diskusbooks Chapter 7 Nobody Wants to Starve
Chapter 7 Nobody Wants to Starve
The autumn wind swept across the plain, stirring up dust and stones.
"Dear fellow villagers, those who have money, please support us financially; those who don't, we won't make things difficult for you."
The bandit leader on horseback had a wide smile on his face and a loud voice. He didn't look like a highway robber at all; he looked more like a street performer.
"My name is Smiling Tiger. I used to be a magician, but now, thanks to your help, I'm doing some small business here. Please don't be too formal."
Although the leader seemed very easygoing, none of the naked people dared to respond to him.
So he began to ask and answer his own questions.
"You ask us what kind of business we do? We naturally do business with integrity. We know that everyone has their difficulties, and we will never make things difficult for you."
We're just asking to borrow some money. Our elder brother instructed us that we mustn't kill anyone indiscriminately, and we mustn't force anyone to rape.
"Third, we'll lend everyone money and give them IOUs. When our eldest brother becomes emperor, we'll repay him tenfold."
As he spoke, the smiling tiger glanced at his men who were rummaging through their clothes.
"Men, have you all counted the money? If you have, hurry up and issue IOUs to everyone."
When the message was sent to Lin Fan, he immediately knelt down with a thud.
"I have heard that the chieftain is benevolent and righteous, please spare me. This money is my family's land rent for this year. If we cannot pay the rent, my mother and I will have to sell ourselves into slavery to the landlord."
Lin Fan shouted it out loud, speaking rapidly in one breath.
Now that things have come to this, he has nothing to worry about. He doesn't want to give up the hope he's finally grasped. No matter what, he wants to give it a try.
Upon hearing Lin Fan's words, Smiling Tiger quickly rolled off his ponies and helped Lin Fan up.
"Young man, you mustn't do that! You'd be so pitiful!"
He took the IOU from his subordinate, which was to be given to Lin Fan.
"So much! It's really not easy for poor people to save up this little bit of money. If you ask me, those landlords are really inhuman."
Afterwards, Smiling Tiger went on and on about the bad things that landlords and rich people had done, and how many of his brothers on the mountain had been forced to come up the mountain by them.
For a moment, Lin Fan almost thought they were the good guys. If only he and the others hadn't been standing naked and shivering in the cold wind.
"Young man, it's no problem to let you take the money back, but we have our rules. We can only help our own brothers."
As he spoke, the smiling tiger's face turned sinister. "As long as you're willing to join us, then there's no question about it. At that time, your mother will be my mother. Do you think I'd let our mother be bullied?"
Lin Fan thought for a few seconds. He didn't have many options right now. Maybe he should agree first, and then he would have a chance to escape later.
"Okay, I agree," Lin Fan said reluctantly.
"Good brother, good brother."
Smiling Tiger, while embracing the naked Lin Fan, shoved a dagger into his hand.
Lin Fan took the dagger with his left hand.
"I didn't expect my brother to be left-handed. Being left-handed is great, left-handed people are smart."
"No, my right hand is injured," Lin Fan said honestly.
"How did you get hurt? Tell your brother, and I'll help you get revenge," the smiling tiger asked with concern.
"Written."
"Hahaha." His fat face jiggled as he laughed loudly, "Little brother, you really know how to tell jokes. If you could write, I might be able to fly."
"But if you really can write, that would be great. Our village's strategist was beheaded a few days ago, and we're just worried about who can write an IOU for our elder brother. Your arrival is just in time!"
The smiling tiger laughed and said, as if the one who was killed was not the strategist, but just a chicken.
"Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. It's good that you want to join us, but there's one last thing: you need to provide a pledge of loyalty!"
Lin Fan felt a chill run down his spine, a coldness filling his entire body. How could he have forgotten?
This is a world where human life is treated like dirt; what you've seen in TV shows and novels before is all real here!
Lin Fan trembled, unconsciously gripping the knife tighter, his knuckles turning slightly white.
"Hey, young man, don't misunderstand. Let's not make things difficult for our own brothers. Look at all these people in front of us, just pick one and kill him, and this matter will be settled!"
The smiling tiger leaned against Lin Fan without any guard up, pointing at the white, trembling crowd in front of him.
He wasn't tall, but Lin Fan was even shorter; you could see his chubby chin just by looking up.
He was to Lin Fan's right, and Lin Fan felt that he could easily stab his greasy chin with a single swing of his dagger.
