Chapter 234: The Meng Siblings

Seizing the moment, Zhao Jin stepped out into the courtyard and spoke quietly to Liu Yong alone: "Tomorrow, find a dozen or so men you trust to come sign up. Place them in different posts and have them keep a tight watch on these new household recruits!"

Liu Yong nodded hurriedly. Only after giving these instructions did Zhao Jin return inside. Chen Hong had already arrived, rubbing his eyes. Looking at his younger brother's exhausted expression, Chen Sheng said in a low voice, "The family doesn't lack the wages you earn here, but if you work yourself sick, Grandfather, Father, and Mother will be heartbroken."

"Erhong, our operation is bigger now. You can't personally tend to every single thing. You can't just keep managing the accounts — you need to learn to manage people. That Zhou Xuezhi may be older than you, but he still answers to you," Zhao Jin added with a smile from the side.

Chen Hong yawned and nodded groggily. He was sharp as a tack when it came to money and accounts, but he seemed rather indifferent to everything else.

Zhao Jin, the Chen Sheng brothers, and Wang Zhaojing headed home together. After they walked out of the freight yard, Chen Sheng smiled and spoke up: "You've finally started using Grim Yan. If you'd put it off any longer, he probably would've taken his own life."

After that ambush, Grim Yan had been confined. In truth, he was still here in the freight yard, but his range of movement was limited to a single small courtyard.

Back when they were buying that Gao Family Village, Grim Yan had been quite in favor of it. When things went wrong, the suspicion on him was considerable. Now that it's been proven he had nothing to do with it, he can naturally be released and put to use.

When Zhao Jin got home, he found both his parents sitting at the dinner table waiting. His father, Zhao Zhentang, and his mother, He Cuihua, were both in low spirits. Seeing him return, his mother He Cuihua quickly stood up, saying she would have Zhao San and his wife reheat the food.

"When are you going to He Family Village?" Zhao Jin stopped his mother. Once he sat down, his father Zhao Zhentang asked bluntly.

Hearing this question, Zhao Jin understood why his parents' spirits were low, though they were much better than those first few days. He answered, "Once the new recruits are settled, we'll start moving toward He Family Village."

He paused, then added, "Father, don't speak of these matters outside. We don't want any trouble."

"You think I don't know that!" Zhao Zhentang snapped impatiently, then shook his head, softened his tone, and urged, "You must be extremely careful out there. I'll say it again — don't worry about the family. I can keep things secure here."

His mother He Cuihua dabbed at the corners of her eyes and said, her voice thick with tears, "It's so good inside Xuzhou city — there are city walls, there's the yamen…"

She was cut off mid-sentence by Zhao Zhentang, who raised his voice and scolded, "Long hair, short sense. What do you understand? He's built things up to this point — if he doesn't leave the city now, he'll become a thorn in the yamen's eye!"

In the past, He Cuihua's voice had usually been the louder one in the household, but this time she said nothing.

Zhao Zhentang understood in his heart as well. With his son having recruited so many men, staying inside the city was no longer possible. Zhao Jin was silent for a moment, then changed the subject: "Father, Mother, are there any young men in the Zhao and He families around my age — a bit older is fine too? I'd like to recruit some to come work for me."

Hearing this, husband and wife exchanged a glance. Zhao Zhentang nodded slowly and said, "With an operation as big as yours, you should have some of our own people watching over it. Do you still remember that Zhao Song? He's fourteen now, by the traditional count, and about to go off trading livestock. Working under you would be far better than suffering out there. I'll make a trip outside the city tomorrow. Quite a few Zhaos have wanted to seek refuge with you, but I've blocked them all. This is a good chance to bring them in."

"Father, it must be kept secret. We'll know they're family, but don't let outsiders know they're Zhaos," Zhao Jin reminded him.

Zhao Zhentang paused, a look of sudden understanding crossing his face.

His mother He Cuihua was also drawn away from her worries by this new topic. She thought for a moment and said, "Your uncle has a few cousins on his side. Dear, do you still remember He Zheng?"

"The one who often brings things over?" Zhao Zhentang nodded.

"That's him. Xiao Jin's uncle has sent word several times saying this He Zheng wants to come seek refuge with us, but I turned him away each time. Since Xiao Jin needs people, dear, you can go see about it tomorrow as well," He Cuihua continued.

