The fool has become a spirit, and she can speak

"There aren't many people raising ducks here."

"Are you from here too?"

Ge Dongqing said: "I am considered a local here, so I know that there are not many people in the whole village who raise ducks. It seems that you, the village chief, have led the way."

The man said, "Do you eat ducks? I'll ask my son to go home and catch two now."

Wan Lianxing waved his hand and said, "We have enough game here. We won't eat your ducks anymore."

"You treated us with such good pheasants and rabbits, so I should return the favor. Erli, go home quickly and catch two ducks for the nobleman."

Wan Lianxing had someone stop him and said, "We appreciate Brother Li's kindness, but we don't want the duck. Brother Li, how many sons do you have?

"Two. The eldest went during the conscription and has not returned yet. The second also went. Later, for some unknown reason, the establishment was reduced and the second was sent back. When he came back, he brought back two taels of silver. I heard that the money was also paid by the Marquis."

Ge Dongqing said: "Brother, did you also pay for the soldier's retirement?"

Wan Lianxing asked, "Why are you so excited?"

Brother Li said, "Oh, you must be the Marquis."

Wan Lianxing deserves to be acknowledged: "I am."

"Everyone, come and thank the Marquis."

Wan Lianxing said, "That's not the way to do it. Get up quickly, eat and drink, and then go back to the village."

Brother Li dragged Wan Lianxing to their home and insisted on visiting him. Wan Lianxing said, "My people are still hunting on the opposite mountain. If I leave, they won't be able to find me."

"I left my son here to deliver a message to your people."

Wan Lianxing said, "Brother, I have a question. Your son was a soldier. Shouldn't he be brave enough to fight and kill bad guys?"

Brother Li said: "My Erli is a wounded soldier. The enemy poked a hole here. He went there just to solve his stuttering problem."

As he spoke, Brother Li showed his son's chest. There was indeed a big scar. It was lucky that the man was still alive. Wan Lianxing said, "This injury must have been there for eight or nine years."

"That's right. He went to the battlefield right after he arrived. He didn't know anything and was stabbed. Later, he was almost a useless person and could only do odd jobs. Now they don't want so many people, and the first one to be sent back was my second son. But it's okay. At my age, I don't even have a grandson. The two taels of silver given by the marquis are just enough for my son to marry a wife."

Wan Lianxing patted Erli on the shoulder and said, "As the saying goes, fortune and misfortune go hand in hand. Coming back may not be a bad thing. Go find Chen Gongxiang and tell him that I said so and I'll find you a light job."

Brother Li asked, "What's going on?"

Wan Lianxing said, "What's inappropriate about that? That's how work is. Just assign him to do whatever he can do. Building dams and dikes are both hard work. Erli's body can't do the work, so it's not too much to take care of him."

"Thank you, my Lord. I must entertain you today. I'm just a few steps ahead."

Wan Lianxing smiled and said, "Some other day, some other day."

"Today." This old man Li pulled Wan Lianxing to go, but Wan Lianxing refused. Ge Dongqing beside him pulled Wan Lianxing and said, "Brother, since we are just ahead, it's not too far. It's okay for us to go for a walk. They went up the mountain to hunt and won't be back soon."

Wan Lianxing had no choice but to follow him.

It is indeed not far, about two miles away. Turning the corner is an inconspicuous village with only a few houses. It is right at the foot of the mountain, and the houses are not built with the main house facing north and south.

Wan Lianxing asked: "Where does the water come from?"

Brother Li said, "Go a little further up the road, there is a small river? It is connected to the lake in the city."

"where is it?"

"It's right in front, my lord. It's very convenient for us to get water now. It's more convenient than for people in the city to get water from the lake."

Wan Lianxing followed him and found a small river. The water was not very clear and there were many ducks playing in the water.

"Won't such a small river dry up?"

"It dried up last year, and we had to go far away to get water. But after the Marquis prayed for rain, there has been no shortage of water here since then."

Brother Li led Wan Lianxing into the village. Before they even stepped into the village, they heard a woman crying, "Erli, it sounds like it's your mother."

Erli quickly ran back to the yard, where there were several women and children.

"Mom, why are you crying?"

"Erli, take a look."

"This? What bit him to death?"

"I don't know. There were only twelve ducks in total, and five of them were bitten to death. What on earth did this do?" Erli's mother cried loudly.

After seeing this, his father, Village Chief Li, said, "Something came down from the mountain and killed the ducks. They only drink blood and don't eat meat. Whose ducks are suffering?"

One daughter's eyes also turned red, "Two of my cats were bitten to death." As soon as she finished speaking, tears started to flow.

At this time, another person cried, "Village chief, my family is the worst off. My whole family has been wiped out."

The village chief said, "Hasn't your duck died several days ago? Why are you joining in the fun? Stop crying."

"Village chief, how can I not cry? I have been relying on these ducks to make a living all year round. Now there is not even any seedlings left for me. What will I use to sell ducks and raise them in the future?" As she said this, the women slapped their thighs and started crying. Not only the three of them cried, but there were several other women crying with them.

Wan Lianxing stood there in a dilemma. In front of him was a group of women mourning for a few ducks, and the village chief who hosted him was surrounded by the women. He couldn't stay or leave, so he could only stand there motionless.

Ge Dongqing came over and said, "Just now I listened to what my elder brother said and shouldn't have come. This is such a bad time."

Wan Lianxing said: "Let's go back and don't disturb them."

"Yes, I can't get over this sadness for a while." Ge Dongqing said to the village chief Lao Li who was surrounded by a group of women, "Brother Li, I think this is not convenient for you. I will go back with the Marquis first and visit you another day."

Hearing this, Brother Li immediately squeezed out of the crowd and said, "Don't leave. It's inconvenient."

He said to the group of women, "Stop crying! It's a rare opportunity for the Marquis to come to our place. Don't let him scare you away."

"My Lord? Where did this Lord come from?"

The group of women were just concerned about the ducks, and didn't think much about the arrival of so many people. They thought the government was recruiting workers again.

Brother Li said: "We still have a few marquises in Fengying, and there is only one Wanxin Marquis."

When the women heard this, they all gathered around him, kneeling on the ground and kowtowed to Wan Lianxing repeatedly: "Please, Lord Marquis, bless us with good weather and good harvests."

"Please, my Lord, bless us so that we can always have water to drink."

"Please, sir, protect our ducks from being eaten by wild beasts."

"Please, sir, let my son get married as soon as possible."