I am fish

Alai quickly jumped down the steps, and soon reached the bottom of the mountain.

In the morning, there was a shortage of people in the water room, and she was called up to work before dawn.Then I went out with my fourth aunt. She didn't drink a sip of water until noon. She was thirsty, hungry and sleepy. She only had the two cents that her mother gave her yesterday.

Holding these two pennies, Alai was not willing to spend them.

She knew how hard it was for her mother after her father passed away. In order to stay in Xie's house, even though her legs and feet were inconvenient, her mother still took over all the gardener's work of her father.

Although the Xie family is considered a large family in Suichuan, Suichuan County is located in the remote northwest. Among the 48 counties in Dayu, both economic and military construction are only at the bottom. Lu, Jingji and other places crossed south.It is said that the Xie family in Suichuan also had the idea of ​​moving south, but the powerful lineage of the Xie family is also in Dongchun County in the north, and the Xie family has no roots in the south. It was an easy task, so the Xie family continued to stay in Suichuan.

In the year of the Great Desolation, no one was rich, and Xie's family was frugal from top to bottom, and very little money fell into the hands of the gardener mother and daughter.It was the season of meng dong, and her mother was still wearing the thin jacket she bought with savings when her father was still alive three years ago.This thin jacket was already fully patched, and Alai persuaded her several times to buy herself a leather jacket that would block the wind, but she always said yes, but she never really did.All the money I saved for food and expenses was given to Ah Lai, so that she would be fed and clothed, and free from worries.

Thinking of my mother working during the day and her legs hurting so much that she couldn't sleep all night, and Alai's nose was sore, I couldn't spend the two pennies casually.But even if you don't spend it, there's no point in holding it in your hand all the time. Two pennies is not enough to buy anything except a few steamed cakes.

Alai was walking on the road leading to the market, there was a loud noise of carriages and horses ahead, a group of knights wearing silver helmets riding red horses opened the way ahead, followed by several golden-roofed carriages.The people screamed and were driven aside by the knights. Among the crowd, Alai struggled to see the delicate copper beasts swinging on the four-corner ceiling of the carriage.

The carriage and horse team passed through the market and headed towards the eastern outskirts of the city.

The horseshoes swaggered past on the slush, and because the decoration of the carriage was unfamiliar, the people around were wondering where these dignitaries came from.Alai turned his head thoughtfully, and squeezed into the depths of the market.

Even in times of famine, there are still vendors setting up stalls in the Qixian market, but there are not many customers and the business is deserted.Alai nimbly passed through the crowd and found the familiar steamed cake stand.

Uncle Guang, who is at the pancake stall today, seems to be absent, only his ten-year-old daughter, Xiaojiu, is guarding the stall.

The weather was too cold, Xiao Jiu's linen clothes were blowing through the wind, and his little black face was blown out with two cracked blush.With messy hair on top of her head, she wiped her snot carelessly and tried her best to attract business with her immature voice.

"Little Jiu!" Alai ran to her stroller and stood in front of the bamboo weaving.The bamboo weaving is filled with steamed cakes, and a quilt is covered to keep the steamed cakes warm.A Lai was so hungry that he could smell the soft and sweet aroma of steamed cakes through the quilt.

"Where is your father? Why are you alone?" Alai asked her.

"He broke his leg when he went down the field yesterday, so he can't come today."

"Broken leg? Have you seen the doctor?"

Xiao Jiu shook her head and said disappointedly: "How can I have this spare money? You also know that all my family's money has been used to treat my grandmother. Now even my father has also fallen ill. I, I..."

Xiao Jiu began to sniff her nose as she spoke, and A Lai followed her anxiously: "Don't cry first."

Alai knew that Uncle Guang and Xiao Jiu were very diligent.Uncle Guang's wife has been bedridden for many years, and the family depends entirely on Uncle Guang and Xiao Jiu to work.Previously, the two worked together to cultivate two acres of land. According to the current agricultural law, the two acres of land were reclaimed by them and then belonged to their family.Uncle Guang and Xiaojiu worked hard from dawn to dusk, and worked hard to manage a small steamed cake stall, just to cure Xiaojiu's mother.Unexpectedly, in the famine year, the most important labor force in the family had an accident.

