Zuo Shaoyang hurriedly asked again: "What about the enemy army?" Did you come to attack Hezhou? ”

Xiao Yunfei said: "No, I heard that in the month after the grain requisition order was issued, the enemy army did not launch a large-scale attack. And the officers and troops were even more powerless to counterattack, and the two sides were deadlocked. However, if we continue to survive like this, I think the official army will definitely not be able to compare with the rebels. I came from Shuanghuai Town, and the rebels seem to have more abundant food, and they still drink wine and eat meat. ”

"Where's the fragrant tea shop? How are they? Zuo Shaoyang asked urgently.

Xiao Yunfei glanced at him: "By the way, I forgot that you and the little sister of the Qingxiang Tea Shop are not clear, I knew that you were so concerned, I would have gone to see them, when I passed by the door of the Qingxiang Tea Shop, the door was closed, and now the people in the city are anxious about food, who still has the heart to drink tea." It should be fine. ”

Zuo Shaoyang said worriedly: "I have already bought that fragrant tea shop." I can't help but think about it. Let's hope she's okay. By the way, there is also a shopkeeper in my shop, the one who opened a jade shop next to the yamen. He was also in our pharmacy and injured his leg. ”

"He's good or bad."

"What's going on?"

"My leg is fine, but I look very bad and sad."

Zuo Shaoyang said: "One leg is lame, I must be in a bad mood." ――Where is Mrs. Qu's family? Is it my slave Zhi'er and her grandfather's house? ”

Xiao Yunfei stood still, glared and said: "Brother, as soon as I entered the city, I went to your house to look for you, knowing that you went to Guigu Peak, I immediately went out of the city and went up the mountain to find you, you must know this, I will go around and inquire about the people you care about before I come to save you." ”

Zuo Shaoyang smiled and said, "Hehe, brother, don't be angry, I'll just ask casually." It's okay, I'll find out right back anyway. ”

Xiao Yunfei glanced at him: "It's okay, then the old lady Qu is fine, and she is also drinking porridge at your house." ”

Xiao Yunfei led them to the mountainside, where there were rebel patrols and sentry posts, Xiao Yunfei easily subdued the sentry and led them down the mountain.

Halfway up the mountain, the scene is shocking, the part below the mountain, as if after a plague of locusts, the green things are hard to see, all the trees are bare, the bark has been stripped naked, the leaves on it have also been wiped out, even the grass on the ground, what can be eaten and not eaten has been torn off. As far as the eye can see, it is desolate. Dead bodies could be seen everywhere on the hillside, dressed as civilians.

The four of them were very heavy and went down to the foot of the mountain. By this time it was almost evening.

The four of them were to enter the city before it was dark and close the gates, and they were going to hurry up as if they were flying.

Miao Peilan looked at the barren hills and fertile fields on both sides of the road, and sighed: "It seems that this year is very hot, and it is already time to cultivate the land and sow seeds. ”

Xiao Yunfei said: "Yes, I came all the way, almost all the fertile land has not been cultivated, the people have run away, many villages have been destroyed in the war, who cares about planting crops, they are looking for food, it would be good to be able to save their lives." ”

Zuo Shaoyang said: "You can't just look at the present! If there are no crops in the field, what will happen this year? The bark of the wild vegetables on the mountain is almost eaten up, and if you don't farm, how will you spend this year? More people will die then! ”

"Yes, who doesn't know this, but who still has the strength to farm? If you give these people the seeds to sow seeds, they will eat them immediately! It's all about looking at the present. ”

"Our family has 80 acres of fertile land, we have to sow the rice, we must plant the land, and there will be a harvest next year! If you don't sow seeds, you will delay the farming time, and there will be no hope for a year. Now food comes first, and we will talk about it later when we grow medicinal herbs. In any case, we have to find a way to sow the rice seeds first. However, if there are no rice seeds at home, where can I buy them? ”

Miao Peilan said: "In the past, before spring ploughing, there were rice seeds for sale in the yamen, but this year I am afraid that there will be none." ”

"All the grain in the yamen has been taken away by the officials and soldiers, but I am afraid that there will be no more grain, and it is impossible to leave the rice seeds."

Zuo Shaoyang sighed, there were no rice seeds, and it was useless to be in a hurry.

While speaking, they finally saw the city tower from a distance, and at this time, Zuo Shaoyang and the three of them all smelled a strong smell of corpses, and couldn't help but look at each other, Xiao Yunfei smiled bitterly: "This is the smell of corpses wafting from the mass graves." The corpses were thrown in the big pit, it is estimated that the people have no strength to bury them, so they can only be thrown like this, this day has slowly warmed up, and the smell is unbearable. Although the enemy forces do not interfere with the burial of the corpses, who has the strength to do it? The people don't know if the next one will starve to death. ”

Walking towards the city gate tower, you can already see the corpses of starvation and collapse on the road, on the official road, in the small river ditch, on the hillside, everywhere, some of them are highly decomposed, and they have obviously been dead for many days.

The four of them came to the city gate with a heavy heart, and the soldiers guarding the city were squatting and leaning against the city gate tower, and the blades did not care if they fell to the side, and the people who came in and out did not check, but no one entered or left.

The four of them went straight to the pharmacy, passing by the fragrant tea shop, and sure enough, the door of the store was closed.

