Chapter 12: Gathering, Millennium Warning

The front yard of the Meng family was divided into left and right sides, separated by a stone path, with flowers planted on the left and trees on the right.

Meng Lianfa liked to put a lamp on the stone table under the osmanthus tree to have dinner when the weather was good.

His hair was gray but thick, his big eyes were bright, he was not greedy like his son, he looked a bit thin, he wore a padded jacket, his sleeves were rolled up, and his dinner was very simple, often two or three small dishes.

Because his son and grandson went out to eat today, and his daughter-in-law was full after a bowl of sweet porridge, Meng Lianfa was too lazy to make more.

It was just a plate of pickled vegetables and bacon stir-fried with rice cakes, and then a pot of fragrant tea.

Just now his son came back and passed by here, and even drank half a bowl of his tea, complaining that it was not the top-grade Pu'er in the study.

Hey, what's so good about that Pu'er? Among the tea produced locally in Yizhou, this mist-top golden thread fragrant tea is a unique one. After brewing, every tea leaf looks like it's made of gold.

Pu'er is used to entertain those old things who have no taste but love face. Only those who are truly close will Meng Lianfa be willing to share the golden thread fragrant tea he buys every year.

Meng Lianfa was holding the hot tea and savoring it when he saw two men guarding the sentry tower in the backyard walking quickly along the outer wall, jumping into the yard, their expressions a bit strange.

"Master, Shopkeeper Ma is looking for you at the back door."

Meng Lianfa stood up in surprise: "Ma Shi, why come from the back door?"

While speaking, he had already strode through the main room.

After passing through the middle courtyard and walking through the back row of large houses from the side corridor, he reached the backyard.

Many guards had already stood in the backyard. Seeing him come, they called him Master and dispersed a little.

Shopkeeper Ma and Chu Tianshu had already entered the door. A rotten straw mat was placed on the ground in the backyard, on which lay a black-clothed corpse, the wound on the neck was charred black, and the whole body was bloody.

When Meng Lianfa saw this, he knew why Shopkeeper Ma came from the back door, and he also knew why the guards looked abnormal.

"Brother Ma, Doctor Chu."

Meng Lianfa had met Chu Tianshu twice, and he went straight to the point as soon as he clasped his fists. "What is going on?"

Shopkeeper Ma said bluntly: "This is a scout for robbers, a sorcerer from Vietnam. His appearance in the town means that a group of Vietnam robbers is already scouting outside the town."

"I notified the militia to be on guard, and I want to borrow your face to invite several big families in the town to gather."

Meng Lianfa's face changed slightly, and he said to several guards: "Go and invite the town mayor and the old masters of the Zhu and Tan families, saying that I have a matter of great urgency, and I hope they will come to my mansion to see me."

Several guards looked at each other and turned to leave, each choosing a direction.

Chu Tianshu saw that their movements were quite agile, not knowing whether they had opened their orifices or what their level was, but this ability to flip over walls and run was not inferior to some parkour masters he had seen on video.

Comparing the physical quality of the few people in the militia, it seemed that they were not as good as these guards.

Thinking about it, the people in the militia were just local young and strong men, selected and slightly trained.

These guards hired by big families were mostly people who had practiced hard in the escort industry since childhood, licked blood on the edge of a knife, and were hired with heavy money.

"Those people must come from the front yard, bring the corpse to the front yard, and let them take a look."

Meng Lianfa made a gesture of invitation and led the way on the side. "Ma Shi, you usually don't show your true skills to others, even hiding it from Doctor Chu, a peer who lives in your restaurant. Now it seems that the two of you have communicated?"

Shopkeeper Ma said: "I'm just afraid of trouble, not that I can't see people. Since the situation is like this, it doesn't matter if I'm exposed."

Chu Tianshu asked curiously: "Factory Manager Meng trusts Shopkeeper Ma so much, the friendship between the two is not ordinary?"

"It's not friendship, it's kindness."

Meng Lianfa said solemnly, "I didn't know people well back then, and I married a woman with a vicious heart as a concubine, which almost harmed the whole family. Thanks to Ma Shi's action, the great kindness is still hard to repay."

Shopkeeper Ma shook his head and said: "If you were deceived by beauty, that has nothing to do with me. But she, as a person who has practiced magic, could have a foothold and a skill wherever she went, but she insisted on performing magic to harm people and take unrighteous wealth."

"Such things, since I can manage, how can I stand by and watch?"

Shopkeeper Ma was usually very friendly, with a round face and a smile.

But when it came to the part about practitioners harming the innocent, his flower-like eyebrows raised, and every eyebrow seemed to lift upward, thick eyebrows like swallow tails.

Only the eyebrows changed, but the feeling his whole face gave people was immediately very different.

A round face could have such a strong temperament, clearly hating those who use evil arts to harm people.

While talking, the crowd had arrived at the front hall.

The old butler sent a few cups of fragrant tea, and Meng Lianfa invited the two to sit and taste.

Chu Tianshu drank a cup of hot tea, and before he could say how the tea tasted, his stomach rumbled, and his face couldn't help but feel a little hot.

He ate the clay pot snake meat, which was less than his usual dinner portion.

Although the battle with the man in black was short, it consumed a lot of physical strength, his body was steaming with heat, and he had no chance to return to the restaurant to make up for his dinner afterward.

"This robber was beheaded by Doctor Chu, and the consumption is great."

Shopkeeper Ma's face did not change, saying, "Old Meng, if your kitchen has fish, meat, or anything, bring some."

Meng Lianfa said: "Yes, yes, I will have someone take it."

