Shenguo, Shannan County, the suburbs of Liangqiu County, the sun at noon in autumn is hot, and the heat wave on the land is rolling.

Yang Shao held a long-handled net pocket coarsely woven of hemp rope, salvaged back and forth in the muddy puddle in the cracked river several times, and then lifted the net bag, and the muddy water filtered down, falling into the muddy puddle and bursting up a string of bubbles.

At the bottom of the net, there were only a few small white fish of two or three inches long choking in the muddy water, and some river shrimp were jumping, so they couldn't help shaking their heads, sighed, and turned to the bigger muddy water puddle in the distance. It is said that in the past, the depth of the Liangqiu River is more than one person deep, and the river surface is as wide as three zhang, and there are countless fish, shrimp, turtles and turtles in the water, and I don't know how many fishermen on both sides of the Liangqiu River have been fed.

However, the weather was unusual, there was not a drop of rain for three months, the fields were dry and cracked, the rivers were cut off, and the crops died and locusts rose during the autumn harvest. Wars often broke out on the northern border of the Shen Kingdom, and the government had to levy military rations and recruit young and strong soldiers to the border, so that there were countless people who abandoned their families and businesses and fled the famine to eat.

Yang Shao is twelve years old this year, with a thin body, dark complexion, but his eyes are extraordinarily bright and smart.

Compared with most hungry people who are just blindly looking for a bite to eat, Yang Shao is not pessimistic and confused, and firmly believes that as long as he goes to the south, manages to settle down, and has arable land to plant, everything will be fine. He can continue to study in the county, and even participate in the imperial examination as an official, changing the fate of himself and his family.

The drought in Shannan County was a little better, although the river was cut off, at least there was still a little water, which could be boiled for drinking, and there was no locust plague, and the farmers had harvested some grain, but it was not enough to pay taxes and grain, and no one was willing to take in the victims who fled the famine.

Along the way, the government occasionally organized some wealthy families to give out food and porridge, but it was simply a drop in the bucket, and the symptoms were not cured. Often, after a meal is given, a government mission will be dispatched to drive the victims away and let them wander around.

Yang Shao only arrived here two days ago, but the four gates of the county seat were closed, so he could only live with his parents and villagers by building a grass hut in the small forest on the side of the official road on the outskirts of the city, and living by digging wild vegetables, hunting wild beasts, and going down to the river to catch fish and shrimp. But this is obviously not a long-term solution, maybe there will be government officials to drive them away, and then they can only go to the next place.

After a busy morning, the bottom of the small wooden barrel containing fish and shrimp finally has a shallow layer, and there are two long eels, which can barely be eaten twice after frying in oil, and finally have a little harvest.

Yang Shao carried a net bag and carried a small wooden barrel along the riverbank to walk back, and saw from a distance the smoke in the small forest by the official road, the rich aroma of rice porridge wafting in the wind, and the laughter of the hungry people.

Could it be that the government has come to give porridge relief? Yang Shao secretly guessed, and his heart was overjoyed, and he couldn't help but speed up his pace. From a distance, I saw two large wooden barrels in front of the post shop in a row of blue-tiled loess wall compounds on the east side of the official road, and many hungry people had come forward to drink bowls of tea with long-handled wooden spoons.

Diagonally opposite, there is another clean and spacious octagonal pavilion, in addition to piling up some sundries, there is a bunk on the ground near the door, on which sits cross-legged an old Taoist priest with an old face, hair, eyebrows, and beard are all snow-white, and he looks like a fairy wind and bones.

Under the bluestone steps in front of the pavilion, more than a dozen brick and stone earthen stoves were newly built, a group of handymen were busy going in and out, burning the firewood vigorously, the rice porridge boiling in the big pot on the stove was loud, and there were several stacks of large steamers filled with white gas, and the fragrance of steamed buns wafted over.

In front of the cauldron stood in front of the official road, more than a dozen Tsing Yi Taoist priests with long swords on their backs and white ponytails in their hands. Behind the table in the open space in the middle, a middle-aged Taoist chief in his forties with a ruddy face was holding a tea cup and tasting it with taste, while the other was a Taoist girl in Tsing Yi who was in her teens, looking at the hungry people with sympathy, showing compassion.

A large group of hungry people in the small forest and grass huts gradually gathered around, staring at the dozen cauldrons, all of them with longing on their faces. The middle-aged Taoist put down the teacup, looked up, and waved his hand. A young Taoist priest standing in front of him understood, and quickly stepped out of the column to shout.

