Volume 1 Chushan Bandits Chapter 39: Catching People and Making Fun
The North Village and the East and Central Villages are all located along the Qingliu Creek, while the South Village is located in the pass below the middle peak of Yuhuang Ridge. It is a small basin sunken in the middle of Yuhuang Ridge, three or four miles away from the North Village by mountain road. Currently, there are more than 400 people, including those with the Xu family and other surnames, living and breeding here.
It is said that the area near Nanzhai is suitable for farming, but as the population grows, each person has less than three acres of dry land. It is also far away from Qingliu Creek, and the harvest from the fields is limited. It is also the most miserable village among all the villages in Lutai.
Not only Xu Wujiang's family lived in Nanzhai, but also Xu Huai's family, Xu Wuliang, Xu Wukun, Xu Wuqi, and most of the old soldiers of the Xu family who returned home from the Jingsheng Army were all from Nanzhai.
To put it bluntly, they became bandits in their early years because of the hardship they suffered. As members of the direct branch of the Xu family, they did not receive any special treatment. At this time, half of the soldiers selected by the Xu family to join the Inspection Office were also from the South Camp.
Compared with the thick rammed earth protective wall of the northern village, which is about ten feet high, the southern village is much simpler. The low wall has not been repaired for many years and is collapsed in many places. Weeds are growing in the cracks. The village is full of naked children running around, most of whom are pale and skinny.
Just as Xu Huai led Xu Wufu and others to Xu Wujiang's house, Su Di personally invited the last Wuzu family to come over.
Xu Heng stopped her and asked, "Niang Di, Xu Wujiang's father is having a birthday party, and you invited my father to come over for a drink. Why are you acting like that?"
"What did that idiot Xu Huai say?" Su Di patted her smooth forehead and shouted, "It's Wu Jiang's father's birthday. Today is the day, so we have to invite the head of the family to come over for a drink - and it's rare to invite Miss Liu from Yue Hong Lou to come over to cheer. I knew that this idiot Xu Huai would mess up everything. I should have asked Xu Wuliang to go to the head of the family and the eldest son earlier!"
As she spoke, Su Di pretended to take out her handkerchief and yanked it towards Xu Huai, who was standing against the gate with a knife in his hand, and shouted, "I told you to be polite to the master, what nonsense are you talking about?"
"What did I say? Aunt Seventeen, you asked me to invite the head of the family to drink, and I said how could I find him in such a big place? You said the arrow tower is so high that I can see where the head of the family is with my eyes, so I went to the arrow tower, but Xu Heng was like a mad dog, yelling as soon as he saw me. How can I be blamed?" Xu Huai asked in a muffled voice.
"You have a broken mouth, can't you say a few words? Do you want to stuff it with something?" Su Di held a sweat towel and pretended to stuff it into Xu Huai's mouth. He turned around and apologized to Xu Wufu and Xu Heng, saying, "This fool, there is really nothing we can do about him. The head of the family, the eldest son, please don't take it to heart."
Xu Heng was so angry that his face turned pale, but there were already many clansmen in the yard, all watching the fun with a smile. They knew that he was in the wrong for arguing with Xu Huai, a fool, so they turned their faces away and said nothing.
Of course, Su Di's attitude at this time also made him believe that Xu Wujiang did not suspect anything. He was just dissatisfied because they did not help when Deng Gui arranged for them to guard Qingxi Village.
Xu Zhongyu, the head of the Nanzhai family, was of the same generation as Xu Bosong and Xu Wujiang's father. He was an elder in his sixties and the only wealthy Xu family in Nanzhai. Xu Zhongyu usually couldn't sit with Xu Wujiang's family, but when he saw Xu Wufu coming, he also rushed over with his sons and nephews.
Xu Wujiang's father panicked when faced with the situation, but he was usually a dull person and could not utter a few words while sitting aside. Others did not think there was anything strange about it, but Liu Qiong'er sat beside him and chatted and laughed.
Xu Huai held the knife in both hands, standing against the door frame, his head almost touching the door lintel. Su Di pretended to drive him away several times, but he remained indifferent and looked at the expressions of everyone in the room unscrupulously.
The rumor that Liu Qiong'er was redeemed from Yuehonglou and her appearance in Lutainan Village today obviously made Xu Wufu and Xu Heng, father and son, believe that Xu Wujiang was bewitched by Lu Xiong and participated in protecting Wang Bin.
Liu Qiong'er had a soft voice and knew how to read other people's minds. Just when Xu Wufu and Xu Heng were sitting in their humble room, they felt like they were in spring breeze. Then, two farmhands came into the yard in panic, squeezed past Xu Huai and shouted, "Xu Wujiang has surrendered to the bandits. Lord Deng has sent Tang Tiande to Lutai Village to arrest him!"
