Chapter 65: Campaigning for Team Leader!

"What new trick are they pulling now?" Zhao Zheng frowned, then instructed Zhaodi and the other girl to carry the coal into the kitchen before heading towards the village entrance.

Everyone who was supposed to be in the village had already arrived.

The three village elders—Xu Youde, Old Man Wang, and Old Man Lao—stood at the front.

Someone asked, "Uncle Youde, what big news are you announcing this time?"

"Don't rush, you'll know once everyone is here." Xu Youde replied, scanning the crowd. "Is pretty much everyone here?"

"Listen up, men, young and old. The township has issued a directive stating that the bandits of Daganshan are making moves. To protect us from bandit raids, the village is required to form a militia consisting of men aged fifteen to sixty, who will begin training on an auspicious day and continue until the threat is lifted!"

Everyone's expression changed drastically. "Military training?"

"Uncle Youde, the township isn't going to make us fight the bandits, are they?"

"That's no joke! Those bandits have horses, sabers, guns, and bows. If we go, we're just walking to our deaths!"

Zhao Zheng had already heard rumors in the township about unusual movements among the Daganshan bandits, but the township's response was even faster than he had anticipated.

Training in itself wasn't a big deal. The men of the village were required to spend one to three months each year in training, serving as township or village guards.

If a war broke out, they would make top-tier recruits.

Farmers when laying down their weapons, soldiers when picking them up.

Yet village guards were not a regular army. They lacked weapons—what were they supposed to use to fight bandits?

Those outlaws were men who lived by licking blood off the edge of a blade.

"What's all this shouting for? Quiet down." Xu Youde cast a stern gaze over the crowd. "This is an order from the township. Anyone who has objections can step forward."

No one dared to step forward, and they all fell silent with sullen expressions.

"Training isn't anything out of the ordinary. The township just wants us to be prepared. Daganshan is a long way from our little village; they might not even come this way, and besides, the township has regular troops."

"If anyone is truly unwilling, I can personally recommend them to the township office!"

As soon as those words were spoken, many faces turned pale with terror. "Uncle, calm your anger! We are completely willing!"

"That's right, we're all willing! Please, old sir, don't send us to the township! I've heard the bandits of Daganshan even kill and eat people!"

Seeing them back down, Xu Youde nodded. "That's more like it."

After a brief pause, he continued, "Every household with a capable male must provide one person. I've calculated that there are about a hundred and sixty men in the village. We will divide them into eight squads, with one squad leader for each. I will serve as the battalion commander, while Old Wang and Old Lao will be the deputy commanders!"

At this, many people's eyes lit up.

Since this was unavoidable, might they have a chance to become squad leaders?

Never underestimate a villager's yearning for official authority.

"Uncle, I want to be the squad leader."

"Goudan, you think you're fit to be a squad leader? Uncle, what do you think of me?"

"Uncle, I'm tall and strong, I can be the squad leader!"

The men, who had been reluctant just moments before, suddenly became eager and competitive.

Zhao Zheng found it all utterly annoying. Wasn't this going to interfere with his own development?

Yet, as a member of the small village, he couldn't simply exclude himself.

Xu Youde smiled faintly, looking very much like a man who had everything under control. "We will now form ranks and assign the groups. We'll discuss the squad leaders tomorrow. Anyone who has confidence in themselves may self-nominate."

Zhao Zheng cursed inwardly. Wasn't this a blatant invitation for everyone to offer bribes?

Soon, the squads were formed. Zhao Zheng was assigned to the eighth squad. Looking around his squadmates, they were either teenage boys barely in their teens or old men in their fifties.

"The squads are set. Be early tomorrow, dismissed," Xu Youde waved his hand and said.

The crowd dispersed, chatting in small groups. Some were already actively lobbying within their squads.

"Old Zhao, you don't have any objections to me being the eighth squad leader, do you?" The speaker was the second son of the Yan family, Yan Dali, nineteen years old, immensely arrogant, and casually addressing him as Old Zhao.

Zhao Zheng smiled genially. "Of course not, I have no objections at all!"

Yan Dali had assumed Zhao Zheng would be difficult to deal with, and was surprised by his immediate agreement. *The villagers always say he has no backbone,* he thought to himself, *and looking at it now, they're spot on!*

He patted Zhao Zheng on the shoulder. "Don't worry, once I'm squad leader, I'll definitely look out for you."

Zhao Zheng nodded, but the moment he turned his head, his expression darkened.

He hadn't intended to be a squad leader in the first place, but didn't he know what kind of virtue these villagers possessed?

Being a squad leader at least granted a certain degree of authority.

When evening came, he first carried thirty catties of firewood to Xu Youde's house, and then delivered twenty catties of firewood each to Old Man Wang and Old Man Lao.

Sending rice was out of the question; if he sent rice as well, it wouldn't look reasonable.

Besides, he still had nearly a thousand catties of firewood and two to three hundred catties of coal stored in his dimensional warehouse, enough to last a very long time.

"Father-in-law, today grandmother told everyone in the village that you're unfilial!"

Lying in bed at night, Yang Zhaodi whispered softly.

"It must be Fourth Aunt stirring up trouble behind the scenes again." Zhao Zheng felt a surge of anger.

"It wasn't just Fourth Aunt, Fourth Uncle was saying behind your back that you don't even acknowledge your own mother, but recognize someone else's mother as your own," Zhang Xiaoe said timidly. "They're going too far."

"Oh? They found out so quickly that I recognized Auntie as my foster mother?" Zhao Zheng asked in surprise. In his memory, Auntie Zhou was not the kind of person who couldn't keep a secret.

"No, they're just talking nonsense," Yang Zhaodi said worriedly. "They just want to throw dirt on Father-in-law's reputation."

"You two find a time to spread the word about me recognizing Auntie as my foster mother, so the whole village knows," Zhao Zheng instructed.

"Ah, but then Grandmother will be furious," Zhang Xiaoe said.

"Do I need to sneak around to acknowledge a foster relative?"

"Am I failing to support my birth mother?"

"No!"

"Then that's that," Zhao Zheng said calmly. "Since they want to throw dirt on my head, let's see if they have the guts to throw it on Auntie's head as well!"

He might as well use this opportunity to make the matter official, letting the villagers understand that he, Zhao Zheng, was not someone they could smear at will.

The Zhou family had three generations of loyal martyrs.

And he, Third Master Zhao, had two sons who gave their lives in loyalty!

The sweat he shed was redder than their blood.

What could they possibly use to smear him?

The next morning, everyone gathered at the village entrance.

After a night of fermenting rumors, everyone was curious about who would secure the positions of the eight squad leaders.

Many idle matrons had also gathered early to watch the excitement.

The one hundred and sixty men stood as straight as they could, but undernourished and poorly clothed, their attempts at standing at attention resulted in a crooked, leaning formation.

"We will now begin the election for squad leaders, starting from the first squad. Anyone who wants to be squad leader, please self-nominate, and then the three of us battalion commanders will make the decision!"

Looking at the hypocritical Xu Youde, Zhao Zheng sneered inwardly. Sooner or later, he would kick this hypocritical old codger out of power.

The members of the first squad scrambled to volunteer, and in the end, Xu Youde's son, Xu Dashan, was chosen.

"Thanks to everyone's trust in letting me be this squad leader, from now on, I will definitely lead everyone well in training and protect the village!" Xu Dashan shouted loudly.

Meanwhile, in the second squad, Ma Dachun glanced at Zheng Chunmei in the crowd and clenched his fists. This squad leader position, he was going to take it no matter what.

Only by becoming a squad leader would he have the chance to redeem his reputation in the village and win Zheng Chunmei's admiration!