Chapter 90 of 100

Chapter 90: Is this what they call cutting off the roots?

17 min read4,298 words

The sky was just beginning to brighten, and many ragged and tattered people had already gathered on both sides of the road under construction, their heads densely packed in the morning light. They held a variety of tools, all of which were primitive. A little further away, a group of people standing by their wheelbarrows looked disdainfully at these fellow workers.

Working for the divine doctor, one would never be short of wages. With a wheelbarrow and a willingness to endure hardship, one could earn fifty large coins a day, all good, yellow copper coins, not the broken ones that split in two and showed no copper color.

"Paper money? Who uses that stuff now? If you pay with that, you might as well be asking for the heavens to take you away." This was said by the foreman of the stonemasons, Shi San, who had been favored by the divine doctor. "See that big stone roller? He led the people to drag it from the seaside."

As they chatted and ate their simple breakfast, a group of people approached from a distance. Everyone recognized the two leaders: Mr. Wen, who weighed eight catties, and the foreman, Shi San. Behind them were the village heads, several clerks and constables from Penglai County, and a dozen burly ruffians. The people waiting to work moved back a bit to avoid offending these good people who provided them with work.

"Good morning, Mr. Wen, good morning, Mr. Shi." Greetings were called out one after another as Mr. Wen and Shi San walked to the front of the crowd with stern faces.

"Listen up, Shi Foreman needs 200 strong men, two meals a day, and 20 large coins. Those who want to work, go stand over there for Shi Foreman to pick. Don't be discouraged if you're not chosen. The divine doctor said that since everyone has come from within a hundred miles, everyone will have work, regardless of gender. As long as you don't slack off, you'll get food. Let me make it clear: if you cheat, you'll be fired and never hired again."

Men who felt they had the strength went to the empty space, where Shi San began to pick. The ruffians with tattoos on their forearms carried several wooden signs, found an empty spot, and set them up, shouting loudly.

"Those who will transport soil, gather here." "Those who will crush stones, follow me." "Those who will dig ditches, come to me."

In a shed by the roadside, hot water was boiling. Mr. Wen and several village heads and constables went inside. The women who cooked and boiled water for the workers brought over teapots, and the group sat down on benches. The benches were made of wooden stakes buried in the ground with wooden planks nailed on top. The table in the middle was similarly constructed, with an extra layer of iron sheeting.

The group didn't mind the simple conditions and were all a bit excited.

Mr. Wen sat at one end of the table, looking at the people on both sides, and spoke with a strong voice: "Today, we follow the usual rules. Village heads, constables, maintaining order is up to you. I told the divine doctor that the year-end bonus will be increased by ten percent. He agreed and said that from today, you'll get an extra meat dish for dinner." The village heads and constables smiled and bowed, saying, "Thank you, divine doctor, thank you, Mr. Wen for your kind words."

Mr. Wen waved his hand. "Thanking the divine doctor is appropriate, but there's no need to thank me." As everyone laughed, Mr. Wen continued, "Bring Qu Guaizi in." Two strong men brought in a small, scrawny man with a sullen face and threw him to the ground. The man was tied up tightly, with a walnut in his mouth, making muffled cries.

Mr. Wen picked up his teacup, blew on the leaves, took a sip, and then sneered, "Everyone knows him, so I won't waste words. Qu Guaizi falsified records, overreported the amount of earth and stone, and cheated the divine doctor out of over 200 taels of silver. The divine doctor is kind and didn't say a harsh word to me, but he left it to me to handle. Everyone knows I'm not a kind person. Before the divine doctor came to Dengzhou, I often fought to the death over small matters. Working for the divine doctor for over a year has made me a better person. The divine doctor has given me face, and I have let him down by trusting the wrong person. Today, I'll say it clearly: whoever cheats the divine doctor will pay with their life."

With that, he waved his hand, and the two strong men put the man in a sack and carried him out, throwing him onto a wheelbarrow. They gave the driver a token and told him to push the barrow to the seaside.

Everyone knew the result: Qu Guaizi would be thrown into the sea to feed the fish. His family, old and young, would no longer be able to hold their heads high in Dengzhou. It was all because he was too greedy. 200 taels of silver was enough for Mr. Wen to hire hitmen to wipe out his entire family several times over. For over a year, Qu Guaizi had been envied by everyone. He started by doing odd jobs for the divine doctor and then took on larger earth and stone projects. His family had gone from barely having enough to eat to being able to wear clothes without patches, yet he still wasn't satisfied and had the audacity to take ill-gotten gains.

