Chapter 206

They saw over twenty people, men and women, all of them strong and capable.

The men were solidly built, muscles visible on their arms, while the women were robust, more muscular than many men in their village!

Upon hearing Bai Manshan’s call, they surged forward, fast but orderly.

The men formed groups of three or five, grabbing Uncle Huang’s hands and snatching the old hens tied securely with straw ropes from his hands, carrying people out of the chicken coop. Another group did the same.

With sheer strength, they lifted the two directly out of the chicken coop.

As Fan’s mother was about to protest, two sturdy women approached with smiles, one on each side, reached out and lifted Fan’s mother out of the chicken coop without touching the ground.

Fan’s mother kept shouting, “My son! These are my son’s!”

The people Bai Manshan brought ignored her cries, acting as if they hadn’t heard, following Bai Manshan’s orders to ‘escort’ them all the way to Fan’s front yard before releasing them and leaving.

Li Wen and his group were wide-eyed with shock.

They thought to themselves, no wonder Magistrate Wu wanted to buy servants and workers; this method is really effective!

They pointed and hit exactly where they aimed.

Fan’s mother sat on the ground in the yard, slapping her thighs and crying about her hard life.

Uncle Huang and Second Uncle Huang cursed loudly.

The old village chief, leaning on his cane, walked over slowly, glanced at the situation in the yard, and listened to the lively explanation from the men who followed their sons, gaining an understanding.

He said to the people in the yard, “Once the family is divided, they are two separate families. Going to catch someone else’s chickens is already being kind by bringing you back instead of driving you away.”

The onlookers nodded continuously.

Fan’s mother’s face was smeared with tears and snot. She stiffened her neck and said, “That’s my son. What’s wrong with eating a chicken or two of his!”

Madame Xu shook her head, “Then why did you separate your household? Even if you hadn’t, the chickens at home are precious. How could you just eat them?”

Not to mention chickens, even eggs are too precious to eat. Most of them are saved up to exchange for coarse salt.

“Fan Auntie, would you be willing to eat the chickens, ducks, and geese from your eldest son’s house?” the young daughter-in-law couldn’t help but ask.

From hatching eggs to breaking shells, if a dozen or twenty eggs hatch with ten young offspring, it is already a very successful endeavor.

There are also times when young offspring worry about dogs, cats, mice, and yellow weasels… who don’t think about how hard it is to lay so many eggs.

However, no one is willing to eat them during the years.

It is also because the chickens are too numerous, but the chickens were raised by someone else and are not the efforts of Aunt Fan’s mother!

Among the noisy discussion, no one agreed with Aunt Fan’s methods, and some of the older ones even brought up a little blame.

Uncle Huang and Second Uncle Huang didn’t expect their younger sister to be so unpopular in the village!

Previously, they also expected the whole group to go together to accuse that unfilial son and his unfilial daughter-in-law.

Now, everyone has been attracted to criticize them.

Angry, Second Uncle Huang said angrily, “As the elders, we can eat whatever we want!”

Not all of the villagers in Shanshui Village are gentle and kind. The fierce ones stood up and pointed, saying, “You are a maternal uncle. How can you have the nerve to join in catching chickens? Isn’t that shameful?”

“I’ll tell you, those chickens all have their uses. Before, the people in our village hesitated because of your seniority. Now it’s different. Did you see those men just now? If you go again, it’s unlikely they’ll treat you politely and courteously like before.”

“Hurry up and try to be tough again. If we really injure you, when the government officials come, we will say we didn’t see anything!”

“Government officials? With the current severity of the floods, do government officials have time to bother with such trivial matters in our village?”

While they couldn’t resort to physical action, they had no problem speaking out, and the people surrounding them were not polite.

Uncle Huang realized he couldn’t take advantage of his nephew after all. His triangular eyes scanned around and settled on his eldest nephew’s house.

He gestured to Second Uncle Huang, and the two exchanged a subtle glance, deciding to stop arguing with the villagers.

Whether they tried to seize something again or hoped the villagers would accuse them, it seemed neither would work.

Surprisingly, the villagers of Shanshui Village were not siding with their younger sister, the mother, but with the Fan family. They hadn’t anticipated this.

But it didn’t matter; if their nephew couldn’t reap benefits, they still had their younger sister and eldest nephew. They couldn’t return empty-handed.

Fan’s mother and those in the house suddenly felt a chill…

---

“In Shuiqing’s courtyard, voices were lively at this moment.

Originally, there were over ten people at home. With Bai Manshan bringing over twenty more people, no one went inside. Everyone casually sat down on the covered corridor in the courtyard, chatting in the breeze.

Madame Hu and Qin Yilin’s Ding Jiajia busily helped by bringing out tea and water.

Bai Ziqian asked about Bai Manshan’s recent situation, and Bai Manshan briefly recounted it, taking the opportunity to introduce the people he brought to Shuiqing and Fan Jin.

Twenty-three people in total, eighteen men and five women, all in their prime, were excellent workers.

Shuiqing and the others were still wondering how Bai Manshan knew they needed people. It turned out that the elderly and weak had perished in the flood.

These five women, if not for their strength, clinging desperately to broken trees, would undoubtedly have perished in the water.

The scene fell silent all of a sudden.

“Ah, those of us who are still alive must look forward. Thanks to Old Bai, if we had stayed in Zhulin Village, we survivors would have been reduced from victims of the flood to refugees,” a woman said, rallying her spirits.

With a start, the rest found it easier to open up: “Yes, if Old Bai hadn’t risked his life to wake us up, we wouldn’t have survived either.”

“Old Bai is a good man. He even took us to the Eastern Mansion in Nanning Prefecture to redeem our indenture contracts.”

“Without Old Bai, we wouldn’t know how to face the days ahead.”

Bai Manshan hurriedly waved his hand, quickly informing his son Shuiqing and the group about how he also saved Hong Danian.

Bai Ziqian stood up and solemnly performed a deep bow to Hong Danian.

Hong Danian awkwardly stood up, unsure where to place his hands and feet.

Hong Mancang and Hong Manku hurriedly stood up and came forward to assist Bai Ziqian, saying, “No, no, Old Bai saved us first!”

“When it comes to the grace of saving lives, he even saved the three of us, father and sons. His favor is even greater.”

Bai Manshan raised his voice, “Mancang, Manku, let him bow. Your father should accept it!”

The previously tense atmosphere finally eased slightly.

Bai Manshan then turned to Shuiqing and made a request, “Eldest sister, is there any food? Anything that can fill our stomachs will do; we’re starving!”

When the flood came, his horses and the pouches of silver on their saddles were washed away.

Luckily, the merchants had sewn gold pieces on the collars of their outer garments. It was only because of these gold pieces that they were able to buy back the indenture contracts from their Eastern employer.

Otherwise, when they returned with the silver, they might have become refugees or been sold to another family by their Eastern employer.