gnovel Chapter 37 Departure
Chapter 37 Departure
The group took their seats. Wu Da diligently served porridge to everyone, while Pan Jinlian carefully placed pickled vegetables on each person's plate.
Wu Song laughed and said, "My sister-in-law rarely cooks. But today, when she heard that her brothers were coming early, she got up and started preparing before dawn."
Pan Jinlian rolled her eyes at him, and in that glance, there was a hint of girlish coquettishness.
"My uncle just makes fun of me."
She turned to Wu Da and said, "Da Lang, sit down and eat too. Don't just keep busy."
That "Da Lang" sounded natural and affectionate.
Wu Da exclaimed "Hey!" and happily sat down next to him, picked up a steamed bun, and began to eat it heartily.
The breakfast was enjoyed by everyone.
Liu Bei put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"Brother Wu."
Wu Da quickly put down the half-eaten steamed bun: "Brother Chao Gai, what are your orders?"
Liu Bei looked at him and said slowly, "Yesterday I saw that you, my elder brother, are honest and hardworking, and I admire you very much."
"Now, I have acquired a government granary in Yuncheng County and opened a rice shop. We are currently short of manpower, especially a trustworthy and reliable manager."
"Brother, would you be willing to condescend to work at my rice shop and lend me a hand?"
Everyone in the room was stunned by these words.
Wu Da stared blankly, unable to react for a long time.
Go work as a manager at the rice shop?
How could a pancake seller like him be worthy of such a position?
Wu Song was also startled. He looked at Liu Bei, and then at his brother.
Pan Jinlian stopped clearing the dishes, her eyes flashed with a bright light, and her breathing became a little rapid.
Wu Da snapped out of his daze and waved his hands repeatedly.
"No, no! Brother Chao Gai is overestimating me, Wu Da. I... I only know how to make pancakes, how could I possibly be a manager?"
Liu Bei laughed and said, "My rice shop deals in grain, just like your steamed buns, brother."
"I don't need you to have a lot of knowledge or great abilities. I only need one thing from you: a righteous heart and clean hands."
"We must be honest and transparent about how much grain is brought in and out each day, how much money is made from selling it, and we must not be greedy, embezzle, or deceive."
"I believe my elder brother can definitely do that."
Wu Song understood.
Chao Gai's brother valued his elder brother's honesty and integrity.
This is an incredible opportunity!
If his brother only sells steamed buns his whole life, what future can he have?
Now that I have this opportunity to go to a big county town and work under a hero like Brother Chao Gai, my future prospects are limitless.
He immediately stood up and said to Wu Da, "Brother! This is Brother Chao Gai thinking highly of you! What are you hesitating for!"
"We're brothers, we can't spend our whole lives guarding Yanggu County and this pancake stall!"
"If you and your sister-in-law go to Yuncheng County and find a stable job, I can rest assured. I will visit you often in the future!"
Wu Da listens to his brothers the most.
Seeing Wu Song's earnest words and looking at his wife's expectant eyes, he felt a surge of interest.
He gritted his teeth, stood up, and bowed deeply to Liu Bei.
"Thank you for not abandoning me, Brother Chao Gai. I... I will go with you!"
Liu Bei was overjoyed and quickly helped him up.
"Great! With your help, brother, my rice shop is sure to thrive!"
He turned to Pan Jinlian and said, "Sister-in-law, pack your things and come with my brother. I will find you a clean house in Yuncheng County and make sure you don't suffer any hardship."
Pan Jinlian's face flushed with excitement, and she bowed gracefully to Liu Bei.
"Thank you, Uncle."
And that's how it was settled.
Wu Song felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders, but he felt he owed Liu Bei an immense favor.
He walked up to Liu Bei, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Brother Chao Gai has shown such great kindness to my brother and sister-in-law, and I have no way to repay him."
"Brother, if you need anything from me during your visit to Yanggu County, please don't hesitate to ask! Even if it means going through fire and water, I, Wu Song, won't even flinch!"
This was exactly what Liu Bei had been waiting for.
"Since you're so straightforward, Erlang, I won't stand on ceremony with you."
"I have come here because I have a thorny matter to ask for your help, Erlang."
Wu Song's spirits lifted.
"Brother, please speak!"
Liu Bei gestured for him to sit down and briefly recounted how the rice shop had been harassed by ruffians.
