It was hot at this time of year, and the busy farming season was still a month or so away. There were hardly any people in the fields, and men and women liked to find a shady spot to sit and chat.
Because of this, the Lu family and their party attracted a lot of attention as soon as they entered the village. Everyone looked unhappy, and some busybodies asked the yamen runner, "Sir, our village already has so many people, why are you sending so many refugees here?"
Others chimed in, "Yeah, they're all refugees, so dirty and injured. Who knows who they are!"
"What if he has a disease and it harms the people in our village?"
Everyone chimed in, blocking the road and preventing the group from moving forward.
"Outrageous! This is the master's arrangement. Are you trying to rebel by blocking the way?"
The constable was a little angry. As he spoke, he reached for his knife. The villagers were frightened and stepped back, but their faces were still full of disgust and loathing.
This village is very large, and the residents are diverse, unlike many small villages where only one family with the same surname lives. There have been some conflicts in the past, but those were all internal. Now, when faced with outsiders, they are united against them.
The Lu family wisely refrained from speaking at this time, leaving the matter to the yamen runners. The magistrate's decision to send him as a guide clearly indicated that he had anticipated the resistance from the people of Anping Village.
"Where's the village chief? Take us to the village chief's house. Village affairs are none of your business!"
The constable glared fiercely at the crowd with his knife, and indeed, no one in the crowd dared to shout or say anything out of line.
There were so many of them that they wouldn't be afraid of a single yamen runner with a knife, but the yamen runner was a government official, and if they offended the government, they would definitely suffer the consequences.
Thinking about all this, although some people were still unconvinced, they still took the lead and went to the village chief's house.
The scene was quite spectacular. Most of the villagers, along with the Lu family, gathered in front of the village chief's house, and then someone took the initiative to knock on the door.
The village chief and his family were sitting in their yard enjoying the cool air when they heard the noise and came out to open the door. They were a little confused when they saw so many people, but when they saw the yamen runners and the group of outsiders behind them, they immediately understood their purpose.
"Sir, didn't you say before that our village has a large population and we wouldn't send anyone over? What's going on here...?"
The village chief, being a minor official, was better informed than others. When he learned that Prince Chen was going to start recruiting refugees, he went to the county government to inquire about the situation. He remembered that the county magistrate had told him the following.
"This is the will of the prefecture. The Lu family has done a great service, so don't have any improper thoughts. Otherwise, if the higher-ups investigate, even the county magistrate won't be able to save you!"
The constable deliberately exaggerated the matter, and sure enough, the crowd started discussing it, and even the village chief's expression changed.
The Lu family members exchanged glances, knowing that life in this village might not be peaceful from now on.
But it's alright. We've come this far through such hardships, so why should we be afraid of these law-abiding citizens? Time will tell, and we'll definitely be able to get along over time.
After weighing the pros and cons, the village chief put on a smiling face and said to Old Man Lu, "So you've done something good. Now that you're in Anping Village, you're a villager of Anping Village. My name is Wang Yuan, and I'm the village chief of Anping Village. You can come to me if there's anything in the village, and I will definitely handle it impartially."
With the village chief's assurance, the constables left with peace of mind. Now that things had come to this, the villagers dared not say anything more, but simply continued to gather around the village chief's house to watch the commotion.
"Listen up, everyone! From now on, they're our villagers. Show them respect! I won't allow you to make things difficult for them in private. The constable just said they've done something good. If anything happens to them in the village, you won't be spared!"
Everyone was silent, holding their breath.
After a long silence, the village chief lost his temper: "Did you all hear that?"
The crowd remained silent. Someone said, "Our village already has so little land. With so many people, how is the land going to be divided? We can't just give up our own land, can we? I'd be the first to disagree!"
Farmers care most about their land. Because there are many people in the village, the land per person is not much. If it were to be divided among others, they would not be willing to accept it, even if the prefect himself came.
The village chief glared at the man, but knowing that everyone wanted to know how to handle the matter, he said, "What's yours is yours, and no one can take it away. If they want it, they can buy it from you."
This was to inform the villagers, and also to notify the Lu family, that the village would not be allocating land to them.
The villagers were satisfied, but the Lu family couldn't smile at all. They could buy land if they wanted it, but where would they get so much money?
Could it be that they made a mistake by coming to this village?
Among the crowd, He Jiuniang and Sun Shi remained relatively calm. Sun Shi felt that since the family was now wealthy, they could afford to buy land if they wanted to. He Jiuniang, on the other hand, felt that she could still survive even without land, so she was not worried at all.
Cui'er quietly tugged at He Jiu Niang's sleeve, her eyes pleading, hoping she could think of a solution.
After all, everyone has listened to her along the way.
He Jiuniang was very distressed. She didn't want to be the leader, but what could she do when she had such a good reputation?
So she cleared her throat and asked the village chief, "Village chief, if the village doesn't have any land for us, can we go and cultivate the nearby mountains?"
Anyway, the mountain isn't far, and as long as these people are willing to go, they definitely won't starve.
The village chief was surprised that a woman could think of such things. He nodded and said, "Of course, it is possible. However, all the better land in the nearby mountains has already been developed. If you go now, I'm afraid there won't be any good land left."
He Jiuniang smiled and said, "It's alright, with proper care, it can get better in three to five years."
The people of Anping Village thought she was dreaming. The mountain was so barren that sometimes it couldn't even be irrigated. How could food possibly grow in such a place?
However, the Lu family breathed a sigh of relief. Something was better than nothing, especially since they believed He Jiuniang's words.
When the village chief saw that they weren't making a fuss about dividing the land, his attitude improved considerably. He quickly dismissed the onlookers with a few words and let them discuss their lodging in his yard.
The village chief and his family were also at home, so the small courtyard suddenly became crowded. Fortunately, everyone was able to find a place to stand under the eaves so that it wouldn't be too sunny.
“That’s how it is,” the village chief began, “You’ve all heard about the land issue. You’ll have to buy it yourselves, whether you buy it from the villagers or rent it from a wealthy landlord. It’s your own business, and I can’t interfere.”
Everyone nodded, indicating that they understood.
The village chief continued, “As for where to live, there are a few empty houses in the village that have been abandoned by the previous inhabitants. However, they are in disrepair and cannot be lived in for the time being. You will have to repair them yourselves. Of course, the houses are not directly given to you to live in. The houses are currently owned by the village. If you want to move in, you can either rent them or buy them directly.”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com