Chapter 1919 Disaster food distribution, thick soil and blue sky
Niu Sixia's face was wrinkled like a ravine on the Loess Plateau, with an unbelievable and timid expression, and then she lined up silently.
Outside the city gate, people queued up to receive disaster relief supplies.
The dim sky has just revealed some glimmer of light, and everything around seems to be still sleeping, but many farmers like Niu Sixia have been waiting outside the temporary huts outside the city for a long time.
The group of people closest to the city gate were said to have arrived during the day yesterday, but failed to get in line. As a result, they were reluctant to go back, so they waited all night...
Although their faces are slightly different, if you look carefully, they all look like Niu Sixia. All of them have dark skin, not a mark due to accidental sunburn, but a mark of years of working under the scorching sun for a long time.
The torture that goes deep into the bones year after year.
Niu Sixia pinched the wooden sign hanging around his neck as if it was his lifeblood, even more important than his lifeblood. The same was true for the people next to him, pinching it carefully with one hand, not daring to be too
I squeezed the wooden plaque hard, afraid of breaking it, but I didn't dare to let go for fear of accidentally dropping it. Even the cracks and dirt on my hands seemed to be exactly the same. The joints were thick, the fingers were short and flat, and even the surface of the nails seemed to be scratched.
It's a crack, and the crack is filled with dirt.
Although the officials responsible for distributing grain and fodder and maintaining order have not yet arrived, Niu Sixia, like many other farmers, sat silently on both sides of the road, lining up, with no one grabbing or fighting.
It's not because people like Niu Sixia know the rules well, but they have seen those who cut in line and had their legs broken with thick wooden sticks by the soldiers who maintained order, and then rolled on the muddy ground and howled, and then dragged their wounds,
Most of them will die in the end...
Therefore, Niu Sixia and others did not dare to jump in line.
Originally, this autumn was supposed to be very happy.
At least in Niu Sixia's heart, he is happy enough. He has rented the land from the government for three years, so he can keep an extra 10% of this year's harvest, and maybe he can spend it during the Chinese New Year.
At that time, let the whole family eat corn porridge for once, a serious meal of corn porridge!
The New Year's Eve dinner does not include wild vegetables and does not add much water. It is a meal of corn porridge cooked slowly over low heat. It can be regarded as the first luxurious meal in so many years...
However, such expectations turned into nothingness under the locusts flying all over the sky.
That day, Niu Sixia and his whole family fought in the fields for a whole day and night, killing countless locusts, but they still watched helplessly as the locusts swaggered in his fields and ate up all the locusts.
The millet also ate up all the hopes of Niu Sixia.
Later, the hussar general came with his soldiers and horses to resist the locusts.
However, Niu Sixia's own acres of land were almost barren. Just when Niu Sixia thought that her family would once again embark on the road to escape famine, she heard that General Hussar had provided food for disaster relief, and Niu Sixia rekindled the fire.
The hope of four summers.
Maybe, can you still survive?
After all, here, there is the fence of the wooden house that I have built with my own hands in the past two or three years, as well as the vegetable patch and melon shed behind the house. If it is not a last resort, who would wander around?
But Niu Sixia was worried that this rumor was false, so even now, he was still very uneasy, tightly holding the small wooden sign hanging around his neck, the wooden sign engraved with his identity, like
He is holding his own future in his hands.
In the small city, it seemed that as the sky became brighter, it gradually began to wake up, and then there were some voices and barking dogs. An official, escorted by two soldiers, walked to the city gate and stared at the two
He swept his nostrils around and then said lightly: "Teach the rules first..."
Then he left, leaving two county soldiers behind.
The county guard coughed, pulled his neck and yelled: "Everyone should line up damn well! If you don't line up, the door won't open! Use the sign to register and receive food! Those who don't bring the sign, get out! Remember it all, the ugly words are here."
Front! No loud noises allowed! No pushing and making trouble! No disruption in queues! No false claims! No staying without reason! No..."
County Soldier A seemed to have forgotten his words, so he turned around and asked County Soldier B, "What else is prohibited?"
The second county soldier scratched his head and said: "I can't remember... Anyway, be damn honest! Get out of here after receiving the food! Anyone who makes trouble will get fifty sticks! Don't blame me for being rude!"
The county soldier nodded and said: "That's right! They're all lined up! What the hell are you looking at?! Stand on the roadside! Is this road meant for you to stand? You exposed bitch! Get out of the way!"
!』
Another hour passed, and the sun had already climbed above the treetops.
Niu Sixia was in a daze, always feeling like something was not done, and feeling a little panicked. She lowered her head and looked at the sign in her hand. The sign was still there. She touched the bag in her arms again, and the bag was also there.
