Chapter 708 - 710: Arriving at the County Town
Chapter 708: Chapter 710: Arriving at the County Town
Everyone followed behind Lai San and Zeng Dawang. After all, they were the only ones who knew this arrest officer, so following them couldn’t go wrong.
"Chief Chen, we’re all here," Lai San said nervously. If any unexpected changes occurred now, he would be a sinner to his brothers.
"It’s good that you’re here. Line up and register with me. Afterward, I’ll take you to have a look. We’ve already picked out a mountain for you all.
"I even went out of my way to ask the local elderly farmers—it’s the most fertile land around, and I made sure to save it specially for you."
He couldn’t let these people back out. The Lord County Magistrate had specifically ordered that as long as this matter was handled well, he would also be rewarded.
Seeing the arrest officer—someone they used to avoid at all costs—greeting them with a smiling face, everyone felt their anxiety ease.
This was a high-stakes gamble for them. If they won, they could return to a normal life. If they lost, they would likely spend the rest of their days in prison. For now, at least, it seemed everything was heading in a good direction.
Zeng Dawang was entirely preoccupied with his younger brother, who was still at the medical clinic. After greeting Chief Chen, he hurriedly went into the city. By the time he came back out, a bright smile was plastered across his face.
Upon asking, the others learned that Zeng Xiaowang had woken up last night and was already able to sit up and drink his medicine by himself today. The heavy Dashi pressing on his heart was finally lifted.
After everyone had registered one by one, Chief Chen had a nearby Government Official take his place while he led the group out of the city.
"I’ll take you to see that mountain range right now. It was specially carved out for you. With so many of you, if you work hard to tidy it up, you can completely take over the whole mountain.
"I’ve already had people deliver the farming tools over there. However, you’ll likely have to handle building the houses yourselves. The county government really can’t spare that much manpower right now.
"As for the settling-in allowance I promised Brother Lai yesterday, I’ll go to the steward to collect it as soon as I return to the government office. If you’re worried, you can come along with me. We definitely won’t shortchange you."
Wu Xiaoliu offered an ingratiating smile. "Of course we trust you, Lord Arrest Officer. It’s just that we have some concerns. People like us... will the villagers be willing to accept us?"
This hit the nail on the head. Chief Chen looked at the bandit leader in front of him. He didn’t look quite as foolish as he had when they first met; in fact, he seemed rather sharp.
"I’ve already taken all of that into consideration for you. The terrain and environment of that mountain are quite good, but it’s a bit far from the other villages.
"If you have familiar friends, you can call them over together. Once there are enough people, you will naturally form a new village."
After speaking, Chief Chen silently gave himself a thumbs-up. This was truly killing multiple birds with one stone. If they could recruit more manpower, it would make it much easier for the Lord County Magistrate to report to his superiors.
"Really?" This was an unexpected delight. To be honest, having stayed in the mountains for so long, they were a bit afraid of dealing with villagers. After all, most people wouldn’t be able to understand them and would even be terrified just hearing their names.
Wu Xiaoliu was already thinking to himself, "Which of the bandit leaders from other mountains that I’m on good terms with can I invite over to join us?"
"Of course it’s true. Go ask around—when has Chen the Fourth ever gone back on his word?" Chief Chen patted his chest confidently.
"Then we thank you immensely," Wu Xiaoliu said with a fawning smile. "There will likely be many things we’ll have to trouble you with in the future."
"That’s easy to say." Chief Chen led them onto a mountain path by the side of the road.
Looking at the rugged and narrow trail, everyone furrowed their brows. They wondered, "Is he leading us deep into the mountains again? We finally managed to get out. Are we just moving back in under a different name?"
Especially as they walked further into remote territory, Lai San couldn’t help but ask, "Chief Chen, where are we going? Why does it look like we’re heading into the mountains?"
Chief Chen took this opportunity to stop and rest; leading the way at the front was indeed a bit tiring. "We’ll be there soon, it’s just up ahead. This road isn’t very good, but once you move in, you can just spend a day fixing it up.
"Let me tell you, this location is truly excellent. It’s close to the county seat. If you fix it up properly, it might even become a wealthy village in the future."
"Are there no villages nearby?"
"There are! I just wanted to take a shortcut. Once we get there, you’ll see that over the mountain is another village. However, if they want to enter the city from there, they have to take a different main road, which is a much longer distance." Naturally, Chief Chen had to placate them.
"Even the farming tools I prepared for you earlier, I had the village head of your neighboring village take them back first. I figure he has already brought his people to deliver them to the site by now.
"Oh, right, I haven’t asked yet—you all know how to farm, right?"
Wu Xiaoliu replied in a low voice, "We all know how to farm."
His ancestors had lived in this vicinity, though his family used to be tenant farmers. Later, after his parents passed away, he wandered around aimlessly by himself and eventually ended up in the mountains as a bandit. The other brothers had also gathered together for various similar reasons.
"It’s good that you know how to farm," Chief Chen said. "I was worried you wouldn’t, which would mean troubling the people from the neighboring village to come over and guide you for a few days.
"But I’ll put in a good word with them. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can go over and ask.
"I wouldn’t dare boast about much else, but they’ll at least give me that much face.
"From now on, cultivate the land properly, get your household registration, build a few small cabins, and slowly, your days will get better."
Hearing Chief Chen’s words, everyone hurriedly agreed.
Looking at the barren col before them, Lai San and the others felt an indescribable complex emotion in their hearts, tinged with a faint sense of regret. Not only was the place remote, but it was completely devoid of anything. It meant they would have to build their home from scratch, bit by bit.
Given such conditions, everyone was starting to get cold feet.
Chief Chen saw through their thoughts at a glance. He wasn’t about to give them the chance to back out. He immediately stood there and continuously pointed things out.
"This area here is flat and surrounded by so much open space; you could easily build a large village here. When the time comes, everyone can have their own house, grow some vegetables in the front and back, marry a wife, and have a few kids. Wouldn’t that be a beautiful life?
"And look at this mountain in front of you. Don’t underestimate it. There’s a natural reservoir up there. When you clear the land along the mountain, you won’t have to worry about a lack of water for irrigation.
"Then look at those mountains not far ahead. Although they aren’t as good as this one, if you have companions coming over, they would be a great choice too.
"..."
If Jin Qianqian were here, she would think that if Chief Chen were placed in modern times, he would definitely be an outstanding salesman. It was clearly just a few barren mountains, yet he managed to spin such a compelling yarn out of them.
Moreover, his eloquence was truly impressive. This beautiful picture he painted managed to bring smiles to the faces of everyone present. It was as if the beautiful days of the future were unfolding right before their eyes, leaving everyone looking thrilled.
"Plus, there are several mountain springs here, so you don’t have to worry about water at all. This is a prime location chosen after careful selection. If you aren’t satisfied, we can go check somewhere else later."