356: Selling Charcoal in Wonderland【Seeking Double Monthly Pass】
There are still three days until the autumnal equinox.
The boundary monument of Heyin.
Official road, tea shop.
"Shopkeeper, please bring me a big bowl of tea."
"Just come!"
"Shopkeeper, here's another pile of beans."
"Okay!
"Shopkeeper, do you have any soup cakes?"
"Yes, please wait a moment, sir."
This simple teahouse was built not far from the official road.
Merchants passing by the boundary marker would stop here to replenish their energy or dry food. When they glanced at it, they saw number 20 people.
The tea shop owner and two helpers were busy outside, with no feet touching the ground, and their voices became hoarse.
I was busy for a while before I found time to catch my breath.
Just as he was about to wipe his sweat and beat his legs, he saw a middle-aged man leading a mule coming from the direction of the official road. His clothes were fully patched. The shopkeeper wanted to be lazy and take a rest, so he called his helpers to come over and entertain him.
The helper greeted him enthusiastically: "What would you like, sir?"
It was only when I got closer that I could clearly see the middle-aged man's appearance.
He looked at Lao ShiBaJiao, who had a head of black and gray hair wrapped in a black coarse cloth. His skin was dark, and his face still had traces of sunburn in midsummer. It was obvious at a glance that it was caused by years of sun exposure. His hands were rough,
The knuckles are rough and swollen, and there is mud hidden under the fingernails that are not finely trimmed. If you take a closer look, you can smell a bit of sour sweat, and the accent does not sound like a local.
The middle-aged man rubbed his hands in embarrassment.
He lowered his head, his voice was hoarse after not drinking water for a long time, and because he timidly lowered his voice, the helper almost didn't hear what he said: "I just want to ask for some water..."
He couldn't afford the tea.
There are no rivers or streams nearby.
When he saw the tea shop, he wanted to shamelessly ask for a drink of water. Unexpectedly, the helper greeted him enthusiastically, leaving him at a loss. He was ready to say this, causing the helper to roll his eyes and mock him, but the helper just smiled.
: "Yes, yes, yes!"
He turned around and brought a bowl of warm water with white steam from the tea shop. The pottery bowl didn't even have a crack.
"Here... Xiaolang, just give me a sip of cold water..."
It's actually still warm.
The helper handed it over and said with a smile: "We don't allow cold water to be sold here. If you are caught, you will be fined. It must be boiled."
The middle-aged man was flattered.
When he wiped his hands that were about to be covered with mud again and again on the hem of his clothes, he held the helper's pottery bowl with both hands. As soon as the moderately warm water came into contact with his dry and cracked lips, he couldn't wait to open his mouth and swallowed in big mouthfuls. The water flowed down his mouth.
It rolled into the throat, as if the land that had been dry for a long time was finally moisturized. He took a long breath after drinking it, but he still felt that it was not enough.
I smacked my lips in my heart but was too embarrassed to ask again.
The helper was busy in the tea shop. How could he not see all kinds of people? He had already developed a good ability to observe people's emotions. He said: "I'm not busy at the moment. I'll give you another bowl. Do you have any water, mule?"
?Why don’t you move to the back and feed me some food?”
The middle-aged man thanked him again and again.
The mule was so hungry that it was almost skin and bones, its ribs were all visible, and it looked like it was an old mule.
The mule was thin and old, but he could still work. The mule was fully stuffed, and Lao Gao's bamboo box was carried on its back.
I don't know what's inside.
Out of curiosity, I asked casually.
The middle-aged man didn't hide it either.
"I have saved a little charcoal and straw sandals at home. I heard someone collects them here. If we sell them together, we can get more money..."
It is said that the money is more, so it is only four or five cents more expensive.
However, he walked for two days and two nights for these four or five cents, and he had to be cautious about meeting bandits on the way. He was worried that he would encounter jackals, tigers and leopards when he stayed in the wild at night. No matter how sleepy or tired he was, he did not dare to close his eyes and stop, so he could only During the day, I would find a secluded place to relax for a while, and I would tie the old mule to myself with a straw rope, for fear that someone would steal both the mule and the charcoal.
Of course, it's not safe at night or during the day. Try not to sleep as much as possible. After two days, you will feel haggard and in a daze.
At this time, the helper noticed that the straw sandals on the man's feet were worn almost to scrap, the toes were exposed, the dark red blood mixed with the mud had dried, and there were about ten pairs of newly made ones on the side of the mule's trousers. While sighing, he couldn't help but feel pity.
I fed the mule a handful of bean dregs.
The middle-aged man looked at it, his eyes slightly red.
The turbid tears almost rolled down, and he kept thanking him. The helper sent the middle-aged man to the road, and kindly showed him the way. If you go down this road, you can get there in less than a quarter of an hour. Good to go.
His feet would also suffer less.
The middle-aged man didn't think much about it.
Reluctantly said goodbye to the helper.
