When I came back from Tianjin, I felt that I owed Mr. Conger a favor: Mr. Conger's food, housing, and transportation expenses in Tianjin were all generously donated by Mr. Conger. Favors always have to be repaid, and Sun Yuanqi doesn't want to be in arrears. On the third day after coming back, Chongshi Middle School had no classes, and seeing that the weather was fine, he took dozens of taels of silver and went to buy gifts with Lao Tong.

said that in the past, daily necessities and gifts were all bought by Lao Tong; Some of the food was picked up on the way back and forth to Chongshi Middle School, and I didn't usually go out. For now that he had finished writing the manuscript and sent Mr. Rutherford away, a big stone fell to the ground in his heart; There was not much pressure in life, so I remembered to visit the bazaar of the Qing Dynasty.

According to Lao Tong, the often prosperous places are in Dashilar outside the front door, the cheap shop for eating, all in one place, Quanjude, the Neiliansheng and Ruifuxiang for wearing, Tongrentang for selling medicine, and the Liulichang nearby for literary play......

The Horse Temple is inside the Desheng Gate, not too far from the Horse Temple to Dashilar, and the two walked over. On the way, gossip one after the other. Suddenly, Sun Yuanqi remembered something and asked Lao Tong in a low voice: "Where are the eight alleys?" ”

Lao Tong smiled, with an expression on his face that all men understand: "Which one of the eight major alleys?" ”

Sun Yuanqi was surprised: "Isn't the Bada Hutong one alley?" ”

Lao Tong turned his head and looked at Sun Yuanqi in surprise: "It seems that Mr. Sun is really unsightly!" He first praised it, and then continued: "Who doesn't know the old and young masters of Beijing City, these eight alleys are the stone alleys, rouge alleys, Baishun alleys, Xiaoli Shamao alleys, Wang widow Xiejie, Shaanxi Lane, Hanjiatan, pimp camp and other eight places outside the front door. The bitches and husbands here are all famous in the Qing Dynasty. Who doesn't know? Whoever doesn't know, it's a chick! ”

Lao Tong said with his eyebrows fluttering, and after speaking, he felt that it was wrong, and added a sentence sneeringly: "Mr. Sun, didn't this chick say that you ......"

Sun Yuanqi was also a little embarrassed, diverted the topic, and asked, "What is Xianggong?" ”

Lao Tong turned his head again: "Xianggong? It's a little guy who sells ass! Generally in Hanjiatan, does Mr. Sun want to go? ”

Sun Yuanqi was even more embarrassed. After a while, he said: "By the way, this is almost closed in recent years, and this year I have received a lot of care from Lord Ding Yunliang Ding and Master Sun Jianai, so I have to come to thank you." What's so special about this gift? ”

This question is not difficult for Lao Tong, he opened his mouth and came: "This gift, it must be in pairs, ranging from two colors to eight colors, and there are twelve colors, I am afraid it will not be used." In each of these colors, the primary and secondary must be matched. Sun Daren is an official to a university scholar, and the gift is naturally suitable for 'eight big and eight small'. As for Lord Ding, because he is a foreigner, he doesn't have to be too particular, and it's okay to send six colors. If you want to send 'eight big and eight small', the price should be cheaper than that of Lord Sun. The so-called 'eight colors', although there are no certain rules, Sun Daren is a literati, naturally lake pen, Hui ink, Duan inkstone, rice paper and the like, if you add shark fin, bird's nest, sea cucumber, abalone, this is almost the same......"

After hearing his words, Sun Yuanqi was full of sweat, it seems that there are really a lot of various "knowledge" in the Qing Dynasty!

As he spoke, he arrived at the front door. After all, this is an era when there are no public toilets, flush toilets, asphalt roads and urban management. Fortunately, it was winter, and the snow had dried out a few days ago, otherwise there would be no place to settle in the muddy puddles on the streets.

