Chapter Eleven: The Tang Mei Yi of Gongmu Village

  No one suspected his identity, so he had no worries. Yang Meng, who was newly reborn, slept for a whole day and night, and when he woke up, it was the early hours of the third day. The dark room made him very uncomfortable, just like a small cell.

  Thinking of this made him even more annoyed, Yang Meng grabbed his clothes and rushed out of his bedroom. In the courtyard outside, that cheap old man Yang Shiqin was already playing a trick.

  "Dad!"

  "Wake up, you've slept for a whole day and night, scared me to death! Hearing your sweet snores, I didn't dare let the doctor disturb you. First, let the doctor from Wu Zhuang take a look at your injuries, then we'll have dinner, I had them keep the food warm!"

  Hearing this, the old man had been guarding himself for a long time. Just this sentiment alone made it worthwhile to call out "dad".

  In the Yang family's martial arts villa, there were also many doctors. Five of them came to treat Yang Meng's injuries. He should get familiar with his own southwestern clan in these days too.

  Yang Meng's body was exceptionally robust, and after this big sleep, his wounds had almost healed. The five doctors all praised Yang Meng's vigorous blood and energy, and Yang Shiqin, who was by their side, also felt at ease.

  The father and son had a big meal together, Yang Meng ate happily too. The cooking skills of the chef in this restaurant were not bad, a table full of dishes, Yang Meng finished more than half of them, only regret was that there was no wine to go with it.

  "These days, rest and recover from your injury, don't go wandering around in the mountains anymore. Although your injuries have mostly healed, you've still hurt your qi and blood. Later, I'll get the kitchen to prepare some nourishing soups and medicine for you, so as not to damage your vital energy."

  After finishing the meal, Yang Meng's eyes were darting around, and Yang Shiqin spoke up. He had just been injured, and his hands were definitely not fully recovered yet. Now going into the mountains to dig would be risky, what if they encountered some fierce beast and got hurt?

  "Oh... then I'll go to Kunming County Town and take a look around!"

  Yang Meng didn't plan to venture into the deep mountains and old forests either. He recalled that Yang Meng used to love roasted deer meat, but now he felt a bit nauseous at the thought of eating that bloody, sticky stuff.

  "Kunming county town? Then you have to go with your Uncle Ding."

  It was said that Yang Meng was going to Kunming County, and Yang Shi-qin's eyelids jumped, hesitating for a moment before saying this sentence. Yang Meng was somewhat puzzled, wasn't it just going to the county? Why so tense?

  "Alright! You're the boss, whatever you say goes!"

  Yang Meng's one sentence made Yang Shi-qin's old face burst into laughter. With this sentence, even if he were to be executed by the governor, it would be worth it.

  "You'd better change those clothes too, they're worn out."

  Yang Meng was still wearing the same worn-out official robe he had bought in Yiliang, which looked dull and unimpressive. His boots were also covered in mud, making him look like a complete mess. If he went out looking like this, it would be a loss of face for Master Yang.

  Yang Meng responded with a sound, and returned to his own dimly lit room. Everything was fine here, except that there was no electricity. The house was gloomy, and even in the morning, the sunlight was not strong. The light that came through the window paper was very limited.

  After searching around the house for half a day, I finally found some silk jackets, but they feel awkward on me, not as good as that official uniform Yiliang wanted. The boots are the same, all with iron nails on the soles, which is fine for walking on mountain roads, but it's uncomfortable to walk on stone slabs.

  Wearing a set of ill-matched clothes, Yang Meng decided to go to Kunming County and get himself an outfit, shoes and all. These things were too awkward on him.

  As soon as he walked out of his house, Old Ding was already waiting in the courtyard. Judging from his demeanor, he attached great importance to this trip. Behind him were five robust men with black cloth wrapped around their heads, who were Yi minority knife experts.

  "Ding Shu, just the two of us will be enough, what's the point of bringing a thug?"

  Yang Meng asked simply, but Ding Baojun had a belly full of bitter water. If he were to say what the most difficult task for the Yang family was, apart from accompanying Third Master on strolls around the county town, there wasn't another difficult task.

  "What if, what if, in case there's another fool who rushes at Third Master?"

  This can't be said clearly, although San Ye has opened up, who knows if his temperament has changed? These knife hands are not for fighting people, but for controlling this San Ye at critical moments.

  "What happened to those few people I brought?"

  Just as he was about to go out, Yang Meng thought of his new subordinates and stopped in his tracks.