Chu Tianshu's demeanor became generous and natural, and he clasped his fists to thank him.

The main hall originally had screens on the left and right, and behind the left screen was an eight-immortal table.

Chu Tianshu turned behind the screen to eat. The first things served were two plates of pastries. He couldn't say what filling was inside, but it was sweet and fragrant, not choking.

Then came braised beef and braised mutton, both sliced and served on plates. Chu Tianshu was eating when he heard the sound of carriages and horses outside the door, followed by the exclamations of several old men.

"What's going on? Why is there a dead person here?"

"Brother Meng, what do you mean by showing us this?"

Chu Tianshu looked back through the screen and vaguely saw three old men enter the door, each with attendants.

Meng Lianfa invited them to sit down and talked about the origin of the corpse and that there were robbers scouting outside the town.

Meng Lianfa said it very heavily, but Chu Tianshu heard the sound of someone sighing in relief.

"Just this?"

An old man said, "Brother Meng, you have also seen it. Mountain bandits and bandits, which year don't they make a few troubles? They can only rob those small villages."

"Daring to come to our town, they can't rob a few ordinary people. The militia can arrive, and a burst of gunfire will scare them away."

Meng Lianfa said: "Town Mayor..."

Another old man interrupted him: "Brother Meng, you wouldn't have said something of great urgency just for this, making us rush over overnight?"

"And putting a dead person at the door for us to see is really unlucky and too unparticular."

The town mayor was a bit suspicious: "Brother Meng, tell the truth, do you want to borrow a reason for us to pay for the militia?"

According to the newspaper, the militia set up in the territory of the Han Military Government was originally a reserve of formal soldiers, and the military pay should be issued by the official family, which was slightly inferior to formal soldiers.

But not to mention that the governor has been changed now, even when the former governor was there, the military expenditure was not enough to take care of the militia.

Therefore, if a town's militia wants to have real strength, the rewards for training and the expenses for buying equipment are basically decided by the big families in the town and supplied together.

In this small town, among the big families of Meng, Lu, Zhu, and Tan, the Lu family is the town mayor, but the Meng family is the most generous.

A few years ago, a Master Zhong from another place came, with very good fist and foot skills, and showed a hand on the street.

At that time, Meng Lianfa met him a few times and hired Master Zhong to help train the militia.

Master Zhong said that if the new fire guns are not practiced more, they are useless.

The Meng family took the lead and let several big families buy a batch of ammunition together to train the town's militia.

Although that batch of ammunition didn't stay in the hands of the militia for long, it was moved back by each family.

But the militia knew who was good, so they naturally leaned toward the Meng family.

"It's not impossible to pay."

The town mayor picked up the tea cup at this time, took a sip, and said slowly, "However, the so-called teacher is famous, and I am the one who hangs the name of the town mayor."

"This time, if we want to pay for the militia, it should be considered that my Lu family took the lead when we go to the stage to speak, which is reasonable."

Shopkeeper Ma opened his mouth: "Several old masters, you have to be clear, this group of people is not the villagers who hold axes and pitchforks, they are marauders from Vietnam."

"The militia has a total of more than thirty people, and there are less than ten new fire guns. The significance of scaring people is far greater than the actual lethality, but can they scare the marauders who have crossed the border?"

"Besides, Old Zhong went back to his hometown to sweep the grave a few days ago. Without him leading, the militia's dispatch ability will drop another notch."

"Do you think that if those people really kill into the town, they will be satisfied with robbing some ordinary people and let you families go?"

The town mayor put the tea cup on the table with a clatter: "Old Ma, your words are a bit unpleasant. Although you opened a restaurant, you are just an outsider..."

Meng Lianfa patted the table: "Old Lu, show some respect. The incident that happened to my family back then was solved by Ma Shi."

The living room suddenly became quiet, and there was a subtle silence for a while.

The town mayor coughed lightly: "So Shopkeeper Ma is a mage. Look, this is really a leaf covering the eyes, not seeing Mount Tai."

An old man rounded the field: "Shopkeeper Ma is hiding in the world. A master, a true master, must be knowledgeable. Since this is the case, you can directly say a chapter."

Shopkeeper Ma said: "I want you families to divide half of the guards, and recently coordinate with the militia to patrol the town."

"If something happens, everyone will take care of each other and can immediately support, which is the only way to protect our town."

The town mayor pondered: "Shopkeeper Ma's words are good, but if these robbers are really so fierce, why not ask Brother Meng to send someone to the city for help?"

A sneer in Shopkeeper Ma's throat couldn't be suppressed.

"You can send someone, but it may not be in time."

Shopkeeper Ma said, "Besides, after the people sent enter the city, how much money does he have to take to see the military officer in charge as soon as possible."

"And let them put down their work to support, how many twists and turns are there, how long does it take, who can say for sure?"

If asking for help in a big city was so easy, why would there be those militias, and why would they spend heavy money to hire those guards?

Several big families drank tea and made sounds, and none of them spoke for the time being.

Chu Tianshu listened to their nonsense and was annoyed, swallowed the beef in his mouth, and made a sound.

"Do you think that even if those robbers are fiercer than others, they will be consumed by the militia first, and then rob in the town."

"When they find your door, you rely on high walls and thick tiles, guards to hold on, and you can still make them retreat in the face of difficulties, at worst you can point the way for them and say whose defense is emptier."

"Heh, doing this is safer than dividing guards, right?"

The warning that the lips are dead and the teeth are cold can be long-lasting, because even if you say it for a thousand years, there are still a lot of people who step on the wrong path!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 13 =====