As winter deepens, the vegetation in the wilderness is withering, and there are few human traces.
There is a village dotted on the south side of Piyuan. Villagers' houses are scattered in the valleys facing the sun from the wind. There are about two to three hundred households.
The largest number of houses are located at the diversion of the mountain stream. There are about forty or fifty families. A woman has set up a spinning wheel inside the fence, spinning flax carefully under the thin sunlight.
Harvested hay.
There are chicken coops set up in front of several houses. When the hen's clucking comes from the chicken coop, the children immediately prick up their ears and squint. If they find that the adults in the house are not paying attention, they quietly go to the chicken coop.
Go there, but often before your hands even get into it, a pair of big, eager eyes appear on the top of your head, and the chicken with warm skin that has just been delivered is not only delivered to the father, but also has to endure a few beatings from the adults.
The crying children wiped away their tears and went out. They also carried wooden wedges to dig around the dry riverbed for grass roots buried in the ground, and picked out some relatively soft grass roots to feed to the skinny sheep with bulging abdomens.
There are stone mills and mortars in the center of the village. The relatively strong villagers line up here to grind and shell the grains in spring. The stone mills are pushed and pulled by manpower, and several dull-colored oxen and horses are pulled by people.
Pacing back and forth, stepping on the dung heap.
The largest number of villagers gathered in the corner of the small square in this village. There were three floors inside and three floors around a fire and a large stove. There was a pottery urn on the big stove, and inside it was boiling a pungent black glue juice, but
Still can't get rid of the people who are greedy for warmth. The glue will become viscous after cooling, and it can be applied on the utensils to prevent fire and waterproof.
The plant ashes under the stove will not be wasted. The fine powder will be dried and placed in a black-painted wooden box, which will be used for daily washing and hair washing. The rest will be mixed with dry manure and stored as fertilizer for the next year's farming.
People have three urgent needs. From time to time, some people in the crowd warming themselves by the fire stand up. They squeeze out of the crowd and run home with uncomfortable expressions. After returning with a relaxed look, they can no longer squeeze into the position closest to the fire, so they can only squat helplessly.
On the outside, waiting for people inside to make room for themselves.
"Why haven't the clan elders come back yet? Do you still have to give a confession to the bandits this year? The chaos is getting worse in September. It will be difficult to give a confession again this year..."
A man from Youzhuang looked at the entrance of the village and said, which immediately caused a sigh from the crowd.
"Didn't he say that there are strong soldiers from other states coming in to eradicate the gangsters in Longzhou? If the serious trouble is really eliminated, naturally there will be no need for any more confessions, and the kidnapped son and son may be rescued..."
"If the Longzhou bandits can really be wiped out easily, how many years will they last? Isn't it possible that some of the soldiers have run out of food for the winter and come to the countryside to show off in order to collect the food and supplies? These thieves are worse than bandits.
He lacks faith. Even if he rescues the country boy, he still has to pay for it with grain and a few stones! It’s better if his hands and feet are intact, but if his body is disabled, it will be a drag when he comes back!"
I don’t blame the villagers for being ruthless. In fact, there are too many sufferings in this world. Even if you stay in the village honestly and dutifully, you will be lucky enough to steal your life even if you survive even one day.
A swaying bullock cart appeared at the entrance of the village. An old man with gray hair and beard walked vigorously in front of the cart, followed by a dozen villagers carrying sticks.
Seeing the villagers gathering around him, the old man raised his wooden staff across his hand and said loudly: "Those who have called me by name, come forward and get your things. A black dog, half a bucket of salt..."
The people in the village stepped forward to receive supplies one after another. Someone was already shouting impatiently: "Elder clan, have you achieved any results in suppressing bandits this year?"
"The Longzhou bandits are gone. Ma Jinlong and several other governors and generals were stripped of their skin and cramped, and hung on the city tower!"
A young man from the village who was accompanying him shouted excitedly: "The officers and soldiers who came to suppress the bandits this time are really fierce. It is said that they attacked the stronghold all the way from Kusang Ridge and it took less than two days to break through.
When Ma Jinlong was arrested, I heard he was sleeping with his head covered and naked!"
When the people in the village heard this, they immediately smiled and said: "God finally opened his eyes and accepted these evil thieves. This year we finally save money on offerings!"
But some people said with sadness: "It's too early to rejoice... There are thousands of horse bandits, how many people and horses do the officers and soldiers need to win a big victory? How can they leave if they don't have enough food? The big families don't donate materials to support the army, so they still have to
The servants are calling for more tunes!”
"This is wrong! It is said that there are only five hundred officers and soldiers in this group. They are led by a brave commander. There are five hundred iron beasts with no exposed hands and faces. Not to mention thousands, tens of thousands of thieves can kill them.
It's all clean! The county government also specially posted a notice saying that the officers and soldiers on this road are righteous soldiers and will not seize food and goods from the villagers. They will leave immediately after killing the thieves..."
Hearing the people outside the village shouting like this, the villagers were surprised: "Is there such a kind and righteous army in the world?"
The clan elder raised his hand to stop everyone's discussion, and said in a deep voice: "The government has issued an order that there will be no expedition this winter, and those who have received the goods will go home!"
Seeing the clan elders saying this, the villagers heaved a sigh of relief. They all laughed and received the distributed supplies and then dispersed one after another.
The banditry in the territory has been eliminated, and the county government has not imposed additional taxes. This double-layered exploitation has been avoided, which is always a good thing worthy of great celebration.
"Swallowing the Starry Sky: Sign in to Become a God"
However, there were still a few people from the village who were keenly aware of the worry on the clan elder's face, so they deliberately stayed behind. After the villagers dispersed, they came together and asked in a low voice with some anxiety: "What else is the clan elder worried about?"
