Landlord of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 191 The Disaster Victims Arrive Here
Sure enough, as soon as the "inspection team" left, the victims came back.With his family and mouth, he was pale and nervous.In ancient times, most peasants had never been out of the county in their whole lives. Naturally, they were a little afraid of life when they crossed the Yellow River and came to Hebei.

The General Administration of Jinan Road also sent a letter, which said: "As long as the prefectures and counties that receive the disaster victims, please join the disaster-stricken counties for exemption of money, food and taxes. There are three requirements. One is not to kill people, the other is not to riot, and the third is not to let Disaster victims leave the country. As long as these three points can be achieved, feel free to do so, and all consequences will be borne by the higher authorities.”

Thousands of victims, whose homes were destroyed by the windstorm, are penniless. Many people are even naked, shivering in the cold wind and rain.

What is even colder is their mood. Before the seawall was repaired and the sea water receded, they were already homeless and could only be driven away by the government, boarded a ship under the supervision of officers and soldiers, and were transported to various places for resettlement.The victims were sent to Nanpi first, and after Zhao Lu took some of them, the rest were driven to Cang County.

The rough treatment of the officers and soldiers along the way, except for a meal of "relief food" when they went out of Shandong, has not given food until now, and it is all up to the victims to eat some wild vegetables and beans.Let them be hungry, full of desolation, full of fear and resentment about the imminent refugee life...

"Why don't the people in the city leave, let us country people leave their homes!"

On the road, there are such angry complaints everywhere.

"There is not enough food to eat, and we don't want us country bumpkins to fill up the city, making it inconvenient for those officials and family members." An old man sneered and said, "Of course we will be sent outside, where we can pick up, we will be sent wherever we can, just send it out." Shandong, it’s none of their business.”

"Where are the states and counties willing to accept the victims? They eat their land for nothing, and they are not the ones affected by the disaster." The victims said worriedly.

"We are just annoying burdens." The old man said angrily, "How can there be a government that likes disaster victims?"

"So, we will definitely not be welcomed." The mood of the victims became more and more depressed: "Maybe we won't be able to go back this time..."

"Maybe I will have to do hard labor for nothing!" Someone guessed.

"It would be nice to have a mouthful of porridge to eat, and a grassy hut to cover the rain." An old man said quietly: "I'm afraid that the porridge served will be so thin that there are not a few grains of rice, and people will starve to death. We old people will die if we die." Dead, but those children will suffer..." Let him say this, the elderly man's face is serious: "The worst thing in the world is to run away from famine, alas..."

"Blessed are those who are sent out in Nanpi. Don't hurry like this. You can eat porridge now."

The pessimism grew stronger, and many victims were frightened and hungry, sobbing.

"What are you mourning for?" The officers and soldiers delivering the victims held whips and yelled loudly, "Cangzhou City is right in front of us, get out of here!"

The victims couldn't help looking ahead, and saw many banners on the road ahead, with eight large red characters written on them.Literate people among the victims read aloud:
"Sharing weal and woe, helping neighbors in disaster relief!"

The so-called "good words and three winters are warm" means just that, even if it is just a show, it makes the victims feel much more comfortable.

After approaching, the victims suddenly smelled the aroma of rice, and then looked up to the front, and a cloud of white gas rose into the air—it was the unique steam when the rice was cooked!

"Gudu!" More than 3 victims immediately swallowed their mouths.However, another group of about 3000 mighty soldiers from Wuzhou came out and stood in the middle of the disaster victims and the buried pot for cooking. The victims could only look at the food and sigh.

An official in green shirt and the person escorting the victims drew a sign and stepped forward: "Dear villagers, everyone has worked hard on the road..."

Someone said: This is the county magistrate!
So they knelt down all at once, kowtowed and said, "Master County..."

"Everyone, please get up quickly." Qin Shi supported an old man and said, "This county has been killed."

"I beg you to be merciful," the white-haired old man insisted on kowtowing to him:
"Give us a way out!"

"I beg you to be merciful, sir, please give me a way to survive..." The victims of the disaster echoed in one voice, regardless of gender, old or young, and kowtowed vigorously.Qin Shi's eye sockets were wet. Feeling the heavy responsibility on his shoulders, he helped up several village elders with his own hands.

"All folks, get up quickly, and listen to me." When he reached the highest point of the building boat, he pointed to the eight characters on the shore and said:
"Have you seen those words?"

The victims nodded.

"Do you know what it means?"

The victims nodded again.

"Share weal and woe, provide disaster relief and sympathize with neighbors!" Qin Shi said loudly, "This is Cangzhou's promise to you!"

Hearing the promise of the county magistrate in front of him, the cold and desolate hearts of the victims suddenly became warmer, and they shouted 'blue sky' and 'Bodhisattva' incessantly.

Qin Shi waved his hand, and the victims calmed down, and he continued: "Please remember, you came to Cangzhou not to escape, but to live. The moment you set foot on Cangzhou, you will no longer be disaster victims. , but like the people in Cangzhou, people who have houses to live in, food to eat, and government protection!"

