Li Lin, who was still asleep just after dawn, was awakened by a rapid knock on the door. She heard a woman's gentle and elegant voice coming from outside the door: "Brother, wake up quickly. My second uncle asked you to come over quickly." "He squinted his eyes and walked to the door in a daze and opened it. Outside the door stood a cute girl of thirteen or fourteen years old.
She has long black hair, with two knots tied at both ends of her head. Two slender willow eyebrows gradually become thinner and fainter like sideburns. On her small, rosy face, she has a pair of big, watery eyes. She is tall and tall. Under her straight nose is a small cherry mouth. The cute little girl in front of the door is my fourth sister, Li Yuan. She is the treasure of our family.
As soon as I went out, she took my hand and pulled me forward: Brother, please hurry up or my second uncle will not be happy.
Li Lin was stunned: What's wrong with Fourth Sister and Second Uncle is so anxious?
Li Yuan pouted and shook her little head: I don’t know, my second uncle told you to go there quickly.
When Li Lin came to her second uncle's residence, her second uncle and Li Song were waiting at the door, so Li Lin ran over quickly: "Why is my second uncle so urgent?"
Second Uncle: Someone came to the village just now. The village chief asked the Li family to come over. Let’s drive them away. Don’t be late.
When Li Lin, her second uncle, and Li Song arrived at the door of the village chief's house, the courtyard was already crowded with people. In the middle of the courtyard, there was an old man sitting on a bench. He had white hair, deep-set eyes, and heavy weather. There is a kind face on his face, and he is holding a crooked walking stick in his hands. That old man is the head of our Guangyuan Village - Shen Laoer.
As soon as the three uncles and nephews entered the courtyard, they took the two brothers and went up to say hello to the village chief: Village chief
Village Chief: Jing Lin is here
The villagers who were watching were whispering to each other and whispering to themselves, "Hey - do you know why the village chief asked us to come?"
"I don't know - I still want to ask you about it."
"Did something happen to our Guangyuan Village?"
"I haven't heard of it - have you heard of it?"
"No"
Shen Laoer saw that people from the village had almost arrived, so he banged the walking stick on the ground a few times: Yesterday, the county magistrate sent people to invite all the village chiefs from the nearby villages to the county government office. This year's grain collection list The notice has already arrived in the county. It is estimated that the notice will be posted in Guangyuan Village tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.
Having said this, a villager immediately asked: Village chief, how much grain will the government collect from Guangyuan Village this year?
Shen Laoer took a deep breath: Our Guangyuan Village has to pay 3,000 dan of official grain this year - 200 furs - 500 pine logs. After all, our family has to pay 10 den of grain.
As soon as this statement came out, the villagers were full of emotions: why should the government let us live if we pay 3,000 denier in grain?
Another villager: Yes, village chief, our family in Guangyuan Village only has 5-6 acres of land, and the grain harvest from one acre of land ranges from less than 300 kilograms to as much as 300 to 400 kilograms. Grain is 1,000 kilograms, accounting for half of the total harvest.
"Last year, the government levied 2,000 den of official grain, and everyone's life was very tight. It was really hard to get through the day when the levy of 3,000 den of grain was levied."
"Village chief, why don't you go to the county government office to beg for mercy and see if the county magistrate can be kind enough to collect less food?"
Shen Er sighed helplessly: I have said everything that needs to be said, not only for our Guangyuan Village but also for other villages. In comparison, the grain payment of our Guangyuan Village is already small.
Villager A: Binzhou’s tax rate is 1 in 10 taxes, but in recent years the taxes collected by the government have increased several times year by year. Isn’t this the same as Ming Dynasty robbery?
Villager B: Is it the king’s soil in the whole world? Is it the king’s ministers on the shore of the land? All the king’s ministers are public servants. We can only blame us for our bad fate.
Villager C: Let me tell you, let’s all be united. We won’t deal with whoever comes. If they don’t let us live, then we will fight to the death.
When Shen Er saw that something was not going well, he shouted angrily: "Nonsense! The government also has its own difficulties. In the past two years, the border has not been peaceful and there may be a fight. Last year, the Binzhou Army arrested 50 people in our Guangyuan Village." Are you a strong man? Everyone still remembers this. One year has passed and there is still no word from those 50 people. I don’t know whether they are alive or dead now.
It's better to pay more grain than to be caught. It's not like I didn't receive any goods when I went to the county government this time. The county magistrate has allowed Guangyuan Village to cultivate 1,000 acres of farmland within a hundred miles of this area next year. Once the 1,000 acres are reclaimed, Every acre of land is shared by every family. As long as everyone works together to get through this year, our lives will be easier next year. If there are any difficulties, everyone will help each other and there will be no obstacles that cannot be overcome.
Shen Er's words gave the anxious villagers a sense of comfort. Everyone knew that the village chief had been thinking about everyone. Although the current situation was indeed difficult, with the support and commitment of the county magistrate, For the villagers in Guangyuan Village, it is considered a feasible way out, and it also gives the villagers a hope for their future life.
