors say that their mission was to overthrow Yuan Dynasty and reestablish Song Dynasty, but where is Song? Where is the royal blood? Who can they support?

Song Shizhao was the last one to leave the mountains, and was also the oldest one. He didn’t think Yuan couldn’t be overthtown, nor did he think that no one would appreciate his skills and learning, he just didn’t think it was time.

When he felt that the time had come and went down the mountain, he became a refugee because he had no food and money. He wandered all the way, and was traded several times by mistake, until he finally arrived at this farmstead.

“You mean, you are helping me win people’s popular sentiment?” Lin Yuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Song Shizhao said seriously: “Boss, do you think these rumors are useless?”

Lin Yuan shook his head: “It’s useful, but……”

Song Shizhao: “Are you afraid that if it is spread out at this time, it will be discovered by the dog court?”

The farmstead’s entry and exit were both strictly surveyed, ordinary people can’t get out at all, nor can they communicate with the outside world so this worry was unfounded. Lin Yuan shook his head.

He just felt strange, and a bit unable to accept it.

Song Shizhao said: “Boss, do you think that if you give them food and clothing to keep them from being hungry and cold, and even set up the rules then they will be obedient and loyal?”

Lin Yuan looked at Song Shizhao: “Mister, please tell me, I would like to hear the details.”

Song Shizhao finally felt the attitude of respecting the wise from Lin Yuan and stroked his gray goatee, his eyes flashing: “The people are the same, they adhere to the belief that the one with milk is their mother (TN: expression for only recognizing someone so long as they have benefits for you).”

Lin Yuan: “……” Hnn……the words were crass but the principle was not.

Song Shizhao also said: “They have never been educated, and do not know morality and shame. Do they know what is loyalty? What is morality?”

Song Shizhao: “Boss, they listen to you now, only because you are in charge of food and people, they are afraid of starving and death.”

“You have to let them know that there is hope after following you. Only then will they be obedient and know loyalty.” Song Shizhao said, “Why else do the emperors of all the past dynasties spread legends that they were born with auspicious signs from the heavens and were born extraordinary?”

Song Shizhao said: “They think that you are a benevolent god, so they will respect you and obey you. They think that benevolent gods also have likes and dislikes, so they dare not disobey your orders.”

Lin Yuan understood, Song Shizhao was telling him that if he wanted people to obey him in a short time, admire him, and dare not oppose him then he must brainwash these people.

The brainwashing method was also very simple. It was to use their inherent traditional superstitious thinking to guide them to think that Lin Yuan was a benevolent god, and they will have a good life with Lin Yuan. And most inportantly, only following Lin Yuan will they be able to continue living a good life.

“Boss, in the second year of Taiding, Zhao Chousi carried the banner of Maitreya Buddha.” Song Shizhao said, “In the third year of the Yuan Dynasty, Zhu Guangqing carried the banner of Dipankara Buddha, not to mention that in the fourth year of the Yuan Dynasty stitching the name of Buddha on your garment was widely made to believe it will protect you from knife wounds.”

Song Shizhao: “The moves are never old.”

Lin Yuan smiled: “So, I have to thank Mister?”

Song Shizhao’s expression was very calm and composed, but his trembling little finger of his left hand revealed his excitement at this time, and his voice was a bit hoarse: “I am willing to carry out Boss’s orders, if there is at all any resistance, ten thousand deaths will not prevent me (TN: idiom meaning ready to risk life and limb to help out).”

“Mr. Song is too grave.” Lin Yuan shouted, “Er Liang!”

Er Liang hurriedly responded from outside: “Young master, what are your orders?”

Lin Yuan said: “Clean up a room for this old gentleman, from now on he will live here.”

Er Liang didn’t know what had happened but he didn’t ask, and took Song Shizhao to the side house.

When he left, Song Shizhao kept turning his head to look at Lin Yuan, almost looking back at every step. Just his expression and attitude, if someone didn’t know better they would have thought Song Shizhao was a newlywed wife. Lin Yuan seeing that the others left, poured a cup of tea to calm down his shock.

Probably because he grew up under the red flag so Lin Yuan resisted this method?

He laughed mockingly at himself, and drank a belly full of tea.

He thought about it all night and had to admit that Song Shizhao was right.

A team with cohesive power will be stronger than one without.

This cohesive force can be a unified goal or the same pursuit, but the most secure was the highest faith.

But Lin Yuan did not want to develop into a religious group with the cohesive force being a doctrine. He had no interest in this area.

Even if he wanted to break feudal superstitions and pursue scientific development, it must start after people have enough food and literacy could be widespread.

Not now.

Lin Yuan lay on the bed and looked at the beams above his head. In a rare insomniac state he remained awake all night. When he got up the next day, Er Liang was shocked by his listless look when he saw him. Lin Yuan’s face looked naturally tender, although he was a few years older, but he hadn’t worked out in the wind and sun, so he looked much paler than ordinary people. Therefore, after a night without sleep he had green eyebags, looking as if he was hollowed from excessive indulgence.

In the end, he did not do anything about the rumors, and Song Shizhao was also kept by Lin Yuan as an aide and advisor.

Song Shizhao had quite some abilities. He had a good memory that can even be called a photographic memory. He was also good at drawing maps and had unique views on things.

Song Shizhao believed that when a person dies, he should just be put in a coffin and that is the end of it. There is no reincarnation, and there is no karma. The so-called causal reincarnation was just people deceiving themselves.

He also believed that there were no gods in the sky, and if there were gods in the sky, they will not come to help mortals.

Lin Yuan sometimes felt that if Song Shizhao’s performance was not so normal, maybe Song Shizhao had also transmigrated from the modern times.

It was a kind of relaxation for Lin Yuan to talk to Song Shizhao.

Because of the limitations of the times, Lin Yuan had a lot of things that he couldn’t say to brother Dao and the others.

Before Lin Yuan could react, the cold winter came upon them. The temperature dropped sharply after the beginning of winter, and the coal had already been allocated. Even though nothing happened last winter, but this year a few came down with a cold and could only rest and recuperate for the time being.

Jiang Guang finally sent the remaining 500 people over, and Chen Baisong and the others also brought the rest of their guys over.

There were now more than 1,300 people in the farmstead.

Although it was not too much, but it was not too few either.

After all, the total population of the Yuan Dynasty now does not exceed 100 million. The lands were wide and plenty but the people were few and scattered.

When Fang Guozhen rebelled, he only had a thousand people around him.

The increase in population had Lin Yuan sigh in relief.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e ir on tr ee bl oo ms. c o m )

Even in winter, training still cannot be stopped. The men in the farmstead were accustomed to running morning exercises just before dawn. They run while hungry and then go to the cafeteria to eat breakfast and continue training after eating.

Such day-to-day training was quite effective. The newcomers cannot see it for the time being, but the people in the farmstead originally had already discovered the difference.

The food intake had increased, and their physical strengh had also increased. For the same distance, they used to run gasping and panting, but now they barely even breathe heavy.

They used to lie on the ground unable to move after training, but now they feel warm and full of strength after training.

Although they did not eat very well, but Lin Yuan had been working hard on their eating diet.

Carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

These three things were included every day without exception——though the fat intake was very small.

Then there were vitamins, which depended on what was on hand.

Although he didn’t know if there were any vitamins in the dried fruit, Lin Yuan still had people dry a lot in the summer and then hand them out in winter, each person recieving a small handful. If they eat it carefully, it could be eaten for a long while.

Probably because they were all refugees, the five hundred newcomers were quickly integrated into the farmstead. This was also due to the farmstead’s rules. Everyone was responsible for their own thing every day. If anyone was lazy and pushed the work to others, they would be reported anonymously. If the report was found to be true, the person who was reported would be punished and the reporter would be rewarded.

It was chaotic up for a while at the beginning. Lin Yuan got angry twice, and had people administer a beating with a wooden board on the troublemaker’s bottom, with pants off and in front of everyone. As a result these people finally became completely obedient.

There were also some small squad leaders who suddenly became small officials and felt that they were quite powerful, showing off and bullying others. They were all separately taken out and put in a labor reform team to work from morning to night every day. Whenever their performance was up to standards then they will be allowed to rejoin the squad but they would no longer be the squad leader.

All the small leaders were chosen by Lin Yuan, or they were chosen by brother Dao and others.

It was very undemocratic.

But Lin Yuan did not dare to be democratic at this time.

It was not like he had IQ problems.

If these people could choose a squad leader themselves, could they also choose a platoon leader or even a battalion leader?

When they discovered that the original status could be overwritten by the people below.

Then what kind of changes would they make?

Lin Yuan didn’t dare to gamble.

If he made a wrong gamble, then it was the endless abyss for him. All of his work and efforts ending up to be benefiting others, while he couldn’t even get a good word of compliment.

“This year the Yellow River broke its embankment, and the imperial court enlisted 150,000 civilians to repair the Yellow River dams, and sent troops along the banks to suppress any resistance.” Song Shizhao said to Lin Yuan, “After the new year’s, there should be actions taken everywhere.”

Lin Yuan asked him: “Mr. Song, who do you think in the world today has a competing chance?”

Song Shizhao also didn’t give a courteous reply: “White Lotus Society and Maitreya believers, as well as the Manichaeists which can be counted barely.”

