Chapter 85 The Night is Coming
Shen Yuexi asked everyone to deliver the oil to the front line, but the women didn't understand what was going on.
Yang Cong's mother was the first to jump up.
"Life is not easy for us farmers. We don't have that much oil, and it's not cheap. Why are you asking us to send it all to the front?"
Shen Yuexi frowned.
Xiao Zhuo's plan couldn't be disclosed to these villagers casually. If one of them went to Xirong to inform on the plan in order to save his own life, all his efforts would be wasted.
Although these women had firmed their faith and stayed, making them bleed was more painful than cutting their flesh.
The reason has been explained before, now it’s time to bribe.
She tried to make her voice louder and louder, and said to the crowd, "It's just some oil. As you all know, the medicine I make will be supplied to the surrounding prefectures for sale on a long-term basis. I hope that all the villagers will do their best to help. In addition to wages, there will be a bonus at the end of the year."
Now that you have money, why would you be worried about the gas money?
As soon as she finished speaking, many women made up their minds and raised their hands to express their agreement.
This one said, "Mrs. Pei is right. That little bit of gas money is nothing. We've donated all our gas!"
The man quickly pulled her sleeve and said, "Aiyo, you donated all the oil, what are you going to cook with?"
The one replied, "Sister, you are not smart. Just make some stew first, sell the vegetables in the field later, and then go buy some."
Although these women didn't hit the nail on the head, having someone to start with made things easier. Furthermore, the conditions Shen Yuexi offered were extremely tempting. They wouldn't have to travel far and could earn an income by tending garlic in the village. Furthermore, they wouldn't have to rely on men for favors and could earn more money than men.
Madam Pei brought them so many benefits that it was hard to refuse.
"You are quite capable, but Madam Pei, can you guarantee that Master Pei will be able to defeat those Western Rong people?" Yang Cong's mother frowned.
A female voice rang out from outside the crowd, "What? Are you only thinking about taking advantage of Madam Pei and not contributing?"
The one who came was Yang Cong.
She waited at home for Shen Yuexi, but when she didn't return, she went out to look for her. She saw a large group of women in the square, arguing and surrounding Shen Yuexi, and rushed over to help.
Yang Cong squeezed into the crowd, glared at Yang with his hands on his hips, "If you don't want to help, don't come to Madam Pei's house to make money in the future."
These words were spoken to her mother and also to those women who had second thoughts.
The soldiers in the front are about to fight the enemy, but these people in the rear are still dragging their feet.
She has gotten used to hanging out with the rough guys in the barracks these days, and has picked up some of their toughness.
Yang Cong's mother was not stupid either. When she heard that she couldn't make any money, she immediately shut up.
Yang Cong glanced at her and said calmly, "Today, anyone who doesn't want to contribute should pack up and get out of Xiaogang Village. This place is being defended by Master Pei and the soldiers, not you."
After hearing this, Shen Yuexi raised her thumb and gave her a big thumbs up.
Since joining the army, Yang Cong's changes have been truly remarkable.
Yang Cong felt a little embarrassed when he saw Shen Yuexi's actions, and a blush appeared on his dark cheeks.
Chen Yuexi said to the crowd, "Yang Cong is absolutely right. The Western Rong are about to invade. Don't be stingy with your own belongings. If we can't hold the pass, everyone's lives will be in danger. What's the point of a little oil?"
At this critical moment of life and death, let us stand together to resist the powerful enemy from the West.
The women nodded in agreement. They returned to their homes and collected all the oil. Yang Cong, leading a dozen men on their shifts, pushed the oil to the northern pass in a cart.
When they reached the pass, Yang Cong and Xiao Zhuo mentioned what Shen Yuexi had done in the village. Xiao Zhuo was surprised at first, then showed admiration and ordered his soldiers to move all the oil tanks up the hillside.
…
It was almost dusk when Shen Yuexi got home.
As soon as she entered the house, she saw Li Wan and Madam Li sitting in the yard, like two pieces of wood.
You can see that both of them are very nervous.
She didn't want to say much to the two women, so she just nodded as a greeting, then walked past them and headed towards her house.
“Miss Shen.”
Li Wan suddenly stood up and called her.
Shen Yuexi stopped and turned back with a questioning look.
"I... heard from the villagers that there will be a war here soon, is that right?" Li Wan asked, clutching the handkerchief in her hand.
Shen Yuexi glanced at her. What if there was a war? Anyway, the Xirong people would not hurt them.
"Yes, the Xirong army will attack tonight." The villagers already knew about it, so there was no need for her to hide it.
After hearing this, Li Wan stood there in a daze, as if she was dumbfounded.
Ever since leaving the Marquis' Mansion, she had been feeling uneasy. Joining Xiao Zhuo was a risky move; she feared she would lose her only support. Now that the Western Rong army was attacking, what would she do if they broke into the village?
Shen Yuexi looked at Li Wan's worried expression, and for a moment, she let go of the grudges in her heart. Li Wan was still a teenager, after all, and she was always afraid of war. She had been terrified the first time she saw bloodshed. It was understandable.
Thinking of this, her tone softened: "Don't worry, my husband has made arrangements."
Madam Li also stood up and came forward to ask, "What are my nephew's plans? Are we leaving here?"
Shen Yuexi knew that the plan she was asking about was simply to get Xiao Zhuo to protect them. She soothed him, "Don't worry, your husband won't let you get hurt. He'll take care of everything, so you can just stay here and relax."
Madam Li did not believe what Shen Yuexi said. She looked unhappy and spoke harshly: "Miss Shen, you are right. I know that it was you who brought those Western Rong here this time."
"Yes... the women in the village all said that they came here to seek revenge because you killed the Xirong people." Li Wan agreed in a low voice.
Shen Yuexi was almost laughed out of anger by the two of them.
What do you mean by "she brought them here"? It's as if the Xirong people wouldn't have come without her and Xiao Zhuo.
What was the situation here before and what is it like now? Does she need to go to the trouble of explaining it?
She curled her lips and smiled softly, but the smile never reached her eyes.
"The enemy is approaching. You should think about how to contribute to the front instead of just sitting at home and daydreaming," she said bluntly. "Instead of sitting there and waiting to die, you should think about how to protect yourself."
Xiao Zhuo had to stay at the front line and command the soldiers, so how could he spare so much time to take care of the safe and secure female relatives at home?
Even Shen Yuexi herself would not put all her hopes on Xiao Zhuo.
After hearing what Shen Yuexi said, Madam Li and the other woman couldn't help but widen their eyes. In their impression, they had never relied on themselves and had never thought about their own value. Their only value was to get married, control the backyard, and take care of their husbands and children.
Life is just like this.
Now listening to what Shen Yuexi said, it seems that women can do a lot of things.
She clenched her hands tightly. Although Shen Yuexi's words were shocking, she didn't have any big ambitions. Her only thought was to find a good marriage, and marrying Xiao Zhuo was her biggest dream. But judging by Shen Yuexi's words, she was far from being as good as Shen Yuexi.
Seeing that the two were no longer entangled, Shen Yuexi went into the house.
Since we were going to fight the Xirong people at night, we had to dress as neatly as possible. First, we tied our hair up at the back of our heads. Women's clothes were inconvenient to walk in, so we changed into men's short-collared clothes.
Night is approaching, and she has decided to fight with Xiao Zhuo.
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