Back to the Beginning of Ming to do Charity

Don't know when, but some strange rumors suddenly spread around the farmstead.

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Gou zi and Er Liang were playmates of the same age. Sometimes they work together and often sleep together, talking more than with others. Gou zi squatted in the yard digging for weeds that day, and said to Er Liang, "They are all talking about the rumors."

Er Liang: "What rumors?"

Gou zi said: "They said that Boss was sent from above."

Er Liang: "……? What do you mean?"

Gou zi scratched his ears and his cheeks, trying to find a good explanation, but there was no ink in his stomach (TN: no education, don't have a repertoire of vocab). After thinking for a long time, he could only say: "It means that Boss is not human."

Er Liang: "……Who?! Why is my young master not human! I think they are not human! The young master gives them food and clothes, now they have courage to talk bad! Daring to talk bad about young master! Everyone of them are itching for a beating!"

Gou zi quickly said: "That's not what I meant!"

Er Liang: "What do you mean then?"

Gou zi whispered: "You think about it, Boss bought such a large property at such a young age. Aside from this, Boss has also taken in so many people, even the disabled have not been driven away. Can ordinary people do the same?"

Er Liang straightened his chest proudly: "My young master is definitely not an ordinary person!"

Gou zi: "They said that Boss was sent by the Buddha."

He didn't mention the even more outrageous rumors that some people were spreading, that Boss was the Buddha descended to the earth.

Er Liang was stunned. As a person close to Lin Yuan, he actually felt that such a statement made sense. He said to Gou zi: "I have followed young master since I was a child, and young master has been a benevolent person since I was young. As long as someone asks for his help young master rarely refuses. Serving the young master is the best as he is not picky and always treat people sincerely."

"It used to be fine that way since the Lin family had the wealth and means." Er Liang analyzed carefully, "But when we arrived in Wu city, young master saw that the refugees were pitiful, so he had them come and build the house. After the house was built, the refugees didn't want to leave, so young master let them stay."

Er Liang clapped his hands: "What they said is very true! Young master is like the Buddha!"

Gou zi spread what Er Liang said to the others in the farmstead, and everyone believed fully that Boss was kind since childhood. What do young children know? No one must have taught this. Didn't this mean self-learning without a teacher and being born with a benevolent heart?

So the rumors went back and forth several times, and when the truth was lost, Lin Yuan became a benevolent god from the heavens who couldn't bear to see the people suffering on earth, so he took his leave from the Celestial Emperor and descended down to save the common people. Of course, the Celestial Emperor could not bear for him to leave and tried to have him stay. But the benevolent god was also big-tempered, and didn't give the Celestial Emperor face, secretly descending down to earth.

Someone asked: "But Boss has also driven away a person, can the benevolent god do that?"

Someone else said at this time: "Man has likes and dislikes, and Gods naturally have likes and dislikes. Lord Dragon walks through clouds and cast down rain. If you provoke him, there will be droughts or floods. Then does that mean the Lord Dragon is not a good god?"

The origins have been compiled, and Lin Yuan's background was painted in a mystical light.

The arguments were rather chaotic, but later on, they seem to have unified themselves. The final version was this: when Lin Yuan's mother was pregnant with him, she dreamed of a golden light appearing on the horizon. His mother was frightened and shocked, so she knelt down and asked why the heavenly immortal had come?

The heavenly immortal pointed to her belly and said: "There is a merciful son in heaven, and he will enter your belly tonight. This is a great fortune. When this son is born, you will also have succeeded in doing a virtuous deed."

So Lin Yuan's mother gave birth to the child and passed away. She was not dead but just having completed her mission and therefore rewarded with being allowed to ascend to heaven as a heavenly immortal.

And speaking of, when Lin Yuan was being born only thunder could be heard coming from the skies. But as soon as Lin Yuan was born, the dark clouds in the sky dispersed by themselves, the sun shown down all over the earth, and the phoenix led the birds through the forests in celebration. Even the fish didn't stay where they should be but jumped ashore, wanting to be closer to Lin Yuan.

The rumors and legends finally reached Lin Yuan's ears.

Lin Yuan's first reaction when he heard these rumors was "Is someone trying to make trouble for me?" However, after thinking about it carefully, he found it unlikely. After all, such rumors were beneficial to him no matter how he looked at it.

In the West, monarchical power was bestowed by God, elevating the king above the common people.

In China, the emperor was the son of heaven and essentially equated with the gods.

