readytorunbook Chapter 308 Even punctuation marks are not trusted
Chapter 308 Even punctuation marks are not trusted
The influence of the gentry extended throughout the world.
The influence of the He clan of Shanyin was not limited to Shanyin County, but spread throughout the entire Kuaiji Commandery, and even extended to Wu Commandery and the entire Jiangdong region, including Yuhang County where He Qi was currently located.
This is why He Qi dared to openly show himself in front of the villagers. However, he also knew that Yu Hang was behind enemy lines, so he was particularly cautious. Before entering the house, he not only placed sentries around the courtyard, but also secretly followed Yu Gang and his son to the woodshed, pressing himself against the wall to try to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Unfortunately, the father and son were talking in hushed tones, and with the wall between them, no one could hear them.
He Qi had been lying on the wall for a long time. When he heard footsteps and realized that the father and son were about to come out, he quickly retreated to the yard and looked up at the sky. After hearing the creak of the wooden door, he turned around, grinned at the father and son, and said, "Thank you for your hard work, old man."
The old man laughed and said, "My surname is Yu, you can just call me Old Yu. Go into the woodshed and see if it's okay. If not, I'll move the firewood to the yard."
He Qi quickly shook his head and said, "No need, we can make do when we're out and about, there's no need to be so particular."
Old Yu laughed and said, "Then let's rest for a while and wait for dinner."
The meal was prepared quickly. Since the family didn't have any delicacies or even enough rice, they simply cooked a pot of porridge and served it with some pickled vegetables.
Despite this, He Qi and the others, who had been eating dry rations for several days, still enjoyed their meal immensely, even licking their bowls clean.
After dinner, He Qi suggested playing chess. After a few moves, his true nature was revealed. He casually asked, "We came from Jianye. We heard along the way that Jiangdong is implementing some kind of land reform. Has your family been allocated land as well?"
Old Yu sighed with a sorrowful expression, "The land has been divided, but what's the use? My two sons died in battle, my grandson is still young, and I'm not very mobile. How am I supposed to farm so much land?"
"Besides, all the officials are birds of a feather. When the land was distributed, they said they would exempt us from taxes, but who knows if they would send people to collect it during the autumn harvest? We can't trust the government. Besides, the Han army is at war, and war requires food. Where will the food come from? Won't they just rob us ordinary people?"
"More importantly, the land that the Han army gave us all belonged to the gentry. As the saying goes, one should not accept rewards without merit. We have no grudges against the gentry, so we feel uneasy taking this land. But we can't refuse it. The Han army insists on stuffing it into our hands. If we don't accept it, we will be treated as remnants of the gentry and sent to mine. Sigh, what kind of situation is this?"
He Qi asked in surprise, "Old Master Yu doesn't want these lands?"
Old Yu said with a wry smile, "Who doesn't want land? But a gentleman loves money, but he acquires it in a proper way. If I were to reclaim that land, I would naturally be happy to take it. But it belongs to others. How can I put other people's things into my own pocket with a clear conscience?"
"All we ordinary people want in life is peace of mind. What is peace of mind? It's having a clear conscience. If you take something that belongs to someone else, you're always worried that they'll take it back. You really can't eat or sleep properly. To be honest, I haven't had a single good night's sleep since I got the land. I don't know when Lord Wu will be able to take it back. Sigh..."
He Qi asked in astonishment, "You still hope that Lord Wu will fight back?"
He believed that the gentry wanted Sun Quan to return, but the idea that this old man living in a thatched hut wanted Sun Quan to return seemed unbelievable to He Qi.
This old man is definitely lying to himself.
Old Yu sighed, "To be honest, General Guan's land reform seems to have brought benefits to us ordinary people, but what about the future? General Guan is too young and likes to cause trouble. I can't understand those things at all. Not understanding them makes me anxious. Who knows where General Guan will lead Huiji? What if it's hell?"
"In contrast, it is reassuring to have Lord Wu in charge of Jiangdong. Although life is a bit difficult, at least he doesn't cause any trouble, which allows people to sleep peacefully."
He Qi understood. Old Yu was getting old and wanted a peaceful life. When people get to a certain age, they become afraid of new things they've never seen before. Even if they get something good, they'll worry that it's a windfall or a trap.
