Chen Xiaobei hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he said a few polite words.
"Big boss, you're too kind. Whatever it is you need, if it's within my abilities, I will risk my life to help."
Daolao Hei laughed heartily, "How could I let Xiaobei brother put himself in danger? This matter is quite simple. I want to go to Qingniu Mountain. How about asking you, Xiaobei brother, to help us find a guide?"
What? To Qingniu Mountain?
Chen Xiaobei's heart skipped a beat.
What's going on here?
Yesterday, Sun Jian and the others wanted to go to Qingniu Mountain. Today, Daolao Hei wants to go as well, and it seems that Liu Rumei's people are active on Qingniu Mountain too.
What secret is hidden on Qingniu Mountain?
Seeing that he was silent, Daolao Hei continued, "Don't worry, Xiaobei brother. As long as you help us get to the mountain, I will make sure you are well rewarded."
This shows that they are willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen!
It seems that the secret on Qingniu Mountain is even more intriguing now.
But now is not the time for him to inquire about this.
Chen Xiaobei could only pretend to be helpless and shook his head. "To be honest, there's an old saying in our village—'don't go past the mountain god temple.'"
"There's a mountain god temple about twenty miles into the mountain. After that, I can guide you. But beyond that, no one has ever gone, and I wouldn't dare go."
Daolao Hei couldn't help but laugh, "Brother, don't worry. As long as you take us up..."
As he spoke, he stretched out his hand and spread his fingers. "As long as you take us on a tour of Qingniu Mountain, I'll give you this."
"Fifty taels."
Holy crap.
It's the same as always—making big money requires going down a side path.
Hard labor earns five copper coins a day, but guiding people around Qingniu Mountain will earn fifty taels of silver.
In my past life, forget about fifty taels, I would've happily gone for five taels.
But now things are different. I promised Sun Jian I would take them around Qingniu Mountain, and now Daolao Hei wants to do the same.
Sigh, if I start a travel agency, form a group for the two of them to tour the mountain, I'd make double the money. Wouldn't that be awesome?
Of course, this is all just wishful thinking.
"Big boss, it's not that I don't want to do it. I really want to earn your fifty taels of silver, but honestly, I've never been to Qingniu Mountain. What if we take the wrong path and something happens? I'd be sorry to you."
Daolao Hei chuckled and shook his head. "You don't need to worry about that. I'll send a few capable brothers to follow you. Don't worry, we'll make sure your safety is well protected."
Chen Xiaobei was left speechless. He just couldn't understand. Why did Sun Jian and Daolao Hei assume that the villagers of Hetou Village would definitely be familiar with Qingniu Mountain?
As far as he knew, very few people from the village dared to go up Qingniu Mountain. If he wasn't in a desperate situation, he wouldn't dare enter the mountain either.
Of course, the rumors of fierce beasts on the mountain had a lot to do with it. By the way, he had seen the remains of a mountain goat, which were gnawed up pretty badly. So, after entering the mountain many times and not encountering any beasts, he truly felt lucky.
"Big boss, I..."
Daolao Hei raised his hand to stop him from speaking further. "Alright, Xiaobei brother, you go back to your work. Once you've finished fixing the house, we'll head into the mountain."
This was reasonable. It was completely different from the image of bandits that he had in mind.
After speaking, Daolao Hei stood up.
Thank goodness, he's finally leaving. Chen Xiaobei smiled and escorted him to the door.
Daolao Hei waved his hand, and one of his lackeys dismounted from his horse and brought over a cloth bag that seemed quite heavy. He carried it over to Chen Xiaobei.
The bag contained a living creature because it was moving.
"We came in a rush and didn't know what you might be missing, so I thought I'd just bring you a sheep."
What the hell.
The lackey swiftly untied the knot on the bag, and sure enough, a mountain goat appeared.
In these times, a goat was considered a big deal, and Daolao Hei's generosity was clear.
"Big boss, this isn't quite right, right? No merit, no reward."
Daolao Hei gave his shoulder a friendly pat. "You're my brother now. I'll take care of you."
He then laughed heartily, jumped onto his horse, and said, "I'll be back in a few days."
Watching the group of bandits leave, Chen Xiaobei was stunned. The workers behind him, like Li Chun and Da Yong, were also completely dumbfounded.
The legendary Daolao Hei, the type of person who would kill without batting an eye.
But in front of Chen Xiaobei, this ruthless man acted like a neighborly older brother—humble in speech, smiling, and even gifting a goat.
Chen Dayong, quick to react, suddenly came to his senses.
Chen Xiaobei is amazing.
Whether it was the Liu family in the county or the bandits from Qingniu Mountain, he could make connections with anyone.
If he could rely on such a big tree, he wouldn't have to worry about being bullied in the future.
Right, he definitely needs to latch onto someone important.
There are many ways to do that, but the only way to fawn on Chen Xiaobei is one.
That is, to join the village defense team and become one of Chen Xiaobei's subordinates.
During lunch break, Chen Dayong smiled and approached Chen Xiaobei. "Xiaobei, brother, I need to discuss something with you."
Chen Xiaobei couldn't help but frown. Hearing the word "discuss" from these people had become a conditioned reflex for him.
Sun Jian said he wanted to discuss something, but there was no choice. Daolao Hei said he wanted to discuss something, but there was also no choice.
"Da Yong, we've already discussed this, and I may not be able to do it."
Chen Dayong grinned, "You can definitely do it, don't worry, it's very simple."
"Alright then, what's the matter?" Chen Xiaobei looked at him suspiciously.
"Brother, I want to join the village defense team and contribute to our Hetou village."
This was a bit unexpected for Chen Xiaobei. He didn't think Chen Dayong would make this request.
Chen Xiaobei quickly ran through a few thoughts. He didn't have much of a problem with it, but there was one thing that made him hesitant, and that was the fact that village defense team members received year-end bonuses.
But on the other hand...
Wasn't he planning to reform the working system of the village defense team? If there were enough members, this could provide an opportunity for the changes he wanted to make.
"Da Yong, joining the village defense team isn't impossible, but as you know, with our village's conditions, there won't be much pay at the end of the year. There might even be nothing at all."
When Chen Dayong heard this, he laughed, "It's alright. I just want to contribute to the village. Whether or not there's pay doesn't matter."
Chen Xiaobei thought for a moment and then nodded, "Alright, if that's how you feel, then you can join."
What Chen Xiaobei didn't expect was that once Chen Dayong started, he couldn't stop.
Soon, all the workers and apprentices on site said they wanted to join the village defense team, and by the afternoon, even some young and middle-aged villagers came over to ask if they could join.
In just one day, being a village defense team member had become the most sought-after position in Hetou village.
By the time work ended in the afternoon, Chen Xiaobei counted on his fingers and realized that there were already over twenty members in the village defense team.