Newborn 1927

Yang Jiefang understood his meaning and shook his head, explaining, "I don't know any 'Master Shan.' These two are my friends, and they have nothing to do with 'Master Shan.' I won't hide it from my brothers; I'm back today to seek revenge on Zhao Jinyuan, and these men are the helpers I hired." Most of them knew the truth about Yang Jiefang's family situation, but they chose to stand by and do nothing since it didn't concern them. Hearing that Yang Jiefang had returned for revenge didn't surprise them at all.

Zhao Changming said, "Then why did you call us here? We've already offended the village head by speaking up for Changgui today; we won't interfere in your disputes with his family; after all, he's our cousin." Zhao Changzhi and Zhao Changgen nodded in agreement. People in this era still had strong clan ties, and it was normal to side with relatives regardless of right or wrong. Zhao Changgui was a cousin they had grown up with, so lending a hand was perfectly reasonable. Yang Jiefang, on the other hand, was clearly an outsider; it wouldn't make sense for them to help an outsider against their cousin.

Yang Jiefang sensed the situation was a bit tricky, so he changed the subject, saying, "What's the background of this 'Master Shan' you just mentioned? Do you know anything about him? I'm curious, how did he suddenly come to Zhao Jinyuan's house?" Seeing that he wasn't asking for help, Zhao Changming felt much relieved and replied, "I've only heard a little bit secondhand, it's not reliable. I heard his real name is Xu Zishan, and he has about two hundred men and a hundred or so guns. He specializes in robbing the rich to help the poor. Hmm, he does rob the rich, but helping the poor? I've never heard of that." As he spoke, he glanced at Yan Donglai intentionally or unintentionally a couple of times. Yan Donglai remained calm and unconcerned.

Yang Jiefang exclaimed in surprise, "I heard your security team only has about thirty men. How many guns could you possibly have? How can you possibly defeat them?" Zhao Changming replied, "With just thirty-odd men and about ten guns, we definitely can't beat them. Fortunately, we never intended to have a real fight with them." Yang Jiefang pressed, "What do you mean?" Zhao Changming explained, "Thieves never leave empty-handed. Since they've set their sights on us, they won't give up without getting something in return. We're just putting on a show, to make them wary and to make it easier to negotiate. They're asking for three thousand silver dollars; do you really think we'll give them three thousand? The village headman thinks we'll be lucky to get a hundred or two hundred silver dollars to settle this problem."

Yan Donglai couldn't help but interject, "Hmph, a hundred or eighty silver dollars? Are you trying to fob us off like beggars? In this underworld, it's all about strength. If you can handle him, you don't have to pay a single copper coin; if you can't, try taking a single copper coin from him!" Zhao Changming and the others were dumbfounded, their mouths agape, wanting to refute but unable to find the words. There were plenty of able-bodied men in Zhao Family Village, but none of them carried guns.

Yang Jiefang then asked, "I heard that Zhao Jinyuan sent someone to the county to report the news. Will the county send troops? The county's garrison has several hundred men." Zhao Changming shook his head and said, "That's not true. It's just a rumor to scare people. Whether those guys in the county are useful or not is another matter. If they really come, it's not like you can just send them away for a hundred or two hundred silver dollars."

Yang Jiefang retorted, "And what about you people? Did Zhao Jinyuan promise you any benefits?" Zhao Changgen interjected, "With his stinginess, what benefits could he possibly give us? He's the village head; if he speaks, we can't even dream of any benefits; anyone who dares disobey will definitely face consequences." Yang Jiefang laughed, "When you used to work odd jobs for my family, you were paid by the day. Now you're risking your lives to guard Zhao Jinyuan's house, and you don't even get paid? Is this how your paternal uncles treat you nephews and nieces?" Zhao Changgen was taken aback by the question, muttering, "What kind of uncle is he? We're long past the fifth degree of kinship, completely unrelated." He then lowered his head.

