One hundred and seventy-eighth chapter after breaking the fortress
Chapter 178 After breaking the stronghold
When she woke up, she saw that the sky outside was dim - was it already dawn? She still remembered that it was dusk when she fled back to the inn. At this time, she found herself lying on the haystack. There was the smell of horse manure in her nose.
She smelled it and heard the familiar sound of horses breathing in her ears - it was her horse.
After a while, her consciousness became clearer, and she realized that she was lying in the animal shed of the inn. Livestock were rarely raised here in Guangdong, and the inn was just a place for guests. The space was not big, and she could only tie up a dozen horses.
Horses, mules and donkeys. At this moment, there was only one of their horses in the stable, and there were only shadowy people sitting in other places.
"Are you awake?" Jiang Suo said happily, "Drink some water." After saying that, he brought a bowl. Qingxia had been fighting since the morning. During this period, she basically didn't drink any water. At this moment, she only felt tired and thirsty, and her throat was dry.
I was smoking, so I took a sip. It seemed to be tea brewed with added medicine. It was slightly bitter and filled my mouth with saliva. It was like nectar. I drank it in one gulp.
"Don't worry, there are still many here." Jiang Suo took a teapot and another bowl. "This black-hearted boss came back last night. I asked him for a bowl of water and he refused. I slapped him with a knife.
He just brought out a bucket of water - for our horses to use!" He said with a proud smile, "We are fighting with swords and guns, so it's fine if he doesn't bring out some money, and he doesn't even give him a bowl of water to drink.
I kicked the barrel onto him, and now we have tea, water and snacks." Then he took out a few cakes, bait and other snacks and gave them to him, "Eat some."
After drinking the water, her mood calmed down a little, and she felt hungry. Her stomach was gurgling for a while. Qingxia's face turned red, and she ate two snacks in a row - only then did she remember that she hadn't asked other people about their situation.
"How is Mrs. Jiang?"
Jiang Suo saw that she was eating quickly and took out another piece: "You can eat more, I still have some here." Then he said: "She is lying over there. She was stabbed by the thief and injured on her leg.
, there is no way to call a doctor now - it is very chaotic outside." Jiang Suodao whispered, "The thieves have broken into the stronghold."
Upon hearing this, Qingxia quickly asked: "Where is Luo Zhai?"
"It was broken. I heard that the fight lasted until the end, and then they set fire to it. The thieves surrounded the place tightly, and no news could be spread at all. I only saw groups of prisoners being escorted out from there and sent to the threshing floor. Master
It probably doesn't matter, at most they were caught by the Kun thieves - the Kun thieves don't kill people indiscriminately, and they don't even kill any of Xiang Yong's servants who just put down their weapons and have their faces turned on. I just heard that many people in the Luo family were killed and committed suicide, so Mr. Luo is probably finished.
." When he said the last sentence, his tone revealed joy.
Qingxia heard that her father was fine, and felt a little relieved. She heard that Mr. Luo might be dead, but she was at a loss. Mr. Luo and she had never spoken a word in private, but he valued her martial arts and gave her away.
A bow. Because of this, her longing for Mr. Luo became even more intense. Now that she heard that he was probably dead, an inexplicable pain enveloped her heart, and she almost shed tears for a while.
Come.
However, she quickly restrained herself.
"Where are Uncle Zhou and his children?"
"They haven't been found yet. Senior sister, don't worry. I will look for them as soon as the martial law on the streets is over. As long as the monkey cubs are not dead, they will be found." Jiang Suo hesitated, "But Uncle Zhou is afraid that he is evil.
A lot of luck..."
According to Jiang Niang, a group of their fellow villagers were disrupted by a volley of gunfire from the Kun thieves. When everyone retreated, some of the country warriors fell into a melee with the Kun thieves. Jiang Niang was wounded by the gun and managed to escape.
An alley but Uncle Zhou fell behind.
The news that Uncle Zhou may be dead makes Qingxia even more depressed, but she is now the class leader. Jiang Niang is injured, Jiang Suo is too young, and the whereabouts of other people in the class are unknown. She cannot lie on the ground and do nothing. She is struggling at the moment
Stand up.
"I have to go out and take a look."
