When Fang Er finished speaking, many of the assembled commoners lowered their heads in shame, while some cast resentful glances at the four men on the ground.
Warfare was terrifying!
No one wanted to experience the pain of losing loved ones.
As he said, having a wife, children, and a warm hearth, peace was indeed a blessing!
This was the most genuine need and the happiest portrayal.
Fang Er looked at the man who had first knelt. "Is your mother really gravely ill?"
"Yes! To be honest, my lord, my mother has been paralyzed in bed for nearly half a month. Originally, the family had enough savings to get by.
But with my mother's illness, I couldn't go out fishing anymore, and all our savings went to buying medicine for her.
If I can't find money again, I can only watch my mother die in bed."
Waaah~~~
The nearly two-meter-tall man, speaking of his elderly mother, cried like a pitiful child.
After sending someone to his home to check the situation, it was indeed as he had described.
"Let me see your bond." Fang Er extended his right hand to him.
The man's face lit up with joy, and he quickly handed over the ticket he was holding.
The palm-sized ticket showed the amount and the subscription date; it was a national bond with a face value of five guan.
"Gu Hai, go and handle the procedures for him."
After looking at it, Fang Er handed the bond to Gu Hai, who was beside him, and then looked back at the man.
"Brother, if Dengzhou can't cure her, bring your mother to Shenyang.
The journey is long, but taking a tractor from the transport team, it will take at most four days.
Here are some pills. Take them back and give your mother half a pill every day."
As he spoke, he took out a few cephalosporins from his pocket and placed them in the man's palm.
The man looked at the green and white capsules in his hand and once again knelt on the ground with a thud.
"Thank you, my lord, for the medicine! Thank you, my lord, for the medicine!"
"If my mother can be cured, I am willing to be your ox or horse!"
After speaking, he kowtowed three times on the ground.
Fang Er did not reach out to stop him, allowing him to finish his kowtow before rising on his own.
This was a son's filial piety, and he had to let him vent.
Similarly, there was no free lunch in the world. Once you received something, you had to do something in return.
Not long after, Gu Hai came out of the bank with a ledger, on which a promissory note had already been written. Behind him followed two guards, one carrying five strings of copper coins, and the other holding an ink pad.
"Come, brother, sign and stamp, and then you can take this five guan."
After unfolding the ledger and handing it to the man, Gu Hai pointed at the copper coins.
The man quickly and carefully put the cephalosporins Fang Er had given him into his chest, then pressed his hand onto the ink pad, stained it with ink, and pressed his handprint onto the ledger.
The surrounding commoners looked at each other. Eventually, someone walked out and bowed to Fang Er.
"My lord's benevolence is great. We were misled and acted foolishly. We ask for your forgiveness! I will leave now and return to redeem the national bonds in a year."
After this person spoke, he turned and left cleanly and decisively.
The others pondered for a moment at his retreating figure, and then another person walked out.
"My lord publishes newspapers and builds cement roads, and speaks for the commoners. I believe in you, and I will leave too!"
One after another, people began to leave.
Some bowed and apologized to Fang Er before leaving, while others left without a word, just silently departing.
In less than ten minutes, all the commoners present had departed, leaving only the prefect of Dengzhou and the four instigators.
"These four fellows are yours to deal with. How you sentence them is up to you. I will not interfere, as long as Prince Hejian is satisfied."
Fang Er finished speaking and looked at the guards beside him.
"Take them to him."
"Yes!"
The guards escorted Wu Hangkun, Wu E, and the other two towards Fu Xie.
"My lord, rest assured, this subordinate will judge them severely. This subordinate takes his leave."
The prefect of Dengzhou quickly bowed to Fang Er and took his leave.
After everyone had left, Fang Er turned and walked into the bank, sat down in the hall, and looked at Gu Hai.
"Did I assign you so many guards for them to eat for free?"
"You couldn't even see such obvious provocation?"
"It's right to show leniency to the commoners, but why didn't you apprehend those scoundrels?"
"If this happens again, you won't have to be the branch manager anymore! Go back to Fangjiazhuang and teach!"
Gu Hai trembled under the scolding. After Fang Er finished speaking, he quickly lowered his head and admitted his mistake.
"My lord's reprimand is correct. This subordinate remembers it and will ensure there is no next time."
Seeing his sincere attitude, Fang Er softened his expression. After inquiring about some other matters, he took the Yan Yun Cavalry and the special forces to the nearby gas station.
Each gas station was equipped with a tractor to facilitate the transport of fuel, and Dengzhou was no exception.
After loading enough fuel for the hovercraft with the tractor, they left Dengzhou Prefecture.
The hovercraft once again sailed into the sea, traveling along the coastline towards Yangzhou.
During the day, they sailed, and at night, they drove directly onto the beach to rest.
On the morning of the third day, they arrived at the location of modern-day Shanghai, which was still submerged beneath the sea at this time.
Going upstream against the current from the Yangtze River estuary, along the river channel, they reached the dock outside Yangzhou City at noon.
At this time, Yangzhou's prosperity was second only to the capital, Chang'an, with countless merchant ships traveling between the north and south of the Yangtze River.
The fifty-meter-long hovercraft, upon its appearance, attracted countless gazes.
"What kind of boat is this! It can actually run on the water!"
Someone discovered the magical aspect of the hovercraft and exclaimed to his companion.
"Nonsense, whose boat doesn't run on the water?"
"No, no, it runs on top of the water!"
"Your uncle! How else can a boat run if not on the water!"
"Damn it, I can't explain it to you. Look for yourself, that boat isn't even touching the water!"
His companion couldn't believe it and looked closely at the hovercraft, only to discover something that dumbfounded him.
The hull of the hovercraft was not in contact with the water surface at all!
Not only that, but the hull was suspended above the water, and its speed was astonishing.
"What in the world is this thing!"
Discussions were rife among the merchant ships on the river, and everyone was shocked by the magic of the hovercraft.
After the boat docked, Fang Er completely ignored the discussions and led the special forces towards the distant Yangzhou City. He left the Yan Yun Cavalry to guard the vessel.
Asking for directions all the way, he headed straight for the Yangzhou Protectorate. He didn't know the situation at the bank yet, so he decided to find Zhang Gongjin first.
ps: Writing is not easy, please urge updates rationally. This is a free novel, please respect each other.
Those who resort to personal attacks, please leave. You haven't spent a single penny, so don't slander here. No one owes you anything!