Chapter 050

Chapter 050

In the evening, the men of the Xiao family returned to the village in a mule cart from the fields. When they passed by the street where the Sun family lived, Xiao Zhen jumped off.

Xiao Ye raised his neck and asked, "Second Brother, where are you going?"

Xiao Zhen replied, "I'm going to the Sun family. It won't take long."

Xiao Ye guessed there must be some official business, but it had nothing to do with him. After all, his grandfather and Second Brother would handle the big matters, and he would be called upon when needed.

"I admire you, Second Brother. You still have the energy to visit after a busy day."

Xiao Yan lay on his back in the middle of the cart, eyes closed, and said,

Xiao Ye laughed at him, "Third Brother, you're already tired?"

Xiao Yan: "If you're not tired, give me a shoulder rub?"

Xiao Ye: "You have a wife now. Ask Third Sister-in-Law for that."

Xiao Yan couldn't be bothered to respond.

At the Sun family, Sun Xinghai had been exhausted for three days and didn't even want to eat dinner. He was lying on the bed in his room.

Hearing that Xiao Zhen had come to see him, Sun Xinghai didn't get up but instructed his sons to invite Xiao Zhen into the house.

Upon meeting, Sun Xinghai sat cross-legged on the bed, looking weary as he said to Xiao Zhen, "It's not that I'm being rude, but I really don't have the strength. Since we're not strangers, consider me your real uncle. Don't be polite. Sit here on the bed, Second Brother, go fetch a bowl of water."

Xiao Zhen stopped Sun Wei, saying, "You don't need to be so formal. I'm in a hurry to get home for dinner. I just came to pass on a few words from my grandfather."

Mentioning the elder, Sun Xinghai's expression turned serious. He asked Sun Wei to stand guard outside and then motioned for Xiao Zhen to speak.

Xiao Zhen: "First, our families and your two sons captured Brother Qin and others, causing the Prison Dragon Ridge Gang to miss out on over a hundred new recruits. Once the news spreads, the gang is likely to seek revenge."

Sun Xinghai: "..."

Sun Dian's face also changed. When they went to rescue people, they had no idea those refugees were connected to the Prison Dragon Ridge.

Xiao Zhen looked at him and asked, "Do you regret it?"

Sun Dian glared back, "Regret what? If it happened again, I'd still go!"

Those were over three hundred lives in Pine Village. How could they stay home out of fear of the Prison Dragon Ridge? The gang was just a bunch of cowards who dared not challenge the government but only robbed civilians. With enough manpower, Sun Dian wouldn't fear them!

Xiao Zhen looked at Sun Xinghai again, "Second, the old and new villagers are both resentful and might cause trouble at night."

Sun Xinghai understood, "Whether it's guarding against a night attack by the gang or preventing villagers from stealing, we should continue patrolling at night."

Xiao Zhen: "Yes, and include the young men among the new villagers in the patrol rotation. One per night will suffice."

This was manageable, but Sun Xinghai was worried about the Prison Dragon Ridge Gang, "What if they really come? How do we deal with them?"

Xiao Zhen: "As far as I know, the Prison Dragon Ridge has only three hundred men. Including the new refugees, our village has seven hundred men aged sixteen to fifty. If half of them are willing to train with us for half an hour each morning and evening, we'll have the strength to fight back even if the entire gang attacks."

Sun Xinghai's eyes lit up, "That's like training our village men into militia?"

Indeed, militia meant local armed forces.

County Magistrates did not have the authority to command troops. In a small county like Wei County, there were only twenty archers and twenty constables available for immediate dispatch. If bandits gathered nearby or enemies attacked the city, these few men would be insufficient. Therefore, the County Magistrate recruited and trained able-bodied men locally, ready to be mobilized in emergencies and then dismissed afterward.

Wei County was small, and County Magistrate Liu could only recruit five hundred militia.

Xiao Zhen nodded, "If you agree with my grandfather's proposal, please find another reason to convince the villagers, so no one leaks information to the Prison Dragon Ridge out of fear."

Sun Dian: "Whoever dares to go, if I catch them, I'll kill them!"

Sun Xinghai: "What good does that do? The key is prevention. Xiao Er, rest assured. Tonight, I'll think of a way to implement this quickly. However, the Prison Dragon Ridge Gang has horses and swords, well-equipped. Even if we train enough men, we can't match them with just hoes and kitchen knives."

Xiao Zhen: "My grandfather will figure out the weapons."

Sun Xinghai patted his forehead with a smile, "Look at me, I'm so anxious. If I can think of it, your grandfather must have a plan. Your grandfather is a treasure to our village!"

"Under a destroyed nest, no eggs remain intact. We must all work together to protect the whole village." Xiao Zhen concluded, "Only my grandfather, Second Uncle, and I know about the Prison Dragon Ridge. Please don't tell anyone else on your side."

Sun Xinghai raised his right hand solemnly, "I swear on my life!"

—

At the Xiao family.

Fish with many bones are inconvenient to eat in the fields, so the women left the two large fat fish until evening. He's wife cleaned and prepared them for braising.

Tong Sui had never handled fish before and watched intently.

After preparing the fish, He's wife slid them into the hot oil, creating a sizzling sound and filling the room and courtyard with the enticing aroma of frying fish.

Mianmian and Qi Yao were squatting in the courtyard playing "Five Tigers," using small stones and broken twigs as game pieces. Lin Ningfang discovered this folk game for the first time and sat on a small stool watching them. Suddenly smelling the fish, Qi Yao immediately ran to the stove, drooling over the pot.

