The squire invited Wu Yong into the study, and the little scholar offered tea with a plate of snacks. At this moment, Wu Yong was hungry, took a sip of tea first, and grabbed a few pieces of dim sum to eat. Seeing that Wu Yong was hungry and thirsty, the squire asked, "Sir, I am hungry in my belly, so I can ask the cook to make a bowl of soup and rice." ”

Wu Yong didn't shirk it, and said: "I'm tired of the master." ”

After a while, the kitchen made a bowl of "trouser belt noodles" and served it. Wu used his chopsticks to pull three bites and ate two bites. After eating and tea, Wu Yong asked, "Do you dare to see the face of the master?" I see that the master has a ruddy face, a wide forehead and a square mouth, and has a great blessing. ”

The squire said with a smile: "Under the surname Xu Gu Lan, grandpa is also regarded as a eunuch in the former Ming Dynasty, and he has no intention of being an official in the future, but fortunately, grandpa has some acres of land here, which is enough for the livelihood of the family." I have lived in seclusion here since my grandfather's generation, and seeing Mr. today can be regarded as a blessing. ”

Wu Yong replied: "The disciple's surname is Wu Mingyong, and he has achieved nothing so far, and he has been laughed at by the master." ”

Xu Gulan saw Wu Yong sighing for a long time, and asked carefully: "Sir, what is unspeakable?" If you have something on your mind, you can afford it if it's thirty or fifty taels short. ”

Wu Xin said, don't say it at this time, when to say it? Seeing that this old man is kind and kind-hearted, and he is a widow of the former Ming Dynasty, he may not support himself. Anyway, it was a sum of money, and he didn't lose anything. So, he explained that he and Li Ming were preparing to rebel against the uprising and support the fifth prince of Zhu to establish the "Zhu Ming" dynasty, and he confided in him.

After hearing this, Xu Gulan groaned and said calmly: "Although we are squires, it is a pity that all the private savings are only a few land deeds. There's no cash to take out. ”

The little military division is worthy of being a small military division, after pondering it. said: "You don't have to worry about this. Since you have the title deed, I can find someone to mortgage it. If there are such customers. But it happened to be exchanged for cash to help us oppose the Qing Dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty and establish the "Zhu Ming" dynasty. ”

At this time, Xu Gulan had no choice but to say: "If there is such a customer, how can there be any reason to be unwilling to support it?" ”

Wu Yong was overjoyed, and said suddenly: "The master is selfless for the public, which is really respectable, I will immediately find someone to contact, if it can be temporarily mortgaged." And he shall have some cash, and shall be used as a salary, and when he is successful, he shall pay back twice as much. Xu Gulan naturally had nothing to say.

After a few days, Wu Yongzhen found a big family in Yuncheng and was willing to mortgage the cash. So, Wu Yong invited the big family to come to the town and negotiate with Xu Gulan's house. Xu Gulan saw that Wu Yongzhen had invited a rich man, and he did not break his promise. Take out the title deed and sign the property. Afterwards, Xu Gulan was the host again, and invited Dahu, Wu Yong and Li Ming to sit at the table. He made himself the chief. invited the three of them to sit in the guest seat, and then went to the town to find two girls and have a drink. Guess the boxing order, gamble and drink and listen to the song. The guests and hosts enjoyed themselves, and only drank until the third watch of the month. I went back.

With the silver, needless to say, Wu Yong and Li Ming took all the cash to recruit troops and buy horses.

Let's say that Gongzi saw that Ah Gui had put down the Shaanzhou Rebellion lightly, and was about to return to Beijing, but on the way, he met a swarm of refugees coming from the east. Most of the refugees were in rags and starved. The son is kind-hearted and looks for someone to ask. It turned out that these refugees came from Shandong. Shandong has been plagued by famine for many years, there is no grain of grain, and there are many incidents of killing wives and children and eating people in a family. After hearing this, Gongzi was very moved in his heart, he was so poor, I don't know what the local people are suffering? Do local officials have a bad habit of corruption? Thinking like this, Childe said to Dark Xiang: "Anyway, it's okay, let's go to Shandong for a walk." ”

Although Hongcui is in the mood to play, but seeing that these refugees are all from Shandong, it can be seen that Shandong is so poor, what is the fun of going to Shandong like this? So, he pursed his lips and muttered, "What are we going to Shandong for?" It's better to go to our Jiangnan for fun. ”

Dark incense knows Childe's thoughts, but she doesn't quite agree with Childe's idea. If it is really like what the refugees said, the whole of Shandong is so poor that there is money to buy food, then it is bound to be wronged.

Butterflies have another thought, such poverty, men and women will not see anywhere to go, just don't go. In this way, three of the four people did not approve of going to Shandong, but the son had made up his mind and could only reluctantly comply.

They changed their route, rode horses on the official road, passed through Huaiqing Mansion, Zezhou Mansion, Zhangde Mansion, and Guodaimyo's Mansion, and entered the Shandong boundary. As soon as I entered the boundary of Shandong, I was really desolate. Swarms of locusts covered the sky in black, like dark clouds that were dense with haze, and like sand and mist wandering at low altitudes, tangled and stirred the earth. Where the dark clouds and sand and mist passed, the sky was covered with darkness and no light. The sound of smacking leaves and gnawing mulberries everywhere converged in the air, as terrifying as a summer shower. Between the ups and downs and sweeps, the acres of grain were eaten in an instant. Not a single stalk remained. Once the village was infested with locusts, it was like a war, and all the trees were bare branches.

