Water Margin: I am Zhu Biao

Chapter 120 The Zhu family is too small; it can no longer accommodate me.

The woman didn't speak, but hurriedly took a step forward.

"Say the name, and you can eat meat."

Zhu Biao took a step back and waved the chicken leg in his hand.

The woman stopped, her gaze shifting back and forth between Chicken Leg and Zhu Biao's faces, her eyes filled with increasing human emotion, until finally they welled up with tears.

"Bai, Bai, Seventh Sister."

She struggled to open her mouth and uttered a name in a hoarse voice. Zhu Biao nodded and immediately handed her the chicken leg.

"Bai Qiniang, Bai Qiniang~~"

However, the woman neither took nor bit it; instead, she repeatedly chanted her own name as if possessed.

"I am Bai Qiniang!"

Suddenly, she squatted down and burst into loud sobs. Then, several other women in the group also began to sob quietly.

Whew~ Zhu Biao smiled silently, and breathed a long sigh of relief. This person is finally alive.

"Young Master, I am truly impressed by you. You are practically omnipotent."

A moment later, Zhu Biao walked out of the warehouse, and Zhu Wu followed him eagerly, showering him with flattery.

"Stop talking nonsense!"

Zhu Biao didn't stop walking, but turned his head and gave him a disgruntled look.

"Did you remember this method?"

"Got it, got it, use chicken legs to get them to talk."

Zhu Wu nodded hurriedly.

"Where are you going to find so many chicken drumsticks? Damn it! If you don't have enough chicken drumsticks, are you going to dismember your dog?"

Zhu Biao, unable to bear it any longer, kicked him in the butt.

"Eat! Understand?"

He sighed dejectedly halfway through his sentence and turned to Su Fang: "Su Fang, did you understand?"

Su Fang tentatively replied, "Food, hot, sweet, and flavorful, to gradually awaken their humanity through their will to survive."

"Well said!"

Zhu Biao patted him on the shoulder with satisfaction: "Su Fang, you are in full charge of this matter. If you need anything, just ask me!"

"Here you go!"

Su Fang's face flushed red, and his breathing became rapid.

After joining Zhu Biao's group, he was never neglected; on the contrary, he was increasingly valued. However, he never managed a single task on his own.

This is the rhythm of being able to stand alone. Under Zhu Biao, there are only two people with this authority now: Luan Tingyu and Zhu Jiu.

When Zhu Biao returned to the council hall.

Zhu Shunzheng, along with several cart drivers, rekindled the campfire and carried the drunken dead people one by one onto makeshift beds made of wild grass.

He was a man of discretion; Pang Qiutang slept alone in a corner, and he even specially used tables to make a bed.

"Young Master."

Upon seeing Zhu Biao enter, Zhu Shun quickly led a tall, thin, and capable man wearing a straw hat to greet him.

"Uncle Shun, are those bandits still safe?"

Zhu Shun nodded, his eyes full of admiration: "An Sheng, those thieving birds are terrified of you, they're very well-behaved and don't dare to do anything reckless."

Zhu Biao patted him on the shoulder, then his gaze fell on the man behind him.

"That's good. Uncle Shun, thank you for your hard work. Is this your brother Ping?"

Zhu Shun was flattered: "Yes, yes, it is indeed my second son, Zhu Ping. He just returned from Pengcheng in early winter. I didn't expect that Shao Zhuang would still remember his name."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Ping quickly stepped forward, bowed, and clasped his hands in greeting: "Greetings, Young Master. Zhu Ping is very kind."

Seeing the sharp glint in his eyes and the firm grip on his feet, Zhu Biao realized he was clearly a trained martial artist and couldn't help but ask, "Have you practiced martial arts?"

Zhu Ping took off his straw hat, revealing a head of short hair.

"Yes, I secretly learned martial arts skills for a few years at Xinghua Temple in Pengcheng before that."

"Stealing knowledge?"

Zhu Biao was slightly taken aback.

"Yes, I originally wanted to go up the mountain to learn martial arts, but because I could read, I was assigned to the back mountain storeroom and became a novice storeroom manager, so I could only learn by stealing."

At this point, Zhu Ping suddenly scratched his head, his expression slightly embarrassed, and said, "A month ago, that bald thief abbot actually wanted to give me incense scars to register me as a monk. I still want to get married and have children, so of course I refused. So I climbed over the wall and ran down the mountain."

"Hahaha!"

Zhu Biao burst into laughter at his joke.

"Good riddance! What future is there in being a monk?"

"Young Master is right. What good person would want to be a bald thief?"

Zhu Shun glared at him resentfully and pulled him aside.

"Young Master, my second son is literate and can do arithmetic. He's also learned a few basic martial arts skills. I wonder if he'd be fortunate enough to become your personal attendant?"

"I have no shortage of servants."

Zhu Biao suppressed his smile and shook his head.