Lin Yuan smiled: “Nowadays, there is a White Lotus leader in the north.”

Song Shizhao nodded: “I have heard about it. Han Shantong seems to be widely accepting disciples and putting out the banner of “Maitreya Buddha has descended” and “The King of Ming is born”. It has been a few years, and their name is not small. There is no one in the north that does not know.”

Lin Yuan gave Song Shizhao a cup of hot tea: “What do you think, Mister?”

Song Shizhao: “I suspect that the one-eyed stone person is his doing.”

Lin Yuan gave Song Shizhao a like in his heart, and asked, “Mister thinks he will rebel?”

“Naturally, he will rebel.” Song Shizhao said, “He had already set up everything a few years ago, and now that the people on both sides of the Yellow River are suffering and hungry, it is the perfect time.”

Han Shantong, this person, could only be described as having bad luck. He was too ambitious from the start of the game, even passerbys knew his goals, and did not leave a way out for himself.

Song Shizhao said: “At that time, it will also be the perfect time for Boss.”

Lin Yuan pretended to be stupid: “How come I don’t understand what Mister said?”

Song Shizhao chuckled lowly: “Boss doesn’t need to play riddles with me. Let this humble old man guess, which piece does Boss want?”

“Gaoyou?”

Lin Yuan really couldn’t remain composed anymore, he looked at Song Shizhao incredulously: “How does Mister know?”

Song Shizhao said: “Most of the people in the farmstead come from different origins, only the group from Xinghua there is more than fifty people. Since Boss accepted them, then Boss naturally must have a reason. They are only salt miners and lowly people of the lowest social class. What worth do they have for Boss to spend so much effort on them?”

“Xinghua has salt, and Boss wants it. This reason is much more convincing and reasonable.”

“But Xinghua is prone to strong winds, and the salt in the land is not good for farming.”

Song Shizhao: “Gaoyou is not far from Xinghua, the land is fertile, and it has historically been known as a land of fish and rice (TN: expression for fertile land).”

Lin Yuan cupped his hands and saluted Song Shizhao seriously. He had to admit that he had really underestimated this person before.

Song Shizhao also sternly said: “It is for this reason that I feel that Boss is a person worthy of casting my lot with.”

“I wonder if Boss has a plan?”

Lin Yuan smiled and said: “The secrets of the heavens must not be revealed.”

Song Shizhao did not continue to question.

He also knew that Lin Yuan would definitely not regard him as a confidant, at least not now.

If he wanted to gain Lin Yuan’s trust, he must make some achievements.

For Lin Yuan, who had knowledge of history, he clearly knew that Han Shantong and the others will rebel in May next year. At that time, the Yuan imperial court will put the most effort in suppressing Han Shantong and the others. And at that time, it will be the most perfect timing for them to act.

So he called over Zhang Shicheng and his brothers.

Zhang Jiusi and the others have been working with the other farmstead people in the past few months.

Training with fishing or hunting. Although busy every day, it was also fulfilling. After finishing the work every night, they could gather around the fire to brag and snack on some beans. They don’t need to worry about their livelihood, or about their wages being deducted and having no money to pay for food.

Zhang Jiusi can’t even remember the days when he was in Xinghua.

It seemed that being beaten by a supervisor and having his wages unfairly deducted happened a long time ago.

“I had you come over, because I want to ask you something.” Lin Yuan smiled and said to Zhang Jiusi, “You sit first.”

He also said to Zhang Jiusi’s younger brothers: “Sit down too, there is no need to be courteous.”

All of them still felt somewhat awkward.

After all, Lin Yuan was the Boss, where is there such a soft-spoken Boss?

Lin Yuan said: “You have been in the farmstead for more than half a year?”

Zhang Jiusi is the eldest brother, so naturally he said: “Three months away from being a full year here.”

Lin Yuan asked: “It’s been so long, do you want to go back and have a look?”

Zhang Jiusi was stunned and didn’t react for a while. Boss……did he mean to drive them back?

Lin Yuan also discovered that Zhang Jiusi’s expression was wrong, and quickly said: “I heard you mention it before, that the people of Xinghua are unspeakably miserable.”

Zhang Jiuqi quickly said, “That’s right! Those sons of bitches salt supervisors! Never treat us salt miners as human beings!”

Zhang Jiuwu: “The salt miners get up early and rest late. They are sickly and have various body pains and can’t even eat a full meal.”

Lin Yuan sighed and looked as if he was quite pitying of the state of things: “I am willing to help, but I am afraid that no one can be trusted with it.”

Zhang Jiusi said in a rush: “Does Boss want to bring all the salt miners out?”

“Boss, that’s not easy!”

“The food is not enough for that many people!”

Lin Yuan only said: “Who would like to make a trip back?”

They looked at each other, and in the end Zhang Jiusi stood up and said: “Boss, just give us your orders.”

Lin Yuan said: “I will have brother Dao, brother Yang and Li Da go back with you to check out the current situation. And if it is feasible, save some more people. What do you think?”

Zhang Jiusi’s eyes lit up.

He couldn’t speak for a while, and finally bowed his head, choked up and said: “Boss, I actually didn’t know, there really are people like you in the world.”

He had some friends he knew that were still staying in Xinghua.

It was impossible to say that he didn’t feel a bit of guilt when he had been here for so long.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

He had come to live a good life, but his friends were still suffering in Xinghua. Without his relief, they should be living an even harder life.

As long as Boss take them over, take them all over everything will be fine.

TN: yay! One of the most important characters, Song Shizhao! His arrival signals things will be picking up! (I swear he probably has even more presence than the ML >.>)

If you would like to show some ♡  then please consider supporting this translator! ლ(⌒εー)ლ

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Stir-fried soybeans with a little salt were snacks the easiest to come by. Almost everyone in the farmstead liked to eat them. It’s just that the cheeks hurt when you chew on them too much and cause you to let out smelly gas. But you do get a feeling of fullness even when consuming not much of it in a single day.

The five hundred newcomers were provided a handful each day, which they cherish very much. They hide their handfuls in their clothes and sleep with their arms around it for fear of it being stolen.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

These five hundred people came from all over the empire. Some were refugees, some were citizens who sold themselves as servants, and some were slaves that their masters didn’t want anymore. They were all men, and only the twenty additions sent by Jiang Guang were women.

The men slept in the grass huts as they waited for the inspection before they could move into the dormitories. They knew what inspections were although they didn’t know what was to inspect. everyone wanted to sleep in the middle of the grass hut which was warmer, while the outer perimeters of the huts had cold air leaking in. Therefore, the person beside it would definitely feel the cold keener.

They do not take off their clothes and sleep on the ground. Fortunately, the ground was covered with hay to keep out moisture.

Early the next morning, there was noise outside. Someone lifted the grass curtain and shouted at them: “Come out, don’t sleep, if you’re late there will be consequences.”

This group of people went out obediently and walked to the square in the center of the farmstead, scattered about in a sparse manner.

Zhu Yuanzhang could only have them line up first. Although these people didn’t understand, they were at least obedient. They trembled in the cold wind, and they dared not ask even if they have doubts.

Five hundred people were listed into three columns, one of which had fewer people than the other two, but it was still fairly even.

Then the cross-examination began.

Qiu Niang was not suitable for such occasions, so Lin Yuan could only have Yang Zi’an and Zhu Yuanzhang fill in first——after all, these two were two of the rare people in the farmstead who could read and write.

“What is the last name? What are you called? Where are you from? What did you do before?”

“You were a carpenter before? Take this sign and go over there.”

“A farmer? Go stand on the opposite side.”

“Peddling? Stand behind me and keep a hold on your sign.”

Zhu Yuanzhang and Yang Zi’an were exhausted. They used to think that marching and fighting were exhausting enough. They didn’t expect to be so tired just sitting here with an ink brush in their hands. Some people spoke with a strong local accent and the official language weren’t spoken all that well either. So, they ended up having to guess what they were saying, sometimes not even guessing correctly.

It had to be sorted out for several days in a row, not only registering for newcomers, but also for former people as well.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Yang Zi’an were preliminary screening, separating people according to their previous professions.

But because there were not many people who were literate, Lin Yuan could only fill in personally. Each person was given a small wooden sign with his name, birthday, and some obvious characteristics, such as where there was a scar, or how many moles they have on their face. In short, listing their obvious personal characteristics that were unlikely to be changed or disguised.

In fact, it was equivalent to a modern ID card. After all, there would be more and more people in the future, and it would become more difficult to manage.

The advantage of having this thing was that if someone from outside sneaked in, just on the ID card alone they will not be able to pass.

It was a little troublesome, but it was still a necessity.

Entering and leaving the farmstead must also be based on this wooden card.

There was also a serial number on the card. The serial number was compiled by Lin Yuan based on alphabetical order according to the pronunciation of the surname and recorded orderly in a booklet.

As long as the serial number and surname do not match, forging the card was useless.

Lin Yuan now felt that he really needed intellectuals and educated people, and the more the better.

However, there were originally few intellectuals, and most of them were of the landlord class and court official families. Court official families had more as they tend to have amassed collections of books over many generations. In this era, books were also a symbol of wealth and status.

That he could have a literate Qiu Niang, Yang Zi’an, Jiang Gui and Zhu Yuanzhang at his side were already quite good odds.