, Well, all the important things are there, Niu Sixia feels a little relieved, so what hasn't been done?
Niu Sixia's turbid eyes wandered, and then she suddenly realized that at this time, according to normal times, she should have already gone to the fields, and then she was inhaling the smell of earth and sweating in the fields, but now she can only
I'm just waiting in line here, so naturally I feel a little uncomfortable...
The city gate creaked open a crack, and then a dozen county soldiers with knives and guns filed out, shouting and shouting, their voices shaking the sky, and then pushed the farmers, and even
Use weapons to beat the farmers to make them obey the rules. County Soldier A and County Soldier B walked at the front, holding their scabbards and whipping the farmers who they thought seemed to be out of line or not in line.
Niu Sixia was also hit on the back, and it hurt. Niu Sixia looked at his feet. He was indeed standing on the roadside, and he was not in the wrong position, but he didn't say anything, not even uttering a sound.
No.
The rest of the farmers were the same, without saying a word or resisting. Even after being knocked down, they got up with blood and lined up, like a group of sheep trapped by an invisible fence.
Then some more people walked out of the city, followed by County Soldier A and others, smiling shyly.
The county soldier raised his head slightly, and the dozen or so people bent down and moved towards the front of the queue. Then the soldiers began to beat the farmers who were originally in the front, and forced another dozen people to do it.
Some spots were squeezed out...
A group of "sheep" lowered their heads silently, without even making a sound.
Another half an hour passed before some soldiers brought the mats and tables. They spread them out on the wooden platform and put up cloth umbrellas to protect them from the sun. Then the officials, who were full of belly, slowly walked up to the wooden platform and drank first.
I took a sip of water and then started to sharpen the ink. I took out a bag from my sleeve, took out my brush and dipped it in the ground ink. It seemed that I was completely ready, but I suddenly stopped and put the tip of the brush in my hand.
He brought it close to his eyes, stared at it for a long time, and after pulling off a half-unbroken brush hair from the tip of the pen, he coughed and said feebly: "Come...come..."
The process is very simple. You need to register with the wooden sign at the city gate to get a ticket, then go to the first rice shop at the street entrance to collect food. After collecting the food, go out through the other city gate.
The dozen or so people in front arrived very quickly and didn't seem to say a few words. The clerk looked at the sign and then registered directly. Everything seemed to go smoothly, but what he didn't expect was that after the first dozen or so people passed by, they unknowingly
It slowed down...
"Name?" the county soldier asked.
"Huh?" A farmer didn't respond.
"What the hell?! What's your name?" County Soldier B shouted.
"The little ones...the little ones are called dogs..." the farmer replied in fear, wondering if something was wrong with him. These farmers in front had been waiting since yesterday, and then stayed up all night.
Although autumn is not as cold as winter, it is impossible to stay awake after staying up all night without eating.
The clerk glanced at the wooden sign, then threw it down, "The name doesn't match...retreat..."
"No! No! Little one, little one, remember now, the little one is called Sheep Sandong! Sheep Sandong!" The farmer grabbed the wooden sign and shouted in sudden realization.
"Retreat..." the clerk said expressionlessly, "Next..."
The farmer wanted to fight for it again, but the soldiers on both sides had already pulled their spears backwards and beat him head and face!
"Here comes someone! Disrupt the queue! Fifty sticks!" shouted the county soldier, "He can't even remember his own name, what a fool! Next one! Come over here, you have to wait."
I want you please? Name!』
"Small...small, also called sheep, sheep Sandong..." The next farmer presented the wooden sign, swallowed his saliva, and said dryly.
Names such as Niu Sixia, Sheep Sandong, Ma Yuanchun, etc. are the new names of these farmers who came to Guanzhong, and they are also the remembrances engraved on the wooden plaques.
"How many people are in the family?" County Soldier Yi asked.
"Three, no, four people..." the second sheep Sandong replied. The rations for four people were naturally more than those for three people, but his subconscious change of words brought trouble.
The clerk threw down the wooden sign again with a "pop" sound, "The number of people does not match, retreat..."
The second sheep, Sandong, was more flexible. He bowed quickly and said: "My little wife just gave birth to a baby in the summer. I don't know if she can survive, so I didn't report it... Noble man, I have pity on the little one... The little one is three."
People are counted as three persons..." Han law stipulates that children before the age of fourteen must hand in oral money every year. Adults' "oral money" is called "fu".
"Hmph!" The county soldier snorted coldly, and said with a crooked mouth, "Waiting until you get through the autumn tax before paying for it will save you a year's worth of money, right? Come on! Beat this unruly citizen out! Next one!"
』
The third, the fourth...
The queue moved slowly. From time to time, some farmers couldn't answer, or made mistakes in their expressions, and were beaten out. Some of them staggered back dejectedly, while others gritted their teeth and grabbed handfuls of dirt on their heads.
