Chapter 8: Chaos (Part 2)

Haha, haha, the exclamations here have not yet ceased when laughter erupted over there. "Ke Datou, I didn't expect you to be not only foolish but also afraid of mice. Where did the vigor from the fight just now go? Was it carried away by a tiny mouse?"

In the cells of the prison left behind in Liwu Town, more than thirty adolescents were either sitting or lying down, each one listless. The damp straw brought a chilling cold, and the long corridor prevented any light from reaching the doors and windows. In this dark and cold environment, everyone felt an overwhelming sense of fear.

"Of course not," Hong Hui glanced at Lin Kang, Yang Long, Wang Ying, and others, shaking his head. "Therefore, I hope everyone can set aside past grievances"

Ma Ying has not yet responded, and An Long hurriedly replied: "We do not understand what it means to set aside past grievances, but as long as you no longer humiliate others, we will never oppose you!"

Several young generals surrounding Hong Hui attempted to drive away those from humble backgrounds, but Hong Hui raised his hand to stop them: "Enough, there is no need to chase them away. Did Bai Letian not say that we are all fellow travelers in this world of misfortune? Since everyone has reached this point, let them listen together. If they have something to say, we might as well listen."

Crying out loud also requires energy, and the half-grown boys who had just expended too much energy during the fight could no longer hold on. As they cried, one by one, they gradually fell asleep. However, even in their sleep, many of them continued to smack their lips, as if still savoring the delicious food they had enjoyed in the past.

A word is a promise

Under his encouragement, the group gritted their teeth, disregarding their empty stomachs, and shouted in unison: "Is anyone there? Help!"

Hong Hui does not actually know many stories; he finished telling them as he spoke. Just as the atmosphere became awkward, Ma Ying, who had been brought over by Hong Hui, coughed and said: "Captain Hong's stories are very interesting. I don't quite understand the monks and monkeys, but when I was young, I heard some stories about Mazu and the Dragon King on a fishing boat. I wonder if everyone would like to hear them if I share."

After shouting for a while, there was still no response. Suddenly, An Long, one of the nine class leaders, shouted, "Stop, everyone stop."

Ma Ying and others were certainly unwilling to fall behind, and for a time, the sound of 'thousand years' was incessant in the ears

Various sounds of surprise rose and fell in succession. In this tone, Hong Hui clasped his hands together and said: "In this way, we can also rest assured. There is no need for the instructor to worry; we are willing to accept the new punishment."

At first, no one followed, but soon the other class leaders, Lin Kang, Yang Long, Li Shun, and others, began to imitate, and the voices quickly became synchronized: "Help! Zeng Wu is sick! Help! Zeng Wu has a fever!"

The Dongpo pork at home is still the most delicious, fragrant and tender. Upon mentioning this, the speaker couldn't help but show a choked voice. If only I could have the dishes made at home, even the mixed stew from the camp would be good; at least I wouldn't be as hungry as I am now, thinking that others outside might have already started their meals...

"What happened?" Finally, a heavenly voice rang out, not from the prison warden, but from the guard on night patrol. "Shouting and yelling, who is sick? If it turns out to be a false alarm, be careful of being locked in the dark room again tomorrow." The scolding voice quickly came to an abrupt stop. "Call the military doctor, a young boy has a fever..."

The Cold War-like standoff continues, yet new issues have emerged, and finally a young boy exclaimed: "I am so hungry"

Hong Hui squeezed to the side of the fence and bowed to Master He: "Master, we acknowledge our mistakes and accept any punishment or reprimand without question; we only wish to know what has become of Zeng Wu."

A flash of brilliance appeared in Lin Kang's eyes, and he instinctively shouted: "Long live the eldest son! Long live for a thousand years!"

"Do not cry, yet the more you cry, the hungrier you become." Hong Hui leaned against the corner of the wall, beckoning to the librarian, calling over his awakened companions. Naturally, those who gathered around him were either nobility or wealthy young men. "Let me tell a story, it will help distract us."

With a loud bang, the door of the cell was pushed open, startling the boys who had just fallen asleep after a night of commotion. They slowly opened their eyes to see the stern-faced instructor He, who was acting in place of Sun Youlao, walking in: "Well, well, you fought again yesterday. Do you not wish to come out? You certainly have some nerve."

Everyone looked at him in confusion, and the noise gradually subsided. At this moment, An Long shouted, "Everyone's voices are too mixed; it might not be clear outside. They might even think we are causing trouble. So, now listen to me: one, two, three, we are saving someone; one, two, three, Zeng Wusheng is ill"

"The children from our countryside are dirty," Ke Liang's words sparked considerable discontent among the people. "You city-bred young masters are afraid of dirt, yet now you find yourselves locked up in this filthy cell with us dirty children, don't you?"

In the cell, there was no change in light, and it was unclear how much time had passed. These young prisoners gradually woke from their dreams, still somewhat dazed when they opened their eyes. Once they realized the environment they were in, many of them began to cry again.

The instructor shook his head with a wry smile and said, "Alright, alright, a bunch of little monkeys, all of you get out. We still have training to do later..."

"If it weren't for you two fighting again, how could he have gotten injured and developed a fever?" Teacher He said coldly. "Fortunately, he was rescued in time, and there was no serious damage; he just needs to rest for a few more days"

May Mazu bless us

What are you all doing here? Go away, go away.

"Zeng Wu, why are you still asleep? Get up and listen to the story." As everyone was talking animatedly, suddenly a voice came from the cell on the far left, seemingly from a boy who had not woken up until now. Everyone was so engrossed in their conversation that they hardly noticed, but unexpectedly, the voice suddenly became loud. "Zeng Wu, why is your head so hot? Oh no, Zeng Wu has a fever"

"There is no need to wait for a six-month vacation." Upon hearing this, several young men from humble backgrounds stood up in unison. "Pack your things right now!"

