Chapter Five Entertainment

  "Come, come, come... Li Zhuangshi, the meal we've prepared for you is almost ready. We don't have much good food to treat you with in this poor village, just some ordinary dishes. Please don't mind, Li Zhuangshi... The villagers are really grateful for your timely rescue..."

  "The old gentleman was being polite, right? The villagers didn't suffer any major losses, did they?"

  Because most of the villagers had scattered back home earlier, he wasn't sure if there were still seriously injured villagers. Anyway, his first-aid kit still had a lot of medicine left, so he didn't mind helping more villagers!

  Wiped the sweat from his face, and it's true that the weather in October is still quite hot. He was wearing a long-sleeved black special forces uniform that absorbed heat, and on top of that, he had protective gear like leg guards and bulletproof vests. Although the combat uniform was breathable, it was still sweltering after all this time! He quickly removed his bulletproof vest and helmet, asked the old man for some cool water, and washed up comfortably before feeling much better.

  "It's nothing... just some minor scratches, rest for a couple of days and it'll be fine. Come on, Li Zhuangshi, don't be polite, try my granddaughter's cooking, each dish has its own unique flavor..."

  "Old master, please don't call me Zhuang Shi again, I can't bear it. Just call me Xiao Li or simply Li Han. By the way, I killed over a dozen people from Yi Zhuang today, won't that cause trouble for you?"

  The dishes on the table were indeed very simple, a plate of salted peanuts, a dish of braised eight-treasures vegetables, a dish of green vegetables and mushrooms, and a plate of stir-fried green peppers and eggs. Although there was no gravy or oil, and even the salty flavor was particularly light, Li Han still found it quite tasty to eat with the celery leaves wrapped around his rice bowl. He hadn't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon, and his stomach had been growling nonstop from hunger. This was also why the old man's granddaughter had just gone to inform the village chief and Zong Lao to come back, only to be called over by him to arrange for some food.

  "Little... I'll still call you Li Xiaoge, what are you talking about? You've helped us a great deal today. Hmph, those bastards from Yizhuang have done no shortage of evil deeds, they'd be better off dead! Today you've helped our Lou Village get rid of a scourge, everyone can only thank you, who would dare blame you?! Are they even human?! Li Xiaoge, don't say that... in these ten miles around us, how many people have suffered at the hands of Yizhuang's bullying?"

  The old man's words were quite impressive, and Li Han also figured it out. He had heard him say before that he was not the village head, but presumably a person with considerable prestige in the village!

  "Ah, I see. Your attire doesn't seem like that of an ordinary person, young Li. I reckon you've been abroad before!"

  "Old gentleman, you have a good eye for things. Yes, Li Mou's ancestral home is in Sichuan, Chongqing Prefecture. He followed his family to the United States during the Jia Wu year to make a living. Unfortunately, his parents passed away unexpectedly a few days ago... leaving only Li Mou alone in that foreign land. So, upon hearing that the country was training new troops and it was a good time to use people's skills, he thought of his past experience studying at military schools in Europe and America, and had some knowledge of military formations and drills. Therefore, he returned to China to prepare to contribute to the country... but perhaps he lost his way, because originally Li Mou still thought this place was inside Chongqing Prefecture, but unexpectedly it turned out to be Wuhan..."

  Thinking of his parents and two elder brothers, as well as his little sister who loved to play with him, Li Han's face flashed a hint of melancholy. However, he was a man of strong will, and before the old man could offer any words of comfort, he had already regained his composure, and a faint smile reappeared on his face!

  "Good boy...good boy..."

  The old man stroked his beard and praised him twice, and when he looked at him again, his eyes showed even more appreciation. However, Li Han also faintly felt a hint of worry in his eyes!

  "Is the old master still worried about the revenge of the Yi Zhuang? After dinner, Li will go to investigate Yi Zhuang. Don't laugh at me, I have a skill that can kill enemies from 100 meters away. As long as I find the opportunity, I will definitely shoot down that evil Kuai Sheng..."

  Li Han had long been prepared, taking advantage of the fact that the righteous village was still unaware of the situation here, he launched a surprise attack on the unprepared, with one sentence, defeated the leader of the righteous village. At that time, even if the bandits did not become chaotic, they would fall into the predicament of power struggle. As long as he was given some time, he could train a new army of 30 to 50 men who knew how to use guns and fight with guns. Unless the entire righteous village army came out, it would be impossible to attack this building!

  "Li Dage said with a smile, afraid of him, just to let him know that the person was killed by our Loucun village. Kuisheng is still an official after all, I don't believe he would dare to bring people here and kill everyone in our village, even if he spared one person, it would be considered that Kuisheng has no integrity..."

  A sudden angry roar came from behind, Li Han turned around and saw that the young man who was leading the group of young villagers before was smiling at him and nodding his head. He had an old muzzle-loading rifle slung over his back, apparently having made up his mind to fight it out with the Yi Village!

  "It's just... it's just..."

  Behind them, several people followed, all carrying their own hunting guns. This village is located at the foot of a mountain and by the water, so it's inevitable that there are some wild boars that occasionally enter the village fields. Additionally, due to the many wars during the late Qing dynasty, almost every household has some old bird guns or muzzle-loaders. The reason why they let the horse thief get away earlier was because many elderly people and family heads were constrained by the idea of "the people do not fight with officials", which made them hesitant to act. Furthermore, the horse thief took advantage of his fast horseback ride and rushed into the village before they could prepare, and when he pointed a gun at their loved ones, how many people dared to point their guns at him?

