Chapter 215 Strong Contrast
Chapter 215 Strong Contrast
The nine cities and nine counties in the west are the westernmost part of the Eastern Dynasty. After crossing the continuous mountains, it is the border of the Western Dynasty.
However, not only are those mountains steep, but they are also covered with snow all year round, which is equivalent to a death zone, and no one can cross the border from there.
The Eastern and Western Dynasties had other smoother roads to connect with each other.
It is precisely because of the harsh conditions and remoteness that the beastmen here live an extremely difficult life.
Unfortunately, there was a snowstorm this year, making life even more difficult. Until late March, the snow in the flat areas had not melted, let alone going into the mountains covered with thick snow to find food, and spring plowing was also nowhere in sight.
Xijiujiu County was the area most severely affected by the snowstorm. At the beginning, the Jiang family workshop was stationed there to start a workshop, selling food, medicinal materials, clothing, and especially coal for heating on credit.
But later, the Fifth Princess brought relief food from the dynasty. Some people were unwilling to be enslaved by the Jiang family caravan, so they left the workshop and went to collect the relief food from the Fifth Princess.
But as time went on, the amount of relief food they could receive became less and less, and until now, they have not received any food for several days.
Aji is a 40-year-old female from a family of six. Originally, she had six husbands and two children. Later, two of the husbands and one child died in a snowstorm.
Now the four beastly husbands are working in the Jiang family workshop, and only Aji and the child are at home. However, after taking the Jiang family's fertility medicine, Aji is now pregnant again.
The family lived in a brick house built by a workshop. Although there were only three rooms, it was filled with furniture, food, clothes, and coal for burning, so the family lived a warm life.
Early in the morning, the aroma of meat wafted through the house, making the Tashi family next door very greedy.
"Hmph, what's the point of being a slave, no matter how good the food is? You have no dignity at all."
Zhaxi is also a female in her forties. She originally had ten husbands, but some of them died over the years. After the snowstorm, there are only three husbands left. Her only child is now running a fever.
"It's better to live without dignity than to die. My wife, please think of a solution quickly. The child's body is severely burned. If we don't treat him now, it will be too late."
The big beast husband in the family hugged the skinny child tightly in his arms, his eyes full of grief.
"Humph, what can a female like me do? It's all because of you males who are useless.
Now that I am almost starving to death, who would care about a cheap boy? If you want to die, die quickly and don’t waste the family’s food rations.”
Zhaxi had a very bad temper and favored females over males. In her opinion, her son was dead and was not as important as herself.
As soon as she said this, no beastly husband dared to say a word. They all became numb, almost as if waiting to die.
This child is not their biological child, and they cannot force their wife to do anything, let alone bring bad luck to her.
The beastman of Zhaxi's family originally went to work in the Jiang family workshop. Later, when the Fifth Princess's disaster relief team arrived, Zhaxi was made a helper in maintaining and distributing grain. Not only did she have power, but the grain she received was twice as much as others, which made her very powerful for a while.
Their family naturally submitted to the Fifth Princess. Not only did they not allow the beastmen in their family to work for the Jiang family, but they also targeted and bullied those beastmen who went to work in the Jiang family workshop, such as Aji's family next door.
But after they were ruthlessly beaten up by the guards of the workshop, no one dared to bully the workers anymore. Moreover, the orcs who went to work in the workshop, especially those who signed a contract, were now rich. Who would dare to mess with them again?
On top of that, the relief food is gone, and even the disaster relief officials have almost all withdrawn, leaving no one caring about the lives of the refugees anymore.
The beastmen that Zhaxi had talked about at the beginning have now lost their jobs and hate Zhaxi to the core. Zhaxi knows that no one is willing to help her, so she naturally won't go out and beg for help.
After all, in her eyes, the child's life is not as important as her face, and she also has the intention of forcing her beastly husband.
If she doesn't go, won't her beastly husband find a way? If she really can't, then he'll whip her until she does.
"How about we go to the Jiang family workshop for help? The managers there were very fair. They wouldn't stand by and watch someone die, right?"
"Then go ahead, why are you still nagging?!" Zhaxi kicked the beastman and the child.
There are many such poor families, some of them are lazy families, and some of them are families that have been bewitched.
Zhaxi, the big beastman, did not dare to delay. He called the other two beastmen together, found the thickest blanket in the house to wrap the child, and then hurried to the Jiang family workshop.
But who would have thought that the Jiang family workshop was already crowded with people, and not every female was as selfish and cold-blooded as Zhaxi, so the ones blocking the door were all orcs holding children.
There was no doubt that these children were either starving to death or sick.
The manager of the workshop immediately arranged for people to cook porridge with cold herbs without saying a word.
Soon, the door of the Jiang family workshop was opened from the inside, and two rows of elite guards with swords came out trotting out majestically, led by Xuan Lan.
"The herbal porridge workshop is already cooking. It can relieve hunger and cold. Anyone who wants to drink it can either buy it with money or sign a lifelong contract to become a slave.
Those who become workers in the Jiang family workshop enjoy 70% of the wages of permanent workers and half-price benefits for purchases.
Those who are willing to be released should line up and sign, and the herbal porridge will be served immediately. Those who are unwilling should leave as soon as possible and not hinder others here.
Xuan Lan has experienced a lot of things, and with her mother Xuan's care and training, she has become mature and steady now, so she was sent alone to Jiujiu County on official business.
This is the place with the most serious disaster and the most dangerous place. If he can really complete the task, it will basically be considered a success. In the future, he will be able to be entrusted with a higher position by Jiang Changle or Xuanqing.
But as soon as Xuanlan finished speaking, the refugees outside the door suddenly exploded.
"Why? Can't we just sign a long-term employment contract? And the wages are even lower. You are really bullying me."
"That's right, they're squeezing us even though we have no way out. That's too much."
The refugees cried, but they had no choice now. The dynasty had no relief food, and if they didn't follow the Jiang family, they would only wait for death.
"That's all your own work. Look at the beastmen who insisted on working in the workshop. They now have houses, food, coal for heating, and their children are about to be born.
And all you have left is death. If you still can't figure out who is right and who is wrong, then I can only say that you are extremely stupid.
You need to find out who is the real person who harmed you.
Now that the Jiang family workshop is still willing to take in a mess like you who don't obey orders, you have to understand the principles and rules and regulations of the workshop.
Otherwise, anyone with a bit of courage would not care about the life and death of you old, weak and sick people.
Now, those who are willing to sell themselves can do so before they get older, and those who are not willing to do so can leave with gratitude.”
Swish! As Xuan Lan finished speaking, the guards drew their swords, ready to execute anyone who caused trouble on the spot.
bestfiction