I am a master in India

Chapter 152 The Land of Outstanding People and Abundant Resources: Northern State

Ron and his family had agreed to meet at an intersection. When he and Nia arrived, a dusty Toyota Civic was already parked beside the bumpy road.

About five or six men were chatting idly there, chewing on pa'an (a type of Tibetan shaman) and fiddling with machetes, kukri kukri, and pistols...

What made Ron most uneasy was that the young man in the lead was pointing a submachine gun at the sky and imitating the "rat-a-tat-tat" sound of firing.

He turned and saw Ron, his face lighting up with genuine joy. He tossed aside his submachine gun and strode over.

“Ron! My dear brother!” His warm embrace was hard to refuse.

“Brother Ratan.” Ron put down his luggage and patted him on the shoulder.

This young man was Ron's cousin, the eldest son of his uncle. The two were close in age and had played together since they were children.

“You’ve only been gone for a little over two years, but you’re like a completely different person.” Ratan looked him up and down in amazement.

“You’re just as good,” Ron said, looking behind him. “Where did you get this thing?”

Ratan laughed, grabbed the submachine gun, and tossed it into Ron's arms. "Try it out. This is brand new, 35,000 rupees each."

The gun felt incredibly heavy in his hands, and Ron instinctively caught it with both hands. He lifted the mop and glanced at it; the magazine was empty.

After fiddling with it for a few moments, Ron tossed it to Ratan.

"Is Varanasi unsafe? I haven't seen any news about it."

"Just in case, who knows what those herders might do? This is also for the sake of the family business."

Hearing this, Ron suddenly remembered. Last year's conflict between Indo-Muslims was sparked in Uttar Pradesh, which was the epicenter of the turmoil.

Poor and harsh environments breed unruly people; the people of Uttar Pradesh are much more fierce than those of Mumbai.

Of course, Ratan's ostentatious display was not only for self-defense, but also to show off to Ron.

He spent a fortune to acquire these weapons.

The two brothers greeted each other, while Nia excitedly told her older brother Anil about all the new and exciting things in Mumbai.

Nia has three older brothers and two older sisters. Her older sister is already married, and her brothers all work for the Suer family.

When Ron's parents were alive, their whole family were the exclusive servants of this branch of the family.

Later, when they went to Mumbai, only old Abi and Nia left with them, while the others temporarily went to live with the Ratan family.

Nia's brothers now work as assistants to Ratan, and occasionally act as his henchmen.

I heard today that Ron and the others are back, and that Third Brother Anil went to great lengths to get this cushy job.

He dotes on his younger sister, showering her with concern and affection the moment they meet.

Ron and Nia's brothers were also close; they often met when they were young.

After exchanging brief greetings, the group prepared to head back home.

To make room for Ron, Ratan waved for the others to get on the motorcycles behind him.

There were only four people in the car, but seven burly men were crammed onto the motorcycle.

With a roar of the engine, the dusty Civic, accompanied by a motorcycle performing stunts, sped away into the distance.

Varanasi is much more backward than Mumbai; its suburbs are practically indistinguishable from rural areas.

The main road is a dirt road with few cars, but you can't drive fast at all.

Ron and his companions' car would often encounter oncoming slow-moving vehicles, bicycles, and even carts pulled by camels and oxen.

Their owners were completely unaware that they had violated all traffic regulations and common sense about roads, and continued to drive their cars leisurely and happily.

Ron and his friends often saw a tractor with twenty or thirty people crammed into the back, as if they were glued together.

The tractor moved slowly forward at 20 miles per hour, making a rattling sound all the way.

Sometimes their vehicles have to stop because of the flock of sheep in front of them.

Ratan honked his horn furiously, but all he got in response was a chorus of bleating.

He was so angry that he picked up his submachine gun and was about to fire a burst, but fortunately Ron persuaded him to stop.

A bunch of beasts, why are you arguing with them?

The ten-kilometer journey was fraught with difficulties. Even without the interference of various livestock, it would have been quite a struggle.

The dirt road was riddled with potholes, making their ride feel like a rollercoaster.

On both sides of the road stretched the green fields of the Ganges Plain, a monotonous landscape. Villages came one after another, seemingly endless. Whether in the distance or up close, all one could see were people.

Just as they were about to reach their destination, Ron was so shocked by what he saw that he was speechless.

Five corpses were hanging under a large tree at the entrance of the village.

Their necks were twisted at an eerie angle, and their thin hands and feet were bound together, fluttering in the wind like rags.

Several dark-skinned women were wailing under the tree; they were probably their family members.

"What happened?" Ron asked blankly.

"These lowly people killed a cow, and we caught them red-handed." Ratan's face was filled with hatred, and he spat viciously out the window.

"No, sir! The ox died of illness. My husband didn't kill it. How could we dare to do such a thing!"

One of the women wailed, lying on the ground crying out, her head pressed against the soil.

Several women around her were also crying, but they were crying very carefully and weakly; they dared not look at her.

Ratan ignored him, and even took out a submachine gun and brandished it with a wicked grin, immediately silencing the area under the tree.

Ron didn't say a word the whole time; he felt a tightness in his chest.

This place and Mumbai seem like two different worlds, one representing ancient times and the other representing modern civilization.

He suddenly understood why, despite the slums being so filthy, a large influx of outsiders still poured in every day.

Because in the countryside, not only is there no way out, but losing your life is also just a matter of a moment.

Mumbai truly is a golden-winged bird, a paradise in the hearts of all Indians.

After they passed the village entrance, Anil quietly revealed the secret.

Those five people belonged to the Jammu subcaste, and leather tanning was a hereditary profession for them. This group was collectively referred to as the Tribes, the lowest caste among the Dalits.

They bought a sick cow from a neighboring village, and were caught while carrying the cow's carcass on the road.

