Chapter 145 Who's Going? (Additional chapter for Yunqi's recommendation of 100,000 votes)
Xiao Qian placed the cake in front of her and said, "Do you think that river dam is made of paper? It can be broken at any time. Hurry up and eat it and go to school."
Manbao no longer needs to be picked up from school. After breakfast, he goes to school happily with his small school box on his back.
As soon as he reached the intersection in front of the school, he saw Mr. Zhuang standing by the roadside looking over his shoulder. Manbao immediately ran over, tilting his head and asking, "Sir, are you waiting for me?"
Mr. Zhuang smiled slightly, retracted his gaze, touched her little head and asked, "Why is the village so lively?"
"The village chief called everyone to a meeting. I wonder if he's going fishing again."
Mr. Zhuang couldn't help laughing after hearing this, and his worries were dispelled a lot by her childish words.
Mr. Zhuang calmed down, took Manbao back to the classroom, and arranged for her to study before returning to the courtyard. He thought that if anything happened, he would know by the end of school at the latest.
Manbao also found out after school, because as soon as he got home, his family started discussing who would be serving in the military this year.
It is said that yesterday afternoon their village head was urgently summoned to Jiangding Village upstream and was severely scolded by the county magistrate because of the breach in the dam.
Of course, the one who was scolded was not their village head. Their village heads were just incidental. The worst off was the village head in charge of Jiangding Village. I heard that he had been thrown into prison at this time.
But the people were caught and the levee was broken. There were three villages between Qili Village and Jiangding Village, so this matter had little to do with them. But the county magistrate's intention at the time was to summon laborers to repair the levee, so the head of the village came to find the village chief early this morning.
The village head felt that the county would issue the service order in the next few days at most, so he notified everyone in advance so that each family could be prepared.
Last year it was Zhou Sanlang who served in the army. According to the order of priority, it should have been Zhou Dalang's turn, but unfortunately, Zhou Silang is about to become an adult this year.
Oh, by the way, he can get some land after he comes of age. Old Zhou has already asked the village chief about this and is planning to give the head of the village a gift so that the land he gets will be better.
So the topic of discussion today is, should Zhou Dalang go to serve in the army, or should Zhou Silang go?
Zhou Silang returned home happily with money in his pocket and an empty basket on his back. As soon as he opened the door, he was met with everyone's sharp gazes. He felt a little panicked.
He subconsciously took out the bag from his shoulder and said, "I'm not greedy for money. If you don't believe me, ask Lao Wu and the eldest sister. They are keeping track of today's account."
Zhou Xi pushed him aside and walked in, asking, "What's wrong?"
Everyone looked at Zhou Silang with disdain, then looked away. Zhou Erlang said, "The dam upstream is broken, and the county may issue a conscription order."
Zhou Xi couldn't help but ask, "Isn't that in Jiangding Village? Why did they come to our village?"
Old Zhoutou said, "We are all on the same river. If they are not doing well, how can we be well?"
He said, "It's a good thing that the summer and autumn floods have passed. If it had broken two months earlier, all the crops in the fields would have been destroyed, and I'm afraid even the houses would have been damaged."
Zhou Erlang said, "I remember the dam in Jiangding Village was built five years ago. It was my eldest brother who went there at that time. How come it broke?"
Zhou Dalang frowned and thought for a long time, then hesitated and said, "Is it because there is a lack of wood?"
Zhou Silang felt that the current atmosphere at home was not friendly to him, so he quietly walked over to Manbao, squatted beside him, handed her a letter, and asked, "Why are you all glaring at me if you want to serve in the army?"
The letter was from Miss Fu Er. Manbao happily accepted it and explained to him, "Fourth brother, you have become an adult this year."
Zhou Silang opened his mouth wide, clutched his saddlebag, and asked, "So, I have to serve in the army?"
Manbao thought for a moment and said, "That's the way it should be."
Otherwise, it will be the eldest brother's turn again, which will be too easy for the fourth brother.
Zhou Silang rolled his eyes and asked Manbao in a low voice, "If I go to serve, what will happen to the ginger and yams in the fields?"
Manbao: "There are still the fifth and sixth brothers. They are very powerful now. If things don't work out, there is still the second brother. He will also help."
"If I go, will my family still build a stove next door to make soup?"
"I think so," Manbao thought for a moment and comforted him, "Don't worry, Fourth Brother. If you go, I will definitely ask my eldest brother and the others to build a stove and stew soup nearby."
Zhou Silang felt much better and handed her the sack. "Here, count today's money."
Manbao decided to read the letter first. After all, his father and the others were still discussing something and there was no rush to count the money.
In fact, Miss Fu wanted to write a letter to Manbao yesterday, but Zhou Silang and his friends changed the place to sell ginger, so the letter was not delivered. But this morning, when the maid heard the hawking sounds outside, she delivered the letter.
The letter focused on the books she had read recently and what she had learned. She then mentioned that everyone in her family liked the dried fish she had given them, and shared with Manbao some gossip she had heard.
After all, she was frightened by County Magistrate Fu at that time. She was only ten years old. Although she was very sensible, she couldn't help crying afterwards.
It was only after her mother comforted her and told her it was none of her business that she felt better. However, she still asked someone to find out what had happened.
Of course, County Magistrate Fu would not tell this to his daughter, but when her father came home exhausted early this morning, she still knew what had happened from her mother's nagging.
A section of the river dam collapsed. Fortunately, it is not the flood season now, and except for some fields in Dingjiang Village, other villages have not been flooded.
Now that the autumn harvest is over, Dingjiang Village has only lost some vegetables, but no crops. However, the fields with the deepest water will have an imbalance in fertility and may turn from good fields into poor fields.
No matter how lucky we are, the dam is broken, and if it is broken, it needs to be repaired.
Miss Fu Er said that her father was very angry because building the dam required money and it seemed that the county government had no money.
Miss Fu Er just gossiped about this matter and didn't elaborate, but Manbao couldn't help but widen his eyes and think for a moment, "Now that they have no money, the county magistrate won't ask them for more again, right?"
At this time, County Magistrate Fu was also thinking about this problem.
He didn't want to issue any more conscription orders this year. He just wanted each village to take care of its own water conservancy and clear the land for adults.
But now I have to send it.
But how to send this?
Which village’s laboring people should be selected and which village’s laboring people should not be selected?
Of course, this is not the most important thing. The most important thing is, what about the materials for building the dam?
The county did not apply to the state government for funding for dam construction, so no money was allocated this year.
County Magistrate Fu felt so angry when he thought about this. The broken dam was built when he was the previous county magistrate. Coincidentally, it was built the year before he left office.
(End of this chapter)
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