Chapter 106: Clarifying Doubts

After returning from Wuli Slope, the village immediately held a meeting.

Zhang Sanye recounted the events of the past few days and said, “Now, it’s no longer a question of whether we want to fight the bandits or not. If we choose not to resist, we will be eaten alive, leaving not even a bone behind.”

More than half of the villagers had already come to terms with the situation, while the rest were shocked and fearful. However, the village chief’s words struck their hearts like a heavy blow.

There was no retreat; they could only brace themselves and move forward.

“We need to form an elite assault team, which will be led by Pear Blossom. Every month, the team will receive a salary of one or two silver coins, and those who perform well will receive additional rewards. But I must remind everyone that this team will be the first to charge into battle. The work will be perilous, and those who join should think carefully before signing up with her.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a crowd of young people surged toward Pear Blossom.

Some were those who had gone on missions together at noon. After going through the experience, they were full of adrenaline and eager to fight the bandits. Others were attracted by the promise of silver.

Pear Blossom stood at the center of the crowd, her gaze sharp as a knife. She scanned the people in front of her and said, “Listen up, I will only accept thirty people. I need those who are strong, accurate, or quick-witted, regardless of gender. If you are the only child in your family, think twice before joining.”

Her words caused another four or five people to back out.

Zhang Chunjing and Zhang Laowu, both of whom were thin as monkeys, were also unceremoniously eliminated by Pear Blossom.

Promegranate wanted to join, but seeing the plump Dog and the under-ten-year-old Duck standing next to her, Pear Blossom ultimately didn’t choose her.

Qin Xiaobao and Daniu were successfully selected for the team.

Zeng Guangjin also eagerly wanted to try, but Pear Blossom, seeing his frail build, immediately dismissed him. Now that his grandmother had only him left, if anything were to happen to him, it would be a difficult situation for his family.

Soon, the team was formed. Zhang Sanye said, “After selecting the assault team, we still need to pick the village defense team. Everyone else, except for the elderly, weak, and women, will be organized into teams. When it’s busy, you’ll work the fields; when it’s free, you’ll train. In times of war, you will defend the village. Understood?”

“Understood!” the crowd responded, quickly organizing into groups. There were over two hundred people, divided into four teams, each led by Da Gen, Promegranate, Qin Dashan, and Li Jiu.

The remaining elderly, weak, and women were chosen to form a group of about twenty people, responsible for logistics and medical support during wartime.

With that settled, the village chief dismissed everyone except for the team leaders to discuss the next steps.

Pear Blossom said, “Right now, the situation with He Village and Eagle’s Nest Ridge isn’t developing that quickly. It will still take some time before they truly decide to attack us, so we need to use these days to prepare.”

“As for the intelligence outside, leave it to me. I have horses, so I can come and go easily.”

Zhang Sanye was just the village chief, not skilled in dealing with bandits. His role was more like a mascot on the sidelines. Furthermore, it had already been agreed that after rescuing the people, Pear Blossom would take charge of resisting the bandits, and now it was time for that promise to be fulfilled.

Pear Blossom said, “While we have the chance these days, the raiding team will train with me. The four village defense teams will focus on fortifications. My father has stayed in the camp before; he knows how to set traps and build fences. Uncle Jiu and Aunt Promegranate, you lead the team to assist my father. Uncle Dashan, you’re good with carpentry, so your team will be responsible for preparing simple weapons like wooden and bamboo spears. Everyone should at least have one weapon.”

Everyone quickly agreed.

But for Pear Blossom, these weapons were far from enough. Ideally, she wanted bows and arrows, iron spears, and large knives. Otherwise, fighting against ruthless bandits would not have good odds.

She planned to go to the escort agency tomorrow to see if she could get some horses and weapons from her master.

Meanwhile, at the Liu family in the western village…

Old man Liu was still resentful about the more than 300 acres of land, grumbling to Mrs. Liu, his temper flaring and saying little that was good.

Mrs. Liu was extremely dissatisfied with him, first for greedily opening the sluice gate, which brought disaster to their family, and later for not willing to give up land or grain when their fourth son got into trouble. This had led to their granddaughter being cooked alive. She was furious with him and could hardly contain her anger.

Liu Youtie, who had returned the previous night, wandered around the house like a soul lost from its body. He was disheveled and muttering the name of Liuya over and over, as if he were a ghost devoid of spirit.

