Little Li Guang Finally Leaves Liangshan Marsh; Timely Rain Meets the Heavenly King on a

"Brother!" Hua Baoyan burst into tears. The two siblings had relied on each other since childhood and had never been separated. Now that they were parting, she didn't know when they would see each other again!

"Stop crying! Any other woman would be a wife and mother by now! Don't you feel ashamed to still be crying!" Hua Rong laughed. Perhaps it was because Song Jiang's speaking style was sometimes humorous and sometimes domineering, but Hua Rong was no longer as rigid as before, and sometimes even joked with his sister!

Song Jiang also laughed and said, "Baoyan, since you can't bear to part with your brother, why don't you go to Qingzhou with him?"

Hua Baoyan quickly wiped away her tears and said, "No, I don't want to go to Qingzhou!"

Hua Rong smiled and shook his head. The two exchanged pleasantries for a long time. At this moment, Ruan Xiaoqi rowed a boat to the shore, and a person on the boat hurriedly ran towards Song Jiang!

"Officer, officer!" the man shouted.

Song Jiang looked at the man, a servant from Chao Gai's household and also one of his confidants. Seeing his anxious appearance, as if he had something important to say, he asked, "What is it? Why are you in such a panic?"

The man said, "Is the village head waiting for you outside Shijie Village? He has important matters to discuss!"

Song Jiang nodded and said, "In that case, I'll go now!"

Hua Rong also spoke up, "Why don't I accompany my brother?"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "Brother, don't worry. You should go back to Song Family Village first, pick up your wife, and get on your way as soon as possible! It would be bad if you missed your appointment!"

Hua Rong didn't insist, nodding and saying, "The green hills remain unchanged, the clear waters flow on forever. If anything happens to you in the future, brother, just send someone to Qingfeng Village, and I'll come immediately!"

After saying their goodbyes, Hua Rong and Song Jiang each boarded two separate boats and left Liangshan!

It was the same dense forest outside Shijie Village. This was Song Jiang's second time here. The last time was to discuss how to rescue Ruan's mother and Pang Qiuxia. And that doesn't even include the number of times he and Wu Yong passed through here on their way to Shijie Village!

The night was like a curtain, obscuring all light. You couldn't see your hand in front of your face; you could only cautiously inch forward, lest you trip over a branch. Occasionally, strange cries of birds of unknown name echoed from the dense forest, adding to the eeriness of the pitch-black night! The icy, biting wind penetrated to the bone, and Song Jiang involuntarily shivered. Cold, truly cold. He would never choose to meet here again!

"Brother!" Chao Gai suddenly jumped out from a bush!

Even though Song Jiang was bold, the sudden voice still startled him. Recognizing the voice as Chao Gai's, Song Jiang breathed a sigh of relief and replied, "Brother!"

Two more people emerged from beside Chao Gai. Their faces were obscured in the darkness, but Song Jiang could still make out their tattered and ragged clothes. He wondered what important matter Chao Gai had brought them to see him about.

"These two are tenant farmers from Xixi Village. They only fled to my Dongxi Village yesterday!" Chao Gai saw Song Jiang glance at the two men and naturally knew what Song Jiang was thinking, so he took the initiative to speak up!

"What does Brother mean?" Song Jiang whispered. Chao Gai wouldn't have invited him here for no reason; it was obvious that he had some concerns or didn't want anyone to find out!

Chao Gai pulled Song Jiang aside and whispered, "You know there have been many natural disasters in the past two years, and the poor harvests are common knowledge! Dongxi Village is a little better off; I reduce the rent for those who can't pay, and if they really can't pay, they can work to pay off their debts. But the headman of Xixi Village doesn't care about any of that. Every year, the rent must be paid in full, otherwise he'll take back the land. He even forces the tenants' children to become his slaves, beating and scolding them, or even beating them to death and throwing them into the lake. The prettier ones are even less likely to escape his clutches. Under his tyranny, the villagers dare not speak out, and they live a very stifled life every day!"

Song Jiang clenched his fists and cursed, "I had absolutely no idea about this! How dare this beast be so lawless in Yuncheng County! I'll go find Shi Wenbin tomorrow and see what he has to say. How can there be such scum under his rule!"

Chao Gai rarely saw Song Jiang so angry, but he still said in a low voice, "You don't know, this village head is said to have some kinship with the Zhu Family Village in Dulonggang. The head of the Zhu Family Village, Zhu Chaofeng, is very fond of the prefect, and he always gives him lavish gifts during festivals. With this relationship, he can be said to have connections everywhere in Xixi Village. How difficult would it be for him to deceive his superiors and subordinates? Moreover, he is ruthless and has countless lives on his hands. If we can't bring him down, won't the villagers suffer unexpected disaster? As for the latter, he acts in secret, and how can we bring him down without evidence? Unfortunately, it is the villagers who suffer in the end. They are so miserable in life, and after death they will be thrown into the stream to be harmed by fish and shrimp. They have caused such anger and resentment from heaven and man. Aren't they afraid of being struck by lightning?"

