After the announcement of twenty days of farm leave, the whole camp was filled with joy. Many people asked Wu Nanhai if he could sell some rice directly instead of cooked rice. They wanted to take it home. He readily agreed. The price is based on the amount of rice per portion: 1oo grams of mixed rice per work minute. Sales of salted fish have also increased a lot. Except for those who were already homeless and prepared to work wholeheartedly, almost all workers spent all the work-point coupons in hand.
Wu De didn't say much, he just said that they had to come back on time. If there was a delay, they had to ask someone to deliver the message. Otherwise, they would be fined twice the number of days they were late for any number of days they were late. In addition, he also asked the workers to send a message to each village: Anyone who is willing to do business or work is welcome here to ensure their personal and property safety.
At dawn the next day, the laborers left happily in twos and threes carrying small bundles wrapped in rattan rags with salted fish and rice inside. Some people are from the same village and are traveling together. Wu Nanhai watched the backs of these people slowly disappearing into the morning mist, and couldn't help but sigh - birds with nests cannot be fed. To train new farmers, we have to start with orphans.
Just as he was thinking about it, he suddenly saw Zhang Xingjiao carrying a small baggage and leaning on a wooden stick, slowly walking out. He said hello: "Mr. Zhang, are you going back too?"
Zhang Xingjiao has learned Mandarin well these days - he already knows a little Mandarin. When Wu Nanhai asked, he quickly bowed and said, "Chang Wu, I'll go back too and I'll be back in four or five days."
"Is there anyone in the family?" Wu Nanhai heard about him from Wu De: his life experience was very miserable, and there was nothing left in his family.
Zhang Xingjiao smiled bitterly: "You don't have any relatives," he touched the package. "When I was in trouble, I was helped by a few kind-hearted villagers to take care of me. The master thought highly of me and rewarded me with so many things. I took it back to give away. It's a thank you." Their love is over. From now on, the villain will be the one to die. Wherever the master goes, the villain will follow..."
He was really a kind person. Wu Nanhai couldn't help but look up and down at this Ming Dynasty scholar. He was wearing a tattered shirt. His head was shaved because of the unification, and now he had a tattered hat on his head. His face was gray, and he had a stern look on his face. It seems that "becoming a thief" is still a helpless choice for him.
Wu Nanhai thought about it and asked quickly: "Mr. Zhang, are there any orphans in your village?"
"Orphans?" Zhang Xingjiao thought for a while, "Yes, there are, but they are raised by the clan, so they can't be considered orphans."
"Oh." Wu Nanhai was a little annoyed. He remembered that the clan society in ancient China actually performed many social functions on behalf of the government. Especially in rural areas where the clan system is particularly strong, it is difficult to adopt many orphans unless there is war or famine causing displacement.
"There is a pair of orphans and a widowed mother." Zhang Xingjiao thought for a moment, "Life was very hard. They originally crossed the sea from the mainland to reclaim the wasteland. Unfortunately, the man died of plague and left the mother and daughter behind. Alas..." He kept sighing.
"Mr. Zhang, tell them that if they are willing to come, come and work with us."
This time it was Zhang Xingjiao's turn to be surprised: "Orphans and widowers cannot do much work. Girls are still young, and mothers are not as capable as local women."
"It's okay. If the two of them are willing, they can just bring it back."
Zhang Xingjiao hesitated for a moment, thinking that these pirates had no reason to import slaves for no reason. Even if they had to buy slaves to work, they would naturally be young and strong men and women; if they were to recommend pillow mats, they would naturally want women in their prime. What use are women and yellow-haired children? I wanted to think about it, but I didn't dare to ask any more questions, so I left alone.
The prisoners dispersed. The Li people's work here has also come to an end. After there were eight Li prisoners in the trial, the Executive Committee discussed whether to take this opportunity to get in touch with the local Li people. The various mineral resources needed by the travelers are basically located within the island, and It is of practical significance for Li people to form better relationships.
Mu Min, who originally cooperated with Guo Yi in interrogating prisoners, took the initiative to apply for this task for no other reason than that she was originally from the Li ethnic group in Hainan. Although she migrated to Sichuan several generations ago, she was essentially a member of the Li ethnic group in the household registration book. However, because of my ethnic affiliation, I usually know something about the Li people in Hainan. He is a rare professional who is familiar with the Li people among the time traveling people.
Her knowledge of her own people made it easy for her to dispel the wariness of several Li captives and tell them all about the local Li situation.
Several prisoners could speak Chinese. From this, the travelers generally knew that they were "Shu Li", that is, Li people who were organized into households and paid taxes. There are many such people in various counties in Hainan. Through communicating with them, Mu Min learned that they were the so-called "Bupei Li" (Note: This was indeed the name of the familiar Li people in Lingao County in the past). They had become very Chinese and spoke Qiongzhou dialect - that is, Hainan. The dialect has the role of Mandarin in Hainan. The surnames are also Han surnames. According to their explanation, they came with thirty people, and the county master promised them twenty kilograms of salt each when recruiting.
