GuShui Village

It was nearly evening when they finally arrived.

A village sat nestled among several low hills. Endless wheat fields stretched out before it, while a tributary of the Wei River wound past in the distance. At a glance, it was clearly a village blessed with excellent feng shui.

Beneath the setting sun, golden waves of wheat rolled across the land, painting a picture of pastoral beauty.

"This is GuShui Village."

Sha LiFei led the way, holding his horse by the reins, and explained, "There's an ancient spring on the mountain behind the village, hence its name. The largest landlord here is Landlord Lu."

"This Landlord Lu is quite something. I heard he used to be a major merchant in the capital. After making his fortune, he returned home to buy farmland. See those fields ahead? They all belong to him."

"The important thing is that he's generous. Who knows how many people have their eyes on this juicy piece of meat? If I didn't have such a wide circle of influence, you'd only be able to compete with the wheat harvesters from Longyou..."

There were wheat harvesters in Guanzhong, but most came from Longyou.

The people there could endure hardship, worked with all their might, and weren't picky about food. They were even more welcome to landowners, and could be called the kings of overwork among wheat harvesters.

"Hero Sha is the man!"

"I told you, following Hero Sha means you'll never suffer a loss..."

Everyone showered him with praise, and Sha LiFei grew even more pleased with himself.

Landlord Lu's residence stood at the eastern end of the village.

Just as Sha LiFei had said, it was a thoroughly wealthy household.

The compound had a square layout, with brick-and-timber construction, four courtyards, and three successive halls. High walls surrounded it, and even the blue-brick foundation outside was decorated with exquisite brick carvings.

Gate arches, a ceremonial gateway, a Horse-Tying Post—everything was complete.

Beneath the setting sun, it radiated a majestic, ancient grandeur.

The home of Li HuaiRen, the wealthiest landlord in Li Family Fortress, had only two courtyards and a small inner compound. None of the wheat harvesters had ever seen such luxury, and they all clicked their tongues in amazement.

"Good heavens, how rich does a man have to be..."

"This trip has really opened my eyes..."

Clearly, more than one team had come to work for the Lu Family.

A broad open space lay outside the main gate, larger even than a threshing ground. It looked as if it had been watered and then rolled flat and smooth with a stone roller.

Willow trees stood all around it, giving the place a grand and imposing air.

Several groups had already gathered in the open space. They carried bedding rolls and wore sickles at their waists, squatting on the ground to chat or puffing away on long tobacco pipes.

Sha LiFei instructed everyone not to wander off, then went to the main gate.

A thin, elderly man stood there. His clothes were neat, a small cap sat on his head, and his hair was completely white. A pair of black wooden-framed spectacles rested on his nose, while several workers stood behind him.

Sha LiFei seemed to know the man. As soon as he approached, he bent at the waist and clasped his fists, his face full of ingratiation. "Steward Lu, these are my men."

"Why are you a day late?"

"Something happened on the road."

"Fine. Wait until Master Lu finishes speaking, then we'll make the arrangements..."

As the two men spoke, Li Yan looked around from side to side.

His eyes were sharp, and he also knew quite a bit about the ways of the Jianghu. He immediately noticed many things.

The group on the right came from Longyou, judging by their somewhat different accents. Their leader was clearly a saber-wielder from Longyou as well. He was no longer young, yet he still wore a sheepskin vest in such sweltering weather.

Though his hair was white, both arms were knotted with bulging muscles.

Judging by those hands, he had probably trained in some Eagle Claw Skill as well.

The several workers behind Steward Lu appeared sloppy in their stances, but every one of them was broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with sharp gleams in their eyes. They were clearly guards hired to protect the household.

In Jianghu parlance, they were the anchor men of the "guard" trade.

Whether serving as bodyguards or helping escort someone else's goods, men of this sort had to possess genuine skills and know the Jianghu Rules inside out. Not one of them was easy to deal with.

They were putting on the bearing of servants, which meant they were certainly being kept for life, not hired temporarily.

This Lu Family was far wealthier than ordinary landlords...

"Master Lu has arrived!"

Just as he was observing the scene, a servant called out, and a group of people emerged from the large residence.

Naturally, the man at the head was Landlord Lu.

He was tall and broad, with a fair, plump face and a kind, benevolent expression. A long black beard hung to his chest, and together with his fine silk clothes, it made him look exceedingly imposing.

Besides the guards, two women followed behind him.

One wore white and had an elegant, delicate beauty. The other wore red and possessed a somewhat alluring face, fair skin, and a beauty mark beneath her chin.

Their temperaments differed, but neither was very old. Compared with the Landlord Lu beside them, they looked scarcely older than his daughters.

Yet everyone could tell that they were most likely concubines.

Most of the men in the square were farmers who scraped a living from the soil. Even the saber-wielders who often visited brothels had never seen women so beautiful, and their eyes went straight.

Sha LiFei swallowed, then turned and scolded them in a low voice, "All of you, mind your manners. Don't look, and don't even think about it. Anyone who dares make a fool of himself and lose this job had better watch out—I'll kill him!"

The wheat harvesters lowered their heads one after another.

Sha LiFei at least understood what mattered. In the distance, there was another group of wheat harvesters whose leader was staring with his eyes fixed and drooling, completely too distracted to control the others.

Li Yan found it somewhat strange.

Normally, to avoid suspicion, the concubines of a wealthy household rarely appeared in the front courtyard to receive guests, much less in front of so many people.

