"Why has my son been so depressed since he came back?" Mother Chen looked at her son and he looked worried since he came back. This made Mother Chen very worried.

"It's nothing, it's just that there are some things that I can't understand." Chen Mo shook his head. He didn't want to tell his mother about it until he figured it out.

"Oh?" Mother Chen looked at her son after hearing this and said with a smile: "Why don't you tell me, but what happened in the city this time?"

"Well, that's right." Chen Mo nodded and said, "Mom, have you ever heard of collusion between officials and bandits?"

"Of course I've heard of it." Mother Chen nodded.

"Aren't officials supposed to do things for the people? Why do they collude with gangsters who bring harm to the people?" Chen Mo asked.

"There are many reasons." Mother Chen did not coax her children. She knew that her son had a lot more burdens than other children, and he was also more sensible than other children. There were some things that he must have encountered since he was thinking about them.

I had a similar question. I thought about it carefully and said, "But it can be roughly divided into three types."

"Oh?" Chen Mo quickly sat up straight and looked at his mother.

"The first type is just for profit. Officials provide some conveniences to the thieves, and part of the money looted by the thieves will be given to the officials. This is the simplest, but also the most despised type."

Chen Mo nodded. This is what Chen Mo has always known, but this is not the answer he wants.

"But this kind is the most complicated and common." Mother Chen seemed to think of something in the past and sighed: "Although it is despised by others, most people do it. The only difference is that some people do it secretly, while others do it secretly.

Some people do it too obviously."

The young Chen Mo couldn't understand, and Chen's mother didn't explain much. It was difficult to truly understand many things before actually encountering them. He hoped that his son would never encounter such a thing in his life.

"As for the second type, it can be said to be a compromise." Mother Chen said with a smile: "Those bandits who have turned into bandits are very difficult to eliminate."

"Why is this?" Chen Mo asked puzzled.

"There are three types of thieves in this world. One type has no fixed abode, and they move around like locusts crossing the border, burning, killing, looting, and committing all kinds of evil. This type is also the target of the government's efforts to eradicate it; the second type is mountain bandits.

, they gather in the mountains and forests, and have their own place. Although they also plunder, they are not as murderous as the bandits, and sometimes they even help the people around them. These bandits do little harm, and they have the convenience of the location.

If the officers and soldiers come to clear out the bandits, they will be scattered in the wilds, but if the officers and soldiers leave, they will gather again. Generally, the county town does not have the power to suppress the bandits alone, but if a large number of soldiers are gathered, it will consume food and people, and may not be able to clear the bandits. Therefore,

As long as these people don't do too much, the government office will turn a blind eye, which is a compromise."

"Such bandits sometimes do business with other towns and villages." Finally, Mother Chen said with a smile: "As for the third type of collusion between officials and bandits, it is to support the bandits to respect themselves and ask the court for military supplies, soldiers and horses. This is what I

You don’t need to be too clear about it for the time being, generally you won’t encounter it.”

Chen Mo nodded. The bandits that Li Zheng and the others encountered should be of this second type. He felt relieved for some reason. After all, the government office couldn't do anything about it, and Li Zheng was not considered a bad person by making a deal with them.

"Mom, of the three categories of thieves and bandits you mentioned before, what is the other category?" Chen Mo untied his knot and looked at his mother curiously.

"This kind of people are generally not called bandits. They hide among the people and even have a deep relationship with the government office. They appear to be serious businessmen on weekdays, but in private they do evil things, such as human trafficking and smuggling of illicit goods.

Salt, weapons." When Mother Chen said this, she felt a little heavy.

"What is human trafficking?" Chen Mo asked. He felt that this was related to his experience in the county.

"The law of our court actually allows the buying and selling of human beings. Every time during a disaster year, some families who can't survive will sell their children and daughters. This kind of selling method is generally recognized by the government and can be called "he selling". However, after all, it is not the case in a disaster year.

It happens every year, and not everywhere, but human trafficking is quite profitable. Therefore, some people will secretly coerce and induce people, which is called short selling, and some will directly kidnap people. This is called robbery and selling.

It is slightly different from "plundering", but its meaning is similar, both are against the law."

"Mom, you know so much." Chen Mo said in amazement.

Chen's mother just smiled when she heard this. No matter how poor the Chen family was, they could still be considered half-scholars, and after living half their lives, they naturally knew more than an ignorant child like Chen Mo.

"Mom, I remember you once said that our Chen family are also scholars?" Chen Mo suddenly asked.

"It used to be." Chen's mother sighed after hearing this. They were related by blood to the Chen family in Hepu. This relationship was actually not that far apart. It was only two generations, but the distance between the two generations was so far.

Once in the Chen Mo area, it was almost impossible to have any contact with him.

"Is that mother literate?" Chen Mo's eyes suddenly brightened.

"You know something." Mother Chen nodded and said, "My son wants to learn?"

"Yeah." Chen Mo nodded quickly. Reading and literacy is a very sacred thing. Chen Mo has always wanted to learn it, but it was difficult just to make a living in the past. His young shoulders have to bear the livelihood of his mother and son, and he has no energy to do it at the same time.

He also didn’t understand the sacredness of reading.

But as his knowledge increases, his inner desire for reading continues to increase. At the same time, the situation at home is getting better and better. After seeing the beauty of the outside world and knowing the past glory of the Chen family, Chen Mo is naturally not willing to live a mediocre life.

, so at this time, Chen Mo is more eager to learn more and be able to see the world more clearly.

"Your father taught my mother some, but my mother didn't learn much." Mother Chen didn't know what she thought of, and sighed: "If my son wants to learn, my mother will teach you."

"Thank you, mother!" Chen Mo was overjoyed when he heard this.

"You kid..." Mother Chen shook her head with a smile and said, "Tomorrow before Chen time, I will teach you a sentence. All you need to do is memorize this sentence and write it down."

"Yes!" Chen Mo nodded excitedly.
Chapter completed!