Take up official duties immediately

  A meal cost two big oceans, and everyone was smiling with joy, secretly convinced that following Luo Yi was not wrong. Lu Shuangyong had been at home for a few days and knew that firewood and rice were expensive, so he couldn't help but feel some heartache. However, he himself didn't eat less, and a 5-jin heavy trotter was actually eaten by him alone. After dinner, everyone felt their legs were numb, Luo Yi called the shopkeeper to bring over tea, and they sat drinking tea for a while, digesting their food before heading home.

  Lu Yi led everyone to take the various items he bought, and since there were a lot of things, Lu Yi had to buy several more unicycles for the helpers to push. After eating their fill, they were in high spirits, looking at the piles of goods on the cars, feeling good, chatting and laughing all the way, unknowingly returning to the mountain lodge.

  The original stronghold had been burned down by the National Army during their previous attack, and for the past few days, everyone had been temporarily living in a few thatched huts they built in the mountains. As Lu Shuangyong said, all the money and food in the gang had already been used up. When Luo Yi and his men arrived, the camp was cooking dinner, and when Luo Yi lifted the lid of the pot, it was almost like "the rice in the jar can be counted, with only wild vegetables and boiled water".

  " Luo Zi... the big boss, this is your meal." Zeng Shan cautiously walked over and handed Luo Yi a large bowl. The bowl contained white rice and several slices of smoked meat, no one knew where they came from. Luo Yi looked at the expressions of the other gang members, seemingly everyone didn't have any dissatisfaction with his privileged enjoyment, this was probably the rule in the bandit's den.

  Zeng Shan's eyes had a humility that didn't match her age or personality, which made Luo Yi feel heartbroken. Just a few days ago, she was still the young mistress of the Luo family, and Luo Zi was just a second-rate member of the gang. In just a few days, Luo Zi became the new master of the house, while Zeng Shan became an orphan with no one to rely on. Given Luo Yi's past reputation for peeping at her while she bathed, combined with the previous master's dying wish that she marry Luo Zi, if Luo Yi wanted to take her in as his concubine, probably no one would stop him.

  In the United League, Luo Zi's age was relatively young, and he was closest in age to Zeng Shan, so before that, they had also played together, and their relationship wasn't very bad. After the peeping incident, Zeng Shan only hated Luo Zi for a short while, but later forgave him. In fact, the concept of chastity among mountain girls was not that serious. The relationship between them had always been based on Zeng Shan being superior to Luo Yi, but now their positions were reversed, and Luo Yi would look down on himself? Zeng Shan felt a little afraid.

  "Big sister..." Luo Yi said.

  Zeng Shan hastily bent her knee and made a curtsy, like a maid on stage would to an old master, saying: "Master of the house, you can just call me Zeng Shan."

  Luo Yi smiled and said, "Alright, let's change the way we address each other. I've already talked to Shuang Yong and the others, no one is allowed to call me 'master of the house' anymore, just call me Luo Zi. But you're an exception, you have to call me Brother Luo Zi. As for what I'll call you, how about I start calling you Shan Er?"

  "Yes, sir." Zeng Shan said obediently, "Luo Zi Ge, you eat first."

  "Don't rush your meal, I have something to give you."

  Luoyi said, taking two packages from a cart pushed by a helper and handing them to Zengshan, "You can't just call me Brother Luo for nothing. This is a gift from your brother, find a secluded place to take a look."

  Zeng Shan hastily took the bundle and felt it was quite heavy. Amidst everyone's laughter, she ran away with her head down and found a secluded spot to take a look. When she opened the bundle, she was shocked and a mix of unexpected joy and shyness surged up, causing her face to turn red all the way to her neck.

  One of the bundles contained two pieces of beautiful flowered cloth and a finished flower dress. She picked up the flower dress and tried it on, the size was just about right, mountain girls' clothes wouldn't be particularly picky about sizes anyway. In addition to this, there were also some small mirrors, hairpins, hair ties, and face powder that little girls liked, all colorful and pleasing to look at.

  In another bundle, there was a pile of snacks that girls loved to eat, such as osmanthus sugar, foreign biscuits, and Cantonese dried fruit. All these snacks, Zeng Shan had only eaten one or two when she was very young, and they were far from being as exquisite as those in the bundle. There wasn't a girl who didn't like eating snacks, but getting so many at once made Zeng Shan feel like she was dreaming.

  Zeng Shan had grown up this big, although she was known as the "大小姐" (young lady) in the Ji Yi Bang, but she was actually a poor and lowly servant girl. Firstly, the original master of the house didn't consider her feelings and didn't know how to take care of her; secondly, the organization's funds were always tight, so even if they had some money, it wasn't possible for them to buy her these useless luxury goods. Zeng Shan wasn't someone who hadn't envied the jewelry, clothes, and snacks of the wealthy young ladies in town, but she knew that as a poor orphan girl taken in by the master of the house, it was really not suitable for her to make excessive demands. Now, Luo Yi had just become the new master of the house and bought all these good things for herself, this kind of joy was really indescribable. She even timidly thought that maybe this was a gift from the new master to her? If Luo Zi was really so considerate, then marrying him might not be such a scary thing after all...

