The wind blew through the leaves and the faint sound of wind chimes could be heard. The afternoon sun faded away the heat of the summer and fell on the eaves through the gaps between the trees.
The window was open to let in the sunlight. They could see the furnishings in the room: bed, square table, wardrobe, chairs … Ning Yi wrung out a towel and wiped the sweat off his body by the wooden frame with a basin of water near the window.
"… There was a girl named Xi 'er. Of course, she had black hair …"
With his upper body naked, Ning Yi stood there and told the people in the room about his creative story. There were scars on his sun-exposed body, but he did not show any signs of aging due to long-term exercise. He was less than forty years old, and his strong body was full of explosive power. Many people in the outside world thought that he was a Martial Arts Grand Master like Zhou Dong and Lin Zongwu. Due to his long-term high position, he also had a calm temperament that was far superior to ordinary people. In any situation, it was enough to bring great pressure to his enemies.
Except in front of his family, he would occasionally show some unconventional things … and after nearly a year, Shishi had begun to accept some strange unconventional things. For example, the story he was telling at this moment was called "The White-Haired Girl". There were obviously some unconventional ideas in the middle.
"Can I see her?" Shishi asked.
Ning Yi was stunned. "… Ah? What? "
"You just emphasized that her name was Xi 'er. It sounds like there really is such a person …"
"… There is no one. This is the outline of the story."
"That is to say, you can call her anything …"
"Uh …" Ning Yi stood there with his hands on his hips. He raised his head and thought for a moment. "… That's true. You can call him whatever you want. But for example, let's call him Xi 'er. Don't make trouble. "
"Of course I have to listen carefully when you tell me a story …" The woman in the dudou sat up from the bed and hugged her legs. She murmured softly, but there was a smile in her eyes.
"Xi 'er and her father depended on each other for survival. After Lady Zhenren left, they lived in Dai Mengwei's territory. However, Dai Mengwei's side did not have enough to eat, and they were about to starve to death. The local village chief, village sage, elders, and the army colluded together to do business. They thought of a way out for these people, which was to sell them to the Huaxia Army to work … "
As he spoke, he wrung the towel and handed it to Shi Shi.
"… Here, I think we can think of a way to show how evil Dai Mengwei and her gang are. They induce people to sign a thirty-year contract with a little money. Xi 'er and her father were originally forced into a corner. At first, they only wanted to sell one person. Of course, it was the father who volunteered. However, the money from selling was not much, and the father was not worth that much when he was old. Xi' er was beautiful … No, not beautiful. It was because she was strong and looked like an ox. She could work better than ordinary men, so the local villagers forced them to sell themselves … "
At this point, Ning Yi frowned and walked to the side to pour himself some water. Shi Shi thought for a moment.
"This isn't right." She said, "Many of Dai Mengwei's people were driven here from other places. Even if they were locals, they would have lost all their belongings at the beginning. It's fine for the father and daughter to depend on each other. Once they want to leave, they shouldn't be so reluctant to leave their homeland. Since the father can sell himself and doesn't have much money, the daughter will most likely follow him … If we want to show how evil those village sages are here, we have to think of another way … "
"… I also think it's a little wrong." Ning Yi scratched his head and then waved his hand. "Anyway, that's what I mean. Because Dai Mengwei and her men are very evil, Xi 'er and her father were forced to sell themselves to our Southwest side. In the Southwest … those businessmen who open factories are also very bad. They signed a thirty-year contract and didn't pay them. They made them work day and night and used all kinds of methods to restrict them, such as deducting their wages. Their wages are not much to begin with, and if they make a slight mistake, they will be deducted … "
"It's not just this." Shi Shi came down from the bed in her silk pants. Ning Yi looked at her and casually said, "The boss of this factory also keeps slaves, the kind of thugs who play the role of the antagonist in all the stories. Usually, they don't allow these workers to go out and walk around as they are afraid that they will run away. If they run away, they will drag them back and beat them, hang them in the yard and whip them. In private, they must have beaten someone to death …"
"In addition, there are also dogs. Since they keep slaves, of course, they also have to keep vicious dogs. Whoever dares to run away will not only be chased by people, but also by dogs. They will bite people half to death. For example, Xi 'er and his daughter usually eat porridge, while the dogs eat meat buns …"
As Shi Shi listened to this, she walked to the shelf and wrung out a towel. She laughed softly. "Isn't it your fault that our Southwest has such a factory? Are you saying that Dai Mengwei's side is bad, or that our Huaxia army is bad? "
"Anyway, that's the general idea. Try to understand." Ning Yi twirled his hands in the air. "Saying that Dai Mengwei is bad isn't the main point, and neither is the main point about the Huaxia army. In any case, Xi 'er and her daughter lived a miserable life. They were sold here and worked hard for no money. They were oppressed in all kinds of ways. After working for less than a year, Xi' er's father died. They only gave them a very small salary. It was almost the New Year, and the girls on the streets were all dressed up beautifully. Her father secretly went out to buy her a red hair rope as a New Year gift. When he came back, he was discovered by evil slaves and vicious dogs. They beat him half to death and then he died before the New Year …"
At this point, the mood in the room became slightly gloomy. However, because there was no implementation to support it, Shi Shi only listened quietly.
