Chapter 003: As long as the green mountains remain, one need not fear the lack of money to be made

And Luo Mazi returned to Lin Ziran's side, as if inviting praise, and said: "Boss, the government is indeed quite wealthy; we have taken a full 10,000 jin of grain from them, and they have also agreed to provide 2,000 Hengyuan!"

Yes, yes, yes, the leader is right, let us first send these officials and soldiers away before discussing further

Immediately, they continued to move forward with the people, and soon they encountered a group of officials from Qingshan Town

At this time, he naturally could not help but entertain some thoughts.

First, take out the money and send these officials away. As long as those officials leave, this Qingshan Town will belong to our brothers. At that time, with a little effort, making money will not be a difficult task

Thirty thousand catties of grain, five thousand Hengyuan, plus livestock, chickens, and ducks, how could such a small place as Qingshan Town have so many things

If everything is given away, wouldn't they be extremely busy

At this moment, Wang Jinquan and the others were also on their way back

This Qing Shan Town is likely unable to produce such a large amount of money and grain

However, at this moment, he did not mind and immediately said: "Send someone to follow and transport the money and grain, especially the grain, to prevent them from causing trouble!"

Moreover, Wang Jinquan and the others also came with the intention of making a fortune. Having painstakingly gathered over 2,000 Hengyuan, how could they easily part with it

At this moment, Lin Ziran finally spoke, saying: "Thank you, Lord Wang. There is no need to rush, take your time!"

One of the soldiers remarked as he walked, "These officials are too ruthless, demanding so many items. The grain is nothing, as we can't carry that much anyway. However, we have worked hard to gather over 2,000 Hengyuan, and now we have to send out 2,000 all at once!"

This Qingshan Town, although referred to as a town, actually has a population of only a thousand people. The streets consist of just a few simple roads, and the main street leading from the city gate is still a dirt road, which is not particularly wide. Although there are shops on both sides, it does not appear to be a prosperous place.

It is not that I do not want to take it, but rather that I truly do not have that much

Once the arrangements were made, he settled directly in the barracks near the city gate

However, Wang Jinquan said: "What is there to fear? As long as the green mountains remain, one need not worry about not having money to make a living"

Lin Ziran nodded slightly and made a sound of acknowledgment

He simply waited for him to enter the city, and all the anticipated unexpected events did not occur, which allowed him to initially set his mind at ease

It is surprising that these officers and soldiers have quite a large appetite

It is pleasing that these officers and soldiers seem to be merely passing through to requisition military supplies; otherwise, they would not have asked for so many items right from the start

In the past half month, this group of individuals has directly packed and taken away the silver and gold coins from the official warehouse, while also imposing various levies on the gentry, wealthy households, and even ordinary citizens within the city, resulting in a mere collection of over 2,000 Hengyuan

Both parties are willing to make concessions, which naturally facilitates a swift discussion, and the figures were finalized in no time at all

Upon hearing these words, Wang Jinquan immediately stopped in his tracks

Such a remote and impoverished town is unlikely to be able to produce such a large amount of money and grain

Observing Wang Jinquan's expression, Lin Ziran glanced around at the situation in the town, and the appearance of Qingshan Town indeed made him feel that what Wang Jinquan had said was not unfounded

Approaching the city gate on horseback, Lin Ziran remained cautious as ever

Luo Mazi may be arrogant, but Lin Ziran is currently disguising himself as a low-ranking official, and naturally must possess the demeanor of a high-ranking official. Therefore, when he speaks, he appears polite, but in reality, he merely nods slightly, exuding an air of haughtiness

However, Wang Jinquan still wore a mournful expression on his face

Although this military camp is somewhat small, it can still accommodate around one hundred people if they squeeze in. Additionally, it allows for close control of the city gates and the city walls, enabling a timely retreat in case of any changes. It serves as a good temporary refuge.

However, Lin Ziran was already holding a folding fan, fanning himself while saying: "Staying is not out of the question!"

Subsequently, he walked over to Wang Jinquan and began to haggle, while at that moment, Lin Ziran's status was still that of a low-ranking official, a proper government official, and naturally, he would not participate in such matters

At the same time, in the city gate military camp, Luo Mazi stood beside Lin Ziran, fanning him with a folding fan while saying: "Boss, in my opinion, this Qingshan Town is quite nice. Why don't we stay here a little longer?"

