Chapter 1: Seongnam (1)

In June, as soon as the sun comes out, it feels like there is a fire on the ground. The batons of Guantao County drank half a scoop of cold water, tightened the grass rope that was getting longer and longer around their waists, and walked towards the edge of the canal in twos and threes. (Note 1)

Yesterday, there was a word from the good people of Zhoushan in the west of the city, saying that there would be a big job for everyone to do on the dock today. In this chaotic year, it is not easy to find a job that can make money! Therefore, the city's power stick almost didn't even touch the mother-in-law at home last night, and I was ready to do a big job today! (Note 2)

Before they reached the dock, the heat in someone's heart had already disappeared by half. From a distance, I saw nearly hundreds of men of similar age who were dressed like me and squatted on the bank of the river. The earthen platform where the government usually collects river donations was surrounded by water. It's the same to find a job, and you have to pay attention to a first-come, first-served rule. The man who was a step too late and didn't grab a good position stamped his feet in frustration, complained a few words of swearing, and squatted behind the crowd in frustration.

In addition to the disappointment, the stomach without any filling became more and more shriveled. The half scoop of cold water poured out of the house had already been steamed into sweat by the sun above his head, rolling down his pores. The intestines and stomach gurgled and the sound could be heard twenty paces apart. Shame on this, it stands to reason that everyone might as well hide far away, and wait for the movement in the stomach to stop before coming to line up. But before the goods of the great benevolent people came that week, no one was really willing to leave. What if there is so much work that the people at the front of the queue can't finish it? Wait a little longer, maybe you can earn three melons and jujubes. The rice jar at home has been swept three times, and if you don't get some food today, you will have to stick grass stickers on your children's heads tomorrow.

Thinking like this, the sound in the stomach gradually sounded less embarrassing, anyway, the belly around you and me sounded, and no one should laugh at anyone. When the sun rose overhead, a bell was suddenly heard on the river. "Jingle Bell!" It sounds like an indescribable Shutai. A sharp-eyed man jumped up, pointed to the wide surface of the water and shouted, "Boat, boat!" Look at the ship, it's such a big ship, I've never seen it this big! ”

Hundreds of pairs of blank eyes immediately released a fine light, and without greeting, everyone jumped up one after another, rubbing shoulders to the shore. The people who approached the earth platform were immediately squeezed to their feet, and while trying their best to support themselves, they shouted at the top of their voices: "Don't squeeze, don't squeeze, old and young masters, if you squeeze it again, you will die." Oops, my shoes, the new shoes I just sold yesterday! ”

"Come on, Wang Ermao, do you still have money to buy shoes to wear? Slander people, you will! Ever since the day you ran around the streets with your bare butt, you haven't seen you wear shoes! The person behind took over the conversation, teasing with a slightly sour taste. The strength on his legs instinctively slowed down, so as not to really squeeze Wang Ermao, who came to occupy the position first, into the river and feed the toads. This canal has just been built for a few years, and the water is so deep that a fierce man can't penetrate to the end. In case of death, everyone is a neighbor, and no one will feel good, right?

With his eyes in his eyes, he watched as more than two dozen extra-large cargo ships slowly approached the dock. The wharf, which had been very wide, immediately became small, and the two first boats were pulled ashore by the men in front of them with ropes, and the other boats immediately had no place to stop, so they had to drop their sails and squeeze into the river like ducks competing for food.

More boats means more work, and the batons jump to their feet with joy. They hugged each other on the earthen platform near the government to collect the river donation, waiting for the housekeeper Cheng Bo of Zhou Dashan to make a price. Some of the family members have already set up umbrellas, tables, and waited for Chengbo to sit down on the stool. Cheng Bo, who had a wisp of goatee, took a few sips of tea slowly, spit out the tasteless tea stalk to the ground, and then lightly raised his voice and emphasized loudly: "The straw bags and boxes loaded on the ship are five feet long, two feet wide, and only seven feet tall, so don't come to the front, lest you be tired and hurt my master's yin virtue." ”

"How can it, this radius of a hundred miles, who doesn't know that Zhou Dashan's heart is top-notch! It's Chengbo, you're old, and you're also a well-known Bodhisattva! The sticks were smiling all over their faces and patting the butler's ass in unison.