"What? Join the bandits? Join which bandits?" Xu Wufu stood up in shock.
"I don't know what's going on, but Tang Tiande and his men are already rushing towards the South Village!" the farmhand reported.
Xu Wufu's face suddenly darkened and he looked at Su Di gloomily.
How could he still think that there was nothing strange about the birthday celebration at this moment?
"Wu Jiang led people to guard Qingxi Village, how could he surrender to the bandits? It must be a slander!" Su Di was also very upset that day. She reacted like a wife should after hearing the bad news, and shouted, "Who is talking nonsense? I'll tear his dog mouth apart! Tang Tiande and Wu Jiang didn't get along in the military camp. Wu Jiang and his men were in Qingxi Village. Whether they surrendered to the bandits or not, they went to Qingxi Village to capture people. Why did they come to Lutai Village?"
Except for Xu Wuliang, Xu Wukun, Xu Wuqi, Xu Zhongyu and others, most of the people in and outside the room were Wuzu's family members, and they were suddenly in a panic.
"Why are you so flustered? Nothing is clear yet. Let me go see Tang Tiande." Xu Wufu said in a deep voice.
Xu Wufu didn't know the details of the matter, so he led his men towards the dilapidated gate of the village, wanting to wait for Tang Tiande to come and ask him questions before saying anything else.
Tang Tiande brought his men over, and of course he wanted to control Xu Wujiang's parents, father-in-law, and brother-in-law as soon as possible. After crossing Qingliu Creek, they bypassed the North Village and headed straight for the South Village.
Xu Wufu received a message from a farmhand and rushed to the gate of the village. He saw Tang Tiande riding a tall horse and leading more than 20 soldiers to the gate.
Of course, Lutai Village usually has dozens of villagers, and it is impossible for them to allow people to break into Yuhuang Ridge without doing anything. At this time, there are also twenty or thirty people rushing over here, each holding a sword and bow.
Xu Wufu is a clerk in the state government and the head of the Xu family. He looks down on Tang Tiande from the bottom of his heart. Even if he has no intention of supporting the Xu Wujiang family, as the patriarch of the family, he cannot lose face in front of his clan members.
He stood at the gate of the village with his hands on his hips, questioning Tang Tiande's purpose of coming: "Why did you ask Tang Dutou to come to Lutai Village today?"
"Lord Xu," Tang Tiande reined in his horse. Xu Wufu was not of the upper class, but he still addressed him respectfully as "Lord," and said, "Lord Deng ordered Xu Wujiang to guard Qingxi Village yesterday, but he did not expect that he and more than 20 soldiers would defect to the bandits in Hutou Village. Lord Deng ordered me to capture Xu Wujiang and the soldiers' families and bring them back to the military camp to help investigate the case!"
"How is it possible? How could Xu Wujiang defect to the bandits?"
"It must be nonsense. Maybe someone is slandering me?"
"My man is a coward by nature. Even if Xu Wujiang joins the bandits, won't he follow him?"
As soon as Tang Tiande said this, it immediately caused a stir among the soldiers' families.
"I wonder what evidence Mr. Deng has?" Xu Wufu asked with a gloomy face.
"Yesterday, Xu Wujiang was ordered by Lord Deng to lead his soldiers to guard Qingxi Village. Lord Deng strictly ordered him not to fight recklessly. However, after arriving at Qingxi Village, he led his soldiers to Hutouling and did not return until evening. Qingxi Village sent people to check, and found no one and no corpse except a mess of blood. How could this not be that they have all joined the bandits?" Tang Tiande said loudly.
"Oh my God, my husband and his men were killed by bandits, and their bodies were never found. Deng Gui and my husband have always had a grudge against each other, and not only did he not receive any compensation, he even accused my husband of joining the bandits. Where is justice?" Deng Gui deliberately arranged for Xu Wujiang and his men to die. Su Di was angry and resentful. She gritted her teeth when she said these words, and angrily said to Xu Wufu, "Please ask the head of the family to make a decision for my husband and report to the state government to clear my husband's name!"
After hearing what Tang Tiande said, Xu Wufu vaguely guessed what was going on. However, Su Di and her family were grief-stricken and angry, so how could he tell them the truth ?
"Since no one is found and no body is dead, isn't it a bit hasty for Mr. Deng to say that Xu Wujiang and the others have surrendered to the bandits?" Xu Wufu carefully considered his words and questioned Tang Tiande slowly and methodically.
