Chapter 73.2 - Taking more people in

While taking a bath, they didn’t take off their pants. But now feeling these people eying them, they felt that those staring eyes alone could take their pants off . . .

“Dad, I’ll send someone to dig a well at home tomorrow,” Jiang Zhen said.

He was not accustomed to being watched while bathing. Moreover, with a well, it would be much more convenient to wash and cook at home.

Jiang Zhen took this matter to heart, but the next day, he didn’t immediately go to find men to drill the well because all of his men arrived.

Jiang Zhen gave these people two days off, and since the break was over, all of them came to him.

When they went out to see the world, they suddenly found out that the world was so big! They would also get the opportunity to go to the capital . . . The spirit of these people was very different from what it used to be. They also deliberately wore their uniforms and held their heads high as they walked . . .

The people of Hexi looked at these people in a daze. Even the village head, Jiang Ping, had amazement in his eyes.

“Father, I also want to follow Jiang Zhen.” Jiang Ming looked at his father.

“What?” Jiang Ping was startled and asked promptly.

“Father, I went to see He Xiaosheng yesterday, and he said they are going to the capital! I want to go too. I’m going to follow Jiang Zhen!” Jiang Ming said.

“Don’t fool around! Can you follow him just because you want to? Also, how dangerous it is out there!” Jiang Ping admonished his son.

After being reprimanded by Jiang Ping, Jiang Ming closed his mouth and stopped speaking, but his eyes were still turning.

Near his home, Jiang Zhen was training his men, when he saw Jiang Ming, who came to introduce himself.

Jiang Zhen accepted him without hesitation. Jiang Ming could recognize a few words, and . . . if the son of the village head of Hexi followed him, it could bring him great benefits. At least, he did not have to worry about Zhao Fugui and his wife being wronged in the village.

Jiang Ming got the set of clothes that day and joined the group. He was a little unaccustomed to it, so it was difficult for him to move as neatly as the others. But since he was physically fit due to working in the farm all the time, he didn’t fall behind in the training. Of course, it was inevitable to have sore muscles the next day.

Jiang Ping watched his son follow Jiang Zhen just like that, and only he himself knew how tangled his heart was. On one hand, he didn’t dare to offend Jiang Zhen, but on the other, he really wanted his second son to make a career out of it, so he simply let it go.

The son of the village head unexpectedly went to follow Jiang Zhen! When the people of Hexi found out, they were all dumbfounded. Which young man didn’t want to make a career? After finding out that the people working for Jiang Zhen not only ate well but got paid and even had the opportunity to go to the capital, many of the young men in Hexi wanted to follow Jiang Zhen. By then, they had long since forgotten their fear of Jiang Zhen and were only bent on following him to live a good life.

The number of people who came to Jiang Zhen to introduce themselves immediately increased. Had it not been for the fact that many people in Hexi had bullied Jiang Zhen in the past and were worried that Jiang Zhen would settle the score with them now, there would have been even more people who came.

Jiang Zhen did not accept all of those people, but after asking them one by one about their situation, he took in seven. This way, he had more than forty people under him.

It wasn’t long until they had to leave for the capital and time was tight, so the training Jiang Zhen arranged for his men was also very tough, but the newcomers were determined to go to the capital and surpass the regulars, and the regulars were afraid of being kicked out by the newcomers. So unexpectedly, they all worked very hard and completed the training extremely well.

Jiang Zhen only used military training methods to train the momentum of these people and taught them how to use bamboo poles, all of which was simple and only needed four of five days. The newcomers got in shape, and the regulars became even stronger.

At this point, with only three days left until the time agreed upon, Jiang Zhen took his men to the county town, intending to show Zheng Yi these people and help out with something.

The Zheng family dispatched a total of five ships to the capital this time. Because of the secrecy, the five large ships did not stop at the dock where people came and went to the county town, but at a dock that belonged exclusively to the Zheng family. It was there Zheng Yi met with Jiang Zhen and his men.

Although Zheng Yi had hired Jiang Zhen and his men to protect him, he hadn’t just called on Jiang Zhen but also on the Zheng family’s house guards, so there would be seventy or eighty men on board. He called up Jiang Zhen, but in fact, the main purpose was to talk with him.