"Don't bend your feet, don't bend your feet, it's useless. Look at your body, once you drop the box to the ground, even the old man will eat and hang up! Cheng Bo raised his hand holding the tea cup, and with his little thumb picked up a few undersized teenagers in the crowd and shouted, "Go back and rest, don't delay others to make money on a hot day." Usually eat more good food, and come back when your body has grown! Yes! (Note 3)

With that, he sat down again with a kind face, bowed his head and tasted tea, and did not look at the table again.

Everyone did not dare to argue, and looked at the young men who were less than seven feet tall with pity. Embarrassed by everyone, several teenagers lowered their heads and withdrew from the crowd gloomily. The sunlight is still uncomfortable, but the thin and thin backs of the teenagers disappearing in the distance make people's hearts chill, from the heart to every pore.

Hearing the report of the family members that the "black sheep" had gone away, the "living bodhisattva" Chengbo put down the teacup and smiled and bowed his hand to everyone. "Thank you for your help, our Zhou family will not lose everyone. The road is not far, as long as the wooden box on the ship is unloaded and moved from the dock to the side of the official road, it will be completed. Our account office is waiting over there, and each person will be given a bamboo stick every trip! ”

At this point, he paused deliberately, leaving time for everyone to understand his words thoroughly. The sticks had already been burned like pins and needles by the rice incense blowing from the boat, and they immediately responded, "Chengbo, you can keep talking." We all know the rules! Isn't it just settled according to the bamboo stick, since there is this river, which time is not like this? ”

"Yes, you keep saying. We understand that we will never mess with you! ”

"Chengbo, let's talk, everyone listen!"

Seeing that everyone had no objections, Cheng Bo nodded happily, smiled and grabbed a bamboo stick half a foot long and one inch wide from the hands of the family, and held it up in front of him: "The old man is also taking precautions, so as not to misunderstand and fall into the name of our old Zhou family." Bamboo sticks, everyone is optimistic, it is this kind of lacquered bamboo sticks, with the yamen's monogram on it. Everyone, don't make a mistake, lest you be caught by Liu Zhutou to hit the board. I can't hurt you folks! ”

"No, no, whoever dares to make a fake charge, everyone will be the first to spare him!" The power sticks have a request for others, and they scold the old guy in their hearts for looking down on people, but they have to say something to respond verbally.

"That's good!" Cheng Bo continued to nod, the smile on his face looked much kinder than the Maitreya Buddha in the temple, "After finishing the work, come to me with a bamboo sign to receive the salary." For every 20 bamboo skewers, replace half a bucket of brown rice. Or change the meat for five, that is, it will be sent immediately, and it will never be in arrears! ”

As soon as the words fell, the crowd that had been elated just now immediately exploded like charcoal fire poured cold water. "What, it took twenty trips to give half a bucket of rice, Chengbo, this is also a little darker. Last month, I worked for the government, and I exchanged a stick for a money! ”

"That's it, Chengbo, this price is too hard. You can't do it. At this time last year, seven sticks gave a bucket of rice! (Note 4)

It's no wonder that everyone protested. It is true that the pier is not far from the official road, but it is a large slope. Carrying a 100-pound straw bag on his back, even if he is an experienced old power stick, he can walk up to 20 round-trips a day. Only half a bucket of rice is earned in a hard day, and those who are tired can eat half of it themselves. The rest of the little is taken home, and it is enough for the wife and children to drink gruel for a few days. If there is often such work, everyone can still grit their teeth and agree. But this kind of big work is only done once a year, and if it is done today, there will be no other livelihood to do tomorrow. That means that the whole family will starve, it means that the wife is separated, the family is ruined, so how can everyone not fight for themselves?

