A gentleman's friendship is as light as water; a friend in need is as heavy as a mou

He struggled with the decision for a long time. It wasn't that he was reluctant to part with twenty taels of silver, but rather that he felt it would be a waste to give this guy two taels of silver. He thought it would be better to feed the dog!

Finally, Liu Zhi nodded and said, "Do as the clerk says!" Twenty taels of silver was just a drop in the ocean for him. If Liu Wu really knew what was good for him, that would be fine. Otherwise, he would have sent people to hunt him down and get rid of him as soon as possible. Fortunately, he had no evidence. If they really investigated, he could just deny it to the death, and Shi Wenbin would have no way to deal with it. Otherwise, how could Shi Wenbin be so easy to talk to and settle the matter with just twenty taels of silver? He would be sentenced to exile, which would be too lenient. He might even have to be executed!

Liu Zhi immediately took out twenty taels of silver and placed it on the table, saying, "Take these twenty taels, and we'll call it even!" He dared not approach Liu Wu, lest he provoke him into making a move again. The punch he had just received still caused him some pain in his chest!

Liu Wu picked up the silver and suddenly beamed with joy, saying, "Thank you, Chief Steward!"

Liu Zhi was taken aback, not expecting Liu Wu to be so greedy, even able to forget a blood feud. Although he felt utterly disdainful, he was relieved, fearing the man would become persistent and relentless. As for greed, well, he was simply a spineless coward, utterly lacking in backbone!

But Liu Zhi didn't notice that when Liu Wu turned around, he bit his lip until it bled, swallowed the blood, and held back his tears. This was a manifestation of extreme hatred, but he couldn't take revenge, so he could only swallow his anger for the time being and wait for an opportunity!

After the matter was settled, Liu Wu was escorted away by Zhu Tong. Liu Zhi stepped forward and said obsequiously, "Thank you, sir and clerk, for your impartial handling of the matter. I have a generous gift to offer!"

Shi Wenbin waved his hand and said expressionlessly, "No need!" The displeasure on his face was naturally noticed by everyone.

Song Jiang laughed and said, "Sir, you have always been honest and upright. Now that the matter of the village head has been settled, I will not trouble you any further!"

Shi Wenbin said, "I'm a little tired, you may leave on your own!" This was already an order to leave, and the group naturally took their leave with great tact.

Liu Zhi pulled Song Jiang out of the county government office and said, "This time, I was only spared thanks to the clerk's righteous words! Otherwise, if they had investigated, it would have been endless and a real hassle!"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "I'm an old friend of the village head, and as the saying goes, one should side with relatives, not with what is right!"

Liu Zhi took out a garlic-shaped gold bar from his pocket and handed it to Song Jiang, saying, "Clerk, please pass this on to the magistrate. I will reward you handsomely!"

Song Jiang weighed the amount in his hand and estimated it to be around ten taels, which is about one hundred taels of silver! So he laughed and said, "Of course, of course!" But in his heart, he secretly regretted that Liu Zhi was a shrewd man, but he didn't care about the people at all. If he had treated the villagers well in the past, none of this would have happened!

At this moment, Lei Heng also walked over and said, "Guardian, now you can relax!"

Liu Zhi also laughed and said, "Thanks to Commander Lei for informing me in advance, I will remember your kindness!"

Lei Heng laughed, "I've been on duty today and haven't eaten a single grain of rice yet; I'm starving!"

Upon hearing Lei Heng's implication that he was being pressured into treating everyone again, Liu Zhi was genuinely delighted and declared boldly, "Today, we won't leave until we're completely drunk!"

Song Jiang smiled and said, "I have some other matters to attend to, so I won't go. When I have the opportunity to visit Xixi Village, please don't avoid seeing me!"

Liu Zhi laughed heartily and said, "What are you saying, Clerk? In that case, I'll take my leave!" After saying that, he and Lei Heng left the county office side by side!

Song Jiang watched the two figures as they walked away, his expression still smiling, but his heart was cold. If Liu Zhi's death hadn't affected his plans, he wouldn't have wasted his breath talking to him!

Song Jiang didn't want to kill Liu Zhi, but if he led Liangshan to attack Xixi Village, he would have to bring all the villagers of Xixi Village to Liangshan afterwards, which would be very difficult. Moreover, if any of the villagers escaped from Liu Zhi's village, his side would likely suffer a catastrophic disaster. Even if, hypothetically, the village head was killed and all the villagers disappeared without a trace, it would inevitably attract the attention of the imperial court, and it would only be a matter of time before they found out about Liangshan!

However, relying on the laws of the Song Dynasty would ultimately be without evidence. If he were to be forcibly executed, it would only invite gossip and disputes. If the prefect were to intervene, it would put Shi Wenbin in an unjust position!

Moreover, Liu Zhi's family had a lot of money and grain, and Liangshan needed money right now. How could Song Jiang let him go? So, he temporarily entrusted Liu Zhi's life to him to help guard the silver. Wasn't that wonderful?

