knife

Chapter 124 Each for Their Own Future
Lü You has lost a lot of weight.

I lost at least 30 pounds.

Even so, compared to Jinbao on the other side, after he was split in two, he was probably a few sizes larger than Jinbao.

The two, one fat and one thin, stood out conspicuously in the small tavern, and looked rather comical.

Lu You's wounds were unbearably itchy, which made him frequently reach into his clothes to scratch them, picking off some scabs and placing them on the table in front of him, where quite a few had already piled up.

Whether it was the breakout from Jizhuang or the bloody battle at Maoershan, Lü You put in a lot of effort. The dozen or so wounds on his body proved his hard work, and he also gained the appreciation of leaders, including Gu Xiaoman.

In the military, people who are willing to risk their lives are naturally liked.

On the other hand, Jinbao was timid and hesitant, so people didn't like him much.

"Are you really going to completely withdraw from the army?" Lü You picked off a large scab from his stomach, still covered in blood, indicating it wasn't completely healed. However, the itching annoyed him, and he preferred the pain.

"Yes!" Jinbao nodded and said, "Brother Pang, I'm going to Tai'an City to do business. You know my background; my family used to be in business. If we hadn't been framed and our family was ruined, I wouldn't have gone into this risk-free business. Since God has been kind to me, not only have I survived, but I've also been given a chance to choose again, so naturally I want to return to my old ways. I'm really not good at fighting and killing. If it weren't for you taking care of me all these years, Brother Pang, I would have died long ago!"

"It's such a pity!" Lü You said, "If you had stayed in the army, you could at least have become a regimental commander like me! Maybe you could have gone even further and become a captain in the military command, that would have been awesome!"

When the army was reorganized, bandits like Lü You and Jin Bao were naturally among the first to be reorganized.

Li Dachui's troops were known as bandits, but in reality, they had nothing to do with bandits. Although their military discipline was not as strict as Xiao Changche's, it was still quite good. At least compared to other armies, they could be called a benevolent army.

Those real bandits were used to being undisciplined, and burning, killing, and looting were commonplace for them. It would be really difficult to get them to abide by strict military discipline.

It would be better for both parties to take the reward money and leave as soon as possible.

Otherwise, once you break military law and face execution, it will be too late to regret it.

These pure bandits now have many options.

They can choose to settle down locally, and the local government will allocate them fertile land. From then on, they will be considered good citizens who pay taxes and grain, and no matter what they have done in the past, they will be forgiven.

Now, Xiao Changche and Li Dachui control a large enough territory. The mere 600,000-plus people in this area are still considered sparsely populated. These bandits are all strong and capable men with cultivation and strength. Since they can abandon evil and do good, everyone naturally welcomes them.

If you don't know how to farm, or don't want to farm, you can work in other industries, such as being a bodyguard or a security guard. Both Tai'an City and Baoping City are places with exceptionally prosperous commerce. In Li Dachui's future plans, Baoping City is indeed the storage and transshipment center for bulk goods.

The convenient transportation here makes them more suitable for doing this kind of thing than in Tai'an City.

Of course, they still need to adapt to the change from stealing things to protecting them.

If you don't want to do either, and still want to continue being a bandit, then so be it.

Of course, if you want to operate in this area, then everyone will be your enemy, and we might even try to wipe you out.

Lu You and Jin Bao chose different paths in this selection process.

Lu You was appreciated by some people, and he himself wanted to try his luck again to get rich. In the past, being a bandit had no future, and the end result was mostly that he would either be beheaded by the government soldiers or by his fellow bandits.

But now that I'm following the General of Chariots and Cavalry, things are completely different.

Choosing to stay and become a soldier in the local government, he became the head of the township and was allocated a small estate. The estate had about a hundred acres of land, a small hill, and several large ponds. As the head of the township, he governed ten villages and had a total of one thousand soldiers under his command.

Jinbao, on the other hand, decided to exchange all the rewards for silver coins, as he wanted to return to his father and grandfather's old trade and go into business.

"That area around Tai'an City is dangerous!" Lü You said. "You have to be careful when doing business there. Bao'er, I've given you all my money; I'm counting on you to make it multiply!"

Jinbao laughed and said, "Brother Pang, you can rest assured. I'm not very good at fighting, but I'm a master at business. It's an ancestral skill. Over the years, I've been both a bandit and a dealer. You've seen that, haven't you?"

Lu You smiled and nodded: "It's only because you've done a good job that our two families are living comfortably and have made a lot of friends."

"Besides, I also have a silver token from Tai'an City, which is like a talisman. No one would dare to cheat us, right?" He took out a silver token from his pocket and waved it between the two of them.

This is something they risked their lives for.

Looking at the silver medal, both of them sighed with emotion.

"Fatty, once we get to Tai'an City, I'm planning to find a wife and start a family. You should hurry up too, such a big estate with so much land, it needs someone to farm it, right?"