  Zeng Shan didn't know that in order to buy these things, Luo Yi had put a lot of thought into it and had visited every single general store in Tongzhou City. During his university days, he would often skip class to go out and have fun, neither having the time to chase after girls nor having any girls willing to take the initiative to pursue him. In his heart, he had also envied other guys who bought flowers and clothes for their girlfriends, but never had the chance to imitate them. Now, he unexpectedly got an assigned fiancée who was going to marry him, and she was so beautiful. Although it's still uncertain whether they would end up together or not, spending some money to make this beauty smile was a very fulfilling thing to do.

  Zeng Shan happily rewrapped the package and put it away, only taking a pink ribbon to tie on her braid, and ran back with a happy face. Le Jialin, who was in charge of logistics, was directing everyone to unload the things Luo Yi had bought, and dinner had also been remade with new rice, with sausages steaming on top emitting a strong fragrance.

  The helpers changed into camouflage training uniforms as required by Luo Yi, and everyone looked like they had changed into different people. The entire camp also looked a bit like a regular army unit. Some younger helpers began to imagine that if they wore such clothes to town, would the big girls fall in love with them?

  "Everyone has changed into new clothes, I bought you a new one, why don't you put it on?" Luo Yi said with a smile as he looked at Zeng Shan who had run back.

  "Was that dress bought for me? I didn't know." Zeng Shan asked with a pretentious tone, her face overflowing with smiles. Her impression of Luo Yi had returned to the carefree state they were in when they played together back then, and she started acting like a spoiled little girl again.

  Luo Yi was originally a bit worried that the girls back then were not open-minded enough, so he didn't dare to joke around with Zeng Shan too much. Now hearing Zeng Shan say this, he suddenly found a feeling of teasing his neighbor's little sister, and chuckled: "Of course I bought it for you, I don't have a wife, who else would I buy it for?"

  "Oh, you've got a wife now and won't buy it for me? Then take it back and save it for your wife!" The little girl said with a sharp tongue, a 15-year-old girl, who was at the age where she wouldn't spare anyone's feelings.

  "This is a hassle. If I buy it for you, my wife won't be happy; if I buy it for my wife, then you won't be happy. Why don't you and my wife just become one person?"

  Zeng Shan was stunned for a moment before she realized what Luo Yi meant. She blushed again, raised her small fist and punched Luo Yi lightly, then turned around and ran away.

  "What are you doing?" Luo Yi asked from behind.

  "Go and change into new clothes, I've torn your wife's clothes to shreds, let her quarrel with you!" Zeng Shanxi replied gleefully.

  At dinner time, the Union League had a long-lost smile again. There was white rice to eat and cured meat and sausage for dishes. This is the festival of the Union League. A flower-clothed Zeng Shan in a group of camouflage-clad men, like a bright flower in a green forest, caused everyone to discuss it. Everyone naturally knew that this flower cloth was bought by Luo Yi for Zeng Shan, and all people also knew that the former head of the house, Zeng You, had promised Zeng Shan to Luo Yi's dying words. Some mouthy members of the league blurted out the phrase "压寨夫人" (meaning "the wife who suppresses the village"), and as a result, they were naturally hit by Zeng Shan with a clod of earth until their faces were covered in dust.

  After dinner, Lu Shuangyong presided over a general meeting of the gang and announced that Luo Yi would officially take over as the leader of the Justice League.

  "It's a great household!" Everyone knelt down on one knee and paid homage to Luo Yi, which was considered the completion of the ceremony to elect the leader.

  Everyone, and a few uncles, thank you for your trust. At this time when our gang has suffered a major setback, everyone has elected me, Luo Yi, as the new leader, I dare not decline. Just now, that one loud "Big Boss" is enough, from now on we will address each other as brothers, and it's fine if you just call me Luo Zi like before. In the past, I, Luo Yi, was ignorant and made many mistakes in the gang, please forgive me for my past wrongdoings.

  "What's this 'let bygones be bygones' business?" someone in the crowd muttered under their breath.

  "Luó Zǐ ràng shǒu liú dàn bào yī cì, biàn de yǒu xué wèn le." Another person said.

  "Shh, Luo Zi is now the boss, let's show some respect."

  Luoyi wiped the sweat from his forehead and explained with a humbled tone: "That... let bygones be bygones, I mean, let's not hold grudges. I'm young and don't understand things, so please don't mind me."

  "It's all right, Luo Zi. Past things are not held against anyone. You saved everyone's life this time, and everyone respects you. Now that the old master is gone, tell us what to do next. Our Gang, how should we proceed? Give us a direction, help us find a good future." Wang Da Cheng, the leader of the rear camp, stood up and spoke on behalf of the gang members. Among the gang members, Wang Da Cheng was considered one of the more stable ones, with more thoughts than others. His words asked what everyone wanted to know most.