"Master, please sell me and exchange for some food to help the children survive."
In Xuzhou, by the canal, Mr. Liu was too hungry to walk, but she felt even more heartbroken when she saw several dying children.
The tall Zhao Gui was now skinny. The Shandong man looked at his wife and children, was silent for a while, stood up and tightened the straw rope around his waist, "I'll look for the mouse hole again."
Mrs. Liu shook her head and grabbed her husband, "With so many people fleeing for famine, all the rat holes on the road have been dug. It's a waste of time. If I don't have anything to eat, I will starve to death. You can sell me."
, if you sell me, you can escape to the south and live."
During famine years, digging rat holes not only digs for rats to eat, but also digs out the winter food stored by rats. Although the plague has been rampant in the north in recent years, and I don’t know how many people died, many people say that the plague was contracted by digging rat holes and eating rats.
Got it.
But when you are starving to death, who can care about this?
But at this time, even if I really wanted to eat a mouse, I couldn't find it.
The mice had long since been devoured.
The grass roots and tree bark have all been stripped away.
"Sell me, mom still has to take care of her younger siblings." The frail eldest daughter, only seven or eight years old, asked to sell herself in exchange for food to save her parents, younger siblings.
Mrs. Liu's tears had dried up, but she was still heartbroken when she heard these words, and her eyes turned red.
"God, this thief has forced this person to have no way out." Zhao Gui, a tall man from Shandong, couldn't help but squat down and hammer the ground.
At this time, Zhao Fu's family from the same village came over. Zhao Fu squatted next to Zhao Gui and said, "Just now, a family member died of a child. He was five or six years old. He buried it."
Zhao Gui gritted his teeth.
"I'm a little thinner, but I still have some meat anyway. I died of starvation, not illness."
Zhao Gui lowered his head.
"We are starving to death. We can't care about that anymore. Let's go dig it secretly. I saw that there were many people watching when we buried it. If it's too late, we won't have a chance."
"That's someone else's baby." Zhao Gui said.
"How can we care about this at this time? Our wife and children are about to starve to death. Let's live first and then live."
Zhao Gui looked at his wife and eldest daughter who were vying to sell themselves to buy food for the family, and nodded painfully. He had read books, practiced martial arts, and knew loyalty and etiquette. It turned out that his family also had dozens of acres of thin land, and there was even
A long-term worker can hire a few short-term workers when the farm is busy, and he can be regarded as a self-cultivation farmer who can live a good life.
During the off-season, he would take his long-term workers into the mountains to hunt and collect herbs. Sometimes he would also sell some local medicinal materials, so he could live a good life.
I gave birth to five children, three sons and two daughters. The children are still young, but they are also obedient and sensible.
This kind of life was originally very good, and he could even pay for his children to study.
But these years have been getting harder and harder year by year, with constant famines, especially in Shandong, the land of etiquette. In the early years, there was the Denglai Rebellion, and later the Qing army plundered Shandong, and civil unrest broke out all over the place, including the uprisings of this church and that church.
, this one helps that thief plunder.
The little bit of family property that Zhao Gui's family has saved over generations is also being sold off little by little. This year, a few acres of land will be sold in case of disaster, and next year, a few acres of land will be sold in case of chaos.
Gradually, long-term workers were forced to resign, and land became less and less.
The Tatars went south, thinking that life might be a little more stable, but who knew that the tax assessment would be even greater, they would have to continue to pay the three wages, and many new assessments would be added.
Life was unbearable, and the yield from the remaining land was not enough to turn over, so we had no choice but to flee.
On the way, I encountered soldiers and bandits, and finally became a real refugee.
There are more and more refugees along the way, and everyone is fleeing south.
But not even the grass roots were dug up on the road, so I couldn't walk.
In the distance, someone climbed up and shouted, "This world doesn't allow people to live anymore. It's against your mother's will. Go grab food, rob big families, and stay alive!"
Countless hungry people gathered together. They were so hungry that they had only a sliver of strength left. They were extremely weak, but they were unwilling to wait for death. If they were desperate, then they would turn against their mother.
Even if I die, I want to eat enough before I die.
Hundreds of people soon gathered there, and they headed toward the town.
Zhao Gui did not go. He has a wife and children, and he has read books. He knows very well that these hungry people who only have a dog beating stick in their hands and their legs are swollen from hunger may not be able to beat them even if they find a wealthy family with food.
The next landlord's compound.
These days, all the big landowners who can still stay have strengthened their homes several times, built high courtyard walls, even built watchtowers, hired guardians, and bought knives, bows, and even muskets.
It is difficult for ordinary hungry people to have a chance, unless they are the kind of thieves who threaten the people, but they are thieves, and he does not want to follow them.
Zhao Fu didn't go either, he was still thinking about the dead child.
When a person is hungry, he can change his child to get food, let alone a dead person. That is not a dead child, that is a pot of meat.
Zhao Gui was still hesitating.
On one side is the hungry wife and children, on the other side is the bottom line of being a human being.
If you eat a human being, can you still be a human being?
"Dad, I'm hungry."
The five-year-old second son shouted weakly.
Zhao Gui finally made up his mind. He patted his son and said, "Father, go get the meat. You and mother will make a fire first."
Mrs. Liu looked numb. She heard what her husband said to Zhao Fu, but like Zhao Fu's wife, she did not object. In the face of hunger, she could no longer care about that. She was even willing to sell herself just to replace it with a new one.
One or two bushels of grain kept the husband and children alive.
She also knew very well where the women who came to buy people during the famine ended up.