"I didn't sleep all night last night. I only made such a basket of steamed cakes. Even if they were all sold out, it wouldn't be enough for my parents' medicine money. Sister Alai, I really don't know what to do."

A Lai licked his chapped lips, his thoughts flashed through his mind.

I don't know who passed by behind me, yelling, saying that I couldn't dodge in time and was kicked straight by the team of carriages, kicked my waist out of place, and couldn't even stand up.Alai turned to look at the old woman, and tightened her hand holding the two pennies. Suddenly, a colorful light flashed through her mind.

A Lai turned around and asked Xiao Jiu, "Do you believe me?"

Hearing her question, Xiao Jiu immediately stopped crying, with tears in her big eyes, and asked curiously: "I believe you. Sister, can you do anything?"

"You usually sell steamed cakes for three pennies, right?"

Xiao Jiu nodded.

"I have two pennies, you sell me twelve, and I'll earn you a big silver back later."

Xiao Jiu was taken aback by her: "Twelve steamed cakes can be exchanged for a silver collar? How is this possible?"

While Xiaojiu was still dawdling, Alai had already tossed her two copper coins, pocketed twelve steamed cakes in a cloth, and pawed up and down her booth.

"What are you looking for."

"Do you have a bucket here that I can borrow?"

"No, only a few big bowls."

"Okay, a big bowl is also fine, just right. You have to lend me your pole, and I'll come back to you in an hour."

Alai borrowed a bunch of inexplicable things from her, and left with a shoulder pole.

Is she going to sell goods?But with just twelve steamed cakes and a few bowls, how can I exchange for a big silver collar?Xiao Jiu didn't quite believe it.

Facing the cold wind, Alai carried a shoulder pole to the warm spring in the mountains three miles away from the market, filled a few bowls of sweet spring water, put it flat on the pole, covered it with a quilt to keep warm, and walked down the mountain carefully on the slippery mountain road, towards the outside of the city. Went to the eastern suburbs.

When I rushed to the eastern suburbs, I saw the horse-drawn carriages parked not far away, and a few men in cloaks stood in a deserted field.The long robe inside the cloak is impressively patterned with tigers and cranes, it is an official robe.Several knights held sharp swords and guarded around the field ridge, looking around vigilantly, their expressionless faces full of cold and murderous looks.

Although the knight and the carriage were considered low-key, without any eye-catching decorations, Alai could still see the clues from the bronze beasts hanging on the four corners of the carriage.

Dayu's official carriage has bronze beasts at the four corners to represent the official rank, and the carriage beasts of her family's mansion are decorated with Hongshu, representing the local officials at the county prefect level.And this line of golden-roofed carriages and bronze beasts were white pheasants and tits. Needless to say, the governor and other officials of the county were sitting in them.

My mother once said that in times of famine, the emperor, the prefects and even the county magistrates would plow the fields in person to sacrifice to the god of grains and pray for a good harvest in the coming year.Whenever the fields were plowed, the emperor worked tirelessly to do the plowing himself, and the governors of various counties would also come down to inspect, but the local officials were mostly perfunctory.After eating, drinking and having fun with the supervisory governor, he went to the suburbs to put on a show, and in the end it was the farmers who cleaned up the mess.

No, I'm pretending again.

A Lai set up the stall, and while tearing the steamed cakes and waiting for the big fish to take the bait, he was thinking about sister A Xun.

I don't know if going to Yanzhou with Mr. Xie this time will go well.

It was cold winter, the weather was cold and windy and extremely dry. This group of optimistic nobles who had been sitting in the refined carbon greenhouse and working all day long had dry mouths and tongues when they planed two sticks of incense in the field. When the northwest wind blows, his thin body is trembling.But the inspector governor is still watching, and it is not good to leave immediately, so he can only hold on for a while.

