The Lizhang and Baozheng
With a loud "bang," several wild boars fell to the ground.
Zhou Wanwan smiled and said:
"Five wild boars and six baby wild boars, we've made a fortune this time! We'll keep the six baby wild boars on the mountain."
You guys carry these wild boars down the mountain!
She pointed to ten people. Luckily, she brought more than twenty people with her, otherwise there would have been no way to deal with them. Their luck was also incredibly good.
The deeper they went into the mountains, the more wild animals they encountered, many of whom were beings they couldn't afford to mess with. Lingbao and Zhou Wanwan were not pushovers either.
The two kept asking around along the way, and they learned that there were many plants in the area.
"We've finally arrived, "Lingbao said.
"There's a high probability there's iron ore here, because I've heard a few of my brothers mention it."
But we'll have to find out exactly where it is.
Next, Lingbao went to find its brother. Zhou Wanwan had only taken a few steps when she heard the bitter lettuce at her feet say, "Hey? What are these two-legged beasts doing here? We haven't seen any strangers on this mountain for eight hundred years!"
A clump of purslane lay on the ground nearby, its tone full of disdain:
"You bet! I hate humans the most! But a group of them actually came the other day, making a lot of noise."
They said they were going to mine some iron ore, and they trampled so much that several of my leaves wilted!
Zhou Wanwan's heart skipped a beat. She quickly stopped, held her breath, and moved closer to the bushes, her ears perked up.
Unexpectedly, someone found the iron ore before her!
A few plantain leaves brushed against each other nearby, making a rustling sound.
"Yes, yes, I heard that too! They said the iron ore is under those black rocks in the ravine, and they've already started digging."
They even set up a few shabby sheds over there, and they keep making clanging and banging noises all day long, keeping everyone awake!
The houttuynia cordata next to it also shook its head and said:
"That's right! They even dug a small dirt road, and every day several people carry hoes and push carts back and forth."
They've turned our soil upside down and made a complete mess of it!
Zhou Wanwan picked up the torch and shone it to the side, and sure enough, she saw a crooked path.
Unexpectedly, someone else found the iron ore before them.
Zhou Wanwan heard Lantern Fruit's voice coming from not far away. "Those guys are here again..."
Zhou Wanwan quickly put out the torch, and after a while, the group of people came out from inside.
The leader was actually from Jiang Family Village. Jiang Wu laughed and said, "I never expected we'd find an iron ore mine here. Iron ore is very valuable."
"Should we report this matter to the imperial court?"
"Hey! Are you out of your mind? We've reported this to the imperial court, what good can come of it?"
"Can the imperial court give us money, or can it promote us to higher official ranks?" Jiang Wu scoffed.
After a long pause, he finally said:
"I plan to use these iron ore to exchange for some grain, and then for some gold and silver. If I can get a higher official position, that would be even better."
This matter cannot be reported to the imperial court; it must be done secretly. I plan to go see the prefect soon and see what he has to say.
"Once I become an official, the first thing I'll do is make Liu Family Village disappear. I have a very bad feeling about Liu Family Village."
Zhou Wanwan rolled her eyes. Are the people from Jiang Family Village crazy?
Liu Family Village has never intentionally offended him.
Liu Xiuyuan trembled with rage. "What exactly is this old bald monk trying to do?"
Zhou Wanwan sneered and said, "Let's go take a look over there first."
Jiang Family Village is quite clever; they've already mined a lot of iron ore. Zhou Wanwan looked at the iron ore and said, "Let's take this stuff back first and store it away."
Jiang Family Village planned to hoard these iron ore for their own use, so they had been mining them for over a month, and the quantity was already quite considerable.
Zhou Wanwan immediately had all the iron ore moved back, and the entire Liu Family Village stayed up all night.
Zhou Wanwan then took Old Liu, Liu Xiuyuan, and Lin Shouyi directly to the county government office.
Lin Shouyi looked at Zhou Wanwan and said, "Wanwan, what brings you here so late? Did something happen?"
Zhou Wanwan looked at Lin Shouyi and said, "I want to find your second uncle and help him make a fortune. Maybe I can even help him get promoted. But I have a condition, so I need to have a good talk with your second uncle."
Lin Shouyi was completely bewildered. "What are you talking about?"
Upon arrival, Lin Shouyi's second uncle was immediately carried out by him.
My second uncle, still wrapped in a blanket, was so angry he was yelling and screaming.
"Lin Shouyi, are you just bored and have nothing better to do? Do you have some serious illness?"
"I had just fallen asleep, why did you drag me out of bed again?"
Lin Shouyi coughed and said, "Wanwan needs to talk to you. It's important, extremely important."
Zhou Wanwan looked at Second Uncle Lin and said, "Uncle, I've heard news about an iron mine."
Uncle Second Uncle Lin's eyes widened. "What did you say?"
Zhou Wanwan looked at him earnestly and said, "I've discovered an iron mine, and I know its exact location..."
"Hiss... Wait until I get dressed, then I'll have a good chat with you." Second Uncle Lin felt like he was walking on cotton.
You know, if he discovers an iron ore mine and reports it to his superiors, he'll be credited with the greatest achievement.
Zhou Wanwan looked at him and said, "However, I want to ask for official positions for my maternal grandfather and our village chief. It doesn't have to be too high, just village head or headman will do."
Although it wasn't a particularly high-ranking official position, it was still quite useful to Zhou Wanwan, especially during this special period.
A drought is coming soon. During a drought, if there are officials in their village, they will be able to better deter people from other villages.
Second Uncle Lin smiled and said, "Isn't this just a matter of a word? Absolutely no problem. I'll go find the county magistrate right now and have him report this matter."
Second Uncle Lin went directly to the county magistrate, who was also surprised to find such a huge windfall falling from the sky so early in the morning!
He swallowed hard and asked, "Are you serious or not?"
Second Uncle Lin nodded quickly and said:
"It's true, of course. This is what the people from Liu Family Village reported."
I actually think the people in their village have had a tough life. Why don't we make them village chiefs or neighborhood heads?
The county magistrate rubbed his fingers together and pointed at them, saying:
"Reward me, Your Excellency! With this iron mine, I'm guaranteed a promotion and a fortune. Give them 100 taels of silver."
"Let's assign them two minor official positions, and then we'll go find the prefect now."
Old Liu and Liu Xiuyuan felt like they were dreaming. Old Liu looked at the appointment plaque in his hand and said, "I've become an official? Oh my! It feels like a dream!"
Liu Xiuyuan nodded and said, "Now I'm the village head. Our Liu Family Village has two officials now. Let's see who dares to bully us now."
Zhou Wanwan smiled and said:
"This iron ore must be reported; there's no way to hide it now."
But the iron ore we brought back can come in handy."