After crossing these bluestone slabs, there is a small stone bridge. Under the bridge flows a babbling brook. Xu Di felt that this place must have been built many years ago, because the stone bridge looked weathered.
As Yu Mian Sanlang walked, he secretly observed Xu Di walking behind him. It wasn't until they crossed the stone bridge that he could see a wooden archway in the distance, with the three seal characters "Peach Blossom Village" written on it.
Reaching the front archway, Leng Pingzhi stopped and said to Xu Di, "This place is our Peach Blossom Village."
Standing beneath the archway, Xu Di looked around and couldn't help but exclaim, "What a wonderful paradise!"
Leng Pingzhi couldn't help but sneer, saying, "A place that's not easy to enter and exit, and isn't even recognized by the government, is indeed a paradise on earth."
Xu Di said in surprise, "Boss, you are mountain bandits. Mountain bandits are enemies of the government, so of course you are not recognized by the government."
Upon hearing the title "Big Boss," Leng Pingzhi paused for a moment, but did not correct Xu Di's address. He turned and continued walking inside. As Xu Di walked, he saw small plots of land carved out between the rocks on both sides of the path, where some grains were planted. Whether it was because the valley was too isolated or because these plots had been cultivated for many years, the crops in the fields did not look very good. At least in Xu Di's opinion, the crops were not well grown.
Leng Pingzhi led his men forward, and after turning a corner, they saw some caves carved into the mountainside. Xu Di sensed that there were also some simple thatched huts in the distance. Xu Di thought that the four seasons in this valley were not very distinct, the winters were not very cold, and the summers were not very hot. Otherwise, how could people live peacefully in such thatched huts?
Xu Di simply looked around curiously. After observing Xu Di's expression, Leng Pingzhi led Xu Di into a cave.
It seems that preparations had been made in advance. When Xu Di entered, he saw that torches had been lit inside the cave, making the cave extremely bright.
Xu Di stood inside the cave, openly observing its surroundings. It seemed to be a place for holding meetings. Two official hat chairs were placed directly in front of the cave, with several more placed on either side. The chairs looked like they had been used for many years, with pieces of varnish peeling off.
Besides these chairs, there was nothing else. Xu Di felt that it was no wonder the leader wanted to leave the profession; they probably couldn't make ends meet anymore.
Xu Di's heart skipped a beat. No wonder he had never heard of bandits in the mountains between Luzhou and Wuzhou. They were probably forced to become outlaws, but unfortunately, they weren't very good at it. They couldn't even say the common phrase, "This mountain is mine, this tree is mine."
Leng Pingzhi sat in the head seat, watching Xu Di look around. After a while, Leng Pingzhi said, "Have you finished reading? If you have, sit down. I have a few questions to ask you."
Xu Di then came over and sat down next to Leng Pingzhi in the seat below him.
Leng Pingzhi looked at Xu Di and said nonchalantly, "Do you know why we brought you in? From now on, you are one of our Peach Blossom Village people."
Hearing this, Xu Di was taken aback. He smiled wryly and said, "Boss, how did I become one of your bandits? My family has been merchants for generations, and we have a good reputation even in Daliang. I am the only male in my family this generation, and I will be the manager of our family in the future."
Leng Pingzhi gently patted the table next to him, whose original color was no longer recognizable, and sneered twice, saying, "But you came in with us, and I'm going to send you out safely. If you're not afraid of the authorities suspecting you, go ahead and report me. Since I dared to let you in, I naturally have a way to prevent you from coming in."
Upon hearing this, Xu Di's heart skipped a beat. It seemed that there must have been a trap inside the mountain he had passed through on the way here; otherwise, as people said, they wouldn't have let him in so easily.
Xu Di wiped his face and said, "Alright, since we've come this far, let's get straight to the point, show our sincerity, and have a proper talk."
Leng Pingzhi's expression improved considerably. He nodded and said, "You really are a businessman. You're so pragmatic and straightforward. You're just my type."
Xu Di gestured for Leng Pingzhi to enter. Leng Pingzhi thought for a moment and said, "In the past, we relied on purchasing food and supplies from outside. However, due to various reasons, we were no longer able to go out to purchase supplies, so we had to resort to banditry. In Wuzhou, you need identity documents and travel permits to enter and exit the city gates, so we can't go in. We can only be self-sufficient in this valley."
Xu Di asked with some curiosity, "You mean you've used up all the money for purchasing, and now you're going to do something to earn money so you can support yourselves?"
Leng Pingzhi, probably unfamiliar with such administrative matters, nodded somewhat, indicating a lack of understanding. Xu Di sighed and asked, "I wonder if it would be convenient for the chief to tell me how many people you have here now? How many are in each age group?"
After hesitating for a moment, Leng Pingzhi shook his head and said, "I can't tell you that, but I can tell you that if you can help us get out of here and live outside, we would welcome you." At the end, perhaps feeling that this request was putting Xu Di in a difficult position, Leng Pingzhi's voice softened.
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