Chapter 40 The Thoughts of the Nobles of the Six Nations
A sickle of your own?
When the villagers heard this, their first reaction was not happiness, but to think that the headman was crazy.
"Uncle, I know everyone wants a sickle, but we got through this before without one. You don't have to comfort us." This was still a tactful way of speaking.
"Mom said that you dreamed about the sickle at night, but it's broad daylight now, you can't just do whatever you want." The son spoke much more bluntly, almost telling her to stop daydreaming.
The village chief jumped off his stool, took off one of his shoes, and threw it at him. "Don't think I can't hear you scolding me! Just wait, I'll deal with you when I get home!"
"I know you all don't believe it. How could such a good thing as dropping money in broad daylight happen to us? But it's true!"
The village head climbed up onto the stool again and looked carefully at all the young men in the village. "Does Wu Chenghou know about this?"
Of course they knew, this was his fiefdom. To some extent, they were all farming for that lord.
"Our Majesty went to offer sacrifices to the heavens, and the gods learned of it and sent a goddess down to earth to help him. This sickle was brought by the goddess."
Compared with other things, this kind of supernatural things are particularly popular among the common people.
"goddess?"
"Is God going to take our Majesty to heaven to enjoy happiness?"
"Hey, what does it have to do with us if His Majesty goes to enjoy himself?"
“…”
The village head pressed his palm lightly, "Everyone, please be quiet. Be quiet and listen to me."
"I guess everyone's been eating a lot of tofu at home these days. Do you chew on bean sprouts every day? I tell you, this is all brought by the goddess!"
"The adults in the city all said that this was given to His Majesty by the goddess. His Majesty had the adults learn it and then passed it on to us."
"Your Majesty?"
To them, His Majesty the Emperor was just a symbol in the imperial edicts and notices, but tofu and bean sprouts were something that every household had recently. They didn't expect that His Majesty the Emperor had obtained them from the goddess.
This inexplicable connection, someone silently felt in his heart, as if His Majesty was not so far away.
A bit novel.
The village head's voice rang out again: "Your Majesty also taught the skills he learned from the goddess to Marquis Wucheng, and asked him to open three factories here. The sickles we use are made in those factories!"
"The factory is hiring now. As long as you have some strength, you can go and try your luck! If you join the factory, you can get a meal, and if you work for a month, you can get a sickle!"
His tone was excited and passionate, "I can get my own sickle in a month!"
The factory recruiting workers is just over ten miles away, which is not far. It only takes more than an hour to go back and forth. They can go there and back on the same day and don’t even have to worry about where to live.
Besides, now that the grain has been harvested and all taxes have been paid, there's plenty of food left at home, making it a perfect time for some downtime. In previous years, I would have taken advantage of this time to go to the mountains and find some meat, but right now, there's nothing more important than getting a sickle.
"Uncle, do you have a way?"
There are so many villages nearby, and people from all over the place, who wouldn’t be tempted? How could it be their turn?
The village head turned around and helped the old man sitting next to him. The old man stood up tremblingly, rolled up his trouser legs with shaking hands, revealing the twisted leg bones under the skin.
He patted his legs that had grown crooked and could no longer stand straight, but his tone was full of pride.
"This old man's leg was injured twenty years ago while trying to save the general! The general still remembers me and even sent someone to bring me some wine and meat a few days ago."
He pointed at the people present and hummed, "The general is nostalgic and sentimental. He still thought of me for such a good thing. You are lucky to have picked it up."
As soon as these words came out, there was a burst of compliments from the audience. Some praised the old man for his prowess, some praised Cheng Wuhou for his kindness, and some praised His Majesty and the goddess. But in the end, there was always the same sentence:
"When are we going?"
What if I go too late and the factory is full?
The head of the village also had the same idea. Although their village had connections, Marquis Wucheng had many soldiers under his command, and many of them were stationed in Jingyang. Who knows how fierce the competition would be.
"Everyone go home and ask your wife to prepare some food. We will go there early tomorrow morning."
This scene happened in many surrounding villages, and everyone was vying for this opportunity.
If it wasn't almost evening today, they would have gone straight there.
