Chapter 360 Quarry

People who went to towns and villages also brought two pieces of good news. One was that workers would be recruited after the new year. Those who could build houses and do carpentry would be given priority. Those who had to be hard-working and obedient to discipline and in charge of food would be paid ten cents a day. One

The county government is recruiting talents. If there is a shortage of people in the county government, those who have studied, are good at martial arts, or have extraordinary strength can take the exam.

On the quarry.

As soon as dinner was served, everyone who was working put down their tools for fear of being a step slower than others.

After the county magistrate arrived, their life has become much better. They no longer receive whippings from the supervisor, and they no longer work from morning to night without a moment to catch their breath. They now work for two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon.

Let them rest when the sun is hot.

The rice we eat is no longer moldy rice cakes and choking brown rice. The rice we eat now is clean, with no pebbles or rice husks, making it delicious when chewed.

They even ate stir-fried vegetables. Although they were all common vegetables, there was a lot of oil in them! They had not touched oil and water for a long time, but they could still taste the lard and smell of meat.

Meat! When was the last time you ate meat? The taste... Wow, it’s so nostalgic.

Oh, they also ate fruit once, which was oranges. The manager said that when conditions improve in the future, they will have fruit to eat every day.

In the past few days, they have been looking forward to serving food, and when it is time to eat, they rush to get there.

"Today's food is so good, isn't it?" Someone looked into the vegetable bucket and asked, "Meat, is that meat?" There was endless surprise in his eyes.

"Of course it's meat." The steward who served the meal was very proud, "Isn't it the Chinese New Year today? The county magistrate was kind and sent us half a fan of pork, so that we can improve our lives. You, each of you, must do your best.

Live, don't cheat, don't make trouble for me, otherwise it will be in vain that the county magistrate has been so kind to you. Don't think that the county magistrate won't let you be whipped, so you are lazy. Huh, I saw that there are no guards sent by the county magistrate.

?There are plenty of ways to treat you."

"Yes, yes, yes, I will definitely live up to the wishes of the county magistrate."

"Yes, yes, we are all honest people and we are not capable of cheating or cheating."

Everyone looked at the tall and straight guard not far away with sharp eyes, and all agreed. The new county magistrate is indeed a good person. How can he not be a good person by giving them meat? In the past, who would take prisoners like them?

Seriously?

After receiving the food, some went back to the shack to eat together as a family, while others gathered in small groups and squatted down to eat. Everyone chewed heavily and didn't even bother to talk.

Only when the stomach was half full did someone say, "What kind of food is this? It's not like rice. It doesn't have a musty smell, and it's not dry or hard. It's really delicious."

"This is a steamed bun, a mixed-noodle steamed bun. Our county magistrate's family is from the capital, and they steam steamed buns during the Chinese New Year. There are also those big white steamed buns, snow-white, as white as the clouds in the sky, juicy and soft, you can bite into them

One bite..." A prisoner from the north was reminiscing. He looked at the steamed buns with mixed noodles in his hand, and his mood was complicated. He was not used to the local food, and his stomach was sour after eating.

This mixed-noodle bun aroused his homesickness, and his mood dropped visibly.

"My dear, does it taste better than this? How delicious it must be!"

Most of the people in this quarry are criminals who have been exiled from various places. Some have actually committed crimes, but there are also some who have been implicated or forced to embark on the road of crime.

At this moment, these people all lowered their heads and said nothing. They ate one bite at a time, and the food had lost its taste.

Seeing this, Zheng Erlei lowered his voice and said, "There is no need for you to be like this. My brother Yuan Bin came to see me yesterday and revealed some news to me."

When he said this, he deliberately stopped, causing everyone to look at him, "Xu Yuanbin has a conscience, and it is not in vain that you usually help him."

"By the way, how is his father's illness?"

"Where does their family live now? His sister is about sixteen or seventeen, and it's time for her to get married. She was lucky enough to go out, otherwise..." Although the following words were not said, everyone knew what they meant.

A young girl who is as beautiful as a flower is mixed among men. Who knows that one day she will be eaten by a vicious wolf?

"Er Lei, what news did Xu Yuanbin tell you? Stop being so secretive and tell me quickly," someone urged.

Zheng Erlei smiled mysteriously and said: "Yuan Bin came to tell me that his father's illness has recovered, and the county magistrate rented a small yard for his family to live in first. Yuan Bin revealed to me that the county magistrate was short of manpower.

In our quarry..."

Someone interrupted impatiently, "Then they won't pick people from our quarry!"

Zheng Erlei's expression turned serious, "Why not? Many people in our quarry have a lot of strength and are tall and strong. In terms of strength alone, they are not as good as Li Wewei and others."

"This is true, but most of us are criminals in exile." What official would use criminals?

Zheng Erlei retorted: "How else can we say that the county magistrate has an extraordinary mind? The county magistrate said that he checked the documents and learned that although we are exiled criminals, some of us were implicated by others and did not commit any crimes ourselves. Some are.

We got sidetracked on impulse. The county magistrate is kind and willing to give us a chance to change our ways. As long as we have outstanding performance, the county magistrate will not do anything..."

Someone who had read the book quickly said: "Eclectic."

"Yes, that's what Yuan Bin said." Zheng Erlei slapped his thigh, very happy, "Like Uncle Xu, he is a learned man. In the next year, the county magistrate will build a school, and he will ask Uncle Xu to teach the students.

Yuan Bin's knowledge is not bad. He is preparing to take the county government examination and try to be a clerk. Copying and writing is better than throwing stones here, right? Although he is not famous, he earns the same rice and grain.

."

Everyone was shocked, how could it be like this? The county magistrate was really willing to give them a chance? Although it was the hardest and most tiring work on the quarrying mountain, many of them were literate and had read a few words.

It’s not like there aren’t those who have passed the annual exam. Can they also take the exam?

What are you afraid of if you don’t have a reputation? As Zheng Erlei said, you can still earn rice and get rid of heavy hard labor. What a great thing!

"I have already thought about it. I am not as good as Yuan Bin. He used to be a son of a government official and came from a scholarly family. I am a rough man who can only wield a sword and a stick. When the time comes, I will take the exam to join your escort team. If nothing else works,

You can become a government servant." Anyway, he didn't want to throw rocks anymore.

Seeing that everyone was in a daze, Zheng Erlei felt proud and showed off: "We are lucky. The quarry is the first place that the county magistrate visited after he took office. There is a bit of incense, so we should take care of it a little more. Just watch.

, I’m afraid other places may not have such good things as us.”

His eyes flashed and he lowered his voice very low, "Yuan Bin secretly told me that we, who are not guilty of serious crimes, will be pardoned in the year of amnesty, and then we will be good citizens again. In fact, last year the court

By setting up the crown prince, we can pardon a group of criminals right away. Unfortunately, the news in Shanyun County is too limited, and the original magistrate of Lan County has no one in the government, so the news has not reached us. It is a pity."

He changed into a relaxed tone again, "It's different now. Our new county magistrate came to the capital. Yuan Bin said that his family background is very good and he is well-informed."

Great! Everyone was overjoyed! Who would be willing to endure the hardships if they could do easy work? If they could live a good life, who would be willing to be a criminal? Eight generations of ancestors were ashamed. Compared with the improved treatment, the news brought by Zheng Erlei shocked them more

.

For a moment, everyone's hearts were racing, and they clenched their fists and made a determination: they must behave well, reform themselves, and walk out of the quarry.

Hehe feels like a scumbag now. Only in the third year of high school did he know how to study hard and move forward bit by bit, haha!
Chapter completed!