On a dead snowy night, the shouts were exceptionally clear.

But it was only a quarter of an hour, and then it came to an abrupt end, and even the afterglow of the tavern disappeared.

Two outcomes:

The wolf had eaten the meat and departed rejoicing.

The wolf didn't eat the meat, and he also peeled off a layer of skin.

Either way, tonight will allow Song Che and them to get a good night's sleep.

Early the next morning.

Song Che was woken up by the sound of horses' hooves, the bonfire had been burned to ashes, and Coco was still curled up in the bed and asleep.

Jiang Yuntian didn't know when he woke up, at this time he was holding a bundle of hay and was carefully feeding the horses, seeing that Song Che was also awake, he said softly:

"Here they are."

The Ma family caravan passed by in front of the kiln gate, and yesterday there were more than 20 men, but today there are only seven people left, with swollen eye bags and blood-stained clothes, the original arrogance is gone, and it seems that they have not been able to sleep last night.

The pole of the Ma family caravan was hung with a yellow scarf again. The goods were not lost, but there were two more carts to transport the bodies.

The corpses were wrapped in straw mats and lay in rows.

Song Che shook Coco awake, extinguished the fire with water, and then walked out of the earthen kiln.

Ma Jiu glanced at Song Che and the others, who were at peace, his expression was surprised at first, and then he became more and more indifferent, and asked coldly:

"Did you meet a pirate last night?"

Song Che stretched his waist and replied with a smile: "I didn't meet the Japanese Kou, but I met eight fellow villagers from Tongzhou...... Yikes! ”

He pretended to suddenly realize: "Could it be that they are widows!" ”

"Why didn't they rob you?" Ma Jiu squinted his eyes and asked.

Song Che pursed his lips and thought for a moment before pointing to the half-collapsed earthen kiln behind him, "Maybe they think that the people who squat in the earthen kiln have nothing to rob." ”

Ma Jiu snorted, didn't ask any more, and beckoned the caravan to move on.

After the Ma family caravan walked some distance, Song Che and Coco got into the car, "Let's go, let's follow them, come to him a 'fox fake tiger'." ”

It's noon.

The clouds lifted.

The warm winter sun swaying the earth.

It's a good day after the snow.

Taizhou City is like a hibiscus out of the water, wearing ice crystal snow-white clothes, reflected in the sun, graceful and colorful.

It is indeed a very "graceful" city, compared with Chuzhou and Yangzhou, which have canal runoff, Taizhou is smaller in terms of population, economy, and scale, and its geographical location is not so eye-catching.

The population of the city is less than 200,000, and there will definitely not be many garrisons in such a "graceful" city-

As we all know, the smaller the place, the easier it is to build and the easier it is to make money.

The Ma family seems to be really powerful in Taizhou, all the way down, not even coughing, as long as the business travelers along the way see the "horse" word flag, they have to give way, the law is on the side, and they dare to go after they pass.

Unlike the humility of the powerful, the deeper level comes from fear.

Only a bully is terrifying.

However, what is even more infuriating is:

"This road is built by our Ma family, you have to collect money for walking, ten cents per person, if you don't give it, please take a detour!"

There are two roads leading into Taizhou City from the east, one is a spacious avenue paved with bluestone slabs, and the other is an official road, but it is full of snow and no one cleans it.

In the heavy snow for several days, the road was very thick, pedestrians did not care, and cars and horses could not get through.

Several bankers of the Ma family set up checkpoints on Qingshi Avenue, placed a cash box, and did not check the road citations, but only collected the road money.

Those bandits who "leave to buy road money" are openly robbing, and they are secretly robbing.

The caravans with carriages and horses had no choice but to give money according to the head, and the sound of the copper plate thrown into the cash box "banged" and never stopped.

"A few heroes, my leg has been disabled for many years, and I can't walk when it's cold, you guys are okay, I only have these five cents, let me go?"

A lame old man who was almost old and old touched his arms for a long time before he had enough five copper plates and begged to pass.

Unexpectedly, the Zhuang Ke asked: "Old man, aren't you old and confused, ten cents for one person, you only give five cents, are you forcing me to cut you in half?" ”

Several bankers laughed.

The lame old man said again: "My children are living in Taizhou City, I am here to find relatives, or you look like this, I owe you five Wen first, and I will let my children make up for it after entering the city." ”

"Snort...... I've heard of drinking on credit, it's the first time to pay money on credit, go and go, don't go my way if you don't have money! ”

"Heroes, you are accommodating—"

"Fuck off, you guys! Old immortal thing! You look like this, entering the city will also drag down your children, it's better to die early! ”

The beast doesn't know how to respect the old and love the young, and if he pushes the lame old man hard, the old man's leg script is inconvenient, and he will fall down before he stumbles a few steps.

At his age, if he really wants to fall like this, there is a chance that he will not be able to get up.

Jiang Yuntian stepped forward and helped the old man who was about to fall.

The old man didn't have time to thank him, and the old tears flowed out first: "The way of this world is not to give the poor a way to live!" ”

Passers-by sighed.

"Grandpa, don't cry, my two gentlemen, one is extremely smart, the other is invincible, these villains are going to be unlucky today when they meet them, you can just watch from the sidelines." Coco took the old man's arm and comforted him.

Song Che came to the barricade first, glanced at the cash box twice, and received two or three thousand wen, to say the least.

"Hey, what are you looking at, can it fall into your pocket?" The dealer came to drive it away.

Song Che asked with a smile: "Friend, how much head fee can you charge a day?" ”

Zhuang Ke pointed to the cash box and was not ambiguous: "A full box, to say the least, there are 8,000 copper plates." ”

Song Che shook his head, "Too little, too little......"

Zhuang Ke was brazen: "I also think it's too little, I should charge twenty wen per person, but it's a pity that these poor people in Taizhou can't afford it." ”

"Then you think it's going to be otherwise."

Song Che took out twenty taels of silver from his sleeve and shook it in front of Zhuang Ke's eyes, "Let's make a deal, I'll pay twenty taels, you can give me this road bag for a day, and I will collect the toll, okay?" ”

Even if this money box can hold 10,000 copper coins, it is only ten taels of silver when converted, and now someone has contracted 20 taels, and in this cold day, the silver can be collected and the next morning shift, why not?

The four bankers got together and discussed for a moment, and finally nodded in agreement.

"Okay, I'll give you this road for a day, but don't be too dark, so as not to ruin the reputation of my Ma family."

The dealer will come to take the money. Song Che took a step forward and said: "Since it is a business, then you have to set up a note, lest you see that I have made a lot of money when you get it, and you will regret it." ”

But the dealer said, "Where are there so many rules? No matter what I say Ma Zhida, I am also the number one person in Majiazhuang, and my words are a promise! ”

"A promise is a thousand gold, but it is not as good as a note," Song Che beckoned:

"Come on, pen and ink waiting!"