“光景？山里头除了鸟叫就是虫子叫，路上碰见最多的是打劫的，官府？都是些跑路怕死的，谁还管咱们这些屁民。”我灌了口凉水，顺嘴回了一句。王角眯着眼， Smoke ring from the cigarette in his hand swirled around air, as if evaluating something.

He leaned forward, his face close to mine: "You think so? Did you see the merchants coming and going these days? Didn't you hear that the Chen family in Hebei is recruiting people? They've got a lot of money now."

I didn't answer, but a thought went through my mind: Chen family, isn't that Chen Shubao? The one who was said to have 300,000 soldiers and horses?

Just as I was about to open my mouth, the door was knocked. "Sir, there's someone outside asking for you," said Ma San, the stable boy. Ma San, a young man in his early twenties, has been working for my family for a few years.

"Let him in," I said. I didn't expect anyone to visit me in this lonely mountain village.

The door opened, and a young man in a black robe walked in. He was about 20 years old and had a long face. His eyes were deep, as if they could see through my thoughts.