Chapter 9, Ambitions and Dreams Distant, Calamities Approaching (Part 2)
In this chaotic world, it is not easy for ordinary individuals to survive
Dragging the hemp in hand, it is spread out in a spacious area to dry. Now it is wet and clumped together. Once dried, my sister-in-law will use her rough hands to break it into hemp fibers, spin it into hemp thread, and weave it into hemp cloth for new clothes
Thinking of new clothes, I recall the new garment I wore yesterday, which is crafted exceptionally well; this is also the only item he possesses that can be exchanged for money
It is indeed the perfect season for promiscuity, yet one should abandon armor and flee.
Due to the coercion of the State of Chu, the State of Song was forced to renovate the cities of Daliang and Yuguan, which was quite aggressive. Furthermore, the State of Zheng exposed the superficiality of Chu's grandeur, and with the strong declaration from Gongzi Ding of the Three Jin states, conflicts between the two sides became inevitable. Consequently, the States of Wei, Han, and Zheng formed an alliance to attack Chu, while the State of Song once again shifted its allegiance back to Jin. In the battle of Wuyang, Chu suffered a great defeat, and Gongzi Ding seized the opportunity to incite the restoration of the Chen and Cai states, thereby severing the connection between Chu and the Central Plains
Muttering to himself, recalling the Gongsun Hui Rebellion in the State of Qi, he could only conclude his situation with these three words
The illusion of interwoven time and space left Shi somewhat bewildered, and it took a long while before he shook his head to dispel these strange thoughts
The pond outside the city, soaked in hemp, emits an unpleasant odor, dark and murky, as a multitude of microorganisms tirelessly decompose the lignin and gelatin in the hemp, leaving behind fibers that can be spun into thread
Consider this: that new piece of clothing can sell for around 20 to 30 units of currency. Making tofu will definitely not be enough; alternative methods must be considered
He is truly panicking
Because Gongsun Hui sought help from Zhao on his own accord, the three Jin states dispatched troops and achieved a great victory over the Qi state
Due to the military intervention of the various states in the alliance, Duke Kang of Qi was compelled to send a chariot to the King of Yue to seek surrender, attempting to win Yue's favor by offering the resources of Qi. He presented thousands of slaves and two cities from Qi, while all the blame fell squarely on Duke Kang of Qi, leaving the Tian family untainted. The prestige of Qi was completely diminished, and Duke Kang lost the last shred of his dignity, ultimately resulting in the Tian family performing a final minor task on behalf of Qi.
Due to the victory of Sanjin and the significant triumph at Linqiu, the State of Song rebelled against Chu and allied with Jin, which led to Chu's dissatisfaction and a siege of Song for ten months. Countless people starved to death in Shangqiu, ultimately forcing the Duke of Song to submit and send the people of Song to assist Chu in the construction of Daliang City and Yuguan, serving as a support point for Chu's dominance in the Central Plains
Standing by the edge of the pool, he slightly lifted the bundle of ramie, a nauseating stench disturbing the tip of his tongue, leaving him extremely breathless. Although in his previous life he could be considered as someone who engaged in many petty matters, the trivialities of that time were ultimately not comparable to the trivialities of the present.
... ...
Once the State of Song rebels against the Chu Dynasty, it will inevitably provoke retaliation from the State of Chu. At that time, such a small figure will have to defend the city, perform corvée labor, and build city walls. Whether he can survive amidst the chaos will no longer be within his control, and whether he can endure ten months of siege without starving is also uncertain
The two qian per jin of hemp skin mentioned by the old man in the field yesterday refers to the hemp skin that has completed all the processes prior to the twisting, rather than the raw materials soaked in foul water
Wheat must have its outer bran milled away to become flour, and only with flour can steamed buns be made. At this time, the grinding stone had not yet become widespread, so wheat could only be cooked and eaten like rice
Due to the significant defeat of the State of Chu, the restoration of the State of Chen and Cai, internal instability, and the struggle between centralization and decentralization, the State of Wei captured the central plains of Daliang. With the State of Chu no longer an external enemy, Wei relocated its capital to Daliang to compete for dominance in the central plains, shifting its strategic focus. The relationship among the Three Jin states deteriorated, leading to a falling out between Wei and Zhao, which finally provided the State of Qin with an opportunity to break through in the western river region
Just yesterday, we were still envisioning the future, who would have thought that today we are already facing a great disaster, and it is a calamity that is so close at hand
How many of those young people who sang in the morning can survive in the siege of October?
