As soon as these words were spoken, the villagers of Tianjia Village were all very surprised.
"How do you plan to take revenge?" Qin Sang asked.
A Shui hung his head:
"If I can kill one, it's worth it. If I can kill a pair, I've come out ahead."
Qin Sang retorted coldly:
"Foolish."
Other villagers also tried to persuade him:
"You can't be so stubborn. Your parents would surely want you to live well, not go to your death."
"With a physique like yours, can you even lift a blade? Don't end up losing your own life before you've even killed any Rebel Soldiers."
"Your younger brother is still so small. If you die, he'll truly become an orphan. If he can't even count on you, do you expect others to raise him?"
The villagers' words were harsh, but their intentions were good; none of them wanted A Shui to go to his death.
Qin Sang pursed her lips, thought for a moment, and said:
"Get up first."
A Shui thought this was a rejection, and he clenched his fists so hard his palms almost bled.
Getting up from the ground in a disheveled state, he took A Jing's hand and prepared to leave, but Qin Sang called out to him:
"If you truly want revenge, I might be able to find a way to help you."
A Shui turned around in surprise:
"Aunt? You're willing to help me raise my brother?"
Qin Sang shook her head:
"No, I didn't agree to that. I just think there might be a better way for you to avenge your parents than charging in with a knife to kill one or two people and then losing your life."
Hearing Qin Sang say this, not only were A Shui and A Jing surprised, but the villagers of Tianjia Village also gaped in astonishment one after another.
Previous events had taught them that even if Qin Sang's words sounded outrageous, they weren't impossible.
"Da Zhuangs Mother, do you really have a way?"
Qin Sang nodded:
"This isn't the place to talk. Let's head to the mountainside first to regroup with the others."
The two brothers, A Shui and A Jing, followed obediently at the very back. After more than an hour, the sky had turned completely dark.
The villagers lit a bonfire, which illuminated everyone's faces.
While everyone ate their dry rations, Xu Hu handed a flatbread to A Shui, Da Zhuang gave him an orange, and San Gui brought them a water skin.
Looking at the food and water in his hands, A Shui couldn't help but tremble.
His Adam's apple bobbed continuously; he was clearly famished and parched, yet he still endured the hunger and thirst to hand the water skin to his brother, A Jing:
"Drink, quickly."
A Jing's dark eyes scanned the crowd, and he murmured in a dry, raspy voice:
"Thank you. Thank you, Uncles, Aunts, and Brothers."
After giving his thanks, he carefully held the water skin, took a small sip, and then handed it to his brother.
San Gui couldn't bear to watch:
"This half-skin of water is for you. You don't have to return it. Drink more."
Even with those words, A Shui didn't drink recklessly. Clearly, they knew how precious water was and cherished it, fearing that if they drank it all at once, there would be none left for tomorrow.
Seeing how sensible the two were, other villagers brought out more food, including slices of meat and jerky.
A Shui and A Jing kept saying thank you, their eyes welling up with tears once again.
Once everyone had finished eating, A Shui looked expectantly at Qin Sang, and the other villagers also glanced her way from time to time. Knowing they were all waiting for her to speak, Qin Sang cleared her throat and said:
"Originally, I didn't want to interfere in this matter because it might bring danger to the village. But seeing what happened to A Shui's mother and the other commoners captured by the Rebel Soldiers, I thought that if we could eliminate the threat of these rebels sooner, perhaps fewer innocent people would die."
Everyone nodded in agreement:
"Da Zhuangs Mother, what do you plan to do?"
"What can we do?"
"We'll all listen to you."
Qin Sang nodded:
"This is very dangerous. I'll explain it first, and then everyone can decide."
Qin Sang scanned the group, her gaze finally landing on A Shui as she spoke:
"Do you dare to infiltrate the Rebel Soldiers?"
A Shui was startled, then immediately sat up straight and replied:
"I dare, Aunt."
"Actually, from the beginning, I was thinking of disguising myself as a rebel soldier to join their ranks and take the opportunity to kill a few of them."
Qin Sang nodded. The boy wasn't brainless, which made her feel more at ease:
"My plan is this: once you've infiltrated the rebels, you can spread rumors among them. Say that all the confiscated gold, silver, treasures, grain, and water are hidden in the residence where the Rebel Leader stays—Steward Huangs Residence."
"I will provide you with some grain and water that you can use to convince others."
"The Rebel Leader definitely won't agree to give out food and water because he never intended to share. Some people will become resentful. Then, spread rumors that the Government officials have already sent troops to wipe them out. You can use the 'death' of over a hundred people from Tianjia Village today as evidence of the Government Soldiers' purge. They will surely want to flee."
"Before fleeing, they'll certainly want to take back what they believe is their share."
"These Rebel Soldiers are nothing but a motley crew with no organization or discipline. As long as you sow discord well, they are very likely to start killing each other and their Leader."
As Qin Sang explained her plan in detail, everyone's eyes lit up one by one. Especially A Shui; he seemed to already see the scene of the Rebel Soldiers killing each other and all dying.
The villagers all gave her a thumbs-up:
"Da Zhuangs Mother, your method is amazing! I thought you were going to have us go kill the Rebel Soldiers, but I didn't expect you'd have them kill each other."
"This is great. If we deal with the rebel band early, Songbai Town will also be much more peaceful."
"When the time comes, we can go in and finish off whoever's left. Kill all those animals."
"Right, let's do it that way."
As everyone chimed in with their own suggestions, Qin Sang remained calm, her steady gaze fixed on A Shui:
"The plan is dangerous. If it fails and you get caught, we won't risk going into Town to save you."
"And your fate will be the same as your mother's. You must think it through."
Qin Sang spoke very calmly, having told him the worst possible outcome. Whether to do it or not was up to him.
The crowd gradually fell silent. Right, the most crucial part of this plan was also the most dangerous.
If A Shui failed, everything that followed would be for naught.
A Shui stood up from the ground, looking at Qin Sang with firm and profound eyes, and said seriously:
"Aunt, I'm not afraid."
"If I'm exposed, I'll take someone down with me. I only hope that you, Uncles and Aunts, can help look after my brother. That way, even when I go to see my parents, I'll have fulfilled my duty."
Qin Sang knew he had been prepared to die all along. All she could do was help him refine the plan as much as possible to increase his chances of survival.
"Alright, then let's all help him rehearse now. We need to figure out how he can act more like those Rebel Soldiers."
Everyone was taken aback:
"Da Zhuangs Mother, we have to act like Rebel Soldiers too?"
Qin Sang nodded:
"His eyes clearly show his hatred for evil. If he goes to Town like this, I estimate he'll be exposed in less than half a day."
"Moreover, if those Rebel Soldiers tell him to drink human blood or eat human flesh, will he do it? Will he drink? Will he eat?"
"If he doesn't comply, he'll definitely be found out. So we need to come up with a plan for him now."