The next day, early in the morning, before dawn, Fang Xin got up and wanted to go to the porridge shed, at this time, He Xiang also came, and when he saw Fang Xin, he smiled and said, "Nephew, you are also here?" Indeed, to learn the books of sages, you have to see the suffering of the people, but less than a hundred years after the founding of this dynasty, Taizu, Taizong, Jingzong, Renzong, Mingzong, until now, are all considered Mingjun, why are there so many hungry and cold people? ”

At this, he sighed.

Fang Xin is a scholar, naturally also read the history of this dynasty, Taizu forty-one and seized the world, and for the emperor twenty-three years, but the so-called social order and economic recovery period, Taizong inherited the past and forged ahead, with literature as the rule, preferential treatment of scholars, this show is only more than ten acres, the system of lifting people thirty acres, is the rule he set, enjoy the country for twenty-four years.

Jingzong enjoyed the country for a short time, only three years, Renzong reigned for eleven years, Mingzong reigned for fourteen years, and now he has ascended the throne, and there are thirteen years.

Fang Xin knows that all societies have a foundation, agricultural society is precious to agriculture, agriculture lies in the field, but the field is limited, once the population exceeds the land, let the politics be clear, the Son of Heaven is on top, it will be useless, not to mention, politics **, officials take profits.

To put it bluntly, He Xiang is quite tolerant, buying and selling land is also fair, and he usually does good deeds, but in this way, his generation is in charge, and the He family's field has expanded from 2,000 acres to 3,000 acres, and the family business is booming, and it can be regarded as a member of the land annexation, which hastened the demise of the dynasty.

This is the law and there is no way to save it, so the dynasties are generally 300, but not more than 500 years, and this is the case.

Now the price of rice is ten yuan a bucket, and a bucket is ten catties, but the so-called cheapness is still hungry and cold.

But these words are not easy to say. At that moment, I arrived at the porridge shed, at this time, twenty cauldrons were cooking, the firewood was burning, and a bucket of white rice was put in one pot, ten pots and one stone, and one stone and one hundred catties.

Fang Xin saw it. But he asked He Xiang and said, "Uncle." How long does it take to give porridge? ”

"From December 15 to New Year's 15, it's a month." That is, one stone a day, that is, thirty stones, according to the price of rice, it is three taels of silver, and it will be taken out at the moment. It was given to He Xiang.

He Xiang accepted it calmly, this is not other money, it is merit money, and it will be handed over to an old servant at the moment, this is the servant of the He family for several generations, but the surname is Ma, the name is Pu, and he said: "This is given by the minister." If you collect it, you will use this money to buy rice in the future. ”

"Yes, sir." Ma Pu accepted it, in fact, Fang Xin was in the He family, and he was a young master. The food and clothing are all the standards of the family, the food is exquisite, and it can be said that it is worth 500 wen a day, so why care about this money? But this money is different, not only to take it. And it has to be spent.

Between words. The porridge has been cooked, and the pot is held by a strong man. Poured into the bucket, although it was cold, but the worker was also tired and sweating, it seemed that he had some experience, a pot was just a bucket, and it was full of it.

"Carry it out!" At this time, the porridge bucket was extremely heavy, and ten people picked up twenty buckets, opened the door, and went outside, but He Xiang was no longer going, and after saying a few words, he went back.

At this time, it was dawn at this time, and the cold wind was blowing on the trees, but some people had already waited outside, and when they saw the bucket picked out, they surrounded it, and each one came with bowls.

"Bring the chopsticks!"

Twenty buckets were put down, Fang Xin unceremoniously instructed and said, naturally he was half a master, and the servant immediately responded to the order, a pair of chopsticks were brought immediately, Fang Xin inserted the chopsticks, and the chopsticks were in the porridge, and they really couldn't fall.

"Today, Master He's nephew Li Xianggong also put porridge, you are blessed, drink, you can drink more bowls today!" Ma Pu shouted.

"Thank you, Master He, thank you Xianggong Li!" The people who were waiting for the porridge below were immediately overjoyed and said.

At this moment, there happened to be a number of horsemen passing by, and when they saw this scene, they walked slowly, paying attention to watching, and after watching for a while, one of the men asked the people around him who were watching and did not go to receive the porridge: "What does this mean?" ”

"Hey, do you need to say that? You see, Master He is putting New Year's porridge! "It was an old man who spoke.

"Then why don't you get it?"

"In previous years, there were ten barrels a day, and after that, there would be no more, this year, Li Xianggong is here, ten more barrels, not enough to drink, there is something to eat, why bother to grab it with people who don't have porridge to eat? This is a porridge for life, and God will blame the land. The old man said: "Moreover, there are villagers all around, who doesn't know the details of who's house, even if they rob it, they won't have porridge to eat!" ”

"Oh! I see! The person who came suddenly realized, and stepped forward to take a look at the porridge, and it was indeed thick.