But Landlord Lu seemed not to care. In fact, he even seemed a little proud.

Facing the crowd, he stroked his beard and smiled faintly. "Fellow villagers, I, Lu, have returned to my roots. Though I've acquired some property, I'm not the sort of rich man who grows wealthy by being heartless."

"During the summer harvest, when we seize grain from the dragon's mouth, work hard, fellow villagers. The Lu Family will absolutely not let you suffer. White Flour Steamed Buns and mutton offal soup will be available for you to eat to your fill!"

"Besides, each mu of land will earn two sheng of wheat."

"Harvest as much as you can, and I'll pay you for every bit of it!"

The wheat harvesters below widened their eyes when they heard this.

In the past, cutting one mu of wheat earned only one sheng of grain—just over two jin.

And many times, even that payment would be docked.

But this Landlord Lu was giving them two sheng outright, along with unlimited White Flour Steamed Buns and mutton offal soup.

It was offal, true, but it was still meat!

"Landlord Lu is benevolent!"

The wheat harvesters immediately bent at the waist and thanked him.

"Hahaha, thank you for your hard work, thank you."

Landlord Lu smiled and cupped his hands, then led his people back into the residence.

Steward Lu stepped forward, his expression turning slightly stern. "Master Lu is kindhearted, but rules must still be observed."

"White Flour Steamed Buns will be provided in abundance, but they may only be eaten, not taken away..."

"No one may enter the inner compound without permission. If you have business, ask someone to report it. Anyone who dares cross this gate on his own must not blame this old man for being ruthless..."

"Anyone who shirks or cheats, or secretly hides provisions, will be sent straight to the authorities..."

"Work begins at the hour of the Tiger each day. You may rest only after the cut wheat has been delivered to the granary..."

This steward was formidable as well, arranging everything in perfect order.

The wheat harvesters all nodded and voiced their agreement.

The rules were strict, but the pay was high.

They had never had such good luck in previous years...

After the arrangements were made, the wheat harvesters were led toward the village entrance.

There, shelters had already been put up.

They would spend the next stretch of time there, rising before dawn and working beneath the stars. Every day, aside from working, they would eat and sleep, without a moment of leisure.

It was certainly grueling, but that was how things were during the summer harvest. Otherwise, how could they make any money?

Beside the shelters, more than a dozen large pots had already been set up.

Snow-white mutton bone broth churned and bubbled, while chopped mutton offal rolled about in the boiling liquid.

Several tiers of large wooden steamers sent out drifting steam and the fragrance of wheat.

The wheat harvesters had come from every direction, traveling for days and surviving on cold water and Mixed Grain Cakes. The moment they smelled this food, they all began to drool.

They scrambled to line up, then squatted on the ground with large bowls in their arms and wolfed down the food.

The workers Steward Lu had assigned smiled and said, "Everyone, eat your fill. But remember one thing: don't eat so much that you upset your stomach and can't work tomorrow."

An old wheat harvester chuckled. "Don't worry, young brother. We may be farmers, but we know the difference between one full meal and being full every meal."

"Hahahaha..."

The people eating nearby burst into uproarious laughter.

Their hearts were light. Meeting a landowner like this, they truly had nothing to complain about.

Even Li Yan was no exception.

He had attended temple fairs in Lantian County, but the mutton offal soup there was made for poor families and was hardly prepared with any care.

There would sometimes be sheep's wool and flies floating atop the layer of fatty oil. How could he possibly stomach that?

The food prepared by the Lu Family's cooks, however, at least looked clean. They even topped the mutton soup with sizzling chili oil, scallions, and cilantro.

Paired with White Flour Steamed Buns, it was simply beautifully delicious!

Young men naturally had hearty appetites, and Li Yan was still practicing martial arts and building his strength. He ate five large buns in a row and drank four bowls of mutton soup before wiping his mouth, setting down his bowl, and getting up to walk toward Sha LiFei.

Because of what had happened earlier, everyone had hurried along in silence and had not had the chance to say much. Now that they had settled down, it was the perfect time to ask about the journey ahead.

Sha LiFei was bragging with several saber-wielders.

When he saw Li Yan approach, he seemed to have guessed what he wanted to ask. Instead, he changed the subject and said with a cheeky grin, "Fellow brothers of the Jianghu, allow me to introduce someone. This is Li Yan. His father is famous far and wide—you've certainly heard of him, the Guanzhong Sick Tiger!"

Li Yan immediately felt displeased when he heard that.

He had not come out this time to roam the Jianghu.

Even if he wanted to establish a reputation, he would not borrow his father's name, much less need Sha LiFei to meddle and say it for him.

But matters had already come to this, so he could only smile and clasp his fists. "Greetings, seniors."

The old saber-wielder from Longyou in the sheepskin vest was squatting on the ground smoking. Hearing this, he nodded and said in a hoarse voice, "I've heard of Tiger Lord's reputation too. He was loyal and righteous. It's just a pity... Ah."

The others chimed in as well. "Young brother, you're clearly no ordinary man. One day, you'll surely become a renowned figure on the Guanzhong Road."

That was how the Jianghu worked. Everyone knew how to exchange pleasantries.

So long as no interests were being contested, most people were happy to flatter one another.

But a young man squatting in the distance suddenly let out a mocking laugh. "Tsk, tsk. Li Hu's son has come out to roam the Jianghu so early? Hasn't even grown all his hair yet, has he?"

"The Jianghu is full of fierce winds and towering waves. Be careful you don't throw out your back..."