Chapter 89

An Zhizhong had already arranged for people to return to Xishan Village in advance, so when the team arrived at the gate of the village, it had already turned into a sea of people.

Almost every family in the vicinity had come out, with white-haired elders, three-year-old children, and women from the inner chambers all standing on the village walls. As the team approached, and the crowd saw the two massive long-nosed beasts, the people of Xishan Village erupted in cheers, though there were also many exclamations of amazement.

An Zhizhong walked at the front, his back straight. Hearing the voices around him, An Zhizhong’s spirits soared. As the head of the pavilion, An Zhizhong had always been respected, but he had never experienced such a scene before. Although this was due to the long-nosed beasts, An Zhizhong felt a sense of pride.

"Head of the pavilion, are these the long-nosed beasts?" someone shouted. They had already confirmed it, but they still had to ask.

An Zhizhong nodded and said, "Of course."

"Truly enormous, they must be very strong."

"I bet they would be great for grinding grain."

"Grinding grain?" someone nearby scoffed, "They can pull carts, let alone grind grain. Long-nosed beasts are a hundred times stronger than oxen."

"Wow, a hundred times?" There was another round of exclamations from the crowd.

Zhen Jiu ran up to An Zhizhong and whispered, "Sir, A Li just said it would be best to keep the long-nosed beasts outside the village?"

"Why not bring them into the village?" An Zhizhong asked in surprise.

"I don’t know," Zhen Jiu said, "But the long-nosed beasts were just caught, and they are still quite temperamental, so they might hurt people."

An Zhizhong thought about it and realized that with so many houses inside, if the long-nosed beasts went berserk, it could cause a disaster. It would be better to keep them outside for a few days.

"Go ask A Li what to do. No, I’ll go with you."

An Zhizhong and Zhen Jiu came to A Li’s side. The two elephants were already very agitated, constantly stomping their feet. Fortunately, A Li was there to calm them down. When A Li saw An Zhizhong, he immediately started gesturing and complaining.

"What is he saying?"

Zhen Ding felt a bit awkward and tried to downplay it, "A Li says there are too many people here, and the long-nosed beasts are very scared. He suggests that the people disperse quickly."

An Zhizhong remembered Lin Bei’s instructions and didn’t hesitate. He called Wang Laicai and had the clerks persuade the surrounding people to disperse. The villagers were reluctant, but in the end, they had to retreat several hundred meters. With the noise reduced, the elephants calmed down a bit.

An Zhizhong thought that the long-nosed beasts couldn’t be brought into the village, and Lin Bei had instructed to take good care of them. It seemed they would have to build some sheds outside, similar to cowsheds, to protect the long-nosed beasts from the elements. He shared this idea and had Zhen Ding ask A Li if it was feasible.

After A Li confirmed it, An Zhizhong quickly arranged for people to build the elephant sheds. With so many people available and plenty of wood, the sheds were built in less than two hours. Some people even donated thatch to cover the roofs. After that, A Li managed to get the two elephants into the sheds.

Once inside the sheds, the elephants became more settled, as the barriers provided a sense of security. The effect was quite good. An Zhizhong then ordered people to bring water and fodder, and he personally fed the two long-nosed beasts.

The elephants, having been hungry for half a day, couldn’t resist the food and water. They drank from large wooden buckets, and An Zhizhong was amazed to see that the water, enough for a person to bathe in, was already half gone. The fodder was also disappearing quickly, and the speed at which they ate left An Zhizhong speechless.

An Zhizhong thought to himself, "This is going to be tough. The water and fodder I brought were enough for five oxen, but they were gone in the blink of an eye. I’ve heard that long-nosed beasts eat a lot, but seeing it firsthand is quite shocking."

"Such large creatures, eating like this, even wealthy families might not be able to sustain them for long. No wonder they grow so big," someone commented.

The clerks around him also exclaimed, "Head of the pavilion, these two long-nosed beasts eat a lot. Is the master really asking us to raise them?"

An Zhizhong didn’t say anything.

"Head of the pavilion, you need to talk to the master. The county hasn’t paid our salaries for months, and we’ve been relying on odd jobs to get by. Raising five oxen is already a stretch, and now these two long-nosed beasts. We can’t handle it."

"The master said to raise them for a few days. It’s just that it’s late today. Otherwise, we could let them graze on tree bark and grass. Don’t be anxious. The master must have a plan. We need to trust him," An Zhizhong defended Lin Bei.

At that moment, a man walked over and bowed to An Zhizhong from a distance, "Head of the pavilion, I heard that the long-nosed beasts eat a lot, so I came to help you."

An Zhizhong recognized him as Zhang Jiulang’s father. Zhang’s father had some connection with Bian Fuzi, who used to live in his house. An Zhizhong didn’t dare to be impolite, "It’s Mr. Zhang. Did Jiulang tell you?"

"No need for Jiulang to tell me. The news of the long-nosed beasts has spread throughout the village. You know we have an ox, so we have some fodder. I’ll send two carts to help you with the immediate need."

Two carts of fodder slowly arrived, and An Zhizhong nodded after some thought, "Thank you, Mr. Zhang. You’ve been a great help with the school, and now you’re helping us again. I’ll thank you on behalf of the people of Xishan Village."

Zhang’s father humbly declined, and they continued talking. The clerks unloaded another cart of fodder for the long-nosed beasts, who didn’t hesitate to eat it. Soon, half a cart was gone, and Zhang’s father was also surprised.

"Head of the pavilion, forgive me for saying, but the long-nosed beasts have a huge appetite. We need to plan ahead."

An Zhizhong nodded and looked in the direction of Fushan, "The master must have a plan."

An Zhizhong wasn’t sure, but in fact, Lin Bei was indeed planning for the long-nosed beasts.

"Master, Zhen Ding, Cui Lan, come and look. Have you seen anything like these three things? Even similar ones will do." Lin Bei pointed to three drawings on the ground, hoping that one of them would recognize something. If they did, the problem with the long-nosed beasts would be solved, and more importantly, it could help the farmers of this era have enough food and avoid starvation.