While rushing back with Dorothea, Scrooge thought: "It's far from noon now. Is the federal tax officer coming? When will federal officials be so dedicated?"

However, when they got to the bottom of the mountain, they discovered that it was not the federal tax officer that came, but a large group of southerners. Many of them were holding guns and were now gathering together. The security guards of the water found the shelter position silently, and were ready to respond. Only Elizabeth stood there as if reprimanding the southerners.

"Is it here to rob? No way, if it is to rob, it should have been a fight, instead of arguing with Elizabeth like now." Scrooge thought, and quickly said to Dorothea: "If something is wrong, follow me and don't run around."

"It's okay," Dorothea said. "Those are all Dad's old friends."

At this time, they got closer, and Elizabeth's voice was faintly heard.

"The men in the south are really good. You think that if you gather together, you can scare the federal government from collecting taxes? Have you got your brains? Don't look at how good you are. I really have the ability, and I won’t let Sherman burn this place like this. Ha ha ha, at first, the fools who went to shell Sumter fortress to start war were of course no brains! Then I’ll trouble you guys. , Think about it with your leftover nerve cells, even if you drove away the tax officer today, what will happen tomorrow? Have you ever thought about it, fools? Tomorrow, including Dorothea, all of you Everyone will be wanted as a traitor, and the manor that Mr. Odder left for Dorothea Miss will be confiscated directly. She can’t even get the auction proceeds. This is what you want to achieve? Ha ha ha ha, Od Sir, you are as smart as you..."

"Enough, Elizabeth!" Scrooge shouted.

Elizabeth turned her face and saw that it was Scrooge, so she closed her mouth, but she deliberately raised her chin high, and used her nose to utter a contemptuous "humph!" at the southerners. Turned around and walked towards Scrooge.

"Mr. MacDonald, it was these southerners who spoke outrageously first." Elizabeth explained in a low voice.

In fact, there is no need for Elizabeth to explain at all, Scrooge can figure out what is going on by thinking about it with a ganglion. Those southerners are all old friends of Mr. Odder. Like Dorothea, their homes were burnt clean. Now they can’t afford that sum of money to help Dorothea, so they get together. Being together, coming here, wanting to give Dorothea more or less a strong presence, can be regarded as the heart of an old friend.

When these southerners arrived here, they suddenly met such a gang of well-armed Yankees. Of course, they would have some reactions, and there would be no good things in their mouths. As for Elizabeth, she is a venomous tongue girl who sees southerners not pleasing to the eye. It would be unscientific if she didn't take the opportunity to jump out and contempt these southern settlements. And looking at Elizabeth like that, and looking at the unlucky faces of those Southerners, it is not difficult to see who took advantage of the tongue just now."Everyone, I'm sorry, Elizabeth's words are not very nice and offend everyone, I apologize for her first." Scrooge stepped forward and said to the southerners. There will be so many southerners coming to give Dorothea a boost, and it seems that the influence of old Mr. Odder is still not small. Scrooge knew that although these people have been hit hard now, in the future, it is this group of people who will really control the south.

The Lincoln government's attack on plantations was only aimed at the economic model of plantations. Once the southerners are willing to turn to the industrial road, they can even get a lot of subsidies. Compared with ordinary civilians, the planters of those years have received a higher education, have wider social connections, and they still have land in their hands. Therefore, it is much easier for them to get up again than civilians who have nothing to get up. As a result, a few years later, the economy of the South is still controlled by these people. This is like in another time and space history. After the Second World War, Germany and Japan are said to be completely bombed into ruins. But once the war ended, these two countries quickly rose up again, and soon became the richest countries in the world. Some GZJY always like to take them as examples, saying that in the 1940s, flower growers and others started from the same starting point. After a few decades, they have become wealthy developed countries, and there are only flower growers. , Is still a developing country, which fully shows that they are a superior nation. In contrast, the flower-growing nation is really a saucepan...Balabalabalaba.

But the actual starting point is really the same? The house was blown to ruins, but some things could not be blown up. Germany and Japan have an education level per capita. There are ready-made trained industrial workers in the two countries. How can a flower grower with an illiteracy rate of 90% compare? In a sense, this is a more important basis than plant machinery.

Since these people will rise again sooner or later, it would be a good choice to tie them to the own battleship while wooing them now.

"I am Scrooge McDonald, a friend of Mr. Odd and Roy." Scrooge continued.

Scrooge's name suddenly calmed down those southerners who were whispering.

"Which Mr. MacDonald are you who made the Washington Declaration?" someone asked.

"I heard that you are an arms dealer." Some people said unceremoniously.