From inquiry, I learned that most of them have some fields, but their yield is much less than that of the Han people. Most of them have to rent some land from the cave owners and do part-time labor. When they have nothing to do, they go hunting in the mountains or pick red and white vines and sell them in the market. Salt, rice and agricultural tools, but when you go to Han District, you not only have to pass the inspection department, but the scary thing is that there are Ming army camps on the road: at least you will be extorted for passing money, at worst, all the goods will be robbed, and your life will not be saved. Life is hard for most people.
On the way to Li District, in addition to the inspection department, there were also military guards. This news attracted the attention of the Executive Committee. Obviously there are still Ming troops stationed in Lingao, but their mission is to defend against Li. From the conversation, Mu Min felt that the local Li people were quite hostile to the government. Thirty years ago, due to the riots in Tinan Village, the government troops went to Li District to suppress them and killed many people indiscriminately. I also hate the Han hawkers in the market - mountain products can't be sold for much money, and a wild boar can't be exchanged for two or three pounds of salt. They all like Han iron farm tools, but the prices are ridiculously expensive, and only a few large baskets of millet can be purchased. Except for the cave owner and a few wealthy landowners, no one can afford to buy a new sickle.
Mu Min's report let the Executive Committee know that Hainan's ethnic issues are much more complicated than they thought. Some people proposed to take advantage of the people's dissatisfaction with the government and the Ming army, and use these eight prisoners to send a small team deep into the Li area to mobilize the people, not only to gain an ally, but also to obtain a source of troops. Since they often don't even have access to salt, recruiting soldiers will be much easier. Many people in the military group agreed with this suggestion, especially Wei Aiwen, who proposed recruiting Li and Miao soldiers to establish a mountain infantry battalion, and enthusiastically promoted this suggestion. Creating a new army of locals was an obviously attractive idea. Since the local Han people are worried about "becoming traitors and rebelling", it is much easier to recruit Li people who are not so loyal to the government authority and have hatred for them to serve as soldiers.
"Give them some of the captured swords and guns, and arm all the Li people, so that the Ming army can't deal with us." Wei Aiwen mentioned his package plan, "We can also help pull out a few patrols leading to Li District. Inspector, annihilate those Ming troops, so that you can gain their full trust." Then he recommended himself as the captain of the armed workers team in Li District.
This bold plan was immediately opposed by all. Although the conflict between Han and Li in Shanghai has a lot of economic and political factors in history, the repeated fighting between the two sides over the years has created deep national conflicts. At present, the peace has been maintained for thirty years. Travelers can try to solve it. Breaking, or even teasing, is extremely dangerous. I am afraid that the entire Hainan will fall into social chaos by then. The foothold is not stable, and the time-traveling country, a small country with few people, cannot survive even with Zenith star technology.
After discussion, everyone believed that it was best to keep the relationship with the Li people on a friendly tone. The so-called friendship means neither hostility nor alliance. Try to open up a line of communication to do business with each other and exchange what we have. Strive to recruit some new soldiers in Li District.
After this tone was set, a trading caravan was formed. The captain was Lu Rong, a Guangxi native who spoke Hakka, Hainanese, vernacular, Leihua, Zhuang, Minnan, Southwest Mandarin and other languages. He speaks dialect, has a sales background, is eloquent, is an outdoor sports enthusiast, knows some martial arts, and has just returned from the long-range reconnaissance and survey team. He has some experience in local field activities, so he is very suitable for this job.
Mu Min went with the team as a "national consultant". Wei Aiwen, as the main tout of the recruitment plan, also joined this team.
The entire team consisted of twenty people, each of whom brought an SKS rifle, a machete and a camping backpack. They were also accompanied by exploration and surveying personnel.
The Foreign Affairs and Commerce Committee prepared gifts and some barter items. Knowing that there was a shortage of salt in Li District, the bulk of the goods were refined salt brought, as well as some novel gadgets-the people they had to deal with were the local cave owners. People who are not bitter, still need to have some clever and obscene things to impress them.
"We killed more than 20 people on the other side. Do we need to pay them some compensation? Let's give each of them some money." Wei Aiwen thought about it, "I remember that among ethnic minorities, murder can be resolved by paying a life price. .”
"It's not necessary," Xiao Zishan objected, "You need to figure out the cause and effect first. They joined the Xiangyong team and attacked us first. Letting them go is already a very friendly gesture. Are they paying for their lives? Please, we are not the Qing Dynasty. If we win, we will have to cede territory and pay compensation.”
"It's always the people who kill them—"
"Why are you so caring all of a sudden?" You Laohu, who was transferred from the military unit to the escort team, retorted, "The hundreds of Han people who died at Bairentan that day, why don't you want to accompany them to pay the price of their lives?"
"Isn't this an ethnic policy?"
"No," Lu Rong shook his head repeatedly, "This kind of ethnic policy is unacceptable. If we win the battle, we can take the initiative to release them. Going to pay for our lives will make people think that we are weak. We come with requests and ask for a higher price." The lion opened his mouth."
"I think so too," Xiao Zishan nodded repeatedly, "The so-called equality means not discriminating against others, let alone oneself. This tone must be grasped."
