The young man was originally submissive, but now his face showed a look of dissatisfaction. However, he was afraid of the sharp sword in his hand, so he only muttered: "The government never has any benefits other than asking for money and food..."
Zhuo Yifan breathed a sigh of relief: "What do you mean it's no good? You are sitting in the wild land of Hainan for two hundred years, enjoying two hundred years of peace and having no worries about food and clothing. Isn't it the kindness of my Ming Dynasty? As for paying the money and food, it is yours in the first place.
Duty. Furthermore, I heard you say that your family was originally a tenant farmer, and the money and grain were not paid by the farmers..."
"Before the chief came here, we had been having trouble with Li bandits, and the government never paid any attention to it. Besides, the money raised by grain farmers also comes from our tenants..." the young man said, "Mr. Zhou's family has increased the rent every year in the past few years.
It is said to be the decree of the imperial court. But after the chiefs came, Mr. Zhou did not dare to increase the rent, and even reduced the rent a lot!"
Zhuo Yifan sighed: "Could it be that the thieves forced him to reduce the rent?"
"That's not true," said the young man. "The leaders have opened many industries in Nanbao, including mines, shops, and large factories. My parents don't have much ability. They only know how to farm, so they go to the farm to work as long-term workers.
Although it is hard work, at least the whole family has food and clothing, and now the house has been renovated. It is much better than the half-starved and half-fed days when I was a tenant of Mr. Zhou. Who would go to share his land?" At this point, he said
He couldn't help but feel a little proud, "Master Zhou is now begging others to rent his land, who cares?"
There are still places in the world where landlords beg farmers to share their land! Zhuo Yifan couldn't help but be a little surprised. He traveled around the world and was well-informed about the disputes between landlords and tenants, and he had seen many things that resulted in people's lives: unless it was on the ground
Farmers dispersed after losing the royal law or encountering a major disaster; otherwise, the matter of tenancy will always be a seller's market. The main themes of the conflict between master and tenant are "seizing/counter-seizing the tenant" and "increasing/reducing the rent."
The world of Lingao is too strange. Grain households are the foundation of the imperial court. Sooner or later, all people's hearts will be lost if the thieves treat grain households like this. He sighed slightly, and suddenly felt that these thieves were quite capable in "ruling the world". They just followed the rules.
I don’t know which family’s fallacies and heresies, and if they continue to do this, they are really wasting their talents of "hundreds of industries and merchants". Thinking of this, he felt a little regretful. He couldn't help but said: "What a pity! There are thieves.
He is as capable as Lu Ban, and he is also good at Tao Zhu's talent, but it is a pity that acquisition is not the right way." As he said this, he looked at the young man again. He felt that he was a talent that could be developed, and sighed, "Kun thief is really misleading people! They are all useless.
of miscellaneous studies!”
Zhuo Yifan didn't know that children in this period are most interested in learning and curious about knowledge. Although this boy has only been in school for a few months, the "Australian" has been in Nanbao for several years.
As Nanbao changed from a deserted village in the mountains to a prosperous town, it was a new generation that felt the changes in life firsthand. When I heard that Zhuo Yifan belittled the knowledge of the "chiefs" in every possible way, saying that reading the chiefs' books was useless.
I couldn't help but argue: "Sir, you are too arbitrary to say such a thing. In the future, if I learn the knowledge of the chief, I can grow more rice, weave more cloth, make useful farm tools, and do my work."
Life will be more convenient, we can all live in tile-roofed houses, and our children and grandchildren will no longer have to endure hunger..."
When Zhuo Yifan heard this, he sneered in his heart: The thief used to draw big cakes to fool the people. The clay-legged man is the clay-legged man, and he was confused by these few words. Looking at his pious face, he must have been deeply bewitched.
, I am in an unexpected situation. Why bother to do this? I am not talking at the moment.
He was seriously injured. Although he was treated with medication and there was no inflammation, he lost a lot of blood and ran around all night last night. After talking for a while, he felt dizzy and alert. Before he realized that he was about to faint.
He quickly pulled off a piece of rag and blocked the young man's mouth.
I don't know how long it took. Suddenly, I felt someone shaking my body. Zhuo Yifan opened his eyes. He saw Sima Qiudao with an anxious look on his face.
"Sima..."
"Where is that young man?!" Sima Qiudao asked abruptly.
Zhuo Yifan was startled and looked towards the tree again. He saw only one schoolbag strap left on the ground. This schoolbag strap was made of canvas and was very strong, but its texture was very hard, so it was not tightened and was still worn by the young man.
Broke away.
"not good……"
"Let's leave quickly." Sima Qiu said, "It's not suitable to stay here for a long time!" After saying that, he helped Zhuo Yifan up.
"Where are Brother Huang and the others?"
Sima Qiu said: "I entered the town, but before I had gone far, I heard a noise in front of me. The bandits had sent a group of Japanese pirates to surround Huang's medicine shop!" He said with a very sad tone, "I don't either.
If you dare to go there again, you will come out quietly."
Zhuo Yifan's heart sank, but he didn't care much at this time. Now he was taking care of himself, so he could only seek happiness for himself.
"Let's just go around Nanbao. It's not far from Li District." As he said that, he supported himself with a wooden stick and walked forward.
