Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 545: A Foreign Land is Now My Hometown

If it is a peaceful time, holding a big banquet in the countryside is a very cumbersome matter.

If you want to be more particular, you have to invite a troupe of actors to perform a few erotic scenes and a few serious dramas.

Even if your family is relatively poor, you should invite some chefs from the county restaurant to cook some delicious dishes.

But for the north, which has been in chaos for decades and has been particularly devastated in recent years, having meat to eat is enough, so why would they need a bicycle?

And the grand banquets in the countryside have become simple and unpretentious big pot stews.

Thanks to the nearly 100 kilograms of dried meat that Ding Daxing brought, these big pots of food looked quite presentable.

Those villagers who had dried vegetables at home brought them, those who had salt brought them salt, and some were mixing wheat and millet, preparing to steam a large pot of corn rice.

Even the children found some wild vegetables and fruits, washed them, and handed them over to the adults for packing.

After the fragrance overflowed, several people looked at this side from afar, their mouths watering.

Hao Ergou squatted on the spot, looked up at Hao Dong and said, "Dad, what are we having for dinner?"

Hao Donglai was a little annoyed. He took out two hard pancakes from the package and started scolding: "Eat, eat, eat, all you know is to eat!"

Hao Ergou reached out to take the pancake but still squatted there, sniffing in the aroma of meat, trying to swallow the pancake with the help of this fragrance.

Seeing this, Liu Yungu held his forehead and said, "I'd better go over there. Although we are outsiders, we still have to live as neighbors. I don't think they will be reluctant to give up even a bowl of rice."

The others also nodded, but none of them had the nerve like Liu Yungu, so they just waited there.

These people were peasant soldiers who had revolted in Lianghuai. After being persuaded to surrender by He Boqiu, they were brought to Shandong to cultivate land.

Hao Donglai and Liu Yungu were also the leaders of a peasant army. If they wanted to join the army, they would have to be commanders at least.

However, whether it was because these two people were too self-aware or they were really not interested in war, both Hao Donglai and Liu Yungu refused to join the army and were temporarily settled in the area between Qushan and Shuyang, governing more than 300 households.

If it is managed well, a town might be established and the two of them might hold an official position like mayor.

Of course, these two people are just making a living. If Liu Yungu still has some lively ideas about doing business, Hao Donglai just thinks about farming.

Especially after their family was allocated one hundred acres of land, he would laugh out loud even in his sleep.

But there were more than 300 households in Huaixi. Although they had food, supplies, and oxen sent by the government, it was not so easy to successfully open up the wasteland. There were so many things to deal with.

For example, if surrounding villages and towns wanted to borrow oxen for ploughing, Hao Donglai would have to step in and bring in an official to guarantee that the oxen would be returned.

After this delay, it was almost evening and time for dinner.

Liu Yungu had just taken two steps when he saw County Lieutenant An Kuian wiping the sweat from his forehead and greeting him from afar: "Why are you still standing here? Come quickly, dinner is about to start!"

"Okay!" Hao Donglai smiled happily, picked up his son, and then strode towards the big pot.

An Kui led the way. When they arrived in front of the long rows of tables, he looked back and saw that several Huaixi people were hesitant. After thinking for a moment, he stood on a stool and said loudly, "My fellow villagers, please listen to me."

After all, An Kui had been the head of Weigou Village for many years and still had some prestige. The villagers immediately stopped laughing and looked up at An Kui.

"Everyone, our place has never been as peaceful as it is today. This is all thanks to the kindness of Duke Wei of the Loyal Army!" An Kui said, bowing to the sky. "It is also thanks to people like Boss Ding who risked their lives on the front lines!"

The villagers nodded and were about to respond in unison when An Kui continued, "But the Jin thieves are still here. If we don't want to live through the hardship we've suffered before, we must unite. This isn't my opinion, it's Duke Wei's."

"This time, Mr. Feihu brought many civilians from Lianghuai and settled them in Haizhou and Yizhou. They are all poor people who have been oppressed by officials and villains. We should treat them equally and regard them as our own relatives and friends."

"If they commit crimes, Luo Qingtian will not forgive them. And if you dare to bully or oppress them, Luo Qingtian will still enforce the law impartially!"

The conflicts between the natives and the Hakkas in this era have always been very sharp, but in the final analysis, the conflicts between the natives and the Hakkas are still a struggle for survival resources and space.

This is an almost irreconcilable contradiction.

However, after the wars since the Jin people moved south, coupled with Wanyan Liang's benevolent policies, the population of Shandong has been greatly reduced, leaving a large amount of wasteland, which has reduced the conflict between the natives and the Hakkas to a minimum.

Therefore, the villagers who were originally somewhat skeptical stopped worrying after hearing the names of Wei Sheng and Luo Guzi.

