Dressed as the best old lady in the famine years, I suddenly became rich

They set off immediately after dawn the next day. The yamen officer's prediction was correct, and everyone arrived at Fucheng at noon.

Starting all the way from Wangshan Town, Fucheng is the busiest city that everyone has seen during this period.

The stall where wealthy households in the city were recruiting long-term workers was set up at the city gate. Ke Muqing and others saw it when they passed by the city gate. There was already a long queue here.

Yang Wenxiao couldn't sit still, so he jumped off the bullock cart and went to the front to join in the fun.

After a while, he came back and came over to Ke Muqing.

"Mom, these wealthy households only recruit young and strong men, not old, weak, women or children. However, if someone in the family is recruited as a long-term laborer, they can bring their father, mother, wife and children to live together in the city. If others want to live in the city permanently, Or if you want to join relatives and friends, you have to pay a settlement fee, no matter male or female, old or young, twenty taels of silver and five pounds of grain for one year."

"If people passing by want to enter the city to stay in an inn or something, they have to register at the city gate, pay a temporary residence fee, and pay three kilograms of food per person. They can stay for a maximum of three days. When they leave the city, they have to go to the city gate to sign. If it exceeds three days, another three kilograms of grain must be handed in. Otherwise, those who are found to be stranded without reporting will have their property confiscated and driven out of the city."

"In short, either the family has children and husbands who have gone to work as long-term workers in wealthy families to bring their families to the city, or they have to have money and food to enter the city. Not all people who have fled the famine can enter the city."

Ke Muqing rubbed his eyebrows, the world was really getting more and more ridiculous.

Master, I'll go and have a look too. "Yang handed Yang Wenxiao a riding whip and jumped out of the carriage and passed.

Yin Tang came over. He met Yang Wenxiao in front just now. Seeing that Yang Wenxiao was back, he knew that the Yang family also knew the requirements for entering the city.

"Sister, we just went to the city gate to ask. The young man at the city gate asked us to go a few miles further. He said that the post station is still open. The county government will send people to deliver the supplies and official documents that our government officials need to the inn station. If we The government officials are going into the city. Just show your waist badge to the young general guarding the city gate and you can go in directly. You don’t have to pay for food. We’re going in soon. Is there anything you want to buy, eldest sister?”

"I'll go into the city and take a look myself later," Ke Muqing said.

Yin Tang said hello and did not leave in a hurry. Instead, he went to talk to Ke Xiucai again.

Ke Xiucai looked at the sallow and skinny people who were stopped outside the city and let out a long sigh.

"We have been out for so long, and we don't know what happened to the people who stayed in Wangshan Town."

Hearing Ke Xiucai's emotion, Ke Muqing thought of the two sisters Yang Lizheng and Yang Xiuxiang.

Of course, there is also Ke Hongxiu's family.

"The situation has been like this all the way. Hongxiu and the others should have moved to the village by now, right?"

Ke Muqing guessed, "I'm just worried that when Yang Lizheng and the others take the villagers out to escape, passing by the intersection of the previous village, I wonder if they will encounter those villagers who have become bandits."

Caiqiao happened to hear Ke Muqing's words as she passed by, and she was a little surprised and said, "Auntie, you don't know yet? When Master Chen and others took us away that day, they set fire to the village."

"On a dry day, I sent the men to work separately, each with several fires. When we left, the whole village was on fire, and the fire seemed to reach the sky. In the dark night, it burned up the whole sky. Before setting the fire, Mr. Chen Chai and the others also put sweat medicine into their water, and everyone who drank the water was burned to death that night."

"Those who had no water to drink, and those who saw the village on fire and wanted to run out of the village, were killed on the spot by Mr. Chen Chai and others." "Master Chen Chai and the others also took away all the valuable things in the village, one by one on the way. It’s divided.”

Although Caique was rescued by Chen Hu and others from the villagers, because she witnessed the cruelty of Chen Hu and others, Caique was very afraid of Chen Hu and others. In the past few days, she tried her best to avoid interacting with those few people. A bad guy met.

Ke Muqing really didn't know about this, not even Yin Tang.

"No wonder Chen Hu and the others, who are usually so sloppy, went to change their clothes when they came back early that morning." Yin Tang thought about it carefully. When Chen Hu and others came back in the morning, the color of their clothes seemed to be darker. At that time, he He didn't even think about the clothes being stained with blood.

"Chen Hu and the others have never mentioned this matter to anyone, and Cainiao, don't mention it in the future either." Ke Muqing hurriedly explained, "Just pretend you don't know."

Cai Que nodded fearfully.

"Is your girl feeling better today?" Ke Muqing asked.

The Huang family girl was still on the Zhou family's carriage and was being taken care of by Mrs. Zhou herself, so Ke Muqing didn't go there much.

"Thank you for your concern, aunt. My girl's energy is getting better day by day. She had been sleeping a few days ago, but she has been energetic for a long time now. She also said that when she arrives at the inn soon, she would like to thank aunt in person." Caique mentioned her family The girl is very happy that her health is improving.

"Tell her not to move around. Taking good care of her body is more important than anything else. It's not too late to thank her. It won't be too late when she gets better." Ke Muqing hurriedly stopped her.

Cai Que said hello and continued to move forward.

After a while, Yang Yi came back, took the riding whip without saying anything, and waited until he arrived at the door of the inn. Everyone was busy with their own things, and then Yang Yi quietly reported the news he had inquired to Ke Muqing.

"Master, I saw a few wealthy households recruiting long-term workers at the gate of the city. Those few were dressed like stewards of a certain family, but looking at their bodies, the way they walked, and the way they stood, it seemed that these people were not He is like a steward from a wealthy family, more like a well-trained soldier from a military camp."

"I also took a look at their register of long-term workers. There are all men between the ages of 16 and 36. Those who are sick are not allowed, those who are disabled are not allowed, those with bad eyesight are not allowed, and those who are timid are not allowed. There are many requirements. It’s not like recruiting long-term workers at all, but more like recruiting soldiers.”

Yang Yi guessed, "I'm afraid that someone is secretly recruiting soldiers in the name of recruiting long-term workers."

"This makes sense. There are so many cities in front of us that are in such chaos and no one is taking care of them. I'm afraid the people here are just waiting for the people to take the initiative to flee and come to the city to find a way to survive."

"It's a vicious plan that doesn't care about the lives of the people at all."

Ke Muqing sighed. For this man, only those who are useful to him are qualified to continue living.

"Forcing people into desperation to come to Fucheng to sell themselves as long-term laborers, and then bring their parents, wives and children into the city. Even after entering the city, these young and strong men find out that they have been cheated. In order to survive for a mouthful of food and a mouthful of water, For the sake of their parents, wives and children who have stayed in the city, what else can they do except accept their fate?"

"My family members are all in the city. In the future, they will not even have the qualifications to fear death when they go to the front line. In order to survive and for the lives of their parents, wives and children, they can only rush forward desperately. Only by making meritorious deeds and becoming a useful person Only those who can continue to live.”

So Ke Muqing said, this is really a vicious strategy.