Chapter 604 The people are in dire straits
February 1881, Orange Free State.
On the streets of Bloemfontein, soldiers of the Nationalist Army began to visit businesses and residential buildings in groups.
“Bang, bang, bang…”
The door of Greene’s shoe repair shop was knocked loudly, and the small wooden door was crumbling, as if it would explode in the next moment, but it was No one answered me, and the uninformed people thought the store would not be open today.
"Master, can we open the door?" the apprentice of the owner Grian in the shoe repair shop asked cautiously.
“What the hell, these people are desperate for money. They come here to charge every now and then. What good can they do by visiting? This business is getting harder and harder!” Green cursed angrily in a low voice. road.
"Master, if you want to pretend someone is not here, I don't think it's that easy. Judging from the virtues of these mad dogs outside the door, I dare say they won't give up easily. As the saying goes, you can't escape the first grade of junior high school, but you can't. Fifteen, they can’t get the money this morning, and they will definitely come again in the afternoon. If they can’t do it today, they will continue tomorrow until they get the money.”
“Well, what can we do? You guys don't eat bones. We in Orange are really unlucky for eight lifetimes. When we took in these white-eyed wolves, these stinky beggars really thought of themselves as the owners of Orange. If we hadn't taken them in, they would have starved to death. , this is also the case in East Africa. Why didn't you kill all these wolf-hearted things? Bah!" Green said everything he said in his heart.
The apprentice said in a panic: "Master, be careful, they are all outside now!"
"What are you afraid of? Don't you know how to tell the truth?"
"Master, now you are embarrassing me, I am also a victim! They are not just asking for money, this Bloemfontein does not If people can escape this disaster, I hate them so much!" The apprentice quickly expressed his loyalty.
The Transvaal Restoration Army treats everyone equally when it comes to being a non-human being, so Green's apprentices have no good impression of the Transvaal Restoration Army.
"Huh, these bastards, why don't you see them asking for money from those British guys? Who doesn't know that the British make a lot of money selling diamonds, and they bully the weak and fear the strong!" Green said.
At this time, the Nationalist Army outside the door lost their patience and shouted threats into the room: "Grian, we know you are at home. If you don't open the door again, we will break in. When the time comes, you We won’t compensate you for this small wooden door!”
In order to keep his store open and prevent additional losses, Green had no choice but to open the door.
“Boss Green, I thought you were dead inside!” Seeing Green opening the door, the soldier of the Republic of China said arrogantly. After several months of dealing with each other, they are all old men. We are acquainted with each other, so we are not polite when speaking.
"Sirs, what are you doing?"
"Huh, why did you pretend not to be here when I knocked on the door just now? Are you afraid that we will eat you?"
Isn't that the case? What? Green thought so in his heart, but he didn't dare to say it, especially in the face of such bandit soldiers.
"Sirs, this is an injustice to me. I am a small shoe repair shop, and I usually don't have many customers. This year's business is especially bad, so I have decided to close the shop, so now I have less time to open my business!" Lean excused himself.
"Huh, who cares about your business? We are here to collect the bill today. Just like yesterday, we will leave with seven pennies!"
"Didn't we just collect the bill yesterday? "Why are you doing it again today?" "Don't talk nonsense. This is what the government wants. We are just following the government's requirements. Yesterday was the security maintenance fee, and today we are collecting the war protection fee. Both There is a fundamental difference.
This security maintenance fee is used to ensure that your business in Bloemfontein is not disturbed, and our Nationalist Army can also help you clean up the streets. The war protection money is used to prevent the Germans from going south to invade the Orange Free State. The two purposes are completely different.”
Protective ass, although I don’t know what East Africa is like, but under the rule of these British lackeys, life is really difficult.
As a hostile force, the British naturally carried out demonizing propaganda against East Africa, and the early effect was very significant. Because of the cooperation of the Transvaal people, a group of subjugated slaves, it was natural that the British slandered East Africa. To further add fuel to the fire, now there is certification, so at first the Orange people had a bad taste in East African senses.
But lies are always exposed, especially after staying with the British and Transvaal people for a long time, the Orange people discovered that much of the propaganda about East Africa was false.
This is also very easy. Some Orangemen also went to the coast of East Africa to do business. When these overseas businessmen came back, they could naturally share what they saw and heard with everyone. At least the coastal areas of East Africa were left to them. I am deeply impressed that it is safe and orderly, prices are low, and it is suitable for living.
"Sir, please do your best. Is my business really unprofitable? Last month, the busiest month of business, I made 70% less than in previous years. If nothing happens this month, I may lose all my money. Return!”
"Huh, that just means that you are not doing well in business. What does it have to do with us? If you want to complain, blame your parents for not giving you a good brain. If you don't have a good brain in business, you will definitely lose money."
Listen to the restoration of the country If the soldiers were not human beings, Green had no choice but to continue to compromise and said: "Hey, sirs, see if you can extend it for a few days. I will make up the money when the time comes!"
"This is not okay, This is a task assigned by the higher-ups. If you give me a few days of grace, who will give us grace?"
Grian: "But you just collected the money yesterday. You shouldn't be short of money recently."
< br>"Yesterday is yesterday, today Today, who doesn’t know that the army is a big spender, and we are taking risks for your safety. We join the army and work hard on the front line. It is natural for you to contribute money. This is a different division of labor.”
But pull it down! Green complained to himself, "Who doesn't know that you are just a group of hooligans in military uniforms. You were all street gangsters in the past, or you were refugees from the Transvaal."
"But even if you are burning money, you can't catch us bare sheep! The British businessmen are really rich. They are doing big business. If you are short of money, you will be worse than the British. Well, they are doing business in Orange, and your army happens to be their 'protector'," Green said in a sinister tone.
"Hey, what are you talking about? If you say it to me again in the same tone as before, believe it or not, I will kill you with one shot?"
"Sir, don't be angry, I'm just going to shoot you. What a joke!" Green said with a quick smile.
"Huh, even if old man Jesus comes, you can't even think of escaping today's disaster. Just what you just said, don't even think about it without three pence, and can the British master be the same as you? Do you think they didn't support the army? Is this a gun? Lee Enfield, the serious British active-duty troops are equipped with rifles. I really think it is pie in the sky. It is not supported by the British gentlemen. We are just asking you to collect some money, but they provide the equipment. Ah!”
Green was very angry. Who didn't know that you and the British were colluding with each other, but as a small businessman, Green could only choose to swallow his anger.
There are countless people like Green who have been extorted, but everyone is a small business and dare not express dissatisfaction. However, as time goes by, the resentment in their hearts is growing day by day.
(End of this chapter)