After leaving the Fang family, Zhen Wanwan did not choose to go back, but instead headed towards the grain cave.
Not long after, Zhen Wanwan heard a commotion coming from ahead, and she could faintly hear people crying.
"These heartless people ran away with the grain! How are we supposed to survive?" A villager slumped to the ground in despair, a grown man wailing like a child.
This wasn't an isolated incident; many older villagers were blocking the entrance to the grain storage area, and the person standing at the very front was none other than Lin Biaotou.
Leaning on a cane, he faced the villagers, his eyes fixed firmly on them: "This was something we didn't think through. Please believe me, I will definitely not let you leave empty-handed."
“If you only talk the talk, how can we trust you? Unless you conjure up the food again, we’re not leaving.”
"That's right, Chief Escort Lin. They took most of the grain we brought out earlier, and there's not enough left for us to share!"
Zhen Wanwan noticed that there was a pile of grain in the left corner of the cave, which was visibly less than the amount she had seen a couple of days ago, no wonder the villagers were anxious.
The noise was too loud up front, and Zhen Wanwan couldn't squeeze in at all, so she had to grab a villager and ask him what was going on.
Upon learning that the villagers who had been distributing grain that day had secretly slipped away while everyone was asleep after learning that the grain would be confiscated the previous night, it was discovered that they were the ones who had been distributing the grain.
Only a few families who hadn't had time to pack their belongings were left behind. Most of their grain was stolen in an instant, and these people, fearing there wouldn't be enough grain to go around, started making a fuss.
After all, Qu Huaiyuan had already asked people to come and move the grain. They were afraid that they wouldn't get a share of the grain that hadn't been moved, so they thought of distributing the grain first and then having the soldiers move the rest.
Lin, the head镖师 (bodyguard), knew that the disaster could not be delayed and wanted people to move out first before distributing grain to them, which led to the dispute.
Hearing this, Zhen Wanwan sighed inwardly. Lin Biaotou should buy a plane ticket to become the Leshan Giant Buddha. He's practically a little saint!
If he were an official, he certainly wouldn't exploit the people. It's a pity he's so naive. At this moment, what does righteousness matter? Filling one's own people's stomachs is the most important thing.
Lin, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), was secretly suffering in his heart, but no one knew that he was the naive and innocent person the villagers thought he was. He had arranged for people to hide some grain long ago, and he would take it out and distribute it to everyone after the soldiers left.
With the grain already distributed openly, the privately distributed grain wouldn't attract attention, and if the authorities investigated later, they would have an explanation.
Anyway, it was General Xiao who assigned them, so even if the sky falls, it's General Xiao's responsibility to hold it up!
If Zhen Wanwan could read minds, she would definitely give Lin the镖头 a thumbs up. No wonder he's a江湖人 (jianghu person, someone who has been around in the martial arts world) – he's got a lot of tricks up his sleeve.
The villagers, unaware of the truth, thought that Chief Escort Lin had lost his mind and were not willing to cooperate with his performance.
One villager said anxiously, "Chief Lin, everyone recognizes your character, but this grain is a matter of life and death for all of us."
If you watch helplessly as the food you have so easily obtained is given away, and your own people have to endure hunger, anyone would be disgusted.
Lin, the head镖师 (bodyguard), and the villagers continued to stall for time, their eyes constantly glancing towards the outside of the cave, hoping to see Qu Huaiyuan return with his men in the next second.
They had already planned ahead, waiting to put on a show with the villagers, so that if anything happened later or the amount of food didn't match, they wouldn't be blamed.
After all, we were all refugees and the first to discover the food, so it wasn't unreasonable for us to share some relief food!
Just as he was thinking about how to perform, he saw Qu Huaiyuan leading a group of soldiers walking towards him from afar. Lin Biaotou let out a wail and tears streamed down his face.
"I'm so sorry everyone. The food was stolen by other refugees, and it pains me more than anyone else. But if I were to give you the remaining food myself, that would be breaking the law! Please wait for General Xiao to send someone over. I trust the general won't let you all go hungry while fleeing the famine..."
Lin Biaotou continued his efforts, even spitting out snot. Wasn't this a bit too much?
Not only Zhen Wanwan thought so, but even Qu Huaiyuan, who had returned, felt embarrassed. He bowed to the person next to him and said, "Strategist, we have arrived."
Zhu Yuan gave a cold "hmm" and quietly watched the grand spectacle unfold before him.
Qu Huaiyuan wiped away non-existent sweat, feeling even more uneasy in front of the strategist. Thinking of the scene they had witnessed before leaving the military camp, he silently took two steps back.
The grand spectacle ended with Lin, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), saying, "General Xiao is a man of the country and the people; isn't his character enough to earn everyone's trust?"
"good!"
The crowd was startled awake by the cheers, and the villagers made way for Lin Biaotou and Zhuyuan.
Zhen Wanwan was squeezed into a small corner, where she couldn't see anyone at all. She tried to keep her feet from being stepped on while quietly listening to their conversation.
"Chief Lin's loyalty and righteousness are admirable. No wonder my general praises you so highly." Zhu Yuan clasped his hands together in applause for Chief Lin.
When the villagers saw a group of soldiers, they were so frightened that they all lowered their heads, and the previously noisy crowd immediately became quiet.
Lin, the镖头 (bodyguard), was unable to move freely and couldn't even kneel down to pay his respects, so he remained frozen in place.
Upon seeing this, Qu Huaiyuan quickly explained, "Chief镖林 (Lin Biaotou) seriously injured his leg a few days ago, and it is very inconvenient for him to move around."
Zhu Yuan waved his hand dismissively and said indifferently, "It's alright, let's go inside and talk about it!"
"Please come with me, gentlemen."
Qu Huaiyuan led the way, quickly bypassing the villagers on both sides, and quietly explained to Lin Biaotou, "This is the strategist, who has been ordered to transport grain."
Lin, the镖头 (bodyguard), glanced at Zhu Yuan a few times without leaving a trace, then nodded to Qu Huaiyuan to indicate that he had heard.
"It is an honor to have you here, strategist. I am sorry for not being able to greet you properly. Please forgive me." Lin, the head镖师, rested his cane on his arm and bowed respectfully to Zhu Yuan.
Zhu Yuan observed Lin Biaotou's injured leg up close, and also noticed that several villagers around him were also injured, which aroused his suspicions.
However, he remained calm and politely said, "You are injured, so there's no need for such formalities."
The group exchanged pleasantries, and the villagers on both sides, seeing that the soldiers were only keeping them on either side, began to grow bolder and whispered among themselves.
Zhen Wanwan was squeezed into a small corner, unable to see even a trace of the person who came, and was also stepped on from time to time, which immediately made her lose all interest.
Fortunately, he could still barely hear people talking outside. Besides Lin Biaotou's rough voice and Qu Huaiyuan's gentle voice, there was also a very faint voice with a hint of coldness.
The voice was devoid of any emotion. Zhen Wanwan felt that the voice sounded somewhat familiar. She tried to stand on tiptoe, but unfortunately, her view was perfectly blocked.
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