Just after dawn, we could hear the sound of horses galloping on the road, and a few men complaining with steam coming out of their mouths.
"When something happens in Xining Town, isn't it always handled by the North Camp? Why are they sending us this time?"
One of the two centurions leading the team buried his face in his cloak. Although it was not too cold at the moment, frost would form sooner or later.
The weather in the northwest is like this, morning and evening and daytime are like two different seasons.
He scoffed at the words, "A new official takes office with three fires. If the new garrison commander doesn't give us a hard time, how can we let everyone know that there's been a change of garrison commander?"
The soldiers under his command cursed loudly, "Are they asking us to help build houses? We are on patrol in the Hehuang Valley, and it's not enough. We finally get back and can rest for a few days. They don't even treat us as human beings. They are even worse than Old Qin..."
"Be careful what you say! What rubbish do you dare to say!" Another centurion shouted as the words became increasingly outrageous. "Qin Mao is guilty of treason and is punishable by death. What? You want to accompany him?"
The soldiers didn't dare to speak. Although everyone's life was hard in this cold and bitter place all year round, no one wanted to die as long as they could survive.
They were both centurions. The one who spoke first had the surname Jing, which was a good surname, but his given name was a bit awkward, Jing Zhuzi.
Jing Zhuzi laughed and scolded the centurion named Liang An next to him, "Don't scare us brothers, our heads are hanging on the waistband of our pants, and death is the same as death at any time, right?
Everyone is unhappy. Seeing that the weather is getting colder, the officials in the county have all been given down jackets and cotton coats, but what about us? Cold old cotton coats, hands and feet are all covered with frostbite when winter comes. Now here comes another troublemaker, are you happy?
There was another thing he didn't say out loud: it was so fucking miserable to live like this.
If the new garrison commander is too troublesome, he will want to learn from Chen Sixu and there will be nothing wrong with rebelling.
At least his salary was paid, and even though the food was not very good, the soldiers did not starve.
Before joining the army, Liang An was a student. When the conscription was going on, his father was asked to come. He was worried about his father's lame leg, so he secretly ran away to take his father's place.
Fortunately, although he was not good at studying, he had enough strength and became a centurion in more than ten years.
Regardless, Liang An, knowing how to read and write, had a bit more of an advantage than the others. He simply cursed back, "Just shut your dog's mouth! You're not afraid of death, but are your family members? That's a crime punishable by the death of all nine generations of your clan."
Jing Zhuzi stopped talking, and the sound of him driving the horse was filled with a vicious sense of powerlessness.
Liang An sighed, "I guess the garrison commander is also worried. You know that half of Xining Town's military pay is donated by those merchants. If we don't quickly restore the town, we won't even be able to get cotton in the cold winter."
It was still dark, and there was land on both sides of the road. Apart from the sound of horses' hooves, everything was silent. The conversation between the two men was heard by the soldiers under their command.
Although everyone was still unhappy, no one complained anymore.
It was still dark when we entered the town, with only a hazy blue sky. Xining Town was burnt black everywhere. If it weren't for the fact that there were more than 400 people in the two battalions with a lot of yang energy, many people would have been scared.
Qiao Ruichen had been waiting for them in the front yard of the garrison early in the morning.
Qin Mao had money and was not just a military general. He was particular about food, clothing, housing and transportation. His backyard was full of pavilions and towers.
The garrison office is no different from other provincial government offices. They all have a front-yard and back-house layout, but the front yard of the military garrison is wider and brighter.
There are two entrances to the yamen in front. The inner one is the yamen for official business. The six officials in charge of miscellaneous affairs under the garrison, namely Gongcao, Cangcao, Hucao, Bingcao, Facao and Shicao, all work here.
As soon as you enter from the outside, there is a main gate. Sixth-rank officials can use stone lions. Two not-too-big lions guard the vermilion gate. The road in front of the gate is expanded with stone slabs to form a large area.
Normally this place seems a bit empty, and it is only used to park carriages during festivals. At other times, it is mainly used to summon soldiers to do something.
