Chapter 112: To the Exile
"The horse driver is a young man who looks like a scholar from the county."
"He's quite handsome, but I don't know what he's doing in our village."
…
They had no thought of exile at all.
Previously, two fugitives were exiled to Xishui Village. They were poor when they arrived and died of illness due to acclimatization soon after.
The carriage was about to arrive in front of them. Lin Xiuyan, who was driving the carriage in front, asked, "Sister-in-law, can you tell me how to get to Muramasa's house?"
When the women heard that they were looking for Muramasa, they became even more curious about the people in the carriage and guessed their identities.
"Young Master, what do you want from Muramasa?"
Lin Xiuyan smiled and said, "Our whole family is settling in the village. Let's discuss it with the village chief."
One old woman was so curious that she simply lifted the curtain and looked into the carriage. She was shocked to see so many people sitting in the carriage.
In order to build good relationships with the villagers, Lin Zhiyi smiled and called out sweetly, "Hello, Auntie."
"well."
The word "Auntie" made the woman in her sixties feel a little embarrassed. She suddenly felt that it was really rude of her to lift the curtain of someone else's car.
But the girl in the carriage is so pretty!
She hurriedly said, "Come with me, I'll take you to Muramasa's house."
Led by the old woman, the others also wanted to see the excitement, and the children followed behind. In this way, more than twenty figures followed the carriage and headed towards Muramasa's house in a mighty procession.
When they arrived at Muramasa's house, the Lin family was getting off the carriage when Muramasa also walked out of the yard.
A child had already gone ahead and told Muramasa.
Muramasa was over fifty years old, with a resolute face. He was wearing a coarse linen short jacket with a faded cloth belt tied around his waist. His trouser legs were rolled up to his calves and were stained with mud. It was obvious that he had just returned from working in the fields.
He glanced around at the Lin family, then looked at Lin Fu and said, "Come with me."
Lin Fu also politely agreed.
When you live under someone's roof, you have to bow your head.
Muramasa then called out to the rest of the Lin family, "Wait outside for a moment. I want to talk to him first."
Since Muramasa said so, the other members of the Lin family would not follow in.
But those women couldn't sit still. They kept staring at the Lin family, asking them all sorts of questions, trying to find out their identities.
Finally, in order to ease the awkwardness, Lin Zhiyi replied, "Auntie, we are from out of town."
Even if she didn't say it, judging from the Lin family's accent, they wouldn't be from Fangzhou.
"Then why did you come to such a poor place like ours?"
"Well... we heard that the mountains and rivers here are beautiful, and the villagers are friendly, so we came here."
Lin Zhiyi answered very officially.
"Yes, Auntie, we will settle down in the village in the future, and I hope you will take care of us."
As Lin Xiuran spoke, he bowed and saluted.
The women were very embarrassed.
Lin Fu followed Muramasa into the house and handed over the documents given by the government office. "I hope Muramasa can help me and my family find some shelter."
The county magistrate had sent someone to call Muramasa to the yamen a few days ago. Muramasa had been mentally prepared for this, knowing that there would be many fugitives coming to the village in the next few days.
In Muramasa's impression, the fugitives who had passed this way would surely come here with a tired and frail body, but when he looked around at the Lin family just now, they were all energetic and not a bit tired.
What shocked him even more was that they came in a horse-drawn carriage.
Since the government office did not reveal the identities of these people, Muramasa was not sure what to make of it, but he felt that Lin Fu's identity was not simple.
Muramasa took the document, took a few glances at it, and knew that the man was called 'Lin Fu', but his crime was not written on the document, which made him very strange.
This wasn't the first time that fugitives had been resettled in Xishui Village, so he wasn't surprised and said, "Come with me."
As soon as Muramasa walked out of the door, people immediately surrounded him, "Muramasa, who are they?"
How come the way he dresses, talks and has such a demeanor doesn't seem like that of a country boy?
Muramasa only said, "Go back, it's noon now, and it's time for you men to go home and cook."
After Muramasa's reminder, some women reacted immediately.
Yes, it was time for them to cook. If they were late, their men would be beaten when they came back from the fields and saw that the meal was not on the table yet.
There were two women who wanted to continue watching the fun, but Muramasa glared at them and they dared not follow.
The Lin family thought to themselves that it seemed that this village chief still had some authority in this Xishui Village.
Muramasa led them to a row of thatched huts and said, "This is where the convicts live."
Lin Xiuran walked forward and pushed open the rickety thatched door, and the Lin family was stunned.
A musty smell hit me in the face.
The house was dark and damp, with thick spider webs in the corners. A few mice heard the noise and scurried into the hole in the wall.
That's it? How should I live here?
Mother Lin covered her mouth and coughed twice, her eyes instantly turning red.
Four-year-old Lin Lu clung tightly to the hem of her mother, Gu Wanyun's clothes, and timidly looked at the leaky roof: "Mom, Lu'er doesn't want to live here. Will there be bugs here at night to bite Lu'er?"
Gu Wanyun covered Lu'er's mouth and signaled her not to speak.
They are fugitives and criminals. It is already good enough that the village can arrange a place for them to live. What qualifications do they have to be picky?
Lin Zhiyi frowned even more.
Staying here at night is worse than sleeping in the wild during their exile.
"Muramasa, is there anyone in the village willing to rent us a vacant house? We are willing to pay the market price."
Lin Zhiyi had made up her mind that even if she only lived here for five years, she didn't want to let herself and the Lin family down. At worst, they could just build a house in the village.
"Wait a minute, let me go ask."
Muramasa could also understand that this thatched hut had not been occupied for a long time, and no one would want to live here unless there was some way.
Muramasa knew the situation in the village best and came back soon.
"How many houses are available in the village? How long will you stay?"
Everyone in the Lin family's main branch looked at Lin Zhiyi.
Lin Zhiyi smiled and replied, "We are planning to build a brick house in the village, and we will need Uncle Muramasa to introduce some craftsmen. But don't worry, we won't trouble Uncle Muramasa in vain and will offer a thank you gift."
Besides, let’s rent it for three months and then move in once the house is finished.”
Muramasa immediately put on a smile when he heard that. "Sure, sure."
Most of the houses in the village are made of rammed earth walls and thatched roofs. Since these people are willing to build brick and tile houses, they must have some money.
"The houses in the village are divided into good and bad. The more well-maintained ones will naturally rent for a higher price. What do you think, young lady?"
This time, Muramasa didn't look at Lin Fu and others, but looked directly at Lin Zhiyi to get her opinion.
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