At this time, Fang Xin was spooning porridge, and the bowls of future people were full one after another, and when he saw that the woman had brought a child, and put a little more, he unconsciously sweated out, and when he saw this, he smiled: "These people, are you in a hurry on the road, the wrong meal?" Come, it's very cold, let's have a bowl to drink, to the county, even if it's a horse, it will take a long time, my porridge is very clean, there will be nothing! ”

This person glanced at Fang Xin and said with a smile: "Okay, just drink a bowl of porridge to warm up!" ”

Fang Xin ordered someone to take a bowl, poured a bowl for the man and his entourage, and said apologetically: "My family's soup kitchen, starting from December 15, to the fifteenth day of the New Year, is a month, ten barrels a day, after that, there is no one, everyone in the vicinity knows, so there is a fixed number of people who come, so on the first day today, there are many porridges, not many people come, and you can also drink porridge, if so, I am afraid that there will be no more, after all, there are still hungry and cold people, drink to live!" ”

The man drank it, it was indeed a thick porridge, very fragrant and strong, just to relieve the cold, and was about to say good, but after hearing this, it was flustering, and it was difficult to swallow a few mouthfuls of porridge, looked at the yard, and said: "This bucket of porridge is good, how many rice is a bucket?" Also, in that case, why don't you give more to your family? ”

"One bucket and one bucket, ten buckets and one stone, to be practical, if you give a little more, there are still some, but it is not consistent with benevolence and courtesy."

"Doesn't it match benevolence and courtesy? How to say this! This person really paid attention, he looked at Fang Xin's green shirt, and asked, "You are also a scholar, which one said so?" ”

"It is natural to do things and eat, how can there be anything that is not earned? If you say benevolence, everyone should have a field to plant, a job to do, this is benevolence, if you raise a person who does not think about working every day, it is a sin, so the family only gives porridge for a month in the New Year, and spends this green and yellow time. Fang Xin said, in fact, there are still things that can be obtained without work, but it was an era when mechanized mass production reached a certain peak, and people had food without work.

"Although I haven't heard this, when I think about it, it really makes some sense." The man groaned, "What about this discord? ”

"The celebrity, the system of the world, the family is given to the porridge, not afraid of you to laugh, but it may not all be good, one is to read that such people are hungry and cold, and always have to give a life, this kindness is there, and the other is also for their own family to accumulate some yin virtue, delay some family business, this selfishness is also there, but the family is not the government, not the court, not the heavenly family, every January, give these ten barrels and twenty barrels of porridge, that is, if you give more, is it not over, being said to be good and gather people's hearts, there are different aspirations, but it is really amazing." Fang Xin said with a wry smile: "Besides, some people can still learn from these ten buckets of Shi, if they give more, how many can learn from the land, and are willing to learn the land?" Therefore, the students can only use chopsticks to plug in, see if the porridge is thick, not thick, and add more rice tomorrow, and only do this, I only hope that in the future, if the student can be in the Jinshi, take a parent official, if such a thing comes, it should be given in the name of the court and the Son of Heaven, there is no such worry. ”

When the man heard this, he was really speechless, drank all the porridge in one gulp, looked at him deeply, his eyes showed a strange light, and said: "You young man, what is your name, and how old are you?" Winning or showing? ”

"This is the He family, my uncle He Xiang is a lifter, Jinshi is not in the middle, and he returns to his hometown, the student's surname is Li, a single name is a Rui word, and the New Year will be sixteen, and this autumn exam is lucky to win the top ten, I think it is still academic impurity, and the provincial exam, wouldn't it be laughable and generous, so I won't go to the exam this year." Fang Xin scooped out buckets and buckets, ten buckets down, tired and sweaty: "Since the show talent, students are often afraid of themselves, if the academic is not pure, the virtue is insufficient, then there is no way to repay the emperor's kindness, there is no way to repay the parents and relatives, and there is no way to repay the support of the people, anyway, the student will take the exam again in three years, and it is only eighteen, when you can use your heart to refine the way of the sages, purify academics, and then come to take this fame." ”

At this time, the porridge had been finished and the sun had come out, Fang Xin breathed a sigh of relief, stood outside the pergola, and looked around, but saw that there was smoke in the house, and there were newly finished tenants who had arrived in the field, and they didn't know what they were doing.

"What a Li Rui, what a benevolence, what a heart of self-danger and self-fear!" The man looked at him again deeply, as if to remember him, and then said, "If you have this heart, you have your own future, and after speaking, you will turn over and get on your horse, and then go on with the group."