Li Jingcheng touched the silver two in his arms, and there was not much left. Only then did I walk to Pizhou, which is still far from Pingzhou, and I will save some flowers in the future.

After drinking a bowl of hot soup, my body feels warmer, and the hot soup is cheaper in the downtown area. Wiping his mouth and standing up, Li Jingcheng was about to turn around and leave. Suddenly, I heard a "poof" behind me, and hurriedly turned around, only to see an old man with a wrinkled face and over the age of sixtieth fallen to the ground.

Li Jingcheng ran over in three or two steps, leaned over and was about to pick up the old man, and asked in his mouth, "Is there any big problem with the old man?" ”。

The old man opened his eyes and waved his hand breathlessly. Li Jingcheng felt that the old man must have broken somewhere, so he sat on the ground and put the old man's head on his knees to let him rest for a while.

The old man's breathing gradually calmed down, and he said to Li Jingcheng with a kind smile on his face: "Look at the son's dress, but he is a scholar who went to Beijing to take the exam?" ”。

Li Jingcheng nodded.

The old man asked again, "Did you ever go to high school?" ”

Li Jingcheng lowered his head in shame.

The old man sighed lightly and said, "Childe is a good person, but it's a pity that you can't help me!" Put me down and you go. ”

Li Jingcheng said strangely: "If the old man is okay, Xiaosheng will help you up, the ground is too shady." ”

The old man turned his head flexibly, observed the surrounding situation, turned his face and said, "If you let you go, you can get out of here, don't get in the way of the old man's wealth." ”

Li Jingcheng was taken aback, he couldn't figure out how this old man could turn his face faster than a book. Hurriedly gently put the old man's head back on the ground, stood up and retreated to the side suspiciously.

I saw the old man turn over flexibly, grabbed the ankle of a brocade-clothed boy who was walking by, and shouted: "You knocked down the old man, do you want to leave without paying attention?" ”。

The brocade boy said angrily: "How did I ever bump into you? Did you recognize the wrong person? ”。

The old man got up on his knees, hugged the thighs of the brocade-clothed boy with both hands, and shouted, "It's you!" Although the old man's legs and feet are not good, his eyes are not bad! ”。

The boy in brocade was angered and began to scold.

The quarrel between the two attracted everyone in the downtown to stop and watch.

The boy in brocade couldn't bear to be entangled, and desperately used his hand to break the old man's fingers, but the old man still didn't let go. Out of the anger, the brocade-clothed boy waved his hand and slapped the old man a few loud times. Blood flowed from the corners of the old man's lips, and he still hugged the other man's thigh.

At this time, two people dressed as officials pushed aside the crowd and walked in, shouting: "In broad daylight, in the bustling city, what kind of system are you two fighting here?" Don't talk nonsense, take it to Lord Pingzhang and then do the theory. ”

The old man finally let go of his hand, but was pushed and pushed out of the crowd by the two officials. The brocade-clothed boy danced and argued, but the two officials turned a deaf ear and escorted him out with kicks and beatings.

Li Jingcheng, who was stunned, was coerced by the lively crowd and came to the county hall.

The local Pingzhang Lord is a fat man with five short and three thick, and his waist is like a vinegar jar. He patted the shocked Tang Mu with his charming little fat hand and said, "What did the two kneeling people in the hall do?" Who is the defendant? Who is the plaintiff? ”。

The boy in brocade and the old man rushed to say that he was the plaintiff, and Lord Pingzhang angrily slapped the shocked wood again and said: "Come one by one, boss, you can say it first." ”

After the two finished their statements, Lord Pingzhang seriously asked the two errand officials again to confirm what happened, and then nodded and said to the young man in brocade: "Although you are a foreigner, you also seem to be a literate and knowledgeable person. How can you act so absurdly? Will that old man scold you when he's old? Even if he is old and dizzy and recognizes the wrong person, you shouldn't start beating someone! ”。

The brocade-clothed boy lowered his head in shame and muttered: "Xiaosheng was in a hurry and missed, and Lord Pingzhang reprimanded him reasonably." ”

Lord Pingzhang shook his head with satisfaction and said, "This official has always been honest and honest, and he judges cases fairly. Now this official orders you to apologize to your father-in-law first, and then compensate him for the tattoo of fifty taels of silver, and he is not seriously injured, otherwise you should be put in prison! ”。

The boy in brocade hurriedly said: "Fifty taels? Too much, right? Xiaosheng only has a total of thirty taels of silver that my father ordered me to buy goods. ”

Master Pingzhang generously waved his fat hand and said, "Thirty taels is thirty taels!" It can't be less, as long as this old man agrees, the official has nothing to say. ”

The old man kowtowed in thanksgiving and agreed. The boy in brocade handed over thirty taels of silver to Lord Pingzhang in the hall, and bowed down with shame on his face.

Lord Pingzhang asked the onlookers in a loud voice, "Is this official's punishment fair?" ”

Everyone applauded in unison, and Lord Heizhang waved his hand proudly and shouted majestically, "Retreat." ”

The crowd gradually dispersed, and Li Jingcheng walked slowly with the flow of people, thinking thoughtfully as he walked. Walking to the mouth of a small alley, Li Jingcheng suddenly stopped. He spotted the figure of the old man from before, and couldn't help but hide behind the wall and look into the alley.