The Prime Minister of He County is over fifty years old, he came from a poor family, and has no intention of getting promoted, so he just spends the rest of his life in charge of law and order in Qi County.He was weak and coughed three times with a hoe. At this time, he was thirsty and hungry and his eyes were dim. His subordinates were really anxious to see him like this.In order to make a tough appearance and gain a good name before the inspection, He Xiancheng deliberately brought less water and food, which was all contributed to the officers just now, and now he can't get a sip of water to drink.The eastern suburbs are desolate, and there is no way to go to the village or back to the store. Where can I find food?

"Look for it, look for it!" He Xiancheng couldn't breathe while holding his old waist, smoke came from his throat, and he said angrily in his subordinate's ear, "Go and look outside! Look a little further away They don’t have it! Oh, it’s good to find some water to drink, it’s really fatal..."

The subordinates are also in a dilemma. In this desolate suburb, even if they find someone, they still can't solve the problem. They can't take away the people's rations, right?If you drive back to the city, it will take half an hour at the fastest round trip, and I am afraid that everyone will withdraw when you return.

The county magistrate had to listen to the order, so the subordinates had to search nearby and try their luck.

It's just luck.

From afar, they saw a little lady sitting under a bare tree, eating steamed pancakes and drinking water, her cheerfulness made them feel a little greedy.Looking forward, the little lady turned out to be a seller of steamed cakes. Bamboo weaving was hung on both ends of the pole. The bamboo weaving was covered with quilts. When one corner was lifted, a large bag of steamed cakes and several bowls of water could be vaguely seen hidden in the quilt.

The officials went up to ask her how to sell the steamed cakes and water, and they asked for them all.The little lady still refused to give it.

"My mother said that all the twelve steamed cakes sold today must be sent to my grandma Aweng. If one is missing, one of my legs will be broken. These bowls are the mountain warm spring that I finally found. Now It's still hot. I want to send it together, I can't sell it to you."

The subordinates couldn't help being amused seeing the young lady's delicate voice, and she even regarded a few broken cakes as treasures.

"How much will it cost?"

"No amount of money is sold!"

The headed official squatted in front of her, and took out two eye-catching big silver collars from his arms: "Did you see this? I can buy you a whole steamed cake shop. Take these two silver collars and give them back to you." Look, mom, don't faint from happiness, she won't break your leg. The water is also left, you can go."

A Lai looked at the silver collar with half understanding, and the subordinate officials picked up the whole shoulder pole.He Xiancheng took a bite of a steamed pancake with hot spring, and the meal was earth-shattering.

The silver collar dazzled Xiao Jiu's eyes, making her jaw almost drop.

"Ah? Is this true! I have never seen a complete silver collar when I grow up!" Xiao Jiu made a fuss holding the silver collar, "Sister Alai! You are so amazing! How did you do it!"

Xiaojiu pestered Alai to teach her the experience of exchanging twelve steamed cakes for a big silver collar, but Alai didn't even open her mouth when she even pulled her clothes crookedly.Her mother repeatedly warned her not to cause trouble outside, if this matter got to her mother's ears, it would be another hard fight.Although Grandma's legs and feet are inconvenient, the strength in her hands is unexpectedly strong.She once saw with her own eyes the scene where the hatchet was cracked and couldn't be used, and the grandmother directly chopped the wood with the knife.Every time she was beaten by her mother, she was deeply impressed, so it was useless for Xiao Jiu to pester her, she just didn't say anything.

Xiao Jiu was tired of asking, and seeing that she was very firm in keeping her mouth shut, she stopped asking, and just kept thanking A Lai, with tears rolling in her eyes: "My parents are saved!"

A Lai grabbed a steamed pancake to cushion his stomach, and carefully put the remaining silver collar into his bosom, already planning how to spend it in batches so that his mother would not find out.The two women in the next stall were crying angrily. She didn't pay attention at first, until the word "refugees" got into her ears very clearly, and she tore the hard steamed cakes together with the villagers Surrounded up.

