You’ve been transported to the “Great Qing Dynasty,” in the 20th year of the Qianlong reign. It’s the height of the “Golden Age,” and with the Qianlong Emperor at the peak of his power—would you still dare to rebel against the Qing? Rebellion is like playing on “Abyss Mode”; if you don’t rebel, you won’t survive. For the sake of your own well-being, you’d better be more cunning and less sincere. Rebelling against the Qing is true love—the more you scheme, the healthier you’ll be.
Chapter 18: Let’s Handle Logistics!
Chapter 18: Let’s Handle Logistics! “That’s so expensive, and I’d have to buy three hundred shi. Three hundred shi of grain is a bit much—how could I possibly eat all that myself? Forget it, I won’t buy that much.” ”Understanding the other party’s meaning, Zhang Rui actually felt even more confident. As soon as Pang Tong heard this, he realized it didn’t match what he and Li Hun had discussed earlier—hadn’t they agreed he wanted to buy a large quantity of grain? He could only defend himself by saying: “Three hundred shi would certainly be too much for me to eat on my own, but I’ve heard that Sixth Brother is a man of integrity. I’m sure he’ll often treat the villagers to meals and such in the future, so when you factor that in, it’s not that much.” “No, no, my money doesn’t just fall from the sky. How could I possibly host feasts that often? The real issue is what to do if I host too many—I can’t keep this up forever! Besides, you’re selling this grain at such a high price. White rice that usually costs less than one tael and five cash is now selling for two taels and five cash. If it rains in a few days and the price of rice drops, I’ll be the one taking a huge loss!” Zhang Rui shook his head as if he’d already suffered a great loss, saying As soon as Pang Tong heard this, he understood. It wasn’t that Zhang Rui minded having too much grain; he clearly felt the price was too high. However, before leaving, Li Decai had told him that as long as the price remained within the usual range, Zhang Rui could sell as much grain as he wanted. First, Li Decai didn’t think much of this drought; he didn’t believe it would last long. After all, this was Guangxi Province, where prolonged droughts were rare in the south. Second, even if he bought the grain, he might not live to collect it. After all, there were still dozens of bandits on Zhilian Mountain—no matter how capable a single man might be, could he really wipe out an entire village of them? Unless, of course, the “Chu霸王” had returned from the dead. As for Zhang Rui, Li Decai was unwilling to cross him by trying to outsmart a fellow criminal. After all, according to Li Hun’s account, a man capable of killing one fierce bandit and six hardened criminals in the blink of an eye was certainly no ordinary figure. Such a person was not someone to befriend, but neither should he become an enemy—otherwise, he would be living in fear and anxiety for the rest of his life. “So, according to Brother Liu’s suggestion, what price would be appropriate?” “One tael and one cash per stone of white rice, nine cash per stone of yellow millet, and six cash per stone of soybeans. At that price, I might consider buying in bulk,” Zhang Rui said nonchalantly. Ruthless—he really is a ruthless man. Those prices don’t look like he’s trying to do business. At that moment, Pang Tong’s expression instantly darkened, and a wave of irritation surged through him. Everything about Zhang Rui grated on his nerves, especially that greasy pigtail. His anger flared, and he was about to let loose with a tirade. ? Wait a minute, a pigtail? In an instant, a smile spread across Pang Tong’s face “Sixth Brother, that price is a bit low. Could you go a little higher? You won’t be able to sell it at that price.” “Good thing I held back from cursing,” Pang Tong thought to himself. He had followed Li Decai to see the severed heads with his own eyes, and those six braids were still vividly etched in his mind. According to Li Hun, when Zhang Rui killed them, he didn’t say a single word—he finished them off in just two swift moves. Although Zhang Rui is currently only killing bandits, who can guarantee that if I anger him, he won’t cut me down with a single stroke? If that happens, I’ll have nowhere to turn. Anyway, it’s not my business. At worst, I’ll go back and tell Li Decai, “Sell it if you want to, or don’t!” “The price is set. I actually think it’s too high. If it weren’t for the sincerity of your