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Chapter 106 Selling Copper Coins to Feudal Reactionaries

"I say, Xie Siling, you are going to deliver cattle, why do you need so much money? It must weigh a pound when added together."

Han Hongbing sat on the edge of the kang in Xie Hushan's room, weighed the small bag in Xie Hushan's hand which contained two or three hundred old coins dug out from the reservoir, and asked in confusion.

Xie Hushan was packing some clothes on the ground, and turned his head to look:
"I plan to use this old money to do some small business with the people of Hong Kong Island and sell it to them."

After hearing what Xie Hushan said, Han Hongbing curiously opened the bag and took another look. Although Xie Hushan simply rinsed it with water, Han Hongbing was sure that these broken things were the pile of dead people's money that he had picked up at the reservoir before.

Which rural family doesn't have this thing? If it's thrown on the ground, most people probably won't pick it up on purpose. But Xie Hushan's tone didn't sound like he was joking, so Han Hongbing said:
"You mean this old money is valuable in Hong Kong Island? Then I should go home and collect the dozens of coins at home and take them with me?"

He still has dozens of copper coins at home, which are of no use. Their biggest use may be to lay them on the bottom of the cabinet when getting married, or to use a few as gaskets when Han Laosan makes chicken feather shuttlecocks. If people from Hong Kong Island like this thing, Han Hongbing is ready to visit a few more houses, scrape off a bunch of copper coins from the three teams and sell them to people from Hong Kong Island.

"How would I know if these copper coins are valuable? They should not be worth much, so you don't have to go home specially to look for them. It doesn't matter whoever takes them." Xie Hushan got up and went to the main room to take out two pairs of cloth shoes that his grandmother had cleaned and dried, and came back to say to Han Hongbing.

After hearing this, Han Hongbing's expression became more puzzled: "This thing is worthless, why would people do business with you?"

Xie Hushan put the broken Type 54 rifle and the sharp bayonet on his waist and patted Han Hongbing:
"Just these two things."

"Fuck, aren't you robbing? You, Xie Siling, are going to Hong Kong Island just to let them see the bandits in our Bingyang County? Don't bring shame to the country, okay?" Han Hongbing thought Xie Hushan was talking nonsense and scolded him with a smile.

Xie Hushan took out a cigarette box, took a cigarette himself, and threw the box to Han Hongbing:

"Stop talking nonsense. I am the leader of the militia platoon and the youth team leader of our production team. My character is obvious to everyone in our third team. How could I do such a thing as robbery?"

"You hold a coin in your left hand and a gun in your right hand, and you insist on selling them to people for one dollar each. Isn't that robbery?" Han Hongbing said as he took the cigarette box.

"How much? One dollar each?" Xie Hushan, holding a cigarette in his mouth, couldn't help but stare at Han Hongbing's words:

"I went through so much trouble to get these copper coins, only to sell them to them for one dollar each? Am I doing business or delivering warmth? The maximum denomination of Hong Kong Island's money is one thousand dollars. I don't mean to sell it at a high price. One big bill, one old coin."

"At most, they may be a little reluctant to buy and have some resistance in their minds. I can use these two things to persuade them and they should be able to understand."

Han Hongbing curled his lips when he heard this:

"You are such a jerk. I told you that the people over there can't even afford food, otherwise why would they ask us to deliver it? And you still want to do this when you go there?"

"Bullshit, I said I sold it to the common people? I meant to sell it to the remnants of the secret societies over there. There are many remnants of the Green and Red Gangs over there in Hong Kong Island. They all ran over from us during the liberation. They robbed men and women over there, doing all kinds of evil. They call themselves the underworld and are just against us. They have the people's money in their hands." Xie Hushan said with a righteous face:

"We have an obligation to make these feudal reactionaries return the black money they have extorted, and then use it to build Zhongping and spend the money where it should be spent."

"If these feudal reactionaries dare not buy, we'll do some ideological work on them..." Han Hongbing then realized that Xie Hushan was not joking, and he immediately put away his smile and clenched his fists.

Xie Hushan nodded with satisfaction:
"Look, Chief of Staff Han, you do understand me. Otherwise, why would I ask you to go with me? You should be able to distinguish right from wrong, right? We don't bully good people, and you still indulge bad people, right?"

Han Hongbing leaned against the wall and lit a cigarette with a match:

"I said, you said you wanted to learn about Hong Kong before the New Year. Where did you find the study materials for you? You even knew there were reactionaries over there, so why didn't you give me a copy of the materials?"

