FID – Chapter 400

  Chapter 400: When Have We Ever Been Beggars?

  ”But didn’t some people from Xiapo Village also go to work at the new wineries of Xinghua Village? I think An Cai’s words are an overstatement.” The man remained smiling and sounded him out.

  ”We work, they pay. If we decline when there’s good work, should we let the villagers starve to death?” An Cai countered methodically, “If it were not for the village, I, An Cai, would never bow my head. All right, if you want to inquire about the Blessed Doll, go to the other side of the river and inquire. The Xiapo Village has nothing to say about her.”

  His overflowing disgust made the man’s eyes flicker, but he quickly laughed it off. “Don’t be angry, Village Chief. Xinghua Village is very popular in ten miles and eight villages. Although it has set up new workshops now, it is also to gain a good reputation. With the respected identity of a Disaster Relief Ambassador, if we talk about people who are dissatisfied with them, there are always people along the way, aren’t there?”

  An Cai stared at the man, the corners of his mouth slightly drooping. He did not speak, rendering the men unable to guess what was in his mind.

  Dafu and the man who led the way flinched. Cold sweats oozed from their foreheads, and their hearts throbbed apprehensively. 

  The man admitted openly that they were passersby, but didn’t he mean to draw their Xiapo Village to deal with the Blessed Doll?

  The Village Chief must not be confused. Their village had been suffering for more than ten years, and they had just seen some hope, ah!

  They really didn’t want to go back to the kind of life where they could only be jealous and follow the Blessed Doll to eat meat!

  ”It’s said that the Liu family in Xinghua Village used to be very poor, dating back to their ancestors. It seems that they were not from Xinghua Village at the beginning. Does Village Chief An Cai know anything about these?”

  ”You mean the ancestors of the Liu family? As far as I know, three previous generations of the Liu family were all farmers, so what’s there to trace?”

  ”So Village Chief, you really know about the family’s ancestors. Can you tell us more?”

  An Cai shook his head: “It’s been so long ago. How can I still remember? I only heard from my old man mentioning it in the past. I can neither remember their names nor can say anything.”

  ”The Lius paternal ancestor was named Liu Liyuan. Have you ever heard of him, Village Chief?” The man who asked the question had his eyes fixed on An Cai, and his eyes shone deep and dark.

  ”Then you may have searched for the wrong place. Xinghua Village has never had anyone named Liu Liyuan.”

  The man suddenly laughed: “Yes, yes, I misremembered. It’s not Liu Liyuan, it should be Liu Hesheng.”

  ”I do recognize this person,” An Cai lowered his eyes, “but why should I tell you? I don’t even know who you are. What if I say the wrong thing and cause some trouble for my village? Won’t I be a sinner then?”

  ”Village Chief, rest assured. We’re just chatting casually. As long as you don’t spread these words, outsiders will never know them.”

  Seeing that An Cai was unresponsive and was clearly dissatisfied with his answer, the man deliberated for a moment and added, “The two of us are just from other villages and are merely helping some people run errands. Once we bring back information, we can exchange them for some wine money. Besides, inquiring wasn’t anything strange. If the Village Chief can help us with this, we’ll consider ourselves friends. What do you think?”

  ”Forget about becoming friends. We are poor in Xiapo Village, and we only look for tangible benefits. You want to spy, yet you came to our village instead of going directly to Xinghua Village. Isn’t it because you can’t attack the people of Xinghua Village? If you go there, I reckon you’ll be driven away before you can even finish a sentence. So, only I can help you in this matter.”

  His implication: provide benefits first.

  An Cai completely worked out their thoughts. Indeed, they couldn’t set foot in Xinghua Village, so they had no choice but to turn their eyes on Xiapo Village. 

  The two men exchanged a look and took out a silver ingot and handed it to An Cai: “Here, please accept this for now, Village Chief. It’s a small token.”

  As soon as they saw the silver ingot, Dafu and his companion’s eyes immediately glowed; a silver ingot, ten taels of silver!

  It was enough for a family to eat for two to three years!

  ”Ten taels of silver? Do you think I’m just a beggar in Xiapo Village? The salary we earn for a month’s work in the new wine shop is more than this.” After receiving the silver ingot, An Cai sneered.

  Hearing the Village Chief’s words, the light in the eyes of Dafu and his company were immediately snuffed. Exactly. They were now working in the new winery. The monthly salary was more than ten taels of silver! So when they looked at the silver ingot again, they showed disgust. Hmph, they were dismissing them as if they were beggars! 

  The faces of the two men sitting turned gloomy. There were a lot of ruses just for them to dig up some information. What exactly was in An Cai’s mind?

  Just then, they witnessed An Cai turn around and hand the silver ingot to the man behind him: “Go to the edge of the village and get a good pot of wine. Tell Lao Hu (Lao – a prefix used to indicate affection or familiarity), I want the best wine, not the kind that’s so unpalatable. Dafu, let your wife prepare a couple of good dishes. We have valuable guests to entertain. What they have to say, they can slowly say it over lunch.”

  Heeding the agreement insinuation in An Cai’s words, the expressions of the two men finally eased. 

  The man who received the silver at the back readily responded and put the silver ingot in his mouth to confirm its authenticity, before he went out to fetch some wine.

  Country people’s homemade meals were simple. The couple of dishes only took a moment’s work, and that included a small plate of peanuts, a small plate of pickled cabbage, and to complete the meal, the jar of wine that was also bought back.

  The Village Chief was sitting on the seat of honor, and the women in the family could not join the table. Dafu and the other man pulled stools and tried to sit with them, but were immediately scolded by An Cai, “What’s your business here? Get out!”

  The two men: “…” They dared not make a sound and withdrew from the kitchen.

  ”Village Chief, there’s no harm. Let them sit, and we all eat together.” The other man in robes mediated.

  ”Each village has its own rules. If exceptions are made, it will be difficult to manage the whole village in the future.” Ignoring the man’s words, An Cai poured wine for the two of them and drank from his own cup. “Now there are only three of us here, what exactly is your purpose here? Why not tell me about it? Since we’re talking about cooperation, hiding and tucking things aren’t proof of sincerity. Then my sincerity can only be reconsidered and dumped.”  

  The two men exchanged another glance. They waited for An Cai to drink his wine first, before picking their cups and slowly sipped theirs, too. “Xinghua Village has suppressed Xiapo Village for so many years. Haven’t you ever thought of turning the tables and holding your head high, Village Chief? If you can provide us with more information in the future, the things you want will definitely come true.” 

  The two men who exited the kitchen returned to the living room. They pricked their ears, but could not hear a word of the conversation in the kitchen. However, they did not dare to scoot any closer to eavesdrop and endured the scratching in their hearts.

  ”Dafu, do you think Village Chief will really cooperate with them and sell information about the Blessed Doll?”

  ”You’re asking me? How do I know?” Dafu frowned and looked back at the nervous and apprehensive ladies at home, upset.

  It was easy to live a more stable life. Knowing that he had entered the new winery, the family’s elderly, children and ladies had been all smiles every day. If the relationship between the two villages reverted to the past, he… 

  The atmosphere in the living room was suffocating, but the originally harmonious air in the kitchen suddenly changed.

  The two men felt dizzy after they drank the wine. When their bodies became weak, their faces changed dramatically: “You drugged the wine?

  An Cai picked up the stool at hand and immediately hit them on the head, one at a time, the moment they raised their voices.