After a few days of driving, Li Hao and Guan Hai came to Tangyang County.

When the two entered Tangyang County, Li Hao and Guan Hai found that there were very few people here, and it was not at all like what a county town should be.

The street is deserted. There are only three or three pedestrians on the street, and you can see the end of the street from the street. There are still unfinished tables, chairs and benches on the side of the road, and bamboo baskets are also blown and tumbling with the wind.

Seeing a woman walking by, Li Hao stepped forward and just wanted to speak, the woman looked up and saw Li Hao, as well as Guan Hai behind him, and hurriedly ran away with the child. Seeing an old man again, Li Hao hurriedly stepped forward, the old man looked up at Li Hao, and then looked at Guan Hai, just looked at the two of them, did not speak, did not dodge.

Li Hao was curious about this old man, with gray hair, although he was stiff on his back, his legs and feet were still relatively neat. And it's okay for a normal person to see his words, but when he sees Guan Hai's five big and three rough appearance, he will be shocked, just like the woman just now.

"Uncle, this is my friend, we are passing by here, imagine you inquiring."

The old man found a clean place to sit down, Li Hao also sat next to him, Guan Hai stood aside, the old man motioned to him to ask something, Li Hao said: "Uncle, where have all the people in Tangyang County gone?" I've come from other places, and I don't see any fighting around here. ”

The old man sighed before replying, "There is no war here, but there are other places." Every time they are conscripted, so many men are taken away, leaving orphans and widows, what should they do? Either remarry or leave. The woman and child you wanted to stop just now were going to go to their relatives, hey. ”

"Then why don't you go to your relatives too?"

"Defecting to relatives? If you can't eat enough, will others take you in? Whether you encounter officers and soldiers or mountain bandits, you can't escape death after all. ”

Listening to the old man's words, Li Hao had to sigh, the old man's thoughts. In this era, the government is corrupt, social turmoil is in turmoil, and only the people are suffering.

Originally, his eldest brother Zhang Jiao's uprising was for the people, but Li Hao's fortune calculation could tell that there were other hidden secrets behind it. And the dissolution of Taiping Dao that has been announced, along the way, you can more or less see people recruiting Taiping Taoists.

Seeing that the old man was about to get up, Li Hao hurriedly helped the old man up, "Then do you know which direction Anping County is?" ”

The old man was stunned for a moment, and suddenly asked excitedly, "What are you asking Anping County for?" What are you going to do? ”

Seeing the old man's excited appearance, Li asked puzzledly, "What to do?" We're going to Anping County. ”

"Are you also from Taiping Dao!?" As he spoke, the old man blew his beard and glared.

When Guan Hai heard this, he was immediately unhappy, and immediately put on a posture and said, "Old man, what is not a gang?" Yes!? ”

The old man seemed to be fried, and he didn't pay attention to it, so he looked at Li Hao directly, waiting for Li Hao to explain to him.

Li Hao patted Guan Hai and signaled that he was okay, and then asked, "Uncle, what happened in Anping County?" ”

The three of them stood like this, and after a long time, the old man said, "Taiping Dao, do you know? ”

The two nodded.

The old man organized the language before continuing: "Originally, Taiping Dao also had a good reputation in our place, promoting the peaceful and prosperous era, advocating that people do more good deeds, and even the county magistrate also joined Taiping Dao. But a few days ago, Taiping Dao suddenly said that all the men in the county must join Taiping Dao, and they all have to go to Anping County. “

Hearing this, Li Hao hurriedly asked, "Why?" ”

"I don't know, in three days, except for those over fifty years old, there are fourteen or fifteen years old, and the rest of the men have all been brought over."

Li Hao looked at Guan Hai, Guan Hai shook his head, and then Li Hao said, "Didn't anyone think about not going and running away?" ”

"Not going? Even the county magistrate joined them and directly loaded people in prison cars. Escape? Where to flee? All four city entrances were guarded. It's not okay to hide, stay at your door, can you go without food for a few days? Unless only death. As he spoke, the old man sighed deeply.

The old man asked Li Hao again: "What are you asking Anping County to do?" ”

"I have a friend who went to Anping County, and we went to find him."

The old man looked at Li Hao and Guan Hai and shook his head, "Hey, go, it's okay to go." ”

Li Hao didn't understand what the old man was doing, "Uncle, what's wrong?" ”

"I can guess that Taiping Dao must have gone to war when he took all the men away. Although I became a soldier, at least I won't be hungry. ”

Hearing the old man's words, Li Hao realized that when there was war in ancient times, being a soldier was the only thing that didn't have to worry about eating.

The old man gritted his teeth, as if he had made up his mind. Then he looked at Li Hao with a pleading face and said, "Young man, can you do me a favor?" I won't let you help in vain! ”

"Uncle, what do you tell me to help first? I'll help you if I can. ”

Li Hao also thought about refusing, but he saw Uncle Li's shadow from this old man's body, and unconsciously overlapped the two together, so he asked what he wanted to help first.

The old man motioned for the two to follow him, and through two alleys, they came to another street. This street is much more depressed than the one just now.

Come to a room and ask the two to wait at the door.

It didn't take long for the old man to come out with something wrapped in cloth in his hand and a letter. He handed the thing to Li Hao and said, "I want you to help me give this letter to my son." Tell him to take good care of himself in the future, and although he doesn't know when he will die in the future, at least he won't go hungry again. ”

Li Hao felt a little uncomfortable in his heart. As he could imagine, the old man had lost hope that his son would return. I just want to ask someone to bring a thought to the past.

Just as he was about to speak, Guan Hai stood up and patted his chest and said, "Uncle, don't worry! The letter will be delivered to you! ”

Li Hao looked at Guan Hai speechlessly, and the old man pointed to the things that were breaded in the cloth and said: "This is something handed down by my ancestors, it is a book, and we don't understand what it says, so it should be regarded as a reward for you." ”

Hearing this, Li Hao excused himself and said, "Uncle, I can't help it!" I'll pass it on to your son when the time comes. ”

The old man waved his hand and said, "He is just a farmer, and he can't read a few words." He didn't need these things, so he asked the two of them. ”

After taking the book helplessly, Li Hao thought speechlessly: You don't know what kind of book it is. But I thought that if I wanted to go to Anping County anyway, I should fulfill the old man's wish by the way.

"Thank you, old man! What's your son's name? Let's leave for Anping County early. ”

"My son's name is Liu Quandan."

Hearing this name, Li Hao almost fell, "Hehe, this name, it's easy to remember!" Old man, we're gone. ”

"Be careful on the road, walk from the East City Gate, and after Fuliu County is Anping County."

After seeing the two of them leave, the old man returned to his dilapidated house and let out a long sigh.