Chapter 5, Where to Escape

Zhang Chu said while reminiscing about his future life: "The world of the future will be one where everyone can eat their fill and dress warmly, where everyone owns land and can farm without paying various taxes, where children can read and write, and when a person reaches the age of sixty, the government will still provide them with money and grain."

I have thought of a solution. This solution is on the large cart you just found. Quickly take all the large carts to the mountain entrance and go to the village to collect ropes and cloth bags. Wu the carpenter will saw some logs and drill holes in the middle to make wheels, while Zhou the blacksmith will forge a few iron rods to serve as the axles for the wheels

Zhang Chu noticed that everyone was exhausted after a night of hard work, so he stayed behind to keep watch at the intersection while the others took a rest by the roadside around the bend. The fatigue from the night’s labor soon caused everyone to fall asleep. When the sun rose again, Zhang Chu woke everyone up, had them eat something, and reinforced their vigilance against the sudden arrival of thieves

It was not until dusk that Zhang Chu brought the young girl and the child back to the valley. By this time, everyone had already stored the supplies. They were so exhausted that they were on the verge of collapse; after a simple meal, they fell into a deep sleep.

Zhang Chu signaled for others to remain silent, then observed the actions of the bandits. The bandits moved quickly, chatting and laughing as they urged the draft animals pulling the carts. Soon, they all ascended the slope, and the bandit driving the cart increased his shouts to drive the donkeys pulling the carts. The donkeys struggled to pull the carts up the hillside. The people on the mountain were extremely tense; the plan was good, but they must not encounter any accidents. Zhang Chu's hand, gripping the knife, also began to sweat, yet he steadied his mind, waiting for the bandits to approach. As the bandits were about to reach the top of the slope, the leading bandit noticed the branches and firewood piled on the road. Sensing something was amiss, he drew his knife and quickened his pace to investigate.

As everyone calmed down, Zhang Chu took the lead in searching the belongings of the bandits and gathered their bodies together.

As the crowd gazed at Zhang Chu's short hair, they couldn't help but associate him with Zhu Yuanzhang. Looking at the massive stone that they had just easily moved, they felt a stir in their hearts. While they dared not dream of becoming kings or ministers, in the current chaotic times, following a strong leader would increase their chances of survival. Rather than starving to death, it would be better to risk everything for a chance at wealth and glory.

How is this possible? The Chinese people's desire for land is innate; the greatest dream is for everyone to own land, yet there is a disbelief that this will come true. People do not believe that such a life can exist in this world

I have already devised a plan that will surely ensure that the thief will come but not return

At this time, He Jin and others brought over four large carts. Following the method taught by Zhang Chu, they arranged the carts properly along the mountain road

Everyone fell silent and, according to the prior arrangement, hid behind the bend in the mountain road

Everyone witnessed Zhang Chu kill eight bandits in the past two days, which led to a sense of reliance on him. In this chaotic world, each person felt a lack of confidence. Thus, they spoke in unison: "Master, please tell us what to do, we will follow your lead"

Although the crowd did not understand what Zhang Chu intended to do, they still followed his instructions and went to prepare accordingly

A crowd gathered around Zhang Chu, engaging in discussion. The sun gradually rose higher, and it was nearing noon when suddenly Zhou Biao, who was on lookout duty, whispered, "Be careful, someone is coming."

The villagers once again found vehicles to transport the supplies to the village. Although everyone was exhausted, they were extremely happy and full of enthusiasm. With these supplies, everyone had a bit more hope for survival. Among the various items, the most concerning was still the food. After counting, it was estimated that the various grains stolen by the bandits amounted to about 2,000 jin, and combined with the 4,000 to 5,000 jin of food previously stored by the bandits in the mountains, there was over 6,000 jin of food, which would be enough for everyone to eat for a while. The three donkeys that the thieves had stolen to pull the cart were killed in a collision, but fortunately, they did not fall into the ravine and were retrieved, providing enough meat for everyone for several days. Among the various items, the most concerning was still the food. After counting, it was estimated that the various grains stolen by the bandits amounted to about 2,000 jin, and combined with the 4,000 to 5,000 jin of food previously stored by the bandits in the mountains, there was over 6,000 jin of food, which would be enough for everyone to eat for a while. The three donkeys that the thieves had stolen to pull the cart were killed in a collision, but fortunately, they did not fall into the ravine and were retrieved, providing enough meat for everyone for several days

Zhang Chu quietly poked his head out to observe the mountain road below, and indeed saw a group of more than twenty people coming up the mountain. Each person was armed with knives and guns, and they carried large and small bundles on their backs. Additionally, several individuals were driving three donkey-drawn carts, which were filled with goods. They were undoubtedly the bandits returning after their robbery.