Now Qiao Ruichen was standing at the door waiting for someone. The four centurions of the North Camp and the West Camp had heard the instructions from their superiors and recognized that this was the newly appointed garrison commander Qiao, so they hurriedly dismounted and saluted.
Zhou Ding, who led the North Camp, and Liang An, who led the West Camp, said in unison:
"Your Excellency, Master Qiao, General Xu/General Zheng have ordered us to come with two hundred light cavalrymen to obey your orders."
Qiao Ruichen himself was a military officer and didn't like too much formality. He just waved his hand and said, "Everyone, stay where you are. The Law Department will explain the next arrangements to you. The Gong Department will be responsible for registering your work points. If you need anything, go to the Cang Cao Department."
The directors in charge of the Facao and Gongcao were all local people. They were all considered officials and their salaries were paid by the garrison. They were not Qin Mao's confidants, so they were not implicated.
But I was also feeling uneasy.
They were waiting behind the door early. After listening to the garrison's instructions, the two men hurriedly brought out the blackboard sent by Yu Jiaxin with their clerks.
There are ten blackboards in total, which are twice as big as those used in Jufu Restaurant and Qianjinlou. They look like bulletin boards in later generations, but they are triangular and floor-standing.
The first two blocks were densely covered with words, while the last eight blocks were left blank with only horizontal and vertical tables drawn on them with white chalk.
By the time the blackboard was set up, the sun had risen from the horizon, casting a red light with a hint of gold on the blackboard, causing the soldiers to crane their necks to see more clearly what was written on it.
Fortunately, they didn't have to wait any longer. Fa Cao took a strange wooden thing with a large outer circle and a small inner circle and read the words on the blackboard to them in a loud voice.
"From now on, the work point management system will be implemented in Beiying and Xiying of Xining Town!"
"Rule 1: All soldiers' salaries are divided into two parts: base salary and commission. Base salary is half of the original salary, and commission is paid according to work points. At 150 work points, the commission is equal to half of the original salary. At 200 work points, the commission is increased by half a string of coins. At 250 work points, the commission is increased by one string of coins. At 300 work points, the commission is doubled, and a certain amount of benefits are also paid. And so on. At 50 points, half a string of coins is accumulated, and the benefits are increased."
"Rule 2: Work points are calculated in two parts. The first is based on the scores from superiors, calculated based on daily training and duty performance in the barracks, with a maximum score of five points per day. The second is based on field work, scored by the Gongcaosi and Shicaosi clerks, with a maximum score of three points."
"Rule Three: In Xining Town, if you discover that a colleague or a citizen is engaging in acts of oppression, fraud, taking advantage of the situation, or destroying public property, you will earn one point if you successfully report it. If you conceal it and someone else discovers and reports it within your jurisdiction, you will lose one point."
"Rule 4: Field service personnel receive a fixed monthly benefit of sweaters, trousers, and a cotton coat. The garrison will provide three meals a day. One point will be deducted for being late, leaving early, or failing to report for a substitute shift."
…
Fa Cao's voice was almost hoarse from shouting, and the more than 400 people present were all left with their mouths open.
At first they didn't quite understand, but then they realized that their salary would be cut in half. Before they could start making a fuss, they also understood that if they worked hard they would get more than before.
Later on, I heard that the management was even stricter than in the military camp. The targets of daily patrols became ordinary people. The treatment was good, but the work was very hard.
Many soldiers who are used to a stable life are always unhappy. They just want to live a muddled life and hide quickly when they encounter bandits. They don't want to climb up at all.
Even if they work hard to climb up, most of the opportunities will be given to people with connections, and they won't get a chance at all. Why should they work so hard?
As for the soldiers who thought their salaries would increase, they were not very happy either. If they really worked hard and got more money, it would be fine, but asking them to supervise each other was already tiring enough every day.
Moreover, the people who give the scores may not be fair. Isn't this just asking them to find ways to please those who give the scores?
