Hanhou

Pingyang Hou Mansion is located in the south of Chang'an City. It was built in the early Han Dynasty. It was originally the residence of Prime Minister Cao Shen.It has been passed down to Cao Shi for four generations.

Before Cao Shi and Yang Xin got married, many houses in the mansion were renovated, the walls were repainted, and the pond in the back house was fed with running water.From May to June, the blue waves are light, and lotus flowers bloom in the pool, pink and white, delicate and fragrant.

On the west side of the lotus pond is a long and narrow corridor. Behind the corridor was originally the residence of the concubine of Pingyang, but it has long been vacant.After Cao Shishi, there are rows of small rooms separated at the back of the house, which are used to accommodate the children of the Hou family and the servants brought out by Yangxin from the palace.

From June to August, Yang Xin was busy searching for beauties. Although he had deliberately kept a low profile, the news spread to the palace.Queen Wang specially sent people out of the palace to warn Yang Xin to be cautious and not to be too public.

The prince is not yet married, so now is not the time to send beauty.In addition, Bianjun suffered another catastrophe, and the nobles in the south of the city kept a lower profile than the other families, so it seemed that Yang Xin didn't care about Bianjun's suffering, and acted inappropriately.

After the eunuch left, Yang Xin closed the door and lost his temper severely.

When it was time to light the lamp, I learned that Cao Shi hadn't returned home yet, and was about to send someone to inquire about it, when a rider came to report that Cao Shi was going to stay at Gongsun He's house. .After returning to the room, the more he thought about it, the more he got angry, he took up a pen and wrote a letter, and then swept the written bamboo slips to the ground, and decided to enter the palace in person tomorrow, and complain to the queen in person.

Since their marriage, Cao Shi has visited her room only a handful of times.Queen Wang also asked her to have a child as soon as possible. How can she have a child by herself? !

The master of the Hou Mansion, one sleeps out, the other loses his temper in the room, the servants and servants are frightened, and walk on tiptoe, for fear of making a mistake and attracting a reprimand, or even a whip if it is serious.

Wife Wei sent the cleaned lotus roots to the kitchen, and the chef Ding looked at them one by one, and after confirming that there was no problem, she wiped off the water stains on the sarong, and returned to the small room where she lived with the millet porridge she obtained for her two children.

Pushing open the door, there is a small lamp burning in the room, the fire is like a bean, and it can only illuminate a square inch distance, and there is a dim yellow beyond the square inch, and there are black shadows near the wall.

"A Bu, A Guang."

Wei Wei put down the wooden bowl, closed the door, and called two children in sackcloth.

"Eat it while it's hot."

There is only one bowl of millet porridge, and the two children each grab a wooden spoon and touch each other with their heads together. You and I eat the whole bowl of millet porridge quickly.

The last few grains of corn on the bottom of the bowl are scraped away, and the child licks his lips, only half full.

Aunt Wei took the wooden bowl and prepared to put it away after washing.There was a sudden knock on the door, and then the eldest son Wei, who was dressed in short brown, and Wei Ru, who had a good face but with calluses on his hands, walked in.

"Grandmother, here." Wei's eldest son is less than Ruoguan, eight feet tall, with broad shoulders, thick eyebrows and big eyes, he can be called handsome.It's just that his footsteps are a little vain, and his face is a little pale.

"The eldest son went to fight with others again?" Seeing the copper coin in Wei's eldest son's hand, Wei Wei's face was full of worry instead of joy, "The injury in the front is just right, what if the bone breaks again? You are dying? !"

"Mum, I'm fine." The eldest son Wei smiled, passed Aunt Wei, hugged Wei Bu in his arms, let Wei Guang climb onto his back, took out a small piece of half-melted caramel from his arms, and broke it off. After opening it, stuff it into the mouths of the two younger brothers.

Wei Ru supported Mrs. Wei's arm, and handed her two pieces of wheat cake.

"Mother, I have done a good job during the day, and I got two more cakes, soak them soft and share them with brother."

The Marquis of Pingyang will not deduct meals from the servants, but it will not easily reward the servants either.Wei Wei was beautiful when she was young, serving at the banquet, her life was not difficult.As she grew older and could no longer go to the front hall, life gradually became difficult.