"As for Xi 'er, after her father died, she was exploited again. She worked day and night. She was tired and sad. After a year, her hair turned completely white, so she was called the White Haired Girl. Then, they finally couldn't take it anymore. The factory erupted in rebellion. They … rushed out of the factory, captured the boss, scattered the slaves, killed all the dogs, and walked on the streets to tell the world that this was wrong. Then, our Huaxia army banned the factory … Anyway, I've even thought of the theme song. The northern wind blows, the snowflakes float, the New Year is here … Huhuhuhu … "
By the second half of the story, the plot had obviously entered a stage of nonsense. Ning Yi spoke quickly and sang a few lines with a normal expression. Finally, he couldn't help but sit on the chair facing the door and cover his mouth as he laughed. Shi Shi walked over and also laughed, but there was an obvious expression of contemplation on her face.
"Why did you write this story?" Many times, the way Ning Yi expressed things was different from ordinary people. He had a strange sense of humor, but in general, he wouldn't speak without thinking. Shi Shi considered the things in the story. "Recently, I heard people talk about Dai Mengwei's side. They couldn't feed many people, so they secretly sold people here. On our side, there were indeed people who secretly took advantage of them. For example, General Li Rulai … Of course, I shouldn't say this … "
"There's nothing to hide about Li Rulai." Ning Yi sat there, smiled calmly, and answered, "After the war last year, as a general who surrendered, he had always wanted to bring the Wu dynasty's methods over here. First, he privately made all kinds of inquiries, hoping to get a good position to lead the army. After his hopes weren't high, he spread the word that the Huaxia army should pay attention to buying people with money. I reminded him to let go of his old ways, to learn to listen to orders, to wait for arrangements, and not to seek personal gain … He thought I was determined not to give him military power anymore. When Chengdu started to attract foreign investors, he simply started to make money. "
"I heard that outside … Yu Ho-chung came over to talk to me about General Li. He said that he learned from the ancient generals and defiled himself …"
"Old Yu still hasn't made any progress." Ning Yi sighed. "The ancient generals defiled themselves because their meritorious deeds intimidated their superiors, so they told their superiors that I only wanted money. What could Li Rulai do? I returned all the troops to him, arranged the battle array, and defeated him with one charge. At first, he didn't change his bad habits and secretly colluded with others. Later, he realized that the situation with the Huaxia army was different, so he chose to settle for the next best thing. He also wanted to tell me that he didn't want military power, only money. He felt that this was an equal exchange of meritorious deeds … "
At this point, he shook his head and stopped talking about Li Rulai. Shi Shi also didn't continue asking. She walked to his side and gently rubbed his head. Outside, the wind blew, and the evening sun shook. The wind chimes and the rustling of leaves rang for a moment.
"Are you … worried that our factories here will become like that … or have some factories already become like that?"
Shi Shi asked after some consideration.
Ning Yi closed his eyes. "Not yet, but it should happen in two or three years."
"Will it become so bad? Is there no way? "
"If we let it develop on its own, it may take 20 to 30 years. If we control it well, the scale of this phenomenon won't be too big in the next 30 to 50 years. We have just developed this, and the accumulation of technology for large-scale deployment is not enough …" Feeling the pressure of Shi Shi's fingertips, Ning Yi said softly, "But I will arrange for it to appear as soon as possible …"
Shi Shi furrowed her brows, silently mulling over the meaning of these words.