Villager: The village chief has actually given permission from the county magistrate to cultivate a thousand acres of farmland in Guangyuan Village within a hundred miles. We have to wait until next year to do it. Let’s do it this year.
Shen Er hesitated for a moment: "Okay, you guys can find a place. It's best to put all these 1,000 acres of land together, don't make it one piece here and one piece here and there."
Speaking of this, Shen Er stood up from the bench: That's it, everyone should go back first.
Just when the uncle and nephew were about to leave, Shen Er stopped his second uncle and said, "Jing Lin, stay here."
Second Uncle: What’s wrong, village chief?
After everyone has left, Shen Er: Second brother of the Li family, you have to work harder this year. Whether Guangyuan Village can overcome this hurdle depends on you.
The second uncle looked flattered when he heard this: Village chief, look at what you said, how can I be so capable?
Shen Er: If you go into the mountains and catch more prey, won’t you have everything?
The second uncle sighed softly: Hunting by the village chief is a job where the patron god provides food and food. It is not that anyone can hunt as many prey as he wants.
Shen Er nodded: Yes, then you do your best.
Second Uncle: Don’t worry, village chief, we will do our best if we can be of help.
Shen Er: By the way, the second son of the Li family, do your two boys have any confidence?
The second uncle shook his head: Oh, that’s a surprise. Since the two boys from my family were arrested and sent to serve as soldiers last year, there has been no news at all. As you just said, I don’t know whether these two boys are alive or dead.
As he spoke, the second uncle burst into tears. Then he raised his hand to wipe the tears from his eyes. When Shen Er saw this, he quickly comforted him: Let me tell you, if there is no news, it is good news. If there is anything unexpected, then the government is not allowed to send people away. Are fallen leaves returning to their roots? Guangyuan Village owes the Li family a favor. If anything good happens in the village in the future, I will definitely attack your Li family first.
The second uncle bowed his hands to Shen Er: "Thank you, village chief, for your trouble. If there is nothing else, we will go back first."
When we went back, my second uncle was very worried all the way, probably because he was worried about his two children. The two boys in my uncle’s family were about the same age as me and Li Song. The eldest brother was named Li Long, and his second brother was named Li Hu. There are also three boys in the third uncle's family. The eldest brother is named Li Daniu - Ci Di Li Erniu - Lao Mo Li Xiaoniu. The younger brothers grew up wearing crotchless pants and playing together.
It happened in September last year. During those days, Li Song and I went hunting in the mountains with my second uncle. It was said that it rained heavily that day, and a group of officials and soldiers came to the village to collect grain. Because Guangyuan Village failed to do so. After turning over the official rations, the group of officers and soldiers captured 50 young men in Guangyuan Village. Among them were the two children of the second uncle's family, Li Long and Li Hu.
By the time we came back, everyone had been arrested for several days. At that time, the village chief borrowed grain from eight villages in ten miles and finally collected the official grain. I thought that as long as the official grain was handed over in full, we would be arrested. The 50 villagers who were captured can be released, but no one expected that the 50 villagers who were captured were sent to the border by the government a few days ago. The government did not know where they went. Li Song was lucky enough to escape.
Time has arrived in August. There are three rivers in the northern part of Duyuan County, namely Guihai River - Danshan River - Liuniu River. Guangyuan Village is located downstream of Guihai River, which means it occupies the Guihai River, while Tanshan River and Liuniu River are It is a branch of the Guihai River. Just by listening to the name, you know that the Guihai River leads directly to the sea. There is an inlet 240 miles west of Guangyuan Village, where the Guihai River flows into the sea.
Due to the drought this year, the water level of the Guihai River has dropped again and again. In some places, it has even leaked out of the river bed. If there is less water in the main river, there will naturally be less water flowing into the Danshan River and Liuniu River. This lack of water is a problem. It follows that there are three large families in the area irrigated by Danshan River and Liuniu River, the Zhang family in Duyuancheng, the Han family in Laian County, and the Song family in Anyang Village.
The Danshan River has been in a state of water shortage since the beginning of this spring. It is said that the Zhang family has nearly 20,000 acres of fields along the Danshan River, and the Danshan River has always been controlled by the Zhang family. In previous years, the Zhang family's fields were irrigated, and other people's fields were irrigated. Only the fields of the Zhang family can be irrigated with water, but this year, even though the Zhang family controls the Danshan River, there is still a shortage of water. The Zhang family's 20,000 acres of fields have also become dry and cracked due to lack of water.
If it could not be irrigated in time, the crops on that field would die due to drought, so the Zhang family decided to return to the Haihe River. Zhang Da, the patriarch of the Zhang family, had approached the village chief a few days ago, hoping that Guangyuan Village would allow the Zhang family to Dig a river channel downstream of the Guihai River and divert more water from the Guihai River into the Danshan River, so that the 20,000 acres of Zhangjia's fields can be irrigated.
