Chapter 393

Qiaotou stronghold is more than ten miles away from Baiyan town. There are dozens of families and more than 200 people in the stronghold, almost all surnamed Wang.

Because there are many mountains and few fields, like other villages, the people in the stockade, in addition to renting some paddy fields from the town master's house, have to go hunting in the mountains on weekdays to make a living.

Each family can rent only one or two acres of paddy field, and collect more than 500 kilograms of millet. Seven of them have to be handed over to the landlords in the town, and each family can get more than 100 kilograms of millet every year. In this way, there are still more monks and fewer people, and each family is scrambling to rent paddy field.

Due to the long journey, the fur, game and some rare medicinal materials obtained from hunting are also sold directly to the landlords in the town.

Occasionally, someone wants to sell in the city for a good price, but finally he loses his money. He is beaten by the naughty scoundrels in the city and returns with a black face. Over time, no one will try to sell in the city by himself.

It can be said that the villagers' food, clothing, housing and transportation are virtually firmly controlled by the landlords in the town. For generations, they belong to the state of being hungry and hungry.

Although the villagers are ignorant, they don't really want to live like this, but they don't know how to resist.

But these days, the villagers saw a glimmer of hope because Mrs. Xu told them that in the future, they only need to pay 50% rent and 10% tax, and they can get 40%.

Although it is only 10% more than before, if it is true, it is also a great happy event. The key is that the wasteland and paddy fields reclaimed by themselves will also belong to themselves in the future, and no one can seize them.

Of course, what the mountain people care about most is that the Congress of the Qin Dynasty opened two shops in the town, which will not only sell salt, iron, cloth, etc., but also buy the villagers' mountain goods.

The price sounds exciting. Salt, iron and cloth are almost twice as cheap as those sold in the town, and the price of mountain goods is several times higher.

Although Mrs. Xu claimed that there were hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses in the Qin Dynasty, and there was no opponent in the Daming Dynasty, and the Hua king would be an emperor sooner or later, after all, the sky was high and the emperor was far away, and the villagers were still worried.

Although I hope that Mrs. Xu can come to the village and tell them about the outside world every day, no one dares to promise what they really want to do. It's more like the people want to get some spiritual comfort from Mrs. Xu.

However, widow Wang, the poorest in the village, made up her mind to send her son to become a soldier.

Widow Wang's husband died early, leaving an old father-in-law and a young son. There was no pillar in the family, so she could neither rent paddy fields nor go hunting in the mountains. If the villagers hadn't helped her on weekdays, I'm afraid the family would have been unable to live long ago.

Early in the morning, widow Wang's house smelled of rice for the first time. In the dilapidated main room, the mother and son shared a bowl of rice porridge and ate it. They were still full of meaning.

"Son, why don't my mother cook some more for you?" Widow Wang looked at her son licking all the water stains in the bowl. She felt really bad in her heart. She gritted her teeth and said.

"Mother, you'd better keep it." Widow Wang's son is only 17 years old this year. Although he is tall, he is thin. At first glance, he is suffering from chronic malnutrition. Wen Yan put down his bowl and wiped the corners of his mouth.

"OK, I'll cook some for you that night, and I won't eat it." The king's widow touched her son's head and her face was full of love.

"Mom, I don't want to be a soldier." Wang gouer raised his head at this time, and his eyes showed firmness that was not in line with his age.

"Why not go for such a good opportunity? You're going to be so angry, aren't you? " Widow Wang was in a hurry, and her tone was never more severe.

Obviously, even for women, she knew that if her son stayed in the mountains, she could only be as confused as his father all her life. If she wanted to get ahead, becoming a soldier was the only chance. Although she didn't give up and worried, she still hardened her heart and decided to send him to become a soldier in the hope that he would get ahead in the future.

"But mom, what will you do if I leave? Now that I have grown up, I can go hunting in the mountains with my third uncle and stay in the village. I can support my mother and myself. "

Wang gouer said and shook his fist. In fact, he was full of longing for the outside world, but he knew that his mother's health was getting worse and worse in recent years, and he couldn't live without him.

"Didn't my mother tell you yesterday? Mrs. Xu has promised to lend me some money and open a shop in the town. In the future, there is no problem for my mother to support herself. You can go to the army at ease and make military achievements in the future. You can not only honor your ancestors, but also marry a beautiful woman like Mrs. Xu. "

Widow Wang was also gratified, but she still said with a straight face. When it came to the last corner of her mouth, she showed a smile.

Wang gouer thought of the fairy like Mrs. Xu. His face flushed and his eyes were full of longing, but then he said in a low voice: "but... Third uncle, they said that master Huang in the town would not agree to this. No one knows whether Mrs. Xu's story is true or not. After all, she is an outsider and wants to go."

"Don't listen to your third uncle's nonsense. My mother can see that Mrs. Xu is kind-hearted and really thinks of us. She won't cheat us. You can rest assured to become a soldier. Don't think nonsense. My mother will take care of herself."

Widow Wang said seriously on her face. In fact, she didn't believe she could open a shop, but in order to reassure her son, she could only say so.

"Tie them up."

At this time, several people suddenly broke in outside the hospital. Suddenly, the head was the big housekeeper of the Huang family. Behind him, several big men were carrying sticks and ropes in their hands.

And the people in the village rushed over after hearing the news. Soon, the yard was surrounded by people.

"What are you doing?" Widow Wang rushed to the stove, took the only kitchen knife in her hand and protected her son behind her.

But Wang gouer grabbed the kitchen knife, took a step forward, protected the widow behind him, and stared at several people.

"What are you doing? Widow Wang, don't you know what you've done? "

"What did I do?"

"Hum, you killed your father-in-law last year and fought with your son. It's hard for a wicked woman like you who doesn't know human relations and shame and has no humanity to be arrested." The head housekeeper snapped.

"Ah! I fought with you... "

When Wang gouer heard this, he was immediately furious and wanted to jump on it. However, widow Wang hugged him and then turned his head to scold the housekeeper:

"Housekeeper Huang, don't talk about it. Who doesn't know that my father-in-law died of hunger? As for me and my son... That's nothing at all. You dare to splash dirty water on my mother. If I don't make it clear today, I won't finish with you. "

"I dare to argue. If you didn't deliberately give your father-in-law something to eat, would he starve to death? Dare you say you didn't kill it? What did you do when you slept in the same bed with your son? Do you really think others don't know? "

The housekeeper snorted coldly, then waved, and a ten-year-old child was brought over.

The child was also from Qiaotou stronghold. He bowed his head and obediently said what he had overheard about the mother and son's joint annihilation.

There was an uproar.

Although everyone didn't believe it, the child said he had a nose and eyes. As a result, when the housekeeper ordered the servants to rush up and catch people, the villagers hesitated, but no one stood up to stop them after all.

Even if some people guessed that widow Wang's mother and son were wronged, they were afraid that the Huang family would retaliate in the future and their family would be implicated. At this time, they also chose to remain silent.

In the face of several strong men, mother and son were naturally not rivals. They were not only beaten black and blue, but also tied up and escorted back to the town.

Wang gouer's eyes were red and he struggled desperately, but widow Wang scolded. When she saw that no one in the village stood up, her heart was filled with sadness. These are all members of the Wang family!