The weak scholar in the end of ancient times

Chapter 32: You are indeed the one I like
Although I want to recruit more new people, it is better to inform them of some things in advance.

Wen Gu said to them, "I drew a crude route map yesterday. We may not be traveling the same route as Magistrate Tan's group. The journey is difficult and dangerous, so please consider this carefully!"

Wen Gu added emphasis on "the road is difficult" and "careful consideration".

He Da and Yu Er were stunned when they heard this.

They originally wanted to catch up with the main force.

Magistrate Tan is leading so many people, so their speed is definitely not fast. Wen Gu only has a few people here, so if they speed up, they will definitely be much faster. It should be possible to catch up, right? Furthermore, where the large army passes, those evil creatures are also killed, making it safer.

But now that Wen Gu has told me a different path, I feel a little hesitant again.

He Da and Yu Er discussed the matter in a low voice.

Yu Er: "Actually, it's OK to take different paths."

When a group of so many people passed by, everything along the way was searched and taken away, even the ground might have been scraped clean. It was impossible for them to find any food following behind.

There may be a lot of garbage left behind, and the water source may not be clean.

It would be even more difficult without firewood and food supplies.

The weather is getting colder, and the threat of evil creatures outside has been greatly reduced. Now the most important things for traveling are food, water and firewood.

After a while, the two told Wen Gu their decision -

It didn't matter that they took different routes; they would just follow Wen Gu north. They would lend a hand and protect him along the way, hoping that he would be able to accommodate them when they reached their destination.

The two sides reached an agreement, and He Da and Yu Er also had to take action immediately. The city was unstable now, and any delay would lead to changes.

The longer you delay, the more likely it is to cause trouble.

Wen Gu said, "We will wait here for one more day, and we will set off early tomorrow morning."

"Thank you!"

The two turned and left, quickly going their separate ways.

They each had their own preparations.

Yu Er skirted a forest and came to the back of a hill. There was a hollow there, where a small hut made of withered grass and bamboo was located. Two young men were already waiting beside it.

These are two friends of Yu Ercheng who live outside the city. They are both about seventeen or eighteen years old.

The two look somewhat similar and appear to be brothers, but one of them is actually a woman disguised as a man, and they are twin siblings.

Because of their handsome appearance, they were targeted by a local civil force and have been hiding outside the city for the past half month.

"How is it?" Yu Er came over quickly.

"Done! I smoked it last night."

The two men used wooden sticks to pick up a piece of dry grass, revealing the two-wheeled cart hidden underneath.

On the cart were a small iron pot, two chipped knives, a bow and a quiver of arrows, and other miscellaneous daily necessities.

These were all saved secretly in the past.

I used to think about finding an opportunity to secretly send these things into the city, but now, leaving them outside just saves trouble.

Yu Er showed a look of joy.

Most of the original means of transportation in the county town and surrounding villages and towns were taken away by County Magistrate Tan, and the remaining small part was controlled by the gangs in the city. It was not easy to get and hide them.

In addition to the items on the cart, his family also needed to bring a lot of other things, so this wooden cart was very useful! His young niece could even sit on it.

"Okay, you guys get ready too, and we'll set off early tomorrow morning! Be wary of He Da then. He and his cronies are very cunning and might take advantage of us."

After getting the means of transportation, Yu Er carried a small bundle of firewood that he had prepared long ago and entered the city. He didn't mind being extorted for two more pieces of firewood by the people guarding the city gate.

He has more pressing matters to attend to.

He was too cunning, so he had to provide more protection for himself. His brother and sister-in-law were both naive, his niece was too young, and his two friends were average in combat ability...

Today, the scholar named Wen mentioned the guards, which made him think of a few people.

However, in this matter, he must choose carefully. He must have a certain fighting ability, a good relationship with his family, and be able to keep his mouth shut...

Thinking of this, after Yu Er returned to the city, he did not go home immediately, but went to another street.

It is an ordinary courtyard with a relatively intact outer wall, which shows that there are people living here and they are able to keep their own courtyard wall.

The door was not closed tightly and opened when I pushed it.

