叭哒漫画

They pointed their “weapons” at Wei Ruo and his companions. One of the middle-aged men wielding a long stick threatened, “Hand over your horses!”

Though the stick was pointed at Wei Ruo and the others, the man’s voice was noticeably trembling, and fear was evident in his eyes.

Even the hands gripping the “weapons” were shaking visibly, whether due to nervousness or weakness from physical exhaustion, was unknown.

Wei Ruo glanced at Wei Jinyi and said, “Brother, go easy on them.”

“Alright,” Wei Jinyi replied.

He then swiftly approached the group of men and effortlessly snatched away

their sticks and stones.

The men were utterly dumbfounded.

Is…is he even human? Or maybe he is an immortal?

At this moment, the women and children hiding behind the men in the bushes

began to panic, their voices trembling.

Wei Jinyi merely looked at them; but before he could say anything, one of them could not withstand the pressure any longer and fell to his knees, begging for mercy,

“Mercy, kind sirs! Mercy! We didn’t mean it, we’re just too hungry!”

Wei Ruo responded, “It’s clear that all of you are indeed very hungry, but we

can’t let you eat our horses.”

Then, turning to Xiumei, he said, “Xiumei, give them all the dried sweet

potatoes we brought with us.”

Xiumei nodded and brought out two large packages of dried sweet potatoes

from the bags on the horses.

She walked over to the group and handed over the two sacks to them.

Without waiting for Wei Ruo and Xiumei to explain, the group quickly reached into the sacks and voraciously began to gobble up the sweet potatoes.

With their large numbers, two bags of dried sweet potatoes meant that each

person received two or three pieces.

Seeing them in this state, Wei Ruo and his companions decided not to disturb them further.

Only when they had finished eating did Wei Ruo ask them, “Are you villagers from around here?”

The middle-aged man who had initially threatened Wei Ruo and his companions, nodded, “We are from Dahetun Village, in Renhe County. Our village is the worst off in the county because of the rough land and the little crops we yield. In the past years, we just barely made do. The last two years, due to bad weather, our crops have completely failed. Even tree roots and the grass on the mountainside near our homes have almost been depleted by us for food. We had no choice but to flee.”

“Are you hiding in the mountains to avoid government soldiers?” Wei Ruo asked again.

The man nodded, “Yes! Some of our fellow villagers were taken by them and then died from exhaustion!”

As he spoke, the man’s eyes flashed with grief and anger.

Turning back to glance at the women and children who were hiding behind the men, he continued, “There are still some edible roots and bark in the mountains, and we have water to drink. At least we can survive for a few more days.”

Wei Ruo’s gaze fell upon the gaunt faces of the women and children. The women protectively held the children by their sides, avoiding meeting Wei

Ruo’s eyes.

The children, on the other hand, were gazing at Wei Ruo with a look of

curiosity and confusion.

“If I provide you with food and shelter, would you be willing to work for me?”

Wei Ruo asked.

Wei Ruo’s question baffled them.

Wei Ruo added, “It’s inevitable that working for me would be tough. But, I won’t overwork you. There would be adequate time for rest and I won’t let you go hungry or cold.”

Upon hearing this, they realized, this young lad intended to hire them.

They promptly nodded, “We are willing, we are willing! As long as you feed us well, we’re up for any kind of work!”

“That settles it then,” Wei Ruo said.

Wei Ruo’s quick decision left the group in disbelief.

“Young Master, are the words you just spoke truth? You aren’t joking around

with us, are you?”

Nowadays, it was challenging to find a job that paid in meals.

The way this young master casually proposed hiring them raised their suspicions. They found it hard to believe his words.

“I’m planning to purchase some farmland soon, and I will need labourers. It’s a coincidence that I met all of you today, so consider it as fate.” Wei Ruo

explained.

The men still appeared bewildered.

“Wait here for me. I don’t have much food on me at the moment. I’ll go back to fetch some for you and return. After a couple of days, once I’ve finalized the land purchase, I’ll arrange your accommodations,” Wei Ruo added.

On hearing this, their eyes lit up.

The young master said he’d bring more food for them!

Wei Ruo turned to Wei Jinyi and said, “Brother, let’s go get some food for them,

and then check back on them later.”

It was still early in the day, they could afford to make a round trip.

Wei Jinyi nodded in agreement.

Thus, the four of them decided to return the same way they came. Before leaving, Wei Ruo cautioned the villagers fleeing from Dahetun Village, “Stay hidden. Until you’re formally employed by me, don’t get caught and forced to cultivate the land. I can’t do anything to help you if you’re caught.”

The villagers nodded. Even after Wei Ruo and his companions had left, they were still reeling.

Was what the young master said real?

Would he really come back?

Would he bring them food, and then hire them?

The villagers murmured among themselves,

“Is he tricking us? Would anyone actually want to hire us?

“But he doesn’t seem to have any reason to trick us. We have nothing left that

he would want.”

“Moreover, he really did give us food earlier, and it was sweet and delicious. I haven’t tasted something so good in a long time.”

After discussing among themselves, they didn’t reach a conclusion.

However, they were certain of one thing: they needed to stay hidden. Regardless of whether the young master would come back for them, they must refrain from getting caught to work as labourers in the wilderness.

###

On the way back, Xiaobei couldn’t help but ask Wei Ruo, “Mistress, are you really planning to hire those refugees?”

“Of course yes. Do you think I’m doing it for fun? So, do you have a problem with my decision?” Wei Ruo asked.

“No, not at all, Mistress! I would never dare question your decision. It’s just that I’m curious about how quickly you decided to hire those refugees. Aren’t you going to look into their backgrounds? What if they have any misconduct? Xiaobei hastily clarified.

“I didn’t make a quick decision. I had planned it before coming here. Once I acquire the farmland, I would hire some refugees. Although I may not be able to help many people, helping one is better than none. Since we happened to run into them, I thought we could hire them on the spot,” Wei Ruo explained.

Xiaobei couldn’t help but admire, “Mistress, you’re really kind.”

“Just for that?” Wei Ruo chuckled.

Xiaobei nodded.

“Then your standards for kindness are too low,” Wei Ruo stated.

Wei Ruo turned to Wei Jinyi and asked, “What do you think, brother?”

“Ruoruo is very kind.”

Wei Ruo couldn’t help but laugh, “I wasn’t asking if you thought I was kind, I was asking what you think about my idea of hiring those people.”

“If they’re grateful, they’d be an excellent choice. If not, there’s still time to find others.”

“Exactly that.” Her brother indeed understood her thoughts..