These two noble men were both saints who had saved people from disaster and would certainly not harm anyone. "Brother Hao, come here and sit next to me." An Kui jumped down from his stool and continued to make arrangements, introducing Ding Daxing to the others.

"This is General Ding, the man who followed Master Feihu south to fight against the Jin." An Kui said excitedly, "He always leads the charge in every battle and has earned quite a reputation."

Ding Daxing was about to say something humble when he saw those Huaixi men stand up one after another and then salute solemnly. Ding Daxing was so frightened that he hurriedly stood up to return the salute.

"We are able to survive today thanks to the kindness of Mr. Feihu and the heroic fighting of heroes like the general," Liu Yungu sighed.

Ding Daxing couldn't help feeling elated when he saw the admiring eyes of the villagers around him.

That night, the guests and hosts had a great time.

On the second day, Hao Donglai and others followed An Kui to discuss the matter of oxen with several elderly people, and Ding Daxing finally had time to reunite with his parents, brothers, and wife, and talked in detail about his battles along the way.

"Xiaowang, my fat boy." Ding Daxing held his three-year-old son in his arms and kept rubbing his face with his stubble. Soon, his son's eyes were filled with tears.

"You've been causing trouble since you came back." Mrs. Ding rolled her eyes at her husband, then reached out and held her son in her arms: "Listen to what Dad has to say to you."

Seeing everyone looking at him, Old Man Ding couldn't help but sigh and said, "Boss, now our household has about 200 acres, including the land we were allocated and your official land. We also have a cow and a mule, so we can make a living. Do you... do you still want to go to the battlefield to fight?"

Ding Daxing nodded firmly: "I will continue to fight."

Old Man Ding was stunned for a moment, then sighed and said, "You're old enough to have your own ideas. I don't want to try to dissuade you, but why can't you be like An Baozheng and seek a position as a county lieutenant? You can live a peaceful life and be prestigious. Isn't that a hundred times better than fighting in the battlefield?"

On the side, the mother had already started wiping away tears.

Ding Daxing knew that his parents were old farmers who had never been to the county town in their entire lives and had no experience at all. He could only explain, "Dad, this land was lent to us by the government to support the soldiers. If I retire from the army, the land will be taken back by the government."

Old Man Ding opened his eyes wide. "How could this even happen? These are all top-notch paddy fields."

Ding Daxing waved his hand to interrupt his father's complaints and continued, "This is secondary, a small matter. Father, have you ever thought about whether we can still have these peaceful days if the Jin thieves come back again?"

"The gold thief...will the gold thief come back?"

"Father, today's peaceful days didn't just fall from the sky. They were created by the hard work of many people," Ding Daxing said sincerely. "Zhang Langjun of the East China Sea was such a hero! He also died on the battlefield. It was because of the bravery of these people that we were able to drive out the Jin thieves and bring us peace."

"That's it, that's it." Old Man Ding couldn't hold back his tears anymore, and they fell down. "I look forward to your letter every day, but I'm also afraid that someone will deliver your letter. I... I know that peace comes from fighting, but... but why is it my son..."

Ding Daxing stepped forward and shook Old Man Ding's calloused hand. "Father, Mr. Feihu is the Duke of Wei's son. Many times, he stands closer to the front than I do. How can I retreat?"

"Father..."

Just as he was about to say a few more words of comfort, he heard footsteps approaching rapidly outside the door, followed by Anquina's voice like a broken gong.

"Boss Ding! Boss Ding, come out quickly! Something happened!"

Ding Daxing frowned, consoled his parents for a few words, and then pushed the door open and walked out: "What happened?"

An Kui quickly took two steps and came to Ding Daxing's side. He whispered, "Yesterday afternoon, new prefects and county magistrates arrived and wanted to replace Luo Zhizhou and Gao Zhixian. The chief clerk told us to return quickly because it seemed something serious was going to happen."

Ding Daxing was stunned for a moment, and his scalp suddenly felt numb: "Something big is going to happen."

"Father, mother, I have to leave now. Second and third sons, please take good care of them. I will send money home."

"An Baozheng, let's go."

"Wait a minute." Hao Donglai walked over quickly, holding a thick wooden stick in his hand. His son, Hao Ergou, was tying a hatchet to the other end of the stick. He was being dragged forward by his father, jumping and skipping. "We'll go with you. In this kind of situation, more people can make a commotion and force the official to make concessions. If there are fewer people, we'll have to resort to violence."

Although he had no intention of becoming a refugee leader, Hao Donglai had been a chieftain after all, and had personal experience with the process of civil unrest, so he immediately came up with a feasible plan.

Everyone was angry.

Luo Guzi's winter governance of Haizhou was highly effective, and the people saw it all. In particular, the water conservancy projects he had renovated immediately yielded results during the spring plowing season, instantly boosting his already high reputation to its peak.

Such a good official must not be allowed to leave.

Ding Daxing shook his head and smiled bitterly, if only things were that simple!

(End of this chapter)