Zhao Jin felt a bit embarrassed. He had met Zhao Song once, but he had never met this He Zheng at all. All these years he'd been focused solely on martial training and had spent very little time at home.

Before Zhao Jin could speak, He Cuihua continued, "Xiao Jin, don't assume relatives are necessarily reliable. Everyone has their own calculations. If they didn't, your father and I wouldn't have kept blocking them all this time."

Zhao Zhentang nodded repeatedly in agreement. The atmosphere in the room was no longer so heavy. Zhao Jin smiled and said, "Father, Mother, please rest assured. Your son has rules here. Even if the King of Heaven himself showed up, he'd have to follow your son's rules."

The household troops were bound by discipline and regulations; violators were punished. As long as someone wasn't utterly intractable, a few months of hardship would teach them to follow orders.

At this point, a thought suddenly struck Zhao Jin, and he quickly asked, "Mother, that He Family Village where Grandfather's family lives — it's not the same He Family Village I'm going to, is it?"

"What nonsense — careful I don't cut out your tongue. Our He family moved here from Yanzhou in Shandong. There's not the slightest connection between us and them," He Cuihua answered crossly.

Early the next morning, Zhao Zhentang left the city. Zhao Jin went to the freight yard bright and early. Though it was still a bit chilly, the warmth of spring was clearly palpable — a very comfortable feeling.

When he entered the freight yard area, Zhao Jin was startled again. It was already packed with people, most of them familiar faces — the able-bodied men who had come to sign up yesterday. They carried simple bedrolls on their backs and held their contract papers, their faces full of hope and nervousness. There were also quite a few unfamiliar faces, all asking around: "Are they still hiring today?"

Yesterday, Zhao Jin had thought some of those who signed up and were accepted might go home and have second thoughts. Seeing the scene now, he realized he might have been wrong.

"Big Brother, we've gotten way too popular." Once inside the freight yard's courtyard, Liu Yong said, his face brimming with delight.

Zhao Jin nodded with a smile. He had already figured out the reason. In the past, those who signed up had second thoughts because they didn't know Zhao Jin's capabilities or what the future held. But now everyone could see clearly: there were casualties and risks, but nothing was ever skimped, you could learn real skills and discipline, and you didn't have to worry about what happened if you died — the compensation was generous. With all that, of course no one would hesitate.

Before Zhao Jin arrived, Dong Bingfeng had already set out leading thirty household troops. He was going to rotate with Shi Manqiang over at He Family Village.

"Big Brother, the physician is seeing the patients in the small room next door. The younger sister has woken up. According to the physician, she's pulled through. A few days of medicine and then a slow recovery will do. The older brother, though — he has several festering sores. If left untreated, they'll cause trouble later. I had the physician prescribe medicine for him as well," Liu Yong continued.

Zhao Jin nodded and went with Liu Yong to that courtyard. According to Liu Yong, yesterday they had someone give the boy a bath and took all his clothes to the open ground to be burned. They also found two women to clean the younger sister thoroughly. Without such measures, infectious disease could easily spread.

Before they even entered the room, they heard the young boy cry out repeatedly in pain. Walking in, they saw two household troops holding the boy down while the physician scraped at his festering wounds with a short knife. As he worked, the physician said, "You're lucky. Master Jin is merciful, treating your illness and injuries. Otherwise, in half a month, that leg of yours would have rotted off…"

Zhao Jin could see water boiling in a kettle nearby, two short knives soaking in a basin of water, and a small jar of strong liquor. He nodded. Before leaving last night, he had given a few instructions: boil water to sterilize, use liquor to disinfect. Attending to these details could prevent many infections.

That wound seemed to be the last one. When the physician finished, he tossed the knife into the water basin, picked up the liquor, and poured it on. The boy screamed again. Then the physician took clean white cloth from another wooden basin nearby and bandaged the boy's wounds. That white cloth had also been boiled and dried according to Zhao Jin's instructions.

With that done, the physician clapped his hands. Only then did everyone notice Zhao Jin and Liu Yong. They all hurriedly rose to salute and greet him. Even the boy, who had been howling in pain, struggled to get up. Zhao Jin smiled and waved them off, thanking the physician for his hard work.

"Master Jin, with the generous silver you've rewarded, this humble one doesn't find it hard at all." The physician, a man in his fifties, offered his thanks with a cheerful, ingratiating smile.

