Hongli touched his grumbling belly, walked outside the broken temple, wanted to see if Zhaohui and they had returned, but he didn't expect that it really made him see the two of them, he was overjoyed, and walked over quickly, and when he got closer, he found that Zhaohui and Ah Gui had injuries on their faces, and hurriedly asked, "What's wrong with you?" ”

Zhaohui said with a smile: "It's okay, it's just that I accidentally fell when I came back just now, and lo and behold, my face was swollen, and I had to laugh to death when I turned around." As he spoke, he took out two steamed buns from his arms and handed them to Hongli and said: "Fourth elder brother, you are hungry, hurry up and eat these two steamed buns, and wait for me and Ah Gui to go out again to look for it, and see if there is nothing to eat." ”

Hongli took the steamed bun and said, "What about the two of you, have you both eaten it?" ”

Ah Gui hurriedly said: "I have already eaten, the shopkeeper of the steamed bun shop just now is generous, and he rewarded us with six steamed buns at once, I couldn't help but eat it when Zhaohui and I were still on the road, and now my mouth is very dry, wait for us to drink a few sips of water, and then ask the shopkeeper to ask for steamed buns." ”

When they were about to enter the temple, Hongli suddenly stopped them, and then walked up to them and said, "Why is the shopkeeper so good to you, and reward you with so many steamed buns in one go?" ”

Zhaohui smiled uncomfortably: "Fourth elder brother, you forgot, today is the first day of the first lunar month, and now everyone is auspicious, naturally a little more generous than usual, what's so strange." ”

Hongli nodded and said: "Yes, you will also say that the first day of the first lunar month, then I would like to know Lu Dao, which steamed bun shop is still selling steamed bread there on the first day of the first lunar month?!" ”

Zhaohui and the two of them were speechless for a moment, and when they were thinking about what to say, Hongli had already asked sharply: "Say, how did these two steamed buns come about, and what is the injury on your face, if you don't make it clear, even if you starve to death, I will definitely not eat these two steamed buns." ”

"We ...... We ......" Ah Gui said for a long time, and didn't say why, and finally Zhaohui took over and said in a deep voice: "We went around the city today, and asked those restaurants and teahouses that were still open to ask for things, but no matter what, they refused to give it, I thought that the fourth elder brother was still waiting for us to take things back to satisfy hunger, in desperation, I and Ah Gui could only discuss going to the kitchen to steal, but I didn't expect to be found out, chased and beaten, but fortunately I grabbed two steamed buns and came back, and finally I was not beaten in vain." ”

"You two running to steal?" Facing Hongli's shocked words, Ah Gui hurriedly said: "Fourth elder brother, don't be angry, we know that Lu Dao shouldn't do this, but we are really forced to do it out of desperation, and in a few days, the shops will open, and Zhaohui and I will find a way to find a place to work, so that it will not be like this." ”

"Yes, Fourth Elder Brother, although these two steamed buns were stolen, we were also beaten, which can be regarded as flat, you should eat them quickly." In the face of Zhaohui and Ah Gui's persuasion, Hongli did not eat, but stared at the two steamed buns that were already cold and said abruptly: "In the past, I enjoyed all the delicious food in the palace, but now I have to steal even two steamed buns. ”

"Fourth elder brother, don't do this, we stole the thing, and it has nothing to do with you." Zhaohui heard the sadness in Hongli's words and persuaded: "Besides, as long as we manage to return to the capital, all the problems in front of us can be solved." ”

Ah Gui also said: "Fourth elder brother, don't talk about this, hurry up and eat the steamed buns, let's go and find something back, at most we promise you, this time we will never steal." ”

Looking at the two of them, Hongli's eyes were red, and he said in a low voice: "I'm sorry, I'm useless, I want you two to take care of me like this." ”

Zhaohui patted Hongli's shoulder vigorously and said, "Fourth elder brother, you said that the three of us are brothers, and since we are brothers, don't take care of it anymore, everything is as it should be." ”

"Yes, just leave those shameless things to me and Zhaohui, you don't care about these, in short, Zhaohui and I will never let you starve, Fourth Brother, whether it is stealing or robbing, or begging along the street!"

"Yes, the three of us are brothers!" With this sentence, Hongli's gaze gradually became firm, and said: "Since we are brothers, no matter what we do, we should all be together, from today on, I will work with you to find something to eat, find a way to live together, steal or beg, in short, we must live and return to the capital alive." ”

He can't die, he still has a lot of things to do, and Hiroshi's true face hasn't been revealed, he must not die!

Hongli's words startled Zhaohui and Ah Gui, and the two shook their hands again and again: "How can this be, the fourth elder brother is the prince and Fengsun, how can he do this kind of thing, it is enough to have me and Ah Gui." ”

"This is not the palace, and I am not the fourth elder brother, I am just Hongli, the fourth elder brother can rely on his identity and put on a shelf, but Hongli can't, even if it is a difficult thing, Hongli has to do it." Hongli gritted his teeth and said word by word, from this moment on, he completely abandoned his pride as an elder brother and struggled to survive.

After a pause, Hongli said: "Zhaohui, Ah Gui, do you two recognize relatively credible officials who are serving outside?" ”

Zhao Hui understood his plan after a little thought, and after thinking carefully, he said: "I have a distant uncle who is a Tongzhi in Zhengzhou Mansion, although he is only a positive fifth grade, but he also has the right to do things, we can go to him and let him play this matter to the emperor." It's just that this place is far away from Zhengzhou, and we don't have horses or cars now, so it's not easy to get there. ”

"No matter how hard it is, you have to go." Hongli said this sentence without a trace of hesitation.

Ah Gui said on the side: "I, Ah Gui, won't say anything nice, but no matter where the fourth elder brother goes, I, Ah Gui, will swear to follow." ”

"I know it." Saying this, Hongli broke the two steamed buns in his hand respectively and stuffed them into the hands of Ah Gui and Zhaohui, and without waiting for them to refuse, Hongli said: "Let's eat together, only after eating can we have the strength to hurry, otherwise if you two fall halfway, I can't carry you." ”

Zhaohui and Ah Gui laughed at what he said, and without saying any more words of refusal, they lowered their heads and munched on the cold and hard steamed buns.

On the first day of the first month of the fifth year of Yongzheng, Hongli and the three of them ate these two cold and hard steamed buns, and this period of hardship and hardship also made Hongli remember it for life.

While Hongli tried his best to go to Zhengzhou to see Zhaohui's distant uncle, Ling Ruo's side, because of the unstable relationship between the fetal image, dragged it and never moved, and invited the doctor Lu for diagnosis and treatment every day, and recuperated for a month, and the fetal image gradually stabilized.