Zhou Youda is not a rigid person. Since he has already joined Jin Feng’s camp and bears Jin Feng’s mark, he simply resigns himself to it completely.
That very day, he begins leading the refugees to transport grain.
The Zhen Yuan Army also starts packing their belongings.
Early on the third day, the Zhen Yuan Army divides into five columns and marches out from the main camp.
Initially, tens of thousands of refugees had been captured by Dan Zhu. Only five thousand joined the Zhen Yuan Army. Among the remaining tens of thousands, influenced by the stage play, more than half of those not selected prepare to follow the Zhen Yuan Army to Jinchuan and join the factories in Xihe Bay.
Almost all the girls bearing brands on their faces come along.
By now, Iron Jar Mountain has become the most wonderful place in the eyes of these girls.
These are the people Jin Feng originally promised to take away, so Zhang Liang naturally will not abandon them.
However, what Zhang Liang does not expect is that the disaster around Xichuan city has grown increasingly severe. When other common folk hear that going to Jinchuan offers work and a chance to survive, they too join the migration in families, dragging along their households.
As soon as the Zhen Yuan Army marches out of the camp, each column is followed by several times their number in civilians.
Upon receiving the news, Zhou Youda hurries over and announces that Zhou Family Village will also recruit workers on a large scale.
Though there is no wage, two meals of vegetable porridge will be provided each day.
In feudal times, the common people’s attachment to their native soil is generally very strong. Unless absolutely necessary, no one willingly leaves their homeland for distant places.
Zhou Youda’s recruitment announcement has a good effect. Many civilians agree on the spot to stay.
Yet some civilians are thoroughly disillusioned with Xichuan and fear that Zhou Youda might be deceiving them.
If they wait until Zhang Liang and the others leave, only for Zhou Youda to go back on his word, they would simply starve to death.
Thus, a considerable number of civilians insist on following Zhang Liang to Jinchuan.
The official road does not belong to the Zhen Yuan Army. Since the civilians wish to trail behind, Zhang Liang has no way to stop them. He can only lead the Zhen Yuan Army forward at the front.
When the army camps in the evening, Zhang Liang ultimately cannot bear to watch the civilians starve or freeze to death. He specially selects a sheltered spot for the camp.
From the perspective of marching security, this location is not ideal for encampment.
However, for civilians without tents, conditions here will be much better.
In addition, Zhang Liang orders the cooking unit to prepare dozens of extra pots of thin porridge and have it carried over to distribute to the civilians.
Thin porridge is a poor man’s coat. In the depths of winter, a bowl of steaming hot thin porridge might allow the civilians to endure the night.
The civilians are naturally deeply grateful.
All along, countless pairs of eyes within Xichuan city have been watching Da Mang Slope, watching the bodyguards and the Zhen Yuan Army.
Barely a day after Zhang Liang and the others depart, the news spreads almost throughout the entire city of Xichuan.
Some rejoice, while others worry.
In the rear courtyard of the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce, Zhu Chenshi wears a face full of concern.
Initially, when Jin Feng asked her to conduct market research for opening a large restaurant combining dining, lodging, and entertainment, Zhu Chenshi truly treated it as the most important task.
After settling the Zhu family women, she begins the investigation the very next day. Her footsteps cover every street in Xichuan city. She inquires about the rents of countless shops and meticulously records pedestrian traffic at various junctions during different times of day, as well as consumption levels in different locations.
However, before she can finish the investigation, Jin Feng leaves Xichuan city due to matters in Jiangnan.
He has not returned even now.
This leaves Zhu Chenshi, brimming with enthusiasm, deeply frustrated.
Still, knowing that the Zhen Yuan Army remains at Da Mang Slope outside the city, she does not think too much of it.
But today, news arrives from outside the city that the bodyguards and Zhen Yuan Army are leading civilians away from Da Mang Slope and returning to Jinchuan.
This thoroughly alarms Zhu Chenshi.
“Linglong, now even the Zhen Yuan Army has left. Do you think the gentleman has given up on business in Xichuan city?”
“Mother, I have already told you eight hundred times today. Xichuan city is the capital of Chuanshu. The gentleman has invested a great deal of effort here. Not only has he established an enormous branch of the chamber of commerce, but he also placed the first branch of the bank in Xichuan city. He could never abandon this place.”
Zhu Linglong puts down her ledger and explains helplessly.
“But when the gentleman left, he said nothing to us. When the Zhen Yuan Army left, they said nothing either. Has the gentleman forgotten us?”
Zhu Chenshi begins worrying about this again.
“Mother, you truly worry too much. The gentleman went to such lengths to bring you back from Jiangnan and entrusted you with market research. He would not forget you.”
Zhu Linglong grasps her mother’s shoulders. “I asked Manager Ruan. The gentleman left Xichuan because something extremely urgent happened in Jiangnan. He departed in haste and had no time to bid you farewell. It was not that he forgot you, but that he truly lacked the time.
The way you are fretting, anyone who did not know better might think you were waiting for a lover.”
“If you dare speak nonsense again, see if I do not tear your mouth!”
Zhu Chenshi swats Zhu Linglong’s palm across the face. “I always feel things are not that simple.”
“Mother, have you discovered something?”
Hearing this, Zhu Linglong’s expression turns serious.
She knows her mother too well. Having spent half her life in the restaurant business, Zhu Chenshi has not only honed a keen eye for people but also an extremely sharp sense of smell.
She never speaks without reason.
“I have not discovered anything specific. I just feel the recent situation is not right.”
Zhu Chenshi shakes her head. “It feels as though someone is targeting the gentleman, weaving a great net and guiding him step by step into it.”
“A great net?” Zhu Linglong repeats her mother’s words in a low voice, countless thoughts flashing through her mind.
Recently, her attention has been entirely on the bank, and she has paid little heed to external affairs.
With Zhu Chenshi pointing it out, Zhu Linglong also vaguely senses something unusual.
Unfortunately, she lacks basic intelligence. She does not even know what Jin Feng went to Jiangnan for, let alone the confrontation over the granaries outside Xichuan city. Though very clever, she cannot judge exactly what has happened.
She only feels the unease in her heart grow stronger.
“Mother, I will go find Manager Ruan now and ask what exactly is going on.”
Zhu Linglong gathers the ledgers on the table, leaves the room, and goes to find Ruan Tongjie.
In the state governor’s office, the chief eunuch temporarily acting as state governor and several middle-aged men are also discussing the Zhen Yuan Army.
“Humph, count the Zhen Yuan Army lucky for running away quickly. If they had continued to linger shamelessly at Da Mang Slope, I was preparing to find an excuse to deal with them.”
A pot-bellied fat man snorts coldly.
“Lord Xu, your words are mistaken. Jin Feng is a madman. Unless absolutely necessary, we should avoid touching the Zhen Yuan Army.”
A shrivelled old man strokes his goatee as he speaks.
“Lord Zhou is wrong. Jin Feng is the type to nurse grudges. Though we have not touched the Zhen Yuan Army, we have seized the grain of the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce. When Jin Feng returns, he probably will not let matters rest.”
A vicious glint flashes in the fat man’s eyes. “I have received a pigeon message from the East Sea side. Jin Feng has already wiped out the Mangdang River water bandits and is now on his way back.
In my view, rather than wait for him to return and cause trouble, it would be better to finish him off directly on the road!”
As he speaks, he gestures across his neck with his hand.
