Restarting life in Siheyuan

Chapter 367 Ayou and Axin

The Dulong tribe in the Guoming Autonomous Region has been suppressed by this group of outsiders with mortars. Although the tribe leader finally relented, the atmosphere in the entire village is still tense and depressing.

A dark-skinned woman asked the man in a low voice, "Ayou, you really have to sign up to work. I heard that the third young master of the clan's hometown has made a message down there. Anyone who dares to go to work will be punished. We It’s okay if you don’t go.”

The man must be less than thirty. His thin body looks a little too thin. He took a sip of the gruel and left half of it.

"I'm full. This time I served too much. I can't finish it."

Then he looked at the woman and three children. The children were greedily drinking porridge made from a little rice and unknown fruit powder.

"Why don't you drink? I have to go. Ashin is still waiting for me outside the village. There are six of us together this time. Everything will be fine."

The woman licked her dry lips and whispered.

"I drank it when it was ready. I drank a bowl, so you don't have to leave it for me."

The man sighed. Women are always like this. After everyone has finished drinking, they secretly lick the bowl again, clean the pot again, and drink some of the leftovers. They thought they didn't notice it, but there is really nothing they can do at home. The output in the mountain is only so little, and the clan elders want to take some of it away. Everyone is not allowed to go down the mountain, saying it is unsafe.

"You mean the ones with guns also work?"

The man nodded heavily, "Axin is no match for me when it comes to hunting in the mountains. He is not as good as me in wrestling, climbing trees, or picking fruits. Now that their family has food to eat, our family must also have it. Since the elders of the clan can't do anything to them, , then what are I waiting for? Go to work early and earn some food for you. "

The two men took the tools issued from above and felled another designated large tree. The large trees that could be harvested were marked and could not be felled casually. They used machetes to clear out the tree branches, and in the end only straight branches were left. He picked up a tree trunk, tied the root with a rope, and called a few people who came with him to lift one end of the trunk.

The clan elders have always regarded the young men and women in the clan as private property. Without men, the village cannot be maintained, and women are the main labor force for wealth and food harvests, and are indispensable. Therefore, although the autonomous region calls for people to work in the mountains, many villagers dare not show it openly. Resistance, all secretly resisting.

"Afen said that all the grain and canned goods were confiscated, and the third young master also said harsh words. If anyone sneaks out of the village again, the men's legs will be broken, and the women's legs will be broken..."

Ayou has been here for four days at the logging camp at the foot of the mountain. In order to take care of each other more conveniently, he and Axin worked together. Although they heard that the wages for road construction were higher, they all kept their minds in mind and chose Maybe a lighter lumberjack.

The woman's eyes suddenly lit up, "That means it's true what they said about protecting the workers."

There is a thick layer of oil inside the can, which makes people's eyes extremely hot, but underneath it is all pork. The woman doesn't know how many years ago she last ate pork. It seems that she gave birth to her third child. The man has worked hard. It's a bit hard.

The Ashin family next door were also unbearably hungry. They heard that they had to work down below to take care of food. After working for more than ten days, they came back. It was said that they had exchanged a lot of food and two canned meats.

I got up and packed my things. It was actually very simple. I barely managed to put together a set of half-length clothes and pants, and carried a small baggage. This was very good. The homespun cloth was woven with local methods and dyed with local methods. It can be worn for many years without breaking. .

The big tree is very long, and even if you lift only one end, it is very heavy. The entire trunk is dragged along the ground. This is not an easy job. Fortunately, you don’t have to carry it far. When you get out of the woods, there is a rumbling machine to pull it away. There are also many short Yunnan horses pulling wood.

There are quite a few people doing the same job, and they rarely talk to each other. They work in groups of a few familiar people, each doing their own thing.

...

"I know, their Affen secretly told me that the porridge our family drank was the grain we borrowed from their family at that time, but wasn't their house raided by the third young master a few days ago?"

"Axin, I've been here for a few days, but why can't I see the supervisor?"

After coming out of the woods, a few people placed the tree trunks in the designated area and received a special bamboo stick. Their companions who came with them asked in a low voice.

The man smiled and said, "Afraid, what's there to be afraid of? Didn't you ask me what I did just now? Just now, it was Ayou who came down the mountain to report the people with guns. They heard that the third young master ransacked his home. So I went up the mountain to seek justice. The clan elder had already returned everything. One can was missing, and he even lost half a chicken. In the end, the third young master was still taken away. I think the clan elder’s begging for mercy was of no use. ”

"They, like us, are also working, but their health is better than ours. They work in pairs."

