coobybook Chapter 138 Huo’s support
Chapter 138 Huo’s support
Gu's mother and Lin Chang'er exchanged a glance, then got up and went out with Zhou Hai.
When she arrived at the gate, she discovered that at least several dozen men, several young women, Zhou San's sister-in-law, Xiaoshan, Xiaoshu, and Datou's mother, and several others she didn't recognize had gathered outside the courtyard.
The leader was an old man whom Lin Chang'er had seen before. He was the clan elder of another surname besides Lin and Zhou in Linshui Village. I think his surname was Huo. He was also an outsider and always kept a low profile in the village.
Lin Chang'er was still a little curious about the timing of the visit.
However, since the person calling out to Gu's mother and Zhou Hai, she didn't rush to speak.
Zhou Hai took two steps forward. "Uncle Huo, what brings you here?"
The old man surnamed Huo said, "You just mentioned in the ancestral hall that you want to build a coastal defense force. Do you already have a plan? Can you tell this old man about it in detail?"
He pointed to a group of men behind him and said, “I don’t care what others do, the men of the Huo family are willing, but you can’t just talk about building a team without any concrete rules.”
Zhou Hai was overjoyed, but then he thought to himself, what plan did he have? If it weren't for Chang'er reminding him, he wouldn't have thought of this at all.
He then hurriedly looked at Lin Chang'er and said, "Chang'er, this is an elder of the Huo family. Elder Huo, you came up with the idea of the coastal defense team. Why don't you tell him? I'm afraid I might have said something wrong or that I might have missed something."
Upon hearing this, Elder Huo's gaze fell on Lin Chang'er, his eyes filled with a mixture of curiosity and surprise.
Lin Chang'er stepped forward and said, "Hello, Mr. Huo, let's talk inside."
He then whispered to his mother, "Mother, could you please brew two jars of good tea for everyone?" The previous guests had been very polite, each bringing a substantial gift with them. Chen Ming had brought a lot of tea with him and even gave them two jars of good tea.
Lin Chang'er asked Pei Sihai, and Pei Sihai said that as long as it was given voluntarily, she could accept it without hesitation, so she didn't stand on ceremony.
Keep it to entertain guests. If no one drinks it, you can pawn it later. I don't know if the pawnshop will accept it, but I can always find a way to get cash from it.
Lin Chang'er and Zhou Hai led Old Master Huo into the main room, while Mother Gu invited everyone to come to the courtyard.
Several women, including Zhou San's sister-in-law, volunteered to help make tea, and Gu Da's sister-in-law and Zhou's aunt didn't need to be reminded.
The children also came out of the main room on their own, waiting to help serve tea later.
Wu Qingfeng remained in the main room as usual. As soon as Old Master Huo entered the room, he saw him and his eyes narrowed immediately. "And who is this?"
Although he was wearing ordinary shorts and a slightly ill-fitting outfit, his overall presence was undeniable.
This is no ordinary person, Old Master Huo determined at a glance.
Lin Chang'er said "Oh" and introduced, "This is Young Master Wu, a student of my father's classmate. He wants to experience farming and water conservancy firsthand, and to enrich his life with beautiful literature, so he's staying at our house for a while."
Lin Chang'er spoke fluently, while Wu Qingfeng remained calm and composed.
Old Huo hesitated for a moment, "Is that so? Then..." Would it be inappropriate for him to stay and listen in?
Lin Chang'er noticed something amiss and was about to make amends when Wu Qingfeng spoke first: "Old sir, we scholars are here to establish a moral compass for heaven and earth, to secure a future for the people, to continue the lost learning of the sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations!"
Although I am not from Linshui Village, if pirates invade, I will do my duty to defend every inch of my land.
Fortunately, although I am a scholar, I have also practiced martial arts since childhood. While I am not qualified to be an instructor in the coastal defense force, I can offer some guidance.
Lin Chang'er nodded, "Yes, that's what we were discussing just now. Although our brothers are all young and strong, those barbarians may not be weaker than us, but they are more ruthless."
If we don't learn some survival skills, we may not be able to defeat them with just our enthusiasm for protecting our homeland.
It's wonderful that my elder brother is willing to offer guidance.
Upon hearing this, Old Master Huo's eyes flashed with amazement, yet he couldn't help but feel regret. It was a pity that such a young man was not a son of the Huo family, and such a woman was not a wife of the Huo family.
However, he could rest assured that he could entrust the Huo family's sons to such a person.
Old Master Huo said, "So, you had already drawn up the rules beforehand?"
Lin Chang'er smiled and said, "To be honest, Elder Huo, we only heard about the fishing village in the south when we were having lunch in town. As for the detailed plan, I dare not presume to say, but we have a rough outline."
"Originally, we wanted Uncle Hai to discuss the matter with the elders of each family, and then we would come together to come up with a specific implementation plan. But as you can see, here's what happened."
Old Master Huo nodded. "I also have an idea. Would you like to hear it?"
Lin Chang'er and Wu Qingfeng both nodded, "Please go ahead."
Old Huo said, "Your idea just now was correct. The coastal defense team should not only patrol, but also be able to fight when necessary."
If we are going to fight, we can't just have a nominal title; we have to actually train.
We need to set up sentries, arrange patrols, and have our own means of communication…
Old Huo spoke fluently and to the point, but the more Lin Chang'er listened, the more alarmed she became. This wasn't just training the coastal defense team; it was military training! It was far more detailed than she had imagined.
Who exactly is this old man?
Although I had some doubts, I still memorized everything that Elder Huo said.
After speaking, Old Master Huo looked at Lin Chang'er again, "Chang'er!"
Lin Chang'er exclaimed "Huh?" as she heard him say, "If the barbarians really invade in the future, the men of my Huo family are willing to stand in front of them. We are not afraid of bloodshed and death, but I cannot let them die without an heir. If I entrust the women and children of our Huo clan to you, can you take good care of them for me?"
Lin Chang'er was taken aback. This showed that she had made up her mind to make a tough decision, which was rather tragic.
Lin Chang'er was thus certain of her previous guess: the Huo family branch was probably not just a group of refugees fleeing famine.
But there's no point in pursuing these questions.
When he entrusted his orphan to her, he called her Chang'er, not Sanlang's wife, which shows that he regarded her as an individual and, in a sense, gave her enough respect.
She longed to respond to his noble cause, but ultimately, she was just a mortal and dared not make any promises to anyone.
Lin Chang'er was silent for a moment, then said, "What my child said earlier was good. He said that whether it is the barbarians on horseback in the north or the barbarians on the sea in the south, their ambition and appetite are gradually nurtured through burning, killing, and looting."
Today they want gold, silver, and women; tomorrow they'll dare to demand land. So from the very beginning, we can't give up an inch.
Elder Huo, I deeply admire your pioneering spirit. If that day ever comes, I will provide a sum of money to find a way for the Huo clan to leave. What happens after that will be up to them…”