  "Ma's siblings are quite well-behaved, and that Yi Liang bookkeeper is also not bad, but what about that young lady?"

  Ding Baojun, as the steward of the Yang family and the elder brother of Wan Jiafo Yang Shiqin, is naturally a cautious person. The few people brought back by Yang Meng were all kept under surveillance by him!

  "What's wrong?"

  At the thought of that beauty, Yang Meng couldn't move his feet, and his blood was also somewhat turbulent. Having seen countless women in his past life, such a top-grade article, Yang Meng had never seen before.

  "That girl's family background shouldn't be bad, how could she have been abducted? I'm afraid there are still hidden circumstances inside."

  Mr. Yang's greatest concern is this Third Master, and he can't afford to have any problems. In case that woman has ulterior motives, it's better to get rid of her early on. Ding Baojun has done such things many times before, and he's not afraid of thieves, but rather afraid of being remembered by them!

  "Then let's not enter the city for now, go take a look at that girl first."

  Such a beauty, Yang Meng can't bear to let go, so he'll go and investigate further!

  "All right! Be careful later on, don't let outsiders hurt Third Master."

  Ding Baojun instructed several knife-wielding men, and he himself was constantly twisting his body. It seems that old Ding is also a master of the trade. Just look at his footsteps, definitely not a kind person.

  Such eyesight was also honed by Yang Meng in his career as a drug lord. As a former mercenary, he would look at a person's hands and feet first, and some habitual actions could not be hidden.

  The Yang family's martial arts academy was not small in scale, but it didn't stand out either. As far as the eye could see, there were only gray-tiled houses with few trees. As he walked, Yang Meng also discovered something strange - this Yang family martial arts academy was like a small fortress, divided into several layers inside and outside, with thick walls that were higher on one side and lower on the other. The lower side was just high enough for a person to stand on, and if there were battlements on the wall, it would be like a small city wall!

  The thick and solid gate, wrapped in copper skin, is not easy to blast open without explosives. Moreover, the area around the wall is all empty land, if there are a few gunmen on the wall, it's definitely a place that's easy to defend but hard to attack.

  Moreover, each entrance is guarded by five or six knife-wielding men. Such a mansion, without heavy weapons, is very difficult to attack. What is the old master of the house defending against?

  The more he saw, the more Yang Meng thought about it. The Knife Hand, the Martial Arts Manor, the Horse Gang, and his own business, could there be any other enemies?

  "Uncle Ding, does our family have an archenemy in Yunnan?"

  Yang Meng thought it would be better to ask and figure out Zhou Dabao's property himself, so as not to let outsiders take advantage of him.

  "Arch-nemesis? No merchants around, no counterfeiters either. If I had to say the biggest arch-nemesis, it would be the Qing dynasty itself. With a change of governors and officials, who can guarantee that those corrupt officials from the Qing won't covet our family's property? Usually, the old master doesn't even reside within Kunming County, fearing those unscrupulous officials."

  Yunnan Yang's family has developed over the years, and in the business world, they have almost no opponents. What they fear most are the officials of the imperial court. But if they can get close to them, they will still be the most flattering servants.

  "Oh..."

  Yang Meng seemed to have understood, the Yang family was actually on guard against the imperial court!

  The knot in his heart was untied, and the seven of them arrived at the courtyard where You Wu lived. Inside, it was quiet and still, without a single sound.

  "Miss, my third uncle has come to see you, is it convenient?"

  Lao Ding knocked on the outer gate of the courtyard, this woman was trouble, going in directly would be afraid of offending her.

  "Come on in!"

  Although his voice was not clear and melodious, it was extremely magnetic. Just listening to the sound of his voice made Yang Meng's heart flutter with excitement.

  A group of people walked into the courtyard, and that slut was standing in the yard! For some reason, the surrounding thugs, including Old Ding, looked at the slut with some disgust.

  This girl is too perfect, about 1.7 meters tall, with a round face and a just-right figure, only her skin is slightly dark, and the palm of her hand on her abdomen is also somewhat rough.

  Look at the posture of this chick, Yang Meng also found something wrong. This chick is on guard and can stand like this, definitely has two hands in her sleeves. Old Ding's one-eyed eyesight is not bad.

  "Girl, you seem capable of taking care of yourself, why did you get kidnapped?"

  My family's influence is not small, so there's no need to hide it. Just ask directly and it'll be more straightforward.

