Wu Mazi sat on the stone beside the bridge, took off the water bag from his waist, raised his head and drank, staring at the stars in the sky. He put down the water bag and sighed: "Damn, the new county magistrate. Tai is not a thing, just as the autumn harvest is about to begin, the corvee is being called for!"
Wu Dasheng put the saw aside, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and then cursed: "A gangster comes and a housebreaker comes. These days are getting more and more difficult."
puff!
Half a bag of rice hit the ground hard, blowing up sand and dust.
Lu Wu straightened up, looked at the county town not far away, and spat: "Which crow is not black? The officials have never spared us any effort. Have you heard the reason?"
Wu Mazi put away the backpack at his feet: "I heard that it was used to provide a home for Tatar prisoners. I've seen a ghost."
Wu Dasheng gasped fiercely and said unwillingly: "These Tatars should have their heads chopped off or burn the fertile fields. Why are they still alive? Our emperor is too kind. If we use the same methods to deal with corrupt officials to deal with these Tatars, Son, why do we come to work at this time? If we delay the autumn harvest, will we still have a full meal?"
"Hush, I don't dare to say anything about the emperor."
Lu Wu scolded Wu Dasheng, and then looked at Wu Mazi: "You are a knotmaker, and he is a sawmaker. We each contribute our own efforts, and we have to go home early after finishing our errands. What, you two? Where’s the food?”
Wu Dasheng raised his hand to wipe his nose and glanced at the rice bag on the ground: "How much grain did you bring? It's less than forty kilograms. It shouldn't be enough. The grain for us will have to be delivered at dawn. No Just delay lunch."
"Hey, save some food. You won't starve to death. It's almost dawn, let's go into the city."
Lu Wu picked up the rice bag and carried it easily.
Wu Mazi put the basket on his back, Wu Dasheng picked up the saw, and the group walked towards the city.
County government.
After nodding, Gu Zhengchen looked at the workshop Li He: "Have all the people been recruited?"
Li He walked out and said respectfully: "It's already half way back to the county. According to the time, wait another quarter of an hour and everyone should be here."
"Okay! Liang Bin, are you ready with the money I asked you to prepare?"
Gu Zhengchen asked instead.
Liang Bin came out, looked at Gu Zhengchen with a somewhat fearful look, and quickly lowered his head: "Go back to the county, a thousand strings, and pack them all."
Gu Zhengchen nodded slightly and continued to ask: "Each person has six buckets of food per month, which equals three kilograms of food per person per day. Food will be distributed twice today, once every day, and once at sunset. Is there any problem?"
Liang Bin wiped his forehead and agreed, "No problem."
"Back off!"
Gu Zhengchen looked at Liu Xian in the ceremony room: "To appease the people, we need more elders to come forward. You will be responsible..."
Liang Bin looked at the other officials in the sixth room and secretly marveled.
A few days ago, everyone was quite contemptuous of the new county magistrate. They either looked at his youth and teased him for having no official experience, or they laughed secretly and speculated on how the county magistrate and others controlled the county government.
After only one night, everyone's attitude completely changed. They were respectful and spoke cautiously.
The reason is that Gu Zhixian beat the nephew of Chen Zhong, Chen Zhi of Chengfafang, with a total of forty sticks. Although the beatings did not leave the skin and flesh to pieces, he could not get out of bed within a month.
Dian Shi's relatives were beaten whenever they asked, and they were beaten in front of the county magistrate, the chief registrar, and Dian Shi!
This is not a slap on Chen Zhi's butt. This is a slap on the faces of Liu Boqin, Zhao Doubei and Chen Zhong.
Even though Gu Zhixian was young, a frail scholar, and had a gentle smile, he was ruthless and would beat him whenever he asked.
Even if you're knocked unconscious, you won't even say stop...
If you go against the magistrate, you must consider the cost.
Gu Zhengchen looked at his staff and was very satisfied.
If you don't establish authority, people will have no respect.
If you want to take the initiative in the county government, you must show strength and strength.
If you just laugh and humiliate, compromise and don't dare to draw your sword or take it out of its sheath, then who will believe you or follow you?
Officialdom, like the world, follows the law of the jungle.
It was already daybreak, and outside the county government office, there were people doing corvee work.
The county government door is open.
Gu Zhengchen, wearing an official hat and a blue regimental collar shirt, walked out of the county government gate. He looked at the crowd of people at the door and said a few words to Chen Zhong, the dianshi on the side.
Chen Zhong understood, walked out, and shouted twice. After everyone calmed down, he shouted at the top of his lungs: "The county magistrate said that sawmakers, carpenters, builders, knotters, and laborers all work in groups. Don't mix them together. The sawyer is on the left, the carpenter is here..."
Gu Zhengchen walked towards the farmer in front of him, looked at the bag at his feet, frowned and asked, "What's in this?"
Lu Wu knew official uniforms and knew that the young man in front of him was the magistrate of Jurong County. He snorted: "Mi!"
"Can you open it and let me have a look?"
"The county magistrate wants to see it, who among us dares to stop it."
Gu Zhengchen saw Lu Wu violently tearing open the sack, revealing the light yellow brown rice inside, and asked, "Since you are here to serve as a corvee, why do you need to bring your own rice?"
Lu Wu was amused and said disdainfully: "If you don't bring your own rice, will you starve to death here? County Master, we are here to work, and our hard-working lives are our lives. Arrange the work and we will do it, sir." There is no such thing as this!"
"Don't be so presumptuous!"
The chief bookkeeper Zhao Doubei scolded him sharply.
