Mu Fushu really wanted to go to Mengyang City. After all, I've been at home for so long, it's boring to say.

Horses in this era seem to be rare, or rather very precious, and carriages are even rarer. The carriage they rented when they came to Mengyang is said to be a post station, just like a modern taxi, which belongs to a company, not an individual. Horses are controlled, and generally only retired war horses or horses that are unfit for combat will be traded in the private sector.

Therefore, Mu Fushu took an ox cart into the city. Mu Zhongjun drove the car, and San Lang and the village chief Mu Fushu Yang Weng sat in the car. This carriage was built by the Yu family father and son, and it is very chic in the eyes of ordinary people: there are double doors in the front and rear, carved windows on the left and right, and a skylight overhead. Inside, there are benches to the left and right, and in the middle there are nailed low tables, and there are several recessed lattices on the table where teacups and teapots can be placed.

Yang Weng and the village chief sat on one side, and Mu Fushu and San Lang sat on the other side. Drinking tea and eating snacks along the way, time passed quickly, and after half an hour, Mu Fushu heard a lively voice outside the window.

San Lang carefully opened the window, Mu Fushu leaned over, only to see that the ox cart had arrived outside the city, and the people waiting to enter the city consciously lined up, and when they passed through the city gate, there were officers and soldiers to check, and consciously threw copper coins into a sealed box on the side. This is what Mu Zhongjun said about the entrance fee to the city.

When it was their turn to ox cart, everyone got out of the cart, and Mu Zhongjun threw seventy wen. It turned out that the capitation fee was 10 yuan, and the ox cart was 20 yuan, which increased a lot. When Mu Fushu followed the ox cart and walked inside, he noticed that there were many people who looked like refugees a hundred meters outside the city gate, lying and sitting in twos and threes, and there was a small shed not far from them. Saburo noticed her eyes and whispered, "Those are refugees who don't have the money to enter the city, and the shed over there will give a meal of porridge and water every day at noon." ”

Mu Fushu guessed that the porridge water must be more water and less porridge. Otherwise, the refugees would not have even had the strength to speak, and sat and lay down - perhaps waiting for death.

Mu Fushu felt a little uncomfortable in his heart. She had never seen such a tragic scene in her previous life, and what she saw in TV and movies didn't count, after all, she didn't see it with her own eyes. She had a lot of food in her space, but she couldn't get it out...... I can only say sorry from the bottom of my heart.

Mengyang County is not big, and the ox cart is only a tea ride to the gate of the county government. The village chief was familiar with the road, and led everyone to the side door, but he didn't even meet a guard on the road, and walked all the way into the back office without hindrance.

At this time, the front of the yamen is the case-handling area, and the back is the office area and the residence of the master of the county order, covering a wide area. Mu Fushu walked all the way, but he didn't see any luxurious places, that is, white-walled and black-tiled houses and a small stone road, and even the two people who crossed the corridor were too narrow.

After walking for a while, there appeared in front of me a row of seven or eight identical huts, with white walls and black tiles, a wooden cloister in front of the door, and the doors were all double-open, and they were now wide open.

The village chief entered the first room on the left, Mu Zhongjun and Yang Weng also followed, and San Lang and Mu Fushu waited outside. Mu Fushu saw that there seemed to be a small rockery at the end of the corridor on the right, and there was a small waterhole under the mountain, which looked a little like a water town in the south of the Yangtze River, so he pulled San Lang over to look.

When he arrived at the rockery, Mu Fushu was very disappointed. The water in the pool is only shallow, and there is a layer of leaves falling on the surface of the water, and the rockery must not be magnificent, it is more than two meters high, and there is no sense of strange rocks, but it seems to be piled up casually. Mu Fushu sighed, picked a relatively flat rockery, and pulled San Lang to sit down.

