Chapter 97 Rain or shine [VIP]
Heavy rain washed the earth. The men lifted the benches in the school above their heads and ran all the way to the rabbit house.
Guo Changrong and others, who were originally in the upper hand, punching and kicking Zhao Xiaofu and grabbing Yang Wenying to threaten everyone, never expected this.
They followed Guo Changrong just to steal a few rabbits to satisfy their hunger, but how could they be beaten up by this group of men?
When the bench fell on Guo Changrong and several other thieves, no matter how they cried for help, the villagers refused to stop.
"Wenying, come here quickly!" Chen Yao hugged the trembling Yang Wenying and looked at the others, "Is anyone injured?"
Huang Xing and her men stood aside and waved to her daughter, "We're all fine. Thanks to Xiaofu and his mother for spotting it in time, otherwise our rabbit farm would have lost a lot of rabbits."
Zhao Xiaofu took a few punches at first, then gritted his teeth as he explained, "Last night, there was hail, and my thatched hut collapsed. My mother brought me to the rabbit shed to stay overnight. We didn't expect these thieves to come here this morning."
Even though Huang Xing and the others came later, they were all women and could not resist these fugitives who would do anything for food.
So without paying attention, Guo Changrong caught Yang Wenying and forced him to stop.
Yang Jizong stepped forward to check if his sister was seriously injured, and saw that Wenying's neck was red from being pinched.
Yang Jizong's eyes dimmed. He turned around and thanked Zhao Xiaofu, then pushed through the crowd and kicked Guo Changrong hard on the ground.
"Yang Zian, if I am beaten to death, I will not let you go even if I become a ghost." Guo Changrong shouted, covering his head.
Yang Jizong went to the back room to get the knife used to skin the rabbit, and ordered the villagers to hold down the thieves.
The thieves were obviously frightened when they saw the gleaming knife, and began to blame each other.
"It was Guo Changrong who instigated us to steal the rabbits. The rabbits that were killed on the ground were also killed by Guo Changrong alone."
"You're talking nonsense! I was holding a person captive, so how could I twist a rabbit's neck with my hands?"
"That was all your idea. If you want to kill him, then kill him. Please let us go."
Before Yang Jizong could make a decision, several people had already started fighting among themselves.
"It's just killing a few rabbits. Yang Jizong, I don't believe you dare to kill me!" Guo Changrong raised his head and stiffened his neck, shouting.
Yang Jizong didn't waste time talking to him. He squatted down and whispered, "You're always willing to do anything for a bite to eat. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have provoked the wolves during my exile."
Guo Changrong's eyes flashed with shock. Before he could react, Yang Jizong had already cut off two fingers on his right hand. "I won't kill you. I'm cutting off two of your fingers today as a warning. If you dare to steal from the village again, I won't just cut off a finger."
Guo Changrong was pinned to the ground, howling like a pig being slaughtered, his eyes wide open.
The two thieves lying next to him were so scared that they almost wet their pants.
But the men felt that it was too easy for these thieves to just cut off one person's finger, as they had killed so many rabbits.
"Throw them out of the village. Don't waste time with them. We still have to dig the canal." Yang Jizong gave an order, and the men immediately took action and threw the people out of the village.
Yang Jizong was still holding the bloody knife in his hand, and the two severed fingers were still left there, covered in blood.
Chen Yao looked at the cold man and her heart was pounding. It turned out that he also had such a cruel side.
When Yang Jizong approached her, Chen Yao unconsciously took a step back, and using the excuse of following the villagers to dig a canal, she immediately turned around and ran into the rain.
"Teacher, I will clean the rabbit house, you don't have to worry." Zhao Xiaofu bowed to Yang Jizong.
Go chase him quickly, teacher, you have scared him away!
Yang Jizong also knew that he must have scared Chen Yao. When he rushed to the field, Chen Yao was teaching the villagers to dig ditches, so he did not go over to disturb her.
