Chapter 598 - 597: Farm Woman 26
"Our clan is small. We need our own strength to survive in these chaotic times. Otherwise, we’ll be at the mercy of others."
Yang Youchang took a sip of wine. "You have great foresight, Madam."
Tan You just smiled and refilled Yang Youchang’s cup. "I’ll have to trouble you to train the clan’s able-bodied young men well. I’m not asking them to be able to fight off a hundred men at once. I just want them to be able to survive the coming chaos and keep our people safe."
Yang Youchang downed the wine in his cup. "I will do my utmost. You can count on me, Madam."
The selection for the clan’s guard team had become the most important event in the village. The workshops had even closed for a day specifically for this occasion.
Yang Youchang stood on a raised platform, hands clasped behind his back. Below him were all the clan members who had signed up for the tryouts. His piercing gaze swept over the crowd, and anyone who met his eyes instinctively puffed out their chest.
Yang Youchang’s voice boomed. "This selection is for men between the ages of sixteen and thirty! One hundred and fifty-six of you have signed up, but we will only be taking the top sixty!"
The moment he announced the numbers, a buzz went through the crowd. The odds of getting in were low—an elimination rate of nearly two-thirds.
"The events will include an obstacle course, a low crawl..." After listing the events Tan You had proposed, Yang Youchang shouted, "Each section will be timed! The top sixty will make the guard team!"
Seeing the skeptical looks on some faces, Yang Youchang added, "This selection will be completely fair. Yue Shu and his men have never undergone this type of training before, so there’s no question of me giving them any special treatment."
At that moment, Tan You stepped onto the platform. "I can vouch for that. Everyone just rushed to build this training equipment over the past few days. In the end, even if you don’t make the cut, I expect you to be good sports about it. Don’t assume someone used underhanded tactics; just accept that you weren’t skilled enough."
As soon as she spoke, the few who had looked skeptical immediately lowered their heads. Tan You wasn’t about to coddle the clan members this time. "There’s no shame in losing. Just try harder next time."
"But if I hear about anyone forming cliques and spreading baseless rumors about their fellow clan members, remember that our clan rules aren’t just for show."
Her words made everyone snap to attention. If the clan rules were truly enforced, they would be utterly humiliated.
Yang Youchang blew a sharp whistle. "Now, in groups of ten, the tryouts officially begin!"
As the men vied for the lead, Chen Tianshui and the clan elders came to stand by Tan You’s side. Which of these able-bodied young men wasn’t charging forward with all their might? After all, where else could you find a job that paid two taels of silver a month?
Seeing Yue Shu consistently in the lead, Chen Tianshui’s expression filled with admiration. "Yue Shu is truly powerful. The people you brought back are all very impressive."
"They’ve seen blood," Tan You said coolly. "They’re fundamentally different from the others."
Even with the help of miraculous drugs like Soft Muscle Powder, Yue Shu and his men still had to fight real battles. At the end of the day, there’s a world of difference between those who’ve seen blood and those who haven’t.
Chen Tianshui was pragmatic about it. "We used to be farmers, scraping a living from the dirt. We had nothing but brute strength. Everyone’s gotten soft lately. It’s time to whip them into shape."
The Third Elder nodded. "That’s right. I also feel they’ve gotten too comfortable since the new year. It’s about time they learned there’s always someone better out there."
Tan You merely smiled without a word. ’Despite what the Clan Leader and the elders are saying, they still favor the original members of the Chen clan. But I don’t. I recognize the strength of a clan, but I also know its drawbacks.’
’Over time, it’s easy for a clan to grow complacent, which lets all sorts of problems fester. Bringing in Yue Shu and his people is one way to motivate our own to strive for more.’
’It’s also a way of telling them that besides sharing the Chen surname, there’s nothing inherently special about them.’
The results of the tryouts came out quickly. Of the top sixty, only twenty were from the original Chen clan. When that ratio was announced, the smile on Chen Tianshui’s face vanished.
Worse, those twenty were almost all at the bottom of the list. The highest-ranked among them was, well, thirty-fifth. The rest were all ranked beyond fortieth place.
Tan You remained composed. "The results are what they are. Go back and train harder. The guard team will recruit again, and you’re all welcome to sign up."
The faces of the clansmen who failed to make the cut were flushed beet-red. They had thought getting into the guard team was a sure thing, but who could have expected this? This wasn’t just about their livelihood; it was about their pride.
’They were defeated by the newcomers, just like that?’
Tan You banged on a bronze gong. "Still not convinced? If you’re not happy with the results, then train harder. Opportunity favors the prepared. In the months I was away from the clan, you’ve clearly gotten lazy. You’ve lost the drive you once had."
"A result like this was only to be expected."
"While others were striving and fighting, you were here in the clan, slacking off. And you still have the gall to be indignant?"
After Tan You’s harsh dressing-down, the dejected, eliminated clansmen unexpectedly raised their heads, their eyes now full of fighting spirit. Tan You’s lips curled into a slight smile. "The guard team holds selections once a year. If you’re not satisfied, come back and fight for a spot next year."
"Yeah! We’ll be back next year!"
"I’ll definitely make it in next year!"
Watching the crowd disperse, leaving only the clan elders and the sixty "greenhorns" who had been selected, the corners of Tan You’s mouth curled up. ’You all better make me proud,’ she thought. ’Whether our people can survive the coming chaos will depend on the strength of this guard team.’
The guard team’s training was naturally left in Master Yang’s hands, while Tan You led a group to start producing cement. With the advent of cement, the clan began an ambitious road construction project.
At the same time, a new wave of marriages swept through the clan. With the increase in population, the daughters of the clan no longer had to worry about marrying outsiders; they all found spouses from within.
「Six years passed in a flash.」
Miao Gou Village had undergone a complete transformation. For instance, the clan’s population had swelled from just over six hundred to nearly two thousand.
They had settled down in Miao Gou Village and married into the clan. Despite their different surnames, there had been very little friction over the years, and everyone lived together in harmony.
As for the clan’s facilities, they had truly reached a point where the elderly were cared for and the young were supported. And as long as a clan member wasn’t lazy or dishonest, there was always a suitable job for them.
Within the clan, joining the guard team was always the most desirable post. Over the years, the ranks of veteran guards had gradually grown to five hundred strong. And nearly every clan member knew a move or two; it had truly gotten to the point where everyone could defend themselves.
At the same time, the clan had also trained a number of medical apprentices. Zhu Rong’s infirmary was one of Tan You’s most frequent haunts, though she’d never admit she was just there to learn on the sly.
One day, Tan You was at the infirmary for one of her regular "learning sessions" when she received a notification from the Beauty System. Her hand paused, and she suddenly beckoned to Chen Xing.