Chapter Nine, The Lard Boy Ma Xingu
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Among the two individuals from the county, the one slightly older wore a displeased expression, while the other also had a furrowed brow. Both of them were directly responsible for the river works in the Shangang area, and if they could not bring the river works to Huai'an Prefecture on schedule, they would both face punishment from the county.
The ice is very thick; if one or two people walk on it, they can easily cross the river. However, no matter how thick the ice is, it cannot withstand the weight of several thousand people, thus relying on boats for transportation is still necessary
The one speaking is the younger Confucian scholar, Zhao Shuban from the military office. He holds the title of Xiucai, and the grain chief of Shanggang, Zhao Dekun, is his uncle. It can also be said that this Zhao from the military office is a person from Shanggang, thus he does not wish to make things too difficult for his fellow villager, Old Ma.
Many inherit their family businesses; even if it is not the son taking over the father's role, successors are often sought among relatives and friends, thus forming a network of real power relations in the locality
The first thing the understanding county magistrate did upon taking office was to host a banquet for the local gentry and the clerks from the six families; otherwise, it would be difficult to carry out his work
Well, they said they are going to the construction site to set up the shed
The fashion style is truly unique, as the rural area of Huaiyang predominantly features the colors black, white, and gray. Whether it is tops or pants, these three colors are essentially the only ones worn, with very few individuals opting for other colors.
While the fire was roasting, Elder Ma, dressed in a long robe, approached from a distance with two scholars. Elder Ma followed behind these two individuals with great courtesy, suggesting that they might be officials sent from the county.
This fellow Ma Xinguo, having nothing to do at home, also came along. From his indifferent tone, it is possible that he is involved in Wang Si's dealings. After all, who can get started on a construction site without the backing of someone from the public sector?
You should refrain from associating with these people, as they have ulterior motives
Lu Si is indeed not interested in this for the time being. Moreover, the temperature has been very low these past few days, and the ground is frozen hard, making it quite uncomfortable to sit on as the cold seeps up from below. He then asked Guangyuan to accompany him to the riverbank to gather a bundle of dry reeds to bring back for kindling to warm themselves.
Old Ma thought to himself, "What does this have to do with me?" but he kept responding affirmatively. Just then, he noticed the river workers gathered nearby around the fire, who were under his jurisdiction, so he called Song Wu to take them along with him to Songjiadu.
It is indeed strange for men to be together and not discuss matters related to women
Breaking the ice is also a matter of strength; if one were to strike it directly with a stick and shatter it, that would be better. However, if it cannot be broken, the rebound force can cause pain in the wrist and the base of the thumb.
Mr. Qian, we cannot be blamed for this matter. The weather has been cold these past few days, and the river has frozen over. It takes time to break the ice to bring boats from other places, so it is truly not possible to expedite the process
Although Old Ma is not an official this year, as the head of the management, his words still carry considerable weight in this area of the town, aside from the grain chief
It is the New Year for the horse, where else can they make money at this time?
The dough biscuits are just pickles, the taste is not discernible, anyway, my cheeks are quite sore, probably because of the cold weather, the dough biscuits are frozen very solidly
If things go wrong, Wang Si and their dealings involve the grain chief as well
It is said that with a population exceeding 10,000, it is boundless and vast; similarly, a population exceeding 1,000 can also leave one speechless
Fortunately, Mr. Qian also understood that it would be futile to lose his temper. The urgent task was to quickly bring the boat over, so he instructed Lao Ma to immediately take people to Songjia Ferry in the north to arrange for a boat.
Regarding the recent river works, Mr. Qian and Secretary Zhao have both profited significantly from it. Just from the gifts of cash presented by several grain officials during yesterday's meeting, each of them received ten taels.
Sit down, what is the hurry
At this moment, the man in blue pants is holding a paper bag in his hand, which contains still warm oil residue.
In fact, the clerks of the six offices have access to considerable benefits and wield significant power. After all, they are the "public servants" who directly interact with the common people. Consequently, over generations, these clerks have even been able to undermine the county magistrate, abusing their power to engage in corruption and misconduct.
"Youzazi" is the term used by the Huaiyang people to refer to pig lard that has been rendered after frying. In other regions, it is also known as "yousuozi" or "youzila".
The crispy sound made Lu Si feel a surge of appetite, even though he had just caused trouble with an old hen at his elder brother's house yesterday
The man in blue pants grabbed a handful of oil residue from the paper bag and stuffed it into Song Wu's hand. Song Wu, not being polite, took one piece and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing it immediately
Guangyuan and Lu Si were on a boat together. The child thought breaking the ice was simple, and as soon as he got on the boat, he grabbed a stick and started smashing away with considerable force. After dozens of strikes, Guangyuan's expression changed to one of discomfort, and he put down the stick to start rubbing his wrist.
Everyone has gone out, and Wang Si and the others have also come. I feel bored staying at home alone, so I might as well go to Huai'an for some fun... As for food, the oil residue is something I took from my uncle, and anyway, the people in the county don't know about it...
It is essentially the same network of relationships, and with the additional fact that money was given, Mr. Qian, as an old customer, naturally would not blame the grain managers for not handling the matter properly. Thus, Old Ma, the lowest-level errand runner, became the "scapegoat" and received a good scolding from Mr. Qian.
