Chapter 405 The Poor
“Auntie!” Jiang Ping led the horse along a tattered fence to an old woman who was leaning against the door and said, cupping her hands.
From being awkward at the beginning to now feeling completely satisfied, Jiang Ping has made rapid progress and is now able to operate independently and stay with people.
It was getting late, the dark clouds were low, and it was about to rain. As far as the eye could see, there was only one house like this. Li Dachui didn't care, but Jiang Ping didn't want to get wet.
The old woman looking at the door was covered in patches, her hair was gray, her face was wrinkled, and she was skinny. She stood in front of the tattered wooden door, stepping on the half-rotten threshold, a little curious and curious. Staring at the two people leading the horses with some fear.
Seeing Jiang Ping salute and ask questions, the old woman hurriedly bowed and whispered: "Well done, noble man!"
In the eyes of the old woman, someone dressed so neatly, riding a horse, and carrying a knife, Naturally, they are all noble people.
"Auntie, my brother and I got lost. We missed the time. It is about to rain. There is no shelter nearby. Can I stay at your house?"
Listening to Jiang Ping's words, the old woman looked back at the dilapidated house, feeling a little embarrassed.
“Auntie, I’m not staying overnight in vain!” Jiang Ping smiled and took out a bunch of copper coins from the bag on the saddle, “As long as I have shelter from the rain and a mouth of hot water to drink, I’ll be fine!”
Looking at the string of yellow copper coins, the old woman's eyes lit up. She stretched out her hand halfway, but then retracted it and glanced at Li Dachui behind Jiang Ping.
Jiang Ping smiled and put the copper coins into the old woman's hand. She looked back at Li Dachui proudly and said, "Li Bao, bring the horse in! Auntie, boil some hot water for us. I want Take a bath, I haven’t washed in several days!”
Tie the horse in the yard and the two stepped into the house.
The situation in the room made both of them a little stunned.
Poverty is an understatement.
A table with four legs, three long and one short, with a stone underneath the short leg, and two dark benches, one of which had a hole in the middle.
There is a teapot on the table, with only a small piece of the spout left, and the rims of the two pottery bowls are also uneven.
Besides these, there is nothing else in the house.
Li Dachui looked at Jiang Ping: "Jiang Jiang, are these the people of your Chu country? They are too poor, aren't they?"
"This must be just an example, an example. , I have read the book about Yong'an County. The people's life is very easy. The taxes paid last year were among the top five in Dachu. County Governor Lin Heng got a good grade in the evaluation because of this. If he can get a good grade again this year, he will You can go to Danyang to take up a post. I heard from my sister that this person is very good at managing money, and the position of Minister of Household Affairs is going to be reserved for him," Jiang Ping said.
Li Dachui chuckled, "You will know what the situation is just by asking this lady. It has been a few days since we entered Yong'an County. To be honest, if the top five counties in Da Chu are at this level..."
Li Dachui shook his head repeatedly.
While talking, the old woman came in and stood by the door a little awkwardly.
"Girl, the water is boiling. I'll lift it up for you when it's hot!" After that, he pointed to a room next to him and said, "My family is poor and we only have one room. The two of us will be there. Let's rest there."
"There's only one room? Isn't this the one at the back?" Jiang Ping didn't believe it, walked to the back, opened a door, and was stunned. There is indeed a house at the back, but the roof is missing, the walls have collapsed in two directions, and messy ruins are piled on the ground. "It doesn't stop there?"
Li Dachui asked: "Auntie, who else is in your family?"
"My wife and I are the only ones left!" The old woman sighed: "The old man went out to find something to eat, and he hasn't come back yet!"
“Looking for something to eat?” Jiang Ping asked.
"There is nothing to eat at home. Let's go out and dig some wild vegetables and see if we are lucky and can find a mouse nest." The old woman laughed, showing her dark teeth.
“Don’t you have any children?”
The old woman had a sad look on her face: "I have three children. During the last war in Xiangcheng, all three sons were drafted. Later, the eldest son asked someone to bring a message, saying that the second and third children were all dead. Now again It's been two or three years, and I don't know if my eldest son is still alive or not."
Jiang Ping was surprised: "The imperial court recruits soldiers, and only one soldier is drafted, and two soldiers are drafted. How is it possible? Recruiting all three of your sons to serve as soldiers?"
The old woman looked confused: "What the elder in the county said, we don't know!"
"If it's a war! If you die, the court will provide you with a pension. Each person who died in the war will receive a pension of fifty pounds, and there is also a tax-free policy. Why is your family still so poor?" Jiang Ping asked.
"What is the pension?" The old woman blinked and looked at the very good-looking woman in front of her.
Li Dachui reached out and pulled Jiang Ping.
Jiang Ping's face turned red and she clenched her fists tightly with both hands. By this time, she naturally understood that Yong'an County had not implemented the court's strategy at all, and it was just a matter of being beaten, but they dared to swallow up the pensions of the heroes who died in the war. Lin Heng, how could he dare to do this? Audacious.
There were rapid footsteps outside, followed by an old voice: "Old woman, old woman!"
