Chapter 1: The Prosperous Era (3)

The next day, when it was light, Li Mao got up and packed his things and went into the city. Before leaving, he picked up four raw cowhides, two baskets of dried mushrooms, and a bundle of beef jerky from the goods brought back from the plug, handed them to his son, and ordered: "Send it to your uncle, don't go to school these days, there is something for you to do at home!" ”

"Skip class casually, Old Master Yang will be angry!" Li Xu protested loudly, and when he saw that his father ignored him, he muttered and added, "These two days are about strategy, and I will ....... when I try it."

"I'll go if I tell you to go, what nonsense!" Li Mao was obviously not in a good mood, and pricked up his eyes and scolded.

Li Xu didn't know why his father, who had always been kind, was angry, and he didn't dare to collide. He hung a dry of groceries on the mule's back, and followed his father out of the house. It's still early, the official road is very deserted, the autumn wind rolls the early yellow leaves flying in the air, and the colorful butterflies are reflected in the light blue distant mountains, gorgeous with a bit of desolation.

"The emperor may be going to war again, and our Shanggu soldiers have always been famous?" At the fork in the road, Lao Li Mao looked at his son with a face full of grievances, and said with a sigh. Thinking that these words were far beyond the comprehension of a fourteen-year-old child, he smiled bitterly and walked away.

"War? A good thing, huh? I just joined the army to make a name for myself. Li Xu looked at his father's increasingly old back and thought puzzled. Pingsu studied in the county, and the old master Yang, who once followed Yang Su, the Duke of Yue, to sweep the south of the Yangtze River did not mention his own heroic deeds back then. Whenever he talked about the feat of the army crossing the river and pulling Chen Houzhu out of the well, he waved his palms and slapped the case, and the whole person seemed to be more than ten years younger.

"The eldest husband is alive, he should make a name for himself, the upper is to the king, the lower is to defend the people, if it is beneficial to the country, although he will die, he will not spin his heels......." Old Master Yang swayed his frivolity in front of the young people. At this time, Li Xu and the others were also drunk, as if they had also become Han Baohu and He Ruobi, and followed the young King Jin to guide the country. I never thought that with my own identity and family background, if I joined the army, I could only be a pawn, and the opportunity to die without turning my heel every day was not much more likely to be famous than being struck by lightning.

Thinking about it, I came to the door of the "Youma" inn. In recent years, the people have withered, ordinary people have two meals a day, and there is no business to be found in the inn in the morning, and there is usually no fire. To Li Xu's surprise, his uncle Zhang Baosheng didn't prepare the ingredients in the inn, and the huge inn was empty, and there was no one in sight.

"I'm afraid I'm busy in the backyard!" Li Xu stood at the door and waited for a moment, leading his mount around the back door. The backyard of the inn was my uncle's house, separated by two dilapidated earthen walls and an empty courtyard. Li Xu looked inside along the back chai door, and just happened to see the little concubine Zhang Liu who he was most afraid of seeing.

This Liu is a well-known spicy woman from far and near, who stays at home until she is nineteen years old, and no one in the neighborhood dares to ask. Her parents really couldn't accept a dowry of ten yuan, and promised her to Zhang Baosheng to fill the house. At that time, Zhang Baosheng's business was booming, and he married a woman who was more than 20 years younger than himself, and he was afraid of melting in the palm of his hand. After Miss Liu passed the door, her temper soared, and she was soon so frightened that her relatives, friends and neighbors who came to fight the autumn breeze did not dare to come to the door. But if it weren't for that, Zhang Baosheng's inn wouldn't be able to survive now. It's just that such a woman who can run the house has never been able to continue the incense for the Zhang family, so that Zhang Baosheng always wants to renew a concubine. Whenever he timidly put forward this plan, he was always scolded by Zhang Liu's nose and went out. After a long time, I had to give up this unrealistic idea.

As a scholar, Li Xu naturally doesn't look at the concubine pleasing to the eye. Mencius said: "There are three unfilial pieties, and no queen is the greatest", the uncle is not too old, and he should marry a woman who can have children to continue the incense for him. But as a junior, he couldn't mention these public comments in front of his uncle, so he had to minimize the opportunity to meet with the little concubine, so as to be a gentleman who "doesn't know if you don't see it, you don't know it, you don't say anything".

He didn't want to see his concubine, but Zhang Liu seemed to have a heart. Sensing the sound of footsteps at the door of the house, he stopped shouting without raising his head: "What's the matter, don't you hurry up and help me catch this chicken, delay the birthday feast set by Master Yang, we can't eat and walk!" ”

"Hey, hey!" Li Xu shuddered, only to find that his little concubine was holding a sharp knife in one hand, and he was facing the big rooster at the base of the wall. The rooster obviously knew that a catastrophe was coming, so he erected his comb, stretched his neck, clucked, and rushed left and right, trying to break through Zhang Liu's Five Finger Mountain. And Zhang Liu is not the master who is willing to give up, the cat has a willow waist, a plump buttocks, and the arm under the sleeve is pecked by the rooster full of blood, and he will not retreat.

