He Mulan, who would never let Luo Hun worry, was crouching under the city gate and watching the pedestrians coming and going.
It was raining heavily when they came out, and now the rain has gradually stopped. He Mulan and Ci Xin climbed over the camp wall and came out, wearing only scorpions. Halfway through the journey, they could only think of sheltering from the rain, so they entered the county town they had passed by on the way.
Master Cixin disappeared as soon as he entered the city, and he went to "seek for opportunities" in the name of fame, and agreed to meet He Mulan under the city gate after an hour.
Just when he left, he was going to take away all the gold, silver and valuables that could be exchanged on He Mulan.
He Mulan didn't know why Master Cixin did this, but she firmly believed that he was a good person because she had seen his relics.
Buddhism believes that only eminent monks can burn the relics after cremation, and both Chiran and Airan are figures with Buddha nature and wisdom, so their masters are only better.
With this thought in mind, He Mulan gave him everything he had, and then obediently waited under the door for him to come back.
This county is called "Xiu'an". It belongs to a small town on the border between Wei and Xia, so it can be considered prosperous. Because of the prosperity, there are many people coming and going. The tattered boy sitting under the doorway was particularly noticeable.
More and more people pointed at him, and even He Mulan couldn't stand it anymore.
'Anyway, see you in an hour, I'll walk around first, and come back when the hour is over...'
He Mulan slowly stood up.
"Ah, move!"
"I'll tell you he's fine, but luckily you didn't lead his horse..."
"Who knew he was fine, I thought he was motionless when I saw him..."
The messy whispers were accompanied by a few disappointed sighs, and the city gate officer and the people who were poking and poking all dispersed.
He Mulan put on his mino coat and hat again, touched Dahong, and led it to Xiu'an County.
This red horse is really tall, and He Mulan is wearing Zuo Zhen and wearing Xianbei clothes, and his imposing manner is not like a commoner.
Ever since He Mulan became a "general", he hadn't been to the market properly. Compared to Tuoba Tao who went out for private visits every now and then, He Mulan's knowledge and experience were pitiful enough to surprise others.
Due to the previous rain, the most prosperous part of the market became very depressing and cluttered. She saw a group of people kneeling on the ground with straws on their heads under a certain shed.
In front of them, a group of men were talking, and they were surrounded by strong men, watching them without blinking, especially their bound hands and feet.
He Mulan was slightly taken aback before she remembered that this was probably "selling one's body by sticking a mark". The one who was talking about the seller and the trafficker, and the one kneeling was the slave.
The strong men around are naturally thugs.
Seeing He Mulan walking towards them, the middle-aged man who was talking under the shed smiled kindly at her:
"Do you want to take a look at this friend? They are all soldiers in the Xia Dynasty. They are all strong and strong, especially able to fight and endure hardships."
The traffickers traveled south and north, with a pair of eyes that were more profitable, but after a few glances at He Mulan, he knew that this was a figure in the Xianbei army, and his status was not low, otherwise he would not have such a good horse.
Everything in the Xianbei Army speaks of military merit, even if it is a general, if the merit in a certain battle is not as good as that of the people below, the people below can choose the best spoils first. This is the foundation for the military household system to be maintained.
Dahong is like a business card, showing the bravery and status of his master.
He Mulan did not directly participate in the battle between Hu Xia and Wei. He only knew that the war lasted for two years, during which many Xia and Xianbei people died. It's all nearing the end.
But now that the war had passed for a year, and Xia's soldiers were still being sold, He Mulan couldn't help being a little surprised.
If they were prisoners of war, they should have been redeemed long ago, or given to heroes, when the great victory was over.
"Xia Guo's soldiers? Are you kidding me?" He Mulan showed a deceived expression, "It's been more than a year since this battle ended, haven't Xia Guo's soldiers become flat summer households and returned to farming? "
The men who were kneeling on the ground and sticking the mark on their heads could not understand Xianbei words, or they understood but were unwilling to pay attention to them. They were still numb like lambs and just looked down at the ground.
"At first glance, you are a noble person who doesn't eat human fireworks." Seeing that He Mulan did not leave, the trafficker asked about the details. He shouted in his heart 'business is coming', and smiled apologetically at her and said, "You Wait a minute, I'll greet you when I'm done with my business."
