"Is there anything wrong with Zhengjia Village?" the elder asked the other party.
The patriarch thought for a while and said: "Zhengjia Village is no different from before, but now Xin'an County is occupied by the rebels. What we did in Zhengjia Village went against the requirements of the rebels. I'm worried that the other party came to Xin'an just for this matter." county."
"Emperor and courtiers, you are stupid!" The eldest uncle said, looking at the juniors in front of him, "Who are the rebels? They are the masters who draw their knives at the slightest displeasure, and you actually go against them. , I really don’t want my life.”
As he spoke, he raised the crutch in his hand and poked the ground hard several times.
The third master next to him interjected: "Sir, what you said is wrong. We are not doing this entirely for ourselves. It is also for your benefit. We can't just clean ourselves up if we encounter trouble." !”
"Nonsense. You didn't tell me what you were doing. How do I know? Stop grabbing and biting here randomly. Don't think that I can't hit you when I'm old." The eldest man shook his hand a few times with angrily. of crutches.
When the third master saw this, he snorted and turned his head to the side.
He was also afraid that he would be lectured by his elders at such an old age, which would hurt his face.
At this time, the clan leader hurriedly spoke to persuade him: "Uncle, please calm down. Third uncle didn't mean to contradict you. Please forgive him once and don't do it again next time."
"Hmph, for the sake of you being the leader of the clan, I won't argue with him. Next time, I'll break your legs." The eldest man snorted at the third master.
After hearing this, the third master muttered in a low voice: "You didn't interfere, but you did take advantage of it."
"What did you say? You said it clearly!" The third master's voice was too soft. The eldest master didn't hear clearly what he said, but he also guessed that what he said was definitely not a good thing.
When the clan leader saw this, he hurriedly said to the third master: "Third uncle, please stop talking."
"No need to stop him, let him speak!" The elder angrily poked the ground a few times with the crutch in his hand.
The patriarch stood up, put his hand on the eldest grandfather's back to calm him down, and at the same time persuaded him: "Don't be angry, eldest uncle. This is the kind of person the third uncle is. It's not worth getting angry with him. Let's talk about business first." .”
The business was not done yet, and he didn't want to offend the elder and kick them all out.
"This mistress is older, but her temperament and temperament have not changed at all. Sooner or later, she will suffer from this." The elder scolded the other party.
Although the third master didn't like to hear it, he had watched him grow up anyway, so he had no choice but to endure it.
The patriarch said while feeling relieved for the eldest uncle, "eldest uncle, you are the elder of our Zhengjia Village. You are well-informed. Please help us juniors analyze. Did the fake thieves get any news when they came to Xin'an County?"
"How do I know this?" the eldest uncle said, "I am an old guy who never leaves the house and never steps out of the door. How can I know what others think? If you ask me, you are asking the wrong person!"
As he spoke, he leaned back and leaned on the back of the chair.
The patriarch also retracted his hand and stood on the side and said: "Master, you can't just let it go. We are all your juniors. You have watched us grow up. You can't watch something happen to us!" "
"What can happen? You're trying to scare yourself. As long as you divide the fields honestly and do everything as told, how can I still embarrass you?" The eldest man picked up the tureen on the table, took off the lid and blew it. Blow.
Hearing this, the patriarch showed a wry smile and said, "Aren't you asking knowingly? You must have heard some of the things we do in private. In fact, we are doing this for the good of Zhengjia Village, not to mention that the benefits are not just A few points for us, and a share for you, sir.”
They all lived in the same village. Although they did not discuss the matter of controlling the peasant association with the elder, he believed that the other party could not know anything about it.
The reason why the eldest uncle never came to find them was because he was pretending to be stupid.
"I have heard some rumors, but not everything!" The eldest uncle put down the tureen in his hand and stopped pretending to be Hutu. Instead, he looked at the patriarch in front of him with bright eyes.
Although he was dissatisfied with the things these people did secretly to avoid him, he also knew that he was getting older after all, and these people did not want to have an ancestor taking charge of them.
The clan leader hesitated for a moment, and finally decided to tell the whole story, and said: "In addition to the matter of Zhengjia Village, we also promised the gentleman in the Yamen to cooperate with him. After the Ming Dynasty regains Xin'an County in the future, we will not do anything to Zhengjia Village." Reckoning.”
"That's all?" the elder asked.
The patriarch spread his hands and said: "That's all. Even if we want other benefits, that gentleman may not agree."
"You are so courageous! If you dare to do such a thing, you won't be afraid of being liquidated. Then the bamboo basket will be empty." The eldest uncle said with hatred.
The patriarch said: "We have no choice. As soon as the rebels come, they will divide the land, and they will also create peasant associations and peasant soldiers. If we really let them succeed, will Zhengjia Village still be Zhengjia Village in the future? Is it possible to let those untouchables really do it?" Turn over and ride on our heads."
"Yes, why should we give our own land to those untouchables for free? Your family also has a lot of land, sir. Are you willing to take advantage of those untouchables for free?" The fifth master, who had never spoken, suddenly said.
The land was his lifeblood, and he gave it to others for free, even to people from the same clan with the same surname Zheng.
The eldest uncle ignored the fifth master, but looked at the clan leader and said, "Other than the person in the yamen, who else knows about what you are doing?"
"There is no one left! Everyone in the village has been silenced. No one dares to talk nonsense outside. With that gentleman in the yamen, he will naturally be well protected." The patriarch said.
"The Sword Comes"
The elder who heard this said in a relaxed tone: "Since no one knows, then what do you have to worry about? Maybe they come to Xin'an County for other things that have nothing to do with you."
"Having said that, I always feel a little uneasy in my heart, as if something is going to happen." The clan leader said with a worried look.
At this time, the third master suddenly said to the patriarch: "I told you that nothing will happen. You are always worried about this and that. Now that you have the eldest master, you can rest assured now!"
"It's best if nothing happens, but if something happens, it will be a matter of losing my head. How could I not be careful." The clan leader replied to him.
The third master said: "You also heard what the eldest master said, now you can feel at ease!"
The patriarch was speechless.
Although the eldest uncle gave him reassuring words, he still felt that something was wrong with the fake thief officer coming to Xin'an County. The key was that the timing of his arrival was too coincidental.
