Chapter 558 The refugees are coming
On the outskirts of Hezhong County, despite Li Mingde's care, the famine situation in Shanyazigou is much better than that of other small villages.
However, as the number of refugees continued to increase, they also discovered Shanyazigou.
The village leader organized villagers to guard the village entrance day and night, temporarily frightening the refugees who wanted to rush in.
Then the eyes of those refugees were like wolves in the mountains, making the people in the village sleepless day and night.
Widow Deng and the old woman next door lived together tacitly.
Patrols can only stop large-scale refugees, but cannot prevent the occasional one or two who want to sneak in and take risks.
Like theirs, families without men are extremely easy targets for thieves.
In such difficult times, it is natural to hold together for warmth.
The old woman helped take care of Widow Deng's son, while Widow Deng went to the village to inquire about news.
"Keep your voice down, your son is asleep."
Widow Deng gently closed the door. She didn't even bother to light the oil lamp. She spoke softly to the old lady about the current situation in the bright moonlight.
"Li Langjun is still in Hezhong Mansion and has not come back. It is said that he is giving porridge in the state capital. Muramasa just said that people in the village are not allowed to go out. This morning a group of thieves came from outside."
Widow Deng’s brows were furrowed tightly, and she couldn’t hide the worry on her face: “Those people said it was the Red Lotus Sect, which believed in the Red Lotus Empress and would hold sacrificial activities every time the moon rose.”
The old woman has lived to this age and gone through many things. When Widow Deng said this, alarm bells rang in her heart.
"Instead of praying to God and worshiping Buddha, it is better to believe in yourself. Every time there is a disaster, some ghosts and ghosts will appear. You must not fall into the trap!"
"I know that." Widow Deng was silent for a moment, and her voice became even lower, "Actually, I just sneaked out of the village."
The old woman was horrified and slapped Widow Deng hard on the head: "If you don't want to live anymore, just take your son and die together!"
Widow Deng was trembling slightly: "When I saw them, I used children and women as tributes. Then I set up a big pot..."
"Stop talking!" The old woman covered Widow Deng's mouth tightly, and Widow Deng was shaking like chaff.
The old woman took Widow Deng into her arms, like coaxing a child to sleep, and coaxed her while patting her: "We are with the villagers, they don't dare to rush in at will. When Li Lang frees his hands, our village will be safe." ”
"Old aunt, if I die, please take care of my son, he is so young. His fate was not good, he threw himself into my belly and never enjoyed a day of happiness..."
Tears welled up in the old woman's cloudy eyes: "Don't talk nonsense! You and I are both people with great luck. How could it be possible at that time? There are noble people like Tianyi?! If it doesn't work, let's go to Shuozhou. There is always a way to survive in Yunzhou.”
That night, neither of them dared to close their eyes and sleep.
As soon as it dawned, the gongs and drums at the entrance of the village started ringing.
The harsh sound of gongs and drums broke the tranquility of the mountains.
The strong men in the village rushed out with hoes, while the old and weak women and children like Widow Deng and the old woman gathered in a group and watched quietly from a place far from the entrance of the village.
"We are the Red Lotus Sect! Everyone in the world is suffering, and the Tao leads to heaven. Believe in the Red Lotus Sect, cultivate this life, and live in the next life! Don't make any unnecessary resistance."
A man with a fleshy face shouted loudly with his hands on his waist, but he looked at the villagers as if he were looking at walking meat.
Muramasa didn't say much to them, and directly ordered the villagers to prepare for a fight.
The situation is extremely urgent and about to break out.
Widow Deng put her son into the old woman's arms, then picked up the only sickle in the house and stood in front of the old woman.
"Old aunt, when the fight breaks out later, you take your children and run into the mountains. There are jackals in the mountains. You may not survive if you go into the mountains. But if you stay at the bottom of the mountains, you will definitely not survive!"
Widow Deng's eyes were fierce. She would fight for her son! Both sides kept trying to get closer, and no one said a harsh word.
The air seemed stagnant.
Everyone's palms are sweating, this is a life and death duel!
At the moment when they were about to take action, there was a sudden commotion in the Red Lotus Sect.
A skinny monkey-like man leaned into the ear of a fat monk from the Red Lotus Sect and muttered a few words.
I saw the fat monk bumping a cloth bag and retreating with all the believers.
A trace of suspicion flashed in the villagers' eyes, but they still did not dare to let down their guard.
The refugees outside the village saw that the people from the Red Lotus were preparing to leave, and their eyes turned back and forth between the Red Lotus and the heavily defended village several times.
Xu knew that they could not capture the village on their own, so the refugees followed the Red Lotus Sect slowly and left with unwilling expressions.
Muramasa waited for a long time, until he could no longer see the group of people, and then sent one or two agile young people to check whether the refugees had really left, or whether they were ambushing them around.
The villagers stood at the entrance of the village, craning their necks and looking around.
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It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky that two young villagers ran back panting, with unparalleled excitement on their faces.
Before entering the village, they shouted loudly: "Let's go, the refugees are all gone!"
"Great, we are safe!" The village erupted with cheers for the survivors.
Widow Deng's sickle fell to the ground and she sat down on the ground as if she had lost all strength. Her face was covered with tears and snot.
Muramasa suppressed his inner excitement and asked tremblingly: "Do you know why they left?"
One of the young people immediately said: "I heard they are going to Shuozhou!"
"What's so good about Shuozhou? It makes them give up the fat on their lips."
"Isn't Shuozhou occupied by Duke Yun?"
“The drought in Shuozhou is pretty serious, too.”
The villagers were chattering and couldn't understand why the refugees would give up the fat in their mouths and choose to go to Shuozhou.
The young man scratched the back of his head and said with an honest smile: "Maybe it's because of the new policy implemented by Duke Yun. I heard that all the fields in Shuozhou are owned by the county government."
"The government only collects 40% of the rent after providing the fields, seeds, and cattle, which also includes grain taxes."
The villagers exclaimed: "This is indeed amazing! We are already the cheapest in Hezhong County in collecting rent. Just like this, we have to pay half of it, excluding tax."
"Oh, you are worthy of being Duke Yun. When will our Hezhong County be under the control of Duke Yun?"
"Yes. So many victims are going to Shuozhou together. I don't know if Shuozhou can hold on."
Muramasa waved his hand: "Go home quickly. Has the food here been harvested? Has the water been pumped at home? Why do everyone have so much free time? Whether Hezhong County will be under the control of the Yun Kingdom, that is what we can say Does it matter? ”
There is no threat of refugees, and even though the drought in the fields is disturbing, the villagers are still optimistic and joking.
"Life is hard enough, let's just daydream! There is everything in our dreams."
"My wife and children are hot on the bed, my granary is full of grain, and my basket is full of gold."
"Hahaha, I don't dare to think that much. At most, I dream that Duke Yun will take over our Hezhong County."