"Last year!" Cheng Bojiang's face fell, and he said coldly: "What was the yellow calendar last year?" Last year, a bucket of new rice was only five yuan, and this year, in this Taocheng, can you buy old rice with ten dollars less? Little Lao'er, I only opened this price for the sake of the villagers, I don't believe you go to Wuyang County to inquire, don't pay wages, just give a full meal, and some people break their heads and rush to do it! ”

For these men who have never left their homes forty miles away since they were young, the county town of Wuyang is almost as far away as Liaodong, where the emperor led the army to conquer. Without evidence, no one dared to fight with the housekeeper, and they all lowered their heads, calculating in their hearts whether they could earn a full meal for their family if they worked hard all day. Some of the bold ones insisted that Chengbo pay his wages according to the government's old practice, otherwise everyone would simply not accept it, and let the goods on the boat hang on the river.

How could that Chengbo be a coerced master, grinned and sneered a few times, and pointed at the people on the earth platform with his little thumb: "Hehe, there are really people who don't know what to do, and use the government to suppress the little old man." Let me ask you, the government asked you to work last month, and which one received the promised salary? Received a stand up and squeak? More than ten people stood up, and the little old man apologized to the old and young masters, uncle, you can open as much as you say, and the small ones will never lower the price! ”

The men dodged away one after another, frustrated like a flock of sheep that had seen a butcher. The government did promise to move goods in exchange for a copper coin last month, but in the end, what was handed out to everyone was a wider bamboo skewer with the number of copper coins each person deserved. But when exactly will it be settled, but no letter will be given. A few bold people went to find Guo Hucao Theory in the yamen, but as soon as they got close to the yamen, they were shackled by the yamen, and they would never return the arrears of Ding tax last year if they did not pay all the taxes they had in arrears last year. The mother-in-law of the family sold the house and sold the person, and finally got the amount demanded by the yamen together, and then ransomed the man from her family. Since then, the family has been reduced to beggars, and they have completely disappeared from the city in less than half a month.

With just a few words, he knocked out the prestige of the sticks, and Cheng Bo saw the group of men in front of him in the ditch in his heart. put away his angry face, put on the childlike and undeceived Bodhisattva face of Ping Suri again, and said with a smile: "This person, you can't be dissatisfied." The world is difficult, and it is not easy for anyone to live. It is rare for a wealthy family like our old Zhou family to be reasonable, and if you change others, you may not be willing to take care of you. Everyone should be more clear, don't step on your nose and want to get on your face. Again, every twenty bamboo sticks are exchanged for half a bucket of brown rice. Or exchange money for five, that is, it will be sent immediately, and it will never be in arrears! If you want to do it, stand in front of the earthen platform. If you don't want to do it, let it go, don't delay the villagers to make money! Maybe there will be a cargo ship in two days, and if you do a good job today, next time our Zhou family will give priority to hiring! ”

Hearing this, someone muttered in his heart, and slowly took a few steps in front of the earthen platform. Most people are holding their arms and watching coldly to see who was the first to sell themselves so cheaply. Although they are all villagers, the batons are automatically divided into several gangs according to the location where they live. The man who came forward looked around, and saw that the two largest gangs of baton did not move, hesitated for a moment, and quietly retracted his feet.

"Hehe, it seems that the old and young masters have a lot of money recently?!" Cheng Bo clapped his hands and applauded the unity of the batons. "If you don't want to find a job, please let me go. Folks, don't block others. With that, he glanced at the audience, pointed at the thinnest one of them, and laughed fiercely, "You, Wang Ermao, right?!" Whether you do it or not, just take another step forward. If you don't do it, get out of the way of me! ”

"Me! I! Wang Ermao was so angry by Chengbo's arrogant behavior that his eyes smoked, but he didn't have the courage to give the people of Zhou's family in public. There are people in the other party's family who are big officials by the emperor's side, and they are the masters that even the county lord dare not provoke! He Wang Ermao is just a gangster, how dare he pluck the hair on the tiger's head. During the period, Ai Aidi snorted a few times, and seeing that he really couldn't escape, he quickly looked at the strongest man closest to him, lowered his voice and asked, "Ninth brother, ninth brother, what should I do?" Brother Jiu, do you have something to say? ”