"The higher-ups have assigned some servants this time," Lü You said. "That'll be enough to keep things going for now. But finding a wife is a big deal, we can't be careless. Bao'er, let me tell you, you can't go to places like Yingchun Tower and spend money to buy one! I've said it before, actors are heartless, prostitutes are unfaithful. Our wife has to come from a respectable family, someone who can endure hardship, knows how to manage a household, and can make a good family in the future." As the two were discussing what Jinbao was going to do next, a familiar voice rang out.

"Fatty, we've been looking everywhere for you guys, and you're found drinking here?"

The two men stood up together, bowed to the newcomer, and said, "Commander He!"

He Li is Fatty Lü You's boss.

"Captain, is it official business?" Lü You asked.

"What, can't I have a drink with you if I don't have official business?" He Li said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Jinbao quickly refilled He Li's cup: "It's an honor to have the captain do me such a favor, something I couldn't ask for even if I wanted to."

Raising his wine glass, He Li smiled and said, "Jinbao, I heard you're going to Tai'an City to do business? Can I invest in some shares?"

Jinbao glanced at Lü You and nodded repeatedly, saying, "If the captain joins, my business will definitely be more successful in the future. I just wonder how many shares the captain will want?"

He Li laughed heartily, "Fatty, how much money did you invest, and how many shares do you own?"

Lu Youdao said, "I don't have much money. This time, the main rewards are houses, land, and servants. I only have three thousand taels of cash on hand, which I gave to Bao'er. I didn't say how much of a share I would take. We're all brothers, so it doesn't matter!"

“Even between brothers, accounts must be settled clearly! This won’t do. Let’s make things clear upfront to avoid rifts over money later!” He Li tilted his head back and drank a cup, saying, “I’ll also contribute three thousand taels, taking the same share as Fatty, 20% each. How about it, Jinbao?”

“Alright, alright, if the captain says it’s okay, then it’s okay!” Jinbao said.

“Let’s go!” He Li stood up. “First, come with me to get the principal, and then we’ll find a middleman to draw up a contract.”

Despite being told they were taking the principal, He Li led the two men straight out of Bao Ping City and rode on horseback. As the roads became increasingly difficult and the places increasingly desolate, both Lü You and Jin Bao grew apprehensive.

"Captain, where are we going?" Lü You asked.

"Give me your capital!"

“In this desolate wilderness…” Lu You looked around, full of suspicion. If He Li weren’t his superior, he would have suspected that this guy was trying to rob and kill him.

“Fatty, I’m different from you. I have a wife at home, and she keeps a tight rein on my finances. I’m not exactly rolling in money!” He Li laughed. “Brother, I’ve taken another mistress this time, so my expenses are even higher. I don’t dare ask your sister-in-law for money, so I have to think of another way!”

“If the captain wants to borrow money, just ask,” Lü You said.

"Borrowing money can only help in an emergency, not solve a long-term problem!" He Li said, "I heard Jinbao is good at business, so here I am, isn't that why I've come to him? As for the capital? Hehe, it'll be here soon!"

Both Lü You and Jin Bao paled. "Captain, is this robbery? We're not bandits anymore. Isn't this a bit inappropriate? To be honest, my legs cramp up when I see Xiao Cheqi."

Hearing this, He Li couldn't help but burst into laughter, "You two have only been in this line of work for a few days, and you're already so rule-abiding?"

Lu You said awkwardly, "Good days are hard-won, so we should cherish them. Haven't we been studying military discipline all this time? The more I study it, the more uneasy I feel."

"Don't worry, with this leverage today, no one will say a word!" He Li grinned maliciously. "Do you know Yang Changgui?"

Lu You suddenly realized: "Yan's guest advisor later killed Yan Dong's son and daughter and took several thousand taels of bounty!"

"General Xia despises this man!" He Li said. "This guy knows his fate is uncertain, so after lying low in Baoping City for a while, he plans to flee to Tai'an City. Heh heh, we have the brothers from Zhi Qiu Academy keeping a close eye on him! He can't possibly run away!"

“If it was this person, then killing him is fine!” Lu You said, “Damn it, I was there too. With two snaps, he crushed the two little babies to death. If it were anyone else who killed those two babies, I wouldn’t have anything to say, since they’re surnamed Yan! But it’s unacceptable for him to kill them, and to do it so calmly, he’s a heartless bastard.”

“This man must have a lot of hidden wealth!” He Li said, “If we take him down, we’ll have everything.”

"Chi Qiuyuan's brothers?"

“Of course I’ll get a share too, and I’ll also invest in Jinbao’s shares in the future. These brothers who do fieldwork have high expenses and are short of money!” He Li said with a smile.

As more and more people joined and others acquired more and more shares, Jinbao became increasingly happy.

The more people like this join, the greater the chance of making money in the future.

Without connections, it might be easy to earn a little money to support your family, but making big money is difficult.

(End of this chapter)