As for Yang shi, she was a family elder after all, and it would not be appropriate for him to ask family elders to do things.

“Not even one scholar?” After the tedious work was over, Lin Yuan sat in the room and talked to Yang Zi’an, “Let’s not mention scholars, are there no literate people at all?”

Yang Zi’an shook his head: “Most scholars are generally rich in family resources, the troubled times will not affect them.”

Lin Yuan sighed.

What Yang Zi’an said was reasonable.

Yang Zi’an: “You don’t have to rush it. When the time is right, someone will naturally come.”

Lin Yuan looked at Yang Zi’an, and Yang Zi’an also looked at him. The two of them were silent, but Lin Yuan suddenly understood that Yang Zi’an knew his plan a long time ago and knew that he was not satisfied with staying in this farmstead.

Suddenly Yang Zi’an said: “Fourth brother, a man of character must set his sights on the world level.”

Lin Yuan thought about it in his mind for a while, but he didn’t recall the name Yang Zi’an among the famous people living in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties.

“Merchant Jiang is leaving.” Yang Zi’an looked out the window, “Let’s go and send him off.”

When Lin Yuan and Yang Zi’an walked to the gate of the city wall, they saw Chen Baisong and the others ready to go. They had rested in the farmstead for nearly a week, and their spirits were much better than when they were first here.

Because they caught back a lot of wild sheep, the women in the kitchens made smoked meat and had them bring some along their way back.

So when they came to the farmstead, aside from themselves they had brought nothing, but when they left, they brought along a lot of things.

“So much smoked meat.” One little brother rode his horse around, “After it’s dried, it doesn’t have that bad smell anymore.”

“Wild sheep have a more strong smell than domestic sheep.”

Jiang Guang also rode a horse. Although the mountain roads were not difficult to travel in, horse-drawn carriages and ox carts were still much slower.

As soon as Jiang Guang and the others leave, the newcomers have to be allocated dormitories and receive necessities.

They had to line up and wait their turn and not allowed to push or skip in line. There were people from the farmstead watching on the side and holding knives in their hands so these people were as docile as a quail.

The things they received were also simple, a set of underwear, a wooden basin, a strip of coarse cloth and a bamboo cup.

After checking their identity, they would be able to leave, and someone would show them the way to the allocated dorm room.

The newly-built dormitory building looked ugly, but it was big enough for many people, and the beds inside were also bunk beds.

Yao Liusan was one of these newcomers. His family was originally carpenters, but when food was not available back in their hometown they packed up their things and went to join their relatives.

But when they arrived, they found out that their relatives were also gone. They had nowhere to go and could only follow the people around them. As they walked, the family members slowly dispersed. First, his grandfather and grandmother died right after the other, and then his mother suffered a cold and passed a away. In the end there were fewer and fewer family.

When Yao Liusan realized it, he became the only one left.

He followed the people around him all the way, eating whatever he saw and only thinking about what he would eat tomorrow.

Later, they saw that someone was driving out the refugees, but instead of driving them away, they were driving them to a certain area. Yao Liusan found that many people were running towards there like crazy, he asked an old beggar: “What are they doing?”

The old beggar told him: “Those who are driving people are merchants. If they are picked, they can be sold by merchants.”

Yao Liusan couldn’t believe it, but he still went over.

After all, if you were picked by a merchant, no matter what you would at least get one bean curd cake a day?

It was better than the current life.

Yao Liusan ran over and was picked as expected, and so he followed this group of people to continue walking.

No one knew where they were going, and no one knew what they were going to do in the future. They only knew that they would not be facing starvation at the moment.

However, there were many people who died of illness on the way, and was just thrown on the side of the road, too lazy to even bury them.

Yao Liusan got the things allocated to him and walked to the side holding it in a daze, and then someone asked him, “What is your number?”

Yao Liusan: “Ah?”

The person was a little impatient: “Just now you got something and someone said which room you live in, do you remember?”

Yao Liusan hurriedly said: “Remember, the middle ten.”

Middle ten was the tenth room on the second floor.

That person: “Okay, you come with me, you are the last person in middle ten, I will take you up together.”

Yao Liusan discovered that there were already seven people behind him.

Although these seven people traveled with him, they didn’t know each other. Their expressions were similar to Yao Liusan’s.

These few days were almost like dreaming. There was a place to sleep and food to eat. Although they always had to line up during the day, there was no need to worry about starvation and cold. Although the hut was not warm, people would not freeze sleeping in it either.

The person led them to the dormitory room.

The door of the room was open. These rooms could be closed, but the door could not be locked or bolted.

“You divide the beds by yourself. If you can’t divide it, come to me again. If it is found that there was fighting, you will be thrown out on the spot. Do you understand?” said the person.

Yao Liusan and the others nodded their heads in a hurry.

When the person left, the eight of them stood in the dormitory, all with a similar stunned expressions.

“I……I will sleep here.” Yao Liusan was the first to speak, and he put his things on the first bed after entering the door.

It seemed that the other people finally reacted at this time and quickly began to divide beds.

“Will we fall off when sleeping?”

“It’s pretty high!”

“There is a fence next to it, we wouldn’t fall off, right?”

They all wanted to choose the lower bunk, but there was no way. Some people sleep in the lower bunk, so naturally some people must sleep in the upper bunk.

They all just arrived in the farmstead and they dared not clash with others, even if this person was just bought like themselves.

There were straw mats on the wooden bed, which were thick and soft. They were woven, so all they needed to do was spread blankets and bedding on it before sleeping.

Even if there was no bedding and they could only sleep in their clothes it would still be soft and comfortable.

Boss said that they could take a good day off today, but they would have to work tomorrow. If they don’t work, there would be no food to eat.

Yao Liusan touched his belly.

Although he could not say that he was completely full these days, it was much better than before, at least there was something in his stomach.

Not having to wake up hungry at night, such days were a good thing.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e ir on tr ee bl oo ms. c o m )

For these five hundred people, Lin Yuan was prepared to have them mix up with the people in the farmstead as they work and train. They should not be allowed to group by themselves and must be dispersed at the beginning. But the number of newcomers was larger than the original farmstead people.

Lin Yuan thought for a long time, and planned to spend a day having them do training.

Have them walk for most of the day, then find a place to sit, chat, and cultivate friendship.

——Although Lin Yuan did not know whether it would be useful or not.

There was also the division system. Lin Yuan decided to put ten people in a squad, and then appoint a squad leader. According to the system there would be three squads in a platoon, three platoons in a company, and three companies in a battalion.

In this way, the position was much clearer.

It was also convenient to hold everyone accountable.

Li Da became a platoon leader inexplicably and was in charge of three squads. After a long time, he pointed to his nose in disbelief and asked the person next to him: “I’m a platoon leader? I’m an official?”

The person next to him was also very excited: “Yes! You have become an official Li Da!”

Li Da was so excited that despite the cold weather he almost wanted to take off his clothes and run around the farmstead shirtlessly.

“My……my family had never produced an official before!”

“Don’t be too happy. You think this platoon leader position is free. If there is an issue in your platoon, besides the squad leaders, you will be the first to be unlucky. If you find out, then it’s fine, but if you don’t find out and someone else finds out the issue, then you are done.”

“There is no such thing as a pie falling from the sky, and Boss has said that if your platoon performs well, your merits will be recorded.”

The newly created “officials” gathered together to chat, and felt that although there was not much benefit, the title was still very impressive.

Probably because of this, these “officials” were extremely strict during the training, but they did not dare to be too strict. After all, there was Yang Zi’an on the side making rounds. If anyone supervised too much, Yang Zi’an would take the leader out to recieve criticism.

The leader had been criticized, and the people under him would also be unlucky.

The punishment was also very simple, that was, to go hungry.

But these people were already scared of being hungry. When they hear that lazy people couldn’t eat, all of them worked harder.

After the excitement of being an official passed away, Li Da and his colleagues gathered for a meal, and they were all frowning as they talked about the people under their command.

“Let’s talk about Li Sijiu’s squad, usually training is just average, it don’t work no matter what you say to them, the movements are just irregular.”

“I said all that needed to be said, and trained them extra. I don’t sleep at night, but make time to give them extra training instead, but it still doesn’t work.”

“Because of them, I never have a chance in being evaluated as excellent.”

His colleagues were also with a lot of troubles: “I have one over there. His socks went missing, and insisted that someone in his dorm stole it. He woke me up in the middle of the night and asked me to go oversee the case. Oversee what damn case! One pair of socks! In the end we found it under his bed.”

The new official lights the fire three times (TN: vigorous new policies). After the fire had burned, there naturally won’t be any of the initial excitement.

Lin Yuan had also been paying attention to these people who have suddenly become “officials.” If anyone dared to take advantage, he could only kill the chicken to warn the monkey (TN: to punish an individual as an example to others) at this key juncture.

But the result was, these people were quite honest and obedient, and there was not a single troublemaker.

“Why is this?” Lin Yuan told Jiang Gui about his bewilderment. Generally speaking, when small unimportant people suddenly sit in a high position, it was easy to make mistakes.

Jiang Gui threw a bean into his mouth, chewing as he laughed: “Afraid of course, you forgot the one you kicked out last time?”

