Chapter 015 Family Reunion
They were of low status, had no land of their own, could not take the imperial examinations, and were subject to the heaviest taxes and labor service. Even if they survived and reached Qianzhou, they could only engage in some occupations that required strange and lewd skills, such as carpentry, stonemasonry, etc.
Qianzhou is thousands of miles away, and the Zhou Dynasty has not been peaceful in the past two years, with bandits everywhere. It is not certain whether the whole family can arrive safely. What's more, the Xu family has been accustomed to a life of having food and clothes provided for them for more than ten years. Asking them to start over is more painful than killing them.
The most despairing thing is that people of low status cannot take the imperial examinations within three generations, which means that the Xu family will have no chance of returning to the court for at least several decades.
After three generations, the Xu family had already been accustomed to farming. Even if the younger generations wanted to study and make a name for themselves, the Xu family would not be able to support them in a poor and remote place like Qianzhou.
The path to success was almost completely cut off. It was foreseeable that the entire Xu family would fall into decline, never to be revived.
This is what it means to cut meat with a blunt knife.
Grandmother looked around and saw that everyone's expressions were as if they had lost their parents. She shouted, "What are you afraid of? When your grandfather fled from the north, he had no property at all. He begged for food for thousands of miles, eating whatever he could find in the mountains and drinking the water. But he still earned so much property for your father. As long as our Xu family is still alive, isn't it better than anything? Besides, I've enjoyed myself for decades. This life is enough. Even after I die, I can still brag about it to your father. It's the same with you. You should have been farming your whole lives, but your ancestors' graves have been filled with ashes, and you have lived the life of ladies for so many years. Now the good times are over. From now on, we will live a down-to-earth life. What's the old saying? What you have left, you don't fear anything—"
Xu Lezhi added, "Grandma, as long as the green mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood!"
"That's about it." Grandmother waved her hand nonchalantly. "At least we're better off than your grandfather was. With such a big family and the gifts from the Zheng family, I don't believe we won't make it to Qianzhou!"
Miao also quickly joined in: "Mom is right, what our father can do, we, the younger generation, can do too."
Second Aunt also managed to smile a little, "Mother is right."
The eldest aunt remained silent, thinking that being a lady and working in the fields were two different things. The second wife had been spoiled since childhood, the third wife was also delicate, and the fourth wife was even more taciturn. In this family, perhaps only the eldest family had ever worked in the fields seriously.
Even if they survive and reach Qianzhou, I'm afraid it will be their eldest son who will do the hard work of reclaiming wasteland and farming, because they have so many sons.
Huang Cui'e thought to herself that the first thing she would do when she arrived in Qianzhou was to divide the family!
We can’t let their eldest wife support this whole family.
The whole family walked slowly towards the outskirts of the city. At the city gate, the yamen runners had to complete the handover procedures with the escort. At the same time, they were waiting for the men of the Xu family to gather and set off together.
As everyone watched the prosperity of Bianjing City unfold, the Xu family felt a mixture of emotions. It's hard to leave one's homeland, especially since the Xu family was leaving for good. The rice cakes in the west of the city, the acrobatic troupe under Dayan Bridge, the chestnut cakes in the south, and the Bianjing-accented shouts all seemed to fade away.
I will never see such beautiful scenery again in my life.
A long team passed through the city of Bianjing. The faces of men and women, young and old, in the team were all filled with reluctance to leave their homeland and anxiety about the future.
Finally, the team stopped on the outskirts of Nancheng.
Several escorts came into the team. They were all wearing dark official uniforms, with swords on their waists. They were pulling a mule cart piled with luggage. As soon as they came up, they skillfully handed over the paperwork to Gao Yayi and others.
The group waited here for the people from another cell to meet up.
Xu Zhenying roughly counted and found that there were thirty or forty people in their cell. Together with his uncle and others, there were at least seventy or eighty people on the road of exile this time.
But there seemed to be only a little over ten people involved.
Grandmother kept looking toward the city gate, anxiously asking, "Why haven't Second Brother and the others arrived yet? Are they not coming with us?"
The eldest aunt was extremely worried about whether the Zheng family's supplies would arrive on time. She kept squeezing in front of Xu Zhenying and asked over and over again, "Sixth girl, has anyone from the Zheng family arrived?"
Miao was a little confused after asking this question. She said to Huang Cui'e, "Sister-in-law, it's useless to ask. If the Zheng family wants to cancel the engagement, they will definitely come. Just wait a little longer and don't be anxious."
Huang Cui'e hummed a few words, but still couldn't help but worry, "If the Zheng family doesn't come, we'll be finished. Seeing that none of you are panicking, you must have hidden some private money. Third sister-in-law, we have always been good friends. If you have money, don't hide it..."
Miao couldn't persuade Huang Cui'e, so she said, "Don't worry, sister-in-law, I will definitely give you the money if I have it."
Huang Cui'e was satisfied, winked secretly, and said viciously: "I believe you, you are an honest man. I see that the second branch has such a situation, nine out of ten still have money. If the Zheng family hadn't sent anyone, I would definitely find a way to make them spit out all the money! Our branches have been implicated by the second brother, and we must not let them have an easy time——"
Miao didn't dare to respond and just laughed dryly twice.
"Here they come, here they come—" someone in the team, either from the Xu family or the Fang family, shouted.
Xu Zhenying looked up and saw the yamen runners and their men slowly walking towards him.
However, they were not treated as well as the women. Their hair was disheveled, their clothes were messy and covered in grease, their faces were filthy, and their expressions were mostly numb. It was obvious that they had suffered a lot in prison.
A group of people had their hands tied and were marching in a line. They were yelled at from time to time. At first glance, they looked even worse than beggars.
Some people in the crowd were already coaxing people forward.
The yamen runner held a wooden stick across the middle and shouted impatiently, "What are you making noise about! Back off!"
Everyone then took two steps back.
The bailiffs untied the ropes and said to the crowd, "Hurry up! Everyone will be shackled when we get on the road. Don't run around, or you'll be beaten to death like a runaway slave."
"Second son!" Grandmother called out from afar, and hurried over to meet him, unable to hold back her tears. "How did you become like this? Were you beaten? My son—"
This was her most beloved and most promising son. Since he started learning as a child, she had never asked him to do any housework.
It would be a lie to say that I have no preference.
How could parents not like the most promising one?
"Mother." Xu Deyuan's eyes also turned red. "I'm sorry for being an unfilial son and causing you so much suffering."
The people from the second house immediately surrounded him.
Several concubines also rushed over, and the illegitimate sons and daughters surrounded them. The whole family burst into tears again, holding their heads in their arms.
Xu Deyuan comforted her impatiently for a while, then looked up and saw Lian Qiuzhi and three girls standing behind the crowd. They didn't come forward and there was no intimacy on their faces.
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