Liang An and Zhou Ding, who was also literate, looked at each other and frowned tightly. It seemed that there was really a problem with the military pay.
They don't care what the new rules are, they are just worried that if they make enough trouble, the military salaries will still not be paid, the soldiers will get less money and work more, and the morale of the army will be unstable.
You know, when the weather gets cold, those Western bandits will become rampant. By then, the army will be demoralized. Can they still protect the border?
Qiao Ruichen knocked hard on the gong in front of the door, and everyone fell silent.
His expression was expressionless. "I'll give you half an hour. If you have any questions, raise your hands and I'll answer them. I'll start working in half an hour. If you have any questions, please report them to me through the legal counsel."
"May I ask, sir, how can the people who give scores ensure fairness?" Liang An raised his hand and asked the question that everyone was most concerned about.
Qiao Ruichen put it succinctly, "Unfair scoring also falls within the scope of reporting. If the report is found to be true, one point will be awarded. If there is insufficient evidence, one point will be deducted. False accusations will result in ten strokes of the cane."
Zhou Ding also asked, "What if there are soldiers who don't want to go out on duty? Should their salaries be cut in half? Everyone's already tired from patrolling, and we need to give them time to rest."
Jing Zhuzi added, "Yes, some people are just not good at dealing with people. Isn't this just asking for trouble?"
Qiao Ruichen nodded. "Soldiers who don't want to go out on field missions don't have to. Their scores will be calculated at five points per day. They just need to do their job well and they will receive the same salary as before."
Jing Zhuzi muttered quietly, "Isn't that just like taking off your pants to fart? If you have the time, why not waste it? If you don't want to come out, just leave it as it is."
Qiao Ruichen wanted to say something, but when he turned his eyes and saw someone who shouldn't be here, his originally cold gaze instantly softened, even with a hint of helplessness.
The direction he was looking was exactly the direction of Jing Zhuzi, which made Jing Zhuzi feel numb all over and get goose bumps.
Tenderness? Helplessness?
Oh my God, he is not a good person to Lord Qiao... Ugh, he is not a good person to Long Yang!
At this time, many people below were secretly grumbling.
"You think we're not suffering enough, and you insist on pushing us to death."
"Who would dare to report their superiors? It sounds nice, but it's all about protecting each other. We'll be the ones who suffer in the end."
"Isn't it that the garrison can't afford the military pay and is deliberately making trouble for us?"
A childish voice deliberately rasped, "How do you know about officials protecting one another? Reports can be recorded directly, or anonymously, by dropping them into the mailbox at the side gate of the garrison."
The person who spoke was startled and looked to the side. "Huh? Kid, go play somewhere else and stop messing around here."
"I'm not kidding. I'm just wondering why you would rather eat coarse food now and be freezing in the winter than be diligent, eat well, dress warmly, and patrol the border comfortably?" Miao Wan, who looked like a child because of her short stature after wearing men's clothes, deliberately raised her voice.
"Those benefits include sweaters, trousers, and cotton coats. If you score high, you'll even get down jackets. You won't feel cold even when riding in the winter. You're not willing to do that, but are willing to endure hardship? I respect you as real men!"
Everyone: "..." No, who the hell is willing to suffer?
We just don’t believe that such a good thing can happen, okay?
"Who are you?" Jing Zhuzi heard Miao Wan's words clearly and asked bluntly.
He had to be respectful to the garrison, but there was no need for him to be polite to a short man who came from nowhere. "You are so arrogant, but what's the matter? Is the military camp your home?"
Miao Wan smiled at Qiao Ruichen and shook her head, not letting him out. Then she looked at Jing Zhuzi and said, "The military camp is not run by my family."
Before Jing Zhuzi could continue to criticize her, Miao Wan added, "But it's owned by my brother-in-law's family."
Jing Zhuzi burst out laughing, "Hahahaha... Could it be that you have a younger sister serving the old saint in the imperial city? I think you are crazy——"
When Qiao Ruichen stood beside Miao Wan, he looked at Jing Zhuzi quietly and lost his voice.
