Chapter 24

In the scorching heat of midsummer, the sun in Wulizhai was so intense that by noon, the entire village was wilted. The rice, which was almost ready for harvest, lay lifelessly in the fields. Only the cicadas, with their intermittent calls, continued to make noise, but even they sounded weak and listless.

By the banks of the Sanggan River, the two sisters, Linglong, walked side by side. Yuling held a few pieces of washed clothing, while Yulong carried a wooden basin. The two of them moved gracefully under the bright sunlight, the afternoon heat making their fair faces look drowsy. On the empty riverbank, a few sheep from unknown households grazed. One of the sheep, with its white and black mottled pattern, looked like a dairy cow. Yulong whispered to her sister, "This one must be the result of a white sheep and a black sheep getting together."

The two sisters stopped at a stone staircase by the river. This was a place where many women from Wulizhai used to come to wash clothes. The water of the Sanggan River had nourished their ancestors for generations, and they had always thrived here. However, in recent days, the water in the Sanggan River had become scarce, and many parts of the riverbed were now dry. When the Linglong sisters arrived, they saw over ten women, dressed in tattered clothes, laughing and talking loudly while beating their clothes with wooden mallets. Upon seeing the Linglong sisters, the women's eyes showed a hint of reverence, and their voices became quieter. They recognized that these two beautiful girls were from Yuejia Village, and to them, Yuejia Village was not only their source of livelihood but also home to a benevolent landlord.

"Sister, why are they all looking at us like that?" Yulong, who was not used to such attention, crouched down and whispered to her sister, as she rarely left the village and was unfamiliar with such gazes.

"Because we are from Yuejia Village and also serve the young master," Yuling replied with a hint of pride and a blush on her face, unsure if it was from the afternoon heat or shyness.

At that moment, snippets of conversation reached their ears. "Cui'er's mother, look, it's really a disaster. The water in the Sanggan River is so dry, yet the Wangs, Lis, and Lins are still digging channels to divert the water. If they keep this up, the Sanggan River will be completely drained."

"Who can argue with that? But what can we do? The young master of Yuejia Village has already agreed to it, so those three families are digging channels without restraint," a middle-aged woman with a simple face said, looking at the people digging the riverbank on the other side of the river, her voice filled with resentment.

"But we don't have to worry. Hasn't the young master sent people to dig many wells for us? We won't have to worry about water for our fields, and giving them some water is no big deal," another woman said.

"But it still makes me feel uneasy to see them drain the river like that."

"Don't worry, the river will be full again during the plum rain season or next year when it rains."

The women were discussing recent events, and their voices, initially low, grew louder, and the Linglong sisters could hear them. However, soon, a voice caught the attention of the surrounding women.

"Hey, did you hear? Yuejia Village is recruiting a militia. They say the benefits are great. Not only is there a settlement fee, but there's also a monthly salary of one tael of silver. Many people from Wulizhai have already signed up. If they can become militiamen, they won't have to worry about their future."

Hearing this, one of the women said with a somewhat resentful look, "That's right. My husband applied yesterday, but he was rejected on the spot. They said he was too old, but he's only thirty-two. Why wasn't he qualified?"

"Hehe..." The surrounding women laughed. "They said they only want young men between sixteen and twenty-five. Your son Zhu is already sixteen, so why don't you let him apply?"

"Yes, I think your son Zhu is suitable. He's strong and looks like a robust young man."

"Pfft... I can understand my husband joining the militia, but Zhu is only sixteen. I won't let him take on such a dangerous job."

"Hey... How can people be like this? The young master recruiting the militia is a good thing. Why can't they understand his kindness?" Yulong, hearing this, felt a surge of anger and was about to stand up to argue with the women, but Yuling quickly pulled her back, shaking her head to signal her not to act rashly. Yuling knew that some things couldn't be explained.

In fact, the news of Yuejia Village recruiting a militia had indeed stirred the entire area within a few dozen miles of Wulizhai. People's reactions varied. Some praised it, some dismissed it, and some were just curious. However, the conditions set by Yueyang were indeed attractive, and many people living in poverty were tempted. As a result, many families with idle labor and men began to sign up. However, what no one expected was that the recruitment conditions set by Yuejia Village were unexpectedly strict. The first condition alone made many people speechless, as it stipulated that the age for recruitment was between sixteen and twenty-five, and those over this age had to be literate in at least five hundred characters. This condition alone eliminated nearly half of the applicants.

"Master, aren't these conditions a bit too strict? At this rate, we might not find enough qualified recruits. Why don't you loosen the conditions a bit?"

At the gate of Yuejia Village, Hu Lao San, the head of the guards, looked at the sparse number of people coming to sign up and was quite worried. After three days, they had only recruited fewer than four hundred people, which was less than half of the target number. This made Hu Lao San very anxious, and he pleaded with Yueyang to relax the recruitment conditions.

"Better to have a few good ones than many mediocre ones. Our militia should not be filled with unqualified people." Influenced by the modern policy of having a lean and efficient army, Yueyang naturally brought this mindset to the recruitment conditions. After all, twenty-five was already the upper limit he could accept. He couldn't imagine recruiting a group of men in their thirties or forties, who would be considered old in an era where the average lifespan was only about forty years. Was he supposed to think the village had too much grain?

Seeing Yueyang's firm stance, Hu Lao San had no choice but to give up. Although he was the head of the guards, Yueyang was exceptionally decisive on this matter and would not allow anyone to change his decision.

Suddenly, Yueyang remembered something and turned to ask, "By the way, Hu Master, have the newly recruited militiamen been settled?"

"They have been settled in the new row of houses on the north side of the village," Hu Lao San replied, knowing that Yueyang's instructions were not to be taken lightly. Yueyang had already established some initial authority in Yuejia Village and Wulizhai through the recent conflicts and the establishment of the militia.

"Let's go and take a look!" Yueyang waved his hand and walked toward the north side of the village...

The north side of Yuejia Village was originally a wasteland, unsuitable for farming due to its salty soil and numerous rocks. However, it was a natural training ground. Yueyang had ordered the construction of several temporary wooden houses on this land, which now served as the barracks for the militia. Currently, several hundred militiamen selected from Wulizhai were gathered there.

Due to the lack of supervision and their recent arrival, these men were running around freely, and the training ground was filled with various figures and shouts. This was the scene Yueyang saw when he first entered.

PS: It's time for the daily request for favorites and recommendations. Brothers, where are your recommendation votes?