mesbooks Chapter 194 To Save or Not to Save, That Is the Question
Chapter 194 To Save or Not to Save, That Is the Question
Luo Xiaoran was pushed off the cliff with Zhang Erhe just yesterday, and today Tu Ye is looking for Zhang Erhe in a big way. The timing is such a coincidence.
Even though Master Tu took the initiative to reveal why he wanted to find Zhang Erhe today, and the reason was logically justifiable, Luo Xiaoran still planted the seeds of doubt in her heart.
After all, apart from Luo Xiaoran, only the person who pushed them down the mountain knew that Zhang Erhe was lying dead at the bottom of the cliff.
Zhang Erhe's death caused a stir among the villagers in Hexi Village, but the ash burning work could not be stopped. The heavy work overshadowed the discussions about Zhang Erhe's death.
Fortunately, although most of the time it takes three and a half days to successfully fire a kiln of lime, it is sometimes possible to get it out of the kiln in three days, which gives them some extra time.
A steady supply of quicklime was transported from Chui'an Kiln to the official road waiting to be repaired, using the horse-drawn carriages of the Dongfeng Caravan.
Soil that has been roasted in a pot over fire can reduce the growth of weeds and flowers. This kind of soil is called "cooked soil."
Quicklime was mixed with cooked soil and spread on the official road. Then water was sprinkled on it and it was compacted to form the ancient lime road.
Ten days before the expiration of corvée labor, Wang, the village chief of Hedong Village, stood on the official road between Yizhou and Fuyuan County, looking tired but unable to hide his happiness.
"Not counting the kiln of lime that was just transported, if we get two more kilns of lime, we will be able to complete the road construction with only the last two kilns of lime!" He encouraged the villagers of Hedong Village.
Once the road is repaired, we can go home!
I wonder if my family has harvested the wheat?
After paying taxes, how much is left?
Although the two-month labor service delayed the spring ploughing, it was not a big deal. They could rush to plant the corn after returning.
I hope the situation this year will be better so that people in the village will suffer less from hunger.
Miss Luo from Hexi Village is a kind person. If it weren’t for the food she provided these days, who knows how many people in their village would have starved to death or died of exhaustion.
Thanks to her, they in Hedong Village survived this corvée labor!
As if sensing Village Chief Wang’s inner joy, God also let out a wild roar.
"Boom——"
A spring thunder exploded in his ears, and Village Chief Wang's expression changed drastically. What he feared would come true!
"Hurry! Cover it with lime! If it gets wet in the rain, it won't be usable!"
Village chief Wang shouted to the villagers, and at the same time, a second worry arose in his mind: After the rain, can the Chui Mine still burn ash?
The spring rain came quickly. At first, there were only a few raindrops hanging from the sky, which did not affect the operation of the lime kiln.
Then the rain came down harder and harder, soaking the lime kiln with rain water. The fire went out, leaving only wet coals and half-burned limestone.
Luo Xiaoran frowned slightly, secretly sighing that this kiln was ruined. She didn't know how long the rain would last, and whether it would delay the deadline for their road construction.
Thinking of the road construction, Luo Xiaoran became alert. For nearly two months, she had been staying in the Chui Mine burning ash and had not seen any progress in the road construction.
Although people from Hedong Village would tell Chui Mine how long the road was every time they came to haul lime, seeing is believing, so it would be better for her to go and see it for herself.
But the rain lasted for a whole day. When the sky cleared up, Luo Xiaoran asked Zhang Changzong to go to Village Chief Wang to see the specific situation of the road construction.
"Okay! You go first and help check how the road is being repaired! After we finish burning the lime here, we will go and meet up with the people from Hedong Village."
Zhang Changzong was not affected by the rain. Although the rain made their kiln of lime useless, there were still nine days before the labor service deadline. During these nine days, they could still burn two or three kilns of lime, which was enough for road construction.
……
The carriage was driving on the official road between Chui'an Kiln and Yizhou. The driver, Niu Shubao, was shy and didn't say a word.
Sitting in the carriage were two wounded soldiers, Luo Xiaoran and Du Kongqing, as well as Qiu Niang, whose mental trauma could not be healed. No one talked about anything and the atmosphere was quite depressing.
Du Kongqing was the first to lift the carriage curtain, looking at the two ruts left by the carriage on the muddy official road, and asked curiously:
"After we repair the road from Yizhou to Fuyuan County, even if it rains, the carriages won't be so slow and the wheels won't be covered with so much mud!"
"Yes!" Luo Xiaoran replied with her eyes closed, "Building the road is a good thing overall, apart from An Luhai's intention to harm us."
"I don't think there's anything good about it!" Du Kongqing stared out the window blankly, and said with some self-mockery:
“We are the ones who suffer, work hard and are cold, and we are also the ones who are threatened.
When other people walk or drive on such a smooth official road, they will only praise it as An Luhai's political achievement. Who knows how much hardship we have endured to build this road? "
Luo Xiaoran opened her eyes. The wound on her hand had recently grown new pink flesh, which was extremely itchy, but she relied on her strong self-control and never scratched the scabby areas.
"Who made An Luhai the county magistrate?
Who gave him the right to send people to perform corvée labor?
Who makes us just ordinary civilians? "
Qiu Niang noticed the difference in Luo Xiaoran's tone almost immediately. In her impression, Luo Xiaoran would never say such discouraging words that sounded like "accepting her fate."
Before Qiu Niang had time to think more, Du Kongqing's exclamation disrupted her thoughts.
"There's a guy there!"
"Uu——"
Hearing Du Kongqing's voice, Niu Shubao immediately stopped the carriage and looked in the direction she pointed: "There is a person! He seems to have fainted. Should we save him?"
The man was in the grass beside the official road. Because the distance was not far away, one could vaguely make out that he was a man lying on his back.
Luo Xiaoran would feel a little upset if she had this organ.
She inevitably thought of Zhang Erhe, a "killer" lying on the mountain road waiting for an opportunity to get rid of her. Could this person be another evil person pretending to be unconscious?
Niu Shubao's voice sounded again outside the carriage, "Strange, his clothes don't look like someone who is poorly clothed and poorly fed, how could he faint on the official road alone?"
Luo Xiaoran also looked at the man from the carriage curtain that Du Kongqing had opened. His clothes were indeed very expensive. If he was a killer, there was no need to dress so ostentatiously, but...
"Do you three think we should save him?" Luo Xiaoran asked calmly, simply leaving the choice in their hands.
Qiu Niang shook her head and said, "Let's not make any more trouble and hurry to Village Chief Wang and his men."
"What's your opinion?" Luo Xiaoran asked Du Kongqing when she saw that he was slow to answer.
Du Kongqing showed a hint of hesitation on his face. "Xiao Ran, you once encouraged me to become a good doctor. A doctor should have the heart to save the dying and heal the wounded."