"My dear uncles, you have to dig these ditches along the ridges of each family's fields to make the wheat fields more solid. The ditches should be connected to each other so that the accumulated water can flow into the Yan River. They must be cleared and must not be blocked by rising water." Chen Yao wiped the rain off her face and reminded him again and again.
"I understand, A'yao, don't worry, each of us will definitely dig the canal through." Everyone waved the hoe in their hands and dug into the muddy land.
Chen Yao watched silently for a while, then took the hoe and went to her own field.
In his own wheat field, Yang Jizong was silently digging a ditch by himself. The turned-up soil splashed on his trouser legs. He was washed by the heavy rain and looked very pitiful.
Chen Yao started digging from the other side. When they met at the intersection, Yang Jizong raised his head and slowly asked her, "Were you scared by me?"
“I was really shocked at the time.”
"Are you still afraid now?"
Chen Yao shook her head, and the rain calmed her down: "Don't be afraid, you are killing the chicken to scare the monkeys, and it is a warning to all the prisoners in the camp!"
These thieves knew that the rabbit house was guarded, but because they were all women, they still wanted to steal and even threatened them with Wenying, which showed that they were not afraid at all.
If these thieves are not taught a lesson today, they will only become more rampant. If they dare to steal rabbits today, they might attack the elderly, the weak, women and children in the village tomorrow.
Ayao, I'm actually not as good as you think."
He broke.
"I think you're fine as long as you're fine." Chen Yao put on a straw raincoat, took Yang Jizong's hand and walked up the field ridge, squatting in the wheat field beside to observe.
The two found that many of the fallen wheat roots had been broken by the rain, so they definitely could not support them. They could only stabilize the surrounding soil and hope that the rain would stop before applying fertilizer.
After digging the ditch, everyone returned to the school. At this time, many of the students and children and the mud houses in the village were destroyed.
Come, I found Chen Yao in the crowd at a glance, and held out the warm Tu Kejie in my hand, "Are you cold? Come and warm yourself up."
Chen Yao didn't answer. She stood in the corridor, took off her raincoat, and went into the room. The originally spacious school was now crowded with people.
"Zi'an and I looked at the wheat that had fallen over in everyone's fields. We can only wait for the rain to stop and then apply fertilizer and pest control. Even then, I'm afraid the yield won't be as good as in previous years."
These words were like thunder.
In previous years, one acre of land only produced one stone of grain, but this year there is not even one stone. How can they survive?
If they cannot pay the taxes, they can do hard labor, but the remaining food may not be enough to support their families until the wheat harvest next year.
Luo Laoda held his son in his arms and said, "Dunzi, it's Daddy who's useless. Daddy has let you down. When Daddy is gone, you have to listen to Mommy, okay?"
The Luodunzi kids also realized what kind of predicament they were about to face. They just kept fighting back their tears and said, "Dad, I can read. I can go to the city to work and earn money like my brothers in the village. When I make enough money, Mom and I will bring you back home."
Boss Luo couldn't bear to dash his child's hopes, so he just held his wife and child tightly in his arms.
This is true in every household.
"Don't cry yet, everyone. A Yao and I will go to the city this afternoon to report the situation in the village to Lord Li. Perhaps Lord Li is willing to help us rebuild our home." Yang Jizong's brows were full of worry.
If the heavy rain continues like this, not only will the food be destroyed, but even the houses in the village will collapse.
"Can Lord Li really help us?"
"We will try our best." Chen Yao held Yang Jizong's hand and stood shoulder to shoulder with him to assure the fellow villagers.
Shitou and the other kids suddenly broke free from their family's arms and stood up: "We want to go to the city with you to plead our case with the adults."
"Yes, that's right, I want to go too." Luo Dunzi wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes.
Before the elders could object, Zhao Xiaofu, a student, also stood up and said, "Didn't you suggest that Lord Li ask the wealthy gentry to fund the children's education? We must at least let them see the qualifications of our students."