The person who is called the ninth brother is not very old, and he looks like he is sixteen or seventeen years old when he looks at his face. But he was born with a tiger's back, half a head taller than all the power clubs around him. Seeing that Wang Ermao was forced to cry, he took a few steps forward, pulled him behind him, and replied to Chengbo instead of him: "You always mention the salary to fifteen bamboo sticks and half a bucket of rice, or twenty bamboo sticks and seven yuan, and we will do it." Otherwise, everyone won't even have enough to eat, how can they have the strength to work! Once you delay your old things, all the folks in the township, we don't want to go, you always say that is not the truth! ”

"That's it, that's it!" When Zhongli Ban saw someone picking his head, he immediately became active. "Just do what Xiao Jiu said. Otherwise, we will have to go home and wait to die, and it is better to die at home than to work hungry and die of exhaustion on the edge of the dock! ”

"Shout, the young man is quite good at settling accounts?!" Chengbo touched a soft nail, and laughed instead of anger. "Young man, I see you have a very good face. It's not our museum pottery, our museum pottery has never produced this talent! ”

"Back to your old words, the younger generation of Ping'en County wasteland villagers. I just came here last month to join my family!! The young man bowed his hand to Cheng Bo very politely, and replied without humility or arrogance.

Cheng Boping, the housekeeper of the Zhou Mansion, has seen a lot of people, and he has long been mixed into a fine. Seeing that the other party's demeanor was stiff, he didn't dare to underestimate him too much. nodded, smiled and continued to ask, "Dare to ask the surname of the strong man?" Can you go to school? ”

The young man arched his hand again and replied with a smile, "I dare not fail to answer when asked by the elders." Free of expensive, surname Cheng. I've been to private school for three years, and I can barely recognize a few words! ”

Seeing that the young man had answered politely, the butler felt more and more surprised in his heart, leaned down, looked into the other party's eyes and asked, "Since you have read books, why don't you do something serious?" Mixing on the docks, don't you feel insulted to Sven? ”

The young man's mellow face finally swelled up with a trace of embarrassment, shook his head with a wry smile, and said in a low voice: "No way, the younger generation has to find a way to live." After that, he raised his eyes and frankly persuaded Chengbo: "This whole Guantao County is reciting your old good name, you are old and open, add one to the salary, everyone hurry up and do it, and strive to unload the goods in one day, it is better than letting the boat rest on the canal." Now these four are not more than usual, and there are many people. If your old goods are put into storage one day late, there will be one more day of risk! ”

"Yes, Honest Burn. I will never forget the benefits of your old age! The people followed the tone of the young man surnamed Cheng and asked Cheng Bo for help.

Cheng Bo, the housekeeper of the Zhou Mansion, didn't care about the benefits of these poor men at his feet, but the young man's last sentence couldn't help but let him not consider it. The thief Zhang Jin said that he only broke Ping'en County last month, and he was not sure that he would target Guantao City one day. Isn't these twenty or so truckloads of grain on the canal tantamount to giving meat to the wolves? After hesitating again and again, he finally reluctantly made some concessions, nodded, and said in a low voice: "In this way, it is better to exchange twenty bamboo sticks for half a bucket of rice, or five money." But for every ten bamboo sticks, I ask you to spare two more, how about it? This is already equivalent to sixteen bamboo sticks for half a bucket of rice, and it can't be any higher. No matter how high it is, I can't call the shots! ”

The batons couldn't figure out the accounts for a while, and they all looked at the young man surnamed Cheng. The young man surnamed Cheng quickly weighed it in his heart, knowing that the other party had made a big concession, and in line with the principle of accepting it when he saw it, he bowed down and saluted the housekeeper, "Thank you for your kindness." This live junior took it! ”

With the young man's words, the batons on the dock were immediately reassured. Approaching the soil platform one after another, Ren Chengbo selected people. Cheng Bo, the housekeeper of the Zhou Mansion, first chose a young man surnamed Cheng, Wang Ermao and more than 20 people who seemed to be quick and quick-witted, and said that they were only responsible for unloading the goods from the ship, and they would be paid one and a half meters a day. Then, under the eyes of the young people, he carefully selected the other power sticks, and screened out more than 200 strong ones, who were responsible for carrying the goods from the dock to the official road and loading them into the carriage sent by the Zhou government, and the wages were settled according to the final agreement of the group just now. Then he waved at the other unchosen and said loudly, "The rest of the folks will disperse." You can't ask for more people, and if you want people again, you won't be able to stand on the dock! ”