The crowd was talking while pulling a large cart to load grain onto the vehicle in preparation for departure

Such a life exists, and if everyone follows me, I can help everyone achieve such a rich and stable life. We can create a beautiful society through our efforts, and we will surely make a name for ourselves in this chaotic world. Do not think it is impossible; consider that the founding emperor of our dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, was once a beggar and a monk, yet he ultimately changed the dynasty and established many rules beneficial to the poor, which have unfortunately been destroyed by officials over time. We need to establish a new court and formulate rules that favor the poor, and we must all protect these rules together. Moreover, I have learned many novel skills since childhood in the mountains; although I do not possess divine powers to summon the wind and rain, I can still achieve victory against the strong with the weak. If we succeed, you will be like Xu Da and Chang Yuchun of that time, each of you able to be conferred titles and appointed as ministers. To achieve this effect, Zhang Chu does not hesitate to boast.

I want to find a way to kill these bandits" Zhang Chu said fiercely

Seeing that everyone was already exhausted, Zhang Chu called for everyone to take turns standing guard at the entrance while the others rested. He mustered the last bit of strength to walk out of the valley and went outside to fetch the child and two young women who were hidden there.

The crowd looked at Zhang Chu with great confusion

Seeing the living thieves no longer, the crowd collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath and retching. Prior to this, they were ordinary commoners, but within two days, they had witnessed the slaughter of people in the village, the murder of their own relatives, and then they themselves took up knives to begin killing. Moreover, some of the bandits this time were already in disarray, their innards and blood scattered all over the ground, yet they had to go up and deliver the final blows. Such a state of life could only occur in the current chaotic times when human lives are worth less than those of dogs.

Not leaving? Everyone was taken aback; there were several thieves outside, which was not something the six of them could withstand

If everyone wants to live well, they should prepare according to my requirements. If anyone lacks confidence in me, they may leave with their own provisions. The remaining individuals will also be able to eliminate the bandits

Although they are bad people, they are already dead, and the dead deserve respect, so we should not mistreat their bodies. Moreover, if a large number of bodies drift downstream, those with ill intentions will discover us

Seeing Zhang Chu standing there motionless, he came over to urge him to hurry up and leave

The bandits outside will be back soon, there are more than twenty of them!" "Take the food and escape from here, take as much as you can." The crowd said anxiously

Have you ever thought about what kind of life you want to lead in the future? Zhang Chu noticed that everyone was silently eating, clearly in low spirits, so he decided to uplift the morale.

Soon, Wu the carpenter and Zhou the blacksmith finished their work and brought over the wheels and iron axles they had made. Zhang Chu used ropes to combine the wooden wheels and iron axles to create two pulley systems. He called everyone over to fix one end of the pulley system to a large stone by the roadside, and then selected a relatively round stone weighing about four to five hundred jin not far away, which seemed to be of suitable size. Zhang Chu instructed everyone to tie this stone securely with ropes and then attached it to the other end of the pulley system. The crowd worked together to pull the rope on the pulley, bringing the round stone to the back of the large cart and securing it with ropes. Everyone was excited to see this marvelous device; such a large stone was easily moved by just a few people, which was truly remarkable. They couldn't help but admire Zhang Chu even more, gaining confidence in their ability to deal with the bandits. The group worked together to pull another four or five large stones, similarly securing them on the hillside, and collected some smaller stones to prepare nearby. Even if they couldn't kill all the bandits, they could at least prevent them from entering the village. With everything ready, they awaited the return of the bandits.

Zhang Chu's situation is, in fact, not much better than that of others, yet he still endures and does not let it show. Over the past few days, Zhang Chu has come to understand that in order to survive in today's world, everyone must unite. This requires someone to take the lead, and it seems that it is best for him to take on this role, as he has some understanding of the course of history.

Everyone looked at the confident Zhang Chu, then glanced at the pile of grain, and stopped their hands from moving the grain.

