Chapter 348 Dealing with Zhu Dazhuang]

Zhu Dazhuang felt more and more proud.

He was being lazy so blatantly, but the Yun family still paid him the full wages. It was obvious that Young Master Yun was either a fool or a weak and vulnerable person!

Because of Zhu Dazhuang's behavior, several other people in the village who had a good relationship with Zhu Dazhuang also started to be bold and lazy that day.

Seeing this, the other villagers who were working hard naturally began to feel unbalanced.

Why is Zhu Dazhuang lazy while they work hard but get the same pay?

Several people who worked hard couldn't help but feel resentful and angry now, but after all, they were not as bold as Zhu Dazhuang who dared to be lazy blatantly, so they were still doing their best.

On the third day, Zhu Dazhuang slept until noon. After eating some food made by his father, he staggered over to work.

Village Chief Wu couldn't stand it anymore and came over to scold him. Zhu Dazhuang was too proud and glared at him, saying, "Village Chief, stop meddling in other people's business! The boss hasn't said anything yet! You're meddling too much!"

Village Chief Wu was furious: "Zhu Dazhuang, you don't want to do my business? They asked me, the village chief, to check and find the people who would do the work. I was the one who made the promise! If you don't work and just take the money, where will I put my face? If you do this again tomorrow, you don't have to come anymore!"

Zhu Dazhuang sneered: "Village Chief Wu, I only call you the village chief because you led the villagers to escape famine here. In fact, the original Wujia Village has long disappeared. Look at our village, how many families with the surname Wu are still there? You are no longer worthy of the title of village chief! So, don't act like a village chief in front of me. My surname is Zhu Dazhuang, not Wu! As for whether I will come tomorrow, it is not up to you to decide. The boss has to give the order! Go to where it is cooler as soon as possible!"

Village Chief Wu was so angry that he pointed at Zhu Dazhuang and was speechless for a long time. After a long while, he said, "Okay! I... I can't control you. I found the people who came to work here, so I'm responsible. Starting tomorrow, if you come, I won't come!"

After saying that, he went to work in a huff.

When it was time to finish work in the evening, Butler Yun came over with a bag of money as usual to pay the workers, and everyone lined up and waited.

Village chief Wu glanced at the idlers headed by Zhu Dazhuang, feeling ashamed. He took a step forward and was about to say something.

Steward Yun waved his hand, signaling him not to speak. Instead, he stood up and said loudly, "My master said that thanks to the help of all the villagers, the house will be completed half a month earlier than scheduled. Therefore, for the remaining ten days of construction, the wages of those who don't have anyone working will be increased by ten cents."

When everyone heard this, they were stunned at first, and then they couldn't help but get excited.

"A ten-cent increase! Doesn't that mean sixty cents a day? That's almost half what other employers pay!"

"This Mr. Yun is so generous! The God of Wealth has arrived in our village!"

"Is Mr. Yun really stupid? Other employers are always finding ways to deduct wages, so why is he raising wages? No matter how much money you have, you can't do this..."

"Ah, what are you worried about? Isn't it good to raise wages? It's just a bargain for Zhu Dazhuang and those who don't work. We work so hard, and they slack off every day and still get the same pay. It's really infuriating! If you ask me, that Master Yun is not stupid, I'm afraid his eyesight is not good..."

"Stop talking! The boss is offering a raise, and you're still talking behind his back. You'll end up with a ten-cent raise!"

Everyone was muttering excitedly, and Zhu Dazhuang and a group of idle people felt even more proud.

Look, you can get a salary increase even if you don’t work. What a bargain! Those stupid people who only know how to work hard are not lucky enough to get it!

Zhu Dazhuang rushed forward with a smug look on his face and stretched out his hand to ask for his wages.

——These days he has always been the last one to come to work and the first one to rush to collect his wages.

But Butler Yun did not hand him the sixty copper coins as readily as he did the previous two days.

Zhu Dazhuang looked up impatiently and said, "Hurry up and pay me! I have to go to town to drink with my friends!"

When he looked up and met the gaze of Butler Yun, Zhu Dazhuang's heart suddenly shuddered. In the middle of winter, he felt as if he was about to break out in a cold sweat.

What's going on?

