Pidao is where the town of Dongjiang is built, about fifteen miles from east to west and ten miles from north to south. Its northern coast is only eighty nautical miles away from the boundary of Jianlu.
Most of the civilian residences on Phi Island are scattered in the south of the island, while the north is dominated by barracks, with the General Military Mansion in the middle.
After Lu Xiangsheng and Yan Yingyuan changed into plain clothes, they quietly left the side door of the General Military Mansion with only a few guards such as Lu Da and Lu Er.
With only such a small number of guards, Lu Xiangsheng had the confidence.
"Liheng, didn't I hear that this Pi Island is the largest island and there are many Liao people who fled back to the Ming Dynasty? Why can't we see any trace of people along the way?" Lu Xiangsheng strode along an organized path.
As he walked forward, he asked Yan Yingyuan next to him.
"Jiutai, I know more than you do. There are some houses in front of you, just go and ask and you will know." Yan Yingyuan smiled bitterly, then pointed to some thatched houses in front and said.
Lu Xiangsheng thought about it. Yan Yingyuan came to Denglai with him, and the information he came into contact with was not as big as his own. How could he give him the answer?
He looked at the houses in front of him, then quickened his pace and hurried forward.
The advantage of this man is that he is tall and has long legs. When he walks like this, others have to walk fast to keep up with him.
When Lu Xiangsheng and his party approached the residential houses over there, they saw some people appearing in those thatched houses one after another, and then they all walked towards the seaside.
Lu Xiangsheng looked strange and walked a little faster again. He stopped a half-grown child with ragged clothes and a sallow face and asked, "Where are you going?"
The half-year-old child looked at the people who stopped him. They were all neatly dressed and had rosy complexions. He knew that they were not from the island. They were probably businessmen who came with the high official from the imperial court. Although the man in front of him was very tall, he looked pretty.
It was powerful, but he couldn't care less. He stretched out his hand and asked, "Can I give you something to eat?"
During Mao Wenlong's time, there were businessmen who often came to Pi Island for business, so the child's first thought was that Lu Xiangsheng was a businessman.
Lu Xiangsheng was stunned for a moment, but seeing the eager eyes of the child, he had no choice but to turn around and ask: "Do any of you have food on you?"
Neither Yan Yingyuan nor Lu Xiangsheng's guards have the habit of bringing food with them.
Seeing that no one else was there, Lu Xiangsheng felt a little embarrassed and didn't know how to speak.
The child had seen that none of them had anything to eat, and his face was full of disappointment, but he still said to Lu Xiangsheng: "The tide is about to go out. We are all going to wait at the beach to pick up some fish and take them home to eat."
When Lu Xiangsheng heard this, he squatted down, looked at the child and asked, "Why are you the only one going? Where is your family?"
The child did not answer immediately. He looked up at the sky, then turned back to Lu Xiangsheng and replied: "My parents died at the hands of the Tatars. My eldest brother served as a soldier under Liu Dusi. My younger brother is too young. He is at home."
Just lie down and wait for me to pick up some fish and eat them."
When Lu Xiangsheng heard this, he cursed the damn Tatars in his heart. Then he looked at the thatched house where the child had just come out and asked him: "Can I go in and take a look?"
The child had just seen the sky and knew that there was still some time before the tide receded, so he nodded and took the initiative to lead them back to his house.
His speed was not very fast, which made the long-legged Lu Xiangsheng who was following him walk very awkwardly, making him feel like he was walking in small steps in the drama.
The thatched house of the child's house was the one closest to them. He first pushed open the closed wooden door and walked in. Then he stood by the door and held the door open with his hand so that the guests could walk in without hindrance.
Lu Xiangsheng stooped and walked in. The thatched house was a bit short, so he had to lower his head slightly so that his head did not hit the roof.
"Second brother, is the eldest brother back? Have you eaten?" A weak and immature child's voice sounded from the corner of the room.
"No, there are guests coming in to take a look." The child next to the door replied, and then said to Lu Er, who was still trying to squeeze into the room, "There are already three people inside, and they can't stand anymore."
When Lu Er heard this, he smiled and felt a little embarrassed. He retreated and stood outside.
Yan Yingyuan is not as tall as Lu Xiang, so he is a little more comfortable in the thatched house than him.
When he heard the sound, he went over to take a look and found that there was a wooden board used as a bed. Lying on it was a little boy with a yellow face and thin muscles. He was covered with a torn quilt. Judging from his exposed arms, he seemed to be naked, but he was
I didn't see any clothes taken off around me.
When the child saw a guest leaning over to look at him, he smiled.
Yan Yingyuan could see it clearly, and felt sad for no reason. This poor child was so skinny!
Lu Xiangsheng had also seen the situation in the house clearly and was angry. However, in this house, he still suppressed his anger and asked the child at the door: "Does your elder brother not care about you?"
When the child heard this, he immediately protested: "If it weren't for my eldest brother, we would have been gone a long time ago. When Marshal Mao was here, you would come here often. My eldest brother was brave in the war, so the silver reward he received could buy some food.
I don’t want to eat it myself, I would rather go hungry than bring something home for us to eat.”
Lu Xiangsheng was startled when he heard this, "How often do we come here?" But he immediately realized that this kid might have thought of himself as a businessman.
"The eldest brother also saved half of what he usually eats for us." The child lying on the bed added after hearing what the second brother said.
"Can't you go to the beach to pick up fish to eat?" Lu Da, who entered the house, saw that the child's words were a bit exaggerated, so he prompted.
The child looked at him dissatisfied, and then said: "You will find out how much fish one person can share when you go to the beach."
"Second brother, I miss my eldest brother. He said that the imperial court has paid wages and there is food. I want to eat. I am so hungry." The child on the bed suddenly said.
It must have been the conversation about food and his elder brother that reminded him of this matter.
Hearing this young and weak child's voice, hearing the cry of "I'm so hungry", the three adults in the room felt uncomfortable.
When the child at the door heard his brother's words, he said "Yeah" and then said to Lu Xiangsheng and others: "I'm going to the beach. If I don't go, I won't be able to grab the fish."
When the three adults heard this, they all hurriedly retreated.
As soon as Lu Xiangsheng arrived outside the house, he told Lu Erdao: "Go back and get some food and give it to them."
Although Lu Er did not enter the room, he heard the conversation in the room. He immediately agreed and ran back.
When the child who followed them out the door saw him, he immediately knelt down to Lu Xiangsheng and said, "Thank you very much, sir. Ergouzi kowtows to me. Ergouzi wishes me a prosperous business and great wealth."
After saying this, prepare to kowtow.
Lu Xiangsheng grabbed his arm and pulled him up. In his heart, he felt that he was not worthy of receiving this great gift.
Yan Yingyuan looked at the sensible child in front of him and thought about the one lying in the room, and suddenly felt that his son was really happy.
Lu Xiangsheng knelt down and asked the child in front of him: "Are other families on the island in the same predicament as yours?"
The child shook his head, making Lu Xiangsheng, Yan Yingyuan and others feel a little better.
But who knew that the child's answer surprised them: "My family is pretty good with my eldest brother serving as a soldier. Those civilian households, those near the seaside, I will understand if I go and take a look. If my brother and I are like that
The people around here are already starving to death."
Lu Xiangsheng and Yan Yingyuan looked at each other after hearing this, and both saw the heaviness in each other's eyes.