I saw that the old man with bloodshot on the corner of his mouth nodded his head, and thanked him for taking five taels of silver from a messenger who had just arrested him, and walked out happily.

Li Jingcheng became curious, and followed the old man from a distance, spying on his every move.

I saw the old man hurrying to the market first, bought a few baked cakes and put them in his arms, and then turned around and walked happily out of the city.

Come to a wasteland outside the city, where hundreds of small, dilapidated thatched huts are lined up. The old man flashed into a hut, Li Jingcheng hesitated for a long time, and then boldly followed in.

Stooping down and walking into the house, there was a leaky air everywhere, the light was dim, and there were four people sitting inside. In addition to the old man who Li Jingcheng was following, there were also two ragged and skinny children, who were holding baked cakes and chewing greedily. Another old man with a white beard and missing two front teeth was applying medicine to the face of the old man from before. Seeing Li Jingcheng come in, he stood up nervously.

"It's okay, it's okay. This son is a scholar who has fallen off the list, and he is a good person. After seeing the appearance of the person who came, the old man from before smiled and comforted the white-bearded man.

Li Jingcheng bowed and said, "Forgive Xiaosheng for taking the liberty of being presumptuous, can I come in and chat with the two old men?" ”

The white-bearded old man leaned over and sat back in his place noncommittally, and the old man from before got up and said, "Childe, please sit, it's just a little shabby here, are you thirsty?" The old man will pour you a bowl of water."

As he spoke, he got up and poured a bowl of water and put it in front of Li Jingcheng, it was a broken bowl that was so dirty that he couldn't see his true colors clearly, and several pieces were missing, and the water in the bowl was chaotic and exuded a foul smell. Li Jingcheng frowned, didn't dare to touch the broken bowl, raised his head and asked, "Xiao Sheng is just curious, that Pingzhang Lord sentenced you to thirty taels of silver, why is there only five taels left in your hand?" ”。

The old man scratched his head embarrassedly and said, "Childe has seen it?" Shame shame. ”

Another old man with missing front teeth snorted coldly: "Don't you need money to fight a lawsuit?" A fine of 30 taels was awarded, and 20 taels were to be handed over to the county government as public expenses for the trial of the case. ”

Li Jingcheng said curiously: "That's not right, you should still be able to get ten taels of silver." ”

The old man who was missing his front teeth glanced at Li Jingcheng with disdain and said, "The errand officer has to take half of it, this is a public rule." ”

Li Jingcheng closed his mouth speechlessly.

The old man with missing front teeth stroked his white beard, looked at the idiot-like Li Jingcheng and said: "Actually, both of us are people from the "Money Throwing Gang", not only the two of us, but the hundreds of households living in this shack are our gangs. ”

The old man from before said, "Childe thinks that the old man has the only five taels of silver?" Definitely! You also have to pay two taels of gang dues, otherwise no one will care about you if something happens. Our helper is a great man! ”

Li Jingcheng said curiously: "What can happen?" ”

The white-bearded old man said indignantly, "What can happen? My two front teeth were knocked out! The worst is Niu San, the old guy stopped a wealthy son from the capital a few months ago, and he was full of joy and thought that he had taken a big job, but he was beaten to death on the street. The beaters walked away, and Lord Pingzhang and the officials didn't even dare to fart! ”

Li Jingcheng nodded and said, "It turns out that the gang dues are to take care of your birth, old age, sickness and death. ”

The white-bearded old man chirped: "You deserve birth, old age, sickness and death!" The dues are the money paid for the annual settlement of the government and the settlement of accidental deaths. ”

Li Jingcheng lowered his head and was silent for a moment, and then said: "With all due respect, Xiaosheng said bluntly, it seems that you are doing this--- it is a bit hurtful and unreasonable, and it is against the way of heaven." You are too old to do physical work. But why not beg? ”

The white-bearded man grinned, revealing two mad black holes in his mouth, and said, "Beggar? Pay more! Today's rich sons can throw a lot of money for the singer, who is willing to throw a little money for the beggar? ”。

The old man sighed before: "After living for such a long time, how can you not know the old decay? It's just that there is a famine everywhere right now, and there is chaos outside. My son died in battle, my wife died of illness, and my daughter-in-law died of hunger, leaving only these two grandsons behind. I'm buried up to my neck, and life and death are up to me. But they're still young, and they still have to live! ”

Li Jingcheng lowered his head again and had nothing to say, he reached out and touched the silver two in his arms, secretly divided it into two parts, took out one and put it on the table, got up and said, "Xiaosheng farewell." ”

The old man stood up and thanked him again and again. Looking at Li Jingcheng's distant back, the old man who was missing two front teeth spat on the ground and scolded: "This nerd, it is the greatest heavenly principle to have food to eat, not starve to death, and money to spend!" ”。

Guan Yu stretched comfortably, and slept very soundly this time, sweeping away the fatigue of the past few days. He nodded to one of the guards and asked, "Where is General Zhang?" Let him come and see me. ”

The guards bowed and saluted: "General Yuguan, there is a female general in front of the battle who came to fight the enemy with a single sword, and asked the highest commander here to go out and fight alone, General Zhang is not angry, and has already gone out to meet the battle!" ”。

Guan Yuqi said: "Female general? What nonsense, General Ben is the supreme commander here! Raise your gun and prepare your horse, General Ben is going to join in the fun! ”。