The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 349 Sudden Disaster
Halfway through the meal, Zhu Wu put down his bowl and chopsticks. Yang Qiaolian wanted to serve him rice. Zhu Wu shook his head and said he was full.

Wu Youdi looked at her son: "But what do you want to tell us?"

Zhu Wu scratched his head, hesitating and not knowing how to speak.

Wu Youdi knew very well that her son's temperament could make him so hesitant, and it must be no small matter.

"Oh, what are you talking about!" Yang Qiaolian was impatient, and slapped the man's leg heavily.

Zhu Wu sighed: "The manager of the Zhou family passed down the message and said that the rent will increase this year."

"what!"

Wu Youdi and Yang Qiaolian's expressions changed.

"Last year it went from [-]% to [-]%, why is it going to go up again this year?" Wu Youdi put down her bowls and chopsticks with a frown on her face.

Yang Qiaolian nervously grabbed the man's arm: "How much will it increase?"

Zhu Wu sighed and said: "It is said that it will rise to [-]%."

Yang Qiaolian and Wu Youdi looked at each other, shocked and speechless.

"One acre of land is busy all year long, and the total harvest is so small, and [-]% of it has to be turned over to the owner. How can the rest be enough for the family to survive until next spring?
This week's family is really a skin-sucking ghost and a vampire. Are they going to let people live? "

Yang Qiaolian's face was flushed with anger, and she couldn't help yelling and cursing loudly, and she was already choking up and wiping away tears.

"Shh!~ Keep your voice down!" Zhu Wu quickly tugged at his wife.

Yang Qiaolian lowered her head and wept silently, full of sadness and grievances, no one to talk to.

"Brother, why are you crying?" Daya asked in a low voice with her big eyes flashing and her head hidden behind the big flat bowl.

"Shh!~ Stop talking! You don't understand!" Zhu Liang said with a serious face.

He seemed to understand what the adults said, his brows were furrowed with a worried look on his face, and even the fat skin he pulled into his mouth seemed to no longer smell good.

Wu Youdi sighed: "In this world, the poor are getting more and more desperate. We have paid [-]% of the rent. Before next spring, our family will be hungry. Dalang, did the manager of the Zhou family tell me why we have to charge the rent?" Such a high rent?”

Zhu Wu smiled bitterly and said: "The steward of the Zhou family said that the Tang Dynasty court was at war recently. It seems that the Ma brothers of Chu Kingdom were fighting among themselves. The court felt that there was an opportunity to take advantage of it and decided to send a large army to conquer it.
The master of the Zhou family is an official, or he is the commander of the Gongsheng Army. When he is a general, he says that he must respond to the imperial court's call to collect money and grain to raise military supplies. Apart from the grain tax twice a year and the fifteen cents of farm money, the civilian land is not divided. In both middle and lower fields, a labor tax of two liters of grain and five cents will be levied.
The Zhou family said that if the rent and tax on private land increases, private land will naturally follow the increase and only increase by half a percent. This is already a sign of kindness from the owner of the Zhou family."

Wu Youdi thought about it silently in her mind: "One acre of civilian land will yield two liters more grain. According to the season this year, a family of five or six can cope with it. If you pay an extra five cents, it will be like half a month's work in vain. No matter what, it is better than The Zhou family’s rent is less.

The Zhou family charged us half a percent of the rent, which was far more than two liters of grain and five cents! "

Zhu Wu scratched his head and said helplessly: "But our family has no land, and the name is still in the name of the Zhou family. We can only be a tenant of the Zhou family. Whatever the Zhou family says, we can do whatever we want."

The family sat around the low table in silence. The sun was setting in the west, and the light in the earthen house gradually dimmed, reflecting on everyone's face, making everyone's face look gloomy and unclear.

Yang Qiaolian said angrily: "Our family must not pay this rent! If we pay it, we will have to borrow food to survive in the second half of the year. We will borrow it next year or the year after that. When will it end? Who knows whether the Zhou family will increase the rent next year?" son!"

