Tiger Guards

Chapter 719 Sharing weal and woe
In Jinyang, a manor south of the Jin River.

Spring plowing is underway. Yuan Xi, Gao Gan, Qian Zhao, and Cao Chun formed two plowing teams, with one person leading the ox and the other holding the plow.

Originally, the lives of prisoners of war would not have deteriorated to the point of having to fend for themselves, but after Yuan Shao and Sun Ce formed a full alliance, the treatment of these high-ranking prisoners plummeted.

Even Qian Zhao, who came from a poor family, couldn't help but feel resentful... It was too humiliating for them to engage in the work of slaves.

Previously, these people had male and female servants to serve them in their daily lives and travels, but after the coup in Xuchang last year, their maids were taken away and their social interactions were restricted; soon after, they were forcibly moved to this estate to work with other government slaves.

These government slaves were mainly prisoners of various Hu tribes, and they could not understand each other's languages. If it weren't for the suppression by the land officials, the larger number of Hu government slaves would have already attacked them.

The four of them had a total of 500 mu of contracted land. Fortunately, they only needed to cultivate 200 mu during the spring planting season, and the rest were mulberry fields, hemp fields, and leftover miscellaneous land for planting pasture.

During the midday break, two female servants each pushed a wheelbarrow, followed by a field official with a sword at his side, who supervised them.

These four prisoners, being of different statuses, were given priority when it came to meals.

Tian Li walked behind the two wheelbarrows, observing the four people resting and sunbathing from a distance.

I always felt that it wasn't easy for four people to work together; it would be better if there was one more person.

If you choose a leader from a group of soldiers, it will be much easier to manage them.

Since losing their servants to attend to their daily needs and adopting a rougher lifestyle that required them to work, Yuan Xi and Gao Gan were no longer the elegant gentlemen they once were. At this moment, their hair and beards were disheveled, their faces were covered in grime from oil and sweat mixed with dirt, and even their skin appeared rough.

Cao Chun and Qian Zhao were alright; neither of them relied on their looks to make a living. Cao Chun's appearance was similar to that of other members of the Cao clan, nothing special, just an ordinary face.

However, compared to most of his cousins ​​and brothers who were less than seven feet tall, Cao Chun's height barely exceeded seven feet, placing him among Qian Zhao, Yuan Xi, and Gao Gan, and he was not too short.

Seeing Ms. Hu pushing her wheelbarrow over, Cao Chun got up to find his plate, chopsticks, and ceramic bowl. Yuan Xi sat still, squinting as he enjoyed the warm spring sunshine, while Gao Gan got up to get their tableware.

Qian Zhao didn't rush to get it. He got up, greeted the two Hu women, and didn't forget to greet Tian Li as well.

After the two Hu women pushed the wheelbarrow to a stop nearby, Qian Zhao stepped forward and asked Tian Li, "Has there been any response to my petition to the shogunate?"

"Don't worry, Lord Qian, Zhang Shaojian has already forwarded the documents to the General Staff."

The official replied in a pleasant tone that Kensho was different from the other three. Whenever the shogunate needed Kensho, Kensho could be rescued at any time and become a mid-level official in the shogunate.

A mid-level official in the shogunate was not a low-ranking position, ranging from 600 to 1000 koku.

Zhang Shaojian, who managed the five farms south of the Jin River, fought alongside the Grand Marshal until he lost half of his hand and had to retire. He was only promoted one rank from a centurion and transferred to a local post, barely reaching the rank of major with a salary of 600 shi.

After exchanging a few words with Qian Zhao, Tian Li stood upwind and looked out at the other working groups in the distance.

Qian Zhao, who understood the Donghu language, had been imprisoned for a long time and had developed some interest in the two short and stout Donghu women. He treated them purely as a diversion from his life, and would make advances towards them during casual conversations.

The two women from Hu did not think it was excessive and were quite interested in chatting, joking, and playing around with each other.

Meanwhile, Yuan Xi, Gao Gan, and Cao Chun, who were queuing up with their trays to get their meals, looked on with disdain. Only they themselves knew what they were really thinking.

Each person's plate contained only two grayish-green wild vegetable and mixed grain rice balls, a pool of dark red salty sauce for dipping, and a bowl of slightly fishy, ​​salty fish soup with no visible grains.

