More than 200 years since the founding of the Great Liang Dynasty, chaos has begun to appear, and disasters in the north have occurred frequently, especially in Ningxi.

The first year of Tianfu: "There was a great drought in Ningxi, three coins of rice, cannibalism, and the dead pillowed." ”

Tianfu three years: "Three years in March, to the year of drought in Ningxi Province, the room is like a chime hanging, there is no grass in the wild, the side side of the rice is expensive to four dollars, and the army and the people are in difficulty. ”

The first year of Qianyou: "The great wilderness of Ningxi, fighting rice and eight coins, the people began to dig grass roots, willow leaves, bark, and then pound stones, fell to death, people killed each other, and zombies were everywhere. ”

……

July of the second year of Qianyou.

In the celadon of Xijing City, from the left to the third miscellaneous courtyard, Cao Xin returned home, and was afraid for a while: "Fortunately, I ran early when I saw that the situation was not good!" ”

In the past few days, I have heard discussions about the drought in Ningxi in the streets and alleys, and all kinds of tragic situations have been shocking.

For the people in Xijing, Ningxi is too far away, and Xijing is one of the five capitals of the Great Liang, and it is the first bustling city in the world, and it is difficult for the people of the capital to experience it.

But Cao Xin is different.

He died in a car accident during a trip in his previous life, and grew up to five years old in Ningxi in this life, and then the family couldn't live anymore, so his father Cao Kun ran out with his family.

Out of Ningxi, into Tanxi.

Pass through Tanxi and enter the Shangjiang River.

Eventually, he came to Xijing from Shangjiang Province.

For three whole years, after a lot of hardships, the seven sons and two daughters of the Cao family died and lost two, and even the pillar Cao Kun died of illness last year, and died in Shangjiang.

When he arrived in Xijing City, there was only a large family of eleven people, only his mother Cao Zhang, eldest brother Cao Ren, eldest sister Cao Xian, eldest seventh Cao Liang, and Cao Xin, who was the fifth in the family.

"Alas!"

Thinking of the three years of life and death, Cao Xin couldn't help but sigh.

Three years of desertion, upside down.

Among them, hardship is not enough for outsiders.

Although he has now settled in Xijing City and become the envy of everyone as a 'city man', the hard days have not yet passed.

"Poor!"

Cao Xin went back to the house and opened the rice bowl, which was empty enough to run horses, and he was so poor that he was waiting for the rice to go to the pot.

Wrong!

Where to eat rice!

The drought in the north is serious, and although Xijing City is still prosperous and drunk, it has been affected to some extent, and the most intuitive thing is the rise in grain prices.

Four or five years ago, one tael of silver could buy two stones of rice in Xijing City, and one catty was as low as four wen.

This year, it has risen to 14 wen a catty, more than three times.

The white face 17 Wen also rose three or four times.

But the wages of the people did not rise.

Originally, a strong labor force earned back 40~50 yuan a day, and could buy ten catties of rice or nine catties of white flour, which was enough to feed a family of five.

But now, the average person in Xijing City can no longer afford to eat rice and white noodles.

They mainly eat coarse grains -

Corn ballast 10 text.

Red Lotus 2 text.

……

A visible decrease in quality of life.

Even the natives of Xijing City are still difficult, and it is even more common for the Cao family, who had just fled from the Great Northwest to be hungry for nine meals in three days.

I ate the last meal and the next meal.

The days are too hard.

Even if there is a tile to cover it now, it is the eldest brother Cao Ren who fought for his life.

When the family came to Xijing City, when Cao Ren was looking for work at the Caishui River Wharf, he happened to save a small leader of the Caishui Gang, and then he was taken under his command.

The little boss gave Cao Ren 200 Wen to settle in, and through the relationship between Cai Shui Gang and the Sun family, a wealthy merchant in the city, he vacated two inverted houses in a large compound under the name of the Sun family.

Although the inverted seat house does not see sunlight all year round, it at least has roots and can shelter from the wind and rain.

It stands to reason that this has surpassed countless victims, and even surpassed many people in Xijing.

On ordinary people, especially the victims in the north, one cheap life can be exchanged for two rooms, in exchange for 200 yuan for settlement expenses and life money, but I am afraid that everyone will not be able to ask for it.

