Zuo Shaoyang said: "We sold bandages to the officers and soldiers this time, which can be regarded as a windfall!" ”

Speaking of this, Zuo Gui suddenly stopped laughing, and said with a bitter face: "What kind of wealth!" Didn't get any money! ”

"Huh? What's going on? ”

"At the beginning, it was said that the money and goods were cleared, but the enemy did not attack for more than a month, and the officers and soldiers also relaxed, and they did not come to urge the goods. After the last batch of goods was delivered, I went to the Fu team to ask for the payment, and the Fu team was making an official statement, saying that the military salary was really unable to draw this money, and there were only 250 yuan left, and I could only wait for the class to return to the DPRK after the rebellion was suppressed. also patted his chest to ensure that he would not default on the debt. Alas, the gauze used to make 10,000 rolls of bandages, a total of 100 guan, the prepaid 100 guan has been deducted by Liu Huochang to make some connections, the money used to buy bandages and other things is purchased on credit, people come to the door every day to ask for debts, I was forced to have no choice, begged the Fu team just a few times, and finally promised to give him 20 guan benefits, he took me to find someone to say, and gave us 150 guan, and the remaining 100 guan, only said that there was no such expense, and it could only be given when the class teacher returned to the court. ”

"Did you get the money?"

"I got it, one hundred and fifty guan repaid one hundred yuan to buy bandages and other debts on credit, and twenty guan gave the Fu team a positive benefit, and only ten guan remained. There is also an IOU of 100 times. That's all. ”

Zuo Shaoyang was a little dumbfounded: "We have been busy for more than a month, and we have earned ten times?" The 100 class teachers only gave it when they returned to the court? Is it difficult for us to chase to the imperial court? The yamen in the capital is not as easy to do as the yamen in the county, and we are not familiar with the place, so we are afraid that the money will be wasted. ”

Zuo Gui also nodded with a sad face, and sighed: "Alas, I knew this earlier, and I didn't bother to make money at the beginning." Liu Huochang also sympathized with us, and said that the money was all agreed with others, and it could not be delayed, otherwise it would be difficult to do things in the future. He also said, waiting for the officials and soldiers to return to the capital to ask for money, it is even more difficult than ascending to the sky, now at the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, all kinds of waste are waiting to be rebuilt, and money must be used everywhere. ”

"What bad idea can he come up with?" Zuo Shaoyang has no good airway.

"It's not a good idea, so I've been hesitant to do it."

"What's the idea?"

Zuo Gui stroked his beard and said, "He said that if we agree to use the fifty acres of land for sale in the imperial court to offset the debt of one hundred yuan, this matter will be easy to do." He said that he heard Fu Teamzheng say that this is what the general meant. ”

"What?" Zuo Shaoyang was surprised and delighted, "Use fifty acres of land to pay off debts? This is possible! ”

"What's possible!" Zuo Gui's father said, "When I came back to discuss it, I felt that this idea was not good, especially your brother-in-law, who was resolutely opposed." He said that we have a small number of people in Hezhou, and this war has been fought for more than two months, and many people have starved to death, once the rebellion is quelled, it is impossible for grain to be transported in immediately, and there is no food in Hezhou, and a large number of laborers can only go out to flee the famine, who else will they find to farm? No one farms, how can we pay taxes on so many fields? ”

"This ......," Zuo Shaoyang thought with a frown.

Zuo Gui said again: "Your brother-in-law also said, this battle is now deadlocked, I don't know when it will be over, according to the secret protection, the imperial court's battle against the Turks in the north is not very smooth, and the main force of the Turks has not been able to find a decisive battle, and it is also dragged and dare not withdraw." Therefore, we can only count on the tens of thousands of old, weak, sick and disabled people in Hezhou to counterbalance the rebellion, but everyone knows that the rebels have not been fought, and if they really want to fight, we will not have enough food for others. Now I don't know what the rebels want to do, and they don't fight or let go, and I don't know when this battle will end. ”

Zuo Shaoyang originally thought that the rebels were encircling the point for reinforcements, and wanted to use the terrain advantage of Hezhou to encircle and suppress the main force of the imperial court that came to reinforce them, but it had been two months, and the imperial court had not sent troops, and the rebels did not go out, as if they had forgotten the rebels here. I really can't get it.

Zuo Gui said again: "It is estimated that when the rebellion is suppressed, it is also past the sowing season. Another year to delay, this year to pay the tax in vain, the current tax is 'five to pay one', five acres of land to take one acre of harvest to pay taxes, whether you plant or not, we now have 80 acres of land, plus these 50 acres of land to offset the debt, that is 130 acres, to pay 26 acres of harvest tax, we have calculated, to pay more than 500 buckets of rice! Even if calculated according to the price of grain before the war, you have to pay more than 180 yuan in taxes! Where are we looking for so much money to pay? Therefore, these 50 acres of land must not be wanted, and if you ask for it, it will be a hot potato, and you can't eat it or throw it away. Even if you sell it at a low price, I'm afraid that no one will want it at this time. It is better to keep this 100 yuan of debt, and when the time comes, find a way to get the relationship back, even if you want to get half back, it is more cost-effective than taking 50 acres of land and smashing it for nothing. ”

Zuo Shaoyang was a little dumbfounded, although he knew that investing in the field now would definitely make money in the future, but the current field tax is so high, if he can't find anyone to cultivate, he is afraid that before he can make money, he will lose all his money. I'll put this matter aside for the time being, and I'm not in a hurry anyway.

