From afar, Guo An, Zhu Di and others saw muddy thatched huts, scattered and distributed, sometimes some dilapidated or only half of the earthen walls remained, pitch black, depressed and dusty.

Among the hundreds of thatched huts, there is only one clean brick house, standing alone on the edge of a pond, which is particularly eye-catching.

It's noon.

However, in this cold season, there is hardly any human population in the village, only a few houses with a few cooking smokes coming out.

Seeing this, Zhu Di walked directly towards the outermost thatched hut.

It's just that as they got closer, Zhu Di and Guo An's brows couldn't help frowning.

Around the thatched hut, which was only a circle of half-people high, was still covered with a thin layer of snow, the snow was white and flat, and there was no sign of people moving.

Even in the courtyard, except for the two paths that were swept out, there were no traces of cleaning around, and you could even see piles of leaves and weeds buried under the snow.

Seeing this, Zhu Gaochi on the side didn't think much about it, but felt that the white snow in the courtyard was a little pleasing to the eye, and walked straight in.

Behind him, Jiang Hu and several chamberlains were worried that there would be some thieves in the house, so they hurriedly followed closely behind Zhu Gaochi.

Perhaps hearing the movement of someone approaching outside the courtyard, the small door of the thatched hut slowly opened, revealing an old woman, unkempt, looking out of the courtyard expectantly, and a small head below, full of timidity.

It's just that I saw Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Di and others outside.

Immediately, the old woman realized something, and hurriedly tried to close the door of the hut.

Seeing this, Jiang Hu hurriedly stepped forward and propped up the door of the house, which surprised the old woman.

"My lord is passing by here and wants to come in to see, why are you old woman so hurriedly refusing to leave the door?"

Zhu Di glared fiercely, a little rough Jiang Hu, his face was full of gentleness.

"Don't be afraid, old woman, we want to go to General Mountain, we will pass here, and our stomachs are a little hungry, so we come in and ask for some food to fill our stomachs, don't worry, I will give you money!"

Realizing that Zhu Di was the principal of the group of nobles in front of her, the old woman hurriedly saluted, and said a little timidly: "Ladies and gentlemen, the food we have here is a bad thing, I'm afraid it is not suitable for a few nobles to eat!" ”

Zhu Di said very heartily: "It's okay, when you go out, you can fill your hunger and be very satisfied!" ”

Hearing this, the old woman was still a little hesitant, and as for the grandson under her, she was a little frightened, and a little curious looked at Zhu Di and Zhu Gaochi and others who were wearing brocade clothes, and there was a deep envy in her eyes.

On the side, Jiang Hu had already taken out two treasure bills from his arms, two taels of silver denominations.

"This is four taels of treasure money, this old woman will accept it, and quickly go and cook for my master!"

"This ......"

Seeing the treasure banknote, the old woman's eyes lit up, and then her face was full of embarrassment.

"Take it!"

Jiang Hu directly stuffed the treasure money into the old woman's hand, the old woman took a serious look, her two dry black and thin hands were trembling, and then she thanked her for her kindness, opened the door of the house, and invited Zhu Di, Zhu Gaochi and others into the house.

"It's still warm in the house!"

After entering the house, Zhu Di subconsciously muttered, and began to look around the situation in the house.

It's just that, looking at it, the brows of Zhu Di and Zhu Gaochi furrowed again.

The hut was very simple, except for a bed, only a table, a few crooked stools, a dilapidated cupboard, a stove, a few crockpots and other things, piled up in a corner.

As for the futon on the bed, it was just a thin layer of linen spread on the bed, and on top of it was a bloated quilt, which looked very thick, but as the grandson got into the quilt, Guo An, Zhu Di and others could clearly hear a hula and hula sound.

And this time, the old woman was already hunched over and making a fire on the stove.

As the fire in the pit burned, the room became brighter and warmer.

"You don't have shoes on your feet?"

Suddenly, Zhu Gaochi on the side stared at the old woman's feet, staring at the old woman's feet, staring at her big eyes, full of surprise.

When I first entered the house, the house was gray, and the old woman's feet were also pitch black, and I didn't see the situation on the old woman's feet.

Now, with the light of the fire, coupled with the old woman's subconscious desire to put her feet close to the stove, she was finally seen by Zhu Gaochi.