Ning Yi said in a low voice, "In two to three years' time, a portion of the factories around Chengdu will experience such a phenomenon. The workers will be oppressed, and some people will die. These people will have resentment in their hearts … but overall, they have only experienced life and death in the past two years, experienced famine, and had to exchange their children for food. Now that they can come to the Southwest and have a full meal, they are already very satisfied. In two to three years, their resentment will not be enough. When the time comes, you must be prepared. There must be a story like 'The White-Haired Girl'. The attacks on Dai Mengwei and the Southwest can all be brought over. What's important is to make it clear that this kind of thirty-year contract that treats people like cattle and horses is wrong. Under the rule of the Chinese military, the people have some basic rights that need to be rooted in the highest laws. Then, by relying on this consensus, we can modify some unreasonable absolute contracts …
"… When the time comes, we will have some people go out on the streets. Even if the resentment of those workers is not enough, after inciting them, they will respond. We will establish this communication method from top to bottom so that the people understand that we can hear their opinions. We will value them and we will also modify them. With this kind of communication, we can slowly adjust them in the future … "
Shi Shi thought for a moment. "If we really let people taste the sweetness of this matter, I'm afraid some bad things will also happen. For example, there will always be unruly people with unclear minds …"
"The rioters will be killed, and the leaders will also have to be paid attention to. There will be no point in messing around." Ning Yi calmly replied, "In general, the symbolic meaning of this matter is still greater than the actual meaning. However, this kind of symbolic meaning must exist. Compared to the problem we see now, having a righteous lord uphold justice for them, and having them retaliate and then receive the reward is more beneficial to them. In the future, this might be recorded in the history books. "
Shi Shi gently massaged his head and was silent for a moment. "I have an idea …"
"Mm."
"If … if it is like what Liheng said, that we have already seen this possibility and taken some measures, it is also possible to not have anything to worry about happen for twenty to thirty years, thirty to fifty years, or even a hundred years, right? Why do we have to bring this matter forward? In two to three years, if we force people to riot, to the point where their hair turns white, some people will die. Even if some people die, the symbolic meaning of this matter is greater than the actual meaning. They can succeed in taking to the streets because of you. In the future, if it is someone else, they will not succeed in taking to the streets again. At that time, they will still have to bleed … "
"The success of taking to the streets does not lie in showing that taking to the streets is really useful, but in telling them that there is a way out and that they have the right to fight for themselves." Ning Yi closed his eyes and said, "It is still the same logic as before. The essence of society is the survival of the fittest. In the past dynasties, the so-called social reform was always one interest group defeating another interest group. Perhaps some people in the new interest group are more conscientious, but as long as a group is formed, they will always ask for benefits. These benefits will be distributed internally and not with the people … And in essence, since the new interest group can defeat the old, it means that the new interest group is stronger, and they will definitely take more benefits. Therefore, the upper class will want more and more, and the people will have less and less. In two to three hundred years, no dynasty can survive …"
"The meaning of democracy is that people who know how to distinguish can know who is good for them, and they will send their strength to support those who are good. When ordinary people are included in the interest group, when the interests are distributed, the people will not be left out. The people who are responsible for themselves will take the initiative to join the interest group and ask for their own benefits … To put it bluntly, it is also the survival of the fittest. But in this way, the two to three hundred years of chaos control cycle may be broken. "
"In the early stage of democracy, there is no practical use." Ning Yi opened his eyes and sighed. "Even if everyone is educated, there are not many people who can take responsibility for themselves. Most people are simple-minded and easily deceived. They do not have a complete view of the world, and they do not have their own rational logic. If they are involved in decision-making, it will cause a disaster …"
"But no matter what, the development of this matter has its own inevitable process. When people do not even have the right to think about this in their minds, let them know through one thing, that is progress. When they are silent and dare not speak, let them express themselves, that is progress. When they start to express themselves, or even start to express themselves randomly, tell them to express themselves rationally, that is progress … Only when these improvements accumulate to a certain extent, when the overall efficiency of democracy is greater than a small number of elites, that cycle of chaos control can really be broken. "
"Right now, they do not know that it is useful to go out on the streets at this time, so I will give them something symbolic. One day in the future, when I am not around and they realize that it is useless to go out on the streets, at least they will understand that they can only rely on themselves … "
He muttered to himself. Only in front of his family would he murmur like this. These murmurs were irritating and even a little violent, but it was only in the past year that Ning Yi would show such things in front of her. Therefore, she could only try her best to relax for him.