The old woman turned around and went out, "The head of the house, there are two A distinguished guest came to stay for the night. Seeing that it was going to rain, I asked them to stay. They gave me a lot of copper coins. "
"Just to stay overnight, our house is in ruins. , You are too embarrassed to ask for money!" The old man walked in with a smile, holding a sickle in one hand, seven or eight rats strung with straw rope in the other hand, and a basket hanging on his waist. , there are not only wild vegetables from Xinye in the basket, but also some grains of rice and so on.
It seems that today is a really good harvest.
"Old man, excuse me!" Li Dachui took a step forward and cupped his hands. "Don't bother me, don't bother me. I have a distinguished guest. No wonder I'm so lucky today. I caught so many voles. Please wait for a moment while I go and clean them!"
Jiang Ping Looking at the bunch of rats that were still squirming and squeaking, I suddenly felt sick.
"Li Bao, go up the mountain and hunt down some pheasants, rabbits and the like. How are you going to eat these mice?" Jiang Ping said.
"Guests must not use it." The old man waved his hands and said: "The mountains and forests here belong to Lin Daguan's family. If you go to the woods to beat their things and they find out, it will be terrible. !”
“Such a big mountain belongs to the Lin family, which Lin family?” Jiang Ping asked sharply.
"I heard that a relative of the Lin family is the biggest official in our county!" The old man said, "Guests, please don't bring trouble to yourself."
Jiang Ping gasped and said: " They are not even allowed to go hunting in the mountains?”
“The mountains belong to other people, so of course the things in the mountains belong to other people. How can they just touch other people’s things?” the old man said helplessly.
Jiang Ping inhaled, and then inhaled, her chest rising and falling, and it took a long time before she finally caught her breath.
"Li Bao, do we still have dry food?"
Li Dachui nodded, walked to the yard, took off a robe from the horse, walked back to the house, and put everything inside I took them out and found some small snacks, meat jerky, pastries and the like. They could be used as snacks, but not as meals.
"Let me take care of these things!" Li Dachui took the mouse from his father-in-law's hand, turned to Jiang Ping and said with a smile: "I have enough seasonings here. In fact, the vole meat is very delicious. ?”
“Have you eaten?”
"I have eaten it!" Li Dachui nodded. Back then, voles were really good food in the wasteland.
"How can we let the guests take action?" the old man said in a panic.
"It doesn't matter, you can light the fire for me. Where is your wife? Boil the hot water and help her wash up!" Li Dachui pointed at Jiang Ping.
The vole hand that has passed Li Dachui's hand does taste good.
It’s just that Jiang Ping couldn’t eat it, but the old couple almost swallowed their tongues.
It was dark and midwinter in the room. Naturally, the family couldn't afford to light an oil lamp. Li Dachui was sitting cross-legged on a mat, while Jiang Ping was lying on the only bed in the room.
The quilt on the bed was torn and wet. It had started to rain outside. Jiang Ping, who had always been very particular about it, was no longer particular about it. She just fell down on the big bed like this. Staring at the roof thoughtfully.
"What's the matter? The little princess who doesn't like the fireworks of the world, now sees the suffering of the world?"
"Or maybe the people below are acting against the will?"
< br>"Perhaps, when you return to Danyang, ask your sister to send someone to check it out!" Li Dachui smiled and said, "Aren't you hungry? I saw you didn't eat anything at night?"
"I'm so angry!" Jiang Ping said: "By the way, what did they call the eldest son of this old couple?"
"Lin Dayou!"
" Yes, Lin Dayou." Jiang Ping nodded: "I have remembered the name."
Li Dachui smiled: "I hope he is still alive!"
"If this Lin Dayou. You are dead, I skinned Lin Heng!”
"You almost mean it, don't you? Isn't your sister going to let me be the Minister of Household Affairs?"
Jiang Ping snorted: "He can't be the Minister of Household Affairs anymore. He'd better burn incense and worship Buddha, and pray to Lin Da It's okay! "
"You sound like you can make the decision!" Li Dachui snorted: "Your sister is not an ordinary person. In her eyes, such ordinary people are dispensable, but someone like Lin Heng can Ministers who work, then But it’s not much, so don’t have too much hope. The Queen Mother’s thoughts are different from those of us ordinary people.”
Jiang Ping said in silence for a while: “When I leave tomorrow. "Leave some more money for them!"
"I gave them all the copper coins I had, and only the banknotes are left. Are you sure you are not inviting disaster for them by leaving this kind of thing to this old couple?" Li Dachui asked.
"Then..." Jiang Ping thought for a moment and said, "Li Bao, do you still remember the village courtyard we saw on the way here?"
"Remember, it's about thirty miles away from here?"< br>
"There should be no shortage of food in that village. Just go over and get them a few bags of food. They have stored the food well, so at least they will have enough to eat for a long time!"
“It’s raining so hard, you want me to run thirty miles, sixty miles round trip, and carry a few bags of food?”
“I owe you, okay?” Jiang Ping said: "I can't bear to see the misery of this old couple. It's okay if I don't see it. If I see it, I feel really uncomfortable if I don't help!"
(End of this chapter)