Just like the style of a seasoned businessman.
The trafficker negotiated a price with the men in front of him, and one of the men handed over two pieces of silk to the trafficker, and pulled out a promising slave from the crowd.
In order to ensure that the slave's body is strong, all the men are only wrapped in cloth strips that can cover their lower bodies.
Only then did He Mulan realize that these men were kneeling there and bowing their heads not because of depression and numbness, but because as long as they hunched over, they could only see their backs, whether their heads, faces, fronts, or lower limbs were just vague shadows.
No one would like to be exposed to the public naked like this, and so are those who want to sell their bodies.
He Mulan watched as the man exchanged two pieces of silk for a very strong man. The man's stature was not comparable to that of Mangu, and he was not very young, but looked like he was in his twenties.
With such a physique and age, plus the scars all over his body like a medal, he is a hero even in the Hu Ben army, but here, he can only press the documents numbly, and then be led by the master to the government to do a "deed" , since then marked the "slave" brand.
This is not the literal meaning, but the real "branding". The Xianbei and the Xiongnu still carry a deep legacy of the tribal system. For the robust male slaves, they usually use a branding iron to brand their own marks. Therefore, even if many slaves get rid of their status as slaves, they will live with this shameful mark all their lives. Unless it is really impossible to live, Hao Erlang will not choose to sell himself as a slave.
The trafficker sent a "customer" away, instructed a subordinate to "receive" the "customer" who kept coming to ask about the situation, and then personally received He Mulan.
"I've kept you waiting. What are you buying people for? War? Housekeeping? Farming?"
As he said, he introduced his "source of goods", "These are the soldiers of the Xia Kingdom who have fought for a long time. I suggest you buy them back to guard the home or become a private soldier. It is a waste of money for such talents to farm, and it is necessary to farm. There are many cheap ones to choose from. Just give them weapons and armor and they can go into battle. Of course, the price is a bit expensive, but it has the advantage of being expensive."
"How did they become slaves?"
He Mulan raised her eyes.
"You can rest assured about the supply of goods. I am a person who has been reported to the government, not a gangster who looted the population. These were originally Hu Xia's soldiers, and naturally they did not worry about food and wages in the army. Yes, but many people still didn't die and ran home."
He pointed behind him.
"But the people who farmed the land in Hu Xia were all moved to Wei Jing by the government. When these men returned home, their families were gone, and the fields in their families were nationalized by our country, so they couldn't live a life. The suzerain is very strict, and the locals are unwilling to take in these men from soldiers, so they can only sell themselves."
"That's a pity, they're all good guys..."
He Mulan showed a regretful expression.
"Who says it's not! But wars in our country have always been a matter of military households, and they only know how to fight. If those who know how to fight don't win, they generally won't survive. They're okay, at least they have some skills, and they sell themselves. If I can survive, I will suffer those who have broken hands and feet..."
The traffickers deliberately said pitifully, "We are also doing good deeds. If we help them find a good master's family, they may live a long life. After a long time, they may not become robbers."
"If a person who only knows how to fight does not win, will he generally not be able to live..."
He Mulan silently looked at the soldiers of Xia Guo who were kneeling there.
So, a year after the end of the war, they found that they could not live the life of ordinary people, so they wanted to sell themselves to be nurses and their likes
Those who won are also given fields, rewards, and trophies. What about those who lost? This is a living example.
The weak eat the strong, this is the law of heaven.
"This noble, which ones do you like?"
The trafficker smirked and showed her yellow teeth.
"Buy more to get cheaper."
"I was in a hurry to go out and I didn't bring any money."
He Mulan sighed and turned to leave.
"I can send people to your house! You can also take things as collateral! You can take this horse as collateral, and when you get the money, I will exchange it for you! Don't go! Look again!"
The trafficker saw that He Mulan seemed to be chasing him further and further, and hurried forward to try to catch up. Unexpectedly, the wind was blowing under He Mulan's feet, and he suddenly disappeared.
"Find me anytime if you want to buy it! My surname is Lu, and I'm just working in this market!"