Unfortunately, this was likely the last large-scale mobilization of manpower in the Huaiyang region during the Ming Dynasty
Song Wu was chatting happily with that guy in blue pants. Meanwhile, Lu Si had understood a bit; this fellow called the nouveau riche was Old Ma's nephew, who usually didn't study well and liked to hang out with Wang Si and the others who set up gambling games in town.
The fragrance was exquisite, so much so that Lu Siben instinctively turned his head towards the direction from which the scent emanated. He then saw a young man who was shorter than him but considerably heavier, wearing a cap resembling a melon skin, a long black cotton coat, and blue trousers.
The phrase 'a sea of people' is insufficient to describe the river engineering team that has gathered from all directions. It is difficult to estimate the exact number of people, but it is likely that there are at least three to four thousand.
The distance of several miles took nearly two hours to cover
Forget it, what use is there in talking about him now? Tell him to hurry and take people to get the boat, otherwise, I fear we won't be able to finish the transport today
At present, the mobilization capability of the Huaiyang bureaucratic group, which has not yet been affected by the ravages of war, is quite commendable, and the organizational awareness among the common people is also impressive. This indirectly reflects the success of the "Li Jia System"
Lu Wenliang pulled his son down to sit, then turned back to continue chatting with Jiang Kui and the others. As they chatted, laughter erupted from the crowd, as someone was talking about the brothel in town
When Lu Si and the others went to Songjiadu, Mr. Qian and Secretary Zhao began organizing the river works for crossing the river, and several boats dispatched from other locations also hurried over from the south
After handing the boat over to the county officials, Old Ma instructed Song Wu to take the people back. After breaking the ice for half a day, everyone was both hungry and tired, but without the means to cook a meal, each person resorted to eating the dry rations they had brought with them
Old Ma is also aggrieved; he is not responsible for the matter of crossing the river. In the past two days, he has been running around for the river workers' issues. Originally, he came to coordinate with the county officials regarding the registration list, but unexpectedly, Mr. Qian vented his frustration about the insufficient ferry service on this small village head.
I do not know
Mr. Qian is an elder from the household of Yancheng County, and this time he has come specifically with Zhao Shuban from the county to guide and supervise the river works affairs
Everyone is quite relaxed around Old Ma; as the leader, he certainly does not need to take action himself. From time to time, he should just shout a few words to encourage everyone, which is what a leader like him ought to do
This is merely the mobilization of labor in the Shanggan area of Lu Si's hometown; it is likely that there are even more in other places. This also reflects the significant mobilization efforts of the Huaiyang governor and the immense pressure on this governor's shoulders
How outrageous, these people who gnaw on bones truly spare no part at all
There are three ferries at Songjiadu, one large ferry specifically for transporting vehicles, horses, and livestock, and two smaller ones for carrying people. When the old horse arrived and explained the situation, the people at Songjiadu allowed them to board the ferry. The ferry workers then rowed from the back, while the people brought by Song Wu used wooden sticks to break the ice in front.
This time, due to the government's conscription of labor, most of the villagers whom Wang Si and his group usually exploited for their gambling operations were engaged in river work. As a result, Wang Si and his associates could no longer run their gambling den, so they decided to pack their belongings and head to Huai'an Prefecture, where they planned to set up their gambling operations at the construction site.
Sir, when shall we depart?" Guangyuan, feeling somewhat bored, occasionally stood up to look around.
This is probably the instinct of being an elder
Thus, Lu Si and the others, who were enjoying the warmth, could only helplessly follow Song Wu as they hurried towards the Song family ferry several miles away
I understand, these scoundrels find it difficult to get my money, besides, they do not dare to...
While I was eating, a fragrant aroma wafted over— the smell of meat oil
Although Lu Si's wrist also hurt, Guangyuan called out several times from behind to have him switch places, but Lu Si did not allow his nephew to come forward to break the ice again
When the boat arrived at Wangjia She Ferry, the people on the three boats were all exhausted and drained, yet in the cold and freezing weather, they were all sweating profusely.
Lu Wenliang originally intended to stop it, but Song Wu said it was fine, so a fire was lit and everyone gathered around to warm their hands. Upon seeing the fire here, the neighboring group followed suit, and before long, five or six campfires were lit along the riverbank.
Therefore, the sudden appearance of someone wearing blue pants is particularly surprising, and it leads to a sense of incongruity.
Most of the individuals in the six offices of the yamen are those who have little hope of success in the imperial examination. They originally obtained their positions through examinations or by paying bribes to secure employment within the yamen, primarily relying on the fees for copying documents and their daily allowances to sustain their livelihoods
Lu Si shook his head; it was also his first time participating in river work, and even more so, his first experience of the social mobilization of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, he was quite curious about the capabilities and execution abilities of the government.
The ferry terminal was crowded with river workers waiting to cross the river, likely in a hurry to get across, resulting in a bit of disorder. The officials dispatched from the county office and the local militia from various districts had lost their voices from shouting.
Seeing this, Lu Si quickly snatched the stick from his nephew's hand and instructed him to stay back. He then joined Zhou Wang and others on the boat to start breaking the ice.
What is going on with your Wang family association? The county notified us the day before yesterday, how come you haven't even prepared the boat!
This dish is very fragrant and particularly goes well with rice. If it is braised with tofu or stir-fried with vegetables, it becomes so delicious that one could easily eat three bowls of rice.
I said, new rich, why are you not staying at home and instead joining us for the fun? Song Wuxian clearly recognized this person in blue pants
Wang Si and his group have also arrived