newbobooks Chapter 1187 Thunderous Means
Chapter 1187 Thunderous Means
"We thought that this method was feasible. Even if we exchanged more than half of the grain for wheat bran, it would be enough for the family to eat for a long time. We could leave some for the elderly and children, and we could also earn some money. It was a very cost-effective deal.
But we didn't expect that the Yan family would stop giving us anything after we got the food. They just threw us two sacks of bran and that was it. We went to ask for it and were beaten like this. Sir, sir, although it was wrong for us to exchange the food, we just wanted to make the food at home last longer, we didn't do anything wrong!"
In fact, the victims had been hungry for so long and had eaten everything, including grass roots, tree bark, even Guanyin soil and wheat bran, which were better for them than these things.
Why not exchange four for one and give back the money?
Unexpectedly, the Wang family not only refused to give them money, but also withheld their wheat bran. They had no choice but to file a complaint with the government.
As he was speaking, someone outside was beating a drum again.
It turned out that they were also here to file a complaint, saying that some people from the Li family came into the village to buy grain at a high price, but after the grain was collected, they did not give them the promised money and other things.
One thing after another came.
Before the matter was settled, someone beat a drum at the door again.
When they were brought up for questioning, it turned out that when the grain was distributed to them, something was not right. Although they were a family of 15, because they had more children and elderly people, they received 30% to 40% less grain than others, almost half as much.
As soon as everyone arrived, Zhou Guo always asked everyone to speak slowly in a gentle tone.
The county magistrate standing by was so angry that his face turned black as the bottom of a pot. "This is too lawless. The relief grain has just been distributed, and these people can blatantly grab it. Is there any justice in the world? What else do they have to fear?"
Wu Lazi, who was originally angry, noticed something and was really curious. She looked left and right and couldn't help but quietly asked Dashu, "Did the young master arrange this?"
Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that we all get together, especially at the critical moment when we are about to leave.
Dashu looked at his nose with his eyes and looked at his heart with his nose, and said, "I don't know."
The county magistrate was very angry. It would have been fine under normal circumstances, but even if these people tried every means to enclose land and occupy other people's property, didn't he just turn a blind eye?
But this is different. This is the life-saving food for the people of the entire Fengfei County. Without this food, these people may not survive until the spring.
Each person in the family didn't have much, yet they were targeted. "How could they be so short-sighted that they could even look down on such a small thing? Which of these families are not extremely wealthy, with mountains of food, yet they want such a small thing?"
Zhou Guo looked at him coldly and asked, "I wonder what you are going to do next?"
The county magistrate slammed his hand on the table and said, "We absolutely cannot let this matter go. We must make those families return what belongs to them!"
Zhou Guo raised an eyebrow, "Just come back and forget it?"
There is no punishment at all?
No wonder these families are so rampant. It turns out that they really have the power to cover the sky with one hand and are the local kings in Fengfei County.
The county magistrate glanced at her and explained, "Sir, it's not that I don't want to punish them, it's just that the county magistrate is weak. You say there are only a few of us, without help from above, how can my county magistrate, which has nothing, fight against these four families?"
Before Zhou Guo could speak, he sighed and said, "Although they are greedy, they still have to pay taxes every year, and they can also provide relief in times of famine. If these four families are gone, it will not be a good thing for Fengfei County."
Several big families have so many industries in the county government, which to a certain extent ensures the prosperity and economy of the county. If they are gone, the already poor county will become even poorer. Wouldn't it be the same as a village in the countryside?
He didn't have this ability originally, but Zhou Guo did have it now, but he didn't have the courage to dig out the meat. If he did, the county would be riddled with holes.
Zhou Guo shook his head, "Sir, if you can't make up your mind, the people of Fengfei County will never have a good life. Even if I help them to live a good life, they will be eaten up by these four families sooner or later. They have no ability to fight against the four families. Your Fengfei County will always be so poor!"
Fengfei County cannot develop unless these pests are eradicated.
The county magistrate frowned and hesitated, "But, you know, more than half of the shops in the county are owned by four big families. These four big families support almost half of the people in the county. Every year, the common people rely on doing odd jobs in these small families to earn some money during the busy farming season. Without these big families, how will the others survive?"
Zhou Guo said: "If we get rid of these four families, won't the common people have land to share? If they have their own land, how can they worry about not having enough food? It's better than working for others all year round, right?"
She advised earnestly, "Could the worst situation be worse than it is now? Look, we suffered a disaster this year, and these families can only cook some porridge, which is enough for a few people? Aren't they going to watch you die of illness in the county government?
Now that it has come to this, they are still trying to take away the last bit of things in the hands of the people! Sir, keeping these people is much more harmful than not keeping them. Can you bear to watch the people of this county continue to live such a hard life? "
The county magistrate thought for a while, gritted his teeth, and looked at Zhou Guo, "Sir, what are you going to do?"
Zhou Guo said: "If it is up to me, the county government will be open to the public, and the people will be allowed to beat drums to complain. We will find out how many secrets these families have committed, and then we will do whatever we need to do."
The county magistrate's teeth ached. "How serious a crime should they charge?"
Which big family doesn’t have a few shameful things that can’t be seen from the public?
With so many people, even if the head of the family does not act recklessly, can he still control every member of the family?
Your hands will never be clean to some extent.
Zhou Guo said: "It depends on how much crime they have committed. If it is a minor crime, we can give them a lighter sentence."
The reason why small counties cannot develop is because there are mountains blocking their way. Without these mountains, people will see light over their heads and their lives will be much better than they are now.
She had already made plans to buy a farm in Fengfei County to sell fertilizer and grain seeds. In her spare time, villagers from nearby villages could also come to the farm to do some work.
Besides, besides these big families, aren’t there also small landlords?
The county magistrate finally agreed. There was no other way he could not agree. After all, Zhou Guo had so many people at his disposal. A team of more than a thousand people with sophisticated weapons. How could the servants of the four major families combined be able to resist them?
Zhou Guo used drastic measures, and soon all the people from the four major families were arrested. However, because the prison in the county government had been in disrepair for a long time and could not be inhabited, they had to be locked up in their respective houses, and were not allowed to enter or leave.
The county government office was wide open and a notice was posted, instructing the county magistrate to go to court to redress grievances, telling the common people that if they had grievances they could come to the government office to file a complaint and the county magistrate would definitely make a decision for them.
As soon as the notice was issued, the whole county was in an uproar, and the people rushed to tell each other. Within a day, the entrance of the county government was crowded with people filing complaints.