The trafficker roared, then turned around and stomped his feet.
A few kneeling men raised their heads to look at him, only to see the one surnamed Lu showing a wry smile, shook his head and said in Chinese: "He looks kind, and he was born in the military, so he shouldn't waste your skills. I didn't bring any money with me, so I don't seem to be short of people. Sorry, I've tried my best."
These men who sold the monk's former surname Lu paid first, and if they couldn't sell it, they would smash it into their own hands. Nowadays, there are as many refugees as dogs, and people have no cattle that can farm the land to make money. This kind of business that pays first and sells later will lose everything if you are not careful. Lu "Boss" is willing to pay first to let their family get through the difficulties. Already a great mercy.
But human trafficking is a business of blood and tears. Sometimes there are so many perfections. After a while, a few slaves were picked, but they did not seem to treat slaves well.
As long as there are customers, he can't push, no matter how sympathetic Lu Ya is, he can only leave a sigh.
***
In the following time, He Mulan walked around the market casually, and found that even in a small and prosperous county, the number of old people and children was still very small.
If you turn a corner in Pingcheng, you may encounter a child and bump into you, but in this place where Wei and Xia meet, it is as if some strange force has screened out many people, leaving only adult men and women.
The market sells cattle and sheep, dairy products, eggs produced by themselves, cotton cloth, etc. The types of goods are really boring and the prices are messy.
The rain seemed to let He Mulan see the state of society under the "natural disaster" in advance. Even if it was just "raining" rather than a real natural disaster, the connotation contained in it was enough to make her shudder.
Because of the rain, there is very little dry place on the ground, and people who buy and sell things have to find a "suitable" spot, otherwise the goods and people will get dirty and wet.
He Mulan saw the frail being pushed away by the strong, and the muddy body was selling goods in the most inconspicuous part of the market. Stronger people, on the other hand, are triumphant and don't think what they are doing is wrong until they are treated that way by the stronger ones.
There is also an atmosphere of "strong" among the people. The strong are domineering and enjoy all the good resources, while the weak can only suffer from bullying and endure humiliation.
The state of the whole society is disgusting, not to mention the officials who come to blackmail from time to time with sticks.
"Canglin knows the etiquette in reality, and knows honor and disgrace when they have enough food and clothing."
However, is Cang Lin sure to "know the etiquette"? If you have enough food and clothing, you must "know honor and disgrace"
At least she sees a lot of neatly dressed people going to ravage/ragging those in ragged clothes and enjoys it.
He Mulan's values prevented her from bullying the weak again and again, but after being regarded as a madman again and again, she almost fled and ran back to the door, silently waiting for Master Cixin to find her back here.
The number of times is too many, to the point of frightening her, and this is only what happened in just an hour.
An hour had passed when He Mulan returned to the cave, but Master Cixin still disappeared.
An hour passed, another hour passed, and Master Cixin did not come back.
If it wasn't for He Mulan's firm belief in his character, he would have thought he had fled with the money now.
Until the evening, the sky was getting dark, the city gate had begun to close and locked, He Mulan still did not wait for Master Cixin, which made He Mulan unable to sit still.
If it hadn't happened to Master Loving Kindness, then something must have happened.
"Excuse me, did you see a monk so tall, with whiskers under his jaw, and wearing a mink robe and hat passing by?" He Mulan left the doorway and began to ask passers-by along the way.
"No."
"Why should I tell you?"
"Look for a monk to go to the temple!"
"I seem to have seen it at noon, and I was in front of me for alms..."
He Mulan asked one after another, and finally asked someone who knew.
"Where to beg for alms?"
"On the side street in front... But it's going to get dark soon, wouldn't it be better for you to look for it tomorrow?" The young man who spoke looked at her curiously.
"Do you need to stay? I know a nice inn. I'll take you there?"
He Mulan touched her empty waist pouch and shook her head.
"I need to find the master first. Thank you."
The young man left in disappointment, and before leaving, pointed to the street where she had alms for mercy.
Monks and Taoists in this era usually have many occupations. In addition to monks and Taoists, they are also psychiatrists, barefoot doctors, translators...
and begging.