Some claim that they killed the cow first in order to skin it.

Several Dalits argued that the cow had died first, and that's why they paid for it.

But no one from the nearby high-caste community listened to their explanations; instead, they used vigilante justice to hang the men from the tree.

No police or judges were involved throughout the entire process, and the villagers had no objections. This is rural Uttar Pradesh—a living hell.

Ron still couldn't change anything; in fact, he was one of the beneficiaries.

The Sue family were lords, or landowners, of several nearby villages. Most of their land was rented out to other castes in the villages, and they themselves did not directly control much of it.

Most of the houses in the village have mud walls and thatched roofs, just like families in other villages in Uttar Pradesh.

Anil pointed to a mud house, and Ron suddenly remembered that it was Nia's former home.

Six water buffaloes are kept in the small yard. Their dung is collected separately and used as a disinfectant when the buffaloes give birth.

A jumble of memories flooded back, and Ron gradually began to form an impression of everything before him.

He rarely came here before; as landowners, the Ron family didn't live here.

They have their own estates, temples, wells, and ponds. They don't need to come to the village except to collect money.

Nia didn't live here when she was little. She grew up with Ron and learned a lot from her family, including English, arithmetic, and servant skills.
But her family was there after all, and Nia missed her loved ones very much.

Ron patted her hand and gave Nia a reassuring look.

The car drove through the village and arrived at a small market.

There were only two or three small shops in the market, all of which looked similar and sold the same things: diesel oil, incense, and rice.

Everyone was staring at them, and several children excitedly ran after the car.

These villages and markets are also Su'er's territory.

Those who recognized them immediately bent down and touched the road surface where the tires had passed.

Most of the people here are of the Vaishya and Shudra castes; there are no Dalits.

The untouchables are not allowed here; they have a separate settlement where Ron has never been.

After passing the market, they came to see a large, walled compound. It was enormous, even larger than the village they had just passed.

That was the location of the Suer family's residence; even from the outside, several magnificent courtyards were quite eye-catching.

The garden is lush and green, and all the facades are made of marble.

Before the car had even come to a complete stop at the gate, the old butler opened the car door for Ron and then touched the top of his foot.

"Young Master, you've finally arrived! You've finally come!"

The old butler watched the young masters and ladies of the manor grow up. Ron was the youngest, but he was the first to leave.

He was so excited that he almost fell at Ron's feet.

“Kishan, you haven’t changed at all.” Ron patted his shoulder, completing the blessing.

“Young Master, you’ve changed. You’ve become even more impressive.” The old butler began to sob.

He waved his hand, and a large group of servants came over one by one to touch Ron's feet, and then went to the back of the car to unload his luggage.

They kept their heads down, bowed their backs, and acted obsequiously, carefully avoiding Ron.

Ratan tossed the car keys to the driver, who caught them like a precious treasure and then drove the car to be washed.

"Ron, let's go inside. Dad and the others are waiting for you."

The estate is very large; it takes several minutes to walk there.

The only family temporarily staying here is Ron's uncle, Prash, and his family.

He has three uncles; Ron's father is the fourth oldest.

The brothers used to live in the manor, but they gradually separated.

His uncle and aunt were waiting for him in the living room. As soon as Ron entered, they hugged him and showered him with concern.

They blamed Ron for not informing them of the situation in Mumbai sooner, and for only calling home when he was almost back.

Ron made the excuse that it was difficult to take a long-distance call from Mumbai back to Uttar Pradesh, as it required booking many days in advance.

He paid extra for the premium "Lightning" connection service, which meant he could get through in just one week.

Yes, this is India; even lightning takes a long time to strike.

The uncle's family was not surprised; this is the normal situation in Uttar Pradesh.

The family chatted and reminisced for a while, and then the first thing they did was to arrange for the ashes of Ron's parents.

After a long prayer, the ashes were temporarily placed under the shrine in the temple.

In a few days, they will choose an auspicious day to go to the Ganges.

Old Abi's ashes were also stored away; as a loyal servant of the Suer family for decades, this was considered a preferential treatment.

Nia's caste was not low; the Vaishyas were considered middle castes, with a status much higher than the Dalits, second only to the Kshatriyas.

Brahmins can take whatever they want from Shudras and Dalits, and even use vigilante justice, but they cannot treat Vaishyas in the same way, who are ordinary citizens.

After a flurry of activity, Uncle Prash asked Ron about his work again.

He stated frankly that the public sector in Varanasi had already been contacted.

Ron was able to become a civil servant without any examination.

This is a privilege of the Brahmins in Uttar Pradesh, and they control a large number of government positions.

Ron declined, saying he owned a small factory in Mumbai.

Ratan and the others assumed that the small factories Ron mentioned were just like the small sugar workshops in Uttar Pradesh, which were everywhere.

Ron’s uncle Prashensh admired his drive and said that the civil service position was always available, so Ron should give it a try.

If it doesn't work out, he can go back to Uttar Pradesh; he's still young.

During a break from chatting, Ron took the opportunity to look around the living room.

He seemed to feel the cool air from the air conditioner, and Ratan proudly told him that the air conditioner was newly installed.

The new TV I bought will arrive in two days; it's all imported.

The Sue family has a manor, electricity, and money, but they have difficulty buying home appliances such as air conditioners and televisions.

Latan pulled strings and waited in line for several months before finally getting their electricity sorted out.

India is very backward, and Uttar Pradesh is even more backward, relying entirely on imports for all its household appliances.

After two years of preparation following the reduction of import tariffs on electronic products, the policy has gradually been implemented in Uttar Pradesh.

"This is all thanks to the family's new business. Come on, I'll take you to see it." Ratan excitedly pulled Ron out the door.

(End of this chapter)