But Cao Ren is Cao Xin's eldest brother, even if Cao Xin was older than Cao Ren in his previous life, but in this life, Cao Xin still admires and respects the conduct of this half-brother.

He couldn't watch Cao Ren, who was only sixteen years old, live a life licking blood from the knife in the gang, and he didn't know which day he would lose his life.

"Make money!"

In the end, it comes back to 'money'.

If you have money, you can go all over the world, but you can't move an inch without money.

"How do I make money?"

The Cao family is poor and white, and there is no way to do business without capital, and it is difficult to do small business.

Handicraft?

Technical work?

No!

There is a technology that will not be reduced to the point of fleeing thousands of miles from the wilderness.

"Begging!"

Cao Xin thought of the only skill that he had honed along the way that could make money, and then thought about the bustle of the Mahang Market in Xijing City, if he could set up a bowl there and beg, with his tone of 'lotus falling', it would not be a dream to advance every day.

But if the eldest brother joins the gang and begs again, the reputation of the Cao family will be completely ruined, and these two houses may not be able to be saved, and they are likely to be jointly kicked out by the residents of the miscellaneous courtyard.

"It's hard, it's hard!"

It's not easy in the world, Cao Xin sighed.

……

The sun is setting in the west, and the courtyard is gradually becoming lively.

Counting the newly moved Cao family, this miscellaneous courtyard has a total of 16 households and nearly 100 people, most of whom are the Sun family's men, workers, masters, and shopkeepers, scattered in many industries under the name of the Sun family.

Colleagues and neighbors have a naturally close relationship.

Speaking in twos and threes, his mental outlook is completely different from that of the people in the three northern provinces.

However, the excitement is theirs and has nothing to do with the Cao family.

The Cao family fled the famine, and the pride and xenophobia of the people in the city are one thing.

On the other hand, the Cao family does not have a regular livelihood, and the boss Cao who is in the top of the household is a gang, and no one wants to be contaminated.

New to the city.

Poor to eat dirt.

The door is deserted.

This is the current situation of the Cao family.

……

"Fifth brother, fifth brother."

Cao Xin sits, and his younger brother Cao Liang trotted back, holding a handful of peanuts in both hands.

Cao Liang is six years old today, two years younger than Cao Xin, thin and small, and his perennial malnutrition makes him look only four or five years old, thin and out of shape.

The clothes were also tattered, and Cao Xin had forgotten where he picked it up.

When I first arrived at the hospital, I was laughed at.

However, after three years of hardship, now he has a place to live in Xijing City, and he doesn't have to travel all day, although because his family is ostracized in the yard, no child wants to play with him, and even if it weren't for his two brothers, he would have to be bullied. But Cao Liang has long been used to it, and he can be good alone.

"Fifth brother, look!"

"I dig earthworms and send them to the backyard, which is given by Sister Xiaoyan."

Cao Liang's face was dirty, gray and sweaty, and his lips were white, but his spirit was very high.

Yesterday, he saw a few children of the same age in the yard catching insects and sending them to the backyard Xu Dazhi and Fang Xiaoyan's house, and brought back a few handfuls of wilted vegetable leaves, so he got the idea.

Early this morning, he went to dig earthworms, and then sent them to the backyard, and actually exchanged them for a handful of peanuts, which made him very happy.

Labor can be exchanged for harvest, which makes Xiao Cao Liang extremely satisfied.

Even if a layer of skin is sunburned, I don't care.

"Good fellow, that's a lot."

"Let's go, go inside and drink water."

After being praised twice, Cao Liang suddenly smiled.

Cao Xin also smiled.

The two families in the backyard are wealthy, among which Xu Dazhi often goes to the countryside, and Cao Xin doesn't know much about it for the time being.

Fang Xiaoyan is a bodhisattva.

The other families in the courtyard are not good or bad, and they don't look down on the Cao family, but there is no conflict for the time being.

It's the Yan family in the front yard -

Cao Xin glanced at the location of the courtyard gate, where the Yan family's Yan master, about forty years old, said to be a 'master', but in fact he was just a 'teacher', who was responsible for children's literacy and enlightenment in a primary school.

