Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Chapter 33
Shu Yanrong and his group arrived at a very opportune time; almost as soon as they joined the ranks, a yamen runner carrying a bronze gong appeared at the yamen gate.
Those with sharp eyes and those at the front of the line would light up at the sight of the yamen runners, craning their necks as if they couldn't wait to rush in and collect their grain.
But this is a minority; most people are still crowding and arguing over queuing.
"Thump!"
The mallet, wrapped in red cloth, struck the center of the gong with a loud sound that silenced everyone.
The square-faced yamen runner, around fifty years old, was the center of attention, yet remained silent for a long time.
Shu Wanxiu noticed that his gaze was fixed on a certain spot, and his expression seemed somewhat displeased. Startled, she quickly looked in the direction he was looking.
Behind her, about twenty or thirty people away, two men were gripping each other's collars. Even though everything was quiet around them, they remained locked in a stalemate.
After Shu Wanxiu confirmed repeatedly, it was clear that the constable's gaze was indeed fixed on these two people.
'Would she possibly scold those two?' Shu Wanxiu wondered to herself.
The thought had barely formed when the yamen runner said sternly, "The land beneath your feet faces the county government office. If anyone has a grievance, they may beat the drum to appeal for justice."
His expression was cold and stern. “If there is no injustice, then no noise, no arguments, and no fighting are allowed. Those who violate this rule shall be punished with caning.”
More and more people followed the constables' gaze and spotted the two men grabbing each other's collars.
In the lines ahead and behind, someone whispered, "Forget it, let them all just let go."
"Yeah, never mind."
Aside from the onlookers, the couple's family members also chimed in, urging, "Husband, let go."
After a brief standoff, the two men reluctantly separated.
The constable shifted his gaze from the two men, scanned the crowd with his sharp eyes, and finally announced loudly: "The distribution of grain will begin immediately. You shall line up in order and shall not fight or push while receiving the grain."
Like cold water being poured into a hot oil pan, the crowd instantly erupted in a frenzy.
The square-faced yamen runner wasn't in a hurry; he just stood there.
A moment later, perhaps seeing that the yamen runner hadn't moved aside, or perhaps noticing that the procession hadn't moved, everyone unanimously remembered the second sentence the yamen runner had said—no noise, no arguments, no fighting in front of the county yamen; violators would be punished with caning.
Once the surroundings quieted down again, the square-faced constable calmly added a powerful statement.
"If anyone is found to have received grain under a false name or received more than the allotted amount today, all of their grain will be confiscated, they will be whipped ten times, and imprisoned in the county dungeon."
Before anyone could react, he immediately raised his hand behind him as soon as he finished speaking.
Inside the yamen, more than a dozen strong young yamen runners jogged out, each carrying a uniform eyebrow-length staff, and stood outside the yamen.
This was a scene unlike anything seen when we received our grain rations last month.
The entire room was completely silent.
Shu Wanxiu placed both hands on Shu Shouyi's shoulders, restraining him from running around. The other families behind them did the same, either holding their children or pulling them along, not daring to let them make a sound or do anything improper.
The square-faced yamen runner handed the gong and mallet he had been carrying to the young yamen runner beside him, then stood with his hands behind his back, clearing the middle of the yamen and slightly nodding his head to signal the family at the front of the line to go inside and collect their grain.
Having received approval, the family timidly stepped into the county government office.
Shu Wanxiu was the third household in line, ahead of her uncle's family.
After the first two households received their grain, it was immediately her and Shu Shouyi's turn.
She obediently led Shu Shouyi forward, and before the yamen runner could even speak to verify their identities, she had already taken out her bamboo identification card and handed it over.
The constable carefully verified their identities and, once he was certain, announced to the constable weighing the grain the amount of grain they were entitled to receive.
Then Shu Wanxiu and Shu Shouyi pressed their fingerprints on the roster for receiving grain, and the weighed grain was then packed into the grain bags they brought by the yamen runners who were in charge of packing the grain.
Shu Wanxiu stared wide-eyed until all the white rice fell into the grain bag and was handed back to her. Only then did her heart finally settle down.
She waited outside the yamen for a while before her uncle's family came out.
Both families were undoubtedly in good spirits, but faced with the seemingly endless line of people collecting grain, they were both cautious and dared not show the slightest hint of pride.
Shu Yanrong sent his second son, Shu Chengsen, to help Shu Wanxiu carry the grain, while his own family, men and women alike, joined in, carrying and shouldering the grain, leading the children, and hurrying out of the city.
Only after leaving the city and walking several miles into a desolate place did Shu Yanrong lead everyone to stop and rest in a sheltered spot.
