But the grass still didn't dare to come out, she was dizzy with hunger, and she was still reluctant to bite the steamed bun while holding it. Curled up in the thorns and waited for a long time, convinced that the confused Humpty Dumpty was really gone, and then slowly struggled to crawl out of the thorns, and his body was already in tattered clothes, and it was even more unlooked at the moment.

She knelt on her stomach and slowly looked at the entrance of the alley, but she didn't see the short and fat man, so she got up, held the bun in her arms, and struggled to drag her heavy steps back step by step. After passing through a few alleys, we returned to the alley where the family lived.

She saw the huddled figure of the family from a distance, and the way her father was impatiently turning back and forth, she couldn't help but shiver, thought about it, hid in the corner of the house next to her, took out the bun, broke it in half, squeezed it tightly, and pinched it into a small ball, and then spit on the ground a few times, dried her mouth, and then stuffed the ball into her mouth and held it. Ran briskly into the alley.

In the past half a day, Cao'er's younger brother Gou'er stopped a number of passing men at the entrance of the alley, but none of them succeeded, either because Cao'er's mother was too obscene, or he was reluctant to make that one bun.

The dog was so hungry that he couldn't stand, and Cao'er's mother was distressed, saying that she would go outside to find it, and come back when she got food. After that, he staggered away.

The father scolded and told the dog to come back and lie down and sleep.

The old woman told the dog to lie down behind her back to hide from the cold. The dog lay down but couldn't sleep, he was so hungry that he panicked, he couldn't fall asleep over and over, he saw some wild vegetables growing in the corner of the house, and he didn't know if he could eat it, so he panicked with hunger, pulled a handful and stuffed it into his mouth and chewed it, it was bitter and astringent, and after swallowing it hard, he didn't have the courage to pull out the second handful to eat. Curled up and went back to sleep.

But the hunger was so uncomfortable that the dog's forehead was cold sweat, and his whole body trembled, so he bit off a piece of rotten cloth on the placket and chewed it in his mouth. The fabric is basically tasteless, and it is chewier than the wild vegetables. He chewed for a while, felt soft, and swallowed it with difficulty.

There was something in the stomach, whatever it was, it felt better, and the dog ripped off another piece and chewed it in his mouth. Maybe it was the wild vegetable that was sick to the stomach just now, or maybe the cloth was not food in the first place, and the stomach had a rejection reaction of self-protection, and the dog vomited. He didn't have the strength to get up and vomit, so he lay on his side, spitting out the two pieces of cloth and wild vegetables, sticking to one cheek. Gasping for breath with difficulty non-stop.

The old woman behind him didn't have the strength to turn to look at him, crying, "Dog, what's wrong with you, dog?" Dog ......"

"Stop howling!" The dog's father scolded, "Save some effort to sleep, don't you die fast enough?" ”

"Dog......" the old woman sobbed and cried.

Just then, the grass returned.

Her father hurriedly stood up to meet her: "Have you gotten something?" ”

Cao'er nodded and handed over half of the bun in her hand.

Her father grabbed it and stuffed it into his mouth, and said angrily, "Why is it only half? Did you steal it or hide it? ”

Cao'er cowered and shook her head.

Her father chewed half of the bun, grabbed the grass, searched up and down, then pushed her away, sat on the ground with a curse, took the kettle and drank it, and soon swallowed the half bun. Then he curled up and slept in the only broken quilt in the family.

The grass then crawled to her grandmother's side.

The old woman said in a dumb voice: "Cao'er, look at your brother's ......, he was vomiting ...... just now"

Cao'er hurriedly crawled behind the old woman and shook her brother and dog.

The dog opened his eyes with difficulty and looked at the grass: "Sister......, I'm so hungry ......"

Cao'er turned her head sideways, spit out the steamed bun balls in her mouth, stuffed them into her brother's mouth, and whispered, "Don't be silent!" ”

The dog nodded hurriedly, but did not dare to chew, for fear that his father would hear and snatch it away, and soak it in saliva. The bubble softened, and I swallowed it little by little.

How can this thing be enough to fill the stomach, the dog's weak voice said again: "Sister, I'm still hungry......"

Cao'er took off a red thread from her arm, tied it to the dog's wrist, and said with tears: "This is my sister who went to beg just now, and got it from Longquan Temple in front, and I heard the monk of the temple say that when you are very hungry, touch this red thread, and you won't be hungry......"

"Did the monk really say that?"

"Hmmm......"

The dog touched the red thread on his wrist, and sure enough, he didn't seem to feel so hungry, he had eaten a little bit just now, and his stomach was quieter, so he fell asleep.

Cao'er was so hungry that she couldn't sleep, her stomach seemed to be stirring something, her whole body was in a cold sweat, her hands and feet were shaking, and she forgot about the cold under her hunger, and she had to find something to eat. Whatever it is.

She had no strength to stand up, so she could only slowly crawl away on the ground.

Climb into the weeds in the corner of the house. It was a small wasteland, overgrown with all kinds of weeds and thorns, and clumps of snow.

The sound of her father chewing buns came from her ears, chirping, chirping, and the grass was churning in her stomach, hungry and cold, and her eyes were black for a while. Her hands groped on the ground, grabbed a handful of wild vegetables, ripped them off, and stuffed them into her mouth with her eyes closed to chew.

It was bitter and astringent, and she couldn't swallow it at all, so she vomited, pulled another one, kneaded it into a ball and stuffed it into her mouth, didn't dare to chew it again, grabbed another handful of snow, and swallowed it hard. If you don't chew the wild vegetables, you basically don't feel the bitter taste, and after swallowing them, the gastrointestinal reaction is relatively small, so you don't vomit. After having something in my stomach, I feel much better.