Song Jiang knew that what Chao Gai said was true, otherwise Xixi Village would not have built a stone pagoda to suppress the wronged souls in the water. However, in the end, Chao Gai carried it to Dongxi Village by hand, thus earning Chao Gai the title of Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King!

Suppressing his anger, Song Jiang asked, "Brother, what brings you here today?"

Chao Gai looked around. Apart from the sound of the wind and birds, there was no other sound. The two people from Xixi Village were hiding in the distance, trembling with fear. Although their expressions were not clear, their fear was genuine. It was hard to imagine what they had gone through to be like this!

"That's just how the world is, and it's not something you and I can change overnight. But these two went through so much hardship to escape Xixi Village and met me. I couldn't bear to see them suffer like this, so I want them to come to Liangshan with me. At least under your protection, they certainly won't be as destitute and starving as they were before!"

Song Jiang pondered for a moment, then said, "This is ultimately just treating the symptoms, not the root cause. Why don't we return to Liangshan and discuss it? These past few days, we've led a strong attack on Xixi Village, and we can bring the villagers to Liangshan with us. This will not only rescue these villagers but also strengthen Liangshan's power—a win-win situation. What do you think, brother?"

Chao Gai was not a weak man to begin with, and after thinking for a moment, he asked, "What are the odds of victory?"

Song Jiang frowned. In truth, he was quite confident of victory, but the Liangshan men hadn't been trained for long. While attacking a village wouldn't be difficult, the headman of Xixi Village had dozens, even hundreds, of men under his command. Even if they won, Song Jiang would inevitably suffer losses. Moreover, if they didn't eliminate the threat completely and one or two escaped, the news would inevitably arouse suspicion in Jizhou Prefecture. Then, it would be extremely difficult for Song Jiang to quietly develop his strength!

I was angry just now, but after calming down, I realized that we should not rush into attacking Xixi Village!

Song Jiang shook his head and said, "This matter needs further consideration, but there is another way. It would be for you, brother, to step forward. With your reputation, those villagers would be willing to follow you. You could then lead the tenants of Xixi Village to Liangshan. However, this matter is not easy. With so many people involved, there will be a lot of gossip, so absolute secrecy is essential. They must obey orders; otherwise, if word gets out, none of them will escape, and it will implicate you and me!"

Chao Gai laughed and said, "This matter is not difficult for me, my good brother, please don't worry!"

Song Jiang stepped forward and said, "I'll go to Yuncheng County to find Shi Wenbin and have him find the head of Xixi Village to come to Yuncheng under some pretext. Brother, you can send someone to Xixi Village to discuss this matter first, and then you can lead a group to escort them away. I'll have the three Ruan brothers lead a group to go with them to ensure their safety! Let's meet at the willow tree in the middle of the stream between Dongxi Village and Xixi Village! We'll travel by water and go to Liangshan together!"

Chao Gai nodded and said, "Then it's a deal! We'll act in three days!"

After thinking for a moment, Song Jiang said, "One of these two will come back to Liangshan with me, and the other will go back to Dongxi Village with my brother. They should be able to help!"

Chao Gai nodded and said, "That's exactly what I was thinking too!"

After bidding farewell to Chao Gai, Song Jiang took the man back to Liangshan and arranged a meal for him to calm his nerves.

Perhaps out of exhaustion, or perhaps out of hunger, the man ate more than ten steamed buns before he stopped!

Song Jiang shook his head, a wave of sorrow rising in his heart. The world and people's hearts are treacherous, and chaos and turmoil are inevitable!

After finishing his meal, the man knelt on the ground, tears welling in his eyes, and said gratefully, "Thank you, Clerk Song! I... I don't know how long it's been since I've had a proper meal!" This tall man was an honest man, but he wasn't stupid. He knew perfectly well that this Clerk Song was his benefactor, and he would probably be following Clerk Song from now on!

Song Jiang helped him up and said, "Man, remember, a man's knees are worth gold; don't kneel before others lightly!"

The man, with tears welling in his eyes, stammered, "Clerk, I...I..." He couldn't finish his sentence.

Song Jiang asked, "What is your name? Speak frankly!"

The man said, "My name is Liu Wu. My ancestors for three generations have been tenant farmers in Xixi Village. In the past, the weather was generally good, and although the harvest wasn't much, it was enough to make a living. But in recent years, drought and insect plagues have come several times a year, making it difficult to harvest. As a result, taxes have increased. There's a poll tax, a land tax, and even taxes are levied on selling grain. We simply can't afford all these miscellaneous taxes. And the village head not only doesn't care about our lives, but he also demands that we pay an extra 10% of the grain, or he'll take back our land!"

