Chapter 367 Ayou and Axin
The Dulong tribe in the Guoming Autonomous Region has been suppressed by this group of outsiders with mortars. Although the tribe leader finally relented, the atmosphere in the entire village is still tense and depressing.
A dark-skinned woman asked the man in a low voice, "Ayou, you really want to sign up for work. I heard that the third young master from my hometown has spoken out. Who dares to go to work?" Let’s deal with whoever is at work, how about we not go?”
The man must be less than thirty. His thin body looks a bit too thin. He took a sip of the gruel and left half of it.
“I’m full. This time, the serving was too much and I can’t finish it.”
Looking at the woman and three children again, the children were greedily drinking some rice and Porridge made from unknown fruit powder.
"Why don't you drink? I have to go. Ashin is still waiting for me outside the village. There are six of us together this time. Nothing will happen."
The woman licked With dry lips, he whispered.
"I drank it when it was ready. I drank a bowl. You don't have to leave it for me."
The man sighed, women are always like this, everyone always does it. After finishing the drink, I secretly licked the bowl again, cleaned the pot again, and drank some of the leftovers. I thought I didn't notice, but there was really nothing I could do at home. The mountain's output was so little, and the clan elders still wanted to take it away. In part, the people at the foot of the mountain are not allowed to go, saying it is unsafe.
I got up and packed my things. It was actually very simple. I barely managed to put together a set of half-length clothes and pants, and carried a small baggage. This was very good. The homespun cloth was woven with local methods and dyed with local methods. It can be worn for many years without breaking. .
"Do you really want to go? If the third young master gets angry, you will not be able to live this life."
"If you don't go, don't you go and wait to starve to death? This is the only place in this mountain. They still have to take away so many things after picking them up. Now the three children don’t have enough to eat every day. You haven’t seen Ashin come back after working for less than a month. What good things can you bring?”
The Ashin family next door were also unbearably hungry. They heard that they had to work down below to take care of food. After working for more than ten days, they came back. It was said that they had exchanged a lot of food and two canned meats.
There is a thick layer of oil inside the can, which makes people’s eyes feel hot when they look at it, but it is all pork underneath. The woman doesn’t even know how many years ago she last ate pork, as if she was pregnant Third child, the man worked so hard to get some.
"I know, their Afen secretly told me that the porridge our family drank was the grain we borrowed from their family at that time, but wasn't their house raided by the third young master a few days ago?"
"Afen said that all the grain and canned food were confiscated, and the third young master also said harsh words. If anyone sneaks out of the village again, the men's legs will be broken, and the women's legs will be broken..."
"Ayou, why don't we go, I'm afraid."
The man said with a smile, "Afraid, what's there to be afraid of? Didn't you ask me what I was doing just now? , just now, it was Ayou who came down the mountain to report the gunmen. They heard that the third young master ransacked his house, so they went up the mountain to seek justice. The clan elder had already returned everything. There was a can missing, and he had to pay for it. I had half a chicken, but the third young master was still taken away. I think the elder’s begging for love was useless.” The reward for protecting those who work is real.”
The man nodded heavily, "Axin is no match for me when it comes to hunting in the mountains. He is not as good as me in wrestling, climbing trees, or picking fruits. Now that their family has food to eat, our family must also have it. Since the elders of the clan can't do anything to them, , then what are I waiting for? Go to work early and earn some food for you.”
The clan elders have always regarded the young men and women in the clan as private property. Without men, the village cannot be maintained, but women are. The main labor force for wealth and grain harvest is also indispensable, so although the autonomous region calls for people to work in the mountains, many villages do not dare to resist openly and are secretly resisting.
…
Ayou has been here for four days at the logging camp at the foot of the mountain. In order to take care of each other, he and Axin work together. Although they heard that the wages for road construction are It was higher, but several people kept it in mind and chose the lumberjack who might be easier.
The two men took the tools issued from above and felled another designated large tree. The large trees that could be harvested were marked and could not be harvested casually. They used machetes to clear the branches. , and finally only a straight trunk was left. The roots were tied with ropes, and several people who came with them were called, and together they worked hard to lift one end of the trunk.
The big tree is very long. Even if you lift only one end, it is very heavy. The whole trunk is dragged on the ground as it moves forward. This work is not easy. Fortunately, you don’t have to carry it far. When you leave the woods, there is a roar. Long's machine pulled away, and there were many short Yunnan horses also pulling the wood.
There are many people doing the same job, and everyone rarely talks. They work in groups of a few familiar people, each doing their own thing.
