In the Years When I Was a Father

Chapter 53: Ancient Strict Father (10)

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One after another, many people came to the gate of the government office carrying the mountain goods stored at home, happily carrying rice on their backs, and running home excitedly with money in their pockets.

This winter, the people of Ningzhou finally ushered in their dawn. Many bandit villages in Ningzhou were disbanded one after another.

Liuyun Village.

"Boss, you said Master Qi bought mountain goods at such a high price, what if he can't sell them?"

Tian Laoer was a little worried when he thought of the long queue at the gate of the government office, and thought of the money he got, he shook his head and didn't dare to think about it again.

Xie Yun thought for a while and said: "Master Qi should have some connections, and now that the roads have been repaired, there should be caravans coming."

The third master couldn't help but come out and talk: "During this period of time, I asked my brothers to keep an eye on the official road, but there are still very few pedestrians passing by, let alone caravans. Boss, tell me, Mr. Qi has stored so much goods. If you can't sell it and throw it in your hands, will you ask us ordinary people for money?"

The corner of Xie Yun's mouth twitched: "No, wait a little longer, Mr. Qi should know if he dares to do this, no matter how bad it is, now that the roads have been repaired, it's not a problem to transport it out and sell it."

This is also the reason when everyone thinks about it. They have secretly recited it before and sold it. Now that Mr. Qi is the head of the family in Ningzhou, no one dares to stop him if he wants to ship out the goods openly.

A few days later, the magistrate’s yamen posted a new announcement, and now the people who are always paying attention to the government’s announcement can’t help but gather together to discuss it after being preached by the yamen servant.

"My lord, why is martial law suddenly in order?"

"What does that mean, my lord?"

...

"Severe punishments for robbery, beating and killing! Tell me, Master Qi wants to punish those bandits in Ningzhou?"

I don't know who said this, and it exploded instantly like a drop of water dropped into a hot oil pan. The people of Ningzhou were more or less involved with the bandits.

Liuyun Village.

Tian Laoer ran into the conference hall in a panic, and saw that everyone was standing or sitting with serious faces.

Tian Laoer didn't care what they were thinking at the moment, and asked anxiously: "Boss, Mr. Qi doesn't want to get rid of us now, does he?"

Just now I thought I could live a good life, but now I forget that they are still the most hated and hated bandits by the government!

Xie Yunzai carefully read the excerpted original words from the announcement, thought for a long time and comforted him: "Your Excellency only said that if the robbery and killing incidents are discovered now, they will be severely punished, and he did not say that he will ask about the previous crimes."

Tian Lao Er was puzzled: "But whether it was before or now, we are still bandits. Doesn't Master Qi just want to investigate and deal with bandits?"

Xie Yun looked at the brothers in coarse clothes who had just run up from the mountain and smiled silently, and said, "You are like this now, who dares to say that you must be bandits!"

Everyone looked down, and couldn't help but smile wryly. When they lived an honest life, no one upheld justice for them. Now that a good official has finally come, they have acquired an indelible bandit identity.

Xie Yun thought of something and asked again: "Is there any news about the second head and third head of Qingmu Village?"

The third leader who was in charge of making inquiries replied: "It's still the old news, saying that he was locked up in a prison to work, and now I don't know if he is still alive."

Xie Yun frowned, stared at the piece of paper in front of him, clenched his fists, and made up his mind.

At this moment in Qingmu Village, all the family members started crying again.

"My poor son, woo woo... now he is finally going to be dealt with, Da Zhuang, you can't just sit idly by!"

"That's right, Brother Liu, my man was messing around with you back then, and now Master Qi wants to deal with the bandits, you can't just ignore him."

Boss Liu had a headache. He had been feeling better for two months, and now it came again.

Boss Liu said: "Master Qi didn't say that the second and third children will be sentenced, don't worry, I'll go and find out soon—"

It's a pity that before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by the old lady of the third family: "When you find out clearly, maybe my son's head will fall to the ground, God, how can I live like this, no, I have to go to the magistrate to plead for mercy Go, although my son is a bit messed up, he hasn't done anything harmful, so why should he beheaded!"

Now Qi Sheng's new announcement has long been misinterpreted by everyone, but most people feel guilty that Qi Sheng wants to investigate the bandits.

Boss Liu got a headache from the noise, so he slapped the table and said loudly: "Stop arguing! Master Ruo Qi really wants to deal with it. As the boss of Qingmu Village, I will definitely not let the second and third children take the blame alone. At worst, I will replace them! "

As soon as Boss Liu finished speaking, a few family members who were crying were mute, but the wife of Boss Liu who was standing next to him refused to obey at this moment, and cried and scolded the family members who had just yelled loudly: "At the beginning, my man asked everyone under him to be honest. At that time, it was the second child and the third child who secretly found someone to stop Master Qi, why should I let my man take the blame now!"