Wu Youdi saw that Zhu Wu was sullen and silent. She got up and walked outside the earth courtyard to see if there was no one around. She returned to the courtyard and closed the bamboo fence, fastened the door bolt, returned to the low table and sat down.

"Dalang, tell me honestly, what do you think?" Wu Youdi whispered.

Zhu Wu looked at his mother, then at his wife, gritted his teeth, and said in a low voice: "Mom, Qiaolian, let's run away! Go back to the north!"

Wu Youdi and Yang Qiaolian were startled. Yang Qiaolian said nervously: "The master of the Zhou family is a general. He has soldiers and officials under his command. Where can we escape to?"

Wu Youdi also said bitterly: "Our hometown, Haozhou, is now under the rule of the Tang State. The Zhou family was very powerful in the Tang State. Even if they returned to Haozhou, they would be captured soon.

The fleeing tenants are all treated as homeless refugees and left to the master’s disposal, even if the Zhou family killed us, no one will bother.”

Zhu Wu hurriedly said: "I have inquired about it. Big changes have taken place in the north. The former Liu Han court is gone. The new emperor's surname is Guo, and his country is called Dazhou. I heard that he is a wise monarch who knows the sufferings of the people. He should The first thing the emperor did was to issue an edict to reduce taxes for the people. Now under the rule of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the grain tax on one acre of farmland does not exceed five liters at most!"

Yang Qiaolian opened her eyes wide: "Five liters? So low? How much do you have to pay to go to the fields?"

Zhu Wu laughed and said: "The most I can pay for Shang Tian is five liters, and for Xia Tian, ​​I guess two or three liters will be enough!"

Wu Youdi murmured: "This man named Guo is really a good emperor~~~"

Zhu Wu said excitedly: "I also found out that the imperial court of the Great Zhou Dynasty issued an edict saying that as long as you voluntarily cultivate fields within the Great Zhou Dynasty and report to the local government, you can register your household and land registration and become an upright household. If you pay the grain tax and land money on time, these fields will become your own property and can be passed on to future generations!"

Yang Qiaolian couldn't believe it and trembled: "We have no excuse to escape. We can only be regarded as refugees. Can refugees also occupy land?"

Zhu Wu nodded heavily: "Yes! Liu Shuanzi, who worked with me in the express freight house, and his uncle's father-in-law's son-in-law escaped there with their whole family a few years ago. The weather was a little warmer and the snow melted, and the whole family escaped. He was busy reclaiming wasteland on the outskirts of the county seat, clearing out eight acres of land before spring planting, registering it with the county government, and allocating it to his name!

Liu Shuanzi told me about this, and said that he and his brother had discussed it, and when Chuzhou Qingliu Pass was opened, the whole family would escape! "

Yang Qiaolian covered her mouth with envy: "Eight acres of land! It's still on the edge of the county town. When will this great good thing happen to our family!"

Wu Youdi was filled with envy and emotion after hearing this, but after all, she was older and could keep her composure. She calmly whispered: "Dalang, do you want to take our family and Liu Shuanzi to escape together?"

A ruthless look appeared on Zhu Wu's honest face: "Mom, we are helpless in the Tang Dynasty, and we don't even have an excuse. If we stay here, we can only work for the Zhou family for the rest of our lives.

It would be fine if the Zhou family treated our tenants kindly, but the Zhou family increases the rent every year, making it impossible for people to survive, so they can only run away!
The Zhou family was so powerful that it was too dangerous to stay in Tang, so they had no choice but to flee north.

It's rare that the north has a good emperor who treats our people as human beings. I want to give it a try. If I can leave some family property for Liangwa and Daya, it will be worth my death! "

Zhu Wu looked at his young son and daughter and became more determined.

Yang Qiaolian held her ignorant children in her arms and began to sob and wipe her tears again.

