Many female soldiers were like startled birds, raising their crossbows and aiming at the approaching unfamiliar group without Qing Mulian’s orders. Even Qing Mulian drew her sword.
“Everyone, relax, they’re our own!” Jin Feng shouted quickly.
The Jiuligou bandits, close to the official road and causing trouble for years, must have amassed some wealth. After defeating the bandits who raided Xihewan, Jin Feng found little of value on the leader. Eager to support the female soldiers and Zheng Fang at Wild Dog Slope, he sent Zhang Liang with a team to raid Jiuligou’s base. This must be their return.
The female soldiers, fresh from brutal close combat, were still on edge. A misfired shot killing an ally would be a disaster.
“Lower your crossbows,” Qing Mulian said, recognising Zhang Liang and sheathing her sword, slightly embarrassed.
“Brother Liang, everything go smoothly?” Jin Feng asked, approaching.
With troops stretched thin tonight, Jin Feng could only spare a few veterans for Zhang Liang, filling the rest with village men. If Jiuligou had too many bandits guarding the base, Zhang Liang could’ve been in danger.
“Very smooth. Only six bandits were left guarding, still fast asleep when we reached the entrance,” Zhang Liang replied, smiling.
“Good to hear,” Jin Feng said. “What’s the haul?”
“You won’t believe it,” Zhang Liang said, pulling a stack of silver notes from his coat and handing them to Jin Feng.
Jin Feng examined them. The smallest note was a hundred taels, with three worth a thousand each.
“This almost matches Iron Can Mountain’s stash. That leader cried poor, claiming no money!” Jin Feng said.
Before sending Zhang Liang, they’d interrogated the Jiuligou leader about the money’s location. He insisted it was spent, used by the second-in-command for armour. Even after breaking, he stuck to this story. Some bandits did wear armour, worth a fair sum, so Jin Feng believed him, expecting little from the raid. Zhang Liang’s find was a huge surprise.
“This wasn’t from the leader’s quarters but the second-in-command’s house,” Zhang Liang said, grinning. “We got lucky. Five of the six guards were his trusted men. To save their skins, they told us the second-in-command robbed a big salt merchant, extorting thousands of taels, which he hid from the leader. We dug up his entire yard, even tore down walls, to find this.”
“Everyone worked hard!” Jin Feng said, looking at the dusty men behind Zhang Liang, dirtied from demolishing the house.
He pulled a few hundred taels from the notes and handed them to Zhang Liang. “Divide this among everyone as a reward for their efforts.”
“Brother Feng, we’re from the same village. Talking about effort feels distant!” one man said.
“All my life, bandits extorted us. Robbing them back feels so good, worth any hardship!” another added.
“Next time, Brother Liang, call me!” said another.
“Brother Feng, take the money back. Brother Liang already gave us plenty. Taking more would be greedy!” another protested.
“Yeah, or we’d be too ashamed to go next time,” another agreed.
The men laughed heartily.
“Little Feng, per tradition, I kept only the second-in-command’s notes. The rest was split among the men,” Zhang Liang whispered to Jin Feng. “Not as much as Iron Can Mountain, but everyone got a few taels. They’re thrilled.”
“Good,” Jin Feng nodded.
Though the villagers helped resist the bandits, the main force was Iron Hammer and the remaining veterans. For the men, tonight’s gains exceeded a year’s family earnings, leaving them very satisfied.
Jin Feng didn’t take the notes back. Instead, he pulled out more and pressed them into Zhang Liang’s hands. “The villagers’ help saved us from the bandit raid. Use this to buy cloth and bring back a few carts of grain from Iron Can Mountain. Distribute some to each family, and don’t forget the widowed elders.”
“Got it!” Zhang Liang took the notes. “I’ll eat something and head to the county.”
“You’ve been at it all night. Go tomorrow,” Jin Feng said.
“No worry. The sooner I buy the stuff, the sooner kids get new clothes,” Zhang Liang said, smiling. “With the cart, I can sleep on the way.”
“Thanks for the effort,” Jin Feng said, patting his shoulder.
On guard against bandits for days, Jin Feng hadn’t slept well, staying up all last night. Back home, he ate lightly, collapsed into bed, and slept until mid-afternoon, woken by outside noise.
Seeing Guan Xiaorou sewing shoe soles by the bed, he asked, “Xiaorou, what’s the commotion outside?”
“You’re awake, dear!” Guan Xiaorou handed him a bowl of water. “Brother Liang’s back with loads of grain and cloth. They’re distributing it at the textile factory square.”
Now living in a courtyard next to the factory, the whole village gathered there, making it noisy. Unable to sleep, Jin Feng got up. “I’ll check it out.”
Before reaching the factory, he met an old woman and a five- or six-year-old boy. She carried half a sack of grain, and the bare-bottomed boy clutched a roll of coarse cloth.
Seeing Jin Feng, the woman set down the grain, bowed deeply, and said to the boy, “Niuwa, quick, kowtow to our benefactor!”
The village boy obeyed, kneeling and kowtowing to Jin Feng without hesitation.
“Seventh Aunt, what’s this about?” Jin Feng said, helping the old woman up and lifting the boy.
Seventh Aunt’s two sons died in battle. Her daughters-in-law, taking her granddaughter to pick mushrooms, were killed by mountain wolves two years ago, leaving only her and this grandson. She cried daily, ruining her eyes, unable to work at the factory. With a young child, their household was on the brink of starvation. This half-sack of grain was a lifeline.
“Niuwa, remember, Brother Feng is our family’s great benefactor. When you grow up, you must repay him,” Seventh Aunt said, holding the boy.
“Grandma, I’ll remember,” the boy nodded firmly. “I’m five this year. Next year, I can work at the factory. I’ll work hard, and since they provide meals, I’ll bring food home for us to eat together.”
There were several households like Seventh Aunt’s in the village. Unable to bear children starving, Jin Feng allowed six-year-olds to help sort thread at the factory, providing three meals daily and a few coppers monthly. What could young kids do? They often tangled the threads, forcing Tang Dongdong to hire others to fix it. Still, Jin Feng didn’t send them away.