These words were told by Xu Qingjiao to Qin Shi.

"For this reason, a dry meal and pickles have been prepared behind me. Everyone eat hard and eat with an open stomach! After eating, everyone go to collect three-day rations."

"Oh!" Everyone cheered and rushed to the front, but with the state soldiers guarding the side with guns, no one dared to mess around.Even so, after getting a bowl of rice, no one was reserved anymore, no matter whether it was hot or not, they stuffed it into their mouths vigorously.

The victims were in a good mood after eating, and they all gathered next to Qin Shi to thank him.

"Let's go get rations, eight taels a day, five taels for children, three days."

"Master County, I have a question..."

"Please tell me..."

"This typhoon, I won't be able to go back for a while, so, what should I do if I have eaten the rations for these three days?"

"That's right," the victims stopped after hearing this.

"According to the regulations, it is a relief loan, which will not be repaid until the day you harvest the grain. I will lend you the grain first, and then repay it after your autumn harvest." Qin Shidao: "But you will have to go back to your hometown in as short as three or two months, and as long as half a year. , so ordinary relief is not feasible. Our state suffers, and you can't make a profit." Qin Shi paused, and said: "So use work as relief."

"Relief with work?" The victims looked at each other, and someone asked, "So we still have to work?"

"Don't you sweat and eat your own food when you are in the village?" Qin Shi said lightly.

Since they escaped famine, there were no rich people among the victims, because those with a little money went to the city to hide from the disaster, so the victims present were all ordinary people sweating and eating, so they were naturally speechless.

"The government treats you as its own people, so you naturally have to be like the people in Cangzhou. You have to work for food, clothing, housing and transportation..." Qin Shi said in a deep voice: "Before, there were taxes, so you can support your family by working differently. Subsistence? Now that the imperial court has exempted you from your money, rations and servants, it's not a problem!"

Someone boldly asked: "I don't know how much the wages are? We can't do the work and go home with a butt of debt."

"Those who are skilled can be carpenters and blacksmiths, and their wages are calculated according to the amount. A knife and a cabinet are considered a certain wage, which is still to be negotiated. Others without skills and strength, two liters of working rice a day, and the rations are not counted. Among them, those who have no strength have to work, so they have rations, and they can also get a working rice according to the amount of work.”

"That is to earn two liters of rice a day?" The victims became excited, two liters a day, which is comparable to growing a season of grain.

"Yes," Qin Shi nodded.

At this time, Xu Qing, who was hiding in the crowd and observing, was worried, and the critical time had come.This is a game between Qin Shi and the victims. If he wins, the victims will be able to subdue and build roads.

There is no one who does not bow his head under the eaves.What's more, what Qin Shi said was the truth, and what he brought out was real food. Why did you rely on labor for food when you were in your hometown, but you want to sit on nothing when you come to Cangzhou?Are you fleeing or coming on vacation?

At this time, the victims also noticed that the surrounding situation had changed, and the thousands of state soldiers had quietly surrounded them.

Since it was unreasonable and it was on the chopping block again, the victims of the disaster also obeyed and promised to provide relief with work.Xu Qing breathed a sigh of relief and waved his hand. A group of people from the Commercial and Taxation Department ran in and began to arrange places and "signatures" for the victims.

The besieged victims need ten families to guarantee each other, and if one family commits a crime, the others will sit together, otherwise they will not be able to go out.Only in this way can Xu Qing dare to let these 3 people move to Cangzhou.A group of officers, they recorded in detail each household's place of origin, lijia, household, etc., each person's name, age, population, health status...and then asked them to sign a mutual insurance.

After registering and signing, the victims were led to the next fence. First, they were given rice for three days. Then, there was another fence, and the officials asked the victims what kind of house they wanted to live in.

The victims were stunned, what grades are there?
"Three grades, high-grade single-family house, [-] per month; middle-class two-one house, [-] per month..." the secretary said.

"What, do you need money for accommodation?" The victims asked with wide-eyed eyes.

"When will the accommodation be free?" The book office's eyes widened: "The house you live in, but the people of Cangzhou have tried their best to make it vacant, so how could it be possible to live for nothing!"

"Ahem." A young official coughed twice: "It's okay if you don't have money..." Before the victims had time to be happy, they heard him say: "Remember the account first, and you can exchange it with working hours, but there is no such thing as this." wages."

"Scary," the victims said unhappily, "Why do you need money for everything? I've never heard that they charge money for relocating victims."

"In other places, huts are built, and Benzhou also built huts by the river." The scribe was Han Zibang, and he said with a blank expression, "You don't want to live, you can sleep in the open, and it doesn't cost money." Although reluctant, but at this point, not to mention that the rent is really cheap, and you can still owe it first, so everyone chose a house.

So the ten households received a card, and the stewards pointed to an old man, and said to the ten households: "This man is the village head of Daoliangji, you go with him, he will do the work, distribute the grain, and stay in the house." Tube."

(End of this chapter)