It’s not Shi Nu and the others…”
When the clan elder heard this, his eyes suddenly became sharp, and he refused to let them continue talking, and then he sighed: "Master Zhou summoned me to the Yamen, and informed me that this group of people is leaving Zhangyuan, and wants my family to provide supplies."
Grass Valley Horse Feed.”
"The chief secretary is really hateful this week. Although he killed several people from other clans during the fight for water last year, we also compensated him. If Songlinggong hadn't led his children to die in the battle in Guandong, would there be any place for his family to show off their strength in Nanbaishui? He would have killed us.
Not only did they drive us down from the plains, but over the years, our people have been assigned to all kinds of hard work in the county!"
When the people of Youzhuang heard this, they immediately said bitterly.
Someone else said: "If it's just grass, grain and horse feed, it's difficult, but if the clansmen gather together, they can provide it. Didn't Qilang say that there are only 500 officers and soldiers in that team?"
After hearing this, the elder snorted coldly: "I have lived for a long time. I have seen officials become thieves and thieves become officials. But regardless of whether they are officials or thieves, I have never seen an official who does not lick blood!"
When the army crosses the border, it is always a disaster. It is also a proud soldier who has won a great victory against bandits. How can it be easy to ask for it? The clan's heavy goods are hidden and a dozen sheep are left behind. If they are still dissatisfied, I will give up my life.
Go! Just remember, don’t tell Stone Slave and the others!”
Everyone in the village obeyed the instructions of the elder and hurriedly mobilized the villagers to hide the grain and goods reserves in the village. When they learned that there would be an official army crossing the border, the village that had just shown a little joy was suddenly shrouded in a haze, and in the afternoon it even drifted.
A burst of ice rain.
The next day, the sky was still hazy, and the falling ice particles turned into snowflakes, falling intermittently, covering the village with a layer of white. Everyone was waiting with fear for the arrival of the army, and no one even dared to move.
Fire smoke.
In the morning, the rapid sound of horse hooves sounded outside the village. A dozen villagers stood at the entrance of the village surrounded by the elder, waiting anxiously. Finally, more than 20 knights wrapped in thick robes appeared.
in sight.
As they approached, a knight with his face wrapped in a turban shouted to the people of the village: "A certain class is the pioneer of Li Dadu's department who entered the country to suppress the bandits. Is the owner of the village here? Have you received the order from the county government to provide supplies?"
"The old man is Zhang He of the village. Yesterday he went to the Yamen to listen to orders. After returning, he helped the villagers prepare. The grass and grain materials have been gathered in the village. General, please come to the village to inspect them!"
The elder of the clan hurriedly stepped forward and crossed his hands and said. After hearing this, the knight nodded, got off his horse and signaled the villagers to lead the way, and led ten people into the village to check. The other knights ran around the village, surveying the surrounding terrain of the village.
Take a look around.
After seeing that the quantity and quality of the grass and grain piled in the village were acceptable, Lu Chuan, who had already served as the captain of the team, nodded with satisfaction. Seeing that the people in the village were a little nervous, he smiled and said: "Director Li is very strict in running the army and does not allow soldiers to disturb the people.
Don't worry, fellow countrymen. The grass and grain materials are quite complete, and there is one more thing that I have to do with the village owner."
Although he was very polite, the villagers did not dare to neglect him. The elder quickly stepped forward and bowed his head and said, "General, what else do you have to say?"
"It's snowing on the way home, but we haven't prepared enough for our luggage. We still need felts and furs to keep out the cold. If there are savings in the village, we need to borrow them. If not, please lend them elsewhere. When our headquarters stops here, we will calculate the expenses together with the owner of the village.
.”
Hearing this, the people in the village heaved a sigh of relief at first, but then they felt their hearts twitching again. It would not be difficult if they only had a hundred felt furs, and they could barely make it out of the thousands of people in their village. But the problem is, the request is real.
Is it that simple?
They have also experienced that the soldiers passing through the border are more serious than bandits, and the large group of people has made new demands before entering the village. The soldier commander in front of them seems to be polite, but if he is not satisfied, he will definitely become ruthless.
The people of the village were still thinking about how to respond, when suddenly the sound of sheep bleated in the nearby house. Lu Chuan heard this and walked over to take a look. He saw more than a dozen sheep penned in this empty adobe house, and he laughed casually and said: "The appearance of this village is not very eye-catching.
There is quite a bit of savings inside. It’s just that these sheep don’t have much fat, so they need to be raised carefully to survive the winter!”
This was just said casually, but the expressions of the villagers changed drastically after hearing this. The clan elders quickly stepped forward and said: "These sheep are the villagers' contributions to comfort the generals and others. Although there are not many things, they are already there."
The people of the village are trying their best to give it, and I sincerely ask the general to..."
After hearing this, Lu Chuan's face suddenly darkened, he raised his leg and kicked the elder to the ground, and immediately shouted angrily: "Capture this powerful and evil tyrant, the Governor has issued a clear order to those who take advantage of our military power to seize the countryside."
You must be punished! Gather all the villagers here and put this animal on public trial!"
Soon, all the people in Zuojinzhuang were driven to the vicinity of the courtyard. Lu Chuan held his knife and raised his legs and jumped up on the wall. He looked at these frightened villagers and said loudly: "A certain class of people from the Dushui Administrative Office, under the command of Governor Li, have been accepted."
The county magistrate has invited us to enter the country to suppress bandits. We will not take any goods from the villagers except grass, grain, horses and supplies. The county government has issued an order. You fellow villagers should not be disturbed. The village bandits have been imprisoned. If there is any harm to the goods,
If so, come in and get it!" This chapter has been completed!