Chapter 1022: If Only I'd Followed Your Path
The labor reform prisoner added, “And we have so much to look forward to! In another six months, my sentence will be up, and I’ll be released. Then, I’ll even get paid for my work. I hear that even someone with my low skill level can earn one to two taels of silver a month.”
Lao Huihui considered. “So this is the reward for labor? It’s not bad.”
The labor reform prisoner chuckled. “This is just the income in a poor area. I hear if you take a big train to a major city like Luoyang, the wages are even higher. And if you’re willing to take a bit of a risk and board a big ship to the Jiangnan region, working at one of our ports or shipyards, the pay can be even better. It’s just... traveling such a distance, I feel a bit uncertain...”
Lao Huihui clapped him on the shoulder and chuckled. “What were we back in the day? Bandits! We roamed the entire land, afraid of no one. And now you’re afraid to travel far?”
The labor reform prisoner replied, “I’m genuinely tired of constantly moving around now. Settling down in one place would be better than anything. But the high wages are so tempting. Oh, I’m agonizing over it every day! My sentence ends in half a year, where should I go? I have to figure it out during these six months.”
“I want stability, but I’m afraid it’ll just be poor stability. I want to go out and make my fortune, but I’m worried I’m not capable enough. Yet, if I succeed, I could earn a lot of money, come back to build a nice house, marry a beautiful wife... Oh... it’s so hard to decide.”
Lao Huihui realized. This man was genuinely filled with hope for the future. He was actively planning his life.
Simply based on that, he was already stronger than all three thousand of his own subordinates.
Those three thousand subordinates were aimless and confused. Every day, they only knew how to blindly follow him around. They’d thank the heavens if they found a morsel to eat. When had they ever had the leisure or inclination to consider how to arrange their future lives?
A wave of guilt washed over Lao Huihui.
Just then, the labor reform prisoner pointed towards a distant hillside. There, a soldier with a flintlock rifle stood guard.
The labor reform prisoner whispered, “See that fellow?”
Lao Huihui: “I see him. What about him? Is something wrong?”
The labor reform prisoner murmured, “That guy used to be one of Wa Guanzi’s men.”
Lao Huihui: “Oh, is he also a labor reform prisoner now?”
The labor reform prisoner shook his head. “No, no, he isn’t. Look, he’s holding a flintlock rifle. He was released a year ago for good behavior. After that, he joined the army here, becoming a soldier. Now he’s stationed at Tianzhu Mountain and drawing a military salary.”
Lao Huihui: “Oh! They pay soldiers here too?”
He recalled what the transport captain had said yesterday. They could choose to be laborers or soldiers. It seemed the man before him had chosen to become a soldier here.
The labor reform prisoner nodded. “Yes, they pay military salaries, and the pay is quite high. All sorts of miscellaneous allowances and bonuses added up to at least five taels of silver a month. Nearly double what an ordinary laborer earns.”
Lao Huihui: “Oh? That much?”
The labor reform prisoner said, “It’s amazing! They pay so much, we’re all envious. But all of us came from bandit life, and we know how terrible fighting can be. That money isn’t easy to earn. So, when I get my freedom in six months, I don’t want to be a soldier. I’m afraid I’ll earn that money only to die before I can spend it.”
Lao Huihui nodded. “Hm.”
A whistle echoed in the distance. Someone shouted, “A few people, come move this rock!”
The labor reform prisoner exclaimed, “Ah! Brother Lao Huihui, I have work to do with my team. I can’t chat anymore, we’ll talk later.”
He turned and ran towards the source of the whistle. As he ran, he yelled, “Captain, I’ll move it! I’ll move it!”
The captain chuckled. “You rascal, always trying to earn brownie points! You’re only six months away from release, and you’re already so impatient? Still trying to earn more good marks to get out even sooner?”
The labor reform prisoner laughed. “Getting out even a day earlier would be great. Captain, for this month’s evaluation, you really must select me as a ‘model labor reform prisoner’! You’ve seen how hard I’ve been working, right?”
The captain laughed. “Alright, alright, alright. Keep up the hard work, and you’re sure to be chosen. If you become a model labor reform prisoner, you’ll get at least three months off your sentence, and it’s even possible they’ll cut the full half year, then you’ll be free.”
The labor reform prisoner was overjoyed. “Great! Watch me!”
Lao Huihui watched the man’s retreating back as he carried a large rock away. He then turned his gaze to the sentry, who was holding a flintlock rifle, had already completed his sentence, and joined the Gao Family Village militia. He let out a soft sigh and walked towards the sentry.
The sentry sensed someone approaching and focused his gaze. Recognizing Lao Huihui, he quickly saluted. “Ah, Brother Lao Huihui. Long time no see. The last time I saw you, Brother Lao Huihui, was during the battle in Shangnan County.”
Lao Huihui eyed him up and down. He felt that this man was indeed doing better than the labor reform prisoner he’d just spoken with. The quality of his clothes was noticeably a step up, and his demeanor was much more spirited. This must be what it’s like to be released, to abandon evil and return to righteousness, living with more confidence now.
Lao Huihui said, “You’re doing well for yourself now; you look like a proper person.”
The sentry smiled. “Things are indeed going very well for me now.”
He then changed his tone. “Brother Lao Huihui, back when I was still part of the bandit gangs, I was young and foolish. I always felt you had thousands of cavalry under your command but weren’t using them for the right cause; I never truly understood you. It wasn’t until I came here and learned things that I realized, among all the bandit leaders, you were the best one.”
Lao Huihui gave him a strange look. “What made me so good?”
The sentry explained. “Your troops were the most disciplined. You never plundered the common people, only attacked the cities held by government troops. What’s more, you were truly skilled in warfare, devising all sorts of strategies on the fly. Whether in direct combat strength or cunning tactics, you were top-notch among the bandit armies.”
As he spoke, the sentry’s admiration grew. “How great would it have been if I’d followed you back then? It’s a shame I ended up with Wa Guanzi...”
Lao Huihui shook his head. “Following Wa Guanzi wasn’t so bad either. You were captured and brought here early, and now you’ve been released from labor reform and have a new life. The speed at which you got back on the right path is much faster than any of my subordinates.”
The sentry looked a bit embarrassed. “Well... a misfortune may turn out to be a blessing; it was just luck. If my luck had been a little worse, I would have been killed by a flintlock rifle in the Shangnan County battle and gone to meet the King of Hell. Logically speaking, following you would have been a more righteous and straightforward path, and I’d be able to stand a little taller now.”
He sighed softly. “A few days ago, I heard that Brother Lao Huihui was coming. And not as a labor reform prisoner, but as an allied guest commander. I was so envious. If I hadn’t made mistakes back then and had followed you, I could have walked into Tianzhu Mountain with my head held high. But there are no ‘ifs’ in life. I was captured and brought here, and that makes a huge difference.”
Lao Huihui remained silent.
The sentry’s excitement grew. “Brother Lao Huihui, why don’t you lead your former subordinates and all join our militia? I want to request a transfer to your command; I’ll follow you from now on.”
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