"...right?" Jing Zhuzi still said the last word bravely, but he himself began to doubt it.
Could this really be the saint's brother-in-law?
No, I have never heard of any royal relatives in Xining Town. Isn’t the saint in Xiping County?
Even if he is a new brother-in-law, he shouldn't be in Xining Town.
Liang An's eyesight was much better than Jing Zhuzi's. Miao Wan was just wearing men's clothes and a thin jacket, and she didn't disguise herself as a man. There was still a big difference between a woman and a man.
Seeing that Qiao Ruichen had changed his previous cold demeanor, he hesitated and bowed, "Are you... the garrison commander's wife?"
Miao Wan patted Qiao Ruichen's arm and said, "Sir, tell us who I am."
Qiao Ruichen thought of his wife's instructions yesterday, and felt a little embarrassed. He had never done such a shameless thing.
But since he had received the 'interest' last night, he accepted it. Now he could only keep a stiff face and try to speak normally, "My direct superior, the saint's little cousin, the mistress of the Qiao family..."
Everyone: "..." Okay, I understand. Regardless of the new defensive capabilities, he is definitely a henpecked person.
Who knew that the vagrant garrison commander hadn't finished yet, "...he is also the greatest god of wealth in Xining Town, the owner of the Jufu Restaurant and Qianjin Building, both sought after by all merchants, and the biggest donor to military pay in Xining Town."
Huh? Even Liang An was stunned. Aren't the owners of Jufu Restaurant and Qianjinlou a Northern Mongolian and an old man from Xining?
However, the soldiers may not know this, but the four centurions generally know how much money Ju Fu Restaurant and Qian Jin Lou make.
If you don't queue up in advance, you won't be able to get a seat at the restaurant.
The things produced by Qianjinlou are so popular that you can’t even snatch them away from them. Anyone who has spare money and a wife at home will feel a pain in their ears when they think of Qianjinlou, because they were all cheated by their wives or their father’s mother.
Miao Wan actually didn't want to cause trouble when her husband was lecturing the soldiers, as that would be detrimental to the prestige of their Qiao Bailao.
But Taotao insisted on sleeping with his parents. Maybe Qiao Ruichen woke Taotao up when he went out. The little guy slept on her chest and suffocated her.
Taotao was sleeping soundly again. She was thinking about what she had to do today and had no intention of continuing to sleep. She got up and secretly came over to see.
Who knew that Qiao Bailao was good at work but not so good at speaking. It seemed that he was planning to force everyone to work. When the time came, everyone would naturally understand the meaning of the work points and benefits, and no one would explain it in detail.
You have to know that people's words can be scary, especially when there are many victims of a disaster like this. If you are not careful, you will be instigated to do stupid things.
It would not be a big deal somewhere else, but in the northwest, every day of delay means a greater chance of freezing to death. So she sneaked out and said what they had agreed to say at the north gate of the town.
She secretly hooked Qiao Ruichen's hand with her little finger, afraid that he would be angry, "I just can't bear to see them misinterpreting your meaning."
Qiao Ruichen was not angry. His wife had already obtained the imperial edict, so he would only cooperate with her in whatever she wanted to do.
He looked up at the silent crowd and said, "Divide the four hundred soldiers into eight teams of fifty men each. I'll give you a cup of tea to send out the captain, four centurions, and the Gongcao and Shicao to supervise everyone. Set out immediately for the north gate."
The Gongcao immediately stepped forward and said, "To inform all the officials, Team One will be responsible for identity checks at the entrance to the market and for identifying potential dangers in the town. Team Two will be responsible for laying the foundations of the city wall around the town. Team Three will be responsible for registration. Teams Four and Five will be responsible for providing meals for the civilians and soldiers. Team Six will be responsible for overseeing the brick and tile kilns. Team Seven will be responsible for the loom and spinning wheel production sites. Team Eight will be responsible for building new houses. The team rankings need to be confirmed within a cup of tea. The daily work point registration will be written on the blackboard in team format for everyone to see."
