Chapter 220 A Different World

The severe cold of winter has not really ended yet.

In the cold winter, the world is covered with white frost, and most places seem empty and quiet.

During these rare days of leisure, few people go out unless they have to. Most of them lie quietly in their beds like hibernating animals, hoping that the weather will warm up soon and not continue to be cold, thus wasting the firewood that they have accumulated with great difficulty, but which is not much.

But today is a little different.

It was just daybreak when some noisy sounds began to emanate from the small village that had been silent for over a month.

I heard faint noises coming from outside and the sound of conversations coming from the inner room.

"Why is it so lively outside today?"

The old woman asked nervously, and then said, "Could it be bandits coming?"

"I'll go and take a look."

The old man lifted the quilt and stood up from the bed. His dry and dark skin was touched by the cold winter air and turned slightly red.

"I have cotton clothes."

The old woman reminded, "The two pieces that our distinguished guest left for us."

"You can't wear it. I'll go hide my cotton-padded clothes first. If they are really bandits, I can give them the quilt but not the cotton-padded clothes."

The old man put on a thin linen coat and hid his two cotton coats first. He then fetched an axe for chopping from the room, put it in his hand as a pad, and walked out the door.

As soon as you go out, the biting cold wind hits you hard.

A bone-chilling cold air came over me.

The severe cold, to which he had already gotten used to, made him shiver uncontrollably. He could not help but tighten his grip on the axe in his hand, muttering, "People are so mean. How come I didn't feel this cold before I didn't have cotton clothes? I could still go out and chop wood."

He stamped his feet, not daring to stand outside, and moved closer to the place where the noise came from.

After walking a few steps, he saw other companions like him in the village, walking out of the door with farming tools on their shoulders - of course, they didn't need to farm at this time, they were using those tools for self-defense.

After looking at each other, people who are familiar with each other naturally lean against each other.

"Old Wang, did you hear the noise too?"

"That's right. Who would go out at this time of the year in this damn weather? You have to be careful! If they are really horse bandits, maybe we can have some horse meat if there are fewer people!"

Lao Wang had a scar on his face, and his tone was unusually ruthless.

As a neighbor, he was familiar with this guy's experience. The scar on his face was caused by the fact that he went to work in the imperial capital when he was young. As a result, a commoner was riding a horse wildly on the road, and this guy was blind and didn't know how to dodge, so he was whipped with a horsewhip.

Later, after many twists and turns, he returned to the village. The world outside was not easy to survive in, but the people there were actually quite nice.

"Let's go and have a look!"

While the two were talking, several more people came out of the house, holding all kinds of strange but powerful farm tools in their hands.

There is courage in numbers. When these people from the same village gathered together, the fear in their hearts was greatly reduced.

Everyone took steps and walked towards the direction where the noise came from.

"It would be great if they were horse bandits! At least horse bandits have horses. I haven't tasted meat in years."

"I think the bandits who come to rob us are very poor. It's good enough for us to have a skinny horse to gnaw on!"

"When I was young, I encountered real horse bandits. One blow from their axe would have smashed their heads. Some horse bandits tried to run away on horses, but they didn't know that I had raised horses when I was young. I chased them on their horses, and they were faster than they could ride themselves! I got rid of those horse bandits in no time, and even got a reward of half a tael of silver!"

Once the conversation started, the villagers, who had not chatted for more than a month, began to talk about their glorious past to boost their spirits.

Even if one has a strong army like Daqi, it does not mean that public security will be good.

Once a natural disaster or man-made calamity occurs in a certain place, it is not uncommon for some people to want to rebel because they can no longer survive, or simply become bandits or robbers.

As long as the scale is not large enough, it is not worth mentioning at all and they are all very normal things.

As the group was talking, they came to where the noise came from.

That is the village chief's house.

Although he is called the village chief, he is actually a third-class citizen like them, and even his house is not better than theirs.

But today was a little different, because in front of the village chief's house, several horse-drawn carriages were parked there, loaded with stuff! They were horse-drawn carriages, not horse bandits!

From the linen cloth that was not really covered tightly on the carriage, it was not difficult to see the food and cotton clothes hidden inside.

Looking at the logo on the carriage again It was undoubtedly a government carriage! The group of people couldn't help but pause and stare at it.

"Oh my god, how many villages did you search?"

“Another tax increase?!”

"It's over. The horse bandits didn't come. What came was something more ruthless than the horse bandits."

Even the arrogant Old Wang had a sad face and almost cried.

The old farmer was also trembling in his heart. In previous years, if the taxes were to be increased, they would be collected before the cold winter. Why would they have to do it again in the winter? And looking at the things in the carriage, they were not something that the third-class people could touch.

Even if we skin and bone them, how can we get them together?

"The daughter of a cousin of a relative of mine married someone else. I heard that her husband is an officer in the army. She happened to visit her parents a while ago and seemed to say that something went wrong in the army. It's terrible!"

