"Your plight is indeed sympathetic, but it has nothing to do with the people of this region. They are innocent. Have you considered that if you continue like this, the tragedy that befell you will befall them again? Those who wronged you were the officials. You have already avenged yourself. Now, what difference is there between you and those officials who persecuted the common people?" Wu Caiwei looked at him, somewhat speechless, unable to comprehend what was on his mind.
"There is a difference between me and them. They directly caused the ruin of my family and the death of my loved ones. I only asked the surrounding commoners for some grain to feed my brothers; I didn't take their lives. Aren't they living well?" The bandit leader passionately defended himself.
"Do you know that because you frequently go into the villages to collect grain, many commoners have no food to eat, are selling their children, and some families have already begun to starve and wait for death? Before you came here, they lived peaceful and happy lives. Now, everyone's face is filled with a numb expression, and they worry about three meals a day." Wu Caiwei felt that the bandit leader was not entirely irredeemable and could still be saved, so she patiently explained to him.
"Is what you say true? I didn't know. I truly didn't know. I thought that besides having a little less grain, their lives were no different from usual. I never imagined they had reached such dire straits. We still have some grain in the stronghold; I will distribute it to them now." The bandit leader was genuinely shocked. Had he known their lives were so difficult, he would never have asked them for grain. At worst, he would have led his men to rob wealthy households in town.
He failed to notice the anxious expressions on the faces of the second-in-command and the others behind him as soon as he spoke. Some of this grain was extorted from commoners, and some was looted. If they gave it to the commoners, what would they themselves eat? Besides, in this world, as long as one had food, why bother with others?
After a moment of thought, the bandit leader instructed his men, "The kitchen has already prepared the food. Everyone, eat quickly. After you're done, we will distribute the grain."
The men dared not speak out but wore grim expressions, eating their meals distractedly. Wu Caiwei observed everything and felt that the bandit leader was not beyond saving. She had just arrived in this world and had many things to do. If he truly had nowhere else to go, perhaps he could follow her. Of course, she still needed to evaluate him further.
"Hurry up, why aren't you moving? The commoners are starving. Distribute it to them quickly so they can have a full meal this afternoon. Perhaps those families with no way out can hold on a little longer and won't have to sell their children or starve to death." However, no matter how much he urged them, his subordinates remained unmoved.
He couldn't help but turn his gaze to the second-in-command. The second-in-command snorted and turned his head away. "Don't look at me. This grain was brought to the mountain by me and the brothers. We don't mind you enjoying the fruits of our labor here. Who told you you're the strongest fighter here? You can protect the brothers when danger arises. But you should not, and must not, give our provisions to those commoners."
The bandit leader looked at them with disbelief, as if seeing them for the first time. "So, you've been harboring resentment towards me for a long time. All my years of sincerity have been wasted. This young master said the commoners can't go on living. I merely asked you to collect ten catties of rice from each household and explain to them that although we are taking some grain, the times are hard, and we will guarantee the safety of the village. You probably collected more than that, right? Otherwise, how could it have reached this point?"
The second-in-command glanced at Wu Caiwei, lowered his head, and said softly, "We did as you said. But that little bit of grain is not enough. With so many mouths to feed, are you expecting us to drink the northwest wind?"
Seeing this, Wu Caiwei understood everything. It was obvious that the second-in-command was lying. If they only collected ten catties of grain from each household annually, how could their lives be so difficult? They were still filled with fear when they mentioned these bandits.
He realized it, and the bandit leader also realized it, and said mournfully, "If the grain is not enough, we can borrow from the rich households! Those people are wealthy and unethical. Robbing them is a matter of clear conscience."
Suddenly, the bandit leader felt weary, as if he had returned to his days of wandering aimlessly years ago. If this young master could spare him this time, he definitely couldn't stay here, and he didn't know where to go.
Seeing their incorrigible nature, Wu Caiwei felt they were beyond saving. She stepped forward, knocked down several of the ringleaders, and bound them tightly with ropes.
"If you have made a mistake, you must accept punishment. I will send them to the yamen. I noticed earlier that there is a piece of land behind the stronghold, which I presume you have cultivated. If you wish to continue living here, it's not impossible. From now on, you must not harm the local villagers again. If you wish to leave, pack your belongings quickly and go."
They looked at each other, unsure of what to do. To be honest, they were once commoners too and still had a sense of compassion. Whenever the second-in-command led them to rob, they felt a pang of guilt but dared not speak out, because they knew this stronghold was effectively controlled by the second-in-command.
"Oh, and I will notify the villagers below the mountain later to come and collect this grain. I will leave a little for you to solve your basic food needs. However, expecting to get something for nothing is absolutely not allowed," Wu Caiwei warned them sternly.
Only a few individuals chose to leave. The majority were homeless. There was a small pond in the back mountain, and the land they had cultivated. They were accustomed to living here and did not want to leave.
Wu Caiwei then tied the few individuals together with a rope and led them towards the county yamen. The distribution of grain was left to the bandit leader.
The second-in-command regretted his actions. If only he had feigned submission earlier and distributed the grain first, he would have been in charge after they left.
If possible, Wu Caiwei truly wanted to stuff her ears with cloth. Ever since she declared she would take them to the county yamen, she had been hearing pleas and wails. If she ignored them, they only became more persistent, tiring themselves out. Why hadn't they thought of this earlier?
The few men could see his impatience. This was the only way to make him relax his vigilance and stop watching them constantly.
They exchanged glances, and the men in the back stepped forward, making it possible for the men in front to untie their ropes. When all the ropes were untied, they couldn't help but feel a surge of joy. With unspoken understanding, they ran off in different directions, hoping to escape at least one of them.
However, imagination differed from reality. They thought the opponent was only one person and could only chase one person in one direction. Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, without seeing how the opponent made a move, several people found themselves back together. This time, they were thrown directly onto the ground, their buttocks feeling as if they had shattered, causing them such pain that they couldn't even speak.