"Senior sister, please don't go out. You are not well yet. Besides, the martial law on the streets has not been lifted yet."
"It's okay." She sat up with support. She didn't feel any pain in her body. She had practiced martial arts and performing arts since she was a child, and her muscles and bones were well tempered. After a night's rest, she had regained her energy. "I went to the yard to see
Look, give me a hand."
"Okay." Jiang Suo happily held her arm and asked Qingxia to stand up. The other people in the stable who had taken refuge were also sitting and standing one by one. Some people also wanted to take a look outside.
However, he didn't dare to go out. When he saw someone willing to go out, he watched eagerly.
Qingxia walked outside. There was nothing in the yard. The door to the backyard was closed tightly. The door to the front yard was also closed. She scooped some water from a water jar and scrubbed it a little.
She felt much more refreshed. When she saw the shadow in the water tank, she suddenly realized that she was still wearing an arrow-sleeved shirt. If the thief suspected that she was a teacher from Xiangyong, she would be in trouble. She quickly took off the veil on her head, but her clothes
But there was no need to change - all the replacement clothes and luggage were left in the Luo family ancestral hall.
Looking at herself again, she found some dark stains, which were probably the blood stains splashed yesterday. But they were almost invisible on the black and blue material. She thought about it and asked Jiang Suo to find a place to hide the weapon first.
"Here is a 'Yi Pou Yuan'." Jiang Suo took out a tattered cloak-like clothing from the grass, "Senior sister, your arrow sleeves are too eye-catching! Just use this as a cover."
"Okay." She put on the "Yi Pou Yuan" and wiped some pot ash and cigarette powder on her face and hands.
At this time, I only heard the sound of gongs coming from outside: "Martial law is lifted! Everything is safe!" The call came from far to near.
"Junior brother, you are here to watch Jiang Niang. I will go out to inquire about the news and see if I can find a doctor for Jiang Niang who can treat red wounds. Have we given her the golden sore medicine we brought with us?"
"It's done. It's just that the knife was so cruel that it almost penetrated the leg. I don't know if it hurt the muscles or bones." Jiang Suo said worriedly.
If you injure your muscles and bones, you can no longer perform as a performer. You have to be taken care of by the team. This becomes a huge burden.
"Even if she is injured, we still have to support her!" Qingxia said categorically. Jiang Niang's life experience was extremely pitiful. Her husband died when she was nineteen years old. She had no children, and her husband's family had also passed away long ago. More than ten
She has been performing in the class for many years. She has long regarded the class as her family, and the people in the class are her relatives.
The gong outside was beating again, and this time the call was for the heads of each family to quickly go to the threshing floor to gather together. Australians have important matters to hold "meetings", and one person from each family must go. No shirk, no impersonation.
He had to take his place, otherwise he would be "killed without mercy". For a while, a fire broke out in the courtyard, and many people were worried. They didn't know what the thief's intention was in asking the heads of the families to gather. But they didn't dare not to go.
But Qingxia thought this was a good opportunity. They were outsiders and no one would pay attention to them. She happened to take the opportunity to check out the situation in various parts of the town. She immediately asked Jiang Suo to take care of Jiang Niang and opened the back door to go out.
The alleys outside were empty, no one was passing by, but there were gradually more and more people on the streets. She lowered her head and walked along the deserted streets as much as possible.
The first place he wanted to go was Luo Zhai. His father was trapped in it. He had to go and have a look anyway. At the same time, he also wanted to know if Mr. Luo was really dead. For some reason, she felt so attached to this man.
Never let go.
The Luo family mansion, which used to occupy a vast area with dense buildings, has become a ruin with fire and smoke everywhere. The majestic gate has been turned into rubble, and the tall and thick courtyard wall like a city wall has collapsed in many places. There are broken bricks and burned bricks everywhere.
Burnt wood and broken weapons. Some corpses have not been moved away yet. They are arranged one by one in the open space in front of the gate, covered with straw mats. From the exposed legs, feet and hair, it seems that they belong to Xiangyong and servants.
Some of the corpses were women wearing silk and satin, probably female family members and maids of the Luo family. Qingxia felt sad and secretly recited a few Buddhist chants.
