Chapter 187

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

Warm reminder: This chapter is also 【unsuitable】 for viewing during mealtime.

Once the scope expanded from one person to an entire prefecture, how could the people of Weizhou endure it.

From trading insults to shoving with their hands was merely a split second.

The man was shoved once, opened his mouth and let out a strange cry, saying: "Weizhou people are beating people!"

He shouted again: "Weizhou people not only stole our Huazhou jobs, they even dare to beat people! He's bullying us because he thinks we have no one!"

Finished shouting, he didn't forget to curse at the middle-aged man: "If you want to shit and fart, go back to your own river channel, how do you have the face to come bully us Huazhou people! Getting a bargain and still acting smug, you son of a bitch! Motherfucker motherfucker motherfucker motherfucker!"

Huazhou's river affairs actually recruited laborers from Weizhou, and even gave subsidies.

If these subsidies weren't given to Weizhou people to claim, they originally should have all belonged to Huazhou people themselves — such talk had been spreading inside and outside the city for days.

Even many Huazhou people who originally didn't think much of it, after being instigated, had long since become unhappy.

The cake is only this big, originally my family could eat it all, you outsiders force your way in to share, naturally it's snatching food from our mouths.

This could still be tolerated, yet they come to bully people.

Once a matter involves regional origin, it's no longer about distinguishing right from wrong.

The Huazhou people behind naturally couldn't sit by and watch their own being bullied, and rushed forward one after another to help.

This place was originally a construction site, and it was right at the start of the work shift, everyone held either a hoe or an iron shovel, back and forth, sparks inevitably flew; at first they still held back somewhat, then someone unknown grabbed a shovel and slashed wildly, striking a man on the other side squarely, "Ah!" a miserable scream, blood gushing from his arm.

In that moment, everyone seemed enraged by that blood, each raising the iron tools in their hands.

Watching a mass brawl about to ignite, Han Li had already forced his way through the crowd to the very front, seeing the situation he shoved aside the man in front with one hand, strode forward, seized the offending shovel bare-handed, then turned to the patrol team behind him and ordered: "Blow the whistle!"

The few who came with him only froze for a moment, then hurriedly put iron whistles to their mouths and blew with all their might.

For a time whistle sounds rang out continuously, sharp and piercing, drilling into ears painfully.

During a group fight, everyone wants to speak, everyone wants to curse, each fighting their own battle, no one's voice can overpower another's.

But once this whistle sounded, sharp, urgent, truly unbearable, it made everyone on the field frown and cover their ears, all shutting their mouths; to cover their ears, many people's hand movements also stopped.

Taking advantage of the whistle's pause, Han Li frowned and shouted at the field: "What are you doing! Still working or not!"

He patrolled the river channel back and forth seven or eight times daily, most of the laborers present recognized his face, moreover Weizhou people knew this job was brought by him, Huazhou people also understood this subsidy was fought for by the Directorate of Water; hearing Han Li shout, though not to the point of immediately withdrawing, they all stopped.

Only a man of about twenty stepped forward, pointed at the middle-aged man opposite, and yelled: "Sir Official, it's not us causing trouble, this Weizhou stutterer acts too filthy, he shat in our river channel!"

By the voice, it was precisely the instigator from just now.

While speaking, he also spat a mouthful of saliva at the opposite man.

This action was truly provocative; the Weizhou laborers who had just stopped couldn't help but stir again, sporadic angry shouts rising.

The middle-aged man hearing this, already frantic, spoke even more haltingly, called out "Scholar Sir" once, but half a day passed without explaining the reason.

And Han Li seeing that provocative youth, hearing the other call him "Sir Official", then hearing his speech, repeatedly saying "stutterer", the contempt and disdain heavy within, already frowned, but turned to size him up with a glance, asking: "What is your surname and name, where are you from?"

The youth froze, hesitated a moment, then said: "This lowly one lives in Chengdong, called Li Erjing."

Han Li asked: "Are you new to the work? How come I've never seen you?"

Li Erjing was clearly stumped by this question, but quickly reacted, saying: "Sir Official jokes, there are thousands on this river channel, you're a busy important person, how could you have seen everyone?"

As soon as these words left his mouth, he felt everyone around looking at him, most gazes quite strange, a moment of unease, he only dry coughed once, pointed behind and said: "Sir Official, you look, this man's rotten shit is still here, is it not being managed? We Huazhou people must swallow this grievance??"

