Zheng Haizhu saw that each of them had sweaty faces and chapped lips like drought-stricken land, so he did not immediately express his position to their request, but only said in a harmonious voice: "Sisters, fortunately." Ease your breath first, I invite everyone to moisten their throats and drink mung bean soup, or sour plum soup? ”

These women, since they landed in their mother's womb, have never been treated so politely, and said incoherently for a while: "All, all drink, the nobles can reward anything." ”

Zheng Haizhu and Wu Bangde led them to the shade behind the tea stall and sat down, and asked the men to bring them drinks, plus one of the most common civilian snacks in Zhenjiang: eight navels.

This kind of baked pastry, which has become the intangible cultural heritage of later generations and is called "Jingjiang Navel" by modern people, is named Ba Navel by the Zhenjiang people of this world because of the eight corners.

Later, when the Qing soldiers went south, they suspected that the Han people used "eating eight navels" to scold the children of the Eight Banners of the Manchurians, so they ordered the noodles to be changed to six corners, and the name was also changed to "Jingjiang Navel", otherwise the head of the shopkeeper would be cut off.

At present, this fragrant scone is still eight horns, and it is still called "eight navels" openly.

Zheng Haizhu quickly stuffed the pastry into the dirty hands of the women, picked one up himself, and said, "Come, let's eat all the eight navels", and took a big bite first.

For most of the day, she was hungry and thirsty, not to mention the coolies. After a few women shrank slightly, they couldn't stand the salty smell of the eight navels, so they devoured the sour plum soup.

Zheng Haizhu caught a glimpse of Wu Bangde getting up to talk to his guy, his eyes were cast from time to time, knowing that he was very fine, and it was not good for him to stare at these disheveled women at close range as a man, so he retreated to observe.

After everyone was hungry, Zheng Haizhu asked, "How many sisters, what do you call them?" ”

Everyone looked at the square-faced, big-eyed woman, waiting for the leader to speak.

Zheng Haizhu said in his heart, yes, a small group of a few people also has a strong sense of organization and discipline.

The square-faced woman spoke: "Your ......."

"My surname is Zheng, you can call me Miss Zheng."

"Zheng, Miss Zheng, my name is Mu Zaohua, her name is Wang Zhaodi, her name is Zhang Lingzhi, her name is Chen Sanni, her name is Li Heibao, and her name is Cui Yuer."

Zheng Haizhu corresponded these down-to-earth names to each face, and asked: "How come I haven't seen you all these days?" ”

Mu Zaohua replied: "The men don't let us find a job here, and a few of us are pulling fiber in Guazhoudu." ”

"Guazhoudu?" Zheng Haizhu said curiously, "Isn't it abandoned there?" ”

"The boats and ordinary passenger boats don't go over there, but many scholars will ask the boatmen to rock over and let the women they bring with them sing songs, and sometimes they sing themselves."

Oh, that makes sense.

Zheng Haizhu understands that just like the Internet celebrities of later generations to check in to the scenic spots, the barren Guazhou Ferry is a place for current readers to go to nostalgia and chant the wind and moon.

Zheng Haizhu's gaze fell on the large piece of rough black skin next to Mu Zaohua's neck.

She had seen too much of the traces of the rope on the man's shoulders in the past few days, and thought about how difficult it would be if that process fell on her. At this moment, seeing a large cocoon of same-sex skin, the sense of substitution is stronger, and I am more and more embarrassed.

"There is a rocky beach on the other side of Guazhou, and the waterways are unmanaged, so you can pull fiber there, it's amazing."

Mu Zaohua listened to Zheng Haizhu not only disgraced, but also praised them sincerely, and when her body and mind relaxed, her honest smile had a little more gossamer pride.

"Miss Zheng, our strength is really not smaller than that of the masters, we can serve the rice bowl they can serve."

"Yes," the other woman finally dared to follow the words of the jujube flower, "I fled all the way to the wilderness, and some men wanted to catch me to cook it, and they all told me to run away." ”

Another woman said: "You have practiced boxing with your concubine since you were a child, I haven't done kung fu yet, there is a man who wants to eat meat on the way, and I don't have much strength, but I was pressed to the ground and slapped." But I didn't eat him, I'm a human being, and I don't do what animals do. ”

Zheng Haizhu only felt that his throat was blocked, and he hurriedly looked over everyone's shoulders, looking at the surging river and the boats in the distance, in order to calm his mind.

But I saw a woman who was also in rags, walking quickly to this side, and there was a doll on her back.

"Uh, that's your sister too, right?" Zheng Haizhu asked.

The crowd turned back and greeted the woman with a smile.

Mu Zaohua said: "Miss Zheng, that is the youngest of our seven slender girls, called Dong Erya." ”

"Seven Fiber Girls......" Zheng Haizhu read the name of this group.

The girl named "Cui Yuer" flashed with a smart scherzo in her eyes, and said to Zheng Haizhu: "Yes, Miss Zheng, we who are born hard-working, can't be seven fairies in the clouds, and we can live as seven slender girls in the world." ”

While speaking, Dong Erya had already arrived at the front, bowed to Zheng Haizhu, and looked at the eight navels in the hands of the sisters.

