It was destined that Liangshan Marsh would achieve great things here.

The three Ruan brothers were silent for a moment after hearing Song Jiang's words, then said resolutely, "Brother, don't test us. Since it's your decision, we will definitely do our best, and this isn't just talk!"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "What if it were a change of dynasty? Would you three brothers still dare to say such a thing!"

The three were taken aback. Ruan Xiaoqi spoke up, "Since brother has this intention, then I, Ruan Xiaoqi, will definitely follow brother to the end!"

Ruan Xiaowu also laughed and said, "I often think about this. My two brothers and I are no less capable than others, so why should we waste our lives? Since you have lofty ambitions, then I, Ruan Xiaowu, will follow you."

Ruan Xiao'er clasped his hands in a fist and said, "As I said before, I am grateful for your kindness, brother. I am willing to follow you. If Wu Lang and Qi Lang are going to follow you, how can I, Ruan Xiao'er, fall behind? My two brothers and I are willing to follow Brother Gongming to the death!"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "This is a business that will result in the confiscation of your property and the extermination of your clan. I won't force you three to do this. Think it over carefully. If you want to back out, I won't hold it against you. Just pretend I never came here after I've done this."

Ruan Xiaoqi said loudly, "Brother, don't look down on the three of us brothers. Being able to follow you is enough for us. Don't say such hurtful things."

Song Jiang stood up and said, "Next, Mr. Wu will tell you. Today, you will taste my cooking!" After saying that, he picked up some meat and went into the kitchen!

Song Jiang stepped onto a soft, sandy beach, feeling somewhat unreal. This was the Golden Sand Beach of Liangshan Marsh, stretching for eight hundred li! It was also the first road he had to take to reach Liangshan, and the first base he would establish with great ambition in the future. How could he not be overjoyed!

"Brother, this place is really a wonderful place!" Ruan Xiaoer said excitedly.

"Brothers, come with me up there and take a look!" Song Jiang said to Wu Yong and the other three with a smile.

Beyond the Golden Beach lies the Broken Gold Pavilion. It seems no one has visited this pavilion in a long time, as it is covered in dust, and vines are everywhere, entwining the pavilion's beams, pillars, and stone tables and chairs.

Wu Yong sighed and said, "This place is truly a chosen land, but it's a pity that it's unclaimed. It's a gift from heaven to us."

Song Jiang laughed and said, "If we take good care of this Broken Gold Pavilion, I plan to rename it the Pavilion for Recruiting Talents. Anyone willing to join my Liangshan Mountain can be received and greeted here first!"

Wu Yong's eyes lit up, and he nodded, saying, "Zhaoxian Pavilion, what a great name!"

After passing Duanjin Pavilion, three passes came into view one after another!

Over time, the stone walls were crumbling and the wooden doors were rotten. Song Jiang was certain that this pass could not stop many enemies, but the place where it was built was indeed a fortress that could hold off ten thousand men. Song Jiang was confident that after the pass was repaired, it could become a major barrier to Liangshan!

After passing the pass, an endless open space appeared before the five of them!

This open space is really big, how can I describe it?

A thousand troops and horses are hidden here; who can stop a million mighty lions!

Dragons soar across the land, bringing peace and prosperity; tigers roar through the forests, leaping over the three rivers!

A single spark can start a prairie fire, illuminating the heavens and sweeping across the four seas and eight wastelands!

Laughing at the changing winds and clouds, I, Liangshan, can be king!

There are a few scattered houses and tiled houses on the open space. Although there are quite a few of them, they seem sparse standing on this huge open space. The houses are old and look like they have not been lived in for a long time!

In the distance, several mountains loomed in and out of sight. Since Liangshan is called a mountain, it naturally has mountains, namely Liangshan, Phoenix Mountain, Turtle Mountain, Xiao'an Mountain, Dushan Mountain and Tushan Mountain, with Liangshan Mountain being the highest!

However, Song Jiang didn't have time to explore each mountain one by one. Right now, his priority was to establish a foothold in Liangshan before considering what to do next!

Song Jiang nodded, very satisfied with the place, and even felt a sense of closeness to it, though he didn't know why!

Song Jiang took out twenty taels of silver and said to the three Ruan brothers, "We will meet in Shijie Village in seven days. Do you three brothers have a way to find one hundred young, strong, and healthy men?"

Ruan Xiao'er pondered for a moment and said to Song Jiang, "My two brothers and I have been in Shijie Village for quite some time, and we know many people there, but we don't know if we can find a hundred men!"

Song Jiang nodded and said, "Just do your best! Better to have none than something substandard!"

Ruan Xiaoqi said, "Brother, all three of us brothers are coming to Liangshan. Could we bring our mother with us?"

Song Jiang nodded and said, "Of all virtues, filial piety is the most important. This is a great virtue. From now on, those who come to Liangshan will have their parents and children treated with preferential treatment!"

After discussing the details, the group left Liangshan for the time being!

Before returning to Dongxi Village, Song Jiang hesitated for a moment before saying to the three Ruan brothers, "That gambling den owner must have something on his mind about you, but we don't know what it is. Despite his cunning, he still managed to outmaneuver you. You three brothers must be careful!"

Ruan Xiaowu said, "Brother, don't worry, from now on, Ruan Xiaowu will never gamble again!"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "Of course I trust my brothers, but one should not have the heart to harm others, but one must be wary of others. You are in the open, while they are in the dark. It's best to be cautious about many things!"

