PFC Chapter 45 Just now, I was teasing you.
Chapter 45 Just now, I was teasing you.
Li Sheng looked at the crowd of people making a fuss and saw that they only had tea in front of them, and their food was obviously brought by themselves.
"It seems this servant has discovered something, otherwise he wouldn't be showing favoritism."
Liu Lu's brows furrowed, as if he wanted to stand up and do something.
A large, steady hand pressed down on his arm.
"No rush, let's see how these guards are dealt with first."
Although the original plan was to dismiss these soldiers, we can try to recruit any capable individuals.
Li Sheng's voice was so low that only Liu Lu and Li Shi could hear it.
Liu Lu glanced at Li Sheng and nodded.
"Brother Sheng's considerations are indeed more comprehensive."
At this moment, several men dressed in black clothes slowly walked out from the backyard of the pavilion.
There were four men in total, each with a knife at their waist, wearing cloth shoes, and swaggering as they walked, looking like they were the boss of the world.
The leader was a burly man with a dark face, a blade of grass dangling from the corner of his mouth, who squinted and scanned the group.
"What's all the noise about?"
As soon as he spoke, everyone else fell silent.
The merchant's expression changed, but he couldn't help but mutter something under his breath.
"Sirs, we're not trying to cause trouble, it's just that this young servant..."
The burly man with the dark face ignored the second half of the sentence and simply waved his hand impatiently.
"Alright, alright, sit still. If you make any more noise, get out."
The merchant's face flushed red and then turned pale, but he ultimately dared not utter another word and shrank back onto the bench.
The burly man with the dark face looked at the servant again, his tone contemptuous.
"You idiots! Of all people to serve porridge to, why give it to those peasants? Bring the porridge to me! And another thing! Go and clean the cowshed in the backyard, don't get in the way."
The servant was taken aback, standing still with the tray in his hand, looking at Li Sheng and then at the dark-faced man.
"Are you deaf?"
The burly man with the dark face frowned.
"Bring the porridge over to so-and-so; they haven't eaten yet."
The servant lowered his head, no longer daring to hesitate, and carried the bowl of porridge to the dark-faced man, respectfully placing it on the table in front of him.
"Go away, go away, do those chores in the backyard, don't get in the way here."
The burly, dark-faced man waved his hand, as if shooing away flies.
The servant acknowledged the order, turned around, and walked away quickly.
He didn't utter a single word in his defense.
The burly man with the dark face picked up the bowl of porridge, slurped a mouthful, and frowned.
"Tsk, it's cold."
He put down the bowl, wiped his mouth casually, and never once glanced at Li Sheng throughout the entire process.
He leaned back in his chair, stretched, and turned his head to look at a crooked-mouthed soldier behind him.
"Old Hei, when exactly do you think the new village head will arrive?"
"Who knows? The county clerk said it would be in the next few days, but who knows which day?"
"I heard that Li Sheng was just a country bumpkin who got lucky and captured a few Yellow Turban bandits. He caught the eye of the county magistrate and was rewarded with the position of village head."
"Tch, a peasant can become a village head? The world has really changed."
"Do you think he'll use us as a scapegoat once he arrives?"
"Surgery? He wouldn't dare."
The dark-faced man's voice carried a hint of disdain.
"We're the old guard left behind by the previous village head, with the Xu family backing us. He's an outsider with no connections; if he's smart, he should treat us politely. If he's not..."
The rest of the sentence was left unsaid, but the meaning couldn't be clearer.
Several people chuckled.
These words were heard by Li Sheng and his two companions without missing a single one.
Li Shi remained silent, looking at Li Sheng while his fist clenched slightly.
Liu Lu also looked at Li Sheng, waiting for his opinion.
Li Sheng picked up the hot water in front of him and slowly took a sip.
He put down his bowl and stood up.
Liu Lu and Li Shi followed closely behind.
The three walked toward the soldiers lying sprawled out, and the other resting people all turned to look as Li Sheng walked up to the soldiers and stood still.
Where is the local headman?
The burly, dark-faced man lifted one eyelid and gave him a lazy glance.
"The village head? He's not here. He hasn't arrived yet. What are you doing here?"
The other guards also looked up and sized up the burly young man in front of them.
Seeing that he was wearing coarse cloth clothes and smelled of dirt, they didn't take it to heart.
Li Sheng did not answer, but looked around, his gaze sweeping over the simple houses one by one, before turning back to the dark-faced man.
"Are you all just guards?"
"nonsense."
The burly, dark-faced man yawned.
"If you're not a guard, what are we doing here? What do you want? If you have something to say, say it; if not, get lost."
Liu Lu endured it for a long time, but finally couldn't hold back anymore.
He emerged from behind Li Sheng, glaring at the dark-faced giant, his voice neither loud nor soft.
"Is this how you lot are supposed to perform your duties? You don't even bow to the new village head?!"
The room fell silent for a moment after he said that.
Then, the burly man with the dark face laughed.
He slowly stood up, tilted his head to look at Li Sheng, and had a half-smile on his lips.
"The new village head? Him?"
The other guards also stood up, their eyes filled with scrutiny and disdain.
A crooked-mouthed guard scoffed.
"You mean, this poorly dressed peasant is the new village head?"
He looked up at Li Sheng's clothes, which were nothing but coarse linen clothes. How dare he impersonate a village head?
The burly, dark-faced man took a step forward, jumped onto the chair, and looked down at Li Sheng from his elevated position.
He was half a head shorter than Li Sheng, but relying on the support of others, he was not inferior in any way.
"I don't care who you are. If you know what's good for you, get out of here today, and I'll pretend I never saw you. If you don't know what's good for you..."
He glanced back at his companions, who were all clenching their fists, their knuckles cracking.
"We wouldn't mind teaching you what rules are."
Liu Lu's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
Just as he was about to lash out, Li Sheng raised a hand and stopped him.
Li Sheng took something out of his sleeve.
It was a wooden document, tied with a dark green ribbon. His name, place of origin, and official position were engraved on the document, and it was also stamped with the vermilion seal of the magistrate of Xiapi County.
He held the wooden tablet up flat, facing the dark-faced man directly.
The burly man's smile froze.
He took a closer look and saw that the seal was genuine, the handwriting was genuine, and the county magistrate's signature was genuine as well.
His face changed from red to white, then from white to green.
"You...you really are..."
"The newly appointed head of Siyang Pavilion is Li Sheng."
Li Sheng's voice wasn't loud, but every word struck the ground, making the soldiers at the outpost tremble.
The guards looked at each other, their disdain vanished completely, replaced by fear and bewilderment.
The burly man with the dark face trembled, and the grass stem in his mouth fell to the ground. He hurriedly jumped off the stool.
"Xinting...the head of the pavilion..."
The burly, dark-faced man managed to squeeze out a few words, then quickly clasped his hands in a fist salute and bowed deeply, his posture much lower than before.
The other guards, seeing the dark-faced giant's demeanor, also hurriedly bowed.
"We were just joking, please don't take offense, Director Li."
Li Sheng put the wooden tablet back into his sleeve and looked at them calmly.
"Are you all like this all the time?"