Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Seven The Place of Righteousness
Ants are very weak in the vast land. A gust of wind or rain can destroy their homes and lives with just one stepping foot, but they should not be underestimated if their numbers are large.
The people coming and going on the road ahead looked like ants, and the city further away was an ant hole. Xiang Nan felt as if he hadn't seen an ant hole in a long time, nor had he seen so many people, but it didn't seem like it had been long.
The rebellion in Ankang Mountain, the death of the late emperor, and the chaos in the world were actually not even a year old.
The once prosperous and stable life seems like a world away.
Many people can't remember what those days were like, but when you walk through Yingchen and enter Huainan Road, especially the closer you get to Gwangju Prefecture, the scenes you see are more evocative of memories.
There were people walking on the road one after another, including poor people and rich people, carriages and horses, and people on foot. But unlike other places, these people walking on the road were steady and not panic-stricken. They did not look around in fear and confusion.
There were cockcrows and smoke from cooking fires in the scattered villages on the roadside. When Chen Er went to borrow water from the village, he was bitten by a dog.
Dogs rely on human power. People in troubled times are panicked, and dogs even tuck their tails between their legs.
"There are still people busy in the fields." Chen Er stretched out his hand and pointed into the distance, "Are you doing this in the middle of winter?"
Xiang Nan is not an aristocratic young man who is indifferent to grains and grains. He looked at the fields in the distance and said: "They are burning the grass to accumulate fertilizer, so that the fields will be strong in spring."
They have already thought about planting in the spring and the harvest next autumn, which shows that they feel at ease.
The sound of loud whips was accompanied by the sound of horse hooves. After entering Huainan Road, the entourage was already familiar with it. They immediately led the horses to the roadside to avoid it. A group of soldiers and horses came galloping towards them, and the pedestrians on the road had also avoided it.
The soldiers and horses had bright armor and carried swords, guns, swords and halberds. They looked solemn and exuded the smell of blood. At this time, the soldiers and horses in the hinterland of the Central Plains had all seen blood and killed people.
However, unlike other places, the passers-by avoided and hurriedly showed no fear. Some of them just ignored them, while others looked at the soldiers and horses with great interest.
"Is this the Zhenmu Army or the Gwangju Prefectural Army?"
"No, I think it's Fengwei Army."
They were still speculating and discussing leisurely. Life here was indeed very good. Xiang Nan sighed, there was still a faint fragrance coming from his mouth and nose. Before he could find the source, Chen Er had already let go of the reins happily.
"There's hot porridge to eat again," he said, rubbing his hands stiffened by the cold wind and running over quickly.
When Xiang Nan walked slowly to the porridge vat, Chen Er had already obtained two bamboo tubes filled with hot porridge.
The porridge is actually made in a big pot, but everyone calls it a porridge jar. Only Mrs. Wu’s porridge jar can be called a porridge jar. In some cities, the rich and powerful responded to Mrs. Wu’s porridge, but when they heard that it was not called a porridge jar, many people would rather
I could bear to walk a little longer to eat Mrs. Wu's porridge... Chen Er was speechless when he heard this statement on the road. People here really live a good life, and they get used to it.
"Mrs. Wu is a fairy. Drinking her porridge will keep you safe." The two women giving porridge said loudly.
Only a common man and a foolish woman would believe such words. Chen Er handed the bamboo tube to Xiang Nan, and they sat down on a stone by the roadside to rest and drink porridge.
The porridge is mixed with dried vegetables. It tastes salty and savoury. It is more filling than tea soup and more flavorful than tea. Drinking it from a bamboo tube makes your whole body warm and full of strength.
"Put salt in the porridge, and people will gain strength after eating it." Xiang Nan said while looking at the bamboo tube.
The bamboo tubes are simple and reused. Although there is a pot of boiling water standing next to the porridge vat, the bamboo tubes that have been used and washed by the women will be boiled in it. The boiling water will be hot and give off a comfortable smell.
