NFBE Chapter 172: Hitting a snag
Chapter 172: Hitting a snag
"What are those guys doing? They look unfamiliar!" Cao Bao took a puff of snuff and sneezed. Feeling unsatisfied, he picked up another cigarette and lit it.
"Sir, I've never seen you before! You must be from out of town!" replied a servant standing nearby.
"How come there are outsiders at this fishing village dock? I'll send someone to follow them and see who they are!" Cao Bao stroked his beard. The reason he's gotten this far is because he's always been cautious.
"Second Uncle, Little Uncle! You're back!" Zhang Tieniu rushed to greet Xu Erhe and the others as they came out selling fish.
"Tie Niu, when did you arrive?" Xu Erhe hadn't seen his nephew for over ten years, and he happily grabbed Zhang Tie Niu to ask.
"We arrived at noon. This time, the whole family came to see you! My mother, my younger sister, and my wife and kids are all here. Hehe!"
"Good, good, good! Today's catch was good, I sold it for over a hundred coins. I'll go buy a pound of meat and a pot of wine. There are still some miscellaneous fish left, let's have a good drink tonight!" Xu Erhe patted Zhang Tieniu on the shoulder happily.
Hearing that there would be meat and wine, Xu Xiaohu couldn't help but swallow hard. They hadn't eaten meat in a long time!
"Second Uncle, Little Uncle, don't bother! I've brought all the meat and vegetables, no need to buy any more. The food at home is probably almost ready, let's go straight home!" Zhang Tieniu waved his hand.
"Oh! Really! Looks like you've struck it rich, Tie Niu! Haha, good! Today your second uncle will also enjoy your good fortune!" Xu Erhe instructed a few boys to go and moor the boat first.
A large group of people hurried home!
As soon as they arrived at the gate, they were startled to see two armed soldiers standing guard.
"Second Uncle, Youngest Uncle, they are my soldiers, here to protect us. Don't be afraid!" Zhang Tieniu quickly explained.
"Tie Niu! You've really made something of yourself! Now you're a high-ranking official! You even have guards!" The Xu brothers looked Zhang Tie Niu up and down with surprise.
“I joined Lord Hou’s new army a few years ago. I was lucky and got promoted a few ranks after a few battles! Let’s go inside and talk about it!” Zhang Tieniu scratched his head.
"Grandpa, Dad, candy! Candy!" A little mudskipper, about four or five years old, ran over quickly with a piece of candy in his hand.
"Okay, okay! You eat!" Xu Erhe picked up his eldest grandson and they all went inside together.
"Second Uncle, how many fish can you catch in a day? And how much money can you make from them?" After sitting down in the courtyard, Zhang Tieniu took out cigarettes and offered them to his grandfather, uncles, and cousins.
"Hey! How much can we get? Sometimes it's a few hundred kilograms, sometimes it's just a few dozen kilograms! What money can we make from that? It's barely enough for everyone to get a couple of meals." Xu Erhe took a drag of his cigarette and shook his head.
Once the conversation started, the family began to pour out their grievances to Zhang Tieniu.
On the dock, a hanger-on, sweating profusely, ran into the shed.
"Sir, we've found out! One of those people was Xu Dahai, the nephew of the Xu Erhe brothers. His surname is Zhang, and I heard he's an officer. He even brought a few soldiers with him."
"Moreover, he also went to Ruan Erwa's and his friends' houses. It seems he inquired about a lot of things, probably intending to stand up for them!" the hanger-on said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"Hmph! Mind your own business!" Cao Bao sneered coldly, his face full of malice.
"Brother, I guess he's just visiting relatives. Since he's an official, let's give him face! We'll bring some gifts to pay our respects and say a few good words. We'll be happy to help the Xu family in the future!"
“We’ve given him enough face, but I doubt he’ll stand up for those poor bastards!” said the advisor beside him.
His name is Huang Zhi, and he was originally the strategist of their pirate gang. Now he has also come ashore with Cao Bao and usually helps him with miscellaneous tasks.
"Alright! Let's give him that face. Second brother, go prepare some gifts, we'll go meet this Lord Zhang." Cao Bao's lips twitched.
In the Xu family courtyard, everyone was chatting happily. Suddenly, a guard came to report that the patrol inspector requested an audience.
"Tie Niu, this Cao Bao seems to be up to no good. Be careful." Xu Dahai suddenly stood up.
"It's alright! Uncle, he's just a lowly inspector, he wouldn't dare do anything to me!" Zhang Tieniu waved his hand, went inside to change into his military uniform, and came out.
"This humble official pays his respects to Lord Zhang!" Upon seeing Zhang Tieniu in his colonel's uniform, Cao Bao's eyes twitched, and he quickly stepped forward to bow and salute.
Although he was just a local inspector, he still knew the ranks of the new army.
"Hey! Lord Cao, please rise. I'm just visiting a relative. I didn't expect to disturb you all. I'm really sorry!" Zhang Tieniu shook his head and said.
"Lord Zhang, you're too kind! It's our honor to meet you. This small gift is nothing but a token of our respect, please accept it!" Cao Bao stood up and wiped his sweat.
“I’m sorry, our new army has never taken a single needle or thread from the local people! We appreciate Lord Cao’s kindness! We’re about to eat, so we won’t keep you any longer! Please go back!” Zhang Tieniu waved his hand.
"Very well! I wonder how many more days you intend to stay, sir? I would like to invite you to come and pay your respects." Cao Bao said, bowing and scraping.
"No need to trouble yourself! We're leaving tomorrow!"
"Very well! I won't disturb your meal any longer, sir. I'll take my leave now!" Cao Bao said with a smile, taking a few steps back and leaving with his things.
"Brother, are we just leaving like this? Without even asking about that matter?" Huang Zhi asked as they turned the corner.
"What the hell are you asking? This is a real problem! The other party is a colonel, and we can't even get a word in edgewise!" Cao Bao, who had just been all smiles, now had a gloomy expression.
"How many regiments does Lord Shen currently command? A regimental-level officer like this has connections to the highest levels! This matter can no longer be kept secret!"
"What should we do? Should we hurry into the city and discuss it with the county magistrate?" Huang Zhi was at a loss; he had never seen such a high-ranking military officer before.
"Talk to him! Humph, what else can he do besides make money? If something really happens, he'll probably be the first to betray us! Let's go back and talk!" Cao Bao strode forward impatiently.
"He... he just left like that?" The Xu family saw that Cao Bao, who was usually arrogant, was treated like a mouse in front of a cat when he saw Zhang Tieniu, and was dismissed with just a few words.
“Uncle, what can a mere patrol inspector do? He's only capable of this place. If it were a military camp, he wouldn't even be allowed to enter!” Qiu Xiaojun shook his head and said dismissively.
Ignoring the Xu family's astonishment, Cao Bao led his men back to his patrol post, immediately closed the door, and gathered his close brothers.
"Tell me your plans! What are you going to do?" Cao Bao recounted the whole story with a fierce expression, then took a deep drag on his cigarette.
"Damn it, since he's not giving us a way out, then we might as well fight him to the death! I'll bring some men and take him down tonight," a burly man said viciously.