Chapter Thirty-Eight: Brilliant Sunshine Illuminates the Celebration of the Remaining Years

  Guangxu 6th year (1830 AD), January 1st, a gentle breeze and a beautiful day.

  The traces of the fight on New Year's Eve had been carefully erased by someone, and Wotou Village welcomed the new year amidst the sounds of crowing roosters and barking dogs.

  Early in the morning, the villagers all came to the square voluntarily and went to the front door of the Zhuang master's mansion to pay their respects. The fierce battle last night left the villagers at home unable to see it with their own eyes, but without saying much, they all knew that it was this young man standing in front of them, smiling and nodding his head, who had held up an umbrella of protection for their fate. In an era where the Xianbei people were on the lookout, bandits were rampant, and the government was tyrannical, he gave them food to eat, clothes to wear, and work to do, without fear or worry, drifting away in a foreign land.

  Looking at the fellow villagers who were reluctant to leave, Zhao Xing felt a sense of sadness amidst his emotional stirring. It is said that Chinese people are the most lovable and weakest people, as long as they don't put a knife to their necks, as long as they have food to eat, no matter how heavy the taxes or how hard the labor, they will still treat you like a master, now it seems this is indeed true.

  "I've only done what I can, even for my own sake, to bring some benefits to the people, and yet everyone treats me like a god. Even the families of the Zhuang Ding who died in battle last night have wiped away their tears and come to ask after me. Under this alien sky, all I, Zhao Xing, can do is wish to rescue more suffering commoners as soon as possible!"

  "Fellow villagers, since you all refuse to leave, today I will bring out wine and meat, and we will sing and dance together on this square to celebrate the new year! As for those brothers who unfortunately sacrificed or were seriously injured yesterday, each of their families will receive more than 10 acres of land and a thousand taels of silver as compensation!" Zhao Xing shouted excitedly from the platform.

  "Hurray for the landlord!" Someone shouted, then the people on the square shouted loudly together "Hurray for the landlord!"

  Then, chickens and sheep were slaughtered, and fires were set up in various corners of the square. The best Long River Daqu was brought out, and all kinds of strong liquor were placed on the stage for everyone to drink freely. Rice flour and pork, mutton piled up like a small mountain.

  To gather people's hearts, boost morale and promote national integration, Zhao Xing allowed all the old and young in the village to go to the square to take food for three days. Whether it was the Qiang Hu people with yellowish-brown hair or the family members of the Taihang Mountain bandits who had just come down from the mountain, the tenants of Li Jia Zhuang, or the refugees who had fled here in the past year, everyone mingled together freely, speaking in dialects from all over the country, happily discussing their plans for this year, what a lively and harmonious scene.

  Standing at the entrance of the village, the crowd saw off Jia Yu and Zhou Cang, Li Jinxi and others. Although they were about to set out on a long journey on New Year's Day, there was not a single complaint in the crowd. The villagers had just walked out of the celebratory scene and were still very excited, occasionally discussing something.

  "Zhang Wangcai, you're really willing to abandon your wife and son Zhang Zuolin just for the New Year?"

  "Go, just stay there! What's there to be reluctant about? The two of them are now eating well, dressing warmly and sleeping soundly, all thanks to the master's protection. I, Zhang Wangcai, may not know how to read or write, but at least I know how to repay kindness, I'm doing this for the master!"

  "Humatu, when you leave today, why do I always see your eyes glancing at the wife of the Yao family? You Qiang Hu people are also having ideas about Han people's wives!"

  "What's the big deal! Isn't the landlord married to our clan leader's sister? Besides, those two brothers from the Yao family unfortunately died in battle yesterday, so someone still needs to take care of the Yao family!"

  "Take care on your journey, sir!" Zhao Xing bowed with his fists and paid respects to Jia Yu.

  "The country's prosperity is not to be worried about, with many people following, Jia Xiang will definitely not betray the heavy trust!"

  The celebration in the square was still going on, but Xuhuang, who had been drunk for a whole day, woke up. He looked around and found himself lying in a clean and tidy bedroom, but there was no one else in the room, presumably he had gone out to attend to something.

  Xu Huan's heart was filled with a mix of emotions as he recalled the events of the previous day. He had come with great enthusiasm, but ended up suffering a crushing defeat and getting drunk. Now, he wasn't even sure if he was in the county governor's mansion or the Sleeping Tiger Manor. As he thought about this, Xu Huan got out of bed and pushed open the door to head outside.

  Faintly, he heard the distant sound of a bustling crowd, but saw no one moving in the courtyard where he was. Curious, Xu Huan followed the sound to the edge of the square. Looking at the long river and large curves arranged on the platform, the piled-up grain and meat vegetables, as well as the excited cheers of adults and children, the scene of Qiang Hu Han people holding hands around the bonfire and dancing, Xu Huan's heart was shocked!

  No, Zhang Gongcao didn't deceive himself. In Wotou Village, not only the village chief had top-grade Changhe liquor to drink, even ordinary villagers could have it! But at this moment, Xu Huan didn't feel that he was being humiliated. Why did Wotou Village have to sell wine to the county governor's mansion?

  Xu Huan, who was lost in thought and reflection, did not know that his robust physique and stern expression had already caught the attention of several Qiang Hu girls by a nearby bonfire.

  "Julia (doesn't it sound like 'huliya'?), has your soul flown to the prairie? Hehe, since you've taken a liking to him, why not boldly go and pull him over to dance together! If you don't make a move, we won't be polite about it!" A Qiang Hu girl said with a smile to another.

  "Go if you must! I, Hu Lian, have never been afraid of anything in my life!" A tall and slender girl who looked a bit like Hu Xiang'er stood up and said, and then she actually walked towards Xu Huan.

  "This Han brother, can you dance with us?" The little fox came to Xu Huan's side and said in a sweet voice.

  Xu Huan, who was already a bit dazed, had his brain completely short-circuited when the Hu woman in front of him invited him with standard Mandarin Chinese! He even forgot how he ended up following the pretty girl to the bonfire and being pulled into dancing mechanically. It wasn't until Zhao Xing sent Li Tiezhu to "rescue" him that he was able to recover from his dizzy state!