readytorunbook Chapter 186 Making trouble
Chapter 186 Making trouble
"Master Tu, we are all farmers and military households, and we are not familiar with the matter of burning ash. Please ask Master Tu to ask the mine supervisor to send us some people to help."
After Zhang Changzong said this, Tu Ye, who had already been rejected by the mine supervisor, became even more angry. "If you want to find someone to help you, go talk to the mine supervisor yourself. I won't get involved in this matter!"
After saying that, he took the other three supervisors and hid aside.
"This..." Zhang Changzong was about to call the four people to stop, but he heard the sound of the mine supervisor whipping people with a whip, "Hurry up! Hurry up! Did you miss your meal..."
Not far away, a group of exiled prisoners in prison uniforms were moving slowly. Their main task was to transport limestone mined from the mountains.
The prisoners' clothes were very thin and their feet were shackled, so they could not take big steps when walking.
But if you move too slowly, you will naturally be whipped by the mine supervisors headed by the mine inspector, and blood will inevitably appear on your body.
The environment here is so harsh that the prisoners most likely don’t have enough food to eat every day, have to do heavy work, and be beaten. I’m afraid they will die of overwork within a few years.
Zhang Changzong, frightened by the mine supervisor's cruel whip, subconsciously looked at Luo Xiaoran for help.
As soon as Luo Xiaoran arrived here, she observed the situation around her. Combined with the mine supervisor's performance just now, her heart sank.
First of all, the mine supervisor made it clear that these people had to take care of their own eating, drinking, defecating, urinating and sleeping.
Everything else is easy to deal with, but the issue of food is a big problem now.
When they were in Yangliupo, it was not far from Hexi Village. After Luo Xiaoran finished eating the food she brought, she could secretly go home to get food from the cellar. If all else failed, she could go to Fuyuan County or Yizhou City to buy some.
However, Chui Mine is located in a remote area, far away from human habitation, so it is difficult to buy food even if you have money.
The food that Luo Xiaoran brought, plus the dry food that the villagers brought with them, even if the wheat that An Luhai had mixed with river sand was added, could only support them staying here for ten days at most.
In ten days, they would be left with no food to eat.
In addition, as Zhang Changzong said, there is no one in their group who knows how to burn ashes, so they have to deal with the people here.
The people in the mines are all exiled prisoners or cruel officials, so it would be difficult to push forward the ash burning project.
"Village chief, we are all exhausted after three days of traveling. It is getting late now. How about we repair the house first and build a temporary shelter? We can talk about the burning of ash tomorrow?"
Even though she was confused in her mind, Luo Xiaoran did not show any emotion on her face and calmly gave Zhang Changzong's suggestion.
Zhang Changzong's hair has turned a lot greyer since he started performing corvée labor. Especially when he experienced the sand mixed into his rations, he was frightened so much that he still has lingering fears.
He was very grateful for Luo Xiaoran's help at that time, and now he responded to her words without hesitation. He immediately organized the villagers to chop wood and make fire.
When the people in Hedong Village saw that the people in Hexi Village had started to move, they also followed suit and started to get busy, preparing to spend the night.
The mine supervisor looked at the busy villagers and a mocking smile appeared on his dark face.
Just now, Tu Ye's eyes hinted that he had seen it. Wasn't it that he was asked to make trouble for this group of people?
He has been here for ten years and he knows this place best.
There was no need for him to take action at all. In this damn place, it would be good enough if these people didn't starve to death, freeze to death, or be bullied to death.
The most important thing to survive in the cold wilderness is firewood.
Small branches are spread on the ground to form a bed, and thick, dry trees are used for burning firewood, cooking and heating.
The bonfire cannot be extinguished. Once it is extinguished, without the heat source, many frail elderly people will be in danger.
The arrival of so many people from the east and west of the river was bound to affect some of the original people from Chui Mine. So early the next morning, some people couldn't wait to come and cause trouble.
A short man came over with seven or eight prisoners. He snatched the dry food from the hand of a man next to him and threw it to the ground, looking very arrogant.
Luo Xiaoran looked at her empty hands that were still raised, then looked at the pancake that was stepped on the ground, and the corner of her mouth couldn't help but twitch.
She just heated up the pancake!
"What's wrong with you? You have picked up and chopped all the firewood on our land. How are we going to make a fire?" the short man said viciously.
As soon as these words were spoken, the villagers who were still busy preparing breakfast stopped what they were doing and looked at their village chief involuntarily.
Zhang Changzong and Village Chief Wang looked at each other, and finally it was Zhang Changzong who came forward to negotiate. He said politely:
"We are new here, and we have indeed been disturbed a lot, but there are many mountains, dense forests, many trees, and dense firewood here, so I think there will be enough. We can't stay here for long, so please forgive us."
"No!" The short man's nostrils twitched violently, "You guys are such ignorant people that you picked up all the firewood on the ground. We can't even heat water for Mr. Tang to take a bath. Damn it!"
After saying that, the short man waved to the group of people behind him and said, "Come here, move all the firewood they have piled up!"
"You dare!" Village chief Wang couldn't help but jump out. Half of these firewoods were chopped by their Hedong Village with great effort. If they were taken away, they would freeze to death.
Everyone in Hedong Village knew why An Luhai targeted them.
Over the years, they had endured An Luhai's countless secret harassments and thought they could not survive this time of corvée labor. Now that they had hope of survival again, they certainly would not allow anyone to ruin it.
"Hey, where did this old man come from? How dare you talk back to me? Mine Supervisor, give him a good beating!"
As the short man finished speaking, the mine supervisor with a bitter look on his face actually walked over, holding a shiny long whip in his hand.
Without any hesitation, the mine supervisor raised his right hand and was about to hit Village Chief Wang, but... he missed.
Luo Xiaoran pulled Village Chief Wang aside in time to avoid the whip. When she looked at the mine supervisor, her eyes were cold: "I advise the mine supervisor not to get involved in our affairs, otherwise if I hurt you, it will be difficult for me to deal with it."
After hearing what Luo Xiaoran said, the mine monitor actually left without any hesitation, leaving the short man jumping on the spot, "Don't leave! If you leave, Young Master Tang will not let you go!"
The mine supervisor seemed not to have heard it. He returned to his chair and continued to eat his unfinished breakfast.
"You little dog slave, you are just a small mine supervisor, and you don't even know what Master Tang said... Oh!"
Luo Xiaoran kicked the short man hard on the butt, making him lie prone on the ground in a "dog-gnawing" posture, with his piece of cake right in front of him.
"pick it up!"
The short man was used to bullying others by taking advantage of his power, and had never suffered such humiliation before. He struggled to get up and shouted at his men: "You are all dead! Beat them!"