San Lang chuckled when he saw the eldest lady's boring face: "Do you think this landscape is not suitable for the scenery?" ”

"Can this also be called a landscape?" Mu Fushu pursed his lips: "Pretending to be a Jiangnan landscape, it doesn't look like it, let alone mentioning it." It might as well be leveled and planted with some trees. ”

San Lang shook his head: "It's just that the water level is shallower, if there is more water, it is appropriate to raise a few fish." ”

Mu Fushu turned around and looked at the end of the waterhole leading to the outside thoughtfully: "Is this waterhole living water?" ”

"It's living water." San Lang pointed to one side of the wall: "This leads to the outside of the wall, and outside the wall is the Mengyang River." ”

The water level of the Mengyang River is so low? Mu Fushu had a bad premonition in his heart, and said in a low voice: "Do you think there will be a big drought in Shudi?" ”

San Lang was taken aback and hesitated: "Won't it?" The climate of Shu is just hotter in summer, and the drought seems to have never been! ”

"How old are you? So I know there hasn't been a drought before! Mu Fushu thought of the refugees he saw outside the city, and a sense of dryness rose in his heart: "The north has been dry for three years, and if we are also in drought, I don't know how many people will starve to death!"

"Don't talk nonsense!" Saburo covered her mouth and said urgently: "This is outside, it's not good to be heard." ”

People in this era are superstitious and can't hear bad news. Mu Fushu smiled mockingly: "Well, I was wrong, don't talk nonsense anymore." ”

San Lang let go of her with satisfaction, only to feel that the hand that had just covered the eldest mother's small mouth was numb and hot, and the soft and smooth touch under his hand had been itching to the heart.

The village chief and Mu Zhongjun came out quickly, and Mu Zhongjun had a smile on his face, and turned around to thank him as he walked. Mu Fushu saw a man with a goatee and a turban escort them to the door, and said goodbye to them very politely.

San Lang said: "This is the main book of Wen, it is a subordinate of Wenzhi County, and he is a very good person." ”

Mu Fushu didn't see Yang Weng, and was a little puzzled. The main book said: "The county magistrate has something to do with Mr. Yang, you go shopping first, and pick it up when you go back." ”

Mu Zhongjun also nodded to Mu Fushu and San Lang, Mu Fushu suppressed the doubts in his heart, and followed Mu Zhongjun and his party out.

Mu Zhongjun was very happy, because Wen Zhixian took care of his subordinates about Quyuan plow, so Wen Zhushu was very helpful, and learned that he was going to open a shop to make Quyuan plough for sale, not only gave him a radius of fifty miles from the mountain behind his residence, but the price was ridiculously cheap. Originally, he only had more than 1,000 taels of silver in hand, and he only planned to rent a mountain, but the master of the text book sold it for 500 taels, which was unbelievable.

Mu Fushu frowned. How can pie in the sky be so simple? And what is the reason for the magistrate to find Yang Weng? Could it be that Yang Weng still has any friendship with Zhixian? It's no wonder that Mu Zhongjun can take those mountains so cheaply.

Out of the county office, the village chief and Mu Zhongjun unanimously proposed to go to the grain store.

The tragic situation outside the city gate also frightened them, after all, the village chief had been farming for so many years, and some things wanted to break out in a cold sweat. It's just that this year's grain prices are high, and they only have what they can eat after harvesting the grain, and they sell the rest. The Mu family is a little better, there are not many people on the land, and the harvest of five acres of land is piled up at home, but this is not enough to eat for a year.

Mu Fushu and San Lang naturally went to the grain store together, and as expected, the price of grain rose again. The rice has risen to 400 wen a bucket, more than double the price when Mu Fushu and them first came!

The village chief and Mu Zhongjun were not calm. What does this mean? It shows that food will rise! The village chief's family conditions are slightly better, and this time he also brought some silver taels into the city, and now he can't care about buying grain is much more expensive than selling grain, and the three taels of silver on his body have been exchanged for four buckets of old rice, three buckets of japonica rice, and three buckets of coarse grain.

San Lang and Mu Fu saw that the village chief had bought all the money and knew that he had bought grain. It seems that the drought in Daqi is severe, and the price of grain in Shu in the country of abundance has risen, and other places can be imagined.

Mu Zhongjun also bought some japonica rice. The ox cart is only so big, and it can't be put down if there are too many, and Mu Fushu has enough food in the space, and he doesn't want Mu Zhongjun to waste silver, so he also persuaded a few words.

Everyone was in a heavy mood, and Mu Zhongjun wanted to go to the Lin family's shop and talk to the tenants about the repossession of the shop.

