Seeing that the young master had finished practicing martial arts, Xiao Xiang'er led the maids to hurriedly serve Chen Qi to bathe and change clothes, and at this time, Chunxiu walked in with two male servants, and the two servants were holding large bags of medicinal herbs in their hands.

"Sister Chunxiu, have you bought all the medicinal materials?" Chen Qi asked about the medicinal materials needed to cultivate national arts, the so-called medicine and martial arts are not separated, the way of heaven, the loss is more than enough to make up for the deficiency, people who practice martial arts are strong and healthy, they need a lot of nutrition, in addition to eating and drinking, all kinds of medicinal materials to nourish the body are essential.

"Little young master, although these medicinal materials are valuable, they are not rare, so they are naturally fully purchased, but," Chunxiu stopped when he wanted to speak.

"How?"

"Little master, our silver is insufficient, so the slave maid did not buy enough medicinal materials, only twenty copies, please punish the young master. ”

"Huh?" Chen Qi was taken aback, "I remember that since I practiced martial arts, my mother has allocated a hundred taels of silver from my account every month, what, isn't it enough?"

One hundred taels of silver is not a small amount, he once had a general understanding, the purchasing power of silver in this world is very strong, two taels of silver is enough for ordinary city citizens to live comfortably for a month, one hundred taels of silver, many people can not save so much money in a lifetime.

In Chen Qi's prescriptions, in addition to ginseng, tiger bones, Ganoderma lucidum, etc., they are all ordinary medicinal materials, wild ginseng and tiger bones are treasures that are extremely cherished in modern nature, and although they are rare in this world, they are all commodities that can be purchased with silver.

In this world, the population is sparse, the deep mountains and old forests have not been developed, wild ginseng is often found, and tigers are flooded, and tiger bones are not lacking. Only Ganoderma lucidum is rarer because it cannot be cultivated artificially.

Chen Qi roughly calculated, that is, he bought thirty copies of each prescription, and one hundred taels of silver was more than enough, could it be that someone deceived me into being young and wantonly embezzled and withheld?

"Little young master," Chunxiu seemed to sense the young master's doubts, and explained, "Recently, the Yue people in the mountains have been making a lot of noise, often going down the mountain to rob houses, and the medicine pickers dare not enter the mountains, and there has been a great drought in the south of the Yangtze River and the Central Plains, the hungry people rioted, the world was restless, and the trade routes were cut off, so the price of medicinal materials has risen several times recently." ”

"Oh," Chen Qi accepted this explanation, but it was difficult, poor and rich in martial arts, and many people who practiced martial arts forcibly practiced because they had no money to buy tonics, and as a result, their bodies were broken, and the road ahead was cut off, and life was worse than death.

"Little young master, the money is insufficient, do you want to tell the young lady?"

"Well," Chen Qi agreed, but he knew that this was not a long-term solution, and that he would need more and more money in the future, and of course his mother would give her full support, but it was inevitable that other clansmen would gossip.

Chen Qi knew that he should think of making money, only his own private money, and he was more comfortable to spend it.

The next morning, Chen Qi asked the three masters for martial arts under the pretext of asking for martial arts, ordered someone to prepare a carriage, took Xiao Xiang'er and the two little guys, and went straight to Dongshi.

"Little master, where are you going?" one of the little servants asked a little nervously, he was the son of the Chen family, and his younger brother were twins, one was called Chen Xiaojia, and the other was called Chen Xiaoyi, but Chen Xiaojia was thin and short, like a monkey, and very clever; Chen Xiaoyi was tall and big, like a violent bear, but honest and honest. Chen Qi looked surprised, both of them were asked to be little followers.

"Go to Dongshi," Chen Qi replied casually, the carriage of this era did not absorb shocks, even if he drove on the flat streets of Guangzhou City, he was a little unaccustomed to it, and it was more comfortable to lie on the thick silk brocade quilt.

"Hey, little master," Chen Xiaojia was taken aback, "You are delicate and expensive, and there are many people in Dongshi, if you bump into it, the villain can't afford it." ”

"That's why I brought you here," Chen Qi paused and admonished, "Don't complain to your mother when you go back." ”

"Little master, this ......"

As soon as the carriage drove into the East Market, I felt the sound of people, shouting, shouting, bargaining, donkeys neighing cows, chickens barking and dogs barking. People come and go on the streets, shoulder to shoulder, sweating like rain.

