Many places near Guxian County are planted with wheat, Qing'an ten years, when the wheat is tasseled in April, it rains heavily for many days near the Huai River, and there is a big flood that is rare for decades.

Before the harvest season, the wheat was soaked in water and drowned, and the farmers' hope for the whole year was suddenly gone, and many families secretly wiped their tears.

After the flood went down, many villagers replanted their crops, but they were soon killed by the sun, and after the flood, they encountered such a drought, which completely destroyed everyone's hope.

Because they couldn't eat, the people in the village took everything they could sell to the town and exchanged it for grain, and the price of grain rose higher and higher, and everyone looked forward to the imperial court opening a warehouse for relief.

On this day, when Xiao Qi and Hua Xi'er came to the shop in the town, the stinky duck eggs were busy weighing rice for the guests.

Hua Xi'er and Xiao Qi went to the cellar where the grain was put in the backyard, and Xiao Qi saw that it was full of grain, and his heart was extremely happy.

"Aunt Xi, I heard that there are already several grain and oil shops in the town that are out of stock and closed, but fortunately we have bought all the money into food, and many people in the village have no rations, so it is better to use all this food to help the villagers."

Hua Xi'er: "Don't worry, it's not critical yet, let's give porridge first, and then give them food at the last moment." ”

When the stinky duck egg walked into the backyard sweating profusely, Xiao Qi said: "Stinky duck egg, the shop plans to give porridge tomorrow, and I will also come to help, but we may still be too busy to count the shopkeeper, so it is better to let the Cuihua girl come over to help." ”

"Great, Cuihua will be very happy." The stinky duck egg jumped up happily, this is good, the soup porridge is not a very heavy job, it must be easy for Cuihua, and when he turned back to the shop today, he went to Wangjia Village to inform Cuihua of the good news.

He remembered that Cuihua came to the shop yesterday and kept looking at the food in a daze, and the stinky duck knew that she had no money to buy food, so he used his salary to buy a few catties of food and gave it to Cuihua.

Cuihua was very grateful, and called him Brother Duck Egg for the first time, "Brother Duck Egg, my family has no money, can this food be covered by labor, I am very capable of working, and I can carry a sack." ”

Today, the old man Hua also came to the town, and after returning from the town, he conveyed to the old patriarch the official document posted in the town, and the tax was not reduced at all compared with previous years, but also increased the poll tax of five cents per person.

The old patriarch's house was crowded with clansmen, and a few men wiped their tears on the spot.

It is said that men don't flick when they have tears, but now the situation is really bad, the wives and children at home are starving to death, and they have to pay such high taxes, and there is no way to cry.

The old patriarch coughed dryly, "Let's be patient first, I can't say that the situation will improve in a few days." ”

Anyway, they are all starving to death, everyone has reached the realm of no sorrow, whether the county master still wants to come to collect grain, anyway, there is no food, and he will die.

Gradually, the old wild vegetables could not be found, so everyone began to dig up grass roots and tree roots to eat.

The people in the village have not even been to the town recently, and everything that can be exchanged for grain has been replaced, and there is nothing to take to the town to exchange, and I heard that the price of food has risen to sky-high.

The town was in chaos, so Xiao Qi asked the stinky duck eggs to close the shops in the town, and the grain in the cellar was smuggled back in a horse-drawn cart at night and hidden in his cellar.

When Niu saw so much food, he thought of his parents and brothers in Niujia Village, so he said, "We can't eat so much food, you can send half of it to your uncle and them." ”

Xiao Qi: "I plan to donate most of the food here to the clan in a few days, don't worry, mother, I will send some food to Niujia Village, and I will definitely send enough food for my uncle and them." ”

After a few more days, the county magistrate still didn't send someone down to collect grain, and the old man went to the county seat to inquire, saying that it was because of the plague that he didn't come to collect grain and taxes.

It is said that the plague spread very quickly, and everyone was even more afraid to leave the village when they heard the news.

Listening to the old man Hua said that Artemisia annua boiled water can prevent plague, everyone dug around to boil water to drink, the villagers thought very simply, anyway, even if the plague cannot be cured, drink more Artemisia annua water can at least offset hunger.

A few families did not give up, and planted corn in the field, and after planting, the scorching sun dried the young seedlings to death.

There is really no way, people are running out of water to drink, how can there be extra water to water the crops.

The two villages of Liujia Village and Wangjia Village are connected, and at the boundary of the two villages is a very old well, which never dries up, and when it comes to the particularly dry season, the two villages will fight in groups for water.

But since he was seven or six years old when he helped the village fight, making Wangjia Village realize the disparity in strength, the two villages became friendly during the dry season.

Water is becoming more and more precious, and it is impossible to take a bath, but this ancient well provides enough water for the people of both villages to eat every day.

……

Liu Dahe hasn't done it for a long time, and today he listened to Niu's words and was going to kill the sheep.

Ah Fu hugged the sheep and was reluctant to let go, crying with tears.

Niu sighed, "You kid is so kind-hearted, you even have to protect an animal, how will you live in the future." ”

Liu Dahe pulled Ah Fu away, "Ah Fu is good, you see this sheep is hungry and thin, even if we don't kill it, it will starve to death, no one can find anything to eat, what can the sheep eat?" ”

The livestock in the village have long been killed and eaten, and in this tragic day when they have lost food, Liu Dahe's family has attracted great attention to killing sheep.

Liu Dahe divided the mutton into many portions and gave some to his father and mother and the elders in the village who had a better relationship.

I borrowed a big iron pot from the clan and boiled a big pot of mutton bone soup for the whole village to drink, of course, each family had to bring their own bowls.

The old patriarch drank the fragrant mutton bone soup in the bowl and gave Liu Dahe a thumbs up, "Dahe, you are a benevolent and righteous person. ”

The mutton for Niujia Village was delivered by Xiao Qi and Ah Fu after drinking the hot mutton soup, I heard that there are often people robbing things outside now, Xiao Qi thought it was not safe to go with his brother.

Recently, a lot of ragged strangers came to the entrance of Liujia Village, and the village gathered all the middle-aged men, patrolled the village day and night, and stopped the strangers outside the village.

When Xiao Qi and Ah Fu left the village, Liu Dakui told them, "Ah Fu, Xiao Qi, be careful, it's chaotic outside, I heard that there are people robbing things everywhere, and you should come back quickly when the things are sent to Niujia Village." ”

Xiao Qi nodded seriously, "Thank you, Uncle Dakui." ”

The fishy smell of mutton can also be smelled from some distances, fortunately, these outsiders are very hungry, and they don't have much strength, a young man wants to grab the basket in Xiao Qi's hand, but Xiao Qi pushed him to the ground and didn't get up for a long time.

There was mutton and steamed buns made by Niu's in the basket, Ah Fu felt that the young man was a little pitiful, so he took a steamed bun and handed it to the stranger, "It's wrong to grab something, no matter how hungry you are, you can't grab something." ”

Xiao Qi looked at Ah Fu helplessly, "Brother, I think you are talking to the cow." ”

Ah Fu: "It's a pity that we don't have many things, otherwise we can give him more, you see how pitiful he is, he is so hungry that he can't get up." ”

Well, with such a kind brother, she doesn't know whether to say good or bad.