Yuan Xi, Gao Gan, and Cao Chun all adapted to the coarse food. Yuan Xi's constipation was cured, and his overall complexion improved significantly.

After serving the three men, Qian Zhao brought out her own plate. In front of Tian Li, the two Hu women couldn't show too much favoritism to Qian Zhao, but they were able to choose two large wild vegetable and grain rice balls, even the salty sauce seemed thick.

A spoonful of salty sauce was tapped onto Qian Zhao's plate before it detached from the wooden spoon. The sauce maintained its raised shape and slowly flowed before spreading out.

As for the fish soup, it appeared cloudy in Qian Zhao's bowl, filled with the loosened fish meat suspended in the water. At this point, Qian Zhao wouldn't bother to flatter or fawn over Yuan Xi or Gao Gan; she simply needed to feed herself well.

Biting into a wild vegetable rice ball dipped in salty sauce, Qian Zhao didn't forget to bid farewell to Hu Nu and Tian Li in his own way.

Yuan Xi, Gao Gan, and Cao Chun not only refused to greet Ms. Hu, but also showed disdain for sign language and shouts, as if doing so would lower their status.

Not only the Hu woman, but even this lowly official Tian Li, whose rank was only a hundred bushels of grain, they wouldn't greet him or even look at him directly.

After the official and the woman from Hu pushed the cart away, Qian Zhao turned to Cao Chun and said, "Zihe, do you think there will ever be a day when we can escape our cages and serve the country?"

It doesn't matter who governs the country; what they've had enough of is their current lifestyle.

Serving the country and demonstrating one's abilities and value should not be wasted any longer.

Cao Chun's beard was messy, and when he ate the vegetable dumplings, he would use his fingers to wipe away the bits of food stuck to his beard. In a few months, it would be his thirtieth birthday, marking his official entry into middle age.

After swallowing the coarse, tasteless food in his mouth, Cao Chun replied, "Yes, Brother Zijing is familiar with the customs and geography of the Donghu, and I also possess great strength. If the Grand Marshal can use me, why should I hesitate to die?"

Cao Cao is already dead. Besides, the lineage of Cao Chun and Cao Ren is quite distant from Cao Cao's.

Their father, Cao Chi, was a cousin of Cao Cao's father, Cao Song; Cao Song was the brother of Cao Hong's father, and Cao Xiu was Cao Hong's nephew.

As far as the Cao clan is concerned, the lineage of Cao Chun and Cao Ren had become increasingly distant from Cao Cao.

If it weren't for the chaos in the world, Cao Ren, who roamed the Jianghuai region with nowhere to go, wouldn't have led his troops to join forces with Cao Cao for survival.

Cao Chun separated from Cao Ren when he was young. When he was seventeen or eighteen, his mourning period ended and he was recruited as a Gentleman of the Yellow Gate.

If the world hadn't descended into chaos, Cao Chun would have long since become a powerful insider in the palace, thanks to his father's influence.

Therefore, Cao Cao's death was not so sad for Cao Chun, let alone a blood feud.

How could such a large family, one that survived various political upheavals during the reigns of Emperors Huan and Ling, possibly be so determined to seek revenge over the death of a single family member?
From the moment Cao Chun was sent on a mission to Jinyang, he harbored the idea of ​​separating his family and living independently to hedge against risks.

However, Zhao Ji was too cautious and did not have the particular hobby of playing with snakes for thrills, so Cao Chun could only live a secluded life.

After less than two years of leisure, he was packed up and sent to a farm to become a serf.

Now, putting aside the risk hedging for the family, Cao Chun, just for his own sake, has to find a way to change his fate.

When faced with the torrent of fate, individuals actually have very few choices.

At this moment, he became even more determined. As long as he could get out, he would fight against his own brother Cao Ren!

One should not dwell on the past, but also look to the future.

Cao Chun and Cao Zihe were also starting a new Cao family, and it was time for them to have a new family and have children.

How could his deceased cousin Cao Cao be worth sacrificing himself and everything in the future?
Seeing Cao Chun's resolute expression, Qian Zhao felt somewhat relieved.

Anyway, Yuan Xi and Gao Gan were not on his side. Only Cao Chun had shared hardships with him and helped him out after he left. They could support each other and go further together in the future.

Of course, if Cao Chun gets into trouble after he leaves, and gets implicated, then Qian Zhao himself will be finished.

(End of this chapter)