Zhao Changming explained, "We're not just protecting his family. If Master Shan really gets into the village, who can guarantee he won't target us? The village head's house has high walls and a large courtyard, so it's not easy to break in; but we're just small families, and he could easily break in. We only have these jars and pots at home, we can't afford to lose them!" His words were quite true, and his insight impressed Yang Jiefang.

Yang Jiefang changed the subject, saying, "What about me? You can trust me, right? I'm only seeking revenge on Zhao Jinyuan's family. Even if you're not his brothers, we're all from the same village, and I would never harm the innocent. But right now you're all guarding Zhao Jinyuan's house. What will happen then? Even if you want to stay out of it, if Zhao Jinyuan speaks up, will you listen to him or not?" This really stumped Zhao Changming and the other two, who asked blankly, "Then what do you suggest we do?"

Yang Jiefang felt it was time to take drastic measures, and said fiercely, "Zhao Jinyuan caused my family to be destroyed and my family to die. I must avenge this. I am determined to kill Zhao Jinyuan. Anyone who tries to stop me will be killed. If your security team protects Zhao Jinyuan, then we will have no choice but to fight each other with knives and guns. When it comes to life and death, don't blame me for being merciless."

Zhao Changming and his group were all genuine farmers; they could easily get into a fight, but they certainly wouldn't go so far as to kill someone. Yan Donglai, however, was different. Nicknamed the "Living Yama," his fighting ability was another matter, but his menacing aura was undeniably intimidating. Zhao Changming and his gang simply didn't have the guts to confront him directly with weapons.

Yang Jiefang continued, "One of us, Zhao Jinyuan or I, is going to die. If I die, it'll just be another grave. You won't gain anything, nor will it harm you; you can continue living your miserable lives. But if I kill Zhao Jinyuan, you'll make a fortune!"

Zhao Changming and the others were naturally puzzled. Yang Jiefang explained, "Your families all owe him money, the kind of debt that you have to pay off every year; the kind that your sons have to pay after your father dies, your grandsons after your sons die, and you have to keep paying off the debt as long as the whole family isn't wiped out. But have you thought about it? If the creditor is gone, who will come after you? If no one is coming after you, wouldn't your families be much more relaxed?" Zhao Changming shook his head and said, "Zhao Jinyuan is dead, but he still has brothers and sons. This debt won't disappear."

Yang Jiefang replied, "Hmph, then kill them all. His brother Zhao Yinyuan and son Zhao Changren are no good either; they deserve to die. When the time comes, I'll find all their account books and IOUs, and burn them in front of everyone. Without the IOUs, why should you pay your debts?" The men were intrigued. Being debt-free was a blessing; who wanted to carry a lifetime of debt?

Seeing their reaction, Yang Jiefang continued, "That's the first benefit. There's a second. Each of you rents land from Zhao Jinyuan's family, paying hefty rents every year. What if I burned all those land deeds? Without the deeds, it's unclaimed land, and whoever cultivates it owns it. How can I collect rent from you then?" Zhao Changming retorted, "No way, the government wouldn't keep records. That land isn't ours after all." Yang Jiefang shook his head, "You've misunderstood. Let's not even talk about whether the government's records still exist after all these years of war; even if they do, in the government's records, was Zhao Jinyuan's land his? For example, my land, although Zhao Jinyuan took it, he certainly didn't register it with the government; in the government's records, that land is still ours." They could understand this and couldn't help but nod. Yang Jiefang continued, “Zhao Jinyuan’s family didn’t originally own this much land, and your families’ ancestors did own land as well. It’s just that Zhao Jinyuan’s family used all sorts of underhanded means to acquire all of it. That’s why his family has so much land, while your families have none. Just like our family now, although that land is in Zhao Jinyuan’s hands, it hasn’t been registered with the government, so it doesn’t count.”