"He's my uncle, and you're not of high enough rank. But it doesn't matter. If I have the intelligence, it's the same as if you have it. Just do as I say." Xie Hushan smiled and stuffed his cloth shoes into his bag.

Just at this time, Xie Qimao and the aunt came in from outside carrying large and small bags. They put the things in their hands on the kang, and the aunt said to Xie Hushan and Han Hongbing:

"Your uncle personally picked out some dry food for you two to eat on the road, and there are also some pickled vegetables."

Seeing that Xie Qimao didn't say anything, the aunt pulled him and said, "Tell the two children something. It's thousands of miles away! I'm going to go see mom."

After the old lady lifted the curtain and left, Xie Qimao came back to his senses and said to Xie Hushan and Han Hongbing:
"Uh... I bought some dry biscuits and old biscuits. These dry things can be kept for a week without going bad. I'll keep them for you two to eat on the road."

"Thank you, uncle." Han Hongbing said, "I will return the money to you when the subsidy is issued."

Xie Qimao waved his hand and said, "It's okay. Listen to me first. You two have been stopping and starting along the way, and it's unclear when you will arrive. If you can combine it with vegetables and other supplies that may go bad, it will be faster, maybe ten days. If the whole train is full of pigs, cattle, sheep, etc., it will take thirteen or fourteen days. These dry food will only be enough for you two for three or four days."

"The train will definitely stop at least once every two days, but I don't know how many times at most. Sometimes the train stops at the station, and sometimes it stops in the wilderness, so you two should manage it on your own. You have to buy the rest of the food when the train stops. It's best to buy some steamed bread or something to keep you going, and eat it with the pickles you brought with you. The more you can save, the better."

"What about tomorrow? I can't take you two to the county town. There are three animals in our veterinary station waiting for me to operate on them tomorrow. You two can ask the driver in the team to take them there tomorrow morning. Don't be afraid. When you get to the Animal Husbandry Bureau, go find Deputy Director Jiao. He is the one who helped you two with this matter. He will definitely be waiting for you two. Just listen to what he says. Do you understand?"

Xie Hushan and Han Hongbing nodded repeatedly and responded loudly: "Understood, we will go find Deputy Director Jiao tomorrow morning."

"Yeah." Xie Qimao nodded, thought for a moment and said:

"Also, it's too late to say no now. I don't know if this job is hard or not, but they give a lot of subsidies, so the hardship is what I deserve. So no matter how hard it is, you two have to stick with me and do a good job for me. You can't back down, and you can't mess up the job. This will not only affect me, but mainly Deputy Director Jiao's future. They did this for my sake. If you don't do it well, I will break your legs when I come back."

But he had a smile on his face when he threatened, so there was no deterrent effect. Of course, he also believed that these two kids were not the kind of children who could not endure hardship or fatigue.

"Don't worry, uncle. We have been working in the brickyard for more than a month, and we have managed to make it!" Han Hongbing assured, patting his chest.

Xie Hushan also nodded and added:
"If Han Lao Er dares to be lazy, don't worry, I will definitely break one of his legs for you so that he can walk back from Hong Kong Island on crutches."

While the old man was talking, the aunt went to the east room to take a look, and then came back and asked Xie Hushan:

"It's almost evening, where's your grandma? Didn't you say we should make dumplings together in the evening?"

"As soon as Daxiu got out of school, grandma asked her to go out with her, saying that she was going to change some dishes to help me make dumplings." Xie Hushan said.

Han Hongbing also stood up to say goodbye at this time. It was not that he was embarrassed to have dinner at Xie Hushan's house, but mainly because he would go to the county for training tomorrow and stay for three days before leaving for Hong Kong Island. According to custom, his family would have to make dumplings for him tonight as a thank you.

After a while, Grandma and Daxiu came back with dishes they brought from somewhere. Second Aunt, Second Uncle and Xiaobao also came over. They made dumplings together and talked. After a while, Sixth Uncle also came to the yard from the barn. He squatted in the yard and talked with his granddaughter Daxiu, waiting to eat dumplings.

What surprised Xie Hushan was that when the dumplings were put into the pot, in addition to the Sixth Master's family, Second Master Xie who lived in Nanzheng Village in the neighboring village also came specially. He sat at the main seat at the table for dinner, and Xie Laoliu and Xie Qimao sat on both sides of him and talked.

Xie Hushan had no impression of his second grandfather. It seemed that he had moved from Zhongping Village to Nanzheng Village before liberation. Although it was only two miles away, except for visiting him during the Chinese New Year or for matters such as weddings and funerals, they rarely visited each other on weekdays unless they had nothing to do.