The young and beautiful ones may go to work as concubines for wealthy families, but most of the women like them are likely to sell their skin and flesh, which is the lowest kind. The good-looking little girls may be sold.
Raise thin horses.
It was a fire pit, but they could only jump down.
In comparison, eating dead human flesh is nothing.
She pulled her son into her arms.
Zhao Gui nodded to her and went with Zhao Fu.
After a while, they came back.
Seeing their empty hands, both Liu and Zhang looked disappointed or even desperate.
Zhao Fu sighed, "Someone dug it out first, leaving only an uncovered hole."
Mrs. Liu hugged her second son, who fell asleep due to hunger, and said, "You'd better sell me."
"Let's go south." Zhao Gui tied one child to his back, picked up another, and then took his eldest daughter.
Even if you are willing to sell it now, you still have to find someone to buy it.
I walked hungry on the barren land for an unknown length of time. Suddenly, there was the sound of horse hooves in front of me, and a group of cavalry appeared.
Zhao Fu panicked and said, "Tatars."
However, Zhao Gui saw clearly that although the cavalrymen who were coming were also wearing cotton armor, they did not have braids on the back of their heads, "They are the Ming Dynasty King's division."
Sure enough, that team of cavalry came galloping over and did not rush into the people. They just looked at them carefully and then asked them where they came from.
"Ahead is Luqiao Town, where the vanguard of the Ming Dynasty's Northern Expeditionary Division is stationed. You should go there quickly. There is a porridge distribution there!"
Zhang Gui looked at these mighty cavalry and couldn't help but sigh, "The king's army is marching north to the Central Plains."
Zhao Fu said excitedly, "There's porridge in front of us, so hurry up, I'm afraid it'll be gone if you get there late."
Luqiao Town is located on the bank of Baima River, north of Fushan Mountain and on the east bank of Nanyang Lake.
It is the southernmost part of Jining Prefecture.
Passing Fushan Mountain is Dushan Lake, which enters the boundary of Teng County.
Zhao Fu and Zhao Gui hurriedly carried their children and their wives and used their last strength to rush over. Fortunately, they were not far away and finally arrived in front of Lushan Town.
The west bank of Baima River, outside the town.
Jinwu Town opened porridge here to help the hungry people.
Hundreds of stoves were dug in the field, and then pots were set up to cook porridge.
The victims lined up in a long line.
Each person can have a bowl of porridge, which is very thin and can reflect people's shadows.
But for the hungry people who were almost dying of hunger, the porridge exuded an intoxicating smell.
Zhao Fu lined up in the queue, excited but worried, "Why are these soldiers still giving out porridge and relief? Are they trying to force strong men to become soldiers?"
They came all the way from Yanzhou before and met the Qing army frequently, but not to mention providing relief, every time they encountered them, they had to be searched by them. If they encountered anything valuable, they would immediately snatch it away, not even giving them a pound of rice.
them.
On the contrary, the food that some people had hidden was taken away by them.
Some even fall in love with young and beautiful women and girls, and insult or even take them away.
Those are not soldiers at all, they are worse than thieves.
The hungry people were wary of the army, but driven by hunger they still could not resist the temptation of porridge.
Zhao Gui also thought of this, but he could only come and line up.
If he can't take another bite, he may be able to survive for a few days, but the children will definitely starve to death.
If you want to recruit a young man, just recruit a young man. As long as he can give his wife and children two or three buckets of food, he is willing to do so.
I finally got myself in line.
"Everyone has a bowl of porridge. Be careful of burning your mouth and drink slowly."
"After you've finished your porridge, go aside quickly and don't block the people behind you."
"Don't eat too much if you're hungry for a long time, otherwise your stomach won't be able to bear it, so you can only eat one bowl."
The porridge maker was a soldier. Seeing that Zhao Gui was tall, he scooped out more rice porridge for him from underneath.
Zhao Gui said flatteringly, "Master Jun, I still have five children. Please try to survive. Please."
The soldier looked at the one on his back, the one in his arms, and the other in his hand, "Aren't they three children?"
"My wife brought two more later."
"Well, it's not easy. Do you have a bowl?"
Zhao Gui quickly grabbed a leather bag he had brought with him when he was escaping. It could hold water or porridge.
The soldier then gave him five bowls, which was equivalent to one more bowl.
"Thank you, Master Jun."
The soldier making porridge sighed, "It's not easy for you either. You all escaped from Yanzhou. Your Highness, Jianguo, is from Yanzhou. You are both His Highness's subjects and His Highness's fellow countrymen. His Highness has told us that we must appease and provide relief to those who came from Shandong."
Hungry people.”
"Are you His Highness's soldiers?"
"Well, we are the royal camp of His Royal Highness King Lu. This is the royal camp of the horse army, Jinwu town cavalry and infantry warriors, Yongwei town."
······
When the family finally drank the rice porridge which was still a little hot, they all shed tears of joy.
Even after drinking the soup with water, I picked up the last few grains of rice and put them in my mouth.
It feels good to feel full with something in your stomach.
Countless victims gathered here, and the imperial camp kept putting porridge in the pots. After Zhao Gui had eaten, he took the initiative to take his wife and children to help collect firewood.
After returning, Zhao Fu came over.
"I just found out that Lu Jianguo's imperial camp no longer recruits troops, nor does it recruit strong men. They have auxiliary troops to transport these, and they don't want to strengthen the people."
"However, I also heard that an official from the grain station in the imperial camp said that they welcome everyone to go south. If you are a skilled craftsman or a literate scholar, they can advance the grain to go south, and then make arrangements for things when you get to the south.