If there is any turmoil in the court, the two families will definitely stand together.
The two rode away, the yellow sand billowing beneath their hooves obscuring their vision. By the time the sand became clear, the two had vanished.
"Lian'er, wherever you go, you must come back safely," Qiao Dayong murmured, looking in that direction.
After letting the horses graze on the mountain, Qiao Lian'er activated her spatial ability, selected a location, and arrived in the blink of an eye.
Compared to the isolated island where the shepherds were sent, the Kingdom of Puchen was obviously much closer.
The two landed in a ravine in a desolate mountain.
To avoid alerting anyone, they first hid behind a large rock before coming out.
The scene before one's eyes is somewhat awe-inspiring.
A shallow and narrow river flows through the valley. On both sides of the river, a line of men, women, and children, dressed in skirts, are washing stones off their hands.
Above is a hillside piled with stones of all sizes, and countless figures are there selecting stones, densely packed like ants.
Suddenly someone shouted from above, and the people on the hillside quickly moved to the sides. Groups of people in uniform carried baskets over and dumped them down, sending rocks tumbling down.
Once the situation stabilized somewhat, people from both sides rushed over again to snatch the stones, and some even started fighting, hurling insults at each other in incomprehensible languages.
Pei Shijiu: "What are they doing—?"
“The people who come here to mine have occupied the land, farmland, and destroyed the forests, causing the local people to lose their source of income. In order to prevent these people from causing trouble, they will leave some slightly valuable stones to distribute to the people so that they can have a source of livelihood.”
Before Qiao Lian'er arrived, she had already learned about the situation.
"However, not every stone is valuable. They need to be selected, which requires a good eye. Those with a better eye have a higher probability of picking good stones and will be better off. It all depends on the individual."
Qiao Lian'er gestured for Pei Shijiu to look over. Not far away, many sheds had been set up. At the entrances and inside the sheds, different types of stones were piled up. These were all brought by local people to sell. The shed owners were mainly small vendors. The real profits had been monopolized.
Those who had chosen their stones carried them in baskets toward the sheds.
Their faces and bodies were covered in dust, obscuring their features and appearance. When they spoke, they revealed yellowish teeth.
In a single basket, not even a single useful stone could be sold; one could only earn a meager sustenance through repeated scrambling and labor each day.
“Let’s go up there and take a look. Boss Zuo does business with the higher-ups, and his people also buy raw stones there.”
The upper echelons were mainly controlled by warlords or wealthy businessmen with powerful backgrounds, who either had their own armies or dedicated guards.
The two avoided the rocky hillside and went up a small path on the side. In places like this with unstable geology and constant disputes, there are often deaths and injuries. People are either killed by falling rocks, crushed by landslides, or beaten to death. It's nothing new.
They had only walked a short distance when another person was carried down the hillside and thrown at the foot of the mountain. Soon after, the deceased's family rushed over, wailing and lamenting.
In such places, the instinct for survival is everywhere, and savagery prevails; there is no room for civilization or reason.
Pei Shijiu had never seen such a situation before and shook his head slightly.
"It's truly hell on earth."
Only when there is war in the Central Plains will the people suffer like this.
Their clothes were different from the locals' and were quite luxurious, attracting many people's attention with curious stares.
A boy of about fourteen or fifteen years old with a dark complexion but bright black eyes and regular features ran over.
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