Chapter 68

"Father, Mother, now we have no land to farm! Fortunately, we still have some stored grain at home, so we won't starve, and this is thanks to the leaders on Liangshan who gave it to us before the New Year. But what will we do when this grain runs out?"

At this moment, in a corner of the threshing floor, a young man, holding an empty bowl after drinking mutton soup, spoke to his parents. In this village of Xixi, not every household had a son or daughter on Liangshan, and this family was one of them.

Before his parents could speak, the young man continued, "Father, these past few days, we've run ourselves ragged, just wandering around the county, but where can we find any land to rent? Our village has always had more people than land, and the large landowners don't worry about tenants. Even if we beg them, they will take the opportunity to raise the rent. With six of us in the family, how can we survive?"

The young man looked back and saw his younger brothers and sisters, who were eating the tender mutton that left a lingering fragrance in their mouths. He continued, "In my opinion, we should take advantage of the fact that Leader Wang is in our village today and ask him if his mountain stronghold is still accepting people. If it works out, we should all go up the mountain, which would be better than suffering here! Father, what do you think?"

The old man sighed, "Last time when the leader was recruiting, we hesitated and didn't go. Will he still want us this time? Besides, we have a family of six, with only you and your brother being young and strong. The rest are either old or young. What can we do on the mountain? Will the leader accept us?"

The young man, seeing his father's words soften, was delighted and said, "Let's ask. The leader is very approachable, and it won't hurt to ask!"

The old man, who looked much older than his actual age, which was just over forty, had no other choice but to nod. He thought, "My son is right; we should try anything, even if it's a dead horse. Even if the leader doesn't want to take us all, at least our son can go up the mountain. If he can send some money back like the young men from the village did today, even if it's just five or ten strings of cash, it would give our family some hope." Thinking of this, he sighed again. Now, the village head of the neighboring village, Chao Baozheng, had forcibly bought the land and refused to rent it to the former tenants, leaving his family of six without any means of livelihood.

"Old Three! Where are you and your eldest son going?" At this moment, familiar villagers saw the father and son looking uneasy and asked.

"Where else?" The man named Old Three pointed to where Old Ma was sitting and said, "To greet Old Ma! He knows our situation, and we'll see if he can help us talk to the leader!"

At this moment, many other tenants in the village had the same idea. They all had no land to farm and wanted to talk to the leader on the mountain but were hesitant. They were waiting for someone to take the lead. Seeing that Old Three's family couldn't hold back any longer, everyone else decided, "Let's go together, let's go together!"

Seeing the hundreds of men approaching with excitement, Wang Lun's bodyguards immediately became alert, forming a human wall between the leader and the crowd. If not for the good relationship between the leader and the villagers, they would have drawn their swords. The brothers Jian Gong and Jian Ye, who were from the village and now on Liangshan, saw this and wanted to help, as they were familiar with both sides and feared any misunderstandings.

Old Ma looked back at the young men from the village, sighed, and said, "Leader, these young men have really grown under your leadership. Seeing them like this, I am at ease! But, Leader, our village originally had over seventy tenant families farming the land of the former village head. Now, they have all been driven out by Chao Gai. For the past two months, they have been relying on the grain you provided, but what will they do in the future? How will they support their families?"

Wang Lun patted the old man's hand and stood up to greet the approaching tenants. Seeing that they were no longer pushing forward, he said, "Fellow villagers, you have no land to farm, and it is largely my fault! I, Wang Lun, cannot compensate you, but if you are willing, come up the mountain with me!"

These people had been hesitant, only daring to come forward after banding together. Last time, when the leader was recruiting, they had hesitated and didn't go. Now, with their family in trouble and the benefits brought back by those who went up the mountain, they lacked the confidence to ask again. However, the leader didn't say anything harsh and took responsibility for their situation, making them feel ashamed and speechless.

The old man, hearing Wang Lun's words, became anxious and said, "Are the tyrannical village head and his son wrong to be punished? Leader, don't say such things. This is the suffering of farmers. As the saying goes, even the rain from heaven does not nourish the rootless grass. Without our own land, we are like rootless grass, working hard all our lives to fill our bellies, but in the end, what do we have? Sigh..."

Seeing the old man's deep sorrow, Wang Lun comforted him. After a while, the old man sighed and said, "Thank you, Leader, for giving the villagers a way out! Sigh, these people have grown up before my eyes, and now they are all leaving, leaving only me..." Before he could finish, Jian Gong and Jian Ye hurried back to comfort their grandfather. After a long time, the old man's mood improved slightly.