"Folks, listen up! Poor road Qingrong! From the Qingmiaoguan of South Chixia Mountain in Liangqiu County, the abbot of my family, Xuan Miao, is very merciful, and orders us to come here to give porridge, and you can receive the meal after a while, everyone has it, don't worry!"

The Taoist priest appeased the hungry people, and said: "In addition, the manifestation of the Zhenwu Emperor enshrined in this view, the incense is vigorous, and fifty Taoist children are specially recruited, and the age should be ten to fifteen years old. ”

As soon as the young Taoist priest said this, the crowd was in an uproar and talked about each other.

At this time, a man in the prime of life boldly stepped forward and bowed his hand, and asked cautiously and tentatively: "Xiaomin and others are all with children, if they are sent to the Taoist temple, won't they become monks? Then can our family members settle down here? What are the benefits? Daoist, you should say it!"

Qingrong Daoist sneered, and replied with arrogance: "That's natural, Dao Tong is a monk! As for whether the family can settle down according to this, it depends on whether your children have Huigen, Qingmiaoguan is not only a holy place of Taoism, but also a martial arts master, You Dragon Sword, Eight Immortal Sword, and Xuanqing Sword are well-known all over the world, and not everyone accepts them! Okay...... Let's get started, one by one!"

The strong man was bored, and turned around and separated from the crowd, who sat or stood, talking in groups about some of the benefits that might be brought by this matter. Sending their children to Taoist temples to become monks, parents are somewhat resistant. But now on this road to escape, the future is uncertain, at least it is a way to live.

What's more, the dozen or so cauldrons of porridge with white flowers, and dozens of bags of rice are stacked in the pavilion, which are really infinitely tempting for the hungry people. So, someone couldn't sit still, and couldn't wait to take his children forward and let Qingcang Dao take a closer look.

After a short time, six or seven eleven or twelve-year-old children were taken a fancy to, and the young lady led the children to the side, calling the handyman to bring water to wash the children's faces and hands, and bring vegetarian food for the children to eat.

This scene saw that the hungry people no longer had any scruples, and took their children forward, but as a result, many children's children were not favored and were rejected and returned. And the families of the children who were chosen were so happy that they were already lining up to wait for the fast.

Looking at the situation over there, Yang Shao felt a little moved in his heart, but if he became a Taoist child, he would have to eat the Zhai Song Sutra and keep the precepts from now on, and serve the Zhenwu Emperor and the Sanqing Patriarch for the rest of his life, and he could not marry or honor his parents at home.

Some Taoist priests even seek the art of immortality, travel the world, collect rare elixir alchemy and ask, and become immortals. Although Yang Shao had heard of some stories of immortals circulating on the mainland, they were only myths and legends. These concepts of escaping the world and living forever for the sake of prudence and independence are completely contrary to his ideals of studying for the imperial examination, becoming an official, and governing the country and the world with the Qi family, so he can't help but hesitate.

"Shao'er! You came back just in time! I have discussed with your father for my mother, and I will send you to the Taoist temple as a Taoist boy first, so as to avoid the pain of being displaced, and after this difficulty, if you have the opportunity to take you back in the future, and you can continue to study, it depends on whether you are willing or not?"

Yang Shao was in a daze, and a woman in her forties and fifties with gray hair and a vegetable face walked over quickly, grabbed Yang Shao's sleeve and walked to the side of the grass shed in the grove. This is the mother Zhang, who fled with his father with a large family, but he has endured all the hardships.

Yang Shao stroked his chin and tilted his head, pondered for a moment and asked, "Mother!

"Wei Niang just went over and asked, and some children were selected to get 30 taels of silver at that time, and then they would arrange to be tenants in some Taoist granges, that is, temporarily rent the fields of rich families, or go to work in commercial houses, and when the disaster situation improves, they can move back to their ancestral hometown. If you go to the Taoist temple to be a Taoist child, you will be given ten taels of silver every six months. This thing is still feasible, and if it is not chosen, the Taoist temple will not promise. ”

"Ten taels of silver? If that's the case, it's kind. Yang Shao hugged [chest] with both hands, stroked his chin and thought for a moment, and quickly made up his mind, if the promise of the Taoist temple is true, then it is not unacceptable to be a Taoist boy.

