Sizhou, Wutai City.
There was a strong wind and snow, and the entire city was shrouded in wind and snow. Apart from the messy snow, nothing else could be seen.
In the alley, four people were walking in the wind and snow, bundled up tightly and swearing.
Every time they arrived at a house, they would stop and knock on the wooden door hard.
The sound was mixed in the blizzard and could not be heard.
Those people were a little angry. Two of them stepped forward and attacked the wooden door with weapons. Soon, the wooden door could no longer hold it and was forced open.
The courtyard was full of snow, and they knocked on the door of the back room again.
The door to the back room slowly opened, and several people broke in roughly, pushing the man who opened the door aside.
Then he quickly closed the door.
There were several people sitting in the narrow and dark back room. The man was wearing thin clothes and had pale lips. The woman beside him was hiding on the bed with three children in her arms. She was wrapped in many things and shivering in the wind.
The four people looked at everything in the house.
"Why didn't you open the courtyard door just now?!"
"Sir, the wind and snow were too heavy, so I didn't hear it."
The clerk waved his hand, his face full of displeasure.
"Okay, okay, not to mention these, it's time to hand over the gift."
He took out the document from his arms, "Niu Changgenggeng, his wife Niu Yang, and four children."
Chief Niu was even more surprised, "Sir, I have paid all the oral gifts for this year."
"The harvest is for next year."
"In addition to next year's oral poems, there are other miscellaneous poems for winter."
"The wind and snow are too heavy and have blocked the roads. Now we have to collect the road clearing tax. In addition, there are wood cutting and snow worship. This year, the Empress Dowager Lou passed away. The whole country is mourning and must pay sacrifices to the emperor. Your four children, mouth
Fu. Well, how many sheep do you raise?"
Chief Niu just stared at the little official and said nothing.
"What about you?"
“Not even one”
"Kill?"
"Dead."
"I have nothing left in my family. We are the only ones here. There are no other taxes or taxes. I can't afford it."
The official raised his eyebrows and asked, "What do you mean? Resisting taxes?"
His eyes bypassed the man and looked at his wife and children behind him.
The man slowly took out a rusty hatchet from behind and looked at the four people in front of him without saying a word.
The official said nothing and looked at the three people behind him, "Let's see what we can get."
The three men began to search around, grabbing whatever they found.
The man stood in front of his family and looked at them coldly.
After rummaging through boxes and cabinets for a long time, they only found some trivial items. The only valuable items were two pieces of sheepskin. The sheepskins had not been processed and smelled bad, but they didn't mind it and packed them away directly.
"I'll spare you this time. When the storm subsides, you'll pay back twice as much. I remember it all here. We have to go out to do things in such a heavy storm. Why do you, a grown man, hide at home?
Go out and do more work to support your family, don’t be so lazy!”
The official scolded him a few words and led the rest of the people to turn around and leave.
The moment the door of the house was pushed open, the wind and snow rushed in violently, and the woman started to tremble. Fortunately, the man closed the door in time.
The man's eyes were red, and he slowly sat aside. He could hear the sound of those people turning things around in the courtyard.
"Are you leaving?"
the woman asked.
The man nodded slowly, and the woman slowly took out a small pot with grain in it from the tattered quilt.
"Hey, why don't you borrow some from Lao Zhao's family?"
The man just kept a straight face and said nothing.
I don't know how long it took, but there was a knock on the door again.
Niu Zhang stood up even more violently, his whole body trembling, "Beast, beast"
He took out the hatchet again and opened the door suddenly, as if he was about to chop.
"Lao Niu! It's me! It's me!!"
The visitor hurriedly shouted, and the head of the cow put away the knife in time.
The visitor hurriedly walked in, closed the door again, nodded apologetically to the woman, and then looked at Niu Changgeng. This man was wearing thicker clothes. It could be seen that his family background was not bad.
This is Niu Changxin’s neighbor, his surname is Zhao and his given name is Kuseng.