Wang Lun called Zhang San and Li Si to count the number of people who wanted to join the mountain. Soon, they reported, "There are fifty-eight families, with 122 able-bodied men, and a total of nearly 400 people including their families!"

Wang Lun nodded, thinking that the mountain stronghold was just starting and needed people everywhere. Although there were 200 family members, these farmers and their wives could work just as well as young men, even if they couldn't be part of the fighting force. They could at least help with logistics. Song Wan had already mentioned several times that the kitchen had to prepare meals for five or six thousand people every day, and everyone was busy. They were always asking for more people, but there were no extra hands on the mountain. Seeing the fish, lotus roots, and other aquatic products in the 800-mile lake, and the abundant fruits in the southern forest, it was a waste to let them rot. As long as the people on the mountain worked hard and produced more than they consumed, a virtuous cycle would form, and the mountain stronghold would thrive.

After counting the people, they were about to go home to pack their belongings. Wang Lun thought for a moment and called them back, saying, "Leave behind all the heavy items and the leftover grain. It's not convenient to carry them over such a long distance. Leave them for the villagers, as a token of your gratitude! Don't worry, you won't lack food on the mountain!"

Hearing the leader's words, no one objected. In fact, they didn't have much to pack, just some pots, bowls, and clothes, plus the money Wang Lun had given them. Seeing their goal clear, they moved quickly, and in less than half an hour, they were all packed. They carried their belongings and gathered. Wang Lun said to the old man, "Old Ma, please help distribute the grain. I won't delay any longer and will return to the mountain!"

The old man replied, "The grain left by these fifty-eight families should be around 400 to 500 shi. We will help store it for the leader, and the leader can send someone to collect it tomorrow!"

Wang Lun smiled, "If the mountain lacks grain, we can always get it elsewhere. Old Ma, don't worry, go and distribute the grain to the villagers!"

The old man, seeing Wang Lun's sincerity, had no choice but to agree. He then said to the villagers, "Chao Gai and our leader don't get along. Let's send the leader off to the boat as we did that night!"

A thunderous response echoed, and the villagers all agreed. Thinking of how the leader treated them like family, not only personally escorting their children back with money but also leaving the grain for them, and with family members on the mountain, they already considered Wang Lun as one of their own. Without a word, they returned to fetch their farming tools and surrounded Wang Lun and his men, leaving the village. This show of support made Mo Fei and Jiao Ting, who were experiencing it for the first time, feel a surge of pride, leading the way with their heads held high.

Just as the Liangshan group was about a mile out of the village, they saw a group of people blocking the road, numbering around seven or eight hundred. They were all dressed in martial attire, strong and robust, holding long and short weapons. At the front stood a man like a tower, with three scholars on his left and a tall and fearsome black man on his right. It was none other than Chao Gai and his group from Dongxi Village. Wang Lun waved to stop his men and stepped forward, smiling, "Mr. Jialiang, are you bringing people out to see the world again?"

V Wu laughed and clasped his hands, "I apologize for the inconvenience, Leader Wang!"

At this moment, Han Bolong spoke, "Indeed, war is full of deceit. Leader Wang, you are quite cunning, gathering ants to form an army and using villagers to pad the numbers! You deceived us that night, but now, in broad daylight, you have nowhere to hide!" The experience from that night had left Han Bolong bitter, thinking it was Zhu Gui who had deceived him, but later, the truth came out, leaving him frustrated for days.

Wang Lun ignored him and looked at the two scholars beside Wu, who looked worried. He said, "Mr. Jialiang, these two are unfamiliar to me. Who are they?"

Wu chuckled, not minding Wang Lun's curiosity, and replied, "These two are my acquaintances. They are skilled in both literature and martial arts, known as Xiao Rang and Jin Dajian from Jizhou City!"

Wang Lun looked at the two for a moment, seeing their worried faces, and guessed the situation. Although their martial skills were not exceptional, they were better than average farmers and had other talents, such as forging documents and seals, which would be useful for smuggling. It seemed that Wu had used some trick to make them join, so he smiled, "I have heard of the Scholar and the Armorer. Although I have the intention to meet them, I know they avoid me like a snake. I didn't dare to disturb them. I didn't expect them to join Chao Baozheng's estate. Well, well!"

These two honest men had been living lawfully in Jizhou City, but were now dragged to the estate of the top smuggler in the region. They were not willing, and upon hearing Wang Lun's words, they looked at Chao Gai's towering back, afraid to speak.

Seeing their reaction, Wang Lun was even more certain. He thought, if one makes a wrong friend like Wu,