Xu Zhen lovingly stroked the grain sack, her face beaming with joy, and said, "Wanxiu, thanks to your brilliant idea, we were able to receive so much good grain without any problems."
Shu Wanxiu was pleased to see so much grain, but she humbly said, "I was just saying that. If things can be accomplished, everyone deserves credit."
The two families chatted happily against the tree, completely unaware that they had narrowly escaped disaster because they had left quickly.
...
The line for receiving grain was incredibly long and crowded.
No one was indifferent to receiving food rations, but there was always someone at the very end of the line.
When the notice to collect grain arrived yesterday, Liu Yinxue's family, who were also refugees from Wuli Village, gathered together to discuss the matter of collecting grain.
In fact, they were assigned to the same village as Shu Yanrong's family, so when it came time to collect their grain rations, the two families could have easily gone together and kept each other company.
However, the Liu family was notorious and had once dragged down the Shu family, so the Shu family always avoided them like the plague. The reason why the Liu family did not approach the Shu family has to be explained from the beginning.
Ever since Liu Yinxue and his family settled in Wuli Village two months ago, they have been dissatisfied with everything they do.
In their eyes, Wuli Village was just a poor, remote mountain village.
Being poor is one thing, but helping them settle down is the duty of the villagers, right? But from top to bottom, the whole village is stingy and unwilling to give any help whatsoever.
Before winter, the village helped the Shu family build a house but didn't mention building a house for them. Liu Yinxue felt wronged and led his family of young men, women and children to the village chief to make a scene. After being brushed off with some excuse, he harbored a deep grudge and resented the Shu Yanrong family and the entire Wuli Village.
Today, while queuing to receive grain, Liu Yinxue not only had no intention of joining the Shu family in receiving grain, but also plotted to rob the Shu family of their grain.
If someone is an ordinary person with a respectable family background, how could they possibly have such thoughts unless they are driven to the brink of despair?
It can only be said that Liu Yinxue's ancestors were not law-abiding citizens.
Going back two generations, Liu Yinxue's grandfather was a notorious bandit king in the north, but he was besieged by the imperial court before Liu Yinxue was born.
His grandfather and biological father resisted stubbornly, and having committed numerous evil deeds over the past decades, they were sentenced to beheading after their mountain stronghold was breached and fell into the hands of government troops.
During that siege, his birth mother hid in a secret passage for three days and three nights, protecting her unborn child. She only came down the mountain quietly after the soldiers left, thus saving him from death.
From a young age, Liu Yinxue was told that he was a child without a father. He was angry, argued, and even got into fights with people.
After each injury, he would ask his mother why he didn't have a father.
When he could no longer bear the torment, his birth mother revealed some old stories and always advised him, "Son, you must never be like your father. It's all his fault for committing the sins of banditry back then, which is why you have become like this and are always bullied."
The words of advice reached Liu Yinxue's ears, but had no effect whatsoever.
He always thought: It's all the fault of the soldiers who arrested my father, otherwise I wouldn't be in this state now.
The older he got, the more he admired his grandfather and biological father, and the more he longed for their past experiences and lives.
He intended to emulate him, but his birth mother was terrified after being besieged in a bandit's den and absolutely refused to let him become an outlaw.
In addition, during those years, the land they lived in enjoyed favorable weather and abundant harvests, and the people lived in peace and contentment with few injustices. As a result, Liu Yinxue's several attempts to recruit followers failed, and the matter was eventually dropped.
She knew her own son's temperament. This year, the north suffered a severe drought, and Liu Yinxue's mother often advised him to behave well and not do evil.
Unfortunately, his elderly mother was not only blind but also had difficulty walking. During their escape from famine, she was unaware that her son was committing evil deeds right under her nose.
Liu Yinxue enjoyed those days immensely.
For him, fleeing the famine was not a bad thing, but an opportunity.
Since settling down, I've actually found life less and less enjoyable.
He devised a meticulous plan for this grain plundering operation.
Although his primary target was indeed the Shu Yanrong family, it did not mean that he would only rob the Shu Yanrong family.
—All the families who were the first to enter the city and line up to receive good grain were his targets.
But then again, there are ten people in his family. Apart from his elderly mother, wife, daughter-in-law, and grandson, only he and his three sons are able-bodied.
It would be somewhat difficult for four people to accomplish the major task of robbing multiple households.
After all, even setting aside whether they could defeat an entire family, they still had to consider how to transport and distribute the grain after they had seized it.
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Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait, everyone~ So today's update is dropping an hour early.
Also, just a heads-up, the chapter that will be updated the day after tomorrow will be combined with this chapter! [kissing emoji]
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