Not long ago, due to the war around Jinyang, many people came here, and Zhao Kunseng was one of them. After he moved here, he often helped his neighbors. Over time, he gained a lot of fame, and everyone respected him.
Zhao Kuseng let out a long sigh, "Those people just left. I think they must have come to your house first, so I came here to take a look."
Niu Changgen shook his head, with indescribable depression in his eyes, "Brother, they are trying to force people to death."
"Don't be in a hurry."
Zhao Kuseng lowered his voice and pulled Niu Changgen aside, "There is something I want to discuss with you."
"We are ready to leave, do you want to follow us?"
Chief Niu was even more shocked, "Where are you going?"
"Shaquan."
"Hengzhou."
Niu Zhanggeng's face was full of confusion, "Brother is going to be a dead man? I don't understand."
"You don't understand. The place in Hengzhou is different from here. There are not so many chaos when people are taken in. Lao Li, Lao Wang, and Lao Tuxi are all leaving. Now there are more than thirty households.
, there are hundreds of people here, can you leave?"
Niu Zhang was even more stunned, "I still don't understand."
"They are under the rule of General Mandrill over there, and they won't embarrass anyone. What do you have to commemorate here? Apart from this dilapidated house, what do you have? Farmland? Livestock? Or do you still have parents to support?"
"The dead people who have fled will be resettled there, and at least you won't starve to death."
Chief Niu looked at his wife and children, "I would rather go there with my eldest brother, but I don't know if my family can walk such a long journey."
"You don't have to worry about it. I contacted several companies and took out a lot of things to ensure that everyone can arrive safely. Besides, the wind and snow are getting lighter and lighter. I just want to ask you, can you leave?"
Niu Changgen gritted his teeth and said, "Let's go!!"
The wind and snow still haven't subsided.
However, it is indeed much smaller than the previous few days.
This year's heavy snowstorm in the frontier is unimaginable to outsiders and is extremely bad.
But for the locals, this is already very good. They have seen more terrible things when they were young. Although there are heavy snowstorms now, it is much better than in the past. Many old people said so. When there was a snowstorm,
Being able to freeze a town to death would at least not be so scary now.
In the wind and snow, a group of people hurriedly moved forward on the official road.
In such weather, there are very few officials on errands outside, and they are not afraid of being discovered when they go official.
Chief Niu looked at the people sitting on the donkey cart and found his wife and children inside. He gradually became calm and suddenly became frightened.
What if it's not as beautiful over there as the rumors say?
Zhao Kuseng walked in the middle of the team, squinting his eyes and looking at the people in front and behind him, his lips trembling slightly, not knowing what he was saying.
A junior student suddenly appeared next to him. The junior student said coldly: "The speed is too slow. It's okay now. In a few days, the wind and snow will stop. If we haven't left the state yet, we may be discovered and some people may have to be abandoned."
.”
Zhao Kuseng glared at him, "It took so much effort to gather such a group of people. If it's just a group of us young and strong people who went to settle in Hengzhou, wouldn't it be suspicious?"
"Why is it so troublesome?"
"It's such a troublesome thing. Are you a fool to be a casual official in Hengshuo? Look at us, which one looks like a dead person? It's only decent and reasonable to go with them."
The young man's face was solemn, somewhat aggrieved.
"It's better to go over there, it won't be so troublesome"
"No complaints!"
"only."
After walking like this for three days, the wind and snow finally subsided, and the villages and towns in the distance were faintly visible. Fortunately, no officials came to block the road. After walking through the rugged mountain road, on the sixth day, the group finally left.
My hometown has come to a completely unfamiliar place.
The official road leads to Hengzhou, and the junction between Hengzhou and Sizhou is so obvious that anyone can find that they are in Hengzhou at a glance.
Mainly because there are road protection forests on the official roads in Hengzhou.
Although the trees are still relatively small and sparse at the moment, they are completely different from the bare situation in Sizhou. As we walked, road guard forests suddenly appeared on both sides of the official road, extending into the distance.