Only then did everyone know what the empty blackboards with charts drawn on them were used for.
No matter what they think in their minds, the soldiers must obey orders. If the centurion agrees, they must do as ordered, even if they are unwilling to do so.
The teams were soon divided.
Jing Zhuzi was more proficient in city walls and patrols. He led the first and second teams to the north gate first, and the remaining three centurions and six teams were waiting for orders.
"Team three responsible for registration, those who can read, please stand up." Qiao Ruichen said.
Three of the fifty people stood up hesitantly. Liang An and Zhou Ding could also read, so they could barely be counted as five people.
Qiao Ruichen looked at Miao Wan.
Miao Wan whispered, "My second cousin has taken several cousins from the eldest house to the Yu family to get tables and chairs. They'll gather at the north gate soon. There are five items to register for, and two people will be responsible for one of them. Let the cousins guide them one by one, and they should be able to get started quickly."
Qiao Ruichen nodded and said to Liang An and Zhou Ding, "Let's set off for the north gate as well."
When they arrived at the gate, the hundreds of soldiers who had passed by here in the morning were stunned and suspected that they had entered the garrison from another gate.
But there are no doors in other places, and people usually enter the town from the north.
This place was deserted in the morning, with only the guards there.
The neighborhood guards were nowhere to be seen at this moment, but large red papers were pasted on both the inside and outside of the archway at the entrance of the neighborhood.
There is a line of big words on it - Work-for-Relief.
The next line of slightly smaller words: Post-disaster reconstruction depends on yourself, and only by actively signing up can you have a home.
There were five long tables and chairs lined up under the building, and five of them were the same strange wooden tools that the lawyer had in his hands this morning. There were also eight armchairs next to them, which seemed to be for more important people to sit on.
The soldiers were talking among themselves, stroking their hands, not knowing what they were doing.
"Line up!" The centurions received the instructions and ordered the six teams to stand on the other side where there were no armchairs.
"Those who can read, step out!"
The three who could read stood up and sat down at the table with Liang An and Zhou Ding.
Ruan Jialin also came with the Ruan family. He was a little timid when he saw the scene. When he saw Miao Wan standing aside with her hands in her pockets, he hurried over.
"Awan, these soldiers are too scary. Do ordinary people still dare to come here?"
Miao Wan whispered to him, "Everyone is terrified of the bandits right now. They feel more at ease with the presence of the soldiers. You see, everyone will be here soon."
As expected, whether it was the people who were driving pigs and sheep and carrying food from outside the town, or the people in the town, they all quickly came over when they heard the noise.
The common people were indeed afraid of these soldiers, but they were more afraid of the remnants of the Western Xia. With these soldiers standing there like poplars, everyone felt at ease.
Miao Wan felt that it was just like when nothing happened, everyone would feel uneasy when seeing soldiers and police, but when a disaster occurred, everyone would feel much more at ease when seeing them.
Even the cries and the sounds of children crying in the town were much less. It was the quietest time since the town was burned down by fire.
However, although everyone felt at ease, no one dared to go forward.
Fa Cao drank a few cups of coarse tea and his throat felt a little better. Now he had an idea and started shouting through the loudspeaker made by the Yu family.
Of course, he was not the only one speaking. After he finished speaking, the clerk under him continued to shout in a loop with the loudspeaker in front of the table.
The content was what Miao Wan had discussed with everyone earlier.
Those who want to learn carpentry and make a loom can sign up on one side. After learning, you can make a loom by yourself, either for home use or to sell outside. A loom costs 50 work points.
Those who want to learn how to make bricks and tiles can sign up on one side. After you have learned how to make bricks and tiles, you may be able to learn how to make ceramics. This is also a way out. Bricks and tiles are worth ten work points each.