The scene fell silent. Mr. Wen looked at a man with a tattoo on his forearm and said calmly, "Li San, Qu Guaizi's work will now be yours. Don't let me down again."

Li San bowed and said, "Mr. Wen, my brother in the navy owes his life to the divine doctor. Even without the wages, as long as we have food, my brothers will do the job well."

Mr. Wen smiled and chuckled, "Say that here, but don't let others think the divine doctor values your few coins. Ignorant brute, the dozens of merchants in Dengzhou pay the divine doctor hundreds of thousands of taels in silver every year. Your few taels are nothing to be proud of."

Everyone laughed, and it was true. Li San scratched his head, and Mr. Wen continued, "When Qu Guaizi was in charge, he got one coin per cart of earth and stone. It's almost the New Year, and you have many brothers. The divine doctor said that before the New Year, you'll get two coins for every three carts. Keep a close eye on it. If anyone cheats, you know what to do, right?"

Li San stood up and bowed, "Mr. Wen, rest assured. If anyone cheats, I'll break their legs and throw them out."

Mr. Wen nodded in satisfaction, "That's right. Go see Zhang Tietou and tell him I said to lend you 50 wheelbarrows. Find some trustworthy brothers to earn more coins and have more dumplings for the New Year."

After giving the instructions, Mr. Wen left with a smile, but he was actually quite uneasy. Several major foremen under the divine doctor had no issues, but he had a scandal. Thinking about his past and the possibility of losing his current life, he wished he could have skinned Qu Guaizi alive.

Riding a donkey, Mr. Wen headed to Zhangjia Village, flanked by four strong men, looking quite imposing. Two miles from the village, he dismounted and walked, greeting everyone he met with a smile, a far cry from his authoritative demeanor at the construction site.

Over the past year, the people of Zhangjia Village had truly improved their lives. Three months ago, a woman from the village who worked in the divine doctor's household was taken back by her family to be sold. The second steward, Old Gu, led several servants to rescue her, leaving a trail of injured and a stern warning: "Not only the people of Zhangjia Village, but even the ghosts of Zhangjia Village are not to be bullied. If a woman from Zhangjia Village wants to remarry, it's her choice."

Now, who in the surrounding area didn't know that the people of Zhangjia Village were not to be trifled with?

"Ah, Mr. Wen, what brings you here today?" Entering the Chen residence through a side door, Mr. Wen sought out the head maid, Yu Huan, who greeted him with a sarcastic remark. Mr. Wen was about to report the results when Mr. Chen came out, slapped Yu Huan's bottom, and said, "Wen is one of us. Don't speak like that. Go prepare breakfast."

Yu Huan blushed and ran off, leaving Mr. Chen smiling and lighting a cigarette. "You're early. A moment later, and you'd have to find me in the eastern fields."

Mr. Wen's nose tingled, his eyes blurred, and he knelt down, "I've let you down, sir. Please punish me."

Mr. Chen chuckled, "A six-foot-tall man kneeling isn't a sight to see. Get up and speak. Is everything settled?"

Mr. Wen got up and respectfully replied, "It's done. Li San has taken over, and Qu Guaizi has been thrown into the sea."

Sigh...! Modern man Mr. Chen never expected such a simple and brutal solution. Why didn't he feel like scolding him? Before Mr. Chen could speak, Yuzhu brought out hot tea and said, "What about his family of over a dozen people? What do you plan to do with them? Being soft-hearted will only leave a隐患."

Mr. Wen respectfully answered, "Madam, Qu Guaizi has two brothers and three nephews, all sent to coal mines. They'll never leave there, and if they die, they'll be thrown into a pit. His parents, ashamed to live, hanged themselves, and I've had them buried. There are eight women and minors, handed over to a human trafficker from Fujian, who will sell them to Dachen Island, leaving their fate to the heavens."

Mr. Chen listened expressionlessly, shocked inside. Could you tell that one was a simple craftsman and the other a 17-year-old maid? Is this what they call cutting off the roots?

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