Without food, farmers have no choice but to find other ways to survive.
Going to the more prosperous Taize City to do odd jobs and earn some money has become the only choice for these farmers.
However, the locust plague not only affected Daxiao Town, other villages and towns also suffered considerable losses.
Therefore, in Taize City, there are fewer opportunities to make money because there are too many competitors...
People will even argue with hundreds or even thousands of people over the job of a noodle shop boy.
Poor people who have no money, no food, and no way to cook at home will not let go of any opportunity to make money.
Zhang Tinglai also plans to leave Daxiao Town today and go to Taize City to try his luck.
There has been no rice for several days at home...
The three-year-old child was so hungry that he cried.
The frail wife has been in poor health since giving birth to the child. She is waiting to buy some tonics and decoctions to take care of her health when she has money...
We can only leave Daxiao Town and go to Taize City to find some work.
After settling down his wife and children, Zhang Tinglai set off alone.
Because I couldn't worry about my family before, I went out late, so I didn't have anyone to accompany me on the journey.
fair enough.
In case there are too many people together, when there is an opportunity to make money, there will not be enough points. Maybe, they will become jealous of each other and tear each other...
Nowadays, the times are bad, and the friendship between people has become thinner.
We can only take care of our own things and clean up the snow in front of ourselves...
Zhang Tinglai left home and left Daxiao Town.
In front of him was a wide loess road.
When the wind blows, the sky is filled with yellow dust.
Looking at this road, Zhang Tinglai frowned.
If there are no ox-carts, horse-drawn carriages can be used instead.
If you walk to Taize City from this road, it will take five days to get there...
The delay is too long.
"Why don't we take a shortcut..."
After all, the wife and children at home are waiting for money, so it would be best if they could find a way to make money as soon as possible.
Zhang Tinglai didn't want to waste too much time on the road.
So I decided to take a shortcut.
You only need to climb a mountain called Wanling and walk at most one day to enter Taize City.
So, no more delay.
He pedaled up the bay ridge.
This mountain is not big or steep.
It's just that the terrain inside is bumpy and full of water, making it wet and muddy.
And it's foggy.
Not easy to walk.
Therefore, few people are willing to travel here. If Zhang Tinglai had not taken a shortcut to save time, he would not have thought of entering Wanling.
However, it doesn’t matter if the road is difficult.
Even if we were delayed in this mountain for two days, it would be better than spending five days walking on that dirt road.
Zhang Tinglai quickly went deep into Wanling.
It took about half a day to walk.
He suddenly saw a city gate vaguely appearing in the mist ahead.
I couldn't help but wonder.
"No way?...Is Taize City arriving so soon?..."
Full of questions, Zhang Tinglai cleared the fog and walked into the city gate.
As soon as we entered the city, we saw the bustling streets.
The peddlers and pawns peddled along the street.
Shops and restaurants are decorated with lanterns and colors.
Upon seeing this scene, Zhang Tinglai was immediately overjoyed.
"It's really Taize City!"
Sure enough, it would be more time-saving to take a shortcut!
Now that we have entered the city, we have to get down to business.
Hurry up and find a job, it’s important to make money!
So Zhang Tinglai walked into the crowd.
I looked left and right, and searched carefully for a long time.
Sudden.
I found an employment notice posted on a wall.
This is posted by a ranch.
This is what the notice said.
I made an appointment with a Niu Guan named Jiang Jia to meet under this wall. However, I had important matters and needed to leave for a while. In order to prevent Jiang Jia from being left out, I temporarily hired a servant to do it for me.
Wait for Jiang Jia here and take care of him.
If someone succeeds and does not neglect this cattle official named Jiang Jia, I will make this person a servant of our ranch with a monthly salary of 500 coins.
This is a good thing!
Zhang Tinglai was immediately overjoyed.
So, he took off the employment notice from the wall, held it in his hand, and stood under the wall waiting for Jiang Jia.
About two hours passed.
Sure enough, a person walked over from the other end of the long street.
The man saw Zhang Tinglai standing under the wall, so he asked, "What are you doing here?"
Zhang Tinglai immediately said, "I'm waiting for Jiang Jia."
The man said, "I am Jiang Jia, what are you waiting for me to do?"
Zhang Tinglai was extremely happy.
He quickly showed the employment notice in his hand to Jiang Jia and said, "As you can see, this is an opportunity to make money with a salary of 500 yuan a month. I want to get this job as a ranch servant. So, please
Let me entertain you until the man who posted the notice comes back."
Jiang Jia nodded and said, "That's it... Okay, let's go to a nearby tavern to have some food. I'm a little hungry."
When Zhang Ting heard this, he was immediately embarrassed.
