In the midst of the chaos, a large ship passed by, and the panic here attracted the attention of the people on board. This large ship is clearly different from other warships. Although the ordinary warship is wide and sturdy, there is no decoration on the ship except for the round wooden pole is a wide plank, and although this big ship is not as luxurious as the flower boat painting boat, the ship is surrounded by red curtains and green curtains, which is very special in this fleet. There were a few people who looked like generals in the cabin, and there were several young men standing on the bow of the ship, and these young men were not ordinary sergeants, but looked like children of a family.

One of them, a young man in a white robe stared at this place: he saw several people standing on a boulder, a white-bearded old man, a young man with a large horn, and a pair of older young men and women supporting a middle-aged woman on the left and right, the young man was heroic and had a cyan birthmark on his forehead. The young man in white swept his gaze over everyone, and finally stopped at Zhixin.

The river breeze blew her pink pleated skirt and jet-black hair, swaying and flowing, looking from afar, like a hibiscus out of the water, naturally beautiful, fresh and refined.

As the boat moved, Zhixin's image changed from far to close, and when it reached the closest distance, the young man couldn't help but be a little stunned, but at this moment, the boat did not stop, and the distance gradually became farther away. If he hadn't been afraid of committing the grave crime of delaying the military plane, he would have stopped the ship at all.

A son next to him pushed him: "Brother Shi, what are you looking at?" ”

Shi Gongzi pointed to the shore and said blankly: "The leaves are pale, and the white dew is frost." The so-called Yi people, on the water side, follow it, and the road is long and obstructive. Tracing from it, it is like being in the middle of the water. Brother Xiahou, the woman in the red dress ......"

Xiahou Gongzi looked in the direction of Shi Gongzi's finger, at this time the boat was already far away, and he couldn't see it clearly, he said strangely: "Just a woman, what's rare, don't you want as many as you want?" ”

Shi Gongzi ignored him, the boat was still moving forward, Zhixin gradually disappeared from her field of vision, and this Shi Gongzi came to his senses a little: "Oh, in this rural village and town, there is such a beautiful woman, it's strange, even the huge Luoyang City is difficult to find such characters, if it is received in my house, I can overwhelm the group of concubines in my family without dressing up, but I Shi is not blessed, such a beautiful woman, but I can't reach it." ”

Xiahou Gongzi smiled: "What's so difficult about this, if it's peaceful today, if Brother Shi likes it, when he arrives in Luoyang and receives the emperor's reward, he will send someone to take this girl to Luoyang, won't he get it?" ”

"Even so......" Shi Gongzi was still depressed, clapping his hands and stomping his feet, "I only know her on one side, and I don't know where this is, I don't know who her surname is, whether she has a match, how to find it?" ”

"Wait a minute." After Xiahou Gongzi finished speaking, he walked to the boat, came back after a while, and said to Shi Gongzi, "I asked the boatman just now, this place is called Shujiazhuang, it is a small village and town, how many people can there be?" When the time comes, just ask. As for whether she has a match, you look at her appearance, she is wearing a double bun, she is not very old, and she is not married, there should be no match, Brother Shi rest assured, my Xiahoumen will be able to ensure that you can hold the beauty. ”

"Thank you, Brother Xiahou, for your advice." After hearing this, Shi Gongzi was overjoyed, and pulled Xiahoumen to the warehouse to drink.

These warships went all the way north, originally sailing against the current. But now it is the turn of spring and summer, and the southeast wind prevails, and the wind is especially strong today. It's rare to have a good wind, so how can you miss this great opportunity, so these ships are full of sails and go all the way north, without stopping at Ruyin.

Zhixin was afraid that her mother's old illness would recur, so she asked Ruoxin to go to the pharmacy to grab some soothing medicine for her mother, and helped her mother back home. Liu took the medicine, recovered his consciousness a little, and gradually fell asleep.

Shu Yan still goes to Xishan every day to cut firewood, and then picks it up to the West Market to sell. On this day, I met the old man again, so I put the firewood next to the old man's stall.

At this time, I heard a few people talking. The cabbage seller said, "Did you all see it the day before yesterday?" The army of the imperial court passed by us in a big boat, and the river was mighty for dozens of miles, so not majestic! ”

The oil seller said: "Look at it, I deliberately went to the river to see it that day, and I didn't even do business, that scene was really majestic." ”

The rice seller said: "This noodle is rare to see, what is it to do business for one less day!" ”

The pork seller said: "It's just a pity that our officials and people in Ruyin are ready and waiting for the labor army, but they don't stay with us." ”

The porcelain bowl seller said: "Now that the army has left, shouldn't we go to the county to get the money?" I've got 300 sets of dishes! ”

"I'm thirty pounds of sesame oil."