Jiang Gui went out for a round and returned when it was winter. Under the banner of a traveling merchant, he really went to many places, and even bought and exchanged some things.

For example, Sichuan pepper, it was all dried but he had also brought back seeds.

However, at this time, Sichuan pepper was used as a medicinal herb, which could relieve pain, promote qi, kill insects, and could also treat vomiting and diarrhea.

In short, it was a very versatile medicinal herb.

However, Lin Yuan used the pepper to cook hotpot, and like all the seniors who transmigrated before, he cooked the hotpot in the winter.

However, there was no chili, and the taste of pepper was only enough to make the mouth numb, but it was enough to break a sweat and drive out the cold.

Jiang Gui dipped a piece of mutton, put it in his mouth happily, and said to Lin Yuan: “Fourth brother, not mentioning anything else, just for the food, I will follow you.”

Lin Yuan also dipped a slice, but the slice was a bit overcooked and tasted so-so, so he dipped another slice.

Because of the start of winter, Lin Yuan, Jiang Gui, Yang Zi’an, and Li Congrong got together for dinner. They sat in the room with a brazier under their feet, and boiling lamb in a pot. The pores all over their bodies were stretched out and extremely relaxed.

Li Congrong picked up the meat with his chopsticks and put it in his bowl immediately after it was cooked. After eating the meat, he let out a long sigh of bliss: “Feels good! It would be even better if there is wine!”

Lin Yuan smiled and said: “When the conditions get better in the future, I will ask someone to specially make wine for big brother.”

Li Congrong slapped his thigh: “You said this, I remember it!”

Lin Yuan also said: “Third brother went out for a while, tell us, is there anything new and strange outside?”

Jiang Gui smiled and said: “There are quite a few novel things. Fang Guozhen has rebelled again.”

Fang Guozhen rebelled against Yuan in the eighth year of Yuanshun, and was later recruited by Yuan.

“In March of this year, I went out and traveled around before I found out.” Jiang Gui said, “He killed the Marshal Tai Buhua of the Eastern Zhejiang Province.”

“This person is capricious.” Yang Zi’an said, “Even on rebellion he goes back and forth, not interesting at all.”

Lin Yuan did not speak. He knew that Fang Guozhen would try to bribe the court next year and continue to serve for the Yuan Dynasty. In the 16th year of Yuanshun, he would be ordered to attack Zhang Shicheng in seven battles, all victories. Now Zhang Shicheng was not in Xinghua.

Maybe he would crusade against him when that time came.

Jiang Gui: “He has a lot of people in his hands now. I went out and heard that many merchants were going to Huangyan to sell him food.”

“Merchants will not act without profit. If he was not really capable, the merchants would not be like a dog smelling a bone.”

Li Congrong was a little confused: “Who is this Fang Guozhen?”

Lin Yuan could only explain: “Cai Luantou rebelled the year before, do you know?”

Li Congrong: “This I know, there was a big commotion.”

Lin Yuan also said: “Fang Guozhen rebelled at that time. He and his brothers gathered more than a thousand people to rob the food being shipped by sea.”

“This person is really brave.” Li Congrong sighed.

Li Congrong said again: “If it were me, I would not dare.”

Yang Zi’an laughed at him: “The knives are all placed on the neck, you have to dare even if you don’t.”

“Why do you say knife to his neck? Someone forced him to rebel?” Li Congrong asked confused.

Jiang Gui said again: “I know, I know, let me speak.”

“The year before, Cai Luantou returned to Yuan and was arrested by the court. Fang Guozhen had an enemy, and the enemy sued Fang Guozhen for colluding with Cai Luantou. Fang Guozhen could only kill the enemy and gather more than a thousand people together with his brothers and then rebel.” Jiang Gui sighed, “If he didn’t rebel, the heads of his entire family would have fallen clean.”

Li Congrong was taken aback.

Jiang Gui also said: “I heard that the White Lotus Society and the Mancheists are also making movements.”

“In short, there is no peaceful place.”

“There’s another folk song, I’ll sing it for you.” Jiang Gui cleared his throat, “The stone person with one eye, provoke the Yellow River, the world rebel.”

“What does this mean?” Li Congrong was puzzled. “Does it mean that a stone person with only one eye can provoke the Yellow River?”

“As long as it is provoked, the world will rebel?”

Jiang Gui also laughed: “The Yellow River has broken its dyke three times in the fourth year of Yuanshun.”

Lin Yuan: “What if the stone person with one eye was dug out?”

Everyone suddenly looked at Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan said earnestly: “If someone unintentionally finds a one eyed stone person buried under the yellow sand.”

Jiang Gui was stunned for a moment: “Then this is the heavens telling us to rebel!”

Lin Yuan: “What if the stone person was buried by people?”

“Folk ballads are naturally passed on from person to person, and they must have a reason to be passed on.” Lin Yuan, “It’s like the story of Emperor Han Gaozu who killed the White Snake and then rebelled, same with the stories of Bai Di zi and Chi Di zi.”

Li Congrong: “How is that just a story? It must be true!”

Lin Yuan: “……”

Fine, it was no use making his point with this person with a one track mind.

At this time of widespread feudal superstition, speaking of science was the one with a screw loose.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Yang Zi’an then said: “The folk rhyme has spread. If there really is a one eyed stone person in this world, people will definitely rise up. Now the people are suffering and hungry, so if there is a sign from the heavens then people will naturally follow.”

Lin Yuan nodded: “Next year, the stone person should appear.”

Jiang Gui answered, “What shall we do then?”

Li Congrong was the only one on the side with a dumbfounded expression. He understood every word but how come when all strung up together he doesn’t understand?

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Prev

After autumn, the temperature began to drop, the autumn wind was bleak, and countless yellow and dead leaves fell from the trembling branches.

Lin Yuan felt that the temperature this year was lower than last year. He changed into cotton-padded clothes early, and had Qiu Niang calculate the necessary coal to be used when Jiang Guang bring over the agreed 500 people.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

He was sitting next to a burning fire, with bracken roots smoldering inside. This was a plant root and when it was heated, it became soft and tasteless. Lin Yuan treated it as a snack. On the side Er Liang pushed aside the coal and picked out the bracken roots, wiped off the dust on the outside, and then peeled the outer layer before handing them to Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan broke it into two halves, half of which was handed to Er Liang.

Er Liang took it with a smile, and said, “Thanks young master for the reward.”

Lin Yuan took a sip of hot water and looked at the people outside the window who were busy harvesting. He was quite satisfied.

This year’s harvest was not much different from last year, but more land was opened this year so the harvest had doubled. And with the grains saved last year, another thousand people coming in won’t be a problem at all. The grain supply was enough for this many people to eat for nearly a year.

At least it could last until next winter, but by then there will be another harvest next fall.

So there wasn’t much need to worry about the food. After the harvest next year, they should be able to set off to Xinghua.

There were salt mines in Xinghua. It could be said that the cities that Zhang Shicheng captured were the richest locations.

Among the leaders of the uprisings during the last years of the Yuan Dynasty, there was a saying “Chen Youliang is the most cruel and Zhang Shicheng is the most rich.”

Er Liang squatted next to the coal fire. He was still wearing the old cotton-padded clothes. Cotton-padded clothes do not hold up well against frequent waashing and in addition to the fact that few people could afford them they were considered luxury items. Most were worn until it was too worn out and then thrown away. If there was just a hole or something, it could still be patched and worn.

The life of ordinary people was basically a true portrayal of “three years worn new, three years worn old, and another three years after stitching and repairing.”

“It’s getting colder this year.” Er Liang began to say, “A lot of people will freeze to death.”

Er Liang said: “I used to think that the south is not cold in winter, but now I feel that even several layers can’t prevent the cold air from penetrating through.”

Lin Yuan did not explain the difference between the cold weather in the north and the south. He only agreed: “A lot of people will die this winter.”

Er Liang scratched the back of his head: “Our farmstead should be okay?”

Lin Yuan patted Er Liang’s head, but after touching it, he remembered Er Liang hadn’t washed it for a long time, so long that he probably didn’t even remember the last time he had washed his hair. Lin Yuan looked at his palm and couldn’t resist going to wash his hands before coming back to continue sitting. After sitting for a while, he remembered Er Liang’s question and replied: “The farmstead will be fine.”

There was sufficient food and coal, and the infrastructure was all completed. It would not be easy to freeze people to death. Even if they got sick, there were still medicinal herbs. As long as the condition was not serious, and it was not an incurable disease, then it was basically safe.

The day Jiang Guang brought the people was the lowest temperature in this period of time. It was not yet winter, but it was as cold as last winter. Lin Yuan put on a thick padded jacket, looking very much like a round bun, before going out to meet them.

This time Jiang Guang had also hired someone to escort him. Chen Baisong and the others were the escorts, but this time there were quite a few of them. He guessed that almost all the people in the villa have come out.

It seemed that Chen Baisong and the others were not doing well these days.

Jiang Guang got off the horse. When he got off the horse, he almost fell onto his bottom due to his big belly but in the end managed to stand firmly. He took a few quick steps to Lin Yuan and said, “Little brother Lin, take a look. I brought you all of them, including twenty more extra.”

Lin Yuan first had people pull the newcomers into the hut built some time ago, where they were to tidy up their hair. Those with fleas had to shave their heads, and those without fleas had to change clothes.

