The fox minister in the late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 16 Knocking the Mountain Drum

Chapter 16 Beating the Mountain Drum ([-])
Boom!Boom!Boom!
The sun rises above the clouds, and the birds flap their wings and fly out of the acres of fields.The dilapidated leather drums were pulled out from the village's hometown and set up in the village to dry the dam. The hammer heads wrapped in red scarves fell rhythmically and continuously, and the dust particles of the shock filled the air.

The seeds were planted in March, and the birds and animals were chased away in April. Every household in Gengjia Village heard the high-pitched yelling and went out, like eating a banquet in the village, all gathered together, shouting after the man on the stone mill around the big drum.

There was a lot of people's voices, and the flocks of birds in the surrounding forests and fields were circling in the sky, not daring to fall down. The wild boars poking around at the edge of the forest spread their hooves and turned around and ran back to the mountains in panic.

The few villagers who ran on the field ridge, no matter whether they saw the beast being scared away or not, had to go back to the village entrance to report the good news loudly to everyone. Some who liked to joke made up a series of nonsense that made people laugh and cry. No wild boars who came down the mountain came. He ran into the mountains dangling a row of big tits and farting, causing some daughters-in-law, big and small, to yell at him.

Throughout the whole year, only the New Year's Day can be so lively. Most of the villagers can't leave after the mountain drum is played. They collect a lot of incense candles from house to house, and they have to pay respect to the ancestors in the village. One family after another, they come forward and kowtow , bless the family home safe, this year can have a good harvest.

Wang Jinqiu looked at the people going up from house to house, looked around worriedly, and looked at the road outside from time to time, his eyes were red.

"Dazhu didn't come back at this time, where did he go?!"

The old man Geng stood aside, pursed his mouth and did not speak. He lay down for two nights, his head was still dizzy, but Geng Qing didn't come back. How can a family be successful without a man?He braced himself to get down to the ground, his legs were trembling, and he had to catch up with the mountain drum.When Omura's father saw him like this, he told his wife, hurried over, and scolded him angrily.

"What are you doing here? If you're sick, don't let your sister-in-law kowtow. What are you doing?!"

"Respect the ancestors, how can the man in the family not show up?!"

The old man Geng clenched his stick tightly and walked two steps with it. His expression was calm, but his beards were all furious. His voice was not loud, and most people around could hear him. After searching it all over, even if it was taken away by a wild animal, you can always find some bloodstains, rags and shoes, right?However, those who are good at hunting in the village have searched the two mountains without seeing a trace.

"... Dazhu also grew up in the mountains, so he doesn't know the way."

"Didn't you get fascinated by ghosts last time? You must have opened your mind. I think the female ghost possessed must have been hooked to the gate of hell. Otherwise, how could it be so silent, no one is seen when alive, no corpse is seen when dead?"

"What if, Dazhu went to the city?"

"Why did he go to the city? His parents are all there, and the family didn't short him for food and clothing. There is no reason to go to the city and be looked down upon by others."

The people who had finished bowing and kowtow gathered together, looking at Wang Jinqiu who was secretly wiping away tears, talking in twos and threes, buzzing and noisy, there was any suspicion for a while, the village elder who presided over the beating of the mountain drum even scolded , I can't stop winking.The old man Geng pursed his lips tightly, and leaned heavily on the ground with the stick in his hand, Wang Jinqiu's voice choked up.

"I only hope that the pillars will be safe and sound"

"Aunt Jinqiu, I'm at your house!" Someone shouted over there, and Wang Jinqiu hurriedly wiped away his tears, helped her husband walk over slowly, and the old couple folded their hands and bowed slowly towards the whole village, before they had time Kneeling down, someone suddenly shouted: "Everyone, look outside, a group of people are coming!"

There was a commotion all around, and the gathered villagers squeezed past. The old man Geng and his wife also followed and looked back at the dirt road outside the village. People, armed with sticks and knives, surrounded a bullock cart, and came here with a murderous look.

"It's Liu Mang!"

"Okay, I picked this time to come here, obviously because I don't want to make my Gengjia Village feel better!"

A group of men, big and small, in the village suddenly became furious. Bringing someone here at this time is as unlucky as giving money papers to others at a wedding. They rushed home to take poles, hoes, and hatchets, and gathered at the entrance of the village, "Everyone looks fierce. , don't let the other party think that we are afraid!"

There were men yelling in the crowd, and a group of villagers huddled together holding poles and hoes and shouting, staring at the bullock cart that stopped at the entrance of the village, as well as the Liu family's gang of vicious thugs and courtyard guards.

On the bullock carts crowded in the nursing home, Liu Mang watched a group of villagers jammed there with farm tools, grinned and let out a short 'chi' laugh, glanced at the sky, and waved his hand over there , propped to the edge of the bucket.

