Su Jin arched his hand and smiled: "I first came to Weizhou, the situation in this place is not clear, so I only came to visit today, I really don't know if you folks are in trouble, if what the old man said is true, I will not stand idly by, but please tell me in detail, I also know it." ”

The old man looked at Su Jin for a long time, shook his head and said: "The old man doesn't know anything, the old man doesn't want to have anything to do with your officials, he doesn't have to get angry, the old man still wants to live for two more years." ”

Su Jin smiled and said: "I speak straightforwardly, I think you are spineless, look at your old man's age should be sixty years old, I am afraid that the sixty years of life have also been mixed, I haven't done a single thing with backbone." ”

The old man was dumbfounded and said, "Why do you open your mouth to hurt people?" Old man, how can I be spineless? ”

Su Jin said: "You'd rather eat these poison ivy and commit suicide slowly than explain the situation to us, isn't this spineless?" I guess I can only survive for three or two years after eating these poison ivy, and I don't dare to say the truth in order to live two more years, isn't this spineless? ”

The old man said angrily: "Don't provoke me, there is nothing to say to you officials, do you still want me to say the black things you did?" What kind of person is the old man, you can go and inquire, in the early years, the party thieves came to the village to make a nuisance, the old man slipped through the stomachs of three bald thieves with a steel fork, is it soft bones and spineless I know it, I can't ask others to evaluate it. ”

Su Jin was in awe, if what this old man said was true, then he was an old and strong character, but he wanted to know what was happening in the city, but he refused to say it, presumably there was a big hidden secret, and this old man didn't want to cause more trouble.

Wang Dynasty stepped forward and said: "Uncle, we are from the capital, and these local officials have nothing to do with it, my son-in-law is the champion of the bachelor's degree, he could have been a comfortable official in the capital or the rich land in the south, but he came to this place where birds don't, he just wanted to do something, you are probably afraid that the officials will defend each other, once you tell the truth, you will get into trouble, this worry is not necessary, my son-in-law is here as an official, seeing that the people are hungry and hungry, it is natural to rectify it, if everyone does not speak, How does my son-in-law start? ”

The old man looked at Su Jin and said, "Are you the champion?" ”

Su Jin said with a smile: "No, it's exact, but when you come here, you are the parent official of Weizhou, don't have too many scruples, you can say anything if you know." ”

The old man hesitated, Su Jin sighed and said: "Okay, if you don't want to say it clearly, I can't force you, and then the official will go to others to ask, and someone will always be willing to tell me why this is happening." Su Jin arched his hand, waved his hand and led everyone away, and the old man shouted behind him: "I'm afraid that no one will tell you the reason, so don't waste your efforts." ”

Su Jin turned his head and frowned: "To say something disrespectful, if everyone is bullied and doesn't dare to speak, then I can't help if I want to, these people are so insensitive, they deserve to die of starvation and illness, this official can help food and live, but it can't save people's hearts, people's hearts are numb, they are no different from dead people, and living is also a waste of rations." ”

Su Jin said this more ruthlessly, but the old man did not refute it, his face seemed to be deeply touched, seeing that Su Jin turned around and was about to leave, the old man gritted his teeth, and made up his mind and said, "How about the adults go to my cold house to sit?" ”

Su Jin was overjoyed, turned his head and said, "Thank you, old man, just begging for a bowl of water to drink." ”

……

The thatched hut was low and narrow, and many people couldn't enter, so Su Jin ordered everyone to wait outside, and he entered the thatched hut alone. However, this thatched hut is not too shabby from the furnishings inside, there are tables, chairs and benches, and there are clothes and hats hanging on the wall, and the most conspicuous thing is a steel fork in the corner of the wall and a bamboo basket nearly one person high.

Su Jin sat on the edge of the wooden table, patted the woody tabletop and said, "This is the table made by the old man himself, this craftsmanship is really good." ”

The old man took a broken bowl, scooped a bowl of water, brought it over, handed it to Su Jin with both hands, and said with a smile: "The little old man learned some carpenter's skills in his early years, so he got some wood to make some tables, chairs and benches, and the poor people can make do with it, which makes the adults laugh." ”

Su Jin took the black and dirty bowl, hesitated whether to drink the broken bowl, and looked at the dirt on the edge of the bowl, but the corner of his eye seemed to see that the old man was staring at him, so he turned his heart sideways, opened his mouth to drink a bowl of water, wiped the water stains on his mouth and said: "It's so cool, I didn't expect the water in Weizhou to be so delicious, it is cold and refreshing with a slight sweetness." ”

