Chapter 22: The Human World
If you are good, you will help the world, and if you are poor, you will be good alone. Since ancient times, it has been a noble moral belief in the hearts of the good sons and daughters of China.
In Zhen Feng's memory, under the rampant materialism and lack of faith, such moral beliefs have become superficial articles, and there are not a few who have been used for show, leaving Zhen Feng with a feeling of disgust. Doing his best is the heart that Zhen Feng told himself that he should stick to.
Since it has suffered from the human sanctions of competitors, it is necessary to screen and cultivate it by itself. He had asked his younger siblings to look for the poor who he had observed to be kind, sincere, and content, mainly beggars in the city and outcasts outside the city.
However, there are deceitful and cunning wolves in sheep's clothing, which can indeed become rat droppings dripping into the food when absorbed. He will not be soft-hearted towards such people.
Zhen Feng is already prepared. He arranged for the siblings to give each of them a number plate and tell them what number they were, and then in turn they were brought into a room in the backyard for an interview.
The first to be brought in was a little boy, thin and weak, with a short weed in his mouth, curious about everything around him, his eyes not rolling slowly, and at first glance he looked like a clever little ghost. When he entered the room, he found that there was no one in the room, and he was stunned for a moment, so he naturally looked east and west, touched here and there.
The room furnishings are very simple, there are a table and two chairs in the middle of the room, and there are pen, ink, paper and inkstones on the table, but the table and chairs are not very neatly furnished, crooked, and the little ghost is wandering, and inadvertently puts the tables and chairs to look more comfortable.
There was a shelf in the corner, and there was a robe resting on the shelf, and the little ghost picked it up and touched the material, spread out the robe to see the style, and wanted to try it on himself, but he was just about to stretch his arm in, and suddenly he withdrew again, just measured it in front of him, it was too big, and then he folded the robe neatly and put it back, and his eyes couldn't stop drifting there, as if he was very eager.
He waited for a while, but no one came, and when he sat down, he stood up again, and found that there were two silver leaves in the cracks in the tiles under his feet. He hurriedly bent down, carefully picked it up, put it in front of him and blew it out before holding it in the palm of his hand. Two or three times, he wanted to look around, then put it on himself, but finally sighed and continued to hold on.
It was only at this time that Zhen Feng entered the door. Zhen Feng motioned for him to sit down, sat down on the chair opposite, and said, "What's your name?" What does it do? ”
The little ghost shook his head and said indifferently: "I don't have a name, I only know the surname Zhou, it may be the sixth line in the family, and they all call me Saturday." I heard that when I was a child, my family was gone, and Uncle Stick picked me up and pulled me up, and he was a beggar, so I followed as a beggar. ”
This name is very interesting, but it is very normal, Zhen Feng asked, "What about Uncle Stick who picked up you?" ”
"No, I had a serious illness last winter, and I couldn't afford to buy medicine with the money I was begging, and it was gone soon." There wasn't much sadness on Saturday: "It's okay if it's gone, die early and be born early, it's a sin to live on this day." ”
Zhen Feng looked at Saturday's reaction, he didn't know how he survived at a young age, he was full of curiosity about life, and he had despair that didn't match his age. He asked, "What will you do if you can't stay here?" ”
Saturday couldn't help but show a painful look of disappointment in his eyes, but he said optimistically: "What else can you do, continue to beg, if there is a place to sell some strength, go there, live one day at a time and earn one day, anyway, there is nothing to worry about." ”
He hesitated for a few moments, but still spread out his hand and said, "Shopkeeper, this is picked up on the ground, and I will return it to you." I just beg that one day I will come to the door and I will be able to walk and give food to eat. I'll beg on Saturday and I'll be above board. ”
Saturday felt that there was no play, and got up to leave, Zhen Feng laughed and asked, "Saturday, who taught you to be above board?" ”
"Uncle Stick, he has always told me that whether you are a beggar or an official, if you are not your own, you can't go to the trap and be abducted, and you must beg for food above board."
"Good, you can stay."
Saturday turned his head, stared at Zhen Feng with wide eyes, jumped up on the spot, and laughed loudly: "What did you say, you said I could stay?" I'm not dreaming, am I? ”
In fact, as early as when Zhen Feng entered the house, the interview was basically over. Saturday's reaction in the house has been clearly seen, that is the real Saturday, the Saturday that is not pretentious, the Saturday that can truly reflect the personal quality. Zhen Feng's evaluation of him is: clever and optimistic, but honest and kind, has desires but can control his behavior, and is a good seedling with flesh and blood.
