Distribution

Tiger meat tasted bad.

It was sour, coarse, and had an earthy tang. But to the refugees from the Huai River region, who had no spices... well, it was a rare delicacy!

This was meat!

Even the broth could not be wasted. It had little beads of fat floating on it.

A fully grown South China Tiger weighed over three hundred jin. Even after skinning it, removing the bones, and washing out the intestines, there were still over two hundred jin left. Though people kept drifting away from the camp, it still held eight or nine hundred households, some twenty-six or twenty-seven hundred people. Naturally, they could not simply give everyone a mouthful.

In fact, each Able-Bodied Man who had gone tiger hunting that day kept half a jin. They set earthenware pots directly over the cooking channels of Liu Rengong's great fire pit and stewed it for themselves. The remaining meat was deboned and distributed according to the mess groups established during their journey: one jin per ten men in the Able-Bodied Men groups, and half a jin per ten people in the women's and children's groups. As for the few extra jin of meat, the organs, and the tiger bones, they started with the groups weaving straw sandals and mats—mostly old and weak people, but tremendous contributors—then called up those who usually chopped the most firewood or worked hardest. All were summoned to the great fire outside Liu Rengong's tent, where they borrowed the hunters' pots to eat a second round of meat and drink a second round of broth.

After dividing the big portions of meat came the cookware... They waited until after the meal to distribute it because they did not want to delay anyone's meat and broth. According to one old grandpa whose beard was slick with grease, tiger meat had to be cooked in an earthenware pot to taste authentic; iron cauldrons and the like simply were not the real thing... Meanwhile, the cloth-the curtain screens-lay heaped on an open patch beside the sandal-weaving area. It had become the camp's most precious resource, with hundreds of eyes fixed on it. Its distribution would have to wait until after the meal and be handled carefully.

First, they measured it to see exactly how much there was. Given the width of looms in this era, almost all cloth came in a standard width of roughly half a meter, so measuring the length alone would readily tell them how much they had.

There was no denying it: the top aristocratic clans truly monopolized this society's resources. The Xie Family had always been famed for refined elegance, yet merely sending its younger generation to climb Flower Mountain and admire the flowers had allowed them to casually leave behind nearly a hundred bolts of cloth.

Thinking about it, that made sense. To erect screens tall enough to block outsiders' eyes and keep the wind out, they needed three or four widths of cloth stacked vertically. And if dozens of young aristocrats were to enjoy themselves comfortably—drinking tea, playing board games, reading, composing poetry—even with the Slave Retainers and maids outside the screens, they would still need an enclosure measuring a dozen or twenty zhang on each side. There also had to be separate enclosed privies and kitchens, cloth spread on the ground to keep noble feet clean, and so on and so forth.

Besides, units of measurement were small in this era. A bolt was forty chi, not even ten modern meters long. Add all the odds and ends together, and could they not easily amount to a hundred bolts or so?

In fact, using the inner core around which Liu Rengong's household cloth had been wrapped, they arrived at an astonishing total: ninety-three bolts and seven chi! Every bit of it was fine summer ramie cloth!

Of course, that figure depended on what one compared it with. A few years later, Great General Huan would be granted three hundred thousand bolts... Looking back, lofty clans like the Wang Clan, the Xie Family's neighbors, routinely received grants of tens of thousands of bolts. No wonder they did not care.

Yet another objective fact was that, under the publicly stated tax rates of this era, a household with an adult male owed only half a bolt of cloth a year in household levy... Never mind what other oppressive levies existed, how land tax was calculated, or what actually happened in practice. The law plainly stated that such a household owed half a bolt annually... This meant Liu Acheng had effortlessly gathered from what slipped through the Xie Family's fingers the annual household levies of nearly two hundred adult-male households.

It also meant Liu Acheng had to distribute this wealth carefully, for it was enough to shake the foundations of the entire band.

Yes, beginning with the tiger meat, everything was being distributed by this youth, Liu Cheng.

That afternoon, all the men of Liu Rengong's household had accompanied Gao Jian's nephew, Gao Heng, to the foot of Beigu Mountain, preparing to seek an audience with Grand Commander Chu Pou, who had returned to Iron Urn City. The only one who had not gone straight there, Liu Huzi, hurriedly skinned the tiger upon his return, scraped off the flesh and blood, and rubbed the hide with coarse salt. He barely ate two mouthfuls of tiger meat at supper before riding off after them, his skill lending him courage. He said he would lodge at Liu Agan's home so he could meet his father and brothers first thing the following morning, without delaying their subsequent audience with the Grand Commander.

