Sword of Light: Humanoid Self-Propelled Artillery

Chapter 172 Change and Help

Of course, the reform work team didn't resort to force right away. For example, after Wang Cuiyun arrived at a village, she used a loudspeaker to announce:
"Fellow villagers, listen to me. This is no longer the country ruled by the government. It is our people who are in charge. This is our world. Without our own labor, the crops wouldn't sprout from the ground. We rise before dawn and sleep until midnight. Every drop of sweat is a drop of grain. The landlords never work. They seize our grain. So please think carefully, fellow villagers, who is really feeding whom now?"

Unfortunately, those who came to listen to Wang Cuiyun speak were all teenagers from the village. The reason for this was that they were threatened by the village landlords, so the adults did not dare to come over.

The reason why the teenagers came was because of the steamed buns, sweet potatoes and other food brought by Wang Cuiyun and the work team.

Therefore, one of the female comrades in Wang Cuiyun's work group complained:

"It's been days! We've gone door-to-door trying to talk to them, but they still won't come! Are they really hungry or just pretending? This is something we need to figure out!"

In response, Wang Cuiyun said:

"This is a typical stubborn village; they don't trust us! So nobody dares to come!"

At this moment, a member of another working group said:

"In my opinion, let's stop wasting time talking to them and just arrest that landlord Qiu, drag him out and roast him, let the whole village come and see!"

However, the man's words were immediately interrupted by the woman's words:

"The higher-ups won't allow any rash actions! They insist on solid evidence!"

"What solid evidence do we have? They won't cooperate with our reforms, so how are we supposed to reform them? You can't just say you're taking the land and giving it to them directly; even if you did, they wouldn't dare accept it!"

However, just as they were talking, a boy of about half a year ran over, intending to chase away all the boys who were listening to the lecture. Upon seeing this, Wang Cuiyun immediately said:

"Young Master Liang, come here and there's food!"

The young man from the Liang family was also very hungry and immediately started eating. Seeing this, Wang Cuiyun immediately said:
"Young man Liang, don't just eat by yourself! Call your family over to eat with you!"

However, upon hearing this, Liang's son picked up the food and stuffed it into his pocket, intending to take it back. Wang Cuiyun naturally refused, since the food was meant for the villagers to come and listen to the lecture before they could eat it.

Upon seeing this, Wang Cuiyun immediately knocked the Liang family boy to the ground and then said to him:

"Young Master Liang, your family is so poor you don't even have pants, why are you wasting food? Now that there's a way to survive, we're here to help you! Where are your parents? Where are all the adults in this village? Why don't they come and see for themselves!"

However, upon hearing this, the eldest son of the Liang family immediately stood up and said:

"I'm telling you, do you dare to go?!"

This young man from the Liang family had never seen much of the world and thought that only the landlord Qiu was the most powerful. However, what this young man from the Liang family did not know was that the landlord Qiu was no match for the reform team. After all, the reform team had more than ten guns!

The Qiu family landlords only have a few thugs at most; it's no wonder they can't be arrogant. The Liang family boy said as he led the way:
"Qiu Dana made a harsh statement, saying that you are just like those bandits who came before, and you won't last long. He said he would raise the rent to his house to death and starve the bastards to death! Qiu Dana's family has cooked porridge up ahead, and everyone is hiding there eating porridge!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Cuiyun asked the young man from the Liang family:
"Then why are you helping us?"

Upon hearing this, the young man from the Liang family said:
"The reason my family is so poor is because Qiu Dana lied to my father and swindled our land. I don't believe a word he says, but you guys are different!" Just then, everyone arrived. At this moment, the men in the team said to Wang Cuiyun:

"Now that we're here, let's just storm in and arrest Qiu Dana, that landlord Qiu!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Cuiyun asked:
"Then how are we any different from the bandits from before!"

Upon hearing this, the male comrade from the landscaping team fell silent. Seeing his silence, Wang Cuiyun then said:

"What we need is for the people to wake up, not to be woken up by fear!"

And so Wang Cuiyun entered Qiu's house alone. What she saw inside was thin porridge that Qiu had distributed, which was practically water. It was only good for drinking and didn't fill her stomach at all.

Although Wang Cuiyun was alone, she showed no fear and said:
"Fellow villagers, my name is Wang Cuiyun, and I'm from the land reclamation team!"

However, as soon as Wang Cuiyun said this, the landlord Qiu spoke up:
"Everyone, you can leave now! We'll have the porridge tomorrow!"

Qiu, the landlord, held extremely high prestige in the village; after all, everyone was afraid of him!

So they all got up to leave, and Wang Cuiyun immediately said:

"Fellow villagers, please don't leave. You're afraid of knives and guns, you're afraid of money and power, but I'm just a woman, what are you afraid of!"

As soon as Wang Cuiyun said this, Qiu Dana immediately added:

"Even if she's a woman, she's a formidable woman with guns and cannons. Aren't you afraid? I'm terrified!"

Upon seeing this, Wang Cui called out by name:
"Who is Liu Damu? Your family owns three acres of fertile land, so why are you here drinking porridge!"

Seeing that no one stepped forward, Wang Cuiyun continued:
"Sister-in-law Qin, Sister-in-law Qin, have you forgotten how your husband died?! Because of unpaid rent, Qiu Dana took over your rapeseed field, and when your husband went to reason with him, he was beaten to death! Have you forgotten all that?! Li Erzhuang, your family used to own land, so why are you now just a farmhand, with endless rent to pay? And Old Wang, are you really going to just give up those five acres of land that your ancestors left you?! Uncle Liang, you used to be the best farmer in the village, and the grain from your fields was the best in the village, but now! You're the poorest person in the village. Everyone, think about why this is happening!"

Just as everyone in the village was reflecting on Wang Cuiyun's words, Qiu Dana spoke up:

“Young lady, you've spoken inappropriately. We'll resolve our village's land ownership issues ourselves…”

However, before Qiu Dana could finish speaking, Wang Cuiyun interrupted him, saying:
"Aren't you afraid of me? If you were afraid, you should have shut up. I didn't ask you to speak!"

"you!"

Qiu Dana looked at the Mauser pistol slung at Wang Cuiyun's waist and immediately shut his mouth. Seeing this, Wang Cuiyun continued:
"Fellow villagers, you are all farmers who work from sunrise to sunset, tending the land like children. But you have no land. Farmers without land are just slaves to the land. Slaves have no dignity, no power. The master can exploit you at will, dry you up. You work yourself to death, yet you still can't get enough to eat or wear. What can you do?"

You dare not resist because you know that resistance will only bring greater disaster. But I, Wang Cuiyun, am here today to tell you all that you no longer need to be afraid. Times have changed. You can no longer resist on your own; we can help you resist! We will help you reclaim your land, so you can farm and support your families!

(End of this chapter)