Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 22: Clarifying the Mystery (Please Read On)

Outside the village, Zhang Xian stood by the roadside, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, and saw him off.

Several carriages drove off into the distance. The carriage window was rolled up, and Guo Tang leaned out and waved to Zhang Xian.

"Uncle Zixu, I'll come to see you again next time!"

Zhang Xian nodded with a smile.

Once the carriage had driven far away, he withdrew his hands. Xiahou Lan leaned closer and whispered, "Master said the Guo family's gift is acceptable."

Zhang Xian nodded: "Thank you for your trouble, Master Tong."

Faced with yet another generous gift from the Guo family, he was truly undecided, so he secretly sent a young man from the village to find Xiahou Lan.

After all, he had only been in this world for less than a month, and his understanding of some things was not clear enough, so he could only ask his elders for advice.

Tong Yuan was undoubtedly the person he knew best and the oldest among them.

Only after receiving Tong Yuan's reply did he feel at ease accepting the Guo family's belongings.

Otherwise, with over two million yuan in medical fees, he would really suspect that the Guo family was trying to kill him.

It's better to be cautious. The ancients weren't fools. My 'innocence' fresh out of school can't outmaneuver those jungle creatures who are already used to deceit and the survival of the fittest.

"Brother Xian, what's our next step?" Xiahou Lan asked, seeing Zhang Xian turn his gaze away from the carriage in the distance.

"Let's go back to our old village first. There are some things we need to discuss with the village elders."

"By the way, what exactly did the Guo family send to Yun's family?"

Xiahou Lan: "Three or four hundred shi of grain, and some livestock."

"I can even see through my intention to take in the refugees."

Zhang Xian bowed, and the two walked towards their old home in the village.

"It's not hard to see, is it? Even without the fields added by the Guo family head, Brother Xian couldn't cultivate the 200 acres of wasteland he bought without manpower."

“That’s true, Brother Lan. I’d like to ask you for a favor.” He nodded slightly and looked at Xiahou Lan.

"Just give the order, Brother Xian, and I will obey."

“You should call a few brothers from the village and go to another county to find some refugees for me. It would be best if they brought their families, young and old alike.”

Xiahou Lan: "Why not search around Zhen Ding?"

Zhang Xian chuckled self-deprecatingly: "I've suddenly become timid. I'm afraid there might be someone else's eyes among the refugees around Zhen Ding."

Xiahou Lan suddenly realized: "How many refugees does Brother Xian want to gather?"

"More than 300 shi of grain is roughly 20,000 jin of grain, and spring planting is approaching."

He quickly calculated in his mind that if 1.3 jin of grain could feed one person per day, his 20,000 jin of grain could feed more than 40 people for a year.

Moreover, since there is an autumn harvest just before the spring planting, these 20,000 jin of grain can feed more than twice as many people.

Guo Huai added 180 mu of cultivated land to his farm, which was located on a plain. Considering that one mu of cultivated land in a small mountain village yields 260 jin of millet, this 180 mu of cultivated land could produce nearly 50,000 jin of millet, which was just enough to meet the needs of 100 people for a year.

Moreover, this is only the yield from 180 mu of cultivated land. Adding the 200 mu of wasteland he bought and the 20 mu of wasteland given by the Guo family, even if the yield is poor, there will still be some output.

After quickly calculating, he said to Xiahou Lan, "About 20 to 30 households of refugees."

"I understand, brother." Xiahou Lan nodded.

Upon arriving at the village, Xiahou Lan and Zhang Xian went to the village separately to call for help.

Zhang Xian then walked straight into the village elder's house.

"Village elder,"

"Hey, Xianwazi's here."

Leaning back on the soft couch by the fire, the village elder stroked his beard and smiled amiably. “Come, sit down. I knew you would come to see me again, young man. Look, I’ve prepared all the tea-making utensils.”

"The village elder is incredibly insightful," Zhang Xian said, bowing respectfully.

"Haha, it's just that it's been a few decades longer."

The village elder invited Zhang Xian to sit down, while he picked up orange peels, scooped a spoonful of oil from the earthenware pot and put it into the pot, then lit the tea-brewing stand.

"You must have many questions now, such as why so many people have come today, why the head of the Guo family has come in person, and why the Guo family is doing things for you and giving you gifts?"

The orange peel was ground into powder and placed in a jar along with a tea cake. Water was added, and the water sizzled as it touched the hot oil.

Zhang Xian bowed respectfully: "Please enlighten me, elder villager."

"I dare not presume to offer my guidance, but I am willing to enlighten this junior."

The tea in the pot emitted not the aroma of tea, but the smell of oil. The old villager added some things he didn't recognize to the pot and then let the tea boil on its own.

The village elder put down the wooden spoon and looked at Zhang Xian.

"All the questions you have are actually just asking for the same answer."

"All ears."

The village elder stroked his beard: "Reputation."

"Reputation?" Zhang Xian asked, puzzled.

"Yes, it's reputation." The village elder said with a smile, "Xianwa has been in the village for a long time, so he probably doesn't know about the recent rumors in Changshan."

"The rumor is that a miracle doctor has emerged in our Changshan area. It is said that he can cure any disease with just one medicine, and can even bring the dead back to life and heal the bones. Isn't that amazing?"

"Wait a minute, village elder, is this miracle doctor talking about me?!"

Zhang Xian pointed to himself, his face filled with shock.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about!" the village elder laughed, like a mischievous child.

After a long while, he stopped and asked with a smile, "Xianwa, do you really have the ability to bring the dead back to life and heal the bones?"

Zhang Xian quickly shook his head: "How would I know that!"

"That's it, Xianwa, you're not worthy of your position, what are we going to do?"

"Sigh, old man, please stop teasing the younger generation." Zhang Xian was clearly melancholy; he could tell that the old man was just playing a trick on him.

"Alright, alright, why can't you tease me, kid? I hardly ever have any fun all year round," the old villager sighed, and the teapot beside him also sighed heavily.

"The tea is ready, please have some. Actually, you don't need to be so cautious. We've taken the Guo family's things, so be it; we've met those people, so be it. The benefits outweigh the drawbacks, kid, there's nothing to be afraid of."

The village elder poured out two cups of oily tea, pushing one towards Zhang Xian and drinking the other himself.

Zhang Xian picked up his teacup and nodded: "Master Tong said something similar to me, and I understand."

"Oh." The village elder was surprised. "Since you've already asked Dongming, then come find me."

"There is something else." Zhang Xian took a sip of oil, pursed his lips, and placed the teacup on the table.

The village elder slapped his forehead: "I misunderstood!"

"How could I dare? I am grateful to the elder for clearing up my doubts. Although Master Tong said that I could accept the Guo family's gift, he did not say why I could accept it. If it weren't for the village elder, I would probably have had to think about it for a while."

"Hey, you've got a way with words, kid. So tell me, what brings you here?" The village elder chuckled and took a sip of tea.

"To be honest, elders, I'd like to hire some young men from the village to do some work for me. Is that alright?"

"Oh." The village elder glanced at Zhang Xian meaningfully and said, "Take whatever you want to do with them. As long as they don't leave the small village's land barren, I have no objection."

The answer was somewhat ambiguous, but Zhang Xian was already quite satisfied. He cupped his hands and said, "Then I thank the village elder."

(End of this chapter)