People get more timid as they get older.
He Qi reassured him, "I don't think you need to worry too much. General Guan is unparalleled in benevolence and righteousness and is renowned far and wide. He certainly won't let that brat Sun Quan take it back. Just focus on cultivating these lands."
The two chatted idly, their conversation consisting entirely of insincere and sarcastic remarks, and they didn't believe a word or even the punctuation marks in each other's conversations.
Nevertheless, He Qi still felt somewhat comforted. It seemed that Guan Xing's land reform was not as deeply rooted in people's hearts as the outside world had said; at least the older people were quite fearful.
The elderly person's worries are my breakthrough point; if I use them well, they might have a surprising effect.
After playing three rounds in a row, and confirming that they couldn't get any more information out of him, He Qi got up to rest.
That night, Old Yu's whole family squeezed into one room, giving all the other rooms to He Qi and the others.
He Qi didn't rush to sleep, but stayed in his room patiently waiting. When midnight came, his subordinate came in and whispered, "General, the whole family is asleep. No one has sent word, and there's no sign of it. It seems you've been worrying too much."
He Qi said, "It's always good to be careful when you're out and about. Leave three people on watch tonight. If anyone is found leaving in the middle of the night, kill them without asking for permission. The rest of you should get some rest."
He Qi knew the consequences of being captured by the Han army, so he was very cautious. He sent people to keep an eye on the Yu family all night, but he did not expect that Old Yu was more composed than he thought and actually slept soundly without doing anything reckless.
After finishing breakfast at dawn, He Qi handed Old Yu five copper coins and said goodbye. Old Yu took the coins and almost cursed as soon as he saw them.
He Qi gave him not the Wuzhu coins commonly used in the Han Dynasty, but the Zhibai coins issued by Liu Bei in Bashu. One copper coin was worth 100 Wen, and five copper coins were equivalent to 500 Wen.
The problem is that Jiangdong doesn't use Zhibai coins, so where am I supposed to spend this stuff?
He Qi was also helpless about this. Although the Wuzhu coin was good, it was too heavy. He was on a secret mission and could not carry too many with him. He could only carry large denomination coins like the Zhibai coin.
Old Yu didn't mind, and smiled as he saw He Qi off at the gate, waving goodbye until He Qi disappeared before returning to the courtyard.
Upon seeing him enter, Yu Gang said impatiently, "Dad, you rest first, I'll go report to the village chief."
After saying that, he was about to climb over the wall to leave, but Old Yu grabbed him.
Old Yu advised, "You can't go. He Qi's sentries are definitely still there. Going out now would be like walking into a trap."
Yu Gang said anxiously, "Then what should we do? It will be too late if we wait any longer."
Old Yu calmly replied, "What's there to be afraid of? He Qi is heading towards Shanyin and will be staying in Kuaiji for a long time. Your retired comrades are scattered all over the surrounding area. Are you afraid you won't be able to find him?"
"Young man, don't be so impulsive. It's always better to be careful. You don't want to believe that He Qi would wipe out our family before we even sent it out, do you?"
Back when Lao Yu was working with He Qiping in the mountains, he had already become a team leader, which was considered a minor leadership position. He had his own ideas about how to conduct himself and handle affairs.
Yu Gang had no choice but to continue waiting, while Old Yu carried a hoe to the vegetable garden in the backyard to weed. While weeding, he observed the surroundings with the eyes of a veteran and quickly found He Qi's hidden spot. He then lingered in the vegetable garden for half an hour, and only after confirming that the hidden spot had left did he carry his hoe home and call Yu Gang over, saying, "You can go now."
Yu Gang rushed out of the house, avoiding the direction He Qi had gone, and sprinted towards the village head Yu Xing's house. However, before he even arrived, he saw Yu Xing working in the fields.
The village is called Yujiazhai, and 80% of the villagers are surnamed Yu. Yu Xing is both the village head and Yu Gang's cousin.
Seeing Yu Gang running quickly over along the ridge, Yu Qi stood up, holding the hoe handle, and asked, "What's wrong? You're panting so much?"
Yu Gang, panting, said, "He Qi is back. He stayed at my house last night and just left half an hour ago."