Chapter Six: Baptism

  "Master Ding! Are we looking for someone or..."

  Ding Baojun's words were laced with meaning, and Jiang Yuangi should have been able to pick up on it, but Yang Sanlang's pulse was really all over the place, so he could only probe by asking the head of the Yang household.

  "Third Master..."

  Jiang Yuanyi is in a difficult situation, and Ding Baoyu is also the same. To solve the problem, they still need to ask the master's intention.

  "What brings you here?"

  Jiang Yuanyi asked Ding Baoren, Ding Baoren asked Yang Meng, and Yang Meng then passed the question on to Ma Qinghu and his companions.

  "Third Master, I'm looking for my younger sister who was taken away from home. The villagers who came with me also had their family members kidnapped in the past few days. We're here to look for them."

  Ma Qinghu's words have reached the hearts of the people, and those who were deceived now know what to do.

  Jiang Yuanyi spoke one sentence, and hundreds of Yiliang's attendants moved. Ding Baoren was the same, and the knife hands in the courtyard also received orders, taking a few people to leave the county government hastily.

  "Third Master, just wait here, and as soon as there's news, I'll have someone inform you immediately."

  It's just that the governor has arrived, and Jiang Yuangui hasn't done such a thing before. Alas, the Yang family is too powerful in Yunnan Prefecture, and it's not something that he, as the county magistrate of Yiliang, can resist. Besides, if this matter is handled well, it will also be beneficial to him personally. Being able to yield and adapt is what makes a great man.

  "We'll follow along as well, Lord Jiang should still be in charge of the county government! What about these people's procession?"

  Yang Meng also learned from Old Ding, calling Jiang Daren, and since he was not familiar with the place, he took the opportunity to get familiar with it. Looking at the poor guys in front of him, about twenty or thirty men, he helped them get some clothes, which was also a way to help them out.

  "This is easy to handle!"

  Jiang Yuanyi did not decline, and he himself, as the county magistrate, personally led the team down. Whether it was good or bad to say, it was just like a donkey going downhill. As for the dozens of sets of sedan chairs, Yiliang County didn't lack them anyway.

  It wasn't long before dozens of sets of blue jackets, trousers and leather boots were carried away by the bailiffs from Yiliang. A group of poor men were left stunned, hesitating and unsure of what to do.

  "Ma Qinghu, you take the lead and change into it. How can changing clothes be so troublesome? Are you not going to look for your sister?"

  Looking at the timid and shrinking crowd, Yang Meng also furrowed his brow. These people lacked too much ferocity.

  As soon as he heard that they were looking for his sister, Ma Qinghu didn't hesitate and randomly grabbed a piece of clothing from the pile, ready to put it on.

  "Just throw away those tattered clothes and stop layering up, it's hot."

  These people are too cautious, not even daring to take a piece of clothing. Is this Qing dynasty county government really that intimidating? Looking at Old Ding's attitude, they're treating Jiang Yuangui like a servant, and in Yang Meng's eyes, it doesn't seem like much either!

  Kunming Yang San Ye was much older than County Master, these bitter men under the leadership of Ma Qinghu, shivering took off their tattered clothes, well! Except for Ma Qinghu who was still a bit sturdy, the rest were all skin and bones, each bone clearly visible, just like an old man in his seventies with muscle atrophy.

  These people didn't pick and choose either, they just grabbed clothes from the ground and put them on their bodies as quickly as if they were thieves.

  "What's the hurry! Pick slowly, choose suitable ones. You! Yes, you, your robe is almost down to your feet, change into a suitable one. And boots, try them on first, wear them if they fit, no one is competing with you."

  These people are really incompetent, a pile of clothes can make them look so pathetic, I don't know if it's the same elsewhere.

  Ding Baojun smiled on the side, and Yang San Ye finally understood. Looking at these few moves, they really have some momentum. I don't know what kind of excitement Big Brother will be in after returning home.

  What a commotion, these poor fellows finally changed into decent clothes. People rely on their clothes and horses rely on saddles; wearing a set of green clothes, these people looked spirited too.

  "Mr. Jiang, get some equipment ready, in case we run into human traffickers later, it's not a good idea to be empty-handed."

  Yang Meng was also familiar with himself, and in a short while, he had already taken himself as the master. In order to get rid of this plague god, Jiang Yuange was also willing to grant his wishes, and dozens of waist knives were sent up. This old man was also a connoisseur, and several large baskets of steaming mixed rice balls were also sent together.

  When he saw the food, Yang Meng's stomach was also 'gurgling' loudly. He went up and grabbed a few, sat down on the steps in the courtyard and started eating. Those poor fellows stared at him with eager eyes, swallowing hard in their mouths.

  "What are you staring at? Pick it up and eat it, if you don't eat you'll go hungry!"

  Yang Meng said vaguely, the coarse miscellaneous grain steamed buns were extremely fragrant and sweet to eat. After eating seven or eight of them, he finally felt a bit more comfortable. Looking at those poor men again, they had already finished their food.

  "Come again!"

  Yang Meng said, not long after that, a large amount of food such as rice and steamed buns was brought up, this time everyone ate their fill, but there was still nothing left over. These things were eaten and taken away so quickly, it was as if they had never been eaten at all.

  "We've got our clothes and eaten our fill, let's go! Lord Jiang, you stay in the county office and hold down the fort!"

  Yang Meng's flattery made Jiang Yuangei feel extremely comfortable from head to toe, and he didn't want to get involved in this matter anyway, so he hastily nodded in agreement.

  A group of people rushed out of the county government office in a flurry, but these poor fellows seemed to have forgotten how to walk, tiptoeing as if they were afraid of treading on something.