Sima Qiudao saw that Zhuo Yifan's face was pale and there was no blood on his lips, and he couldn't help but feel nervous. He took a step forward, helped Zhuo Yifan up with his right hand, and said: "Let me help you go, let's go before dark
We rushed to Fanbao Mountain and sneaked across the pass when it got dark. Master Qi said that there is no barracks there anymore, only a traffic jam, so it would be easy to get there."
The two of them helped each other down the mountain and walked across the field to a hill in front of them. Although they were being supported, Zhuo Yifan felt pain in the wound every step he took, especially in his ribs. It hurt for a long time just to take a breath.
.
Could it be that he is going to die?
He reluctantly dragged his feet, only to feel that his body was getting heavier and heavier, and his head gradually became dizzy.
Worried about being discovered by the thieves, the two of them walked in a large circle, avoiding inhabited areas and only walking through dense mountains and forests. This time it became increasingly difficult to walk.
After walking for about half an hour, Sima Qiudao saw that Zhuo Yifan was swaying so much that he couldn't walk anymore, so he sat down behind a big rock.
"You should rest for a while, and I will go find you some water." He said, untying Zhuo Yifan's clothes, but saw that the blood had stained the bandage, and he knew that the wound had not healed after a long journey.
Sima Qiudao was secretly worried: If this continues, Zhuo Yifan will die on the road sooner or later!
The only thing we can hope for now is to escape smoothly into Li District, and rely on the local connections of the volunteers to see if we can find a secluded place for him to recuperate.
He picked up the bamboo tube and was about to get water when Zhuo Yifan grabbed his arm and said in a deep voice: "Listen!"
Sima Qiudao listened attentively, but didn't hear anything. Just as he was about to speak, a strange sound came from far and near, coming from the hill where he rested last night. It seemed like a roar.
"It seems like a dog barking." Sima Qiudao said. However, this was not the barking of a dog seen on the ordinary street. It was a sound similar to a roar. Sima Qiudao quickly pushed aside the tree and headed towards the place where the sound came from.
Looking around, I saw a black and yellow dog emerging from the woods on the opposite hillside. The dog had a round head, droopy ears, and two big white spots above its eyes, which looked like four eyes.
Strange thing, this dog doesn’t seem to have a tail!
Behind the dog were three or four short, sturdy soldiers wearing lacquered hats and piercing their waists and ribs. Sima Qiudao knew that these were Japanese pirates raised by the bandits!
This dog was tied by a chain. There was a person holding it and sniffing it constantly on the ground. The dog was surprisingly big, as big as a calf. The person holding it behind could hardly hold it, and always pulled the dog.
The person holding it was dragging it forward and backward, as if it was about to fall. At this time, three similar dogs came out from the woods one after another, and they were all sniffing on the ground. A dozen more dogs appeared behind the person holding the dog.
A sergeant carrying a gun, some of them Japanese pirates and ordinary soldiers. A young man stood next to one of the men who looked like an officer. He pointed and pointed. Sima Qiudao was shocked: Now the young man who collected medicine has escaped!
Zhuo Yifan also saw it now, and he was secretly annoyed. But it was useless to say anything at this time. He could only shrink his body and reduce the number of targets as much as possible.
The dog opposite was sniffing on the ground and walking towards here. Zhuo Yifan whispered: "Maybe it smells blood."
"The thief is so cunning that he actually used this trick!" Sima Qiudao looked at the other side without turning around, and said: "Brother Zhuo, let's go separately, otherwise once they come up, we won't be able to escape. We have to climb over this hill and walk a few more steps.
The road ahead is Fanbao Mountain, so walk slowly, as long as you arrive before dark, you will have a chance to escape at night!"
He paused and then said: "I will go down the mountain immediately, pass through the valley in front, walk up the hill on the left, and then go to Fanbao Mountain to meet you."
Zhuo Yifan was shocked. Sima Qiudao took this road almost under the nose of the thief. He was deliberately trying to lure the thief away.
"Brother Sima, no! I'm seriously injured. I'm afraid time is running out. If you're not injured, walk faster. You go. Leave Yifan here to hold off the thieves who are chasing after them. If you can, kill them one by one!"
"Brother Zhuo, don't refuse. I, Sima Qiudao, crawled out from among the dead and escaped from the chaos. Now I have earned a living. Besides, I run fast, and the thieves will definitely chase me with all their strength. In this way
The farther I run, the more time you have to escape - let's go one by one!"
As he spoke, he tightened his clothes and trousers and tucked the knife into his waist.
"Please, Brother Dao!" Zhuo Yifan choked up and was speechless.
Sima Qiudao looked at him and smiled deliberately: "Brother Zhuo, how do you know that I can't escape? Don't worry! The Tatar cavalry didn't catch up with me back then. What's the point of a few dogs running away? We'll see you later!" After saying that, he raised his hands.
He cupped his fists and said, "Sima is here to seek the truth!"
Just as he turned around to leave, Sima Qiudao suddenly stopped again. He turned his head and turned his back to Zhuo Yifan and said: "Brother Zhuo, if you can escape with your life and have a chance to go to Beijing, you can go to Mr. Yuan Yingtai for me."
Burn a stick of incense on the grave. When I served as his aide, I should have died with him when Liaoyang City was destroyed... Let’s go!” (To be continued)