The Fulang's Modern Young Husband Chapter 383 Part 3

Zhao Ger followed this plan. He hired some from Anping Village and some from the neighboring village. These young women and gers who came to work were in much the same situation as those from Luoshan Village who worked at the cement factory.

Their husbands were gone, they had many children at home, their in-laws were old, and they had little farmland. These young women and gers looked to be in their twenties, but they'd been married for many years. The gers had one or two children each, but the women had three or four. They were desperately poor—though in their twenties, their hands were covered in calluses, their faces full of wrinkles.

The Fulang's Modern Young Husband Chapter 383 Part 2

"Lao Wang, what does the spicy sour noodle taste like? Tell us!"

"Let's stick to business first."

"Let's talk about the noodles first! That's what I'm more interested in right now."

"Yeah, yeah!"

Lao Wang: "..."

How was he supposed to describe it?

All he could say was "delicious." If pressed, he still only had "delicious."

The Fulang's Modern Young Husband Chapter 383 Part 1

Chapter 383

They still had to go and talk to the other villages. If they wanted the common folk to follow the "policy" obediently, willingly, and without complaint, they had to explain everything clearly—make them understand the pros and cons. Only when the people saw the benefits with their own eyes would they be willing to do it wholeheartedly.

If they just sent down an official notice, would the villagers even know what sweet potato starch was?

Would it sell well?

The Fulang's Modern Young Husband Chapter 382 Part 4

"How could they not?" An elder slapped the table and spoke first, fired up: "I've lived in the village these past few years and don't get out much, but when I was young, I used to work regularly in town. That master of the house treated his hired hands well. Back then, when his daughter married and he held a feast, he invited a chef from a restaurant to cook. Whatever was left over, he shared with us workers. I ate some that day—oily and rich, with meat too—but the flavor wasn't as good as this." 

Because that had been his first time eating a big chunk of meat, and it was made by the head chef of the town's finest eatery—he had remembered that taste his whole life.

The Fulang's Modern Young Husband Chapter 382 Part 3

Arriving at Lao Wang's house, they didn't see Zhao Ger and were about to ask when a savory aroma wafted out first.

"Lao Wang, what are you cooking in there? It smells so good my stomach's already craving it."

"Right! I'd just eaten three sweet potatoes before coming, and now this smell is making me hungry again."

In the village, aside from the lazy ones, no one would stay for a meal at another's house unless it was a festival. But now, they'd been called over, and right after, the smell came drifting out. Surely they weren't called over just for a meal?

The Fulang's Modern Young Husband Chapter 382 Part 2

Gungun and Dandan couldn't handle spicy food, so Zhao Ger only added a little soy sauce for them. Even so, the two kids devoured it happily. They couldn't use chopsticks, and spoons didn't work either, so they just grabbed the noodles with their hands, standing by the table and slurping away. The noodles were long—they'd forgotten to cut them while soaking—and the two little ones were practically gasping for air as they sucked down the strands. Usually, a bowl of lean-meat congee was enough to fill them up, but today one bowl wasn't nearly enough.

The Liu family also kept praising the dish.

It wasn't flattery—it really was that good. They ate bowl after bowl.

The Fulang's Modern Young Husband Chapter 382 Part 1

Chapter 382

The next day, Zhao Ger, Zhou Ger, and a few others took three bags of sweet potatoes to the river to wash.

The courtyard they rented didn't have a well—they had to fetch water every day. Sweet potatoes had a lot of mud on them, and one or two loads of water wouldn't wash them clean. It was easier to do it at the river.

Zhou Ger rubbed a sweet potato. "Are we boiling these to eat?"

Guaizai did like sweet potatoes a lot, but three bags at once—how could they finish them all?

The Fulang's Modern Young Husband Chapter 381 Part 4

These days, as soon as the village children got dressed in the morning, they'd bolt out the door like their pants were on fire, desperate to go play. Guaizai's bicycle and wobble cars were just too much fun. They'd heard that the Prefect had made them especially for Guaizai, Gungun and Dandan, and they were so envious. At noon, they'd rather starve than go home. Day after day, rain or shine, they played by the paper mill, and their laughter could be heard from far, far away.

The women and fulangs had to bring meals over at midday, but they didn't mind—the children were clearly having a great time.

The Fulang's Modern Young Husband Chapter 381 Part 3

The Qin Family Army and the Zhou Family Army used to be evenly matched in strength. Now, after more than ten years of resting and training, their combat power had likely grown even stronger.

But what if the Qin Family Army got pinned down by the Chao Kingdom?

Then who would they count on to fight those joint forces?

The Imperial Guard in the capital?

The Fulang's Modern Young Husband Chapter 381 Part 2

Having Aunt Liu and her family here—seeing familiar faces—made him happy too. How could he possibly mind the trouble?

True, the paper mill had already finished hiring, and the chemical fertilizer factory was built and operational, with just the right number of workers—not too many, not too few. They couldn't just fire people for no reason, and there were no job openings to squeeze the Liu family into either. However, Fang Zichen had mentioned that after the New Year, he wanted to check out the northern regions. If feasible, he was considering setting up a few more factories there.

Hezhou wanted to rise—but how?

The Fulang's Modern Young Husband Chapter 381 Part 1

Chapter 381

When the villagers saw a carriage entering the village, and noticed that Zhou Ger and the others were walking with Zhao Ger—clearly acquainted, and seemingly close—they all greeted them warmly.