Shitou and Luo Dunzi immediately responded loudly: "That's right."
So, after lunch, the children followed Chen Yao and Yang Jizong into the city.
Miao put her son's thick coat in a bundle and asked Chen Yao to tell her son: "If the shop is not busy, come back. He is needed at home."
The oxcart could hardly move forward on the muddy country road, so Chen Yao and Yang Jizong had to take the students on foot. They held hands in pairs, walked out of the village with one foot deep and one foot shallow, and stepped onto the stone bridge.
When everyone arrived at Shanghe Village, Chen Yao and Yang Jizong looked at the wheat fields in the village and saw that they were in a terrible state. Only the houses were more durable than those in Xiahe Village, and the stone houses were not destroyed by the rain.
When the villagers who were helping the Shen family build the house learned that Chen Yao and Yang Jizong were going to the city to meet Lord Li, the two men from Shanghe Village mustered up the courage to go with them.
Yang Jizong and Shen Yao did not stop them, so they walked all the way to the city, and the team gradually expanded with every village they passed.
Zhao Xiaofu also received help from his friends.
Lin Zhenyu and other students protected the children one after another. If some of them accidentally fell in the mud, it didn't matter, they could just get up and continue walking; if there were trees blocking their way, it didn't matter, everyone would work together to lift it away.
Even if there are numerous difficulties along the way, it cannot stop everyone's determination to enter the city.
The soldiers guarding the city saw these people trying to enter the city in the rain, and the first thing they did was to stop them and question them harshly.
Yang Jizong took out the document given by Li Menghong from his arms and stated his purpose. After reading it, the soldier guarding the city personally led the group into the city.
The villagers stood in front of the court waiting. The officers watched as the people had only stood there for a short while before the ground became muddy and their faces and bodies were covered in yellow mud.
You can see how flooded the countryside outside the city is.
In fact, Li Menghong has not been idle these days. He really listened to Chen Yao's suggestions and often gathered gentry in restaurants in the city to raise funds.
When the old official helped him out, Li Menghong looked very haggard, obviously sick from many days of socializing.
"Ahem, ahem, I know why you're here. Don't worry, I've already raised the money. Once the rain stops, I'll send officials with masons and carpenters to various villages to help you repair your houses."
Li Menghong forced himself to sit back in the chair, took a sip of the hot tea brought by the old official, tightened his coat, glanced at the people wearing straw raincoats below, and couldn't help shivering.
Yang Jizong led the crowd in kneeling before Li Menghong, who was standing above them. "Sir, the heavy rain has not only destroyed our homes, but has also damaged the crops in our fields. Please reduce the taxes for this year's autumn harvest."
puff--
Li Menghong spat out a mouthful of tea and rubbed his ears, thinking he had heard it wrong.
Yang Jizong asked him to reduce taxes for the people?
If he had this ability, would he continue to serve as the magistrate of Fang County?
The land these tenants rented belonged to wealthy and powerful families and was not under the control of the imperial court. This was a problem that not only he but even the emperor had not been able to solve.
Besides, Yang Jizon, you should know these issues better than I do.
The villagers were kneeling below, and when they didn't hear Li Menghong's response, they immediately knelt and walked forward. Everyone told Li Menghong the situation in each village.
"Sir, this year's disaster has reduced grain production. By the time we harvest wheat next year, I'm afraid we won't even be able to make a living. We adults can serve in the quarry, but the children are still young. Please give them a way to survive."
Luo Dunzi, Shitou, and the other kids bravely ran to Li Menghong's side. "Sir, we can read and write. Could you please help us by asking the city to relax the age requirement for hiring workers? We can endure hardships and do anything! We can also serve in the quarry!"
Li Menghong looked at the children's faces nearby, stood up suddenly, and slammed the table: "Stop fooling around, Yang Jizong, come with me!"
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