This was a kind of spiritual rule, just like the White Lotus Society being just a very simple faith at the beginning.

But the more the followers believe, the easier it was to be incited.

After Lin Yuan heard about all of the rumors, he didn't know what kind of expression he should show for a while.

These rumors were probably due to the fact that the people in the farmstead have no daily entertainment activities, coupled with their low level of education, and the deep-rooted feudal superstition thinking. Likely having arisen from idle chat, only the more they talked about it the more real it seemed to become. But still it didn't sound like something uneducated and illiterate people could come up with.

"It is likely arranged by someone deliberately." Lin Yuan said to Jiang Gui.

Jiang Gui was also a clever person. He nodded and said: "This is definitely not something they can make up, but I don't know why the person made up such a thing."

The person who made the story must be in the farmstead, but there were so many people in the farmstead, rumors spreading by word of mouth, so it was nearly impossible to know where it first came from.

Jiang Gui had people inquire a few times, however, the person who made up the story actually showed up himself.

He slipped out of the dormitory in the middle of the night and squatted outside the courtyard where Lin Yuan lived. He probably wanted to find a suitable opportunity to see Lin Yuan, but the light inside was always off, and the person inside did not wake up. So he squatted there with his neck tucked in, looking both pitiful and hilarious.

Jiang Gui saw him when he was about to enter, and lead him into Lin Yuan's room.

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This person, based on appearance, looked to be around his fifties. His physique looked sturdy enough, but his face, hair and beard showed signs of aging. He had rather big eye bags and his face overall looked mean and gloomy, with a mouth that drooped down and generally not very friendly looking. He didn't dare to sit, and when he saw Lin Yuan, he instantly knelt down to the ground. Before Lin Yuan opened his mouth to speak, this person had explained it all by himself.

"Boss is a dragon among the people a phoenix among men!" He stubbornly said, "Only this origin is worthy of Boss."

Lin Yuan asked him: "What benefit is it for you to spread these rumors?"

The person moved over on his knees: "This humble old man is now fifty-two, and do not have many long days to live. In this lifetime, I just want to see this chaotic world find peace, and the world unified under one rule. I see that under Boss's lead everything is organized, the people perform their duties, the rewards and punishments are fair. Boss has lofty aspirations and ambitions, and this humble old man is willing to provide all of my meager contributions."

Lin Yuan stood up and helped he person up, and asked with a smile, "Where is Mister (TN: in Chinese the word Mister, Mr. is often used for respected and learned people) from?"

After Lin Yuan asked, he soon knew that the old man's name was Song Shizhao. His ancestor was an official of the Song Dynasty. Later, the Song Dynasty collapsed and the main Song family died for their country. However, the branch families managed to survive, but even so they still remembered that they were citizens of Song Dynasty. Almost every moment they thought about overthrowing the Yuan Dynasty and reestablishing the Song Dynasty.

They lived in seclusion in the mountains and forests, but as time passed some younger generations left down the mountain, and then many left one after another.

They were all young teenagers. Who would want to spend a lifetime in the mountains and old forests?

Although their ancestors say that their mission was to overthrow Yuan Dynasty and reestablish Song Dynasty, but where is Song? Where is the royal blood? Who can they support?

Song Shizhao was the last one to leave the mountains, and was also the oldest one. He didn't think Yuan couldn't be overthtown, nor did he think that no one would appreciate his skills and learning, he just didn't think it was time.

When he felt that the time had come and went down the mountain, he became a refugee because he had no food and money. He wandered all the way, and was traded several times by mistake, until he finally arrived at this farmstead.

"You mean, you are helping me win people's popular sentiment?" Lin Yuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Song Shizhao said seriously: "Boss, do you think these rumors are useless?"

Lin Yuan shook his head: "It's useful, but……"

Song Shizhao: "Are you afraid that if it is spread out at this time, it will be discovered by the dog court?"

The farmstead's entry and exit were both strictly surveyed, ordinary people can't get out at all, nor can they communicate with the outside world so this worry was unfounded. Lin Yuan shook his head.

He just felt strange, and a bit unable to accept it.

Song Shizhao said: "Boss, do you think that if you give them food and clothing to keep them from being hungry and cold, and even set up the rules then they will be obedient and loyal?"

Lin Yuan looked at Song Shizhao: "Mister, please tell me, I would like to hear the details."

Song Shizhao finally felt the attitude of respecting the wise from Lin Yuan and stroked his gray goatee, his eyes flashing: "The people are the same, they adhere to the belief that the one with milk is their mother (TN: expression for only recognizing someone so long as they have benefits for you)."