…
Jingyang is not only busy recruiting workers, but also building bridges, repairing roads, cultivating land, expanding factory areas... all of which require people.
Since three factories were built here, the original small wharf is no longer sufficient and requires the deployment of corvée labor for expansion.
However, the conscripted laborers did not have the same worries as before, and even quarreled over the quotas.
It’s close to home, takes less time, avoids the farming season, and you can buy sickles at a low price.
This is such a rare opportunity, and anyone who misses it is a fool.
Qin officials were already insufficient to begin with, and with all the various tasks piling up at once, they were even more stretched. Even Wang Jian's great-grandson, who had just turned ten, was sent out to work.
The recording medium also evolved from bamboo slips to bark paper.
This kind of bark paper does not require any technical content. You just need to select a suitable tree, peel off the bark and remove the outer shell, choose the layer with coarse fibers, dry it, and then you can write on it. It is simple and quick, and cheaper than paper and bamboo slips, but it does not last long.
But it is enough for temporary recruitment.
…
The people from Houtou Village set out in the wind and rain before dawn. It took them nearly an hour to walk the more than ten miles of mountain roads. When they arrived, the registration point was already crowded with people.
They went into the crowd and asked around, and found out that they were all people who came to work.
"I was so anxious when I heard that, I hurried back to tell everyone. Uncle, our great grandfather didn't come with us, so he won't be able to take his turn, right?"
The village head became anxious after hearing this and rushed in with his men.
After finally getting in line, I found myself in front of an unusually tall child. Yes, a child. Although he was tall, his childish face clearly showed that he was only about ten years old.
The child didn't even look up and asked directly: "Household registration, name, are you strong enough? Can you do any handicrafts?"
He answered a series of questions fluently without any stuttering, and one could tell from his voice that he had said them many times.
The village head looked at the child with smooth skin and exquisite clothes, and reflexively bent his back halfway, with a humble and ingratiating smile on his face: "We are from Houtou Village, these are..."
"Oh, you're from Houtou Village? You're finally here." The child threw down his pen, jumped down from behind the table, raised his chin, and put his hands behind his back, "Come with me."
The village head asked cautiously, "Sir, where are you taking us?"
The child squinted at him, his tone somewhat impatient: "You are from the village behind where XX is, right?" After receiving a positive response, he turned and walked forward, "I'm waiting for you, why don't you hurry up and catch up."
"I'm so annoyed! If I hadn't been waiting for you, I wouldn't have come here to bask in the sun!"
The village head already had some guesses in his mind and hurriedly followed him.
They were slowly leaving behind the crowded registration point. Someone in the admissions team looked over here, carefully noted their appearance, exchanged glances with their companions hiding in the crowd, and made a few gestures.
——Special identity, suitable for contact.
We also have to be grateful to Marquis Wu Cheng for making the decision to expand enrollment, otherwise they would have no chance of getting in.
I heard that they used flammable rocks inside, so it must be very suitable for setting fires.
Oh no, I have to learn the technology secretly before setting the fire, otherwise this great place that can produce thousands of iron tools a day will be ruined.
----------
Jingyang County Government Office.
Since Wu Chenghou was ordered to build a factory here a few months ago, this place has become Wang Jian's temporary residence.
At this time, the county lieutenant was reporting the situation to him.
"We spotted several suspicious individuals today. I suspect they are spies from the remnants of the Six Kingdoms."
He stretched out his hand and scratched his neck. "Do you want to send someone to deal with it?"
Wang Jian's hair and beard are all white, but he has become more and more energetic in the past few months. He sipped the good wine given by his great-granddaughter and rocked slowly in the rocking chair, looking particularly comfortable in the cool autumn morning breeze.
"Why rush? It's just some bait. Only by casting a long line can you catch a big fish."
The county lieutenant took a few steps, seeming to want to say something but stopping himself.
"Most of the troops stationed in Jingyang are locals, and their families are also concerned about the sickle. Can we open a green channel for them?"
The term "green channel" was brought by someone from Xianyang City. I heard that it was a term used by a goddess. Hey, isn't that the name used in the fairy world?
It's worthy of being the fairyland, even taking the back door is so elegant.