Immediately, someone stood up and said with a worried look on his face.

“Eh—really?!”

"What should we do? We can't just go to the battlefield with these guys in our arms, right?"

"Recruiting is a good place. It's your turn? You wish!"

All kinds of noises were heard, one after another.

As the third-class people at the bottom of society, even joining the army was a luxury most of the time. At most, they could serve as logistics personnel. Want to go to the battlefield? That was where the meat was, but it was not their turn.

Moreover, killing enemies can earn you merit, and merit will bring rewards. There are many second-class people who want to go in, so it is better for third-class people to wait a little longer.

When facing horse bandits, they dared to risk their lives, but when facing the imperial court that came to attack, even if there was only one person, they could only speak in a humble and low voice.

"Why don't we go in and ask the village chief?"

Someone said.

"Okay! Let's all go in and ask. We can't make ends meet anymore. We lost the war, so we can go to battle. But we really can't collect taxes anymore!"

Everyone responded, and encouraged each other to walk into the courtyard together.

A cruel government is more ferocious than a tiger. Compared to the possibility of dying in a war, having all your belongings taken away and then watching your family starve to death or freeze to death is much more terrifying.

The courtyard was not big, and the village chief, who was wearing clothes not much thicker than them, was standing beside an important figure, listening carefully with his head bowed, his expression astonished.

They had never seen that important figure before. He was wrapped in thick winter clothes and had a shining long sword at his waist.

The person who came this time was very unusual at first glance. He was completely different from the petty clerk who had been collecting taxes like a scoundrel before.

"Did you hear everything I said?"

The big shot glanced at the few people who had just come in and asked impatiently.

"Listen carefully, listen carefully!"

The village chief nodded repeatedly and spoke almost impatiently.

"Go quickly, it will take at most half an hour, and it may not be done yet."

"Don't worry, there will be no problem!"

The village chief patted his chest and assured.

Before the people who just came in had a chance to speak, the village chief stretched out his hand and pushed them all out, "Let's talk outside, let's talk outside, don't disturb the adults."

It was clearly the village chief's own home, but they were standing outside the door. The cold wind blew on their bodies, and the village chief, who was also wearing thin clothes, couldn't help shivering.

"Village Chief, what's going on? Are you going to collect taxes again?"

"Yes, we don't have these things either! Even the cotton-padded clothes in the car are things that only the nobles can have. We have only seen them, how can we get them?"

"There's no more food! We can barely afford to eat at home. If there weren't even any ears of wheat left in the field, I would have gone out to pick some to eat!"

Before the village chief had a chance to speak, the villagers, who had a lot to say, started talking.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute!"

The village chief clapped his hands and shouted for them to be quiet. After a long while, the excited voices finally stopped.

As the village chief, it was obvious that he had no authority.

In fact, if he had not been lucky enough to study in a private school for two years, learn a few characters and be able to write some names, he would not have become the village chief.

But in this poor and remote area, to put it bluntly, people don’t even have to wash the bowls when eating, they just lick them clean with their tongues. Not to mention the oil and water, it’s even a big problem whether they can get enough food.

The people here have always been tough, and are most concerned with quibbling over every little thing - those who don't quibble simply can't survive.

"Don't worry, don't worry! This is a good thing, it really is a good thing!"

The village chief spoke loudly. Although his eyebrows and eyes were a little red from the cold, he was very happy and his back teeth were almost falling out from laughing.

"How can anything good happen? Are you crazy, Village Chief?"

"We know that the village chief is in a difficult situation, but we will deal with it if it happens. We can handle it."

"Yes, you are the only one in our village who can write. We also know that this kind of thing cannot be blamed on you, so just speak frankly."

A flurry of chatter began, and people began to show concern for the village chief, a rare occurrence.

"Really! It's really a good thing!"

The village chief clapped his hands, as if he was afraid that the few people would make trouble again, and shouted: "The emperor repents!"

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, the village chief reacted and slapped himself hard. This careless mouth, how can this be a good thing? If the people in the house heard it, I'm afraid he wouldn't survive the day! Fortunately, the people in the village could only understand the word "emperor" at most, and they didn't understand what the edict of guilt was.

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"What did the emperor say? Why are there only three words at the end? Didn't he want to collect taxes?"

A villager asked.

“Ahem!”

The village chief coughed twice to cover up his previous offense. "The emperor is very kind this time and wants to help the world and the people. He doesn't want your things, so don't worry about it! Call those who haven't come to the village quickly."

"What kindness has the emperor shown?"

None of the people surrounding him left. Instead, they asked with great curiosity.

They didn't understand what he meant by helping the world and the people, but since they wanted to be kind, there must be good news, right? Without good news, who would be willing to move? They refused to move.

"The Emperor wants to give us things! Food and cotton clothes!!!"