When Yang Shao walked briskly with his mother, he saw a large family circling around his father, obviously trying to persuade him, but he didn't know how to speak. Father Yang was nearly fifty years old, his face was full of wrinkles, and his hair was a little gray. At this time, look at the eldest son Yang He, and then look at the second son Yang Li, the two eldest are married and have two children each.

The third in line is a daughter, who only got married a few years ago, and now I don't know what happened. The fourth son, Yang Xing, is also sixteen years old, and he has been very wild since he was a child, and he has never read a day, so he is afraid that he will only be able to follow him to farm in the future.

Yang Shao, the youngest son, although the old couple is the most painful, but he is not bad, this kid has been smart and studious since he was a child, mature and sensible, and is studying in the county on the eve of fleeing from his hometown. There is also a sixth sister who is only ten years old, and I don't know if I can survive this famine.

Thinking of this, Father Yang's heart was also very unbearable, but the cruel reality made him have to make a choice. At this time, when he saw that his son had returned, he said: "Shao'er, you have also seen this situation now, how many people are starving to death on the way south, at least they can't go hungry when they go to the Taoist temple, and the whole family can also have a place to stay, and they can always go back ......in the future."

Yang Shao's nose was sore, and he almost burst into tears, and hurriedly replied: "Dad, as long as the family's life can be better, and there is no need to go into exile, the child is willing to go!"

Seeing that Yang Shao agreed so resolutely, Yang's father felt guilty and even more reluctant, but he couldn't say anything. On the contrary, it was the mother Zhang who repeatedly told him to be clever and diligent when he went to the Taoist temple, and to listen to the words of the master, as if he believed that his son would definitely be selected, but he was afraid that he would not be able to endure hardship, and he would not be a man and would be wronged.

Before the family followed out of the small forest and grass hut, Yang's father led Yang Shao to wait in line in front of the pavilion, and there were hundreds of people in the long queue, but the Qingcang Dao chief was very carefully selected, and many people were driven out with children.

Finally waited for Yang Shao, the eyes of the Qingcang Dao chief in front of him looked straight at him like electricity, Yang Shao was a little panicked in his heart, and silently stretched out his hand to check his pulse like other children, and answered some simple questions such as "How old is it? Is there a root of the disease?", and it was considered to have passed smoothly.

Soon, the fifty Dao Innocence were selected, and finally a handyman came over to let the other hungry people line up to receive the fasting meal. Those family members who had children who had been selected as Taoist children were brought into the courtyard wall of the post shop, and a large number of people gathered there to wait, pointing fingers at the gloating that was not chosen here.

Yang Shao followed a group of selected children and received a bowl of porridge and two snow-white steamed buns, which were quickly eaten. The female Taoist aunt came over to shout again, and took fifty Taoist children to step forward in a queue to re-evaluate the white-haired old Taoist priest sitting in the pavilion.

Didn't you say that you can take an assessment once?

Yang Shao was secretly strange in his heart, standing in the queue and standing on tiptoe to look, only to see those Taoist children stepped forward, and the white-haired old Taoist priest just glanced at it, or touched the forehead of the Taoist boys, or waved a pulse and walked away. Soon more than half of the time passed, and it seemed that there was still no child he liked.

Finally it was Yang Shao's turn again, he stretched out his hand as usual, the white-haired old Taoist priest looked like he was about to die, but his movements were very agile, his eyes were also sharp, and he stretched out two fingers like pine bark to put on the vein of Yang Shao's right wrist, and closed his eyes to sense it.

At the same time, Yang Shao only felt a warm air flow spread up his right wrist, like a little mouse burrowing into his chest, turning around and going down to his lower abdomen, circling twice and slipping back.

The white-haired old Taoist priest sitting in front of him removed his fingers suddenly, raised his head and looked full of joy, his eyes were shining, and his eyes were a little strange. It's like a poor ghost seeing gold and silver treasures, and a hungry person looking at the delicacies of the mountains and the sea.

"Although it is a five-attribute, but there is a golden spirit root! Very good! It's you! Poor Dao Dao Xuandu, who is the boy's surname? Are you willing to worship under the poor Dao sect and be a layman named disciple?"

The white-haired old Taoist priest spoke, but strangely, his voice did not look old at all, but like a middle-aged man in his forties, he spoke with a loud voice.

To be a lay disciple? That is to say, you don't need to become a monk! I just don't know what the "Golden Spiritual Root" is. Yang Shao didn't think much about it, and when he heard it, he was overjoyed, and hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed, and bowed: "Boy Yang Shao!