After seeing the people behind Jiang Zhen, Zheng Yi raised his eyebrows in surprise. Those scattered and disobedient thugs, their appearance had changed under Jiang Zhen’s hands. Such a group of people might actually be able to protect him. Zheng Yi was looking forward to Jiang Zhen’s next performance more and more.

In the end, Jiang Zhen was just an ordinary person. Even if he had some ability, he was not comparable to Zheng Yi in any aspect. Even in terms of status, he was only a subordinate of Zheng Yi’s, so Zheng Yi spoke to him for a while, gave him a deposit, and left.

There were already many people who were moving goods, so there was no need for Jiang Zhen’s men to do it. Jiang Zhen continued training his people, and like before, Zhao Jinge also took part in the training.

Originally, after hearing Zhao Liu’s words, Zhao Jinge had some objections and was looking forward to having a child, so he went to the county town to find a doctor to feel his pulse. However, he was not pregnant.

He thought that his cinnabar mole was pale and he was already so old, so how could getting pregnant be so easy? Zhao Jinge felt a little lost and took part in the training seriously.

Zhao Jinge’s own efforts and Jiang Zhen’s humble cooking skills had undoubtedly made him the best performer of all, and his skills got much better. However, he hadn’t forgotten that he was a ger and didn’t want to fight against others, so the others didn’t know exactly what he was capable of.

The day prior to their departure, Jiang Zhen gave his people another day off and let them go home, then he took Zhao Jinge back with him.

Recently, the family had dug a well, and this well had undoubtedly let Zhao Liu show off again.

When Jiang Zhen and Zhao Jinge returned, Zhao Liu went to prepare some delicious food again. Because Jiang Zhen had brought back a lot of oil and lard that couldn’t be stored for long in summer, Zhao Liu was ruthless enough to cook some very oil-consuming dishes for Jiang Zhen and Zhao Jinge.

There were many kinds of fish here and the most common among them was the minnow. Of course, people in Hexi didn’t call it by its official name but called it striped fish. This kind of fish usually swam around in groups near the water surface. It didn’t grow big, only to the size of a finger, but the meat was very tender. Because of its small size, people didn’t eat it much, but in fact, it tasted pretty good, more so when fried in oil.

Zhao Liu cleaned up the minnow and deep-fried it in oil, so that they didn’t have to spit out the bones and could chew it up and eat it whole. It would taste even better when seasoned and then fried.

Jiang Zhen had been particularly fond of oily dishes since he came here, and Zhao Liu, who was still frying fish in the kitchen, had already secretly eaten seven or eight minnow fishes and fed Zhao Jinge five or six. After Zhao Jinge ate some, he refused to eat anymore.

Jiang Zhen teased, “Jinge, if you don’t eat, I’m going to kiss you.”

Zhao Liu was in the kitchen and Zhao Fugui was outside, so just thinking about sneaking a kiss from Zhao Jinge at this time made him excited. Thinking this way, Jiang Zhen moved away the fish that he had originally held near Zhao Jinge’s mouth . . . He decided to not let Zhao Jinge eat it.

“You . . .” Zhao Jinge, who originally wanted to open his mouth and eat the fish, was dumbfounded and looked towards the kitchen with worry lest Zhao Liu suddenly came out.

Yes, he who was often kissed was ready to be kissed.

Just then, someone from outside ran in and said, “Boss, I’m sorry, but we’re in trouble!”

You guys are indeed in trouble . . . Jiang Zhen, who was thinking about his wife, quickly stood up straight and fed the fish to Zhao Jinge before looking over with a frown. He saw He Chunsheng and He Xiaosheng standing in the doorway with troubled faces.

“What have you gotten yourselves into?” Jiang Zhen asked.

“It was not us . . . It’s our father . . . He owes a lot of money to the gambling house in the county town.” He Chunsheng bowed his head in shame.

He Xiasheng, who was equally ashamed, sneaked a glance at Zhao Jinge. Just now . . . Boss Jiang was feeding him fish?