Most monks with temples naturally don't go out for alms often, but for Master Metta, alms seem to have become a part of life. According to his words, every time he goes out for alms, he can transform into something, which makes him full of hope and respect for the world.
When the "fate" can't be "fate", the world is not far from the end.
Although He Mulan thought this statement was nonsense, it seemed to make sense when she thought about it.
This is probably the reason why religion has endured for a long time, because after many truths have been said in another way by these "superior people", people in this world who have not experienced chicken soup for their souls have indeed gained a lot of insight and inspiration.
There are probably not many monks here for alms, so He Mulan knew the answer she wanted by asking three or four people who were taking things home.
Master Cixin was invited back to save the child by a family in the alley at the end of the street.
"Save the child?" He Mulan was startled, "Are you sick?"
Speaking of this, people who knew the whole story couldn't help but sigh: "It's not illness, it's poverty. Hey, the great monk is also kind, I don't know what's going on now..."
He Mulan asked for a while, and finally heaved a sigh of relief when he learned about the family's situation.
It turned out that a new family lived in the alley at the end of the street. The husband lived by selling straw sandals and straw baskets in the market. The woman was probably not in good health and did not do much work. small.
Probably because the woman's health is not very good, and she eats less. After the child was born, she has been without milk, and relies on porridge and soup to survive. Both of them are sick, and I'm afraid they won't live long.
The woman was already sick, but this time it was even worse, and the children were not getting better. The men of this family had no way to do business, so they could only go home to serve their wives and children.
Seeing that the rain was a little lighter this afternoon, the man went to the market to sell shoes, but met Master Cixin for alms, I guess he went up to ask Master Cixin, knowing that he knew a little bit of medicine, he invited him home to treat the disease .
"...for so long?"
He Mulan thanked the man suspiciously, and started the task of "finding the Master of Compassion".
In a small county without urban planning like this, the alleys are also messy. When He Mulan found the alley at the "end of the street", the sky was completely dark.
This kind of "curfew" in small county towns is no different from no curfew, because when it gets dark, there is really no one everywhere, and you can't see your fingers. The effect of no one on the road.
He Mulan hadn't eaten for almost a day, her stomach was already grumbling with hunger, and she didn't have the money to spend the night. She was waiting to find Master Cixin to meet up. As soon as she arrived at the door, she couldn't wait to slap the door.
The so-called "house" was nothing but a shabby hut. After He Mulan patted the door, she even felt that the whole house was shaking.
"Master Cixin? Master Cixin? Are you there? Is there anyone at home?"
He Mulan patted the door, but did not hear any movement, and anxiety gradually rose in his heart.
Too quiet.
But where there are sick people, how can they be so quiet.
He Mulan knocked on the door perseveringly, and the neighbors on the left and right seemed to be alarmed, but when they saw He Mulan with a tall horse, he didn't seem to be offended, and they all shrank their heads back.
He Mulan took the photo for a while, but there was absolutely no movement behind the door, until she was gradually losing her patience, and suddenly there were a few weak cries coming from the room.
The cry was too small, like a milk cat humming.
He Mulan's eyes suddenly flashed in front of Wei Guo's expedition against Rouran, the baby who was suffocated by his clan, and he was even more shocked. He didn't care whether he would be regarded as a robber who broke in, and immediately kicked him with his leg!
Boom!
This break is not someone with divine power like He Mulan who can kick it open with one kick, let alone He Mulan, and the entire door collapsed in response.
He Mulan got into the room filled with the smell of medicine and took a closer look, she was shocked!
The hut was full of hay and scattered grass products, and in a slightly open corner lay a woman with a pale face, holding a baby in her arms.
That woman was also strange. As soon as she saw He Mulan rushing in, she immediately fainted with a groan, her face full of fear and fear.
But He Mulan couldn't care about what was wrong with the woman at this time, because Master Cixin was lying on the ground with his back tied up, his eyes closed, and he obviously didn't know the personnel.
Seeing this, He Mulan hurriedly rushed to Master Cixin's side, not daring to move him casually, only to check whether there were any wounds on his body.
Because Master Cixin's clothes were in a mess, and he didn't even have the bowl of alms beside him, which made He Mulan even more worried.
