Chapter 30 The First Sound

“Go that way!” The soldier cracks his whip, “carry it over here!”

“Did you not eat?! Where’s your strength!”

The laborers are only clad in pieces of rags, their bodies stooped, skin dark and dirty. In actuality, their ages are not even that old but looking at them though, they appear to be extremely advanced in years. They tremble as they carried the coal, not daring to even let out a sound.

“Someone fell down!”

“He’s not breathing!”

The soldier rolls his eyes and says in an irritated tone:”Throw the body in the pit outside.”

The laborers barely reacted, their heads down and doing their own work, as if they are mindless animals.

The soldier takes a sip of wine from the flask he has on him and yells:”Bring out your strength!”

The laborers do not talk, silent and submissive like old oxen working the fields.

Li Congrong looks at the scene in front of him behind the hillside and spits, cursing lowly:”Bunch of cowards who only dare to bully the common people. Abusing people like that as if they are pigs and dogs. Even with dogs you need to feed it for it to be loyal.”

Zhu Zhongba consoles:”Don’t be hasty brother Dao. When the sky darkens I’ll go burn their granary, at that time brother Dao you sneak into the crowd and fan the hate, people will answer correspondingly.”

Although Li Congrong has not read any books on military tactics but he knows the old saying ‘the food supply precedes the soldiers and horses.’ They know just how important the food supply is. This place is just a small coal mine, the soldiers guarding the place aren’t alot. The largest official is a bai hu (TN: equivalent to a centurion in the Roman army), only 100 soldiers under his command.

But the laborers here number more than a 100.

Most of these people are neighboring villagers and farmers and had been held here to dig and transport coal. They are already nearing their limits. Looking at the soldiers who have meat and wine for meals, only they themselves know how they feel.

Li Congrong and Zhu Zhongba changed into rags and prepares to take action once the sky darkens.

“It’s so cold.” Li Congrong’s teeth chattered in the cold despite his muscular physique.

Zhu Zhongba is also no better off. People are made of flesh and knows the cold and pain.

Brother Dao, endure for a bit more.” Zhu Zhongba says.

The sky gradually darkens and seeing the people walking back to their shacks Li Congrong took a small path down the hillside and stands outside the shacks, a bit hesitant which shack to enter.

Just when Li Congrong is feeling rather awkward, someone pushed him from the back.

Only two words flashed through Li Congrong’s mind:”Oh no.”

But once he turns around he sees instead, a skeleton thin middle aged man. His numb eyes seem to be fogged over as they examine Li Congrong and asks tonelessly:”Newcomer?”

Li Congrong stiffly nods. The man pulls up the rag curtain on the doorway of the shack:”Come in.”

Li Congrong follows the man inside and sees a rather empty shack with people just laying on the floor. The people sees a stranger had come in and looks alertly at Li Congrong but their eyes are filled with sympathy.

The man that lead him in points at an empty floor space:”You can sleep there.”

So Li Congrong went over and sits on the damp ground. Here, there aren’t even dry grass or hay to put over the floor. Li Congrong asks the person at his side:”How come you don’t spread some grass to cover the floor?”

The person lets out a ridiculing laugh:”The lord master will let you go cut some grass?”

Li Congrong does not mind being sneered at, he asks again:”How long have you all been here?”

No one answers him.

Li Congrong continues talking:”I am originally a porter in Wu city, although life isn’t that great but I didn’t worry too much about food and drink. Sometimes if I’m lucky I can even eat some meat.”

Still no one responds.

Li Congrong scratches his cheek:”Right, where are your wives and children?”

Finally someone answers in a muffled voice:”Don’t know.”

“I don’t have children, my wife likely ran off with someone else.”

“My parents are still waiting for me to return in my old hometown.”

“Wonder what this year’s harvest is like.”

Li Congrong says immediately:”Currently, the outside is in an upheaval, alot of people are selling themselves. You should go back and have a look. If there’s no man at home wouldn’t just anyone be able to pick on them?”

“You think you can still leave after coming here?” Someone turns over, “here no one can leave, only when you’re dead then your corpse will be thrown out.”

Li Congrong’s eyes flickered:”On my way here I heard there were some people who killed the soldiers supervising and escaped.”

The shack fell very silent.

Suddenly someone says:”The soldiers have weapons.”

No one spoke anymore.

“Sleep, leave it for tomorrow.”

Li Congrong becomes anxious:”Rather then live a life worse than animals here, why not fight back? The worst is death but if we fight back there would be a chance for survival!”

Someone angrily rebukes him:”How is it that simple! You think no one tried before? The few who tried were skinned alive! A clean death would be better than that!”

Li Congrong pauses in a daze, not having expected the officials here to be so insanely cruel. Are they not humans too? How can they be this cruel?