The women have been busy for more than half a year, and they have made a lot of clothes. Because the division of labor was clear, the efficiency was much higher. There were more than 3,000 sets of pseudo-cotton clothes made from grass stuffing, not to mention simple underwear.

Several large huts were built in the farmstead, which became places for the women to work.

Almost all pregnant women have given birth to their children, though some have died in childbirth.

Lin Yuan buried them in the cemetery, and people in the farmstead sometimes went to give offerings.

“Follow me in first.” Lin Yuan took Jiang Guang into the farmstead, but caught sight of Chen Baisong getting off his horse and staying at the gate of the city, seeming to not plan to go in. Lin Yuan said to Chen Baisong, “You can put your weapons over there in that hut, come in together to get warm.”

None of Chen Baisong’s brothers put down their weapons, their knives were all pinned to their waists, and their hands were on the hilt of the knives, as if they were already stuck to it.

In the end, Chen Baisong said: “Go place it over there.”

These people seemed to be very loyal and obedient to Chen Baisong, taking off the knife around their waist and putting it in the hut without saying a word, and then followed Chen Baisong inside.

Lin Yuan took them to his own house. The house was originally built with just one entrance and one exit. It looked simple, but it was very large. It was not difficult to sit in the main room with more than 20 people. These guys who came out with Chen Baisong, seem to be much more relaxed now that they were out of the cold. They held a cup made of bamboo and filled with hot water and even some syrup that Lin Yuan had someone add in as well.

The water tasted quite sweet.

Even these rough guys liked it very much.

After all, ancient people had very few ways to take in sugar.

Lin Yuan had Yang Zi’an to accompany these people first while he took Jiang Guang to another room farther away from the main room.

Jiang Guang sat on the chair, taking a deep breath first, and then took a sip of hot water, stretched his neck and rubbed his wrists, finally feeling more alive.

“The journey was not easy.” Jiang Guang said, “I was afraid that they would starve to death and freeze to death. It costed me a lot of money to get them all here intact.”

Lin Yuan said with understanding: “Naturally, I should be responsible for paying for any expenses.”

While speaking, Lin Yuan took out a fake jade, Jiang Guang took it with a smile, and said, “You are too kind”, while acting swiftly and simply to pocket the fake jade.

“Brother Jiang, where did these people come from?” Lin Yuan said, “If desperate criminals, then my side can act early.”

Jiang Guang waved his hand: “Hai, I don’t cheat you. I received them all from others. What they did before, I don’t know.”

Lin Yuan nodded, knowing that it was impossible to ask Jiang Guang to do background checks, so he could only spend some time doing it on his own.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e ir on tr ee bl oo ms. c o m )

At the kind invitation of Lin Yuan, Jiang Guang decided to rest for a few days at Lin Yuan’s place before starting on the road again. He stayed so naturally Chen Baisong and the others would stay as well.

The place where they will live was easily arranged.

Eating was also at the cafeteria with the farmstead people.

This group of people probably had never seen so many people living in such a collective life. While vigilant, they also felt that it was rather incredible.

“This farmstead is really big, and there is a gate wall, just lacking a moat.”

“They all eat like this every meal?”

“There are multi-grain buns every day? There is also oil in these vegetables.”

“They also said that sometimes there is meat to eat.”

These rough guys were a little envious. Everyday they face danger but still may not be able to eat enough, but these people only need to do the work they were responsible for and could eat fully every day.

And when they saw the disabled in the farmstead, this feeling of envy reached its peak.

Although Chen Baisong treated them not harshly, once someone was injured, especially after becoming disabled, it was just a matter of waiting for death.

Lin Yuan’s farmstead also had people with disabilities. Although there were not too many, these people basically do the same work as women, all transferred to logistics. In Lin Yuan’s view, the importance of logistics cannot be ignored.

As long as value can be created, disabled people were not considered disabled in his eyes.

Chen Baisong chewed on the buns and listened to his brothers chatting together.

He knew what life his brothers want to live, but he also knew that they couldn’t live like that.

The reason why they could survive was because of the sword in their hands. Retiring and go back to farming? That would have to be the days after victory was won and the world was peaceful again.

“Boss, I think you have a good relationship with this farmstead’s owner.” When they left the cafeteria one of them who had a lively personality said eagerly, “Otherwise, you can discuss with him and ask if we can come to this farmstead too. Just like guarding Jiang, we guard them and they provide shelter and food for us.”

Several people next to him wanted to say this as well, but they didn’t dare. Now that someone brought it up first, they followed along.

“I think it’s quite good.”

“Yeah, this year is even colder. We don’t have much food left. This time when we’re done the food given by Jiang for payment will only let us eat for ten days to half a month. But after that what’s next? Starve to death?”

“Boss, now is not the time to stick to one’s pride.”

Chen Baisong walked in the front, his brows frowned, and said, “I know.”

He knew in his heart that this winter will be difficult this year. The bandits and bandit villas around them had been raided and cleaned up by them, and everything that could be robbed was robbed. If they must make a raid again, then they could only go down the mountain and rob the civilians.

Although they say that they must not do anything against the civilians, but when one was at a dead end, who will care about the one being robbed?

Jiang Guang did not always have work for them. During spring and summer they could make do, at least by relying on the mountain herbs and game they wouldn’t starve to death, just live a hard life.

But it would not be possible in autumn and winter.

As his brothers said, this was not the time to save face.

But Chen Baisong didn’t know how to speak to Lin Yuan.

It seemed that once he spoke up, he’ll have become like a poor relative showing up to take advantage.

It was the middle of the night, but the brothers were still whispering about what they had learned during the day. They now think that this farmstead was better than their villa. In the villa, they still live in huts they built and when it got cold, they must be crowded in together to keep warm. They don’t have time to burn coal on their own and besides the coal that they got on raids won’t burn for long, but here it seemed the supply of coal was neverending.

“The clothes those people wore were made by the women in those huts.” Someone said enviously, “I also want to wear clothes made by women.”

The person next to him laughed at him: “You’re hair hasn’t even finished growing out and already start thinking about women?”

The man said excitedly: “Would you like to try it and see if my hair has grown out?”

“I don’t dare to try, for fear that I’ll kill you by accident.”

“Boss?” They found that Chen Baisong had been silent and couldn’t help turning their heads to look at him.

Chen Baisong turned over, mind still whirring with thoughts. He just said: “Sleep first, think about it tomorrow.”

Several people saw that Chen Baisong was asleep so it wouldn’t do to continue talking. They also tucked in for sleep under a blanket.

Lin Yuan was now also discussing with Yang Zi’an, how to get Chen Baisong to stay, and if all the brothers in his command came over it would be even better.

Yang Zi’an said: “I can see that they are all physically strong, and everything else is easy to talk about, but I’m afraid they will have different allegiances.”

Lin Yuan understood what Yang Zi’an meant, but he also said: “In the future, we will only have more and more people. If we are always afraid that people will have different allegiances, we will stay here and not move? This is definitely not a long-term solution.”

Yang Zi’an sighed: “I only hope that your childhood friend still have some affection for you.”

Lin Yuan: “It’s useless to base everything on friendship. People’s hearts will change. I want to set up a military law.”

Yang Zi’an: “Military law?”

Lin Yuan explained: “Technically it can’t be called a military law, whatever it is called, as long as the rules are set, everything will be done according to the rules.”

Yang Zi’an touched his chin and thought: “This is feasible.”

“It just takes a lot of time.”

Lin Yuan: “It will naturally take a lot of time.”

During this period of time, Lin Yuan had always wanted to find a chance to have a chat with Chen Baisong, and put the pros and cons on the table, whether it was positive or negative, at least it could be resolved cleanly.

However, there was practically no hint of Chen Baisong almost every day. Lin Yuan inquired about it and found out that he took his own people to hunt in the mountains, but most of the time came back without any results.

Lin Yuan could only wait for him to return to the farmstead.

“You’re back! Good heavens!”

“More than ten sheep!”

“Is this havimg caught an entire flock of sheep?”

“How deep did they have to go to encounter such a flock of sheep?”

“The sheep are all dead?”

“Some are dead, some are alive.”

Standing at the gate, Lin Yuan soon saw Chen Baisong and the others, slowly becoming more visible as they moved closer.

Chen Baisong was riding a horse. He was tall and on the horse he appeared even more majestic. His hair was tied up high, and his body heat was high from hunting, clothes opened at the chest. The people behind him drove the flock of sheep.

These were all wild sheep, and you could tell from the horns that they were not domesticated.

Chen Baisong rode his horse forward to Lin Yuan, pointed to the group of wild sheep and said: “It’s to make up for our stay for the past few days.”

Lin Yuan did not refuse either: “Then I will accept it.”

Only then did Chen Baisong show a small smile on his face.

“I happen to have something to discuss with you, come down and have a walk?” Lin Yuan invited.

Chen Baisong did not refuse, turning to dismount, his movements were smooth and unrestrained. His shirt was still open, and his body was hot and sweaty. Lin Yuan could also smell the sweat. Fortunately, Lin Yuan was used to it, and didn’t show any disgusted expression.

The two walked side by side, Lin Yuan was slightly shorter than Chen Baisong, and he had to lift his head slightly to see Chen Baisong’s full face.

