Chapter 94

At this time, it was the hour of Wei, when the sun was at its most scorching. Everyone was resting at home, waiting for the sun to weaken a bit before heading out to the fields for farming.

However, unlike the quiet Dongxi Village, the Xixi Village on the other side of the stream was bustling with activity. Just then, two elderly women, their heads covered with flowered kerchiefs, had left the village, their faces beaming with joy, as if they had just arranged another marriage.

The Xixi Village of today was vastly different from before. This lakeside village, which took half an hour to ride to the county town, was rarely visited by ordinary people. It was rare to see new faces in the village. But since the beginning of this year, the village had become lively. Not only were there more relatives visiting, but even the matchmakers were flocking to the village.

Now, the unmarried young men in Xixi Village were highly sought after in the surrounding areas. Unmarried young women from the neighboring villages were willing to marry into this village. Why? Not only could they eat their fill, but they could also send food and silver back to their parents' homes from time to time. This made the neighbors, who had no daughters or whose daughters had married early, envious.

Leaving aside the idle talk, let's talk about two middle-aged men who entered the village at this moment. They didn't ask for directions but walked straight in, as if they knew the way well.

"Old Sir, you rest for a while. It's so hot today, don't get sunburned. I'll come back to see you when I have time!" one of the men said politely as he took his leave. After waving to someone inside the house, he stepped out and bumped into two people. Seeing them, he said, "Zhao Baizheng, what a rare guest!"

The two men were none other than Chao Gai and Wu Yong. Chao Gai clasped his hands and said, "Ma Baizheng, congratulations!" He recognized this man as the newly appointed Baizheng of Xixi Village. The previous Baizheng had been executed by Liangshan, and it took three to five months before this man, surnamed Ma, took over the position.

Ma Baizheng turned back and called out, "Old Sir, the Baizheng from the neighboring village is visiting you!" Then he clasped his hands at Chao Gai and took his leave. He didn't want to talk much with this man, as he had offended the leaders of Liangshan too much. As the new Baizheng of Xixi Village, he genuinely didn't want to get too close to this person.

Chao Gai hurriedly returned the greeting. After Ma Baizheng left, he and Wu Yong entered the house. An elderly man, over eighty years old but still spirited, was sitting in the main seat of the living room. Seeing the visitors, the old man thought, "They say no one visits the temple without a reason. This man, though living in the neighboring village, hasn't visited for a long time. Now that they've come, there must be something!"

Chao Gai and Wu Yong bowed deeply to Ma Laogong. The old man quickly helped them up and called out, "Bring out the tea that Da Wang entrusted Jian Gong and Jian Ye to send me to entertain our distinguished guests!"

Chao Gai and Wu Yong exchanged glances and couldn't help but shake their heads. Nowadays, in Yuncheng County, people would inevitably mention this person within the first three sentences of a conversation, as if not doing so would make them seem ignorant.

Soon, a servant brought out two bowls of tea. Chao Gai and Wu Yong accepted them and thanked the old man repeatedly. After some polite conversation, Chao Gai took a sip of tea and, thinking of the urgency of the matter, said, "Old Sir, I haven't visited you since I took over as Baizheng. Last time, I was so foolish that I almost fought with you. Now, thinking about it, I feel ashamed!"

The old man laughed and said, "We are all neighbors. We fight today and make up tomorrow. We all live in the same place, drinking from the same stream. How can we have deep grudges? What do you think, Xiao Gai?"

Chao Gai nodded in agreement. The old man continued, "Young man, you are the most outstanding among your generation. Why did you pick such a formidable opponent? Leader Wang is kind and good to the people. Being his enemy is like forcing yourself to be a villain."

The old man saw that Chao Gai was very respectful and only nodded without arguing. He sighed and continued, "I know why you are here today. I've asked my two great-grandsons about the young men from your village. They said that although the villagers work hard on the mountain, they eat well, live well, and are not bullied. Not only you, but also the people from your village have come to me, but I can't say much about this. Leader Wang has said he will train them for a year or two. They won't lack food or clothing. Although they have to work, we farmers work every day. Leader Wang has promised me that he won't harm them. So, I advise you not to worry. They will return home after a year or two."

Wu Yong had been looking at the large bowl in his hand for a long time. Seeing that the old man was talking about irrelevant matters, he became anxious and said, "Old Sir, we didn't come here for this matter today!"

