gnovel Chapter 31 Rising to Fame
Chapter 31 Rising to Fame
The carefree junior brother with thick eyebrows and big eyes, I don't know if he's just naturally optimistic or if he's not old enough.
He simply nodded, his eyes showing no trace of the confusion about the future that his baby face had displayed.
He muttered to himself with utmost seriousness, "Hmm, judging from this, I probably can't do it either!"
What do you mean you mostly can't do it?!
The baby-faced senior was puzzled by his serious expression.
Sanjiangshui, who had been paying attention to the commotion, overheard the entire conversation between the two and was furious.
Remembering Lu Xingzhou's instructions, he suppressed his displeasure and, feigning heroism, shouted loudly:
"My young master has already bought over 100,000 acres of wasteland at the source of the Liao River, and he's destined for great things! Since I'm in the city today, I'll take this opportunity to tell you all about that recruitment... oh right, I mean, hiring guys!"
"On July 1st, my family is recruiting 300 farmhands to clear land. Places are limited, first come, first served!"
More than legendary tales, farmers were concerned with making money, and the scene became increasingly lively.
"What are your requirements? What's the compensation like?"
"My family owns land. If I can't be a long-term laborer, how about a short-term job?!"
Sanjiangshui pressed his hands down: "Don't rush, let me continue!"
"Our young master only hires long-term workers, not short-term ones, and only those with wives and children!"
The onlookers looked at each other in bewilderment.
In Northeast China, land reclamation typically takes place between June/July and November. Reclaiming land too early disrupts normal farm work, while reclaiming it too late results in the soil freezing and diminishes the effectiveness of the work. Therefore, it is a short-term project.
It's already strange that they don't hire temporary workers.
Other landlords and wealthy people wished that their farmhands were all alone and without any ties, so that they could only work for them wholeheartedly.
Why does this young master Lu only bring his family?
Having an extra mouth means having to eat an extra bite, isn't that a bit crazy?! Maybe you have some kind of shady fetish?
After all, landlords and rich people are just some of the most disgusting kinds of people.
Those who are struggling to make ends meet don't care about any of that; they're naturally tempted by these conditions.
"My family includes not only a wife and two children, but also a blind old mother! Will your young master Lu take me in?"
"receive!"
"Does it include food and lodging?"
Good question!
The three rivers trembled as if their bodies were 'tiger bodies'.
Anyone who has ever memorized texts in school knows that those who haven't memorized them are afraid of being called on by the teacher, while those who have memorized them are afraid that the teacher won't test them.
Lu Xingzhou had instructed us before we arrived that the more burdensome a family is, the more likely they are to be taken in by our family.
Sanjiangshui didn't understand the deeper meaning behind it, and simply thought that the young master was kind-hearted.
"We'll take care of you! Food and lodging are a must! It doesn't matter if you have a blind mother or a lame father, or how many people are in your family. Everyone who comes will be taken care of, and you'll even get 20 silver dollars a year!"
The room erupted in uproar.
"Isn't that ridiculous?!"
"I think Young Master Lu doesn't want to be the Dragon King of the Liao River, he wants to be the God of Wealth! Where is he going to conjure up money from somewhere?"
Most of those present were experienced farmers, and they knew exactly how much the land produced.
Whether rich peasants, poor peasants, or tenant farmers, who wouldn't know what the going rate is for wealthy landlords to hire workers?
Those who don't exploit others are all renowned philanthropists.
Given Lu Xingzhou's generous recruitment practices, he must have some kind of wealth and influence like Shen Wansan to be able to cause so much harm.
Sanjiangshui repeatedly pressed down with both hands.
"Quiet down, everyone, quiet down!"
"My family now has over a hundred members. Whether that's true or not, you can all just look at them and see for yourselves."
The farmhands who came with them, though their skin was rough, had a rosy glow and showed no signs of malnutrition. They stood tall and full of energy, which was very convincing.
They were skeptical about such outrageous conditions initially because Yu Wendou endorsed them, but now they can only say they really like them.
Seeing is believing, and many people were eager to try it out, including the one who said his family owned land.
If the conditions offered by Lu Xingzhou are true, it's really not worthwhile for farmers who don't have 50 mu of land to work as his long-term laborers!
The bodyguard with thick eyebrows and big eyes stirred things up on the spot:
"Dear fellow villagers, please beware of scammers! There's no such thing as a free lunch!"
Sanjiangshui's small eyes flashed with a fierce light: I've been putting up with you for a long time!
Remembering Lu Xingzhou's instructions, he forcibly suppressed his anger and shouted, "My family needs 300 strong laborers this year. Believe it or not, it's up to you! Okay, everyone disperse!"
Most men who ventured to Northeast China were not lacking in adventurous spirit; even if someone caused trouble, they were not afraid of not being able to recruit enough people.
After saying that, he walked up to the two bodyguards.
"Are you two escorts?"
