Chapter 1365
It turns out we are quite wealthy
Chapter 1365 It turns out we are quite wealthy
Conversations like these among the group of men are taking place in many corners of the capital city.
As dawn broke, the crowds queuing to shop in front of all the grain stores were loudly asking each other, "Hey, have you heard?"
"I've heard, I've heard! They say the people from the east are a branch of our Wei people, and that they're one of us!"
"Nonsense! What I've heard is that the entire Eastern Desert is descended from our Wei ancestors! These unfilial descendants, after leaving home for a thousand years, actually come to attack the descendants of our eldest ancestor—that is, to attack us! This is utterly contrary to the will of Heaven and extremely unfilial!"
The Wei soldiers responsible for maintaining order at the entrance of the grain shop immediately stepped forward and said to the man who had spoken, "Brother, come here for a moment, we have good news for you."
This is such an exaggerated fabrication that the people of Wei might not believe it, and the plan to sow discord will fail. I'll have to call them aside and 'persuade' them.
"Oh? Is there something good for me?" The middle-aged man was delighted, feeling that his righteous words had moved Wei Jun, which was why he had received this invitation from Wei Jun.
“…” Wei soldiers said, “Yes, it’s a good thing. You can come over first, and we’ll send you back later. You don’t need to queue up again.”
Nowadays, grain shops in the city sell grain in fixed quantities according to the number of people registered in the household register. So once the curfew is over, every household brings their household register to buy grain.
Each household can purchase a five-day supply at a time, and the purchase will be stamped with the date. You can only make your next purchase after five days.
Otherwise, if every household in the city came to buy food every day, it would cause a major traffic jam within the city.
"Okay, okay, I'm coming!" The middle-aged man stood tall and strode ahead, following two Wei soldiers to a corner... where he got a beating.
The middle-aged man cried out in distress, "Waaah, sirs, why are you hitting me? What have I done wrong?"
Wei Jun: "You've been making a lot of noise, which is suspected of disrupting order and causing trouble. Is that enough of a charge?"
The middle-aged man: "..." Pah! Would I dare say it wasn't enough? If I did, wouldn't I get beaten up again?!
Fortunately, the beating was relatively light, and he was quickly sent back to continue queuing.
Everyone was enthusiastically discussing the major events in the city: "If the rumors are true, then the people of the East are really pitiful, having mistaken their enemy for their father for a thousand years."
"We've worked for that traitorous father for a thousand years for nothing! What a huge loss!"
Some people remarked, "If this is true, the people of the Eastern Desert are indeed remarkable; they have successfully tamed the people of the East."
"Hey, why are you praising the people of Dongmo?"
"Yes, you're praising the enemy, are you a spy?!"
The person who expressed his feelings was furious: "Don't make baseless accusations. I'm just stating the facts. Being able to turn others into your own people and have them work for you for so many years is an incredible skill!"
"Hey, go to hell with your ancestors! You keep praising me! I'll beat you to death, you traitor who's praising the enemy!" The one who was cursing rolled up his sleeves, ready to hit him.
Wei Jun's commander, with a cold face, ordered: "Take them all to a corner and try to persuade them!"
"Yes!" Several Wei soldiers escorted them away, treating them all equally, and they were all beaten.
The charge was: "You have disrupted public order and must be taught a lesson!"
“We don’t care who’s right or wrong, but so many people are queuing up to buy food. If a stampede happens because of you two, your whole family’s heads won’t be enough to pay for it!” After being beaten, the two had no choice but to admit their mistake and go back to queuing up.
At this point, the gossip everyone was talking about had changed: "Have you heard? Today at noon, the government troops at the two gates, the King of Ye, and Qin Dongjia will be in front of the Wuyuan gate to answer questions from all the Wei people in the city. They will explain everything in one go: how much food we have, whether we can leave the city, whether there are any reinforcements, and the situation in the west of the city!"
