Chapter Fifty-two: The People's Calamity

  "Got it!" One of Wang Tiandong's subordinates responded with a loud voice, immediately whipping his horse and galloping towards the direction of the manor gate. From a hundred paces away, he reined in his horse, opened his mouth and shouted loudly at the top of his lungs towards the people inside the manor, repeating Wang Tiandong's words verbatim.

  Xiao Tianjian looked up at the wall of the village, and saw that the wall was in a state of confusion. Before long, a middle-aged man climbed onto the wall, lying on the female wall behind it, only revealing half of his head, shouting towards the outside: "Is it Wang Zhapan coming? I am Fan Baocai, this side has given Wang Zhapan a gift! It's all a misunderstanding! Last time Wang Zhapan sent us a message, we were busy with something and delayed him, we are very sorry! We hope Wang Zhapan will forgive us!"

  "We had already prepared the things that Wang Zhongpan wants, and were planning to send them over in these two days. Since Wang Zhongpan has come today, it's just right to give him these things! My father said that there was some delay this time, and he hopes that Wang Zhongpan will forgive us. Moreover, my father said that this time we will add ten more stones of coarse and fine grain, plus fifty taels of silver, hoping that Wang Zhongpan will accept it with a smile and resolve our misunderstanding! Let's not hurt the harmony between us!"

  "Ah! You damned Fan family, listen up! Do you think I'm some beggar? First, I gave you face, but you don't want it. Now, I have to come here myself, and only then are you panicked! Give me an additional 10 stones of grain and 50 taels of silver, or else! I don't care about your stuff, but this time I'm going in to see how much grain you've hoarded, and I'll take it all! You'd better open the door quickly and honestly, and I might spare your family's lives. Otherwise, once I get in, I'll kill every last one of you Fan family members!"

  On the wall of the villa, something suddenly went wrong. The middle-aged man who came out to answer the question shrank back and only showed his head again after a long time. This time, his tone changed, and he cursed loudly on the wall: "Wang Tiandong, you damn bastard, I gave you face but you don't want it! I rewarded these grains because I looked up to you, don't think I'm afraid of you! Since I gave you face but you don't want it, then I won't give you these things either! If you have the ability, come and fight! I'll see how many catties and taels you, a bastard, are worth. If you know what's good for you and don't want to die, hurry up and roll away. Otherwise, my bows, crossbows, and firearms aren't just for show!"

  Xiao Tianjian was delighted after hearing this, thinking to himself that this Fan fellow is indeed a miser who would rather die than part with his wealth. He has completely torn off the facade, and now it seems like they can't avoid fighting!

  Wang Tiandong was indeed enraged by the scolding from above, and since they had already torn their face apart, there was no room for maneuvering except to launch a fierce attack.

  Wang Tiandong's anger was burning, but he didn't lose his composure. He immediately turned the horse around and said to Xiao Tianjian: "Xiao Dangjia, it seems that we can't just give in! This old fart surnamed Fan doesn't know how to appreciate a good thing, let's discuss and fight!"

  Xiao Tianjian secretly laughed in his heart, thinking that they had come to rob his estate. The words were absolute, and it was impossible not to enter the estate. If the person surnamed Fan inside could agree, then it would be a miracle! This wasn't something that could be settled with just a little money or grain; this was about robbing someone's home. No one else could swallow this insult.

  However, Wang Tiandong came to discuss with him, and Xiao Tianjian didn't think that Wang Tiandong would have good intentions. He might want his people to take the lead in this matter, which couldn't be allowed. This was his foundation for survival in this world, and even if he had to fight, it could only be done according to his own plan.

  "Alright! Since we can't come to an agreement, it's time to fight! I don't have much experience, so I'll just follow Boss Wang and learn some tactics. Besides, the brothers I brought with me didn't even bring a ladder, so let's quickly make a few on the spot and help Boss Wang pour in together! See what Boss Wang needs me to do, just give the order!"

  Wang Tiandong was not foolish either, he saw that Xiao Tianjian did not want his men to take the lead, wanting to see the situation before acting. Moreover, they had just arrived here and were still finding their footing, so it was clear that rushing to attack the village would not be possible in one go. Although he was not very satisfied with Xiao Tianjian's attitude, he could only nod and say: "In that case, let's prepare first! Let the brothers rest for a while, catch their breath before continuing!"

  Two groups of people, under the command of their respective leaders, first stopped to catch their breath outside Fanjia Fortress. Although they were cooperative partners, during rest periods they still kept a clear distinction and did not mix together.

  Both sides had been running for most of the day, and it was impossible not to be hungry. The food they ate in the morning had long since been digested. Without needing to be summoned, the cooks from each group immediately began cooking. There were tenant farmers' homes nearby, with ready-made stoves and firewood, which made things easier for both groups. Soon, smoke rose into the air. Both sides rummaged through the tenant farmers' homes again, sweeping away the last bit of grain they had left. In this matter, Xiao Tianjian did not fall behind either; if he didn't take it, Wang Tiandong's people would.

  Those tenants who were surrounded, one by one looked at them in horror as they searched for grain from each household. The women and children were even more frightened to the point of crying uncontrollably. Those men also looked at the two gangs with fear, not a single person dared to stand up and stop them. Just now, Wang Tianlong's ruthlessness had thoroughly intimidated them.

  The two groups of people didn't stand on ceremony, and seized the pigs and sheep raised by those tenants. Each killed one head, cooked them in pots, and soon the aroma wafted far and wide, making everyone's mouth water. They swarmed around the pot, starting to devour the food.

