Zhang Xiue smiled and replied frankly, "We've all caught a cold recently, so we can't do heavy work. We also have a few children inside who need to be taken care of, so we can only trouble you."
Although these people had some doubts, they were too busy with money to ask any more questions. They just wanted to finish the work quickly, get the money, and leave.
Sure enough, after about half an incense stick's time, those troublemaking shrewish women came over menacingly with torches.
"Gentlemen, these are the people who don't know their place and dare to seize our territory. Let's burn them down!"
The people around him chimed in, "That's right, we've been around Xinzhou for so many years, and we've never seen anyone dare to bully us!"
Upon hearing this, Song He'er knew that these people were not recently exiled to Xinzhou, but rather were elderly people who had lingered in this place for many years.
They had a good understanding of the terrain and had gradually built up their own power, which was why they acted arrogantly in front of these newcomers.
But Song He'er wasn't some kind of weakling who could be easily bullied. She would never allow someone of that status to bully her.
Seeing that they were about to approach, Song He'er quickly ran to an older man and whispered, "Uncle, those people are here to cause you trouble. It's probably because we asked you for help and didn't give them a chance to make money, so they're trying to vent their anger!"
The older man's expression changed slightly. "What...what are you trying to do? Are you going to start a fight?"
"It must be! Look, they're coming right now, trying to take the money we gave you away!"
The uncle believed it and quickly put down the firewood he was holding, running to the side to discuss a plan with the other men.
The woman who was walking aggressively ahead stopped in her tracks when she saw the crowd gathered there, and dared not go any further.
"Didn't you say there were only about ten of them? And a few young children we could easily control? How come there are so many more people out of nowhere now?"
"I don't know either. I didn't see it when I came here."
"Don't try to play us for fools. Have you found out who these people are? We don't want to offend someone and have them come looking for revenge later. We can't afford to suffer that."
The fat woman, annoyed by the cacophony of voices around her, could only reply impatiently:
"If you're scared, go back now! Let me tell you, I've already taken the money. If this matter isn't resolved peacefully today, and the master blames me, I won't give you any more money!"
"But if we really start fighting, there are only twenty of us. How can we possibly beat them? I've called my whole family, and no one else is coming out!"
The people around clearly backed down and didn't want to get involved anymore.
Seeing this as a good opportunity, Zhang Xiue looked around and then pulled Song Xiaoyu over.
"How about that? Everyone saw it, right? You can't beat us in numbers. If you want to fight, we're ready anytime. But you'd better think it through. You should find out about us newcomers beforehand, so we don't feel resentful later and come back to settle scores."
Zhang Xiue was creating momentum in front, and Song He'er was also adding fuel to the fire from behind.
As expected, the method worked. The twenty-odd people they had called were all on high alert, afraid that someone would steal the penny that was about to be theirs.
The middle-aged man picked up the stick from the ground and stood in the middle of the crowd, as if he was ready to fight.
Looking at them like this, Song He'er couldn't help but chuckle to herself. It seemed that not all the people here were unreasonable and domineering; there were also a few genuinely kind ones.
“Uncle, you’ll have to stand back a bit later. Let my third uncle deal with them for now! You’re here to help, and we don’t want you to get hurt because of this,” Song He’er said politely.
The men beside them waved their hands, saying, "Don't worry, young lady. If they dare to make a move, we'll risk everything! We've had enough of suffering in this world! If we're going to be bullied again, we'd rather die!"
The person who said this is proud and unwilling to suffer in silence.
Song He'er grasped the psychology of these people and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhang Xiu'e negotiated with the people in front, and after a long while, those shrewish women really didn't make a sound.
Song Xiaoyu stepped forward with great composure. “Ladies,” he said, “we are all in dire straits. Why make things difficult for ourselves? If we really fight, we will both be injured. Instead, why not catch some fish in the river and stew them to nourish ourselves?”
The fat woman was clearly unwilling to give up, but seeing the menacing look on the faces of the group in front of her, she kept muttering to herself.
What if we really can't beat them? Wouldn't that be incredibly embarrassing?
"May I ask, sir, where are you from, and what kind of business did you do before your family suffered such a misfortune?" the fat woman suddenly asked.
"I am but a minor official in the capital, not worth mentioning."
The fat woman breathed a sigh of relief, probably thinking that Song Xiaoyu was not a high-ranking official and had no one protecting him, so there was no need to be careful.
"As a disciple of the Emperor, you must be well-versed in the tricks of officialdom. How could you not know the principles behind this?" Although the fat woman was rude, she had a bit of shrewdness in her speech, suggesting that she had some experience.
"I don't know the details, but I do know that you will not have a good end if you work hard for someone who is despised by the court and who has a bad reputation."
The fat woman was somewhat surprised, "You...you knew all along?"
"You came in with great force, and you found the location of this cave so accurately. What else could it be but someone pointing you in the right direction? Otherwise, I don't think such a dilapidated place would attract your attention," Song Xiaoyu replied with certainty.
The fat woman felt embarrassed when she realized she had been exposed, so she began to try to cover up her secrets and confuse the situation.
"What a disappointment today. A perfectly good plan has been ruined by someone. Oh well, let's go. But I still want to give you some advice: act carefully and don't make a fuss. If you cause others to suffer, that person won't let you off easy!"
Song Xiaoyu smiled slightly and calmly raised her head, "Thank you."
The fat woman snorted coldly and hurriedly left with the group of people she had summoned...
......
My darlings, I was planning to post two updates today, but I was out celebrating the New Year, so I was delayed. If I have time tomorrow during the day, I will make up for it!
My rating has been maliciously lowered recently, so please put in some effort and give me a good review!
Finally, I wish everyone a happy New Year's Eve and a healthy and prosperous new year!
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