  Yang Meng didn't bother with them anymore, these inexperienced people, a pair of shoes was such a big deal?

  "Uncle Ding, what's our next move?"

  Lao Ding is now relying on his connections, minor matters he can handle casually, but when it comes to finding a smuggler, this person still has to take charge.

  "Wait! Just wait at the county yamen gate, someone will come to inform us soon. Third Master, how did you figure it out? Let old Ding also gain some insight."

  Ding Baojun had a plan in mind, but whether this matter could be settled depended on Yiliang County, and some things were not easy to say clearly.

  "Really?"

  Yang Meng also had misgivings in his heart, looking at Lao Ding's attitude, it didn't seem like he suspected himself, besides, the things that happened to him, even he, as a witness, found hard to believe, it seemed that he could only make up a story.

  "After I went out, I climbed the mountain and shot a roe deer. After eating half of it, two black bears appeared. I thought to myself, 'Can I give you guys the food I hunted?' So I carried the deer on my shoulder and ran away. Who knew that these black bears could run faster than me? Just as they were about to catch up with me, a monk appeared out of nowhere, hit me on the head, and said, 'Fool, wouldn't it be fine if you just abandoned it?' Then I left the mountain, and afterwards, I got beaten up."

  Ding Baojun deeply believed in Yang Meng's words. Apart from meeting a superior being, who could enlighten Yang San Ye?

  "Third Master, when you get back, be sure to tell the old master about this and have him prepare some things. We'll go pay our respects to the Buddha in various parts of Yunnan. If we're lucky enough to meet that master, we'll build a grand temple to worship him."

  Locals in Yunnan are still quite Buddhist, and the story compiled by Yang Meng is just like a baptism. Such strange things happen often in Yunnan and Tibet!

  "It happened too fast, I didn't even see what the master looked like, but just felt a burst of clarity on the top of my head, and suddenly everything became clear."

  Following Lao Ding's lead, Yang Meng also roughly rounded out the lie. This matter can't be related to that Golden Buddha, can it? If so, he'll have to start worshiping Buddha from now on.

  "So I say let the old man go to the temples one by one to worship, this is the virtue of our ancestors! In the future, we should do more good deeds and not rely on our abilities to do evil, lest the master gets angry and takes back his magical powers."

  Lao Ding's words were spoken lightly, but Yang Meng had made up his mind. From now on, he must do good deeds and accumulate virtue, kill many bad people, and save many good people. This time, the human trafficking case can be considered a good deed!

  Thinking of this, Yang Meng shifted his gaze towards that group of poor men. Since the Yang family was so big and powerful, he might as well help them out since he had run into them.

  "Uncle Ding, can these people be arranged a place to go?"

  Looking at these people's faces, they are not very old, only in their twenties or thirties, but their bodies are weak beyond recognition. If we can find them a place to settle down and have enough food and drink, it would be a good deed.

  "This is simple, I'll have someone go find our family's steward in Yiliang to take care of them, it's just a small matter."

  Since Yang Jiaolao San had received benefits from his master, it was only natural that he should accumulate good deeds and virtues. Ding Baojun directly agreed to do so.

  "Uncle Ding, I was muddled in the past and didn't even understand things at home, can you tell me about it?"

  New to the place, I'll first get familiar with the Yang family and then explore the situation of the Qing dynasty. After a lifetime of hardships in my past life, I must live a colorful life this time around.

  "These are not urgent, let's go back and ask the old master! He must love to talk about this more than me. The matter in Yiliang is also taking shape, I believe the people here won't keep us waiting until dawn."

  Ding Baojun spoke calmly, but his words still revealed a hint of murderous intent. Yang Meng was still very sensitive to this kind of thing, it seemed that the Yang family wasn't a benevolent one either!

  The 230 bitter Han, plus the three hundred good hands brought by Ding Baojun, were blocked outside the gate of Yiliang County Government, and the county historian, who had been walking for a long time, came from outside the city with a group of attendants. Seeing his smiling face, he knew that things had come to an end.

  It seems that the county government handles things quite efficiently, I didn't notice it before, but there are many details to consider here.

  "Third Master! Fourth Master! The black den has been found, but those human traffickers got the news beforehand and ran away. The abducted people have been rescued, this matter we didn't handle well."

  Dian Shi's words were so flattering, completely unlike the way he scolded Hui Hui in the courtyard just now. It seems that Yiliang's water is also not shallow!

  "As long as we find the person, it's getting dark soon, let's get things done early, I also need to take San Ye back to Kunming, it's not good to walk on a hundred-mile road at night!"

  Ding Baojun didn't say much, just a few traffickers, if they ran away, let them go, the most important thing now is to take San Ye back, make Big Brother happy, and Ding Baojun doesn't want to bother with anything else.

  As for the government office, big brother will naturally go and deal with it, they just need to find the people who were kidnapped and taken away, that's all.

  "Where is it? Take me there!"

  Ding Baojun was in a hurry to return to Kunming, but Yang Meng wanted to get the first thing he came here for done, otherwise it would be unfair to Ma Qinghu, who had given him a second chance at life. His sister must find him today no matter what.

  "Outside the city, the road is rugged and difficult to walk, let's just bring him back!"

  Yiliang Dianshi's face showed a hint of difficulty, it seems there's more to this than meets the eye.

  "It's just right for me to exercise too, let's go together!"

  Yang Meng didn't care about these things, since the Kunming Yang family's signboard was useful, he would take charge of this matter.

  "Alright, Third Master and Fourth Master, when shall we set off?"

  The matter has already happened. Yiliang Dianshi's idea is the same as Jiang Yuange, to send away the plague god of Yang's family as soon as possible, otherwise who knows what big trouble will happen!