The village chief was beaming with joy and spoke with full energy.

"Ouch!"

Now the villagers finally understood, and their faces changed drastically.

The emperor who only existed in the mouths of the tax collectors was not a greedy bastard who only wanted to eat but could not eat anything. He would take the initiative to give them things? !

The sun really rises from the west!

"What are you all standing there for? Go and call those families who haven't come yet to come over. Don't leave any family behind, otherwise they won't give out the money!"

The village chief quickly started to push people, "Hurry up and call the neighbors over. We can't let the people inside wait too long."

The village chief pointed to his own room, and his meaning was obvious.

If you wait too long, the other person may be in a bad mood and might send less. How can that be okay?

The villagers who originally wanted to ask more questions immediately scattered like birds and beasts, running faster than rabbits.

After the people in front of him had dispersed, the village chief stood in front of his dilapidated house, looked at the several carriages parked in front of him, and couldn't help but look up at the sky.

The sun hangs high in the sky, making it difficult for people to feel too much warmth in winter, but it can still illuminate the vast land and guide people.

"The sun doesn't even rise from the west."

The village chief pinched his thigh hard and said in a low voice with a smile on his face.

This is something that you can't even dream of! Not long after, almost everyone in the village gathered together. When they heard that the imperial court was going to send gifts and food, some people dared to run out without even wearing clothes, but they were still forcibly driven back by the village chief.

When the noise died down and they took out the village roster and started counting the people, one family was late.

"Where are the people from Old Chen's family? They didn't even come to deliver the gifts?"

The village chief was a little angry. The time wasted was the time of important people!

"I went to Lao Chen's house. The people there froze to death."

The old farmer, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke.

"It's freezing. That's a pity."

The village chief pursed his lips and said nothing more.

It's normal for someone to freeze to death. Isn't there always some people freezing to death or starving to death every year?

It's just that this year the emperor was so kind, and the Chen family died a little early, which seemed a bit of a loss.

Everyone had been counted, and the important person from the county counted the list again. After confirming that the people in Old Chen's family were dead, he said nothing more and began to distribute food and cotton clothes.

Half a load of food for a family, plus a cotton-padded jacket! When these things were actually received, many villagers finally realized what was going on.

It turns out that this time they really aren’t going to collect taxes again!

It turns out that the imperial court can really give them things!

So this is what the emperor’s kindness looks like!

Immediately, someone knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly to the important person who distributed the food, expressing his gratitude.

"Don't thank me. If someone comes to ask you whether you have distributed the gifts, just tell the truth. Don't say more or less. Do you hear me? If you say more or less, I might lose my head! Remember how much you distributed today. I didn't deduct a single cent! Go back home and take a look for yourself!"

The big shot who distributed the supplies would explain everything to each person patiently before handing it over.

He didn't want to be so tired, but there was no other way.

His boss's boss's boss's boss was caught and slaughtered in the street by the master because he was delayed for a day. Now he is still hanging at the gate of the yamen.

I heard that those masters received orders from the emperor. Now, if anyone dares to do anything, no matter who is behind you, we will kill them if caught!

No matter how powerful their background was, could they be more powerful than the Grandmaster? The sword hanging overhead was watching them from the sky, so they had no choice but to be careful.

The old farmer returned home carrying half a load of grain.

The anxious wife hurried forward and said, "Why did you take so long? I heard some shouting outside and wanted to go out to take a look. Hey? What are you carrying on your back? Why is there a cotton coat?"

"Your Majesty, you've distributed something."

The old farmer put the grain down, gently lifted a corner of the bag, and looked at the bright yellow grain hidden inside, wishing he could bow down to worship it.

"What?!"

The woman was shocked. "The emperor can give out gifts? It's good enough that he doesn't want ours. Don't be ridiculous! Could it be that the people in the village fought off a group of horse bandits together?"

"We are telling the truth."

The old farmer put the cotton coat on the woman and said, "It was really sent by the emperor."

"Oh my goodness, this is the first time I've heard that the emperor would give out gifts."

The old woman was obviously frightened. She quickly turned back into the house, took out another cotton coat and handed it to him.

"That's good. Three people have three sets of cotton-padded clothes. When have we ever been so rich?"

The old woman couldn't help but sigh.

The old farmer stared blankly at the cotton-padded jacket handed to him by the old woman.

Suddenly, I thought of the two distinguished guests who had left for a long time.

The young man's shouting is still ringing in my ears.

"Damn it, the Daqi royal family!"

Could this sudden change be related to those two?!

This horrible thought suddenly popped up in his mind, giving him a big fright.

"What are you standing there for? Put them on! Now everyone has cotton-padded clothes. We can wear these two coats that our distinguished guest left for us and go out."

The old woman urged.

“Hey, hey.”

The old farmer responded quickly.

This was an ordinary yet different day in Daqi.

Because someone was here.

(End of this chapter)