Han Li followed his finger's direction and looked, actually not avoiding or dodging, walking straight up.

At this time the sun was half out, although it lit half the sky, a layer of misty shadow still remained.

Han Li had someone bring a torch over, surprisingly squatted right there, took a tree branch, and stirred inside.

That pile was already a bit loose, loose shit is even smellier, stirred by him the stench grew heavier, the few who followed up couldn't help but step back.

Examined carefully for a good while, Han Li then stood up, returned to his spot, first asked the middle-aged man's name and origin, then asked when he started work, what he did last night, what he did this morning, whether there were witnesses.

He asked sentence by sentence slowly, breaking it down, asking very meticulously, the man answered sentence by sentence.

Because he was asked meticulously, the words to answer naturally became fewer, surprisingly he didn't stutter that much, much more fluent.

Turns out this man was called Liu Yang, acquaintances called him Liu Lao Ba, from Bajiao Village, Linghe Town, Weizhou, thirty-eight this year, came to work from the first day Huazhou started recruiting, always lived in the shed.

Also explained when he got off work yesterday, ate at the canteen with the ten-odd people in the same room, returned to the room, washed feet and wiped sweat, because today was early shift, went to sleep early.

"This lowly one went to the latrine last night! A whole room of people, they can all testify!"

Sure enough as his voice fell, people came forward to corroborate one after another.

This one said: "Scholar Sir, Liu Lao Ba isn't talking nonsense, he really opened his bowels last night, because he took long, I waited to go, even urged him several times!"

"Exactly, exactly! Lao Ba delayed too long, nearly made me shit my pants!" — this was one who didn't hesitate to disgrace himself to clear his fellow villager.

Yet that Li Erjing opposite sneered, saying: "You people speak for your own, upper lip flips lower lip, mouth like an ass farting, who knows if it's a lie!"

Almost every sentence was picking faults.

Weizhou people naturally furious, couldn't help but glare fiercely, about to quarrel, only the hot-tempered one just opened his mouth before being pulled by someone beside him, pursing lips and rolling eyes to signal.

— Turns out Han Li was still questioning, completely unaffected, everyone left and right listening.

"The clapper sound, sound rang, I, I got up, together with roommates, together, together went out the door."

"Our assigned area is in front, yesterday saw, saw them dig layer by layer, we dig piece by piece, I said, said, since passing by, go see who digs faster, jumped down to look, they waited in front, result just went down, not a moment, he gave a shout, shouted, shouted me out..."

Han Li listened while asking, waited until finished, seemingly just mentioning casually, asked: "What did the canteen serve last night?"

Liu Lao Ba answered it was barnyard millet bean cakes, paired with clear bone soup.

Han Li said: "Ate your fill? Want to eat something else?"

That Liu Lao Ba hurriedly answered: "Ate my fill! Ate my fill! Those bean cakes really stave off hunger, soup is good soup too, I drank two bowls, though a bit clear, not much meat flavor, bone soup strangely fragrant though!

Asking around left and right again, everyone in the room could testify he had not gone out that evening.

Only after questioning everyone thoroughly did Han Li turn to that Li Erjing.

This man's tongue was exceedingly sharp; he desperately avoided the important points and answered everything else, wanting to gloss over the rest with a few casual words.

But Han Li would not let it pass, asking: "Exactly which day did you arrive at the construction site? If you don't remember, I'll go ask the foreman — Li Erjing from Chengdong, right?"

Li Erjing dared not delay, and had no choice but to say: "This morning was the first time I came."

"Then you didn't eat in the kitchen last night? What did you eat?"

"Sir Official, what this lowly one eats — what does it have to do with him shitting anywhere? Punishing him is the urgent matter, right?"

Without Han Li speaking, someone in the Patrol Team beside him angrily said: "Answer what you're asked, that's it — why so much nonsense!"

Li Erjing hemmed and hawed for a while, still not speaking, when someone behind suddenly said: "When I went back last night, I seemed to see Li Laizi eating at Yu Xian Lou!"

The surroundings instantly erupted in a low murmur, and people began discussing among themselves again.

"Since when could Li Laizi afford to eat at Yu Xian Lou?"

"Holy shit, who is this guy? He eats at Yu Xian Lou, so why does he still run here to earn two copper coins, working a whole day can't even afford a single dish!"