Many women also stood barefoot in the foul-smelling pool water, pulling up the ramie they had soaked in a few months ago, pinching their noses to endure the stench, as they forcefully dragged their own ramie upwards.
The girl across also noticed Shi, giggling as she sang a few lines. Shi neither sang back nor adapted well to the situation, so she could only lower her head, blushing, and drag her own hemp away, which caused the singing girl to tilt her head back and laugh incessantly, as if she were a victorious rooster, pointing at Shi's back, not knowing what she was chattering about with her nearby friends.
It is quite clear that, given one's current position, one may very well become a handful of blood in the writing of these bamboo slips
As the sun rises high in the sky, more people gather, and an atmosphere of joy named "happiness" warms up with the sunlight. The common young girls, like orioles and swallows, and the strong young men from farming families, dressed in occasionally damp clothes, inevitably create ripples with their skin brushing against each other, whether intentionally or unintentionally
At this moment, this seemingly trivial matter of the Tian family's internal strife marks the beginning of a series of events during the early to mid Warring States period.
The singing voice and gazes converged in one place, as the girl boldly lifted her head, examining the young man singing across from her. Perhaps satisfied with what she saw, she did not lower her head but instead stood upright, puffing out her petite chest, as if to ask: "I am standing well, so take a good look at me. Am I beautiful? If I am beautiful, then continue singing..."
However, after waiting for a long time, I encountered a few people who attended the lecture with me yesterday, and only then did I faintly hear some news.
Regardless of the presence or absence of the rooster's crow, it equally illuminates all things.
When going out to wash my face, I could only smile wryly in resignation
A young man standing next to the stage couldn't help but sing a line while staring at a woman across from him
The small individuals have no power of choice, they can only passively get involved and silently accept, with no other alternatives.
Awakened by hunger
The pond by the East Gate can nurture reeds. That beautiful and virtuous lady can engage in conversation with me
At this time, Lu Ban has long passed away, and when it comes to carpentry skills, Mozi can be regarded as the foremost person of his era. If he cannot accomplish it, then it is not something that others can achieve either
This is a public soaking pit in the city, with each household allocated a small piece of land, so there is no fear of others stealing it
Due to the great defeat of the State of Chu, four powerful vassals of Chu were killed in battle, many nobles became extinct, and the power of the Jing and Zhao clans significantly diminished. Thus, a Chu version of the Battle of Agincourt allowed the King of Chu to use Wei and Han to eliminate the powerful feudal lords within the country, finally creating the possibility of strengthening centralized power and reform. This also laid the groundwork for the weakening of the Moists, which was orchestrated by Wu Qi before his death.
Last night, he dreamed of a large white steamed bun, and he could not tell whether it was due to hunger or because the white bun resembled something on a woman's body.
Even without a rooster in the house, the morning sun will still pierce through the darkness
Last night, I was lost in a stream of thoughts, but today, I find myself facing a crisis at hand
Last night, that cheap dream from a past life, which could be bought for one dollar for two, has now become a fantasy that even a sovereign cannot attain
There are many things I want to do, but few that I can actually accomplish. Given the limited resources at home, even the simplest task of making tofu requires first obtaining a grinding stone, which cannot be managed without several dozen yuan. Not to mention the need to purchase equipment such as a soybean processing machine, large clay pots, filter cloths, and so on.
The pool at the East Gate can soak hemp. That beautiful and virtuous lady can be met to sing together
Before dawn, I woke up.
In this era of entertainment scarcity, even a good dream can be a story to share with others. However, this particular story cannot be told, as neither my brother and sister-in-law nor the entire population of Shangqiu knows what a steamed bun is.
Due to the great victory of the Three Jin, they leveraged their power to pay a visit to the Zhou Emperor, obtaining a mandate to punish the Tian family for their violation of Zhou rites and the murder of their family head in an act of usurpation.
The bright voice pierced through the somewhat stagnant air filled with the stench of hemp water, drawing laughter from several girls across the way. The bold and daring one deliberately twisted her waist, kneeling there to arrange the bundles of hemp, her posture outlining a ripe peach.
So, this is how women were at that time. Did my ancestors in a past life also meet in this way?
The significant event that took place in the State of Qi seems to have no relation to him, yet in reality, it concerns his life
I am going to die...
