Chapter 84: Forced Deception

Before Shen Yuexi returned home, the news of the approaching Western Rong army had spread throughout Xiaogang Village.

The men in the village all went to the pass to help, while the women stayed at home to cook. The whole village was shrouded in a tense atmosphere.

Before, the Xirong people came to Xiaogang Village just to steal some things, but now they actually sent troops to the village. It was a bolt from the blue.

As the old saying goes: Wherever a large army passes, no grass grows.

If we cannot withstand the enemy's attack, Xiaogang Village will surely cease to exist. Our only hope now is Xiao Zhuo and his five hundred soldiers.

When Shen Yuexi arrived at the village square, the elderly Li Zheng was standing on a platform made of adobe bricks, talking to a large group of women gathered below.

"...With Master Pei here, we'll be fine."

As soon as the village head finished speaking, a woman in the crowd screamed, "He is very powerful. No matter how powerful he is, he can only defeat a few Xirong people. This time, there are a thousand Xirong people!"

The women around also became agitated and talked among themselves.

Shen Yuexi glanced at the crowd and saw that the woman who was shouting was Yang Cong's mother.

I heard this woman volunteered to betray her daughter when the Xirong centurion came. Since she was from the same village, no one bothered with her. I didn't expect her to stir up trouble again this time.

"Let's run quickly. How can we possibly fight against the Xirong army?" Yang Cong's mother said to the women around them. "Don't send food to the front. If we leave too late, everyone will die."

The village head raised his hand to comfort everyone, saying, "Don't be afraid, everyone. Trust Master Pei. He will protect us."

"He's an outsider," Yang Cong's mother said sarcastically, "He can't be trusted at all!"

She turned to the thin woman beside her and said, "He killed so many Xirong people. They are raising an army to seek revenge. I think he might be the first one to run away."

The thin woman nodded and said, "Mother Onion is right. We should hurry and call our men back. I heard that Xirong will arrive tonight, so we still have time to run now."

After the thin woman finished speaking, several other women spoke in agreement.

"Yes, we ordinary people are simply no match for the Xirong army."

"Don't hesitate, sister. My family has a car. Let's go to the southern border together."

"Then we have to call my wife back home quickly."

The women were talking among themselves, some impatient ones were already starting to leave. The village head was at a loss for a moment and could only shake his head and sigh.

At this time, a young woman's voice sounded from behind the crowd:

"etc."

Everyone turned around, even the woman who was about to leave stopped.

Everyone recognized Shen Yuexi and stepped back to make way for her.

Shen Yuexi walked onto the stage and said to the village head, "Village head, I have a few words to say to everyone."

The village head was having a headache because he couldn't control the situation. Seeing Shen Yuexi coming, he hurriedly said, "Madam Pei, you don't have to be polite. Just say it."

After saying this, the village head stood aside.

Shen Yuexi stood on the stage and took a deep breath to calm her nervous mood and stop her legs from shaking.

She had never spoken in front of so many people before, in her past and present lives. Standing on the stage for the first time, she couldn't help but feel nervous as she saw dozens of eyes focused on her.

But now, she couldn't back down and had to hold on no matter what.

If we allowed these women to call the men back and flee with their families, it would be a severe blow to the morale of the soldiers defending the pass. Xiao Zhuo was already outnumbered, and the five hundred soldiers didn't even have weapons. If panic spread in the rear, the battle would be lost.

"Uh... everyone," Shen Yuexi said with some stammering, "Everyone, listen to me."

"What do you have to say?" Yang Cong's mother shouted. "You have your man to protect you. You have nothing to be afraid of."

"Yes, her husband can protect her and escape, but what about the rest of us?" The thin woman also shouted, "She has nothing to worry about, but we don't."

Shen Yuexi shook her head and said, "No, everyone... I'm actually scared too."

She did not confront Yang Cong's mother directly, but admitted it directly. This move was beyond the women's expectations, and the crowd suddenly quieted down.

"Everyone, look around," she said, looking up. "We have lived here for generations. We've lived here through countless raids by the Xirong people and three months of drought. Those who should have left have already left, but us... why are we still here?"

"This is our home," a woman responded frankly. "We can't bear to leave."

Everyone looked at Shen Yuexi, and she felt as if a force had emerged within her, and this force made her speech become more fluent.

"Yes, our home. It used to be dead here, with everyone living in fear and hardship. Now... there are the sounds of chickens and ducks. Now you can hear the laughter of children, and we've just planted the crops on the land."

The crowd listened to Shen Yuexi quietly.

She was right. This village had once been a dying patient. Now, this patient was recovering. Its dark brown face was now covered in vibrant green, its body was filled with laughter, and its days were getting better and better.

Shen Yuexi raised her hand and pointed at the fields in the south of the village: "Everyone, look at the young seedlings in those fields. By the New Year, we can harvest cabbages and radishes... and sell them for a lot of money."

She has two chicks at home, waiting for them to grow up and lay eggs, and the cycle of eggs laying chicks will continue endlessly.

"Yes, Madam Pei is right," a woman said with a smile, "When the cabbages in my field are harvested, we can sell them for a lot of money, and then we can buy new clothes for the kids during the New Year."

"I heard that Dongji Town is harvesting radishes. Do you want to exchange the land where my family grows chives for radishes?"

"Don't worry, big sister. I just finished harvesting my chives and sold them for two taels of silver in Dongji Town. They're growing very fast."

Seeing the crowd gradually drifting away, Shen Yuexi quickly stopped everyone's discussion and returned to the topic:

"Everyone, the Western Rong will arrive tonight, and my husband will lead his soldiers to meet them at the pass. As long as we all work together, we will definitely defeat the enemy."

"But there are a thousand people on the other side." Someone reminded worriedly.

Shen Yuexi had already adapted to speaking on stage. She smiled confidently, "We have formulated a strategy. Please believe that we will win. This is our homeland, and we will never hand it over to the Xirong people."

Perhaps it was her confident smile, or perhaps it was her vow to protect her hometown, that moved the crowd.

The village head standing nearby also stepped forward and said, "Fellow villagers, Madam Pei is right. Our ancestors have lived in this Xiaogang Village, and we will never give it up."

Mr. and Mrs. Pei have just arrived here and are so determined to protect Xiaogang Village. It's really shameful that they, the native people, are running away.

"Madam Pei, what should we do?" a woman shouted.

"Yes, tell us what to do," another woman raised her hand. "We'll listen to you."

Seeing that everyone was looking at Shen Yuexi expectantly, Yang Cong's mother could only mutter to herself in frustration:

"You've all been fooled by this girl."

"Everyone should continue to deliver food to the soldiers on the front lines," Shen Yuexi smiled mysteriously, "but I hope everyone will donate their own oil and send it to the front lines as well."

"Oil? What's it used for?" The women looked at each other in confusion.