"Why don't you go? Why don't you go and wait to starve to death? There are only a few things in the mountains, and they still have to take away so much after we picked them up. Now there are three children who don't have enough to eat every day. You haven't seen that Ashin has been working for less than a month. Come back and bring all the good stuff."

"Ayou, why don't we go? I'm afraid."

"Do you really want to go? If the third young master gets angry, you won't be able to survive this day."

Ashin nodded and wiped his sweat, "Can't we see them during dinner? They all work and eat like us."

"Tell me, who are those in military uniforms? I thought they were prisoners, but I didn't expect them to work like us. Our family never works."

Ashin smiled, brightly for a moment, and his thin face smiled like a dried chrysanthemum.

"Who said people in my hometown don't work? I didn't see you this morning. The third young master was also sent to the wood factory over there. He should be cutting wood too. He does the same work as us."

"Then the third young master can agree? With his lazy muscles, he is still willing to lift the wood."

Seeing that his companion didn't believe it, Ashin said with a smile.

"You forgot that the second young master was taken away last time and sent directly to a labor camp. He hasn't returned to the village yet. The third young master is also a labor camp this time. It's okay to quit if you want. Those people are very cruel."

The companion shook his head, "I don't think they are mean at all. You can eat if you work here, which is much better than in the village. They also said that they will remember the amount of work we do, and we will be invoiced based on the amount of work done."

There are some supplies in the autonomous region that can only be exchanged with receipts from work, including grain and canned meat. After doing the work, you can choose to ask for money or votes, but everyone basically chooses to ask for votes in exchange for grain and canned meat. Canned meat.

The status of canned meat has also advanced by leaps and bounds. Now it is said outside that you can exchange a few canned meat for a wife. Unfortunately, this business has been sealed by the autonomous region, saying that people cannot be traded. Many young men took home the canned meat they saved. After working for a month, you can exchange four of them. Although it is cheap, you can’t get more than you want.

This was Zhu Xuefeng's idea when he left. Two cans of these cans are now distributed to soldiers in the army and one to their families every week. Others have to be exchanged with receipts. As for why, Zhu Xuefeng did not say, but there are still cans in the warehouse. Quite a few.

"Let's work hard and try to cut three more in the morning."

"Okay, the more you work, the more you earn."

Several partners hurried back to the woods and started logging again.

"Axin, why do I feel that you are stronger than me now?"

Ayou couldn't believe it. For many years, he had been pressing down on Ashin. He felt very strenuous when lifting the tree just now, but Ashin seemed to be used to it.

"I've eaten more than ten days more than you, and of course I'm more energetic than you. By the way, Ayou, after I finish working this month, I want to change my job. Do you want to come with me?" Both of them stepped on the roots of the tree, and they were talking. Face to face, Ayou was a little surprised when he pulled the big saw hard.

"Isn't this a bad job? Although it's tiring, didn't you change the grain last month and still have two cans? Why did you change it?"

"It's not just these. I also exchanged a lot of money to buy other things. There is no limit to that. One person can only exchange so much for grain and canned goods this year. It is said that next year's harvest will be good, so I can exchange for more."

"Then you still have to leave. Isn't that great?"

Ashin shook his head, "I heard they said that a power plant is being built outside the town. If you can learn how to use electricity, you will become a skilled person and work as a worker. This will pay more, and it can be regarded as a formal job, and you can work for a long time."

Ayou is a little unsure. Electricity is still too far away and mysterious for him.

"I would like to be like them, patrolling everywhere with guns. Their treatment is better than being a worker."

"You want to be a soldier. Being a soldier means fighting, and people will die. What will your mother-in-law and children do at home?"

Ashin was surprised by Ayou's thoughts and looked at this friend who had been competing against each other since childhood.

"I heard what they said that day at dinner. If you are a soldier and take care of food, you will get a salary every month, you can get eight cans of meat, and you will receive benefits for injuries. If you are really unlucky, you will also have pensions to raise your children. It doesn’t matter about a person’s work arrangement, if he really dies, my mother-in-law and children won’t have to go hungry.”

Ayou thought about how his mother-in-law secretly drank pot water every time, and felt uncomfortable. As long as he became a soldier, all these things could be solved. The clan elders had always blocked everyone from joining the army, and even stopped them from coming down the mountain to work. Now it's better. , dare not stop.

The treatment he received at work these days made Ayou believe that these people are very loyal and do what they say. Since they said that being a soldier is better than being a worker, why not give it a try? Even if you die, you will have a wife and children. The way out is decided.

