Chapter 544: Second Uncle, Enough

The shopkeeper gave him a glance: "Government grain storehouse."

The few of them all changed expression.

Daoba slapped the table: "The government's grain storehouse? Could those caravans actually be disguised as the government?"

Xiao Er was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "That move is truly poisonous."

Lu Qi nodded: "They want us to have silver in hand yet still can't buy grain."

Tuan Tuan clenched her little fist: "It's those two villains again, right?"

Xiao Er nodded: "It must be."

Daoba furrowed his brow: "But what method can we have?"

Lu Qi said, "If we could make all the common folk know the truth, that would be fine, but such a matter cannot be clarified by just a mouth."

Tuan Tuan's eyes flickered: "If it's unclear, just show them!"

"Show?" Daoba was startled, "How to show? That's the government's grain storehouse! We can't just forcefully seize it, can we?"

Xiao Er's mind stirred, he leaned toward Tuan Tuan's ear and whispered, "Miss, do you have a method?"

Tuan Tuan giggled, "Second Uncle, if I could make the names of the villains grow all over every grain sack, so everyone can see them, would that be good?"

The shopkeeper was taken aback: "That's a good method."

"Those grains are all bought from various grain shops; to distinguish their goods, the shops print their own brand on the grain sacks."

"As soon as the grain storehouse doors open wide, the people will see at a glance."

"But how could that be possible?"

"They've stockpiled so much grain; they can't sneak in at night and write on each sack with a pen, can they?"

Xiao Er smiled: "If my Miss says it can be done, then it certainly can."

"The current difficulty is how to get everyone to the grain storehouse to witness it with their own eyes."

Lu Qi thought for a moment: "Let's hand this matter over to the Tianji Pavilion and the Ma Gang, what do you think, Daoba?"

Daoba pounded his chest: "I'll go back and call all the brothers! But what shall we do?"

Lu Qi gave a mischievous smile.

Tuan Tuan tilted her little head and looked at him: "Seventh Uncle, you smile like a villain!"

Lu Qi replied indifferently: "Lord Master, when dealing with evildoers, how can we speak of benevolence and morality? That's just making things unpleasant for ourselves."

"When the grain storehouse doors open, Lord Master, you just let the words appear on those grain sacks."

Tuan Tuan clapped her little hands: "Alright! But what words should grow?"

Xiao Er lowered his head and whispered a sentence into her ear.

Tuan Tuan's eyes lit up: "Second Uncle, you're awesome!"

Early morning a few days later, the sky was just dimly bright.

The tofu seller Lao Zhang pushed open the door, stopped his foot, and saw several sheets of paper lying on the ground at the doorway.

He picked up one, flipped it over and over for a long time, not recognizing a single character.

"Damn it! Come see what this is!"

His wife took it, also dumbfounded: "How would I know? What does it say up there?"

The neighboring butcher Wang Tuh stuck his head out: "You have some too? I have several at my door!"

The opposite-door Liu Pozi clutched the paper and ran over: "Did you all look? What exactly does it say?"

Several people stared wide‑eyed, and a scholar carrying a bookcase passed the alley entrance.

Lao Zhang grabbed him: "Scholar sir! Please take a look, what does it say up here?"

The scholar took the paper, glanced at it, was stunned, then examined it again, his complexion changed.

"It says here, everyone should go immediately to the government's grain storehouse, open the granary and release grain, no money needed, each person can claim a month's worth of food!"

"What?"

"Release grain? No money?"

"A month's food?"

"Old Heaven Lord! Is this true or false?"

The scholar shook his head: "It is written exactly like that; whether it's true, I don't know."

Wang Tuh snatched the paper, though he couldn't understand it, he kept flipping it over and over, as if reading it more would somehow grow a few more jin of grain.

"Regardless of truth, go see it first!"

"Right! Go see!"

The news spread like wildfire, racing through the whole city.

Scores of people bolted toward the grain storehouse, shouting as they ran: "The storehouse is releasing grain! No money! Each person can claim a month's food! Everyone hurry!"

Almost the entire city's populace surged toward the grain storehouse.

The sky just brightened, and in front of the government grain storehouse a dense black crowd was already packed.

Lao Zhang squeezed to the front, stretched his neck to look inside.

Liu Pozi was jostled by the crowd, swaying east and west, yet she clutched the paper tightly, refusing to let go.

Wang Tuh simply planted his shoulder pole on the ground and tiptoed forward to look.

The grain storehouse doors were tightly shut.

Several soldiers guarding the entrance turned pale from the commotion.

"Villagers! There's no grain release! Everything on that paper is false!"

"False?" someone shouted, holding up the paper, "It's been delivered to everyone's door, how could it be false?"

Several guards, anxious, rubbed their hands: "It's truly not there! Why won't you believe?"

So, does the granary actually have any grain?

Then you say, is there actually grain in the granary or not?

The guard opened his mouth, but no words came out.

The guard opened his mouth but couldn't say anything.

The crowd erupted in an uproar.

The crowd instantly erupted.

He wouldn't dare say it! There's definitely something shady!

He doesn't dare say it! There must be something fishy!

Exactly! It's not a famine year, so why are we forced to buy grain every three days?

Exactly! It's not a famine year, so why keep making us buy grain every three days?