A hint of sadness flashed in Zhu Shun's eyes, but then Zhu Biao changed the subject: "However, I do need a manager in charge of money and provisions."

This is the truth. He is indeed in dire need of a logistics supervisor, and he is having Zhu San, Zhu Wu, and Su Fang barely manage to keep up.

In fact, Zhu Jiu was more than capable of the task, but he was better at external liaison, so Zhu Biao couldn't bear to lock him in the warehouse.

Zhu Ping has many years of experience as a warehouse manager, making him the perfect candidate. As for the issue of trust, there is no need to consider it.

His parents were both born into a family, and loyalty was ingrained in their bones. Now that the whole family was making a living in Zhujiazhuang, he dared not do anything reckless.

I wouldn't dare, at least not now.

However, upon hearing this, Zhu Ping's face fell instead of brightening. "Huh? Isn't that still just the head of the warehouse? Young Master, I can fight, I want to go into battle!"

Bang!

Zhu Shun suddenly kicked him hard in the buttocks. He already had a tumor, and the kick was delivered with full force, almost knocking him over.

"What kind of battle are we going to fight?"

He steadied himself, his face flushed red, and began to curse.

"Fool! The young master has entrusted you with managing the finances and provisions—a great honor indeed! Why aren't you kowtowing and expressing your gratitude?"

Unexpectedly, Zhu Ping stubbornly stuck out his neck.

"Young Master, I am truly skilled in martial arts. I am willing to serve you faithfully and protect you from swords and arrows."

Zhu Shun was stunned, his mind racing. He was also a little confused. Which was more promising, the head of the guards or the head of the finances?

"Heh~"

Zhu Biao chuckled.

"Who says that those in charge of finances and supplies can't go to the front lines? Grain depots, treasuries, and supply lines are the lifeblood of the army and also the first places the enemy attacks, where battles are most frequent."

"really?"

Zhu Ping's eyes widened, and he subconsciously rubbed his hands together.

Zhu Biao forced a smile: "It's true, Zhu Ping, do you dare to accept?"

"dare!"

Zhu Ping pounded his chest heavily and said, enunciating each word clearly, "From now on, if the treasury is short even a single copper coin or a single bushel of millet, Zhu Ping will offer his head as payment!"

"Good! That sounds encouraging. No need for 'later,' you can take office immediately!"

Zhu Biao gave a thumbs-up, then turned to Zhu Wu and shouted, "Go, take Manager Zhu Ping to the warehouse and immediately count all the money, grain, and goods!"

"Okay!"

Despite having his job taken away, Zhu Wu harbored no resentment; he couldn't even suppress the smile on his face.

Of the copper coins seized from White Tiger Village, only a small portion has been counted so far. Su Fang is usually very busy, and he and Zhu San are almost going crazy counting the money.

"Thank you for your kind offer, Young Master!"

After Zhu Ping left, Zhu Shun knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down his face.

He knew in his heart that his second son had made something of himself; not only had he followed Zhu Biao, but he had also gotten a very important job with a bright future ahead of him.

Maybe he can even get an official position in the future and bring glory to his ancestors.

Zhu Biao quickly helped him up.

"Uncle Shun, please don't say that. You've solved my immediate problem. Besides, there's something else I want to discuss with you."

Zhu Shun wiped away his tears and choked out, "Young Master, just give the order, and this old man will obey without question."

"After the New Year, find me some experienced drivers."

Zhu Shun's crying stopped immediately: "Just a coachman? Young Master needs to transport goods, I'll do it for you for free."

Zhu Biao chuckled.

"Uncle Shun, the car dealership belongs to the family, and the cars belong to the family too. Can you help me transport them for free a few times?"

His tone was firm, and he mustered his courage to ask, "Young Master, you...you really aren't going back to the Zhu family?"

"Um."

Zhu Biao nodded, gazing at the pitch-black night outside, without avoiding the question.

"The Zhu family is too small; it can no longer accommodate me."

In the following days, Zhu Biao did not return to Zhujiaji and stayed in Huchoujian.

At this time, although the climate was still bitterly cold, the camp had changed visibly because there were more than two hundred bandits at their disposal.

Houses near the water, whether or not they had collapsed, were all bulldozed to make way for the road.

After simple repairs, all the houses near the mountain were occupied, with ten local soldiers per room and thirty mountain bandits per room.

It wasn't about treating them well, but rather about the fear of an outbreak of disease.

There are thirty-five prostitutes in the village, and now more than half of them can speak. Bai Qiniang can even help with the work.

The sixth day of the new year.

Zhu Biao was sketching out the plans for Wohuji when the table suddenly vibrated slightly, and he heard a muffled sound of carriages and horses.

He raised an eyebrow and had just put down his pen when Zhu San rushed in.

"Young master, the old mansion has sent us grain. The master, the eldest master, and the second master have all come."

"Um?

""

Zhu Biao frowned and his face darkened.

"All cavalrymen, mount your horses and follow me out of the camp!"