Under these circumstances, the refugee camp's natural leader was, of course... Liu Zhi, Liu Rengong's younger paternal cousin.

But Liu Acheng had neither the opportunity nor the inclination to pay him any attention. That afternoon, after meeting up with the others and returning with the weapons, he found Liu Huzi busy skinning the tiger, clearly preparing to roll up the hide and make himself scarce. Meanwhile, almost instinctively, the men who had hunted the tiger crowded around Liu Cheng and Liu Jili, watching them with eager eyes.

Then Liu Jili, who had only arrived in camp a few days earlier, was almost immediately ruled out too. The tiger hunters themselves insisted that the youth Liu Acheng handle the distribution.

Under these circumstances, not only Liu Zhi, the younger cousin, but even Grandpa Liu San, nominally Liu Cheng's superior, merely stood at a distance with his hands tucked into his sleeves, showing no intention of interrupting. Liu Acheng had no intention of declining either. He borrowed scales from Liu Huzi's Elder Sister, along with a cloth-roll core that could serve as a ruler, took up a knife himself, and began personally weighing and distributing everything.

Starting with the meat, every person and every mess group received their portion directly from his hands.

Next came the utensils. There was no gold to be seen. The silver and bronze objects were set aside, while the ironware was distributed by mess group. A few groups received nothing, so those given large iron cauldrons were required to pass their old earthenware pots to them.

Finally, he began measuring the cloth.

"The same rules as before." After only a moment's hesitation, Liu Acheng abandoned his unnecessary fantasies and offered the most practical distribution plan. "Each of the thirty-seven people who went tiger hunting gets one bolt first!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than cheers rose in the dusk.

There was no helping it. There might seem to be many arguments about how to divide the cloth, but to Liu Acheng, it really came down to one crucial question: should everyone eat from the same communal pot?

If so, these nearly one hundred bolts could be divided equally.

Nearly one hundred bolts amounted to almost four thousand chi. An equal division could just about provide each household with four chi... But the problems were, first, that the tiger hunters would be deeply dissatisfied, and the plan might prove impossible to carry out; second, that three or four chi per family would not see them through the winter. Even a little child's summer clothes required five chi.

Of course, he could take a more extreme approach and give all the cloth to the women, children, widows, and other people without family. That would greatly improve the Refugee Camp's overall winter survival rate.

Yet this seemingly more reasonable method would be even harder to implement than equal distribution. Resistance would come not merely from the able-bodied men, but potentially from the entire refugee band. Even setting aside whether such a distribution could be carried out, those women, children, and people without family would never be able to hold on to their cloth.

Even a refugee band had clearly defined classes: able-bodied men, women and children, the Liu Surname, those with other surnames, intact families, bachelors, and people bereft of family. Since Liu Acheng's arrival, a distinction had also emerged between those with a skill and those who could only sell their sweat.

More importantly, this was truly an age of aristocratic clans. These people had no concept of universal equality. Caring for the widowed and orphaned was an instinct of human society, but a survival crisis in troubled times followed another logic entirely.

In fact, judging by Liu Acheng's social experience, one absolutely had to be a bleeding-heart saint in troubled times. Only that way could one win the greatest return at the lowest cost-the allegiance of people's hearts. And people were the foundation of every undertaking.

But the prerequisite was having the authority, resources, or some specially charged circumstances needed to carry out the corresponding actions. Otherwise, one would only invite humiliation.

Thus, though a hundred thoughts turned through Liu Acheng's mind, he actually reached his decision very quickly: distribute everything in the most pragmatic, practical manner, the one most consistent with these people's understanding.

As before, he personally wielded the knife he had used to divide the meat, cut apart the cloth they had not yet had time to wash, and handed it out one person at a time.

All thirty-seven, including Liu Cheng and Liu Jili, first received one bolt apiece. Liu Huzi was absent, but Liu Cheng even set aside a bolt for that fellow. With over fifty bolts remaining, Liu Acheng's good memory came into play. He summoned as many as possible of the "outstanding individuals and groups" commended during their journey and since settling here-the same people who had received extra meat earlier-and allotted each person ten chi of cloth, a quarter bolt, just enough to make an adult a set of winter clothes.

As for whom they found to make those clothes, and whether they stuffed the layers with leaves, straw, or foul-smelling, prickly duck feathers, that was their own business.

