Chapter 311 Meng Dahu Admits His Mistake
"Meng Dahu! What are you doing here?" Xiao Xuanwu shouted as he saw the people outside, pointing his stick at them. "Take this!"
Meng Dahu raised his hand, "Brother Xiao, wait a minute. We're not here to cause trouble, we're here to apologize... and to clarify things to avoid any misunderstandings."
"Who said we're brothers? You're all lurking around my house, trying to cause trouble for my family, aren't you? If you want to mess with them, you'll have to get past me first. Take this!"
Xiao Xuanwu sensed their ill intentions, gripped the stick with both hands, gathered his strength, and smashed it down on their heads.
Meng Dahu raised his arm to block, "Bang!"
"Why didn't you dodge? Are you looking down on me by not fighting back? Today I'll teach you a lesson!"
"We're not here to fight today; we want to get this straight."
Xiao Xuanwu regarded them as villains, not giving them a chance to speak, and swung his stick again, trying to drive them away.
Xiao Xuance also came out. "Xiao Wu, let him finish what he has to say."
Meng Dahu clasped his hands in a fist salute to him, "Young Master Xiao, we were blind to your greatness before and offended you greatly. So today, I have brought my brothers to apologize to you. Please forgive us and forget the unpleasantness of the past."
Furthermore, I, Meng Dahu, know nothing about Zhou Lao Er's actions today. While I, Meng Dahu, may not be a hero, I am not a despicable person either. I would never lay a hand on the elderly or women and children. Besides, Prince Xiao saved my life; he is my benefactor.
Xiao Xuanwu still felt they had ill intentions and scoffed, "Oh~ so you're not here to avenge Zhou Lao Er and the others. All of you combined are no match for my third brother. I've let you go time and time again, and instead of being grateful, you dare to provoke me repeatedly. If you knew this would happen, why did you do it in the first place!"
"Third Brother, don't trust them. Get rid of them all to prevent future troubles." Xiao Xuanwu swung the stick in his hand with a whooshing sound.
Xiao Xuance: "Kill them, then who will do their work?"
The city defense battalion is telling them to kill each other. If they kill Meng Dahu and the others, they will become targets of the city defense battalion.
"Meng Dahu, anyone who dares to touch my family, I guarantee their fate will be ten or a hundred times worse than Zhou Lao Er's!"
"Yes, yes, we know. We will never dare to do it again. We have come here today to sincerely admit our mistake. Young Master Xiao is magnanimous and a man destined for great things. He is not concerned with trifles and does not take our provocation and ignorance seriously. I, Meng Dahu, and my brothers thank you. If there is anything you need us for in the future, please feel free to give the order. We will go through fire and water for you without hesitation!"
"Okay, I understand. You can leave now. My family needs some peace and quiet. Please don't loiter around my house anymore."
"Alright, we'll be going now." Meng Dahu led his men back to their residence.
It was called a dwelling, but it was just a dilapidated thatched hut and two large shared sleeping quarters. The only furniture inside was a square table with one leg missing, which could only stand up when it was leaned against the wall.
Guo Ba asked, puzzled, "Boss, are we really being friendly or just pretending? Are we really not going to avenge Second Brother and the others? They died a terrible death! They deliberately crippled their hands and feet, knowing that the city defense camp wouldn't keep them around to waste food."
"Revenge? How can we get revenge? The city defense battalion is not to be trifled with, and the Xiao family is no pushover either. What can we do against them? Besides, don't forget who pushed us to this point."
Xiao Liuzi replied, "It's that guy surnamed Jia."
Guo Ba covered his mouth, "Shh! Keep your voice down. If someone hears us, we'll all be in trouble. That Jia guy is so petty, but if his people hear us, we'll all be in trouble."
Suddenly a soldier came to deliver a message, "Meng Dahu, Lord Jia orders you to come over."
"Coming right away."
"Brother, what do they want with you at this hour?"
"I don't know. We'll deal with whatever comes our way. As long as we don't die, it's not a big deal."
The others stood up and said, "Brother, we'll go with you. We're brothers, we should share the good times and the bad."
"No need. He only called me. You won't be able to get in even if you go. I'll be right back. You guys try to get some paper money and go to pay respects to the second brother and the others tonight. For the sake of our brotherhood, send them off on their final journey!"
"That's all we can do."
After experiencing the power of the Xiao family, Meng Dahu made up his mind that he would no longer be manipulated by the city defense battalion and do their dirty work.
He had a gut feeling that the Xiao family was their hope.
...
After the convicts finished turning over the soil in the afternoon, they were called to dig ditches to bring water into the farmland, and then they had to plow the land.
They don't know how to plow.
Old Liu told them to go and see Meng Dahu and the others plowing.
Guo Ba and Xiao Liuzi pulled the rope in front, while Meng Dahu controlled the plow from behind.
"If there are oxen and horses, why do we still need people to plow the fields? If we treat people like oxen and horses, won't they be exhausted to death?"
"Exactly, are they idiots? Don't they know that oxen and horses can plow the land? Even those of us who have never farmed know that."
"Exactly! They're so stupid as to treat us like slaves. No wonder they get ridden on and bullied. But we're not easy to bully either, hmph!"
Old Liu sneered, "You think you're so smart, and everyone else is stupid? It's not that they don't know, it's that they don't have the money. If you don't buy oxen, you'll have to do what they do and use manpower to pull the plow."
"Is it reasonable for you to make us plow the fields and then ask us to pay for oxen?"
“If you don’t pay, you’ll end up like them, plowing the fields by hand. If you don’t want to pay, then pay with silver. Thirty taels for an ox.”
"Thirty taels? That's expensive?" Although Wang Youcai didn't deal in cattle and horses, he knew the prices of cattle and horses.
A horse typically costs thirty or forty taels, and a cow costs about ten or twenty taels. Thirty taels can buy two cows.
This corrupt official has taken advantage of his position to swindle money from them countless times. He's already swindled over a hundred taels of silver these past few days, and he's still not satisfied. He forces them to cry poverty every day, making them eat cornbread for lunch and not daring to eat anything better for fear of being targeted. Even after all this, he still won't let them go.
"If you think it's too expensive, then just do what they do and plow the fields by hand."
Old Liu waved to Meng Dahu, "You guys stop for a moment, let a few of them try it out. They have to learn it before tonight."
"You won't comply, huh? I have plenty of ways to deal with you. Men, take him away!" Two of Old Liu's men stepped forward and dragged Wang Youcai away.
There were also two older men, Lord Lu and Doctor Chen.
I refuse to believe their family can tolerate them suffering like this at their age. In the end, they'll still have to obediently pay up, humph!
Lu Tingzhi bowed to Old Liu and said, "Lord Liu, I will go in place of my father."
Old Liu glanced at him and said, "What's the rush? It'll be your turn soon."
Lu Tingzhi persisted, saying, "There are many men in our family, so even if it's plowing the fields, it won't be my father's turn. Lord Liu, could you let my father do some light work, and we can do the heavy work?"
Several of Lu's nephews also stepped forward and said, "I am willing to plow the fields in place of my uncle."
Old Liu shook his head, "No, everyone has to learn. Let's start with the older ones and set an example for you younger ones."
"If any family doesn't want to use their own hands to plow the fields, they can contribute money to buy an ox. If they really can't afford it, two families can pool their money to buy one ox. Also, they have to hand over 50% of the grain harvest from the fields."
Don't push people too far at once; there will be plenty of opportunities later.
"Sir, we have spent all our money and really can't come up with fifteen taels."
"Don't even mention fifteen taels, we can't even come up with five taels of silver. If we had silver, who would eat cornbread and wild vegetables?"
...
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