Idle courtiers

Chapter 19 Flipping the Ruthless Family

The thing is, the area of ​​Quanshui Village where Yunniang's mother's family is located is administratively classified as Wugang Township. Although it is located on the plain of the Huaihe River, it is because of the high terrain.Unlike other places in the county, which are full of rivers and lakes, there are small hills everywhere, and the most water shortage is at the turn of spring and summer.

It is also because of the lack of water that this place is named Quanshui Village. It can be said that it is named after what is lacking.

Because there will be two months of drought every year, during the Hongzhi period, under the leadership of the county magistrate, various families worked hard to build a lot of canals, which also watered this wheat-producing area into fertile fields.However, over time, various water conservancy facilities have become increasingly dilapidated, and the problem of people's irrigation water has become serious.

There are five major surnames in Wugang Town, namely Zhan, Hong, Liu, Zhang, and Zhao, and the Yang family of Yunniang's natal family is a family with a foreign surname who moved from Jiangnan in the Yongle year.The Quanshui Village where it is located is the most barren area, so the population is not large.Everyday folks are conflicted, and they always suffer moderate losses.

A while ago, due to the dry weather, the wheat in the field needed to be flooded with water, and the little water in the diversion canal was naturally not enough.The upstream Zhan family cut off the water flow, only cared about their own homes, and did not send a drop of water to the spring village.

No wonder Zhou Nan was at the entrance of the village earlier and saw that the wheat in the field was almost dead. It turned out that there was a lack of water.

This is the Yang family's rations for the next six months, if no one can be attracted, today's harvest will be over, so why not get angry?
Fighting for water was the most troublesome thing in China's agricultural era, and it even caused great turmoil that shook a dynasty in history.For example, in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom’s dispute over the land at the end of the Qing Dynasty, because the land and water sources had fierce conflicts with the natives, they finally broke out and corrupted the ten provinces in the south.

If the government can't deal with it well, it is to put itself on the fire.Therefore, they usually adopt an attitude of indifference and let the people negotiate and solve the problem on their own.

The issue of rations is as big as the sky, but there is no room for negotiation. The method of fighting with weapons is adopted directly. Whoever has the biggest fist has the final say. It is simple and rude, and there are not so many twists and turns.

The Yang family is small, and in Yang Liuye's generation, there are only a dozen or so households with fifty or sixty people.Excluding the old, weak, women and children, there are only a dozen young and strong people who can be gathered together.And the Zhan family has lived here for generations, and the family has multiplied and flourished. With a single call, hundreds of people can easily be gathered.

The most terrible thing is that Zhan Zhongcheng, the leader of the Zhan family, is the head of this area. He often walks around the county government office on weekdays. He is a member of the grassroots organization of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhan Zhongcheng was a domineering man, and he often used the name of the yamen to send grain dispatches to Quanshui Village, taking advantage of the Yang family.In the past, the Yang family was weak and unable to speak on the scene, so they endured it.

But this year, Wugang Township is suffering from a severe drought. It is hard to see the wheat in the field drying up, so it is natural to fight hard.Considering that the Yang family did not have enough hands, Master Yang called Zhou Nan, his son-in-law, and asked him to help him out.

After listening to the old man's words, Zhou Nan felt his head was a little big.It's not that he can't fight, the nutritional conditions of the Ming Dynasty people are not very good, and he is considered a big man among a group of short farmers, and it is no problem to crush one or two people physically.

In his heart, Zhou Nan was not in the mood to participate in such a barbaric fight.

He shirked and said: "Master Taishan, you also know that my son-in-law has just returned from Liaodong for a few days. After so many years, the people in the village have long been weak. How can you call so many people? You should hire someone else. You kill I am afraid that my son-in-law and fellow villagers will not be blessed to enjoy this pig."

"No, no, you don't have to be humble. When you went to the county government to file a lawsuit with the people in the village, the old man happened to see it in the city. After watching the old man for a lifetime, no one can tell that you are very popular with the Zhou family. You They will definitely be willing to call out. Moreover, after I came down, I also asked people to inquire that you presented a poem to the county magistrate in the county that day, which was very popular with the magistrate. You gather people and let's do his surname Zhan. He Isn’t Zhanzhong’s success a result of being able to fight with a large number of people, and also being a village head? We have more people and horses working together than him, and we will definitely win. Comparing your skills on the scene, you used to be a scholar at any rate, in the county magistrate You can talk about it, so you don't have to be afraid." Having said that, Liu Master Yang looked excited.

It turned out to be like this. To be honest, Zhou Nan did a good job last time when he went to the county to file a lawsuit. Everyone in the village said that he was worthy of being a Wenqu star.In a vague way, everyone took him as the leader, and some even privately said that after the seventh uncle's hundred years, the patriarch would have to be Nan Ge.

Hearing what her father-in-law said, Zhou Nan felt a little proud.However, I remembered that the little chair said that Yunniang's mother's family had a bad attitude towards Yunniang. When the uncle beat her, the old man still said that the beating was good.

He didn't like the family very much.

In the past, I haven't asked them to give an explanation.Now let yourself bring someone over to fight with weapons, do you think I'm a steamed stuffed bun?Besides, if he is really hurt, what face will Zhou Nan face the villagers in the future?
Shaking his head resolutely at the moment, he said: "Your son-in-law will not do things like fighting with weapons, and I advise you not to do so. Things in the world are always justified. If Zhan's family comes to disturb you again, you can go to the county government to file a complaint. The little son-in-law can't do anything else, but he can help you, Mr. Taishan, to write a pleading paper."

