Xie Ming

Chapter 112: Releasing Food and Recruiting Soldiers

The grain distribution started at 5:30 am (8: a.m.) and lasted until : am (: a.m.). The excitement at the grain distribution site finally reached its peak!
At first, because of the constant sound of gunfire in the city last night, most people hid in their homes and did not dare to show up.

Even if they heard the announcements from the yamen runners at the street corners, few were willing to leave their homes early.

Therefore, in the first half hour, those who dared to come here must have been in great financial difficulty at home, and some may have been out of food for several days.

In addition, there are also refugees and disaster victims who have fled from other provinces and towns.

It’s not that these people trust these yamen runners or soldiers very much, nor are they naturally more fearless than others. It’s mainly because they are starving and cold, and they have no other options.

Later, these people, as the first to take the lead, were the first to get the food!
As they were on their way home, more and more people and villagers showed up.

They gathered in groups of three or five, encouraging each other to be brave, and timidly passed by the soldiers dispatched by Xiao Jingchuan.

When they arrived at the grain collection point, they registered their household information, which was not a complicated procedure. Ma Minglu led the people and started to pack rice for the people.

No matter whether it was the runners at the gate of the yamen or the soldiers fighting in the battlefield, the kindness shown at this moment was infecting the people's emotions all the time. In addition, with the rice actually put into their pockets, the sense of security gradually dispelled the tension and panic of most of the people, and the atmosphere gradually developed in a more harmonious and joyful direction.

Until four quarters past noon, this trust and harmony gradually spread and reached a peak.

A large number of people began to rush over.

They went out together, making a huge number.

As more and more people gathered, fear and tension were no longer seen. They were noisy, enthusiastic and crowded.

Xiao Jingchuan mobilized soldiers from various units and at three quarters before the morning, they all arrived at the main street at the entrance of the alley in front of the county government office.

Ma Minglu made careful arrangements and divided them into several teams, each with their own division of labor, such as distributing food, maintaining order, guiding the way, etc.

These soldiers became effective as the number of villagers gradually increased.

As for the more than 700 detained conscripts sent from the military camp in the east of the city, someone was guarding them and standing at the corner of the alley, watching.

At four quarters past noon, Xiao Jingchuan saw that the scene was becoming more and more lively, so he decided to go out of the government office and appear at the forefront of grain distribution with Qiu Zhizhong, Gu Changting and others.

“Minglu?!”

"Minglu?" Xiao Jingchuan rushed to the food distribution point and approached Ma Minglu.

It was very noisy all around, and Xiao Lang's words were almost like shouting, so Ma Minglu could barely hear what he said.

"Ah? General!"

"What's the matter?" Ma Minglu also replied in a hoarse voice.

"How is the food distribution going?"

"How much is left to be distributed?!" Xiao Jingchuan asked about the specific situation.

"General, there are still about 2,000 stones left to be sent out. Look at the situation, it will be soon!"

"It will probably be almost done in a few more quarters of an hour!" Ma Minglu replied.

After saying this, Xiao Lang turned around and whispered something with Qiu Zhizhong.

Seeing the huge crowds of people on the main street next to the county government office, Xiao Jingchuan was also deeply moved.

He looked at it for a while with emotion.

Suddenly, Xiao Lang jumped onto an abandoned stall in front of the street. All of a sudden, all the people in the street were in his sight.

"People and fellow villagers of Yi County!" Xiao Jingchuan shouted suddenly, his voice was like a bell and very loud.

"People of Yi County, fellow villagers!" Another voice was heard. On the noisy street, the common people heard his words and were afraid of his identity. The noisy sounds stopped abruptly and the scene suddenly became quiet.

"Haha, fellow villagers!" "My name is Xiao Jingchuan! I'm a general of the Shenji Battalion in the capital!"

"This time I led the troops into the city to eliminate the threat of bandits, just to encourage the people to do something practical!"

"Today, I am leading the troops to distribute disaster relief food here, for no other reason than to do my best so that the villagers can have something to eat!"

"My Xiao family army has strict military discipline. We never take a single needle or thread from the people. Not only do we not harm the people, but we also think about what the people think and worry about what the people worry about!"

"Our soldiers are one family with the villagers!"

"After all, they are all soldiers from ordinary people's families!"

"So! This time when we were collecting food, we couldn't carry the rice because of that old man and child."

"Look around you. All the officers and soldiers of the Xiao family army can be entrusted to help you move things. That is the job of a soldier. Folks, there is no need to be shy. Just treat them as your own sons and use them as you like!"

Xiao Jingchuan's words sounded very intimate.

There were several thousand people present, and they all saw that the leader was so extraordinary and friendly to the people.

I don't know who started it, but they gradually started shouting among the people.

"General Xiao is mighty, and the Xiao family army is mighty!"

Soon, this slogan spread rapidly among the people, until a moment later, thousands of people were shouting at the same time!

"General Xiao is mighty, and the Xiao family army is mighty!"

Seeing this, Xiao Jingchuan was deeply moved. Standing on the high platform, he kept bowing to the people around him to express his gratitude.

After shouting for a while, Xiao Lang felt that the time was almost right, so he waved his hand to gradually suppress the crowd's voices and continued speaking.

"Folks, folks!"

"I, Xiao, have something else I want to tell you all!"

"I'm sure everyone, especially those in the front of the line, should have seen the more than 700 recruits standing at the corner of the alley!"

"I heard from the county magistrate that these people were recruited by the bandits a few days ago and are preparing to join the army!"

"Then some people might be worried, especially the Mu Ding family. They are even more worried, fearing that I, Xiao, will treat these kids as traitors and deal with them all together!"

"Here, in front of all the folks in Yi County, I, Xiao, decide to release all these 700 recruits and return them home. I will not pursue any charges against them!"

Hearing this, the scene suddenly became joyous again!
Noisy discussions came one after another!
"One more thing, everyone please listen carefully!"

"Everyone, listen carefully!" Xiao Lang saw the situation and quickly took back the conversation.

"I, Xiao, will release this batch of recruits!"

"Here, wait until all the relief grain is distributed, then change the charter on the spot and turn it into a recruitment point!"

"These 700-plus people, as well as the folks present here, if anyone wants to join our Xiao Family Army, please sign up voluntarily!"

"Sign up on the spot and register as a member of the household registration system. Then you will be given money to settle down immediately, three taels per person!"

"The troops under my command, Xiao Jingchuan, are the people's soldiers. They are here to protect our country and the people!"

"I, Xiao, welcome all the passionate men with such aspirations!"

Thanks to the viewer Habuzai for the reward!
Thank you very much!

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(End of this chapter)