: Perseverance Leads to Success; Refinement Forges Steel

Song Jiang bowed and said, "Thank you for your concern, Magistrate. I have fully recovered!"

Shi Wenbin smiled and nodded to the people around him, saying, "If there's nothing else to do today, everyone should continue with their duties!"

Everyone immediately cheered up. The so-called "each doing their own job" was really just doing what needed to be done and slacking off when there was nothing to do. Yuncheng had been very peaceful lately, so Shi Wenbin's idea was that everyone should go back to their own homes and find their own mothers!

Song Jiang was pondering how to bring up the subject when Shi Wenbin spoke first: "Gongming, come with me to the inner hall!"

Inside the back room, Song Jiang and Shi Wenbin were sitting on mahogany chairs, with several plates of exquisite pastries neatly arranged on the table!

Madam Shi brought over a pot of tea with a smile and said, "Gongming, it's good that you're alright. Last time, your brother and sister-in-law were really frightened!"

Song Jiang rose, bowed, and said, "It's all my fault, I've caused my sister-in-law worry!"

Shi Wenbin waved his hand and said, "Don't listen to her nonsense. I know you're a lucky person and will be fine. I have a few old ginseng roots from Changbai Mountain in my residence. Take them with you when you leave!"

Song Jiang quickly said, "Thank you, Magistrate!"

Shi Wenbin said sternly, "Gongming, how many times have I told you? Just call me 'elder brother' in private!"

Madam Shi smiled and said, "Gongming, as you know, your brother doesn't have many close friends in Yuncheng, and you're definitely one of them. These past few days, while you've been unconscious, he's been constantly thinking about you!"

Shi Wenbin blushed: "That's not true, don't talk nonsense!"

Madam Shi put away the tray and continued with a smile, "Gongming! You should get a wife soon, otherwise there will be no one to take care of you if you faint next time!"

Shi Wenbin chimed in, "You'll understand the joy of having a wife once you're married!" He then chuckled.

Song Jiang's dark face flushed red, feeling somewhat embarrassed and speechless for a moment, unsure of what to say!

Madam Shi joked, "I'll take that as a yes. I'll keep an eye out for good girls for you. Alright, I won't disturb your chat any longer! Stay for dinner tonight, and Chief Zhu and Chief Lei will come too!"

Song Jiang hadn't eaten breakfast and was a bit hungry, so he picked up a piece of pastry, took a bite, and then drank some tea!

The pastries were sweet but not cloying, just right, and the tea was fragrant and delicious. Wenbin really knew how to enjoy himself!

After finishing a snack, Song Jiang noticed that Shi Wenbin's brows were furrowed, as if he had something on his mind. He put down his teacup and said, "Brother, you look troubled. Why don't you tell Gongming and see if he can help?"

Shi Wenbin didn't hide anything and said, "I do have some worries, but Gongming, there's nothing you can do about them!"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "Although Gongming's talent cannot compare to yours, brother, he still has some influence in the Jianghu. If there are problems that cannot be solved openly, Gongming can help you solve them secretly. Why don't you tell me what you think?"

Shi Wenbin sighed, "Do you know what day it is next year?"

Song Jiang pondered for a moment and said, "It's the fourth year of the Daguan era, which is also the tenth anniversary of the Emperor's ascension to the throne!"

Shi Wenbin smiled wryly, "Actually, there's another matter. It's estimated that Commander Tong's Western Army will also return victorious from Western Xia next year. With two such joyous events, a general amnesty and universal celebration are inevitable!"

Song Jiang paused for a moment, then asked, "Brother, are you worried about next year's New Year's gift?"

This is the advantage of talking to a smart person; Shi Wenbin only said one sentence, and Song Jiang could think of the follow-up!

Shi Wenbin said with a worried expression, "Yes! The prefect has ordered all prefectures and counties to prepare congratulatory gifts; there's no room for carelessness!"

Song Jiang smiled and said, "In that case, leave this matter to Gongming! Please rest assured, brother!"

Shi Wenbin shook his head and said, "No, Gongming, you can imagine how difficult this matter is. Wouldn't that put you in an unjust position?"

After a moment's thought, Song Jiang slowly said, "Gongming is confident in this matter. Once it's accomplished and the ceremony is completed, Yuncheng will surely become famous throughout the land!"

Seeing Song Jiang's seriousness, Shi Wenbin finally spoke up, "Having been in Yuncheng for so many years, I'm only really close to you. Regardless, I hope you, Gongming, won't bear too much pressure; just do your best!"

Song Jiang smiled warmly and said, "I will definitely do my best, but I'm afraid I won't be able to come to the county office as often as I do in the coming days!"

Shi Wenbin also laughed and said, "This is all trivial. From today onwards, you are free to enter and leave the county government office at will!"

Seven days later, late at night, the moonlight shone on the earth as if pointing the way. Song Jiang arrived at the Shijie Village ferry, accompanied by Hua Rong and his sister. Hua Rong's wife, Cui, stayed temporarily in Songjia Village, as she was pregnant and not suited for the bumpy journey.

Forty farmers from the village, along with Song Aying and her granddaughter, also went along. Song Jiang considered it a good deed for Song Aying. Although she was not of noble birth, her integrity was respectable and her character was noble. Song Jiang desperately needed someone like her to join Liangshan!