Seeing this, Old man Liu snapped, “It’s all your fault, you spendthrift. You knew the people from He Village were watching, yet you brought the child into the city. Now, because of you, we’ve lost over 300 acres of land!”

Mrs. Liu, who favored her youngest son, was heartbroken seeing him like this. When she heard her husband still criticizing him, her anger flared, “If it weren’t for your greed in releasing the water for those five days, how could this have anything to do with our family?”

Old man Liu, already fuming, retorted, “Bandits can attack any village they want. Even if I hadn’t released the water for those five days, they would have found another excuse. They claim to be targeting the Liu family, but we’re all from the same village. If we suffer, others can’t just stand by. Those villagers still have to find ways to deal with the bandits. If it weren’t for your pampered fourth son, we wouldn’t have been so easily manipulated! And you, you spend everything—giving land away like it’s nothing. You’ve cleaned out the Liu family’s wealth!”

Mrs. Liu was livid and shouted, “Liu Mingchang, I must have been blind to marry someone as selfish as you! Without the five acres of land to guarantee these villagers, who would stay behind to defend the village? When the bandits come, they’ll flee to the deep mountains. At that point, all your land and property will be taken. You’re so shortsighted, unable to think beyond the present! The bandits are targeting the Liu family, and if others run, they’ll still relentlessly pursue you! You treat over 500 acres of land like it’s more precious than life itself, but can you escape with it?”

Old man Liu was speechless, but still muttered in dissatisfaction.

At that moment, Liu You Yin, panting, rushed in, “Father, mother, I want to join the raiding team!”

The couple had just learned from the servants about the training groups in the village. Hearing Liu You Yin’s words, their expressions were different.

Old man Liu, coming to his senses, was immediately furious, “Join what? We’ve just been allocated over 300 acres of land in the village. They should be the ones protecting us! How could it be our family’s job to risk our lives?”

Liu You Yin’s passion was doused by this remark. The intense battle at Wuli Slope had stirred him up, and he had been eager to try his hand at it. But now, being scolded by his father, he was deeply dissatisfied and looked to his mother.

Mrs. Liu had just argued with her husband and was in no mood to deal with this. She didn’t say anything.

It was Liu Youtie, who had been silent for a while, who suddenly reacted. His previously vacant eyes flickered, and he turned and ran outside.

…

Today, the school was closed, so the teacher asked Mrs. Xiong to take her up the mountain. They hadn’t seen each other for a few days, and Dong Yun took this opportunity to ask her for help with her studies, allowing them to have some private conversations.

Seeing Dong Yun brewing tea, Xia Xunyan quickly reached for the teapot. “How can I let the princess brew tea for me?”

Dong Yun looked at her with mock reproach, “After everything we’ve been through, are you really going to stand on ceremony?”

Xia Xunyan became serious. “Feelings aside, but with our positions, certain rituals can’t be overlooked.”

Dong Yun didn’t respond, “A princess is still just a person, especially one like me who isn’t favored.”

She gave a self-deprecating smile and poured herself a cup of tea. “But you, you’ve been in the countryside for so long, yet you still have that thick-headed attitude.”

Xia Xunyan frowned slightly upon hearing this. “Princess, you mustn’t belittle yourself. The world is changing rapidly, and who will control it in the future is still uncertain.”

“Let’s talk about that later.” Dong Yun asked somewhat awkwardly, “By the way, what’s been happening these past few days?”

Xia Xunyan looked at her in surprise. “You don’t know? Didn’t Pear Blossom tell you?”

Dong Yun paused for a moment, then casually said, “I’ve been going out early and coming back late these past few days, so I haven’t seen her.”

Xia Xunyan thought for a moment and nodded. “The late returns might be my fault. I’ve been keeping her up late with studies, but the early mornings aren’t my responsibility… Still, with her straightforward personality, she should have reported any news from the village to you in time.”

Dong Yun didn’t speak.

Xia Xunyan asked, “Is there some kind of conflict?”

Dong Yun first shook her head but then nodded again. The conflict was about feelings, and since she had once shared a past with the person in front of her, she wasn’t comfortable sharing the details to avoid making things awkward.