As you walk, you watch. Occasionally walking into the store, looking at the antique counter, the shopkeeper in the robe and coat, saying that it is to buy something, it is better to say that it is a hunt. In and out, I don't know how many questions Lao Tong asked. Sun Yuanqi now feels that he is sightseeing in a not very clean scenic spot; And Lao Tong is the tour guide.

When buying things, Lao Tong came up with ideas, picked out the colors, and bargained, while Sun Yuanqi played the role of the young master, mainly responsible for making decisions and paying. It seems that Lao Tong often comes here, and after walking half a street, more than a dozen people came to talk to Lao Tong. Those people are either carrying bird cages and walking complacently; Either hang your hands and wander the streets, not knowing whether to prepare for the autumn breeze or to watch the excitement and have fun. Needless to say, they are all flag people.

Sun Yuanqi was very angry, following behind Lao Tong, and when those acquaintances were talking, they always looked at him with their eyes. Sun Yuanqi laughed with him on the side, but didn't speak. Finally, one of them couldn't hold back his curiosity and asked, "Lao Tong, which young master is this?" It looks so bright! ”

"This one was jointly recommended by Mr. Sun, a professor at Beijing Normal University, a scholar from the university, and the Minister of the United States! Knowledge, that's the number - this! Lao Tong gave a thumbs up and showed off, "A few days ago, foreign devils from England and the United States came from thousands of miles just to see our Mr. Sun, how about it?!" ”

"Ho-it's a character!" The banner man felt that he had found a good conversation point today, and looked Sun Yuanqi up and down a few times, "Confucius is nine feet six inches tall, and that is the master of all ages; Guan Erye is nine feet tall, and he is a martial saint. It seems that the tall figure is not bad! ”

Sun Yuanqi listened to it, and almost didn't get out of it, feeling that this master had never heard the rumor of "people are big and dogs are stupid". I had to learn from the Qing Dynasty, arch my hands, and say "Don't dare!" Can't! ”

After a bunch of useful and useless nonsense, the flag man satisfied his curiosity, and Fang Huang walked away.

When the man was gone, the two continued shopping. Suddenly, Lao Tong turned around and asked, "Mr. Sun, are you Gui Geng?" ”

"What?" Sun Yuanqi didn't understand it all of a sudden.

Lao Tong asked a different way: "How old are you this year?" ”

"Twenty-three...... Oh, it's past the New Year, it's twenty-four! I'm twenty-four, what's ——? Sun Yuanqi was very strange, why did Lao Tong suddenly ask this.

"Huh? Are you twenty-four? Lao Tong opened his mouth wide.

Sun Yuanqi touched the stubble on his face and asked rhetorically, "Isn't it like that?" ”

"Not like that!" Lao Tong replied categorically.

"So, how old do you think I am?"

Lao Tong's eyes widened, and he looked Sun Yuanqi carefully up and down before he said, "I see, it's only seventeen or eighteen!" ”

"Huh?" This time, Sun Yuanqi was surprised. After thinking for a while, he looked at Lao Tong, who was already a little rickety, "Then you are old?" ”

"I, in two years, I will know the destiny of heaven!" Lao Tong was a little emotional.

Knowing the destiny of heaven is fifty years old, this Sun Yuanqi knows, because this is the test center of the college entrance examination language. "So you're only forty-eight this year?" After saying that, I felt a little abrupt, as if no one said that.

"yes, it's almost half a hundred." Lao Tong sighed, "Old! ”

After a few more glances at Lao Tong, with his black and yellow skin, gray hair, rickety backbone, dry figure, and knife-like wrinkles, Sun Yuanqi always thought that Lao Tong was sixty or seventy years old, but he didn't expect that he was less than fifty. It seems that the quality of life in the Qing Dynasty was indeed not good, and early marriage, malnutrition, bad climate and other reasons made people die prematurely. No wonder the ancients liked to say things like "life is rare for seventy years".