The baby-faced boy glared at his junior brother with thick eyebrows and big eyes who had spoken out of turn, thinking he was going to settle scores with the two of them. He quickly lowered his head and smiled apologetically:
"Yes, from Xinyuan Escort Agency! My junior brother is young and doesn't know any better, please be understanding!"
Having traveled all over the country for years, he knew very well what kind of lackeys of landlords were. They would argue even when they were wrong, and causing chaos in the neighborhood was their specialty.
Besides, it was the junior brother who was being nosy, and Sanjiangshui's appearance and temperament didn't fit the image of a good person (it doesn't matter). Although he apologized, the baby-faced man was prepared for a fight.
But Sanjiangshui's next move completely baffled the two brothers.
He then took out a stack of silver dollars from his pocket, counted out 10 dollars each, and handed them to the two men.
Looking at the two people opposite, especially the one whose appearance was only three points worse than the young master's, he had just been looking provocative, but now he and the baby-faced man were looking at each other in a funny way.
Unaware that he had unwittingly avoided a beating, Sanjiangshui was secretly delighted.
Don't say that!
Young master, this trick of yours is a bit expensive, but it's really damn satisfying to use!
"My family is only hiring 300 people this year, but we have tens of thousands of acres of land, and we will continue to expand in the future, which will definitely require a lot of able-bodied men, young and old! You two will be going to many places on your escort mission. When you return to the interior, please help us promote our business. Please accept this small reward for your hard work."
The junior brother, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes and an exceptionally strong sense of justice, came to his senses and angrily cursed:
"I don't want your filthy money, and I won't help you harm people!"
Sanjiangshui wasn't unaware of the other landlords' character, so he knew exactly what kind of scenarios Sanjiangshui was imagining. He patiently explained:
"Look at us, we're all well-fed and clothed, right? Think about the lives of farmers in the interior of the Great Wall!"
The baby-faced man stopped his junior brother, who was about to offer his opinion, and took the silver dollar, stuffing it into his jacket pocket.
"Thank you for your kindness, Young Master Lu. My brother and I are happy to help!"
Senior brother can see clearly that Sanjiangshui's words are not a lie.
These dozen or so farmhands looked stronger than ordinary bodyguards. Whether they would get paid or not was uncertain, but they would definitely have enough to eat.
After calming down, the man with thick eyebrows and big eyes also shut his mouth.
People from the Central Plains couldn't survive, so why did they venture to the Northeast and west? I've never heard of them running south.
Because some landlords in the south had started to collect 70-80% of the land rent, farmers worked hard all year but couldn't get a single grain of rice to eat, and even owed the landlords a lot of money. People were starving to death every day.
The locals can't even survive, so for outsiders to go there is practically like sending two-legged sheep.
Moreover, if it weren't for the fact that the rent from his hometown in Hebei was also collected at 55%, his thick eyebrows and big eyes wouldn't have been sold by his father to a security escort agency to work as a porter.
If the starving, emaciated farmers who are everywhere in the pass were to hear that this place could provide food and drink for the whole family, many of them would be willing to risk their lives to escape and find Lu Xingzhou for a full meal.
The crowd dispersed.
Sanjiangshui, now in his prime, raised his head high and turned to deal with the horses and weapons he had brought.
Don't underestimate these homemade guns that ordinary horses and land-based boats might scoff at. In the resource-scarce Republic of China, even in the later period, they were still highly sought-after hard currency.
He casually called out, and was immediately surrounded by merchants, bearded men, and local sycophants. They negotiated a price, sold the goods smoothly, and Sanjiangshui then led the team towards the source of the Liao River.
As an important town, the Changping market was certainly not only frequented by peddlers, tenant farmers, poor farmers, and rich farmers.
Whether they were merchants, bearded men, or Japanese soldiers, none of them would miss the opportunity to gather intelligence here.
Among the crowd of onlookers today were henchmen of other landlords, spies from various gangs, and secret agents from the Kwantung Government-General's intelligence department.
The legendary story of Lu Xingzhou wiping out the Dayanggou gang without sustaining a scratch, along with the exaggerated recruitment information, would naturally be spread around.
From then on, the story of Lu Xingzhou truly began to circulate in the Kanto region.
With fame comes ambiguity, and it's not just One-Eyed Wolf who has a grudge against Lu Xingzhou.
Several servants from the Gong family who had come to the market whispered among themselves:
"Lu Xingzhou? Isn't that the name of the person our Third Master is looking for?"
"No doubt about it, it's him!! Third Master will be coming to Changtu to collect rent in a couple of days, then we'll see if this kid is really tough or just bragging!"
"Hehehe~~~" ×2.
The two men chuckled maliciously, clearly indicating that they, who worked for the Gong family, had very little faith in this "Zhao Zilong".
He had no idea how well Sanjiang had handled things, nor did he know that Lu Xingzhou, whose beloved Ma San'er was about to come knocking on his door.
After saying goodbye to the two old men, we arrived at the town's central market street, where a grand two-story Chinese-style building stood facing the street.
This is the headquarters of Fengjuchang Trading Company.