However, Xia Xunyan was perceptive and could roughly guess what had happened from her expression. Although a bit bitter inside, she was no longer the type to dwell on past matters. When she raised her eyes again, her gaze was clear and calm.

“That’s due to her inner unease.”

Dong Yun was somewhat taken aback: “What is she so uneasy about? Have I ever treated anyone this way?”

Xia Xunyan shook her head: “But if you don’t say anything, how would she understand? If you were still the widow from Daliu Village, perhaps she wouldn’t feel so uneasy. Now, with your sudden change in status, only because she’s slow-witted does she not get lost in her own thoughts and feel embarrassed. But if you keep being distant, not telling her anything, she, a simple village girl, will still worry and fear losing out, so she wants to get closer to you and confirm that you care about her.”

Dong Yun never expected to be discussing her current relationship with the person she once liked, feeling uncomfortable as she said, “Forget it, let’s not talk about this. If she doesn’t understand, I’ll just leave her for a couple more days.”

With that, she picked up her teacup and took a sip, as if to cover up her discomfort.

Xia Xunyan didn’t avoid the topic, though. Having served as Dong Yun’s companion since childhood, she knew her better than anyone, and now, as an observer, she could see things more clearly. “Pear Blossom is still young, confined to this small place, surrounded by people with narrow views. For her to be able to get this far is no easy task. She’s considerate too. She shows concern for me, her teacher, and of course, for someone she cares about. You must not treat her like those useless men out there just because she’s capable. Sometimes, you need to coax her, and sometimes, you must be honest with her.”

At this point, she asked, “Have you ever told her about your background, Fubao’s background, or your father and mother’s situation?”

Dong Yun stiffened when she heard the question, realizing her oversight. Although she trusted Pear Blossom, she had never really regarded her as an adult, always subconsciously thinking of her as a little girl with extraordinary strength when making decisions.

She awkwardly smiled and said, “She never asked. I was planning to find a good time to talk to her, but, well, we had a bit of a tiff…”

Xia Xunyan chuckled wryly: “She’s organizing the villagers to fight the bandits. Do you think she’s doing this for herself, or for whom?”

Dong Yun awkwardly responded, “For Daliu Village.”

Xia Xunyan shook her head with a faint smile: “The princess is still so evasive. It’s no wonder the little girl gets upset.”

“Alright, stop teasing me. I’ll have a good talk with her later.”

Xia Xunyan sighed lightly, but her eyes showed signs of contentment: “This child may seem like a rusty iron at first, but with a bit of polishing, she’s actually a solid steel, both intelligent and resilient. It’s truly a pity she wasn’t there for the events at Baoxi Village and Baihu Villa. If it had been you or me, could we have done the same?”

Dong Yun remained silent upon hearing this.

“She didn’t return last night. Do you know where she went?” Xia Xunyan asked.

Dong Yun shook her head again.

Xia Xunyan repeated the events that happened in the village today, saying, “She went to He Village alone to rescue people, bringing out Liu Youtie and his son, forcing the Liu family to trade their land to support the villagers’ fight against the bandits. She displayed both bravery and strategy.”

“It’s rare to see you, always so proud, giving such high praise to a simple country girl.” Dong Yun couldn’t help but feel stirred, but still teased her.

Xia Xunyan shook her head: “If she ever rises to prominence, she will surely benefit many people around her. But it’s rare to see someone like her, so devoted and sincere.”

Dong Yun couldn’t help but complain: “Are you closer to me or to her? You’ve said so many good things about her; now it sounds like everything is my fault.”

Xia Xunyan replied, “Isn’t speaking up for her also speaking up for you?”

Dong Yun fell silent after this question.

Not wishing to continue on the subject, Xia Xunyan changed the topic: “If all goes as expected, the village will enter a state of readiness starting today. I’m looking forward to the first battle she’s planned.”

Dong Yun asked, “What if she fails?”

Xia Xunyan said slowly, “You’ve been fleeing for years and always managed to escape at the crucial moments. You can’t help but admit that fate seems to have protected you. It’ll likely be the same this time. If she doesn’t win, then she’ll wait for divine protection.”

Dong Yun sneered: “Isn’t that right? You were also my guardian angel at one point.”

Xia Xunyan was momentarily stunned, then stood up. She lightly lifted her plain white robe and said, “We’ve delayed too much time here. I must return to the mountain.”