Coming out of a north and south dry goods store, Sun Yuanqi carried a few small paper bags in his hand, which contained a few newly bought dry goods, wrapped in yellow straw paper and tied with hemp rope, which was a good gift. When I went out, I was about to continue walking, but I saw people on both sides of a small alley on the side of the street, standing, squatting, lying, leaning against the wall, holding sticks, and carrying bowls...... There were men, women, and children, all of them unclothed, skinny, with dull eyes, shivering in the cold winter wind. There were even a few children, wearing an adult's padded jacket on the upper body and naked on the lower body, walking back and forth.

"Lao Tong, what's going on?" Seeing this scene, Sun Yuanqi was stunned. This kind of scene has been seen and described countless times in history books and various old picture books, but when these people stand in front of them alive, they feel so shocked, as if their conscience is being whipped and baptized.

"Isn't Shandong suffering a disaster this year? These people all fled from Shandong. Lao Tong seems to be "Men'er Qing", there is nothing he doesn't know about the five cities and nine gates, "In the past few years, I have lost so much money to foreigners, how can there be any money in the treasury to save the famine?" Shuntianfu didn't want to care about this matter. Autumn is okay, there are porridge fields in several temples, and I usually go to beg for some, and I finally don't die of hunger. In this cold winter, I have suffered a sin, and I won't carry a few people to the human field one morning! Alas—"

"So—then they don't want to think of any other way?" Sun Yuanqi felt that his mouth had become stupid in an instant.

"What's the idea? In these years, the world is in chaos, and people of unknown origin, which government dares to ask for it? Besides, these mud legs, I don't understand anything, and which house wants them? Lao Tong said slowly, "The girls have some looks, and they are all sold to the eight major alleys; A strong man has a chance that he will go to Kanto; The rest, the old and the small, what can they do? Wait for death......"

Lao Tong's words are like revealing the darkest corner of society, showing the life picture of the lowest and most suffering people in this dynasty in front of Sun Yuanqi. Sun Yuanqi subconsciously walked into the alley, as if he couldn't help himself.

"Huh, Mr. Sun?" Lao Tong shouted, as if to stop it. Seeing that Sun Yuanqi didn't mean to stop, he followed and said, "Mr. Sun doesn't even have a person around him who brings tea and water, so he has to have someone to serve." Do you see it? Those who have straw sticks on their heads are all sold. If you look like it's going to work, you can buy it and go back to summon—"

"Buy? Sell? Sun Yuanqi interrupted Lao Tong's words.

"yes, sell yourself into slavery." Lao Tong said it as a matter of course.

Sun Yuanqi frowned. At this time, I had arrived at the mouth of the alley, and sure enough, I saw a straw mark on the heads of many people who were disheveled.

Those who fled the famine, when they saw a tall, handsome, and imposing young master coming over with an old family member, they all thought that they were going to buy someone, and they all gathered around, begging for mercy in Shandong dialect, or shouting loudly:

"Young master, buy me. I can cook and sew clothes......"

"Young master, pity me, I'll eat for three days!"

"Young master, just enjoy the food, I don't want money."

……

At this time, Lao Tong rushed to the front of Sun Yuanqi, stopped the group of people, and shouted: "Stand up!" Stand up! …… Whoever shouts, don't want anyone! Finally, the group of people stopped talking, and they all stared at Sun Yuanqi, hoping that Sun Yuanqi would choose him.

Lao Tong breathed a sigh of relief, came to Sun Yuanqi's side, and whispered, "Mr. Sun, then you can choose." It's best to choose someone who is honest and a little smart, and it's best not to be dragged down by your family. ”

Sun Yuanqi also knew that Lao Tong was kind-hearted. Although these people in front of him want to be saved, can they be saved? After thinking about it for a while, I could only sigh. But I always have to do my best to save some of them. As the little girl who threw the stranded fish back into the sea said, "This fish cares!" ”

Looking carefully at the group of people in front of him, there were always one or two hundred people, including old men and old women, as well as women and children. Glancing around, I saw a little boy in the crowd, only eleven or twelve years old, although his face was yellow and thin due to malnutrition, his eyes were black and shiny, and he held a hand high, as if he was a student waiting to ask a question. At that moment, Sun Yuanqi's heart seemed to be teased, like a teacher pointing at a student and asking him to answer a question: "It's you!" ”

The little boy was obviously shocked by the surprise, and was stunned for a long time before he said, "Master, yes...... Is it me? ”

"It's you!" Sun Yuan nodded.