Yes! Open the door! Let everyone see!

Right! Open the door! Let everyone have a look!

A contingent hurried over, headed by a middle-aged man in official garb.

A group of people rushed over in a hurry, led by a middle-aged man wearing official robes.

The guards relaxed and bowed, saying, "Prefect!"

The guards all breathed a sigh of relief and saluted, saying, "Sir Magistrate!"

The prefect mounted the stone steps before the granary gate, his authority evident, and boomed, "What's all this fuss?"

The Magistrate mounted the stone steps before the granary door, full of official authority, and shouted loudly, "What's the commotion?"

The crowd fell slightly silent.

The crowd quieted down a bit.

He looked over the crowd and declared, "I never ordered any grain to be released! That notice is a lie!"

He scanned the crowd: "This official never ordered grain to be released! What's written on that paper is all fake!"

Someone is behind this, causing trouble!

This matter is someone stirring up trouble behind the scenes!

I will strictly investigate those responsible and punish them without leniency!

I will definitely investigate those involved strictly and punish them without mercy!

Now go home, and don't believe hearsay!

All right, disperse now—don't listen to rumors!

The crowd exchanged glances.

The people looked at each other.

Someone muttered quietly, "If it's fake, does the granary actually have any grain?"

Someone muttered quietly: "Fake? Then is there actually grain in the granary or not?"

I don't know, never mind, let's head back; the prefect is out himself, so it must be genuine.

I don't know, forget it, let's go back—the Magistrate has come out himself, so it must be true.

Seeing the crowd start to waver, the prefect hardened his face and warned, "Anyone who continues to stir up trouble will be punished according to the law!"

Seeing the crowd begin to hesitate, the Magistrate put on a stern face: "Whoever dares to cause trouble again will be dealt with severely according to the law!"

The crowd grew hesitant, and some began to turn away.

The crowd grew a little fearful, and some had already turned to leave.

At that moment, a loud, gruff voice shouted from the crowd:

Just then, a loud, rough voice suddenly rang out from the crowd:

What are you punishing us for? We just want to see if there's grain in the granary—what law have we broken?

What are you going to punish us for? We just want to see whether there's actually grain in the granary—what law have we broken?

The crowd looked in the direction of the voice and saw a scar-faced man standing with his arms akimbo, eyes bulging.

The crowd followed the sound and saw a man with a scar on his face standing there with his hands on his hips, his eyes wide open.

A few other husky men in the crowd joined in, shouting, "Exactly! Let's see what's happening!"

Several other burly men in the crowd also shouted loudly: "Right! Let's see what's going on!"

If there's grain, why won't you let us look? What are you hiding?

If there's grain, why won't you let us see? What are you up to?

The scarred man waved his hand and said, "No! If you won't let us see, we'll just take a look ourselves!"

Daoba waved his hand: "No way! If you don't let us see today, we'll just come in ourselves!"

He and a few men surged forward, pushing the crowd, which immediately became agitated again.

He, together with a few men, surged forward, pushing the crowd along, and the crowd immediately became restless again.

Open the door! Open the door!

Open the door! Open the door!

We won't leave unless you open the door!

If you don't open it, we're not leaving!

The prefect's face darkened: "You're revolting!"

The Magistrate's face turned ashen: "You're rebelling!"

The scarred man paid him no heed, bellowing, "All together now! Ram the door open! Let's see if there's any grain inside!"

Daoba completely ignored him, shouting at the top of his lungs: "Everyone, rush forward together! Smash the door open! Let's see whether there's actually grain inside!"

The Ma gang brothers led the charge, shouldered the gate, and rammed it hard.

The brothers of the Horse Gang were the first to charge forward, shoulders against the big door, and slammed into it hard.

Bang!

Bang!

The gate didn't move an inch.

The door didn't budge an inch.

More townspeople piled on, shouting, "Everyone, rush together!"

More townspeople surged forward: "Everyone, rush together!"

Bang! Bang!

Bang! Bang!

The soldiers tried to push back the surging crowd, but there were too many to stop.

The officials and soldiers shoved hard at the oncoming crowd, but there were simply too many, and they couldn't stop them at all.

Tuan Tuan snuggled in Xiao Er's arms, watching with glee: "Uncle Scar is awesome!"

Tuan Tuan nestled in Xiao Er's arms, watching with great delight: "Uncle Daoba is awesome!"

Xiao Er smiled and said, "Miss, it's your turn."

Xiao Er smiled: "Miss, it's your turn."

Mm-hmm. Tuan Tuan snuggled into his arms, lowered his head, untied the small embroidered pouch at his waist, pulled out a frayed brush tip, and murmured quietly.

"Mm-hmm." Tuan Tuan slipped into his embrace, lowered his head to untie the small embroidered pouch at his waist, pulled out a worn brush tip, and muttered softly.

He let go, a tiny light flickered, and the brush tip disappeared.

With a loosening of his small hand, a faint light flashed, and the brush tip vanished.

Tuan Tuan smiled, eyes narrowed, looked up at the tumultuous granary gate and said, "Uncle Two, it's done!"

Tuan Tuan smiled, squinting as he lifted his head to look at the chaotic granary door: "Second Uncle, all done!"