If Wei Shengxue knew what he was thinking, she would definitely cry out that it was unfair, because that was not what she meant by the green channel.
But in general, the county lieutenant's idea was very clear, he wanted to gain more benefits for his people.
The soldiers here once served under Wang Jian, so they can be considered as his own people.
"I have agreed to this. Let them train well and don't worry about anything else. Your Majesty will never treat them unfairly."
The county lieutenant bowed and responded. As he walked out of the courtyard, he ran into the county magistrate who was walking hurriedly. The two of them didn't even have time to say a word before the county magistrate hurried in.
"Marquis Chengwu, those people have been interrogated and found out that they are..."
"The ministers of the six kingdoms." Wang Jian asserted.
…
"I received the message."
In a low-key and inconspicuous courtyard, a man dressed in Qin Dynasty official uniform walked in holding a scroll of bamboo slips.
Seeing the young man walking back and forth in the yard holding a large stone, he smiled and praised: "Aji is brave, his future is limitless."
The boy who was praised did not collapse. A proud look appeared on his face. He walked back and forth a few times before putting down the big rock. "Bang!" It smashed a deep hole in the ground.
Another elder in the courtyard shook his head somewhat unhappily, "He was born with supernatural powers but he didn't know the art of war. He's just a brave man."
"Why bother, Lord Liang? Young people are unstable and will become more mature as they grow older. Why not first take a look at the news from Xianyang?"
Lord Liang could already tell from the man's expression that this news might not be what he wanted, but he couldn't help but feel angry when he actually saw it.
Bang!
He pounded his fist on the table, breaking a section of the bamboo slip. Anger and frustration filled his chest inch by inch, and he couldn't help but cry out:
"Why doesn't God favor me?"
Seeing his uncle's grief, the young man snatched the bamboo slips, broke them in two, threw them on the ground and stomped on them hard.
"Uncle, don't be angry. Your nephew has taken revenge for you."
Lord Liang was so irritated by his behavior that the veins on his forehead throbbed.
Where did this idiot come from!
If he wasn't his nephew, he would have thrown him away.
"Look carefully at what's written on it!"
The young man then glanced at it reluctantly and vaguely made out that it said something like the Qin State had made new agricultural tools, making farming more convenient.
The more harvest the tenants get from their land, the more rent they can collect.
Isn’t this a good thing?
What is uncle angry about?
Seeing the undisguised confusion on his nephew's face, Mr. Liang gritted his teeth, looked left and right, and began to look for a broom.
Seeing this, the man in the Qin official uniform found an excuse to leave. The other person wanted to teach the child a lesson, and he couldn't stand being in the way.
"Please take your time, sir. Thank you for this."
The man waved his hand, saying that given their friendship, it was unnecessary.
As soon as he left, Lord Liang turned and shouted angrily, "Aji!"
The boy looked up blankly: "Huh?"
"You must remember that Ying Zheng is a tyrant, the Qin State is a tyrant nation, and is our enemy. The worse he is, the better our chances of restoring our country!"
Mr. Liang repeated those clichés to his troublesome nephew in a serious tone.
"Do you remember our vows?"
The young man blurted out: "Even if there are only three households left in Chu, it will be Chu that will destroy Qin!"
"Okay, remember..."
He ignored his uncle's ramblings, but he was thinking to himself: When can I go to Xianyang to see that legendary immortal? Does that immortal have powerful kung fu?
**
In a small town dozens of miles away from Bolangsha.
A young woman of outstanding beauty walked slowly down the street, her husband following beside her, carefully blocking the sight of passers-by. The two of them disappeared into the house at the end of the street under countless gazes.
As soon as the door closed, the husband walking beside him immediately stepped back and bowed respectfully: "Master, news has come from Xianyang. They still haven't contacted the immortal, but they have found a way to sneak into the Jingyang factory."
The beautiful woman dressed as a woman frowned slightly, looking very charming, but she spoke with a clear and bright voice of a young man:
"Hold those people still for now. The situation is unclear right now, so don't make any unnecessary sacrifices."
He had to think about how to get in touch with the so-called "immortal".
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