However, there were about ten bandits, all armed. If one of them was killed, the other would be chopped into mincemeat.
The smiling tiger was completely unaware of Lin Fan's ulterior motives and cheerfully led Lin Fan to select people.
“This one is too poor, and I can’t stand seeing poor people suffer; this one is alone, and if you kill him, there’s no guarantee that anyone will report it to the authorities.”
"These three will do. Pick one." The smiling tiger pointed to a family of three.
A young couple with their little daughter; the man was tall, the woman was delicate, and the little one was adorable.
Although they were simply dressed, they were still a family of three that anyone would envy.
Lin Fan looked at their clothes on the ground. There weren't many patches, and the children's clothes even had embroidery. They were poor, but they were among the better-off poor.
It's clear that the male head of the household is strong and willing to contribute more to his family, earning his living through his own efforts.
Lin Fan stared blankly at the three of them. The child was hiding behind the woman, and the man was protecting his wife and child.
The man glanced at Lin Fan, then at the bandits, and stepped forward, puffing out his muscular chest.
"Young man, come on! Give me a quick death, and I won't blame you."
The smiling tiger was overjoyed: "That's really a good relationship. We'll release this mother and daughter and report them to the authorities."
The smiling tiger pulled out the little girl and pointed at Lin Fan, "Little girl, you must remember that this is the man who killed your father. When you report to the authorities, you must describe the man's appearance clearly, and don't make a mistake."
Lin Fan's hands were shaking uncontrollably. How could he bring himself to do it? His mind raced, trying to find a way out.
The man's wife hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth, straightened her chest, and stepped forward to block her daughter.
She didn't look at Lin Fan, but stared straight at the smiling tiger, her eyes already filled with tears.
"Chief, I beg you, please have mercy and persuade your brother to find someone else. As long as the master is alright, I am willing to... serve you well."
After saying that, she straightened her chest, as if to prove that she had the right to say it.
The smiling tiger finally couldn't hold back any longer and revealed a lewd smile, licking his lips incessantly.
"Of course, of course, you're too kind, young lady! Young man, let's listen to this young lady and choose another one!"
The boss had instructed us not to kill indiscriminately. But offering a pledge of loyalty was the proper thing to do.
The eldest brother said that adultery is forbidden. But the young woman consented, so how can it be considered adultery?
Lin Fan couldn't hold back any longer. He was filled with regret. He only knew that he had no way out, but he never thought that he would implicate others.
Lin Fan abruptly threw the dagger to the ground: "Forget it, I'd rather not join them."
The smiling tiger's eyes instantly turned cold, and his thick palm, whistling like a hurricane, slapped towards Lin Fan's face.
He was clearly trained; his strength was more than twice that of an average person.
Lin Fan felt a sudden darkness before his eyes and was immediately slapped away.
The smiling tiger picked up the dagger and charged at Lin Fan.
Lin Fan closed his eyes. Forget it, it doesn't matter anymore. He might as well just die, and it would all be over.
The dagger pierced Lin Fan's neck, leaving a red line on his side.
"You little brat, you're messing with me, aren't you? Stop pretending to be an honest guy. There's no shortage of honest guys in this world." He roared fiercely at Lin Fan, but didn't hit him again.
The smiling tiger stomped hard on Lin Fan's right hand, pressing down hard on the ground. He had noticed from the beginning that Lin Fan's right hand was seriously injured.
Lin Fan gritted his teeth. What was he? He was a joke.
"Kid, look at these people. They're poor too. Nobody's doing much better than you."
Lin Fan knew that unless there was a great profit to be made, bandits would not rob the rich or members of the three religions, because offending those people would give the government another reason to suppress them.
But robbing the poor goes unpunished.
"I might rob them of their money today, and they'll all starve to death tomorrow. You're the only one making a fuss over nothing."
"But if I don't rob them, I'll starve to death. Someone has to starve to death. Whose life doesn't matter?"
A glob of phlegm was spat onto Lin Fan's face.
Soon, seven or eight bandits surrounded him and stomped hard on Lin Fan's body.
"Go easy on him, don't kill him."
"Seventh Brother, this kid played you for a fool, he deserved to die."
"Big Brother has rules. This kid doesn't deserve to die. You all need to be careful. Whoever breaks Big Brother's rules, I'll be the first to chop them down."
Lin Fan could not hear the rest of the conversation, and soon he fainted from the pain.