It had just been a polite remark, but after speaking, the physician didn't leave. Hesitating cautiously, he added, "Master Jin, the more I think about these methods of yours, the more sense they make. Might this humble one use them when I go back? I'd even waive the fee for this visit."

Drinking unboiled water upsets the stomach; drinking boiled water does not. There were similar subtle connections when it came to so-called disinfection. When Zhao Jin gave these suggestions, the physician had initially dismissed them, but he dared not disobey. The more he thought about them, however, the more reasonable they seemed. If they were someone else's methods, he'd have learned and used them directly. But with Zhao Jin, he dared not do so. If trouble arose, he couldn't bear the consequences — hence the question.

"Keep the fee, and feel free to use the methods," Zhao Jin replied with a smile. The physician left, profuse in his gratitude.

The physician departed, and the household troops also left the room, leaving only the boy lying on the bed. Yesterday he had looked dark and filthy; washed and cleaned up, he looked quite different now.

"What is your surname?"

"Master, this humble one's surname is Meng. My name is Meng Zhiqi, and my younger sister is called Meng Ziqi." Weak as he was, his voice was very clear.

Zhao Jin noticed that Meng Zhiqi's teeth were very even, and his body bore few old scars. In this day and age, only families of middling status or higher paid attention to dental care, rinsing and brushing their teeth. Ordinary street urchins were covered in wounds and would not be free of old scars. Moreover, a name like Meng Zhiqi was not one that peasant households would give — names like Stone or Dog were far more common.

"Where are you from? Can you read?"

"This humble one is from Ju County in Qingzhou Prefecture. I studied at home…"

The story was simple. A great drought struck Qingzhou Prefecture, and starving refugees rose in swarms. Meng Zhiqi's family were small landowners; his father held the academic rank of licentiate. In those famine years, even small landowners couldn't hold on, and the Meng family had to flee as well. But before they could leave, their home was overrun by starving refugees. His mother died in the chaos, and his father fled with the two siblings.

They had originally said there were relatives in Suzhou they could seek refuge with, and they begged their way south. But just before leaving Jining Prefecture, Meng Zhiqi's father fell ill and died. On his deathbed, he instructed Meng Zhiqi to take his sister and keep heading south, because he had a rough idea that children left in Shandong would likely be eaten by the now-crazed refugees.

Two children couldn't travel far on their own. The Meng siblings were fortunate: they met a few kind-hearted souls and evaded several malicious attempts at abduction and entrapment. They actually made it to Xuzhou and even found an empty house to shelter in temporarily. But their luck ended there — until his sister fell gravely ill, they could find no one to help, and in desperation, they sought aid wherever they could, ending up at Zhao Jin's door.

As he spoke, Meng Zhiqi's eyelids began to droop. By now, he was certain of his safety and that he and his sister had been saved. As he relaxed, sleep washed over him.

After Zhao Jin and Liu Yong left the room, neither spoke for a moment. They had always thought Xuzhou was destitute, but they had never imagined that neighboring Shandong Province was in such a wretched state.

"Big Brother, I'll send someone to investigate right away. As long as they've been staying inside the city, Chen Ergou and Butcher Li should be able to find something out," Liu Yong said quietly.

When they returned to the main hall, Chen Sheng had already arrived. Hearing the situation, Chen Sheng had a different thought. He spoke up: "If the investigation turns up nothing suspicious, keep these two children for your own use. They have no ties and no background. Even if you just put them at home to serve your parents, that would be good."

This suggestion appealed greatly to Zhao Jin. His income was now substantial, and his family assets went without saying, yet only Zhao San and his wife served his parents at home. It wasn't that they couldn't afford or buy servants — it was that trustworthy ones were far too few, and it wasn't worth the effort to search for them. Now, these Meng siblings seemed very suitable.

The clamor outside began surging in again. This was beyond the plan, and Zhao Jin could only send someone to the yamen to request Secretary Ye and the others to come over.

"Shitou, I'll have to trouble you again today. For the children from the guard posts, and the clean, reliable children from inside the city — once their documents and contracts are verified today, take them directly to He Family Village. Commandeer the large inns and guesthouses there. Bring dry rations and the like from inside the city," Zhao Jin instructed. Shi Manqiang waved his hand dismissively and said with a laugh, "What's so tiring about it? Just running the trip one more time. It's more comfortable and easygoing out there than in the city anyway."