Wu Youdi sighed and said: "You have to think about this clearly. If you take this step, there will be no turning back! If you can't escape and are caught by the Zhou family, our family will die!"

Zhu Wu knelt down in front of Wu Youdi and kowtowed three times: "My son is unfilial, and my mother is still suffering and suffering with me at such an old age."

Before Zhu Wu could finish what he said, Wu Youdi waved her hand to interrupt, caressed her son's head, and murmured: "Your father left early, and your younger brother was also killed by the Khitan people. We are the only family left to depend on each other. Although my mother is not here, I am illiterate even though I have read books, but I remember when I was young, the lame scholar in the village said that a woman has three obediences: obey her father before she is married, obey her husband when she is married, and obey her son after her husband dies. You don’t have to worry too much, your mother will listen to everything. your!"

Zhu Wu shed two lines of turbid tears, choked with sobs, and kowtowed heavily.The whole family discussed the matter of escaping, and their originally heavy heart became lighter, and they began to wander about the beginning of a new life after escaping to the Northland.

Immediately, Yang Qiaolian and Wu Youdi were busy packing their bags. Zhu Wu went out in the dark to discuss the matter of leaving confinement with brother Liu Shuanzi.

Zhu Liang was also repeatedly warned not to reveal what his grandma and parents said at the dinner table. Zhu Liang was a brat and knew that the life of his family was at stake, so he would not care about anything outside.

His only important responsibility is to take good care of his four-year-old sister.

A poor family had nothing to deal with. The only thing that could not be left behind was the two tablets under the Buddhist niche. Wu Youdi held them and wiped them carefully, wrapped them and put them beside her.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law sat under the eaves and talked softly, imagining the beautiful life in the north, and even laughed out loud while talking.
The next day, Zhu Wu got up early and rushed out the door with two hot old noodle buns in his arms.

We had made an agreement with Brother Liu Shuanzi last night to set off together three nights later, and the three families headed to Qingliu Pass together.

As long as we successfully pass the pass, we are not far from the Huai River.

Brothers Zhu Wu and Liu Shuanzi still had three days of unpaid wages from Tongyuan Cargo Store. They planned to finish these three days and settle their wages before leaving.

The women and children at home were busy packing their bags and waiting patiently for the day of departure.

Another day later, Zhu Wu got up early to work in the goods store. He was supposed to go home around Shen Shizheng in the afternoon, but it was not until Xu Shi that he did not come back after dusk.

Zhu Liang complained that he was hungry, so Yang Qiaolian and Wu Youdi could only take their two children to eat first.

By the time they finished eating, it was already dark, but Zhu Wu still hadn't come back.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were worried, and went out to search around, but there was still no one.

There are a lot of single people in Nanwazi, and thefts often happen at night. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law dare not go far, let alone leave the two children at home, so they can only go home and wait.

It was late at night and they couldn't stand it anymore, so they fell asleep one after another.

At dawn, Wu Youdi was awakened by the crow of the old deaf man's big rooster. She suddenly thought that Zhu Wu hadn't come home yet, so she quickly got off the bed, lifted up the straw mat and ran into the main room. Only Yang Qiaolian was sleeping soundly with her two children. .

"Qiaolian! Qiaolian! Wake up! Dalang didn't come back all night, I'm afraid something happened!" Wu Youdi woke up her daughter-in-law eagerly.

Yang Qiaolian's groggy head immediately woke up. She didn't bother to put on her shoes and socks. She squatted down and rummaged under the wooden couch for the man's shoes and socks. When she saw that there was no change left, she knew that Zhu Wu had really not returned home all night.

"Mom, what can we do?" Yang Qiaolian fell down on the thin bed, with a look of panic on her face.

Zhu Wu would never come back without saying a word. Sometimes, even if he worked late into the night, he would have people drop by his house in advance to let him know.

