At the station construction site, a public official sat behind the table, took the warrant, and looked at Meng Xuexue: "You are the reformers who escaped in the summer?" A few days ago, 10,000 Khitan cavalry crossed the border, saying that they were coming to you. Fortunately, Taiwei Zhang kept an eye on this place and brought the army to rescue him in a hurry. If it weren't for Mrs. Zhang, this time it would have been miserable. ”

Meng Xuezhi saluted: "I've caused trouble to all the officials, so bear with me." ”

The official said: "You don't have to be polite. When the imperial court accepts you, you will naturally have the courage to accept you. By the way, how many of you? How many days are you going to be here? Because of the arrival of the Khitan soldiers, Zhongshu has stricter requirements for the construction period of the railway, and the wages have been increased. ”

Meng Xue hurriedly said: "There are eight of us in total, as long as we send money here, we will continue to do it." ”

"Good. You are a real man, and you will work when you pay for it. As he spoke, the official wrote his name on the warrant and handed them the number plate. This number plate is against the name, and it can't be wrong at all. After that, you did your work every day, and you were paid according to the number plate. There is also accommodation here, which is also arranged according to the number plate. Distinguish for yourselves, and don't make any trouble. ”

Meng Xuexue agreed and took the number plate. I went to the side with a few fellow villagers and divided the number plates. Meng is literate and often deals with outsiders, these things have always been in his charge, and the people in the township also obey him.

After a while, a person from the station led a few people to a shack and said, "You guys live here." Remember, coal is used for heating here, the stove can only be lit outside, and the flue leads to the house. Do not light a fire in the house, or you will be poisoned with coal. ”

Meng Xuexue agreed, sent the people at the station away, and took a few of his people into the house. The shack is not large, with a broken wooden table in front and a large bunk inside. There was a stove outside under the shop, and there was no fire at this time, and the inside of the house was cold.

Wei Xin said: "It's really cold here, and it's untreatable." Let's go to bed and wrap ourselves in a quilt to get warmer. ”

Meng Xue said: "No. I heard from the people at the station that there was a stove outside, and as long as it was lit, the house would be as warm as spring. You clean up, I'll go outside and light the stove. It's okay today, and let's take a break. ”

After speaking, Meng Xuezhi went outside. Where did he know what the stove was, and he wouldn't light it. I asked someone who already lived here and tried to light it. When the fire was up, and the furnace was red, he added coal and went back to the house.

Wei Xin said: "When my brother went out, the house became hot, which is really magical!" After living for so many years, the winter has never been so hot. The things here are really amazing, and spending the winter here is much better than freezing at home. ”

Several people sat together and gossiped. After a while, the temperature rose, and I felt unbearable, and finally opened the door.

Yan Liulang said: "Today is so smooth, there is nothing to do, why don't we go out and buy some wine to drink." In the future, one hundred and fifty wen a day, ten wen and twenty wen will be taken out to drink, and there will be no delay in earning money. ”

Meng Xue said: "We are many miles away from home, and we come here to earn money, and it is not good to eat and drink." I just moved across the river, and I don't have any savings, so it's better to be frugal. After a few years, it will not be as difficult as it is now, so that you can have food and drink. ”

Several men sit together, where will they sit honestly. With a pout, I don't care about Meng Xuexue, someone has pooled money to buy wine. Meng Xuexue had no choice, so he had to take out twenty yuan and let people take it out to buy wine to drink.

After a while, Jian Xiaoyi, who bought wine, came back. He put the wine on the broken table and said, "I went to buy wine just now, and I saw a table outside the wine shop." There were a few officials sitting behind the desk, and they didn't know what to do. I stepped forward to ask, only to find out that it was to help recruit people from the military academy in Hejian Province. He said that as long as he was literate and able to pass the exam, he could go to school there. ”

Wei Xin said: "I have also heard about this. I heard that as long as you study in the military academy for a few years, you can become an official. Before I came, I also said that pedants are rare literate people, so it is better to take a test. If you are lucky, you will get an official and a half-job, which is not as good as now. ”

Jian Xiaoyi said: "I told the officials who recruited people there that we have a Meng scholar here who reads the most. But the man asked us if we were converts, and he said nothing. I heard that the imperial court did not recruit reformers a few years ago, so I think there are concerns. ”

Meng Xue said: "It is because of the tacit understanding with the Khitan that if there are fugitive people from the other side, they must be sent back, so as not to recruit righteous people." I think it's changed over the years, doesn't this settle us? ”

Everyone nodded yes together, and said that their lives were good.

Reformers were the name given by the Song Dynasty to Han people outside the country after defecting to the Song Dynasty. If they were not Han Chinese and fled to the Song Dynasty from abroad, they were called Guiming people. There is not much difference in treatment between the two, just to identify themselves. Since the peace with the Khitan, the two countries have agreed that if any people flee into the country, they should be returned. This is one of the barometers of the foreign policy of the Song Dynasty, and the acceptance of the righteous and the Ming people indicates that the relationship with the other party's government is not good. The timely return of the people of the other side shows that the relations between the two countries are relatively good. This year, he fought with the Khitan on Hedong Road, and Xiongzhou took in these fugitives.

After drinking for a while, Wei Xin said again: "Pedant, why don't you just go to Hejian Mansion and give it a try." If we can make a name for ourselves and become an official, we people will also feel that our faces are bright. You usually keep saying that you are in the Khitan, under the rule of a foreign race, and you can't test your fame by reading poetry and books, so you read a lot of miscellaneous books in your daily life. Now that it is under the rule of the imperial court, it is not appropriate for the military academy not to test poetry and books? ”

Meng Xuexuan shook his head with a smile: "I'm old now, and I have a wife and children to support at home, where can I do those things?" A trip to Hejian Mansion will take more than ten days to go back and forth. Not to mention the travel expenses, if you do the math, there will be one or two wages for more than ten days. With one or two dollars, how much can the family do? ”

Yan Liulang drank a few glasses of wine, became angry, and said to Meng Xuexue: "Xuexue, although it is not easy to make money, don't take one or two dollars too seriously. As long as there is work, those of us who work hard will not be able to earn it soon? ”

Meng Xuexue couldn't help laughing when he heard this: "Sixth brother, there are many people in this world who have a lot of strength, how can we be the only ones!" It is difficult to make money not because there is no strength, but because there is no opportunity to make money like this. Therefore, the opportunity to work like this cannot be delayed for a day, and it will be difficult to find it in the future. ”

Others don't see it like Meng Xuezhu, they always feel that since they are paid to hire people to work here, they will continue to hire them. What happens when the station is built? In the eyes of these people, they feel unbelievable that the station can be built.

Meng Xuezhu felt that there would be no work here at the station in the future, and he could not delay it for a day. Others think that it is such a great thing to be an official that they really want to go. As for the work, there will be more in the future, so why care.

Seeing that he couldn't talk to everyone, Meng Xuexue didn't bother to say more, just drank with everyone and gossiped about it. What are you kidding, entering a military school is not a jinshi, as long as you pass it, you will be an official. If you enter a military academy, you have to study for a few years, and only after you have learned well can you enter the army and join the army, starting as a junior officer. The reputation of the forbidden army among the people is not good, and no matter how troublesome it is, why should Meng Xuexue delay the opportunity to make money.

Not to mention, as a reformed person, he has a special status. Now that the relationship between the Song Dynasty and the Khitan is not good, who knows what will happen in the future?

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