After saying this, Zhao Jin smiled wryly and said, "With so many people gathering, the authorities are bound to be extremely nervous. This is far too conspicuous. Brothers, all of you get moving. Sort the people outside into categories — the guard post group, the jianghu group..."

At this moment, Zhao Jin had very few household guards at hand. The ones rotating back from He Family Village wouldn't return until the afternoon, so Zhao Jin and his companions inevitably had to pitch in personally. Even Chen Hong put down his account books and went out to help.

Not long after, people from the district magistrate's yamen hurried over. But it wasn't just Clerk Ye who came — Clerk Li from the Punishment Office and Chief Constable Chen Wu also followed along. When Clerk Li and Chen Wu saw the crowd outside, neither could help revealing a wry smile.

"Xiao Jin, His Excellency the Magistrate says that if this many people gather here again tomorrow, he will have to report it to the Grand Coordinator," Chen Wu said, getting straight to the point. As an elder, he spoke very directly.

Compared to him, Clerk Li of the Punishment Office was more tactful. Clerk Li said with a smile, "Magistrate Tong has his difficulties too. With the great disaster in Shandong and the evil cults stirring up rebellion, the court has issued an edict ordering strict investigations everywhere into mass gatherings. Young Master Zhao, with nearly a thousand able-bodied young men gathered here — if someone were to report this upward, Magistrate Tong's official position would be in jeopardy!"

Zhao Jin's reply was very polite, and also very direct: "Please rest assured, both of you uncles. Tomorrow, there absolutely will not be this many people inside the city."

Hearing this answer, Clerk Li visibly breathed a sigh of relief. Chen Wu, however, remained impassive. Given their differing positions, such reactions were only natural. Clerk Li's eyes darted around, and he asked again with a smile, "Young Master Zhao, I heard yesterday that you plan to take up permanent residence at He Family Village? That's just baseless rumor, isn't it?"

"It is indeed true, not a rumor," Zhao Jin replied with a smile. Clerk Li was taken aback.

"You're really leaving? Young Master Zhao has kept this part of the city safe and peaceful, this..." Clerk Li forced a dry laugh, wanting to exchange pleasantries, but stopped halfway through. No matter how he phrased it, it didn't seem quite appropriate.

Having gotten the answer he wanted, Clerk Li exchanged a few polite words and took his leave. Chief Constable Chen Wu, meanwhile, swept his gaze over the scene outside, nodded, and said, "Truly an impressive spectacle." He then nodded to Chen Sheng, who had come out, and also departed.

After Chen Wu and Clerk Li had left, Clerk Ye and the others finally stepped forward and busied themselves with the work.

During yesterday's registration, the guard post men, the jianghu men, the city youths with some background and connections, and the other young men who signed up had all been arranged in order. They were also separately marked in the register. Now, at the goods yard, roll was simply called directly from the lists.

The guard post children and the city children with solid backgrounds were the two groups considered most reliable. Their families had official connections, which was tantamount to having an extra layer of guarantee.

After roll call, these totaled seventy-six people. Zhao Jin then added thirty newly registered youths from the city and had Shi Manqiang lead them directly to He Family Village.

"Once you get there, settle them in and begin training immediately. Don't give them any idle time," Zhao Jin's order was very clear.

As for all the mounted, saber-carrying jianghu men and those registrants who didn't look entirely trustworthy — twenty-seven people in total — Zhao Jin had them all stay on standby at the goods yard. Somewhat unexpectedly, these jianghu wanderers actually had all their paperwork in order: parental consent, and their guarantors were all local gentry figures from inside and outside the city.

"... Being able to work under you, Master Jin, means they've essentially washed clean their past offenses. Others won't dare pursue those matters. If Master Jin hadn't required them to have guarantors, I'm afraid even more would have come..." Clerk Ye saw the situation very clearly.

The reason didn't matter. Zhao Jin had all his brothers carry their weapons properly, and ordered the fifty household guards remaining at the goods yard to prepare for combat as well. If these jianghu wanderers tried any sudden moves, they could be suppressed immediately.

A total of four hundred fifty had been accepted during yesterday's registration. Today, over four hundred twenty showed up. Setting aside these one hundred thirty-plus with special backgrounds, the remaining three hundred or so left in the city would also be a problem.

Zhao Jin called over Lu Da and Li Wu, then selected ten of his most trusted household guards. Each would lead twenty new recruits. After forming them into simple squads, they were sent into the city to purchase supplies.