December 27, Henan, Qixian, fine white grain line.

"Eh, eh, eh." A young man shouted, "Master, if you want to buy food, you can buy it here, but you can't go inside." ”

The big man, who had a beard all over his face and a scar at the corner of his mouth, pushed the young man away and walked straight inside.

The young man hurriedly chased after him, shouting in his mouth: "Shaodong, someone has broken in!" ”

Li Xin came out of the house, stood at the door, and saw the big man who broke in, and felt a little familiar.

When Dahan saw Li Xin, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he bowed his hand and said, "Fourth brother, I can be regarded as finding you." ”

Li Xin stared at the big man for a long time, and finally got some impressions. So he waved his hand to the guy and said, "You go, you're here to find me, it's okay." ”

Although the young man was a little confused, he still complied and left. It's so hard to have a job now, especially a job where you can eat well. In recent years, grain has become more and more expensive, and it costs thousands of dollars to fight rice, whether it is a good year or a famine year, the price of grain has only risen, but not decreased. No matter what he does now, he has to keep this job, so even in the face of this tough man just now, he tried his best to block it, and now that the young owner let him leave, he will not have any doubts. He knew one thing, what could be bigger than a full stomach?

Seeing that the young man was gone, Li Xin looked at the big man in front of him again, and asked uncertainly, "Are you Li Mu's cousin from the North Courtyard?" ”

"By the way, that's me." Li Mu said happily: "I recognized you as soon as I saw the fourth brother, and it hasn't changed at all from a few years ago." ”

Li Xin laughed self-deprecatingly and invited: "Come and talk in the house, the house is warm." ”

"Alas, okay, fourth brother, please." Li Mu agreed, and did not forget to let Li Xin go first.

When the two entered the house, Li Xin poured Li Mu a cup of hot tea, sat down and asked, "Didn't you go to Shanshan Chuanquan with Uncle Ziqi?" When did you come back? ”

Li Mu said casually: "It's been a few days since I came back, and the thieves in Shaanxi and Shanxi are making a lot of noise, and I can't stay." He also paid attention to Li Xin's expression when he spoke.

Li Xin didn't say anything special, and said casually: "Let's make trouble, natural disasters and man-made disasters, this Ming Dynasty is terminally ill." ”

"Not really." Li Mu followed Li Xin's words and said: "There is a great drought in Shaanxi, but the government still has to collect full taxes, and there are still additional distributions, contributions, and the debts of previous years have to be recovered, and the people will have no way to live if they do not rebel." There is also appeasement, if you don't give anything, you will be given a license to avoid death, and then let the displaced people return to their hometowns, and they still have to pay taxes and taxes owed when they return to their hometowns, isn't this self-deception? I look at this Ming Dynasty, and the number of qi has been exhausted. ”

Li Xin nodded, changed the subject, and asked, "What's the matter with your injury?" ”

"The arrow is rubbing," Li Mou gestured with his hand at the corner of his mouth: "It flew over with a whoosh, if I hadn't dodged quickly, my life would have been confessed." ”

Li Xin frowned and asked, "Are you teaching boxing?" How can you still be shot by someone. ”

Li Mu no longer concealed it, and said in a low voice: "Don't hide it from the fourth brother, I followed King Chuang, and later made peace with the general, so I followed the general." ”

"Breaker? , isn't he the king now? Li Xin was not too surprised by Li Mou's rebellion, but was a little curious about Li Chuang's name.

"This is all shouted by the people," Li Mu said disdainfully: "King Chuang and Chuang General are all nicknames, just like the name, it can't be said that Zhang San is dead, Li Si called Zhang San's name." Even if Song Jiang dies in Timely Rain, then his brother Black Whirlwind Li Kui can't give up the name of 'Black Whirlwind' and call it 'Timely Rain', right? ”

Li Xin suddenly realized, but he was still a little puzzled and asked, "Then why is Li Zicheng the king of Chuang?" ”

Li Mu stretched out his hands and said, "Who knows, maybe the people feel that King Chuang is more advanced than General Chuang." ”

"And how did you get here?" Li Xin finally asked the question.

Li Mu said a little embarrassedly: "Hehe, isn't it the New Year, I'm here to find the fourth brother and you." ”

Li Xin shook his head and said, "Now the landlord's family has no surplus grain, so it's not easy." I can't afford to feed your army. ”

Li Mu hurriedly said: "Then what is the army, plus me, there are only thirteen people." Give two stones of grain, and then some wine and meat, and let the brothers celebrate the New Year. As he spoke, he took out two ingots of gold from his bosom and put them on the coffee table, which looked small, but at least twenty taels.

He continued: "My brother knows that there is a shortage of food now, and this gold is considered my brother's purchase money, and that's all there is to it. ”

Li Xin frowned and asked, "Why are there only thirteen people?" Is there Li Chuang in it? ”

"Don't worry about this bounty, maybe the general is being escorted to Beijing now." Li Mu said with a somewhat disappointed smile on his face.

"What's going on?"

Li Mu lowered his head, and said after a while: "I broke up early, I wanted to go to Sichuan first, I was ready over there, and I couldn't get there." Later, he returned to Shaanxi and was chased all the way to the northwest by Hong Chengchou, where the people were poor and barren, and the supply of military food could not be supplied, so he had no choice but to return to Guanzhong. But when we met Sun Chuanting again, there were pursuers in the back, and there were interceptions in front, and after a few big battles, we were scattered. The number one hundred and ten people who followed me, fought with the people of the township soldiers and fortresses all the way, and came to Henan from the small road, and there were only thirteen left. ”

After Li Xin heard this, he said disapprerovingly: "You don't have to be discouraged, now that Dongyu is wreaking havoc in Zhili, Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting have been recruited to King Qin." Even Zuo Liangyu is going to be transferred to Beijing, you fish that have slipped through the net are safe. ”

"Oh, that's good." Li Mu smiled lightly: "Although this Dongyu is not a thing, but this time it is quite timely, if there is no Dongyu to come out like this, I am afraid that we will all be wiped out in Shaanxi." ”

Li Xin glanced at Li Mu and asked with a smile, "Didn't you discuss it?" ”

"Who? We and Dongyu?! Li Mu's face suddenly changed, and he said loudly: "If we meet them, we must clean them up." We have a lot of border soldiers under us, if it weren't for the fact that the imperial court couldn't pay them, my brothers would still be dealing with the Tartars in Yansui Town. ”

Li Xin glared at him and said, "Be quiet, you want the people of the whole county to know that you are a thief?!" ”

Li Mu immediately looked out with a weak heart, and then sneered: "Fourth brother, forgive me, even if we don't succeed again, we won't unite with Dongyu." ”

Li Xin nodded and didn't speak, he didn't believe that Liukou would have a connection with Dongyu, it was just a coincidence.

"Fourth brother," Li Mu suddenly asked, "I've inquired in the past few days, and I heard that you are seriously ill?" Still crazy for a while? What's going on? ”