“What’s going on with your villa?” Lin Yuan didn’t get straight to the point as soon as he started, and asked tactfully.

Chen Baisong had forgot to put down the riding whip, and he was still holding it in his hand. His expression was a bit solemn: “The people below the mountain can no longer get through the days. The surrounding bandits, all who could be raided, have already been raided and beaten.”

Lin Yuan understood: “It’s indeed not so good recently. Is there enough food?”

Chen Baisong revealed a wry smile: “Ten days to half a month should be enough.”

They relied on raiding to survive. Farming? Opening up the land? Their manpower was not enough.

Lin Yuan revealed his intentions at this time. He seemed to say unintentionally: “It just so happens that my farmstead is also short of people. If you don’t mind it, bring your brothers over, and I will accept all of them.”

Chen Baisong was silent for a while and then said: “Young master, you are always so kind-hearted. This way you will suffer.”

Lin Yuan: “Huh?”

Chen Baisong thought of something else: “No matter how much food you plant, there will be more and more people, but there will only be less and less food. You asked merchant Jiang to bring five hundred people, and then five hundred in winter. How will you feed them?”

Lin Yuan didn’t speak yet, but Chen Baisong frowned: “Young master, what are you laughing at?”

Lin Yuan leaned on to Chen Baisong’s shoulders and said amused, “You think I have so many people brought over just to spread kindness and do good deeds?”

Chen Baisong looked at Lin Yuan’s eyes with a serious expression and the question “aren’t you?”

Lin Yuan smiled and said, “It’s not that simple. Don’t you think that people in the farmstead live better than the people in your villa?”

“But logically speaking, you have fewer people, and everyone should get more. Why is it that there are more people on my side yet they all live better?” Lin Yuan asked.

Chen Baisong: “This is not the same thing. How long will it take for those five hundred people to work? You have to raise them for free before they could work.”

Lin Yuan shook his head: “It can’t be called free either. Do you know how many years it takes for a person to be productive?”

“Humans are different from animals. The animals take as little as ten and a half months, and as long as one or two years, they will be mature.” Lin Yuan said, “People go from 10 months in the womb to finally being born, from crawling to walking, from walking to running, from babbling to fluent speech. Since birth people will take ten years or more to finally be productive.”

Lin Yuan: “Therefore, many people can also be an advantage.”

Chen Baisong: “But it must also be within our means.”

Lin Yuan: “I have calculated it, and I think it’s fine, I can afford it.”

Chen Baisong didn’t know what to say at all.

The young master had become more stubborn than before.

Chen Baisong could only say: “I have a hundred and thirty brothers, all of whom are bachelors and without family. They all adhere to loyalty.”

Lin Yuan: “If possible, I hope you can bring them all.”

Chen Baisong looked at Lin Yuan: “Young master, more than one hundred and thirty mouths. When these people are here, they will all be eating your food.”

Lin Yuan waved his hand: “It’s fine, I can afford it. It’s not like they can eat for free and enjoy their days, they will have to work as well.”

To be honest, he really wanted to know the difference between Chen Baisong’s “bandits” and the “soldiers” he trained. If they come to the farmstead, he could set up a military exercise with a hundred people from each side.

Real knowledge comes from practice.

Chen Baisong repeated what Lin Yuan said to his brothers in the evening.

The expressions on their faces were very disbelieving.

“Boss, did the Boss here really say that?”

“This Boss is really……a kind-hearted person.”

“Ai, look at the people who have been brought here. Now they are wearing grass padded clothes, and they live in houses. Where is there such a good Boss now?”

“Kind people will be deceived. I think this Boss is too young to know that the world is a sinister place.”

“That’s the truth, but you don’t want to stay? Anyway, I’m happy to stay.”

“That’s right, what else can we raid back there? If this continues, we can only go down the mountain to raid the civilian’s food.”

Chen Baisong listened to them talking.

“Boss, are we really coming here?”

“Thinking about it actually, I think our villa isn’t too bad either.”

However, Chen Baisong said: “We come over.”

Several people sat up straight at the same time: “Really? Boss, what do you think?”

“Didn’t you say you want to think about it yesterday?”

“Did the Boss here tell you something to convince you?”

Chen Baisong’s voice was very calm. He said, “Apart from this, is there any other way? Go down the mountain to raid the civilians?”

A few people stopped talking. Although they were “bandits” in the eyes of others, they were not in their own eyes. Although they have become outlaws, they have not robbed civilians or killed good people. If there were merchants passing by they also escorted them a certain distance, and only then stretched out their hands for remuneration. Although it was a bit of like buying and selling by force, it was better than directly taking human lives.

They would also raid the bandits who really endanger the people.

In their own eyes, they were not evil people, but good people.

Naturally, they don’t want to make mistakes, and be forced to become bandits that will bring harm to civilians.

Chen Baisong: “There are still some things that I haven’t discussed with him, but I will be bringing everyone here. When we send merchant Jiang back, we will bring them.”

“Then we have a lot of things to pack.” Someone said.

“How many carts do we need?”

Chen Baisong: “Don’t bring anything useless.”

“Yes, it’s not convenient to bring so many things on the road, and if we encounter a robbery……”

“Bullshit, then we can rob them back!”

When winter arrived, there will be more bandits. Many nearby villagers who could’t survive will gang up. A group of people will act together to rob food and money. As long as they kill the first resister, these people will become accomplices and then begin to travel around commiting robberies on civilians.

What Chen Baisong was afraid of was that they will become like this too.

They have endured the past several years during which they have not stepped on a crooked path, and have not harmed the people.

“Anyway, there is no need to suffer the cold this winter.”

“I felt like I was going to die in the cold last year, and my hands and feet were stiff every day.”

“That’s nothing. If I hadn’t been sleeping with second brother Niu, I would have been frozen stiff already.”

“Second brother Niu snores so loudly, and you could actually sleep?”

“When you’re very sleepy naturally you’ll fall asleep. Besides, it’s better to suffer noise than freeze to death.”

They all had smiles on their faces. When they thought that they would also live in this farmstead, they were full of energy. Although they had only been here for a few days, they could see that this farmstead was not a place where the landlord will do whatever they wanted, not treating the people working for them as human beings.

And just regarding the food in the cafeteria, the Boss here was worthy of their admiration.

Chen Baisong said: “Go to bed, and get up early tomorrow. Let’s go into the mountains again, and look for more game that hasn’t migrated deeper into the forest.”

Several people responded: “Yes, we will catch dozens of wild sheep and come back.”

“It would be great if we could catch some deer, deer blood is a great supplement.”

“You need supplementing my butt, I don’t see you looking any weak.”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

“Go to sleep, stop talking. You don’t do actual business but your words are more than anyone else.”

“Sleep, sleep.”

The room was dark. After a while, there were steady snoring, teeth grinding, and dream talk, forming a harmonious chorus.

Chen Baisong turned around and thought: I have miscalculated this time, it was actually better when they were talking.

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The low roar of wild animals came from the woods, the evening wind blew past, shaking the tree leaves and causing the sound of “shasha” to be heard. The moonlight was not too bright, half covered by dark clouds, so Yang Zi’an could only lead the others to light a fire on a flat ground, resting for one night before continuing on the road.

When he left the farmstead, he only took two people with him, but when he returned, he took nearly fifty with him.

It all started with finding Zhang Shicheng.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

However, he wasn’t called Zhang Shicheng, but Zhang Jiusi. Because the name was wrong, Yang Zi’an only found him after looking for a long time.

Zhang Jiusi also had three younger brothers, Zhang Jiuwu, Zhang Jiuliu, Zhang Jiuqi, and some good brothers, who were all bringing their family along. In this way Yang Zi’an took a longer time than he expected.

They all relied on shipping salt for a living. Zhang Shicheng smuggled salt and sold it in order to subsidize his family. Some wealthy households didn’t want to pay, so they threatened to report him to the court for illegally selling official salt, and even beating and scolding him. In addition to this, there was also a salt supervisor named Qiu Yi in the salt mine. Not only did he deduct the salaries of the salt workers, but the salt workers must also pay tribute to him every month. Any omission was bound to result in being beaten and scolded.

Since ancient times, there were large discrepancies between different ranks of officials, not to mention Zhang Shicheng and the others were not even officials at all. The common people could only take the beating and scolding, swallowing down any anger or grievances, and continue to live their hard lives.

“Eat something, we had traveled the whole day.” Yang Zi’an had someone to take the dry food from the ox cart.

Lin Yuan had people prepare these dry foods for him. They were all dried cakes and dried meat. Find a pot, put some water add some salt and boil it all together. Nowadays, this was a warm and satisfying meal.

The people sitting on the ground took their bowls and waited, while some who couldn’t wait, began to eat the dry bread first.

Zhang Jiusi was a little ashamed. After all, these people were brought by him. He also wanted to hunt these few days. However, they would not stay in one place for too long so it was useless to arrange traps. There was simply no time to hunt. He sat next to Yang Zi’an, appearing a little hesitant and asked, “Your Boss, really said that we met before?”

But he didn’t remember someone named Lin Yuan at all.

Yang Zi’an: “My fourth brother said that he had met you briefly many years ago. He is a kind-hearted person and can’t bear to see anyone suffer. He might have only met with you a few times, or said a few words to you so it’s normal not to remember.”