Lin Yuan: "……" Hnn……the words were crass but the principle was not.

Song Shizhao also said: "They have never been educated, and do not know morality and shame. Do they know what is loyalty? What is morality?"

Song Shizhao: "Boss, they listen to you now, only because you are in charge of food and people, they are afraid of starving and death."

"You have to let them know that there is hope after following you. Only then will they be obedient and know loyalty." Song Shizhao said, "Why else do the emperors of all the past dynasties spread legends that they were born with auspicious signs from the heavens and were born extraordinary?"

Song Shizhao said: "They think that you are a benevolent god, so they will respect you and obey you. They think that benevolent gods also have likes and dislikes, so they dare not disobey your orders."

Lin Yuan understood, Song Shizhao was telling him that if he wanted people to obey him in a short time, admire him, and dare not oppose him then he must brainwash these people.

The brainwashing method was also very simple. It was to use their inherent traditional superstitious thinking to guide them to think that Lin Yuan was a benevolent god, and they will have a good life with Lin Yuan. And most inportantly, only following Lin Yuan will they be able to continue living a good life.

"Boss, in the second year of Taiding, Zhao Chousi carried the banner of Maitreya Buddha." Song Shizhao said, "In the third year of the Yuan Dynasty, Zhu Guangqing carried the banner of Dipankara Buddha, not to mention that in the fourth year of the Yuan Dynasty stitching the name of Buddha on your garment was widely made to believe it will protect you from knife wounds."

Song Shizhao: "The moves are never old."

Lin Yuan smiled: "So, I have to thank Mister?"

Song Shizhao's expression was very calm and composed, but his trembling little finger of his left hand revealed his excitement at this time, and his voice was a bit hoarse: "I am willing to carry out Boss's orders, if there is at all any resistance, ten thousand deaths will not prevent me (TN: idiom meaning ready to risk life and limb to help out)."

"Mr. Song is too grave." Lin Yuan shouted, "Er Liang!"

Er Liang hurriedly responded from outside: "Young master, what are your orders?"

Lin Yuan said: "Clean up a room for this old gentleman, from now on he will live here."

Er Liang didn't know what had happened but he didn't ask, and took Song Shizhao to the side house.

When he left, Song Shizhao kept turning his head to look at Lin Yuan, almost looking back at every step. Just his expression and attitude, if someone didn't know better they would have thought Song Shizhao was a newlywed wife. Lin Yuan seeing that the others left, poured a cup of tea to calm down his shock.

Probably because he grew up under the red flag so Lin Yuan resisted this method?

He laughed mockingly at himself, and drank a belly full of tea.

He thought about it all night and had to admit that Song Shizhao was right.

A team with cohesive power will be stronger than one without.

This cohesive force can be a unified goal or the same pursuit, but the most secure was the highest faith.

But Lin Yuan did not want to develop into a religious group with the cohesive force being a doctrine. He had no interest in this area.

Even if he wanted to break feudal superstitions and pursue scientific development, it must start after people have enough food and literacy could be widespread.

Not now.

Lin Yuan lay on the bed and looked at the beams above his head. In a rare insomniac state he remained awake all night. When he got up the next day, Er Liang was shocked by his listless look when he saw him. Lin Yuan’s face looked naturally tender, although he was a few years older, but he hadn't worked out in the wind and sun, so he looked much paler than ordinary people. Therefore, after a night without sleep he had green eyebags, looking as if he was hollowed from excessive indulgence.

In the end, he did not do anything about the rumors, and Song Shizhao was also kept by Lin Yuan as an aide and advisor.

Song Shizhao had quite some abilities. He had a good memory that can even be called a photographic memory. He was also good at drawing maps and had unique views on things.

Song Shizhao believed that when a person dies, he should just be put in a coffin and that is the end of it. There is no reincarnation, and there is no karma. The so-called causal reincarnation was just people deceiving themselves.

He also believed that there were no gods in the sky, and if there were gods in the sky, they will not come to help mortals.

Lin Yuan sometimes felt that if Song Shizhao's performance was not so normal, maybe Song Shizhao had also transmigrated from the modern times.

It was a kind of relaxation for Lin Yuan to talk to Song Shizhao.

Because of the limitations of the times, Lin Yuan had a lot of things that he couldn't say to brother Dao and the others.

Before Lin Yuan could react, the cold winter came upon them. The temperature dropped sharply after the beginning of winter, and the coal had already been allocated. Even though nothing happened last winter, but this year a few came down with a cold and could only rest and recuperate for the time being.