After entering the city, the refugees from Jixi Kingdom were arranged to live temporarily in Qingshui Temple. There were so many people that this century-old temple could not bear the foundation. In order to make room for the refugees, all the monks in the temple moved to live on the mountain. Several people were sick.Although the government distributes food and supplies, there are too many refugees, so where can we get that little food?They began to sneak out of the temple at night and search for food in nearby dwellings.The folks in Qi County are simple, kind and generous. Seeing that there are many old and weak women and children in this group of refugees, it is really pitiful, so they put food at the door for the refugees to eat before going to bed.

The two crying women were two of the families who gave food to the refugees.They said that they lived at the foot of Qingshui Temple in Nanshan, and their family had been influenced by Buddhism all the year round. The parents-in-law and husband were also Buddhist believers, and they always held compassion in their hearts.Originally, those refugees would be grateful and say good things when they got the food, but gradually, the scattered food placed at the door could not satisfy the appetite of the refugees. They began to forcibly break into the houses at night to rob and waste the food. Half, steamed cakes are wasted more than eaten!The chickens that were raised to lay eggs were directly taken away and slaughtered, and the yellow dog that guarded the house only left a bloody dog's head, not to mention the cattle that cultivated the land and the goats that were raised to sell for money.Some people even lost their children and were even raped.There are no young men in the family, so they are powerless to resist.The people who were willing to give alms at the beginning immediately closed their doors and closed their homes, and no one was willing to help the victims anymore.

Speaking of this, the two women cried even more sadly. One of them lost their child and the other was almost raped.When the people around heard this kind of thing, they all sighed in a low voice, looked at each other in blank dismay, felt sad, worried, and even more at a loss, talking in a hurry:

"What are they stealing children for?"

"Could it be...cannibalism?"

"Stop talking! These bastards! How can we let them into the city! Isn't Sun Mingyi stupid! Barbarians and bandits, they are all barbarians who only know how to burn, kill and plunder! Entering the city of Qi County is clearly a wolf into a sheep Wo! Let us unarmed ordinary people live!"

Standing in the crowd, Alai and Xiaojiu's hearts were pounding, and their nerves were seized by panic.

"We can't let them continue to harm people like this! Go! Find Sun Mingyi! Drive these savages out!" A group of people impassionedly wanted to go to the county government office, and Alai and Xiaojiu also followed to build momentum. Then they continued to discuss:

"How can the small Qingshui Temple accommodate twenty thousand refugees? Isn't Sun Mingyi crazy!"

"I heard that it wasn't the county lord's idea. He led his soldiers to guard the city for three days and three nights. In the end, the eldest son of Xie Taishou's family intervened to let him in."

Xiao Jiu glanced at A Lai, who blushed and lowered his head.

"I heard that there are still refugees coming to us. Qingshui Temple can no longer hold the refugees, and they have all gone to other temples now."

"Other temples? There are only two temples in Qi County, one is Qingshui Temple in Nanshan, and the other is Taoyuan Temple in the north of the city."

"Yes, they went to Taoyuan Temple. Taoyuan Temple is better, there are no residential houses around. But this is not a solution. If these horse thieves are not driven out, our Qi County will not have a peaceful day!"

Taoyuan Temple?

A Lai panicked and stopped in his tracks.

"What's the matter, Lai?" Seeing that her face turned pale in an instant, Xiao Jiu asked her worriedly.

"Oops." Alai shouted in a low voice, "Oops!"

She quickly pushed aside the crowd and ran out, took two steps and then turned back, holding Xiao Jiu's narrow shoulders with both hands, and knocked on Xiao Jiu's forehead with the words of warning:

"During this time, you should stock up on food and stay at home and don't go out! Lock the door and don't open it if anyone knocks! It's best to prepare two sticks that can beat people, and protect your parents! Remember!"

Before Xiaojiu could react, Alai turned around again and ran towards Taoyuan Temple.