"Sign them all? Isn't that too much? They are all half-grown children! Half of them can't work!" Qiao Xin felt a little bit reluctant!
If their family takes in such a child, they usually take the parents and relatives with them. They will not just sell a young child into slavery. Isn't this exploitation of child labor?
Shunzi was used to it. He had been in Nanliang for such a long time, what kind of ridiculous things had he not seen?
Even a great general like Zhu Zhen cooked his beautiful concubine and shared her with his subordinates.
In remote areas, it is common for relatives of poor people to eat their flesh to survive after they die.
In the counties not far from Jinling, cannibalism was common among the people. A dou of mi cost one thousand coins, while the corpse of an adult man cost only five thousand coins. Human flesh was cheaper than pork!
"That year there was a drought in the south of the Yangtze River, and people from all over the country were eating each other" is a well-known fact!
Even if these children are released, it would be fine if their families are better off. But if they are born in poor families, they will eventually be taken away by their relatives in exchange for food rations.
Relatives, if you abandon them for the first time, you will abandon them for the second time! They are just young, not stupid. Instead of going back, it is better to live a day with Qiao Xin and have a full meal!
Shunzi rarely mentioned such human tragedies in front of Qiao Xin. It didn't mean Qiao Xin didn't know, but she always subconsciously treated the children she saw as a blank sheet of paper.
But this is just Qiao Xin's wishful thinking. Some children are destined to endure countless hardships from the day they are born, and none of those who survive are weak-hearted.
Facts have proved that Shunzi's idea is right. When he heard that he could follow Qiao Xin and become a servant in his family, he would be able to have full meals every day like he has been doing these days.
Most of the children had no objection to selling themselves to the Qiao family. Survival had become a problem, so what freedom was there to talk about?
There were also a few half-grown children who said boldly: "I don't want to be a bandit. My sister was kidnapped by bandits and taken to the mountains. We never heard from her again..."
"My parents were killed by bandits. I won't be a bandit or join their gang!"
"Sir, can my younger brother come with us? He is still young, I will carry him on my back on the way, it won't delay everyone's journey! I will eat less, so as not to let you spend more money..."
Even though the little guy was shaking with fear and didn't dare to look away, he still had the courage to speak out his thoughts!
faint!
Who told them that they were bandits?
Qiao Xin copied the straight and nodded, the meaning was very clear: You explain it!
Shunzi said with a smile: "I'm not asking you to be a bandit. We are here to eliminate bandits. Although we are not government officials, we are almost there! We won't let you continue to do bandit things!"
The children then realized what a misunderstanding they had made and stammered, unable to speak.
"Haha, okay, go back and tell the little ones to follow me. Life will be better once you enter my house!"
After this incident, Qiao Xin realized that these children still had hearts towards light, so she decided to try her best to give them a chance to be educated.
"Send him to Anhua County. When the county school is built, he should be sent to literacy classes. It will be fine if he studies and works part-time. He can help out in the tea fields on weekdays. He is too young to learn the skill of picking tea. As for farming, we can talk about it when he is older!"
Anhua County should also set up an orphanage, and place them there first!"
Qiao Xin felt unhappy and said in a deep voice.
Shunzi nodded in agreement and planned to set off back tomorrow!
It’s just that plans can’t keep up with changes, changes are happening too fast!
"Madam, it's bad. The villagers down the mountain are rioting and are gathering here!"
When Qiao Xin heard this, she stood up and walked outside!
"Why are they here? What's the matter? Is there something wrong with our deployment?"
Zhang Yun thought for a moment, shook his head and said, "No, none of us left the village gate to avoid running into the villagers!"
"What did the Third Master say? Was it him who did this? How many people came?"
"There are more than a hundred people. The Third In Command and Captain Wang are dealing with them!" Qiao Xin's expression relaxed and he decided to go and have a look himself. At this critical juncture, he didn't want any unnecessary trouble, but now that things had come to him, hiding was no solution!
Qiao Xinxian disappeared into the crowd, and probably understood what these villagers were doing!
It was the bandits who did this. They actually kidnapped the village head's grandson and granddaughter and took them up the mountain.
It is said that this group of villagers at the foot of Xiaogu Mountain were originally in cahoots with the bandits on the mountain, but one was providing cover in public while the other was doing the dirty work in secret.
Originally, the two gangs each performed their duties and lived in peace. However, since Zhu Zhen became the general, the bandits in the mountains have been given more important positions, and the bandits living below the mountains have long stopped participating in robbery. Most of them are engaged in farming, guarding the mountains, looking after the house and other logistical support work.
Gradually, the villagers at the foot of the mountain began to like this normal life, and even got married and had children to continue the family line. They began to keep their distance from the bandits in the mountains, intentionally or unintentionally!
The peaceful life almost made them forget their identities as bandits!
The bandits in the mountains are used to this kind of life of getting something for nothing, being unscrupulous and doing whatever they want. They regard others and their own kind as ants that can be trampled on at will.
How could they easily let the villagers at the foot of the mountain go?
Look, in the past six months, anyone who was sent to the mountain to deliver letters, no matter if they were adults, children, or young and strong, all never returned!
That would be fine, but what they absolutely shouldn't do is that these beasts are about to go to Nanliang to enjoy the good life with the general, and also torture them!
The villagers offered their own cattle and sheep, seasonal food, and three or four little girls, thinking that the other party would really let them go.
But bandits are bandits, kindness and moderation have nothing to do with them!
This time, when they came back from outside the mountain, they took advantage of the village head being out on business and snatched the child away from his house.
The conflicts that had accumulated over many days suddenly erupted.
The head of the village discussed with the villagers who had been victims in the past for several days and finally decided to go to the village to ask for an explanation. Anyway, they couldn't live like this, so they might as well break up completely, draw a clear line in the sand, and go their separate ways!
".Why doesn't the eldest boss dare to come out? Are you feeling guilty? Teach my grandson out, or don't blame me for being rude! If the tiger doesn't show its might, does it think we are sick cats? What's the point of pushing you, the third child, out?
Third boss, I have no intention of going against you. We agreed at the beginning that we would each go our own way and not interfere with each other. We will not ask how you act outside, but you cannot extend your hand to our own people!"
"The boss is not here, and your grandson is not in the village!" The third boss himself did not realize that there was an uncontrollable tremor in his voice!
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