Xu Bangrui whispered again: "In this case, my brother doesn't have to go to Kunshan, right?"

He was still worried about the public trial that Zhao Hao had mentioned, because that would be too embarrassing for the Xu family. And if the imperial censors got wind of it, they would probably accuse his father of this.

This matter can be big or small, all depends on how the decision-makers define it. In the most serious sense, it is just stealing and destroying the levee, which is tantamount to treason, and it is not too much to be executed by slow slicing.

In a small way, it was because of excessive curiosity that he wanted to personally test the strength of the cement levee to see if it was as magical as the legend said. Naturally, three glasses of wine would be enough.

Zhao Hao and his son can choose to make a big fuss or keep it small. But how the fuss ends is not something they can decide.

Besides, there was no need for him to push the other party into a desperate situation. It would be better for him to adopt the strategy of "fighting but not breaking" just like he did with Xu's family, extort a large sum of money from them, and then let the young master stay as a hostage, and then let the matter go.

If the Xu family's life and death were really endangered, they would definitely counterattack wildly. The power of a family with two hundred years of history erupting in despair was something Zhao Hao could never withstand at the moment.

"As long as he sincerely accepts the labor reform, we can postpone the public trial." Then Mr. Zhao laughed generously and said, "After a few years, if he has turned over a new leaf, it is not impossible to let him go home."

"That's good, that's good." Xu Bangrui breathed a sigh of relief, and then said with some sadness: "There's no rush to go home. My father is old and in poor health, and he gets mad at me all day long. It's better to let my brother first stay in a beautiful place and cultivate himself in peace until the old man is well again."

Zhao Hao thought to himself, that’s fine, he’s a werewolf.

My old man is almost seventy years old, and his health is getting worse day by day. How can he ever get better?

However, it is difficult for a judge to judge family affairs, and he doesn't care about other people's family affairs.

~~

After dinner, Xu Bangrui came to the confinement room to bring food to his brother and told him Zhao Hao's decision.

"Brother, are you really so cruel as to let your brother go to pour the night incense?"

The chicken leg in Xu Bangning's mouth suddenly lost its flavor, and he knelt on the ground, rubbing Xu Bangrui's legs and crying. "No, I won't go even if you kill me!"

"Then you go to Kunshan for a public trial." Xu Bangrui sighed.

"I, do I still have a way to survive?" Xu Bangning said with a pale face: "If the common people spit at me, I will be drowned."

"Bang Ning, my elder brother spent two hundred thousand taels to help you get this position of excrement collector. You also saw that the second master of the Xu family also does this, right? And he seems to be quite happy doing it."

Xu Bangrui suppressed his gloating smile and advised him expressionlessly: "From now on, it will be easier if two people do the work of one person."

"He is humiliating our Xu family!" Xu Bangning burst into tears.

"No, this is the best outcome for our family." How could Xu Bangrui think so? He felt that Zhao Hao's arrangement was in line with his wishes.

"But not to me!" Xu Bangning said angrily, "I, a young master, actually want to pour night incense for a bunch of soldiers. If this gets out, won't people laugh to death?!"

"I heard that you are also responsible for the night fragrance of the cement factory workers..." Xu Bangrui said seriously: "Besides, the security on this island is so tight, you don't have to worry about it getting out... Well, even if it gets out, you won't be able to hear it."

"I, your mother..." Xu Bangning almost vomited blood. Then he thought that this person was the only one he could count on in the future, and swallowed his curse words and said, "That makes sense."

"Well, that's reasonable." Xu Bangrui nodded with satisfaction.

The Xu family is a family that knows how to adapt to changing circumstances and what is best for themselves.

"Come, I'll feed you one last meal. After you finish eating, go and dig out the manure." Xu Bangrui picked up a chicken leg from the ground, blew it randomly, and stuffed it into his mouth, saying:

"I'm afraid there won't be such good food to eat in the future."

~~

At dusk, Xu Kun put the two hundred toilets back in place one by one, then went to the cafeteria to get some food, and went back to the dormitory to rest humming a little tune.

From now until five o'clock in the morning is his rest time.

Usually, he would go to the vegetable garden before it gets dark to water the plants, weed, etc.

But today, because Master Zhao came, the camp closed early, so he had to finish work early and go back.

I feel empty inside because I can't take care of the garden.

Unexpectedly, when he pushed the door open, he was startled to see a dark figure in the small room.

"Who?!" Xu Kun almost threw the radish in his hand away.

"Master dung, don't throw it, it's me." The man hurriedly held his head and shouted, "Bong Ning."

"Huh? Why are you here?" Xu Kun opened the window and took a look in the twilight. It was indeed Xu Bangning, the man who refused to clean out the excrement.

"From now on, I will follow you." Xu Bangning held back his tears and bowed to him, saying, "Please take care of me, brother."

"Aren't you determined not to do this even if you die?" Xu Kun opened the bamboo lunch box and placed it on the small table supported by wooden boards.

"I've thought about it and what my brother said makes sense. There is no distinction between high and low in labor. I will also work with my own sweat and eat my own food in the future." The young master of a noble family was too concerned about his reputation to care about it. Even if the donkey fell, the frame could not fall down. Xu Bangning patted his chest and spoke confidently.

"Didn't you say that if you do this, you will take my surname?" Xu Kun asked again.

"Just take my brother's surname. We'll take that from each other." Xu Bangning answered generously.

"Good boy, you have a bright future. Young people's minds are easily changed. Like me, I suffered so much before I changed my mind. Looking back, if I had changed my mind earlier, I would have suffered so much. It's not worth it, not worth it."

Xu Fan sighed, handed chopsticks to Xu Bangning and said, "Come, let's eat together."

The lunch box was filled with brown rice, a portion of fried lotus root slices with fatty meat, a few small salted fish, and a bowl of water vegetable soup.

Pair it with a few radishes picked from the garden at noon, and it will be filling and delicious!

"You're welcome, brother. I'm not hungry." Xu Bangning waved his hands quickly, thinking, is this something for humans to eat? Have you washed your hands?

"Then I won't be polite to you." Xu Kun wiped his hands on his body, took the radish in one hand and the chopsticks in the other, and started to eat with relish.

While eating, he mumbled, "I used to eat all kinds of delicacies, but I had no appetite all day. Now I enjoy everything I eat and feel healthy. So this disease is caused by idleness!"

"Brother, there's no one else here, why are you still acting with me?" Xu Bangning sighed, rolled his eyes and said, "Just say a few words from your heart."

"Hey, brother, it seems that I overestimated you..." Xu Kun took a big sip of water vegetable soup and sighed: "Your thinking is very dangerous, you need to reform yourself."

He pointed outside and asked in a muffled voice, "There are so many guards on the island, as well as high walls, wolfhounds, and trenches. Can you escape?"

Xu Bangning shook his head.

"Can you fight them?"

Xu Bangning shook his head again.

"That's it. You have to find happiness in your work like me, so that you can live on." Xu Kun looked like a man who had experienced it. He patted his strong arms, thighs and calves, and said in a loud voice:

"Once you have muscles like these, you will definitely find your own happiness!"

Xu Bangning's eyes popped out as he looked at his reed-like arms. He suddenly felt that happiness was too far away from him...

ps. Second update.