Zuo Shaoyang felt uneasy in his heart, so he stopped, turned around and ran over to knock on the door, and after a while, the door opened a small door, but it was Huang Qin who came out. It's already emaciated.

As soon as Huang Qin saw Zuo Shaoyang, she immediately perked up, staggered over and grabbed his arm, and cried: "Where have you died these days?" - Little sister, she ......, she's dying......! ”

"Huh?" Zuo Shaoyang was taken aback, "What's the matter?" Where is she? ”

"Upstairs! She's starving to death...... woo-woo"

"Didn't I ask Zhi'er to bring you two food every day? Eight steamed buns a day! Zuo Shaoyang said as he walked towards the staircase.

"All ......, alas! You'll find out later! Huang Qin cried.

Zuo Shaoyang rushed to the staircase, Sang Mu and their door opened, Sang Mu came out, and when she saw Zuo Shaoyang, she said happily: "Ouch, it's Young Master Zuo who is here, I knew you would come, our three sisters are about to starve to death, if you don't come again, you can only collect his body!" ”

Zuo Shaoyang glanced at her and saw that she was fatter than before, but this was fat, that is, edema, and it was obvious that her head was swollen like a pig's head. But the spirit is not bad, I suddenly understood a little bit in my heart, I flew upstairs quickly, rushed to the door of Sang Xiaomei's room, the door was closed, and I pushed it open, and I saw Sang Xiaomei lying on the bed, her hair had become dry, scattered on the embroidered pillow, her eyes were closed, her eye sockets were deep, her cheekbones were raised, her lips were dry, and she had already lost her watery appearance.

Zuo Shaoyang's eyes were moist, and he stepped forward, grabbed his wrist and checked the pulse, the pulse came and went, and he probed his nose, and he was already angry. Hurriedly shouted: "Little sister! Little sister, wake up! Younger sister! ”

After a moment, Sang Xiaomei opened her eyes weakly, and when she saw that it was him, her eyes flashed with incomparable joy, and she smiled softly: "Zuo ......, Zuo Gongzi ......" His eyes were rosy.

Zuo Shaoyang turned to Miao Peilan and Ding Xiaosan and said, "Leave the emergency box, you rush back first, immediately cook a pot of gruel, and add ginseng to boil together!" Be quick! Ginseng in the pillow in the attic where I slept! ”

Miao Peilan and Ding Xiaosan agreed and rushed out of the room.

Zuo Shaoyang opened the emergency box, took out the small porcelain bottle containing the ginseng four reverse pills, and poured a pill, which was to return to Yang to save the adversity and improve the qi solidification. Let Huang Qin bring a bowl of warm water, smash the pill on the table, put it in warm water to dissolve, lift the quilt, carefully hugged Sang Xiaomei, let her lean on her arms, and said softly: "Little sister, don't be afraid, I'm back, I won't let you die!" Come, drinking this bowl of potion can help you keep your heart breath! Then I'll take it back to the pharmacy and make porridge for you to drink. ”

Sang Xiaomei snuggled in his arms, looked at him with a deformed face, nodded slightly, and a dry tear slowly emerged from the corner of her eye, slowly rolling down her skinny cheeks, and falling on Zuo Shaoyang's chest.

Zuo Shaoyang slowly fed her the small bowl of soup and medicine, and then carried Sang Xiaomei out of the room and went down the stairs with a knock.

At the top of the stairs, Sangmu stopped: "Zuo Gongzi, are you going to take your little sister back?" That's not possible, the little sister hasn't passed the door yet, you can't take it away like this, you have to give the dowry first, okay, seventy yuan, converted into five buckets of grain, give the food first, and then carry people away......"

Zuo Shaoyang wanted to kick her away, but he still held back: "Did you eat the bun I gave to my little sister?" ”

"No, ......, that's what, that's my little sister honoring me, I'm her mother, and it's a matter of course for my daughter to honor ......my mother."

"Get out! As I said, as long as you dare to eat the food of my little sister and sister-in-law, I will drive you away! Not only did you eat, but you saw that your daughter was starving to death, but you were still thinking about the dowry, you are simply not human! Brother Xiao, please kick her out of the tea shop for me! Sister-in-law Qin, you won't allow her to come in again! ”

"Ah, Zuo Gongzi, I'm my little sister's mother......"

Xiao Yunfei picked up Sang Mu with one hand, walked to the door and put it away: "If I see you dare to enter the tea shop again, I will throw you out, instead of carrying it out like this, if you don't believe it, you can try!" ”

Sang Mu saw her with one hand and carried herself out like a chicken, knowing that it was amazing, he didn't eat the loss in front of him, took two steps back, and pleaded with Zuo Shaoyang in a mournful voice: "Zuo Gongzi, you just look at the face of the little sister, save my life, you push me out, I will starve to death, the little sister can't live without a mother......"

Zuo Shaoyang ignored her, turned his head and asked Huang Qin, "How are Uncle Sang and Brother Sang?" ”

"I'm dying of hunger, lying in bed!"

"Did they steal from the two of you?"

"No, ......no, no, no, ......, that's why I'm dying of hunger."

"I'll get someone to bring food right away."

"Thank you, save your little sister first!"

Zuo Shaoyang ran to the pharmacy with Sang Xiaomei in his arms, and Xiao Yunfei followed with a first-aid kit.

(To be continued)