The money that Leng Yi recovered from those killers, in addition to filling the tax shortfall, gave the rest to the maid grass Sui for treatment and gave it to the Li family, who was disabled by torture, as state compensation. The pocket is now empty, and there is only 3,000 yuan for the new collar this month. Coupled with the servant's salary of 3,000 Wen, there are only 6,000 Wen in total.

Leng Yi said to the creditors: "All the money is here, let's see how to divide it." ”

Those creditors were also embarrassed, and even apologized, Leng Yi's monthly salary was not enough to pay back even one creditor's money, so after a few discussions, those physical objects were left to Leng Yi for the New Year, and another 500 wen was left, and the rest were divided and the debts were shared.

Master Dong helped keep the accounts, sent away a few creditors, and went out of the inner house to do business. Sister Cheng Luojie and the female catchers helped Leng Yi and Zhuo Qiaoniang carry the physical objects back to the house and put them away. Although it was only 500 wen, there was enough food and cloth to make new clothes. When the time comes, buy some fish and meat, and it will be considered the New Year.

Master Dong filed Lin Ling's case, and after all the materials were prepared, he sent the soap official to send Lin Ling to Bazhou to report the case. Yin Vulture sent Wei Du to assist in the escort of Wu Zhutou. This time, nothing happened on the road, and the people were successfully escorted to Bazhou.

Leng Yi did not encounter any danger in Yinling. Everything is calm.

The Spring Festival is approaching day by day, and Leng Yi is gradually familiar with the official affairs of the Yamen, and he is busy with various trivial matters all day long, most of which are trivial matters required by the imperial court and the prefect of Bazhou.

On this day, the snow was falling, and Leng Yi came back in a sedan car after doing official business outside. There were few pedestrians in the streets, and they all hid in their houses to make fires.

Turning a street corner, in the wind and snow, Leng Yi saw several old people, sitting on the side of the street tremblingly, with their arms crossed, squinting a pair of godless eyes, and watching passers-by in front of them pitifully. Several children, both male and female, sat in front of them. There was a straw mark on his head, and he shivered in the cold wind. Hearing the sound of the soap li's shouting to open the way, he hurriedly hid in the old man's arms.

The old man looked indifferently at the sedan chair of the official who came over.

Seeing the grass marks on their heads, Leng Yi knew that these were for sale of children. Seeing the eyes of a few old people, I knew what it meant to mourn more than to die of heart. Yes, what a sorrow it is to have to sell your children.

Leng Yi called to stop the sedan chair, lifted the sedan curtain, and stepped out. Walk up to the men.

The old man quickly got up and pulled the child back to hide. Leng Yi said: "Don't be afraid, this county sees that you still sell children at the end of the year, so come and ask, - which village are you from?" Why sell children? How much does a child sell for? ”

A white-haired old man arched his hand and said, "Master Hui, I am from Bianshi Village, and so are the two of them, and a few over there are from Hongsong Village, Paoma Village, and Spirane Village." Alas! It's the end of the year, the debt is not over the years, and the old man has to sell his children! A few of them were said to be difficult, and it was not difficult to see their children starving to death and freezing to death, so they gave their children a bite to eat. Sir, you can do well, buy a few children, right? Each of them costs only 5,000 wen. ”

5,000 Wen?! Leng Yi smiled bitterly and glanced at the poor children, he only had five hundred Wen for the New Year, and even one child was not enough. True love can't help. He smiled apologetically and said, "In your village, do you sell many children?" ”

"Many!" Several old men said in unison: "In a village, there are at least a dozen families who sell their children. Alas, life is difficult, there is no way! When it comes to sadness, I can't help but burst into tears.

Leng Yi thought about it, took out the money bag from his waist, poured out a string of money, and distributed it to a few children, saying, "Master, I don't have much money, so I can't help you more." It is the lack of governance in this county that makes the people suffer so much. Shame on you! ”

Several old men hurriedly knelt down, pulled the children to kneel too, and kowtowed to Leng Yi.