Yu Er didn't knock. He pushed the door open and walked in quickly. After closing it, he lowered his voice and called out to the other side of the house, "Fifth Uncle, are you there?"

There was a slapping sound from inside.

Yu Er walked in and observed his surroundings.

My fifth uncle had the same surname as them, and perhaps they were from the same family hundreds of years ago, but now they were not closely related by blood. They knew each other because my fifth uncle used to work as a security guard in their family.

Uncle Wu doesn't look tall and strong, but he is thin but not weak. When he was young, he worked as a porter for others to save money, and later he worked as a security guard for their family.

The last time I came here, this small courtyard was well-maintained and bustling with old people, children, and women shouting.

When I came over now, the courtyard was empty. No one had cleaned up the dirt and debris left behind recently, and there was a bloody smell coming from the house.

Yu Er didn't go in, but stood at the door.

The light in the room was dim, and Yu Er had to take half a step inside before he could barely see clearly.

A tall, thin figure sat against a wall amidst a pile of debris. His exposed arm was wounded and bleeding. The blood that had dripped onto the ground had partially dried. It was unknown how long he had been sitting there.

Seeing this, Yu Er quietly took a half step back and said, "Fifth Uncle, County Magistrate Tan said that injuries must be bandaged promptly, otherwise it is easy to be infected by evil spirits."

The man sitting there, his voice hoarse, simply smiled, with no other reaction. He had a dejected air of "I'll just die, whatever."

Yu Er could understand his fifth uncle's current mood.

He asked someone and learned that half a month ago, his fifth uncle had made a deal with the leader of one of the civil forces. His fifth uncle would stay in the city as a thug until he took over East Third Street in exchange for some food and supplies for his wife, children and parents.

On the day when the team organized by County Magistrate Tan left the city, my fifth uncle sent his relatives to join the team heading north, and actually came back to serve as a thug.

Yu Erdao: "I heard that you guys took over East Third Street yesterday."

There was no response from the other end.

Yu Er didn't care. He looked around, lowered his voice, and said, "Fifth Uncle, do you want to go north?"

The person sitting there suddenly raised his head: "Can we go north?!"

"There's a passing group. I just went out of the city to check it out. It's a small group, not many people, but they all look like people of status, including a county lieutenant.

"But that scholar is easier to talk to. He has relatives serving as military officers in the north, so we should be able to settle down there. Although we may not be going to the same place as County Magistrate Tan and his men, as long as we can settle down, you, Fifth Uncle, will have the opportunity to see Aunt and her family again in the future."

Yu Er's voice was not loud, but it was loud enough for the other party to hear clearly.

"Really?" Uncle Wu's hoarse voice gained some strength.

"Meet outside the city tomorrow morning. Don't let anyone know. Also, take care of your wound first."

Yu Er did not stay long.

If Uncle Wu has been infected with evil spirits, then that is his fate!

After Yu Er left, the middle-aged man sitting there finally reacted. He suddenly stood up and started to wash the wound, then suddenly remembered the words that Magistrate Tan had told the people when he was there. He wiped the wound with a clean cloth and bandaged it. He then struggled to light a fire and boil water. Once it was hot, he didn't even wait for it to cool before taking a cloth to wash the wound, gnashing with pain.

But the whole person is refreshed.

He missed his family so much during this period that he held his breath and fulfilled the promise he had made, then returned home to fend for himself.

I didn’t expect to see hope suddenly, but I can’t give up at this time!

Go north!
Yu Er is right. As long as I go to the north and settle down, I may have the chance to see my parents, wife and children in the future!

After leaving his fifth uncle's house, Yu Er went to find a few more people.

But after testing them, I found that these people were unreliable and their temperaments had changed. I don't know if they were brainwashed by those civilian forces. They all wanted to target the wealthy families passing from south to north during the period from late autumn to early spring.

Last year, many wealthy families migrated north, and County Magistrate Tan had traded grain and medicinal materials with them. The process was unknown, but they heard the transaction was very quick. Everyone thought it should be quite simple, and after much thought, they came up with a few methods:

If the enemy has fewer people, they can just take the supplies. If they have more people, they can treat them with courtesy and make a profit. The county town is now their territory!

