AWB Chapter 356 What are your rules?
Chapter 356 What are your rules?
Lu Yangyang's body suddenly stiffened. She gripped the shovel tightly, ready to retaliate at any moment.
However, when she turned around, she saw a very honest-looking face with dark skin, who flashed a set of white teeth at her: "New here, huh? You're just shoveling dirt like that, it won't do. When the foreman comes and sees you, he'll definitely scold you. Look at the areas with more salt frost, and shovel slowly. You'll get the hang of it after a few tries! My name is Lian Sheng, what's your name?"
Lu Yangyang glanced at Lian Sheng. He was tall and big, but not very strong. His dark face had plain features, but his eyes were exceptionally bright. Most of the salt workers in the pit had their upper bodies exposed, wearing only thick trousers and no shoes. He, however, was wearing a coarse cloth vest, which was patched and covered with mud and sand, but it was clear that it had been washed frequently.
"My name is Lu Wei. Thank you. Is the manager very fierce?" Lu Yangyang asked tentatively.
Before Lian Sheng could answer, someone next to him sneered, "Another gigolo sold from somewhere. Does he even know where this is?"
Lu Yangyang asked innocently, "Isn't it a salt field?"
"Hahaha," someone laughed out loud, "People live by eating salt, and salt lives by eating people, you idiot."
Lu Yangyang quickly glanced at the people in the large pit where she was. There were about a dozen people in this pit, of all ages. Most of them were working with blank expressions. They didn't even look at Lu Yangyang, the newcomer, as if they were already used to it.
Several others looked sorrowful, seemingly still struggling, but unable to break free, and could only accept their fate.
Lian Sheng, who spoke to her, worked very hard and didn't seem to be forced.
Lu Yangyang simply followed him, and together they shoveled the salt frost into baskets and carried them upstairs. After a few rounds, the two became somewhat familiar with each other, so she quietly asked Lian Sheng, "How did you get here? Did you come here to work or something?"
Lian Sheng understood her implication and said somewhat embarrassedly, "I'm here to serve my sentence."
"Then why are you working so hard?" Lu Yangyang asked incredulously. She had seen it herself; everyone else in the pit, except for Lian Sheng, was barely alive and working, but their movements were purely passive. Lian Sheng was different; he was extremely proactive and hardworking. Even when the supervisor came over with a whip, he rarely lashed him. After all, whipping people was meant to intimidate others. With someone as reckless and hardworking as Lian Sheng, whipping him would be pointless.
Lian Sheng chuckled sheepishly, “My mother was seriously ill, and before she died, her only wish was to have a coffin to sleep in. I wanted to make one for her, so I went to the mountain to cut down a good piece of wood and sent it to the coffin shop. The finished coffin was beautiful, made of nanmu wood, and my mother would definitely love it. When I was about to move the coffin away, I ran into Magistrate Huang from the county town. When Magistrate Huang saw the coffin, he said it was one he had made, and that I had made a mistake. No matter how I explained, he wouldn't listen, and he even ordered his servants to beat me, trying to steal my coffin and drive me away. I couldn't hold back and beat them up. Magistrate Huang then took me to court, saying that I had stolen his things and wanted to keep the fine coffin he had made for myself. Nobody believed me, not even the magistrate. I was sentenced to three years for theft. They said that if I came to the mine to serve, one year could be counted as three years, so I came. I've been here for ten months now, and in two more months, I can leave.”
At this point, he became worried again: "I wonder how my mother is doing, and whether anyone has taken care of her."
Someone nearby overheard their conversation and chuckled mockingly, "Two more months? People who've come this far still dream of getting out? Dream on."
"Why did you say that?" Lu Yangyang turned around and asked the person.
Lian Sheng tugged at her and whispered, "Brother Lu, don't take offense. Many people say that once you come here, you can't leave, but I don't believe it. As long as I perform well, I'm sure I can leave here and go home as soon as possible!"
"Why are you so sure?" Lu Yangyang thought this guy seemed a bit silly.
Lian Sheng was a little excited, and as if afraid of being overheard, he lowered his voice and said to her, "I'm not lying to you, I've met His Highness the Crown Prince! Our area was flooded a few years ago, and my father died. Everyone was desperate and was preparing to flee the famine. Then His Highness the Crown Prince came and brought us food and money. He didn't leave until everything was settled. He's a very good person. I spoke with him, and he said I was good material for a soldier. I said I would go after I saw my mother off!"
Lu Yangyang was surprised for a moment.
She hadn't expected that this person would have such a connection with His Highness; it was quite a coincidence.
But... Lu Yangyang thought to himself, his mother should be very grateful to have such a filial son as him.
Seeing that Lu Yangyang didn't speak, Lian Sheng asked innocently, "Don't you believe me either? I've told many people this, and they don't believe me. But I think that with a good official like His Highness the Crown Prince, I'm sure I can leave here!"
Lu Yangyang freed one hand and patted his back: "I believe in you, and you will definitely be able to leave here!"
"You really believe me?" Lian Sheng was extremely excited.
Lu Yangyang nodded: "I believe you."
Lian Sheng smiled憨憨地, his big white teeth standing out.
Hearing the manager drawing people out of another pit, Lu Yangyang took the opportunity to ask Lian Sheng, "Have you ever seen a tall, middle-aged man, about your height, stronger than you, with a full beard?"
"You mean Boss Luo?" Lian Sheng asked.
"Yes, it's him. Do you know him?" Lu Yangyang asked hurriedly.
“I don’t know him. He doesn’t like to talk to people. We live in the same shed. He’s only been here a few days. There are two or three empty beds in our shed. The two guys who came with him call him Boss Luo. He works here too, but he’s really fierce. Even the foreman doesn’t dare to mess with him.” Lian Sheng said in a low voice.
Lu Yangyang breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that they had found the person. It seemed that she had to find an opportunity to meet Boss Luo as soon as possible.
Just then, a whip suddenly lashed out at Lian Sheng: "Who gave you permission to talk during work hours? Don't you want to die?"
Lian Sheng groaned softly as his body was slapped, but he didn't make a sound, as if he was used to it.
Then another whip lashed out, aimed directly at Lu Yangyang's face. Lu Yangyang instinctively raised her hand and grabbed the whip, looking up at the steward who had lashed out: "What do you want to do?"
The manager was taken aback when he saw Lu Yangyang: "Oh, a newcomer. Looks like you don't know the rules. Alright, Grandpa will teach you what the rules are today!"
“Teach me rules? Whose rules? Yours? What a coincidence, I have rules here too. Before you teach me, I'll teach you some rules!” Lu Yangyang pulled hard on the whip, dragging the steward down, wrapping the whip around his neck, throwing him to the ground, and stepping on his face: “I'll let you tell me first, what are your rules?”