“Even if you aren’t caught, your situation isn’t any better.” Someone says quietly, “when I left, my wife was already pregnant. I want to see my kid.”

A little while later, someone continues:”My parents are already old, and I’m the only child…..”

“When I left my son was only 3 years old.”

The group of people who had already become numb to their situation suddenly tears up as they talked.

“Who’s talking!” Outside a soldier yells, “you better sleep now! If you delay tomorrow’s work you will see what’s coming for you!”

The person’s voice is extremely loud, the people in the nearby shacks could all hear it.

But everyone is already used to it. They all shut their mouths tight afraid of attracting a beating.

After all, even if they have injuries from the beating they would still have to work. And when they don’t work up to standards with injuries hindering them then they will attract another beating. A lot of people died in such a way.

Just when everyone closed their eyes and prepares to sleep, Li Congrong hollers:”Your gramps, I, would be afraid of a coward like you?! So long as you have balls, follow me and fight back!”

Everyone was shocked into a daze by this.

Especially the soldier making his rounds. He paused for a moment before reacting:”Who just said that! Get your ass out here!”

Li Congrong:”Your gramps said that, grandson!”

The soldier is rather young and temperamental, he immediately rolls up his sleeves and pulls the whip from his belt:”You just wait, I’ll skin you alive!”

Not a small amount of soldiers were attracted by the shouting.

The people in the same shack as Li Congrong trembled in fear.

Just when the footsteps came closer, a shout from outside was suddenly heard:”The granary is up in flames! Hurry and put the fire out! Hurry!”

The nearing footsteps moved farther away. Li Congrong turns his head and looks at the people who have already sat up, his face cold:”If you’ve got the balls then charge out with me, and fight to the death! Staying here means death tomorrow if not death today. Fight back and you have a chance of survival.”

“Big grown men reduced to animals and actually don’t even think of resisting.”

“As good, respectable men, where’s your unyielding stuanchness!”

“Think of your wife! Your son! Your parents!”

Li Congrong lifts the door curtain:”The lord masters up high won’t give us a way out, we can fight for a way out ourselves!”

Li Congrong turns his head and finds the men originally sitting had stood up.

They don’t say anything but stand behind Li Congrong. Li Congrong finally lets out a relieved sigh.

Everyone left the shacks and picks up nearby wood or rocks. Li Congrong charges barehanded in the front, raising his voice in a shout:”Fight back!”

A group of skeleton-like men follow his lead, eyes red and screams along:”Fight!”

Likely due to the disturbance being too loud, the people in other shacks also came out fearfully.

There are still some soldiers who did not go to put out the fire. One sees Li Congrong and the crowd of laborers and immediately comes over cracking his whip:”What are you doing! Get your asses back inside! Or else you’ll get what’s coming!”

But Li Congrong threw himself over and grabs the other’s whip, his weight holding the other down and uses the whip to suffocate around the soldier’s neck. The man’s face flushes red with lack of air, his hands grabbing and legs kicking, his mouth letting out gurgling sounds.

“What are you doing? Rebeling?!” Another soldier comes over but this time the people who followed Li Congrong stood forward.

They swarmed the soldier who had been used to these people being submissive and not knowing how to resist. Before he could react they had him pressed to the ground, his head cracked open with a rock, breath disappearing in an instant.

“Kill them!”

“Kill them!”

Li Congrong raises the whip:”We must survive! We must go back and see our families! Charge!”

The soldiers split up with one group to put out the fire and while the other group may have weapons but they could not hold up against the greater numbers of laborers. These soldiers have never been on the battlefield, their army ranks being hereditary. Normally they are used to lording it over the common people, abusing and taking advantage of them. But when they do come across an angry mob of common people fighting for their lives, these soldiers are the first to show fear and retreat.

But in a matter of life and death, retreating means death.

The laborers have no other road left for them. If they retreat and give up now, later when it is time to settle scores, none of them would escape punishment, and even have their families implicated.

The step having already been taken, they have no choice but to see it to the end.

Besides, emotions are infectious. Everyone around you are charging forward, those not at first would end up charging along in the end.

In the dark, the people cannot see the blood, cannot see how it has dyed the ground red. Only hatred and the image of their enemies remain in their eyes. Their weapons were randomly picked up objects like rocks and tree branches and knives that used to belong to the soldiers. They are all just normal people without any training in fighting, but they have the mentality of putting their life on the line and fighting to the death.

Like a pack of starving wolves.

The soldiers as their prey.

In the moment, emotions run high, their blood boiling as if they have all forgotten their fear of death, charging forward without a care for their own lives. As if they cannot see the people falling under their attack.

The moon is hidden behind clouds. Li Congrong raises his head and looks, thinking that the moon is also dyed red.

He will never forget this night, never forget his first kill.

Aside from being scared witless, he felt something else as well.