Lin Ziran's expression turned serious upon hearing this, yet he remained silent.

Since they are already taking such a great risk to deceive for provisions, they must seize the opportunity to make a substantial profit. With sufficient money and supplies, they will be able to better establish themselves with this group in this chaotic world

Upon seeing this, Luo Mazi thought that Lin Ziran was going to hit him with the fan, and hurriedly said: "Great Chief, please do not be angry, I was just talking nonsense, nonsense!"

Thus, Wang Jinquan lamented with a sorrowful expression: "My lord, our Qingshan Town is merely a small place, and we truly cannot gather so many items!"

Regardless of what the officials of Qingshan Town think, now that I have entered the city, it is no longer up to them

However, what if they refuse to leave

After seeing Luo Mazi and others ascend the city wall without any incidents, Lin Ziran waved his hand and began to lead his people into the city

Luo Mazi naturally understood the thoughts of the leader Lin Ziran, which was to take as much as possible, seize the money and provisions, and leave to avoid any unnecessary complications

This is not a polite remark, but rather Lin Ziran's heartfelt words

The reason it was possible to reach a conclusion so quickly is due to certain factors

Although he had many concerns before, after entering the town, he found that the defenses were lax and there were not many officials or soldiers. The more than one hundred people under his command were already capable of completely controlling the area near the city gate

Luo Mazi immediately said: "What you say is true, my lord!"

The food supply is acceptable; although I cannot gather 30,000 jin, I can manage to scrape together around 10,000 jin.

At this moment, Wang Jinquan and others from the opposite side also brought people over. Upon arrival, they hurriedly clasped their hands and said: "This official pays respects to Lord Lin!"

Soon, Luo Mazi entered the city with a group of people. The city gate was already guarded by their personnel, and some had even ascended to the city walls.

There is also meat, this thing is even harder to obtain than ordinary grain or even gold and silver

To avoid unnecessary complications, Lin Ziran said, "The livelihood of the people is not easy. In that case, Master Luo, please reduce the quantity appropriately, so as not to make it difficult for Lord Wang"

Wang Jinquan immediately said: "I have already sent someone to gather military supplies. Please wait a moment, my lord; it will not be long before the supplies arrive!"

Five thousand Hengyuan, it is estimated that even if the entire Qingshan Town were thoroughly searched, it would be impossible to gather such a sum of money

Opportunities are rare; every little bit counts, for once this village is passed, this shop will no longer be available

But where are they going to get so much money and meat for these officials and soldiers

Thus, he gave Luo Mazi a signal, and immediately Luo Mazi, being very perceptive, stepped forward once again and declared loudly: "Our army is about to enter the mountains to eliminate bandits, and we require a great deal. You are to immediately prepare 30,000 jin of grain, 5,000 Hengyuan, 100 head of livestock, and 1,000 chickens and ducks!"

After the discussion, Wang Jinquan and the others took their leave, stating that they needed to gather funds and provisions

And the lackey, Luo Mazi, naturally stepped forward and said: "Why waste words, just hand it over if you are going to, otherwise you will regret it!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Jinquan and the others across from him were both astonished and delighted

Near the city gate, there is a row of wooden houses, which originally served as the barracks for the garrison within the city, but now they have naturally been vacated for them

Lin Ziran stood up upon hearing this, extending his hand to take the folding fan from Luo Mazi's hand

Lin Ziran was unconcerned; after all, this was a town. Although the population within the town was somewhat small, the surrounding areas also fell under the jurisdiction of Qingshan Town. It was not unusual for the locals to produce ten thousand catties of grain, and he even felt that the money was somewhat insufficient

Luo Mazi and Wang Jinquan discussed for a moment before finalizing the quantity of the funds and supplies

As for Wang Jinquan, he also felt that the group of officials and soldiers who had entered the city was a nuisance. If these officials and soldiers stayed for too long, it was likely that they would expose themselves. Moreover, the money and grain were not their own, so sending them away did not cause them any pain. Therefore, they were willing to make concessions, thinking to send these troublesome figures away as soon as possible