Seeing that Su Jin did not dislike drinking dry water, the smile on his face softened a lot, and he was psychologically closer, and said with a smile: "Master Su doesn't know, this water is not the water in Weizhou City, but the snow water on Longshan Mountain, thirty miles to the west, and the old man has to walk for a long time to come back with a bucket of water on his back, so this water is naturally delicious." ”

Su Jin praised: "My Tao is so cold and delicious, it turns out to be so rare." But what did my husband do in Longshan? Is it just to come back with water to drink? ”

The old man pointed to Ma Lanteng who was drying outside and said, "Isn't it just to get some food?" By the way, bring some water back to drink, my husband and I have lived at the foot of Longshan since I was a child, and have lived for decades, but I was forced to live in this Weizhou city because of the war, and I am used to drinking snow water, but I am not very suitable for the water full of mud and sand in this Weizhou city, so I have worked hard to carry back some water to drink. ”

Su Jin nodded and said, "I see, dare to ask the old man's surname." ”

The old man bowed down and said: "The little old man's surname is Lu, and he has no name. ”

Su Jin smiled: "It turned out to be Uncle Lu, Uncle Lu shouldn't be farming for a living, let me guess what you used to do." ”

Lu Laosan smiled and said, "My lord, guess it." ”

Su Jin pretended to ponder and said: "I guess you must be a hunter, I usually hunt on Longshan for a living, and you must also collect medicine and sell it to the medicine shop in Weizhou City for money, I don't know if it's right or not." ”

Lu Laosan was surprised: "Adults have good eyesight, I don't know how adults guessed it." ”

Su Jin laughed, and pointed to the corner of the wall: "That's not the guy you make a living for?" Steel forks, medicine baskets, and bows and arrows, why haven't you seen them? ”

Lu Laosan smiled and said: "The lord is really a caring person, he does have a bow and arrow, but the old man is afraid of being confiscated by the officers and soldiers, so he didn't hang it out, and the lord won't search my bow and arrow." ”

Su Jin waved his hand and said, "How come?" Besides, I can't find it out, my bow and arrow must be hidden in a cave on Longshan, and my husband can use it when he enters the mountain, and he will come out empty-handed when he goes out of the mountain, right? ”

Lu Lao was embarrassed on three sides, he did just that, so as to avoid being confiscated by the officers and soldiers, he didn't expect these careful thoughts to be punctured by Su Jin's words.

Su Jin diverted the topic and said, "Since my uncle can hunt wild animals, why do you still want to eat this unpalatable Malan vine?" ”

Lu Laosan said: "Although there are many wild things, but it is not easy to hunt, and it is not easy to go out of the city now, the city gate is very strong, the old man went out of the city five days ago, and beat three grousels and two rabbits, and there is only one hare left from the city gate, and they are still conscientious, otherwise they can't even eat a piece of meat." ”

Su Jin was stunned and said, "The soldiers at the city gate are still robbing you of your food?" ”

Lu Laosan said: "They don't rob Ma Lanteng, and the game is absolutely offered." ”

Su Jin said: "Then why don't you come back after roasting and eating, but you brought back so much game, isn't this delivered to the door?" ”

Lu Laosan said: "Adults don't know, if they can't get some game from the old man, how can they let the old man out of the city?" It's like buying road money, you can only get in and out after paying the road money, and the old man can occasionally get some wild game to taste. ”

Su Jin nodded silently, thought for a while, and said: "Uncle Lu, let's open the skylight and say something, I am from the capital, as far as I know, the grain allocated by the imperial court to the northwest contains rations for the relief of the people, how much grain can you receive every month?" Isn't that enough to eat?"

Lu Laosan looked at Su Jin and arched his hand: "I think the adults seem to be really not in the same group as them, since the adults came to ask today, the old man poured beans with the adult's bamboo tube, even if the old man looked away, he had no regrets about being blinded by the adult, because the old man couldn't help but seize this opportunity, if no one cares about it, the people in the city are afraid that they will starve to death and die." ”

Su Jin got up and arched his hand and said: "But it doesn't hurt to say it, I didn't come to deceive you as you think, walking on the street today, my eyes are desolate, this is under the rule of this official, I will be here for either party in the future, how can I not be anxious; At first, he was offended by speaking, but he also wanted to provoke the old man to tell the truth, and the official faintly felt that there was a lot of greasy in it, and asked the old man to know everything. ”