It's been a busy year, and there's not much to gain.

If you don't have fame, you're not even a child, and your status is like that.

At this time, this Yan Fuzi was pouring a few potted plants with a kettle in one hand and a book in the other, looking at it from time to time, shaking his head.

But whether it was watering or reading, it was secondary, and he mainly talked to the neighbors who came back from work, and sometimes when he saw a heavy object, he stepped forward to help him cross the threshold.

Praise a few words.

Help both.

This is praised and helped, and it is somewhat interesting.

Two green onions, one garlic.

Occasionally, you can gain a little, which is not worth much, but it is better in vain.

You can't eat poorly, you can't drink poorly, and if you can't calculate, you will be poor.

This is the family motto that Master Yan secretly set up at home.

It's a pity that Master Yan, who has always been the most calculating, suffered a loss in the Cao family.

At the beginning of this year, the eldest of Master Yan's family got married, and the younger couple has been active, wanting to clean up the two upside-down rooms in the courtyard and move out to live alone.

However, the composition of the compound is too complicated, except for a few families whose ancestors have lived in it for generations, the other houses are the property of the Sun family in the city, and they are all employed by the Sun family.

If you want to vacate two inverted rooms, in addition to saying that more than a dozen families in the courtyard live outdoors, you also have to go to Sun's house to run the door.

Master Yan dragged on three times and asked for four times, and when he was finally about to open the door-

It's a coincidence!

The Cao family took the path of the Cai Shui Gang, contacted the steward of the Sun family in the city, and moved in the line of fire, which can be regarded as intercepting the Yan family's Hu to a certain extent.

Under such circumstances, the Yan family's attitude towards the Cao family can be imagined.

The whole family is also a strict master, although he is stingy, he has always been smiling and welcoming people, so he has a little smile on the Cao family.

As for the rest of the Yan family, it was the third eldest of their family and the boss of the Zhen family in the middle court who took the lead in isolating Cao Xin and Cao Liang, and even when little Cao Liang got up, he was beaten, and in the end, it was Cao Xin's revenge and the eldest brother Cao Ren's deterrence, which had nothing to do with each other.

Some of the children are very kind.

Some of them are very annoying.

Yes –

Very vicious.

……

chatted with my younger brother, and watched every family return home.

While recognizing people and deepening his impression, Cao Xin combed through the shortcomings of the parents in the courtyard that he had heard these days-

Which family is close to which family.

Which one has quarreled with which one.

Old widower.

Little widow.

There are all kinds of gossip in my head.

Don't look at a small and large courtyard of sixteen households, the complexity is no less than the emperor's harem, and the doorway is deep.

Cao Liang put the peanuts in the house, but he was not willing to eat any of them. After washing his face, he ran to Cao Xin again, saying that where there were earthworms, he would dig them tomorrow.

The little face is serious.

It's not too late.

Two familiar figures entered the courtyard.

Master Yan's face at the gate of the courtyard changed slightly, and he wanted to pretend not to see it, but after listening to the two greetings of 'Master Yan', he still replied-

"Sister-in-law of the Cao family."

Here, Cao Liang shouted excitedly when he saw it-

"Mother!"

"Big sister!"

Cao Xin immediately smiled, and it was his mother Cao Zhang and eldest sister Cao Xian who came back.

……

"Alas!"

"There are too many people on the street, and all businesses are booming, but there are no workers."

The eldest sister Cao Xian is only thirteen years old this year, dark and thin, and she is in a hurry, so she poured two bowls of cold boiled water into her mouthful, and complained to Cao Liang.

For most of the month, Cao Xian and his stepmother Cao Zhang went to the market every day under the big sun in July, trying to find some work to supplement the family and share the burden for his eldest brother Cao Ren.

But now in this world, where is it easy to find a job to make money.

If there is such a job, it is generally taken by acquaintances, and no matter how bad it is, it is an acquaintance of acquaintances.

The Cao family has just arrived, and they have no foundation, and it is even more difficult for the mother and daughter to find a way to make a living.

Doorway.

Network.

In the current situation, it is far more important than hard work.

"Let's rest at home tomorrow, it's too hot."

