Six days later, several large households in Zhanghe Town took the lead in opening a porridge shed in the west of the town, and the Fujia rice shop took out two stones of rice. Several straw huts were erected at the west end of the town, and the women set up pots to cook porridge in the back, while the stewards and servants of large families gave porridge in front. Boiling porridge is not a trivial job, the boss's pot, the spatula is the size of a shovel, when you want to twist it up and stir-fry, it is absolutely not good to have a few strengths. The plants and trees were so burned that less than a stick of incense had passed, and the women were in tears.

Zhang Xing and Aunt Fu were busy for a few days, and they couldn't lift their arms. Someone outside came to carry the porridge, and when they saw them, they smiled and said, "Zhang Xing, you and your aunt go outside to help, I'll do it here." ”

We have been busy together for four or five days, and we are somewhat familiar with each other. Zhang Xingzhi said that he was from Liu's big family in the town, and his surname was Liu, his name was three catties, and he was a festive person who smiled before he opened his mouth. Zhang Xing smiled and was about to speak. Aunt Fu stood up, smiled and said, "Hard work", and pushed Zhang Xing out of the room.

Out of the curtain, Uncle Fu saw that it was a little far away, and whispered: "Since someone is rushing to do a good deed, let's go out to breathe." "Several big families in the town have given out money, and the merchants on Chopsticks Street also have rice and firewood. But the big households were giving porridge in front to earn face, and their merchants had to help make porridge in the back. Uncle Fu was feeling a little uncomfortable in her heart, and someone was courteous, so she naturally wanted to take a breath.

The heavy rain has stopped for several days, and on the hot days of June and July, there is a monstrous flood not far away, and the whole Zhanghe Town seems to be trapped in a steamer, stuffy and hot. Zhang Xing poured a bowl of water. I still feel like my throat is smoking. It was nearly noon. The soup kitchen for the day is over. But the people who received the porridge still lined up in a long line, and one by one they craned their necks to look this way.

After the last pot of porridge was carried out, it was quickly distributed, and those who did not receive it were complaining, resentful, and disappointed, and after a while, most of them dispersed. There was a teenager who didn't leave. He didn't speak, but took a big bowl and stood in front of the cauldron.

Liu Sanjin came over to carry the pot, waved his hand and said, "I have received it all today, and I want to collect the pot, you can come early tomorrow." ”

The boy did not move, but still stood with the bowl in his hand.

The top of his head was hot and roasting, Liu Sanjin felt that his throat was smoking, and he couldn't help but amplify his voice and said, "Girl, it's useless for you to stand here." There's not even rice soup in it, so come back quickly. Who told you not to come earlier? ”

Zhang Xing found out that he was originally a girl's family, only gray, unkempt, with a wide body, and he looked roughly, he really looked like a kid.

The girl suddenly knelt down, put down the bowl, and kowtowed.

Liu Sanjin saw that he had been talking for a long time, but this person hadn't paid attention to it, so he couldn't help but be angry, and waved his hand impatiently to let people hurry up.

One of them, who had not received the porridge, shook his head and walked past Zhang Xing, shaking his head and saying, "Although this girl picked up by Sun Xiucai is filial, she is a mute, and she can't open her mouth if she wants her father to stutter." ”

It's a mute, no wonder he doesn't speak. Zhang Xing was stunned when she looked at her back, stood up and ran to the porridge shed, scraped the bottom of the pot, and then scraped out half a bowl of clear soup water, poured it into the bowl of the dumb girl, and said, "Come early tomorrow." ”

The mute girl looked at Zhang Xing for a few moments, suddenly kowtowed a few times, got up and ran away with the bowl.

By the time Zhang Xing and the others had cleaned up the porridge shed, the scorching sun had already risen overhead. When she went back with Aunt Fu, there were not as many people on the street as before, and most of them ran to the shade. The Fu family's rice shop has closed its doors like the other two rice shops in the town, and Fu Xianglian is feeding the little brother rice cereal in the backyard.

Rice cereal is brown rice boiled with some green leaves. Although there is rice in the dark grid under Uncle Fu's bed, he doesn't dare to take out two or three taels of silver and a bucket of polished rice to boil porridge for his grandson to drink - although only Yu'an broke the embankment this time, but the mouth is very big, and it is said that it can actually carry several boats, and the whole Yu'an has suffered, and several nearby counties have been affected. I heard that the imperial court is using troops in the northwest and Heyuan, and I am afraid that this year's disaster relief will be the same as in previous years, and it will not be able to be counted on. This year's JAC harvest will definitely not work. The days can't just look at the present, it's better to take a leisurely time.

The little brother ate reluctantly, and when he saw his grandmother, who had always hurt him, came over, he immediately pursed his lips and wanted to cry, and opened his hand to hug him.

Aunt Fu hurriedly washed her hands, called "Mother's good girl" and picked up the little brother with one hand, took the bowl in Fu Xianglian's hand with the other, and coaxed the little brother to eat porridge.

Fu Xianglian, who was idle, asked Zhang Xing about the porridge. Zhang Xing nodded and said, "It's okay." As the two were talking, Uncle Fu, Wei Yunhai, and Wei Minwen came back together, and the faces of the three of them were not good. Aunt Fu didn't ask in front of the children, and when she finished eating, the husband and wife went back to the room. Aunt Fu asked, "What's going on?" ”

Uncle Fu sighed and said, "I heard that the barbarians in the northwest have entered the pass, and they have captured twelve cities in a row, and they are approaching the northwest town of Qianyuan, and the imperial court is afraid that it will collect grain on a large scale again." I don't think it's going to be able to go on. ”

Uncle Fu didn't pay much attention to these military affairs, so she was stunned for a moment and asked, "Isn't Marquis Shen guarding in the northwest?" "The Shen family of the Northwest Zhongyong Marquis Mansion has been stationed in the northwest for many years, and everyone knows the way.