At this moment, he smiled. "Actually, we've been saying recently that if we continue to develop, by the time we unify the world, we should really be able to let all the children in the world go to school. Liheng, those sensible and reasonable people that you're thinking of should appear very soon. At that time, it will really be the golden age of Great Harmony that Confucius mentioned … Actually, you should be happier."
"I am not unhappy …" Ning Yi laughed. "… Oh yes, let's talk about something interesting. I recently remembered something. "
"Hmm?"
"When I was very young, one day I played at a friend's house …"
"When you were in Jiangning? Who? Do I know him? "
"Don't interrupt." Ning Yi laughed. "That day, I played at his house until noon. I was so happy that I did not go home. The friend's parents treated me to lunch … After I went home in the afternoon, I was beaten by my father."
"…"
"My father told me that I should not stay at someone's house until noon. Why? Because his family was not rich, and they might not be able to keep you for lunch. If you did not leave at that time, it would be a very rude behavior … "
He paused here. Shishi thought for a while. "In some villages, it is indeed like this, but in Jiangning … Hmm, at that time, your family was not very rich …"
"Listen to me. From this incident, I learned that not causing trouble for others is a kind of etiquette, and etiquette is the right thing to do. Of course, later on, my family became better, and gradually, I did not hear such a rule anymore … Hmm, you can just say that after I married into the family, I only came into contact with the rich. "
Ning Yi smiled and waved his hand.
"People will sum up some things in life, some things that are right and some things that are wrong. What is the essence? In fact, it is to ensure that one's life does not go wrong. When there are not many things, materials are not abundant, and things are not developed, right and wrong are actually very important. If you make a slight mistake or neglect, you might not be able to eat. At that time, you will need the help of knowledge and the guidance of the wise, because some of the experiences that they have summed up are very useful to us. "
"… When the study of things starts to develop, everyone can study, and there are more things to eat and use. What will happen then? In the beginning, people will be more respectful of this knowledge, but when there is more and more knowledge around, reaching a bottleneck, everyone's first survival needs will be met, and the authority of knowledge will slowly decline. To them, right and wrong will not be so strictly reflected in their lives. For example, even if you do not go out to farm, you can still survive by being lazy today … "
"How can that be!" Shishi stared.
"Of course it will. If the fertilizers we are researching become more powerful, one person can farm enough to feed ten people. The others can lie down or do other things, and even if they don't work so hard, they can still survive … Of course, this is mainly about the attitude towards knowledge. When they have satisfied the first level of needs, they will gradually change from the pursuit of right to the pursuit of approval. "
"…" Shishi looked at him.
"In the past, you went to ask a certain teacher or a certain university lecturer what is right to do. He told you a principle, and if you do according to the principle, life will become better. You will also feel that you have become a correct person, and others will approve of you. But when life is not so difficult, you will realize that you do not need such profound principles, and you do not need to set up so many rules for yourself. You can find a group of people who are as superficial as you and praise each other, and you will get the same sense of approval. On the other hand, although you do not follow any moral standards, you still have food to eat, and your life is not bad … This is the pursuit of approval. "
"…"
"What happens next will be even more interesting, because people will go from pursuing approval to creating approval. Your idea is a little strange. You can find a few people of the same kind and form a group to stay warm, but you know that people outside will look at you with all kinds of strange looks. Slowly, you will start to become dissatisfied, and you will want to go further. At this time, you can tell others that this is our culture, that we are a little strange, but our culture is a little more unorthodox. For example, you like to scold people, scold their whole family, and ask others, 'How are your ancestors?' You can tell others that this is our 'ancestor culture', and even if others do not understand you, you can look down on them. Next, you can hide at home and eat sh * t, and you can call it the 'golden culture' … "
"You, you are …" Shishi slapped Ning Yi's shoulder. "Don't talk nonsense, how can it be like this …"
"Hahahaha." Ning Yi laughed. "Let me speculate … In fact, our development will not necessarily rise in a straight line, and it can even be said that it will not rise in a straight line. A spiral may be more real. We exercise our abilities and make ourselves better. In general, it is to meet our own needs. If our material needs are met, then we will begin to relax in the spiritual aspect. We don't need to be moral gentlemen, we can say that 'ancestor culture', in general, it must be because our ability to survive has improved … "
"But excessive optimism will definitely bring some problems. When the living space expands, everyone will inevitably encounter laziness, and then after suffering a big loss, they will awaken for a period of time … After ten or eight times of accumulation of experience, maybe they can slowly advance to a higher level. So you said that the Great Harmony Era will come soon, but it won't. Everyone can read, and this is just the beginning … "
"You are wrong to be optimistic, okay." Shishi hugged him from behind.