"I heard about it yesterday, right after dark. My family is going in shifts today. My brother Sanbai has already gone to the intersection of Wuyuan Street to reserve a spot." Liu Erbai said smugly, looking like he thought, "Isn't my family clever?"
But some people mocked him: "You need a household registration to enter Wuyuan Street. You've used your household registration to buy grain, so how is your brother supposed to get into Wuyuan? Your family's location is just a waste, hahaha!"
Liu Erbai's smile froze. He cursed under his breath, wanting to buy enough food rations so he could use the household registration to reserve a place for his younger brother.
After waiting for a long time, as the sky grew brighter and the noise of people almost shook the heavens, the gong that signaled the opening of the market rang out.
"On August 30th, at dawn, in the northeastern capital city of the Great Wei, grain shops will open. Wei people can purchase grain, oil, and salt according to their household registration and population, with a maximum purchase of five days' worth. Any purchases exceeding this amount will not be sold. Those who cause trouble will not be sold to, and locals will not sell to outsiders who are fleeing from disaster!"
Dangdang Dangdang!
On the next street, the firewood and charcoal shops also opened, and the announcements were almost the same. The streets were full of people queuing up, and the entire capital city had come alive, bustling with activity, a stark contrast to the scene outside the city.
"Hey buddy, my family has thirteen members. We need rice, flour, salt, and sugar, enough for five days each. What's the price today? It hasn't gone up, has it? The Prince of Ye said prices can't be raised!"
"The price hasn't increased. We won't raise prices on our own. These days, grain shops aren't run by the owners; they operate according to the official documents from both the government and military!"
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper shouted from the side, "Alright, enough nonsense! Just tell us what you want to buy. If the staff have to answer all your questions, won't they lose their voices by the end of the day? Shut up, stop chatting, let's get down to business!"
The noise was deafening, some people tried to cut in line, and the Wei soldiers would drag people out and beat them up after catching them... In short, it was chaotic yet orderly.
"Let's go, let's hurry to Wuyuan Street to grab a spot, or we won't be able to get in!!" The Wei people were very busy. After buying grain and firewood, they pushed their things and rushed towards Wuyuan Street.
"Fifth Brother, Fifth Brother, please save a spot for my family, I still need to fetch water!" Many Wei people had to fetch water after buying grain and charcoal.
To ensure water safety, all water sources within the city are now guarded by Wei soldiers. Wei citizens who want to fetch water must show their household registration and be supervised by the Wei soldiers to prevent the water sources from being poisoned.
"Okay, I'll reserve one for your family. Hurry up and come... If you don't come, that's fine too. I can handle things in Xiaoye Alley. I'll go back and tell everyone in the alley!"
Dangdang Dangdang!
"Those who have made their purchases, please leave immediately. Do not linger, or you will block the street!" The young soldiers' voices were hoarse from shouting.
"Hey, hey, hey, let's go!" The Wei people left like a tide, and then rushed towards the entrance of Wuyuan Street like a tide, leaving the Wei soldiers on duty at Wuyuan Street with their voices hoarse.
Fortunately, the Wei army had set up checkpoints throughout the city. Upon seeing the large number of people, they immediately began to block the flow of people: "Halt! By order of the King of Ye, for safety reasons, only a maximum of three households can enter from the same street, with one person allowed per household. After hearing the explanation, go back and inform your neighbors!"
Sure enough!
The Wei people were quite disappointed, but they didn't leave. They stayed to reserve their spots and went to register the students.
The students were really suffering. Gao Zhenzhi shook his right hand and felt that his hand was about to be ruined from writing... Moreover, doing this kind of registration work didn't bring any great merit; it was just pure hard labor.
"Pei is indeed very clever," Gao Zhenzhi said sarcastically, subtly implying to Shi Songxin about Si Pei.
But Shi Songxin had transcended these things; he was no longer interested in them and, as if in a meditative state, focused solely on registering Wei Min, who had come to sign up.
If more than three households from the same street have registered, the person registering will be told, "Your street has enough people to register. You can go back now. It's not your turn."