master, I wouldn’t even want to buy it. Anyway, I’m not in a rush for grain. I can save the money until harvest time to buy rice then—it’ll be much cheaper. You usually only pay four to six cash per shi of grain.” Zhang Rui looked completely unconcerned. Pang Tong tried every trick in the book to persuade him, but Zhang Rui wouldn’t budge an inch. He could only apologize to Zhang Rui and explained that he couldn’t decide the price on his own; he’d have to go back and discuss it with Li Decai. Zhang Rui expressed his understanding to Pang Tong, saying he’d be heading into town himself shortly. If Pang Tong needed anything, he could look for him. Then he turned and left. Pang Tong returned to the Li residence to mount his donkey and ride back to town. “Brother Niushi, do you want to join the bandit suppression squad?” Zhang Rui asked Li Niushi, who had been following behind him. “Sixth Brother, just call me Niushi. I do want to join, but I’m worried you might look down on me,” Li Niushi mumbled softly, stammering a bit. “In principle, I don’t accept anyone who’s an only child. If something happens—an injury or death—how would their family survive? But since you were the first to volunteer, I’ll make an exception. However, you must go back and discuss it with your parents and get their consent. Otherwise, I won’t let you join.” Zhang Rui said sternly to Li Niushi “O-okay, I’ll go back right now.” With that, Li Niushi hurried home. On his way home, Zhang Rui saw Li Si waiting for him at his front door. Upon seeing Zhang Rui, Li Si said somewhat sheepishly, “Sixth Brother, do you think I could join your bandit-hunting squad?” “Uncle Si, if I remember correctly, aren’t you a bit over the age limit?” “I’m about three or four years over. But I’m still strong, and I can run fast. The important thing is, I want to wipe out those damned bandits and avenge Dog Hair.” Li Si said, a flicker of anger in his voice. Looking at this middle-aged man, Zhang Rui didn’t know how to comfort him. But once the rules were set, they couldn’t be changed on a whim, nor could he make exceptions. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to lead the unit in the future. “Uncle, I really can’t let you join the bandit-suppression squad. If I let you in, others will come begging me too—then what’s the point of having rules in the first place?” Zhang Rui said Suddenly, Li Si knelt before Zhang Rui, his voice choked with sorrow: “Sixth Brother, I don’t need the settlement allowance, the monthly stipend, or even the consolation money. I just beg you to let me join. I just want to wipe out every last one of those damned bandits.” “Uncle, what are you doing!” Zhang Rui hurriedly pulled Li Si to his feet. “It’s not that I don’t want to let you in, nor that I care about that little bit of silver. It’s just that once the rules are set, the worst thing is to change them on a whim. Do you understand? ” “I understand, and I know I’m putting you in a difficult position. I’m just a simple farmer who doesn’t know much, but I believe in settling scores and avenging wrongs. I really, truly want to go with you to kill those bandits. Please, just give me a chance. I swear I won’t hold the team back.” Li Si continued to plead “Do you really want to join the bandit-suppression squad?” “I really do.” “Even without the silver?” “Yes.” “Does Aunt Li know?” “I told her. She didn’t agree at first, but she agreed later.” “I see!” Zhang Rui furrowed his brow and thought for a moment. “Then you’ll be in charge of logistics for the bandit suppression squad!” “Logistics—does that mean I’m part of the squad? Can I go kill bandits?” Li Si looked at Zhang Rui with a questioning expression. “You’ll be part of the bandit suppression squad, but your main job isn’t to fight on the battlefield. As for whether you can go to the front lines to kill enemies, it depends on the situation—you’ll still have to charge in when necessary.” ” Zhang Rui considered it for a moment before answering Li Si “My goal is to kill bandits; I’m not afraid to die. If it’s not about fighting, then what else can I do there?” Li Si was a bit puzzled, wondering if Zhang Rui was trying to protect him. “Uncle Si, don’t underestimate this logistics work. It’s not as simple as you think. If you do it well, it’ll be more meritorious than fighting alone on the battlefield.” Zhang Rui said earnestly to Li Si “Trust me, once you’ve been doing it for a while, you’ll understand just how important it is.”