For a time, the selected ones were elated, and the unselected ones were like ashes. Several well-known scoundrels in the city were not selected, and they were angry. They didn't dare to trouble the people of the Zhou family, so they had to target the "outsiders". The eldest of them picked up a stone from the ground, threw it at the young man surnamed Cheng from a distance, and scolded in his mouth: "Cheng Xiaojiu, you are a king and a lamb." Step on everyone's heads. Lao Tzu is inseparable from you today! ”

The young man surnamed Cheng, who was walking towards the cargo ship, was stunned, turned around, hugged his fists at several scoundrels who were nearly half older than him, and explained with a smile: "Brother Scar, Brother Huoya, I still have an old mother in the hall at home, counting on me to get rice and go back to the pot." If there is a place that offends you today, you adults don't care about the villain. Xiao Jiu is here for you! ”

"Whew!" The scoundrel with a scar on his face spat on the ground, then twisted his foot a few times, and counted it hatefully: "Everyone else is going back and forth sixteen times, and they only earn half a bucket of rice by working hard." You earn a bucket and a half a day, and you're embarrassed to take it! Get acquainted, divide half of your godfather and me, and I'll let you go! Otherwise, I'll wait on this dock today to see how many meters you can take home! ”

Hearing what the scar scoundrel said, Zhongli Er also felt that the young man surnamed Cheng had made a lot of money, so he turned his head sideways and looked each other up and down with suspicious eyes. The young man surnamed Cheng was angry and angry, but he couldn't explain it for a while. Wang Ermao was so angry that he jumped forward and shouted loudly to the scoundrels: "Brother Scar, you can't frame a good person. Brother Xiao Jiu, he was so good at talking about it just now, so he told everyone about his salary. If you feel that it is unfair, you may as well negotiate with Chengbo yourself. Let's see what price Chengbo can offer you! ”

"Phew, Phew, Phew!" The scar-headed scoundrel immediately turned into a mad camel, spewing manure all over his mouth, "I don't have to do this job at all." Lao Tzu still has half a jar of rice at home, which is enough to eat until the autumn harvest. Lao Tzu was afraid that everyone would fall for you two little rabbit cubs, so he came over to take a look. Sure enough, the ...... of the day of the eight lambs of you two kings"

As soon as he was halfway through the hard words, his stomach suddenly "gurgling" and singing, fighting for anger. Before he could make an excuse to explain, the straw rope around his waist suddenly loosened, and a pair of shorts with a broken nose fell from his waist to his heels, revealing a black and soft mass under his crotch.

"Boom!" The batons burst into laughter, no longer believing Scarhead's provocation, and turned to walk towards the cargo ship. Cheng Xiaojiu shook his head at the scar gangster with disdain, grabbed Wang Ermao, and quickly jumped onto the first cargo ship.

"The surname Cheng, you wait!" The scarred thug was ashamed and angry, and jumped to his feet with his pants. I can't wait to split Cheng Xiaojiu and Wang Ermao in half on the spot, but my legs and feet are as soft as dough, and I can't lift half of my strength at all. After scolding for a while, he couldn't come up with a new trick, so he had to spit on the ground twice and go with a hum.

Note 1: Liba, a slang term for coolie workers. Such as slender man, porter, dock stevedore, etc.

Note 2: Later day, slang, evening.

Note 3: Seven feet, here is the Han ruler, each foot is about 23 cm long. Seven feet tall is equivalent to one meter sixty-two.

Note 4: Bucket, here is Sui Dou, the weight is close to Tang Dou. Each bucket is about 12 city catties now, and half a bucket is 6 city catties.

Note to alcoholics: Updated instructions. Today is a section, and then look at the number of flowers. The number of words updated on the second day is the total number of flowers on the first day. After entering the VIP, the number of words will be updated according to the number of subscribers. The more subscribers, the more chapters will be updated. The pace of this book will be slightly faster than that of "Home", and I will try my best to make everyone watch it neatly.