"Wait, wait, Military Officer in front!" the Protector from the Jiang Family shouted while driving the carriage and calling out to the troop ahead.
That troop, dressed in military uniforms and carrying arrow bags, long bows, and waist knives, was escorting a group of able-bodied n, marching forward.
The conscripted able-bodied n numbered over two hundred, all wearing tattered hemp clothes, barefooted, and their hands bound by a long rope to prevent them from escaping.
Upon hearing the shout, the Chief Commander leading the soldiers turned his head and saw several carriages rushing forward. He imdiately ordered his soldiers to draw their swords towards the approaching carriages, yelling, "Who goes there? Halt, in the na of the Prefecture garrison escorting conscripts! Cause us any trouble, and we’ll chop you down!"
"Woah~" The Protector from the Jiang Family, not wishing to anger the soldiers, quickly halted the carriage, not daring to advance further.
Jiang Jiao jumped down from the carriage and yelled at the Chief Commander, "Brother Ma, it’s , Second Young Master from the Jiang Family of Tianfu County."
While on the carriage, Master Qi had inford them that the conscripted n were being escorted by Ma Chief Commander. Coincidentally, Jiang Jiao happened to know Ma Chief Commander.
"Jiang Er?" Ma Chief Commander squinted his eyes and looked over at Jiang Jiao for a while, finally recognizing him: "Ha ha, it’s you. What brings you here? Are you off to He’an Prefecture to seek fortune?"
"No, I’m here to find soone this ti," Jiang Jiao quickly called Gu Dashan and the others, urging them to get down and approached Chief Commander Ma’s position.
When they were just three zhang away from Chief Commander Ma, Jiang Jiao told Master Qi, Qin San Lang, and Wang Yongfu to stay behind while he took Gu Dashan to et Chief Commander Ma, saying, "Brother Ma, this is Brother Gu. Among the people you’re escorting, there are two who are his brothers-in-law and nephew. They fled the famine from Northwest Daliang Prefecture to He’an Prefecture with their employer, who then sold them. Brother Gu learned about this and imdiately followed."
Chief Commander Ma looked at Gu Dashan, "Who are you? Where are you from? What is your na? Do you have household registration as proof?"
Although Chief Commander Ma knew Jiang Jiao, it was his first ti eting Gu Dashan, and he wouldn’t just trust a stranger right away; he had to ask for clarity.
"Yes, yes, yes," Gu Dashan replied in a hurry, taking out his household registration and handing it to Chief Commander Ma with both hands trembling.
Ma Chief Commander, seeing his honest appearance and shivering hands while handing over his household registration, felt more at ease. After looking over the registration and seeing the official seal of Tianfu County Governnt on it and confirming its authenticity, he returned the registration to Gu Dashan, asking, "What are the nas of your brothers-in-law and nephew?"
"My brother-in-law’s na is Li Duofu and my nephew’s na is Li Daxi. They are servants from the Li Family of Daliang Prefecture. They escorted their employer to He’an Prefecture and then were sold by them," replied Gu Dashan.
"Li Duofu and Li Daxi? Those nas sound vaguely familiar." Ma Chief Commander asked a soldier next to him, "Who are these two?"
The soldier replied, "Chief Commander, they are the father and son pair given to us for free, the two who cost us nothing."
The work in the mines is backbreaking. A healthy person who goes to work in the mines can be worn down to a shell of themselves in just a few months, and within half a year, it’s possible to work soone to death.
Therefore, so wealthy households, as a form of punishnt for their servants, deliberately refrain from taking silver, sending those servants who made mistakes to them, letting them be taken to work in the mines. And in return, they can collect the money for selling these people at the governnt office, making it a rather profitable no-cost business.
"So it’s them," Ma Chief Commander recalled and said to Gu Dashan, "Did you co chasing after them to redeem them?"
Gu Dashan nodded, "That’s right, Military Officer, I ask you for a favor, please sell them to . My sister is still at ho waiting for them. They can’t be sent to the Northwest."
The situation in the Northwest was still chaotic. If Li Duofu and his son went to the Northwest, it would be a death sentence.
Jiang Jiao also spoke up in their defense: "Brother Ma, please help. That father and son were hard by their own master. They escorted him from Daliang Prefecture to He’an Prefecture, but who would have thought, right after settling down, the master sold his own servants."
"Brother Gu has been separated from his sister and her family for over twenty years, and only found her a few days ago. Upon hearing about his brother-in-law and nephew’s predicant, he rushed over. Brother Ma is known for his virtue, please lend a hand and cross off their nas, so we can take them with us."
Jiang Jiao looked back at Master Qi, who was not far behind, and yelled towards him: "Master Qi, co and show your support."
This incident was sparked by the Li Family, and Master Qi is their relative; it’s only right for him to cover the cost. Otherwise, why bring him along?
Master Qi understood Jiang Jiao’s intentions and imdiately ca forward, bowing to Ma Chief Commander: "I am Elder Qi Er from the Qi Family of Prefecture City. This is a small token to buy you a drink."
Master Qi took out a silver note and handed it to Ma Chief Commander.
Ma Chief Commander saw the inscription of a hundred taels on the silver note and smiled as he accepted it: "Ah, it’s Elder Qi Er. What a pleasure to et you."
He then said to the surrounding soldiers: "Put away your weapons; let’s not offend Elder Qi Er."
Upon hearing this, the soldiers sheathed their waist knives.
Seeing them put away their knives, Jiang Jiao knew the matter could be negotiated. He smiled and asked Ma Chief Commander: "Brother Ma, where are Li Duofu and his son? My brother is anxious to see them."
"Boatman, bring Li Duofu and his son over."
"Right!" A soldier imdiately ran to a group of strong n and shortly after, brought a father and son over.
It was none other than Li Duofu and Li Daxi. Both were barefoot, wearing tattered coarse hemp clothes, appearing emaciated with injuries on their faces and heads.
When Gu Dashan saw the two, especially Li Daxi, he imdiately confird that they were Li Duofu and his son, as Li Daxi didn’t resemble his father but looked more like his uncle.
However...
Li Daxi’s right hand was bound to a wooden board, and the coarse cloth wrapped around his arm was stained with dark red blood.
Gu Dashan rushed over, his voice choked with emotion, and asked: "Daxi, what happened to your hand?"
The boatman replied: "He was beaten by the master. The servant who brought the father and son here from the Li Family said that their family were thieves who stole from the master. When caught, they dared to attack Elder Si of the master’s family, which is why his hand was broken."
He added: "Don’t worry, his hand was tended to by a doctor at the governnt office, who applied so dicine. It should heal."
The reason they treated Li Daxi’s hand injury wasn’t out of kindness, but rather in hopes that it would heal. Otherwise, bringing such a cripple to the iron mines would result in a reprimand from the mine’s overseer.
Hearing this, Gu Dashan was so heartbroken, he felt like crying. He said to Li Daxi: "Don’t worry, Daxi. Once we get back, your uncle will find you a good doctor to properly treat your hand."
Li Daxi was young, only sixteen, but after going through many hardships, he had beco quite steadfast. Seeing Gu Dashan, he didn’t allow joy to cloud his judgnt and asked: "What is your na? Where are you from? You say you’re my uncle, what was my mother’s na before? Is Ms. Pan really her birth mother?"
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