  "I'm here to avenge Zhou Shi Qing, you've ruined everything, what's with all these questions?"

  "Who is Zhou Shiqing? Do you know, Uncle Ding?"

  "Yiliang landlord, Zhou Daxiang's official name is Zhou Shiqing."

  "That's right! It's Zhou Daxun!"

  "Another big mouth this week!"

  Several people asked and answered, Yang Meng's heart also became more lively. This guy wants to find Zhou Dabao to avenge himself, and he also wants to get the fields and houses in Zhou Dabao's hands. What a good thing that kills two birds with one stone!

  "What's your beef with me this week? If you're referring to something in the past, I'll help you!"

  Killing two birds with one stone is a good thing, but the origin of this stuff also needs to be figured out, don't suffer from others' secret machinations without knowing what's going on.

  "Don't mention his human trafficking in Yiliang, I'm from Gongmu Village, isn't that reason enough? I also admire Yang Foye, that's why I followed you back."

  It seems that my old man is also famous among the ethnic minorities, which is just right. Yang Meng, a local farmer in Yunnan, has also seen it and is not a good target for pulling teams. The ethnic minorities in Yunnan are actually a good choice.

  Something you've worked hard for is a lucrative thing, and it's inevitable that someone will be tempted. It's necessary to pull together a team to protect it.

  "What's your surname, miss?"

  This village name one report, Old Ding's reaction, however, was somewhat overreacted. Could it be that this Gongmu Village is still an extraordinary place?

  "My name is Tang Meiyuan, I can't say more than that."

  This woman's vigilance is also quite high, only saying half of what she means, apparently she doesn't trust the Yang family.

  "What is your relationship with Di Wang? What is your relationship with Mei Yi Lao Shi?"

  Yang Meng was not clear about these, but Ding Baojun was. During the Jiaqing period, Gongmu Village in Yunnan had stirred up a great wave. Di Wang Tang Gui and Mei Yi Lao Shi were the leaders of the rebellion at that time. This girl named Tang Mei Yi might have been a rebel afterwards.

  "My family's ancestors."

  Tang Mei's eyes also showed a hint of sadness at this point.

  "Third Master..."

  Lao Ding's hesitant expression was noticed by Yang Meng, who could guess the general idea just by hearing Tang Mei's name.

  "Speak!"

  "Third Master, this Tang girl is the descendant of a Yi rebel, although it's been over twenty years since the incident, I'm afraid the imperial court won't let it go! Moreover, this Tang girl has a sturdy build, which is an inauspicious sign for her husband, so it's better to keep a distance from her."

  Ding Baojun spoke very cautiously, whispering softly in Yang Meng's ear.

  "Is our family afraid? You say those people want to deal with us, will they care about this? If they don't want to deal with us, can they still care about this?"

  Yang Meng said it's not bad, Ding Baojun also nodded in agreement. As for Old Ding's words about "overcoming the husband", Yang Meng didn't take it to heart at all. With such a beauty in front of him, if he were to push her away, wouldn't that be nonsense?

  "You all go down first, I'll have a few words with Tang young lady alone."

  After learning that Tang Mei had come from the Gongmu Village, Ding Baojun also put down his guard. That year, the Gongmu Village rebelled and was killed by the Qing soldiers, forcing them to flee in all directions. They eventually moved away from their original mountain stronghold. The Yang family had even provided assistance to them at that time. Forgetting kindness and betraying righteousness is not a strong point of the mountain people.

  "Tang Niang, if I were to take care of Zhou Shi Qing for you, what would you... "

  Yang Meng was also weighing his options, fearing he would offend the beauty.

  "I went to Yiliang just to avenge Zhou Shiqing, it was he who killed my father and Mei Yi's uncle back then. If you can avenge me, aren't Han people willing to raise concubines? Although I'm a bit older now, I can be your little concubine."

  There's a saying that goes like this: happiness comes too suddenly, is that okay? Yang Meng couldn't believe it and looked at Tang Mei in doubt.

  "Zhou Shi Qing's family is big and prosperous, I spent a long time before entering that Taoist temple, but Zhou Shi Qing doesn't want a woman like me. Rushing into the Zhou family village, I don't have that skill either, I'm telling the truth, if you don't want me, I can be sold to your family as a laborer for farming, I have strength."

  Seeking revenge, Tang Mei felt hopeless. She had secretly investigated Zhoujiazhuang several times and almost got caught. If Stupid King Yang Laosan could avenge her, she would even sell herself into slavery.