Back in Songjia Village, Song Qing was busy at the winery. Seeing Song Jiang return, he excitedly asked, "Brother, what did Lord Shi say?"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "He said this wine is better than any fine wine he has ever drunk before!"

Song Qing laughed loudly, "Is that really true!"

Song Jiang nodded and said, "How could I lie to you? It's just that, in my opinion, this wine will need some time before it's ready to drink!"

Song Qing opened the jar of wine, smelled it, and said, "This wine is very fragrant. I wonder what it will taste like after it's been left out for a while!"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "Why don't you try brewing it with fruit, Fourth Brother!"

Song Qing asked in surprise, "Is this feasible?"

Song Jiang continued with a laugh, "Try it and you'll see. Remember, the brewing time for fruit wine must not be as long as that for grain wine!"

Song Qing fell into thought. Song Jiang's words seemed to have opened up a new way of thinking for him, making him interested in all kinds of wine that could be brewed!

After thinking for a moment, Song Qing's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed happily, "I'll go buy some fruit tomorrow and try it out!"

Song Jiang stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "I'll be leaving now. Don't disappoint me when I return!"

Since Song Jiang joined Liangshan, the two brothers have barely seen each other, but now that Liangshan is in its early stages of development, there are many things that can't be helped!

The steel knife that Shi Wenbin sent was also delivered by Zhu Tong with ten soldiers, along with that poor Liu Wu!

Zhu Tong saw Song Jiang step forward and whispered, "Brother, what my lord means is that I will hand over Liu Wu to you first, and these one hundred and twenty steel knives are also ordered by my lord to be handed over to you!"

Song Jiang took out three taels of silver and handed it to Zhu Tong, saying in a low voice, "Drink with the brothers!"

Zhu Tong quickly declined, saying, "There's no need for such formalities between brothers!"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "We can't let our brothers come all this way for nothing. If we back down now, we're no longer my brothers!"

Helpless, Zhu Tong accepted the silver and had everyone carry the knife into the manor!

Song Jiang ordered twenty of his servants to carry knives and go to Shijie Village first. Once they arrived, someone would meet them, and he went to the village blacksmith's shop.

Song the blacksmith sat idly in a chair, staring at the occasional passing villager, hoping to take a hoe and sickle to his shop to repair things and earn a few coins to make a living!

Seeing Song Jiang strolling leisurely towards him, and remembering that Song Jiang had previously asked him to forge some strange and unusual things—though he didn't know what they were for—he knew a big order had come his way. Song the blacksmith hurriedly went to greet him, saying, "Clerk, what brings you here!"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "Master Song's skills are superb; those pots are certainly durable!"

The blacksmith Song quickly replied, "You're too kind, sir. Having received the money, I certainly can't let it go to waste!"

Song Jiang looked at Song the blacksmith and said, "I see your blacksmith shop isn't doing very well. Why don't we go somewhere together? I'll provide the iron, and you just need to forge things every day!"

Song the blacksmith hesitated for a moment, then asked, "This, clerk, I've never left Songjia Village, this..."

Song Jiang laughed and said, "How about I give you five taels of silver a month?"

Upon hearing that there were five taels of silver, the blacksmith Song quickly nodded and said, "In that case, I'm willing to go with Clerk Song!"

Song Jiang glanced into the blacksmith's shop. Three apprentices were diligently forging a wood-chopping knife, while an old woman was busily cooking. Wisps of smoke rose from the chimney, and the aroma of food slowly wafted out.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Your apprentice and wife can come with you too! You can decide the apprentice's monthly salary. As for food and lodging, don't worry about it, I'll arrange it!" After saying that, he took out a silver ingot and placed it in front of Song the blacksmith. This silver ingot was about twenty taels. Song the blacksmith had never seen so much silver before, so he quickly took it and put it in his pocket!

Song Jiang laughed and said, "After you finish eating, leave with me. This matter is top secret, so don't mention it to anyone else. Otherwise, if I find out, you'll get your money back, and I'll find someone else!"

Song the blacksmith hurriedly said, "Don't worry, clerk, I will keep this a secret!" He understood the principle of making a fortune in silence. Besides, Song Jiang was a government official, so he must have something to do secretly. Giving him five taels of silver every month was a huge favor. Why would he be stupid enough to tell anyone?

The blue sky remains, the white clouds are vast, the lake is shrouded in mist, the afterglow of the setting sun shines, the evening glow of the sunset is beautiful, and the stars twinkle.

Song Jiang returned to Liangshan on the morning of the second day. After being away from Liangshan for three or four days, his return was undoubtedly far more lively than his last visit!

Although there were over a hundred people who went to Liangshan the second time, it was still a small number compared to the much larger Liangshan!

This time, there were as many as six or seven hundred new people joining Liangshan. Adding to the previous population, the total number of people on Liangshan was approaching one thousand. Although it was still not enough to support Liangshan, Song Jiang was satisfied! One must eat one bite at a time and do things one step at a time! Otherwise, even if Song Jiang were given ten thousand people now, he wouldn't be able to support them and would only be a hindrance!