"Axin, I've been here for a few days, but why can't I see the supervisor?"
After leaving the woods, several people placed the tree trunks in the designated area and received a specially made Bamboo sticks, my companion who came with me asked in a low voice.
“They, like us, are also working, but their health is better than ours, and they work in pairs.”
"You mean those who hold guns also work?"
Axin nodded and wiped his sweat, "Can't you see them when eating? They all work and eat like us."< br>
“Tell me, who are those in military uniforms? I thought they were prisoners, but I didn’t expect them to work like us. Our family never works.”
Axin smiled, brightly for a moment, and his thin face smiled like a dried chrysanthemum.
"Who said people in my hometown don't work? You didn't see it this morning. The third young master was also sent to the wood factory over there. He should be cutting wood too. He does the same work as us. "
" Then the third young master can agree? He is too lazy to carry the wood. "
Seeing that his companion did not believe it, Ashin said with a smile.
“You forgot that the second young master was taken away last time and sent directly to a labor camp. He has not returned to the village yet. The third young master is also a labor camp this time. It’s okay to quit if you want. Those people are very cruel. ."
The companion shook his head, "I don't think they are mean at all. You can eat if you work here, which is much better than in the village. They also said that they will remember the number of our work. When the time comes, How much are the invoices for the work?”
There are some supplies in the autonomous region that can only be exchanged with the receipts for the work, including grain and canned meat. After the work is done, you can choose to ask for money or not. tickets, but everyone basically chose to exchange their tickets for grain and canned meat.
The status of canned meat has also advanced by leaps and bounds. Now it is said outside that you can exchange a few canned meat for a wife. Unfortunately, this business has been sealed by the autonomous region, saying that people cannot be traded. Many young men took home the canned meat they saved. After working for a month, you can exchange for four. Although it is cheap, you can’t get more than you want.
This was Zhu Xuefeng's idea when he left. Two cans of these cans are now distributed to army soldiers and one to their families every week. Others have to be exchanged with receipts. As for why, Zhu Xuefeng did not say, but There are still a lot of cans in the warehouse.
"Let's hurry up and try to cut down three more roots in the morning."
"Okay, the more we do, the more we earn."
A few friends hurried back to the woods. , logging work began again.
"Axin, why do I feel that you are stronger than me now."
Ayou can't believe it. For many years, he has been crushing Ashin. Just now he lifted the tree, I feel very strenuous, but Ashin seems to be used to it.
"I have eaten more than ten days more than you, and of course I am more energetic than you. By the way, Ayou, after working this month, I want to change my job. Do you want to come with me?" Both of them kicked. Holding the root of the tree and pulling the big saw face to face, Ayou was a little surprised.
"Isn't this a bad job? Although it is tiring, didn't you change the grain last month and still have two cans? Why did you change it?"
"It's not just these, I also exchanged a lot of money, waiting to buy other things. There is no limit to that. One person can only exchange so much for grain and canned goods this year. It is said that next year's harvest will be good, so I can exchange for more."
"Then you still have to leave, isn't that great?"
Axin shook his head, "I heard they said that a power plant is being built outside the town. If you can learn how to use electricity, you will be able to use it in the future. Those who are skilled can work as workers, which will pay more and can be regarded as a formal job and can be done for a long time. "
Ayou is a little unsure. Electricity is still too far away and mysterious for him. .
"I would like to be like them, patrolling everywhere with guns. Their treatment is better than being a worker."
"You want to be a soldier, but being a soldier means fighting. People will die, what will you do with your mother-in-law and children?”
Axin was surprised by Ayou’s thoughts and looked at this friend who had been competing with each other since childhood.
“I heard what they said during the meal that day. If you are a soldier and take care of the food, you will get a monthly salary, you can get eight cans of meat, and you will receive benefits for injuries. If you are really unlucky, you will also receive a pension. Raising children and taking care of one's work arrangements, if I really die, my mother-in-law and children will no longer have to go hungry."
Ayou thought of how his mother-in-law secretly drank the pot water every time. I felt uncomfortable in my heart, as long as I became a soldier, all these things could be solved. The clan elders had always blocked everyone from joining the army, even coming down the mountain to work. Now that they are better, they dare not stop them anymore.
The treatment of working these days makes Ayou believe that these people are very loyal and do what they say. Since they say that being a soldier is better than being a worker, why don’t you give it a try, even if you die? , the mother-in-law and the children also have a way out, that’s it.
