You're Strong But Now You're Mine
Chapter 135 - 134

Chapter 135: Chapter 134

"This is so infuriating! It’s not like I’ve been mooching off their rice just because I’m poor!"

In the Silver Tea Stall on Dashi Street, a young man gripped the newspaper tightly, his veins bulging. A companion beside him advised, "Come on, they’re not specifically targeting you, and what’s in the paper is actually true..."

"How is it true?"

"Rich kids are indeed stronger than those from normal families like us," the companion sighed, "While we were playing in the mud, they were already learning under famous teachers; while we were figuring out Combat Techniques, they had training guidance from Yang Wu officials; while we scrambled for three meals a day, they might have already started taking over the business; we could only eat corn bread, while they dined on gourmet meals three times a day..."

"There’s a sentence in Mr. Wu’s rebuttal that I very much agree with: If life is a race, many of us lost at the starting line."

"Although he said that ordinary people like us are naturally meant to accept the leadership of these officials’ children, which sounds unpleasant, but it’s actually a fact..."

"But it’s wrong!" The young man slammed the table, gritting his teeth, "Those rich people aren’t anything special except their early rise; what’s so special about sons born into wealthy merchants? Apart from being born with a silver spoon, aren’t they just like us with two eyes and a mouth? Aren’t we living just as hard? Why say they’re more useful than us!?"

"Did you guys read the third story in this week’s ’Bizarre Anecdotes’? In ancient times, there was a country called ’Qin’, and there was a farmer named ’She’, who bravely called out against tyranny, saying ’Kings and chancellors, how are they inherently superior?’, leading a group to revolt against the emperor!"

A companion asked, "So did he succeed in the end?"

The young man’s voice suddenly lowered, "He... was ultimately exterminated."

"See, even ’Bizarre Anecdotes’, a column that specializes in absurd stories, thinks people like that can’t succeed." The companion laughed, "You’ve lived in Xuanzhu County for so many years, why are you suddenly getting so easily angered? Talking about rebellion as if you haven’t grown up..."

The young man retorted angrily, "The newspaper speaks so offensively; can’t I be angry? Can’t I lash out too!?"

The companion remained serene, "Of course you can, but what they said isn’t wrong. Look at Miss Mu’s response: ’Why should our generations of accumulation lose to your decades of struggle?’ — their good life is rational and well-founded; it’s not our fault we weren’t born into wealth, so what’s there to be angry about? Everyone’s the same, right?"

"Just because everyone’s the same, does that make it right?"

"Have some tea, you, it’s time to head to the construction site to carry bricks. You’re just being stubborn with me; why don’t you submit all these words to the newspaper and rebut the wealthy?"

"I’m going to write a letter to the newspaper tonight and refute them!"

"Ha, then I’ll look forward to your masterpiece..."

As he watched those two laborers leave the tea stall, Yin Minghong put down his teacup and beckoned to the newspaper boy nearby the tea stall, "Get me a Youth Daily."

"Alrighty." The newspaper boy deftly took a paper from his bag and asked, "Boss, I also have covers from the past two issues, just 1 coin each, would you like them?"

Why sell the covers separately...

Yin Minghong shook his head, and after paying for the newspaper and glancing down, he understood why the newspaper boy would push covers — on it was a female warrior holding twin daggers, with flowing hair, face scarred, possessing ivory skin and a toned torso.

This week’s Youth Daily cover was named ’Omen Blade’.

Yin Minghong almost wanted to call the newspaper boy back — not for any other reason, but just to criticize the sheer vulgarity of the covers from the past two Youth Daily.

Yin Minghong has been at Red Moon Fortress for almost a month; when Youth Daily started booming in Xuanzhu County, he was busy overseeing workers mining to earn for Jing Family.

Originally, Jing Zhengwei would come once a month to Red Moon Fortress for accounting, but whether due to fear from last assassination attempt, or Yin Minghong’s offering of Zhengwu’s subordinate’s head as a ’pledge’ made Jing Zhengwei trust him, Jing Zhengwei decided no longer to visit Red Moon Fortress but had Yin Minghong deliver monthly profits and goods back to Xuanzhu County.

Upon returning, Yin Minghong didn’t immediately seek out Jing Zhengwei for report, but first instructed his other men to send money and goods to Jing Mansion, while he first sought out the people of White Night to learn about recent events.

Although Red Moon Fortress isn’t isolated from the world, he had letter exchanges with Xuanzhu’s White Night, but mere letters are abstract; to fully grasp the situation one must experience it, especially with so much happening in Xuanzhu County, merely reading the letters couldn’t adequately piece together the exciting processes.

After gazing for several seconds at ’Omen Blade’, Yin Minghong suddenly remembered he had real business to get on with and began browsing through the ’hot-selling’ newspaper.

