"Ah, I'm alone and free, with no one to worry about. While salted duck is good for storage, it will spoil if kept too long. The weather is getting hotter, and it would be a waste if it went bad. Let's finish it, the two of us."
Xiao Long's warm words pleased Fu Dadi.
"Haha, thank you, Brother Xiao. I heard there's a locust plague starting in the mountains. The rice planted in spring has been completely eaten, and I expect famine by summer. It's a good thing we're high up; the locusts can't reach us.
It's truly fortunate that Young Master Gu was so wise and didn't choose a village site below the mountain. Otherwise, we'd be in trouble now too."
Fu Dadi became quite talkative when discussing these matters.
Xiao Long smiled and didn't agree. He merely shook his wine flask and said to Fu Dadi,
"Here's to us."
"Never mind, I'll just have a sip. If the wine wasn't so fragrant, I wouldn't dare drink it. It's against regulations; we're not allowed to drink while on night duty here."
Fu Dadi hesitated.
"Why do you always get the latter half of the night shift? Can't you switch? Isn't that bullying you?"
Xiao Long's words, though seemingly heartfelt concern for his friend, carried a subtle tone of instigation.
As expected, Fu Dadi's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. He hadn't considered it before, but Xiao Long's words made him feel as though he were being taken advantage of.
He said sheepishly, "It's okay. The other hunting teams all have families to care for. I'm alone, so working the latter half of the night is fine. I can still sleep in the morning."
"Hmph, that's too tiring, constantly switching between day and night. It's bad for your health, leading to kidney deficiency and premature aging. In traditional Chinese medicine, the consequences can be severe."
Xiao Long said exaggeratedly.
"Really?" Fu Dadi immediately became anxious. Who wouldn't worry about their own health?
"I suggest you talk to Yan Xin and ask to have your shift adjusted. Don't let them make you work the latter half of the night every day. That's too much of a bullying.
Come, a toast!"
While saying words that pricked Fu Dadi's pride, Xiao Long kept urging him to drink.
Thus, Fu Dadi suddenly developed an inexplicable resentment. Unable to help himself, he drowned his sorrows in wine and drank with Xiao Long.
The wine Xiao Long brought was ostensibly osmanthus wine, with a low alcohol content. In reality, he had stolen rice wine from Gu Qingcheng, which was kept in the cafeteria and had an alcohol content of 34 degrees. He had mixed it into two bottles of osmanthus wine.
Therefore, this osmanthus wine didn't seem different at first, but once the effects of the alcohol kicked in, its potency became apparent.
Fu Dadi didn't have a high tolerance for alcohol, normally only able to handle half a bottle of osmanthus wine. Now he had drunk a bottle of the doctored osmanthus wine. As the alcohol took effect, he immediately became drunk and, with a thud, lay down on the ground and fell asleep.
As Fu Dadi slept soundly, Xiao Long looked up at the quiet, sleeping village. He smiled silently, a murderous intent flashing across his face.
Gu Qingcheng, you rich young master, you've fallen into my hands tonight!
However, the time is not yet right. I must wait a little longer, until the dead of night when everyone is fast asleep. Then I can lead Wu De and the others to storm the village. As long as Gu Qingcheng and Mi Guo are killed, this village can be renamed to bear the Xiao surname.
Xiao Long smiled, his ambition burning brightly.
He had long been dissatisfied with Gu Qingcheng. A frail, wealthy young master with no real ability, relying on his money to boss everyone around in the village.
He had even been forced to work as an apprentice at the medical hall, while Zhu Liang was promoted to shopkeeper, blocking his own career path.
He had come to realize that with the chaos in the outside world and the authorities never interfering with mountain affairs, he could kill Gu Qingcheng and his supporters, dump their bodies in the mountain ravines for the wolves to devour, and the authorities would never bother to investigate. Then, he could establish himself as a king of the mountain.
This was a chaotic era; the strong ruled.
Gu Qingcheng had laid the foundation. The mountain had grain, fields, and plenty of cattle and sheep. If he managed it well, he could become a powerful local figure.
Last month, on his way back from the mountain, Xiao Long encountered Wu De and a few others.
These were people who had been expelled from Phoenix Village by Gu Qingcheng, or those who had hesitated to join Phoenix Village at the time but later regretted it and wished to join, only to find they had no opportunity, and thus all harbored a deep hatred for Phoenix Village.
They had not descended the mountain and had found a sheltered mountain hollow nearby, setting up some thatched huts. They survived by hunting small game or by sneaking into Phoenix Village at night to steal food and drink.
Later, when Phoenix Village had guards at its entrance, they even lost the opportunity to sneak in and steal.
Watching Phoenix Village prosper so comfortably, they gnashed their teeth in hatred.
Even those who had left would not reflect on their own actions, believing that Gu Qingcheng had not fully explained the benefits of staying in Phoenix Village, which was why they left, and now they had no chance to join.
They had no food, their stomachs ached with hunger, and their bodies were weak. They had to hunt and forage for wild vegetables. The thought of the villagers in Phoenix Village receiving twenty jin of rice every twenty days without laboring caused them unbearable pain.
A few of them, driven by desperation, decided to rob Phoenix Village and take as much wealth as possible before fleeing. After all, with the locust plague and the chaotic government, they wouldn't have time to deal with such matters. By the time the authorities recovered, they would have long gone.
However, attacking Phoenix Village was not easy. An inside informant would be best. Thus, upon learning of the conflict between Xiao Long and Gu Qingcheng, they set their sights on him.
So, they intercepted Xiao Long on the road.
Initially, when Xiao Long heard about being an inside informant, he shook his head like a rattle drum, saying,
"I won't do it. If I'm caught, I'll be beaten to death."
Wu De smiled and said, "Shopkeeper Xiao, do you really want to be a pharmacy apprentice forever? Everyone in our cohort in the village is doing well; many are team leaders. Why can't you be promoted?"
As soon as Xiao Long heard this, it struck a chord. He said he would consider it.
Wu De and the others had grand ambitions and were not in a hurry to pressure him. Seeing that Xiao Long was tempted, they let him go back to think about it and assured him that if the plan succeeded, they would follow his lead.
After returning to the village, Xiao Long's thoughts grew more and more fervent.
He had always felt he was exceptionally talented, had studied pharmacology diligently, and put in great effort. If not for the natural disaster, he would now be the shopkeeper of the pharmacy, have a happy little family, and live a comfortable and leisurely life.
But after coming to Phoenix Village, his talents were suppressed. Gu Qingcheng had never recognized his talent, instead making the dull-witted Zhu Liang the shopkeeper, who was in charge of him.
The more Xiao Long thought about it, the more frustrated he became.
The door to his dissatisfaction was nudged open. As evil thoughts multiplied, this crack grew wider and wider.
Thus, Xiao Long finally made up his mind and colluded with Wu De and more than thirty others to take over Phoenix Village. From then on, they would live lives of luxury and comfort.
Xiao Long had figured out the nature of the Phoenix Village villagers. They were ordinary people with no real use. The strongest were the hunting team members. As long as they captured the ringleaders, the leader Yan Xin, they would be in control.