"Add two more hundred-household heads…"
"In other words, the corvée labor will increase again?"
Chu Mu leaned against a tree, aimlessly gazing at the mine in front of him, but his mind once again recalled what Xu Yuan had said earlier.
It wasn't that he was fancifully dreaming of snatching a position to hold, but rather he was pondering the deeper meaning hidden within this…
A very simple numerical comparison: nowadays, the Nanshan Patrol Station has nearly five hundred patrol inspectors, while this Nanshan Mine, counting the recently increased corvée laborers, at most has just over three thousand corvée workers.
On average, one patrol inspector oversees six or seven corvée laborers.
Such a ratio, undoubtedly, could be considered extremely stable.
Moreover, the mine's management system for corvée laborers is extremely strict. The mining areas are divided, and the corvée laborers are similarly categorized, with even a collective punishment system targeting the corvée workers.
With all these measures, it's obvious that, barring any other changes, there's absolutely no need to increase the number of patrol inspectors.
Let alone an overall increase in the patrol station's establishment!
"If they're going to increase the corvée laborers again…"
Chu Mu silently surveyed the mine before him, the shock and suspicion in his eyes growing ever deeper.
In this era, just how many people could a small border county like this have?
The mine already has over three thousand corvée laborers, and not long ago, another thousand corvée workers silently disappeared in the county city. And now, the mine is still planning to increase corvée laborers…
From what he knew, this Qinghe County wasn't only conscripting corvée labor for the Nanshan Mine.
Be it road construction, water management, city defense, or even land reclamation, every year these were routine matters requiring corvée labor.
And corvée labor, being work for the government, naturally couldn't involve the old, weak, sick, or disabled. Young, able-bodied men were the mainstay of corvée labor.
Every single corvée laborer was very likely the pillar of a household.
Thousands of corvée laborers could mean thousands of households!
"Aren't they afraid of rebellion?"
Chu Mu pursed his lips, looking at the numbed laborers working nearby, his heart tightening involuntarily.
Oppression often comes hand-in-hand with resistance.
The only difference lies in whether the means of oppression are sophisticated or not.
And here, the means of oppression were undoubtedly at the lowest level, without even the slightest attempt at concealment, and they kept pouring fuel on the fire.
"Time to eat!"
"Time to eat! Come over, hurry up and eat! After eating, get back to work!"
Shouts faintly reached his ears. Chu Mu glanced at the source of the sound. As usual, under the lead of a few patrol inspectors, several corvée laborers from the kitchen were carrying baskets filled with food, shouting.
As expected, the baskets were likely filled with cornbread buns.
Cornbread buns made from cornmeal mixed with crushed corncobs and wheat bran.
At least in this Nanshan Town, Chu Mu hadn't found any food harder to swallow than these cornbread buns. It could be said they were exclusively for corvée laborers.
For the patrol inspectors, naturally, there was a separate small stove, and their meals were quite decent.
"Come on, Mu kid, let's go eat first, then come back to switch shifts."
"Alright."
Chu Mu nodded, not declining, and quickly followed the patrol inspector who had spoken.
The patrol station's management of corvée laborers was strict, and its management of patrol inspectors wasn't exactly lenient either—at least, not for bottom-tier inspectors like Chu Mu.
Meals were taken in shifts, and guard duties were even more rigid, one person per post. Unless it was a rest day or a shift rotation, one post meant day after day of the same.
Of course, no matter how lowly a bottom-tier patrol inspector was, to the corvée laborers, they were still lofty existences.
"I heard yesterday the third team killed a wild boar. Today we should be in for a treat."
"Tch, wild boar meat, that's top-grade stuff!"
The man chattered endlessly, and suddenly, he slung an arm over Chu Mu's shoulder in a familiar manner:
"By the way, Mu kid, tomorrow's payday. Lend your old brother a bit of money, yeah? I'll pay you back next month when we get paid."
Hearing this, the corner of Chu Mu's mouth couldn't help but twitch. This guy really didn't hold back at all!
"Brother He, I've only been on duty a few days. How much pay could I possibly have?"
The man grinned: "Mu kid, you're wrong there. We patrol inspectors, we've never lived off our pay."
Chu Mu was puzzled: "What do you mean?"
"Haha, our patrol station guards this mine. There's plenty of grease to go around!"
"The higher-ups eat the meat, and us small fries get to sip the soup…"
"He Ergou, what nonsense are you spouting now?"
He Ergou's words were cut short as a sudden scolding made him snap his mouth shut. When he saw Li Gang approaching with a grim face, He Ergou clearly couldn't hide his fear and hurriedly gave an awkward smile to explain:
"Captain, I…"
"Can't even control your own mouth? Do I need to sew it shut for you?"
Without giving He Ergou a chance to explain, Li Gang's scolding voice rang out again.
In such a situation, how could Chu Mu not see that He Ergou had hit a sore spot?
Though he was quite curious about what He Ergou had said, tomorrow was payday. Judging by He Ergou's tone, it would all become clear after the pay was distributed.
Slipping away quietly, Chu Mu decisively quickened his pace to leave.
He and He Ergou had only met a few times; he had no reason to feel awkward about it.
Not to mention, this guy even had the nerve to ask him for a loan…
Did he look like a rich man?
Chu Mu touched the stack of bills in his pocket, a thick wad that inexplicably gave a sense of security.
With money in his pocket, he wasn't afraid of anything.
But by heaven's conscience, this money was all hard-earned blood-and-sweat money, traded for with the life of the original owner's father. He didn't dare squander a single cent!
Hmm?
Lost in his random thoughts, a glimpse from the corner of his eye seemed to catch something, and Chu Mu's gaze suddenly sharpened.
Corpses?
At the side of the dining hall, near the road leading down the mountain, several bodies wrapped in straw mats were piled together without any cover. A few patrol inspectors stood nearby, clearly not taking the bodies seriously, chatting animatedly.
"Five corpses…"
Chu Mu glanced again at the piled bodies, silently repeating the number in his mind.
"No, more than that!"
Soon, he rejected that number.
The reason was simple: in the brief moment he was observing, a few more patrol inspectors carried over several additional bodies wrapped in straw mats.
Looking at the growing pile of corpses, Chu Mu inexplicably felt a chill down his spine.
This morning, a mining accident killed three corvée laborers—he had seen it with his own eyes.
But the others?
In just one morning, had the mine lost over a dozen corvée laborers?
Were they all from mining accidents?
"Mu kid, you're not being righteous, leaving me behind like that!"
At that moment, a hand suddenly landed on Chu Mu's shoulder. If not for the voice that followed, Chu Mu might have jumped.
"Brother… Brother He…"
Chu Mu forced a slight smile.
"What's wrong with you?"
He Ergou raised an eyebrow, then followed Chu Mu's gaze. His whole body jolted: "Holy mother, did a mine shaft collapse somewhere or what? Why have so many died!"
…
*(End of Chapter)*