Chapter 39: I'll Let You Pretend!

Chen Xie didn't really care what Wang Qinan used to do. The distance this guy kept behind him was quite interesting—neither too far nor too close, clearly a habitual pace.

Chen Xie aimlessly walked along the beach, stopping at a pile of rocks. After a careful look, he felt something was off; the area didn't have many rocks, making this pile seem out of place.

"This used to be a beacon tower. There should be another one five miles to the east. If I remember correctly, it was built during the Jiajing era to guard against the Japanese pirates. It wasn't well-constructed, so it collapsed quickly."

Hearing this, Chen Xie suddenly drew his pistol, pointing it at Wang Qinan and sneering, "You're not a refugee from Liaodong; you're a spy for the Manchus!"

Wang Qinan looked shocked but didn't make any defensive moves. He glanced at Chen Xie with a nonchalant look and said, "Sir, who says a refugee from Liaodong can't know the history of Dengzhou? I boarded a ship in Dengzhou to go to Liaodong when I was sixteen. I heard these stories from the veterans on the ship."

Chen Xie noticed something odd in his accent, which wasn't quite pure and had a hint of the southern Min and Zhejiang dialects.

"Wang Qinan!" Chen Xie slowly lowered his gun, a cold smile on his face.

"Yes, sir, what do you need?" Wang Qinan bowed and made a gesture befitting a subordinate. This made Chen Xie a bit more inclined to believe him, but he still couldn't fully trust him. Historical records clearly stated that Huang太极 (Huang Taiji) often used spies, and the Ming's nine borders were riddled with Manchu infiltrators.

"I can see you don't think this is a threat. Well, let me show you. Pick any target within thirty steps," Chen Xie said. Before he finished, Wang Qinan had already moved, lifting a stone that must have weighed at least sixty to seventy pounds and walking thirty steps before placing it down.

Chen Xie estimated it was about fifty meters away. The workers at the distant site were probably five to six hundred meters away and wouldn't hear anything. He gestured for Wang Qinan to step aside. Wang Qinan took a few steps back, and Chen Xie, who had practiced shooting in military training, aimed. A few classmates had bribed the instructor with a pack of cigarettes, and he had fired over a hundred rounds with the Type 56 rifle.

"Stand a bit further back," Chen Xie shouted. Wang Qinan confidently waved, "It's fine, sir, don't worry."

Chen Xie thought, "I'm not worried, this is a pistol, and I'm not a sharpshooter. If my hand shakes a bit, I might hit you." He called out several times, but Wang Qinan refused to move, looking defiant. This annoyed Chen Xie. It was clear that Wang Qinan was willing to serve him, but he didn't take his combat skills seriously.

"Fine, you asked for it. If you get hit, it's your own fault." Clenching his teeth, Chen Xie held the pistol with both hands, aiming at the stone. The target was relatively large. Following the instructor's advice, he held his breath, calmed his mind, aligned the sights, and pulled the trigger. Oh, and he needed to grip the handle tightly, but that didn't apply to a pistol.

Bang, bang, bang... Chen Xie fired all the bullets in the magazine. The light smoke hadn't even dispersed when he heard a click, indicating the magazine was empty.

Wang Qinan, who had been calm and confident, now stood like a statue, frozen in place. Chen Xie, holding the pistol, approached with a smug smile.

"Pretend, I let you pretend!" Chen Xie felt a sense of satisfaction. This guy had completely dismissed his combat skills, which had been frustrating.

When Chen Xie got closer, he saw that Wang Qinan's legs were trembling. Chen Xie didn't intend to finish him off. He walked to the stone and examined his results. All the bullets had hit the sand below the stone.

"Damn!" Chen Xie cursed, extremely dissatisfied with his performance. Eight bullets, all misses. Even more embarrassing, while others' misses would fly up or to the sides, his had all hit the sand. Chen Xie didn't understand why, but the reason was simple: his strength had increased, and he had pressed the gun down according to his old habits. The recoil of a pistol was no match for his current strength.

"No, I have to try again." Annoyed, Chen Xie stepped back ten paces, stopping at about twenty meters. He changed the magazine and raised the gun again. This time, Wang Qinan finally reacted, crawling over and shouting, "Sir, wait, wait."

