Water Margin: I am Zhu Biao

Chapter 86 Finally Returning to Zhu Family Village

The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is the Little New Year in the north, the day for worshipping the Kitchen God. In Dulonggang and Zhujiazhuang, the harvest this year was not bad; at least there were no cases of people selling their children or freezing or starving to death.

"Oh! The young master is back!"

"Is the young master well?"

"The young master has grown taller! His face is even more handsome, like a majestic general on a theatrical stage!"

"Ha! Young Master, you'd better hurry home. That young lady from the Hu family has come by several times already!"

As they passed the outskirts of Zhujiazhuang, Zhu Biao and his group were surrounded by enthusiastic villagers who showered them with compliments.

Zhujiazhuang is a general term; it would be more accurate to call it Zhujia Town, which is divided into three layers, inner and outer.

The outermost layer consists of more than twenty villages along the road.

There are a total of 14,000 people and more than 60,000 mu of farmland. In these villages, the Zhu family accounts for 40% of the population, and the Zhu Biao family owns about 15% of the farmland.

There was a market there called Zhujia Market.

The market has over a hundred households and more than twenty shops.

Inns, grain stores, restaurants, taverns, teahouses, brothels, clinics, carriage and horse shops, coffin shops, blacksmith shops, as well as private pawnshops and ancestral halls.

Small but complete.

There are six villages surrounding the market town, with a population of about four or five thousand. Among them, the Zhu family accounts for 70% of the population, and half of the farmland belongs to the Zhu Biao family.

Most of the 300 soldiers in the village came from here, and the rest were all born into the family; there wasn't a single one from outside the family.

To outsiders, Zhujiaji is the same as Zhujiazhuang.

But for the locals, the real Zhujiazhuang is the fortified village hidden in the dense forest, three miles away from the market.

It was also Zhu Biao's home.

His family's fortified village was built by the Zhu family ancestors during the Later Zhou Dynasty of the Five Dynasties period, and it is quite remarkable.

The outer perimeter is surrounded by dense forests on the southeast, west, and north sides. The forests also contain hidden winding paths, so strangers who enter will either get lost or step on traps and mechanisms.

Especially at night, without guidance, it is as dangerous as a dragon's den or a tiger's lair.

To the north lies the training ground, nestled against towering mountains, serving both as a barrier against enemies and an escape route in times of emergency.

The fortified village itself is a small town, covering an area of ​​more than 20 acres. The walls are 10 feet high, made of rammed earth and inlaid with bluestone, and even have parapets and ramparts.

Inside was a rather irregular four-courtyard structure, with barracks on the left and right, six granaries, and seven or eight wells.

It can be described as impregnable.

The reason why Zhu Chaofeng, and even Zhu Biao's grandfather and great-grandfather, were able to continue serving as clan leaders and dominate Zhu Family Village was largely due to the influence of this fortified village.

Of course, this also involves the open and covert struggles between Zhu Long and Zhu Hu, as well as their exclusion of his subordinate.

Ultimately, it all points to the ownership of this "city".

call out!

Outside the dense forest, Zhu Biao personally fired a whistling arrow into the sky.

A moment later, several soldiers dressed in short, gray-blue cotton-padded tunics, wearing matching felt hats, and carrying guns and swords emerged from behind the tree.

Upon seeing Zhu Biao, they were taken aback at first, then immediately bowed in greeting.

"Young Master, you're back?"

The first thing that upset his two older brothers was the ambiguous title "Young Master," since they were called "Elder Master" and "Second Master" in the manor.

"Zhu Shiwu, is it your turn to lead the team today? Er Gou, Shuan Zhu, Shi Tou, Lai Tou, how have you all been?"

Zhu Biao could call out the names of all three hundred soldiers in the village, and greeted them with a smile.

"Alright, alright, thank you for your kind thought, young master."

When their names were called out, the leader, Zhu Shiwu, was a servant born into the family and was usually close to the eldest brother, Zhu Long, so he was somewhat better off. However, the other servants were all smiles.

Most of the family soldiers were second or third sons who did not receive any land in their families.

Getting this kind of meal isn't easy; you have to sign a contract of servitude.

In other words, they were all servants of Zhu Biao's family. If it were anyone else, with more than 300 servants in their household, who would keep track of their names?

Anyway, in the mouths of the masters—the master, the eldest master, the second master, the eldest mistress, and the second mistress—they always referred to them as "that person."

0

"ha!"

Zhu Biao smiled.

"After months of travel, I am finally home today. I am overjoyed. Please have a drink with me after you leave work."

Now that they were home, he stopped pretending to be someone else, took out a large sum of money, and tossed it to Zhu Shiwu.

"Thank you, Young Master!"

This moved even Zhu Shiwu.

Zhu Jiajiabing's treatment was both good and bad.

Fortunately, they provided food, clothing, and lodging, with three meals a day, a new set of clothes every three years, and ten people sharing a room with a heater in winter and mosquito coils in summer.