He applied some paste to the wound on his face, and then walked back to the end of the queue.
It's Niu Sixia's turn.
Niu Sixia gingerly handed over her wooden sign.
"Name?"
"Niu Sixia." Niu Sixia responded.
"population?"
"Four" Niu Sixia stretched out four fingers.
"Hmm..." The clerk casually glanced at the numbers marked on Niu Sixia's sign, then turned over the bamboo slips on the side to check. Suddenly he frowned and smashed the wooden sign onto Niu Sixia's head, "
You are a bold and unruly person! I took it the day before, and today I am pretending to take it again! Stop it! A hundred sticks!"
According to regulations, you can only receive disaster rations once every fifteen days, and you cannot receive more. Of course, if you are willing to take the initiative and automatically receive less, that is okay.
Niu Sixia felt that her heart had skipped several beats, and then she couldn't help but call out: "No, little one! This is the first time for little one! It's really the first time!"
The clerk slapped his hand on the table, and even the pen and ink jumped up, "Coiled people! They are greedy for small profits, make excuses, and deceive the superiors! Pull them out! Punish them heavily!"
Several soldiers rushed over like wolves and tigers, held down Niu Sixia and dragged him out.
Niu Sixiayou shouted to himself: "My lord! This is really my first time here..."
"You dare to quibble! Beat me! Beat me hard!" County Soldier B pointed and shouted with an angry look.
The wooden stick smashed down and hit Niu Sixia's body. Different from the general driving and beating, the force of the slap on Niu Sixia's body was obviously much greater, and Niu Sixia was beaten immediately.
There will be blood flying everywhere.
"Small... injustice, injustice..." Niu Sixia was beaten and rolled all over the floor. At first, she could shout twice about injustice, but then she gradually became unable to move in the chaotic dust.
……_(:з ∠)_……
The county magistrate of the small town was accompanying Cai Yan, with a flattering smile on his face, his eyes lowered, and he nodded and bowed, not daring to look directly at Cai Yan. After all, it was rumored that General Hussar was interested in Cai Yan.
Now, I have been reported to the hussar place, do you still want the hat on your head?
However, on the other hand, it is also an opportunity. If Cai Yan can say a few nice words in front of the cavalry, wouldn't it be more useful than all the things he has done?
Therefore, the county magistrate of the small town naturally accompanied ten thousand people and rushed to the inn early in the morning. He greeted Cai Yan and asked about his welfare. He said that the small town was simple and the hospitality was not good, which made him very uneasy...
Cai Yan actually didn't value much external things, so he didn't object to the relatively simple inns in small counties. Instead, he was thinking about his responsibility in coming here, so he went to see the distribution of disaster food.
Seeing that the rice shops in the city were distributing disaster grains in an orderly manner to those who had taken the lottery tickets, everything seemed to be in order. Cai Yan asked again about the number of disaster grains distributed. The county magistrate also knew clearly, and he opened his mouth and said the number.
, nothing happened and I needed to ask the boss or anyone else about it.
All seem good.
Cai Yan was about to ask someone to write down all this and form a file when he heard Wang Shu on the side saying, "How about distribution outside the city? Would the county magistrate be willing to take us there to have a look?"
The smile of the county magistrate of the small town seemed to freeze for a moment, and then he cupped his hands and said: "Haha, this... tell Supervisor Cai, this... there are people outside the city who don't know etiquette, have ragged clothes, naked bodies, and unkempt hair and faces. It's inevitable that they will be dirty."
In the eyes of all you ladies, this... I'm afraid this may be a little inconvenient..."
Wang Shu glanced at Xiasan Road, the county magistrate's route, and sneered, "What's the inconvenience? Shu did it with his own hands back then... Could it be that now he's still afraid of the dirt?"
"..." The county magistrate swallowed, glanced at Wang Shu secretly, and then took a breath, "In this way, I will lead the way for you ladies..."
Although it is said to look outside the city, it is not possible to actually walk outside the city gate. Instead, one can go up the city wall and take a look at the city gate.
Outside the city gate, order seemed to be in order.
One by one, a well-known farmer in ragged clothes lowered his head. Although some people saw Cai Yan and others boarding the city gate, they did not dare to stare more than once, and they all squirmed forward silently.
With.
Go forward, inquire, register, issue a visa, then enter the city gate, go to the rice shop to collect the disaster rations, and then leave through the other city gate. There seems to be no problem.
"What's that over there?" Wang Shu said, pointing to some gray-brown marks on the road.
Chun Yuying took a few glances and said calmly: "It looks like blood stains." Although Chun Yuying was not old, she was a doctor and had seen a lot of filth and blood stains, so naturally she could tell them at a glance.
