Chapter Sixteen: The Great Bandit Flowing Wind

  When it comes to money, many people will lose their conscience and do bad things. Therefore, in terms of financial management, it is a headache. The chief accountant of a county government manages a lot of money and grain, and the person in charge must be free from greed, or in modern words, "both red and expert".

  Someone like Wu Ji, who is free from greed and can read and write, with a clean background, is indeed an excellent candidate for managing the grain.

  "Be the accountant?" Wu Ji was very surprised. He absolutely did not think that his sincere words would have such an unexpected harvest, and he couldn't help but pause for a moment.

  "Wu Xiuciai, you are from Wujiacun Village, with a clean background. I just noticed that when you received the silver, you didn't even glance at it and handed it over to Old Man Wu. Thirty taels of silver is not a small amount for someone as poor as you, yet you didn't bat an eye, not even a hint of temptation. Truly remarkable! Truly remarkable! You are well-suited to be the head clerk, very suitable indeed." County Magistrate Zheng's words were increasingly full of praise for Wu Qi.

  "Wu Ji hesitated for a moment..."

  Wu Ji had the reward in hand and was eager to start an arms factory, which would make even more money. If he accepted Zheng County's invitation, he wouldn't be able to go to Xiong State and could only stay in Guishen County.

  To say that making a fortune in the arms trade is the best place to be, in the north, there is no better place than Xiong State. Not going to Xiong State but staying in this small place of Guishen County is just not doing well for one's own future.

  However, if he were to become a steward, it would not be without its benefits, and the benefits would not be small. Although being a steward is a low-ranking position, it is still an official position. If Wu Jie accepted, from then on, he would bid farewell to his life as a commoner and gain an official position.

  This official position has a very good use, which is conducive to Wu Ji's military affairs. In the Song Dynasty, the matter of military equipment was mainly handled by the imperial court. If Wu Ji wanted to promote explosives to the army without any connections, it would be very troublesome. With this small main book official position, there are still many benefits.

  Moreover, there is another advantage, that is the chief accountant is very easy, similar to today's accounting, which is perfect for Wu Jie at present. Nowadays, Wu Jie, although he has some capital, his physical condition is not good, and he lacks strength, so he cannot do too many things.

  This stewardship is absolutely tailored for Wu Ji, with benefits and not too tiring. It's a bit difficult for Wu Ji to make a choice.

  "Wu Xiuciai, don't worry. If you want to rush for the exam, this official will definitely lend you a helping hand." Zheng County Magistrate thought Wu Jie was still hesitant and thought he wanted to work hard for being selected as a candidate.

  "First, take some time to recover and focus on your physical health. As for the arms business, if you can do it, then start doing it; if not, wait for a while. Your body is the most important asset!" After weighing his options, Wu finally made up his mind.

  "Thanks, Lord Zheng!" Wu Ji formally replied.

  "Haha!" County Magistrate Zheng was overjoyed, stroking his beard, and said seriously: "Wu Xiūcái, although the position of chief clerk is small, it is also a ninth-grade official in the imperial court! Congratulations to Wu Xiūcái for becoming an official!"

  "Thanks for your promotion, Lord Zheng!" Wu Ji replied according to etiquette.

  "Ji'er, you've become an official! You've become an official!" Wu Qing and the others were overjoyed, their faces flushed with excitement.

  Wu Jie was a scholar, a big shot in Wu's village, but after all, it was just an empty title. Now, although he is only a small ninth-grade chief clerk, he has a real official position. In their eyes, this is heaven and earth, incomparable.

  After a moment of excitement, they gradually calmed down. Without needing Wu Ji to say anything, Wu Qing called out to several strong men and began to skin the bear. The hunters invited by County Magistrate Zheng also joined in, their movements extremely skilled and practiced, it was unknown how many wild beasts they had hunted and killed to become so proficient.

  The bear skin and gallbladder belong to the county magistrate of Zheng, who was given them on the spot. The county magistrate of Zheng did not say anything wrong, this bear gall is very large, it's really rare, the county magistrate of Zheng took it in his hand, measured it for a long time, and was overjoyed.

  Hunting is a matter of seeing and having a share, let alone those few hunters who are predecessors, and they gave them a large piece of bear meat. They also left a lot for the county government, and Wu Qing only had half of the bear meat. The bear meat was divided into pieces, carried by several strong men, bidding farewell to County Magistrate Zheng, and heading towards Wu's village.

  Wu Ji was still being carried on the backs of several Ding Zhuangs in turns. Now, Wu Ji had changed from a commoner to an official, and Ding Zhuang carried Wu Ji with even more energy, laughing even more heartily.