There was also a big cake given by the helper in his arms.
The shopkeeper had already seen this in his eyes, smiled and said: "The water does not count, the rest will be deducted from your salary..."
The helper said: "Naturally."
In fact, he had only lived a good life for a few months.
Seeing the middle-aged man like this, he felt the same and couldn't help but want to help. The helpers were desperation refugees who came to Heyin. I thought this place would become his burial place, but who knew that the kind-hearted shopkeeper would Saved.
I help out at the tea shop every day.
Take care of food, housing, and money.
At first, the helper didn't dare to ask for it. How could the little work he did be worth such a big reward? But after listening to the shopkeeper, I realized that it was not much. If you go to the jail to find a job, the salary will be good. Leave it here at the tea shop , at most he would not die of hunger.
Because he was the only one left in the family of helpers, he had saved up a sum of savings in the past few months - the savings amounted to only thirty or forty dollars, and a dozen cakes - so it didn't matter that the shopkeeper deducted his wages, as he was in charge of food and drink anyway. Live, the helper doesn't care much.
The shopkeeper smiled and shook his head when he saw it.
There will be no deductions from wages on this day's settlement.
Inside and outside the tea shop, passers-by were talking in low voices, and from time to time they could hear laughter and banter, and the air was filled with a happy atmosphere. At the same time, the middle-aged man walked through a bumpy, bumpy and muddy road, and then he was stunned.
Without him——
The road ahead is too wide and flat.
He almost thought he was hallucinating.
He still dared not put his feet up.
I looked left and right, and finally, with a slight push from the old mule, I took a step secretly like a thief with a guilty conscience. This road stretched to the end of my sight, and could accommodate three chariots running side by side! It was completely different from the previous dog-gnawed road. on the contrary.
The road is getting better and the pace is faster.
Not long after leaving, I saw the neat fields.
The middle-aged man was stunned again.
Looking around, the corn in the field almost turned into golden waves. Each plant was covered with heavy, plump fruits. Each plant was forced to bend down. When the wind blew, it seemed that it could fall to the ground at any time. He He is also a good farmer. He also has two acres of thin farmland at home, but after a year of farming, even in good years, he can only make ends meet for his family...
These, these were things he had never seen in his dreams.
I heard some old people in the village say this.
If you have fertile farmland and have a good year with good weather, you may be able to compare the yield per mu with the one in front of you.
"What are you looking at? What are you looking at?"
Perhaps he had been standing there for too long, and looking around like he had never seen the world was too suspicious. The tenant farmers working in the fields immediately sounded the alarm, pointed their poles and hatchets at him, and yelled at him. He was misunderstood by the common people as a thief...
The middle-aged man had to talk a lot before he could explain it clearly.
Several tenant farmers then softened their expressions.
The middle-aged man said a few auspicious words to celebrate the harvest, which made people feel very comfortable and liked him. Some people were even willing to give him a pair of half-worn straw sandals.
The middle-aged man was a little confused.
Gu Yi
He had heard of this place, Heyin.
In addition to being poor, it is poverty, and the mountains and rivers are poor.
It is said that no matter how good the grain varieties are, their yields will decrease here.
Refugees must avoid this area when fleeing, lest they cannot get food and be caught and eaten by local unruly people.
Looking at it now, it’s not like that.
I don’t understand why there is such a big gap between rumors and reality!
Everyone started chatting, and the middle-aged man shamelessly asked for advice on the secret of farming, and saw someone waving his hand.
"Where can this thing be found?"
"It's all thanks to Lord Shen's blessing!"
"These are nothing here. Only when you go to Fu Gu's place will you know what a 'harvest' means. Oh, I'm so hungry."
"Fu Gu's field is called fat..."
"Then, can you not get fat if you have Shen Jun's immortal energy?"
Everyone said something to each other, and they were very happy.
The middle-aged man listened for a while but didn't understand.
I only know that there is a new county governor in Heyin. He came to Heyin just last year to take office. He is very young, very handsome, and does not have the airs of a high official. If you are lucky enough to go to Fugu, you might be able to see Mr. Shen himself. He
Yin's changes this year are the result of the hard work of Shen Jun and everyone in Shen Jun's account.
The middle-aged man even saw an old woman with her hair wrapped in a bun as she talked, shedding muddy tears, sobbing, and praying again and again in a certain direction, and others were also infected.
Middle-aged man: "..."
He still didn't know why.
As we walked down this road, which was smoother and more comfortable than the best official road, the conditions of the villages along the road were similar. Every household was busy farming and preparing for the autumn harvest. There were smiles on their faces, the wind was blowing under their feet, and their clothes were clean.
It took more than a dozen people to encounter two or three patched people. Even if they were patched, there were not many patches. It was completely different from his old clothes with patches everywhere. The people here are simple and hospitable, and there are always those few.