The ’Knowledge Discussion Area’ today presented three topics: ’What special jokes have you heard’, ’What are some detailed, eerie historical records’, ’Is immortality truly bliss or suffering’.

Yin Minghong found these three topics intriguing at first glance, and upon reading the answers, he couldn’t help but drink several more cups of tea.

The first topic, he found this joke the most amusing:

"Chenfeng District merchants sent people to learn from Dongyang District, Dongyang District merchants asked: ’What did you come here to learn?’

Chenfeng District merchant: ’We want to learn your Silver Blood Association’s business techniques, how you connive with the military and political regimes to exploit the people, yet make them willingly accept it.’

Dongyang District merchant: ’What nonsense are you spouting? Our Silver Blood Association builds bridges, conserves roads, is loyal to the emperor, passionate about public welfare; regardless of rank or age everyone is a Silver Blood brother, Dongyang citizens proudly speak of the Silver Blood’s goodness...’

"Exactly, exactly, that’s it, that’s it!" Chenfeng District merchant excitedly replied."

Spicy!

Sardonic!

Ironical!

Yin Minghong even felt this joke could be expanded into a version critiquing the Glorious Imperial Court.

Another joke Yin Minghong found amusing, though it mocked White Night:

"White Night Walker, Silver Blood merchants, Star Engraving officials discuss what the happiest thing in this world is.

Silver Blood merchant: The happiest thing is to open more factories, buy more slaves, marry more wives, enjoy all luxuries.

White Night Walker: You merchants are so vulgar; the happiest thing is obviously overthrowing the Glorious Imperial Court, to reshape a new world!

Star Engraving official chuckled: The happiest thing, that surely is when someone knocks at your door at midnight, saying ’Zhang San, you’re arrested for joining the Backlight Organization!’ You open the door smiling saying, ’Dear Statistical Department fellows, Zhang San lives next door.’"

This joke even connects to Star Engraving City’s political upheaval... Yin Minghong stroked his chin, faintly understanding that this newspaper isn’t just for entertainment, likely aiming to compete with ’Xuanzhu Daily’ in rhetoric.

In the second topic, Yin Minghong read through the responses, his body sweating profusely in the hot weather, slightly trembling.

It’s not that he was uneducated, but while watching each respondent analyze historical records, he finally realized that every word, every symbol within was built upon countless lives. ’Cannibalism’, ’vegetable people’... One respondent summarized from a certain history book that every 33 years there’d be an event worthy of historical notation, a ’great famine’, every 41 years humans would engage in cannibalism.

"The land is just so much. If not distributed, people will starve; if distributed, after several decades, people will cling to the land, and others will slowly starve. When enough people starve, those who haven’t will rise with knives to demand another distribution of land."

Many of the responses Yin Minghong browsed through corresponded almost exactly to the current situation in Skyrim, even predicting the future of Dongyang District. He took a deep breath, planning to return and read more closely.

Yin Minghong flipped to another column ’Bizarre News’, and quickly saw the story ’The Uprising of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang’ that the young laborer had just discussed.

The story was set in the ancient country ’Qin’ from long ago, a country Yin Minghong had never heard of, but the phrase ’Are kings and nobles born into it?’ struck a hard part of his heart.

He instinctively felt that this phrase was incredibly suitable as White Night’s slogan!

Yin Minghong continued to flip through, the inspirational stories about poor people making a fortune through struggle were quickly skimmed over until he reached the last page of this section—

"Keen Reader: Why do you assume that everyone who opposes your view is a poor, ordinary person who hasn’t seen the world? Is having money that amazing?"

"Contributor Wu: Sorry, having money is truly amazing. While you are being enlightened, we have already learned the classics of the ancients; when you are learning Combat Techniques, we are already sparring with martial artists... Summer insects can’t speak of ice. The world that we, standing on the mountaintop, can see, how can you understand?"

Yin Minghong continued to read, with his brow furrowing intensely—an entire page featured both parties trading insults. On one side was the ’Keen Reader’ questioning and criticizing the newspaper, and on the other were ’Contributors’ responsible for supplying content to the ’Youth Daily’, both sides engaging in a lively back and forth.

However, although the ’Keen Reader’ was criticizing the newspaper, they quickly turned to angrily accusing the newspaper of discriminating against the poor, while the ’Contributors’ brutally accepted this, arrogantly berating the ’Keen Reader’ to the point that it even made Yin Minghong furious, wishing he could also become a ’Keen Reader’, write a letter to the newspaper to retort against the arrogant and ugly demeanor of these ’Contributors’!

Yin Minghong flipped to the final page and saw the serialized novel ’Future Echoes’ by Mr. Tree-man.

To be honest, before coming back, Yin Minghong had been most looking forward to this novel—a letter mentioned that ’Future Echoes’ is a highly instructive fantasy novel with many ideas worth White Night’s learning and reference, and even the headquarters of White Night holds it in high regard.

