Chapter 176
The caravans came and went, like migratory birds migrating from south to north. They would stop by the lake to rest, eat and drink their fill, and then continue on their journey.
When the weather really got hot, Sui Yu's guesthouse became deserted and it was rare to see a guest all day long.
The guesthouse was cleaned and locked, the camel pen was also cleaned, the sand in the pen was dug out and replaced with new sand, and the guesthouse was temporarily sealed, waiting for the next wave of guests to arrive.
In the distant wilderness, palm-high goldenrod grew, and a dozen camels walked leisurely among them.
With a "whoosh" sound, the iron arrow flew out. The gray rabbit hiding in the grass bounced a few times and then became silent. The big black dog ran over quickly, holding the rabbit in its mouth and dragging the arrow with it.
Sui Yu wiped the sweat off his face. The June sun was so hot that it almost scorched him.
Xiao Chunhong shot an arrow to the west, and the man who was squatting by the river drinking water fell into the river with a "thud" and disappeared immediately. She was so scared that she quickly threw away the bow and arrow and ran to the river.
"You shot someone?" Liu Yaer was shocked.
"No, he fell down by himself." Xiao Chunhong turned pale with fright.
When Sui Yu heard the noise, he hurried to the river.
When they reached the river, there was no one in the water. Xiao Chunhong picked up the wooden arrow stuck in the grass and explained, "I didn't shoot it. The arrow didn't even touch him."
"Where are the people? Did I see a ghost?" Gan Da went into the water. The water on the surface of the river was calm, but the flow rate underwater was quite fast. He almost couldn't stand.
"Search downstream. They may have been swept away." Sui Yu ordered, "Zhang Shun, Li Wu, grab two sticks and go downstream to salvage. Gan Da, go to the other side and shout, 'Their people fell into the river and were swept away.'"
The commotion here had alarmed the people building the wall on the other side. Most of the soldiers had left long ago, and only seven or eight soldiers who wanted to leave a good impression in front of Captain Hu were still holding on. They squatted behind the loess wall to avoid the shade, and more than twenty slaves were still silently tamping the earth under the scorching sun.
There is no one in charge, so even if they find out something has gone wrong, there is no one to come forward and make decisions.
"Your people fell into the river and were washed away. They probably got dizzy from the heat. It wasn't us who shot them." Gan Da climbed out of the river, dripping wet, and shouted.
An older soldier stepped forward and said, "He's the captain's personal servant. I'll go back and get the steward to come over."
"Let's salvage it first." Sui Yu said, "The river downstream is wide, you guys come with us to salvage it."
No one moved. It was summer, the flood season, and there were pits dug at the bottom of the river. If someone who couldn't swim stepped in, there was a high probability that they wouldn't be able to get out.
Sui Yu looked at the slave with a numb expression, and she called Shang Gan Da to run downstream.
With a "bang", the thick wood used to ram the earth fell to the ground, and a skinny slave followed, followed by another slave carrying the thick wood.
The remaining slaves looked at each other, and seven or eight more people chased after them, while the others moved their feet and stood still.
Zhao Xiping rode back and saw a group of people gathered by the river in the distance, poking around in the water with sticks. He asked Sui Liang, "What happened? Where's your sister?"
"A slave fainted from the heat and fell into the river while drinking water. He was swept away. My sister is leading people to salvage him," Sui Liang said. "He's been fine for a while."
"Bring the rope from the woodshed." Zhao Xiping ordered.
Yin Po and Meng Ma hurried into the house and brought back three ropes in a short while.
Zhao Xiping did not dismount, but rushed forward with the rope. When he got close, he dismounted without waiting for the horse to stop.
"Next, tie the rope around your waist." He threw the rope to Gan Da, Zhang Shun and Li Wu who were walking in the water holding the long pole.
"I don't know where he went." Sui Yu came over. "It was a long shot. When we ran to the river, he disappeared."
"The water in the river flows fast in summer." Zhao Xiping took off his shirt and handed it to her. He also walked into the river and pulled a rope with Gan Datong. The four of them stood in a row and salvaged in the river.
Seven female slaves, including Xiao Chunhong and Liu Yaer, were picking with sticks in the waterweed on the east side of the river, while ten gray-faced male slaves were standing in the shallow water on the west side of the river, fishing.
The sun rose higher and higher, and there was no one in the water. Yin Po, Meng Ma and Uncle Niu also came over.
"It's dangerous. Even if we salvage it, it's too late to save it." Uncle Niu shook his head.
Not long after, a man came over from a distance. It was the steward of the Cui family. He had a round face and a smiling face. He came over to thank Zhao Xiping and Sui Yu first.
"It's been so long, I think the person is dead. Thank you for your concern, sir and madam. His life is not in vain as you two are busying yourself for a lowly slave like him. I will arrange people to patrol along the river later. If the body floats up, they will be fished out to avoid polluting the river water." The little steward smiled.
Zhao Xiping walked out of the river, and seeing this, the others also followed him to the riverside.