Zuo Shaoyang pulled the door out, and saw Mr. Qiao's wife and Yu's family standing at the door of the store, nodding and smiling at him, obviously having received the news that Zuo Shaoyang was back, so he came over and wanted him to go over to revisit the patient. Zuo Shaoyang can't take care of this now, anyway, he is not in a hurry at this moment. smiled apologetically, motioned for them to wait, and then said to Xiao Yunfei: "Brother Xiao, can you come in for a while?" I have something to say. ”

Xiao Yunfei seemed to know what he was going to say, entered the room with a straight face, and closed the door.

Zuo Shaoyang said: "Brother Xiao, you asked me to ask the abbot of Qingfeng Temple for help, I deposited the food you bought for me in Qingfeng Temple, Abbot Zhikong limited the supply of food for us on the grounds that I took care of too many people and was worried about affecting the lives of my family, can you tell him?" Let me take the food as I please. All right? ”

Xiao Yunfei shook his head and said: "I'm sorry, I know you want to help others, we all want to, and we can't bear to watch others die, but helping others must do what we can, and only when we ensure our own safety, do not help others, this is meaningful." Your food is already good for your family, not enough for others. Therefore, I cannot give you more than the amount of food, and I am responsible for your family. Of course, unless you can find more food, you can help more people. ”

"However, you have also seen that the family members, relatives and friends are all hungry and swollen, and if you don't increase your nutrition, you will die."

"That's your family's own trouble! Originally, there was not much food, but this one also wanted to take care of that and also wanted to help, if it weren't for the abbot of Zhikong to harden his heart and let your family come to him, I am afraid that when you come back now, you won't be able to see them! ”

"But ......"

"Don't be, it's been almost three months now, and I don't know how long the war will last in the future, and you don't have much food left, so let's think about what to do! I can't watch you starve to death! ”

Zuo Shaoyang smiled bitterly: "Alas, forget it, then it's better to eat wild vegetables and boil porridge, anyway, I haven't eaten it." ”

Xiao Yunfei said: "If you want, you can go with me to eat every day." It's enough for you to eat alone. ”

"Really? Okay, one less me, and others can eat a little more food. ――You can't have wild vegetables there, right? ”

"Hehe, of course not, but I can only bring you one, and no one else can bring it."

"That's, I'm already embarrassed to eat alone, how can I bring more people."

"That's decided, I'll go back and prepare first, you give the patient a follow-up, talk about the family, and I'll pick you up later."

"Start rubbing tonight?"

"yes, didn't you eat too?"

"Well, thank you!"

Xiao Yunfei said goodbye and went out.

Seeing Xiao Yunfei away, Zuo Shaoyang then chatted with his father about the past two months, and asked his father Zuo Guidao: "I see a mountain of corpses outside the city, have many people died?" ”

"Yes," Zuo Gui sighed, "It's really miserable. Your brother-in-law said that at first, the yamen still cleaned up the dead bodies once a day, but later, there were too many dead bodies, and the weather became hot again, and it was changed to two, three, or four times a day, and they still couldn't clean up, alas. Feng Langzhong of Huichun Hall, the one who came to buy from us, the family was so hungry that they had no choice, they took all their belongings, including the pharmacy, and exchanged five buckets of rice with others, but they were reported, Feng Langzhong and the food seller were beheaded on the street, and the heads were displayed to the public, and the grain and medicine stores traded were also confiscated. His family had no support, and within a few days, they all starved to death. ”

Zuo Shaoyang felt a chill in his back, and hurriedly asked, "What about the old man who wishes them Hengchang Medicine?" ”

"They ran out of food, came to me to find a way, I didn't dare to sell food, there was no grain to sell, they knew medicinal materials, I asked them to go up the mountain to dig Panax notoginseng to change the porridge, just like that, their family survived. By the way, the Humpty Dumpty who was often with them, the one who wanted to marry Sang Xiaomei last time......"

"The shopkeeper Zhu of Jinyu Restaurant?"

"Yes, he was beheaded too!"

"Really?" Zuo Shaoyang didn't know whether to be happy or sad, "How did you get beheaded?" ”

"There was nothing to eat at home, so he found a grain manager in the official army, who was his fellow villager, bought a little grain, and felt that this was a good opportunity to make a fortune. The general knew that they were buying and selling military rations, and he was very angry, and beheaded all the people involved, including the entire family of the shopkeeper Zhu, and showed them to the public. Alas, what miserable! ”

Zuo Shaoyang was a little gloomy in his heart, although he hated this Zhu shopkeeper very much, but when he heard that his whole family died tragically, he was still very sad. He asked again: "What about Dr. Ni from Huimin Hall?" ”

"There are only Ni's mother left, as well as Dr. Ni and his brother Ni Er, and the three of them, as well as our son Ni Zhi. The rest, two daughters-in-law, a few concubines, a few cousins, all starved to death! ”

(To be continued)