Chapter 33: Are all of you from Benliu?
The hazy night was awakened by the continuous loud shouts of the postman.
Amidst the flying dust, the exile team, which had been delayed in Songjiang Town for half a day for some reason, walked out of the prosperous and bustling Songjiang Town one after another in the first rays of light on the horizon.
On both sides of the city gate, farmers and merchants from nearby villages were already queuing up.
The urgent border news, which came in an expedited 800-mile journey, forced the tightly closed city gates to open.
People waiting outside to enter the city were pulling at each other's companions.
"Hey! Wake up, wake up, open the door!"
"It's not time to open the city gates yet. Let's sleep a little longer." The man said sleepily.
"It's open! It's open!" His companion pulled him again.
Gao Shanhe opened his eyes upon hearing this, stood up from the carriage loaded with cargo in surprise, and looked towards the city gate.
"Are there any fugitives today?"
The companions next to him didn't care about those things. When they saw the city gate opened, they turned around to check the cargo on the horse, walked around the car again, and checked whether the oilcloth cover was tight.
Gao Shanhe was a very lively person. He reached out and patted my pile of goods, then jumped off the carriage and said, "Dongzi, take a look at the things. I'll be back soon."
"Eh? Those are all exiled prisoners over there, what are you doing over there?" Before Dongzi could finish his words, Gao Shanhe had already moved to the front with the others.
It is true that there are often soldiers escorting exiles at the North Gate, but most villagers rarely see it, especially a large team with everyone inside coming out but no one can see the end of it.
Gao Shanhe took out a pancake from his arms and ate it while watching.
"Where are these people being taken?"
"I don't know, but it looks like we can go no wrong if we keep heading north."
"The north? It's very chaotic in the north." Someone suddenly interrupted.
Seeing that everyone around him suddenly looked at him, including the tall and sturdy Gao Shanhe, he was also curious about how this old man in front of him knew it.
"Why are you looking at me? Seriously, I'm not lying. I have relatives who fled back from the north. There were disasters and wars over there, and there was no peace all day long. The court exiled them there, and they suffered a lot."
He described it with such detail, as if he had seen it with his own eyes.
However, everyone received a useful piece of information from him, which was that the place where these exiled prisoners were about to go was an extremely miserable place.
So, when the prisoners cheered up and passed by the people on both sides, they found that many people looked at them with sympathy.
Some people even sighed and lamented: "Oh, it's so tragic."
The prisoners walked forward in silence, their faces covered in dust. Some of them looked up at those people who had haggard but energetic faces, and couldn't help but reveal envy in their eyes.
Once upon a time, they all lived so freely.
With soldiers on both sides guarding the area, the common people only dared to say a few words and did not dare to move forward, just like the people in the city.
Gao Shanhe watched for a while and found that the rear of the team had also left the city gate, and there were people in front carrying shoulder poles and preparing to pay to enter the city.
He bit his pancake and followed the exile group back.
Seeing that the exile team had gone far away and Gao Shanhe was still watching the fun, his companion Dongzi hurriedly called him.
"Brother Shanhe, let's go! Before the hour of Chen, the shopkeeper Xinglong told us to deliver the things to the destination."
Gao Shanhe responded loudly, then turned around and walked to the front of the car, put the thick hemp rope in the middle of the handle onto his shoulder, and lifted the truck with great force and pushed it towards the city gate.
"Go and pay the customs fee. We don't need you here."
"Okay!"
Dongzi went to the city gate to pay the entrance fee. Today's fee was two cents, which was more expensive than a while ago. Dongzi felt a little distressed. When he came back to help Gao Shanhe push the cart, he muttered a few words unhappily.
Gao Shanhe pushed the heavy truck into the city vigorously. When he heard Dongzi complaining, he didn't say anything to him. He just said casually, "Later, when we get to Xinglong Village and hand over the things, we'll go to the South Market."
Dongzi was stunned. "Why go to the South Market?"
"Buy something."
Dongzi: “Ah?”
Gao Shanhe recalled the scene he had seen outside the door before. "I saw that some prisoners in that group were wearing tattered clothes, but some looked different from the others."
"That's for sure. Most people can't even get exiled to the northernmost part," Dongzi said.
If farmers like them, who had come all the way to Songjiang Town to cultivate the land, had really committed any crime, would they have been exiled to the far north? They would have been kicked to death on the spot by the officials and nobles.
Gao Shanhe glanced at him and asked, "Do you want to earn some money to save for marrying a wife?"
Dongzi, who was standing in front of him, turned around immediately when he heard this: "Of course! Brother Shanhe, what? Do you have a way to make money?"
Gao Shanhe didn't say anything, "Let's go and deliver the goods first, and then go to Nanshi."
If the exile team went north, they would definitely pass by their Gaojia Village. Gao Shanhe planned to go to the South City to buy some things and then return to the village.
If you make it in time, you might be able to make a few bucks on the way.
After delivering the goods, the two went to the South Market. This place was not as prosperous as Laiyun Street in the city. The people setting up stalls along the street here were all poor people.
Dongzi was curious about what Gao Shanhe was going to buy. Gao Shanhe walked from left to right and finally saw an old man with a haggard face sitting on a small stool weaving straw sandals. In front of him were two baskets and a shoulder pole, which were full of woven sandals.
Gao Shanhe asked, "Uncle, how much are these straw sandals?"
The old man didn't even look up. "Two pairs for a penny, pick any you want."
Dongzi squatted in front of the basket, rummaging through it, "One penny can buy a bun, old man, your straw sandals are too expensive!"
"There are cheaper ones at the market entrance. You can buy them there."
When Dongzi was about to bargain, Gao Shanhe said, "I want them all. How many are there in total? I think your baskets are well woven. Sell them all to me."
The old shoe seller said a number, Gao Shanhe counted out the corresponding copper coins from his purse, bent down, picked up the shoulder pole, took Dongzi and pushed the cart out of the city.
When he came, the car was full of goods, and when he left, Dongzi was carrying straw sandals.
"How much money can you make from this, Brother Shanhe?"
"We'll talk about it once we catch up."
Gao Shanhe pushed the cart forward at a brisk pace. The exiled prisoners were walking with their clothes jingling, and they could not walk as fast as him. Before they knew it, they were about to catch up with the team in front.
At this moment, behind him and on the right, there was a rumbling sound as if a caravan was coming from the next road.
Gao Shanhe stopped his unicycle and gave way to the other party.
The manager of the traveling merchant was sitting on the front board of the cart with his feet dangling in the air. He saw someone pushing two baskets of straw sandals on the side of the road and looked a little surprised.
The man pushing the cart was indeed good-looking, strong and burly, and did not look like a farmer working in the fields.
The manager didn't even look at it and urged the caravan forward.
Gao Shanhe saw that they seemed to be heading straight for the exile groups in front, so he hurriedly pushed the cart forward.
The officers and soldiers escorting the caravan saw them approaching and shouted, "What are you doing? Get out of the way!"
As Gao Shanhe just caught up, he saw the shrewd butler jumping off the car, holding something in his hand and smilingly handing it to the officer.
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