"Second brother." When Second Master Xie sat at the table, grandma personally poured a cup of wine for Second Master Xie and began to mutter beside him:
"I called you here today because Lao Si's Hu San'er is going on a long journey, and I need to trouble you to give him some instructions, just like when Damao went on a long journey to the Northeast."

Mr. Xie, who was sitting in the main seat, was not arrogant. He nodded to Grandma repeatedly and said with a smile:

"Sister-in-law, I understand why you called me to eat dumplings. You don't have to mention that Hushan is from the fourth brother's family. No matter which family he is from, he is still the grandson of our Xie family." The conversation between Second Master Xie and grandma made Xie Hushan quite curious. What did it mean? He had to give instructions before he went on a long journey, and Second Master Xie had to give instructions too?
It seems that Mr. Xie has never left Bingyang County in his entire life. What can he tell me?

Then Mr. Xie looked at Xie Qimao and smiled sadly:
"Sixth brother and I are both in our seventies and eighties, and Damao is not young either. Sister-in-law, let's do this. When Damao is not busy one day, he can come to my place and I will talk to him about it. In the future, Damao can come forward to deal with all the big and small matters of the Xie family. He is a cadre, and if he tells others about it, the Xie family will also be glorious."

"No, you are in good health. I know you feel bad every time this happens, but the rules set by the old man are rules and they cannot be broken. Damao can't do your job." Grandma said to Uncle Xie very seriously.

Then he looked at Xie Hushan and motioned for him to pass the cup of wine he had poured to Second Master Xie: "Hushan, let me offer a toast to you, Second Master."

"Hey, Second Master, I toast to you." Xie Hushan picked up the wine cup, stood up and toasted Second Master Xie.

Mr. Xie took the wine cup and drank it all, then he exhaled and looked at Xie Hushan:
"Hu San'er, your grandma said you were going on a long journey, maybe thousands or even tens of thousands of miles, just like your grandfather went to Goryeo."

"She was afraid that you would have no relatives there, so she asked me to read to you our family tree and our origins. This way, it might be helpful if you really encounter any problems. What if there are relatives with the surname Xie there?"

"The Xie branch of Zhongping is from the Hubei Province. When Emperor Xianfeng was the emperor, your grandfather couldn't survive in Hubei Province, so he came to Beijing to live with his relatives and worked as a waiter. Later, he became the head of the Bingyang branch and ended up in Zhongping..."

Accompanied by the eldest and sixth uncles, Mr. Xie drank and ate, and talked to Xie Hushan about the origins of the Xie family's settlement in Zhongping in the early years.

This was the first time Xie Hushan heard about this today.

According to Mr. Xie, the old man of the Xie family was originally from Yunyang Prefecture in northern Hubei Province. His father died of an epidemic in his hometown during the Xianfeng period. At the age of seven, he came to Beijing with his widowed mother to seek refuge with his elder sister, who was married to a seventh-rank official in Beijing. Because he was smart, he was introduced to a fellow townsman's business as an apprentice, mainly in the cloth business. Because he was hardworking and down-to-earth, he was later sent to the Zhili Prefecture branch in Yuyang as the second manager, and later sent to the subordinate Bingyang County branch as the chief manager. He settled in Bingyang and later bought land in Zhongping Town, a major transportation artery in the south of Bingyang County, and married and had children.

The Xie family had just arrived and was an isolated family in Zhongping. They were bullied by the locals. The old man then found ways to establish a connection with the Xie family in the neighboring county of Yushui.

In fact, the two Xies are not from the same family. The Xie family branch in Yu Shui County is from southern Henan, while he is from northern Hubei.

But fortunately, he remembered his family's genealogical name and hall name, and he also remembered a few clan associations. His name in the genealogical list was related to the other party. In addition, he had been a shopkeeper, which was considered a remarkable figure in the countryside at that time. Therefore, the Yushui Xie family agreed to become a clan member, which was regarded as an acknowledgement that his Zhongping Xie family was the main family of the Yushui Xie family and a relative.

If they encounter problems again, the Yu Shui Xie family, with its prosperous descendants, can help the Zhong Ping Xie family and lend a helping hand.

The old man paid incense money to his family every year, and had the ancestral tablets of the Yushui Xie family and his father's tablet enshrined together at home. He also married his daughter to the Han family, a wealthy family in Zhongping Town. With many sons, they all grew up slowly, and finally he was able to gain a firm foothold in Zhongping.

Xie Hushan listened to this history with great interest. It turned out that the Zhongping Xie family was actually the Pinpan Xie family.

