Chapter 302: He Lives So Happily
A subtle unease rippled through the labor reform camp.
The atmosphere felt distinctly strange!
After Lao Nanfeng and his seven companions made their escape, the other prisoners couldn't help but feel a stir of temptation. They'd noticed that when Lao Nanfeng's group fled, none of the wardens moved, not even giving chase. This made them wonder: *Could escaping really be that simple? If it's truly so easy, I'd want to run too.*
Zao Ying, seasoned from her years wandering the jianghu, immediately sensed the shift in mood. She lowered her voice, "San Shier, if you don't come up with something soon, I fear all six hundred of these people are going to riot."
San Shier smiled. "No need to worry. Calm yourselves."
Zao Ying could only offer a wry smile. *No need to worry? When exactly should I start worrying then?*
She was still fretting over the worsening atmosphere when she saw the eight escapees, who had vanished just moments ago, now returning. One of them was drenched, water still dripping from his clothes, while the other seven looked utterly wretched, their faces ghost-white, as if they'd just stumbled out of a cemetery, chased by a zombie through five streets.
The other labor reform prisoners were stunned. "Huh? They're back?"
“No one's escorting them.”
“As if they'd been pursued by some monstrous creature.”
Lao Nanfeng slumped dejectedly before Zhong Gaoliang. "Warden, we were wrong. We won't try to escape again."
Zhong Gaoliang glanced up at the low clouds, completely unsurprised by the men's return in such a sorry state. He grinned, a twist to his lips. "Go pick up your tools and get to work. Because you eight were gone for a while and didn't do your share, you'll work an extra four hours today, understood?"
Lao Nanfeng replied, "Understood!"
He hung his head, obediently grabbed his tools, and began to work diligently.
The other prisoners felt a secret shiver of alarm. *That was Lao Nanfeng! The fiercest warrior under Wolf Centurion, untamed, often even defying the Centurion directly. Yet, now he's been tamed so completely? What on earth did he encounter?*
As they worked, the prisoners gradually clustered around the eight returnees. Digging alongside them, they asked, "What exactly happened when you got out?"
“A terrifying, mechanical fortress! I advise you never to go in there.”
“That must be Dao Xuan Tian Zun's special place for punishing prisoners. It's too horrifying.”
“I swear, I never want to set foot in there again for the rest of my life.”
San Shier beckoned Zao Ying over, a smile playing on his lips. "It seems there are no longer any issues here. Now that Lao Nanfeng has been dealt with, the other prisoners won't cause any more trouble."
Zao Ying was bursting with curiosity. "How exactly did you subdue him? Did you secretly hide a cavalry unit outside the camp perimeter, beat Lao Nanfeng's group up from a distance, and then send them back?"
San Shier spread his hands. "Perhaps, ha ha ha."
He led Zao Ying on, continuing their tour. After seeing the impressive Gao Family Fortress, he took her to ride the small train and showed her the vast fields of corn. "Look, the Valley of Exiles is home to Zhao Sheng, also known as Dian Dengzi, and his entire group, totaling three thousand people."
Zao Ying exclaimed in surprise, "Oh? So Zhao Sheng, Dian Dengzi, settled here? The rumors on the jianghu said that Zhao Sheng was driven to rebellion by the government, joined Bu Zhan Ni's army as the second company, and then mysteriously disappeared. I never expected he'd become part of Gao Family Village."
San Shier chuckled. "Look, that's Zhao Sheng!"
Zao Ying followed the direction of his pointing finger. A scholar, surrounded by a group of old farmers, was strolling along the irrigation ditches, explaining various "key points of knowledge" about growing corn.
A peculiar expression crossed Zao Ying's face. "A scholar teaching farmers how to grow crops? Am I seeing things backward?"
San Shier laughed. "Our village uses the celestial methods imparted by the Heavenly Lord for all our corn cultivation. These celestial methods are written in the Heavenly Books, and only scholars can understand them. The farmers are illiterate, you see, so they can't read them."
Zao Ying could only manage, "..."
San Shier called out to Zhao Sheng. "Mr. Zhao! Come over and meet someone. This is Zao Ying from Yichuan, a very formidable horse bandit leader, you know."
The term "horse bandit" was merely a polite way of saying "mounted brigand," and Zhao Sheng paused, then understood. He scurried over from the edge of the cornfield.
His running immediately proved to be a mistake. He puffed and panted like a bellows, arriving before them utterly winded. "Zao... Leader... *cough, cough*... pleased... to meet you... I am... Dian... Dian... Dian Dengzi... Zhao Sheng..."
Zao Ying was astonished. "You are actually the famous leader of Bu Zhan Ni's Second Company, Zhao Sheng, Dian Dengzi?"
Zhao Sheng, still struggling to catch his breath, replied, "Huff... *cough*... a mere... unworthy fellow... it's... nothing worth mentioning... *cough, cough*..."
Zao Ying covered her face with her hand. "With you like this, why on earth did you ever join a rebellion?"
Zhao Sheng coughed.
Zhao Sheng coughed again. "I... I didn't want... didn't want... to rebel! I don't know... why... all of a sudden... *cough, cough*... the folks from Qingjian County... chose me as their leader."
Zao Ying was speechless. Qingjian County, such a fierce place, which had produced so many heroes and brave men. This Zhao Sheng, Dian Dengzi, was truly an anomaly among anomalies.
After catching his breath for a moment, Zhao Sheng finally spoke without gasping. "Leader Zao, have you also come to join Gao Family Village? Oh, you've found the right place! Just look at our folks from Qingjian County. Here, they not only have good houses to live in and vast farmlands to cultivate, but many have also found jobs, taking the big train to work every day... Everyone's living is incredibly joyful, you can't even imagine."
A smile blossomed on his face. "When I first rebelled, I was always filled with sorrow. But after coming here, I realized my rebellion was the right choice. If I hadn't rebelled, how would I have left my hometown? And if I hadn't left my hometown, how would I have arrived here?"
He threw his hands up. "Coming here was the most correct decision for all three thousand of us from Qingjian County in our entire lives, ha ha ha..."
"Oh, by the way, please have a corn cob."
He actually pulled a corn cob from his sleeve and placed it in Zao Ying's hand.
Zao Ying was speechless.
Zhao Sheng laughed heartily. "The corn grown by the people of Qingjian County is wonderfully fragrant, ha ha ha. Please excuse me, I still need to discuss the use of celestial fertilizer with the villagers."
He then dashed back toward the cornfield.
San Shier shouted, "Stop running! Can't you just walk slowly?"
Zhao Sheng started panting again. "The villagers... *huff*... *cough*... shouldn't... wait... too long..."
Zao Ying simply watched.
Zao Ying could tell that Zhao Sheng was genuinely happy living here. The fact that he could so unrestrainedly make a mess of himself implied a profound sense of relaxation, indicating he no longer needed to hide behind a facade to protect himself.
She thought back to Old Devil from Guyuan and Xing Honglang from Yongji—all formidable figures, well-known in both the upright and underworld circles. Yet, they all seemed remarkably content here. Xing Honglang had even found love.
A flicker of doubt began to stir in Zao Ying's heart.
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