More than two hundred people, probably captured Xiang Yong and the like, were cleaning up the rubble under the supervision of the thieves. From time to time, boxes and barrels were also lifted out from inside. Whether it was a box or a barrel, they were all
It was a style that Qingxia had never seen before. Occasionally, someone would carry out the furniture, cloth and straw bags filled with rice, and pile them up in an open space with horses on all sides. There were also people who were recording the points.
In the open space in front of the door, there was a shelf shaped like a door frame, with a row of dead people hanging on it - twenty or thirty of them. She silently recited Amitabha, and slowly came closer to see that most of the people who were hanged were her.
I have never seen them before. There are old and young. Judging from their appearance and clothes, they should be wealthy gentlemen in this town, probably committee members and deacons of the regiment training office. There are also a few strong and strong people who look like they are martial arts practitioners.
Either he is a teacher from Xiangyong, or he is a trainer, a servant boss, or the like.
She soon discovered Luo Tianqiu, who was hanging on the shelf. His bun was spread out, his eyes widened, and an expression of disobedience and reluctance still appeared on his face. Luo Tianqiu was probably still fighting when he was caught.
, the clothes were stained with blood. Qingxia felt sad, but did not dare to cry. Seeing that the thieves were guarding the prisoners, cleaning the battlefield, and carrying goods. No one paid attention to this place. She knelt down with her hands clasped together and chanted a few Buddhist chants silently.
Then he quickly stood up and left.
She moved to the area near the ancestral hall, which had been abandoned by the villagers for the first time, so the damage was not great. There were only a few local-looking people cleaning the streets at the door. Qingxia gathered her courage and found a kind-faced old man to ask the people in the ancestral hall.
how's it going?
"There was no war here," the old man told her. "Not many people died. But the others were all captured by Kun... the Australians."
"Where have they all been caught?" Qingxia asked anxiously.
"The arrested people have been sent to the Tuanlian Office for interrogation." The old man looked around and asked in a low voice, "My dear lady! Do you know anyone from the Luo family?
Qingxia knew that the Luo family had a bad reputation here, so she lied that her father was a tenant of the Luo family and came to town a few days ago to pay tribute to the Luo family's ancestral hall.
"Then it doesn't matter. Australians are very good to the people. Your father is just a tenant. He can come out as soon as he makes it clear. Everything will be fine." The old man comforted her.
Qingxia thanked her and walked to a cold alley. She couldn't help but cover her face and cry. Was it sadness or joy? She couldn't tell clearly. After crying for a while, she felt much relieved, so she wiped her tears.
Go to the regiment training office.
Although a battle was fought here at the Tuan Lian Office, it was quickly breached, so the damage to the building was not great. This is now the place where the members of the Tuan Lian Office, their families, and thugs are imprisoned. The front door is heavily guarded. No idlers are allowed to enter or leave. Qing
Xia went around in circles but couldn't find the right person to ask about her father's news.
She walked around the whole town and asked if there was any news about Uncle Zhou and the three young apprentices. In desperation, she had no choice but to go to an open space outside the town where the morgues were concentrated, where a reed had been set up.
All the people from Sanliang Town who died in the battle were carried here so that their families could identify their bodies and take them back. Those that were unclaimed would then be burned together.
Qingxia endured the fear and the pungent smell of the potion, and checked each one under the reed mat shed. In the end, she still did not find the bodies of Uncle Zhou and the three young apprentices, which made her mood greatly improve.
alive.
Along the way, I found that most of the shops were open, and the corpses and rubble on the street were being collected in good order. There were more pedestrians on the street. There was no look of panic or fear. It seemed that the thieves did not rob after they broke into the village.
There was no arson. There was strict discipline. But no doctor was invited - all the doctors in the town were recruited by the Australians to work. She didn't invite a doctor, so she had to grab some medicine from the drugstore and run away.
People who sell solutions have several prescriptions on hand to treat bruises, bruises, and sores.
After walking around like this, it was already noon when she returned to the inn. She was hungry and thirsty. When she returned to the backyard of the inn, some of the local people with homes had dispersed, and only a few people from other villages were able to escape.
Dare to leave. There are twos and threes sitting in the backyard eating dry food, and some are boiling water.