This change was so sudden and shocking.
Niu Changgeng was a little surprised at this moment. He looked at the tree in front of him and then behind him.
On the left side of the official road, there is a large courtyard.
The courtyard wall is tall, and you can see many buildings inside, and smoke is rising from some. The gate of the courtyard wall is open, and there are a few old horses resting in the manger at the door.
Someone discovered them, and the next moment, several warriors came out of the house, led by an official, and quickly blocked the official road, blocking their way.
Seeing this familiar combination, Niu Changgeng and the many farmers who came with him felt fear in their hearts.
One official and several soldiers, this combination is really too classic.
The official came to them and looked at everyone one by one.
"Excuse me?"
Zhao Kunseng hurriedly stepped forward and said timidly: "Sir, we have no criminal record and no identity documents. We are dead."
"Dead man??"
The official asked in disbelief, and then looked at those people again.
As Zhao Kuseng hesitated, Chief Niu stood up and said, "Sir, we are all citizens of Wutai City in Sizhou. We really can't survive. I heard that you are recruiting dead people here, so we came to seek refuge."
The official suddenly realized this, and he led his soldiers to check one by one to make sure that these people were not carrying weapons. He also saw the women and children on the donkey cart and asked them about the situation.
"Just wait here for now"
The official turned and left.
Niu Changgen looked at Zhao Kunseng on the side, "Brother, is that right?"
Zhao Kuseng shook his head, "Don't be afraid."
Soon, an older official came out. The official just now followed him and explained to him the situation here.
"To confirm their identity, they shouldn't be allowed to stay outside. It's so cold, and there are children and women."
"Go in, put the carts and donkeys over there. Wang Sheng, you take them to put their things away. Liu Sheng, you lead the others into the hospital and give them some hot water and food."
"only!!"
Niu Zhanggeng and others walked into the courtyard. This is an official office. Such official offices are also found in Sizhou. They are usually responsible for collecting carriage taxes, checking the entry and exit of carriages, etc. Important entrances and exits of official roads will be set up.
.
The women and children were arranged to rest inside the house.
The official asked about their situation again, asking clearly about their original address, industry, identity, etc.
"This is your place of residence. Take it. This person will take you to the village opposite later. You can live there for the time being."
It only took the officials an hour to clear them out of the detention center, and someone led them to distant villages and towns.
Everyone was somewhat frightened, so they followed the official and set off again, arriving at the nearest village or town.
There was already an old official waiting for them with a smile.
The villages and towns are quite small, but the roads are very clean and swept. Some villagers opened the doors curiously and observed these strangers.
The old official walked in front of those people, "My surname is Hou, you can just call me Mr. Hou. There are not so many houses at the moment, so you should squeeze in first. If you have the strength, you can also build a house by yourself. Don't worry.
There is no construction tax here. If you want to go to the county to make a living, you can ask me for free money, but you can't lose it or give it away."
The old official arranged everyone into various houses in the village and town.
Because of the war, there are still many empty houses.
The sky was getting dark, Zhao Kuseng was sitting in the house, surrounded by many people, and they all looked a little happy.
"Finally we're in. Now that we've cleared the record, we can go to the school to take the official exam, right?"
Zhao Kuseng shook his head, "Don't be too anxious, just wait a moment. Now is not the past, and it's not easy to sneak in. Don't ignore those small details, and be sure to be careful."
He said very seriously: "In the past year or so, our colleagues in Heng, Shuo and other places have suffered heavy losses, and they have lost their whereabouts one by one. Many places have become unfamiliar, making it difficult for us to move.
General Fan has restarted his plan to light up the lamps, we cannot afford to make any mistakes!"
"The great things we must do for the general must not make Liu Taozi so rampant!!"
The rest of the people were extremely excited and nodded one after another.
Suddenly someone ran into the house, "Brother, someone is approaching!"
Everyone dispersed quickly, some fled and some hid.
It was quiet inside the house.
The old official knocked gently on the door.