Those who want to learn cooking can sign up on one side and start with the big pot rice. If they are noticed by Sun Laohuo and Ruan Qi, they can become their apprentice and become the head chef in the Qiao family's shop. One work point can be exchanged for one person's meal.
All kinds of craftsmen can also sign up. Butchers, tailors, blacksmiths, carpenters, etc. can directly obtain a badge and work under the leadership of the Yu family, the Yang family, and the Zhang family. Tailors can be taken care of by Ruan Jialin's wife, Li.
Elderly women and children who really do not have the ability can sign up to weave and spin yarn. The cloth and yarn will be inspected and accepted, and they can also be exchanged for work points.
The term "work points" which frequently appeared in everyone's ears soon became understood by everyone through the publicity of the Law Office and the blackboard at the entrance of the block.
The people outside the town were mostly just curious, but the people in the town were so happy that they were almost crying, and some had already started wiping their tears.
The house burned down, but the people were lucky enough to be safe. The state government was slow to issue disaster relief funds, so they couldn't even build a house, let alone food and clothing.
There have been a lot of cries in the town these past two days. Most of the people don’t know how to survive in the future, and even if they survive, they have no way out.
Unexpectedly, the new garrison commander solved this problem for everyone as soon as he took office.
The common people are not afraid of hard work, but they are afraid of not seeing a way to make a living. Now someone builds their houses and takes care of their food and clothing. Even if they still need to work hard to earn work points in exchange, people are willing to do so.
Soon the five tables were crowded with people, all wanting to sign up.
Miao Wan was afraid of lazy people, but when it came to life and death, no one dared to be lazy.
The village headman, who had brought the villagers with him, was a little anxious. He approached Qiao Ruichen and said, "Sir, we've brought all the food and livestock here. Where do you think we should put them? When can we sign up?"
Miao Wan didn't tell Qiao Ruichen about this, so he went over to ask Miao Wan.
"I thought it would be better to put it in the garrison, so that it is convenient for everyone to count and we don't have to worry about someone stealing it." Miao Wan said as she looked around and felt a little puzzled after looking for a long time.
"Brother Zhang said he would come over, why is he still nowhere to be seen?"
Zhang Dazhuang lost a leg and could no longer slaughter pigs. Therefore, when he woke up, he couldn't eat and cried secretly several times. Yu also cried until her eyes were swollen like goldfish eyes.
The Zhang family was the worst off of all. Miao Wan felt incredibly guilty and cried while hugging Madam Zhang. "Didn't Amada always say that killing pigs is a sin? How about we stop killing pigs and just raise them? Let's find another butcher to do it."
Madam Zhang touched Miao Wan's head, her smile somewhat bitter, "Okay, listen to Awan, let's raise pigs."
Zhang Erzhuang, standing at the doorway, sobbed as he heard this. "This is a craft passed down in our Zhang family. It's said to be a lowly business, but if it were really lost to us, Ada and Big Brother would be so upset."
Mrs. Zhang was so angry that she threw a shoe at Zhang Erzhuang, "What the hell are you talking about!" She was deliberately trying to make Miao Wan uncomfortable.
Zhang Erzhuang shrank his neck and shed tears, "I want to, I want to kill pigs for big brother, we can't lose this skill, let big brother go to slaughter the pigs?"
Everyone thought about it and agreed that this was a solution.
So Zhang Dazhuang was still worrying about how to slaughter a pig, and when Zhang the Butcher woke up, he happily passed the skills to Zhang Erzhuang.
As long as the whole family is alive, it's a good thing. In fact, Butcher Zhang and his family don't have such a strong obsession, but Zhang Erzhuang grew up watching pigs being slaughtered. The Zhang family thought that if this skill can be kept, it should not be lost.
It was originally agreed that Zhang Erzhuang would kill a pig on the spot today and make some pig soup so that the new soldiers and civilians could have some meat.
Who knew that the sun had already risen, but Zhang Erzhuang still hadn't appeared.
"I'll send someone to look for him." Qiao Ruichen said to Miao Wan after learning about the situation.