The rest of everyone went through a blind test of their personal behavior, facing a messy room, a robe to keep out the cold, a silver leaf that could be exchanged for a lot of food and clothing, a broom behind the door, etc., and even the occasional old man who tripped over the door.
More than 20 people in urgent need of help, in the face of this unoccupied room, the shy people entered the door or hesitated, or sat straight on the chair and waited without squinting, especially the girls, in such a strange environment, they didn't know where to put their hands, and their hands were rubbing dryly; After waiting for a while after entering the door, the attentive and friendly person saw the dirty floor, messy tables and chairs, entered the role of the restaurant service in advance, and even picked up a rag to wipe it; The rational and calm person entered the door, looked around, but did not make adjustments, just waited for people to come and then informed, mainly the two middle-aged and elderly people......
Most of these people have been displaced by the disaster. Except for Saturday, there are three people who impress Zhen Feng more because they are more special.
One of them, a ten-year-old girl named Jingjing, went out after the interview, and when Zhen Feng said "inappropriate", she cried and knelt down, hugged Zhen Feng's thigh, and prayed to be "bought" to become a servant...... Lend it to me? The wooden hairpin just now was not made by me, it was left to me by my mother, and I can keep it as a pawn. ”
During the interview just now, Jing Jing did give him a wooden hairpin, which was not made of precious wood, but the carving was delicate and smooth, and the whole body was smooth. He asked, "Why do you want that robe?" ”
"I ...... I...... My father was seriously ill, had no money to buy medicine, no clothes and bedding, and I begged to sell myself to treat my father's illness, but the official examination was lost on the road, so the dental store did not dare to ask me, and almost sent me to the government. Please......"
The notarization is similar to the household registration book, but if you want to leave your hometown, you need an official certificate, otherwise it is a smuggling. Zhen Feng's heart softened a little, and said, "Why did you give me that hairpin just now?" It was left to you by your mother, and you can see that you cherish it very much. ”
"That's the only thing I can handle. My mother died, sick and died on the way to Jiangning, this was the only thing she left. I, I just picked up two pieces of silver on the ground, and I need the money very much, but I can't borrow it, so I want to use the hairpin to pawn it, and then redeem it when I have money. Please, I can't help it......"
Zhen Feng looked at Jing Jing, that sincerity, helplessness, mixed with apologies, and couldn't fake. At this time, Zhen Ling's voice came from behind him: "Big brother, what she said is true." When I found her, she was on the way to find someone to sell herself, and she was so anxious that she almost cried, and then I went back to the ruined temple with her, and saw her father lying down, which was so pitiful, so I found her. ”
Zhen Feng's heart completely softened, although Jing Jing this girl hid the silver leaf, she left her most precious things in exchange, all for the sake of her seriously ill father. Zhen Ling must have been very sympathetic to her, so he rushed to help. He then said with concern: "Jingjing, you stay, let Sister Ling help you bring your father." Where are you from, and why did you leave your hometown and come to Jiangning? ”
Jingjing was so happy that she couldn't help herself, tears flowed down, and after being helped up by Zhen Ling, she recounted: "My family is in Qingjiang County, and I was originally a tenant for the main family, and I heard my father say that this spring's 'spring cold' is a bit serious, and the farmer who planted it is rotten seeds, rotten seedlings, and there will be no harvest in the autumn, and my father said that the rent is too high and the tax is too heavy, and I can't pay it." Over the years, even the catkins have to pay taxes, a wave of officials came to the door, the rice jar at home has seen the bottom, in desperation, my father had to take me and my mother to escape, I didn't expect to encounter gangsters on the road and robbed, my mother was frightened on the way to escape. On the road, the public inspection was robbed with the burden, without the public inspection, you can't survey the city, you can't enter the city, you have to come to Jiangning while walking, I heard that Jiangning is the most prosperous place, maybe you can eat ......"
Zhen Ling heard the tears and followed, thinking that she would be very bitter if she was blinded and couldn't eat enough in the Zhen family, but she didn't expect that there were many people who were more bitter than her.
Zhen Feng returned the wooden hairpin to Jing Jing, and only said that the silver leaf and robe would be deducted from the salary in the future. When he heard the name of "Qingjiang County" just now, he seemed to think of something, but he couldn't remember it, and he needed to check it later. It's not a blind test or an interview anymore, and I feel like I'm going through a world of joys and sorrows.
Even in such a human world, there is no escape from the imminent conflict of interest.