Liu Wu wiped away his tears and said, "My family relies on the land for a living. My parents are in poor health. Every year, after paying for their medicine, we only have enough left over to feed the whole family. This year, we were forced into a corner and had to beg the village head for an extension. He agreed to let my wife come to our house as a servant, cooking and doing odd jobs in the kitchen, and he waived our rent for a year. Who would have thought that beast had already set his sights on my wife? I thought I had met a good person, and that my wife should be hardworking and attentive to our needs!"

"Then, one day I returned from the fields to find my wife sitting at home, muttering to herself. I went up to ask her a few questions, but she ignored me! I was puzzled; my wife wasn't like this before! I didn't think much of it and went to get medicine for my parents as usual. But when I returned, my wife had thrown herself into the well! I later learned that my wife had been violated by that beast, who was even smug about it afterwards, telling his servants about it. I went to confront that beast, but he outnumbered me and beat me up. The villagers carried me home, and my parents, in their grief, also passed away, leaving me alone in bed for several days before I survived! The village head even threatened to beat me every time he saw me. I had no choice but to flee Xixi Village that very night! Luckily, I met Chief Clerk Chao and Clerk Song, which is how I survived!"

Song Jiang was furious. Although he knew the general outline, he hadn't expected things to turn out this way. He slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Brother Liu Wu, rest assured, blood debts will be repaid in blood! Now that you've joined my Liangshan, you're a brother of Liangshan. I'll give you an explanation for your matter. Rest for now, and one day, you'll personally kill your enemy!"

Liu Wu choked up and said, "Thank you, Clerk!"

Song Jiang nodded and said, "You go and rest first! Find him a room!"

After Liu Wu and Ruan Xiaoqi left, Song Jiang said to Ruan Xiaoer, "A few days later, you will lead all the naval brothers and ships from Jinshatan to the stream between Dongxi Village and Xixi Village, using the big willow tree as the boundary, and wait there for Chao Tianwang. His servants from his estate will come to Liangshan to inform him first, and then you can set off!"

Ruan Xiao'er replied, "Brother, please don't be angry. I will certainly not fail in my mission!"

Having calmed down considerably, Song Jiang laughed and said, "Liangshan needs to be more lively. With more manpower, you won't be lonely!"

The next day, Song Jiang left Liangshan with Liu Wu. Before heading to Yuncheng County, Song Jiang returned to Song Family Village and taught Song Qing some principles of winemaking. I wonder how it went!

Back home, it was still the same house. Even after several days away, nothing had changed. Grandfather Song was still not there, but his younger brother, Song Qing, spent his days brewing wine!

There was no other reason than that his brother Song Jiang needed him, and he would do his best to fulfill that need! Song Jiang was also very fortunate to have such a good brother who supported him unconditionally; otherwise, the journey would have been much more difficult!

"Si Lang!" Looking at Song Qing's busy figure, Song Jiang felt a surge of emotion.

"Brother, it's been so long! I've missed you terribly. You've finally found the time to come back today?" Song Qing put down the grain in his hand and stepped forward happily.

Song Jiang laughed and said, "Rest for a moment, let me check on you. Later, go to the county office to see Magistrate Shi; I have something to report!"

Song Qing also smiled and said, "Brother must have something to discuss with Lord Shi. And you brought a pot of wine, so Lord Shi can also taste whether I have a talent for brewing!"

Song Jiang laughed heartily and said, "You can't hide it from your brother!"

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Song Jiang left Song Family Village with a bunch of wine. Normally, the wine should have been left out for a while, but Song Jiang had other uses for it and couldn't wait any longer. Song Jiang also smelled it. Although it wasn't as good as the wine in later generations, it was definitely a rare and good wine in the Song Dynasty!

As usual, there weren't many important matters at the Yuncheng County government office. At least under Shi Wenbin's governance, the people lived in peace and contentment, without too many injustices. They could fill their stomachs, which was enough for them!

Upon arriving at the back hall of the county government office, Song Jiang found Shi Wenbin drinking tea. Seeing how content he was, Song Jiang felt a pang of envy. He too longed to lie down and enjoy life without worries, spending his days drinking tea, savoring delicious food, playing chess with friends, and drinking wine. Unfortunately, reality did not allow him to have such a life.

"Gongming is here! Come and try this newly arrived tea, top-quality Longjing. The taste is truly unforgettable!"

Shi Wenbin saw Song Jiang and said with a smile!

Song Jiang smiled, opened the wine jar, and a fragrant aroma of wine wafted out! Shi Wenbin took a deep breath and exclaimed in surprise, "Such fragrant and mellow wine! Gongming, where did you get this?"

Song Jiang remained silent, but instead took a teacup from the tea table, filled it with wine, and placed it in front of Shi Wenbin, saying, "Brother, have a taste!"

Shi Wenbin looked at the wine in front of him. It was clear and transparent, without any impurities, and its aroma was so strong that it seemed to permeate his body, making him feel comfortable and intoxicated!