Chapter 206 Country Mouse
Muna felt like he was living a life like in heaven!
Not only is he not dead, he is alive and well.
The wound on his waist kept him bedridden for almost two months, but he eventually survived.
He had to thank the magic medicine his master had left behind for him, which had saved him from being shot. Besides the magic medicine, Muna couldn't think of anything else that could have saved him.
I remember a playmate of his who died of diarrhea when he was a child.
Diarrhea, that can be fatal in Kana Village, not to mention being shot.
To thank his master for the magic medicine, Muna prays to the 36 million Hindu gods every morning, asking them to bless him.
He had every reason to do so; after all, his master had saved him and given him a job.
Yes, Muna is now guarding the mine for the Sur family.
He lived in a newly built earthen house at the foot of the mountain, which was incredibly spacious.
There was enough food for him and one other servant, and sometimes they could have a nice meal of rice with boneless chicken in a chili curry.
Muna had never enjoyed such a life as having chicken every week in his life. It felt like a king, having chicken to eat every week and licking his fingers after eating it.
The house he lived in had a roof, and yes, he did share a room with a guy who was always frowning. His name was Doji, and he was another caretaker left here by the Sur family.
Dorje slept on a large bed, while Muna slept on the floor below.
But even so, a room with a roof has a roof after all.
It was much better than sleeping on the dirt road outside the tea shop where he had been sleeping. Muna had not slept at home for a long time.
There was only one thatched hut for a dozen people. At night, the women slept together, their legs intertwined like millipedes.
The men slept in another corner of the room, and the whole family lived together.
Muna was always woken up by various rustling movements at night, and finally moved out of the tea shop.
Now, he sleeps in a house with a roof and eats chicken that only kings can eat.
Most importantly, Muna received the one thing that the Khana people dream of and value most: a uniform! A khaki uniform!
The success of bus conductor Vicha is evident in Khanna Village.
That khaki uniform was proof that he lived like a human being.
Now Muna is like a human being. He patrols the riverside in uniform every day.
His shadow was reflected in the river, a shadow in a khaki uniform.
When he walks, it walks too.
Muna walked back and forth along the river a dozen times just to admire himself in his khaki uniform.
If only he had a whistle, he would be even more impressive than Vicha.
Huh? Standing by the river, Muna suddenly noticed a large cloud of dust rising in the distance.
Trucks! Countless trucks, more trucks than Muna had ever seen in his life.
His legs were shaking with fear. Could this be the helpers sent by the crow's relatives? They were coming for revenge!
Muna subconsciously reached out to his chest to grab the whistle, but missed.
Only then did he remember that he didn't have a whistle, that was his dream.
"Doji! Doji!" Muna shouted and ran back.
The noise seemed to have been heard at the mine as well, and many people ran out, with Doji standing at the front.
"Doji, it's a crow."
Bang, Doji kicked Muna over.
"Don't talk nonsense, it was the young master who brought people here."
Master? Muna, not caring about the footprints on his khaki uniform, jumped up with a start.
The trucks were getting closer and closer. Not only trucks, but also many monstrous huge buildings, as tall as the buildings in the manor.
But Muna's full attention was on the Civic in front. He recognized that car and had seen it in the tea shop before.
The rumbling truck drove to the foot of the hill, the dust settled, and the Civic door opened.
"Master!" Muna pounced over almost as the boots touched the ground.
He lay on the ground, wanting to kiss the tips of his master's shoes, but afraid of getting the boots dirty.
Finally, Muna kissed the mud in front of the toe of his shoe. It tasted like dry limestone powder, bitter.
"Hey, are you okay?" Ron looked at the boy on the ground in surprise.
"Master, it was the magic medicine you left behind that saved me." Muna squatted there and answered happily like a dog.
"Get up, Muna, your name is Muna, right?"
"Yes, master, you remember me!" Muna shouted even more happily.
"You're lucky." Ron was really a little surprised.
In a place like Uttar Pradesh, getting shot is no joke. Muna is a low-caste person, and his living conditions are not much better than those of stray dogs on the roadside.
"Master, during your absence, the mine..."
Bang, Doji pushed Muna to the back and said, "Young Master, not a single stone is missing from the mine."
"Well done. From today on, the mine will be taken over by someone else."
"Young master, just arrange any work for you!" Doji was happy that he could finally leave this desolate place.
There was no village or shop nearby, and he had to go a long way even to drink tea. He was clearly the second-in-command of the old house, but he was left here to guard the mine, which was a waste of resources.
Muna was not happy, he just knew that the mine no longer needed anyone to guard it.
Would he still be able to live in a house with a roof and eat rice with boneless chicken in chili curry once a week?
Ron ignored the two servants' thoughts. He was discussing the next construction plan with the construction team.
