Dressed as a farmer's widow, she brought her daughter to stock up on food and reached the top

Chen Yonggui looked at the scene in front of him with a gloomy face. He threw the indentures in his hand to those who were about to leave and said coldly: "Go away and don't come back!"

Those who left hurried away with their indentures, their steps hurried and anxious.

Those who stayed stood silently, their hearts heavy, unsure of what the future held for them. The wind continued to blow, raising dust that blurred people's vision.

Chen Yonggui glanced at the people who stayed behind, and a hint of imperceptible relief flashed in his eyes.

He folded his hands over his chest, raised his head slightly, and thought to himself: These people were all left to Zexi by me. This is a good opportunity to kick out those who have ulterior motives, which can be regarded as cleaning up the house.

"Hmph, you're still somewhat loyal," Chen Yonggui said coldly, his eyes as sharp as a torch, as if he could see through everyone. "From now on, as long as you work hard, I won't treat you unfairly. But if anyone dares to cheat, don't blame me for being rude!"

The people who stayed behind nodded submissively, lowered their heads, and dared not breathe. No one dared to look directly into Chen Yonggui's majestic gaze.

Chen Yonggui instructed Chen Fu, the village head, who was standing nearby, "The food for those who stay will be paid for from last year's grain."

After saying this, he frowned and looked serious. He threw another bag of silver to the village head and said, "Take this money and buy some herbs to clear away heat and relieve summer heat, candles, and salt, and distribute them to everyone."

The village head Chen Fu quickly took the silver and replied with a nod and a bow, "Yes, sir, I understand. I will definitely get the job done." His face was filled with a flattering smile and he bent even lower.

Chen Yonggui glared at him and said sternly, "If you can't do it well, watch out for your skin!"

Chen Fu shuddered and kept saying, "Don't worry, sir. Don't worry, sir." Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Seeing this, Chen Yonggui hummed with satisfaction, turned around, flicked his sleeves, and got on the carriage. "Everyone, go back to work. This year's losses must be made up through your future labor!"

With a shout from the coachman, the carriage slowly drove away, leaving behind a group of silent people standing there.

Someone in the crowd whispered something.

"Master, are you not punishing us?"

"The master is just a paper tiger and looks scary!"

"The master has a sharp tongue but a soft heart."

Although the sound was small, it was still heard by the village head Chen Fu.

Chen Fu's face changed drastically and he shouted angrily: "Who is talking nonsense! Do you want to die?" He looked around nervously and cold sweat broke out on his forehead again.

Everyone was instantly hushed, no one dared to utter a word. The air seemed frozen, the silence so frightening it was terrifying.

Chen Fu lowered his voice and warned everyone, "Shut up, everyone! If the master hears these words, you'll be in big trouble!"

His eyes were stern and threatening.

Everyone nodded, no one daring to speak, but in their hearts they were all secretly pondering what had just been said. The wind blew gently, but it couldn't blow away the tense and oppressive atmosphere.

After leaving Chenjiazhuang, Chen Yonggui passed through a village that was sparsely populated. Sitting in the carriage, Chen Yonggui lifted the curtain and looked out, his brows slightly furrowed.

The village was deserted, with a few dilapidated houses scattered around, and the surrounding fields were overgrown with weeds and barren. Chen Yonggui shook his head, puzzled.

"What's going on? Why is it so desolate?" Chen Yonggui said to himself.

He signaled the coachman to stop the carriage and prepared to get off to take a look.

As soon as he got off the car, a cool breeze hit him and he shivered. He wrapped his clothes tightly around him and walked towards the village with heavy steps.

The village was strangely quiet; not even a rooster's crow or a dog's bark could be heard. Chen Yonggui looked around as he walked, a strange feeling of unease welling up in his heart.

The accompanying servants hurriedly advised: "Master Chen, this place looks gloomy and unlucky. Let's leave quickly." The servants looked nervous and kept looking around.

Chen Yonggui glared at him and said, "Why are you so nervous? I want to see what's going on." Although Chen Yonggui spoke tough, he couldn't help feeling a little nervous in his heart.

Seeing that the master refused to listen, the servant stamped his feet anxiously and said, "Master, we really can't delay any longer. What if there is any danger..." There was an obvious tremor in his voice.

Chen Yonggui stopped and pondered for a moment, then finally sighed: "Forget it, get in the car and go!" He turned around and walked quickly towards the carriage.

The group hurriedly left this strange village, leaving only the dust in the air. The carriage sped away, as if something terrifying was chasing it.

Suddenly, a group of bandits emerged from the woods on both sides of the road and instantly stopped Chen Yonggui's carriage. They were all holding weapons, with ferocious faces and eyes that revealed cruelty and greed.

"Stop! This road was built by me, and this tree was planted by me. If you want to pass through here, you have to leave money for passage!" The leading bandit shouted loudly, his voice hoarse and arrogant.

He brandished the broadsword in his hand, and the blade gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

Chen Yonggui and the servants who accompanied him were so frightened by this sudden situation that their faces turned pale.

Chen Yonggui feigned composure and angrily shouted, "How dare you, a bunch of daring lunatics, rob in broad daylight!"

The bandits burst into laughter. One of them, a tall and thin one, said sarcastically, "Oh, this master has quite a temper. Brothers, don't waste time talking to him, just take action!" As he said that, he approached the carriage.

Chen Yonggui's driver was so frightened that he almost fell off his seat. The servants accompanying him were also panicked and retreated.

"Don't be afraid!" Chen Yonggui shouted loudly, cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and his hands unconsciously grasped the car curtain.

However, the bandits ignored his rebuke and quickly surrounded the carriage. A crisis was about to occur. The wind seemed to have stopped at this moment, and the atmosphere was extremely tense.

When the servants saw this, they were so frightened that they fled in all directions.

Some ran while shouting "Help!", while others panicked and lost their way, tripping over rocks and falling to the ground.

The coachman was terrified and turned the carriage around in a panic, trying to escape back.

He pulled the reins hard and kept shouting "Gee! Go!", the muscles on his face twitching with tension.

The carriage shook violently under the driver's frantic maneuvering, as if it would overturn at any moment. The wheels spun rapidly on the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust.

Chen Yonggui was tossed around in the car. He roared angrily, "Slow down! Slow down!", but the driver no longer cared about that.

Seeing this, the bandits laughed and quickly surrounded and intercepted them.

Shouts of "Don't let them get away!" rang out one after another.