Chapter 26: The Grand Banquet at Mount Liang (Part Two)

"Chief Jin, what brings you here?"

The wife of Ruan Xiaoer, having met Old Jin on the mountain before, recognized him as the head accountant and had even helped welcome Ruan Xiaoer and his men previously.

"I am here to inform you, sister-in-law, that today is a grand day for all of Liangshan. The Elder Brother instructed my accounting office first thing this morning to settle the books. Since everyone is gathered today, we must clear all outstanding payments for this period."

Old Jin, accompanied by a group of clerks, was weaving between the tables, distributing the reward money earned by the people of Liangshan.

"Then please continue with your work; we are fine here."

Madam Liu was a sharp woman. Seeing the crates carried by the subordinates behind Old Jin, she knew this matter could not be delayed.

"Who says there is nothing for you? Look, there is a share for you, too, sister-in-law."

Old Jin flipped through his ledger and pulled out a slip of paper.

"Madam Ruan, for assisting the kitchen in arranging the banquet and helping to settle the refugees, you are to receive six strings and six hundred coins. Please check if the amount is correct, and if so, sign here."

A clerk behind him handed over the counted money. Madam Liu stared at the paper in disbelief.

"Is this real? Helping in the kitchen and guiding people earns money, too? No, no, Chief Jin, please take it back. My husband and his two brothers are already receiving the salaries of leaders; you must not give our family any more."

Madam Liu truly could not believe she was entitled to a reward.

"Sister-in-law, how could we dare to falsify this? The Elder Brother’s heart is as clear as a mirror; none of us have enough heads to risk playing tricks on these matters."

"Very well then, but I do not know how to write. What should I do?" Madam Liu asked, looking troubled.

"It does not matter. We have paper here, and ink pads. A thumbprint will suffice."

Clearly, Ren Yuan and his team had anticipated that many commoners were illiterate and had specifically prepared ink pads.

Relieved that she had not brought shame upon her husband, Madam Liu pressed her thumb to the paper and accepted the reward. Old Jin then took his leave, as many more accounts remained to be settled. When Madam Liu turned back to her two younger brothers, she found them frozen in place.

"Sister, if we were back home, we might not even see six strings of cash in several months!" Liu Jinsheng remarked, staring at the money.

The people of Shijie Village were simple fishermen. In recent years, business had been poor, and with so many corrupt officials, the common folk could barely scrape by, struggling just to fill their bellies. Liu Jinsheng had never seen so much money in his entire life. Liu Shuisheng, though slightly better off, was equally stunned by Liangshan’s generosity.

"All right, you two," Madam Liu said. "When the time comes, work hard for the Chieftain. If you become leaders in the future, you will have done well by your parents."

Similar scenes were unfolding at other tables.

"Fourth Brother, do you always eat this well on Liangshan? This New Year's feast is magnificent!" a young man was asking Liu Si at a nearby table.

The dishes were being served in succession. Some tables were already laden with food, though the feast had not officially begun as they waited for everyone to arrive. Ren Yuan had specifically requested that the feast be simple, generous in portion, and filling. Yet, for most of these people who had long struggled on the brink of starvation, the food on the table was a rare delicacy.

"We don't eat like this every day," replied Liu Si, who as an old hand who had served under both generations of Liangshan chieftains, had the authority to speak. "When the former Chieftain Wang was here, it was hard to have a meal like this even once a year. But since Chieftain Ren took charge, we eat well often. We just had a banquet like this a few days ago."

Under the previous administration, Liangshan had been frugal, rationing food even during banquets. Now, they were eating to their hearts' content. Furthermore, within just a few days, Liu Si had become a minor leader—a promotion he never could have imagined under the old regime.

"Hey, everyone, start eating! What are you waiting for?"

When Liu Si looked around, he noticed the group of seventeen or eighteen-year-olds beside him were drooling over the spread but dared not touch their chopsticks, waiting for him to move first. Once he spoke, they fell upon the food like a storm, stuffing their mouths with the finest mutton and beef.

Some imitated the elders they remembered from their youth, pouring wine for their neighbors and sipping from their bowls with exaggerated gravity. Others had tears in their eyes, chewing desperately, forcing more food into their mouths before they had even finished the previous bite. Some of the older men habitually set out extra bowls and chopsticks, piling them high with food and murmuring to themselves.

Years later, many of them would still recall the taste of this open-air banquet, even when they no longer had to worry about food or clothing. Yet, no matter how they reminisced, they would never again find the feeling of this day. For on this day, what they consumed was not merely a delicious meal, but the bitterness of their past lives.

"Elder Brother, what are you looking at?"

In front of the Liangshan Assembly Hall, Ren Yuan stood by a low wall, gazing at the banquet in the distance. He held a cup of wine, listening to the laughter carried on the wind, lost in thought.

"Ah, Yuan Lang, why are you not drinking?"

"The brothers are worried because you are not there, so I came to check on you." Yuan Lang stood behind him, holding a bowl of wine with a smile.

"It is nothing. I was just struck by a sudden sense of reflection." Ren Yuan gestured toward the feast below. "Do you see those people? The existence of Liangshan is for the sake of their smiles."

Yuan Lang looked toward the crowd. Coming from a humble background himself, he felt a deep resonance with the scene.

"A peaceful world, where people live and work in contentment—that is what the common folk desire most."

"Indeed," Ren Yuan replied. "Why did we take to the mountains? Not to satisfy ourselves, but to strive for people like them across the land." He turned to Yuan Lang. "The world today is rampant with corrupt officials, and the people suffer. I do not fear your laughter, but this world is dark, and I hope to use my own efforts to preserve a sanctuary of peace for the world."

"Therefore, I will never walk the path of amnesty. We will inevitably have to clash with the imperial court."

"Therefore..."

Before he could finish, Yuan Lang interrupted.

"Elder Brother, ever since we met, I have determined to advance and retreat with you. Having learned of your grand ambition today, I admire you all the more! Even if you intend to storm the Heavenly Palace itself, I am willing to serve as your vanguard!"

Yuan Lang raised his bowl to Ren Yuan and drained it in one go.

"Good brother! Let us drink!" Ren Yuan raised his cup, beaming.

The world might be harsh, but with such brothers by his side, he was not alone.