This housekeeper had a simple and honest look just a couple of days ago, so why did his eyes become so sharp today that it made people feel scared even to look at him?

Steward Yun glanced at Zhu Dazhuang indifferently before smiling, "It's just that our Yun family has been doing business for many years and has always adhered to the principle of equal exchange and fair play. Although we will have to rely on farm management for our livelihood in the future, the same principle applies to everything. For example, when it comes to farming, hard work will result in a good harvest. This is a principle that everyone knows and agrees on, right? You can't just leave good farmland uncultivated and expect a harvest in the fall, right?"

After hearing this, everyone nodded and said, "Butler Yun is right. We farmers don't understand the big principles, but we do know that every season's hard work pays off."

Village Chief Wu guessed that Steward Yun was referring to Zhu Dazhuang. He stepped forward shamefacedly and said, "Steward Yun, I hired all the people who come to work in this village. Some of them are so lazy that even I feel guilty towards the boss. I am too embarrassed to ask for my share of wages today. Tomorrow... I will be too embarrassed to come again. I hope the boss's son will agree."

When everyone heard what Village Chief Wu said, they all disagreed.

Yang Baozong was the first to speak up: "Village Chief, this matter has nothing to do with you, why do you have to take the blame for others?"

"Yeah! What do you call this?"

Steward Yun smiled and said, "Village Chief Wu, if I were to grant your request on behalf of our young master today, I'd probably have to pack up and leave tomorrow morning. Everyone is right; this matter has nothing to do with you, Village Chief. I have a rough idea of ​​who's been working diligently and who's been slacking off these past few days. I ignored them the day before yesterday and yesterday, but today, not only have those people refused to repent, they've become even more aggressive. As the saying goes, there's no such thing as a third time. I have no choice but to fight tooth and nail to get this matter settled. Otherwise, others will think our young master is a fool and easily fooled. Village Chief Wu, don't you agree?"

Upon hearing this, Village Chief Wu could only nod and said, "Butler Yun is right."

Zhu Dazhuang also heard that something was amiss, but, relying on the fact that he and the few who followed her to slack off were hooligans that no one else in the village dared to mess with, he still stiffened his neck and sneered, "Oh! Why do you sound so sarcastic? Are you accusing us brothers of something? Anyway, we all agreed to work today, so what? Are you still trying to evade your wages? If you dare to do so, just look at our fists and see if they will agree!"

Steward Yun still had a smile on his face. He looked directly at Zhu Dazhuang and said, "I really don't plan to pay you guys today. Otherwise, wouldn't it be disheartening for everyone who has worked so hard these past few days? If you can get the same pay by being lazy or cheating, who would be willing to work so hard?"

Zhu Dazhuang's face turned pale with anger. The people following him also said indignantly, "Brother Zhu, teach him a lesson, and he'll know we're not easy to mess with!"

"Right! Let him taste Brother Zhu's fist and pay us his wages!"

Zhu Dazhuang glanced at the two men coldly and became even angrier.

Why don’t you go up?

However, he had just made such a boast, and if he didn't get angry now, he would be in a difficult position. How would he survive in the village in the future? If the news spread to the town, or even to Youzhou City, wouldn't his friends look down on him?

Thinking of this, Zhu Dazhuang finally didn't care about anything else and shouted: "You even dare to deduct my money, I think you are looking for death!" As he said that, he swung his fist towards Butler Yun.

"careful!"

"Zhu Dazhuang, what are you doing?"

"Butler Yun, get out of the way!"

Before the crowd's exclamations had subsided, Zhu Dazhuang suddenly let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered.

"Ouch, ouch! My hand! My arm!"

It turned out that Butler Yun somehow managed to grab and flip Zhu Dazhuang's arm, which was as thick as a cow's leg, with just one hand, and it was flipped behind his back. He was pulled in a very painful position, and then with a "click", his shoulder was dislocated.

Zhu Dazhuang was in so much pain that sweat was pouring down his face and he twisted into a ball. With a cracking sound, he actually fainted from the pain.

Everyone looked at the scene in front of them in amazement.

This... this steward Yun looks young and well-mannered, like a scholar and an accountant. How come... in the blink of an eye, he knocked out Zhu Dazhuang, who was as strong as a bull?