Seeing this, Yu Er didn't say much to those people. He responded with a few words and immediately went home to inform his brother and sister-in-law to pack up and leave the next morning.

They had no food, but they could exchange what they had left at home. They could exchange anything they couldn't take with them, and if they couldn't exchange it for food, they could exchange it for other items they needed on the journey.

Just make sure it's covert and dispersed.

Several large water tanks were taken out to trade for food. Ordinary residents certainly didn't have much, but the members of the militia groups did have some supplies.

It's just that the price was severely suppressed.

Those people might have been trying to force me: "So what if you're a blacksmith? You still have to be humble here in exchange for a bite to eat!"
Yu Er may not necessarily come in person, he will find someone to do it for him and need to pay the intermediary fees, but this is safer.

They didn't dare sleep at night because they were worried that the gangs in the city would come looking for them.

Those people don't want Yu the blacksmith to leave.

The whole family gathered together in the evening, but did not dare to light candles.

I am about to leave, and my mood is quite subtle, with more worries and confusion about the future.

Yu Er was less sentimental and consoled him, "Brother, the scholar surnamed Wen is smart but soft-hearted. If we have any trouble, we can just ask him for help. There are also young children in their team, and they are young. Our Xiao Cai can still have playmates."

When the blacksmith and his wife heard this, they became worried again: "In this world, being too soft-hearted is not a good thing."

Yu Er immediately said, "Isn't there that County Lieutenant Zhou? He looks like a hard-hearted man!"

the other side.

After He Da separated from Yu Er outside the city, he took a detour to another place.

There were three people hiding there.

Of these three people, two were from He Datong Village, and the other one was someone I met later in the county town.

They are the ones who usually help He Da smuggle supplies.

They were willing to work for He Da. As long as they did their jobs well, they would get their share of the reward and some food. Although it wasn't much, it would keep them from starving to death.

He didn't dare to play tricks, because He Da was more cunning, had more tricks, and was ruthless enough.

In the past, there was a scoundrel in the neighboring village who was looking for trouble with the second sister of the He family. After a few days, the scoundrel disappeared. It was said that he had offended a nobleman in the county and was killed by the officials.

The world was in chaos, and after everyone moved to the county town, He Xiaodi also encountered trouble, but it was resolved soon.

What a huge shadow behind this.

Therefore, they both respected and feared He Da.

At this time, three loyal followers showed He Da their achievements.

Not far away, a buffalo was grazing.

As early as a month ago, when County Magistrate Tan was preparing for evacuation, they secretly got a water buffalo. He Da planned it and they executed it.

Horses, cows, donkeys and mules were all monitored by people from the yamen. There were water buffaloes and oxen, but water buffaloes liked to soak in water when it was hot, so the people in charge would inevitably be wary and negligent, making it easier for them to take action.

"Brother Dashan..."

"Don't call me Dashan from now on, call me 'Daqiu'. Daqiu is my official name. It means the same thing anyway." He Da said.

"Why change the name? Dashan sounds much better." One of them was confused.

He Daxin said that the County Magistrate Zhou seemed to be named something like "Shan", and he couldn't let the same name be used. But he said, "What do you know? I named it after a saint, and I have the protection of a saint!"

"Oh! So that's how it is! This is an auspicious name!"

The three of them praised repeatedly.

"Well, Brother Daqiu, here comes the cow. It's cold now, and it hasn't been soaked in water for a while."

"I boiled some water to brush it today!"

"I secretly got some concentrated feed. The livestock need this to have the strength to do heavy work!"

The three of them showed off their achievements.

"Very good, very good job! 'Zhuganer', go get some concentrated feed in the evening. Those guys have been fighting fiercely these past two days, so there are few people guarding the warehouse." He Da said.

"No problem, Big...Brother Qiu, there are actually people monitoring the livestock rations every day, stealing them and taking them back to eat!"

"Stealing from the inside!" He Da said proudly. He had learned a lot of elegant words from chatting with his younger brother.

As for the rations for livestock, they did not think they were cheap. Nowadays, everyone was short of food and was almost starving to death. As long as it was edible, no matter what kind of animals it was fed to, they would pry it back to feed their own families.

