I used the Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) to fight the Japanese.

“I’ve also considered everyone’s safety concerns. We’re not far from the Henan-Shaanxi Highway. If we go west along the Henan-Shaanxi Highway, we’ll reach the Shaanxi region, which is free from the Japanese. It shouldn’t be a problem for everyone to make their own unique items and trade there! Besides, with the Mo Dao Regiment escorting us all the way, we don’t need to worry about any villains coveting our goods!” Zhang Youcai explained their thoughts in one breath.

"Hmm?... So this matter is feasible?" Another landlord, Liu Cheng, was somewhat tempted. Just as Zhang Youcai had said, guarding the land had indeed ensured their livelihood for the past few years, but the repeated disturbances caused by the Japanese and refugees were also extremely annoying! Putting aside everything else, the Japanese's repeated attempts to plunder him were enough to make him furious!

"The land of Shaanxi should have everything it needs since the Japanese invasion."

"That's right! What do we have here? Besides grain, what else can we offer?"

"Food? Clothes? Supplies? Medicine? None of these are anything special, are they?"

"There is definitely a shortage, we just don't know it yet!"

"Can the Mo Dao Gang really escort us on our business trips every time?" As soon as Bai Xiaoren asked this, everyone looked at Zhang Youcai.

“Of course! The Mo Dao Group also has its own caravan! As long as everyone goes out together, what’s wrong with having more people?” Zhang Youcai affirmed.

"How do we exchange this shop?" Liu Cheng asked again.

"That depends on everyone. The value of shops varies depending on their location. We plan to exchange shops through auction. Here are location maps of the shops in both locations for you to take a look!" Zhang Youcai had already planned ahead, unfolding two scrolls to show everyone.

"This shop number 1 is the restaurant of the notorious traitor Cao Jiagui. It's located right in the center of the market, so business is naturally booming! The number one hundred means that the starting bid for this shop is one hundred acres of irrigated land. The shops below all have numbers and corresponding prices. Please carefully consider your bids, write them down on a piece of paper, sign the payment, and drop them into the corresponding numbered box outside!"

"Everyone, remember the numbers and confirm them on-site. Before the public trial ends tomorrow, put the price into the corresponding box. Each family can keep five mu of land per person. If any family exceeds this number after tomorrow afternoon, the brothers of the Mo Dao Group will have to come and have a good talk with them! Everyone, think it over carefully. The boxes will be opened tomorrow afternoon, and the highest bidder in each box will exchange for the corresponding shop!" Zhang Youcai explained again.

This is also a full-position strategy, called "blind bidding," where profit or loss depends entirely on one's skill! This is something I learned from reading many novels about jade gambling in my previous life, and we'll only know how effective it is after everything settles down!

Of course, Zhang Youcai, being a seasoned shrew in the business world, immediately saw through the trickery and admired the young man greatly!

Sure enough, after everyone figured out how to play, they quickly left to check it out in person, since a good shop isn't easy to find!

After seeing off this group of old foxes, Zhang Youcai revealed a knowing smile. The first step of land reform had been successfully completed!

……

The first public trial began promptly at 9:00 AM the following morning in the courtyard of the Xiahou Town government. However, observant people noticed that the sign at the entrance had been re-hung, bearing the words "Modao Gang Chamber of Commerce" in vigorous, flowing calligraphy. Mancang, Manxiang, Zhang Youcai, and two reporters sat on the platform, in front of them kneeling a row of a dozen or so ragged men. Judging from their filthy clothes, they were none other than Cao Jiagui, the once-powerful chairman of the maintenance committee, and his henchmen!

The courtyard was packed with people, a sea of ​​faces. They pointed and whispered among themselves at the kneeling crowd, their faces filled with undisguised contempt and resentment.

"Fellow villagers, please quiet down! I am Zhou Xingge, an officer of the Mo Dao Gang Chamber of Commerce. I hereby announce that the public trial is now beginning!"

"Everyone knows these people kneeling in front of the stage, right? Let me introduce them to you one by one. The one in the middle is Cao Jiagui, the head of the Japanese puppet regime! For the past year or so, this old guy has been running opium dens and brothels in Xiahou Town, relying on the Japanese backing him up. He has set traps to lure many shop owners into smoking opium, gradually eroding their savings and property! Many families have been ruined, with wives and children torn apart and families destroyed!"

"More importantly, this old bastard has done too many heinous things with the Japanese devils! He was involved in every raid the Japanese devils conducted in the past year. He served the Japanese devils like his own father, and even coerced and forced women to provide sexual pleasure for the Japanese devils! The crimes he committed are too numerous to count!"

"Fellow villagers, do you have any additions to the charges we have uncovered?" Reporter Zhou Xingge stood on the platform and read aloud the charges against Cao Jiagui.

"Yes! I have something to add!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a burly man raised his hand and shouted loudly!

“I have something to add!” a woman chimed in.

"I have it too!"

"I have it too!"

In an instant, more than a dozen men and women raised their hands and shouted excitedly.

"Alright! One by one! This fellow villager, you go first and tell us your grievances!" Zhou Xingge gestured for the first burly man to raise his hand and go on stage to speak.

The burly man walked onto the stage and, without saying a word, kicked Cao Jiagui, knocking him to the ground and instantly causing a large bump on his head.

"You old bastard, you've finally met your match! Heaven has finally opened its eyes! Do you still remember me, Butcher Zhang?"

"Back when your son took a concubine and held a wedding banquet, my wife and I were busy slaughtering pigs and sheep at your house! And what did you do? You took advantage of your family's numbers and power to nitpick and complain that the pig hair wasn't plucked clean enough and that the mutton was too gamey, and you just wouldn't pay us!"

"Fine, don't give it to me then! My wife said a few words to you and you had the servants grab us and beat us to death! You know, my wife was just pregnant, and you beasts made her miscarry! That was my Zhang family's heir!"

"A little over a month later, the doctor determined that the old woman could no longer conceive! In a fit of anger, she committed suicide by poisoning herself that very night! ...You've killed two people!"

"For over a year, I've been secretly plotting to kill you and take revenge, but as you know, you've committed too many sins and always had someone protecting you, so I never had the chance. Now you've finally been punished! You bastard, you deserved to be torn to pieces long ago!"

"Waaah... Lanxiang, our revenge will be achieved today!..." Butcher Zhang was already sobbing uncontrollably, gazing at the sky as if he were telling his deceased wife and children something...

"The Mo Dao Regiment avenged me! Thank you, Mo Dao Regiment! I want to join the Mo Dao Regiment! Now that I have avenged this, I have no other thoughts. From now on, I will follow the Mo Dao Regiment and fight the Japanese devils with all my heart! Please take me in!"

After a while, Butcher Zhang knelt down in front of the platform and kowtowed, his head hitting the ground with a loud thud!

"This..." Zhou Xingge was stunned and at a loss for words!