Chapter Eighteen: Mao Yi's Last Words

  When Lin Feng slowly woke up, it was almost noon, because the sun was already near his head. He got up and touched his stomach, feeling a bit hungry! He strolled over to take a look and found that the project was nearing its end, estimating that at most two more trips would be needed to finish moving everything! Being a leader is really great, sleeping for a while and waking up to find everything settled!

  "Maple Brother, you're awake!" came a voice from behind him, belonging to Mao Hui.

  Lin Feng turned his head and replied, "En, I'm too tired these past two days, wanted to rest a bit, didn't think I'd fall asleep! Is there anything to eat? I'm a bit hungry!"

  Mao Hao held a package, rummaging through it as he spoke: "I just brought you some food, I saw you sleeping well at lunchtime so I didn't wake you up, and saved them especially for when you woke up to eat!" He handed Lin Feng three large flatbreads.

  "What? Lunch already? It's not even noon yet?" I asked in surprise as I took the pancake.

  Mao Hao was also stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized: "Maple brother, you got the time wrong, it's already past noon now. Everyone just had a simple meal and took a rest!"

  Lin Feng listened and smiled awkwardly, asking while eating: "Then your father's side has also been notified, right?"

  "Well, I've already informed him, and the messenger returned before noon..." Mao Hui trailed off, seeming to be at a loss for words.

  Lin Feng was nibbling on a big pancake, looking at him and asking: "What's wrong with you? Is there something on your mind? You're stuttering like an old man, what's going on?"

  Mao Hao looked at Lin Feng with a somewhat sorrowful expression and asked, "Brother Feng, tell me the truth, did my father push me out to entrust me to you because...because this time we're going to lose? Will something happen to my father?"

  Lin Feng picked up the water bottle and took a sip, narrowing his eyes as he gazed in the direction of Chang'an. He said slowly, "Don't worry, your father will definitely be fine. Don't worry, Huang Chao won't have a good ending!" Then Lin Feng shook his head and said, "Don't think about those things for now, take care of yourself first. As a man, don't become a burden to others! Your father is not only a good general but also a good father! Do you understand?"

  Mao Hao nodded vigorously, his eyes welling up with tears. Lin Feng patted him on the shoulder: "Be strong, a man must hold up his own sky! A good man in this world should have something to strive for and something to stand against. Don't let external things influence you, understand? Let them say what they want, I'll sit alone unruffled! Remember, be strong!"

  Before dusk, they finally moved all their things and parted ways with General Mao's men. On the way back, people along the road were chattering, asking only one question, "Maple Brother, how did you manage to get so much grain?" I smiled but didn't answer them. If I told them, would I still have an air of mystery? Ha! Without that air of mystery, could they still worship me like this?

  When they arrived at the small cave, Lin Feng said to everyone: "Since our food is temporarily stored here, we need temporary guards. Tonight is a must-guard night, and tomorrow we can move everything up with one day's effort! Now I don't force anyone to stay behind for the night watch, it's voluntary! Who wants to sign up?" "I'll stay!" "I'm willing!" "I'll stay too, voluntarily." Lin Feng listened and looked around, dizzy. Everyone was willing to stay behind to guard, basically no one was unwilling to stay behind!

  "Cough, cough," Lin Feng coughed and signaled for them to be quiet before saying: "We don't need too many people. Let's stick with the original eight small teams. We'll follow one principle: those who are alone will stay behind, and those with two or more family members at home will leave one person behind. No one should be left lonely downstairs, nor can we let our loved ones upstairs feel lonely! It's settled then. Each team discuss and decide on the personnel, and then we'll move the grain up the mountain!"

  It didn't take long to choose, and more than 30 people stayed behind. After Zhou Chen arranged for everyone to distribute the things they brought up the mountain, Lin Feng signaled everyone to start climbing the mountain. Then he said to the people who stayed behind: "Brothers, tonight is still going to be a hard night for you, because this place is too close to the foot of the mountain, you can't light a fire, and you can't eat hot meals! Tomorrow night I'll celebrate with everyone on the mountain! Each and every one of you are brave men!"

  "Alright, alright, we know, Brother Feng. You should hurry back and rest, you've been out for two days now!" A person who looked to be around twenty years old said in the crowd, with others also chiming in. Lin Feng waved his hand and said to everyone, "Brothers, see you all tomorrow!" After that, Lin Feng brought Mao Hao up the mountain as well.

  It was already completely dark when they went up the mountain. Lin Feng only then realized that this trip had taken two days, but fortunately, he did not disappoint his mission and brought back Wang Lao and others, and also brought back half a year's worth of food!

  After climbing the mountain, the first scene he saw scared Lin Feng. He saw a large group of people gathered together in front of him, still lined up neatly, and at the very front were Wang Lao, Zhao Lao, and Li Yezi. Some people were even holding torches. This made Lin Feng's first impression that this was a gathering of bandits!

  As soon as everyone saw them coming up, everyone started cheering, and Lin Feng's small vanity was greatly satisfied! It turned out that everyone was welcoming the hero back!

  Old Zhao and the others came together to welcome Lin Feng, then Old Zhao waved his hand towards the back to signal quietness. He asked Lin Feng: "Little Feng, are you alright? This time we really have to thank you, you're truly our benefactor!" As he spoke, they were about to pay their respects to Lin Feng!

  Maple hurriedly came back to hold them, laughing and saying: "Nothing nothing, it's all what should be done, everyone believes me, I just want to make everyone believe in the value! Alright alright, don't be polite, I just did what I should do!"

  Lin Feng just supported Zhao Lao, and after they finished speaking, the people behind them all knelt down with a "hua, hua" sound. This time, Lin Feng couldn't stop it even if he wanted to. Everyone was loudly shouting various words of gratitude, but he didn't hear anything specific, anyway, it was something about how Lin Feng had saved them and was a great benefactor. This really made Lin Feng's head big, as he had never encountered such a situation from childhood to adulthood!

  "Hey, Zhao Lao, don't be polite, let everyone get up! No need to be polite, really! Look, I've been busy for two days now, hurry up and get me some food, we'll all eat together, the problem of eating and drinking is temporarily solved, can't let me starve, right? Haha..."

  "Right, right! Let's eat, let's eat... Everyone get up and do your own thing quickly. Little Maple has been busy for two days, hurry up and let Little Maple have a meal, then rest well!" Zhao Lao heard Lin Feng say that, and immediately stopped everyone's thanks. Then he led Lin Feng to the front of a small house, pointing: "Little Maple, this house is specially prepared for you, everything inside is ready, after eating, just come here to rest!"