In order to gain a foothold in Zhongping, the Xie family, an outsider family, became relatives with the Xie family nearby and intermarried with a larger family. It is possible that the six grandfathers had to fight with others all year round because of bullying, which led to the Xie family's current situation.

"Actually, your grandma asked me to repeat these things, but I think it's useless. Life is better now. We have trains and telephones. How can we lose them? In the old society, it was useful to remember these things. After all, when you come to a place where you are completely in the dark, you have no relatives to turn to. Without the support of your relatives, you can't stand firm and be squeezed to death by other families."

"Many relatives have never met each other from birth to death. We can only rely on the generation name and the same clan to confirm that they are family members. Now it is useless to remember these. If you have any problems, go to the government. If you are bullied, no matter what your surname is, the government will help you." Mr. Xie said to Xie Hushan with a smile:

"But as the old saying goes, don't be afraid of a thousand things, just be prepared for the worst. Remember this."

"Remember the sixteen characters in the Xie family tree: Chongwen Huairen, Xunyao Hongchang, Keqi Jingzheng, Xianyi Deguang."

"If you are really lost and have no relatives, first ask around to see if there is anyone with the surname Xie nearby. Use these sixteen characters to explain your generation relationship to them. If you can, then they are relatives of the Xie family, and they may be able to help you."

"You are from the Jing generation, and we have already written your name in our family tree, Jing Mo."

Xie Hushan's whole body was shocked, and he suddenly looked up at Master Xie who was still muttering unconsciously. Master Xie continued:

"Also, you have to remember that the hall name of the Yushui Xie family is Chenliu Hall, and the family couplet is: Chenliu Shide, a famous family in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The hall name of your great grandfather's hometown is Baoshu Hall, and the family couplet is: Baoshu family reputation is far-reaching, Dongshan Shize is long. This thing can also be used to talk about seniority and family, so that people can know which Xie your ancestor is..."

Although he was still instructing Xie Hushan, Xie Hushan's ears were completely unable to hear him.

Ever since Master Xie said, "You are from the Jing generation, and our family tree has already written your name as Jing Mo," and told him that his name was Xie Jingmo, his head buzzed.

Xie Hushan suddenly figured out why he, a southerner born in Hong Kong Island, had traveled to Bingyang County, a place he had never been to before, for no apparent reason.

Fuck Xie Jingmo!

He, Xie Hushan, and other members of the Xie family in Zhongping Village, Bingyang County, were a family that would fight to the death in their previous life!

In the previous life, Xie Jingmo, you were such a jerk. You took three express trains to Hong Kong Island and never came back. You cheated your relatives here. No wonder you never dared to come to the north. You feel guilty! You are so sorry for these relatives in Zhongping Village!
And he told his children that his family were all from Hong Kong Island. Fuck you! What the hell!

Fortunately, that was a thing of the previous life. Fortunately, in this life, he, Xie Hushan, did not have such a inhuman father.

Mr. Xie had already given his instructions, and the group of people were drinking and eating happily. Daxiu was muttering beside them:
"Xie Jingmo, Xie Jingmo, hey, brother, this name doesn't sound good either. By the way, Second Master, what's my name in the family tree..."

The second master just laughed and said nothing. The aunt glared at her daughter and said that there was no genealogy for a girl. She had to get married before she could be registered in the man's family tree.

Xie Hushan smiled and looked at Daxiu:

"Daxiu is right, it doesn't sound very nice. Maybe it's the first time I heard it, so I just feel uncomfortable. Don't call me by this name anymore. I don't like it."

"That name is from the family tree. It's whatever you want. It's not used in normal times. Your second uncle told you because he was afraid that if something happened, you would need to talk to people about your generation and your family. You tell them that you have a family name so they know which generation you are in and whether they should treat you as an equal or a junior." Grandma smiled and said,

"The name Hushan is your real nickname. It was given to you by your grandfather."

"I won't mention that name. If there is really a problem, I will go to the government." Xie Hushan said with a smile.

Daxiu asked from the side: "Brother, what if we can't get help from the government?"

"Then I, your brother, will go up the mountain to be a bandit, okay? Just hope something good happens to me." Xie Hushan tapped Daxiu's head and said with a smile.

Looking at his relatives who were giving him earnest instructions at the table, Xie Hushan smiled and nodded continuously.

In his previous life, Xie Jingmo went to Hong Kong Island and never came back, but in this life, Xie Hushan went to Hong Kong Island and will definitely come back.

This is his home.

He went to Hong Kong Island to deliver cattle and do some ideological work, selling copper coins to feudal reactionaries, and then returning home with the money and foreign goods.

(End of this chapter)