After carefully inquiring about what had happened, it felt as if a bolt from the blue had struck directly above my head. The wooden stick in my hand fell to the ground with a thud, and I stood there like a winter dove, foolishly, with a face full of sorrow.
Even if one did not die during the siege of Yuguan, the Song state would betray Chu again. Indeed, Chu cannot compete with the Three Jin states, but it still possesses the capability to retaliate against the Song state in order to intimidate those vassal states. At that time, another round of turmoil would ensue
Even if one does not starve to death within the besieged city, going to Yuguan in the future to build walls for the State of Chu would still be a matter of life and death. At this time, the intensity of labor is extremely high, and the workers are from the State of Song, which the State of Chu does not care about.
It is not that the roads are free of lost items and the doors are not closed at night, but rather that soaking the hemp is the first step in the process. The subsequent steps of drying, separating, twisting, and spinning the thread are the most troublesome.
At this time, cotton had not yet arrived, and the flax that came from Central Asia had not yet taken root in the Central Plains; the primitive ramie supported the basic garments.
Because they had lost the last shred of dignity, the Tian family, along with the Han, Zhao, and Wei families, forced the auspicious figure Duke Kang of Qi and the already weakened Duke Lie of Jin to accompany the states of the Three Jin, Song, and Zheng to pay homage to the Son of Heaven in Zhou. Taking advantage of the opportunity when the states of Song, Zheng, Qi, and Jin were all going to pay their respects, they requested to confer the title of marquis upon the Three Jin.
Due to the significant victory of the State of Jin at Línqiū and the support from the three Jin states, the pro-Jin faction in the State of Zheng has experienced a substantial rise in power. The conflict between the pro-Chu and pro-Jin factions has intensified, prompting the State of Chu to intervene in order to maintain its hegemony
Holding a small wooden stick, he was just about to draw something astonishing, like a millstone, an ox plow, or a furrow, as if Mozi were present, even if he pretended it was something taught to him by a hermit while chopping wood in the mountains
What I think of is not those passionate and fiery songs, but rather the words that Uncle Ma once said... The lower the class, the more one has nothing, the more one can possess true love and the sexuality that comes from love. It is neither a plaything nor a transaction; apart from loving and being attracted to each other, they have nothing else to trade.
After thinking for half a day, I am still at a complete loss.
The cold water splashed on the face, completely wiping away the remaining drowsiness.
Due to the significant rise of the pro-Jin faction in the Zheng state, taking advantage of the internal strife over the succession in the Chu state, they boldly confronted Chu with the audacity of striking a rock with an egg, resolutely supporting Prince Ding of Chu.
Do you have enough food at home to last for a full ten months?
Considering Mozi's technical level and the talents of the Mohist school, it is a matter of enlightenment to achieve results by following the prescribed methods.
In the past, every meal was rich in oil, but after coming here, the common people's households serve only two meals a day, and there is hardly any oil or fat. Each person has an astonishingly large appetite, yet no one can feel full.
During this period, King Cheng of Chu was assassinated, leading to chaos within the state of Chu. Xiong Yi ascended to the throne, while his strong younger brother Xiong Ding, who claimed a right to succession, fled to the State of Zheng to gather an army and seize the throne.
Before long, the melodious singing, reminiscent of a yellow oriole, floated over from the opposite side of the pond, so fervent that even this time traveler felt a bit flushed
The pool at the East Gate is suitable for soaking the fabric. That beautiful and virtuous lady can engage in conversation with me
All these things seem to be far removed from reality, yet each stroke is inscribed with the blood of thousands on the bamboo slips.
Moreover, this crisis is indeed too close, at most one year!
Due to the establishment of a formal alliance, the various states united to attack Qi, and even the state of Yue sent troops.
Carrying a瓦罐 to a well in the city to fill the large陶罐 at home, the simple orange lever does not require bending down; with a firm pull on the rope, the陶罐 will obediently be lifted from the well on the other end.
The story of the loose horseshoe that he knows, which led to the downfall of a nation, is perfectly applicable here
People on the street have already begun to busy themselves with the act of living, contemplating that they still need to go soak the hemp today. After returning, I had a bite of the leftover cold corn rice from last night and informed my brother and sister-in-law that I was heading out of the city.
Reluctantly getting up, I arranged the soaked hemp, carried it on my back, and decided to go listen to Mozi's lectures again
The cicadas have already begun to sing in the afternoon, yet the figure of Mozi is no longer beneath that cypress tree.