Chapter 116: Comforting Everyone [VIP]
Yang Jizong was familiar with the hills near the eastern suburbs.
Under his leadership, the group not only dug up many wild vegetables in the mountains, but also found several chestnut trees.
The discovery of these chestnut trees was all thanks to Niu Wazi's father. If he hadn't pricked his foot with a thorn ball that fell in the grass and picked up the thorn ball on the ground, Chen Yao wouldn't have raised her head to look at the tree because of the thorn ball.
The brown, hairy balls fall from the tree and crack naturally. The fruits are plump and heavy. When you shake them in your hands, you can hear the sound of the fruits inside colliding.
Chen Yao smashed it open with a stone, peeled out the chestnuts inside and bit them with her teeth. They tasted sweet.
"Cousin, you take the uncles and aunts to pick up the fruits on the ground first, and then use a long stick to knock the fruits off the trees. I will go to the front to see if there are any other fruit trees." Chen Yao said as she was about to continue walking forward with the empty basket on her back.
Tian Baolai was worried, so he said a few words to Niu Wazi's father, then followed Chen Yao to persuade her: "Cousin, Zi'an and the yamen runners are hunting nearby and will be back soon. Don't go into the mountains yet. We are not familiar with this area."
What if you encounter a ferocious wild animal and something happens?
Chen Yao held the long stick in her hand and hit the tall grass around her. Suddenly, a bamboo green snake jumped out from the grass. Its ricocheting attack ability scared the two of them.
Fortunately, the two of them dodged, otherwise if they were bitten, they would not know whether they could survive.
When they looked back, they found that the bamboo green snake had already jumped away to somewhere unknown.
Tian Baolai looked at Chen Yao with a look that said, "Look, look at what I said. Isn't it dangerous?"
Tian Baolai dragged Chen Yao back to the chestnut tree and told her to peel chestnuts there and not go anywhere else. He also carefully cleaned the surrounding grass to make sure there were no poisonous snakes. Only then did he feel at ease to pick chestnuts.
The uncles and aunts who came with them were divided into two groups by Tian Baolai. One group picked chestnuts, and the other group peeled chestnuts with Chen Yao.
"Ayao, this thing is hard and can really fill everyone's stomach." It's no wonder that Niu Wazi's father is curious. This thing has never grown in the hills near their village. No one has ever seen it, let alone eaten it.
Chen Yao glanced at Niu Wazi's father and saw that the old uncle's eyes not only revealed curiosity, but also kept looking at her expression.
That's right, she is from Xiahe Village. Logically, she should have never seen this chestnut before, but she was able to recognize it at a glance and told everyone that it was edible. How could this not arouse suspicion?
Chen Yao took out a pair of gloves from her bosom, and wearing the linen gloves, she used a small wooden stick to pry open the chestnuts in the thorn ball and threw them into the empty basket: "Of course, it's recorded in the books that these wild chestnuts can not only be eaten raw, but also cooked and roasted over a fire."
Niu Wazi's father still didn't believe it and continued to ask, "Really? Then where did you read it in the book? Can you let my son see it later? Is there anything edible in the book?"
Chen Yao paused, frowning and pretending to think for a moment, then shook her head: "I also forgot which book I saw it in. Uncle, if you don't believe me, wait until Zi'an comes back and ask him. He is knowledgeable and will definitely know."
When it comes to Yang Jizong, Niu Wazi's father stopped asking questions. That man is different from the tenant farmers like them. He has received a serious education and is very capable.
"Ayao, the thorn balls in front of you are almost gone. Uncle will go and pick up another basket for you." Niu Wazi's father patted his butt and stood up with the empty basket.
Their group filled all the baskets, but Yang Jizong and the yamen runners still hadn't returned. Some of them suggested that they should go look for them, fearing that they might encounter any danger.
Chen Yao waved her hand to indicate that it was not necessary. "I gave Zi'an a bone whistle. If he encounters danger, he will blow the bone whistle for us to hear. Let's wait."
As the light in the woods grew dimmer and dimmer, and rustling noises were heard in the surrounding tall grass, the faces of these uncles and aunts gradually began to show panic. They didn't want anything to happen here.
"I brought a tinderbox. Why don't we start a fire first?" Tian Baolai's proposal was unanimously agreed by everyone.
Before the fire was lit, Yang Jizong rushed back with the yamen runners, each of them holding wild animals in their hands, and several rabbits tied around their waists with straw ropes.
"You are finally back. Let's go down the mountain quickly." The men picked up the heavy baskets on the ground and put them on their backs. There were still many baskets that they could not carry, so they handed them to the yamen runners.
"What are you picking?"
"Chestnuts, A Yao said they can be eaten raw. You can bite one open and try it. We peeled some and tasted them. They are so sweet." Everyone hadn't eaten anything all day, so it would be a lie to say they weren't hungry.
Everyone threw the wild animals to the ground, picked up one and bit it open with their teeth. It was indeed sweet.
"You can also cook it or roast it." Chen Yao also bit open one for Yang Jizong, peeled the fruit inside and handed it to his mouth, asking him to eat two quickly to fill his stomach.
The yamen runners also reaped a lot of rewards from their trip into the mountains today. This is much more interesting than patrolling in the city. These are the things that happened during hunting.
Chen Yao and Tian Baolai followed Yang Jizong on his left and right. They noticed that his sleeves were stained with blood and asked at the same time, "Are you hurt?"