Everyone shook their heads in confusion

Since I have said that I will lead everyone to survive together, I have a way to help everyone live better. If we take the food with us, it will not last for many days. If we eliminate the remaining bandits, we can possess all this food and take control of this place, thus securing a foothold and no longer having to run around looking for food

The crowd fell silent, rising to quietly gather the bodies of the bandits and pile them by the roadside, preparing to find a place to bury them later. They also collected the usable supplies scattered around. Even the items that had fallen by the ravine and had not been washed away were picked up.

"How is that possible?" Everyone was greatly astonished

Zhang Chu, along with others, had previously pushed the prepared large cart into the middle of the road, securing the yokes of two carts together and blocking the wheels with stones. This transformed it into a four-wheeled vehicle, which was then tied to a boulder at the roadside with ropes. Next, they filled pockets with soil and stones, securing them onto the cart with ropes. They also gathered some firewood and branches from the roadside to disguise the large cart. The other two large carts were arranged in a similar manner, positioned slightly closer, and were also camouflaged with firewood and branches.

The next day, the sun rose high, and everyone finally woke from their slumber. Zhang Chu, while getting up to wash up, contemplated the future paths for everyone. At that moment, he heard a girl's voice outside asking, "Do you want to eat?" Zhang Chu's eyes lit up; he realized that he could start from this question about food.

Zhang Chu arrived at the mountain pass leading into the village, observing the road into the village. He quickly found a suitable position. The road into the village gradually ascended from the mountain pass with a certain incline. There was a section of the road that was relatively straight and had a steep gradient. Zhang Yu estimated that this gradient was over 30 degrees, which was sufficient.

He Jin looked at the corpses with anger and said, "Why bother collecting them? Just throw them directly into the ravine."

Zhang Chu saw the bandits approaching, raised his knife, and struck the rope that held the large cart. The cart began to slide down the slope; initially, its speed was not very fast, colliding with the two bandits in front and rolling over them. Gradually, it picked up speed and rushed down the hillside, knocking over several bandits behind it, before crashing into another cart that was carrying goods, shattering it and tumbling down the cliff. The cart filled with stones thundered down the slope, creating a terrifying momentum. The bandits below, witnessing this, turned and fled down the mountain. Zhang Chu jumped up and shouted, "Where do you think you're going!" He swung his knife to cut the rope, then gradually accelerated down the slope, knocking over the bandits behind him, and crashed into the cart carrying goods, shattering it and tumbling down the cliff. The cart filled with stones thundered down the slope, creating a terrifying momentum. The bandits below, witnessing this, turned and fled down the mountain. Zhang Chu jumped up and shouted, "Where do you think you're going!" He swung his knife to cut the rope. The second cart, filled with stones, followed the ruts down the mountain path, traveling a greater distance this time with more force, smashing all the carts carrying goods below. The bandits nearby were either killed or injured by the impact. At this moment, Yang Biao had already cut the ropes binding the boulders, and five massive stones rolled and bounced down the slope after the cart, flattening everything in their path, including the bandits who turned to flee. The second cart, filled with stones, followed the ruts down the mountain path, traveling a greater distance this time with more force, smashing all the carts carrying goods below. The bandits nearby were either killed or injured by the impact. At this moment, Yang Biao had already cut the ropes binding the boulders, and five massive stones rolled and bounced down the slope after the cart, flattening everything in their path, including the bandits who turned to flee. Zhang Chu and the others picked up small stones, preparing to throw them down the mountain, but they had already lost their effectiveness. Zhang Chu picked up his knife and shouted, "Charge with me!" He led the charge down the slope, searching for any fleeing bandits. Without mercy, he delivered a finishing blow to the bandits lying on the ground, while the others followed him, each wielding knives and guns, stabbing at the bandits whose fates were uncertain. Soon, they reached the bottom of the slope, their knives and guns stained with blood. Zhang Chu picked up his knife and shouted, "Charge with me!" He led the charge down the slope, searching for any fleeing bandits. Without mercy, he delivered a finishing blow to the bandits lying on the ground, while the others followed him, each wielding knives and guns, stabbing at the bandits whose fates were uncertain. Soon, they reached the bottom of the slope, their knives and guns stained with blood, and there were no survivors among the bandits.