Cao Xin said a few words to the eldest sister from time to time, and when he saw that Cao Zhang's was a little sluggish, he poured a bowl of water and persuaded him.

"Xiao Wu is right."

"Mother will rest at home tomorrow, I'll just go around alone."

Cao Xian took the conversation, and she also saw that Cao Zhang's health was not very good, so she came back early today.

"What's the matter?"

"Go to bed early at night."

"The big girl is not at ease."

Cao Zhang shook his head.

She didn't want to hold her son and daughter back.

The two sons, one eight and one six, stayed at home for dinner. The eldest son Cao Ren born by his predecessor is desperately earning money outside, and the eldest daughter Cao Xian also gets up early and goes outside to find work, so that her stepmother can stay at home, how can she stay.

"Tomorrow, my mother and eldest sister will rest."

"If you accidentally heat up and break your body, my eldest brother will work in vain for a month."

Cao Xin simply persuaded both.

In this kind of year, you don't dare to get sick, once you get sick, unless you carry it yourself, you will die.

The Cao family, including his father Cao Kun, all died of illness.

As soon as Cao Zhang and Cao Xian heard this, they were silent.

……

It's approaching evening.

The eldest brother, Cao Ren, is finally back.

"Big brother."

Cao Xin called a basin of well water to wipe his eldest brother's face.

"I'll do it myself."

Cao Ren often frowns, but when he looks at his family, he always smiles a little.

He is only sixteen years old this year, but he looks very old. He is barely an adult man in a family of five, and the pressure is too great, and Cao Xin can hear him sighing in his sleep every night when he sleeps.

Fear of starvation for your family.

I'm worried that I don't know when I'm hacked to death in the gang.

Cao Ren was carrying too much, so he seemed a little taciturn.

He handed the cloth pocket he brought back to Cao Zhang, and said while washing his face: "I'm going to Liancheng tomorrow, and I have to go back and forth for half a month, which is half a month's ration for our family." ”

Going far away?

As soon as these words came out, everyone didn't have the heart to look at the cloth pocket, and looked at Cao Ren in unison.

"Liancheng."

"In Shangjiang Province!"

"The Cai Shui Gang has always operated along the Cai Shui River, why do they want to go to other provinces?"

Cao Xin frowned.

Shangjiang Province is also a disaster area, although it is not as serious as Ningxi, but no one dares to guarantee that there will be nothing wrong all the way.

Back and forth for half a month.

It's too dangerous!

"The price of grain over there is rising, and the gang is ready to transport a batch of them over to earn more silver."

"There are a lot of people on this trip, and there will be no problem with helping a few big leaders lead the team."

Cao Ren comforted everyone.

After washing his face, he took out a money bag from his arms and handed it to Cao Zhang, "Mother, there are a total of 200 copper coins here, about 120 yuan, keep it for the family." There are also 30 pieces of bread, which can be eaten at home for almost half a month. When I come back from this trip, the gang will give out another reward, and then I will have much more money on hand. ”

Thirty coarse grain cakes.

There are four people in the family, and they eat two sheets a day and one meal every day. It's not easy to eat full, but I can barely eat half full, which is better than the previous half a month.

The point is that he got back thirty pieces of bread at one time, as well as one hundred and twenty yuan, which made the Cao family's family solid at once.

But all this was obtained by Cao Ren's hard work.

……

Night.

After the Cao family was a little depressed after dinner, they washed up and went to bed.

The two inverted rooms, one large and one small, the smaller one served as a hall, and the larger one had two beds, and the family of five slept in it.

Cao Liang followed his mother and slept with his eldest sister.

Cao Xin slept with his eldest brother Cao Ren.

The brothers whispered.

The former one worries about home.

The latter one worries about the big brother.

The two were worried, and they didn't talk for long, and then they fell asleep.

Faintly, Cao Xin heard the sigh of his eldest brother after falling asleep, familiar and heavy.

In your sleep.

Cao Xin dreamed of a 'bronze fairy gate', and when the light bloomed, copper coins, rice, salt and a piece of pork belly sprayed out of it, and he drooled greedily.

"Goodong~"

Greedy, Cao Xin opened his eyes fiercely.

But see in the back of my mind -

Bronze fairy gate, vivid!

……

PS: New book upload!