There is already little water in the Guihai River this year, and Guangyuan Village and several other villages can only use it. If the Zhang family is asked to dig another ditch to divert water from the Danshan River, then the fields irrigated by the Guihai River will not be able to be fully irrigated. If Asking the Zhang family to dig the river, the Han family and the Song family would also inquire. If they all agreed, the villagers of Guangyuan Village would be afraid that they would have nothing to gain. After weighing the pros and cons, the village chief rejected the Zhang family's offer. Require
Since Zhang Da returned, members of the Zhang family have come to Guangyuan Village from time to time to cause trouble and secretly dig river channels. It seems that the crops will be harvested in more than a month. In addition, the government has collected a lot of grain this year. Naturally, the people in Yuan Village couldn't agree. The two waves of people started making trouble and even took action several times. In order to prevent the Zhang family from causing mischief in secret, the villagers finally decided to take turns guarding the Guihai River throughout the day.
On this day, more than 200 villagers from Guangyuan Village gathered on the banks of the Guihai River. They were holding hoes and sticks and were confronting hundreds of people from the Zhang family.
In the crowd of confrontations, there was a man with a square scarf on his head and a blue silk top. He looked very elegant at first glance and shouted: "Listen up, I am Zhang Wenxuan, the second son of the Zhang family. We have dug this canal today. Let’s see who of you dares to stop me.
At this time, a villager opened his eyes and shouted angrily: Zhang Wenxuan, if you dare to dig a river to divert water, then you have to ask our Guangyuan Village if they agree.
Zhang Wenxuan shouted: Humph - so what if you don't agree? Your Guangyuan Village has no worries about occupying the water source of Guihai River, but have you ever thought about us folks in the lower reaches of Guihai River who have no water to irrigate our fields and no water to drink? what should we do
Seeing that the water in Danshan River is about to bottom out, tens of thousands of acres of fertile farmland are dying because there is no water for irrigation. Seeing the fields cracking bit by bit, there will be no rice harvest. Are we going to starve to death? Today I will Seeking justice for the villagers and tribesmen
Zhang Wenxuanzi's words aroused the emotions of the Zhang clan and hundreds of villagers behind him.
A member of the Zhang clan was shouting at the side: If the villagers want to survive, we must dig out this channel today.
The other Zhang clan members also followed suit: What are you waiting for, folks? Hurry up and dig, we have water - we have water.
The ragged Zhang clan members and people from the lower reaches swarmed up, wielding hoes and sticks, and rushed towards the villagers of Guangyuan Village, preparing to dig out the canals. When the village chief Shen Er saw this, he led the villagers to step forward to stop them, but the Zhang clan members and others The people downstream did not listen to the dissuasion at all, so two waves of hundreds of people started fighting on the river. Since the number of people in Guangyuan Village was small, they quickly fell into a disadvantage in the fight.
At this time, dozens of Zhang family members rushed down the river embankment and were digging the river embankment. Seeing that the situation was not good, Shen Er quickly sent people back to the village to call for help. The person who returned to the village to report the news was my third uncle. Li Jingfu, as soon as he returned to the village of Sancun, he shouted: The Zhang family led people to forcefully dig the river and beat us to get people. The old and young men in the village rushed to the river embankment to help. If they were late, it would be too late.
As soon as the neighbors heard this, they got up and rushed towards the river embankment. When the third uncle ran home, his head was still bleeding. As soon as he entered the yard, he shouted at the top of his lungs: Second brother - Second brother
The second uncle heard this and walked out of the house quickly. He saw that the third uncle's head was still dripping with blood: What's wrong with the third uncle? Who hit you?
Third Uncle: My second brother quickly took Li Lin and Li Song to help on the river embankment. The Zhang family wanted to dig out the river channel. The village chief led everyone to fight with them. There were too many people. The village chief asked me to come back. call someone
So the four uncles and nephews ran to the river embankment together. At this time, the scene on the river embankment was extremely chaotic. At first glance, it was clear who was who. The long and narrow river embankment was crowded with people. After watching for a while, I found the village chief in the crowd. He was lying on the ground covering his head with his hands. There were several villagers around him supporting him. Only then did the second uncle see clearly that the people of Guangyuan Village were here. Don't you want the people brought by the Zhang family to surround you?
The second uncle waved his hand: What are you still doing?
On the periphery of the crowd, there was a man with a square scarf on his head, a blue coat and a fan in his hand. He was jumping high and shouting: "Hit me hard, let the people of Guangyuan Village People have long memories, this is the consequences of offending our Zhang family
As soon as she finished speaking, Li Lin rushed towards Zhang Wenxuan. When Zhang Wenxuan noticed someone behind him, he turned around and was punched by Li Lin and fell to the ground.
Zhang Wenxuan fell to the ground and covered his face with his hands: You-you dare to hit me, you are really not afraid of death.
Li Lin grabbed Zhang Wenxuan's collar and raised her fist to hit her down. When the village chief Shen Er saw this, he shouted: Li Lin, stop it!