Although Lingnan County is located in a remote area, but the mountains are rich in medicinal materials, mountain treasures, all kinds of cherished furs, and facing the South China Sea, the sea is developed, to the north can be connected with Hangzhou, Suzhou and other cities in the south of the Yangtze River, the traffic is not blocked, to the south can reach overseas, there are many Western treasures, come across the sea, every year attract a large number of merchants from the south of the Yangtze River and the Central Plains, come from thousands of miles to do business.

Chen Qi also saw the ancient market for the first time, and he was very curious, looking around, and every stall stopped to ask about the price. The people on the street saw that he was gorgeously dressed and had a beautiful maid, followed by two ruddy-faced young people, especially Chen Xiaoyi, who was tall and tall, and naturally knew that he had met a noble person who went out to see a strange thing.

All the stall owners were respectful and patiently answered all his questions, even if he didn't buy anything.

And those petty thieves, hooligans and ruffians, naturally hide far away and dare not take offense.

"Little master, look at this pollen, it's so fragrant!"

"Look at this flower cloth, the color is so fresh!"

"Wow, this rouge is a superior ......"

It is rare to have the opportunity to go to the street, Xiao Xiang'er is active like a lark, and she is constantly surprised.

Chen Qi shook his head, it is really the nature of women to love beauty, a little kid who is only six or seven years old, and his eyes are only staring at rouge gouache when he goes shopping, this is not good, it needs to be corrected.

"Little master, you hate it!" Xiao Xiang'er was coquettish, her body was full of big bags and small bags, desserts were: sugar gourd, sugar man, rice cake, almond crisp, brown sugar, etc., dried fruits: melon seeds, chestnuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, lotus seeds, etc., and some messy snacks.

"Children need to eat more to grow taller!" Chen Qi said as he pinched Xiao Xiang'er's little face full of baby fat. "Little master, people are not children, and they are not short!" Xiao Xiang'er retorted.

"Really?" Chen Qi gestured, just under his nose, half a head taller. In recent months, he has practiced martial arts to strengthen his body, eaten and drank heavily, and with various great tonic medicines, he has grown much taller.

"The young master is a bad person," Xiao Xiang'er was annoyed and angry, and pushed him, but after all, she didn't resist the temptation of snacks, and ate with relish, forgetting the rouge gouache.

"Well," Chen Qi nodded, that's right, children should be like this.

Tired of walking, he sat in the carriage and continued to walk, and before he knew it, he arrived at the end of the East Market, and the city gate was in front of him, and suddenly, seeing many people gathered outside the city gate, there were faint moans, pleading, and bargaining sounds, Chen Qi was a little curious, got out of the carriage, and was about to go forward.

"Young master, you can't go, it's a filthy place in front of you, you can't pollute your eyes," Chen Xiaojia stepped forward to block the way, Chen Qi faintly guessed, pushed him away, and walked forward.

Walking through the city gate, more than a dozen steps away, it seems to be in another world.

First of all, there is a strange smell in the nose, like a smelly sock that can be stained on the wall if it has not been washed for three months, and it is like a salted fish that has been marinated for several years and begins to rot. Then the eyes came into the black pressed human heads, all of them were ragged, unclothed, all covered in dirt, with dull eyes and skinny bones.

Many of them hid under the city walls and made huts made of hay and bark. There are no beds, so they can only be covered with hay to keep out the cold, and many old people and children lie there, motionless, fortunately, the winter in Lingnan will not be too cold, and it will not snow, and they can still survive.

However, there is also a bad side to high temperatures, these people can not be expected to pay attention to hygiene, the ground is full of urine, sewage cross-flow, the smell is overwhelming, as long as spring comes, the temperature warms up, all kinds of germs breed, a major epidemic is inevitable.

Chen Qi suddenly remembered what Chunxiu said about the drought in Jiangnan and the Central Plains this year, and the hungry people were everywhere, these should be people who fled the famine, and many things were heard in their ears, and they never saw the shock with their own eyes.

Strangely enough, there was a small market on the edge of the camp, where people came and went, but the goods were only sold by people. Chen Qi didn't have a heart attack of the Virgin, so he stepped forward to stop it, because the person who can be sold is lucky, although he may lose his dignity and freedom, but at least he can live, meet a kind person, and he may be full.

For most people, as long as they can live, what is freedom? can they exchange a few stones of rice? and life is more important than anything else.