Chapter 92: You’re a Talented Person, Sir!
Yang Zhengshan seemed a bit nervous as he stroked his beard. “Is it my writing?”
Zhou Lan was astonished, her eyes wide with disbelief. “You wrote this?” she asked, her voice trembling.
Yang Zhengshan nodded confidently. “Yes, I wrote it.”
Zhou Lan couldn’t believe it. She had never seen anyone write such a brilliant military strategy. “Really, you wrote this?”
Yang Zhengshan nodded again. “Of course, I wrote it. Who else could it be?”
Zhou Lan sat down, still flipping through the booklet. She was amazed by Yang Zhengshan’s talent. Zhou Xu, on the other hand, was filled with curiosity. “Let me take a look!”
He snatched the booklet from Zhou Lan’s hand, and she couldn’t stop him. Zhou Xu was completely absorbed in the contents of the booklet, while Zhou Lan’s gaze wandered between the booklet and Yang Zhengshan.
Suddenly, Zhou Xu exclaimed, “This is incredible! It’s a brilliant strategy!” He looked up, his eyes shining with excitement. “You’re a talented person, sir!”
Yang Zhengshan felt a bit embarrassed. “It’s just some notes I jotted down. Nothing special.”
Zhou Xu, however, was thrilled. “This is more than just notes! You’ve summarized the essence of military strategy. It’s truly remarkable!”
Yang Zhengshan thought for a moment before responding. “I based my writing on the ancient military classics. I just summarized the key points.”
Zhou Xu asked, “Is this strategy about avoiding the enemy’s strong points and attacking their weak points?”
Yang Zhengshan nodded. “That’s right. The key is to identify the enemy’s weaknesses and grasp the opportunity to strike.”
Zhou Xu was impressed. “You’re absolutely right!”
As they chatted, Zhou Lan listened intently, her eyes fixed on the two men. She was pleased to see Yang Zhengshan’s talent being recognized.
After a while, Zhou Lan interrupted, “Brother, it’s getting late. Let’s have lunch.”
Zhou Xu finally came back to reality. “Ah, yes! Let’s eat! Yang Zhengshan, come and join us for a drink!”
The three of them sat down to eat, and Yang Zhengshan was bombarded with questions about military strategy from Zhou Xu. Yang Zhengshan answered each question confidently, leaving Zhou Xu in awe.
Yang Zhengshan’s talent was undeniable, but Zhou Xu also noticed that Yang Zhengshan lacked real-world experience. Although Yang Zhengshan had read many military classics, he had never actually led a battle. This lack of experience was reflected in his responses to some of Zhou Xu’s questions.
Zhou Lan sent someone to deliver a gift to Yang Zhengshan’s residence the next day. The gift was a luxurious one, with four horse-drawn carriages filled with goods.
Yang Zhengshan was overjoyed. “This is too much! Zhou Xu, you’re not only a general but also a wealthy patron!”
He particularly loved the golden armor, which weighed over thirty kilograms. “This armor is truly a treasure! One could pass it down as a family heirloom!”
Yang Zhengshan didn’t care about the other gifts, but the armor was something he truly appreciated.
The Yang family then began preparing for the New Year. On the thirtieth day of the twelfth month, the entire family gathered in the backyard, busy with their respective tasks.
Yang Mingcheng was putting up couplets with Yang Minghao and Lin Zhan. Meanwhile, Wang Shi was helping in the kitchen with Yang Yunxue and Wang Yunqiao. Li Shi was resting in her room, as she was pregnant and couldn’t do much.
Outside the gate, Yang Mingwu and Yang Mingzhi were busy slaughtering pigs and sheep. There were over a dozen pigs and sheep hanging from the beams, filling the air with the smell of blood. However, everyone was in high spirits.
Yang Zhengshan had bought these pigs and sheep from the nearby town, intending to distribute them to all the military households in the area. He wanted to make sure everyone had enough meat to eat during the New Year.
Yang Mingzhi asked, “Father, can we start distributing the meat now?”
Yang Zhengshan smiled. “Yes, let’s give three kilograms of pork and one kilogram of mutton to each household.”
The surrounding military households cheered and thanked Yang Zhengshan for his generosity.
Yang Zhengshan knew that these gifts would not only bring joy to the military households but also help to win their hearts. The new immigrants, in particular, would feel more at ease with Yang Zhengshan’s kindness.
As the meat was being distributed, Yang Zhengshan instructed Yang Mingzhi to give ten kilograms of meat to Liu’s household. Liu’s family was highly respected in the area, and Yang Zhengshan wanted to maintain a good relationship with them.
Liu Zhi, the patriarch of the Liu family, was grateful for Yang Zhengshan’s gift. “We don’t deserve this, Yang Zhengshan. Please take it back.”
Yang Mingzhi, however, just smiled and left the meat at Liu’s household. Liu Zhi was forced to accept the gift, feeling a sense of gratitude towards Yang Zhengshan.
Liu Yuanfu, the former official, was watching from the sidelines. He shook his head, muttering to himself, “This Yang Zhengshan is indeed a cunning one. He’s trying to buy people’s hearts with just a few kilograms of meat.”
Liu Zhi, however, disagreed with his father. “Isn’t this a good thing, Father? Yang Zhengshan is trying to show his appreciation to us.”
Liu Yuanfu snorted. “You don’t understand, do you? Yang Zhengshan is not doing this out of the goodness of his heart. He’s trying to manipulate people’s emotions.”
Liu Zhi looked up at his father, unfazed. “So what if he is? We’re still grateful for his kindness. We’ve been treated poorly in the past, but Yang Zhengshan has been looking out for us. If we can repay his kindness in the future, we will do so.”
Liu Zhangshi, Liu Zhi’s mother, scolded Liu Yuanfu, saying, “You’re being unreasonable, old man! Yang Zhengshan is trying to help us, and you’re still complaining?”
Liu Yuanfu retalated, “I’m not complaining. I just don’t want to owe anyone a favor.”
Liu Zhangshi countered, “We’re already in debt to Yang Zhengshan. If we don’t accept his kindness, we’ll be the ones who are unreasonable.”
Liu Zhi nodded in agreement. “Mother is right, Father. We should be grateful for Yang Zhengshan’s kindness. If we can repay him in the future, we will do so.”
As the New Year celebrations continued, the Liu family knew that they would always be grateful for Yang Zhengshan’s kindness.
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