The difference lies in the low monthly salary. Ordinary soldiers receive 300 coins a month, squad leaders 400, platoon leaders 600, and even sergeants only receive one string of cash.

Even so, the young men from the surrounding villages still flocked to it, desperately trying to get in.

After all, in this day and age, being able to eat your fill, stay warm, and even learn martial arts is already considered an incredible stroke of luck.

When the guards went to the markets and villages to run errands, they all stood tall and proud, acting like superior people, even more imposing than the constables.

As for the indenture...

Ha, if you don't sign this, do you think you can stand up straight? You'll still be treated like a slave.

Therefore, Zhu Biao casually gave him half a string of cash, which was more than Zhu Shiwu's monthly salary as a sergeant. How could he not be moved?

"Sigh, I'm getting more and more cynical. I just dig a hole for myself."

As Zhu Biao spurred his horse toward the woods, he sighed inwardly.

If Zhu Shiwu takes this money, given Zhu Long's stingy nature, he will definitely be dissatisfied and might even directly scold him.

Moreover, if he distributes the spoils unevenly, his subordinates will become resentful and lose their loyalty to him.

In short, if he takes this money, he'll be caught in the middle, hated by both sides.

"My little one!"

A moment later, the gate to the Zhu Family Fortress opened wide, and a middle-aged man rushed out in a hurry.

He was about forty-two or forty-three years old, and was quite tall, but he had started to gain weight. His originally square face had become round and chubby.

It was none other than Zhu Biao's father, Zhu Chaofeng.

Two burly men followed closely behind him, seemingly cut from the same mold—rugged and robust, but with slightly cunning eyes.

"Dad, how have you been?"

Zhu Biao dismounted and grabbed Zhu Chaofeng, who was rushing towards him.

"Alright, alright, I miss you terribly, my little one. Don't travel far from home again, or I'll be thinking of you terribly."

Zhu Chaofeng was already in tears at this moment; he truly doted on Zhu Biao.

He was a man of deep affection, having only married one wife, Zhu Biao's mother, Zhu Lishi, who passed away six years ago. He never remarried.

His two older brothers both resembled him, but Zhu Biao was handsome and resembled his deceased wife. In addition, he was the youngest son, so he was favored.

"Dad, I'm back now, aren't I?"

Zhu Biao patted him on the back but didn't respond. Instead, he clasped his hands in a respectful greeting to his two older brothers.

"Eldest brother, second brother, your younger brother greets you."

"Third brother, you've certainly gotten better at this! You've acquired several fine horses again? I heard you're even using two horses to pull your carriage now?"

This is Zhu Long, whose greed is blatant and undisguised.

"Hey, third brother, your face is still as fair as ever, and you even seem to have gained some weight. Have you been hiding somewhere having a good time these past two months?"

This is Zhu Hu; he's a bit cunning and has some brains, but not much.

"Eldest brother, second brother, in fact, I should thank you both."

Zhu Biao completely ignored their probing and sarcasm, abruptly ending the conversation and starting a new one.

"What are you thanking me for?"

Before Zhu Long could react, Zhu Hu's face darkened.

Zhu Biao went straight to the point: "Of course, I thank you for taking care of my horses for so many days."

"Third brother, the horse belongs to our family!"

Upon hearing this, the hot-tempered Zhu Long instantly bristled.

"Third brother, we're all brothers. We're all brothers, why distinguish between 'yours' and 'mine'?"

May you smile through tiger skin but not through flesh.

"It cost one hundred taels of gold and four hundred taels of silver, all of which were deducted from my private funds."

Zhu Biao pursed his lips and said slowly.

"Of course, what my two brothers said earlier makes sense. After all, I also share the surname Zhu. In that case, let's drop the idea of ​​me not dividing the family property, shall we?"

"Uh~"

Zhu Long was speechless.

He was very wary of his third brother, who was handsome, skilled in martial arts, quick-witted, favored by his father, and engaged to Hu Sanniang.

To be honest, he would sometimes have a moment of doubt, thinking that Zhu Biao was the rightful heir of the Zhu family.

"Third brother, a promise made is a promise kept; how can you go back on your word?"

Zhu Hu also became anxious.

He was actually in the most awkward position at home. According to the elders' etiquette and rules, he was the heir to the Zhu family, while the third son was Zhu Chaofeng's most favored youngest son.

He was the second son, a son who was neither here nor there. If Zhu Biao split up the family business, he would end up with nothing.

"Heh~"

Zhu Biao chuckled.

"Second brother, in your opinion, my things are not divided between you and me, but I can't get a share of the family property?"

He licked his lips, then suddenly stepped forward, his tone turning icy: "Second Brother Zhu, do you think I'm a blockhead?"

With a low shout, a chilling aura, almost tangible, suddenly swirled around him, making the surrounding wind feel colder.

"You, you dare hit me?"

Zhu Hu was so shocked that his face turned pale, and he subconsciously took two steps back.