The little Fubao in the deserted village made all the dignitaries in the court go crazy with envy

The fire burned loudly, but the warmth it emitted could not drive away the chill in everyone's hearts.

It was a long time after Mrs. Li left before Mrs. Lin came to her senses. "A big reward will always bring brave men. There will definitely be many people who will go for the thirty taels of silver. I don't know how many lives will be lost before the situation can be settled... Sulan, Cui'e, wait for Dashan and Erhe to come back, and tell them not to do anything else for the next few days. Build up the wall of the courtyard and put sticks and hatchets behind the door and in the corners!"

Hearing this, the two young women were startled, sensing the seriousness of the situation, "Mom?"

Lin Jiang's brain was quick, and he had already figured out the key point. "Thirty taels of silver is enough for an ordinary family to live on for half a lifetime. For this money, the young men from all villages will probably gather together to kill the bandits. By then, the bandits will definitely find a place to escape and hide. The best hiding place is the Goddess Mountain, and our family is at the foot of the Goddess Mountain. If the bandits want to steal food during their escape, our family will be the first to bear the brunt!"

By the time he finished speaking, the young women had turned pale.

Mrs. Lin pursed her lips, her face gloomy, "Also, keep an eye on the eldest and second brother. Tell me immediately if you notice any signs of them. If they dare to join in the fun, I will break their legs first, and they will not lose their lives!"

Lin Jiang's eyelids twitched, "..."

Li Sulan and Zhang Cui'e said the same thing, "..."

A wise child is better than his mother.

Given the family's current situation, the eldest and second sons might really join others in suppressing bandits in order to earn money.

Mrs. Lin was very sure that the eldest and second sons would really get involved. Even if they could only get a small amount of the thirty taels of silver, it would help ease the family's financial situation. The two would definitely do their best.

Thinking of this, she felt a headache. Now her home could not withstand any storm.

Bai Xiang, who had been sitting obediently in his uncle's arms, pursed his lips when he saw the adults all looked unhappy.

She was a little unhappy.

This situation has happened several times. She doesn't like to see her grandma and mother frowning. She feels most comfortable when they talk and smile and look at her.

It was all caused by the bandits.

"Grandma, mother, aunt, uncle, where are the bandits?" Bai Xiang frowned, his expression very serious, "Bai Xiang can beat the bandits."

If she beats up the bandits, grandma and mom will be happy, right?

"Little girl, you're talking nonsense." Granny Lin held her granddaughter in her arms and rubbed her little head, thinking she was just a child saying nothing. "It's not as easy as just beating up the bandits. Those criminals are very vicious. No matter what, grandma will find a way to protect you."

"..." Even though no one believed the truth, Bai Xiang was not angry. He curved his eyes and smiled sweetly and obediently at Grandma.

Many people who didn’t believe her before ended up crying their eyes out.

But grandma is different. She loves grandma and won’t let her cry.

……

In the evening, Lin Dashan returned from the town and brought back more accurate information about the bandits.

The government’s reward was just posted today.

Because the yamen had already found out that there were more than 50 bandits lurking in the north of the mountain, carrying knives, axes, hammers and other weapons, the dozen or so yamen runners in the town yamen could not wipe out the bandits at all.

Some time ago, the yamen had borrowed support from other yamens, but the bandits were cunning and immediately split into several small groups and scattered when they heard the news. When the yamen runners rushed to the north of the mountain, they started committing crimes elsewhere. When the yamen runners could no longer wait and withdrew, they gathered back on the top of the mountain and occupied their positions.

They teased the government office back and forth like a cat playing with a mouse, and many common people suffered in the process. The bandits seemed to have become bloodthirsty and had no scruples at all. Not only did they kill and rob, they even began to frequently abuse women.

The people are extremely afraid of the bandits and hate them to the core, and the flames of hatred continue to grow.

"When I came back today, I heard several groups of people saying that they were going to organize forces to catch the bandits. There are more people and more courage. For the thirty taels of silver, there will be many people who are willing to risk their lives. I estimate that it won't be long before there is a big commotion." Lin Dashan analyzed, the tall man sitting on a small stool with his hands and feet bent, his eyes reflected in the flickering firelight, deep and heavy.

Li Sulan's heart skipped a beat immediately, because her mother-in-law was beside her and she dared not say much for fear of being scolded by the man. However, she couldn't help but hold the man's arm, as if this could stop him from having unspoken thoughts.

But there is more than one person in the family who knows her man.

Mrs. Lin's expression suddenly turned ugly, and she asked in a deep voice, "You also want to compete for the reward?"

Lin Dashan was silent for a moment before he answered, "Mom, I'm not doing this for the reward. The bandits are extremely vicious and cunning. They know that the people are gathering people to suppress them. They estimate that they will not fight directly under the circumstances and will definitely run away. Once they run into Shennv Mountain, our entire Yuxi Village will not be at peace. Instead of waiting in fear all day for the bandits to come and kill us at any time, it is better for us to strike first. No one wants their family to get into trouble, and no one wants their men to risk their lives to fight bandits. But in this situation, the knife is hanging over our heads. If I don't step forward and you don't step forward, we will really be bullied by others. By then, not to mention my own life, I can't even protect my wife, daughter and family. What kind of person would I be then?"

He is just an ordinary citizen, so naturally he is afraid of death.

Who is not afraid of death?

But he is also a man and the eldest son of the Lin family. When he had to make a choice, he chose to face the danger and gain peace for his family.

Faced with the knives held high by the bandits, someone has to stand up and resist first, and then more people will follow suit.

Do they really want to watch the bandits swagger into their homes, steal their money and food, rape their wives and daughters, and then swagger away?

He can't.

I would rather die than live such a miserable life.

Mrs. Lin turned pale and remained silent for a long time.

Li Sulan's hand that was holding the man's arm was shaking constantly, and she could no longer hold back her tears.

Zhang Cui'e's eyes also turned red, and she opened and closed her mouth as if she wanted to say something but was speechless.

They couldn't refute that.

If the bandits really come, resistance means death, and if you don’t resist... the consequences will be equally dire.

"Brother, I'll do it with you!" Li Erhe gritted his teeth and said in a hard voice, "I just don't believe it. Could it be that the bandits are cats with nine lives and cannot be killed?"

Lin Jiang, "Big Brother, Second Brother! I also——"

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by the two men in unison, "Whatever, you just look after the family! There has to be a man left behind to support the family!"

Lin Jiang lowered his eyes. Never before had he hated his crippled right hand more than at this moment.

The boys nearby were already frightened and crying from the adults' conversation, but they didn't dare to howl loudly. They just kept sobbing and sniffling, with fear and confusion in their eyes.

Seeing how embarrassed they were, Bai Xiang stretched out his little hand with a tangled look, patted his brothers on the head awkwardly to comfort them, and then snuggled into his mother's arms unnoticeably.

Oops, there is runny nose.