The family members knew they were wrong, but this matter was about the lives of their own family members. They decided to risk their face and fight for one or two for their family members.

Qi Sheng didn't know that the decree he had just announced had caused an uproar among the people of Ningzhou. Counting the days, those caravans would soon reach the border of Ningzhou.

**

On the official road leading to Ningzhou Fuya, there are soldiers guarding every section of the road. The bandits who have not been disbanded in Ningzhou quietly looked at these strictly guarded soldiers, and they were a little bit sad, until...

"Boss, boss, there is something important!"

The fourth master of Liuyun Village ran in yelling, making everyone extremely nervous, even Xie Yun, who was sitting at the top, stared at the fourth master intently.

It's a pity that Sidang's family was very tired from running all the way, and after panting for a while, he said: "I took someone to patrol outside just now, and the third brother suddenly ran in and told me..."

Before finishing a sentence, he took a few breaths, making Xie Yun want to kick him twice.

Seeing the boss's displeasure, the Sidang family did not dare to stop, and said: "The third brother said that when he went to the front to inquire about the news, he learned that there was a long caravan coming from Ningzhou. Caravan."

Everyone was shocked, and most of them didn't believe it. There had been no caravans in Ningzhou for many years. They were all from the wealthy businessmen of the previous government. How could there be so many businessmen suddenly? .

After resting at the foot of the mountain for a while, San Dang also rushed over. Seeing the disbelief on everyone's faces, he said firmly, "It's true. I saw with my own eyes. There are more than ten carriages alone. And looking at the driveway, each carriage is equipped with It's full of goods!"

When everyone heard what he said, they finally believed them a little bit. They couldn't help but smile when they thought about the dozen or so carriages in their hearts.

Although Xie Yun is not as emotional as others, but those who are familiar with him can clearly feel his relaxation and good mood at the moment. Thinking of the announcement Master Qi made a few days ago, he finally understood the intention.

Xie Yun admired Qi Sheng in his heart, so he said to everyone: "I'm afraid these caravans were found by Master Qi. Listen, brothers, take good guys to guard in various places, and remember not to let people with bad intentions touch these merchants." !"

If the caravan is robbed this time, it may be difficult for Ningzhou to come to buy and sell in the future.

Everyone in Liuyunzhai also knew this truth, and followed orders one after another.

It wasn't just Liuyunzhai who was excited. Ever since the caravan entered the city, the people of Ningzhou had been watching beside the caravan with great excitement. Xu Yunyan, who had never seen the world before, made the corners of Xu Yunyan's mouth twitch. How long has it been since Ningzhou saw the caravan

One after another, several groups of caravans came. The people of Ningzhou, from the appearance of bumpkins at the beginning, have finally cultivated a normal heart. Looking at the rows of carriages passing by, they can walk calmly and normally. .

The arrival of the caravan has completely revitalized Ningzhou. The common people made a lot of money before, and now they finally have the opportunity to buy a lot.

"This piece of cloth is so beautiful, I didn't expect the price to be so cheap!"

"This sugar is also cheap. I never thought that one day I could afford brown sugar!"

"If you want me to say that the cotton is cheap, I don't have to worry about freezing this year!"

The people of Ningzhou are like a person who has been short of things for many years and suddenly breaks into a large department store. They are dazzled and excited at the same time, shopping wildly. There are a wide variety of clothing, food and drink, enough to satisfy their daily life. .

When Qi Sheng contacted the caravan, he attached the catalog of goods he needed, so most of the goods in the caravan this time were affordable and satisfied the people of Ningzhou. Seeing the bustling trading market, Qi Sheng turned around and left quietly. If it was discovered by the nearby people at this time, it would definitely be more exaggerated than the scene of being chased by crazy fans in later generations.

People who are enthusiastically devoting themselves to shopping don't know that their "idol" has just passed by them.

This New Year, the people of Ningzhou lived very comfortably. They thought that this year they would still have enough to eat as usual. Now, in just a few months, not only can they eat and wear warm clothes, but many people have also changed into beautiful new clothes.

Especially those who know a little about herbal medicine, take out the treasured medicinal materials to exchange for silver taels, and now they not only build a new house but also buy a few acres of land.

And Bai Orion happily took back the extra seven hundred taels with the paperwork. Now he has completely escaped poverty and became rich, and he can hold his head high even if he is limping on the road.

The people of Ningzhou completely regarded Qi Sheng as a god. During the Chinese New Year, many men, women and children gathered at the gate of the magistrate's office to kowtow and kneel in thanks.

Before the beginning of spring, the common people heard about the latest news of the government office before the spring seeds came.

"Hurry up, the magistrate has opened the hall! Everyone, go and have a look."

"Why did your lord open the hall suddenly? Go, go and have a look."

"I heard that a lot of gangsters were caught some time ago, and my lord planned to put them on trial in the first month of the new year."

