Seeing the hesitation on the village chief's face, Lu Youan understood and hurriedly continued, "Village chief, to be honest, we just encountered a group of extremely vicious bandits. My guards fought desperately and although they were lucky enough to repel them, they also suffered heavy casualties. Now only Uncle Hu is left."
At this point, the young man paused slightly, a subtle sadness flashing in his eyes, and then he regained his determination. "So I thought again and again, and decided to go on the journey with you. After all, there is strength in numbers, and safety is better guaranteed."
Besides, my uncle is in Jeju, and I am going there to seek refuge with him. You can rest assured that we are just traveling with you and will not add any additional trouble or burden to you.
Moreover, Uncle Hu is a martial arts expert, and even three or five ordinary people would find it difficult to get close to him. If he has time during his journey, he can also give some pointers to the young men in the village and teach them some self-defense techniques.”
The young man raised his head slightly and looked at the village chief with sincere eyes. "As long as you can reach Jeju safely, I will definitely give you 1,000 taels of silver as a reward to express my gratitude."
The village chief stared at the young man and saw that he was sincere in his words and attitude, especially in his eyes, which were flashing with pleading, like a wounded cub seeking shelter. He couldn't help but feel a little sympathy in his heart.
He sighed slightly, a look of embarrassment on his face, and slowly said, "Whether we can travel together or not is not something I can decide on my own. Our village always discusses important matters collectively. I have to consult with the villagers before I can give you an answer."
When the young man heard this, he was slightly startled, and a hint of surprise flashed across his face.
He originally thought that since this elder who looked quite prestigious was the village chief, he must have the final say in the village. However, he did not expect that their stay or departure would have to be approved by all villagers.
The young man thought to himself that this village was surprisingly harmonious. The status of the villagers seemed to be quite equal, and they could all participate in decision-making on matters big and small. There was no autocratic centralization.
This is truly rare and precious in today's world.
His curiosity and good impression of this village increased even more, so he nodded slightly and said, "In that case, I'll trouble you, Village Chief. We will wait for good news here."
After the villagers heard the village chief's retelling, the open space suddenly became as noisy as a market.
"We're just traveling together. We don't have to worry about anything else. Once we get to Jeju, we'll get 1,000 taels of silver. Such a good thing is hard to find even with a lantern! Why don't you agree? Are you stupid?"
A burly, dark-skinned man shouted at the top of his voice, his eyes wide open, as if the silver was already dangling in front of him. His face flushed with excitement, and he waved his hands in the air, as if embracing the imaginary wealth.
A tall, thin villager nearby quickly chimed in, "That's right, that's one thousand taels of silver! How many lifetimes can we, as farmers, earn that much? If we don't seize this opportunity, we'll be at a huge disadvantage!"
As he spoke, he tapped his head with his fingers and looked at the villagers who looked hesitant with disappointment.
At this moment, a gray-haired old man, leaning on a cane, trembling, stepped forward and shouted, "You young men, you only see the money, but don't think about the trouble behind it. That rich young man and his guards are obviously used to a comfortable life. Who knows what tricks they might have. How can we handle them?"
The old man was so angry that his beard was trembling slightly, and his eyes were full of worry.
An elderly woman, holding a child, spoke worriedly, "Yes, they were just robbed. That's the real trouble. We have a family to support, and we just want to get to Jeju safely. We're afraid we'll have a lifetime to earn this money but never to spend it."
She hugged the child tightly, as if this could protect her from the unknown danger, her eyes full of resistance to the proposal.
The two factions each insisted on their own opinions and refused to give in to each other. For a while, quarrels and shouting echoed in the camp and the atmosphere became increasingly tense.
Yao Qingshuang stood in the crowd, her eyes inadvertently falling on the young man not far away.
The young man had eyebrows like ink painting, a face like jade, and an outstanding temperament. An innate nobility and elegance naturally emanated from him, and one could tell at a glance that he was either rich or noble.
Looking at the burly and stern-looking guard beside him, his posture was as straight as a pine tree, and his whole body exuded the solemn and murderous aura of a veteran in the battlefield. It was obvious that he was a man of great martial arts skills.
Moreover, we heard that this young man had relatives in Jeju. Isn’t this a perfect opportunity for this group of refugees who knew nothing about Jeju?
She thought to herself that if she could travel with this young man and have his guidance along the way, perhaps many unknown risks could be reduced.
After arriving in Jeju, you can use this young man's connections and prestige to quickly settle down in that unfamiliar place, find a place to stay, and start a new life.
Thinking of this, Yao Qingshuang no longer hesitated. A hint of determination flashed in her eyes, and she resolutely cast a vote in favor.
Perhaps it was the generous reward of one thousand taels of silver that attracted the hearts of most villagers.
After heated discussions and debates, those who agreed to travel together ultimately won with an overwhelming advantage.
The village chief slowly walked out of the crowd and headed towards the boy.
He cleared his throat and said to the young man, "Mr. Lu, we have agreed that you can come with us."
When the young Lu Youan heard the news, a happy smile instantly appeared on his lips.
His eyes sparkled with joy and gratitude, and he said cheerfully, "That's great, thank you very much. Village Chief, you can just call me You'an, no need to be so polite." The village chief nodded slightly, his eyes filled with thought for the upcoming journey, and he said earnestly, "Then You'an, you should get some rest early. We'll set off at 1:00 AM tomorrow. The journey is tight and we can't afford to delay. Please prepare in advance and don't miss the time."
Lu Youan responded solemnly and firmly: "Village Chief, I understand. We will set off on time. Don't worry, we will not affect everyone's schedule."
The village chief was pleased to see that the boy was so sensible and polite. He nodded heavily and felt more confident about the next journey.
Then he turned around and walked slowly back to his resting place with steady steps.
Seeing that the people in Sujia Village were preparing to rest one after another, Lu Youan took Uncle Hu and walked towards the direction where they parked their carriage.
The carriage stopped there quietly, casting a long shadow in the moonlight.
Lu Youan gently opened the car door and, using the dim light, carefully packed the luggage in the car one by one.
Uncle Hu stood guard vigilantly by the side, his eyes sharp as a torch, always paying attention to the movements around him.
After the luggage was packed, Lu Youan took the reins of a horse. The horse seemed to feel his pull and neighed softly.
He gently stroked the horse's mane and whispered soothing words, then walked slowly towards the camp of Sujia Village with Uncle Hu.
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