Seeing everyone's surprise, Steward Yun smiled and explained, "Don't panic, everyone. He just dislocated his arm and fainted. Everyone saw it just now. He was the one who tried to hit me first. I had no choice but to subdue him."

Village Chief Wu came to his senses and said, "Butler Yun is right. Everyone just saw it. Yang Baozong, after you get your wages, take two people to take Zhu Dazhuang home, and find a doctor from the neighboring village to fix his arm."

Only then did Butler Yun begin to distribute today's wages to others.

In the evening, Qin Mengyue, Chen Fenghe and the three little ones sat down to eat.

Qin Mengyue asked with some concern: "Feng He, what you said about Yuan Xu injuring Zhu Dazhuang during the day, isn't that a bit inappropriate? Isn't this offending people? What if the villagers develop a grudge against the 'Yun Family' because of this..."

Chen Fenghe smiled and said:

"Mother, don't worry, it's all right. Firstly, Zhu Dazhuang has always relied on his physical strength to bully other villagers. He has a bad reputation in the village and no one likes him. Secondly, there was a reason for this. Yuan Xu waited for three days, and only when Zhu Dazhuang had gone too far did he attack him. So his beating was a natural outcome. The villagers didn't find it surprising, they just felt he deserved it. What's more, there was also the fact that everyone's salary was increased by ten cents. How could anyone harbor any resentment towards someone who brought them benefits? Your Highness chose Zhu Dazhuang as an example, probably on purpose. This way, he not only strengthened the relationship with the villagers, but also let them know that the 'Yun Family' is generous, but will not take advantage of them. So he achieved his goal."

Qin Mengyue smiled after hearing this and said, "I feel relieved when you say that. But... I'm afraid our every move is being monitored by the capital. Shuo'er is right next to us. What if he's discovered by those minions in the palace..."

Chen Fenghe was also worried, but she still tried to comfort her, "When His Highness bought the land and house, he had already spread the word that the Yun family's young master was frail and sickly. If he stayed at home, he wouldn't arouse suspicion. Plus, we have the human skin mask as a disguise. As long as we're careful and don't let anyone see through our flaws, we should be fine."

As the two were talking, Xiao Yunshuo walked in and said with a smile, "What are you guys worrying about?"

Seeing this, Qin Mengyue looked up and smiled, "Isn't it because I'm worried about you? I left some food for you in the kitchen. I'll go heat it up while you talk to Feng He for a while."

Then he stood up.

Upon hearing this, Chen Fenghe quickly stood up and said, "Mom, I'll go..."

Qin Mengyue pushed her and asked her to sit down. She smiled and said, "I can still heat up the food. You and Shuo'er have always been apart, and now due to special circumstances, you can't recognize each other. You should be together openly. That's why we should talk more."

Having said that, he went out.

Chen Fenghe: “…”

It's just... embarrassing, okay.

Chen Fenghe couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

Originally, it was thought that if the ministers in the capital petitioned for the prince's treason to be overturned, then Xiao Yunshuo would return to the capital and become the prince again soon.

But I didn't expect that Emperor Yucheng was so petty.

His own son was already "dead", and with so many court officials pleading for his life, he could just go with the flow and investigate the matter thoroughly, then push all the blame onto the Fifth Prince. Wouldn't that be the end of it?

Who would have thought that he would rather be criticized than clear the prince's name.

Xiao Yunshuo was so unlucky to have such a father.

Under the current circumstances, if Xiao Yunshuo wants to change the situation and restore his identity, there are actually ways.

In terms of military prowess, he led his troops into battle at the age of thirteen or fourteen and achieved many remarkable feats. Most of the soldiers guarding the border in Dayu respected and admired him.

In addition, when dealing with Qu Wenmin before, he had established contact with those generals. Luo Yan and Qin Guihong also privately contacted reliable people who supported the prince, waiting for an opportunity.

As for literature, the world-renowned Confucian scholar Xie Taifu was the prince's mentor. Most of the civil officials who pleaded for the prince this time also followed Xie Taifu's lead.

This time, Emperor Yucheng used a rough method to shut them up. Therefore, if anything happened, these civil servants would definitely stand on Xiao Yunshuo's side.

Therefore, the most direct way is to do the same as Qu Wenmin had wanted to do before, leading the army south and attacking the capital in the name of "clearing the court".