Most of the people who came to eat porridge were refugees or villagers. Xiang Nan looked at the bamboo tube, and they looked at Xiang Nan.
This good-looking young man drinks porridge from a bamboo tube, which brings out the beauty of drinking.
"Where are you from?" the woman in charge of giving out porridge asked curiously.
She not only asked Xiang Nan and Chen Er, but also joked with everyone who came to drink porridge. Women like to chat, especially making porridge, washing and lighting the fire are boring.
While drinking other people's porridge, people passing by will feel close to them psychologically, and chatting is also a break.
Chen Er casually mentioned a place name skillfully, and the woman didn't pursue it. Maybe they just needed to talk. As for what they said, they didn't care. They continued to ask whether they were here for business or to visit relatives.
"Can we still do business here? Is there any business in this world?" Xiang Nan said with a smile.
"Of course you can." The women also laughed and pointed forward, "We are doing business on Huainan Road. If you can afford the money, you can also hire soldiers and horses to escort you."
Surprise appeared on Xiang Nan's face, who smiled calmly at everything he saw. At this time, soldiers and horses could still be hired to protect merchants and do business?
Is this Mrs. Wu crazy?
He was even more curious and wanted to go to Guangzhou Prefecture. After drinking a bamboo tube of vegetable porridge, he took Chen Er and got on the horse. A group of porridge drinkers also left, and the three women who cooked the porridge, burned the fire and washed the bamboo tubes were working today.
When the time came, three women from the village came over, chatting and laughing. The two parties greeted each other, and the three women from before went back.
The other two people went straight back to their homes, while the woman who cooked the porridge went into Li Zheng's house. Li Zheng was very old, and when there was a commotion, she also ran out with others. After running for a short time, she lay down on the road and stopped running.
He said he would rather die at the hands of the rebels than be displaced.
This old man, who would rather die than suffer, was writing and drawing with his pen and eyes squinting, and yawning from time to time. However, there were food plates on the table, a bowl of porridge, a plate of vegetables and steamed cakes, all of which were already cold.
"Uncle," the woman shouted loudly, regardless of whether the old man was busy or not, "When I was on duty, there were ten people passing by while eating porridge, all of them foreigners..."
Li Zheng was busy waving his hands: "Speak slowly, speak slowly."
While taking the paper away from his hand, he took a new book, opened it, flipped through a few pages, wrote a date on it, and then said: "Tell me."
The woman then told the age, wealth, and origins of everyone she asked during today's soup kitchen chat. Li Zheng did not ask and analyze the authenticity of these self-reported family backgrounds, but only wrote them down. The government had ordered that the population entering Gwangju Prefecture be counted, so that they could be prepared at any time.
Check whether the rations are sufficient.
After the woman finished speaking, she went back, and Li Zheng continued to examine and organize.
"Why haven't you eaten yet?" The old wife came over to see, a little helpless, "I still need to heat it up again."
Li Zheng had already stood up: "No, I have to go to town."
He wrapped up a pile of papers and hurriedly walked out. Their village was plundered at that time, and all his own livestock were gone. If he went into the city, he had to walk by himself. When he walked out of the house, he was a little dizzy and his stomach was aching.
Cooing, I remembered that I had missed two meals.
But there were still many things to be busy with, so he didn't bother to sit down and eat. As Lao Li was calling his wife to get some dry biscuits, he grabbed a wooden stick and hurried away.
"Oh, oh, oh, this is so miserable." The old wife shouted from behind, "It's worse than running away. Why don't you seek death?"
Lao Li was ignoring his wife's teasing, and the wooden stick clicked on the ground with his footsteps. Are you afraid of hardship? Actually, no, what people are afraid of is not knowing how to live.
People on foot and on horseback walked fast or slowly on the road, and a city was faintly visible in the winter mist.
Xiang Nan raised his head and looked, that was Guangzhou Mansion.