dognovel Chapter 137 Should Not Back Down
Chapter 137 Should Not Back Down
"What's going on?" Lin Chang'er asked. Weren't they supposed to be discussing the formation of a coastal defense team? How did it get to the topic of whether or not someone should become a village head?
Aunt Zhou also got up from the small stool. "What happened? Did the dog bite you?"
Zhou Hai was seething with anger, his face contorted with rage. He glanced at the children in the yard, then said, holding back for the moment, "Let's talk in the main room. Sister-in-law Gu, Da Lang and Er Lang, come and listen too!"
"I want to hear too!" Gu Silang stood up. By all accounts, he was of the same generation as his eldest brother, second brother, and third sister-in-law, but he was younger and that's why he suffered a loss.
Zhou Li chimed in, "If Si Lang can hear it, so can I."
Xu Gun'er didn't dare to fall behind, "Then I want to hear too."
Zhou Hai had a headache and looked at Lin Chang'er. Lin Chang'er looked at the three slightly older boys by the sandy field. In this era, boys had to get married at the age of fifteen or sixteen. Huo Qubing was made a champion marquis at the age of 17.
If they continue to be pampered at nine or ten years old, will they be able to stand on their own when they reach the age to get married?
Lin Chang'er nodded, "Come in, all of you."
She then looked at the little ones who were staring at her expectantly and said, "Come in and listen too, Sister-in-law Xiaohua, you come too."
Before long, the main room was packed with people.
Zhou Hai drank half a bowl of cold water to calm his anger before speaking, "I just came back from the ancestral hall. I wonder how much of what Chang'er said about the coastal defense team you heard about."
“I think that no matter whether our village is being targeted by those evil people right now, whether it's pirates or mountain bandits, having a patrol team means we won't be at their mercy in the future.”
"But those short-sighted things."
Zhou Hai was furious whenever he thought about it. Someone actually suspected that the coastal defense team was built to protect Chang Yatou when she went to collect seafood. They asked him how much benefit he had received from Chang Yatou and even said they would report him to the county government for accepting bribes and remove him from his position as village head.
They really have no conscience. Chang'e is so concerned about their lives that she has to go to all this trouble.
She came up with the idea; if it were to be built, would she not contribute money and effort?
He truly felt heartbroken for Chang'er, and he knew that with her current financial resources, she could easily move her whole family to the town or the county seat. With her abilities, she would surely be able to make a living.
Why stay? It's because I can't bear to leave the bonds with my fellow villagers.
Others asked, "Who will pay for this?"
Pay back your wages! What wages do you need to pay to protect your family? Isn't that what you should do?
Zhou Hai had been the village head for more than a year or two, and only now did he truly understand the feeling of a scholar encountering a soldier, a situation where reason could not prevail.
After picking and choosing what to say, Aunt Zhou immediately jumped up and said, "I knew these short-sighted scumbags could never see anything good in others."
"Sure, if they care so much about this place, let them do what they want. We don't care."
The Gu family members all had somber faces. Seeing that Lin Chang'er remained silent, none of them dared to speak up, fearing that they might stir up trouble.
Zhou Li, always ignorant and fearless, said, "It's good that we don't have to worry about those trivial matters. We can focus on making money with Third Sister-in-law. When Third Sister-in-law moves to the town or the city, we can go with her." How wonderful! He had long been fed up with these unreasonable people.
Aunt Zhou was stunned for a moment, then slapped her son, "What nonsense are you talking about!" Everyone knows this, but can you really say such things?
Zhou Li rubbed his aching arm. "Isn't that exactly what they mean? If the pirates really come to rob us, are they only going to rob Third Sister-in-law's house? Do they think they can escape unscathed? I think they're just jealous that Third Sister-in-law is doing well now!"
"And you said..." Aunt Zhou raised her hand again. This child really doesn't treat himself like an outsider at all.
"Auntie..." Lin Chang'er called out, and Aunt Zhou quickly withdrew her hand and looked at Lin Chang'er, "Chang'er, what do you want to say?"
Lin Chang'er said, "Children should have their own ideas. We can guide and correct them, but we can't shut them up. Besides, we're discussing this right now! Let them say what they want to say."
Aunt Zhou was actually quite afraid that Lin Chang'er would just pack up and move out.
They could shamelessly follow along. She and the head of the household could help Chang'er sell goods and play with her little hands. Li Ge'er and Si Lang could also play well. It seemed that in another two years, they would be able to take charge.
But what about her family, and her brothers who were in charge of the household?
There are always things you can't let go of.
“Sister Chang’er,” Xu Gun’er spoke up, “Sister Chang’er, can I join the coastal defense team? You know I’m fast and good with a stick. If we really run into those damned guys, I can easily take on two of them.”
“Mom, I can do it too,” Little Goldfish chimed in. “Uncle Stick has been teaching me stick techniques every day lately.”
Gu Silang also said, "Third Sister-in-law, even if they are unwilling, there will always be those who are willing."
Xu Gun'er continued, "When I was in town, I heard Brother Dahe say that those pirates were all barbarians. Whether they were the horse-riding barbarians on the northern battlefield or the sea barbarians in our south."
“These people will never be satisfied with money and women. In the future, they will definitely set foot on our land, and may even march north.”
“But appetites grow little by little, and we should never back down from the beginning. Our homeland should not become their supply depot.”
Little Goldfish agreed, saying, "Uncle Stick is right, Mother. We just discussed it. If we can escape the pirates, we want to carry them on our backs and fight the barbarians on horseback in the future."
"Xiaoman, Xiaoman will go too when he grows up." Gu Xiaoman had been sitting upright with his little hands folded, listening to his brother and uncles talk. Now he finally had a chance to speak.
Lin Chang'er was shocked. Could these be things that children would say?
For some reason, she felt a sense of pride.
After a long silence, Lin Chang'er nodded and said, "Alright, starting tomorrow, you won't need to go to town to sell goods anymore. While Young Master Wu is here, let him teach you some martial arts."
It's clear that Xu Gun'er has some martial arts experience, but he's still young and only a novice. He's not qualified to teach others properly.
Wu Qingfeng responded, "Okay!"
Zhou Li was stunned for a long time. "I, I want to learn too. I was just angry for a moment. I didn't mean to run away."
Aunt Zhou also looked at Lin Chang'er, "Chang'er."
Lin Chang'er laughed and said, "He doesn't need to tell me. If he doesn't want to learn, I'll have Si Lang and the others go and drag him back."
Hearing this, Aunt Zhou smiled with relief and then asked, "What about us women?"
Lin Chang'er's eyes lit up. "Let's learn too, I'll teach you." If something really happens, who will care about whom?
It's good to have your own skills. Although she's not exactly a trained martial artist, she can teach you a few self-defense moves without any problem.
Aunt Zhou's face lit up with joy. She didn't expect to kill any pirates, she just wanted to protect herself and not be a burden.
With that, the atmosphere in the main room finally relaxed a bit.
Zhou Hai sighed again and said, "What about the coastal defense team..."
"Is Aunt Gu here? Is Hai Zi here?" Before he could finish speaking, a commotion arose outside, along with a deep, elderly male voice...