He's wife: "Move away, don't bother me."

Qi Yao eagerly asked, "Uncle gets one fish, and we get one?"

He's wife teased him, "Those who work get to eat; those who don't work don't."

Qi Yao glanced at Lin Ningfang in the courtyard and whispered, "Third Aunt hasn't worked either."

He's wife: "..."

Tong Sui rubbed Qi Yao's little head, "Third Aunt has been teaching you all day and taking care of you two. That's work too. Go play, you'll definitely get your share."

At this moment, there was a commotion from the back yard; the men had returned.

Qi Yao immediately ran to the back yard.

Tong Sui followed the boy's figure and looked toward the back yard, seeing Xiao Yan and his two brothers, but not Xiao Zhen.

A grown man wouldn't just disappear. Tong Sui withdrew her gaze and continued watching the fire.

Xiao Yuchan had already set up three washbasins under the eaves of the south courtyard, filling them with water. When Lin Ningfang saw this, she knew the men were going to wash their faces here and temporarily retreated to the West Court.

Xiao Yuchan whispered to Tong Sui, "Grandfather and the others only show their arms; do they really need to avoid us?"

Tong Sui thought that those few men were all Xiao Yuchan's blood relatives, whom she had seen since childhood, so of course, they didn't mind. But for the newly married daughters-in-law like them, who could remain calm at the sight of long, sturdy arms? Just standing in a row would be enough to make any woman nervous.

She moved her small stool closer to the stove.

Soon, Xiao Mu and the others passed through the gap behind her one by one.

Xiao Ye walked last and explained, "Second Sister-in-Law, Second Brother went to the Sun family. He'll be back soon."

Tong Sui smiled, "I see."

After the men washed their hands, faces, and necks, the three basins of water were no longer usable. They carried them to the back yard and poured them into the neatly divided vegetable plots, then placed the empty basins under the eaves of the back yard.

Seeing Liu Chu and Xiao Yuchan busy, Tong Sui took advantage of the temporary lull at the stove and grabbed a basin. She rinsed it clean, filled it halfway with water, and placed it in the front yard.

Huo Shi remarked, "Older Brother's wife is truly worth marrying. Look how thoughtful Aman is. Our Third Brother never got such treatment, not once."

She said the latter part while deliberately staring at her son sitting in the courtyard.

Xiao Yan pretended not to hear and merely glanced at the washbasin Tong Sui had just placed.

Xiao Zhen returned, entering through the front door. Seeing that everyone else had washed up, he rolled up his sleeves and headed for the washbasin.

Xiao Ye teased, "Second Brother, this water is specially prepared for you by Second Sister-in-Law."

Tong Sui: "…"

Just now, she had felt warm because Xiao Ye remembered to tell her about Xiao Zhen's whereabouts, but now she wanted to throw the fire poker at her younger brother-in-law.

Xiao Zhen glanced at her and turned to his brother, saying, "If you don't speak, no one will think you're mute."

Xiao Ye replied, "You're just pretending. You must love hearing it. I'd like to tease Third Sister-in-Law too, but I don't get the chance."

Xiao Yan: "…"

Xiao Yuchan leaned against the door frame, looking at Xiao Ye and then nodding towards the east of the village, whispering, "Did you notice during the day? The new Pan family has a beauty. Aren't you interested in marrying a pretty wife like your brothers? This is your chance."

Xiao Ye had indeed noticed and admitted that the Pan girl was beautiful, but what caught his attention more was Wang Shi. Goodness, her chatter and smile made her seem like she was greeting relatives. She was too good at socializing.

Being skilled at socializing is a compliment, but if taken too far, it lacks sincerity.

Before Xiao Ye could respond, the old man gave a stern look, tightening the reins on his grandchildren, "Don't gossip about other people's girls. If heard, it makes our family seem frivolous and damages the girl's reputation. Fourth, especially you, don't shamelessly approach every pretty girl you see."

Xiao Yuchan, who had been feeling embarrassed due to the old man's gaze, suddenly became gleeful and looked at her Third Brother.

Xiao Yan: "…"

Xiao Ye laughed, "Grandfather, rest assured. There's a lesson right there. I wouldn't dare."

Xiao Mu added, "A wife is someone you spend your life with. When choosing a wife, consider not only her character but also her family background. Even if you fancy the Pan girl, wait until we understand the Pan family better before making any moves. If she's suitable, I'll arrange it for you."

All the refugees, including the five members of the Pan family, were complete strangers to them. Even if they seemed honest now, who knows how they behaved in their hometown?

Xiao Ye quickly said, "Grandfather, don't listen to Yuchan. I have no such intentions right now."

Xiao Mu nodded, his gaze falling on his youngest grandson.

Xiao She: "… I'm only eighteen, and I have no such thoughts. Maybe when Fourth Brother gets married, I might start thinking about it. Until then, I won't even glance at any women outside."

Xiao Mu was indeed reassured about this grandson and glanced at his third grandson one last time.

This time, Xiao Yan had a comeback, "I may be shameless, but the granddaughter-in-law I brought home has impeccable family background and character, doesn't she? They're both top-notch."

Xiao Mu remained silent.

Marriages should be well-matched. No matter how good a girl is, if the grandson isn't worthy, forcing them together would only create a miserable couple.