If you perform meritorious service, you will be rewarded, and the officer will be assigned a house instead of living in a shack. Ayou has no place to display his hard-working skills. This is an opportunity, so he must seize it.

After hearing Ayou's words, Ashin was a little hesitant. He had heard about this before and was moved by it, but he was reluctant to leave home, so he chose to try his luck at the power plant.

In this land, the establishment of the autonomous region broke the tranquility of this land and brought unprecedented hope to many families and young people. Countless people are making choices.

"Then you go and try it first. I'd better go to the power plant to try my luck."

Ashin still can't make up his mind, so let's try to be a worker first. I heard that one worker in the south can support a family. If he becomes a worker himself, and if his mother-in-law also learns to farm, the family will never be like before. Hungry every day.

The logging was still going on. In the jungle, the selected big trees fell down one after another. At this time, the trumpet was blown from the bottom of the mountain. Everyone stopped, packed up their tools and went down the mountain. It was time to have dinner.

"Axin, let's cut down one more tree today than yesterday. Let's hurry up tomorrow and see if we can cut down another one."

"Well, if we keep going like this, we can replace more oil, salt and cloth at the end of the month, and then we can make clothes for the doll during the Spring Festival."

Ayou looked at his companions. They were all exhausted, but much better than the first day. The food here was much better than at home, with oil and salt. Every time after a night's rest, he felt better than yesterday.

...

Several friends were happily enjoying their daily dinner. Ashin and Ayou both felt it was worth it. There were three multi-grain steamed buns for each person, a small bowl of vegetables with a few slices of meat and eggs, and a small plate of pickle strips. There is also unlimited hot soup, which should be stewed with meat or bones. There are a lot of vegetable leaves, a strong broth flavor, and it is full of oil.

After taking a sip, all the fatigue in his body seemed to disappear a lot. The food at the construction site was really good. It was said that the food in the army was even better. Ayou became more determined in his thoughts.

"Ayou, look over there, see if it's the third young master."

In the distance, a man was angrily slamming the dish on the ground.

"I can't eat the same thing as these low-class people. This is this at noon and this at night. How can anyone eat this kind of food?"

Several companions looked at each other and then at their own meals, with wry smiles on their faces. The third young master disliked such a good dinner. Yes, how could the third young master eat such simple food at home, but the people below could not even eat it. , there is no oil, water or salt, so I usually just throw the fruit in the fire pit to roast for a while, pull it out, remove the shell, swallow it with the soup, and chew a few mouthfuls of dug vegetable leaves.

“Eat as much as you like, or you’ll be hungry if you don’t.”

The guard on the side stood up, picked up the dumped steamed bun, pulled it a few times, blew it, and ate it cleanly. The third young master looked at the guard and was speechless in surprise.

He turned around and saw Ashin, his eyes were red. It was this tribesman who refused to accept him and sued him, which was why he ended up like this.

He stood up and walked over directly, kicking Ashin while still cursing.

"You untouchable, it's all you..."

Ashin was carrying the dishes and the steamed bun, and carefully avoided it, still biting half of the steamed bun in his mouth. He didn't say anything, but there was a light in his eyes.

Before the third young master could make any further moves, the management staff and guards rushed over, kicked the distinguished third young master down, and quickly tied him up.

"If you cause trouble and beat others without any reason, you don't have to do the labor camp. You will be sent back tomorrow to be tried by the court."

The guard who just ate the thrown bun looked at the third young master with a dark face, full of disgust.

"What's wrong with me in disciplining our people? Why are you tying me up? Let me go. Let me go."

The guard said with a dark face, "You wasted food, destroyed production, provoked troubles, and intended to beat others. In addition, you robbed others of the fruits of their labor last time. Counting so many illegal crimes together, according to the current law, you can even be executed." take away."

The third young master was being led away while cursing, and the diners, led by someone unknown, applauded enthusiastically.

On the third day, Ayou and the others heard that the third young master had been severely sentenced to five years of hard labor and had been sent to the mountains to mine. It was said that the clan elder wanted to pay gold to protect the third young master, but the court gave the clan elder a warning. .

Now among the clan members, the clan elders have stopped talking, and the eldest son is also conscientiously cooperating with the autonomous region's requirements.

"It turns out that the elders of the clan are not the most extraordinary. They will be knocked down by others."

The light in Ashin's eyes became brighter, and Ayou seemed to see the dawn of life.

(End of this chapter)