Zhu Di and Guo An also subconsciously looked at the old woman's feet.

So far, the old woman is standing barefoot, her feet are full of dry cracks, and some swelling can still be seen, I don't know how to survive in this cold weather?

In addition, the clothes on the old woman's body are also worn-out fabrics sewn up piece by piece, and the original color can no longer be seen when washed.

The old woman said vaguely: "Let this noble man smile, my family is poor and I don't have any fabric." ”

Zhu Gaochi opened his mouth, he didn't know what to say, he had long known that the people of the Ming Dynasty were living in hardship, but how did he not expect that they could suffer so much.

In the winter, there are no shoes to wear, the mattress is hay, and the quilt is filled with leaves and weeds?

Isn't this more than poverty? It's a chill to think about!

On the side, Zhu Di seemed to remember something, and asked again: "Where is your man?" ”

The old woman poured hot water into the bowl for Zhu Di, and replied: "Go dig the river!" ”

Zhu Di frowned, looked Lao Ou's face up and down, and couldn't help but ask again, "Your man is going too?" ”

The old woman didn't seem to want to say more, and said very simply: "As long as all the adult men in the nearby village have to go!" ”

Zhu Di's face has sunk, according to the old woman's age, her man must not be young, so she shouldn't have to go, but these things are considered by local officials, and he can't interfere.

On the side, Zhu Gaochi nodded slowly, "It's good to serve as a servant, when you are slack like this, you can not only earn some rations, but also earn some money to subsidize your family!" ”

The old woman looked at Zhu Gaochi directly with a strange face, then remembered something, quickly looked away, picked up the bowl, and prepared to cook.

It's just that in the end, I still didn't hold back, and said helplessly: "Go to serve in the conscription, you don't have to eat there, you have to bring it yourself." ”

Zhu Di: "......"

Zhu Gaochi: "......"

At this time, the two of them finally remembered that it seemed that in Daming, only Beiping Mansion served as a servant, not only to eat food, but also to give money.

Thinking about it, I couldn't help but glance at Guo An beside me.

Guo An just smiled and didn't speak.

Over the years, Zhu Di and Zhu Gaochi have seen too many beautiful pictures, which will require the two of them to see the real suffering life of the people of the Ming Dynasty!

And Zhu Gaochi wanted to ask something, but looking at the poor situation in the old woman's family, he didn't know where to start.

At this time, Guo An saw that the old woman was holding a bowl of black things, which didn't seem to be cleaned, and she was about to put them in the pot, so she was shocked, and immediately hurriedly stopped it.

"Stop, old woman!"

The old woman was also shocked, and asked with a frightened face, "I don't know what this noble man commands?" ”

Guo An asked, "You only have these foods at home?" ”

Hearing this, Zhu Di, Zhu Gaochi and others also subconsciously looked at the bowl in the old woman's hand.

Zhu Di and Zhu Gaochi couldn't help frowning slightly, there were only some broken rice in the bowl, and even half of the rice bran was mixed with it.

Zhu Di has seen some of these directly.

However, for Zhu Gaochi, he has never seen it at all, but he also knows that these are not good foods.

On the side, Jiang Hu glared angrily, stared at the old woman tightly, and rebuked loudly: "Bold, you cunning old woman, I gave you four taels of silver in the treasure banknote, and you only gave us these pigs?" ”

The old woman's face was suddenly full of panic, and she hurriedly explained: "I don't dare...... I don't dare to deceive you, but I ...... In my family, there is only this food, and on weekdays, we are reluctant to eat! ”

Jiang Hu didn't believe it, turned around directly, walked to the rice jar, opened it casually, and looked inside.

Suddenly, there was silence.

Seeing this, Zhu Di and Zhu Gaochi couldn't help it, and walked over, and couldn't help but look weird.

In the Nano rice jar, there is only a small half jar of rice that has seen the bottom, but it is also rice bran mixed with broken rice.

As for the jars and jars on the side, they are all empty, and it looks like the rats will starve to death if they fall into them!

Zhu Di and Zhu Gaochi suddenly broke their defenses!

"You and your grandson eat these things every day?"

"That's already good!"

At this time, the old woman seemed to notice that the nobles in front of her were not so arrogant and unreasonable, and she became a little more courageous, and spoke a little louder.

……

(End of chapter)