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Erzhuang came over with a mule cart, "Awan, I'm sorry, I'm late!"
Miao Wan had no intention of blaming him, she was just curious, "Why do you need a mule cart to kill the pig?" They already had a stove set up for boiling water and plucking the hair, so it would be enough to just bring the butcher knife, right?
Zhang Erzhuang was a little embarrassed. "I, I just don't dare to use the knife. Ada is worried that I will lose face as the Zhang family butcher in front of the villagers, so he is watching me in the car."
In fact, Zhang Erzhuang hasn’t said anything more embarrassing yet.
When Zhang Dazhuang was slaughtering the pig, butcher Zhang actually wanted the two brothers to do the slaughtering together so that he could retire early and enjoy his grandchildren.
Who knew that Zhang Erzhuang would become weak as soon as he touched the knife leg and didn't dare to kill at all. In the past, the family only needed Zhang Erzhuang to do physical work, so no one outside noticed.
Yang also knew about his problem, so she learned how to slaughter pigs herself.
Now Zhang Sanzhuang is still busy building the Jufu Inn in the southern area. Zhang Dazhuang was seriously injured, so he had to ask Zhang Erzhuang to kill him. Butcher Zhang didn't trust his son a little.
Miao Wan always felt that the Zhang family was in this situation because they were protecting the Qiao family, and she didn't want to make things difficult for the Zhang family.
"Or, find another butcher to slaughter the pigs. Second brother, you can take people to the garrison to collect the pigs. The villagers have driven over a lot of pigs, sheep, chickens and ducks today, and they need someone to take care of them."
Zhang Erzhuang refused, "I still want to give it a try. I'll go after we kill the pig and Sun Ada and the others make the pork soup."
If he doesn't kill pigs, his eldest brother will not want to take his job, and may even be unwilling to raise and slaughter pigs, then his eldest brother will be useless.
He is a healthy man and has been with us since he was a child. There is no reason why he would not dare to kill pigs.
His wife told him that she was also afraid when slaughtering pigs, but she would no longer be afraid after shouting a few times. He tried it secretly yesterday and it worked. He was sure he could do it.
Seeing that he insisted, Miao Wan didn't stop him.
Someone nearby called Miao Wan to come over and pay for the food, so she went over first.
The grain can be directly registered and stored in the garrison’s warehouse.
Thanks to Qin Mao's greed, the granaries and storehouses of the garrison were built exceptionally grandly and spaciously. Although a lot of food was delivered one after another, plus the harvest from more than 60 acres of land of the Qiao and Zhang families, the garrison's storehouses could not be filled.
Moreover, the warehouse of the garrison was between the backyard and the yamen, but the granary was a building built next to it that took up almost half of the area of the garrison, and was guarded by minor officials.
"He built such a big warehouse, where did the food go?" Miao Wan was a little surprised when she saw the granary.
It’s such a big house, but the area of grain is not as large as the load-bearing walls.
The clerk from the Warehouse Department didn't want the garrison commander's wife to misunderstand him, so he quickly explained, "We just delivered food to the two battalions in July. We were originally waiting for the tax grain from Xiyong County to arrive, so the food is empty."
Miao Wan became even more curious, "The grain from the county is sent to the town? Is it only in Xiyong County?" This is completely reversed.
The clerk laughed and said, "Because our Xining Town was actually founded by the Gubei Army, of course the soldiers in the barracks come here first. It was the officials in the county town who directly allocated the grain from Xiyong County to us, so they send it directly here. The grain from other counties is sent to the county town."
"Are all the tax revenues from Xiyong County sent to Xining Town?"
The clerk said no, "Only food, head tax and commercial tax are sent to the county town. After all, our Xining Town has many merchants, and the military pay they donate is no less than that of Xiyong County."
Miao Wan said "oh" and thought that Xiyong County was actually under the jurisdiction of Xining Town. This town was just a town and was a bit small in scale.
