The bitter cold of winter is not really over yet.

In the cold winter season, the world is full of hoarfrost, and most places seem empty and quiet.

Most of them will be like those hibernating animals, lying quietly in the bed, expecting the weather to warm up soon, not to continue to be cold, and to spend the hard-to-accumulate but not much firewood.

But today is a little different.

It was just dawn, and there was some noise in the small village, which had been silent for more than a month.

Hearing the faint movement outside, the sound of conversation also sounded in the inner room.

"What's going on outside today?"

The old woman asked a little nervously, and then said, "It can't be a horse bandit, right?" ”

"I'll take a look."

The old man lifted the quilt and got up from the bed, his thin and black skin touched the cold air of winter, and he was faintly red.

"There are cotton clothes."

The old woman reminded, "The two pieces that the distinguished guest left for us. ”

"I can't wear it, I'll go to the cotton clothes to hide it first, if it's really a horse bandit, the quilt can't give them cotton clothes."

The old man put on a thin linen robe, first went to hide the two cotton clothes, and then found the axe for chopping in the room, put a cushion in his hand, and went out of the door.

As soon as he went out, the cold wind hit the person hard.

The bone-scraping air-conditioner came from the surface.

The cold that he had already adapted to made him shiver twice, and he couldn't help but clench the axe in his hand and muttered: "People are cheap, why don't you feel so cold when you didn't have cotton clothes before?" You can go out and chop wood. ”

He stamped his foot, not daring to stand still, and approached the place where the noise was made.

After walking a few steps, he saw a companion like him in the village, who was walking out of the door with the farming tools - of course, there was no need to farm at this time, it was for self-defense.

Looking at each other, acquaintances naturally leaned against each other.

"Lao Wang, did you hear the movement too?"

"That's it. This dog day weather, who is going out at this time? Don't be careful! If it's really a horse bandit, maybe we can eat a few bites of horse meat if there are fewer people! ”

Lao Wang has a scar on his face, and his tone is even more ruthless.

As a neighbor, he is also familiar with this experience, the scar on his face is that he went to work in the imperial capital when he was young, and as a result, a first-class citizen rode a horse and galloped on the avenue, this guy didn't open his eyes, didn't know how to dodge, and was forced to pull out with a horsewhip.

Later, after several tosses and turns, I returned to the village, and the outside world was not easy to mix, but the person was not bad.

"Let's go, let's take a look!"

While the two were talking, several more people came out of the house, holding a thousand strange but lethal farm tools in their hands.

When these people from the same village gathered together, the fear in their hearts was greatly reduced.

The people walked together in the direction from which the sound came.

"If only it were a horse bandit! Horse bandits at least have horses, and I haven't tasted meat in years. ”

"The horse bandits who can come to us to rob, I see that the bottom is poor, and it would be good to have a skinny horse for us to gnaw on the bones!"

"When Lao Tzu was young, he encountered a real horse bandit, and when he went down with an axe, it wasn't a flowering head? There are also horse bandits who want to run when they ride horses, where do you know that Lao Tzu raised horses when he was young? Catch up with them on their horses, faster than they ride themselves! After dividing five by two, he cleaned up the horse bandits, and got a reward of half a tael of silver! ”

As soon as the conversation box opened, the villagers, who had not chatted for more than a month, began to talk about their scenery and past, and lifted their spirits.

Even if the soldiers are as strong as the Great Prayer, it does not mean that the law and order are good.

Once a natural or man-made disaster occurs in a certain place, some people want to rebel when they can't survive, or simply turn into bandits and robbers, which is a thing from time to time.

As long as the scale is small enough to a certain extent, it is not worth mentioning at all, and it is a very normal thing.

As the group spoke, they came to the place where the sound came.

There it is. The village chief's house.

said that they were village heads, but in fact, they were all third-class citizens like them, and even the houses were not better than their own.

But today is a little different, because in front of the village chief's house, several carriages are parked there, pulling full of things!

It's a carriage, not a bandit!

From the linen cloth that was not really covered tightly on the carriage, it was not difficult to see the grain and cotton clothes hidden inside, which had been exposed.

Look at the sign on the carriage again

There is no doubt that it is the carriage of the government!

The footsteps of the group couldn't help but stop, and their eyes were straight.

"How many villages do I have to find here?"

"Another tax hike?!"

"It's over, the horse bandits didn't come, and they came more ruthlessly than the horse bandits."

Even the arrogant old Wang cried with a sad face, and almost didn't cry directly.

The old farmer also trembled in his heart, in previous years, the tax was to be increased, and he would hurry up to collect it before the cold winter wax moon, where would he have to do it again in winter?

And looking at the things in the carriage, it is not something that a third-class citizen can touch.

Even if they are skinned and their bones are torn apart, where can they be made up?

"I have a relative's cousin's daughter who married off, and I heard that her husband was an officer in the army. A while ago, she happened to go back to her parents' house to visit her relatives, as if to say that something was wrong with the army. It's terrible! ”

When even one person stood up, he said with a worried face.