Zhang Jiusi touched the back of his head, and he truly felt that Yang Zi’an had found the wrong person. After all, he was looking for Zhang Shicheng at the beginning. Zhang Jiusi had also heard of Yang Zi’an’s name back in Xinghua, known to be generous with money and was a foreigner. He came all the way to find someone who was just an ordinary salt man, saying that he hadn’t seen that person for many years. So Zhang Jiusi had discussed with his three younger brothers at home and decided to try his luck.

He didn’t know why but when Yang Zi’an heard that he had three younger brothers, and his family made a living by boating salt, he immediately insisted that he was the person he was looking for.

Zhang Jiusi originally just wanted to eat a full meal——after all, every time someone came, Yang Zi’an would at least let them eat a meal.

Many people pretended to be the one just for the meal, although they also knew that their pretending could not be successful.

But Zhang Jiusi succeeded. Not only did he succeed, Yang Zi’an wanted to take him away.

According to Yang Zi’an’s words, they will eat three meals a day, and this alone made Zhang Jiusi a little swayed.

He transported salt every day, but the wages he gets were pitiful. Together, the four brothers were just enough to feed themselves. But sometimes they also had to help out friends, so their situation was extremely poor, not to mention often being beaten and humiliated by the salt supervisors. They don’t even have money to buy medicine to treat the wounds left by the beatings. So, going to a place where they can eat three meals a day without being beaten or scolded, as well as providing accommodation, they could hardly even imagine it.

But when he thought about the brothers who he had good relationships were still suffering once he had left with his younger brothers, Zhang Jiusi tentatively asked Yang Zi’an’s decision.

Yang Zi’an was told by Lin Yuan before, and he nodded in agreement without asking more.

Although Zhang Jiusi still had some worries, Yang Zi’an’s promise was too good. Even if he wanted to refuse he wouldn’t know how to open his mouth.

Before he was given a chance to change his mind, Yang Zi’an took them away from Xinghua.

Horses can’t be bought. No one in Xinghua sells it. Instead Yang Zi’an bought a few donkey carts. The old people and children sit on the carts, while the young people walk on their own legs. But no one complained.

Zhang Jiusi was now beginning to fear again, what if he was found out that he was not the person they were looking for?

Haven’t seen each other for so many years, maybe he can’t recognize it?

He was conflicted all the way. For a while, he felt that he shouldn’t be so greedy, but then he would also secretly think that maybe he would not be discovered as a fake.

Yang Zi’an was not afraid that they would rob him. The main reason was that except for the dry food and these donkey carts, the money on hin was basically all spent. These people were not desperate criminals who would commit something like robbing and killing.

When he arrived under the city wall of the farmstead, Yang Zi’an finally breathed a sigh of relief. It had been nearly half a year since he left the farmstead, and he didn’t know the current situation back at the farmstead.

The time he spent in Xinghua was too long, but the length of this time was not something he could do anything about.

Zhang Jiusi and the others had stunned looks. They didn’t expect that there would be such a place in the wilderness, practically like a paradise.

The people on the observation platform couldn’t see Yang Zi’an’s face. They only knew that these people weren’t from the farmstead. They were about to sound the horn, but Yang Zi’an shouted, “I’m your second brother Yang. I’ve brought people back. Go tell my fourth brother!”

The person was taken aback for a moment, and then called: “Then you wait first!”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e ir on tr ee bl oo ms. c o m )

Lin Yuan was teasing a little baby at this time. He had always liked children. Now as long as he came to tease the children for awhile when he was in a bad mood or irritated, his whole person’s mood would become much better. Little babies have a pair of eyes with the black distinct from the white, and compared with adults who have more murky eyes, the eyes of children were very clear and bright.

At this time, Lin Yuan was being pulled at by the baby’s fingers, and the baby was laughing with her mouth open. The baby’s mother was sitting on the side, and another woman sitting next to her smiled and said, “This child knows to please the Boss at such a young age. When grown up she must be a sweet person too.”

The child’s mother also laughed: “Her eyes look like me.”

Lin Yuan looked at her carefully, and felt that the child looked more like the mother, but he couldn’t be sure when she was so small.

Some children looked like their mothers when they were young, but looked like their fathers when they grow up.

However, a child of this size, who didn’t even have eyebrows, the small face was plump and tender and looked adorable no matter what.

There was no milk powder now, and breastfeeding could only depend on the mother’s breast milk. When breast milk was not enough, then feed them with some rice soup, and it turned out they grow quite well on rice soup too.

It was just that their hair was a little bit yellow, which nothing could be done about.

Er Liang ran in from outside the house, and said to Lin Yuan, “Young master, brother Yang is back and brought a lot of people. Now they are all waiting outside.”

Lin Yuan stood up at once. Probably because the movement was a bit loud, and the baby girl noticed that the fingers she was holding were missing, so her mouth pouted and began to cry.

Lin Yuan could only say to the baby girl’s mother: “You coax her, I will go first.”

Her mother smiled and said, “Boss can go ahead, I will definitely look after her.”

Yang Zi’an and the others basked in the sun for a while, before they finally saw the door slowly open.

When Lin Yuan came out from the door, the first thing was to give a warm hug to Yang Zi’an. Yang Zi’an was taken aback, and patted Lin Yuan on the back, and smiled: “I brought you back the people, money is all used up.”

“You have been away for so long, and I was worried that there was not enough money.” Lin Yuan smiled, “Go in.”

Saying so, Lin Yuan walked inwards with his arm thrown around Yang Zi’an’s shoulders, and asked, “Who is Zhang Shicheng?”

Yang Zi’an: “Can’t you recognize him?”

Lin Yuan lied with his eyes wide open: “That was all years ago, I can’t remember much.”

Yang Zi’an: “I didn’t find Zhang Shicheng. I found Zhang Jiusi. He also has three younger brothers. I thought maybe you remembered wrong. Both their surnames were Zhang anyway.”

Lin Yuan thought, that’s right, Zhang Shicheng used to be an ordinary salt man, how could the people at the bottom class have a formal name.

He hurriedly followed Yang Zi’an’s words and said: “It should be my memory that was wrong.”

Yang Zian: “But he brought with him a lot of people.”

Lin Yuan looked back, and Zhang Jiusi and his party walked behind looking very nervous and feeling out of place, but they couldn’t help looking left and right.

“It’s not too much.” Lin Yuan briefly talked about the previous events, “We are actually short of people.”

Some time ago Jiang Guang came back bringing the three horses he had promised before. He also praised the jade that Lin Yuan gave him, and took a few new pieces of jade away with him again, indicating that he will bring back the people Lin Yuan need before winter came, only afraid that 500 would be too many for Lin Yuan to manage.

Lin Yuan told him to only take care of the delivery, and they can naturally take care of managing them all here.

Yang Zi’an said: “Is the dormitory not enough?”

Lin Yuan nodded, thinking that Yang Zi’an knew him too well: “Sure enough, second brother, you understand me. I think a new dormitory must be built. Fortunately, although the craftsmen who built the house last time left, there were many people who built it along with them. They have experience and know how to do it. This time, you don’t have to go outside to get people. The bricks will probably require you to find someone to make again.”

Yang Zian: “It’s not a troublesome thing. It’s better to build three floors and construct a few more.”

Lin Yuan nodded: “But we won’t live here long. At the end of next year, we have to move out.”

Yang Zian was taken aback: “Move to where?”

Lin Yuan just smiled: “You’ll know then.”

It was too early to speak now. When the Red Turban Army revolts next year, regarding the world’s affairs, it was normal to follow the lead then. At that time, it would be normal for them to attack Xinghua.

Yang Zi’an saw that he won’t be getting a straightforward answer, so he didn’t ask anymore.

Zhang Jiusi and the others were looking at the acres of fertile fields and the crops growing in it. They could barely come back to their senses. Li Liu said next to Zhang Jiusi: “You really have a name called Zhang Shicheng?”

Zhang Jiusi also whispered: “It may not be me.”

Li Liu was surprised: “Then isn’t this lying?”

Zhang Jiusi: “Can’t you speak quietly!”

Lin Yuan walked to Zhang Jiusi’s side at this time. He was different from the people around him. As long as one had eyes, they knew that this was the Boss. Lin Yuan now looked quite a bit like an elegant Gongzi, since he doesn’t go to work in the fields, with the wind blowing at him and the sun roasting down on him. And in addition to facial features that weren’t bad at all, he looked like a pale faced Gongzi.

But this was just in comparison with other people in the farmstead.

“Zhang Jiusi.” Lin Yuan called Zhang Jiusi’s name.

Zhang Jiusi walked out from the crowd, and Lin Yuan looked him up and down. He remembered that Zhang Shicheng was a man with “rare brawn and chivalry” in the historical records. He himself could not even eat fully and yet helped out others.

In fact, he had many similarities with the original owner, a pity he lost his way after success.

Zhang Jiusi looked at Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan said: “Come with me.”

Zhang Jiusi looked back at his brothers again, and finally walked a little distance away with Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan took Zhang Jiusi to a relatively secluded place. He knew that Zhang Jiusi was willing to come with Yang Zi’an because at this time Zhang Jiusi had already been forced into a dead end. He was at the point of whether to resist ot not. But Zhang Jiusi was not a person who didn’t fear imperial power, otherwise he would not have waited until the 13th year of Yuanshun’s reign.

