"Fighting for mines?"
After hearing the tea stall owner's reply, Zhu Ping'an's first reaction was the battle for mining in Yiwu, and he couldn't help but blurt it out.
"Oh, sir, you have also heard about the battle for mining in Yiwu?!" The tea stall owner opened his mouth in surprise.
"I've heard a little about it." Zhu Ping'an nodded.
"What the adults said was right. The fighting and shouting down there is really a battle for the mines." The tea stall owner said admiringly.
"It's really a mine dispute. I wonder if the boss could explain it in detail?" Zhu Ping'an asked with a bow.
"It is my honor. However, I have never been to school, so I may not be able to speak in order. I will just talk about whatever comes to my mind."
The tea stall owner scratched his head and said embarrassedly.
"Haha, it's okay, boss. Just say whatever you think." Zhu Ping'an said with a smile.
"Then I will boldly talk about the mine dispute in Yiwu. To be honest, my family is also an outsider, not a member of the Yiwu clan. Otherwise, my family would not have the time to set up a tea stall beside the official road and would have to participate in the mine dispute. Otherwise, the clan would not tolerate members who do not contribute."
The tea stall owner cleared his throat and spoke to Zhu Pingan and others.
"That's right. Our clan rules also stipulate that if there is a fight involving the clan, all young and strong men from the same clan must participate. If they don't, they will be expelled from the clan, kicked out of the family tree, and will never be able to perform sacrifices again." After hearing this, Liu Dadao nodded and continued.
Zhu Ping'an nodded silently. Feudal society was the heyday of the clan system. There is a saying that "national power does not extend below the county level. Below the county level are clans. All clans are self-governing. Self-governance depends on ethics, and ethics creates gentry."
"In Yiwu, there are many mountains and little land, and farmers have a hard life. Fortunately, God has blessed us with many mines in the mountains, including silver, tin, copper and iron mines. Yiwu people rely on mining to supplement their families. Wherever there are mines, there are fights. The local Yiwu clans fight among themselves, and the Yiwu people and Yongkang people also fight. He said that he discovered it first, that the mine is within the scope of his clan, and that the mine is close to them. The husband said that the husband is right and the wife said that the wife is right. No one wants to give in, but no one can convince anyone. In the end, whoever grabs it gets it. This fight is like commonplace. Weapon fights are also common, and casualties are also common. It's a pity that young men, old men, and middle-aged women and young wives just died like that..."
The tea stall owner thought of the scene of people falling down after the fight, and couldn't help but sighed and spoke slowly.
"The fight has been going on for two months and is the largest in recent years. The source of the fight is a silver mine in Beilei, a small town in Yiwu, not far from here. People from Yongkang discovered a silver mine in the barren mountains of Beilei. Because Beilei is in Yiwu, in order to seize the silver mine, the Yongkang people gathered more than a thousand people across the border to Beilei to occupy it. If the Yiwu people knew about it, they would definitely not agree. This silver mine belongs to us in Yiwu. What qualifications do you people from Yongkang have to occupy the mine? Chen Dacheng, a wealthy man in Beilei, The official called together people from the same clan to protect the mine. However, there were many people in Yongkang. The Yongkang people said that they were the first to discover the mine, and they relied on their numbers to forcibly occupy the mine. Chen Daguanren and his people suffered losses, and several of their clansmen were beaten to death. The various ethnic groups in Yiwu intermarried with each other, and most of them were related. When people from Chi'an, Maodian and other places in Yiwu heard that Chen Daguanren and his Beilei people suffered losses, they also actively participated in helping Chen Daguanren to protect the mine. Together with the Beilei people, there were about 2,000 people, fighting with the Yongkang people. This fight lasted for two months, and we Yiwu people were gaining more and more advantages. "
The tea stall owner continued.
"Turns out it's a silver mine, no wonder there's such a grand commotion." Liu Dadao and others suddenly realized what was going on when they heard this.
"Thank you, boss, for clearing up my doubts. Let's go to the front and take a look at the mining site in Yiwu." Zhu Ping'an thanked the tea stall owner, and then said to Liu Dadao and others.
"Sir, you must be careful and don't get too close, because once a fight breaks out, only clans will be recognized. If you are not from my clan, you will be our mortal enemy." The tea stall owner worriedly reminded Zhu Pingan and others.
"Thank you for the reminder, boss. We are up there, watching from a distance and won't get too close." Zhu Ping'an thanked the tea stall owner again.
"Yes, yes, just watch from above." The tea stall owner nodded vigorously.
"Boss, please save the food for us. We will come back to eat later." Liu Dadao and others reminded.
"Don't worry, soldiers." The tea stall owner patted his chest, "When you come back, I promise it will still be hot."
Under the protection of Liu Dadao and others, Zhu Ping'an walked to the front of the slope and saw from afar the shocking fight below.
The distance was still far and the view was not very clear, but it was still shocking. The densely packed crowd, there were at least three or four thousand people, it was like a small battle, people were rushing back and forth, and the shouts of killing were earth-shaking.
"Go a little further." Zhu Ping'an looked down the slope. There was an undulating high ground about a hundred meters ahead, where he could see more clearly. At the same time, this high ground was high above the ground and was far away from the fight below, so it was safe enough.
So, Zhu Ping'an took Liu Dadao and others slowly down the slope and came to the high ground to observe the fight below.
The closer we are, the clearer we can see, and the more shocked we are.
There were more than 3,000 people, including men, women, young and old. Most of the people in one group had red ropes tied around their arms. They must be from Yiwu. No matter they were young men or women, they were all very fierce and aggressive. They held knives, forks, sticks, kitchen knives, axes, hoes, sickles and other farm tools in their hands, as well as many red tasseled spears and homemade weapons. They had fierce gleams in their eyes and roared like tigers descending from the mountains. They rushed towards the Yongkang people fearlessly, hacking and killing them...
Some people were pierced through by spears, blood spurting out of their mouths. They rushed towards the Yongkang people with their spears and died together with them.
Some had their legs chopped off and were pulled out of the battlefield by their own people, but they crawled back into the battlefield again with a fearless attitude of death.
Some fathers were hacked to death by Yongkang people. The elder brother picked up the hoe from his father's hand without saying a word, rushed in, and beat a Yongkang man to death with one blow. As a result, he was stabbed to death by more Yongkang people. The younger brother wiped his tears, took the hoe from his brother's hand, and rushed in without hesitation, not knowing what death was.
... ...
Judging from the situation, the people of Yiwu have an absolute advantage, while the people of Yongkang are retreating step by step and are on the verge of defeat.
Liu Dadao's mouth opened as wide as a box, and he gasped one after another. He was so shocked that he couldn't utter a word.
Zhu Ping'an was the same. He stood on the high slope, silent for a long time, and sighed deeply.
This scene will never be forgotten!
He was full of hatred and brave, and he looked down upon himself. In my life, I had never seen such a fearless person! To use a modern popular phrase, it was: so terrifying!
No wonder in the future history, when Qi Jiguang saw the fighting among the people of Yiwu, he decided to recruit soldiers in Yiwu!
This is a natural soldier! (To be continued)