Wang Shu turned back to Cai Yan and said, "I'll go down and take a look."
"Ah? It's impossible!" The county magistrate waved his hands and said, "There are all unscrupulous people down here. Your daughter has a delicate body. If these unruly people don't know what to do and start making trouble, there will be consequences..."
Wang Shu whipped out a dagger from his sleeve with a "swipe" sound, spinning two blades up and down. The blade shone coldly under the sun, and then disappeared into the sleeve in an instant, and then pointed and followed.
Behind Cai Yan, more than a dozen guards from Fei Qian's guard camp looked sideways at the county magistrate, "It's too long, isn't it short... not to mention there is a Tiger Guard camp here... What did the county magistrate just say?"
Coming?』
The county magistrate couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his forehead and said, "My lady, if you please, please..."
After leaving the city gate and walking to the bloodstains, Wang Shu naturally saw Niu Sixia's body hidden behind the bushes on the roadside because of the change of perspective, and asked coldly: "What's going on?"
The clerk nodded and bowed and told the story, saying how arrogant, cunning, unreasonable, and greedy this unruly man was, how he dared to waste the goodwill of General Gu Hussar under the bright sky, how greedy, deceitful and presumptuous he was.
After receiving disaster food, and after being discovered such a criminal act, he did not repent, especially when he resisted violently and tried to do evil. Then he was naturally beaten to death on the spot by soldiers who upheld justice and order...
"Fake claim?" Wang Shu said, "Where is this person's nameplate? Come to me with the nameplate!"
The clerk realized that he was not wrong. He had indeed discovered that Niu Sixia was pretending to be the leader, so he was not very panicked. He quickly brought the list and presented it to Wang Shu.
Wang Yan looked at Niu Sixia's nameplate, which was stained with blood and sand, then shook off the bamboo slips of the roster and checked it according to the number on it. Then she suddenly smiled and asked the clerk in a warm voice: "What do you mean?
Did the person claim it the day before yesterday and come here to pretend to claim it again today?"
The clerk nodded and said, "Exactly!"
Wang Yan unfolded the name list, then pointed to one of the bamboo slips marked "Four Thousand Four Hundred Seven Hundred and Two" and asked, her voice turned cold, "There is no record under this person's name! How come you pretend to claim it?!"
The clerk's head buzzed, almost exploding. With his eyes distracted, he saw that the bamboo slip with the words "Niu Si Xia, Si Qian Si Bai Qi Shi Er" was indeed blank, with nothing written on it.
, but on a bamboo slip next door that says "四千四百七十三", is the mark that was received the day before yesterday!
"No... Xiao Xiao..." The clerk's eyes rolled, "Xiao Xiao did remember that this person has received... This, on top of this list is Xiao Xiao, Xiao Xiao, I remembered one person..."
Wang Shu still sneered: "Oh? Do you want someone to send someone to find this "four thousand four hundred seven hundred and three" person now and ask when he received the disaster food?"
Beads of sweat rolled down from the clerk's forehead. Knowing that he could no longer hide it, he knelt down on the ground with a thud and kowtowed repeatedly: "Little one, I was wrong for a moment... I thought, I thought..."
"You bastard!" The worried county magistrate followed him. When he saw the situation, he rushed forward angrily and kicked the clerk until he rolled to the ground several times.
I am temporarily assuming this position and carrying out this important task! I never thought that you would be so arrogant and negligent. What crime should you deserve?! Someone, take him down!"
Turning his head, the county magistrate smiled and said to Wang Shu, "Cang Cao had been working hard for many days and his eyesight was dim, so he asked this person to temporarily take over the accounting post for a few days. He never thought that this person was so sparse that he could not be used, but it turned out to be like this.
It was careless...but I don’t know how Wang Xiuzuan thought this matter should be handled..."
Wang Shu smiled and said: "You are only responsible for Zhiyin. Naturally, the county magistrate has the final say in this matter..."
When the county magistrate saw that Wang Shu could not be tricked, he smiled sadly and said: "This, of course, of course..." turned his head and pointed angrily at the limp clerk, "Put him in a prison! He will be held accountable according to the law!"
The county magistrate said with gritted teeth and fire in his eyes. He obviously hated this little official to the core. He obviously saw that everything was arranged well and the momentum was good, but he was suddenly screwed up by this little official's negligence. How could he feel in his heart?
No hatred?
There was noisy farce at the city gate, chickens were flying, dogs were jumping, and dust was flying, but Niu Sixia, who was lying quietly behind the bushes, was quiet and motionless, looking at him with a pair of cloudy eyes open all his life.
He has never taken a good look at the blue sky. Perhaps he could only stare at the turbid earth during his lifetime, and only after death can he see the clear blue sky...