Immediately, three or four hands reached out to her: "Keep it for you, you are nursing the child, and you have a big appetite." ”

Wu Bangde had already walked over and handed Dong Erya two hot eight navels, and the guy followed with a big bowl of mung bean soup.

Dong Erya thanked him in one fell swoop: "Master Bodhisattva, Grandma Bodhisattva." ”

She saw Zheng Haizhu coiled in a single snail bun and thought it was Wu Bangde's daughter-in-law.

Wu Bangde smiled with her kindly: "This is Miss Zheng, I am her friend." ”

With that, he walked away again.

Dong Erya stuck out her tongue in embarrassment.

Miss Zheng saw that although she was also as black as Zhang Fei, she was very innocent and childish, and she was estimated to be fifteen or sixteen years old, about the same age as Fan Poyu, and she actually came out with her child to pull the fiber, so she couldn't help but feel distressed, and only said softly: "Eat quickly, your baby, I'll help you hold it?" ”

After all, Mu Zaohua's eyes were sophisticated, and she saw that Zheng Haizhu really wanted to hug the baby, so she helped Dong Erya untie the child and handed it to Zheng Haizhu, while saying: "It's a girl, but it's good, don't make trouble, the girl hurts." ”

The doll's sitting bones are already very hard, and the thighs are also long, and it is estimated that it has been eight or nine months, Zheng Haizhu saw that the child had sprouted two small teeth like corn kernels, and his dripping eyes were staring at the eight navels in his hand, so he broke a little dough and gave it to the doll to eat.

The doll grinned, smiled at Zheng Haizhu, and a lump of saliva dripped onto the back of Zheng Haizhu's hand, which had healed well after being burned.

Dong Erya said: "Don't look at my baby, she can know how good she is, she understands who is good to her." ”

She took a bite of the eight navels, and then remembered that she was here to apply for a job and find the master's family, and she took the initiative to tell Zheng Haizhu about her experience: "My man, in order to protect our mother and son from being caught and cooked, I fought hard with others and died." ”

She said so calmly, calmly that she didn't even delay to nibble on the cake.

Even if he gnawed for a while and returned to the topic, saying "My man exchanged his life for the baby, I raised him so well, I am worthy of him", this girl who is still a little childish, still has no sadness in her tone.

The people of this land are so resilient to suffering.

At this moment, Zheng Haizhu felt that he could be sympathetic to the common people in his heart, but if he was too contemptuous on his face, he would have a kind of condescending superiority, which made people uncomfortable.

She then asked in the same peaceful tone: "Then what should the baby do when you pull the fiber?" ”

Dong Erya said: "Tethered to the stump of Guazhoudu, there are dogs watching." ”

Mu Zaohua looked at Dong Erya's mouth full of cakes, and added for her: "It was the dog that Erya picked up, at first we were worried that the dog would bite the doll, but in fact, the dog is very reliable, not only does not bite the doll, but also fights with the wild dogs that want to get closer." ”

Cui Yu'er, who has a lively personality, interjected: "We all say that the dog was reincarnated by her man, and she can control the baby tightly." ”

Dong Erya didn't feel offended at all, but said seriously to Zheng Haizhu: "Girl, my dog is really a good dog, and it has a conscience more than many people. ”

Zheng Haizhu pursed her lips and smiled.

After a while, he said, "Where's your dog?" Go and bring it, I'll ask for it. ”

Dong Erya also replied with a simple "yes", Mu Zaohua had already reacted to the meaning of Zheng Haizhu's words, and when her ass left the wooden pier, she was going to pull the sisters to kowtow to Zheng Haizhu.

Zheng Haizhu hugged her: "Don't be polite, I just ask you a word from the leader, if you separate the seven sisters, how many of you will go to Songjiang with me, and a few of you will follow my friend to be a female buddy in Zhenjiang, okay?" ”

Mu Zaohua agreed: "Okay, okay, the girl can be called whatever she wants." ”

"Okay, I'll discuss it with my friend."

Zheng Haizhu got up and walked towards Wu Bangde.

Wu Bangde left the tea stall knowingly, stopping under the willow tree farther away.

"How many women do you want to add to my team?"

"Well, women are as good as women, not to mention these capable ones, it's a pity not to recruit."

Wu Bangde nodded: "The one who leads, he has a bit of courage and is also shrewd, he must give it to me." That Cui Yu'er, talking too much, I don't want it. I don't want the baby's one, you take it to Songjiang......"

As he was talking, he saw a young man who looked like a young man with a big burden on his back, walking here.

Mu Zaohua seemed to recognize him and greeted him.

The little guy gave the burden to Mu Zaohua, said a few words, Mu Zaohua was about to kneel down again, the little guy waved his hand, turned his head and walked away.

Zheng Haizhu and Wu Bangde walked back and asked why.

Mu Zaohua said: "At this time, we are really blessed by God, and we always meet nobles. This dress was given by the lady who hired us to pull the fiber today. She went to Songjiang to join relatives, turned to Guazhoudu to take a look, and hurried away. ”

Zheng Haizhu said: "Oh? What a kind person, have you ever asked someone who is in the house? ”

Mu Zaohua said: "I asked the little brother just now, and the little brother only said that his girl's surname is Wang. ”