After the distribution, a dozen or so bolts actually remained. He finally beckoned to an acquaintance standing off to one side. "Grandpa San, I'm leaving these dozen bolts with you."

Grandpa Liu San had watched for half the day. To say he was not covetous would be nonsense. He had been angry when he was not even given ten chi earlier, but now that he was suddenly being offered over a dozen bolts, he did not dare accept them! What if someone smashed his mouth to a pulp with a knife handle again that night?

He hurriedly waved his hands.

"They're not all for you. Grandpa, keep one bolt yourself. For the rest, I need to borrow your standing to distribute them to others." Beside the fire pit at the very center of camp, before many people still brimming with excitement, Liu Cheng remained perfectly candid. "By rights, the remaining cloth should go to the women and children in camp, but there are too many. If we divide it among them all, there won't be enough... And this camp was built on Lord Ren's prestige, after all. Brother Hu was also the driving force behind the tiger hunt. We still need to look after the Liu Clan of Pengcheng... Our clansmen and fellow villagers know one another's roots. Take it and do your best to distribute it among the women, children, widows, and people without family of the Liu Surname. This winter, every household that makes it through is one more saved."

"You've thought this through, Acheng. I knew you wouldn't forget our own clan! Leave it to me." Delighted, Grandpa Liu San stepped forward to gather up the cloth.

Just then, he turned and saw the family of Liu Rengong's younger cousin across the fire. He could not help jutting his chin toward them in reminder. "Acheng, never mind that household, but surely the master's family gave you instructions beforehand?"

Instructions, my ass!

Liu Acheng nodded repeatedly. "Brother Hu and I have worked it out."

Only then was Grandpa Liu San thoroughly pleased. He was about to turn away when something seemed to occur to him, and he looked back again. "Acheng, I heard all about what happened today. You worked so hard yourself. Why not take another two bolts? Not a soul would object."

"I already have a set of winter clothes. I just haven't worn them." Liu Cheng declined again and again. "Besides, Hu and I have worked it out. If I take more, how much more would I have to reserve for Lord Ren's household? Then the women and children would get nothing."

Hearing this, Grandpa Liu San finally left.

At this point, Liu Cheng gathered up the silver and bronze cookware, incense burners, and other objects that had remained beside the fire. In full view of everyone, he went to Liu Rengong's tent and called out Liu Huzi's Elder Sister, who had been hiding inside since finishing her broth. He spoke with complete assurance. "Elder Sister, these are the most valuable goods from this expedition. The bronze pieces are heavy, so you can keep them for emergencies in winter. As for the silver... would you rather store it yourself, or have it bundled up and sent to Beigu Mountain tomorrow, so it can be exchanged for money to smooth the way?"

Liu Huzi's Elder Sister was visibly bewildered and could only murmur, "Didn't you discuss this with Hu, Acheng?"

"We only got these things this afternoon. How could we have discussed it?" Liu Cheng shook his head.

Liu Huzi's Elder Sister grew even more flustered. With who knew how many eyes watching from the fire outside, she was naturally nervous. After a moment, she could only wave a hand. "In that case, you arrange it, Acheng. Of course I trust you."

"Then keep them here for now, Elder Sister, and give me the silver first thing tomorrow. Brother Jili and I will go to the foot of Beigu Mountain and see whether we can help Lord Ren and the others." Liu Cheng gave his final arrangement.

Liu Huzi's eldest sister could only agree. She took the bundle of silver and bronze objects and went back into the tent.

That evening and well into the night, noise filled every corner of camp.

Naturally so. Quite a few members of the tiger-hunting party were bachelors. Now, with full bellies and a bolt of cloth in hand... Even back when they had homes and livelihoods in the Huai River region, one bolt would have sufficed as a betrothal gift, let alone now!

And so, with no one quite knowing who started it, they hastily became bridegrooms one after another.

In other words, they had found wives and someone to make their winter clothes into the bargain.

They also wanted Liu Acheng to come officiate. Yet, for reasons known only to himself, he merely waved away such an excellent opportunity to win hearts, saying he was young and lacked the moral standing for it. Instead, he recommended experienced elders such as Grandpa Liu San and Grandpa Wang.

Even Liu Jili, standing nearby, looked as though he wanted to say something but held back.

By comparison, the camp's grumbling and dissatisfaction-the women and children of other surnames muttering under their breath, or Liu Huzi's cousin's wife seeking out her husband's female cousin to complain-were only to be expected.

