From the family treasure tree to build an eternal family

Chapter 38 Choice
Xu Xiaoniu was bored at home.

In previous years, after the autumn harvest and during the slack season, he would go hunting with his father in Baihe Mountain.

The situation has been unstable recently, and his father doesn't let him leave home too far, so he can only stay at home and do nothing.

"Dad, Mom, after I pay the exemption silver, can I marry Xiulian?"

Xu Xiaoniu was not anxious to get married, but was thinking about getting back to work after the wedding banquet. He couldn't sit still, and he felt uncomfortable if he didn't work for a day.

"It should be fine once the conscription is over."

While they were talking, someone else came to the Xu family.

The man who entered was an old man with a limp in his left leg. Sweat was beading on his forehead and he was breathing slightly. His name was Wang Quandan, and the villagers called him "Wang the Lame Man."

He was a small farmer with ten acres of land. His family was in a modest situation. His two sons were in their twenties and still couldn't find wives. They worked in the county town to save money. To avoid conscription, he sold all his family's wealth to collect the exemption money.

The money he had saved to buy land and marry his two sons was less than 500 taels, so he turned to Xu Fugui for help and asked to sell two mu of land to the Xu family.

Xu Fugui knew that Wang Quandan, with his limp, was still working the farm, which was not easy. Furthermore, Wang Quandan had a past relationship with Xu Fugui's father, and since two mu of land was not much, he agreed. He gave Wang Quandan 140 taels of silver, and the two agreed to go to the county town later to transfer the land deeds.

"Uncle Quandan, what's wrong? Erxia, go get a bowl of water."

Seeing that he was breathing with dry mouth, Xu Fugui asked Xu Xiaoxia to pour some water.

"hu~hu~"

Wang Quandan wanted to speak, but he was anxious and stammered, unable to speak.

"Fugui, something happened. Something serious happened."

He took a few more breaths, and the air in his chest became smoother. "I was just about to go to the county town to pay the exemption silver, when I saw an official entering the village at the village entrance. The official's horse was carrying a large sack on its back, and the sack was dripping with blood. Do you know what's inside?

Liu Yaozu's body! The official came to announce the death of the Liu family!

The official said that Liu Yaozu had embezzled the exemption silver and was beheaded by the county governor. The county government also posted a notice saying that the exemption silver would not be collected this time and that every household must strictly follow the regulations and provide a male child. What should I do with my two sons?

After saying this in one breath, Wang Quandan's face was filled with grief.

"what?"

"this!"

The Xu family members present were all shocked.

Xu Xiaoxia, who had brought a bowl of boiled water from the kitchen, was so shocked when she heard these words that her hand trembled, and the porcelain bowl fell to the ground and broke into several pieces, spilling the water everywhere.

Not accepting the exemption silver means that one of Xu Xiaoniu and Xu Xiaogou must serve in the army.

"Uncle Quandan, is it really...really?"

Jiazhen's voice trembled, and she couldn't believe what she heard.

Wang Quandan pointed in the direction of the Liu family: "Then, Liu Yaozu's body is lying in the Liu family. The news is spreading like wildfire in the village~~Alas!"

He sighed heavily, took out the banknotes and silver from his pocket, and two drops of muddy tears hung on his face: "There is no need to sell the land to raise money, it's useless."

Xu Fugui reached out to take it, but was speechless.

"I'm leaving first. My two sons will probably be back from the county soon."

Wang Quandan turned around and limped away dejectedly.

The Xu family was silent.

Xu Fugui was in a daze and didn't notice when Wang Quandan left.

He didn't know how long it took before he came to his senses. He glanced around and found that Xu Xiaogou was not there: "Where are the three Gou people?"

"Daniu, go find him."

Xu Fugui's voice was weak.

"Yeah, Dad."

Xu Xiaoniu responded softly and walked out of the gate. Recently, if Xu Xiaogou was not at home, he should be at Zhao Shuai's house.

----

Zhao family.

"That's impossible, did they make a mistake?"

Xu Xiaogou learned from Zhao Shuai that the county government's land registration document stated that the Zhao family had no land, and the one hundred acres of land belonged to the Liu family!

Combined with the lease contract produced by the Liu family, the evidence is conclusive.

"I don't know either. My family rents the land from the Liu family. How could I have never heard anyone in my family mention it?"

Zhao Shuai shook his head, his face full of confusion.

He is the only one left in the family and the land is gone. What will he do in the future?
"Could it be?"

Xu Xiaogou frowned and whispered a few words in Zhao Shuai's ear.

"It's possible, but I have no evidence."