After giving the three Ruan brothers some instructions, Song Jiang and Wu Yong set off on their way back to Dongxi Village!

Song Jiang met Chao Gai in Dongxi Village. That night, Song Jiang stayed at Chao Gai's house and also mentioned that they would meet in Dongxi Village in seven days to go to Liangshan together!

Chao Gai, of course, had no doubt that since he planned to follow Song Jiang to do some great things, he would unconditionally support Song Jiang!

After being away from home for three days, Song Jiang finally returned to Songjia Village!

Back home, Song Qing greeted him, saying, "Brother, after being away for a few days, I've had the brewing equipment brought back, and all the seasonings have been bought!"

Although Song Qing doesn't possess exceptional martial arts skills or outstanding intelligence, he is indeed a talent in logistics. With proper training, Liangshan's logistics can be completely entrusted to him! After all, logistics requires a trustworthy person!

At this moment, a voice came from the inner hall: "Brother, it's been so many years! I've missed you terribly!" After saying this, a figure came out and bowed to Song Jiang!

Song Jiang was taken aback, and his instinctive reaction was to stop the man from bowing! He said, "You mustn't perform such a grand gesture!"

The man was strong, but fearing that he might hurt Song Jiang if he broke free, he had no choice but to let Song Jiang hold him back!

Song Jiang looked at the man; he was eight feet tall, with red lips and white teeth, bright and piercing eyes, and his eyebrows reached his temples. He had a slender waist and broad shoulders, resembling an ape.

Such a handsome man dazzled Song Jiang, who hurriedly searched his mind to see who he was!

The handsome young man asked anxiously, "I heard you fainted before, but you haven't fully recovered yet. Don't you remember me?"

Song Jiang remembered who this person was, gave him a big hug, and laughed heartily, "Brother Hua Rong, it's been so long! I've missed you so much!"

It turned out that this person was none other than Hua Rong, also known as Little Li Guang!

Hua Rongxi said happily, "It's good that brother is alright!" Then, turning to the inner hall, she said, "Let's all come and pay our respects to brother!"

Two women came out together. One was Madam Cui, the wife of Hua Rong, and the other was a young girl, Hua Rong's younger sister, Hua Baoyan!

Song Jiang glanced at Hua Baoyan, a woman who didn't have a single line in the original story, but was eventually married off by Song Jiang to Qin Ming, a rough and brute.

Although she was still a young girl at this time, she was already graceful and elegant, with a refined and otherworldly beauty!

Because Hua Baoyan practiced martial arts with Hua Rong since childhood, she was not as weak as other women seemed; instead, she had a unique kind of heroic spirit!

Although Song Jiang was somewhat surprised by Hua Rong's sudden arrival, he was mostly delighted!

When it comes to loyalty to Song Jiang, if Hua Rong is second, no one dares to be first! Not even Li Kui!

At least once, Li Kui questioned Song Jiang and even raised his banner, but Hua Rong never did. For Song Jiang, Hua Rong abandoned his family and lost his position, always serving Song Jiang in his campaigns!

Even when Song Jiang chose to accept the imperial pardon, Hua Rong believed in Song Jiang without any regrets and followed him until the very last rope he used to follow Song Jiang, leaving behind only his wife and children!

This loyalty is truly witnessed by heaven and earth, and can be seen by the sun and moon.

Hua Rong once fought Qin Ming for fifty rounds, and his martial arts skills were far superior to Li Kui's. In particular, his archery skills were superb, and his ability to hit a willow leaf from a hundred paces was truly the best in the world.

If Hua Rong were to follow me now, I would be like a tiger with wings, and I could even plan many things in advance!

When Hua Rong met Song Jiang, he was very affectionate, as if he had a thousand words to say to Song Jiang.

Song Jiang glanced at the table and saw that it was already noon. Thinking that Hua Rong and his two companions, along with his younger brother Song Qing, must not have eaten, he restrained the excited Hua Rong and smiled, "Brother, you must be feeling a bit hungry now! Why don't I start a fire and cook a meal? We brothers can eat and chat at the same time! Consider it a welcome feast for you!"

Hua Rong was speechless and asked, "Brother, when did you acquire this skill?" However, since Song Jiang wanted to cook, Hua Rong naturally wouldn't object.

Song Jiang first went to the brewery to check on the grain that had been fermenting before he left. It would take some more time for the fermentation to be successful, so it seemed that he would only be able to drink some mixed wine at noon!

In the kitchen, the seasonings that Song Qing had bought earlier were all laid out. Song Jiang smiled and remembered how he had shown off his skills at the three Ruan families' house two days ago.

Even Wu Yong was eating with gusto, praising the food and thinking that his skills were becoming more and more proficient. However, he hadn't transmigrated here to be a chef, so he had to find some people to teach them as soon as possible. Otherwise, if he did everything himself, he wouldn't look like the leader of Liangshan at all!

After a busy period, six fragrant and steaming dishes were served: carrot stewed mutton, braised chicken, scallion omelet, fried pork, stir-fried beef, and stewed fish soup!

Six dishes were served, and Song Qing then took out a large jar of wine and placed it on the table. The sight of it made Song Jiang's scalp tingle. He really didn't want to drink this wine anymore!

Looking at the table full of dishes, Hua Rong joked, "With such culinary skills, brother, Hua Rong's trip was definitely worthwhile!"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "Tell your sister-in-law and Bao Yan to come to the table and eat!"