Qingxia went to see Jiang Niang first. Her wound was washed and bandaged with wine, and she also applied gold sore medicine, but the wound was already swollen. Qingxia saw that her face was pale and sweaty, and when she touched her forehead, she felt...
I have a fever and my hands are very hot.
She remembered that her father had said that fever was the most taboo for golden sores. Once a fever occurred, life or death would be uncertain. Her mood suddenly became heavy.
"Junior brother, you give Jiang Niang some well water to apply on. I'll make some medicine," she said.
"I don't care." There was an abnormal blush on Jiang Niang's face, "How are the class leaders and the others? Are they whereabouts?"
"I haven't found it, but it shouldn't matter." She told her what she had learned and how she identified the body. "It was probably captured by thieves. He will be released after interrogation."
"I'm afraid of Brother Zhou -" Jiang Niang closed her eyes and gasped, "he led the team to fight face to face with the Australians - the Australians killed both Lian Mu and Teacher Xiang Yong after they were caught..."
"If you want to kill me, I'll kill you now. It doesn't matter." Qingxia knew that Uncle Zhou had some affection for Jiang Niang, but because they were both thin-skinned, they never made it clear. At this time, she was even more unwilling to say unpleasant things.
He only comforted her with kind words.
"I hope so. God bless our team to be safe and sound..." She fell asleep as she spoke.
Qingxia hurriedly found a broken jar and was about to boil medicine for Jiang Niang. Suddenly, the shop owner and several waiters came to the backyard aggressively, holding thick sticks in their hands.
"You! Come out and stand in the yard one by one!" The boss didn't know what kind of medicine he had taken, and his aura suddenly became extremely arrogant. Yesterday, he abandoned the shop and ran away. When he came back early this morning, he hid in the house and didn't want to see anyone. Unexpectedly,
It suddenly became like this.
They didn't know that this shopkeeper Chen had become one of the three liaison officers in the town newly appointed by the Australians. He was now responsible for handling accommodation and food supplies for the Australians, and would also handle "reasonable burdens" in the future.
Seeing Jiang Suo in the yard, the shop owner immediately yelled: "You are a beggar on the street! The local brave bullies the common people! Arrest him! Send him to the Australian master for punishment!"
The guys roared menacingly, but no one really wanted to pounce on them - they were experienced in the art of showing off, and rushing in rashly might not necessarily win over them.
Several people came out of the stable and were frightened when they saw the battle. They hid one after another. An old man, probably trying to persuade him to make peace, quickly said: "Boss Chen! Just forget it. We just broke the stockade, and everyone is still a wife."
Just don’t cause trouble..."
"Ma'am, you're just mediocre?" Boss Chen also raised his eyebrows at this moment, "This kid was waving a knife in front of me yesterday, he was lawless! If I don't deal with him, is there any way to do it?!" He said something like an old man.
, "Although you are all local neighbors in this town, you can't stay in the store for free. You have to pay the store money before leaving! Regardless of adults or children, one penny per person! Tianqi Chongzhen doesn't want any money!"
"Oh my god, it costs a penny a night to live in a stable..." someone couldn't help but mutter.
"If it's too expensive, go live in the threshing floor!" I don't know why, but the shop owner became very aggressive and looked confident. His waiters also shouted together.
"Anyone who doesn't pay today is not allowed to leave! You have to pay the rent before leaving!" The shopkeeper was frothing at the mouth, and pointed to Jiang Suo, "You poor devils, I will show mercy and leave the horse."
That’s it!”
Jiang Suo was young and impulsive after all, and when he saw his boss being such a shameless bully, he immediately wanted to take action.
"Junior brother, no!" Qingxia quickly held down his hand and sneered: "If the horse is capable, come up and get it yourself. Don't ask your subordinates to die! Let's leave now."
"If you want to leave without paying me, arrest me!" the shopkeeper howled, "Come on, capture this person and send it to the Australians!"
However, although the guys put on a fierce display, no one dared to come up. Qingxia knew that she could not stay here, so she immediately asked Jiang Suo to lead the horse out, and then helped Jiang Niang, and the three of them left together.
go.
When the shop owner saw that the other party was about to leave, he rushed forward to block the door and made a loud noise.