Jiang Guang finally sent the remaining 500 people over, and Chen Baisong and the others also brought the rest of their guys over.

There were now more than 1,300 people in the farmstead.

Although it was not too much, but it was not too few either.

After all, the total population of the Yuan Dynasty now does not exceed 100 million. The lands were wide and plenty but the people were few and scattered.

When Fang Guozhen rebelled, he only had a thousand people around him.

The increase in population had Lin Yuan sigh in relief.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e ir on tr ee bl oo ms. c o m )

Even in winter, training still cannot be stopped. The men in the farmstead were accustomed to running morning exercises just before dawn. They run while hungry and then go to the cafeteria to eat breakfast and continue training after eating.

Such day-to-day training was quite effective. The newcomers cannot see it for the time being, but the people in the farmstead originally had already discovered the difference.

The food intake had increased, and their physical strengh had also increased. For the same distance, they used to run gasping and panting, but now they barely even breathe heavy.

They used to lie on the ground unable to move after training, but now they feel warm and full of strength after training.

Although they did not eat very well, but Lin Yuan had been working hard on their eating diet.

Carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

These three things were included every day without exception——though the fat intake was very small.

Then there were vitamins, which depended on what was on hand.

Although he didn’t know if there were any vitamins in the dried fruit, Lin Yuan still had people dry a lot in the summer and then hand them out in winter, each person recieving a small handful. If they eat it carefully, it could be eaten for a long while.

Probably because they were all refugees, the five hundred newcomers were quickly integrated into the farmstead. This was also due to the farmstead's rules. Everyone was responsible for their own thing every day. If anyone was lazy and pushed the work to others, they would be reported anonymously. If the report was found to be true, the person who was reported would be punished and the reporter would be rewarded.

It was chaotic up for a while at the beginning. Lin Yuan got angry twice, and had people administer a beating with a wooden board on the troublemaker's bottom, with pants off and in front of everyone. As a result these people finally became completely obedient.

There were also some small squad leaders who suddenly became small officials and felt that they were quite powerful, showing off and bullying others. They were all separately taken out and put in a labor reform team to work from morning to night every day. Whenever their performance was up to standards then they will be allowed to rejoin the squad but they would no longer be the squad leader.

All the small leaders were chosen by Lin Yuan, or they were chosen by brother Dao and others.

It was very undemocratic.

But Lin Yuan did not dare to be democratic at this time.

It was not like he had IQ problems.

If these people could choose a squad leader themselves, could they also choose a platoon leader or even a battalion leader?

When they discovered that the original status could be overwritten by the people below.

Then what kind of changes would they make?

Lin Yuan didn't dare to gamble.

If he made a wrong gamble, then it was the endless abyss for him. All of his work and efforts ending up to be benefiting others, while he couldn't even get a good word of compliment.

"This year the Yellow River broke its embankment, and the imperial court enlisted 150,000 civilians to repair the Yellow River dams, and sent troops along the banks to suppress any resistance." Song Shizhao said to Lin Yuan, "After the new year's, there should be actions taken everywhere."

Lin Yuan asked him: "Mr. Song, who do you think in the world today has a competing chance?"

Song Shizhao also didn't give a courteous reply: "White Lotus Society and Maitreya believers, as well as the Manichaeists which can be counted barely."

Lin Yuan smiled: "Nowadays, there is a White Lotus leader in the north."

Song Shizhao nodded: "I have heard about it. Han Shantong seems to be widely accepting disciples and putting out the banner of "Maitreya Buddha has descended" and "The King of Ming is born". It has been a few years, and their name is not small. There is no one in the north that does not know."

Lin Yuan gave Song Shizhao a cup of hot tea: "What do you think, Mister?"

Song Shizhao: "I suspect that the one-eyed stone person is his doing."

Lin Yuan gave Song Shizhao a like in his heart, and asked, "Mister thinks he will rebel?"

"Naturally, he will rebel." Song Shizhao said, "He had already set up everything a few years ago, and now that the people on both sides of the Yellow River are suffering and hungry, it is the perfect time."

Han Shantong, this person, could only be described as having bad luck. He was too ambitious from the start of the game, even passerbys knew his goals, and did not leave a way out for himself.

Song Shizhao said: "At that time, it will also be the perfect time for Boss."

Lin Yuan pretended to be stupid: "How come I don't understand what Mister said?"

