0p0 Chapter 232: It's OK as long as it's not the last one
Chapter 232: It's OK as long as it's not the last one
Bai Tieying's step-by-step explanation made some of the soldiers who were quick-witted, had long been tired of military life, or stayed here only out of helplessness, start to think.
Having guarded Shang'an for decades, they naturally knew where Xianhe Village was. It would not be impossible for them to spend their old age there, but they had never heard of the place where the household registration was registered as the girl mentioned.
But the general didn't need to lie to them, because he had been supporting them for so many years. To put it bluntly, if the general said he couldn't support them anymore, I guarantee that most of them would immediately apply for retirement and stop dragging him down.
Besides, it has not been easy for the general over the years. If this can be accomplished, it will be a way of repaying the general for his care for them over the years.
There was a lot of discussion in the audience for a long time. Perhaps they wanted to find out the truth about this matter. Many people asked questions in a messy manner, but Bai Tieying did not answer them one by one. Instead, she waited for a while and saw that the soldiers were patient enough to listen to her before she spoke:
"Tie Ying has limited ability and a small family background. After discussing with the general, we decided to accept 300 retired soldiers unconditionally in the first batch. But because you uncles don't know and trust me yet, the deadline is three months. After the deadline, General Zhao will personally ask for your opinions. If you are not satisfied, you can return to the camp.
I have said enough, but I cannot say everything. I hope you will forgive me. But we will know the answer by observing Tieying's behavior in the future."
If Bai Tieying's previous words made the soldiers think, then the last condition, which seemed unconditional but was actually conditional, further aroused those who had been thinking about it.
They are either disabled or old and sick. Even if this little girl deceived them, what can she do? Besides, regardless of this little girl, as long as the general can bring up this matter today, she must do her best to support the general.
"Dingtou'er, are you going or not?" Hou Laoliu went to question Ding Afa, whom he called Dingtou'er.
"go."
"Why? We have food and drink here, and we don't have many years left to live, so why would we go out?"
"Don't be a waste."
"Uh..." Hou Laoliu was knocked back by Ding Afa's words.
Would he be useless if he didn't leave? But he and his elder brother Ding Tou'er didn't laugh at their second brother. One of them was missing an arm, the other was missing a leg, and they were both homeless. What could they do if they retired?
What if that little girl... Oh, forget it, there's no need to think so badly of a little girl. Besides, there's General Zhao to back her up. If it doesn't work out, she can come back in three months. It's not bad to follow Ding Tou'er and be a waste in another place.
"Hey! Dingtou, don't walk by yourself! Give me a hand!" Hou Laoliu shouted hurriedly when he saw Ding Afa walking forward without waiting for him.
When Ding Afa and Hou Laoliu were the first to come forward, Bai Tieying was a little bit unconvinced. Was he so charismatic? Or did General Zhao give them some orders in private? They made their choice so quickly, could they be two thorns?
"Ding Afa!"
"Hou Laoliu!"
"Come and report."
The two men first saluted General Zhao, and then shouted to Bai Tieying.
Bai Tieying was thinking, but he didn't show it on his face. He quickly returned the greetings to the two men, and then signaled Mu Qingqiu to take them to the side.
With these two leading the way, half an hour later, the 300 places Bai Tieying mentioned were filled. This made her a little secretly happy. Isn't this the "raising one's arms and calling out" and "the tiger's body shaking" that appeared in the novels she read in her original life?
But Bai Tieying's happiness did not last long. When the three hundred people returned to the camp, packed their things and gathered at the parade ground again, Bai Tieying gained new insights.
"Are they so... simple?" Bai Tieying murmured to herself. She felt that this was not a good thing. It was not because of her appeal, but because people were just waiting for a sucker to appear!
"Haha, Tieying's words are very interesting. What do you mean by simple? They are just paupers!" General Zhao laughed so hard that he couldn't close his mouth. He didn't expect that there were so many soldiers who "voluntarily" retired.
Those who should have retired but stayed in the barracks had an unwritten rule, that is, they did not want the resettlement allowance given by the court, and everyone's food was also reduced by half. So even if three hundred men ate less, they would still have to eat 20 to 30 shi of grain a month.
“But Tieying, there’s no need to laugh at them. Even your uncle is just a superficial person. If it weren’t for your aunt’s strong business ability and the support from our family in the capital for us children living outside, your uncle might have been like this too.
The men in the military camp earn their money by risking their lives, so except for those who have families to support, everyone else spends the money they earn today. Few of them know how to save it because they never know they may have nothing to spend it tomorrow.
They do have a monthly salary of three taels of silver, but there is an unwritten rule in the military camp that those who do not go to the battlefield will not receive it. So all their equipment, except for what they had before, is replaced by old ones after the court distributes supplies. The old ones are few in number and not durable, so naturally you see what you see."
Bai Tieying felt bitter and sour in his heart. He took a breath and wanted to say something, but swallowed it back. In the end, he just bowed to General Zhao, and slowly led these "old, injured, sick and disabled" out of the barracks and headed towards the north gate.
Bai Tieying was thinking about how to deal with this situation which was worse than she expected, so she kept talking. And since Bai Tieying was the one who led this matter, Mu Qingqiu didn't say anything either.
So the passers-by returning home late saw a very strange scene - two tall horses in front were sitting with their heads down and silent boys and girls, and the girl was holding a child with a bird's head and a bird's beak in her arms. Behind them were two lines of pedestrians, each carrying a backpack and an umbrella, and they were either dying or exhausted and disabled... They dragged out for dozens of feet.
"Are these refugees? What about the three people on horseback in front?" one passerby asked another.
"Who knows? Why do I feel so scared?"
"Oh my god, is it a ghost?"
"Who are you calling a ghost? You are the ghost! Your whole family is a ghost!"
Hou Laoliu walked slowly because he was missing a leg, so he was supported by Ding Afa and walked at the back of the queue. When he heard the discussions of passers-by, he couldn't help but curse.
"what!!!"
The two passers-by who were talking were frightened by Hou Laoliu's shout. Seeing his ferocious appearance, they were so scared that they ran home quickly.
"If you have the guts, don't run! I'll teach you what 'I won't let you go even if I become a ghost' means!" Hou Laoliu continued to curse while jumping forward with the team.
One of the passers-by couldn't help but look back when he heard this, and saw a one-legged ghost with its neck twisted, its body moving forward, but its head backward, and its bloody mouth wide open as if it was ready to devour someone... So he ran faster - as long as he was not the last one!
If Bai Tieying knew that the "Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts" that later circulated in the city came from here, she would definitely listen to General Zhao and do this the next day!