The wind blows from the surface of the lake, and the cold air seems to blow into the cracks of people's bones.

Lu Xiaosi waited for Ding Wu to entrust the stall to others, and turned his head to look at the small market where she and Sister Xiaoli had sold zongye in the distance, and the originally lively vegetable market was a little deserted. There were almost no cargo ships in sight on the docks, and even the men who carried the work on the docks were nowhere to be seen.

The doors and windows of Laifushun not far away are closed, and there is no bustle of visitors coming and going. The original vermilion lacquer gates and window railings have been eroded by wind and rain and have become dull. I don't know when the guise of Laifushun, which was originally flamboyant in the wind, was blown off, and it swayed in the wind, making people feel a little depressed for no reason.

Lu Xiaoli saw that Lu Xiaosi looked at Lai Fushun and didn't move, and couldn't help sighing: "I don't know if Shopkeeper Li can come after the New Year." ”

"It's coming."

Halfway through winter, spring is not far away!

The three of them hurried around the corner and onto the longest street in town.

The doors of the streets on both sides are open, hidden, or closed, and you can tell that they have been closed for a long time by looking at the dust at the door.

It seems that the business of selling incense, candles, paper horses, and horses is acceptable, and one or two customers can be seen talking inside. The stove was extinguished, and the blacksmith squatted in the doorway in his old jacket and closed his eyes to bask in the sun. Looking at the store, those knives and iron tools seem to be frozen, and at a glance, the black hole is not even reflected.

There is also a proprietress who sells rouge pollen, in the past, she was always seen standing at the door with her eyebrows painted and powdered and smiling to solicit female customers. Seeing it today, I turned out to have a plain white face, and the fat powder did not wipe the lipstick, and the face that had been precipitated over the years made people unexpectedly see a bit of the past demeanor.

When the guys from Dongjia's cloth shop saw Lu Xiaosi looking over, they hurriedly took a few steps out, thinking about soliciting business. Seeing that the three of them kept passing by, they walked back and stood at the door looking dejectedly, waiting for the next wave of customers to pass by, so that they could solicit a business.

Ding Wu saw that Lu Xiaosi still had the heart to look at it, and couldn't help but relax his nerves.

After Dong's cloth shop, Lu Yangge asked: "Dong Yong should come back for the New Year, right?" ”

They are all children of the town, and Ding Wu should know much better than him.

"Well, I'm definitely coming back for the New Year. It's not easy to be an apprentice, not to mention working for nothing, and not being free. The last time my father met Uncle Dong, he said that Dong Yong didn't come back after a day of Mid-Autumn Festival, but his father felt sorry for him and went to see it in person, saying that he was taller, but he lost a lot of weight. ”

After speaking, Ding Wu thought of himself, if it weren't for the lo-mei of the Xiaosi family, he might have to go out to be an apprentice, or follow his brothers to run the boat.

The eldest brother sells meat at home, he sells lo-mei at home, and the second brother, the third brother, and the fourth brother run the boat. Speaking of the days of running the boat, the three brothers all said that it was hard.

But what can you do if you work hard, you still have to go, you can't eat your father and mother at home.

"I'll just learn it." Lu Xiaoli, who was walking behind the two, said silently.

Ding Wu sighed: "I hope." ”

It also depends on whether you meet a good master or not, and who is willing to teach the heirloom craft to someone with a foreign surname.

Dong Yong is also a buddy, not an apprentice.

"It's okay, Dong Yong is smart, as long as he wants to learn, he will definitely be able to learn it. As long as the general direction is good, come back and explore it yourself, it will definitely be successful. ”

Lu Yangge still has confidence in Dong Yong, the kid follows him up the mountain and down the river, and is willing to do anything in order to dye cloth.

Bold, careful, sweet-mouthed, thick-skinned, and smart-headed, such a person can succeed as long as he is given a little chance.

The three of them walked for a while, and found that the more they deviated from the center of town, the more shops closed.

Compared to this side, the side near the pier is not bad.

Lu Yangge stopped: "Is your family's lo-mei business not very good recently?" ”

"It's really not good, but it's not that the lo-mei business is not good, so many points have been closed, so many merchants have gone, and everyone's business is not good. My family's meat cases now kill one pig less than in previous years. Saying that, Ding Wu sighed again: "Business at the end of previous years was not like this. ”

When it came to previous years, Ding Wu was a little stunned for a while.

What was it like in previous years?

He couldn't remember it for a while, but he remembered that in previous years, there were people everywhere, buying and selling, setting up roadside stalls, and picking up lights to buy food at night. He led a few little nephews and nieces from one end of the town to the other side of the town, and when they came back, their steps seemed to be a little heavier, and they fell to the ground solidly.

Now, the prosperity of the past seems to have receded like a tide, and only the empty streets are left, and the dead leaves and dust that wander between the streets are left.

Where have all those who are rubbing shoulders gone?

The shopkeepers who closed the shop don't know if they will come to the town in the coming year.

The Red Silk Army rebelled, shouting that they would have food, food, and money to follow.

Who knows that they are snatching food from the mouths of the people, distributing food from the people's pots, and taking money from the money bags of the common people.

What is the difference between such a new dynasty and the old dynasty?

The emperor has no way to return to justice.

It turns out that as long as a person becomes an emperor, he will be unrighteous and virtuous!

Ding Wu was mixed up in the town in the end, and it was more convenient than Lu Yangge to inquire about the news, he only asked two or three people, and then led Lu Xiaosi and his brothers straight to a courtyard at the southern end of the town.

Lu Quan and the others were locked up in a courtyard of Master Lin's house, and the three children circled around the courtyard wall and didn't go in, let alone meet people. Ding Wu was really enthusiastic about helping, and when he saw that he couldn't get in and told Xiaosi and Xiaoli to wait at the door, he turned his head and ran back, and finally found two acquaintances who could talk.

With the face of Uncle Ding, these two people did not embarrass Ding Wu, and told him bluntly, saying that as long as they handed over the imperial grain, they would release him.

It's not really to be locked up, it's just to scare and scare these countrymen, and find a few people to kill chickens and make an example.

"That's going to make you see."

Ding Wu knew Xiao Si's temperament, so he was afraid that if he didn't let him see him, he could climb over the wall in the middle of the night.

Seeing that the acquaintance was silent, Ding Wu hurriedly stuffed the silver that sold lo-mei today: "Brother Zhou, Second Brother Wang, I don't have time to invite you to tea, you can take these and drink hot tea." ”

"How can I ask for your tea money."

Zhou Da was busy pushing, and was pushed back by Ding Wu: "I don't be polite to the two elder brothers, one of the people who is locked up here is my uncle, and my uncle has praised his character." ”

Hearing Ding Wu mention his uncle, Zhou Da's hand retracted again, and he took the money bag: "Then I'll think of a way for you, I'll take this tea money, and I won't take you for nothing, my brother also has to invite those guards to dinner." ”

Ding Wu nodded in a panic: "I know, I know, that's what I mean." ”

When Ding Wu led Zhou Da and Wang Er over, he saw the two of them walking to the gate and saying a few words to the gatekeeper.

The doorkeeper glanced at the three children not far away and nodded.

Ding Wu hurriedly led the little four carp over.

Lu Quan and several people were locked up in a side courtyard, and while waiting at the door, Lu Xiaoli slipped to the window and counted first, but he didn't see anyone clearly.

walked over and whispered to Xiao Si: "There are probably less than twenty people inside." ”

(End of chapter)