PS: I'm too busy at work today, I'm sorry!

Chu State, Shang Cai.

The cold winter of November has frozen this city on the banks of the Rushui River. In the huge Shangcai City, there are no other people except for the pedestrians who are scattered and hurrying by. Like other cities in the Chu State, the inhabitants of Shangcai were also full of vegetables and looked malnourished. If you think that this is the case in Shangcai City, then you are wrong. Shengyifang, not far from the civilian area, is the famous Xungui district of Shangcai, and none of the people who live here are officials who have come down to 600 stones. If you have to use a poem to describe the huge gap between the two classes of Shangcai, it can only be "Zhumen wine and meat stink, and there are frozen bones on the road". And Shang Cai is just a microcosm of the Chu State.

Because of the great war with the Qi State, the Chu State lost Yan zhòng, so the King of Chu ordered another tax increase without surprise. Starting from the king of Chu, layers of officials exploited it, and in the end, the civilians who were responsible for paying the bill received an astronomical amount. Entering and leaving the city required paying twice the usual gate tax, and those who collected firewood and sold meat and vegetables were required to charge an additional tax according to the value of the goods as long as they carried a slightly larger package.

Although the common people complained about this, they had to obey orders under the coercion of the officials' sticks, knives and axes. In order to reduce expenses as much as possible, many families who did not have enough firewood for the winter had to pick up cow and horse manure on the street to live and heat themselves, and all unnecessary activities were cancelled. Many civilians in Shangcai have been staying at home since the first snow falls in the sky, trying to prevent heat loss as much as possible.

In a slum area in the southwest of the city, shabby houses barely provide shelter from the elements. But the cracks and cracks everywhere no longer remind the owner of his house all the time, and after a few more heavy snows and rains, the house will also die.

In the house, a fourteen or fifteen-year-old child carefully rummaged through the stove under his feet, throwing tiny branches into it one by one. Although the whole room was filled with a choking smell of medicinal herbs. But the boy didn't care, just the tiny beads of sweat on his forehead wordlessly proved the boy's carefulness. Beads of sweat fell into the hazy steam in the blink of an eye, and the boy didn't have time to wipe them off, but put all his thoughts on the pot of medicine boiling on the stove.

Not far from the stove was a clay kang, and under the red, dark futon was a woman with a yellow face and thin muscles. You can vaguely see the demeanor of your youth. The woman coughed incessantly, each coughing causing the boy to look back nervously.

"Si'er, Si'er!" The woman said weakly.

The boy, who had been distracted by the movement behind him, immediately put down the work in his hand, squatted on the side of the bed in three steps and two steps, and asked with concern: "Mother! You call the child! Is it to drink water? ”

The woman shook her head lovingly, took the boy's hand, and reluctantly smiled, and said, "Idiot, idiot! Mother's sick mother is clear. Don't catch those Chinese medicines for your mother, don't use them! Keep the money to buy some rice grain, it's just winter! My mother is gone, what are you going to do this winter? ”

As soon as the boy heard this, his eyes immediately turned red, and he bit his lip vigorously to keep the tears from falling. The boy pretended to be angry and said, "Mother! The second uncle next door introduced a Xue Shen Doctor a few days ago, and the medicine he prescribed these days is what his mother has been taking. Doctor Xue is amazing. Mom, your cough has gotten much better these days. Doctor Xue said that as long as you eat seven or eight more pairs. Mother's illness will be almost better! Mother! When you get better, I'll go hunting for you outside the city, Brother Huzi said that there are the most hares in Sanlipo, I'll go and give you the fattest one, stew it for your mother! ”

The woman knew that she would not survive her illness until the beginning of the next year. His husband died in battle a few years ago. Only the orphans and widows were left behind. In the past, relying on his hard work day and night, he could barely get by. But maybe it was because of the accumulation of work, and he fell ill all of a sudden.

At first, I was able to hold on, but then I couldn't hold on. I had no choice but to find a doctor with my teeth ruthless. What a thought. The doctor opened his mouth and asked for a consultation fee of 10 gold. Although the neighbors also want to help themselves, they are all poor families, where can they get together so much money. Therefore, this disease can only be delayed, find some You Fang Langzhong to take a look, prescribe some cheap medicinal materials, and point out that he can survive it.

But the more the woman felt heavier and heavier in the past few days. The disease I have, in the rich and noble, is just a bit of money; But in the poor family, it is really fatal. The woman was not afraid of death, anyway, it was a very hard time, but what the woman could not let go of was her fifteen-year-old child. Once he dies, who will take care of him? The neighbors can help for a while, but they can't help for a lifetime!