"Huh, really?!"

"That's good! You can't let us go to war with these guys, right? ”

"Conscription is a good place to go, your turn? Think beautifully! ”

All sorts of voices rang out, and so on.

As a third-class citizen at the bottom, even wanting to join the soldiers is a luxury most of the time, at most in the past, as a logistics officer, I want to go to the battlefield?

It was a place where there was meat to eat, and it was not their turn.

Moreover, if you kill the enemy, you can make meritorious contributions, and there will be rewards for meritorious service, and there are many second-class people who want to enter, and it is better for third-class people to be a little later.

When facing the horse bandits, they dared to risk their lives, and if they really had to face the court of the requisition, even if there was only one person, they could only speak in a low voice.

"Why don't we go in and ask the village chief?"

Someone said.

"Good! Let's go in and ask together, this day is going to be unbearable, the war is lost, let us go up, we really can't collect taxes anymore! ”

Everyone responded and walked into the small courtyard together.

The harsh government is fiercer than the tiger, compared to the possible death in the war, being taken away from everything, and then watching the family starve to death and freeze to death is more terrifying.

The small courtyard was not big, and the village chief, who was not much thicker than them, was standing next to a big man and listening carefully, looking stunned.

They had never seen the big man, who was wrapped in a thick winter coat and a long knife at his waist.

The characters who came this time were very unusual at a glance, and they were not at all the same level as the little officials who seemed to be scoundrels who had to ask for taxes before.

"Did you hear all of what I said?"

The big man glanced at the few people who had just entered the door, and asked impatiently.

"Hear clearly, hear clearly!"

The village chief nodded again and again, almost impatiently speaking.

"Hurry up, half an hour at most, I can't figure it out"

"Don't worry, it's going to be fine!"

The village chief patted his chest and reassured.

Before the people who had just come in could speak, the village chief stretched out his hand and pushed them all out, "Let's go out and talk, go out and talk, don't disturb the adults." ”

It was clearly the village chief's own home, but they came to the door, the cold wind was blowing on their bodies, and the village chief, who was also thinly dressed, couldn't help but shiver.

"Village chief, what's going on? Is it going to be taxed again? ”

"yes, we don't have any of these things! As for the cotton clothes in the car, they are all things that only nobles can have, we have seen it at most, where can we make it up? ”

"The food is gone! I can't open the pot at home now, and if it weren't for the fact that there were no ears of wheat in the field, I would have liked to pick them up and eat them! ”

Before the village chief could speak, the villagers who were full of words had already spoken.

"Wait, wait!"

The village chief clapped his hands and shouted loudly to silence them, and it took a long time for the excited voices to stop.

As the head of the village, it was clear that he did not have any majesty.

In fact, if he hadn't been lucky enough to study in a private school for two years, know a few big characters, and be able to write some names, this village chief would not have fallen on his head.

However, in this poor and remote country, to put it mildly, you don't need to wash the bowl for eating, you can lick it clean with your tongue, not to mention oil and water, whether you can eat enough is a big problem.

The folk customs have always been fierce, and the main thing is to be careful - people who don't care about it can't live at all.

"Don't worry, don't worry! This time it's a good thing, it's really a good thing! ”

The village chief said loudly, although his eyebrows and eyes were a little red from the cold, he was elated, and his back molars were about to laugh.

"What else can be good? The village chief is not crazy! ”

"We know that the village chief is also very difficult, but if there is something to do, everyone can bear it."

"Yes, you are the only one left in our village who can write, and we also know that this kind of thing is not to blame on your head, just say it."

The gossip voice rang out, and it was rare for him to care about the village chief in his village.

"Really! It's a good thing! ”

The village chief clapped his hands, as if he was afraid that a few people would make trouble again, and said loudly: "The emperor has committed an edict!" ”

As soon as the words came out, the village chief reacted and slapped himself hard, this mouth that doesn't care about anything, can this be a good thing? If you hear it from the people in the house, I'm afraid you won't be able to survive today!

Fortunately, the people in the village can only understand the word emperor at most, and they don't understand what the edict is.

"What did the emperor say? Why is it a word at the end? Not to collect taxes? ”

A villager asked.

"Ahem!"

The village chief coughed violently twice, covering up the previous momentary offense, "The emperor is very kind this time, he wants to help the world and the people, not your things, so don't worry about it!" Whoever does not come from the village, call them quickly. ”

"What kindness did the emperor send?"

None of the people around him left, but asked curiously.

They don't understand what they say about helping the world and helping the people, but since they want to be kind, there should always be good news, right?

If you don't hear the good news, whoever wants to take a step away won't move.

"The emperor wants to send us something! Distribute food, cotton clothes!! ”

The village chief's eyebrows fluttered, and he said with a full temperament.

"Ouch!"

Now the villagers finally understood, and their faces changed drastically.

