Besides the refugees recruited for construction work, there are also many kilns here, burning charcoal and pottery. They suspect there are also smelters inside.
A patrol walked past them, each soldier carrying a sword and a long gun, dressed in rattan armor; the ranks were orderly and well-trained.
The four frowned and continued to look around.
They weren't the only ones gathering information; there were other refugees who had fled here as well.
Most of them were looking for a way to make a living or asking if they were still hiring.
People who do manual labor here to make a living say they're hiring, but you have to register inside the village before anyone will arrange a job for you; nobody hires you outside.
There is a threshold to enter the village; each person must pay two hundred coins to enter.
The village was surrounded by a stone wall more than three meters high, and guards were stationed at each entrance and exit.
It was very lively inside; even standing outside, you could hear the lively shouts and constant noise.
In such circumstances, Ma'ao Village is like a paradise, attracting people from desperate situations.
A simple horse-drawn carriage drove in from the gate, and when it stopped at a certain spot, a young boy stepped out.
He was dressed in a fox fur coat, wore a tiger hat, and was very round-faced.
The boy climbed out of the carriage and excitedly asked, "Where is that savage group? Do they look like wild beasts?"
The boy stepped off the back of a withered old woman and looked around.
Several guards stopped him, saying, "Young master, please wait a moment. We'll call a patrol team to come over with you later."
Those savages, who knows if they might go berserk and hurt people.
The boy asked curiously, "What do they look like?"
One of the guards said, "They look just like us, and many of them wear wolf skins and grass skirts. I guess that's how they're classified."
They used stone tools; many of them carried stone spears and stone axes.
A small group of people were carrying large knives; it's unclear where they stole them from.
The leaders looked at each other, feeling like they were being talked about in the context of their team.
At the team's rest area, everyone felt that the people patrolling from there were giving them strange looks.
Sanpi clutched his straw cloak tightly. Could these people be after his cotton-padded coat? He wouldn't let anyone take it from him.
After the boy left with his men, Lao Qi walked over to the old woman who was being used as a human bench and asked, "I have a question. Are there any other ways to get a job there?"
The old woman looked at them coldly and did not answer.
The seventh brother took out a sugarcane root from his pocket and started eating it.
The old woman's eyes finally showed a flicker of emotion.
The seventh brother took out another one and handed it to her, saying, "Want to try some?"
The old woman immediately reached out to grab it, but the seventh son threw it to the ground.
The grass roots thrown on the ground were immediately snatched up by the refugees who were watching them.
The fifth brother and his men raised their broadswords, surveyed the refugees surrounding them, and then retreated.
Old Jiu took out another blade of grass to eat, saying, "If you answer honestly, I'll give you a bundle."
The old woman said hoarsely, "We can get in by pushing a few people over."
The seventh brother was very satisfied and immediately took out a bundle of grass roots for her.
The old woman snatched it away and immediately began to wolf it down.
The seventh brother then asked, "What happened here? Has the imperial court issued any new decrees?"
The old woman, her eyes lifeless, said, "They're all dead, they're all dead, so many people have died, the town has been burned down, and the county magistrate has been killed."
The imperial court issued a decree that Youzhou would be exempt from taxes for one year next year, implementing a policy of recuperation and development.
Soldiers were demobilized and their former titles, land, and houses were restored.
Those who sold themselves into slavery due to hunger were released and became commoners.
The government encouraged displaced people to return to their hometowns to reclaim wasteland and cultivate the land. Various places in Youzhou recruited and pacified displaced people to cultivate wasteland.
As winter approached, the imperial court appointed a new county magistrate.
The new magistrate encouraged the repair of buildings and sent people to promote the use of traditional fire pits.
He died just a few days after taking office.
After saying that, the old woman whispered, "The person who killed the magistrate is in Ma'ao Village."
This time, the seventh brother took out two bundles of grass roots and threw them to her.
Back at their rest stop, Wu Dong and his men who had gathered information also returned.
Village Chief Bai asked, "Well, has the imperial court issued any new decrees?"
Wu Dong: "They said they would exempt people from taxes for a year next year to encourage land reclamation."
"It's the same again, not a single new or useful policy," Zhou complained.
Wu Dong continued, "I heard that the county magistrate here was killed by a rebellion of refugees, and the town was destroyed beyond recognition. The imperial court sent a new county magistrate, who is now in Ma'ao Village."
They're undertaking a major construction project here to rebuild the town and prepare for next year.
The second brother frowned and said, "The information we gathered is different from yours."
Wu Dong looked at them, and Lao Qi said, "We'll talk about it later. Let's go inside and take a look first."
The team only has two map invitations, so only 6 people can enter for free.
The three village chiefs didn't want to spend money, so Village Chief Bai led five people in, along with two carts of supplies. One cart contained stone tablets, stone pots, and wooden bowls.
The other vehicle contained bamboo products, straw sandals, and other miscellaneous items, as well as cacti frozen into ice blocks.
There's an "invitation letter" and supplies, and they'll send people to escort them, so there's not much to worry about the supplies being stolen.
After Old Man Chen and the others left, the eldest brother couldn't help but ask, "Seventh brother, tell me, which side's story is credible?"
Wu Dong and his group asked many people and got the same information they had just heard.
They only asked one old woman who was a human stool.
The seventh brother said, "That old woman is a local."
The fifth brother asked curiously, "How do you know he's a local?"
Seventh Brother: "I just took a walk around and observed that the old woman's accent is the local dialect."
Eldest brother: "Why did you only ask that old woman?"
Seventh Brother: "At this age, to have survived until now, one must have certain skills and know more."
Second son: "Is what that old woman said true?"
Seventh Brother: "No, none of it is trustworthy. They can say whatever they want.
"Excuse me, are there any rules if I set up a stall inside?" Village Chief Bai asked.
The patrol leader said impatiently, "Pay one hundred coins, and we'll arrange a stall for you here."
Nobody wants your stuff.
He had never seen anything so unlucky, selling tombstones.
Village Chief Bai continued, "What are the prices of grain, water, and cloth?"
The leader glanced at him and said, "Go inside, and you'll find out."
Village Chief Bai understood what he meant; he wouldn't say much without some benefit, but he didn't intend to offer a bribe.
Their food didn't come from thin air, and judging from their expressions, they didn't care for other items.
Once inside, it was indeed bustling with activity.
The streets were full of vendors, some selling handcarts and donkey carts, some selling pottery jars, pots and hand warmers, and most selling charcoal and firewood.
They have all sorts of odds and ends, things they need and things they don't need.
The patrol team brought them in and then left. The village chief and his group weren't in a hurry; they looked around first.
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