Third Uncle, how are you?

  "Hey, this..." Skinny Li Si was about to say something when he was interrupted by Ma Zi, "I'm saying, Li Si, this guy is also the leader of the Gao Mu Alliance, and back in the day, he was a general-level figure. How can you call him 'head'?"

  "What should I call you?" Wang Er stuttered a bit.

  "We should call him Third Master." Ma Zi leaned in close to Mao San, smiling fawningly, "You're right, aren't you, Third Master?"

  "Not bad, you little rascal, I like it." Mao San has also been flattered by these people in the past few days and has put on a perfect show.

  "Haha, these are all Third Master's teachings." Ma Zi raised his chin at the remaining few people, implying that they were favored.

  "Special Envoy Mao." Sasaki still had that file folder tucked under his arm as he arrived at Mao San's office.

  "Ah, you've arrived! Sit down quickly, what are you standing there for? Don't just stand there, go get some tea!" Mao San kicked Ma Zi out to fetch the tea. "Officer Sasaki, what orders do you have?"

  "I won't drink tea anymore. I came to tell you that the regimental commander has entrusted something to you, and you must do it well." Sasaki took out a piece of paper from his file folder and handed it to Mao San, "I hope Mr. Mao will not disappoint His Majesty the Emperor and the Regimental Commander."

  "This is a must, please rest assured, Lieutenant Colonel and Your Majesty the Emperor, I will do my best to get it done." Ma San patted his chest with a loud slapping sound, showing his sincerity.

  Sasaki took a glance at Mao San and left.

  "Sasaki-san, your tea." Mako carried the teacup over and saw Sasaki leaving.

  "Who among you can read? Take a look at this thing!" Mao San handed the paper he had given to Sasaki to Ma Zi, "Read it out loud." Zhang San, Li Si, Wang Er and Ma Zi looked at Mao San in confusion.

  "What are you looking at? Can't I be illiterate?" Mao San rolled his eyes.

  "Cough, cough, this mainly means that we should let them collect the account," Ma Zi said with a few coughs.

  "Collecting accounts, what kind of account?" Mao San was a bit puzzled.

  "Third Master, heh heh, that's how it is." Zhang San put down the abacus and said, "Go on, go to the side. Third Master, this collecting accounts business isn't really collecting accounts either. It's just that our High Wood Alliance has taken over this place and made a rule with the peasants here that every month they have to give us thirty kilograms of grain. They call it collecting accounts, but actually it's going to those disobedient commoners' homes to demand grain."

  "Where are we going?" Ma San looked at that piece of paper for a long time, but still couldn't figure out the twists and turns on it.

  "Third Master, look, the few households that haven't paid their grain tax are all written down here. Let's go to these households to collect." Zhang San leaned in close to Mao San and pointed it out on the paper.

  "Does Grandpa know which of their families it is? Do you need to remind him?" Mao San slapped a palm on Zhang San's head, then kicked him out the door. "Hurry up and lead the way."

  Mao San led four of his men and rode bicycles directly to Huangzhuang.

  "Zhang San, how much farther is Lao Han's house this summer?" Mao San stopped and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I really can't ride anymore."

  "Third Master, we're almost there." Zhang San also stopped, panting heavily, "Look, it's that small thatched hut up ahead."

  "Look at this, it's so poor it doesn't even have a single hair."

  "Third Master, don't look at Old Man Xia as if he's got nothing, but he's got a really beautiful daughter, oh my, she's so lovely, just thinking about it makes me want to drool." Ma Zi wiped the corner of his mouth.

  "Go and take a look." As soon as Mao San heard that there was a beautiful girl, he became spirited.

  "Old Lao, come out!" Zhang San and Li Si kicked open the broken bamboo door together, making a false polite gesture to Mao San. "Master Three, please."

  "Oh, several military uncles have arrived, please come in quickly." An old man with a body full of patches, a face full of wrinkles, and a hunched back walked out from the broken wooden door.

  "Alright, alright, Old Xia, we've come a long way, the three of us. This is exhausting, hurry up and get some water." Zhang San waved his hand impatiently, leading Mao San to the shaded area under the tree.

  "Girl, bring some water for the soldiers." Old Xia shouted from inside the thatched hut.

  Before long, a girl came out. Although her body was full of patches, it couldn't conceal her beautiful face at all. Her oval face, red lips, and small nose stood upright. A pair of watery eyes showed shyness, with a long braid hanging behind her head. Absolutely a beauty. Mao San exclaimed in his heart.

  "Cough, cough." The old man looked at Mao San, who was staring straight at his own daughter, and coughed twice. "What brings the military officers to my humble abode?"

  Mao San was startled by Old Man Xia's cough and came back to his senses, "Oh oh oh, it's nothing, nothing."

  "Third Master, how is it?" Ma Zi whispered in Mao San's ear.

  "Go, go, go." Mao San put down the bowl and looked at the girl again before rushing back into the house. He didn't realize that his pants were wet until he felt a chill, and when he looked down, he saw that he had spilled water all over his crotch. "Not bad, not bad at all, quite refreshing."

  "Cough, cough." Old Xia coughed again on the side.

  Mao San waved his hand on the side, hinting to Zhang San and Old Man Xia that he would continue staring straight at the wooden door, hoping that Miss Xia would come out.

  "Old Lao Xia, half of this month has already passed, you still owe last month's military rations, when do you plan to pay?"