A feeling of excitement that can’t be put into words.

He finally understands something Lin Yuan said. “Don’t rebel, then there won’t be a way out. Only if you rebel can you survive.”

Li Congrong hollers:”Kill!”

In the dark, Li Congrong lost count how many he killed. He has wounds himself but he does not feel the pain, his brain on overdrive and conciousness overly excited.

But the situation worsens for them.

The opponents are after all soldiers. Even if they have not ever been on the battlefield they are still soldiers with weapons that the laborers do not have. When they gather together, the laborers simply aren’t their opponents.

Just when Li Congrong and the others became more and more disadvantaged, a sudden shout was heard coming from the hill, echoing across the area and deafening in its clamor.

They’ve come!

Li Congrong slashes the stolen blade at a soldier in front of him. The soldiers are only dressed in clothes with no armor; the soldier turns trying to get a last glimpse of the person who killed him.

Li Congrong also saw the other clearly in the moonlight, a young puerile face with an expression of surprise.

Li Congrong bites down hard and turns his gaze away yelling:”Our reinforcements have come! Don’t be scared! They are here to help!”

Likely because Li Congrong charged in the front from the very beginning so the laborers all seem to listen to him, believing his words without a second thought. His words lifted the fighting spirits of the laborers, even if the reinforcements are just the 40 men that had been waiting for the right moment up on the hill.

Li Congrong let out a relieved sigh, it seems Zhu Zhongba had managed not to be caught.

After all, the plan was for Zhu Zhongba to burn the granary and then go back up the hill to bring the men charging down.

The shouts caused the soldiers to lose their composure, the bai hu Burigude shouts:”It’s just a bluff! No retreating! Anyone who retreats will be punished by martial law!”

Burigude raises his blade:”Follow in my lead!”

Li Congrong also shouts:”Get them!”

Zhu Zhongba and the 40 men also arrives at the battlefield. In their hands are hoes and compared to the laborers their physique is much more muscular, their arms with more strength.

Zhu Zhongba says to them:”Treat them as pigs and goats, don’t take them as people! If they don’t die then we will die!”

The men screams:”Understood!”

Amidst the carnage, Zhu Zhongba searches for Burigude. Burigude is after all a bai hu so even if he charges in the front he is still surrounded by protectors.

Zhu Zhongba carefully moves closer, in his hand is a small knife Li Congrong gave him. He can hear his heartbeat, even feel his blood flowing. He has never been as afraid or as excited as he was at that moment.

Burigude cuts off someone’s head and exclaims while breathing heavily:”Kill them all!”

And then he says to a person at his side:”Don’t mind me, I am a warrior of the Great Yuan, these inconsequentials cannot come close to me.”

Hearing this his personal guards moved farther away.

Burigude comes from a family of soldiers, their wealth amassed from cutting off the heads of enemies. He is the only person here who has ever been on a battlefield.

In his eyes, the laborers are no opponents.

“Bai hu.” Someone calls him.

Burigude turns his head and sees a young man, and likely because he appears healthy and muscular unlike the laborers that he naturally assumes him to be one of his soldiers:”What is it? Why aren’t you killing the enemies?”

The young man appears fearful:”I…..I lost my knife……”

Burigude sneers:”Useless thing.”

Saying so, he threw over his own knife:”Use mine.”

He has more than one blade.

The young man moves closer:”Bai hu, I’m afraid..….”

Burigude snaps with impatience:”A coward with no balls! Go already!”

“Bai hu.” The young man looks eagerly at him and moves a few steps closer, “I will protect you.”

Burigude sneers:”I am…..”

He has yet to finish speaking when he sees a cold flash of light and could no longer speak.

Burigude clasps a hand to the wound on his neck, blood flowing incessantly, his mouth also spilling blood.

Because he can’t speak, not even the name of his personal guards could be called.

Burigude falls to the ground and could only watch as the other walks closer and then——his sight darkens.

Zhu Zhongba cuts off Burigude’s head and climbs to a higher spot on the hill and shouts loudly:”Your bai hu has already been killed! Surrender and be spared! Your bai hu has already been killed! Surrender and be spared!”

In order to capture the thieves you must first capture their king. Zhu Zhongba has not read many military books but he naturally understands this tactic.

The soldiers immediately loses their composure and as they become absentminded, the scythe of death had already fallen upon them.

When soldiers at their side fell one after the other did they begin to put down their weapons and kneeled on the ground.

The sky gradually lightened. The battle had fought through the entire night. Only once the sunrise could be seen did they all finally witness the carnage from the previous night. Corpses of the soldiers, of the laborers, blood staining everything. Someone lets out the first sob.

Slowly, the sobs rose in volume.

It’s unclear if they are crying for the dead or crying for their own suvival.