The thirty million rupees from the Bank of Bombay had been entirely spent on building materials, which lay piled up on the grounds of the mine.
The 70 million from Uttar Pradesh Bank is also going through the process. The next step is of course to start construction, and mining is the first step.
As early as last month, geological experts completed the exploration and found that the limestone mine in Kana Village has reserves of more than 100 million tons, making it a veritable large mine.
Because of the rich reserves and relatively open terrain, the mine can be mined directly in the open pit.
In addition to the trucks, the monsters Muna had just seen, drills, excavators, loaders, crushers,
Most of these are imported goods, some are bought and some are rented.
Ron's remaining funds were not enough to purchase all the equipment. The 100 million rupees had to be spent on the most effective things, such as building a cement plant.
The mine is relatively simple, mainly consisting of roads and transportation.
The equipment brought into the site today is all in preparation for the early stages of mining.
For example, clearing vegetation and leveling the land, using bulldozers and rollers, and building transport corridors to facilitate the entry and exit of heavy equipment.
What follows is blasting, mining, and crushing, which is not technically difficult.
India has limited mechanization conditions, and mined goods still have to be transported outside by handcarts.
It's a bit slow, but it's cheap.
Uttar Pradesh is full of farmers and there is plenty of work to do.
When we have enough money later, we will use mechanized equipment.
Otherwise, 100 million rupees would not be enough to build a cement plant, and 500 million rupees would be about right, including the mine.
Transportation wouldn't be too troublesome, so Ron planned to build the cement plant on this vacant land.
The limestone from the mine is simply crushed and then sent to the cement plant for the next processing.
The cement plant has also been designed, covering an area of about one hundred acres.
The mine, including the surrounding farmland, was once inhabited by crows and honey badgers.
Now that the two beasts were dead, Ron of course accepted it without hesitation. It didn't matter how much land the cement factory occupied.
As for what happened to the farmers who used to farm the land? With the mines and cement factories, they no longer had time to farm; they all went to work in the factories.
At Ron's command, the rumbling monsters trembled and started.
The mine and cement plant were built simultaneously, and the farmlands, still sprouting green leaves, were flattened by bulldozers.
In the distance, local farmers came running over crying and wailing, but were quickly driven away by the Sul family.
In principle, they were already serfs belonging to Ron. How the land was used depended entirely on Ron's will.
Notifications and such are a waste of time.
See, that's the good thing about being a landlord in Uttar Pradesh.
There is no such thing as mobilization, land expropriation, or compensation.
In other countries, the land acquisition process can take years, but in India it is just a matter of a word from the landlord.
The life and death of the farmers can be considered at the end or not, it doesn’t matter.
Seeing that more and more farmers were coming, Ron sent people to publicize the requisition notice.
The Suer family wants to use the land to build a cement factory. They can no longer plant sugarcane or anything like that.
Don’t worry about having no food to eat, everyone will come to the cement factory to work as workers in the future.
You can come today and clear away all the gravel on the ground. Ten rupees per household per day!
This is enough to support a family in rural India for two days.
They buy things in paise, not rupees.
The dark and thin farmers were skeptical. Such "high salary" sounded a bit unreal.
But whether they believe it or not, the fact is that farmland is being razed, and they have no room for negotiation.
You can only choose to accept it or retreat, there is no third option.
"Brother, you are still too kind-hearted!" Ratan couldn't stand it anymore.
"We have to give them some hope of survival."
"You can't reason with these country rats. You have to use this, you know."
Ratan pulled out an AK from somewhere and walked towards the farmers with it.
"Da! Da! Da!" He fired a few shots into the air, and the farmers who had been making so much noise just now screamed and ran away in fear.
Ratan fired a few more shots at their feet, and everyone stopped where they were, not daring to run around.
He shouted a few words loudly, and the timid farmers came back obediently and started to help clean up the place.
They work hard and are as obedient as buffaloes, and they don't even dare to ask for ten rupees.
"See? We have to treat them like animals. Only then will they respect us and fear us."
"Don't overdo it. Sooner or later, we will have to move beyond Uttar Pradesh, and then we might need their support."
"Brother, don't be silly. Indian farmers never leave their village in their entire lives."
"Alright, alright," Ron shook his head. "Just pay us the wages we just agreed on, otherwise we won't be able to find any workers."
"You decide," Ratan waved his hand nonchalantly. "Mining is still interesting. Look at that yellow crane. It looks like a monster."
It was indeed a monster, sitting on the edge of the pit, swallowing up piles of dirt with its huge steel mouth and then spitting them out.
The workers under the monster's huge mouth looked not much bigger than mice, and were circling around it like small animals obeying its orders.
Even in such a cold month, they were still sweating profusely, and their wet shirts stuck to their shiny black skin.
Ron also showed some joy on his face. Uttar Pradesh still has a lot of potential.
(End of this chapter)
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