When Gongzi saw this scene, he felt a lot of sadness in his heart, so desolate, no wonder the people wanted to flee. I walked for more than ten miles in a row, not to mention the shops, not even a household. Dark Xiang pondered for the past half a day, Childe was tired and hungry, and wanted to find a place to stay, but where to find it for the time being? Hongcui kept shouting, "What are you doing here in this place? People are fleeing, but we are here waiting to be eaten by locusts? I'm starving, so it's good to have a mouthful of dry food to eat. At this time, she is not picky about the quality of food, she can only be full.

Randie also said: "That's right, where this bird doesn't, there is not even a place where people can live, and Randie's legs are going to be broken." ”

Dark incense didn't complain much, worried that her son would be affected, so she just walked. Finally, I saw the wine flag floating in the distance, and said in my heart, it's okay now, there is a store.

Hongcui and Randie also caught a glimpse of the wine flag, and the two of them rode their horses at the same time, and galloped forward with a smoke. After a while, Childe and Dark Fragrance also arrived. In front of me, there was a restaurant, but the door was closed, and there was no one. Hongcui knocked for a long time, but no one came to answer the door. Butterfly couldn't hold back, so she let Hongcui dodge and kicked the door open. When I entered the store, there was not a single ghost inside, only a thick layer of dust falling on the tables, chairs and benches. Hongcui went to the kitchen to search first, not to mention the food, not even a single straw.

Hongcui cried with a sad face, rubbed her deflated stomach and cried: "Hongcui only said that the men in Yichun Courtyard were sad, and I couldn't imagine that there were more sad things in this world. This time the child is so hungry that Hongcui would rather go to Yichun Courtyard to serve the man, at least she can have meat and food to eat. ”

Dark Xiang glanced at Hongcui, wiped the stool with her sleeve, asked Childe to sit down, and asked, "Dark Xiang goes to boil the kettle water." Childe will drink some hot water first. ”

Childe nodded and said yes. Hongcui pouted again and said, "Why are you boiling water to drink?" The stomach is empty, and the water is even hungrier. ”

Suddenly, Butterfly screamed in the house, and everyone didn't know what was going on, so they hurriedly rushed over to see. It turned out that in the store's room, there was a pair of children's bones. From this, it is surmised that there was indeed a case of eating children in this store.

Childe sighed and ordered Butterfly to dig a pit in the courtyard and bury the bones. Dark incense boiled water, invited the son to drink a glass of white water, and still went to the house to look for food. After a while, Dark Incense returned, still empty in her hands. Not to mention, there really isn't a single grain in the store. Three people sit on the stool, you look at me, I look at you, there is no way at all.

At this time, Hongcui asked, "Childe, what do you say we should do?" Can't you starve to death here? ”

Childe has nothing to do, she knows that there is a disaster in Shandong, how could she have expected it to be so far? She pondered for a moment, speechless.

The four of them sat in the store, each thinking about their own thoughts, and the surroundings were as quiet as death. Suddenly, she heard the sound of footsteps outside, and Hongcui jumped up and shouted happily, "It can't be a hare coming in, right?" Let's get up and catch it, and we'll be able to cushion our stomachs. ”

Butterfly said, "How can the hare move so much? ”

While I was guessing, I pushed the door of the store and a person came in from outside. Everyone stared at each other and couldn't help but be surprised, this person was none other than Luo Qingsong.

Gongzi reacted first, got up and asked, "Why is Brother Luo here?" ”

I saw Luo Qingsong carrying a big bag on his back, and he didn't know what it contained. When he saw his son, he grinned and said, "I was bored in Beijing, and a disciple told me that my brother came to Shandong to play, so I followed." ”

When Dark Xiang saw him, he didn't like it even more, this Luo Shen General, the son can see him anywhere, but he is really a fart.

Luo Qingsong sat down next to Gongzi, put the bag on his back on the ground, and saw that there was still half a cup of residual white water in front of Gongzi, so he didn't answer, took it and drank it with his neck up.

Hongcui was only thinking about eating at this time, and when she saw that Luo Qingsong was not a steamed bun, she didn't have much interest, so she just muttered: "I'm hungry to death, why didn't the hare come in?" ”

Hearing this, Luo Qingsong smiled and said, "Why doesn't Miss Hongcui like to see me, what is she muttering?" I only hear hares and hares. ”

Hongcui rubbed her empty stomach and said, "Look at it, look at it, how hungry am I?" Seeing that you have a lot to like, it is better than two rabbits. If you see a rabbit, you can still slaughter and eat it, but can you slaughter it? ”

Luo Qingsong said: "Why can't I eat it?" If your son-in-law eats me, I'm willing. ”

Hongcui snorted first and said, "This is your son, who is in the mood to joke with you?" If you really have the heart to let me eat it, first cut a piece of meat and let me cook and eat it. ”

Luo Qingsong smiled, opened the bag under his feet, and saw that it was full of sun-dried beef, dried steamed buns, and even sun-dried dried radish. At this time, Hongcui's eyes lit up, and she rushed over in one step, salivating greedily at the food, and said with a blank eye: "Good brother, Brother Jun, Hongcui always misses you." ”

Randie didn't shout tired at this time, a jump flew over, and he reached out to grab beef jerky to eat. Luo Qingsong slapped it and scolded: "Come less!" ”

But he took the beef jerky and handed it to the prince and said, "Who gave it to you?" This is for my brother. (To be continued......)