BXBX NOVEL Chapter 294 - 294: Cutting Meat
After Wang Zheng left, Pei Da entered the room and kept the banknotes. He went out to buy some wine and meat and carried them to the prison of the government office. After calling the jailers to eat and drink, he took out the banknotes and distributed them to the few people on duty. Everyone tacitly put the banknotes in their pockets.
After Old Madam Wang came out of the Four Seas Bank, Chu Feng went to the government office and chatted with Zhou Jia for a while before leaving.
Twelve of the men Liu Yi sent to the farm were between the ages of 40 and 50. Eight of the women had an average age of about 50. There were more than 20 children between the ages of 4 to 10. There were 16 boys and 7 girls. Ji Xiang divided them into two groups. The women lived in the rooms in the outer courtyard, and the men lived in the long-term workshops in the drying field.
Mr. Wen even helped take the pulses of those people and check for infectious diseases. He realized that they were all malnourished to varying degrees and had insufficient qi and blood. The older ones all had rheumatism and bone pain.
Mr. Wen said to Ji Xiang, “I’ll go back and make some medicine. Tomorrow, get the people buying groceries to buy some soybeans and stew them with big bones for those children to eat. These two are the most nourishing.”
Ji Xiang smiled and said, “Thank you, Old Master.”
Mr. Wen said happily, “Why are you thanking me? I’m happy that your Master and Madam are willing to help these poor people.”
Before these people signed the contract, Zhao Cai explained the rules to them. The people who stayed in the manor were not allowed to gamble, fight, or bully the weak. These people were all honest people who had been bullied previously. Seeing that the windows on the manor were clear, they thought to themselves that as long as they did not slack off, they would not worry about not having food to eat or being bullied. They all happily signed the contract.
After signing the contract, everyone was given a number plate. Ji Xiang and Old Madam Yun led them to the bathroom and said to them, “There’s a bathroom inside. Everyone, take turns going in to wash up. Madam has already instructed us to buy cloth to make clothes for you. Everyone, enter the house according to your numbers and find your beds.”
Everyone replied in unison, “Got it, Manager Ji Xiang.”
After the forty or so people washed up and went to the dormitory, their eyes turned red when they saw the clean bed and cabinet table in front of them.
At this moment, they heard Old Madam Yun and Aunt Zhang shouting outside,
“It’s time to eat.”
Only then did everyone feel their stomachs growl. They swarmed into the dining room. Aunt Zhang and Old Madam Yun pointed at the thick porridge in the wooden bucket and the steamed buns in the steamer. “Everyone, come one by one. Don’t snatch them. Everyone has them.”
The group consciously lined up and soon ate the thick white rice porridge, mixed grain buns, and two side dishes that were prepared. Everyone slowly drank the thick porridge and bit into the soft mixed-grain buns. They ate the vegetables stir-fried with oil and cold shredded radish and thought to themselves how good it was to eat like this every day!
Ji Xiang watched the children hide the steamed buns and did not scold them. He only smiled and said, “Don’t hoard the steamed buns! Tomorrow morning, everyone will wake up at midnight. After washing up, four people will come to help Granny Yun and Aunt Zhang boil the fire and wash the vegetables. We’ll eat at dawn and work in the fields after eating. Madam will probably come to the farm at nine o’clock. Do you understand?”
“I understand.” Hearing that there would be food in the morning, those who had hidden the steamed buns took them out and ate them. Some people still hid them skeptically.
When Zhou Jia returned to the back office, he saw that Li Yu had set a few rules in the study. After asking, he found out that they were the village rules. Zhou Jia saw that it said: One, you have to be united and love each other. You are not allowed to fight.
After Li Yu finished writing, she smiled and said to Zhou Jia, “Don’t be idle!
Help me transcribe it. I can only show you my handwriting.”
Zhou Jia bowed and smiled. ‘Madam has instructed me. I will definitely do as you say.”
During the night break, Zhou Jia told Li Yu about the fact that Wang Chun and Liu Moyan had already signed the confession and that Chu Feng had come to look for him. He said to Li Yu, “Yu’er, Old Master Wang said that Wang Chun is innocent and that I tortured him. If nothing goes wrong, Wang Chun will retract his confession tomorrow and Liu Moyan will take responsibility for all the sins.”
Li Yu looked at him and said, “Then what do you plan to do?”
Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu in shame. “Chu Feng came to look for me to ask us not to force the Wang family into a corner. After all, the Wang family has occupied Yunzhou City for a hundred years and has long been prosperous. Look, after I interrogated Wang Chun, someone immediately informed Wang Qinghai. We can’t guard against them.”
Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and smiled faintly. “The world belongs to His Majesty. If he says so, let him go! As for Wang Chun! There will be other ways to deal with him, but before that, we have to cut off some meat.”
Zhou Jia pounced on Li Yu and said in her ear, “Aren’t you afraid that the higher-ups will catch us?”
Li Yu bit his ear and said, “We won’t take a single cent. After receiving it, write a note and send it up. Hand most of the things his family gave us to the person above. Use the rest to repair West City. The Wang family’s money was also plundered from others. We’re taking it for civilian use.”
Zhou Jia kissed Li Yu from the corner of her eye and smiled. “Alright, I’ll listen to you. I’ll do it tomorrow.”
The next day, the sky was clear. Zhou Jia went to the government office in high spirits. Not long after he sat down, a jailer came to report that Wang Chun had Deen wrongea In prison. LIU moyan lerc a conresslon letter ana wantea to nang himself, but he was saved.
Wang Qinghai hurriedly found Zhou Jia’s room and said to him, “Sir, my uncle is innocent. Please let him off.”
After Zhou Jia smiled and showed him Wang Chun’s confession, he said with a smile, “Lord Wang, although Liu Moyan took all the blame, what did Wang Chun say about the Five Stones Powder? The late emperor and His Majesty repeatedly ordered us not to consume the Five Stones Powder. What crime do you think one should be sentenced to for disobeying the late emperor and His Majesty’s holy orders?”
Wang Qinghai looked at Zhou Jia. “Sir, what do you mean?” Zhou Jia smiled and looked at Wang Qinghai without saying anything.
Wang Qinghai returned to the Wang family after coming out of the detention room. He told Old Master Wang what Zhou Jia meant. Old Master Wang smiled mockingly and said, “I told you. Everyone wants to be an official for money. Everyone loves white silver! Isn’t it just silver? Give it to him. Go and tell him that I’ll treat him to wine in the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant.”
Li Yu brought Auntie Xue and the siblings to the farmstead. The fields had already been tidied up. Ruyi brought people to spread the rice seeds. After walking to the field and checking on the seeds, she asked Ji Xiang to gather
everyone.
Li Yu said to them, “In the future, the farm will be your home. Your food and accommodation will be included in the farm. Adults will receive 200 copper coins a month. When you’re sick, we will hire a doctor for you. When you’re old and can’t do anything anymore, we’ll support you in your old age. Also, I’ll get Manager Ji Xiang to teach you the farm rules. Everyone, remember, those who cheat and gamble will be chased out of the farm as soon as they’re discovered or reported more than three times. For the younger ones, the farm will hire someone to teach you how to cook. We will also hire a teacher to teach you how to read. When you’re old, I’ll let you out to find your own way. Do you understand?”
When everyone heard this, they were so excited that they felt like they were in a dream. They only knew to reply in unison, “I understand..”