Gu Zhengchen withdrew his gaze and asked Zhao Doubei: "In the past, when Jurong recruited people for corvee service, how much food was given out in a month?"
Zhao Doubei was a little embarrassed and hesitant to speak.
Gu Zhengchen looked at Liang Bin in the household: "You tell me."
Liang Bin had no choice but to say: "Back to the county, in the past years I was paid three buckets of rice a month."
Gu Zhengchen looked at Lu Wu: "You should know how much rice you were given for doing corvee work in previous years, right?"
"You can't get more than a bushel! If it wasn't for the food that I own, I would have starved to death!"
Lu Wu gritted his teeth.
Gu Zhengchen understood and stepped back.
According to the rules, for a month of corvée service, one dou of rice was paid by the county government. In other words, five dou of rice was withheld!
Calculated, a bucket of rice weighs fifteen kilograms, and the people work hard enough to earn only half a kilogram of rice every day!
In later generations, it was normal for a person to eat half a kilogram of rice a day.
But this was ancient times, the early Ming Dynasty, there was no oil, water, or meat! For a person who works hard, half a catty of rice a day is not enough!
You must know that Lian Po is old, but he can still "take ten pounds of meat for one meal"!
According to Lian Po's appetite, one meal of his meal is enough to compare with a month's ration of a Jurong corvee farmer! And the farmer doesn't have ten pounds of meat to eat during this month.
Although there are exaggerations in historical records, and the fighting during the Warring States Period was two and a half pounds less than that during the Ming Dynasty, the reality of this sentence is so cold!
Gu Zhengchen looked at the crowd. They were all dressed in coarse cloth and had different heights. Most of them were lean.
There are many people carrying rice bags with them.
It can be seen that they have become accustomed to it and know the consequences of not bringing their own rice:
Before the work is finished, life must be finished first.
Gu Zhengchen took a deep breath.
This phenomenon does not occur in one year or in one county!
Raise your hand.
More than 800 people gradually became quiet.
Gu Zhengchen looked at everyone seriously and shouted in a deep voice: "You see clearly, I am the magistrate of Jurong County! I recruit you to do corvées and work hard, and no one needs to bring their own food! Three kilograms of rice a day, work One day, one day! But if you are short of one or two, come here to complain! See if I can make the decision for you!"
Lu Wu was stunned.
Wu Mazi and Wu Dacheng opened their mouths wide.
Every citizen was shocked and couldn't believe it.
Three kilograms of rice a day?
You just give me one catty of rice a day. You are our parents and officials, but you have to give three catties?
Damn it.
Snapped!
Wu Mazi slapped himself hard.
Wu Dasheng turned around: "What are you doing?"
"Yes, there are mosquitoes..."
Mazi Wu breathed in the air-conditioning.
Wu Dasheng gritted his teeth, walked out and shouted: "County Master, are you serious about three kilograms of rice a day?"
Gu Zhengchen looked at Wu Dacheng and said sternly: "Come out!"
Wu Mazi became anxious, Wu Dacheng, Wu Dacheng, why are you jumping out at this time? Look, will there be any benefit to angering the county magistrate?
Yes!
The magistrate must be just talking about it. Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the people of Jurong have been doing corvées three or four times from house to house, and not a single magistrate has given them three kilograms of rice a day!
Wu Dasheng walked out uneasily.
Gu Zhengchen looked at everyone and asked with a straight face: "Who else questions me?"
No one dared to speak and all bowed their heads.
Gu Zhengchen saw a stubborn look and shouted: "You, come out!"
A big man came out, carrying a basket with carpenter's tools in his hand.
"What are your names?"
Gu Zhengchen asked.
"Wu Dasheng."
"horsepower."
Gu Zhengchen nodded slightly, pointed at the two of them, and shouted to everyone: "From now until the completion date, the two of them are responsible for assisting the households in distributing rice. Three kilograms of rice a day is not enough. You look for them, and they look for them." My officer! Liang Bin, put the rice!"
"Take orders!"
Liang Bin from the household called someone and brought out bags of rice from the east warehouse, and also took out a custom-made three kilogram rice trough.
Wu Dasheng and Ma Li were stunned on the spot. What happened?
Gu Zhengchen shouted sternly: "Why are you standing there, staring at the rice! You remember, as long as I, Gu Zhengchen, am in Jurong, I will pay you six dou of rice a month for the corvee work, and I will never miss you half a tael." But if anyone receives the rice but fails to do anything, and delays the important affairs of the court, then I can only be dismissed by the court for investigation and leave Jurong!"
Lu Wu was so moved that he wanted to cry.
Wu Mazi wiped the corners of his eyes, grinned, lowered his head and choked with sobs, and looked up at the sky.
This day, blue sky!
"Master Qingtian!"
I don't know who shouted, and the sounds became more and more frequent, and finally, they condensed into a wave of sound, and the breeze blew Gu Zhengchen's clothes.
Some people even kneeled down while holding grain in their hands.
Gu Zhengchen looked up at the sky.
Who would have thought that just by returning the rice that should have belonged to them, they would already burst into tears with gratitude!
Who would have thought that ninety kilograms of rice a month is enough to make a man agree to work hard!
Who would have thought that the human heart is not in the teachings of Confucius or the decrees of the court, but in a bag of rice!
Gu Zhengchen looked at the people living in the village, all grinning with joy.
The rice is given, and the people's hearts are gained.
Now is the real test, 800 people, 20 days, to build a house and residence for more than 2,000 captives!