If you perform meritorious service, you will be rewarded, and the officer will be assigned a house instead of living in a shack. Ayou has no place to display his hard-working skills. This is an opportunity, so he must seize it.
After hearing what Ayou said, Ashin felt a little hesitant. He had heard about this before and was moved by it, but he had been reluctant to leave home, so he chose to try his luck at the power plant.
In this land, the establishment of the autonomous region broke the tranquility of this land and brought unprecedented hope to many families and young people. Countless people are making choices.
"Then you go try it first. I'd better go to the power plant to try my luck."
Axin still can't make up his mind. Let's try to see if he can be a worker first. I heard that there is one in the south. A worker can support a family. If he becomes a worker and his mother-in-law learns to farm, the family will never be hungry every day like before.
The logging was still going on. In the jungle, the selected big trees fell down one after another. At this time, the trumpet was blown from the bottom of the mountain. Everyone stopped, packed up their tools and went down the mountain. It was time to have dinner.
"Axin, let's cut down one more tree today than yesterday. Let's hurry up tomorrow and see if we can cut down another one."
"Well, if we continue like this, we can get more at the end of the month. Get some oil, salt and cloth, and we can make clothes for the doll during the Spring Festival.”
Ayou looked at his companions, they were all exhausted, but they were much better than the first day, and the food here was better. The food at home is too strong, with oil and salt. Every time after a night’s rest, I feel stronger than yesterday.
…
Several friends were enjoying their daily dinner happily. Ashin and Ayou both felt it was worth it. There were three multi-grain steamed buns for each person, a small bowl of vegetables with a few slices of meat and eggs, and a small plate of pickle strips. There is also unlimited hot soup, which should be stewed with meat or bones. There are a lot of vegetable leaves, a strong broth flavor, and it is full of oil.
After taking a sip, all the fatigue in the body seemed to disappear a lot. The food at the construction site was really good. It was said that the food in the army was even better. Ayou strengthened his idea.
"Ayou, look over there, is it the third young master?"
In the distance, a man was angrily throwing vegetables on the ground.
"I can't eat the same thing as these low-class people, this at noon and this at night, how can anyone eat this kind of food."
The companions looked at each other. , looked at his food again, with a wry smile on his face, the third young master disliked such a good dinner, yes, how could the third young master eat such simple food at home, but the people below could not eat it, there was no oil, water and salt. Usually, the fruit is thrown into the fire pit and roasted for a while. After pulling it out, remove the shell, swallow it with the soup, and then chew a few mouthfuls of dug vegetable leaves.
“Eat as much as you like, or you will be hungry if you don’t eat.”
The guard stood up, picked up the thrown buns, pulled them a few times, and blew them. He ate it all immediately. The third young master looked at the guard and was so surprised that he couldn't speak.
He turned around and saw Ashin, his eyes were red. It was this tribesman who refused to accept him and sued him, which is why he ended up like this.
He stood up and walked over directly, kicking Ashin while still cursing.
"You untouchable, it's all you,..."
Axin was holding the dishes and the steamed buns, and carefully avoided them. He still had half of the steamed buns in his mouth. He didn't say anything, but there was a light in his eyes.
Before the Third Young Master could make further moves, the management staff and guards rushed over, kicked the distinguished Third Young Master down, and quickly tied him up.
“You don’t have to do labor camp for making troubles and beating others for no reason. You will be sent back tomorrow to be tried by the court.”
The guard who just ate the thrown buns had a dark face and looked at the three of them. Master, his face is full of disgust.
"What's wrong with me in disciplining our people? Why are you tying me up? Let me go. Let me go."
The guard said with a dark face, "You're wasting food and destroying production. Provoking trouble, intending to beat others, plus the last time you robbed someone else of their labor, so many illegal crimes are counted together. According to the current law, you can be shot and taken away. "
Third Young Master. He was taken away with curses, and the diners, led by someone unknown, applauded enthusiastically.
On the third day, Ayou and the others heard that the third young master had been severely sentenced to five years of hard labor and had been sent to the mountains to mine. It was said that the clan elder wanted to pay gold to protect the third young master, but in the end The court gave the clan elders a warning.
Now among the clan members, the clan elders have stopped talking, and the eldest son is also cooperating conscientiously in accordance with the requirements of the autonomous region.
"It turns out that the elders of the clan are not the most amazing, they will be knocked down by others."
The light in Ashin's eyes became brighter, and Ayou seemed to see the dawn of life.
(End of this chapter)