His狼狈 (embarrassed) appearance provided some comfort to Chen Xie's wounded pride. When Wang Qinan sat down behind him, Chen Xie raised the gun again. This time, he aimed with one hand, standing sideways, just like in the movies. He adjusted his breathing and gently pulled the trigger. Bang! A spark flew from the target.

"Yay!" Chen Xie made a victory sign, feeling elated. He then stepped back five more paces. Wang Qinan had learned his lesson and followed to avoid being hit. The previous moment had nearly scared the life out of him. He didn't doubt Chen Xie's aim; the sand had been kicked up just three steps away, and the shots were continuous.

Having been a soldier and fought the Tartars, Wang Qinan knew this was a firearm. Without armor, he would have been riddled with bullets if Chen Xie had aimed at him.

Bang, another shot. Chen Xie's aim was improving, and he hit the target again, feeling much better.

"Sir, what kind of firearm is this? The continuous firing is quite impressive," Wang Qinan asked, seemingly forgetting Chen Xie's earlier words. In fact, he had only remembered the word "gun."

Chen Xie glanced at him disdainfully and didn't answer. "I only say things once. If you don't understand, it's your fault. You doubted me, and I had to teach you a lesson." This time, Chen Xie stepped back to fifty meters, with Wang Qinan following closely.

After hitting the target with three more bullets, Chen Xie laughed out loud, almost shouting, "I'm a genius."

He stopped his foolish behavior and put the gun away, not looking at Wang Qinan. He found a flat spot, laid out a piece of canvas, and disassembled the gun. This process was slow, as it was his first time. Chen Xie carefully cleaned each part and bullet, focusing on the task.

Wang Qinan knelt beside him, head down, waiting for Chen Xie to deal with him. Chen Xie felt a sense of balance. After about half an hour, he reassembled the gun, luckily without any parts missing. He pulled the slide, and it worked perfectly. He then reloaded the magazine and carefully put the gun away.

After finishing, Chen Xie finally addressed Wang Qinan, glancing at him and seeing his dejected look. He said calmly, "Stand up and talk." After living in the Ming Dynasty for some time, Chen Xie had given up on correcting the habit of kneeling. At least for now, he didn't want to stand out too much in this era.

Wang Qinan stood up, and Chen Xie said, "Do you know what you did wrong?"

"Sir, I shouldn't have doubted you," Wang Qinan answered, earning a nod of approval from Chen Xie. That was exactly the effect he wanted. He needed to train soldiers to protect his property, and Wang Qinan, having been a soldier, could be useful. In the Ming Dynasty, Chen Xie had learned that being too polite to a servant would scare them, thinking they were about to be fired or face some other misfortune.

Only by treating servants like animals could they feel content with the good treatment they received at Zhang Family Village. If they didn't work hard, they wouldn't get millet and white flour. In the past, the Zhang family mixed wild grass into their meals. Only during the busy farming season could they eat millet porridge and steamed buns with a bit of flour. White flour buns were a luxury for the New Year.

Now, with the young master, a divine doctor, in charge, every meal was pure millet, and they could enjoy steamed buns every few days, without any sorghum flour. The twenty-odd servants inside and outside the Zhang family were loyal to the new master, not by chance. Of course, the divine doctor was a living Buddha, different from ordinary people, and needed to be treated differently.

In fact, the old master of the Zhang family was also a great philanthropist. In the entire Dengzhou Prefecture, few could match his kindness. Who else provided their servants with sorghum flour meals every day? In short, the thinking of people in the Ming Dynasty was completely different from Chen Xie's. Working so hard for just a bit of sorghum flour to fill their bellies, Chen Xie saw this as treating them like animals.

Therefore, the divine doctor's limit was: work hard, get full meals of millet, and a steamed bun every three days. Even the old master of the Zhang family had tried to persuade him a few times, saying it was too generous and would spoil the servants.

Chen Xie insisted, and that was how it was decided. The old master of the Zhang family focused on his health, staying in the back courtyard to avoid feeling upset. Millet and white flour were good foods, and he couldn't understand why they weren't being saved.

These experiences had a significant impact on Chen Xie, and he had changed a lot. When he first arrived in the Ming Dynasty, he wouldn't have treated Wang Qinan this way. He would have been more maternal, trying to reason with him. Now, he was straightforward and effective.

"Right, remember, whatever the master says is always right. Even if it's wrong, there's a reason for it." Chen Xie nodded, enjoying the feeling.

---

End of Chapter 39.