Are there still ordinary people here?
Mo Lan stood by the stream, observing the terrain. This place was adjacent to Qinglong Village, separated only by the mountain peak in front of her. However, since no one usually crossed the boundary, no one paid attention.
It is separated from White Tiger Cliff by only a mountain stream.
I never expected there was such a hidden place here. I wonder if the people of White Tiger Cliff know about it?
Walking into the fields, Mo Lan looked at a patch of lush green vines, which must be crops like sweet potatoes.
There were several farmers working not far away.
When they saw Mo Lan approaching, they were filled with curiosity, but also with a hint of fear.
Seeing their wary demeanor, Mo Lan stopped and bowed with clasped hands.
"Don't be afraid, old man. I just happened to come here by chance and was curious about these fields, so I came to take a look."
Hearing Mo Lan's tone, the man's expression softened. "You're not from White Tiger Cliff, young lady?"
Mo Lan: "..."
How was she supposed to answer that?
Before Mo Lan could speak, the old man muttered to himself, "I've never seen her at White Tiger Cliff, and besides, the women from White Tiger Cliff wouldn't come to this back mountain."
"What would you like to ask, young lady?" The man reassured himself, and his courage grew considerably.
Well, before I even answered, they were already making things up in their own heads.
That's fine, it saves her the trouble of explaining.
"It's nothing, I just think this place is very nice, a good place to escape the world."
Mo Lan wasn't just making things up. With warlords vying for power and constant conflict raging outside, such a peaceful place was undoubtedly a paradise on earth.
"Sigh, what seclusion? We are all slaves captured by White Tiger Cliff, and we have to stay here for the rest of our lives to grow food for them."
"Uncle Chen, keep your voice down. If the people from White Tiger Cliff hear you, you'll suffer physical pain again."
"I'm just an old man with nothing to fear. The sooner I die, the sooner I'll be reborn. If I become a slave, then my descendants will be slaves for generations to come!"
"Tuofu" refers to dependents under the protection of powerful and influential families. They have no household registration, cannot be bought or sold, and cannot travel far. Their main source is bankrupt farmers and merchants.
Hearing the indignation in her father-in-law's tone, Mo Lan was taken aback.
She had some recollection of the term "attached people," which generally referred to people who were dependent on others.
For wealthy and powerful families, they were free labor, or even their private property, and could be used as private soldiers in critical moments.
Wealthy and powerful merchant families would keep some retainers for their own use.
"Old man, from what you're saying, you were ordinary people before you were arrested?"
“Alas, we are just ordinary people with household registration. Although we have a few acres of meager land, we are not starving or dying, and at least we are free. Now, we have been kidnapped by the people of Baihu Cliff to farm for them. In the blink of an eye, five or six years have passed. In such a long time, our land must have been taken back long ago, and our household registration has probably been cancelled as well.”
"Uncle Chen, even if you still have your household registration, without land, you'll still go hungry and ultimately can't escape the fate of being forced into servitude..."
Listening to their bitter complaints, Mo Lan remained noncommittal. In this chaotic world, let alone five or six years, even a city could change hands several times in a year. As for household registration, it would always be incomplete as it was passed around. If it was not reported by the deadline, it would be treated as if the person had no household registration.
People without household registration can only become dependents, whether they do so voluntarily or involuntarily.
In the current state of affairs, Mo Lan doesn't think it's so bad that they have this peaceful place.
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