Sui Yu felt powerless looking at this kind-looking but vicious lackey. When the chicken drowned in the river, the master still expressed regret several times, but this man fainted from exhaustion and fell into the river and drowned, leaving only a curse.
"Let's go." Zhao Xiping pushed Sui Yu and said, "During the evening training, I talked to Captain Hu about this. The slaves get up early and come back late every day to do heavy work. They need to be well fed. In this hot weather, they are tired and hungry. Even animals can't stand it."
The steward's expression changed, and he hurriedly chased after him and said, "It was my negligence. I'll send someone to bring food to you later. Sir, please don't bother the captain with such trivial matters. The captain has too many things to worry about every day."
Zhao Xiping did not respond.
Sui Yu tilted his head to look at the male slaves who were left behind. They were only covered with a piece of cloth around their crotches, and the bones under the skin were clearly visible. They looked like a few black grasshoppers walking upright.
"How about this, you give me five cents a day and I'll have someone deliver food to them." Sui Yu said, "This place is too far from the city. It's too much trouble to make a trip just to deliver a few buckets of food. I'm closer, and business is slow recently, so why not let me make some money?"
The steward cursed Sui Yu in his heart for being so cruel. Five coins could only buy three dou of millet, which was more than twenty slaves could eat in three days. But on the surface, he could only thank him profusely and agree, so as to prevent Zhao Xiping from really reporting the matter to Captain Hu.
Just after lunch, the steward brought ten days' worth of food money and even had someone carry four buckets of thick millet porridge and show them in front of Sui Yu.
After he left, Uncle Niu reminded him, "These houses built by slaves are here to steal your business."
"I can't rob them. Unless Captain Hu uses his power to bully others, there's not much business there." Sui Yu said, shaking the fifty coins, "Besides, if I don't take the opportunity to take over the food delivery, those people will be exhausted this year and won't survive for more than two years."
"He spent a huge amount of money to buy the slaves, how could he bear to torture them to death?" Xiao Chunhong muttered.
"Captain Hu's deceased father was also a captain, right?" Sui Yu looked at Zhao Xiping and saw him nod. She continued, "In the past, during times of war, people would volunteer to be slaves if given a bowl of rice. Slaves gave birth to slaves, and over the years, there have been quite a few. Slaves serving in the palace were considered precious, while slaves working in the fields were probably like mules; their masters wouldn't even know they were dead."
"You are so kind and treat us as human beings." Xiao Chunhong was full of gratitude.
The others nodded.
Sui Yu smiled slightly and said, "I'm being nice to you for a reason. I want you to listen to me and be devoted to me."
"That's for sure. We will definitely listen to you." Gan Da spoke subconsciously, but he was puzzled. "We are your slaves. If we don't listen to the master, who else should we listen to?"
"Then I'll take you out of the border to trade next year." Sui Yu said jokingly. She glanced at everyone's faces and said, "Let's form a caravan and go out to trade. We'll make more money and then I'll share the profits with you. You can save more money. If the court ever allows slaves to redeem themselves, you can redeem yourself free, get land and houses, start a family, raise children, and no longer let the next generation be enslaved and servants."
Gan Da and Gan Er were very excited. They had no second thoughts and completely trusted Sui Yu. They immediately knelt down and kowtowed. Gan Da said, "My lady, please take us two brothers with you."
Xiao Chunhong's face also turned red. She asked in a trembling voice, "Can I still redeem myself? I don't want to be a slave. I'm scared to death."
Meng Ma pushed Liu Yaer, and Liu Yaer said loudly: "My wife, take me with you, I will definitely practice martial arts well."
Zhang Shun and Li Wu suddenly realized something, and after thinking for a while, they solemnly expressed their intentions. Both of them were willing to fight for the sake of their descendants.
The other five private slaves were born of slaves. They were very slave-like, thoughtless and had no opinions of their own. Sui Yu had observed that basically, as soon as she finished speaking, these five people nodded blankly.
"I just said it casually. I have this idea but I don't dare to carry it out yet." Sui Yu took back his words and said, "You guys practice first. One day when I think you can protect me, I will take you to fight."
Uncle Niu then realized that she was serious. He looked at Sui Yu with a complicated expression. These people who came from wealthy families, both men and women, were bold and wild.
"I don't dare to provoke him. I don't dare to provoke him." Uncle Niu suddenly sighed.
Sui Yu looked at him puzzledly and said to the others, "It's hot now, go back to your rooms and rest. If you can't sleep, walk north along the river. If anyone floats up, fish them out and dig a deep pit to bury them."
Gan Da and Gan Er carried their shovels and left with Zhang Shun and Li Wu. Xiao Chunhong thought for a moment, then called Liu Yaer and the other five slave girls to follow them. "Let's see the dead to gain courage."
Sui Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She planned to go back to her room to take a nap. Before leaving, she instructed Yin Po: "Remember to prepare dinner for the people on the other side of the river tonight. Just follow the standard you used to prepare for the soldiers in the past two years."
"Okay." Grandma Yin agreed with full energy.
Sui Yu smiled at her and left.
When she woke up, the sun had already set and the little cub was sleeping on her waist with drool all over his body.
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