The Lin family's shop and the grain store are on the same street, and it is not a long walk to arrive. The area of this shop is still very large, there are four rooms in the storefront, and the rent is really cheap for 18 taels a year.

After entering the shop, Mu Fushu looked around. This shop is divided into two, with a grocery store in front and a house in the back, and the yard is quite large. The yard was filled with the smell of wine, and it turned out that the shopkeeper was still making wine and selling it in the yard, and there were more than a dozen mouthfuls in the vat alone.

Seeing someone enter the door, the shopkeeper was very enthusiastic. When he raised his eyes, he saw that it was Mu Zhongjun and the village chief, and the smile on his face faded a little. The year is not good, the business of the shop is also poor, and the rent for fifteen years ago has just been paid, and there is really not much cash on hand. If you want to increase the rent...... The rent of this shop has not increased for fifteen years, and I am really embarrassed to say that I will not increase, but if it does, it will be difficult to do business.

The village chief and Mu Zhongjun didn't pay attention to the shopkeeper's face, but Mu Fushu noticed. She smiled slightly, she didn't welcome the main family, she was afraid of raising the rent, right? I haven't heard from him for fifteen years, so I probably think the main family is gone, right? Fortunately, this shopkeeper is quite sincere, and he has no rent, so he is still a sincere person.

In fact, Mu Fushu completely misunderstood. The Lin family has a shop title deed, and the village chief has a lease, so if the shopkeeper defaults on the debt, he will have to suffer a lawsuit.

Mu Zhongjun said what he meant, and when the shopkeeper heard that he was going to take back the shop, his face was even worse. There are a number of shops on this street, and if you don't have this shop, you can't find a better place in Mengyang City.

The shopkeeper was obviously unwilling, Mu Zhongjun was a kind person, and he looked embarrassed as if the shopkeeper was the owner of the shop. The village chief was also surprised, but he could only persuade him, after all, the shopkeeper was also a person from Linjia Village, and it didn't look good if he made a fuss.

Mu Fushu snorted, and everyone with a loud voice was stunned.

"Daddy, we haven't raised the rent of this shop in fifteen years, right?" Mu Fushu looked at Mu Zhongjun, and his eyes smiled like crescent moons.

The shopkeeper was stunned. There are some doubts in my heart: is their ultimate goal to increase rent? I couldn't help but think to myself: I don't know how much this rent will rise? I'm going to have to resist it!

Mu Zhongjun let out a stupid "um".

"Back then, the contract of the shop was signed once a year, right?" Mu Fushu still smiled, but looked at the shopkeeper: "We are benevolent because the rent has not risen, but it is wrong that you have not paid the rent for fifteen years." ”

The shopkeeper was stunned: "We paid the rent, didn't we give it to Ling Zun a year ago?" ”

"Rent is supposed to be paid once a year. Our Lin family is not in Mengyang, the shop is entrusted to the village chief, and you should hand over the rent to the village chief every year! Since you choose to pay every fifteen years, how can the interest not be counted? ”

The shopkeeper was completely stunned and muttered, "What...... What interest? ”

Mu Fushu sneered: "Of course, it's the interest on the rent of the shop!" Fifteen years of such a large amount of rent, shouldn't interest be given? My father didn't ask you for it, and now you don't want to take back the shop, so pay the interest first! ”

The village chief and Mu Zhongjun were completely stunned, and San Lang looked at Mu Fushu with a surprised expression.

The shopkeeper was defeated, gritted his teeth and asked, "How much interest?" ”

Mu Fushu saw that he was willing to give interest, and smiled: "Do you really want to give?" Then I'll do the math for you! One year is fifteen taels, the interest is seven hundred and fifty yuan, the second Chinese New Year's Eve taels is one tael, the third year is three taels, the fourth year is six taels, the fifth year is twelve taels, and the sixth year is twenty-four taels...... Fifteen years is twelve thousand two hundred eighty-eight ......."

"Smack!" The shopkeeper was so frightened that the stools under him knocked over.

The village head, Mu Zhongjun Saburo, was completely sluggish.

Mu Fushu stretched out his hand innocently: "The shopkeeper gives a silver ticket or cash?" ”