"I'm three stones."

……

Everyone discussed it and decided that in the afternoon, everyone would take the voucher and go to the official office to collect the money together.

Shu Yan asked Old Man Tang: "Father-in-law Tang, let's go and get the money in the afternoon." ”

Old Man Tang said: "Brother Shu, the county government is far away, and I won't go because my legs and feet are inconvenient, so you take my credentials and bring me here." ”

Shu Yan took the old man's credentials and said, "Okay, father-in-law, I will definitely bring you the money according to the number." ”

In the afternoon, everyone came to the front of the Ruyin County Mansion, the door was closed, and after waiting for a long time, no one came to open the door. This group of people are ordinary people, and they are usually most afraid of the government, although it is natural to ask for their own money, but no one dares to come forward. Shu Yan saw that everyone didn't dare to come forward and knock on the door, so he stepped forward and knocked on the door. The door opened, a person came out, Shu Yan explained his intention, the person went in to report, came back after a while, and replied to Shu Yan and said, Cang Cao Shi is not here today, please come back another day.

On the second day, everyone came to the county mansion again, and there were more people today than yesterday, obviously not just Shu Yan and them. After waiting for a long time, Fang saw a person come out, this person was wearing a beam of crowns, Shu Yan looked at this crown, and knew that it was an official with a bit of status, but it must not be Qiu Guoxiang, because the state minister and Taishou are of the same level, with a rank of two thousand stones, and officials of this level generally wear two beam crowns, and this person only wears a beam crown, which should be just an assistant.

This assistant glanced at everyone, arched his hand to everyone, and said: "I am Tang Hui, it is the history of Cangcao in this county, and I will send you this money." First of all, I want to explain to you that your goods were originally for the comfort of the army, and although they are empty, your things have become useless. There have been too many places to spend money in the department recently, and Qiu Guoxiang understands the difficulties of the people and compresses other expenses, but it is only enough for each of you to pay 30% of the original price. ”

Zhao Youlang asked, "What?" Originally, it was good to be at the original price, but in the end, why only give 30%? ”

Bai Mi Zhang also said: "Yes, the labor army didn't work, but the money was only given to 30%, what is this called?" If you don't want to give money, you can at least return the goods to us! ”

Tang Cangcao snorted twice: "The county government originally bought your goods for the labor army, not for our own use. The people in the county government have been busy for two days, and now that the weather is warmer, in a few days, all the good things of the labor army have rotted and deteriorated. The department has spent a lot of time and effort, how can you and other small people know? If you want, now you can line up, take your credentials, and come in one by one to receive the money, and if you don't want to, then please do it. ”

Butcher Liu said: "My two whole pigs, but only give money to two hind legs? ”

Cui Erdao, who sells porcelain bowls: "Who said no, my two baskets of porcelain bowls were picked from hundreds of miles away." I haven't earned my hard-earned money, I can't even get the capital back, a small business, who can stand it? ”

Wang Yidan, who sold firewood, said: "If it is for the labor army, even if we don't need the money, we will admit it, but now the labor army can't do it, but the money is only given to thirty percent, which is always incomprehensible!" ”

……

Everyone was dissatisfied and was discussing, but Tang Cangcao ignored it and was domineering.

Shu Yan thought: This must be the intention of the Ruyin official, if it is consumed like this, they will not give in, and if it drags on, I am afraid that even this money will be gone, so it is better for everyone to receive the money first. After thinking about it, he bowed his hand to everyone, and persuaded with a smile: "Uncles and brothers, everyone listen to me first, we can't work hard, but we have lost a lot of capital, which is really difficult for us to accept." However, looking at Tang Cangcao's meaning, it is difficult to get the original amount of this money. In this case, we might as well think about it from another angle, only when our goods are really a reward for our triumphant soldiers, as the people of the Great Jin Dynasty, it is also appropriate to pay some money to work for the army, as long as the world is peaceful, our people can live and work in peace and contentment, and it is worth making some contributions; In times of war, can we do business with peace of mind? Didn't the rebels rob for nothing? I don't dare to ask for any money, I just want to save my life, don't I? Money is something outside of the body, and as long as there is no chaos, we can earn back this loss a thousand times over. ”

Seeing that Shu Yan was reasonable, everyone agreed. Everyone was dissatisfied, but there was no way, so they had to take the money in turn. Shu Yan got his own money and received Tang's father-in-law's money. Donald's pig Ling should have been six hundred yuan, but he only received two hundred. Shu Yan said secretly: If you want to say that the diet you make has become rotten after three days, it is understandable, but it is impossible for this pig ling, dishes and the like to deteriorate, why only give 30%? The day before yesterday, I confidently promised people to get it back according to the original amount, and the old man is very old, and it is not easy to do a small business! Thinking of this, he put his firewood money together with the two hundred dollars......