Long-term malnutrition has made the boy's head appear very large, and his limbs are as thin as reed sticks. He shouted, "Thank you, sir!" ”

Lao Tong spoke at the right time: "I want one today!" The big guys are gone! ”

The crowd suddenly shouted: "Master, ask for another one!" "I don't want money, sir, just take care of the food!" ……

Lao Tong hurriedly pulled Sun Yuanqi back a few steps, exited the alley, and stopped when he turned to the door of a shop. Lao Tong explained: "I'm afraid that these people will be very hungry, so let's hide first!" There are many people here, and in broad daylight, they are not afraid. ”

"What about the kid?" Sun Yuanqi was anxious about the child who raised his hand.

Lao Tong replied casually: "He will follow!" ”

Sure enough, half a minute later, the child changed into more tattered clothes, appeared at the mouth of the alley with a tattered roll on his back, and looked around. Seeing Sun Yuanqi and Lao Tong, he hurriedly ran over. I may not have eaten for a long time, I can't run fast at all, and when I run, I still shake so badly that I seem to fall down at any time. Then he cried out, "Master-".

Sun Yuanqi frowned: "Don't call 'master' in the future, if you want to call it, call it 'sir' or 'teacher'." ”

"Sir—" The boy stopped talking.

Sun Yuanqi saw that he had something to say, so he asked, "Is there something wrong?" ”

"Sir, I'm going to sell ...... for ten dollars," the boy spoke, obviously lacking confidence.

Before Sun Yuanqi could say anything, Lao Tong jumped up first: "Ten hanging money? Why don't you grab it! In this alley, there are not a hundred or eighty people who don't want money, which one is missing arms and legs and can't work?! ”

The child was frightened, and after a long time, he continued: "Young master...... Sir, if you add my brother, the two of them together will only need five dollars......"

Or Lao Tong spoke: "Your brother? How old is it? I'm afraid he's still a foodie, right? ”

Sun Yuanqi didn't speak, just looked at the child with interest, and felt that he was not bad. Lao Tong turned his head: "Mr. Sun, you can't listen to this little bastard." 'Half the size, eat the dead man. 'The amount of food for two little dolls is worth three strong laborers. ”

"My younger brother is only eight years old, and he can't eat much ......," the little boy explained, somewhat lacking confidence, "less...... Sir, plus my sister, three of them for a total of three dollars......"

Sun Yuanqi laughed, thinking that this child was still quite cute, so he wanted to tease the child: "In this way, do you have anything else to add?" ”

The boy suddenly knelt on the ground: "If you add my father and mother, the five of us don't need a penny...... Master! You can do it! "Say it, just kowtow vigorously, and when I raised my head again, my black face had been washed out of two ditches with tears.

Lao Tong was already full of black lines, completely speechless. If you think about it, in the Qing Dynasty, it can be regarded as a thunderous person. Buy 1 Get 4 Free!

Sun Yuanqi hurriedly stepped forward to help the little boy and said, "Then you can go and bring out all the people in your family." ”

The little boy suddenly jumped up and said repeatedly, "Young Master! Mr! You're the best guy in the world! By the way, there is a family in our village who also fled the famine, and the people are separated, and there is only one girl left, or ......? ”

Lao Tong was already on the verge of going berserk, staring at the little boy: "Are you going to bring the whole alley?" ”

Sun Yuanqi in turn comforted Lao Tong and said: "Let's 'do it to the end as a good person and send the Buddha to the west'!" ”