  Here is the translation:

  With a few clashes, they had already occupied the high ground. Wang Tianlong's men were in an uproar, cursing and shouting as they crowded together. Before the meat was even cooked, they began to scramble for it. The leaders shouted and cursed, using their whips to fiercely lash at those who were scrambling, while they themselves snatched up large pieces of meat. Some people brought some to Wang Tianlong, who devoured them with relish, not caring whether his lower-ranking subordinates got to eat or not. Only when the leaders had taken most of the big chunks of meat did it become the turn of those below them to scramble for food. The fierce ones managed to grab more, while the weak or new recruits couldn't even get any broth.

  On the other hand, looking at Xiao Tianjian's side, these people were neatly lined up in a row, happily waiting to receive their food. The cook was very fair, and each person roughly got an equal share of meat. The soldiers were given a bit more, while the auxiliary soldiers were given less. Each person also received a bowl of meat soup. Everyone was treated equally. After receiving their portions, they gathered together, laughing and chatting as they ate with the buns they had brought along, dipping them in the meat soup. Even Xiao Tianjian didn't have any special privileges, he received his share just like everyone else and sat among his comrades to eat.

  It's not that they didn't know, but after comparing, everyone can see that there is a big difference between the two groups of people holding plates. On Xiao Tianjian's side, each person had a satisfied smile on their face, while many of Wang Tiandong's subordinates couldn't even get any meat to eat, and could only gnaw on biscuits or scoop up a bowl of vegetable porridge with a look of resentment.

  Wang Tiandong also took a look at Xiao Tianjian's side of the situation, and compared it to his own side. He felt very embarrassed and humiliated, cursed loudly, and kicked one of his subordinates: "Damn it, you bunch are like wolves! Not even a bit of discipline! Get out, go restrain your brothers, don't make me lose face!"

  Everyone knows that the battle is about to start, and it's very important to eat well in advance. Everyone knows that fighting can lead to death, and the people guarding the village are not unarmed either. No one knows who will die in the chaos of war! So before a battle, these leaders would always let their subordinates have a full meal if possible. If they were to be killed in the upcoming battle, at least they could die with a full stomach. Otherwise, going into battle on an empty stomach can greatly affect morale.

  Taking advantage of the time to eat, Xiao Tianjian observed the terrain here. Fanjia Fortress was not large in area because the tenants' houses were all placed outside the manor. The whole manor was built on the mountain, and if you wanted to attack the manor, only the south gate could be entered. A moat had been dug around the outer wall of the south manor, and without looking inside, it was certain that there were buried sharp wooden stakes and other things. Only a drawbridge could pass through, but at this time, the drawbridge had long since been pulled up and hung in mid-air. It was really not easy to attack the manor gate!

  However, fortunately, the terrain in front of Zhuangzi is relatively flat, which is slightly advantageous for the attacking side. Unfortunately, the area of this flat land is very small, and the attacking side cannot deploy many people at once, which is again very beneficial to the defending side.

  The west side of the Zhuangzi is a slope, with a very small stream winding along the mountain and flowing into the Zhuangzi. This should be the water source of Fanjia Fortress and also the reason why Fanjia Fortress chose to build here. Without water, no one would have built the Zhuangzi in such a place. Otherwise, if the enemy besieged it, they could starve the people inside to death by thirst. Unfortunately, this water source is located on the mountain behind the Zhuangzi and is not easy to control. This point was obviously thought of by the Fan family.

  Zhuangzi faced east, but it was no use thinking about it, as there was a steep slope directly in front of him. From that position, he couldn't even find a place to launch an attack, so the only option left was to attack from the south. Apart from this, there were no other choices. This terrain made Xiao Tianjian scratch his head in frustration.

  At this time, a buzzing sound started in Xiao Tianjian's ear, and suddenly a yellow hornet flew to the side of Xiao Tianjian's head, scaring him. Now that the weather has warmed up, these wild bees have also begun to emerge and become active. Although it's been a severe drought this year, there are still some flowers and grasses in the mountains and fields. It's unknown what attracted a large yellow hornet to fly around Xiao Tianjian's head.

  Xiao Tianjian grabbed the fur hat on Zhao Erlu's head and swatted the wild bee to the ground with one swipe, then stomped it to death. If this thing had stung him, he would have been in agony, and people with allergies might even be in danger of losing their lives. Xiao Tianjian was most afraid of these things, so it was better to kill them off early to avoid trouble.

  But he had just slapped a wild bee to death, and then several more flew over, buzzing around the tops of everyone's heads, making some people nervous.

  It wasn't just Xiao Tianjian who saw these wild bees, soon a supporting soldier ah-yoed and jumped up, even throwing away his rice bowl, covering his neck and screaming. In the end, someone was still stung by the wild bees. This time, Xiao Tianjian could confirm that there might be a large beehive nearby, otherwise there wouldn't be so many wild bees around.

  But this is just a small episode, they won't pay attention to these wild bees for now!

  "Yan Chongxi! Come here for a moment!" At this time, Xiao Tianjian still had some reliance on Yan Chongxi. After all, this guy had more combat experience than anyone under his command, so Xiao Tianjian temporarily treated Yan Chongxi as one of his advisors.

  Yan Chongxi hurriedly sat down next to Xiao Tianjian, holding his bowl. Zhao Erlu reluctantly gave up a spot for Yan Chongxi and let him sit down.

  My wife is in the hospital, so I'll put up some stored drafts first. Chrysanthemum has been continuously exploded, and I hope brothers can help me vote for a few more to top it off! I won't stop updating! More than 1 million words were only 700+, and they were BSed by beasts!)

  ，！