  "Heh heh, it's settled then. With the actions of those beasts earlier, I believe the village elder and the others won't stop you anymore...". The old man had a hint of a smile on his face. "Li Xiao Ge, your marksmanship is so good, and you've even studied in Thailand before, can you teach the young ones in the village? Just now, I already told Mei Li to inform the village elder to send someone to Lu Jia Zhuang five miles away to report the news. If nothing unexpected happens, soon, Old Master Lu will send people over to help!"

  Let Li Han help train the villagers, which coincidentally coincided with his idea, so Li Han agreed without hesitation. However, he was also very curious about Mr. Lu mentioned by the old man, and asked: "Old sir, who is the Mr. Lu you mentioned..."

  "Mr. Lu... Mr. Lu is not an ordinary person... Heh heh, he can also be considered half my student. He is the largest landowner within a hundred miles of our Paper Village, and originally, he was the only one that the local tyrant, Gui Sheng, didn't dare to provoke. His Lu Family Manor has nearly a thousand guards, and his eldest son is also an officer in the Wuchang New Army. Our Lou Village belongs to his manor's protection range... However, sigh, if it weren't for the July Railway Movement incident where young master Lu got into trouble, Yi Zhuang wouldn't have dared to come to Mr. Lu's protected area to rob grain..."

  The old man hadn't even opened his mouth, but the young man he called "stone" had already started introducing him. Mr. Fang didn't get angry, smiling and watching as he introduced himself, but a hint of worry in the corner of his eye still hadn't faded away, only Li Han noticed it among the people present.

  "Stone brothers, this trouble is also caused by me, I will help you to the end. This way, you go to the village now and find more young and strong villagers who can use hunting guns, those with quick hands and feet are also fine, try to gather 40 or 50 people, anyway it's not a busy farming season now, this afternoon I'll train everyone!"

  "Really..."

  "Alright, alright, you stones, go out and prepare first, let Li Xiao Ge eat his meal first, eating is the most important thing!"

  "Alright, let's get going, we're busy..."

  After seeing the young people walk away, the old man's face seemed to be hesitant, as if he wanted to ask something. He tried to open his mouth several times but held back, however, in the end, he also chased away the little servant girl who was busy beside him before opening his mouth and asking him!

  "Li Xiaoge, are you a revolutionary party member?" The old man was worldly-wise and knew about the existence of revolutionary parties. He had suspected something earlier when he saw that Li Xiaoge didn't have a queue (braid) at the back of his head. Although many overseas students had cut off their queues, if they really returned to China, they would at least buy a fake queue to wear. But Li Xiaoge's hair was a standard short cut, which was unusual at that time - there was no such thing as a "short-haired youth" then. Having cut his hair so short, he must be a revolutionary party member, what else could he be?

  "Revolutionary party?" Li Han was taken aback, just as he had finished eating the pickled radish sticks brought by the old gentleman's granddaughter. How could this be explained? This was still the Qing dynasty, after all! Although the name "revolutionary party" was quite loud in the folk, it would take some time for the revolutionary forces to occupy a dominant position in the south. The Qing dynasty may not have many days left, but at least it wasn't going to collapse immediately. This place was still under the rule of the Manchu government, and if the local authorities discovered a revolutionary party, they would be caught and killed one by one - 100% guaranteed to lose their heads! However, he didn't want to lie either... "To be honest with you, sir, I have also met some revolutionaries overseas, but because my chosen path to save the country is different from theirs, although I am also dissatisfied with the corruption of the Manchu government, I am not a revolutionary..."

  No way, in this era, joining the revolutionary party requires an introduction. He's just arrived and even if he wants to join the revolutionary party, he needs to find someone to introduce him!

  "Really?" Old Master Fang still had some doubts, his eyes drifting behind him.

  Li Han knew what he was being cautious about, and after a while, he figured it out. The old man in front of him wasn't just an ordinary farmer. He must have been a scholar who had passed the imperial examination or even served as an official in his early years. Although he had saved his granddaughter's life, he still held on to the orthodox views of the imperial court. Li Han smiled and said, "Old sir, you're also an educated man, so you should know that overseas Chinese have been away from their hometown for a long time and have already assimilated into local customs. The queue is not only unhealthy but also inconvenient for military service. So, when I was serving in the army abroad, my queue was cut off... However, now that we're back in the country, can't we just get a fake one?"

  Mr. Fang thought of those queue-cutting students from Chongqing who had returned from abroad, and indeed used fake queues to make up for it. The imperial court's power has been declining year by year, and they have long turned a blind eye to this matter, no longer making a fuss about it! Therefore, he felt more at ease in his heart, nodded, "That's right... that's right, Li Xiaoge, I'll let the village master prepare a fake queue for you later. Otherwise, although the imperial court doesn't ask now, if you really want to mix up an official position, without it, you can't even pass the first hurdle!"

  "What..."

  Li Hanyi was taken aback and looked at the old man in surprise, wondering if he had misheard him. How did he manage to infer a hint of meaning from these words?

  "Heh heh, young man, you have a lot of skills, and you've lived in Thailand for many years, and you're also skilled in military affairs. If you waste all this talent, it would be a real shame... As it happens, I used to work under the former Governor of Sichuan, Zhao Erxun, as his chief clerk. His younger brother is now the acting Governor of Sichuan, Zhao Erfeng. I've seen that your speech and behavior are both excellent, so if you're interested in a career in government, I'll put my face on the line and ask Zhao to give you a position as a local military officer. He should be willing to do it for me, considering our past relationship..."

  Old Master Fang stroked his elegant mustache, smiling faintly. He truly found this young man pleasing to the eye, not only had he saved his precious granddaughter, but he was also humble and unassuming, and skilled in foreign affairs. Compared to his own useless grandson, he was a hundred times better. Only then did he open his golden mouth, planning to use his past connections to secure a bright future for this young man who had saved his family, as a way of repayment.