Song Shizhao chuckled lowly: "Boss doesn't need to play riddles with me. Let this humble old man guess, which piece does Boss want?"

"Gaoyou?"

Lin Yuan really couldn't remain composed anymore, he looked at Song Shizhao incredulously: "How does Mister know?"

Song Shizhao said: "Most of the people in the farmstead come from different origins, only the group from Xinghua there is more than fifty people. Since Boss accepted them, then Boss naturally must have a reason. They are only salt miners and lowly people of the lowest social class. What worth do they have for Boss to spend so much effort on them?"

"Xinghua has salt, and Boss wants it. This reason is much more convincing and reasonable."

"But Xinghua is prone to strong winds, and the salt in the land is not good for farming."

Song Shizhao: "Gaoyou is not far from Xinghua, the land is fertile, and it has historically been known as a land of fish and rice (TN: expression for fertile land)."

Lin Yuan cupped his hands and saluted Song Shizhao seriously. He had to admit that he had really underestimated this person before.

Song Shizhao also sternly said: "It is for this reason that I feel that Boss is a person worthy of casting my lot with."

"I wonder if Boss has a plan?"

Lin Yuan smiled and said: "The secrets of the heavens must not be revealed."

Song Shizhao did not continue to question.

He also knew that Lin Yuan would definitely not regard him as a confidant, at least not now.

If he wanted to gain Lin Yuan's trust, he must make some achievements.

For Lin Yuan, who had knowledge of history, he clearly knew that Han Shantong and the others will rebel in May next year. At that time, the Yuan imperial court will put the most effort in suppressing Han Shantong and the others. And at that time, it will be the most perfect timing for them to act.

So he called over Zhang Shicheng and his brothers.

Zhang Jiusi and the others have been working with the other farmstead people in the past few months.

Training with fishing or hunting. Although busy every day, it was also fulfilling. After finishing the work every night, they could gather around the fire to brag and snack on some beans. They don’t need to worry about their livelihood, or about their wages being deducted and having no money to pay for food.

Zhang Jiusi can't even remember the days when he was in Xinghua.

It seemed that being beaten by a supervisor and having his wages unfairly deducted happened a long time ago.

"I had you come over, because I want to ask you something." Lin Yuan smiled and said to Zhang Jiusi, "You sit first."

He also said to Zhang Jiusi's younger brothers: "Sit down too, there is no need to be courteous."

All of them still felt somewhat awkward.

After all, Lin Yuan was the Boss, where is there such a soft-spoken Boss?

Lin Yuan said: "You have been in the farmstead for more than half a year?"

Zhang Jiusi is the eldest brother, so naturally he said: "Three months away from being a full year here."

Lin Yuan asked: "It's been so long, do you want to go back and have a look?"

Zhang Jiusi was stunned and didn't react for a while. Boss……did he mean to drive them back?

Lin Yuan also discovered that Zhang Jiusi’s expression was wrong, and quickly said: "I heard you mention it before, that the people of Xinghua are unspeakably miserable."

Zhang Jiuqi quickly said, "That's right! Those sons of bitches salt supervisors! Never treat us salt miners as human beings!"

Zhang Jiuwu: "The salt miners get up early and rest late. They are sickly and have various body pains and can't even eat a full meal."

Lin Yuan sighed and looked as if he was quite pitying of the state of things: "I am willing to help, but I am afraid that no one can be trusted with it."

Zhang Jiusi said in a rush: "Does Boss want to bring all the salt miners out?"

"Boss, that's not easy!"

"The food is not enough for that many people!"

Lin Yuan only said: "Who would like to make a trip back?"

They looked at each other, and in the end Zhang Jiusi stood up and said: "Boss, just give us your orders."

Lin Yuan said: "I will have brother Dao, brother Yang and Li Da go back with you to check out the current situation. And if it is feasible, save some more people. What do you think?"

Zhang Jiusi's eyes lit up.

He couldn't speak for a while, and finally bowed his head, choked up and said: "Boss, I actually didn't know, there really are people like you in the world."

He had some friends he knew that were still staying in Xinghua.

It was impossible to say that he didn’t feel a bit of guilt when he had been here for so long.

He had come to live a good life, but his friends were still suffering in Xinghua. Without his relief, they should be living an even harder life.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e ir on tr ee bl oo ms. c o m )

As long as Boss take them over, take them all over everything will be fine.

TN: yay! One of the most important characters, Song Shizhao! His arrival signals things will be picking up! (I swear he probably has even more presence than the ML >.>)