The emperor, who only exists in the mouth of a small tax collector, is not an insatiable bastard who can't eat, and will take the initiative to give them things?!

The sun is really coming out in the west!

"What are you doing in a daze? Hurry up and call all the people who haven't come over yet, don't pull down a single household, otherwise they won't send it! ”

The village chief hurriedly began to push people, "Hurry up and call the neighbors, don't you dare to make the people inside wait for a long time." ”

The village chief pointed to his own house, and the meaning could not be more obvious.

After waiting for a long time, people are in a bad mood, and maybe they will send a little less, so how can it work?

The villagers, who originally wanted to pester a few more questions, immediately dispersed as birds and beasts, and ran faster than rabbits.

After the people in front of him dispersed, the village chief stood in front of his dilapidated house, looked at the several carriages parked in front of him, and couldn't help but look up at the sky.

The sun hangs high above the sky, and it is difficult to feel too much temperature in winter, but it can still illuminate this vast land and guide people's direction.

"The sun hasn't hit the west either."

The village chief pinched his thigh and whispered with a smile.

This is a good thing that you can't even dream of!

It didn't take long for almost everyone in the village to gather together, and as soon as they heard that the imperial court was going to send things and food, some people dared to run out without even wearing clothes, but they were forcibly bombarded back by the village chief.

When the noise was over, and the village roster was taken out and people were counted, one family did not come.

"What about the people of the old Chen family? Don't send anything? ”

The village chief was a little angry, this delay is the time of the big man!

"I'm going to Lao Chen's house, someone from Lao Chen's family. Frozen to death. ”

The old farmer, who had not spoken, finally spoke.

"It's a pity, it's a pity."

The village chief pursed his lips and didn't say anything more.

It's normal to freeze to death, but when should you not freeze to death or starve to death?

It's just that this year, it's rare for the emperor to be kind, and the old Chen family died a little early, which seems to be a loss.

The people had been counted, and the big man from the county counted the roster again, and after confirming that the people of the old Chen family had died, they didn't say much, and began to distribute food and cotton clothes.

Half a load of grain for a family, plus a cotton coat!

It was only when they actually got their hands on these things that many villagers really reacted.

It turns out that this time it's really not about collecting taxes again!

It turns out that the imperial court can really send them something!

It turns out that the emperor's kindness is like this!

When even someone knelt on the ground and kowtowed to the great man who distributed the food, he was grateful.

"Don't thank me. If someone comes over and asks if you have sent something, you just have to tell the truth, you can't say more, you can't say less, do you hear? If you talk more and talk less, maybe my head will be gone! I have memorized how much I sent today, but I haven't deducted it at all! Go home and see for yourself! ”

Every time the big man who handed over the supplies to a person, he took the trouble to say it again.

He didn't want to be so tired, but he couldn't help it.

The head of his boss on his head and the boss on his head were arrested by the grandmaster and slaughtered on the street because of a day's delay, and now he is still hanging at the door of the yamen.

I heard that those grandmasters got the emperor's order, and now whoever dares to do anything does it, no matter who is behind you, no need to ask, they will be killed if they are caught!

No matter how powerful the background is, can it still be better than the grandmaster?

The sword of the hanging top stared at the sky, and they couldn't help but be careless.

The old farmer returned home with half a load of grain on his back.

The restless old woman hurriedly stepped forward, "Why have you been there for so long?" I had heard a lot of shouting outside, and I wanted to go out and have a look. Hey? What are you carrying on your back? How can there be a cotton coat? ”

"Your Majesty. Something was sent. ”

The old farmer put down the grain, gently lifted the corner of the bag, looked at the yellow, orange and orange grain hidden inside, and wanted to bow and worship.

"What?!"

The mother-in-law was taken aback, "The emperor can still send something?" It's good that he doesn't want us, you don't have to joke! Could it be that the people of the village fought away a group of horse bandits together? ”

"We're telling the truth."

The old farmer put on the cotton clothes for his mother-in-law, "It's really sent by the emperor." ”

"I'm a mother, it's the first time I've heard that the emperor will send things when I'm so big."

The old woman was obviously frightened, and then quickly turned back into the house, took out another cotton coat and handed it to him.

"It's okay now, three cotton clothes, when did you ever be so rich!"

The old woman couldn't help but sigh.

The old farmer looked at the cotton clothes handed by the old woman in a daze.

In a trance, I remembered the two distinguished guests who had been gone for a long time.

The voice of the young man was still in his ears.

'Daqi royal family, damn it! ’

This sudden change can't have anything to do with those two, right?!

This terrifying thought suddenly popped into his heart, and he was startled.

"What are you doing? Put it on! Now everyone has cotton clothes, and the two pieces left by the distinguished guests for us dare to wear them and go out. ”

The old woman urged.

"Eh, eh."

The old farmer hurriedly responded.

This is an ordinary and different day that takes place in the Great Prayer.

Because someone has been here.

(End of chapter)