Seeing this scene, Li Xu pushed open the courtyard door. Pulling up the hem of his robe and tying it into his arms, he rushed forward with a few lunges and knocked the to the ground. Zhang Liu saw that the people who came moved neatly, not like the old immortals in his own family. After a pause, he exclaimed, "Xuguan, I thought your uncle was back." Hurry up and put it down, hurry up and put it down, how is this the rough work done by the reader, God will punish ......"

As he spoke, he snatched the "captive" from Li Xu's hand, moved lightly, and took three steps and two steps to the edge of the pre-dug pit in the courtyard. Lan fingers slowly, hooked the rooster's neck under the wings, held the chicken wings and chicken neck in one place, and gently wiped the rooster with the other Qianqianyu hand, neatly shutting the rooster.

Blood spurted out with a "poof" and just fell into a clay pot in front of Zhang Liu. In a moment, the chicken's blood was exhausted, and Zhang Liu threw the rooster into the dirt pit and reached out to another bamboo cage containing chickens beside him. The poor big rooster didn't know that his longevity was over, and he stretched out and struggled in the dirt pit.

"Xu Guan, you can find your own water to drink, you're welcome. Eighteen miles of shop Yang Daguan's family set up a birthday feast, and your uncle arranged wine and food. He went out early in the morning and was probably back soon. Is there no class in the school today, or is Old Master Yang going out to drink and go crazy again, leaving you ...... alone? ”

Zhang Liu asked while killing chickens. The hands and feet were very neat, and in an instant, there were already four corpses in the pit.

"My dad is back, let me bring some mushrooms and dried beef!" Li Xu couldn't bear to listen to Yanyan continue to ruin Old Master Yang's reputation, and interjected in a low voice.

"That's a good feeling, I'm worried about not having enough food. It's already autumn, where to find so many fresh times? Hearing this, Zhang Liu thrust the sharp knife into the mud ground beside him, jumped up, and ran quickly to Li Xu's mount tied to the door.

"There are also four raw cowhides, which have not been nitrated. My dad asked me to bring it to my uncle......" Li Xu said as he untied the gift from his mount. The blue and white mule was frightened by the smell of blood on Zhang Liu's hands, and while snorting, he desperately shrank back.

"Isn't it two, how is it four?" Zhang Liu asked in surprise, and without waiting for Li Xu to explain, he clapped his hands and said: "Ha, it's just right now, yesterday I went to visit the old Liu's family who sells herbs, and his family is worried about the government's collection of raw hides." I sent him a charcoal in the snow, and just took advantage of the situation to slaughter him, avenging your uncle's vengeance for asking for medicine in the spring! ”

After speaking, he wiped his bloody hand on the jet-black apron a few times. Picked up two cowhide rolls and flew away.

Li Xu couldn't cry or laugh, so he had to stay and clean up the rest of the mess for Yanyan. Only then did he put the chickens in the pit together, picked up the clay pot containing the chicken's blood and was about to put it into the kitchen, when he heard a string of sharp laughter outside the door, and Lord Yanyan had already finished his business and rushed back.

"How can this make you a scholar, you shouldn't do rough work. Let God know that he will offend me, let go, let go! Zhang Liu shouted, and snatched the clay pot with his hand. He sat down on the stool with crossed legs, grabbed the corners of his clothes and wiped his sweat, and gasped: "That Mrs. Liu, I sent her leather goods to the door to save her family's life, and she was embarrassed to bargain with me." annoyed me, pulled her legs and left, she didn't cry and chase out. Hehe, one hundred and fifty pieces of meat is good, and we won't take any of them for white money (Note 1)! ”

After saying that, he untied a brand-new burlap pocket from his waist and held it in his hand, making a noise.

"One hundred and fifty pieces of meat is good? Don't want white money yet? Li Xu's eyes immediately widened larger than eggs. His father was a merchant, and he also helped him calculate the accounts of ordinary groceries. According to the market of the Great Sui Dynasty, three cents can be exchanged for half a bucket (Note 2) of brown rice. Even if it is the white money issued by the new emperor, a piece of raw hide cannot be sold for fifty wen. It is good to exchange two raw skins for one hundred and fifty pieces of meat, which is already a typical act of robbery while the fire is burning. If you send charcoal to others, you will also be embarrassed to say it.

Seeing that his nephew's face was changing rapidly, Zhang Liu immediately "understood" the reason, reluctantly untied the money bag, and muttered in a gnat-like voice: "Your father has traveled thousands of miles to sell goods abroad, and the capital should be recovered." The plug is cheap, and it has not been nitrated, it looks quite big, but it is not forbidden. It's good to give you twenty pieces of meat, I don't know if it's enough or not? ”

Looking at Li Xu's slowly revealing angry face, Zhang Liu's tone gradually became cold: "Otherwise, I'll add it to thirty for you, no matter how expensive it is, we'll hurt the face of our relatives!" ”

"Leave twenty of them for you to make fat powder, and give the rest back to Xu Guan!" A voice came coldly from the door, startling Zhang Liu and Li Xuju.