Now the two daughters are selected by the princess, and they will be taught singing and dancing by a special person. One of Wei Wei expresses joy and the other expresses fear. She has complicated thoughts and doesn't know what to say to her children.

At this moment, the door was pushed open again, and Wei Shaoer and Wei Zifu in colorful skirts walked in one after another.

Wei Shao'er has an extraordinary appearance, with a flamboyant color when he was young, and a little lively temperament; Wei Zifu has delicate features, his color is not as good as his sister's, but he has long black hair, eyes like water, flowing with inexhaustible tenderness.

"Mother." Wei Shao'er threw himself into Wei Wei's arms, and handed out the snack wrapped in a cloth bag, "This is the reward I got today."

Wei Wei patted the second daughter, then looked at the third daughter.

Wei Zifu came over and said softly, "I'm not as tall as my sister, so I can't practice dancing. I've never been rewarded for learning to sing along with the singer."

Wei Wei took the two daughters into her arms together, and she didn't make a sound for a long time.

"Mum, I have to go." The eldest son Wei stood up, took out another piece of caramel, broke it up and handed it to the two younger sisters.

"Go, don't fight with others anymore!" Wei Wei urged.

The eldest son of Wei agreed, and left the small room with a smile.As for what he thinks in his heart, only he knows.

"It's hard for uncle." Wei Ru spread out the quilt, and put Wei Bu and Wei Guang to sleep first.Looking at the handsome faces of the two younger brothers, he couldn't help but think of Wei Qing who was sent away a few years ago.

"Mum, there's been no news about Young Brother?"

Wei Wei sighed and shook her head.

"It's fine if there's no news. It's better for Ah Qing to be in Zheng's house than to be a child with me."

"That's not necessarily the case." Wei Shao'er frowned, "Maybe she forgot that Zheng Shaoli didn't want to see Ah Qing, and didn't allow him to be surnamed Zheng at all. How can Ah Qing live in his house?"

"No matter how difficult it is, it can always be a good life." Wei Wei stopped Wei Shao'er's words, as if comforting her daughter, but also as if convincing herself, "If you get through it, you will always have a good life in the future."

Wei Shaoer was not convinced and wanted to argue.Wei Zifu held her back, and said in a low voice: "Sister, Ah Qing is having a bad life, and my mother is more sad than you and me. Don't get angry with my mother, and make my mother sad again."

Wei Ru pulled the two younger sisters over and let them rest on the couch.Go outside the house to fetch water by yourself, and wash your face and feet for the weary Mrs. Wei.Seeing Mrs. Wei's calf swollen from blisters, she couldn't help getting red eyes.

"Aunt..."

"Rest early, there is still work to do tomorrow."

"promise."

Mother and daughter huddled together on the couch, covered with a thin quilt made of Gebu.

The lights were turned off, and after a short period of silence, frogs croaked from the pond, and the sound was like a golden drum, which lasted all night.

In September, the weather starts to cool down.

Jinan, Jiaodong and other places are full of joy of harvest, but the border counties that are connected to the grasslands are still suffering from natural disasters. The migratory locusts have passed by, the corn and wheat have been wiped out, and there is not even a single weed left on the edge of the field.

The millet field, which could have had a good harvest, is now completely bare.The remaining stalks were covered with locusts, which were devoured in less than a moment.

Zhao Jia led his people to fight for several months and survived the drought, but failed to stop the plague of locusts after all.

No matter whether it is millet or wheat, no matter whether it is the ear of starch or the yellow straw, they are all eaten by locusts.When Qing Zhuang and the servants walked into the field, their eyes were red, and from time to time some people knelt down with their heads in their hands and growled angrily.

"What day, what day is it called!"

"God won't let people live!"

"What's the use of roaring! You can get millet by roaring?!"

Amidst the mournful sound, the girl's crisp voice suddenly sounded.

Zhao Jia turned his head to look and found Wei Qing'e walking from the ridge of the field, followed by Wei Xia, Wei Qiu and several healthy women.The women carried wicker baskets on their backs and sickles in their hands, and the two of them also brought their children who could not walk, which were tied to their chests with cloth strips so as not to delay bending over to work.

