The rain was fast, slow, and rustling for a while, drizzling for a while, and it kept falling.

In the hall where Xiuxiu and Liu Xiaomei live, Xu Ping sat on a chair and looked out the door quietly, watching the raindrops falling from the sky, falling into the bamboo bushes, and hitting the banana leaves, both slow and continuous.

In the hall, Liu Xiaomei hid on a bed, peaceful and quiet, as if she was asleep.

Liu Dahu and Madam Qiu sat on the side, leaning against each other, and were sleeping. When the sister left, Liu Dahu was in a mess. It was all up to Madam Qiu to support her so that she would not make jokes.

On the other side, Duan Yunjie was also asleep while sitting there. She was frightened tonight and could no longer support her. Moreover, although she knew Liu Xiaomei, she did not have any particularly deep friendship. In Xu Ping, Duan Yunjie was still busy with business, and the little girl's jokes were not suitable for her.

Next to Duan Yunjie was Xiuxiu. She was curled up in a chair, holding her knees, tilted her head on her shoulders, and kept looking at Liu Xiaomei on the bed. Xu Ping didn't know whether Xiuxiu was awake or asleep or sleeping for a while. Her current appearance was very worrying.

Liu Xiaomei has no identity. Even if she gets married to Gao Daquan, Gao Daquan is only Xu Ping's subordinate. There is no reason why Xu Ping comes to watch the night. But Xu Ping was really worried about Xiuxiu and could only sit here.

Xiuxiu looks scary now. She has never eaten or drunk, has no expression, and is like a wooden man. When she occasionally says something, all of it was entrusted by Liu Xiaomei before her death.

The only exception is that she would say to Xu Ping very seriously: "Official, I'm grown up."

It is a long process for people to grow from toddlers to adults in ten or twenty years. But it is often overnight for people to grow from children to adults.

Xu Ping watched Xiuxiu grow up and knew her better than anyone else. She didn't have to speak to know what she wanted to say. But tonight, Xu Ping couldn't figure out why Xiuxiu became like this and what she would become in the future. She couldn't touch her mind.

At this time, Xu Ping knew that Xiuxiu was really going to grow up.

The lights swayed, and there was a very strange atmosphere inside the house, sad and weird. The rain outside the house suddenly became anxious again, and it kept crackling.

This yard was once planted with flowers and raised various small animals, monkeys jumping on the trees, deer running in the grass, crabs and turtles climbing on the river bank, were everywhere, and were Xiuxiu's former friends. Since Liu Xiaomei arrived, Xiuxiu slowly put the small animals back to their homes.

The little animals have all left, the flowers are still there, and they are experiencing the wind and rain outside.

Only the fruit that accompanied Xiuxiu when she arrived in Yongzhou was still in the horse shed, waving her tail to watch the heavy rain outside the shed. It was old, but Xiuxiu grew up and would never ride it again.

The world is still the same, but things have changed.

Xu Ping remembered the words of Liu Xiaomei who Xiuxiu reposted, hoping that people will not be destined to be slaves when they are born. At least, people must be able to choose their own destiny and have the right to fight against the tragic destiny. This sentence shocked Xu Ping very much. He did not expect that the wish of a girl in the mountain who had experienced all her sorrows would be like this. All of this has nothing to do with her about to die, but it only shows her greatness.

Not to mention people like Liu Xiaomei who have no food and clothing since childhood and have been bullied, even ordinary people sigh that God is unfair and why they are not as good as others. But when life is like a candle in the wind and everything in the world has nothing to do with me, how many people will say this to others?

Xu Ping still remembers the first time she met Liu Xiaomei, her eyes full of curiosity for the world and a smile full of hope for life. When all this became a bubble for her, she left this hope in the world and left her hope for a better life to her tribe members.

Since coming to this world, Xu Ping has not thought about what he must accomplish. He just wants to live a peaceful life. If he wants to make money in a good life, he will find ways to make money and not be bullied to become an official. He will be admitted to the Jinshi and become an official, but in fact he is ordinary.

Liu Xiaomei's words woke Xu Ping up. When she came to this world, she could do such a thing, changing the fate of countless people. She even changed the world in this corner of Yongzhou.

Private slaves basically disappeared in the early Song Dynasty. Zhenzong Dynasty explicitly ordered that the hiring of people must be specified. The slaves hired are no longer the owner's private property, but are also the national registered households and are protected by the court's laws.

Of course, this policy was not discovered by the emperor or any minister, but had experienced a long evolution in the late Tang and Five Dynasties, and the rulers just followed this trend.

Of course, it also takes courage and courage to be able to adapt to the trend of the generation.

The warlords in the Five Dynasties fought in a melee. Although the warriors were greedy and cruel, they were also lawless. They regarded all traditions, morals and ethics as nothing. They dared to do what others dared to do, including smashing all traditions of politics, economy, and society. As long as they were beneficial to themselves.

This lawlessness created a lively and uplifting social state in the early years of the Song Dynasty, which was far from what any genius reformer could achieve during peacetime.

The unprecedented liberation of human beings and the system of slavery that was dependent on by human beings was swept into the garbage dump of history, which was the legacy left to the Song Dynasty in that troubled time.