With a slight force on her hand, she broke all the straw ropes tied to him, and stripped off all the ropes that bound him in three or two strokes, and then she began to carefully check.
After some inspections, He Mulan found a large bag behind Master Cixin's head. Based on her experience, she deduced that it should be the result of the back of the head being hit by a heavy object. She pinched her and pressed her chest without much effort. He succeeded in awakening Master Cixin faintly.
"Master? Master?"
He Mulan panicked and shouted compassion.
"… Who are you?"
"What! Master, you don't know me anymore!"
He Mulan took a deep breath.
Do you want to be so bloody! She is not in the world of Korean dramas!
"Oh, it turned out to be the benefactor. I can see all the golden light in front of me, and I can't see your appearance." Ci Xin leaned on He Mulan's body and tried her best to open her eyes.
"The kid... how's the kid?"
He Mulan supported him against the wall and quickly walked to the woman's side.
The woman was fully limbed, neither injured nor bound, but curled up on the mattress. There was a terrible smell from the whole bed, on which the child and the woman lay.
The baby was wrapped in a swaddle, unable to tell whether he was awake or asleep, and his eyes were half-open and half-closed. He Mulan pushed the woman a few times, but the latter didn't move. She couldn't, so she could only carry the child out of the woman's arms.
As soon as he started, He Mulan felt that this child was too light, to the point of almost non-existent.
Due to the darkness in the room, she could only see the protruding jawbones of the baby, and the tip of her nose smelled the stench, which made people shiver.
"What the hell happened?"
He Mulan carried the baby to Master Ci Xin, and looked worriedly at the child wrapped in the swaddle.
"Have you met a robber?"
Ci Xin leaned against the wall and kept moving his limbs. He had been bound for too long, and his blood vessels were not smooth. Especially, the people who bound him were obviously random, so the bound hands and feet were somewhat dislocated.
He is proficient in medicine himself, and naturally knows that this state is very dangerous. Since he wakes up, he has pushed the palace to activate blood on his hands and feet, especially his legs. Now he can't stand up at all.
Hearing He Mulan's words, Ci Xin actually stopped her movements and touched the ground beside her.
Of course, he didn't touch anything, except for a few pairs of broken straw sandals.
"The heart is like a robber."
Compassionately chanted a Buddha's name.
"I was knocked out by the male owner of this house."
"what?"
No matter how calm He Mulan was, he never expected such a result!
"It's a long story, it's important to save people first." Ci Xin took the child from He Mulan with her recovered right hand, and slowly opened his swaddling clothes.
The swaddling clothes were dirty. Diarrhea was fatal for a sick child. He Mulan didn't look very good at that time. He searched the house and couldn't find any clean clothes. Large pieces, first wipe the child to replace.
"I'm going to report to the officer..."
He Mulan frowned and watched Master Ci Xin busy, then ran to the woman's bed, ready to carry her next to Master Ci Xin...
"Which one is the one who doesn't want to die, who dares to trespass on the houses in Xiu'an County, killing people and stealing goods!"
After a burst of noisy footsteps, the entire hut was surrounded, and then the fire started, and in this dazzling torch surrounded, the so-called "local snake" appeared.
It's just a few police officers in soapy clothes.
According to He Mulan's experience, seeing these people is always bad.
Sure enough, the man looked at He Mulan who was standing in front of the woman's bed, and then looked at her torn coat, and couldn't help snorting coldly.
"It seems that in addition to trespassing in houses, killing people and stealing goods, there are multiple intentions to rape/silver/women..."
"What? What are you talking about!"
He Mulan straightened up, not angry.
"Don't you have no eyes and no brains? Are you going to bully others and tear your clothes?"
Master Ci Xin was at a loss when holding the baby, because he looked around and didn't see anything to eat, not even water.
The child is already showing signs of dehydration.
"How dare you scold me for being brainless? I've been here for so many years, and I've changed a few heavenly masters. No one has been so arrogant after committing "The Law of Great Wei"!"
The leading officer gave an order and pointed at He Mulan and the kindness sitting on the ground.
"Arrest this man and that demon monk for me!"
He glanced at the corner of the room again.
"Go and see if the woman is dead!"