"What mad dog, who is the mad dog? You filthy little brats are the real mad dogs!" The voice grew increasingly intense. "This grievance cannot just be left unresolved today. Just wait, when the half-year vacation comes, I will definitely bring people to your door to teach you a good lesson. Let's see if you dare to bark recklessly after that."

What Hong Hui can say is merely about "Journey to the West," and he does not remember it very clearly, often skipping parts. Nevertheless, more and more people are listening intently, and even those from humble backgrounds cannot help but be drawn in.

Known as Ke Datou, Ke Liang is thirteen years old this year and is the grandnephew of the judge Ke Ping. Upon hearing someone mock him for being timid, he momentarily disregards his fear of mice and rushes to the fence, retorting: "Du Shazi, what did you say? Afraid of mice? Of course, you filthy country kids are not afraid of mice."

Regarding the mockery of children from humble backgrounds, Hong Hui and others naturally could not refute it and could only use the method of psychological victory to numb themselves: "I really want to eat the braised pork knuckle, crystal shrimp, white-cut chicken, and also, also the fragrant medicinal fish balls that my family makes."

Not all young people know who Bai Letian is, nor do all of them understand what it means to be "fellow travelers in misfortune." However, Hong Hui, on one hand, comes from a good family background and, on the other hand, is one of the class leaders. Therefore, everyone naturally followed his wishes, and thus, the two groups of children, who had once been at odds, finally sat down together.

The class monitor also has a story, which is truly wonderful

Thus, the cell transformed into a battlefield, where the unfinished fight from yesterday continued to unfold. However, there were no sharp weapons here; the most effective tools were merely their own teeth, coupled with the inherent weakness of the youth. Therefore, although they fought to the point of bruised faces and blood streaming from their eyes, noses, and mouths, the situation remained within a controllable range. Consequently, the guards, under the directive of Zheng Kezang, pretended not to see and remained silent outside the door.

It is good that you understand, " He nodded slightly. " Just now, the young master reported that you all were able to work together to assist your peers, thus sparing you from punishment. Now, everyone come out, wash up first, and then we will go have breakfast.

It was better not to mention it, but once it was brought up, everyone's stomachs began to rumble. At that moment, someone shouted loudly towards the door: "Is anyone there? Please send some food. After today, I will definitely express my gratitude in person at home."

After a considerable amount of time, the exhausted and injured children finally separated on their own. Subsequently, two groups of people, distinguished by their social status, unconsciously occupied a corner of their respective cells. The environmental issues that had just caused the commotion were no longer a concern, as everyone was panting and rubbing their wounds.

Cao Shiyi, do you still dare to speak? It is your people who have stirred up this trouble. As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together; over here, someone is standing up for the fool Du Hua that Ke Liang mentioned, while over there, someone jumps out to defend Ke Liang. "Because of you, we have no food to eat and are locked up in this dark place; it is you, it is all your fault."

Yes. The face that had been tense for a long time has now broken into a smile. "What are you still standing there for, are you not planning to leave?"

One person finished speaking, and another enthusiastically followed: "I really want to eat the fish porridge and the national dish made by my mother..."

A word is a promise

In the left cell, all the boys joined in the shouting. Ma Ying and Hong Hui exchanged a glance, and both nodded in agreement, quickly joining in the chorus. Under their influence, the entire cell was filled with the voices of the boys.

"The trouble I caused?" Cao Qing sneered. "If it weren't for you young masters bullying honest people, would we disregard military discipline and retaliate? In the end, it was you young masters who struck first. When you couldn't win, you called others to join in, like rabid dogs."

Yet no one came, and the group of young boys was utterly disheartened. At this moment, Wang Ying encouraged them loudly: "We cannot stop; Zeng Wu is counting on us."

The manifestation of Zhenwu

"Can we go out?" All the children were exceptionally surprised

Ah! Suddenly, a terrified scream caused the entire cell to tremble, and the neighboring cells turned to look in the direction of the sound, trying to understand what had happened. "A rat, there is a rat."

What? Everyone was taken aback, crowding to the front of the fence to look up eagerly, while the people in the cell on the left also gathered around. Before long, a hoarse voice began to shout. "Warden, come quickly, Zeng Wusheng is sick." But the cries were like stones sinking into the sea, with no one coming out to respond. "Help! Is anyone there? Come quickly to help!"

Amitabha Buddha

The cries gradually transformed from an individual to a cell, and then expanded to the entire prison. After all, the oldest among them was merely fourteen years old, while the youngest was even just twelve. They had never endured such suffering before, and in that moment, the atmosphere was filled with sorrow and despair. Those who were unaware might truly believe that some unimaginable tragedy had occurred.

Of course not, do you still want to?

However, outside the door, there was still no sound; instead, a few students from humble backgrounds began to mock each other in low voices.

Hong Hui immediately expressed his stance, and others unanimously showed their welcome. Thus, the main speaker changed to Ma Ying. From that point on, one person after another, one cell after another, everyone took turns speaking. The privileged and wealthy youths recounted their stories, while those from humble backgrounds shared amusing anecdotes from their own experiences. At this moment, the eerie prison cell became less terrifying.

Upon exiting the cell, Hong Hui reached out to stop Ma Ying and the others, saying, "Squad Leader Ma, Squad Leader An, and the rest of you, having learned such a significant lesson, do you still wish to return to this cell next time?"