When the two heard the sound, they looked up and saw Zhang Baosheng holding a basket of sprinkled vegetables and a basket of large pieces of tofu, leaning against the door, panting.

"No, uncle, that's not what I mean. My dad said it was for my uncle, along with these dried mushrooms and dried meat. He usually drinks the wine brewed by his uncle, and if his uncle needs anything, of course he should do his best! Li Xu hurriedly walked over and took the burden from his uncle's shoulder.

"I just mean, my brother-in-law is doing a big business, so why don't you care about these little money! When did you come back, and why didn't I hear any movement? Zhang Liu hid the money bag behind his back and said with a smile while beating his back for her husband.

"As soon as I arrived at the intersection, I saw you rushing out of Lao Liu's house like a fire. I shouted at you several times, but you didn't hear me. Wondering what's going on? When I came back, it turned out that I went to someone else to rob it! Zhang Baosheng glanced at his mother-in-law and reprimanded angrily. Lao Liu's family digs medicinal materials and sells them for money, and they can't earn 100 Wen a year, so it's good, all of them have been copied for you! ”

"I'm trading fairly, looking for someone else, he can't buy it at this price. Who doesn't know that in recent days, the hides and skins in the market have been out of stock! Zhang Liu listened to her husband's count, and immediately increased the intensity of the beating, "Besides, when you were sick last year, didn't he take the opportunity to sell the ginseng beard of his old Liu family for a sky-high price." It's all in business, why should I care about the difficulties of his family! ”

"Light, you tap!" Zhang Baosheng was beaten and grinned, and he couldn't argue with his mother-in-law no matter how much he debated, so he had to give up this topic. glanced at Li Xu, who was carrying vegetables into the kitchen, and discussed with his wife in a low voice: "Thousands of miles away, when is my brother-in-law not a life-saving business." Don't be so greedy, we have received two raw skins from others, and we already owe a big favor. If we swallow the capital of the other two raw hides, the God of Wealth will also scold us for having no conscience! ”

"Favor, that bow, but the county town Master Zhao didn't sell it for three dollars, and you didn't give it to him without frowning. My own relatives, what are so many things! Zhang Liu put on a picture of sacrificing his life and wealth, and deliberately shouted loudly.

"You mother-in-law!" Zhang Bao was afraid that his nephew would hear this, so he quickly pulled his wife to the corner of the courtyard. Shielding himself from the sunlight outside, he lowered his voice and scolded: "How can you say that? After so many years, when did my brother-in-law come back and not bring us dry goods? The family is benevolent and righteous, and we always get cheap and don't say a good word, and we don't have a conscience, right? Besides, Xu Guan, this child, which month won't come to help? For us, it's like a father and mother, there are many people who read in the relatives, which one has such a conscience to him?! ”

"I know you blame me for not giving you a son!" Zhang Liu shrank in the corner of the wall, aggrieved. After a long time, I still couldn't resist my husband, and I reluctantly untied the money bag hidden in my waist. His eyes poked into the bag, gritted his teeth, closed his eyes and handed over the money bag, and muttered with a crying voice as he handed it over: "He said he didn't want it, but you didn't hear it." Besides, without me to bargain, my brother-in-law wouldn't be able to sell it for so much money! ”

As he spoke, tears had fallen from the corners of his eyes, "Here you go, give as much as you love." Just because I didn't see it! ”

"Alas, you mother-in-law!" Zhang Baosheng scolded helplessly. picked up the money bag to find Li Xu, but found that his nephew didn't know when he had left, a few chickens with dried blood, two baskets of dried mushrooms, a bundle of dried meat, and two raw hides, neatly stacked under the window. Basking in the autumn sun, it exudes warmth.

Note 1: White money, not long after Emperor Yang of Sui succeeded to the throne, because of the large-scale construction of the national treasury was empty, and then a large amount of tin, lead and other base metals were doped in the newly minted copper coins, resulting in white copper coins and a large depreciation. Therefore, the people call it white money, fierce money, to distinguish it from the standard five-baht money minted by Emperor Wen of Sui.

Note 2: Bucket, here is Sui Dou, the weight is close to Tang Dou. In the Han Dynasty, one bucket was about 4 city catties now, and half a bucket was equivalent to 2 city catties. According to research, each bucket of millet weighs 3.6 catties, and the wheat and bucket are 4. Tang Dou is three times that of Han Dou, and each bucket is about 12 catties of the current city.

Drinker's note: Three watches, rest tomorrow. Keep up the good work on Monday. Please help to do a good job of publicity and promotion, thank you.