When the common people saw that he was thin and tired, and that the old mule was shriveled and thin, they would stuff him with half a cake.
By the way, he was kind enough to give him directions.
When he arrived at dusk, he was wondering whether he should find a stone bridge to sleep on. Then some people warmly invited him to his home. Although the home was not big and only had one room, he could sleep in the yard, which was better than sleeping at night.
It's safe to stay outdoors.
The middle-aged man hesitantly agreed.
The host gave me another bowl of warm water.
The middle-aged man finally couldn't help it.
"Boil it and drink it. Oh, how much firewood will this cost..."
The host said: "If you don't boil it and drink it, you will be fined."
The middle-aged man vaguely remembered that the tea shop helper said the same thing, and he was speechless for a long time. Life is so difficult for the common people, so it would be nice to have clean water to drink, but you must know that in drought years, you can't even drink a sip of muddy water.
superior.
What kind of family background...
Do you still need to burn water after drinking it?
The middle-aged man couldn't help but express his inner doubts, and the host laughed loudly: "Well, our Lord Shen heard from the gods that unheated water has some bad smell. If you drink it, your body will be harmed."
If you are not so good, you will get sick..."
All orders issued by the government office are enforced.
If you are caught once, twice or three times, you will be fined.
If there is a fourth time...
Haha, just drive Ha Yin out.
The common people are not afraid of anything but being driven out.
They also know what the world is like outside. Being able to stay in Heyin is a result of their blessings in the previous life. They have enough food and clothing, work to do, and land to farm. Even the gods have such a beautiful life.
In addition, the Fugu government office is willing to buy charcoal from various households at a relatively high price, so everyone is willing to go to the trouble of boiling hot water for drinking. Not only do they drink hot water, they also work together with several households to raise raccoons.
Slave catches mice.
If the raccoon slave catches more mice, he will get a prize.
The raccoon slave in their village won three kilograms of pork, two big fish, and a piece of cloth just by relying on his rat-catching skills!
The middle-aged man was fascinated by what he heard.
I even thought about leaving my hometown and moving here.
The host knew that the middle-aged man had this idea, and kept talking to him over and over again. The core idea he kept repeating over and over again was - "Jun Shen, you are a good person and a good official!"
Follow Shen Jun to fill your stomach!
The next day, the middle-aged man took the well-rested old mule on the road. The experience along the road was very different from yesterday.
No, there is one thing that is different.
Old mules are fed more.
After asking, I found out that Shen Jun's mount was a beautiful mule that was all white without a trace of hair. It was said that it also had a name called a motorcycle. The common people in Heyin gradually fell in love with the house and the bird, and developed a certain affection for the mule. Although they were supposed to work
You still have to work, but the food and treatment are much better than before.
The old mule was so thin that his ribs were visible and he walked unsteadily. The people felt pity for him and couldn't help but feed him some.
After walking and walking, we finally arrived at a nearby market.
Every market has a charcoal collection point set up by the government.
When I asked, the price was indeed more expensive than in his hometown.
In addition to the charcoal I saved, I also had straw sandals and small bamboo baskets weaved. I sat on the roadside and hawked them for a long time and then they were sold out.
At this time, someone asked the price and threw down a bamboo stick as payment. He was so angry that he grabbed the person's hand, clenched his fist and wanted to hit him. This frightened the nearby stall owners into a commotion and passers-by avoided.
The caught thief was furious.
"What are you doing? What are you doing? Why are you arresting me?"
"You stole my things!" The middle-aged man was so angry that his eyes were red, and he, a grown man, almost cried.
Passers-by and stall owners gathered around to see the fun.
Finally, the market clerk was alarmed.
The clerk came over and asked what was going on.
The thief said angrily: "How did I know? He's gone crazy!"
The middle-aged man held the bamboo stick and said angrily: "He, he left this thing behind and wants to snatch my things..."
Everyone: "..."
Market clerk: "..."
Immediately I understood what was going on.
The market clerk pressed the throbbing veins on his forehead and said angrily: "I don't know that these notes can't be paid to outsiders?"
The "thief" was scolded so much that he dared not say a word.
He took back his bamboo stick from the middle-aged man, threw a copper coin back, and muttered, "It's bad luck, I didn't know he was from a foreign country." The market clerk said to those who were watching the fun, "Go away, go away." Only Yu Zhong
The young man was at a loss.
Why don't you catch the thief?
At this time, the stall owner next door asked with a smile.
"You're from out of town, right?"
The middle-aged man nodded.
The moisture in my eyes has not gone away, and I wiped the tears with the back of my hand in grievance. The money was not much, but it was the lifeblood of the family.
How could anyone rob someone in the street?
Why don't Mr. Shen punish these crazy people?
The stall owner smiled kindly and said: "Oh, it's normal. If you don't want those notes, just tell them that you are from a foreign country. You will understand after you come here a few times. I am also a businessman from a foreign country. It was the same as you for the first time. Hey