Uncle Fu glanced at her and said, "This barbarian only made trouble when Marquis Shen entered Beijing to report on his work. ”

Aunt Fu nodded, still not understanding how the few men in the family looked like the sky was about to fall. The barbarians came in, and when Marquis Shen went back, he would just drive them out of the city. The imperial court wants to collect grain to fight, so why won't it receive them here? Although Jianghuai is the land of fish and rice, this year's Huai River flood is so big, there is no one in the world who does not know the way.

Uncle Fu couldn't help but shake his head again when he saw Uncle Fu's face. Talking to the women about this, that's really playing the piano to the cow. This time, the barbarians were menacing, and they captured twelve cities in the northwest in a row, if they were allowed to take Liaoyuan again, it would be equivalent to opening the gateway of Great Xia in the northwest, and then the entire north would be below. If the north is lost, the area north of Hexi River will be taken away by Liu Shenzhou. The Great Xia Dynasty, which has been in existence for nearly 400 years, is about to fall apart.

Once the scourge of war is ignited, it is not the people who suffer the most?

Zhang Xing also heard the news from Wei Yunhai, but Wei Yunhai is different from Uncle Fu, he is an authentic farmer, compared to Uncle Fu, who has been traveling south and north for many years, the biggest feeling about the barbarian invasion of the northwest is that the imperial court is going to increase taxes and grain, and this year's life will be even more difficult.

Zhang Xing's heart sank when she heard this. The imperial court recruited the northwest guards to report on their work in Beijing, why not at the end of the year? But in the middle of the year, was the court aware of the Shen family's intentions, or was it done by the court occasionally? The Northwest barbarians took advantage of this time to attack, and the time also came by coincidence. As soon as the Marquis of Zhongyong entered Beijing, they marched in a big way. This season is not the time for a good harvest of grain, but a time for autumn grains.

The Shen family, the Marquis of Zhongyong, has been stationed in the northwest for many years, and if it is said that there is no inextricable connection with the border barbarian tribes, she does not believe it. In the past, when the Marquis of Zhongyong was in the northwest, the two sides had disputes every year, but they never said that they had captured more than a dozen cities in a row. The Northwest defenders can't be the only one with him, the loyal and brave Marquis Shen Qian, right? Is this war a conspiracy between the barbarians and the Shen family? Or did the Shen family deliberately release water?

The Shen family is playing with the people of the world in the palm of their hands, and this intention is simply revealed.

And the stone followed Shen Huaijin to the northwest......

The flood receded slowly, the relief of the imperial court was delayed, and the weather became hotter and hotter. Several medical centers in Zhanghe Town have posted notices of insufficient medicinal materials. The city gate has long been closed, and the former village is allowed to enter the city as a guarantee, and later only the customs clearance documents issued by the Li Zheng can enter the city. Zhang Xing followed Wei Minwen on the city wall of Zhanghe Town one day, and the tide of displaced people outside the city had not yet passed, and they were constantly heading towards Huaiyang.

This reminded her of the experience when she followed Zhang Shuisheng across the Zhanghe River to Huaiyang.

At this time, she was in the city, and life was not easy, and the city was also overcrowded. She helped in the porridge shed, and day by day she watched the porridge in the pot become thinner, from a standing chopstick to a clear soup that could illuminate the figure. Even so, Liu Dahu, who presided over the soup kitchen, still frowned and asked them to "put less rice and stay up longer." ”

Because there is no place to buy rice in the city, and the food relief from the imperial court is still far away.

Zhang Xing came back from helping in the porridge shed one day, and was pulled by someone at the corner of her clothes at the turn into Chopsticks Street. In addition to the people in the lower village of the town, there are also other towns, and some relatives and relatives have taken refuge in relatives' houses, and most of them gather at the west end of Chopsticks Street without relatives and no reason. More than half a month has passed, and many families have eaten all of their burdens, and they can't eat enough porridge alone, and not everyone can get porridge. Therefore, there are more and more people who sell their children and daughters.

The unkempt head that grabbed the corner of Zhang Xing's clothes was sticking a grass mark, thinking that he was going to sell himself.

Zhang Xing took a closer look, her face was rough under the unkempt face, but her neck was flat, she was surprised: "It's you." ”

This girl was large, and at first glance, she was as mute as a boy. Seeing that Zhang Xing recognized her, her eyes lit up, and she knocked her head together.

Zhang Xing was forcibly dragged by her and couldn't move. Look at the mute girl next to two beds of broken straw mats wrapped in cylinders, with feet and hair exposed in the front and back of the mat. Then she understood. But she is just temporarily staying in the Fu family, and she has to rely on others to live, how can she buy her?

This dumb girl is stubborn, so she dragged the corners of Zhang Xing's clothes and kowtowed. A thin man next to him said loudly: "Miss, you can be kind." Although this girl can't speak, she is a filial person. Next to this are her adoptive parents, who used to be Mr. in our village private school. She can work and read, and if you buy her, you won't lose money. He shook his head again and said, "I don't know if you cast this girl's eyes or what, there are many people walking around this corner, and I didn't see her stop anyone." (To be continued......)

PS: Something went out of the door, the phone is not good in the background, there is no way to explain, now make up for the change