When I met these people, they were all Zhang Tiansheng's neighbors in Chenzhou.

It is also a family of six, an old couple and a young couple, and two female babies. He was holding a bowl and begging for water and food from the townspeople on the side of the road.

Zhang Tiansheng remembered the words of his father Zhang Ershun, and did not dare to step forward to say hello, but planned to bow his head and walk around.

It's a pity that I'm afraid of what's coming.

The older girl of the family came to Zhang Tiansheng with a bowl and said pitifully, "Uncle, can you give me a bite to eat?" ”

Zhang Tiansheng gritted his teeth, hardened his heart and pretended not to know, and hurriedly turned his head sideways.

But the girl is already ten years old, and she recognizes people very much, although she only looks at one side of her face, she also recognizes Zhang Tiansheng.

She couldn't help but exclaim, "Uncle Tian Sheng? You are Uncle Tian Sheng! ”

It didn't matter what it was, and the rest of the family immediately looked at it. Zhang Tiansheng couldn't hide anymore, so he had to face the family with a wry smile.

"Uncle Chen, Brother Chen......" Zhang Tiansheng said in his mouth, clumsy in words.

The old man surnamed Chen looked at Zhang Tiansheng and said in surprise: "Tiansheng, your family came out early, seeing you walking with firewood, could it be that you have already established yourself in this Caoqiao Town?" ”

Zhang Tiansheng had to nod, "This, this is all the kindness of the master's family, seeing that our family is pitiful, let us stay in the town and help him do some farm work." Now that the work is done, I will chop some wood and send it to the Lord's house. ”

The old man surnamed Chen showed an eager look in his eyes, "Tian Sheng, you grew up watching me when I was a child, and the relationship between our two families has always been good." If it weren't for the male baby born to both families, I'm afraid that even the relatives would be married now. Tell you the truth, do you still need manpower in your master's house? ”

Hearing the question of the old man surnamed Chen, Zhang Tiansheng's face turned red, "Uncle Chen, I don't know about this." But my father promised the master that he would not look for anyone again. ”

When the old man surnamed Chen heard this, he said with a hesitant expression: "How can Brother Zhang be so unreasonable, you take me to see him, I will personally ask if he said it!" ”

How could Zhang Tiansheng agree, and hurriedly waved his hand, "No, no, Uncle Chen, you can't go, I still have to send firewood and grass to the master's house, and I can't take you to see my father." ”

He wanted to leave, but the family surnamed Chen finally met a fellow villager, this was a chance to live, how could he easily let it go, but he didn't let him go.

In the end, Zhang Tiansheng was helpless, so he could only take the six members of the Chen family to see Mr. Zhang.

When Mr. Zhang saw the Chen family hugging Zhang Tiansheng back, his face was bitter, and he knew that something was wrong.

Without waiting for the old man surnamed Chen to speak, Mr. Zhang said directly: "Brother Chen, if you don't say it, I know, it's not that I won't help you." You have also seen it, we are now also under the fence, this family of eight was taken in, the main family is already very tolerant and generous, we can't know how to advance and retreat, right? ”

But the old man surnamed Chen did even more desperately, and he knelt on the ground on the spot, and cried to Zhang's old man with tears: "Brother Zhang, please save our family!" It's okay for us to be hungry when we're old, but the kids are still young. These days, there is no mouthful, barely starvation. But the world really can't go on, and if you don't think about a way, the whole family will die. Please, brother, forget about the four of us, these two girls will stay here and give them a way to live. ”

The words are pitiful, Uncle Zhang is embarrassed like an ant on a hot pot. When he saw Zhang Tiansheng poking at the side as if it were a piece of wood, he was angry.

"You bastard, how can we promise the master. That's good, how many full meals did our family just eat? If you anger the lord's family, you are going to kill the whole family! Mr. Zhang pointed to his son's nose and scolded, "Why did I give birth to such a thing as you, Brother Chen's family is here, you can find a way!" ”

Mr. Zhang's reference to Sang scolding Huai is equivalent to showing the difficulty to the old man surnamed Chen, and scolding his son is really angry.

But Zhang Tiansheng's brain was not enough, and he muttered: "Dad, why don't we go and ask the Lord's house?" Although he is young, he is a kind-hearted person. As long as the main family nods, Uncle Chen and his family will have a way to live. ”

These words can make Uncle Zhang almost have a cerebral hemorrhage, and he gasped and said, "Fart!" Does the Lord owe you for his kindness? ”

Fan Yu's family and Zhang's father-in-law live in the courtyard very close, and when there is a loud noise here, he can hear it here.

At this time, Fan Yu came over to inspect the situation and saw people in a courtyard.

"Uncle Zhang, I don't know what made you so angry?" When Fan Yu saw this situation, he already understood eight or nine points in his heart, but he always had to ask about the situation.

"The Lord's family, I, my unfortunate son, have made trouble for the Lord's family again. This is my old neighbor from the same township, and their family of six has also fled from the desert, so I, I'll let them go. Uncle Zhang gritted his teeth and said ruthlessly.

It's not that he doesn't miss the old love, but he intercedes for these old neighbors, and if he doesn't make his family, he will be unlucky. Rather than the whole family being kicked out, it is better to be ruthless.

The old man surnamed Chen hadn't gotten up yet, so he knelt down and turned to Fan Yu, wiped his tears and said: "The main family can do well, the old man's surname is Chen Mingsheng, I just ask the main family to leave these two girls in our family, whether it is to be a maid or a concubine in the future, it is also to save them." Just let the four of us adults have a full meal, and we can be adults and find a way to live. ”

Even if mortals had a little way, they would not do such a thing of separation. Moreover, the Song Dynasty was not patriarchal, but an era of preference for women over men. There was the Song generation, and the business was quite developed, which naturally gave birth to a prosperous entertainment industry. Women also engaged in a wide range of occupations, such as singing, dancing, tailoring, sales, opera, and miscellaneous plays, among which the lowest class was also a cook. But those who can afford to hire a cook must be either rich or expensive.

The old man surnamed Chen only exchanged his two granddaughters for a full meal, which shows that he was also forced to a desperate situation by the current situation.

Although Fan Yu was a village official in his previous life, the poor households he had seen had not been able to reach this point. Looking at Chen Sheng's family, their dirty faces were yellow, and their faces were full of humility and pity, and the impact on him was unprecedented.

I thought that the Great Song Dynasty was the richest feudal dynasty in China for more than 2,000 years, but the current situation shows that the so-called wealth is only relative. The real situation is far from being described in a few lines in the book, let alone what he can think of out of thin air.

After pondering for a moment, Fan Yu said to Chen Sheng under the gaze of everyone: "Needless to say, it is not impossible to take in your family." But there's something you can do as a family. Always let me have a reason to take in, not as Uncle Zhang said, kindness is owed to your family. ”