No wonder no one is allowed to enter this place without giving out porridge, and there are so many homeless people here.
Old man Xu immediately led several people to discuss the matter.
They are good at work!
As long as you can have something to eat, what does it matter if you work hard?
Everyone had the same opinion, and Old Man Xu immediately decided to stop here and wait to see the situation tomorrow.
There were so many of them together that there was no room for them on this side of the road, so they had to camp in the woods opposite the city gate.
Each family put up thatch and settled down. In the evening, the city gate was opened, and many refugees who had gone in to work this morning were let out.
Many refugees dispersed to inquire about the situation of those who had gone in. Old man Xu asked Xu Chunhe and others to take Xu Dajun over there. If they could talk, they would talk. If they couldn't talk, Xu Dajun would ask Xu Dajun to look around and see what others said.
Thousands of refugees gathered outside the city, making it look like a New Year's fair. People were rushing in and out, so crowded that they couldn't move quickly.
Nearly three quarters of an hour passed before Xu Chunhe and others came back together, protecting Xu Dajun.
Several people told everyone what they had learned.
"They are organized by the county government. Some build city walls, and some build bridges and roads. In short, they work for a day, and they are given food after work in the evening. One person can get two liters of corn."
"We recruit people every day. We go in the morning and finish work in the evening. We do whatever we choose. Every day is different."
"The work is not hard, we young and strong can do it!"
"..."
Xu Dajun has a good ear and heard more news, "I heard that he won't be able to work for much longer. All the jobs in the city that can be done have been finished."
When everyone heard this, they had to hurry up and go tomorrow. If they can, they can work one day at a time.
Old Man Zheng sighed and said, "Working two liters of corn a day is so worthless."
In a normal year, they would go to town to work as part-time workers, and the money they earned in a day would be enough to buy five liters of corn.
"It's good if you can work hard in exchange for food. What I'm afraid of is that if you work hard but can't get food, then you really have no choice but to starve to death." Old Man Zhou said.
Old man Xu collected the information and made arrangements immediately. Tomorrow morning, all the men from each family would queue up. If they could be chosen, they would be able to bring back two liters of corn after a day's work. The old and young men at home would
There will be something to eat.
There was the fragrance of cooking corn wafting in the air, and not long after, there were faint sounds of cursing, crying and yelling from the other side.
But these have nothing to do with the families in the forest, and they don't pay much attention to it.
I chewed the jujube skins I picked earlier, not to stave off hunger, but at least there was something in my stomach. Everyone in the room drank two sips of sweet water, then curled up under the thatch skin and began to sleep and rest.
It was covered with thatch and it was pitch black, so people outside couldn't see what was going on inside.
Xu Yinyin quickly took out a piece of compressed biscuit and gave it to Xu Chunshan, asking him to eat it quickly to fill his stomach.
If I were selected to work in the city tomorrow, I would be hungry all day long, which would not be easy to bear.
Xu Yinyin was still worried that her father wouldn't be able to bear it, so she didn't feel bad at the moment. They were just hungry, and her father had to replenish his strength.
Compressed biscuits are very good at fighting hunger. A piece of compressed biscuit can last for two days. Xu Chunshan knew about this stuff, so he refused to eat a whole piece by himself. He divided it up and each of the four people had a piece.
.
This thing doesn't taste as strong as canned meat, but Xu Yinyin also felt guilty. She was afraid that Wuya under the thatch next door would hear it, so they acted like thieves and didn't make a sound. They ate it in a few mouthfuls and took it again.
The bamboo tube in the space came out and drank water.
The four of them ate and drank, then closed their eyes and fell asleep.
…
At dawn, there was movement at the city gate. Countless refugees crowded in at the city gate, so densely packed that it was difficult to see who was who.
Boss Shi and Uncle Zhang took the lead, leading men from several families, and came from the woods before dawn. At this moment, they were standing near the front, crowded in a pile, mixed with the refugees, and stretched out.
Crane your neck to see what's going on ahead.
It's cold, but it's still warm despite being so crowded.
Not long after, it was daybreak, the city gate slowly opened, and the officials in cloth robes came out with people to select people.
Only pick those who still have the strength to work. If you are so hungry that you have no strength and can't stand still, don't use them.
Although Xu Chunshan and others had sunken eye sockets and pale faces, they still looked energetic and stood firm.
Therefore, the petty officials came all the way and picked them all.
When Xu Sanlang and Zhang Sanlang saw that they had all been selected, they immediately turned back to report the news.
"Chosen, my dad and the others all chose him!"
When Old Man Xu and others heard this, they became happy and said, "That's good."
The men were gone, leaving only the old, weak, sick, and some half-grown men. Old man Xu restrained everyone and prevented them from wandering around, so he stayed under the thatch.
After noon, the foggy sky looked a little brighter. Old Man Xu asked Old Man Zhou and Old Man Deng to stay here and watch. He and Old Man Zheng took Xu Dajun, Zhang Sanlang and Xu Sanlang to the little boy behind the forest.
I went to the ditch to pick up two loads of river water and came back, and picked up some firewood on the way.
There is not much water in the river ditch, and there are many homeless people here. One person can pick something, and the other can pick something. If you want to pick more, there is none.
So I didn't bother to filter it slowly and laboriously, I only brought back two loads of water, I just set up a pot and lit a fire to boil it, let it boil and let it sit to drink the water on it.
Seeing that it was almost evening, and it was time for those who went to work in the city to call it a day, Old Man Xu asked his family to take out the fried rice that had been tied to their bodies and cook it in three large pots.
"This is the last ration. I have been tied up all the way and I still don't want to eat it." Old Man Xu and Old Man Zhou sighed.
Everyone else knew that before the Xu family left home, they helped the landlord in the village and got some food, not much. They thought they had mixed it with elm bark to make steamed buns and had already eaten it. Unexpectedly, they also made fried rice and tied it around their bodies.
.
"Dachuan and the others will be back with food later. Just tie up the fried rice first. If you can't bear it if you keep it at the back, why don't you take it out and eat it?" said Old Man Zhou.
Old Man Xu said: "The children have been in the city for a long day and I don't know if they can bear it. Let's cook it first and have a hot drink when they come back!"
I have been working hard today and I can bring back a lot of food. This little fried rice has been tied up for a month and is getting wet. It is good to eat it.
Besides, it’s not much. Even if it boils for three pots, there will still be more water than rice.
The clothes that had been tied up on his body were suddenly taken off. He was still a little unaccustomed to it, but smelling the rice fragrance made old man Xu's eyes turn slightly red.
The rice porridge in the pot was almost ready to drink, and there was movement at the city gate. Old man Xu ordered Zhang Sanlang and several boys to go over to greet him.
Not long after, Xu Chunshan and others came back, supporting each other with slow steps.
The women hurriedly met their men and their sons and helped them sit by the fire to rest.
Xu Chunshan and others were too tired to speak. They just took out the food they had received after work and handed them all together.
Old man Xu hurriedly asked the women to bring bowls of porridge, and first filled a large bowl for those who had done the work, letting them eat first and have a good rest.