They didn't get the wooden cart, but He Da was very satisfied with the buffalo.

Buffaloes can carry luggage, and even my weak younger brother can ride on the buffalo.

"We must be on guard against Yu Er's people when the time comes. Don't let them take advantage and tire out our cows!"

Back in the city, He Da tried to gauge the attitudes of the other people living in the same compound. None of them wanted to leave.

Those who wanted to leave had already fled with County Magistrate Tan half a month earlier, and those who stayed behind were quite happy to occupy a few more rooms.

He Da sneered in his heart, they are all short-sighted people!
Unlike me, you already have a direction, no, you have an ambition! You already have a higher goal in life!
This small place can't hold me!

In fact, half a month ago, He Da had no intention of leaving. He had no other abilities, but this was the place he was familiar with. All his connections were here, and he could accomplish anything he wanted with just a little thought.

When Magistrate Tan left, he hesitated, but he still didn't have the courage to leave. His life was already worthless, and leaving his hometown would make it even more worthless.

Who could have imagined that in just half a month, the city would become so chaotic.

Nowadays, the city may be even more dangerous. If you want to choose a way to survive and have a better future, you really have to leave.

When he went to bed at night, He Da couldn't sleep because he was full of things on his mind.

I am about to leave my hometown, and I am really reluctant to leave. I am also nervous and confused. I took a moment to think about the words I had just read.

He didn't remember all the words of the review, but he remembered one sentence, "If you walk alone, you will go faster; if you walk with others, you will go farther," and told it to his younger brother.

There is another saying, which is that after making a name for yourself, you should return home in glory, repair the tombs of your parents and second sister, replace them with luxurious coffins, burn more offerings, and let them live better in the afterlife.

The more I thought about it, the more deeply I got involved in the emotions and I cried my eyes out.

"Little brother, one of us is a scholar and the other is a warrior, we must make a name for ourselves in the North!"

He Xiaodi, who also couldn't sleep, had tears in his eyes and said in a serious tone, "Of course!"

He Da thought again of the "blessings" that Wen Gu mentioned.

In the past, a scholar who believed in good fortune would have laughed at the other person's naivety.

Having spent so much time in the marketplace, he'd heard a lot about the evils of human nature. How many people who stood up for justice met with disaster, while those bullies who oppressed the people lived comfortably. He Da was willing to be a bully if it meant a better life for his family!

But now, only people like Wen Shusheng who still have a kind heart and believe in blessings will be more accepting of people of humble status like them in such a world.

"Scholar Wen is such a good man! If the world wasn't in chaos, he would have definitely passed the imperial examination and become a high-ranking official! A good official!"

All He Xiaodi knew about Wen Gu came from He Da's analysis. Although he had never met Wen Gu in person, he had already left a deep and positive impression and responded in agreement.

He Dageng felt that his choice was right.

For a village family with no background like them, and a low-level street kid like him from the county town, whether he can make a name for himself, does it depend on who is smarter and more capable?
No!

Is it about following the right person?
At the moment, compared to these idiots in the city, it is more reliable to follow Wen Gu north.

The next day, the sky was still just getting light and the city gates were already open.

The temperature is low at this time, and many people take advantage of this time to go out to chop firewood. Having lived here for many years, they are very familiar with the roads and can walk with their eyes closed. After walking for a while, it will be dawn.

He Da and Yu Er had already made preparations and dispersed out of the city, taking care of everything that needed to be done in advance.

Wen Gu waited in the shed, listening to the falcon's cry from the sky and looking forward.

Soon, figures appeared one after another.

There were familiar ones and unfamiliar ones, and there seemed to be about ten of them.

However, the most eye-catching things are the wooden carts and buffaloes.

After leaving the city, they met each other and the two groups, who were originally on guard against each other, said: "..."

He Da looked at the other party's wooden cart.

Yu Er stared at the other party's buffalo.

The atmosphere is subtle and everyone has their own thoughts.

Wen Gu looked at them with clear and sincere eyes.

As expected of the person I like!

Such a strong subjective initiative!

(End of this chapter)