Zhao Changzhi agreed, "Isn't that right? My grandfather's generation and Zhao Jinyuan's family were related by blood, sharing the same ancestor, and they all owned land. But later, they lost all their land; it all went to Zhao Jinyuan's family. It would be strange if there wasn't something fishy going on!" Land is the lifeblood of farmers; it's hereditary and not something people easily sell. Most people in Zhao Family Village are surnamed Zhao, meaning they all originated from the same ancestor. It's understandable for people with different surnames to lack land, but the Zhao family shouldn't be without land; even if they received less when the family divided, they shouldn't be without land. But now, most Zhao families also lack land; it's all in the hands of Zhao Jinyuan and a very small number of others. This is abnormal.

Yang Jiefang continued, "There's another situation you don't know. Many landlords, to avoid taxes, will conceal a lot of land from the government, or secretly transfer the land registration to other people. When the time comes, find their land deeds and examine them carefully, and you'll see. In short, the land is still the same land, you can continue to cultivate it, but when it comes time to collect rent, that's when things will get serious. If you can't produce the land deeds, how can you collect rent? As long as you all unite, you shouldn't be afraid of not being able to resist." Zhao Changming and the others were already tempted, each bowing their heads in deep thought. Land! For a farmer, once they have land, they wouldn't trade it for a mountain of gold. But to obtain land through murder is always a hurdle they can't overcome.

Yang Jiefang continued, "Besides these two benefits, there's a third, tangible one." Zhao Changming and the other two looked up at Yang Jiefang, waiting for him to continue. Yang Jiefang smiled and said, "I know roughly what's going on in your families. You don't have much stored grain. When the lean season comes, you'll have to borrow food to survive. But Zhao Jinyuan's granary is definitely overflowing, just waiting for you to suffer famine. Think about it, who among you hasn't gone hungry? If you help me kill Zhao Jinyuan, then without a doubt, you'll all get a share of that grain. I guarantee your families will safely get through next year's famine!" Zhao Changgen and Zhao Changzhi looked at Zhao Changming, waiting for him to make a decision. But their eager eyes had already indicated that they had already made their choice.

Yang Jiefang frowned slightly. There were still some concerns. After thinking for a moment, he added, "You don't need to do the killing yourself; we brothers will handle it. Don't worry about any trouble! I did it, and whoever investigates in the future, pin it on me. It has nothing to do with you. In short, I'll bear the blame, and everyone gets the benefits!"

Chen Ergou couldn't help but jump up and shout, "What are you waiting for? Just do it! Yang Jiefang, if you don't mind my lack of skills, count me in, I'll work with you." Wang Dali hummed in agreement and nodded in agreement. Zhao Changgui also spoke up, "Brother Changming, the Yang family's affairs are my affairs. No matter what you choose, I'm definitely going to do it."

Zhao Changming feigned composure, but his heart was already pounding with excitement. He asked, "It's not impossible for us to work with you. But by then, Zhao Jinyuan will be finished, and what will we do if Master Shan comes knocking on our door again?"

Yang Jiefang suddenly realized that it wasn't that his mobilization skills were lacking, but that he had overlooked the factor of "Master Shan." Zhao Changming's constant focus on "Master Shan" as an external threat showed that he was a decisive and far-sighted person, which explained why he could become the leader of their group. Knowing the problem actually made things simpler. Yang Jiefang laughed, "Master Shan has men and guns, but do you think I don't have any backers? Hou Fei, tell them how many men and guns we have on the mountain." Hou Fei, who had been holding back for a long time, said, "About five hundred men and three hundred guns. Once the name of our leader, Black Widow, is revealed, forget about Master Shan, even the county magistrate would have to give way." Yang Jiefang added, "We originally thought that Zhao Jinyuan's family only had four lackeys, so that's why we only sent a few people. Don't think we only have a few people! With Master Shan's small force, you can't afford to mess with him in Zhao Family Village, but we won't take him seriously. If you follow me today and help me get revenge, we can deal with Master Shan together later. How about it, we're both stronger than that Zhao Jinyuan, right?"

Zhao Changming finally made up his mind, slammed his fist on the table, and said, "Fine! We'll work with you. Tell us what to do!"