Master Dong on the side said: "Dong Weng, this kind of thing exists in all states and counties, so you don't have to pay too much attention to it." I can't ignore it. ”

Leng Yi didn't answer, walked back to the sedan chair, got up the sedan chair again and walked back.

Along the way, I saw several places selling sons and daughters, and even daughters-in-law. Leng Yi shook his head gloomily and lowered the sedan curtain.

When he returned to the Yamen, he called Master Dong and asked, "Sir, you are Master Qiangu, do you know that a family like this is extremely poor, and it has reached the point of selling children and daughters, and the imperial court has no means of relief?" ”

"The imperial court has set up Guanghui warehouses in various states and counties for relief. However, it can only be used for the relief of persons who are incapacitated and have no means of return. For example, the elderly and frail lonely and widowed. ”

"Do they count?"

"It's hard to say, but in fact, there is no strict limit on whether or not it belongs to the person in need of relief, and it is ultimately determined by Dong Weng. However, according to the usual practice, the village chief first reports the list of people in need of relief in the village, and then the household examines to determine the people in need of relief, and then after the students and I review here, they report to Dong Weng to finally determine the list of relief personnel. ”

Leng Yi said: "The house audit, do you have to go to the field audit?" ”

"In principle, I don't go." Master Dong said: "There are too many affairs, and there are a lot of people who need relief in the report, and it is almost impossible for a family to verify, and the relief money issued by a family is only 400 wen at most, and one stone of rice, which is not a large amount, and there is no need for a family to verify." ”

Leng Yi groaned: "Is there a limit to the amount of relief money that our county can distribute?" ”

"Yes, based on the tax paid in the current year, one out of a hundred."

That is, the maximum amount of relief is not more than one percent of the tax collected for the year. This standard is still relatively high. The problem is that if the local taxes are not high, there will not be much money available for relief.

Leng Yi asked, "Is there a limit to the number of people who can be relieved?" ”

"No, this is mainly based on the number of people in need of relief on the ground, which can be more or less. You decide how much to do. The imperial court only demanded that the relief fund for each household should not exceed the prescribed standard. ”

"How many times a year can I get relief?"

"It's up to you to decide this, anyway, there are only so many relief funds that can be used for relief every year, and you can balance it, and you can't overspend. The surplus can be transferred to the second year and reused. ”

"I see, is there still this year's relief?"

Leng Yi said: "There are still three percent, and at the end of each year, there is a relief distribution." This year's has not yet been reported. However, it will be reported in the next few days. ”

Leng Yi nodded and let Master Dong go back. After sitting and thinking for a while, Cheng Luojie was called in and said, "I have something I want to trouble you to help me do, I don't know if it's okay?" ”

Cheng Luojie smiled skillfully, gave him a flattering look, and said, "If the master has any orders, just say it." ”

Leng Yi hurriedly avoided her gaze and said, "I saw a lot of people selling children and daughters on the street, all of whom are people in my jurisdiction. Life is very difficult, and it has reached the point of selling children and daughters. The imperial court has a relief fund every year, but the distribution of the relief fund depends on the final decision of the village chiefs, and the yamen room is unable to verify it. I have been an official in Bazhou for a few months, and I have not yet visited the village to understand the people's situation. I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to go to the villages with the largest number of children and girls, of course, it was a private visit to Weifu. That's how you can find out what's really going on. Before I go down, I want to know which villages have the largest number of children and daughters. ”

Cheng Luojie said: "That's it! That's simple, the eldest lord sent a servant to tell the whole city which village those who sold their sons and daughters, and asked, isn't it okay? ”

Leng Yi said: "I don't want the people in the yamen to know about this matter, so as not to leak the news, so I want to ask you for help." ”

"That's it! Okay, I'll ask. ”

"Know as much as you can before the relief list comes up. Let's go down and investigate, and then we know in our hearts. ”

"Understood."

In the next few days, Cheng Luojie walked around the street every day and learned about the situation of selling children and women. I really don't know if I don't ask, and I'm shocked when I ask. There are so many people who sell their sons and daughters. There are them in almost every village. And the most concentrated is the Bianshi village where the white-haired old man who sold his children before was located.

After a few more days, the relief list was finally reported.