"Xiao Guang, sit with your Grandpa Cao for a while. Grandma Zhao will go cook for you."
It was almost noon. Zhao Xiumei put down the clothes in her hands and went to the kitchen to cook.
"Grandma Zhao, I can't have lunch at your house today. I came back from the county town and came directly to your house instead of going home.
Before I went out, I told myself that I would be back before noon, and my mother would definitely have cooked for me.
Let's do it another day. Another day I'll go into the mountains to hunt some game and have a few drinks with Grandpa Cao."
"That's great. Next time you drink, you can't hide it anymore. You used to refuse to drink, so I always thought you weren't good at drinking.
You made a splash yesterday when you got engaged, and now the whole army knows you're a big shot."
At Zhang Shuguang's engagement party yesterday, almost all the officers were present, except for those who were unable to leave due to missions.
Zhang Shuguang toasted everyone and drank several kilograms of white wine without changing his expression. He became famous overnight.
"Okay, I'll definitely drink with you!"
Zhang Shuguang knew he couldn't avoid it, so he just continued to cheat.
Around ten o'clock the next morning, Zhang Shuguang was tending to the vegetable garden in the yard when someone called him outside the door.
Zhang Shuguang looked up and saw a guard in military uniform standing outside the fence wall. He knew it must be Song Zhaohui who came looking for him.
Sure enough, the guard said that someone was looking for him at the gate and asked him to go over quickly.
When he arrived at the door and saw that only Song Zhaohui was there, Zhang Shuguang knew that the matter must have been successful.
When passing by the duty room, Zhang Shuguang nodded to Wei Hu inside through the window.
"Brother Zhang, it's done. I've repeated everything you told me yesterday after I got back. The entire clan agrees to come out and accept the government's leadership."
They will soon be one of us, so Song Zhaohui spoke without turning his back on the guards at the gate.
"Brother Song, I also have good news to tell you. Yesterday morning, after I came back, I went to Grandpa Cao's house.
The Grandpa Cao I am talking about is the highest commander here, Commander Cao. I dare not say anything about other places, but here in Dingnan County, Commander Cao has the final say.
Commander Cao said that if you are willing to join the world, accept the relationship with the Longguo government, and obey the leadership of the party, you can be given the greatest care.
If you want to leave the rainforest and integrate into society, Commander Cao can allocate a place for you so that you can live a better life.
If you are not used to interacting with outsiders, you can continue to live in the valley. Just stay in your own place and decide where to live."
If the Song family had been reluctant to put forward conditions, Zhang Shuguang would not have revealed his cards so quickly.
Since the Song family has agreed to obey management, Zhang Shuguang no longer hides it. A two-way approach is always better than one-sided wishful thinking and makes everyone happy.
"Really? That's great. Although most of the tribe are tired of their current lives and want to live a normal life, there are still some elderly people and women who are worried that the current government will be the same as before.
The government has given us such good conditions. I'll tell them when I get back, and I wonder how happy they will be!"
Back to yesterday at noon, Song Zhaohui and the other two returned to the valley, and the things they brought back surprised every member of the tribe.
It seems like it’s been several years since I last purchased so many things at once.
Ever since individuals were prohibited from doing business and the merchants and caravans in the north disappeared, the Song family's life became increasingly difficult.
"Zhaohui? Why did you bring back so many things today? Did the purchasing station raise the prices?"
A majestic middle-aged man stood out from the crowd. What Song Zhaohui brought back today alarmed the current patriarch of the Song family.
"Dad, the purchasing stations all have uniform pricing, how could the price suddenly increase?
Today we met the benefactor I mentioned last time, and he bought all our furs again.
Together with the venison we brought to town this time, we were able to exchange so many things for it."
When talking about Zhang Shuguang, Song Zhaohui could not hide the gratitude in his eyes.
If the water deer and the high-priced purchase of animal skins in the past were just small favors, this time Zhang Shuguang actually saved the lives of the three of them.
"Zhaohui, anyone who shows kindness without any reason is either a traitor or a thief. You two just met by chance, why is he so nice to you? Does he have some ulterior motive?"
As the head of the family, Song Chengen always puts the interests of the family first and is a very rational person.
"Father, what can we possibly do that could be plotted against us? We are no longer the Marquisate we once were. When we were exiled, what else did we have besides our prison uniforms?
They can't possibly be after us, right? Since private business isn't allowed these days, are they just going to feed us and eat for free?
Song Zhaohui's rebuttal to his father's words was actually close to the truth. Zhang Shuguang was indeed after people.
It’s just that Zhang Shuguang wants a win-win situation, not to be a capitalist who only knows how to exploit.
"Dad, gather all the tribesmen together. I have something to say."
Song Zhaohui did not put the food and other supplies he exchanged directly into the warehouse as usual. He wanted to put these things clearly on the stage during the meeting.
He wanted his people to realize that if they wanted to obtain more resources and stop living a life of eating raw meat and drinking blood, they had to make changes.
"What's so serious?"
Song Chengen just asked out of habit, not necessarily wanting an answer from his son.
His son was precocious and intelligent, and had shown excellence far beyond his peers since childhood. Song Chengen trusted this successor who had been chosen long ago.
The Song family members lived very close together and soon all gathered in a large open space in the middle.
After all the clansmen arrived, Song Zhaohui went straight to the point and repeated exactly what Zhang Shuguang had said, then expressed his own ideas and asked for everyone's opinions.
"What? Rely on the government? Hasn't the young patriarch read the records of our ancestors? None of the government officials are reliable."
"Yes, we are living well here, why should we go out and act as lackeys of the imperial court?"
"When the birds are gone, the good bows are put away; when the cunning rabbit dies, the good dog is cooked; when the enemy country is defeated, the counselors are gone?!"
…
As soon as Song Zhaohui finished speaking, the tribesmen below were in an uproar.
After all, they were once a noble family. Although the Song family would not pass the imperial examinations, all the members of the family learned to read and write when they were young, and everyone had read the records of their ancestors in the library.
"Young Clan Leader, you've always been cautious. Why were you so impulsive this time? With such a big deal, why didn't you tell us in advance?"
On the high platform, some elders expressed their dissatisfaction with Song Zhaohui's recklessness.
"Third Grandfather, if we discuss this matter first with the elders' council, how long will it take to reach a consensus?
After the elders reach a consensus, how long will it take to convince the tribe members?"
Song Zhaohui looked at his third grandfather Song Qiliang.
"There are nine people in the clan elders council. As long as the majority agree, we can discuss it at the clan meeting. The results will be out in ten days at the most."
Because the Song family has always lived deep in the rainforest, while enjoying the tranquility, they also have to endure poverty, so there are not many long-lived people in the clan.
"But I only have one day. Tomorrow morning, either the Song family will accept government management, or Chao Mingzhao and I will voluntarily surrender and let them deal with us!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