Now most of the traveling merchants have left. Seeing the situation in Xining Town, some of the new traveling merchants have gone to Xiyong County. Even Bayin has gone to the county town.
It is not easy to get the traveling merchants to return to Xining Town again.
Moreover, with the change of garrison, it is not certain what the new General Dingbei will be like. Those merchants are the most calculating and may not be willing to donate military pay.
But they were doing business in Xining Town, and there was no commercial tax, so they should have paid the money. Miao Wan didn't intend to miss out on this part of the money. That street and the tile market could be renovated...
Things were constantly running through her mind when Aunt Geng came to remind her that it was almost time to eat the pork soup, as Taotao had been looking for her.
Miao Wan wanted to take Taotao to see more of the outside world, so she strapped her to her chest with a sling and went to the food distribution point in Nanshi together.
They went there by mule cart. When they arrived at the destination, before they got off the cart, Miao Wan heard a miserable howl.
Oh, it’s not a pig, it’s a human, and the voice is extremely familiar, like... Zhang Erzhuang.
Taotao was so frightened that he hugged Miao Wan's neck tightly and refused to let go.
Miao Wan secretly lifted the curtain and saw Zhang Erzhuang killing a pig with a knife. He stabbed the pig, but before the pig could scream, he twisted his face and screamed.
"Ada! I, I, I killed, killed, killed the pig!"
"Brother! I killed, I killed the pig! I killed it! Ahhhh——"
"Woo woo woo...dead, dead, the pig is dead!"
…
An old lady clutched her chest and said, "What a guy! If you didn't know, you would think he had killed someone. Even a pig couldn't scream as miserably as he did."
A young man who signed up for cooking class nearby rubbed his arms and said, "This is too creepy. He's yelling like that. I'm a little afraid to eat."
Miao Wan looked around. Sun Laohuo was not there, Ruan Qi was not there, even Zhang the Butcher's mule cart was not there. Only Qiao Ruichen was standing in front of a group of soldiers with an expressionless face and his eyes lowered in meditation.
Miao Wan didn't even pause for a second, and looked down at Taotao. "Baby, Mommy thinks it's good for us to eat vegetarian food today. What do you think?"
Taotao was stunned for a moment, "Kill, pig? Is there any meat?"
"Why don't you go downstairs and eat it, and let your dad carry you there, and you can grab it faster. Mom is waiting for you in the car." Seeing that Taotao was reluctant to give up the meat, Miao Wan discussed with her again.
Qiao Ruichen walked over when he saw the mule cart. He didn't know if it was Miao Wan's illusion, but his steps were much faster than usual.
After he lifted the car curtain, Taotao saw his father and thought about eating meat if his father held him, so he hesitated and asked his father to untie the straps.
Then Zhang Erzhuang howled again, "Ah ...
Taotao was startled and hugged his mother's neck tightly, "Su, Su."
It’s okay to be plain. Taotao feels that if he goes downstairs, he will cry. He will either be scared or embarrassed.
Miao Wan saw Zhang Erzhuang crying while digging out pig offal, and he did not forget to pour a spoonful of hot water on it to clean up the dirt. His tears and blood made everyone around him step back.
Zhang Erzhuang wiped his tears, his face was covered with dirt and blood. Finally, the killing was over, and he felt like he was almost hollowed out.
"Where are the people? Come and cook!"
Everyone is retreating. It’s so tragic. How can we start?
Seeing Zhang Erzhuang looking around and about to see the mule cart, Miao Wan took a breath and said, "Husband, hurry up, hurry up. You stay here and watch. I'm going back first. Thank you for your hard work!"
She didn't even ask where Sun Laohuo and Zhang the Butcher had gone. If she had asked, she would have known that they would have run away because they couldn't bear to lose face.
She can lead everyone to rebuild Xining Town, but she has no more face to lose. My husband, you’d better wish me good luck!
Taotao also waved to Qiao Ruichen, "Dad, let's go, Taotao misses you."
Qiao Ruichen: “…” Just kiss your wife and daughter.
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