Hearing this, Han Li did not pursue that line, only asking: "What did you eat at Yu Xian Lou last night? How many dishes? How much meat?"

Li Erjing could only brace himself and listed three or two dishes he ate.

Han Li's earlier questioning had all been stern; speaking on and on, his tone gradually softened. Hearing this, he even asked a few sentences about how those dishes were seasoned, making Li Erjing finally breathe a sigh of relief and start answering with a shameless grin.

Once everything was asked, Han Li suddenly said again: "Only these few dishes, no appetizers? Not even a cold toss of wild bracken, daylily buds, or wood ear?"

Li Erjing flattered: "Heh, Sir Official is like you grew eyes — there really were two cold plates, one cold-tossed daylily buds, one vinegar-tossed black wood ear!"

"Just that simple, no other expensive cold plates?"

Li Erjing instantly found his confidence, puffed out his chest and said: "Where would I afford anything expensive? Just happened to meet an acquaintance, I went to eat a favor — just these few dishes. If Sir Official doesn't believe it, later call yesterday's waiter to ask and you'll know!"

He urged again: "Why ask this? Hurry up and punish him for shitting randomly in our river channel first, that's the urgent matter!"

Hearing this, Han Li's face hardened, but he addressed the Patrol Team members on both sides: "Seize this Li Erjing, send him back to the yamen, have the Law Department arrange someone to interrogate him carefully."

Those two team members froze for a moment, but did not question it in the slightest, stepped forward and pinned the man down.

Li Erjing hadn't even reacted when suddenly both arms were seized, twisted behind his back — the whole man went dumb, struggling incessantly, shouting: "Sir Official blind? They're Weizhou people causing trouble, why arrest me? I clearly did a good deed, why aren't the wrongdoers arrested, but I'm arrested instead?! Just because he's Weizhou and I'm Huazhou?!"

Early on, quite a few people behind surged forward to help speak up.

This one said: "Han Xiu Cai, what did he do wrong, why arrest him?"

That one said: "If arresting, arrest together? Why only arrest our side?"

Another said: "Too unfair, right?!"

Han Li turned a deaf ear, only signaling those two patrolmen: "Bring the man over, make him die understanding."

He led the way, guiding the three behind him, and with a crowd of unknown numbers following behind, walked to that puddle of rotten shit.

The sun came out, the mist scattered completely in just a moment — at this time, even without torches, that feces could be seen clearly.

Indeed it was human shit, originally already rotten; Han Li gave it a poke, making it even more unbearable to look at.

Han Li had someone forcibly escort Li Erjing to the feces, and before the other could clamor, said: "This is clearly you yourself urinating and defecating anywhere, shitting into your own river channel, now framing others, provoking trouble — if not arresting you, who to arrest?"

These words out, the scene fell strangely silent for a moment; just one or two breaths' time, then buzzing discussions rose.

Li Erjing put on a very angry appearance, saying: "Good! Good! Sir Official not only lets those Weizhou people go, but takes this Huazhou person to take the blame! You should've said earlier this place doesn't want Huazhou people..."

He still wanted to speak, but Han Li stepped forward, pointing at the feces: "Aren't these the daylily buds and wood ear you ate last night? Came from your own belly — you won't admit it?"

And addressing Liu Yang behind: "He's one who eats mixed bean cakes and clear bone soup — his feces couldn't possibly produce daylily buds and wood ear, right?"

Li Erjing's voice sharpened, about to scream; hearing these words, that scream was actually stuck hard in his throat. He lowered his head to look, hadn't even had time to carefully distinguish, when someone behind pointed and said: "Oh my, makes me retch! Inside there really are long strands of daylily buds!"

"Turns out Yu Xian Lou's cold-tossed black wood ear is shredded, such fine strands — no wonder it's so expensive!"

"Just shredding it sells for several dozen wen a plate — why not go rob!"

"What is Li Erjing doing! Fine and well, why shit himself and then frame others!"

"No wonder he's a leper — bad stomach, poor qi and blood circulation, no hair on his head — look at his shit, watery rotten!"

His own puddle of feces, now in broad daylight before a crowd, analyzed this way and that — even if Li Erjing himself admitted he could shamelessly endure it, he truly felt uncomfortable as if ants were crawling all over his body.