Yang Jizong was carrying four pheasants in his hands and also carrying a bag on his back. He hadn't encountered any ferocious wild animals, but he was short of tools. "You must be getting impatient waiting here."
, not only anxious, but also worried.
By the time we arrived at the quarry, it was already dark.
The quarry was brightly lit. Yang Jizong spoke a few words to several officers in the quarry and asked them to gather all the people for him.
Dozens of baskets filled with food were placed heavily in front of everyone. Pheasants and rabbits were also spread out on the ground. Everyone looked at the food on the ground with light in their eyes.
"These foods can be distributed among you, but on one condition: you must assist Lord Zheng in repairing the city wall here."
Those who had been whipped twenty times were very happy when they heard Yang Jizong say that he could give them some rations, but they were unhappy when they heard the following conditions.
"How can you think you can bribe us by giving us some food? If you leave, we will die anyway. I might as well drag him down with me. The officials don't care whether we live or die, so why should we risk our lives to build the city wall for them?" Someone among the prisoners shouted.
Zheng Fu, who was nearby, immediately drew his guard's sword and walked towards the crowd. "Whoever wants me dead, I will kill him now."
Everyone stepped back, their eyes filled with fear.
Yang Jizong was troubled by Zheng Fu's behavior and signaled the yamen runners to stop him.
"I've already written to Instructor Xing. I believe he'll send you some cassava and chicken feet rice soon. Don't you trust him, and don't you trust Instructor Xing either?"
The new convicts did not know who Xing Fang was, but the original convicts did.
Several people from Wanhe Township began to persuade them, "I believe what Brother Yang said. If it weren't for Brother Yang and Instructor Xing, we wouldn't be alive today. Now we can just finish repairing the city wall and go back. Why would we want to die when we can go back alive?"
"That's right, our families are waiting for us to go back." The conscripted laborers from Shanghe Village and Xiahe Village immediately echoed loudly.
"Can Coach Xing really send us food? What if he's lying to us?"
"If Brother Yang says he can do it, he can do it. I believe him."
"We believe in him too."
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Chen Yao and Tian Baolai shouted at the top of their lungs: "Those who want rations can line up to get them, and we won't force those who don't want them."
Everyone was not stupid. After all, the majority of people wanted to survive, so they lined up to receive the chestnuts, and the yamen runners stood by to maintain order.
There were also those who were struggling to hold on, squatting there and craning their necks to look in.
The chestnuts in the basket were put into everyone's cloth bags one by one. Those who didn't have cloth bags simply took off their coats to put the chestnuts in.
After dozens of baskets of chestnuts were distributed, everyone held the chestnuts and listened to Chen Yao tell them how to eat them. Everyone's eyes fell on the pheasants and rabbits placed on the ground.
Will the meat be shared with them?
"I have to give one of these wild animals to everyone who comes with me. It's impossible to give one to each of the remaining people. Everyone wants to eat meat, so we might as well cook it all in one pot tonight."
"Really? You mean we can have meat tonight?"
"Of course it's true."
Yang Jizong called out the names of several officers in the crowd and asked them to come over and process the wild animals. They had agreed upon this when they came in that they would be given a piece of meat to eat after they were done.
Zheng Fu immediately rushed forward to stop them: "I am the official in charge here. If you dare to listen to him, believe it or not, I will kill you all-"
Before Zheng Fu could finish his words, he was interrupted by the quarry officers: "Master Zheng, let's just discuss our own affairs. When the city wall is built, you can go wherever you want. Why bother with us? Besides, this wild animal was killed by Yang Jizong and the yamen runners. What does it have to do with you?"
You still have the nerve to call yourself the official in charge here? Why don’t you take responsibility when there is nothing to eat?
"That's right, what does it have to do with you!" Niu Wazi's father deliberately took off his shoes in front of Zheng Fu and shook them, while scratching his feet.
Zheng Fu looked at his actions and his face turned pale. He dropped the sword in his hand, held on to a stone and began to retch continuously.
The convicts had their hands and feet chained and could only gather some dry firewood nearby to build a fire.
The yamen runners helped to clean up the wild animals and vegetables. Everyone watched as they put a large iron pot on the campfire. The fire burned the edge of the pot, and the meat in the pot was constantly turned over by the shovels in the hands of the runners, emitting bursts of meaty aroma.
After the meat is cooked, put all the washed wild vegetables into the pot.
The lid of the pot was opened again, and the aroma of the meat was even stronger than before. Tian Baolai signaled everyone to take their bowls and line up. Spoonful after spoonful of meat with rich soup was placed in everyone's bowl.
Those who got the meat squatted on the spot and ate it. For a while, the only sound in the whole quarry was the smacking sound of people eating.
Those who didn't get any could only watch helplessly, regretting why they listened to the instigation of these convicts. Their mouths were constantly watering as they listened to the sounds of people eating meat and smelled the aroma of the meat.
"Take your bowl and get me one too." Zheng Fu couldn't stand sitting in his tent anymore. His own white flour cake was really hard to swallow.
The guard went to ask for it with an empty bowl, but naturally got nothing.
With so many people in the quarry, the pot would have been empty long ago, without even any soup left.
After Yang Jizong, Shen Yao, Tian Baolai and others finished the meat in their bowls, they instructed the laborers in the quarry to wait patiently for the cassava sent by Coach Xing, complete the task of repairing the city well, and strive to return home as soon as possible.
This bowl of meat tonight did not fill the stomachs of the many laborers in the quarry, but it gave them hope. The court officials did not care about their life or death, but there were people who were willing to help them through the difficult times.
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