Wu Youdi was also so anxious that her forehead was covered with sweat, but she forced herself to calm down: "If something happens to Dalang while working at Tongyuan Cargo Store, the store will definitely send someone to notify us. If there is no news now, it means that it is not the store. Something happened
You wake up the two children, and we rush to Liu Shuanzi's house. "

"Okay!" Yang Qiaolian was confused and quickly woke up Zhu Liang and Da Ya who were sleeping profusely and sweating.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Zhu Liang was confused and felt that his mother was using her short shirt to hit him hard.

"Little brat, if you don't get up, I'll beat your ass!"

Da Ya was sleepy-eyed, and Yang Qiaolian cursed a few words in annoyance before the two children got up in a hurry.

There was a barking of dogs outside the courtyard, and then a "clang" sound was heard. The bamboo fence was kicked open, and a dozen warriors in green robes and swords filed in.

Wu Youdi stood in the earthen courtyard. She was so frightened that she dropped the bamboo basket in her hand, and the bran in the bamboo basket spilled all over the ground.

"Who are you looking for?" Wu Youdi stepped forward to ask tremblingly.

The leader, a ferocious man with a black mole on his forehead, looked at Wu Youdi and said sharply: "Is this where Zhu Wu's family is?"

Wu Youdi swallowed her saliva and stiffly knelt down and saluted: "For the officials, this is Zhu Wu's home."

"Who is Zhu Wu, you old woman?" The ferocious man stepped forward and asked urgently.

"Village woman, village woman is Zhu Wu's mother." Wu Youdi was so frightened that she stammered.

"Hehe! Now we have found the right person!" The ferocious man waved his hand, "Catch him!"

Two green-robed warriors stepped forward and twisted Wu Youdi's arms, forcing her down to her knees with just a little force.

"Mom!~"

Yang Qiaolian in the hall witnessed all this, turned around and told Zhu Liang to hide in the house with Daya and not to go out, picked up the short stick blocking the door and rushed out of the house.

Zhu Liang was frightened and nodded subconsciously when he heard his mother's words. The two children hid by the window and secretly looked into the yard.

"Hehe~ What a bold woman!" The ferocious man sneered when he saw Yang Qiaolian rushing out.

Immediately, another green-robed warrior stepped forward, kicked Yang Qiaolian in the abdomen, picked up the handle of the knife and hit her hard on the cheek.

Yang Qiaolian screamed and vomited blood and fell to the ground.

In the main room, Daya witnessed her mother being knocked over. Just as she was about to scream, Zhu Liang covered her mouth tightly, half dragging and half dragging the little girl out of the house through the window, clinging to the wall and around the corner. Escape through the cracks in the collapsed wall.

When Wu Youdi saw that her daughter-in-law's face was covered with blood and half of her face was swollen, her eyes immediately turned red. She struggled desperately and bit the back of one of them's hands. The man was so angry that he punched Wu Youdi in the face several times, hitting her hard. Blood splattered all over her face and she fainted on the spot.

"You bitch is really fierce!" The leading man with a black mole on his forehead spat, and then nuzzled towards the main room, "Go and search to see if there are any runaway family members hiding."

Several green-robed warriors broke into the main room with swords, rummaged through the boxes and cabinets, and came back to report that there was no sign of anyone else.

"Let's go!" the leading man spat, waved his hand and ordered people to escort Yang Qiaolian and Wu Youdi away.

When walking out of the muddy alley, the leading man deliberately let his subordinates shout loudly: "The fugitive Zhu Wu secretly instigated others to flee their hometowns. According to the law, they should be punished! Now, under the orders of the commander of the Holy Army, the offender Zhu Wu and his family will be escorted to Jiangning "Execution"

It was so eerily quiet in Nanwazi that even the big rooster of the old deaf man's family and the big yellow dog raised by his neighbor Zhang Meijian were so frightened that they huddled in their nests and did not dare to say a word.

(End of this chapter)