"I'm the guy you are talking about." Scrooge said frankly. "The signer of the Washington Declaration, the arms dealer, the Yankee, is also a friend of Mr. Odd and Roy."

"The arms you bought killed many southerners." Someone said.

"I am a northerner, and I am loyal to Ohio just like you are loyal to Mississippi." Scrooge continued to answer frankly, with a clear conscience.

The Southerners grumbled a bit, and seemed to think that this question was not enough to attack Scrooge morally. Some people also said: "Mr. Odder did mention him before. He liberated all the slaves and seemed to be affected by this man." Others said: "Stone Wall also mentioned him, saying that he is a good man. However, I still don't want to believe in a Yankee."

"So, why are you here now?" someone asked.

"Of course I am worried about my friend." Scrooge said, "I learned in the newspaper that Sherman did some terrible things here. Therefore, I am worried that Mr. Odd's family will be in trouble. So the situation is a little bit different. When I stabilized a little bit, I rushed over. I hope I can help them and also help you all."

"We don't need the help of the Yankee!" someone shouted.

"Bell, Mr. MacDonald is not a bad person." Someone whispered, "Have you seen Mr. MacDonald's criticism of the Yankee's atrocities in the recent newspaper? If it weren't for his reputation as a former patriot, there would be some He is about to call him a traitor. And he has been calling on the government to support rather than hinder the reconstruction of the South..."

"But he's still a Yankee..." Although Bell's tone was still very hard, his voice was already much lower.

"Look, that gang of Yankees are here!" someone said.

So everyone turned their gazes over there, and there really was a carriage over there, guarded by several cavalrymen.

In the hateful eyes of the Southerners, the carriage stopped and the tax officer got off the carriage. When he saw so many people gathered together, and some of them were still wearing weapons, he immediately yelled nervously:

"What are you doing here with so many people? Do you want to launch a rebellion? Do you want to resist the federal government?"

The cavalry who followed him also opened the bolt and made a posture ready to suppress.

"The tax official, you probably have a bad memory? The martial law prohibiting crowd gathering was lifted two weeks ago. Now the residents of Mississippi are also citizens of United States, with associations, gatherings, and self-defense. All the rights upheld by the Constitution, such as weapons." Scrooge stood up.

"Who are you? Dare to obstruct law enforcement? I can immediately let them tie you up and throw you into jail to feed the rats!" Hearing the irony in Scrooge's words, the tax officer suddenly became furious.

"Obstruct law enforcement? You are just a tax officer. Is anyone here fighting taxes?" Scrooge laughed.

"Then pay the taxes, a total of 400 US dollars, one cent less, I will change your manor's surname!" The tax officer roared.

"400 dollars? It's a trivial matter. Elizabeth!" Scrooge turned his head and shouted.

Elizabeth stepped forward, counted 400 dollars from her bag, and handed it to the tax officer. The tax officer took the money fiercely, checked it carefully, and then collected the money, and at the same time threw a tax bill to Elizabeth. Then he turned around and planned to get on the wagon and leave.

"Wait!" Elizabeth drank, "Does federal government officials serve taxpayers like this? Pick up the tax bill and hand it to Ben Miss! Or else..."

"How about it?" The tax officer laughed angrily. "Otherwise, you still dare to fight the tax with arms!"

"Hehehehe." Elizabeth seemed to be a little uncontrollable and smiled. "You can use the federal government to scare those unseen southerners, and use it to scare us...what's your name?"

"Why are you asking this?" The tax officer faintly felt that things seemed not quite right.

"Nothing." Elizabeth said nonchalantly, "Now that we know your name, it will be more convenient for us to send you to prison to feed rats. However, if you don't want to say it, it's just a little troublesome, and the result is the same anyway."

"Who are you?" The tax officer's face turned pale.

At this time, Scrooge came over, bent over to pick up the tax stamp, and said, "Elizabeth, if people don't want to pick it up, don't force them to pick it up. That's not good. Let him go to the prison to pick up soap."

Everyone doesn't know what "picking soap" means, but it's definitely not a good thing to think about it.

Scrooge glanced at the tax stamp, and suddenly laughed: "Elizabeth, it seems that there is no need for another crime to throw this guy into jail. Look at this tax stamp, there is an item in it. It was cancelled by the federal government. Well, I guess this guy has cheated a lot of money with this trick, right?"

After speaking, Scrooge raised his eyes and glanced at the pale and sweaty tax official. Then he said sternly to the soldiers and others: "I am Scrooge McDonald, and I now have evidence to accuse the tax officer of corruption and pervert the law! Now, I hope everyone will take him to the nearest one with me. The court has a testimony. The United States will never tolerate such assholes!"

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