Most of the people in Ningzhou who were closer to the government office couldn't stay any longer, put down their work and rushed to the government office one after another.

Except for those who were curious to see the excitement, it was the family members of the arrested prisoner, the second and third family members heard the news, and rushed to the government office in a hurry, but when they arrived, they saw the front of Qingmu Village. The people who attacked Qi Sheng rubbed their buttocks and walked out of the yamen with each other's support. Of course, the second and third leaders were carried out.

The people who came from Qingmu Village didn't dare to wait any longer when they saw this scene, they quickly came out to carry away the second and third family members, as for the others, they left quickly one by one.

It wasn't until they came to a house closest to the government office that everyone started asking questions.

"How did you come out? Didn't you say you were sentenced to beheaded?"

"What's going on here? The adults let you go just like that?"

"Thank goodness, Zhuzi, you are finally alright!"

Boss Liu saw that it was too noisy, so he yelled: "Okay, don't ask me, second brother, tell me, what's going on?"

Erdangjia lay on the bed, grinning his teeth and crying, and said with a sad face: "Can you give us some medicine first, it hurts me to death!"

It was only then that the second daughter-in-law remembered that her man was still injured.

Everyone rushed to buy a lot of medicine for treating bruises. After giving everyone the medicine, the second leader finally had the strength to speak out.

"My lord said that we have been active in admitting our mistakes during this time, and cooperated with the government's reformation. The third child and I were each fined 50 boards for leading the trouble, and they were each fined 30 boards."

The second daughter-in-law was a little unbelievable and asked curiously: "Didn't you say that someone was sentenced to beheaded and exiled? We almost died of fright when we heard the news, and the third bastard even passed out directly. Why did you only get a board?" ?”

The third family looked at the trembling old woman sitting on the side, wiped his face and said, "Someone was sentenced to beheaded, but it wasn't us, it was the gang from Hutou Village."

Boss Liu was surprised: "Hutou Village!"

The third master was also inexplicable, and said: "We don't know if we are locked up inside. Anyway, we heard about it when the adults tried the case. At first, we thought that the lives of my second brother and I would be gone this time. We were so scared that we almost kowtowed." break."

The third master didn't feel embarrassed when he told such a shameful thing, and even laughed cheekily.

The others didn't laugh at the two of them. It's better than anything else to be able to come back alive.

But Boss Liu remembered, "By the way, when the caravan was rushing here some time ago, the gang in Hutou Village dared to commit crimes against the wind. Fortunately, Mr. Qi has a strict deployment, otherwise it may be difficult for Ningzhou to have a caravan come here." gone."

As soon as everyone heard this, they all remembered that the government had indeed arrested a group of robbers a while ago, but because everyone didn't have a good impression of Hutou Village, they clapped their hands and applauded when they saw them arrested.

Unlike the poor people in Liuyunzhai and Qingmuzhai who were forced to become bandits, Hutouzhai was a den of bandits. They burned, killed, looted and did many bad things, and many innocent people died at their hands. Now that they heard that the people in Hutou Village had been severely punished, everyone felt much more at ease.

The third master took out the five taels of silver that he had hidden in his arms and handed it to his mother: "Mother, this is the wages Master Qi gave us, saying that it is a reward for our hard work in the past few months."

Seeing this, Erdang also took out the money to please his daughter-in-law, and Erdang's daughter-in-law happily took it, but the old lady of the third stood up tremblingly, and slapped the back of the third, and the painful third screamed.

"Mother, mother, my ass!"

Everyone couldn't help laughing when they saw how miserable he was, and the old lady of the third family said angrily: "Back then, Da Zhuang asked you to be more honest, but he managed to run and rob Mr. Qi. If there is something wrong with Mr. Qi, you will be the sinners of our entire Ningzhou You are ashamed to say five taels of silver, do you know that the children in our village alone have earned at least ten taels of silver, how dare you be proud of it!"

The third master said with a bitter face, "I can't believe it!"

Everyone in Qingmu Village finally felt relieved today. Today, Qingmu Village is dead in name only. Although they still gather together to discuss matters, most of them have returned to their old ways. Now that it’s the spring planting season, most of them are busy outside except for those who stay at home to recuperate from their injuries. stand up.

Qi Sheng not only distributed the previously confiscated land to the local people, but also improved the structure of the waterwheel according to the water flow in Ningzhou, and ordered everyone in the workshop to find craftsmen to process it as soon as possible.

After the waterwheels were built, the common people looked at the novel waterwheels with great curiosity. It was not until the crops were about to be watered that they discovered the practicality of the waterwheels.

There are very few plains in Ningzhou, and most of the land is terraced fields. In the past, when they watered the crops, in addition to guiding the water from the mountain to flow down, they had to rely on manpower to irrigate the water. The crops can also be irrigated, and the people of Ningzhou cheered one after another, no longer need to work hard for buckets of water!