The homeless men who were causing trouble finished their porridge in one gulp and refused to give them any more when they reached out for more. They had been starving for several days and all they got was a bowl of porridge. They were furious. They looked at the porridge stall, which was in the middle of nowhere and was only guarded by a few constables.
The group of men grew up in the same village and had a history of petty theft. They were usually kept in line by the village chief and township officials, but during their time on the run, it seemed as if the law had suddenly disappeared and was no longer effective. First, they robbed the grain of fellow refugees, then they broke into the homes of passing farmers, robbed them, and fled. They went unnoticed for seven or eight days, and their courage grew. One day, they saw a woman who had also fled famine, and in a fit of rage, they dragged her into the woods and raped her. The woman resisted, and they were accidentally killed.
The group fled in disarray.
But the further south they went, the more dead they found, some freezing to death, some starving to death, and no one cared or paid any attention. In the end, the group became bolder and bolder, and even formed gangs along the way, growing their group to more than thirty people. They committed all sorts of atrocities, burning, killing, and looting along the way.
Now, they've set their sights on a few constables. If they kill the constables, all the porridge will be theirs. They can eat and drink their fill and then run off somewhere else. Anyway, things are chaotic right now, and they're all disheveled and haven't even registered their names or original household registrations. Once things settle down, they can change their clothes, get a new household registration, and they'll be good people again.
These people worked in perfect unison; a few smashed bowls, and the rest pounced on them. Some even scooped up ashes from the stove where the porridge was cooked and threw them at the faces of the yamen runners.
Several constables were caught off guard and rushed forward with their swords, but they were no match for the number of people. One constable had to deal with four or five people and was quickly subdued.
Officer Li pulled out his knife and plunged it into a man's stomach. Before he could pull the knife out, he was kicked. The commotion caused panic, and the refugees screamed and ran away.
Tian Xiaohua was extremely anxious. She stood up and shouted, "Don't run, don't run! We'll help the constables catch the troublemakers!"
An older woman grabbed her, saying, "Young lady, run! Don't lose your life!"
Seeing Constable Li being beaten, Tian Xiaohua was both angry and anxious, tears welling up in her eyes. She said with all her might, "Our names are already registered in the household register. If these yamen runners are all killed, then when the government investigates, everyone here will be a murder suspect and will likely be arrested and imprisoned. We can't escape. It's better to help the constable catch these troublemakers so that we can live in peace. Do you want the court to treat us as a mob?"
The people around panicked when they heard this. They had all fled from the famine in the north. If they were linked to the murder case of the yamen runner, they would probably be implicated in the future. Even if they were exonerated in the future, they would probably lose half their lives.
The seven yamen runners and the people who registered the porridge distribution and tended the fire made a total of fifteen people. Fifteen government officials were killed. This was a major case and would certainly be severely punished.
Moreover, mobs don't need to be tried; they can be killed without mercy.
A young man waved his hand, picked up a fire poker, and said, “Let’s go, let’s arrest all the troublemakers. We’ve finally made it this far and we can get some porridge and settle down here. If any of the yamen runners are killed here, no local government will accept refugees in the future. If we are labeled as rioters, how long can we live?”
People on the verge of death have finally seen a glimmer of hope; how can we let others easily shatter it?
"Alright, let's go!"
More than a hundred refugees swarmed forward, creating chaos. Several constables finally found an opening and drew their swords to fight back. Constable Li pulled a knife from the stomach of one of the troublemakers and killed another with a single blow, blood splattering everywhere.
Tian Xiaohua covered her younger brother's eyes, staring at the blood-covered Constable Li, feeling both fear and relief.
A group of people rushed in from the south. The sound of their hooves frightened the refugees. The garrison of Fenggu County arrived and quickly brought the situation under control. The dozens of people who caused the disturbance were beheaded on the spot, and their blood was spilled on the snow.
With the testimony of the yamen runners, it was clear that these refugees were there to help them, so the city garrison did not pursue the matter and sent people to take them to the county town, leaving two uninjured yamen runners and half of the city garrison to handle the aftermath.
The rest of the people went to the county town.
In the afternoon, while resting at the mouth of a mountain valley, Constable Li cut his hand. It was cold, so the bleeding stopped quickly. Tian Xiaohua tore off a piece of cloth to bandage it for him.
Officer Li laughed, "You've got guts, little girl."
The life-or-death battle made the refugees less afraid of the constables. The old woman smiled and said, "Thanks to the little girl for saying those things and telling us the truth, otherwise if we had escaped, we would probably have been included in the ranks of the mob."
"Yes, I almost got beheaded."
Several educated people were relieved that the city guards arrived so quickly, which meant they had been patrolling nearby. If the yamen runners had been killed, none of them would have survived today.
The group set off again, with Constable Li carrying Tian Xiaoshu on his back and Tian Xiaohua following beside him. "How much longer until we reach the county town?"
"Two hours left."
Tian Xiaohua glanced at the sky; her stomach was rumbling. A bowl of porridge wouldn't last her long. But she asked, "Where am I?"
Officer Li, from Fenggu County.
“Your county town doesn’t seem very big. We started walking an hour ago and it will take another two hours to get there. That means it will only take three hours to walk from the county border to the county town.”
Officer Li laughed, "You're quite clever. Fenggu County is just a small county town. I think I've already figured out where you're going."
Refugees can't all settle in the county town; they'll be allocated to different townships and villages based on their circumstances. One or two slots are insignificant. If Officer Li wants to make a change, it's just a matter of saying a word to the household registration office.
Tian Xiaohua's eyes widened, a mixture of nervousness and anticipation. She wondered what the new place would be like, and as a woman taking care of her younger brother, it would always be more difficult for her than for others.
"What, where?"
Women are not allowed to establish their own households, and her younger brother is still young. She doesn't know if Fenggu County will allow her brother to register his household. If she is registered under her brother's household registration, she might be sent to those brothels and other disreputable places. She is already fifteen years old, which is the age that brothel owners like.
Her face turned pale.
I just hope that Constable Li will have a conscience and, considering that she just saved him, won't force her into prostitution.
Officer Li didn't notice her bad expression. "I'll take you to Manager Qin."
The more he thought about it, the more suitable it seemed. This little girl was clever and quick-witted, and she had managed to bring her younger brother all the way here, which showed her great perseverance. If she could learn from Manager Qin for two years, she could become a manager in the future and live a comfortable and respectable life.
Tian Xiaohua's breathing quickened, and she asked cautiously, "Manager Qin, what do you do?"
The shopkeeper? Could she really be involved in prostitution? She just survived a disaster; is she really going to fall into a wolf's den? "Could you let me choose where I want to stay, since I didn't run away?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
