Why Had So Many Died?

Chapter 13: Why Had So Many Died?

"Add two Hundred Households..."

"That means the Forced Laborers will increase too?"

Chu Mu leaned against the tree, gazing aimlessly at the Mine before him, but his mind returned to what Xu Yuan had just said.

He wasn't dreaming of fishing for a position. Rather, he was pondering the deeper meaning hidden within this...

The numbers were simple enough to compare. The Nanshan Patrol Bureau now had nearly five hundred Patrol Inspectors, while the South Mountain Mine, counting the Forced Laborers recently added, had at most a little over three thousand.

On average, one Patrol Inspector managed six or seven Forced Laborers.

That ratio could undoubtedly be considered extremely stable.

Moreover, the Mine's system for managing Forced Laborers was exceptionally strict. The various mining districts were divided up, and the Forced Laborers were likewise separated. There was even a system of collective punishment targeting the Forced Laborers.

All of this made it obvious that without some other change, there was no need to increase the number of Patrol Inspectors.

Let alone increase the overall staffing of the Patrol Inspectorate!

"If the Forced Laborers are going to increase too..."

Chu Mu silently studied the Mine before him, the suspicion in his eyes growing increasingly intense.

In this era, how many people could a mere remote county have?

The Mine already had more than three thousand Forced Laborers, and not long ago, a thousand Forced Laborers had vanished without a trace in the Prefecture City. Now, the Mine was going to increase its Forced Laborers again...

And as far as he knew, the South Mountain Mine wasn't the only place in Qinghe County recruiting Forced Laborers.

Whether it was road construction, flood control, city defenses, or even reclaiming wasteland, using Forced Laborers every year was an unavoidable norm.

And Forced Laborers worked for the government. Naturally, they couldn't be the elderly, weak, sick, or disabled. Able-bodied men formed the main body of the Forced Laborers.

Every Forced Laborer was very likely the pillar of a household.

Several thousand Forced Laborers could mean several thousand households!

"Aren't they afraid of a rebellion?"

Chu Mu pursed his lips. Looking at the numb Forced Laborers laboring in the distance, his heart tightened as well.

Oppression was often accompanied by resistance.

The only difference lay in whether the methods of oppression were clever.

And here, the methods of oppression were undoubtedly at the lowest level. There wasn't even the slightest attempt at concealment, and they were still constantly adding fuel to the fire.

"Time to eat!"

"Time to eat! Come over, hurry up and eat! Get back to work after you're done!"

The shouts drifted faintly into his ears. Chu Mu glanced toward the source of the voice. As usual, several Kitchen Forced Laborers were carrying baskets of food and calling out under the lead of several Patrol Inspectors.

If nothing unexpected happened, the baskets should contain cornmeal buns.

They were made from cornmeal mixed with crushed corn cobs and wheat bran.

At least in Nanshan Town, Chu Mu hadn't found any food harder to swallow than these cornmeal buns. They could be said to be made exclusively for Forced Laborers.

As for the Patrol Inspectors, they had their own separate cooking arrangements, and their meals were fairly decent.

"Come on, Mu Xiaozi. Let's go eat first, then come back and switch shifts."

"Okay."

Chu Mu nodded without refusing and quickly followed the Patrol Inspector who had spoken.

The Patrol Inspectorate was strict in its management of the Forced Laborers, and its management of the Patrol Inspectors wasn't exactly lenient either—at least not for a low-ranking Patrol Inspector like Chu Mu.

They even had to take turns eating. As for standing guard, every post was one radish in one pit. Unless they were resting or changing shifts, one post meant day after day.

Of course, no matter how humble a low-ranking Patrol Inspector was, to the Forced Laborers, he was still an exalted figure.

"I heard the people from Squad Three killed a wild boar yesterday. We should be in for a treat today."

"Tsk, tsk, wild boar meat! That's top-grade stuff!"

The Man chattered on nonstop. As he spoke, he suddenly raised his hand and slung it over Chu Mu's shoulder, acting as if they were old acquaintances. "By the way, Mu Xiaozi, payday's tomorrow. Lend your old brother a little money, will you? I'll pay you back when we get paid next month."

At that, the corner of Chu Mu's mouth twitched. He really doesn't hold back at all!

"Brother He, I've only been on duty for a few days. How much silver could I possibly have?"

The Man grinned. "Mu Xiaozi, that's where you're wrong. We Patrol Inspectors have never relied on our wages to get by."

Chu Mu was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Haha, our Patrol Inspectorate guards this Mine. There's plenty of grease to be had!"

"The people above get to eat the meat, while little fellows like us drink the soup..."

"He Ergou, what nonsense are you spouting again?"

He Ergou had only gotten halfway through his sentence when the sudden reprimand immediately shut him up. When he saw Li Gang approaching with a gloomy face, He Ergou clearly couldn't conceal his fear and hurriedly laughed apologetically as he tried to explain:

"Squad Leader, I..."

"You can't even keep your own mouth under control? Do you want me to sew it shut?"

Li Gang didn't give He Ergou any chance to explain before his harsh voice rang out again.

Seeing this, how could Chu Mu not know that He Ergou had walked straight into the line of fire?

Although Chu Mu was quite interested in what He Ergou had said, tomorrow was payday. Judging by He Ergou's tone, everything would become clear after the wages were distributed.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Chu Mu decisively slipped away.

He had only met He Ergou a few times, so he felt no embarrassment about leaving him behind.

Not to mention that this fellow had actually wanted to borrow money from him...

Did Chu Mu look like a rich man? He reached into his clothing and touched the stack of banknotes inside. It was thick, and it gave him an inexplicable sense of security.

With money in his pocket, nothing could make him panic.

But Heaven knew these were thoroughly hard-earned blood-and-sweat wages. They were what the Original Owner's father had traded his life for, and Chu Mu didn't dare squander even a little of them!

Huh? As he let his thoughts wander, the corner of his eye seemed to catch something. Chu Mu's gaze suddenly sharpened.

Corpses?

At the road junction beside the Dining Hall, which was also on the mountainside, several corpses wrapped in straw mats had been piled together in plain sight. Several Patrol Inspectors stood beside them, clearly treating the bodies as nothing noteworthy while chatting away animatedly.

"Five corpses..."

Chu Mu glanced again at the piled-up bodies and couldn't help silently repeating that number.

"No, more than that!"

Chu Mu quickly rejected the figure.

There was no other reason. In the brief time he had spent observing, several more Patrol Inspectors had carried over a few corpses wrapped in straw mats.

Looking at the heap of bodies, Chu Mu inexplicably felt a chill run down his Back Ridge.

Three Forced Laborers had died in the mining accident that morning. He had witnessed that with his own eyes.

But what about the others? Had more than a dozen Forced Laborers died at the Mine in a single morning?

Had they all died in mining accidents?

"Mu Xiaozi, that's not very brotherly of you! You left me behind and slipped away alone!"

Just then, a hand suddenly landed on Chu Mu's shoulder. If the voice hadn't immediately followed, Chu Mu might have nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Br... Brother He..."

Chu Mu forced a trace of a smile onto his face.

"What's wrong with you?"

He Ergou raised an eyebrow, then followed Chu Mu's gaze. His entire body immediately sprang up. "Good heavens! Did some Mine Cave collapse, or what? How did so many people die?"