In Xu Ping's era, there were actually officials and slaves throughout the Northern Song Dynasty. Although the number was very small, there were still scattered stars, mainly the families of the rebel leaders. It was not until the early years of the Southern Song Dynasty that officials and slaves completely disappeared. In China, it may be the first time in the whole world that there was such an era where there was no background and no distinction between masters and slaves.

This system has not been promoted to all barbarian areas, especially many prison counties, including Yongzhou. Tuzhou Tuxian maintained their original system and did not follow the laws of the court.

It was Liu Xiaomei's wish before her death that she would no longer be slaves for generations and turned her servants into a registered household in the imperial court. Xu Ping decided to help her realize this wish.

The sound of footsteps came from the rain, the door was pushed open, and the two of them strode in.

When he saw Gao Daquan and Tan Hu, the soldiers standing at the door whispered loudly.

"Come in." Xu Ping retracted his thoughts and returned to reality.

Gao Daquan rushed into the room, bowed to Xu Ping, and then came to Liu Xiaomei, looking at Liu Xiaomei lying quietly on the bed.

In a moment, it was already apart between heaven and man.

Xu Ping came to Gao Da's body, sighed, and whispered: "A person cannot be resurrected when he dies, so mourn!"

Gao Daquan nodded, without saying anything, and his eyes were filled with tears.

Xiuxiu silently got off the chair, walked to Gao Daquan's side, and gently pulled his sleeve.

Gao Daquan turned around, saw Xiuxiu's strange appearance, and whispered: "Xiuxiu, you--"

"Brother Gao, Sister Liu Xiaomei asked me to tell you that she can't wait for you and leave first."

Xiuxiu looked very serious and said it clearly, as if she was doing something very sacred.

Gao Daquan nodded silently, his heart was so chaotic that he couldn't speak.

Xiuxiu said again: "Sister wants to wait for you very much, but there is no way. Huang Conggui cut her vital points. Sister in Jiangli wants me not to tell you."

"I've dragged my sister down, I regret it-"

Xiuxiu still had no expression, but just looked at Liu Xiaomei quietly, and tears flowed out quietly.

After looking for a while, Xiuxiu suddenly turned around, walked to Xu Ping, looked up at Xu Ping and said seriously: "Officials, Sister Liu Xiaomei asked me to tell you that the barbarians in the mountains should not be slaves and servants when they were born, and should not be beaten, scolded and bullied. Do you agree?"

"I have promised it, Xiuxiu, I will definitely do what I promised."

"Just like Xiuxiu and Brother Gao, follow the official side. If you beat us and scold us, we will not follow you. You have never scolded me, and I have never thought of leaving the official." Xiuxiu said softly as if she was talking to herself, and then looked up and said, "You promised me, you have never deceived Xiuxiu."

"I won't lie to you, I will definitely do what I promised."

Xiuxiu nodded: "Thank you, official! I'll go with my sister."

After saying that, Xiuxiu returned to the chair and held her knees and looked at Liu Xiaomei on the bed.

Xu Ping sighed and patted Gao Daquan on the shoulder: "Stay here to spend more time with Liu Xiaomei."

Then he signaled Tan Hu and came to the door. The rain became lighter and the raindrops drifted with the wind.

Tan Hu followed and whispered: "Tan Hu has met an official."

Xu Ping did not turn around and asked in a deep voice: "Have you chased the thief?"

"No—no—"

Xu Ping turned around suddenly and looked at Tan Hu: "What's going on? They can fly after they grow wings?"

Tan Hu didn't dare to look up and whispered: "The thief didn't travel far from the boat. He leaned against the shore at a small pier seven or eight miles away, and then rode a horse to escape. When I chased him there, Gao Daquan left a soldier there, and he was chasing the thief. I had already arrived in Luobai County. It was raining heavily and the traces of the thief were difficult to follow. Somehow, Luobai County received news. The magistrate brought people to pester us to greet us. After a moment of delay, the thief didn't know where to go. Gao Daquan and I helped track the magistrate Toro Baihuang, but there was no news. In this kind of weather, we had to come back."

Xu Ping said coldly: "In other words, Luobai County may have collusion with the thieves?"

Tan Hu pondered for a while and said, "I can't say it's because Luobai County led people to entangle us and lost the whereabouts of the thief. But they were also very enthusiastic and actively helped find it, but there was no result."

Xu Ping remained silent, and after a while, he said, "Does Luo Bai have a way to Zhongzhou and Qianlongdong?"

"Some, there is a three-way intersection not far from Luo Bai. Once you go to Zhongzhou, you go to Longdong, and you go to Shangsizhou. However, they are all small mountain roads, so the horse team can only barely walk."

"I understand, you go down."

Tan Hu took his leave, and Xu Ping stood alone at the door and looked at the rain outside. It seemed that he had underestimated the severity of this matter, and it was probably not one or two who participated in it.

But, what does it matter? If you don’t want to live your daily life, then you won’t want to live.

(There is another chapter in the evening, which may be relatively late. Please continue to ask for collection and recommendation votes, please help.)
Chapter completed!