Chapter 71

After wrestling with Wang Laicai, it turned out to be quite beneficial. An Zhongzhi and Wang Laicai recognized Lin Bei's strength, as powerful force is the quickest way to instill awe. Even An Zhongzhi seemed less casual now.

Some of the laborers were also cutting trees nearby and had witnessed the entire process. They, too, regarded Lin Bei with the reverence of a celestial being.

"An Zhongzhi, gather the laborers. Let everyone get to know each other," Lin Bei suddenly wrote.

"Sure." Although he didn't know what the demon dragon was thinking, An Zhongzhi had no resistance at all. He and Wang Laicai immediately called out to the laborers to come and pay their respects to Lin Bei.

Lin Bei was a bit nervous. Although he had met many people, most of them were either hunters or had some life experience, making them more accepting of his demonic nature. These laborers were different; they were illiterate, and many had never even left Hepu County. Would they accept his existence? Would the groundwork he had laid be effective?

As the laborers gathered, Lin Bei subconsciously straightened his posture. To his surprise, each laborer who arrived immediately knelt on the ground and performed a grand ceremony, a gesture even more respectful than meeting an official in ancient times. Lin Bei couldn't see their expressions, but none of them trembled, indicating they weren't overly afraid of him.

When An Zhongzhi returned and saw the scene, he was not at all surprised, as if it were entirely natural. In his view, the demon dragon before them deserved such respect.

"Alright, let them stand up," Lin Bei said, feeling a bit uncomfortable with so many people kneeling and bowing to him, something he had never experienced before.

"The adult lets you stand up."

"Thank you, adult," the laborers shouted, their voices not in unison but very strong.

Once they stood up, they dared to sneak glances at Lin Bei, their hands clasped at their waists, looking very restrained. Their eyes occasionally flashed with amazement, a testament to the impact of seeing Lin Bei in person.

To Lin Bei, these laborers all looked pale and emaciated, almost all in tattered clothes, wearing worn-out straw shoes. Their living conditions must have been extremely poor. Lin Bei also noticed that a few laborers had a small bag hanging from their waists, which seemed to contain food.

Lin Bei gestured for An Zhongzhi to bring the bag over. Upon opening it, he found that it indeed contained food—a kind of yellowish-white dry cake, extremely hard and without any aroma, let alone any hint of oil.

"Do they eat this?" Lin Bei asked An Zhongzhi. "What is it?"

"This is made from soybean husks and wheat flour, very filling. Would the adult like to try it?"

Lin Bei really did try it. His mouth was large, so he could fit the entire cake in without any trouble. After chewing a few times, he frowned. The cake was very hard and seemed uncooked, with a strong, raw soybean flavor. He found it difficult to swallow.

After eating it, Lin Bei felt that his idea to prepare food for these laborers was reasonable. In modern times, even beggars wouldn't eat such food. He wagged his tail. "Let them go back to work. Also, tell them that at noon, or in two hours, I will prepare food for them."

"Food? Adult?" An Zhongzhi's eyes widened. He remembered explaining to the adult yesterday.

"Just tell them."

An Zhongzhi sighed, coughed a few times, and said in a tone that suggested they had hit the jackpot, "Listen up, the demon dragon has said to work hard, and in two hours, he will prepare a rich meat meal for you, ensuring you are well-fed. You won't have to eat these cakes anymore."

The laborers were first stunned, then overjoyed.

"Thank the adult," An Zhongzhi shouted.

"Thank the adult." This time, their voices were very整齐 and loud, showing that the prospect of a meal was a great motivator.

"Alright, all of you, go back to work. Don't disappoint the adult. Wang Laicai, watch over them."

The laborers knelt again before dispersing, and Lin Bei didn't see any signs of unhappiness, only excitement and joy.

After the laborers left, Lin Bei sighed in relief. It seemed they had accepted his existence without any resistance, which was a good start. As these people from Xishan Village gradually got used to Lin Bei, new arrivals would also accept him more easily, and perhaps the villagers would even actively spread the word to outsiders, saving Lin Bei a lot of effort.

Because of this, Lin Bei felt that treating them to a meal was worth it. He told An Zhongzhi and then turned to enter the forest, as he needed to hunt large wild animals.

This time, Lin Bei hunted a wild ox. Wild oxen originally lived on the grasslands, but with the Han Dynasty lacking large grasslands, they had moved to the forests, much like African elephants. However, the number of wild oxen was not large. Lin Bei had only seen two herds in Fushan, each with about thirty to forty oxen. He hunted an old male ox. As he dragged it back, he thought: In the future, he could organize the people of Xishan Village to develop a breeding base, using the original ecosystem of Fushan to raise various animals, satisfying both the food chain of Fushan and the appetites of the people of this era.

Since the laborers and hunters were working, the task of roasting the wild ox fell to An Zhongzhi, with Lin Bei assisting.

The bonfire burned brightly, and the aroma of the meat began to spread through the forest. Smelling this, both the hunters and the laborers worked even harder. People in this era were simple; a full meal was a great joy, and through this, they confirmed the potential of catching locusts. After all, the demon dragon casually treated them to wild ox and deer, and a few rabbits and mountain chickens would be even easier. They had no doubt about it.

When these people returned home in the evening and spread the word, the people of Xishan Village gradually formed a concept: Following the demon dragon meant having meat to eat.