The old man was puzzled and asked, "Then why did you come?"

Chao Gai sighed. He had never begged anyone in his life, but now he had to not only beg but also ask someone to introduce him to his former enemy for protection. Thinking about it made him feel humiliated, but he had no other choice. Since this old man was two generations older than him, speaking humbly wouldn't be embarrassing, especially for the sake of his brothers. With this thought, he calmed down and said:

"Old Sir Ma, you know the Beijing governor, a big corrupt official surnamed Liang, who is the son-in-law of the current grand villain Cai Jing. He sends a large gift to his father-in-law every year, all of which is ill-gotten gains. My brothers and I were indignant and robbed him on the way. Now..."

Before Chao Gai could finish, the old man was shocked and said, "I heard that a big case happened at Huangni Ridge not far from here. Was it really you?"

Chao Gai sighed and said, "Now that the matter has come to light, we have no way out. We beg you, Old Sir, to show us a way out!"

The old man, over eighty, saw through everything. When he heard Chao Gai reveal such a secret, he felt something was amiss. He sighed and said, "Xiao Gai, I shouldn't meddle, but since you've come to me, I'll say a few words. What you did last December was not right. Leader Wang was doing good for the people and his subordinates. Moreover, this person was your enemy. You didn't help him, which was understandable, but you also took advantage of his small numbers and tried to harm him. What kind of person does that make you? You were born and grew up here, and we all saw how you loved to make friends. But why did you choose to offend such a person instead of befriending him?"

The old man saw that Chao Gai was still looking down and sighed again, "Now you want me to speak, but how can I have the face to speak? You even led people to block him two months ago! Not only Leader Wang was angry, but even our neighbors were upset. You added the crime of joining a bandit to your name! Xiao Gai, do you know what a real bandit is? Leader Wang cares so much for us, but you call him a bandit! I think those officials who don't act like human beings are the real bandits!"

Chao Gai was ashamed by the old man's words. Wu Yong, seeing this, quickly said, "Old Sir, you are absolutely right. We were wrong before! Leader Wang said that all past grievances would be forgotten. Now, those corrupt officials are coming to catch us. You are respected, and you can't just watch us be caught!"

"Professor Wu, you are a teacher. Why don't you just teach? Why do you always get involved in these violent affairs? Now you are wanted by the authorities. Is this the life a scholar should lead?" The old man looked at the middle-aged scholar with a quick-witted gaze and couldn't help but say.

The old man's two sons, both over sixty, were standing by. They were sweating cold sweat, seeing their father scold these two strong men, who were unusually submissive, without a word of defense, which was quite unusual.

Chao Gai sighed again and said, "Old Sir, to be honest, I don't mind dying. When Leader Wang let me go, I never thought I would live this long. Every day I live is a bonus. I don't mind dying. But I have four brothers under me, and I can't let them die with me. Old Sir, I can't let that happen!"

The old man thought he was seeing things when he saw the tears in Chao Gai's eyes. He rubbed his eyes and realized it wasn't an illusion. Seeing this tough man cry, he sighed, "Everyone has their fate. I've watched you grow up. How can I let you be caught by the authorities at this critical moment? Tell me, what do you want me to do?"

Wu Yong was delighted and looked at the dejected Chao Gai. Seeing no response, he had to get up and take out the gift they had prepared, saying, "Please, Old Sir, come with us to the mountain and speak a few good words to Leader Wang. We will only stay on the mountain for half a year and then come down, without causing any trouble to Leader Wang. We will never be his enemy again! Here is a hundred taels of gold, please accept it."

There was a loud "slap" as the old man slapped the table, trembling with anger. He said, "You scholar! What do you take me for? If I help you, it's because of our neighborly ties! Now you offer me gold, are you trying to do business with me!?"

Wu Yong quickly put away the gold, bowed, and said, "I had no other intention. I just wanted to show my respect. Since you are so noble, I won't offend you. I'll take the gold back."

The old man sighed, looked at the silent Chao Gai, and said, "Alright! For the sake of our neighbors, I'll put my old face on the line and ask Leader Wang. But if it doesn't work, don't blame me! I haven't seen my two great-grandsons for a long time, and I miss them." (To be continued)