That was why when Yang Zi’an released a rope that symbolizes life, he had grabbed onto it even when he knew that there were many doubts.

“You are not the person I am looking for.” Lin Yuan said.

Zhang Jiusi paused, he was a little flustered, after all, he didn’t often lie.

Lin Yuan said again: “But you have come here already, so just stay at ease. Although I haven’t found my friend, but you have all come already, naturally I won’t have you go back again.”

Zhang Jiusi looked at Lin Yuan, wondering what kind of living Buddha decided to come down to this earth?

“It’s just, your brothers.” Lin Yuan said, “They can’t make trouble for me.”

Zhang Jiusi patted his chest and assured: “That’s natural.”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e ir on tr ee bl oo ms .wo rd pr es s. c o m )

Zhang Jiusi and the others were assigned to the dormitory, but they could not live in a family room, they had to live separately, and they had to go to the cafeteria when eating.

Zhang Jiusi and his three brothers plus one Li Liu were assigned to a dormitory where three people were already living in. When they entered, the three people who had lived there first greeted them enthusiastically and learned that they were from Xinghua. They became even more enthusiastic.

“How is the outside world now?”

“You have salt, you must be rich.”

Zhang Jiusi and the others looked at the bed that had been made, and their hearts eased fractionally, but still hung in midair. They looked at the bed with a top and lower bunk, eyes full of surprises, having never seen a bed like this in their life.

“This is the method our Boss came up with.” One of the farmstead person laughed. “The Boss said there are too many people and there is no place to fit all of us. This bunk bed can be used to sleep many people and without being crowded together. Everyone gets their own bed, comfortable.”

Zhang Jiusi asked him: “What kind of person is your Boss?”

The man said: “Speaking of our Boss, come, sit down, listen to me and I’ll tell you in detail.”

The other two laughed and said: “Brother Zhao talks a lot, he won’t let you go if he doesn’t talk to his satisfsction.”

The person known as brother Zhao said: “I was a refugee. Like me, the two of them can’t stay in their hometown anymore, and walked here with others. It was snowing at that time! The lords in the city do not care about us, I don’t know how many people died of freezing and starvation. It just so happened that Boss wanted to recruit people to build a house, the house that we are currently living in. I helped build it myself.”

“Originally, the house was built and the craftsmen had also left. We had nowhere to go, so we asked Boss to let us stay.”

Brother Zhao slapped his thigh: “Boss didn’t even blink, he told us we could all stay.”

Zhang Jiusi quickly asked: “Then what do you do daily?”

Brother Zhao: “That depends on what group you are in. I am in Manager Jiang’s group. I have to train in the morning and do farm work in the afternoon. For other groups, there will be training in the morning and hunting in the afternoon. Everyone does their own thing, it is all divided with clear distinction.”

This is similar to their salt mines, each has a division of labor, but they don’t need training.

“What do you train?” Zhang Jiusi asked.

Brother Zhao also said: “There are too many, like push-ups and leapfrogs, there are so many kinds, Boss said, this is to exercise our physical strength, and sometimes Boss will train with us.”

Zhang Jiusi asked again: “Why do you need training?”

Brother Zhao: “Do you think it’s very peaceful here? What if there were bandits coming? Isn’t it up to us to fight back?”

Zhang Jiusi swallowed.

Brother Zhao smiled and said: “It’s no big deal, I’ve never been afraid of it, men, we shouldn’t be afraid at all!”

The roommate relentlessly undermined him: “Last time bandits came, you almost peeed your pants in fright. If we didn’t hold you up, you might be a deserter.”

Brother Zhao: “Bah! Was I peeing my pants?! Back then it was just a little bit of sweat!”

Zhang Jiusi glanced at his three younger brothers.

Zhang Jiuwu said: “Brother, we’re here anyway. What’s the point of thinking so much, so long as we won’t be hungry.”

“Yes, what do you eat in the cafeteria?” Zhang Jiuqi, the youngest, looked at brother Zhao intently and asked.

Brother Zhao: “We usually eat multi-grain steamed buns and stir-fried vegetables. The oil and water are plenty. We can manufacture the oil by ourselves, and we can eat meat once every seven days. If someone outside comes to attack us, or if we attack a bandit villa we can eat all the fine grains and meat we want.”

Zhang Jiuqi’s saliva was about to leak out, but when he thought that in order to eat meat, he had to fight with his life, he was a little scared along with being excited.

He asked: “So when do you eat today?”

Brother Zhao said: “It will be two more hours before dinner, and then I will tell you the rules of eating.”

Zhang Jiuqi was taken aback: “There are rules for eating?”

Brother Zhao nodded: “That’s natural. There are even rules for shitting here.”

This time, the four brothers and Li Liu were all taken aback. This place was that strange? There were rules for eating and shitting?

Brother Zhao took them to the corridor and told them to look at the house next to the dormitory: “That’s the public toilet, and you have to go there if you want to poop and pee, and you have to wash your hands at the door when you come out.”

“As Boss said, it is becuase we don’t wash our hands that it is so easy to get sick, dirty sickness!” Brother Zhao held his head high, with a proud expression that he knew better, “What Boss says makes sense! Boss has read books!”

Zhang Jiusi looked at the public toilet that looked like a house, and his expression was somewhat dazed.

Brother Zhao: “If you go to the public toilet at night, remember to light the torch outside so that you don’t fall in the dark. Last time there was a hapless guy who fell into the latrine pit. Who told him to be so thin, it took him a long time to climb up.”

Everyone: “……”

That hapless guy was really too unlucky.

They can all imagine how he looked when he crawled out of the pit.

Brother Zhao: “That’s almost all, what else do you want to ask?”

Brother Zhao added: “By the way, if you work hard, there are rewards. The two people in each group who do the best every day can eat bonus meals. A bowl of stew, if you save some, you can eat it for two meals. Inside is all big chunks of meat and you also get a bowl of white rice.”

These fifty-odd people were arranged into their rooms. After all, they have just arrived in the new environment, and most of them were still a little uneasy. Fortunately, the people in the dormitories were very enthusiastic, and they were not as nervous as they were at the beginning.

They couldn’t not be enthusiastic and welcoming. During this period of time, Lin Yuan had been making repeated orders to them. In the future the farmstead will add many more people. If they were looking for trouble, they will be kicked out to do whatever they want outside. If they find someone oppressing a newcomer, as long as someone reported it, and after verification, the reporter can also get a slice of meat and a bag of rice, as well as a bamboo rat and a fat chicken.

Therefore, even if you were not very enthusiastic about newcomers, you will not find fault. No one in this world wanted to be driven out.

If they were driven out it was basically death.

Even if you didn’t die, you can’t live a good life like in the farmstead. Although every day was hard work, you did’t have to worry about food, clothing and housing.

Everyone also had two new sets of clothes every season. Although they were almost the same size and color, poor people cannot wear a few new clothes for a lifetime. Where else could anyone find such a good thing?

At dinner that night, Zhang Jiusi and his brothers were assigned to a fishing group. There were also a few fellow villagers with them. They were newcomers and met the group leader during dinner.

The leader of the fishing team was surnamed Zheng, originally named Zheng Liu’er. Later, he went to ask Lin Yuan who gave him a new name, Zheng Zhizhong. After he had a name, he would not allow others to call him Zheng Liu’er during working hours, only answering to his formal name.

“Boss said before that the number of daily catch is set, and the surplus is our own.” Zheng Liu’er and Zhang Jiusi said, “If we catch more, we will divide the fish by ourselves. Those who don’t have any cooking appliances can borrow the kitchen, which is convenient.”

Zhang Jiusi asked: “What if the catch is not enough?”

Zheng Liu’er smiled and said: “Why would there be not enough, there are too many fish in that river, even in the winter, and the amount set by Boss can be finished in one or two hours.”

Some of the fish caught were taken directly to the kitchen, and some were dried as salted fish and hung up to be eaten in winter.

Early the next morning, Zhang Jiusi and the others heard a loud noise outside, and they almost jumped up in fright, only to regain their calm when their heads knocked against the ceiling and bed board.

Brother Zhao and the others slowly got up from under their quilt, rubbed their eyes and said, “This is calling for us to get up.”

Zhang Jiusi and the others breathed a sigh of relief.

“We are too lazy to fetch water, so we can wash by the stream. Are you with us?” Brother Zhao asked.

Zhang Jiusi smiled: “Naturally go with brother Zhao.”

Brother Zhao led them to wash their faces and ate breakfast together before they went to the open area for training together.

In the first hour they practiced obedience. They charged to wherever Lin Yuan pointed. Lin Yuan gave an order, and they went over to chop the wood stakes with their knives.

After an hour, daily training began, such as running, push-ups, leapfrogging, throwing stones, etc.

When the bell rang during the lunch break, they yelled excitedly and rushed to the cafeteria.

Zhang Jiusi discovered that no one was lazy and no one was supervising the work. Instead during the training, each team of ten people supervised each other.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

He was quite bewildered.

Brother Zhao said, “If you are lazy you get reported by someone in the team, then you can only eat one meal tomorrow, while he can eat meat!”

Zhang Jiusi finally understood.

This farmstead had hidden depths and was even more capable than he thought.

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