"Whether it is true or not, Mr. Deng will find out. I am just here on orders to capture Xu Wujiang's parents and the family members of the other soldiers and bring them back to the Inspection Office to assist in the investigation." Tang Tiande didn't know the truth and thought that Xu Wufu was deliberately making excuses, so he said in a cold voice without giving in.
"It's okay to just assist in the investigation." Xu Heng glanced at Su Di sinisterly and said.
"What bullshit are you talking about! If you help me investigate your uncle, I will chop you to death today!" Xu Huai walked forward, kicked Xu Heng so hard that he left the room with a kick, cursed at him, and pulled out a knife to chop at Xu Heng.
"How dare you be so rude and violent!"
"What are you doing?"
Xu Wuqi, Xu Wukun and others also reacted quickly. They rushed to protect Xu Heng, held down the knife at their waist, and ordered Xu Huai to put away the knife and retreat to the back.
"How dare you draw your sword against me, you bastard!"
With so many armed farmhands around, Xu Heng was not afraid that Xu Huai would really commit murder and hurt people, but Xu Huai's kick on his thigh and hip was like an iron pillar hitting him, making him feel as if his thigh and hip bones were broken. The pain was excruciating, and he couldn't get up from the ground for a long time. His chest was raging with rage, and he yelled wildly at Xu Wuqi, Xu Wukun and the others.
"A good dog never bites its master. This dog has gone mad. Chop it up for me!"
"Young Master, why are you arguing with this fool?" Xu Wukun helped Xu Heng up and also held him, trying to stop him from drawing his sword and confronting Xu Huai head-on, and persuaded him.
Xu Wuqi took off his sword, glanced at Xu Wuliang who was watching the excitement in the crowd, and pointed the sword and sheath at Xu Huai: "You bastard, back off, don't ask me to take action."
"Deng Gui slandered my husband and said he joined the bandits. The eldest master did not seek justice, but wanted to send us women and children to prison. You are so mean. What are you talking about?"
Su Di walked over without hesitation, stood in front of Xu Wuqi, and asked harshly,
"Are you waiting for Deng Gui to kill us women and children, throw our bodies into the Huai River, and then accuse us of joining the bandits? Xu Wuqi, if you have the guts, draw your sword and chop me to death here."
Today's strategy is that Xu Huai will be responsible for the unreasonable part, while Su Di and the others will be responsible for the reasonable part; of course, even if they are reasonable, the momentum cannot be weak.
Xu Wuqi had no way to deal with Su Di, so he retreated to Xu Wufu and let him make the decision.
"My man is dead and his body has not been found. What nonsense are you talking about, young master? How can you let the police arrest us and interrogate us at random? What crime have we committed?" A group of young people were also very angry. They came forward and followed Su Di to grab Xu Heng and question him.
Someone also pulled out the head of the Nanzhai, Xu Zhongyu, and said, "Young Master, please move your elbows out. Uncle, you are the head of our Nanzhai. You need to stand up and speak for justice."
Whether it is the head of the household or the village head, they are all selected from the wealthy families in the upper branch of the Xu family. The head of the family, Xu Wufu, is elected by all branches and families to manage the family property and business. If he really turns his elbow out, the clan members will not be able to accept it silently.
Tang Tiande looked at everything in front of him and said to Xu Wufu, "I am here on the orders of Lord Deng. Lord Xu, please don't make things difficult for me."
Xu Wufu's face was uncertain. He waved to Xu Zhongyu to discuss the matter. "We can't let the police arrest people at will, but since Deng Langjun insisted that Xu Wujiang had joined the bandits, it must be true. Should we ask Tang Tiande to take Wujiang's father and Di Niang to the Inspection Office first? The sooner we can find out the truth, the sooner we can clear Wujiang and his family's name, right?"
"Master, what do you mean by this?" Su Di heard it clearly and asked in a fierce voice, "Wu Jiang's father, can this body withstand the disaster of prison? You tried every means to plot against me back then, but I was unwilling to become your concubine. Are you here today to seek revenge?"
"Oniang, what nonsense are you talking about ?" Xu Wufu scolded with a dark face.
Tang Tiande looked at Su Di and sneered, "Mother Di, if you weren't guilty, why did you suddenly escape from the military camp yesterday? Today, no matter what you say, I will take my people away!"
"My father-in-law is celebrating his birthday today. How can it be a huge crime for me to go back to the village? Oh my God, since there is no justice, I, Su Di, would rather die here today than be slandered by you." Su Di shouted loudly and ran headfirst into a big tree next to him.
Su Di's father, Su Laochang, was right beside her and grabbed Su Di and said, "Wu Jiang didn't join the bandits, no one can slander him, why are you doing such a stupid thing?"
At this time, four or five women ran over in a panic and grabbed Su Di, fearing that she had done something stupid.