"...My brother Sun Sheng, with more than a dozen men under his command, was injured by that gang of hooligans called the 'Black Tiger Gang.' Only with Brother Lei Heng over there is the situation barely under control."
"But Brother Lei Heng is an official after all, and he can't be there every day. And these people are as slippery as eels, they catch you and then release you, and then they cause trouble again, it's really a headache."
"After much thought, I realized that dealing with such scoundrels requires swift and decisive action to maintain order."
"Looking across Shandong, if we talk about fame and bravery, we can't find anyone else besides Wu Song, who fought the tiger on Jingyang Ridge."
When Wu Song heard the words "Black Tiger Gang," his brows furrowed.
What he hated most in his life were these scoundrels who bullied the good and kind.
Hearing of their arrogance now only fuels my anger.
"This is outrageous!"
He slammed his fist on the table, making the bowls and chopsticks clang loudly.
"Don't worry, brother! Leave this to me!"
"I'll go ask the magistrate for a few days' leave to go to Yuncheng County with my brother!"
"I'd like to see if the Black Tiger Gang has eaten a bear's heart or a leopard's gall!"
Seeing that he agreed so readily, Liu Bei felt much more at ease.
"With Erlang taking charge, this matter will surely succeed."
Once the matter was settled, Wu Song, being a decisive and efficient person, was able to act swiftly and decisively.
He immediately went to the county government office and asked the magistrate for leave.
When the county magistrate heard that the tiger-slaying hero was going to Yuncheng County to take care of some personal business, he would not stop him and immediately agreed.
Meanwhile, Wu Da and Pan Jinlian also began packing their valuables and belongings.
Pan Jinlian carefully folded all the beautiful clothes she had accumulated and put them into the trunk.
Looking at her reflection in the bronze mirror, she seemed to see herself dressed in fine silks and satins, moving in and out of the homes of the wealthy and powerful in the bustling Yuncheng County.
The corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.
Half a day later, everything was ready.
The group hired a horse-drawn carriage, carrying Wu Da and his wife and their belongings, and left Yanggu County in a grand procession.
On the road, Wu Song rode his horse alongside Liu Bei.
"Brother, who is the leader of the Black Tiger Gang? How dare he be so arrogant?"
Liu Bei smiled and said, "He's just a brute with some strength; he's nothing to worry about."
"What I'm worried about isn't just the Black Tiger Gang, but all the hooligans in Yuncheng County."
Wu Song was somewhat puzzled: "What do you mean, brother?"
Wu Yong, standing on the other side, fanned himself and interjected, "Captain Wu, you may not know this, but in Yuncheng County, there are five or six gangs of ruffians, large and small, totaling no less than four or five hundred people. Today we've taken down the Black Tiger Gang, but tomorrow another Fierce Tiger Gang might appear."
Wu Song frowned as he listened.
Four or five hundred people?
This was almost more than the number of soldiers he trained.
Only then did he understand why Liu Bei had made a special trip to invite him.
This is no longer a simple fight; it's a real battle.
"The scholar is right." Wu Song's expression became much more serious. "If we can't solve the problem at its root, it will indeed cause endless trouble."
The convoy finally returned to Yuncheng County at dusk.
Liu Bei first settled Wu Da and Pan Jinlian in a clean, separate courtyard in the backyard, and then ordered people to send them rice, food, and vegetables, providing everything they needed.
Then, he led Wu Song and the others to the main hall in the front courtyard.
Liu Bei didn't say much, but directly instructed the servants around him: "Go and call Sun Sheng here."
Before long, Sun Sheng arrived, jogging all the way over.
As soon as he entered, he saw the burly, imposing man sitting in the hall and guessed seven or eight parts of the story.
Upon hearing Liu Bei's introduction, Sun Sheng learned that this was none other than Wu Song, the legendary tiger-slaying hero of Jingyang Ridge. Overwhelmed with excitement, Sun Sheng immediately bowed deeply in gratitude.
"This humble servant, Sun Sheng, greets Commander Wu!"
Wu Song helped him up, saying, "We're brothers, no need for such formalities."
Now that their savior had arrived, Sun Sheng's face was filled with joy. He bowed to Liu Bei and said, "Brother, you've finally stood up for me! When are we going to deal with those Black Tiger Gang bastards?"