Zhao Shuai gritted his teeth, his face filled with resentment. He and Xu Xiaogou had both guessed that the Liu family was most likely behind this. Especially with Liu Yaozu in the family, it would be too easy to bully a young man who had almost wiped out his family.

"Go report to the police? No way..."

As soon as Xu Xiaogou said it, he denied his idea. He was not so naive and knew the principle of protecting each other among officials.

The two of them thought about it over and over, but they were at a loss for what to do. They even imagined a worse outcome: if Zhao Shuai was too conspicuous and insisted on causing a commotion, he might "disappear into thin air." "This is too much bullying! Damn it!"

Boom boom boom!
There was a rapid knock on the door.

"Who?"

The two of them were a little frightened and scared.

"The officials from the county government have important business."

Official errand?

Puzzled, the two opened the gate. Standing outside was a middle-aged man in ordinary plain clothes, leading a fine horse.

The middle-aged man was named Xiao Lei, and he was the chief clerk in the county government who was in charge of land deeds.

Liu Yaozu died, and he was very panicked when he heard the news. The county lieutenant was beheaded by the county governor who had just been in Tonggu County for half a year, which shows that County Lieutenant Liu was not well-received.

Xiao Lei had just made a secret deal with Liu Yaozu, seizing a hundred acres of someone else's farmland. If word got out, he was worried the county governor would chop off his head.

Without hesitation, he quickly changed the land deed transaction record back to its original state and rode as fast as he could to Baihe Village. In order not to attract attention, he changed into casual clothes instead of wearing official uniform.

"Which of you two is Zhao Shuai?"

Xiao Lei looked at the two people in front of him.

"it's me."

"Come into the house and talk."

Xiao Lei walked into the yard and closed the door behind him. "Can I have a moment to talk?"

He saw that there was another person present, and he didn't want anyone to know about this.

"and many more!"

Xu Xiaogou pulled Zhao Shuai behind him, his whole body tense, ready to attack at any moment. "Who are you? You claim to be an official, but you have no official uniform or credentials, and you're acting suspiciously. Did the Liu family send you here?"

Liu family?

Xiao Lei was surprised: "What else do you know?"

"Humph, I know everything. Don't even think about harming my brother under my nose."

"..."

Xiao Lei cursed in his heart, the Liu family was cheating people so blatantly and everyone knew about it, weren't they trying to kill him?

"It's a misunderstanding, it's a misunderstanding. You may not know that County Magistrate Liu is dead."

"Liu County Magistrate is dead?"

Xu Xiaogou and Zhao Shuai were stunned for a moment, then shouted "Served him right" and "Good death".

"I'm just a civil servant. I had no choice but to do this for him. Don't blame me, my two little brothers. Look at what this is."

Xiao Lei took out a stack of land deeds from his arms, and the name registered on them was Zhao Shuai!

"Your family members are dead, so the land should naturally be inherited by you. I have prepared your land deeds, but I ask you to keep your mouths shut and keep it a secret for me."

Zhao Shuai took the land deed and couldn't help but say, "God has eyes. The Liu family's evil deeds will be punished. They deserve it! Don't worry, sir. We won't tell anyone."

"That's good, thank you two little brothers."

Xiao Lei bowed, thanked them, and left without even telling them his name. This was his stain.

If it wasn't for his official hat or even his life, he wouldn't be so polite to the two young men.

"Great!"

Xu Xiaogou and Zhao Shuai high-fived each other in celebration.

The two were just worrying about what to do, but who would have thought that things would take a turn for the worse and Liu Yaozu would die.

"The Liu family is doomed now."

Xiao Lei had only mentioned Liu Yaozu's death, not the exemption from military service and conscription. Therefore, Xu Xiaogou still didn't know about it.

"The most powerful person in the Liu family right now is the second son, Liu Hongzhan, a high-level warrior. How can he bully others? Brother Gou, you just need to practice martial arts for a few more years and break through to become a high-level warrior."

Zhao Shuai felt that it was not enough. The Liu family had committed so many evil things that they should be completely wiped out.

dong dong dong~
"Is my third brother here?"

Along with the knock on the door, Xu Xiaoniu's call came from outside.

Xu Xiaogou opened the door and saw his elder brother looking hurried: "What's wrong, elder brother?"

"Come back with me quickly."

Xu Xiaoniu pulled Xu Xiaogou out.

"What's so urgent?"

Xu Xiaogou was confused and was taken away in a hurry without having time to say goodbye to Zhao Shuai.

"Something happened. The county government posted a notice..."

(End of this chapter)