Zhou Zhoulang thought for a while and said: "Okay, I will accompany you when the time comes, and Lao Liu will look after the stall."
Zhou Lang's eyes widened and he said directly: "I don't want it!"
Man Bao was not happy either, "Sixth brother can just go with me, there are Datou and Daya, second brother, why do you want to change with Sixth brother?"
Zhou Zhoulang looked at her and said, "You dislike your second brother so much."
"Not really," Manbao pointed at her finger, but she just didn't want her second brother to follow her. Is this the generation gap that Keke mentioned?
Zhou Erlang pushed the trolley over and lined up, and whispered: "There are many people in the city now. You have to listen to me. If you don't, we will go home now."
As soon as these words came out, everyone lowered their heads and obeyed obediently.
Although the queue was long, it went very quickly. Both Zhou Lang and the soldiers guarding the city gate were familiar with each other. The other party only glanced at them and let them go without much inspection.
Of course, the entry fee is indispensable.
After not coming to the county town for a while, Man Bao felt that the town was very different from before.
There were more people in the city than before, but she didn't feel the excitement. People walking on the street were in a hurry. Their faces were either sad or wary, or they were hurried back and forth with numb and expressionless faces.
Man Bao sat on the trolley, the joy on her face couldn't help but fade away, and she looked curiously at the people walking past her.
Zhou Erlang also quickened his pace, pushing the cart quickly into the street dedicated to selling agricultural products, and found a stall in a corner.
He unloaded the goods, turned a bamboo basket upside down, put a thin dustpan on it, and carefully laid out the tofu. He wiped his hands and was about to let Lao Liu stay to look after the stall. He took Manbao to the back of the county government office.
, I saw a group of people walking down the street, knocking and turning over the goods of every stall on the street.
He couldn't help but pull the four children behind him and stand up. Then he went to the stall owner next door and asked quietly, "Brother, who are they?"
Luojiang County is such a big place, and there are only so many people who come and go to set up stalls on this street. Some time ago, and last year, Zuorang came here frequently, and the stall owner also knew him.
He looked around and lowered his voice and said: "It's a guy from the gambling house street. His name is Xiao Dalang. Ever since the refugees came to the city, things like theft and robbery have happened all the time in the city. This Xiao Dalang took people with him."
They occupy all three streets near us and collect protection fees every day, so that if there are homeless people stealing or causing trouble, they will help solve the problem."
Zhou Erlang felt that he might be here for just one day and didn't really want to pay the protection fee, so he asked, "What if I don't pay it?"
"Don't hand it over?" He looked around and lowered his voice and said, "If you don't hand it over, they will kick you out before the refugees can snatch your things, and the things on the stall will be confiscated. That would be a loss outweighing the gain."
Zhou Zuorang was speechless, "Officials don't care?"
"They are free. It rained heavily a few days ago. Some people's houses collapsed and people were crushed to death. Many villages along the Luo River were flooded. I heard that many people were washed away by the water. I don't know whether they died or not.
Damn it, the officials have called away all the county officials. There are only soldiers patrolling the city, and they don’t care about such trivial matters."
Zhou Erlang weighed it, glanced at the group of people who were getting closer, and then glanced at his younger brothers, sisters, nephews and niece standing behind him. After all, he didn't dare to take the risk, so he asked in a low voice, "How much do you pay?"
The stall owner said: "This thing I have is not valuable, and the location is not good. I pay six cents a day."
Zhou Erlang felt extremely distressed. Six Wen could buy four big meat buns.
Saturday Lang returned to the stall and sat down. The group of people came over quickly. The stall owner next door had already taken out the money and was waiting. They handed over the money as soon as they came up.
The other party tossed the coin to the younger brother behind him and asked with a smile: "How is business these days?"
The stall owner smiled bitterly, "It's not that good. There are a lot of people in this city, but it's getting harder to sell things day by day."
The other party made a "tsk" sound and said: "They are all a group of refugees, how can they have any money? Because of them, the rich people don't dare to go out. But you are much better than the mud-legged people in the countryside. Every day at least
There has to be some income, and now they are crying over a field of water."
As he spoke, he walked up to Zhou Erlang. The other person obviously had a very good memory. He glanced sideways at Zhou Erlang and said with a smile: "New here?"
Zhou Zuorang nodded repeatedly and offered the money he held in his hand. He carefully explained, "It's a rare sunny day and I have some local products at home, so I brought them to the city to try my luck. I came in a hurry and didn't know that this street was under the control of Uncle Xiao."
, so I don’t have earth instruments prepared either.”
Xiao Dalang heard that he spoke well and rarely smiled. He took a look at the items in Zhou Erlang's stall. They were all very common bamboo weavings and tofu in a dustpan.
He doesn't have any use for bamboo weaving, but tofu...
He asked curiously, "Does your family still make tofu?"
"Yes, yes, my sister-in-law can cook it and her skills are average. Why don't you try it, Uncle Xiao? If you think it's delicious, come back next time."
After saying that, he hurriedly went to pick up tofu, but when people came to buy food, they always brought their own baskets or bowls, and people like Xiao Dalang were empty-handed...
After some thought, Zhou Zuorang chose one from Yaomei's small bamboo basket, spread a layer of leaves on it, and put the tofu in it.
He picked up several pieces and filled the small bamboo basket directly before offering it to Xiao Dalang.
Actually it wasn't much, just four pieces of tofu, but because the bamboo basket was small, it seemed like a lot.
Zhou Erlang was very satisfied and thought the bamboo basket was really well made.
Xiao Dalang was also very satisfied. He took the bamboo basket from Zhou Erlang and asked with a smile: "How much is it?"
"It doesn't cost anything, it doesn't cost anything. It's all made at home. It's not worth much. Just like it, Uncle Xiao."
Xiao Dalang hummed, holding the bamboo basket and saying: "Okay, if you encounter any difficulties in the county in the future, just come to me. This street is covered by me. Since I took your money, naturally
I will keep you safe."
Zhou Erlang naturally thanked them profusely and breathed a sigh of relief after sending them off respectfully.
The stall owner next door and others had gone far before he came over and said, "I said Tuesday, you are really willing to give up. That basket of tofu, plus the bamboo basket, is more than six cents, right?"
Zhou Erlang touched his pocket. He only brought fifteen cents with him when he went out today. Including the entry fee, it was equivalent to not earning a penny today, but spending almost all the money.
He smiled bitterly and said: "I would rather give him a gift than give him cash."
But the stall owner said: "Don't leave, money is not worth much now."
Zhou Zhoulang frowned slightly and asked, "What do you mean?"
"You just entered the city and you didn't know that the price of food in the grain store has gone crazy." He said, "Now a bucket of rice has gone up to 30 cents."