The next day, Ruyin West City.

As soon as Shu Yan arrived, he saw Old Man Tang walking over with a basket of pigs.

"Father-in-law Tang, this is the pig Ling money that the county government gave you yesterday, a full six hundred, you count." Shu Yan handed over a string of money to Old Tang.

Old Donald took the money, and a surprised expression appeared on his face, "I heard that it's not only for thirty percent?" How is it a primitive number? ”

"Oh, that's right, our things are all paid according to thirty percent, only your pig Ling, the people of the county government said, your pig Ling is good, and it is not damaged, and it should be given according to the original amount." Shu Yan had already made up the reason.

The old man always did not smile, with a cold expression. He took the money, the corners of his mouth twitched twice, and he didn't speak.

At this time, there were not many people in the city, so the small merchants chatted together: "Everyone, have you heard, the things we picked up to the county government to reserve the labor army a few days ago were not corrupted, and on the night after the army passed, someone saw the people in the county selling these things to Shifu overnight. ”

"All sold to Shifu?"

"It must be, these tens of thousands of things, except for the Shi family, who can afford it!"

"Is Shi Fu willing to pay at the original price?"

"Then I don't know, the Shi family doesn't care about the money, besides, the Shi family has close contacts with the county, what is this little thing!"

"Even if the Shi family doesn't give money to the county at the original price, it will definitely not only give 30%!"

"Didn't the county make a lot of money for nothing?"

"So what's the solution? This group of dog officers. ”

Everyone was gossiping, and suddenly someone pointed not far away and said, "Hey, isn't that Shi Xiaolang?" ”

Shu Yan looked in that direction, and there were three or four people walking in this direction, and one of them was really Shi De.

"How do you sell this firewood?" A man who looked like a steward asked.

Shu Yan knew this person, but he was a servant of Shi Mansion with some power, named Huang San. Although these few were only servants, their clothes were brighter than those worn by most people in the city.

"A hundred dollars." Shu Yan replied truthfully.

When Shi De heard this voice, he felt familiar, looked up, and was deeply surprised: "Hey, Shu Yan, why are you here?" ”

"I'm selling firewood." Shu Yan replied naturally.

"Why are you dressed so shabby! A body of soil, and a body full of sweat smell! Shi De looked Shu Yan up and down while making a look of disgust.

Shu Yan was accustomed to Shide's disrespectful virtue, so he was not angry, and only said lightly: "Hehe, I was born in a tile family, and I have to run around every day for my livelihood and be self-reliant. Why did such a noble person as you come to the city to ask about firewood and rice, shouldn't you? ”

Shi De smiled: "Alas, you think I want to come, it's all my Ah Weng, I have to come to the city to go with them, and I want to experience the people's livelihood." What's there to experience here? One buys, the other sells, one hand delivers, and the other hand collects money, isn't that the case? ”

"You are the son of a family, you come to reach out for food to open your mouth, how do you understand market management? How can you understand the hardships of the people? Most of the people here are small businesses, and if they don't work, they won't eat. For example, today, I have been here for most of the day, but my firewood has not been sold. If I change to someone who is poorer than me, I can't sell it for money, and I may not have rice to cook today. ”

Although Shi De always looks down on people from poor families, and even sometimes ridicules Shu Yan, he is sometimes a warm-hearted person. He heard Shu Yan say that he hadn't sold firewood for most of the day, so he said, "Do you sell firewood?" That's easy, let me tell you, in a few days my family will have a big event, and I need a lot of firewood, from today onwards, you don't need to sell it here every day, just send the firewood directly to my house. Then he turned to Huang Sandao, who was in charge: "He is my ......" He wanted to say 'friend', but when he thought about it, he would be laughed at if someone from a family was friends with someone from a poor family. Then he changed his words and said, "He and I have known each other since childhood, and if you recognize it, you will ask for his firewood." ”

Huang San dared to disobey, but only agreed.

Shu Yan smiled secretly in his heart, he really didn't know if this charity was a good person or a bad person, sometimes confused, sometimes smart, sometimes arrogant, sometimes enthusiastic.