"Sister?"

"The living can't be suffocated by urine. If the millet in the field is gone, life can't go on? They are all men of seven or eight feet. They can shoot bows and arrows. They go hunting on the grasslands and dig edible food in the woods. Chi, the early days were not as difficult as they are now, who are you going to wipe your tears for?!"

Hearing the girl's words, Qing Zhuang and Gong Geng's faces turned red, Zhao Jia couldn't help coughing twice, choking heavily.

"Why, do you think my words are rough?" Wei Qingmo bent his horsewhip, tapped it lightly on his palm, pointed at the men present one by one with the whip, and said, "If I didn't say anything, you would still be wiping your tears in the fields! One by one Tall and big, it makes people laugh when you say it!"

"Sister, this..."

"And you!" Wei Qing's eyes sharpened, and he stared at Zhao Jia, "Didn't you tell me that locusts can be eaten earlier? Why, are you lying to me?"

"No."

"Since it's not, why don't you take someone to catch it! Even if people can't eat it, which one won't work if you feed chickens, ducks or wild pigs?"

Wei Qing'e's words reminded Zhao Jia, like enlightenment, not to mention that the depression was swept away, and the dark clouds above his head always dissipated a lot.

"There were too many migrating locusts before, and people had to hide. Now that the locusts are all in the ground, there is no need to worry about catching them. Prepare sacks and collect them from the ground!"

Zhao Jia soon had an idea, mobilized all the people in the farm, picked up all the tools they could hold, and went to the field to catch locusts.Just like what Wei Qingmo said, even if people don't eat it, you can still get meat by feeding chickens, ducks and wild boars.Use the fed poultry and wild pigs to exchange for food, if you don't have enough to eat, you can always survive!

"Stop squatting, get up!"

The women raised their voices and drove Qing Zhuang and servant Geng out of the field, then took out sacks from the rattan basket, lined up at the head of the field, and swept across the fields.There were also a few gray-haired rabbits in the middle. These rabbits didn't eat grass, and they were all catching locusts.

Aunt Sun did not go with the woman, but rushed to the cart, unloaded sacks, wooden basins, dustpans and other things from the cart, and told Qing Zhuang and the servants to fetch them, and went to the fields together to catch locusts.

Seeing Zhao Jia looking over, Mrs. Sun raised a smile, put a sack into Zhao Jia's hand, and said, "Young Lord, don't be surprised, life is like this. With Wei Shijun in Yunzhong County, the Xiongnu would not dare to come easily. In the early years, I lived in Wuyuan County. The Xiongnu came to harm every now and then. The men went to fight, and the women stayed at home. They always tried to find a way to feed their families. If something happened, they would panic and could only cry in the field. Everyone will starve to death."

Aunt Sun's tone was normal, as if this was not a big deal at all.

Zhao Jia's nose was sore, and he didn't know what to say, so he simply took the sack from Mrs. Sun's hand and went to the fields with the young and strong.For a whole morning, all the sacks I brought were filled and stacked on the cart, and it took five or six rounds of transportation before I was done.

After returning to the livestock farm, Zhao Jia asked the women to prepare a large basin of clean water and soak all the locusts in them. After half an hour, they scalded them with boiling water.

"Scald and change color, take out to dry, remove wings and thorny legs."

Qing Zhuang and the women worked together, and the first batch of locusts were quickly processed.

With sufficient sunlight, some of the dried locusts are put into sacks, and the other part is ground into powder and sent to the barn for storage.Zhao Jia wasn't sure which method would preserve it longer, so he split it in half.

"Honey, light the fire and set up the grill."

After working for several hours, everyone was hungry.

Zhao Jia asked Mrs. Sun to bring someone to prepare the grill, and then took half a can of fat boiled from wild pigs to demonstrate how to grill locusts.After it was baked, it was sprinkled with grains of salt, and just as it was about to be eaten, it was snatched away by Huber.

Knowing the intention of the old servant, Zhao Jia did not stop him.

Hu Bo ate the whole bunch of roasted locusts and waited for a while, he didn't feel any discomfort before he breathed a sigh of relief.