Li Congrong’s shoulder and back are covered in wounds but luckily they aren’t deep. He sits on a rock and breathes in exhaustion.

Zhu Zhongba has the remaining soldiers tied up before saying to the laborers:”We have our own destination. If you want to return home then you can leave. If you have no place to go then you can come with us.”

Most of the survivors chose to return to their hometowns; they have family they are comcerned for.

Only a few chose to follow them.

Li Congrong sprawls on the ground and asks:”What shall we do now.”

Zhu Zhongba says calmly:”Bring the weapons along, pull as many carts of coal as we can, and return home.”

It will soon be deep winter. The things they have on them are not enough for them to survive past the deep of winter. They must return to the farmstead and must go back as soon as possible especially as their food supply is almost used up.

“Got it.” Li Congrong says, “let me lay for a bit.”

Zhu Zhongba also sits down. Looking at his expression, Li Congrong asks:”You aren’t even scared one bit?”

One person, alone and unarmed, leaving to go burn the granary. How does he have such calm nerves?

He even killed the bai hu. Li Congrong believes that he would not have been able to do the same.

Zhu Zhongba smiles at Li Congrong:”I don’t know either.”

Admist the battle cries and sounds of fighting he gained the strength and courage; his hatred towards the imperial court exploding and causing him to fall into a state of extreme excitement.

Those who want to return home left, each with some beans enough for a full meal given to them by Zhu Zhongba. They even kneeled and kowtowed to Li Congrong and Zhu Zhongba before they left with stoop backs.

They don’t know what their future holds and could only move forward on the road in front of them.

“Although we didn’t find any iron but finding coal is also not bad.” Li Congrong recalls their motive for leaving the farmstead, “as long as there is coal then we can turn the iron pots and kitchen knives into proper weapons. These blades aren’t bad at all.”

The soldiers do have good things.

They stayed for half a month and then began their journey home. Aside from the original 40 men, 10 new men joined them.

The new arrivals soon familiarized themselves with the 40 farmstead men.

At night by the fire, they listen to the men talk about the farmstead.

“You can eat your full.” This is the biggest attraction.

“Boss doesn’t hit people.”

“At night we can sleep in beds with cotton blankets.”

Their hope for the farmstead reaches a high point when Zhu Zhongba brought over clothes for them. Although the clothes are not cotton, but it is warmer than normal rough cloth clothes with the soft grass in the linings. Besides, back in the coal mine they didn’t even have rough cloth clothes to wear.

A lot of people froze to death during last winter. They survived that winter but they knew that they likely wouldn’t be able to make it through this winter.

But now, they can see the hope for life.

As long as there’s an opportunity to continue living everyone would want to do so.

The snowflakes dance in the wind and leave a thin layer on the ground. Lin Yuan stands in front of the window, it’s the first time he sees snow in the south. Much less than the north and not common every year.

The people in the farmstead all exclaims.

“There’s snow! It’s actually snowing this year!”

Er Liang and Gou zi squats outside and makes snowballs from the bit of snow.

They are teenage boys after all, with playfulness not yet grown out.

Lin Yuan looks at the snow and hopes next year’s harvest will be even better.

Currently the granaries are full, and two shacks are used for raising pigs, ducks, and chickens. If everything goes smoothly, then by next year the farmstead will be completely self-sufficient.

If Li Congrong and Zhu Zhongba can come back safely, and with the tasks of finding coal and iron successfully completed, the farmstead will also be able to raise armed forces.

When the uprisings and revolts emerge all across the empire they would be able to share in the action amongst the warlords and despots.

Towards the future, Lin Yuan only has a vague plan. He needs more time to think it over, and more time to implement his ideas.

“Boss.”

“Boss! They have returned!”

“Brother Dao and the others returned safely!”

Celebratory shouts came from outside.

Lin Yuan charges out the door, he ran so fast he nearly couldn’t breath.

They returned safely!

He looks at the unharmed brother Dao and Zhu Zhongba, breathing harshly.

In the end it is brother Dao stepping forward and giving Lin Yuan a hug.

“This trip can be considered living up to expectations, right?” Brother Dao laughs, pleased with himself.

He soon follows that with a whisper:”‘Living up to expectations’, this phrase did I get it right?”

Lin Yuan also laughs:”That’s right! You said it right!”

Lin Yuan says to the women behind him:”Go catch some chickens and ducks, there will be meat tonight!”

“There’s meat to eat!”

“Boss says we will eat meat tonight!”

Lin Yuan feels as if he had never been happier than at that moment, unable to put away the foolish smile on his face.

It’s noon, the sunlight beams down and melts the remaining snow on the ground.

TN: So, I have come to the decision to mainly focus on Back to Ming which will have daily updates evey night at 11pm. I will try to update Bird Dude every three days. I hope no one’s too disappointed >.<