Zhao Kunseng opened the door, and the old official met him with a smile, and then followed him into the house. Several other people in the house also stood up to pay their respects.
The old official sat down immediately, holding a booklet in his hand.
"Nao Nao, Nao Nao Jun? Well, I see you have no heirs? Are you alone?"
"That's right. When the Zhou people came in, all my family members fled."
"well."
The old official shook his head, "These days. Zhao Jun, if you don't object, your household registration will be in Ancun."
"I have no objection."
"Well, okay, tomorrow, the county officials will come here to formally register you. I have reported your matter to the county. They will reissue winter supplies. You are the only one in the house and will be given a winter coat.
, what’s your height?”
Zhao Kuseng answered truthfully.
The old official said again: "In addition, you will be given some winter food. Not too much, but you can eat some. Can you still farm?"
"I'm okay."
"Okay, then I'll apply for more land grants for you. What's your plan this year?"
"Fifty-three."
"If you are over fifty, I will give you an additional ten acres. At your age, you don't need to participate in the reclamation. We will deal with the rest before spring, so you can rest assured to cultivate here. Also, I want to ask you, do you need any heirs?"
"ah??"
"It's like this. There are many orphans in the county. They have no father or mother. The county government pays to take care of them. If you don't have any family members, if you want a child, you can apply for adoption."
Zhao Kuseng was at a loss for a moment and shook his head, "Let's talk about it later."
After the old official completed the registration, he looked at the next young man and verified his situation as usual.
"Young student, I see that you don't have a family and you are quite strong. If you want, you can go to the school to study literature first and then become an official. I think you are smart. There is a fee for the school, but I can
I'll lend it to you, and when you pay it back after you do something, you can eat, drink, etc., and the school will provide it."
The old official talked a lot, and then he sighed, "I also learned about the situation in Sizhou. I have already reported it to the county. Maybe General Wei's office will ask about this matter. It is not easy for you to travel a long distance. This is
The year is like this, it’s not easy for everyone, but don’t worry, life will get better and better. This year there is war, taxes have been waived, and some cattle have been sent. I guarantee that everyone will have cattle next year.
It can be used."
"Spared from the poverty in frontier fortress, where did so many things come from?"
"If you spread it out evenly, it will be enough for many of us. Don't worry."
"It will get better and better in the future. By the way, some doctors will come to the hospital tomorrow. If you feel unwell, you can go and see a doctor. There is no charge for medical treatment in the hospital."
The old official said a lot, took the document, said goodbye to everyone, and left the place with a smile.
There was still silence in the house.
Zhao Kunseng hesitated to speak. He looked at the people around him. They also had their heads lowered at the moment, wondering what they were thinking.
"Let me rest first."
The night was getting darker and darker, and the house was dead silent.
The next day, everyone went out to the door of the old official's house. As soon as Zhao Kunseng arrived, he saw Niu Changgen wearing thick clothes and holding several pieces of cloth of different sizes in his hands. He was trembling with excitement.
"We are given winter coats and allowed to cut firewood! No tax is required!"
"Brother, look at how nice my clothes are."
Niu Changgen kept fumbling with his clothes. The clothes were not new, nor were they too thick. They were obviously ripped off from someone, but Niu Changgen liked them very much.
"Some millet was delivered this morning, saying it was borrowed and would be repaid during the autumn harvest. This is the first time in my thirty years of life that I have seen someone borrow grain from the government."
"You're right, you're really right. General Mandrill is really a Bodhisattva, a living Bodhisattva."
Niu Changgen talks more than before, chattering and talking to himself.
Zhao Kuseng also got his own clothes and put them on. For a moment, he felt mixed feelings in his heart. His whole body felt like being pricked by needles. The clothes seemed to be constantly shrinking and tightening, which made Zhao Kuseng miserable.
"Zhao Jun? Are your new clothes still comfortable?"
"Ah comfortable."
“Comfortable.”
ps: Much better, double updates will resume tomorrow.
Chapter completed!