  This time, the return letter brought a rich harvest. Wu Ji became an official from a commoner and was the pride of Wu's village, they thought they had gained face. Moreover, Wu Ji shared his reward of thirty taels of silver. Thirty taels of silver, divided among the whole village, calculated to be less than one tael per household, was also a considerable income, almost equivalent to a year's expenses.

  Wu Qing and his friends laughed all the way, with Wu Ji being the most talkative, praising him to be as good as a flower.

  "Ji'er, you actually don't have to give us any silver." Wu Qing looked at Wu Ji with a gaze that found him pleasing no matter how she looked.

  "Third Uncle, I come from a poor background. If it weren't for your care and support, I wouldn't be where I am today. Who knows, I might have been worked to death long ago. Originally, I wanted to take some money out of the reward to thank you all. But since Lord Zheng bought the bear skin and gall, I got the entire reward by myself. How could I possibly ask for this money too?" Wu Jie said with great sincerity.

  Wu Jia came to Wujiacun for only a few days, but he felt the simplicity and kindness of the villagers. They took good care of the old Wu Jia, if not for their care, Yang Xiuxiu was diligent, but after all, she was too young, how could she take care of him? The old Wu Xiucai would have died long ago.

  Wu Ji inherited everything from Wu Xiuciai, just as if he was repaying a personal favor.

  "Ji'er, where did you say you were going? We just exerted a bit of effort and didn't spend much money to help you." Wu Qing found Wu Ji's words to be sincere and was particularly pleased. As a younger generation, Wu Ji being good to them showed that he had filial piety, and as an elder, how could they not be delighted?

  All the way talking and laughing, they soon returned to Wujiacun.

  "Hehe! Let's talk it over and they'll definitely be delighted!"

  "It's definitely going to bounce back!"

  "This is indeed a great joy for our Wu family village!"

  Everyone of you has a word, I have one sentence, looking forward to giving Wujiacun people a big surprise.

  However, they were too early to rejoice. As soon as they arrived at the village entrance, a large group of people rushed out of the village and welcomed them head-on. These villagers had faces full of horror and fear, even more fearful than when the Song army was attacked by bandits, as if doomsday had arrived.

  The bear was killed by the hunter, the disaster was eliminated, and nothing would happen in the village again. One should be happy about it, but why did Wu Jie look so frightened?

  Not just Wu Qi couldn't understand, but also Wu Qing and the others, which one of them could make sense of it? Each and every one of them had a look of astonishment.

  "What's going on here?" Wu Qing finally reacted and hastily asked: "Is something wrong? What happened?"

  "Dad, something big has happened! Something big has happened!" The speaker was Wu Jian. His small face was full of anxiety and he stuttered as he spoke: "Dad, the notorious outlaw Liu Feng has arrived!"

  "Great bandit of the rivers and winds!"

  Wu Qing, and several others who had just returned from their reconnaissance mission, let out a shrill cry. The smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by shock and terror. He was so frightened that his throat emitted a strange "gurgling" sound.

  "Boom! Boom!"

  Wu Qing and several others sat down on the ground with a thud, their bodies going limp as if all their energy had been drained away. Their faces were deathly pale, without a hint of blood color. They were so frightened that they didn't even know how to move their eyeballs.

  "A great bandit who swallows people whole without spitting out their bones!"

  "The bandits are like a raging storm, burning, killing and looting wherever they go. Women are especially targeted, and wherever they pass through, it is always left in ruins!"

  "The bandits are more terrifying than demons, they don't even spare children!"

  The villagers talked about the matter of Liú Fēng, the great thief, with seven mouths and eight tongues, each with a face full of horror, the more they spoke, the more frightened they became, as if Liú Fēng had already arrived. Later on, even more timid people were scared to the point of falling to the ground.

  Liú Fēng Dà Dào is a synonym for evil, used by villagers to scare children.

  This is a gang of robbers, said to have been former government soldiers. Under the leadership of Zeng Dayan, they rebelled against the government and went into the mountains as bandits. Murder and arson, plundering and looting, are endless, and they are the greatest scourge in the surrounding area.

  This gang of robbers kills everyone in their path, regardless of age or sex. The village will be reduced to ruins, more terrifying than a bloodthirsty demon.

  In the minds of Wujiacun villagers, Liufeng dadao is synonymous with doomsday. When they hear that Liufeng thieves have come, how can they not be afraid?

  "Brother Wu, you're a scholar with many ideas, think of something quickly to save us!" Wu Qing was like a drowning man clutching at a straw, and seeing Wu Jie again filled him with hope.