"Silly child, mother doesn't have to eat hares. If you have this filial piety, your mother will be satisfied. Si'er! After your mother dies, you will go to the second uncle Niu next door, Uncle Ma, your father helped them a lot when he was alive, and they have a good heart. You go to them, find a random place outside the city, and bury your mother. Don't set up any coffin, just a mat. Save money to buy something to eat. ”

After saying so much at once, the woman couldn't help panting, and then tremblingly took a hairpin off her head, touched it several times, handed it to the boy, and said, "This hairpin was given to your mother by your father!" My mother can't see the day you marry your daughter-in-law, and this hairpin is a gift from my mother-in-law to her, don't lose it, you know? ”

"Mother!" The boy couldn't hold back any longer, and cried and threw himself on the side of the earthen kang.

"Don't cry, don't cry, ahem. Birth, old age, sickness and death, human nature! Mother is not afraid of death, I don't have much happiness in this life, you have to live well, and enjoy all the blessings you should enjoy for your mother, you know? ”

The boy nodded desperately as he cried, "Si'er doesn't want her mother to die!" Mother, don't die! Doctor Xue said that as long as you eat seven or eight more pairs, your mother's illness will be cured! Mother! Si'er said that she would build you a big house, how could you not keep your word? Dad said that if he is gone, I will be the only man in the family, and I will protect my mother! If you're gone, how can I explain it to my father! ”

Listening to the boy's almost vexatious plea, the woman's tears also fell down, and she sobbed as she said, "Mother doesn't want to die, but it's all fate!" It's all fate! Let's go, go and call your second uncle Niu and Uncle Ma. While my mother is still alive, I have to entrust you to them! Otherwise, if you see your father under Jiuquan, how can your mother have any face! ”

The boy was clubbed on the ground, tears streaming down his face, but he did not move. But the woman was angry, "Ahem, do you want to be angry with your mother?" ”

The boy cried, stamped his feet, and ran out.

Goose feathers began to fall in the sky, and the streets, which were already few pedestrians, were even colder. The residents of Shangcai, who are familiar with it, know that the snow is not cold and the snow is cold, and when the weather clears, they don't know how many hungry and cold Li people will freeze to death. In this troubled world, human life is as cheap as grass, and it is not easy to live.

On this snowy afternoon, when everyone was afraid to hide, a team of brocade hats and ermine furs and gorgeously dressed were advancing against the wind and snow.

"Uncle, the snow is getting heavier and heavier, why don't we go back to the inn to hide first?" One of the attendants shouted.

The wind and snow drowned out most of his voice, and by the time it reached the ears of the people next to him, it was too small to be true. "No! This is the task that the king has given us! Whatever you say today, you have to check the last one clearly! If this person is not him, we will go down to the nearby village to find it! ”

"Got it!" The squire replied loudly.

In the dilapidated house, two middle-aged men stood by with sad expressions, and the boys still had tears in the corners of their eyes. The woman on the sickbed showed a humble smile and said, "Si'er has been well-behaved and obedient since she was a child, chopping wood, cooking, laundry, and doing any kind of work. After I leave, I hope that the two of them can help him for the sake of his deceased father, and I will be grateful to Dade and repay the kindness of the two as cattle and horses in the next life! ”

The woman waved her hand, called the boy over, and said, "Come!" On your knees! Kowtow to your two uncles! In the future, when your mother is gone, you have to listen to them and be filial to them when you grow up, you know? ”

The boy nodded tearfully and was about to kneel. The two hurriedly stopped, and one of them complained: "Big sister, you are out of sight like this!" You don't know the nature of my old cow, as long as my baby drinks a mouthful, Si'er will eat a mouthful. You can rest assured! ”

Another middle-aged man also persuaded: "Yes! Big girl! My old horse is here to assure you that I will treat Si'er as my own, he is thirsty and hungry, come to my house at any time, and I will let the child and his mother cook for him! ”

The woman nodded with satisfaction and said, "My father didn't give you two brothers in vain!" Come! Si'er! Why don't you hurry up and thank the two benefactors? ”

The boy on the side immediately knelt down and kowtowed three times in a row. The two middle-aged people looked cramped, but they still accepted this big gift.

Outside the door, the young attendant pointed to the dilapidated house in front of him and said loudly, "Uncle, it should be this one!" ”

At the signal of the uncle, the attendant began to slam on the door. No way, in such a big wind and snow, the sound of knocking on the door will be covered by the wind after not being able to reach five steps. Maybe the door was in disrepair, or maybe the attendants used too much force, and before they knocked twice, the door collapsed.

The chief frowned, and the attendant smiled wryly and shouted, "Uncle! I really don't blame me! ”

The chief shook his head helplessly, and motioned for the attendant to follow him in. Walking to the door of the house, the chief knocked on the door himself, for fear that his subordinates would accidentally "knock on the other party's door" again.

The three people in the room who were sad heard a knock on the door for no reason, and when the boy opened the door, he was surprised to find a richly dressed man standing in the doorway, with a guard on each side. For a moment, the people in the room were stunned. (To be continued......)