Chao Gai, along with Wu Yong and dozens of others, arrived at the Shijie Village ferry, bringing with them several hundred catties of iron, twenty chickens, twenty ducks, five sheep, two pigs, and several hundred shi of grain. Since Chao Gai supported Song Jiang, he naturally provided full support. Moreover, this amount of stuff was nothing to Chao Gai; it was like a drop in the ocean.

Apart from Wu Yong, it seems that everyone else had something on their hands and shoulders!

The three Ruan brothers were already waiting at the ferry with their boats. It was thanks to the Ruan brothers' prestige in Shijie Village that they were trusted and had dozens of villagers who made a living by the water willing to follow them to Liangshan. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to transport so many people and things to Liangshan in just a dozen or twenty trips with the Ruan brothers' few boats!

Even so, the thirty-odd boats were still packed to the brim. Then, all sorts of small boats, carried by the evening breeze and under the bright moonlight, sailed majestically toward Liangshan!

Before long, they arrived at the Golden Beach. A large group of people carried their belongings ashore one after another. Pang Wanchun and his sister, who had gone to Liangshan earlier, and Liu Tang had already come to greet them!

Song Jiang brought forty men, Chao Gai brought sixty-four men, including twenty craftsmen who repaired houses and four cooks. The Ruan brothers had fifty fishermen on their side. Including Song Jiang and his men, there were a total of one hundred and seventy-two people!

After tidying up and preparing all night, Song Aying and the four cooks began to prepare the meal. Song Jiang told them to rest where they were, and that he would start training the troops once they were fully rested!

Three hours later, Song Jiang looked at the group of people sitting on the ground, slumped over, sighing deeply. They lacked courage, resilience, and spirit. The road ahead was long and arduous.

He clapped his hands and shouted, "Have you all rested enough? Stand up!"

About a hundred people stood up slowly. Some stood up slowly, some remained seated on the ground, and others, though they did stand up, were clearly reluctant to do so.

Song Jiang observed the crowd silently for a long time before they finally all stood up! He shook his head and said loudly, "How should I put it? My first impression of you is quite unpleasant! It took you half a cup of tea to get up. Did I not feed you enough? Dragging yourselves around like women, I'm very disappointed, truly disappointed. It was a mistake to call you all together; I shouldn't have placed any hope in you! You are nothing but a rabble, lacking even the spirit of a true Song man!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd stirred up. Song Jiang's words were so harsh and offensive that some were dissatisfied, some were noisy, some felt guilty, and some were angry. All sorts of voices overlapped together, like a symphony played out of tune, creating utter chaos!

Song Jiang clapped his hands again and shouted, "Quiet down! I have something to say!"

The crowd quickly quieted down, waiting to see what Song Jiang had to say!

Song Jiang laughed and said, "It's not difficult to change my mind. If you can guarantee this posture for an hour, I will take back what I just said. Also, there will be plenty of wine and meat tonight!" After saying that, he stood at attention, which is the most common military posture in later military training!

The action looked incredibly simple, and someone laughed, "Clerk, what's so difficult about that? I'm actually a bit hungry, and I have a big appetite, so hurry up and finish this!"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "Since it's so simple, we can begin now. But you have to be like me, without any shaking or resting along the way. Can you do that?"

Everyone laughed and started standing at attention, thinking it was no difficult task at all!

The time it takes for an incense stick to burn passes quickly. Some people feel their feet are a little numb and their hands are starting to ache, so they want to move their hands and feet and relax!

To their surprise, Song Jiang squinted and swept his gaze over them, his eyes filled with sternness. The men trembled inwardly, not daring to meet Song Jiang's eyes. They quickly put away their relaxed thoughts and stood at attention obediently!

Song Jiang felt somewhat helpless. He wished these people could have a good meal that night, so they could at least manage the simplest task of standing at attention, but obviously, that was unlikely!

After another two incense sticks' worth of time, one of the guys finally couldn't hold on any longer and sat down on the ground. When the others saw that someone had taken the lead, they immediately followed suit and sat down on the ground as well!

In fact, many things are like this sometimes. If you grit your teeth and persevere, you will definitely be able to finish. But if one person slacks off, others may also slacken off. Because if there is a leader, you will definitely not be the first to be punished. And when there are many people doing it, they will have a fluke mentality, thinking that they will not be punished. This is human nature, blind obedience, and evil thoughts in people's bones. This is not an exaggeration!

Looking at everyone sitting on the ground, Song Jiang shook his head and sneered, "What did you just say to me? How can a man break his word? Or are you not men at all? Or are you just a bunch of good-for-nothings who only know how to eat? If that's the case, what's the difference between you and trash?"

These words were incredibly harsh, causing many to blush and turn pale, yet they were at a loss for words! But more importantly, was this really the same Song Yashi? How could the usually generous and kind-hearted Song Yashi have become so venomous, humiliating them repeatedly!

Seeing that no one paid him any attention, Song Jiang cursed inwardly, "What a bunch of deadpan guys!" He walked up to one of them and suddenly kicked him in the outer thigh near the buttock muscle, which is what we now call the "muscle tendon"!

The man felt a sudden tingling and numbness in his thigh, and he clutched his thigh and cried out in pain, but dared not say anything to Song Jiang!

Song Jiang was deeply disappointed when a voice rang out from the side: "Isn't this way of treating us unbecoming of a clerk?"

Song Jiang looked in the direction of the voice and saw a seven-foot-tall man with thick eyebrows and big eyes staring at him with a hint of anger on his face!