"I am indeed a little too optimistic … By the way, have you gone to see Director Lin?" He mentioned Lin Jingwei, the director of the Department of Physics, who was injured last month.
"I heard about his injury and met his family, but I have no time to go to Leshan recently. How is he? "
"His life is saved, but his burns are serious. It is hard to say whether he can return to his post in the future …" Ning Yi paused, "I have held several meetings in Leshan, and repeatedly analyzed and demonstrated. Their research work … at this stage, they are overjoyed, and the things they are researching … Many indicators are unnecessarily rash. After defeating the West Army, they are too optimistic, and want to eat two meals at one time … "
"Although there are problems … But it is inevitable, it is human nature. You also had a meeting, didn't you also have a prediction before … As you said, although there are problems due to optimism, in general, it should be a spiral, and other aspects must be a lot better. "Shishi explained.
"That is true, but it is too optimistic. There is no stone to cross the river …"
He murmured, sighed, and smiled helplessly. In the past many years, he had created this army to simulate the situation of adversity, constantly squeezing out people's potential, and constantly tempering people's spirit and discipline in adversity. Who knew that the problem would be solved so quickly? Now that they were walking smoothly, he felt a little unaccustomed to it.
Shishi did not hear his murmur clearly, "… Huh?"
"Nothing." Ning Yi smiled, patted Shishi's hand, and stood up.
"Get ready for dinner … Oh, by the way, I have some information here. You can take it to have a look at it tonight. Old Dai was a very interesting person. On one hand, he let his subordinates engage in human trafficking and evenly distribute the profits. On the other hand, he let his men lure those merchants who had no connections or background into his territory. Then, he would capture these people, kill them, confiscate their belongings, and reap both fame and fortune. They are going to war soon, and they are a bit unscrupulous … "
It was already evening, and the golden sun shone on the courtyard by the lake. Ning Yi smiled and took out something, put it on the table, and then walked out with her. "… Outsiders can't see clearly, and their understanding of Old Dai is a bit ambiguous.
We have collected some evidence, but we are not considering releasing it for now. In one or two years, you can find someone to write some stories based on this, and when the time comes, we will publish it together with the report. Also, the main accusation of the black merchants, 'The White Haired Girl' … Forget it, whatever you want to call it, it doesn't matter if Xi 'er likes it or not. Anyway, it is these types of dramas. In three years, we will reach the peak, and after the black merchants are settled, I will destroy Dai Mengwei's heart. "
The sun fell, the voices of people, and the wind chimes gently swayed. Inside and outside Chengdu, countless people were living, and countless things were happening. Black, white, and gray images intertwined, making it hard to see clearly. The war had just ended, and many people had a brand new life. Even those who had signed a harsh contract would be moved to tears after arriving in Chengdu and eating warm soup and rice. At this moment, all the people in the Huaxia Army were filled with optimism and radical emotions, and they would also suffer unspeakable hardships. On this day, Ning Yi thought for a long time, and took the initiative to make a deviant plan. Some people would die because of it, and some people would live because of it. No one could accurately know the shape of the future.
It was one of the countless things that happened in the Huaxia Army every day. It was also on this day that Ning Yi received news from the Northern Lands after he and Shishi had dinner.
The soldier named Tang Minjie, who was also a sinner at the same time, was coming back.
At the same time, Ning Ji was going to Ankang, a big city under the rule of Dai Mengwei, with a heart full of doubts. He was going to take a boat all the way to Jiangning, and participate in the seemingly unknown hero conference.
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