"There are benefits? Zhaohui, you're probably being tricked, aren't you?"
"Young Patriarch, we can't be the court's lackeys! Serving the court has always had a bad ending."
"After all these years, we've had opportunities to make a comeback, but how many officials are easy to beat? Some officials are asking for exorbitant prices, while others are attracted by our martial arts skills and want us to work for them."
"I have seen through those officials. They are all vicious wolves who eat people without leaving any bones."
…
When I heard there were benefits, things got chaotic again.
"Be quiet for a moment. Is there any benefit? Let's listen to what the young patriarch has to say first. It's inappropriate to make such a commotion."
Although the elders of the clan did not trust the imperial court, they still had to maintain the authority of the young clan leader.
After the old patriarch retires, he will have to continue to lead the tribe to survive.
"Brother Zhang said that as long as we are willing to accept unified management, we will obtain legal status and become upright and legal citizens in the future.
The government will distribute land to us for farming, and we will no longer have to exchange meat for food.
Young people can join the army, work in factories, and marry young people of the right age.
Children can go to school to read and learn to read and write, and acquire current knowledge.
That is to say, after we leave the rainforest, we can enjoy the same treatment as everyone else."
Just as the tribesmen were whispering, Song Zhaohui raised his arms and shouted, "Fellow tribesmen, after hundreds of years, haven't you had enough of living in hiding?"
"That's enough."
"Haven't you had enough of the wild vegetables and fruits?"
"We've had enough. We also want to eat rice buns."
"Do you still want your children to continue to live the same life as you, eating raw meat and drinking blood, like savages?"
"No."
Between questions and answers, the Song family's desire for freedom reached its peak.
After full nationalization and the prohibition of private business, the Song family's life became worse and worse.
The reason they were able to persist before was because they had no other choice. Now that the young patriarch suddenly said that they could live a normal life in the sun, how could they not be ecstatic.
Except for a few conservatives, almost everyone was extremely excited and couldn't wait to live the life the young patriarch described tomorrow.
"Young Patriarch, why does such a good thing fall upon us?"
"There's no such thing as a free lunch. It's either a trap or a snare!"
Under the influence of Song Zhaohui, most of the tribesmen were very excited, but there were also some who were clear-headed and cautious.
"Brother Zhang can't possibly lie to me, and we don't have anything for him to worry about.
If Brother Zhang had any plans, he could have just stood by and watched. After the law enforcement officers detained us, he could have threatened us into submission, or he could have rescued us from prison. In that case, he would have become our three saviors.
But he didn't do any of that. He just pleaded for mercy and acted as a guarantor, and released all three of us.
If we just leave and never show up again, I think Brother Zhang will also bear a lot of responsibility."
"He has done me a favor, and I won't allow you to slander him."
Zhang Shuguang met him by chance, and he was willing to take the risk to save them. The grace of saving their lives was greater than heaven, and Song Zhaohui was not someone who did not know how to be grateful.
"Zhaohui, it's not that we doubt our benefactor's intentions. We are all grateful that he rescued you from the law enforcers, but he is only a young man after all. Does he have the final say?"
An elder of the tribe said it tactfully with a smile on his face.
"That's right, Young Clan Leader, we have no doubt about Young Master Zhang's intentions. We are just worried that he won't be able to keep his word!"
There are many clan members who hold this view. How can a young man decide the future of the Song family?
If their entire family, young and old, foolishly ran away, and the officials shirked their responsibilities, eliminating all their generous treatment and forcing them to work as laborers, what could a young man like Master Zhang do? In the end, it would still be their Song family that would bear the brunt of the consequences.
The questioning voices caused the clansmen who had just supported Song Zhaohui to waver, and there was a whisper in the audience.
“Fifth Grandfather, judging from the attitude of the law enforcers, it can be seen that Brother Zhang’s father holds a high position, otherwise we would not have been able to return safely.
His promise was definitely not groundless. I believe in Master Zhang's ability."
"Yes, Fifth Grandpa, Master Zhang always drives a car when he goes out. He never asks the price when buying things and spends money like water. His father absolutely has the final say in the army."
"Fifth Grandpa, this is definitely a good opportunity. If you miss it, you don't know when you'll have another chance.
Master Zhang is doing this for our own good, so we can't let him down!"
"You have no idea how dangerous it was this morning, but we experienced it firsthand.
We were running for our lives in front, and the soldiers were chasing us desperately from behind. As soon as we left the town, the soldiers raised their guns and cocked the bolts.
If it weren't for the luck that Master Zhang happened to see us, the three of us would have been thrown into a mass grave by now."
Song Chaoming and Song Chaojun talked to each other, talking about the danger of today and thanking Zhang Shuguang for his kindness.
"Young Clan Leader, the price of animal hides has been low in recent years, and the food we get in return is getting less and less. I've had enough of this kind of life. I'm willing to follow you and join the imperial court."
"Young Patriarch, I'm willing to do that too. I just don't believe it. Can it get any worse than it is now?"
"Young Patriarch, we all listen to you. Fortune and wealth are achieved through risk, and we are willing to give it a try."
…
When people are poor, they try to change. The Song family has lived in the valley for generations. For fear of being discovered, they never dared to open up wasteland for farming. They relied on hunting for the necessities of life.
After generations of reproduction, the Song family's population grew and more and more supplies were needed. Fortunately, the Song family's ancestors made a living by martial arts and had superb hunting skills, so they lived a decent life.
After the merchants and caravans from the north disappeared, the Song family's life became increasingly difficult.
Children need pens, ink and paper to study, and this expense cannot be saved. This is the ancestral teaching, and no one in the family objects to it. After all, no one wants their descendants to become blind in the future.
They originally lived in the deep mountains and forests. If they didn't learn to read, they would become savages in the future.
After buying pens, ink, and paper, the remaining money could be exchanged for some salt, needles, and thread, leaving even less for buying food, which had to be given priority to women, children, the elderly, and the young.
The young and strong members of the Song family could not remember the last time they had food.
After several hours of tug-of-war and debate, it finally came to the voting stage.
The minority obeys the majority, Song Chaohui gained an overwhelming advantage, and the Song family agreed to accept unified official management.
The next morning, Song Zhaohui left the valley alone and went to the military district’s family compound to look for Zhang Shuguang.
"Commander Cao also attaches great importance to your family. Let's go to the command center now."
Wei Hu was called out from the duty room, and the three of them went directly to the division headquarters of the southern Xinjiang garrison.
Under the leadership of Wei Hu, the three of them passed through layers of checkpoints and multiple inspections before arriving at the entrance of the command department.
"Xiao Guang, you're here. This person must be a member of the Song family, right?"
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