"For things like knocking on the mountain drum, I should also come over to offer incense sticks and bow. You don't need to greet each other like this, and everyone doesn't need to make such expressions. It's not a problem for me to inspect my Liu's field. I'm looking at you. But it's also good, since everyone is gathered together, there is no need to wait for the village elders to go door to door to find them."

The voice was not loud, but there was a loud nurse next to him, relaying the words, all the villagers of the Gengjia Village gathered at the entrance of the village were silent, you look at me, I look at you, I don't understand what this Liu Mang said for a while Meaning, there is a strong temper, leaning on a hoe, and spitting towards the opposite side.

"Bah, you're just delusional." Turning around, the man shouted towards the village, "Everyone, don't listen to his nonsense, as long as they dare to step over, we will fight."

"Yes, we fought!"

The crowd was furious, waving farm tools and yelling at Liu Mang to get out of Gengjia Village, "If you don't leave, I'll beat you to death with a stick!"

"You unscrupulous person, worshiping the ancestors today, I'm not afraid that the ancestors of Gengjia Village will come to find you in the middle of the night!"

However, Mr. Liu on the bullock cart over there had a smile on his face, and he was not annoyed, and the villagers still yelled. Finally, after the yelling gradually died down, he stroked the little beard on his lips, slowly raised his hand and pressed according to.

"Have you scolded enough? Listen to me first. What I said just now is not without reason. The thing is that there is a young man named Geng Qing from your village, right? He came to my yard yesterday, looking pitiful. He said that the father of the family was beaten with a stick and needed medicine. He was too weak to plant the thin field at home, so he wanted to sell it to me. At first I was reluctant, and I thought of him as a filial piety, so I gave him dozens of coins. Get medicine for him, but this young man is stubborn, he doesn’t want to take money for nothing, I’m soft-hearted, so I agreed to sell the fields. He also said that he can sell the fields together on behalf of Geng’s Village, no, let’s take a look.”

Liu Mang took out two sheets of paper from his arms, a crumpled land deed, and a deed written in black and white, "Have you seen it? It doesn't matter if you don't see it. Let the old people in the village come over. It’s okay to see clearly.”

The words spread to the entrance of the village and echoed in the crowd. The men and women in the village, big and small, were completely dumbfounded, and the agricultural tools they held were also dropped a little one by one. They naturally knew the "Geng Qing" in the other party's mouth. The young man recovered from his illness not long ago. , I changed my name to myself.

Some of the old people in the village knew a few words. They came out of the crowd and looked at the deed in Rich Man Liu's hand. When they turned around, they were trembling and almost fell over. Wang Jinqiu turned pale, and sat down on the ground, staring blankly at the crumpled land deed in Liu Mang's hand, which was still given to her son.

'sorry guys'

The old man Geng leaned on the wooden stick tremblingly, turned around, looked at the villagers with extremely ugly faces, and lowered his head: "I'm sorry for everyone. The pillar is sorry for you."

Liu Mang saw how the people were feeling over there, and he was a little bit puzzled, but right now, he was satisfied with the state of these people's distraught, and raised the two pages in his hand, "Unexpectedly, the one in your village Geng Qing, I didn’t share the 60 taels with you. It’s really heartless to steal the money by yourself. I’m not worth it for you, but I’ve already paid for the land. You can’t let me suffer losses, right? But there is also Lizheng's guarantee."

At Niujiaji, three miles away from Gengjia Village, who were screaming and crying, the Wang Lizheng he mentioned was lying on a chair with his legs on a low stool, enjoying the dessert his mother-in-law bought him. The man touched the two silver ingots and kissed them.

"This silver is always better than strings of copper coins. I can't get enough of it. From now on, you should be able to bring back one ingot every day. Even if you go outside to raise children, my mother will turn a blind eye."

Li Zheng, who was lying on the back of the chair, was stunned for a moment, then laughed.

"What do you say, I wouldn't do that. However, when Mr. Liu takes over the fields from Geng's Village, there will always be oil and water to pick up when he is happy."

Bang!
The plugged door suddenly opened inward, and the couple who were talking in the room stood up in fright. Two servants in yamen costumes stood on both sides of the door, holding their waists with knives, looking at the silver in the woman's hand, The corners of his mouth curled up.

"Hey, this is bribery. I don't know, can we brothers get a share?"

There were two other people outside the door. An Jingsi glanced at the indifferent Geng Qing, leaned on a long spear and waved his hand violently into the room: "Wang Lizheng, come with me."

The dessert slipped into his hand, and the thin man inside had lost his previous air long ago, his legs softened, and he sat on the ground with a bang.

(End of this chapter)

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