The gray-haired medical craftsman came over, pushed Huber away, grabbed the skewered locusts, put them on the iron rack to roast, and said: "I told you before that the powder of this thing can be used as medicine. Don't eat it raw, it won't kill you."

Huber was so blocked that he had nothing to say, so he directly grabbed two handfuls of locusts, without skewering them, and directly sprinkled them on the rack for roasting.

The aroma began to disperse, and the roar of the five internal organs temple came and went.

Everyone looked at each other, needless to say, each started a fire.The grill was not enough, so I simply took a thin slate, and after heating it, brushed a layer of grease on it, and the locusts poured on it, making a sizzling sound, splashing a piece of burnt aroma.

Knowing that locusts are edible and delicious, the women used their brains to try different ways to eat them, and even used locusts to make soup.As for the taste, the beholder sees benevolence and the wise sees wisdom.

As for the locust powder, Mrs. Sun once wanted to replace the wheat flour, but unfortunately failed.According to Zhao Jia's instructions, part of it was distributed to the medical craftsman, and the rest was used to feed poultry and wild pigs.

Regardless of the continuous natural disasters this year, the cattle and sheep are not fat enough, and with new feed, the chickens, ducks and wild pigs in Zhao's livestock farm are growing exceptionally well.

Teenagers and children worried about the dwindling supply of bean cakes and fodder, and they decided to mix locust powder into bean cakes and feed them to cattle and sheep.

Zhao Jia passed by the cow pen several times and found that the cows were crowded in front of the food trough, scrambling for bean cakes mixed with locust powder. After thinking about it for a long time, he couldn't figure it out.

In the era of rabbits eating meat, anything is possible.

Zhao's livestock farm caught locusts on a large scale. The news spread, and Shaling County moved after hearing the news.

Emperor Jing issued a decree for disaster relief, but the food was not distributed to the people, but was made into millet porridge and distributed in front of the city gate every day.Such a relief method is undoubtedly a drop in the bucket for the affected people.

Zhao's livestock farm took the lead. People from Zhao and Wei villages were catching migratory locusts for storage. Villager Li Tian came to see them one after another. He was sure that the locusts were edible and tasted good. Catch the locusts before they leave, cook them and dry them in the sun for emergency use.

The fact that things went so smoothly was inseparable from Zhao Jia's reputation.

First there was the method of taming cattle, and then there were agricultural tools, cement and continuous crossbows. The Zhao family son was famous in Chang'an, and everyone in Shaling County knew it well.

The shadow of the tree of names.

Not to mention other counties and townships, when Zhao Jia is mentioned in the land of Shaling, it is definitely "other people's child", "young talent" and "he will be a star in the sky in the future".

Mr. Zhao Lang said that locusts are edible, so he must be able to eat them.

Several Litians ran for several days, grinding their mouths, but in the end, Zhao Jia's name didn't work.Many villagers bluntly said on the spot that it was Zhao Langjun's idea earlier, they had already started catching locusts, so why waste time.

Litian was blocked and had nothing to say, knowing the habits of the villagers, and busy with things, he could only slap his head in the end, and didn't have the time to feel angry.

Entering October, Yunzhong City put up notices, and the whole county was mobilized, and the training time was shortened to catch locusts with the border residents.Wei Yue led his troops to go deep into the grassland, and they didn't return for half a month. When they came back, they drove tens of thousands of cattle and sheep. As for the prisoners, there were still no prisoners.

After hearing the news that Wei Yue had brought back from the grassland, Zhao Jia handed over the storage of grain to Uncle Xiong and Uncle Hu, read the military books by himself, and trained the young and strong every day.Knowing that the grassland is also affected by drought and locust plagues, he has always had a sense of urgency. Winter is coming, and Border County will never be peaceful.

Sure enough, when the last batch of locusts entered the warehouse, several scouts flew back with bone arrows stuck in their shoulders.

Not long after, Zhao Jia was summoned to the city, and was shocked to hear that Hu's troops were moving southward, approaching the pasture that Wei Yue had marked out.As the vanguard, the barbarians are less than twenty miles away from the newly built fortress.