Ah Xian wrote in the letter: I don't know the exact number of people who died of hunger and cold along the way, but I know that those once fertile and rich cities have turned into barren countryside, and everywhere I go is shocking.

I once thought that the suffering of the military rebellion in my childhood was a nightmare, but Jiangsu and Zhejiang were even worse than back then.

A peasant man in the prime of life could have cultivated the fields or made a small business to support his wife and children, and he did not commit any crimes. But because of the rain and snow for several days, he hadn't eaten for more than a month, and the ragged clothes hanging on him moved with the wind and couldn't shield the slightest wind and snow. Inside, the flesh was wrinkled with dried, and the bones on the body were clearly visible.

Even as a twenty-year-old young man, he acted like a shriveled old woman, unable to walk step by step.

He had already sold his wife and children, and it was his luck to be alive. He sold everything, the wooden beams on the house, the clothes to protect him from the rain and snow, and even the last pair of shoes that his wife had knitted for him. Only the blank eyes reminded him that he was once a person.

Wen Wan raised her head, blinked the wetness in her eyes, and then continued to look at the last few lines of handwriting on the oil lamp next to Lin Yuan.

The doors of the houses in the city were closed, and the county commander of the city lay in the corner quietly waiting to die, his eyes sunken deeply, and his eyes that did not move were like two shriveled and dehydrated peach pits. There were few women and children in the city, and most of them were either dead or sold.

What is surprising is that in this county town, there are still many landlords and wealthy families who hoard rice, grain, firewood, and are guarded by many families and are eating and drinking.

The several batches of food collected by the imperial court for disaster relief were not used to relieve the victims. These grains were divided and detained by high-ranking officials and wealthy families as early as the way they were transported. A flock of greedy eagles buys land in large quantities for rent arrears or a few copper plates. However, most of those who starved to death died without protest.

After Lin Yuan refolded the letter, Wen Wan took his big hand and counted them one by one, and after counting them for a long time, she sighed, gritted her teeth and said to her man: "In the future, I will eat less, and you will not open a small stove for me, so that we can give more food to the people." ”

Lin Yuan smiled wistfully: "There is no need to be like this, you forgot that I also stored two mountains of grain." If we can't take care of our family, where can we take care of others? ”

Wen Wan leaned on his shoulder, looked at the roof and muttered, "Send someone to send more food and clothes to Da'er first, just wait for the snow to stop." ”

Lin Yuan pulled her hair apart, still unhurried and said gently: "Well, everything has me, don't worry about some useless hearts, sleep." ”

Wen Wan hummed, thinking of her eldest son, who lacked food and clothing, and fought alone, fell asleep. In this world, when you think you are difficult, let you see the more difficult parts of others.

After she fell asleep, Lin Yuan walked to the door and gently pulled the bolt and strode to the study.

The water in the river has already turned into a few zhang deep ice, not to mention sending food, even if you are afraid that you can't go out for a few miles, you can only find another way to solve the difficulty of the eldest child.

On the second day, several families borrowed grain from outside the Lin family's courtyard, including Lin Laosan, who had not been in the door for a long time, and the two Quhou families, who were almost squeezed dry by the imperial court.

The door of the Lin family was already surrounded by beggars, because the Lin family often received help and treatment, and because the Lin family did not drive them away from other places, they leaned against the wall of the Lin family's courtyard and set up a few sheds to block the wind and survived.

At this time, several people who came to borrow food were surrounded by beggars and looked at each other: "What are you doing?" ”

Previously, they had sent away several waves of ill-intentioned people, and these people looked like dogs, so that they couldn't make up their minds for a while.

Lin Laosan was busy smiling very closely, and the little meat on his face was piled up, like a malnourished chrysanthemum: "I am related to this family, all the heroes, please let me in." ”

Then the servant who was guarding the door poked his head out, saying, "Let them in." ”

Lin Laosan became a little more bold when he heard this, and tightened the rabbit skin hat on his head and was about to pull away the two tall men in front of him: "Get out of the way, I said it earlier, I have a relationship with this family!" Brothers! ”

In those words, there was a pride that he had never even realized. When he saw Lin Yuan sitting in the warm hall, he finally couldn't hold back his red eyes: "Sixth, your nephew has one breath left, and the family really can't open the pot." ”

Lin Yuan looked down at the thin picture of the ladies changing clothes in his hand, which was originally an extremely fragrant picture, but the head of the protagonist on it was glued to Mama Song's face. The pretended to be shy, grinning back at the root of his mouth, almost didn't make him drop the cup in his hand.

The only person who can do such a heartbreaking thing to his parents and children is afraid that the only woman in the world who doesn't know what to do is serious.

Lin Laosan, who was standing in the hall, didn't see this younger brother speak for a long time, and he couldn't help but secretly hate one report and one report, who knew that he had begged his brother so much in his life?

If he can't borrow food, don't say that his tiger lady, even his little boy with no teeth has to slap him.

"Carry a sack of grain and a sack of charcoal out of the fire." The indifferent order made Lin Laosan cry with joy, and he almost wanted to rush up to give his soft-hearted brother a bear hug.

However, his younger brother, who had always been soft-hearted, closed the book in his hand and continued: "Twenty-five taels of rice, twenty-five taels of Chai Xin, a total of fifty taels." ”

Lin Laosan was in a hurry, he didn't have any silver on him: "What? What do you say? Fifty taels! You're robbing money! Get out of the way, I won't tell you, I'm going to see my father! ”

Lin Yuan skimmed the foam in the bowl and let his brother who still hadn't learned to be obedient at this step: "Wan Niang ordered someone to remind you to store grain, but unfortunately you didn't even let the door in, so you sent it away."

The Lin Ji garment shop and the rice grain shop in the capital are all open, and they are bought and sold at a low price, and you don't go to the queue but come to my Lin Yuan's door, it's just that you don't want to spend a few more taels of unjust silver, I understand. ”

Speaking of this, Lin Yuan glanced at his two brothers who were floating around with a smile: "But you shouldn't be so forgetful." You know what you did to me back then. Now I know what I want to do to you, and everyone who has eyes in Kyori understands. I don't think you're going to be cheeky enough to give me away this life-saving food? ”

At this point, Lin Laosan was not stupid, he could only play the emotional card for a long time with a handful of snot and tears, and swore to express his remorse for the past.

Lin Yuan looked at it interestingly, and only gave Lin Laosan a bag of grain, but no matter how much he had, there was no more.

Whether Lin Laosan's thin body can transport grain home is not within his consideration.

He only looked at the two people behind him: "I don't know what the two of you are here to borrow?" ”

Qu Hou and the others smiled awkwardly, feeling that they couldn't open their mouths, and their hearts were already gloomy.