"It's not that I'm stingy... I also want to treat you to dinner, but I don't have the money..."
Jiang Jia laughed and said, "This is easy to handle! You will be the servant of that ranch anyway, so why not get a meal on credit in the name of the ranch?"
After hearing this, Zhang Tinglai suddenly became enlightened.
Yes! You can pay on credit first!
Can't we just wait until the person who put up the notice comes and ask him to pay for the meal?
So Zhang Tinglai replied, "Okay! Let's go eat first!"
By chance, he was also hungry.
…
In this way, Zhang Ting came to invite Jiang Jia to have dinner in a tavern across the long street, and ordered the most expensive food to entertain him.
This meal cost twenty taels.
After eating, Zhang Ting came to ask Jiang Jia, "Are you satisfied with my hospitality?"
Jiang Jia burped and said, "Well, I'm quite satisfied. I will put in a nice word for you in front of Cheng Xiang... Oh, Cheng Xiang is the name of the rancher, and you will work for him in the future.
"
Zhang Tinglai was very happy.
He said, "Now that we have eaten and drank enough, let's wait for the person who posted the employment notice to come."
So the two of them got up.
At this time, the waiter from the tavern came over.
He asked with a smile, "Which guest will pay the bill?"
Jiang Jia stood up and said to the waiter, "Let him pay the bill." After that, he said to Zhang Tinglai, "I'll go out and take a rest first."
After saying that, he walked out.
Zhang Tinglai was a little nervous at this time.
To be honest, he had no idea.
After all, I haven’t officially become a servant of the ranch yet…
But by this time, the meal was already finished.
I could only bite the bullet, follow the words I had thought of before, and show the waiter the employment notice.
Zhang Tinglai laughed along and said: "Second Brother... Can you wait a little longer before paying the bill? When the person who posted the notice comes, he will definitely not miss your meal money..."
The waiter in the shop frowned.
"Don't you want to eat the King's meal?..."
This frightened Zhang Tinglai.
He shook his head repeatedly, "No way, no way!... How could I dare to do that kind of thing?..."
The waiter at the shop saw him as an honest man.
"Okay...but you can't leave until someone comes to pay!"
Zhang Tinglai was a little embarrassed.
I have to wait under that wall... Otherwise, how can I wait for the person who posted the employment notice?
The waiter seemed to see his difficulty.
"Our store is only a few steps away from the place where the notice is posted! As long as you pay a little attention, you won't miss it? Besides, don't you have a companion? You can ask him to wait for you!"
When Zhang Tinglai heard this, he was immediately stunned.
That’s right! Jiang Jia will definitely not leave before waiting for the rancher to arrive!
Therefore, Zhang Tinglai waited in the tavern with peace of mind.
However, as he waited, he realized something was wrong!
Jiang Jia is missing!...
Zhang Ting was a little anxious when he came.
The tavern owner gradually saw the clues.
"Have you been cheated?..."
"No! No!" Zhang Tinglai shook his head. He took out the employment notice in his hand and read it repeatedly, "The notice says it very clearly! As long as I entertain Jiang Jia, I can get the ranch servant.
Job!" He said to the boss, "Let me wait a little longer!..."
But the hotel owner no longer wanted to waste time.
"Brother! We are a small business! We can't afford to waste money on you! ... It's better to go to the Yamen! You can write letters to your family in prison! As long as you pay off the twenty taels of silver! You will be free!"
When Zhang Ting heard this, he wanted to go to the Yamen and go to jail. He also had to write a letter to his family to raise twenty taels of silver...
Collapse immediately!
How could his poor family raise twenty taels of silver?!
Now not only have I not made any money, but I have also experienced such misfortune.
Zhang Tinglai broke down and cried.
"No! I don't want to go to jail!! -"
He knelt down to the shop owner.
"Please don't take me to jail!! Please!! -"
But the store owner is not willing to listen.
With a cold face, he ordered a few waiters, "Take him to the Yamen!"
"No!!--"
Zhang Tinglai lay on the ground, collapsed and cried, struggling continuously.
"Don't take me to the Yamen!! -"
He waved his hands to drive away the waiters and waiters who were approaching.
But at this moment.
A hand stretched out from nowhere and touched his shoulder.
And, a voice came from my ear.
"Calm down."
These words seem to have magic power.
The words just fell.
Things around you start to blur!
The figures of the shop owner, waiter, and clerk in front of him began to twist and break rapidly.
Finally, what appeared before Zhang Tinglai again was a man wearing a bamboo hat and dressed like a knight-errant.
Looking around again, it turned into a forest!
At this moment, Zhang Tinglai was squatting in the dirt and grass.
Are there any pubs nearby? Are there any bustling streets?