And Han Li again pointed at the ground: "I just asked which direction you walked from this morning, you said from the southeast — from your direction, no matter how you walk, this spot is a blind corner. The Jia-Gui area has a large stone blocking — how could you see someone squatting here?"

Speaking, he randomly pointed out several people each from Huazhou and Weizhou: "You all walk a round from the direction he came."

The crowd went, not long after, almost running back, each panting, yet not forgetting to rush to say: "Indeed a stone blocks the view, can't see here!"

"There's also a protruding mound of earth blocking!"

"Fundamentally can't see! Even Han Xiu Cai standing this far out, same thing — can't see!"

Someone angrily cursed: "Li Laizi, you just came the first day, why shit in our own river channel, what are you plotting?"

Li Erjing stammered, fobbing them off with all sorts of words.

Han Li coldly said: "Think slowly, whatever you think of, go tell the Guan Cha of the Law Department!"

Again had the sides escort the man away.

Once Li Erjing left, the scene fell quiet for a good while.

Han Li addressing the Huazhou side: "Elders, I know everyone feels refugees or Weizhou able-bodied men snatched your livelihood — but the summer flood, who knows when it arrives. Perhaps next month upstream encounters ten or twenty days of heavy rain, river water surges, utterly unavoidable."

"One day earlier this river is dug through, one moment earlier the embankment and dam are repaired — when water comes, there's one more fraction of stability. If truly hit by a great flood again, a month or two without work, fields' crops can't be planted, everything rises in price — can you be happy about that?"

"Thinking like this, one ought to properly thank Weizhou and all places' disaster victims gathered here, these brothers and sisters — is that not so?"

He gathered full breath, and spoke loudly.

The Huazhou people in the scene all lowered heads, a look of having no words to reply; the Weizhou people behind also followed along feeling embarrassed.

"Hey, Xiu Cai, don't say this! We also got benefits!"

"Exactly, moreover the river channel opened, water flows well, same — won't flood our Linghe Town, we ourselves are happy too!"

"It's that Li Laizi causing trouble, don't know how he has such vicious thoughts, the rest were all tricked by him!"

"Exactly!"

But the one who had previously injured someone with a shovel hurried forward and said: "Which brother hit my hand with a shovel just now? Since work hasn't started yet and the kitchen hasn't delivered the rice, let me quickly take you to see the Eldest Sister at the Zhang Family Medical Hall—I don't know if your tendons or bones are injured!"

He sighed again: "Alas! It's still this clumsy hand! If it really doesn't work, I'll shout for a brother to come over and do your work for you today, just consider it an apology!"

The man whose arm was bleeding stepped forward upon hearing this, but said: "It's nothing, we're all our own people; the bad people are trying to sow discord among us, don't let it hurt our harmony—it's just a small wound, I'll take a look myself later!"

In the He Dao, a group of people were being friendly to one another here, and in Hua Prefecture City, Qian Zhongming was also being friendly with Dutou Ding.

"Wait until word comes from the He Dao office; Cen Dezhang certainly won't be able to handle it himself. Just tell him I'm still not feeling well, and make him anxious for another day."

"Send word to the Li Family, saying that the kitchen arrangements on the He Dao might possibly be handed over to their family, and ask if they have any response, how much benefit they're willing to offer."

Dutou Ding nodded eagerly, wearing a smiling face, spreading the horizontal flesh on his face into a flat smile, and praised: "Only the Kongmu knows! What is an open scheme? This is the open scheme sung in the plays!"

"The kitchen on the He Dao suddenly had a problem, and suddenly two counties' people were fighting with weapons—enough to make Han Wen Ji drink a pot! Once the Kongmu acted, with a light pinch, he pinched them all dead at once!"

Even knowing this was deliberate flattery, Qian Zhongming was still made pleased in mood by this shallow horse-fart, letting out a "hum" from his nasal cavity, narrowing his eyes, and slowly began drinking tea.

As he sipped, he silently praised in his heart: What good tea!

?? Hello everyone, in the book review section, Operations Official Xiao Tu is asking everyone for suggestions on the rules for distributing Reader Titles. If you have good ideas, welcome to discuss more and pool your wisdom.

? There are only ten titles this month, but everyone doesn't need to worry too much about not being able to get them. Later, as more friends obtain them, demand will decrease, and the titles will also increase. Before long there will be too many to give out! ~