Chapter three of ’Future Echoes’, titled ’Liyu Fears No Battle of the College Entrance Exam, Wei Zheng’s Theft Escapes the Law’ was quickly read by Yin Minghong. The first half tells of the transmigrator ’Liyu’ determined to study hard and get into college, planning to take the national ’college entrance exam’—when he read that the ’college entrance exam’ requires nationwide admissions based on exam scores, Yin Minghong couldn’t help but laugh.

Organizing nationwide unified exams and admissions, what a tremendous amount of manpower and resources it would require!

Moreover, even if the state agreed, the local people would not, just like the people of Yanjing, who consider the Royal Academy their personal possession— Even if they can’t get in, they certainly wouldn’t want the Royal Academy to recruit from outside, as this would reduce their chances of admission!

Yin Minghong shook his head and continued to read.

The latter half shows how Wei Zheng, by cultivating Combat Techniques, regained a bit of force, but after acquiring some funds through robbery, he was blocked at home by public security officers.

In fact, the public security didn’t know Wei Zheng lived there; it was the residential community’s big sister who noticed Wei Zheng, this unfamiliar face, and when the public security came to inquire, the big sister immediately suspected Wei Zheng, this outsider, forcing Wei Zheng to flee hastily in a panic.

The interesting part of the latter half lies in this ’residential community’s big sister’. According to Mr. Tree-man, ’residential community’ is a self-governing body for community management, not an administrative agency, so the people inside are not officials. Their main tasks are to communicate with the government on behalf of the citizens, distribute aid materials, etc., as Mr. Tree-man describes, ’from the people, to the people’.

Self-governance, from the people, to the people... Just chewing on these terms, Yin Minghong vaguely saw the tip of the iceberg of a more efficient system.

Laymen view the bustle, experts see the intricacies, ordinary people only think the experiences of the three transmigrators in the future world are quite novel, but the White Night Walkers were inspired with plenty of reform ideas from this novel.

I wonder if they have found the author Mr. Tree-man... If possible, he must be drawn into White Night!

From the article it is clear, Mr. Tree-man is quite indifferent toward the Glorious Imperial Court, with political leanings more towards the Backlight Organization!

Yin Minghong put away the newspaper, paid the bill, and left. As he passed the newsboy, he suddenly took out two coins: "Give me a copy of the covers from the last two issues."

The newsboy, with a face of ’I knew it’, expertly took out two folded newspapers.

Yin Minghong pulled down his hat brim, winding left and right until he arrived at Wen Hong’s clinic. As he passed the fruit stall, he felt it wasn’t right to come empty-handed, so he decided to buy a few apples.

"Young man, I see you often come to see Dr. Wen, are you dating Dr. Wen?" The fruit stall aunt suddenly asked.

Yin Minghong slightly raised an eyebrow, neither confirming nor denying: "I want five apples."

"Oh, I have something to say but don’t know if I should." The fruit stall aunt went on without waiting for Yin Minghong’s response: "A few days ago, Dr. Wen went on a blind date, and came back with her heart fluttering, even walking with a coquettish gait. I wonder if she met someone special..."

Yin Minghong was taken aback, he naturally knew about Wen Hong’s mission to meet with Yin Yin-yin on behalf of White Night, could it be the aunt referred to the day Wen Hong saw Yin Yin-yin as her blind date?

But he wasn’t about to share more with this gossip-loving woman, so he took the apples and left, entering Wen Hong’s clinic.

The clinic was empty, Yin Minghong put down the apples, feeling a bit puzzled.

Just then, he heard strange sounds coming from inside:

"Mmm... mmm..."

"Ooh..."

"I’ll guide you very softly, be good."

The more Yin Minghong listened, the more it felt wrong. He decisively opened the door inside and asked loudly, "What are you doing!?"

And then he saw, on the sofa inside, Wen Hong and Mu Qingmei entangled together, with Mu Qingmei’s face flushed and limp against Wen Hong’s embrace, Wen Hong’s hands wandering while breathing into Mu Qingmei’s earlobe.

Hearing Yin Minghong’s voice, both were startled. Mu Qingmei, in particular, jumped up and adjusted her clothes awkwardly, looking at her second brother, unsure of what to do.

This scene, though different from what Yin Minghong had imagined, still provided a strong shock: "What are you doing!"

However, Wen Hong responded calmly: "I’m teaching Qing Mei how to use seduction."

Seduction?

Yin Minghong thought of a terrifying possibility, and couldn’t help but change his expression: "Who do you want her to seduce? Could it be...?"

"Yes," Wen Hong nodded: "I want her to seduce Jing Zhengwei—"

"—the woman next to him, Qing Lan."

Yin Minghong: "¿"