The chemical fertilizer hadn't been produced yet, but everyone had seen with their own eyes how well the crops were growing on the village chief's three plots of land. Next year, when they could use it on their own fields, their crops would grow just as well as Zhao Ger's. Then their days would get better. With hope in their hearts, the villagers were in good spirits and friendly to everyone—greeting people with smiles.

The Fulang's Modern Young Husband Chapter 380 Part 3

Fang Zichen and Zhao Ger were leading the four children by the stream, catching shrimp.

Guaizai crouched downstream, staring into the water. "Daddy, the shrimp in the basket are almost full! Come quick and scoop them out, or they'll get away! Father, don't herd them yet—wait a moment!"

Gungun and Dandan were also hopping about beside him, shouting, "Daddy, come! Daddy, come!"

At the sound of his little bamboo-horse friend's voice, Liuliu jolted, shot out of the carriage like an arrow, and ran to the roadside, shouting excitedly, "Guaizai—" 

The Fulang's Modern Young Husband Chapter 380 Part 2

However, if they went back to the village, with only that tiny plot of land, they wouldn't have enough to eat. Suffering and hardship didn't matter—they were used to it. But what about the child? They were old—how many more years could they last? Once they were gone, their suffering would end, but the child was still young. Their grandson couldn't follow the same path they had. If they couldn't pay the taxes, their own son might be dragged off to the northwest, then marched all the way to the capital to beg for a few years before he could come back.

After much deliberation, the Liu family had swallowed their pride and come to seek out Zhao Ger.

The Fulang's Modern Young Husband Chapter 380 Part 1

Chapter 380 

Wasn't it said that the people on Hezhou were extremely unruly, and that several officials sent there before had been beaten crippled?

Fang Zichen had stressed it severely in his letter—when they came, they must not reveal their identities, nor say they had anything to do with him, or they'd likely end up with sacks over their heads and get thrashed.

Lin Xiaoxia had asked around before coming too. He knew the common people here bore a grudge against officials.

The Fulang's Modern Young Husband Chapter 379 Part 4

Shunan was quite far from Hezhou. The Qin family soldiers, leading the new recruits, had been marching for a day and had just arrived at Zhonghuan Town. They were now resting at a tea stall by the roadside. The Qin soldiers told the stall owner to boil some hot water. The new recruits had brought buns with them, but they hadn't brought water—they'd been drinking at tea stalls along the way or at streams. 

There were two tables of travelers sitting inside the tea shed. The new recruits sat by the roadside outside, drawing envious looks from those people. Two horse-drawn carriages came from the opposite direction and stopped outside the tea stall. A tall, burly man stepped down from the first carriage.

The Fulang's Modern Young Husband Chapter 379 Part 3

Zhang Quan and his men had pretty generous stipends. They could regularly afford wine at a few dozen copper coins a catty. Now they took a sip, let out a blissful ah, as if they'd taken some divine elixir and ascended to paradise—absolutely delightful.

Guaizai fed a few grubs to Gungun and Dandan, then ate a few himself. They were indeed crispy and fragrant. Satisfied, he stared at Zhang Quan. "Uncle, is this wine really that good?"

"Mmm!"

Guaizai was intensely curious. "Does it taste like chicken?"

The Fulang's Modern Young Husband Chapter 379 Part 2

"Wang Ger, how's your boy doing? Wasn't he stung the day before yesterday? Feeling any better now?"

"Much better. The night before last he was in so much pain he couldn't sleep, but I didn't hear him complaining today. Though ever since he heard those conscription officers are heading to Hezhou for training, he's been going on and on about wanting to join the army too."

"My boy's the same—won't listen no matter what I say. His father gave him a good thrashing, and then he had the nerve to blame his father for it!"

"Blame him for what?"

The Fulang's Modern Young Husband Chapter 379 Part 1

Chapter 379

The men who hadn't been selected had also come to watch the excitement today. Now they were pounding their chests in regret, their eyes glistening with tears as they looked enviously at those who had been chosen.

Fang Zichen shifted his tone and encouraged those who hadn't made the cut as well: "There are three hundred and sixty trades, and every trade has its master. Serving as a soldier or an official isn't the only way to contribute to Da Xia. Those of you who weren't selected—don't lose heart. Ordinary folks who work diligently, tend their fields honestly, and do no harm to others or to Da Xia—you too are contributing to the nation and serving the people."

The Fulang's Modern Young Husband Chapter 378 Part 3

No one under sixteen. No one over thirty. They had to be healthy, with no defects or hidden illnesses.

Though thirty was prime age in modern times, villagers worked so hard that by thirty their bodies had already taken quite a beating. Sending them into such grueling training—their bodies probably wouldn't have held up.

Everyone understood the reasoning and didn't make a fuss.

The town's physicians were all summoned, and the recruits went through checkpoints one by one.

The Fulang's Modern Young Husband Chapter 378 Part 2

When Gungun woke up, he was thoughtful enough to reach out and touch Guaizai's face, asking if it hurt and offering to blow on it to make it better. Dandan, meanwhile, crawled under the bed and retrieved half a steamed bun he'd secretly stashed away—now covered in fuzz—and held it out to Guaizai: "Brother, here, eat—no more pain."

They could see that Guaizai was all swollen, but couldn't see their own puffy faces. And with the medicine making their skin feel cool and tingly, it didn't hurt at all. To them, Guaizai was the one who'd really suffered.