"Captain Gongming!" As soon as he stepped onto the Golden Beach, Chao Gai walked towards him, accompanied by an old man!

"Brother!" Song Jiang responded warmly!

In private, it didn't matter whether Chao Gai called Song Jiang "Brother" or "Gongming," but in front of others, he still called him "Captain" to show respect for Song Jiang!

"This old man is Liu Jin from Xixi Village, and he is also the most senior person among the villagers of Xixi Village!" Chao Gai introduced.

"Clerk!" Liu Jin knelt down on the ground and bowed to Song Jiang!

"No, you mustn't! Don't make me feel so bad!" Song Jiang quickly helped the old man up. The old man was too old for him to kneel down; it was inappropriate from any perspective.

Liu Jin choked up and said, "If it weren't for the clerk and the village head rescuing us from this sea of ​​suffering, we would probably still be suffering in Xixi Village. We can never repay your great kindness!" Liu Jin was not lying. After he went up Liangshan, he found that the air could be so sweet and the sky could be so bright. The mountain that used to weigh on him had finally been removed!

Fragrant steamed buns and hot soup—many villagers who had never had a proper meal were finally able to enjoy a good feast. They couldn't remember the last time they had eaten like this; it seemed like a very, very long time ago!

Song Jiang didn't dwell on the topic any further, but instead asked, "Old man, what are your plans next?"

Liu Jin was taken aback. He hadn't really thought about what his plans were. He only knew that after going to Liangshan and watching a group of strong men train, he felt as if he had returned to many years ago. Back then, he had thought about joining the army to serve his country, but that was many years ago!

As for the villagers who followed him to Liangshan, they all envied these energetic and loud-voiced peers!

As for whether they would leave Liangshan, they had never even considered it!

Liu Jin lowered his head and thought for a moment before speaking, "There are many of us, so we certainly can't just eat and drink for free every day. We are all able-bodied, so if you need our help, please let us know. We may not have much else, but we certainly have plenty of strength. If you don't need us, we can leave Liangshan quickly. If you need us in the future, just send someone to let us know!"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "Let me discuss this with the village head. But please rest assured, old man, once you've joined Liangshan, you're one of my Liangshan brothers. How could you possibly leave!"

Liu Jin breathed a sigh of relief. Three meals a day plus freedom—who wouldn't want to leave? With enough to eat and wear, plenty of work, a little money to save, a wife and children—that would be enough for a lifetime. As for wealth, fame, and high positions, those were too far away for them to even dream about!

There's a saying that "the poor study literature and the rich practice martial arts." It's not that they lacked ideals, but how could they study or practice martial arts when they couldn't even fill their stomachs?

After Liu Jin left, Chao Gai stepped forward and said with a smile, "Brother, there are several hundred more mouths to feed. I've arranged for three hundred shi of grain, fifty sheep, and fifty pigs to be transported to Liangshan. You don't need to worry about the grain!"

Song Jiang said, moved, "Brother, this..."

Chao Gai laughed and said, "Brothers, let's not speak words that would be unrighteous!"

Was Chao Gai a qualified elder brother? Undoubtedly, yes. But was he a qualified leader? Undoubtedly no!

Chao Gai was loyal and righteous, and did not care about trivial matters, but he had no goals. If Liangshan continued under his leadership, it would eventually be wiped out by the imperial court!

The reason why the imperial court could turn a blind eye to Wang Lun was simply because he was insignificant. With only seven or eight hundred men, he was good enough for robbing and looting, but his idea of ​​overthrowing the regime was just a pipe dream!

However, as Chao Gai continued to grow stronger, he would eventually become a major threat to the imperial court. As the saying goes, "How can one tolerate another snoring beside one's bed?" But Chao Gai lacked the leadership to lead Liangshan against the imperial court, and the outcome was entirely predictable!

In fact, Chao Gai's idea was quite simple: to eat meat and drink wine with his brothers and live a carefree and dreamless life!

However, how could the imperial court allow them to do such a thing? Chao Gai was used to being the eldest brother, so how could he listen to others?

Song Jiang knew Chao Gai's character all too well. He grasped Chao Gai's hands and said emotionally, "Brother!"

Chao Gai laughed and said, "Gongming, I am not capable on my own. I only hope that you haven't led us astray. I have no wife or children and no other attachments. I only hope that you will not let down the brothers!"

Song Jiang nodded and said, "My greatest fortune is having the support of you brothers!"

Liu Tang rushed over from a distance, saying, "Brother, I have fulfilled my mission and have invited Mr. Jin and Mr. Xiao up the mountain!"

Song Jiang was overjoyed and said, "Quickly take me to see the two of them!"

Just then, Ruan Xiao'er rushed over and said, "Brother, enemy attack! A group of people have come ashore from Jinshatan Beach, and everyone is carrying weapons!"