Seeing that this method worked, the grass looked for it in the grass, and picked the soft and tender ones, especially the dry ones, such as dried leaves, dried flowers and plants, which had no taste and could fill the stomach, so they stuffed them into their mouths. Stuff a handful at a time, then grab a handful of snow and swallow it in your stomach.

Cao'er didn't know how many wild vegetables she had eaten. I only felt that my body was getting softer and softer, the strength of my whole body was disappearing little by little, and I couldn't lift my hands to pull weeds. Venus was in front of me, dizzy, and finally, I fell asleep.

............―――――――――――――― Zuo Shaoyang saw that the shopkeeper Zhu was standing at the door of the alley waiting to catch the grass girl, so he stood in place and watched, if he caught the grass girl, he stepped forward to stop it.

After waiting for a while, seeing that the shopkeeper Zhu was scolding and leaving, Zuo Shaoyang breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing that the shopkeeper Zhu was holding his injured hand and walking towards the Qingxiang Tea Shop, he was on the same road with himself, and when he saw him walking in front, he didn't want to follow him all the way, so he turned around and walked towards Hengchang Medicine. I'm going to go there first.

He was now familiar with the main streets of the city, and walked through the streets and alleys to Hengchang Medicine Store.

It was strange to see the door closed from afar, and I thought of the medicine cabinet, last time I heard him and his son say that although they have food in the medicine store, there are not many, and there are more guys in the medicine store, I am afraid that it will not last enough for so long, and the medicine cabinet is good for himself, why not help him first.

The money he used to buy food was scraped together by people all afternoon, and without this money, his family was afraid that he would almost starve to death at this time. Although it was just a business at the time, it seems that now it is a life-saving feeling. Therefore, Zuo Shaoyang decided to sell the food he needed to the medicine cabinet at the cost price, which can be regarded as a favor.

Since the door was closed, Zuo Shaoyang didn't step forward to knock on the door, he knew the habit of wishing the medicine cabinet, if there was nothing else, he would go to the Qingxiang Tea Shop early in the morning and stay until the evening before going back. Now he should be in the fragrant tea shop.

Qingxiang Tea Shop is not far from Guizhitang Pharmacy, he went back to Guizhitang first, Zuo Gui and Miao Peilan have already returned, and the money, house deed, and land deed have been handed over to his mother Liang for safekeeping.

I heard Zuo Shaoyang say that he was going to the Qingxiang Tea Shop. Liang asked Bai Zhihan to follow. Liang is looking for opportunities to keep the two of them together as much as possible.

Zuo Shaoyang didn't bother to say much, so he took Bai Zhihan to the fragrant tea shop.

There are no tea customers in the lobby of the tea shop, it is afternoon at this time, and there will be fewer tea customers, and now there is a shortage of soldiers, especially the people in the city are panicking, they are worried about food, where is there still the heart to make tea in the teahouse.

Father Sang, Mother Sang and Sang Wazi drank porridge and went to sleep, for fear of moving too much and consuming more. So in the lobby, only Sang Xiaomei and Huang Qin sat on the bamboo chairs, and when they saw him coming, they were very happy and hurriedly got up to greet each other. Especially Huang Qin, she also deliberately straightened her clothes, brushed her hair, and looked at Bai Zhihan with a gray face in men's clothes with shame and joy.

Except for a few old tea customers who have surplus grain and have a calm surname in the morning, there is no business in the tea shop. Sang Xiaomei was a little embarrassed, as if it was her own fault.

Where can Zuo Shaoyang take care of this little profit at this time, and asked, "Is the old man Zhu of Hengchang Pharmacy here?" ”

"In the backyard, he's used to coming early in the morning and going back in the evening."

Huang Qin whispered to Bai Zhihan: "Brother Bai, your face is stained with ashes, can I fetch water for you to wash?" ”

Bai Zhihan ignored him.

Zuo Shaoyang walked quickly to the back hall, Bai Zhihan hurriedly stepped forward and hurriedly lifted the curtain for him, Zuo Shaoyang took his robe and stepped in, and saw the medicine cabinet sitting in the old position by the river blowing a cool breeze. There were three old tea customers sitting next to him, one short and fat, who was the shopkeeper of Jinyu Restaurant, Zhu Zhang.

Zhu Yao saw him come in, and said with a smile: "Yo, the new shopkeeper is here, Xiao Langzhong, I thought you looked down on the small business of this tea shop and refused to come to take care of it." Why did you have time to come over? ”

Zuo Shaoyang arched his hand and said, "I have something to do with the old man." ”

"Okay, what do you sit down and say? I invite you to tea? -- Look at my surname, how can there be a reason for a tea guest to invite a tea shop shopkeeper to drink tea, you can order it yourself. ”

"Huh." Zuo Shaoyang turned back to Sang Xiaomei and said, "Just bring me a cup of tea." ”

Zhu Yaojie hurriedly said: "This is not good, you are the shopkeeper, at least you have to have a cup of the best Mengding Wanchun Silver Leaf Tea, in line with your identity!" ”

Sang Xiaomei was about to go to make tea, but when she heard this, she stood up again and looked at Zuo Shaoyang.

"Don't make fun of me, old man, I don't usually drink tea, so the Mengding hawksbill tea that the old man invited me to drink last time is good. ――I wish the old man a good mood? Zuo Shaoyang said with a smile.

Zhu Medicine Cabinet sighed: "I call Huang Cypress wood to make drumsticks - the scenery outside is bitter inside!" Poor and happy! ”

(To be continued)