Chapter 456 What, you want to sell yourself into slavery?

Huang Laogen returned to the main room, and a dozen people followed him out and then in.

"Lao Gen, are you, are you really okay? Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?"

"Lao Gen, is that young master really a doctor? Why would he give you free consultation and free medicine? How could there be such a good person in the world?"

"Is this piece of silver real? Lao Gen, take a bite and see if it's fake?"

Everyone couldn't believe that there were really such good people in the world. Not only did they help people with medical treatment and medicine for free, they even gave them money.

Huang Laogen said with a smile: "Master Qiao doesn't need to lie to me. He doesn't want anything from me. Why are you lying to me?"

A man didn't believe it, so he stepped forward and picked up the piece of broken silver on the table, put it to his mouth and bit it with his teeth.

"Ouch, my teeth!"

He used too much force and almost broke his teeth.

"It's silver! It's not fake!"

Everyone looked at the piece of silver with teeth marks in his hand, and finally believed that such an incredible scene really happened under their own eyes.

"The man has a horse. Although his clothes are plain, the material is good. It looks like fine cotton. It seems that his family must be wealthy, if not rich. So, what is his purpose in doing this? ah?"

An old man with sharp eyes murmured the question in everyone's mind.

Huang Laogen invited several elderly people to sit on the bench at his home, and then told everyone what Qiao Ran said to him.

These people are all his fellow villagers, and everyone knows about it. Whether he wants to work or be sold into slavery in the future, he has to tell his fellow villagers no matter what.

"What, you want to sell yourself into slavery? You are so confused! Although our family is poor and sometimes we don't even have enough food to eat, we are free, good citizens with household registration and land! Why can't you think of selling yourself to others? Servant?"

"Yes, Lao Gen, you have to think clearly! A slave is a dog in a rich family. He can be beaten and scolded at will. If he does something wrong and angers his master, he will even be beaten to death. The government I won’t pursue it, after all, a slave has a low life. If you say you’re not a good citizen, why would you voluntarily sell yourself into slavery?”

"Once you become a slave, it will be difficult to regain your freedom! Lao Gen, do you really not want to think about it anymore? Once you are a slave, you will always be a slave! You are the only one left in the Huang family now. , you will no longer marry and have children in the future? Do you have the heart to let the Huang family have no heirs? If you have children in the future, will you let your children become slaves? The children of slaves are also slaves, and they will not be qualified as reading examiners in the future!"

Several old people and several men who had a good relationship with Huang Laogen were all eager to dissuade him when they heard that Huang Laogen said he was going to be a slave.

They are all honest farmers who have been growing crops all their lives. Although their families cannot live a prosperous life, at least they can live together as a family, raise their children from generation to generation, and enjoy family happiness.

Their thoughts are very simple and they feel that being together as a family is happiness.

And if you become a slave of a rich family, you will completely lose your freedom.

Not to mention being with family members, being able to go home to visit relatives once in a while is considered a great act of kindness by the master.

And if you encounter a bad master who beats and scolds you at will, or even sells him to someone else, or even beats him to death and throws him into a mass grave, that is the master's freedom.

When a slave signs a contract of sale, he or she is handing over his or her life to the master, without any rights or freedom.

Therefore, none of them expected that Huang Laogen would want to be a slave.

Huang Laogen looked at his mud-brick thatched house with air leakage everywhere, as well as the simple and worn-out tables, chairs and benches, and said with a wry smile:

"With my family's circumstances, how can I get married and have children? Besides, if Mr. Qiao hadn't treated me, I wouldn't be able to support myself in this dilapidated body and would have no choice but to seek refuge with my relatives. How could I dare to marry and have children?" thing?"

"Now Mr. Qiao said that he can cure the leg disease and the old illness on the body, so that I can make money to support myself without having to trouble my relatives. What else do I have to hope for?"

"Now I just want to be able to stay with Mr. Qiao and repay his kindness in healing me. In addition, he will definitely be a good master. I sold myself as a slave and followed him. At least I have enough food to eat and warm clothes to wear. This enough."

"It's better than being suffocated by taxes in Xiangyang Village, working hard for a year and not having enough food and clothing, so how can we talk about freedom?"

Huang Laogen's words silenced those who still wanted to persuade him.

Everyone recalled that they had been forced to pay heavier and heavier taxes over the years. Some families could not afford to pay the taxes and grain, and the girls who had not yet grown hair were taken away by officials to pay off debts, or were forced to sell their sons and daughters. It was like living in a In the heat of the water, I couldn't help but sigh.

Yes, if you can’t even have a full meal, what’s the use of having freedom?

He works diligently like that old scalper every day, but in the end he doesn't even have enough grass to eat and has to go hungry. This kind of freedom seems not worth it compared with the slaves of rich families wearing new clothes and having enough food. mentioned.

For a moment, there was silence in the room. Everyone was thinking that for Huang Laogen, who was alone, selling himself as a slave might really be better than dying of starvation and illness at home.

If they don't have family members to take care of, they would also like to work as slaves for others in order to have a full meal and new clothes.

Qiao Ran didn't know at all that the villagers in Huang Laogen's family were disapproving at the beginning, but they began to envy Huang Laogen for working as her slave without any worries.

She galloped all the way on her horse, and when she arrived not far from the gate of Fucheng, she dismounted and led the horse into a woods. Soon she came out of the woods alone and followed some people who entered the city into the city gate.

After being away for several months, Luoyang Fucheng still looks so lively and prosperous, with the sounds of various shops and stalls selling endlessly, and businessmen and tourists from all over the place stop to admire and buy from time to time.

It's just that the people buying things look relaxed and happy, but the people selling things have a sad look on their faces despite making money. This is a strange sight that can only be seen in Luoyang Fucheng.

Qiao Ran remembered what Mr. Mo said that the prefect, general magistrate and other officials in Luoyang City would soon be dismissed and investigated. She didn't know how fast this "soon" meant.

However, now that he has made this plan and arrangement, the corruption behind the superficial prosperity of Luoyang City should soon be broken.

The people of Luoyang Prefecture can finally get rid of the exploitation and oppression of corrupt officials, no longer have to pay increasingly heavy taxes and fees, and can live a normal life with enough food and warm clothes.

However, that is all for the future.

Now, for Qiao Ran, since she had worked so hard to come to Luoyang, she couldn't go back empty-handed.

Several months have passed, and the warehouses at the homes of those corrupt officials should be full again, right?

Then she won't be polite.

After all, it was all looted from the people, so it wasn't too much for her to use it, right?

Qiao Ran's goal for this trip was very clear. She first went to the drug store to help Huang Laogen grab a month's supply of medicine, which cost her 500 yuan.

Then he turned into a secluded alley, threw a bunch of medicine bags hanging on his shoulders into the space, then changed into gray clothes that were about the same color as the brick wall, and made up his face to look like a pockmark. The man, dressed as a thin middle-aged man, walked out of the alley and walked directly to Wu Tongpan's house.