When the little boy heard this, he screamed and ran into the alley. After a while, a group of people came out of the family, and it was the little boy's family: a middle-aged couple, who looked to be fifty years old, and according to the lessons they had just learned, it was estimated that they would be forty years old at most; Two girls, the eldest is thirteen or fourteen years old, estimated to be the younger boy's sister, and the younger is only eleven or twelve years old, estimated to be the little boy's fellow village; The other ones were the boy and his brother. After coming over, they all knelt on the ground, knocked their heads a few times, and said, "Thank you, young master!" ”

Sun Yuanqi hurriedly called them up, looking at them dressed in tatters, because of the cold, their faces were all blue and black, they were about cold and hungry, and they were shivering in the cold wind. Hurriedly raised his eyes to look at the street, looking for any shops that could fill his stomach.

Lao Tong saw it: "Mr. Sun, there is a porridge shop in front ...... there."

Sun Yuanqi knew that people who were too hungry could not overeat, so he had to lead this big family forward. Lao Tong stopped: "Give a few big money, and let them go!" You went, not suitable. ”

I didn't know how the "inappropriate" Lao Tong said was inappropriate, and he didn't ask carefully, so he took out a silver dollar from his arms, handed it to the boy's father, and asked them to eat porridge.

The middle-aged man knelt down again, kowtowed a few times, and reached out to take it. Lao Tong saw that it was a silver dollar, and snatched it with his hand: "Mr. Sun, a meal of porridge can't be so much!" ”

Sun Yuanqi explained: "Lao Tong, the rest of the money is to buy them some clothes. It's cold. ”

Lao Tong handed over the money in a daze. The man thanked him for his kindness and asked, "Where is the young master's mansion?" ”

Lao Tong said: "In the Temple of Horses." After speaking, he pulled Sun Yuanqi and left.

Sun Yuanqi followed for a while, and then remembered a question: "Lao Tong, that family fled to the capital, I'm afraid I don't know where the Ma Temple is, right?" ”

Lao Tong pointed his finger at his mouth: "Horse Temple, who doesn't know the root of the imperial city?" They don't know, but they don't ask? After a pause, he said, "If you can't find it, it's better!" ”

"Huh?"

"What's the use of a family, old and young, who haven't served anyone at first glance?" Lao Tong shook his head, "Mr. Sun, you are too kind. In these years, there is no good thing to repay for kindness. Besides, you don't have much money on your own. ”

At this time, Sun Yuanqi remembered what Sun Jianai told him to ask him to find another house. After thinking about it in his heart, he asked Lao Tong: "Lao Tong, how much does it cost to buy a yard in the capital?" It's the size of the yard where I live now. ”

"Mr. Sun is moving out?" Lao Tong suddenly turned around.

Sun Yuanqi still has some feelings for the first "real estate", and said: "Yes, you can't live there all the time." Master Sun also said that it is no problem to live for a few more months, but after all, it is a university hall, so it is not good to live all the time, so it is better to find another place to live. ”

"That's it......" Lao Tong pondered for a moment, "There is a saying in the capital that 'the east is rich and the north is expensive, and the west is poor and the south is cheap', and the houses in the east and north are expensive, and the west and south are much cheaper." I don't know, where is Mr. Sun going to buy it? ”

Think of the horse temple in Desheng Gate, the later Beijing Normal University is in the northwest corner of Desheng Gate, and further northwest, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing Film Academy, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Chinese Renmin University and other universities. I thought to myself, the northwest corner is a dense area of colleges and universities, and it is necessary to seek some personal interests for his future generations, which is the patent of those who travel through it. Then he said: "Then outside the Desheng Gate, it is best to go to the northwest corner." ”

Lao Tong was taken aback and stopped: "Outside the Desheng Gate? That's out of town! The northwest corner? It was an ice cellar in the House of Internal Affairs, next to which was a large reed. Further northwest, it is a mass grave, and it is uninhabitable! ”

"Huh?" Sun Yuanqi opened his mouth wide. Ignorance kills people!;