Early the next morning, Liu Acheng rose and ate as usual, then began assigning the sandal- and mat-weaving tasks.

But many people were distracted. Grandpa Liu San even slipped over to report someone's misdeeds.

"What was that, Grandpa San?" Liu Cheng looked slightly surprised.

"Last night, Liu Rengong's younger cousin's household sent their womenfolk to Lord Ren's tent. They told Huzi's eldest sister not to give you the silver today, saying you'd seize the chance to run off with it and join someone else together with that Liu Jili." Grandpa Liu San was indignant. "My daughter-in-law was inside helping her weigh the objects. She heard every word."

"What of it? Then we simply won't go. I told Elder Sister yesterday that she should decide. Those objects were reserved for Lord Ren's household anyway." Liu Acheng spoke as he always did, yet for some reason, his spirits seemed a little subdued.

That was very strange.

Ordinarily, when everyone was weighed down with worry, Liu Acheng was always cheerful. Whatever bad news or grim circumstances came his way, he seemed to take them lightly. Now, at last, the refugee camp had enjoyed a blaze of prosperity, like oil poured onto a roaring fire. Over there, they were about to meet the Grand Commander and resolve their major problems; over here, a tiger hunt had somehow yielded a hundred bolts of cloth. People even dared to marry. Surely he ought to be happy.

Yet he was calm to an almost absurd degree.

To Grandpa Liu San, however, that made perfect sense. He was angry, of course. With Liu Rengong away, a few womenfolk and collateral relatives were being petty and failing to distinguish merit from fault. Acheng had already done so well. Besides, given the situation last night, failing to distribute the cloth-or keeping it all for Liu Rengong's household-would have been what really caused trouble.

But he, too, was a distant kinsman of Liu Rengong. He could only offer a small warning; the rest was not his place to say.

Naturally, Liu Cheng had no idea Grandpa San had imagined so much... His own thoughts were quite simple. This large-scale distribution of cloth had made him deeply realize how difficult it would be for the refugees from the Huai River region to survive in Southern Xu Province.

Individuals would be fine. Picking out a few dozen or a hundred Able-Bodied Men or skilled workers would work too. But on the scale of three thousand people, a collective that had completely lost its means of production would find the transition back to normal productive activity terribly difficult.

This was what it meant for quantitative change to produce qualitative change.

Leave aside how a large crowd inevitably produced oddballs, or how vicious incidents normally considered unlikely would keep occurring. From a broad perspective alone, the demand for supplies was beyond anything one individual could meet... A hundred bolts of cloth, the annual household levies of two hundred households, had been poured in, yet the help they offered the whole group in surviving winter was so limited.

One could easily imagine, then, that even if they truly survived this winter, how many years would it take to accumulate houses, clothing, farm tools, and livestock while reclaiming land? If some disaster or calamity struck along the way, how much effort would it take to start all over again?

No wonder Liu Rengong wanted to abandon these people and run away every day. No wonder the Great Jin Court had specially established the white register. No wonder it collected neither taxes nor corvée labor from them. If it imposed either on top of everything else, however many refugees arrived would likely become that many bandits.

They really would be better off becoming bandits and living by robbery!

Of course, reaching this conclusion did not merely make Liu Acheng worry about the country, the people, and the collective. It also gave him a deeper understanding of his own selfish dream of a fortified manor-building one would probably be very difficult! Never mind high-level competitors like the Way of the Celestial Masters. Even with no competitors at all, construction alone would likely take more than three or five years, let alone achieving the advanced, self-contained economic cycle of their neighbors!

What was he supposed to do?!

He had started with a heavenly winning hand, and he hadn't done anything wrong. Even by today, the departments he'd organized and the specific projects he'd overseen all seemed to have succeeded. Nothing had gone wrong with borrowing the surname either!

Everything had worked out, so how had the result come to this?

Should he adjust his goals a little and lower his expectations?

While he was lost in wandering thoughts, worrying about the country and its people, Liu Huzi's eldest sister actually came to find him. Perhaps she had sensed something was amiss. She brought the silver objects, already bundled up.

Preoccupied, Liu Acheng said little. He bowed his head respectfully and accepted them.

-----I am the scene divider bowing my head respectfully-----

Having himself endured displacement, Emperor Taizu knew that people were the foundation of all affairs. Even matters of the smallest measure were decided before the eyes of the assembled multitude.

-Chronicle of Jiangzuo, Pei Songzhi of Qi