"Really not?" Yang Liuye asked again. Seeing Zhou Nan still shaking his head, he was immediately annoyed, and said coldly: "You said you were fat and you were panting. When you write a crooked poem, you feel that you are an idiot." People. Complaints, complaints? Complaints are useless. As long as no one dies, the yamen won’t even read the papers. What kind of person will they become? The head of the village, the yamen will have to rely on him for the taxes in the next summer and autumn to collect."

This is a harsh word, and Zhou Nan is about to explode.A woman came in and said, "Father, the pig's rim has been raised, and it's ready to be tidied up. Uncle and sister-in-law come here rarely, do you fry the heart and liver with leeks for dinner?"

This woman is Yunniang's sister-in-law Sufen, an ordinary peasant woman.

Yang Liuye slapped the table and shouted: "Eat, eat, eat, you know how to eat. The heart and lungs don't care about the money. All the meat is sent to the butcher for sale? The one next door to Mara, the field is confiscated this year, and this pig is sold. At any rate, the money can be exchanged for some food."

"But, but..."

"What's the matter, do as father said, you can't beat you to death if you talk too much." Another young man came in cursing and dragged Sufen away.The face of this person vaguely resembles Yunniang's, and it is Yun Zhounan's cheap uncle Yang Youtian.

As Yang Youtian walked, he continued to curse: "Do you really think that the man in the house is the scholar-in-law back then, and he deserves to eat our family's meat? Daddy was foolish back then, thinking that becoming a scholar would be of great benefit to our family in the future. Now Well, without fame, look at his white and tender appearance, of course he can't do the work in the field, maybe I have to move some from my mother's house. Ten acres of land, that's ten acres of good paddy fields, just feed the wolves like this .”

Zhou Nan's face turned ashen when he heard that, if the family said something nice, it would show Yunniang's face.For this matter, he can go to the county seat to look for Shizhi County, and ask him to give the Yang family justice.With the philistine attitude of my father-in-law, my uncle is simply a villain, and I am my grandson.

Right now, he was about to get up and turn around to leave.

"Sister-in-law, don't go, don't go." Yun Niang grabbed his sleeve and pleaded bitterly: "This is the first time you have come to my mother's house in the past ten years. If you leave like this, it is out of courtesy. You should stay overnight and come back tomorrow." It's not too late to go home."

Seeing Yunniang's slightly red eye circles, Zhou Nan sighed softly: "Okay, let's leave early tomorrow morning. Yunniang, we have made an agreement, we are not allowed to cry in the future."

"Yes yes yes, I won't cry, I won't cry." Yunniang wiped her eyes with the corner of her clothes: "I'll go and help my sister-in-law to cook."

Of course, the pork is not edible, only a few stick bones with all the muscles removed, stewed in a pot with beans, it tastes good.It's just that during the meal, Yang Liuye kept looking at Zhou Nan viciously, and Yang Youtian couldn't help making sarcastic remarks, which made Zhou Nan so angry that he almost walked away several times.

That night, the husband and wife rested in the firewood room and fell asleep dimly in the early morning after being bitten by mosquitoes.

At this moment, someone slammed on the door of the woodshed: "Second uncle, get up, get up, something serious happened."

It was the sound of a small chair. After taking a few shots, seeing that Zhou Nan didn't speak, he simply entered the room.

It is unforgivable to be disturbed to sleep, Zhou Nan snorted, squinting his eyes full of dark things: "Little chair, what are you doing, you are not polite."

"Second son-in-law, it's not good, it's not good. I just came from the wheat field, and the sixth grandpa and the second mother seem to be fighting with people. There are people everywhere in the wheat field."

At this time, Zhou Nan realized that Yun Niang beside her pillow was no longer there.Immediately, the whole person came to his senses, he jumped off the bed suddenly, and asked while putting on his shoes: "Where is the fight, how is Yun Niang?"

Little Chair: "I don't know, I don't know, Er Niang was knocked down on the ground, I'll take you there."

The two talked while running, and they came to the entrance of the village in a blink of an eye.The little chair is quite capable of talking, and the road has already explained the matter clearly. It turns out that the Zhan family and the Yang family have been in conflict for five or six days.

Zhan Zhongcheng, who works for the government on weekdays, is active in his mind, and prevents the Yang family from attacking from behind. He ordered people to take turns guarding the water source early on, and kept a close watch on Quanshui Village.

Early this morning, Yang Laoliu saw that his uncle was unreliable and there was no hope of reinforcements, so he simply took over a dozen men from the Yang family and brought hoes to take advantage of the Zhan family's unpreparedness to divert water.Anyway, if you attract a lot, you can save an acre and you will be able to save an acre, and you will be caught off guard when you beat your opponent.

When Zhan Zhongcheng heard the spies come to report: "Is this still worth it?" Immediately, more than 50 people rushed over and killed everyone in the Yang family.

Yun Niang was also enthusiastic. Although her father and brother ignored her, she got up early in the morning to deliver food and water to the villagers who were working together with the women in the village.

In the end, the whole village got involved.Seeing that the Yang family was retreating steadily, the little chair ran back to the village to bring in reinforcements.After much deliberation, Zhou Nan is the only combat power in the village now, who else to look for if not him?

When he arrived at the mountain at the entrance of the village, Zhou Nan looked intently, and his eyes suddenly burst into flames of anger.

(End of this chapter)