Food for the people

The porridge is always the same brown rice porridge, except for the pickled radish, there are only a few Chinese cabbage piled up in the corner of the yard.

Mixing shredded radish and frying cabbage every day, Qiao Yu's mouth soon became hungry.

I can bear bad living and bad clothes, but I can't bear bad food, so I have to find a way to get some food to eat.

After recuperating at home for a few more days, Qiao Yu took Qiao Ling and went out. It was already the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, and they didn't even buy anything for the New Year.

Not to mention new clothes, I didn't even buy food.

Before leaving, Qiao Ling carefully pulled out a dilapidated coarse porcelain jar under Qiao Yu's bed, and took out a few strings of money from inside.

This was the first time Qiao Yu saw money in this era.

It is not much different from the ancient coins that Qiao Yu imagined, except that the square hole in the middle has become a round hole, and there are a few unidentifiable characters printed on both sides.

Qiao Yu felt terrible when he saw it, it really was a word he didn't know.

It seemed that not only could he not teach Qiao Ling, but he had to let Qiao Ling teach him.

There are ten coins on each string, there are seven strings in total, and there are only three strings left on the other string.

A total of 73 texts.

Before that, Qiao Yu had already asked Qiao Ling about the prices in this era.

Although there are still many things that he doesn't understand, he thinks that there are no problems with the basic things.

When he was studying history, he probably learned a little about the purchasing power of ancient coins. In some dynasties, fifty coins could buy a catty of meat, and twenty coins could buy a catty of rice.

But fortunately, in this Yang Kingdom, the prices are not high. I don’t know how it is different from the ancient days/dynasties, but things are still cheap.

Twenty Wen can buy a catty of meat, eight Wen can buy a bucket of rice, almost more than a catty.

However, the low price is compared with the ancient days/dynasties, not with the only 73 coins in their hands.

73 Wen, even if you just buy rice, you can only buy nine catties.

If I cook every meal, I can't even eat it for half a month.

Qiao Yu weighed these strings of money, feeling very pitiful.

As the saying goes, a penny can't beat a hero, and it probably refers to the current situation.

The two walked out of the courtyard, Qiao Ling walked in front, without looking back, but his hands kept grabbing the hem of his clothes, probably because he was afraid that he would get dizzy again and fall down on the street.

Qiao Yu looked at Qiao Ling holding his thin hand, thinking happily that having a younger brother is just a pain in the ass.

There are eternal rules in any era, that is, class.

Even if the heaven/dynasty claims to be equal, in fact there are few things that are truly equal. Wherever there are people, there are classes, and the ranks will separate people from the bottom of their hearts. The sky/dynasty is like this, and it is the same in this era. .

Qiao Yu hadn't left the courtyard since he woke up, but it didn't prevent him from knowing their current situation from Qiao Ling.

The courtyard they live in is at the westernmost part of Hanyang City. Yangguo respects the east and believes that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. The place where relatives live, while the north and south live in a mixed environment, with high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants, and the west is recognized as the slums of the entire Hanyang City, where the poorest people live.

Qiao Ling said that the original house of the Qiao family was in Luoxia Lane in the south, and Qiao's father spent a lot of money to buy it. When it was sold, the housekeeper of the Zhao family must have helped. Qiao Ling didn't even know who lived in the house. I don't know, and I haven't seen it. I guess it will only add sentimentality, so it's better not to watch it.

Most of the courtyards on West Street are old, and at first glance, few of them have decent facades.

The yard they lived in was even more lost among the old houses, and they couldn't see any difference when they went out.

The west streets and alleys are intricate and complex, because the status is not high, so no one cares about them. The houses are built in and out, and the alleys twist and turn. Qiao Yu was dazzled and managed to write down the road they walked.

Not far away, Qiao Yu saw a group of children who didn't know what to play with, the older one was bigger than Qiao Ling, and the younger one had a toddler, probably brought out by the elder brother to play.

A group of children gathered together, laughing and screaming, seemed to be quite happy. Qiao Yu looked at Qiao Ling who was walking in front, and only saw the back of his head without turning his head. He seemed not interested in these children of the same age. They don't care what they play.

I don't know if I really don't care or pretend not to care.

Qiao Yu sighed inwardly, wanted to rub Qiao Ling's head, but held back.

They didn't pay attention to others, and they didn't expect to attract others' attention.

When Qiao Ling led Qiao Yu through the crowd, suddenly there was a strange cry from the side.

"Hey, aren't these two sick brothers who moved to West Street some time ago? When I came here, I looked like that and thought it was about to die. This is alive again. I heard that they moved from South Street Rich people, tsk tsk, that's all..."

Veins popped out of Qiao Yuting's head, while Qiao Ling didn't have that much mental activity. Before the man with the weird voice finished speaking, he had already punched the man's face with his fist.

Only then did Qiao Yu notice that the person who was beaten seemed to be the oldest among the group of children. He was about twelve or thirteen years old. He was much taller than Qiao Ling. Not very likable.

Of course, even if it is a fairy now, it is impossible to please him by saying such things in front of him.

The kid seemed completely unaware that Qiao Ling, who was much shorter than him, would dare to strike, so when Qiao Ling's punch hit him in the face, he didn't react at all until his face started to burn with pain. With a loud howl, he clenched his fists and wanted to greet Qiao Ling to fight back.

Qiao Yu squeezed his hand.

Qiao Yu has just recovered from a serious illness and doesn't have much strength, but in his previous life, he spent many years in gyms and martial arts halls. His body died but his experience was still there. He was dealing with a brat who didn't understand anything, so he didn't need it. No matter what strength, it was all skillful, and the kid screamed after pinching it again in just one stroke.

Before the children standing in a circle understood what was going on, the one who took the lead was already knocked out with one move, and the rest naturally died down, and scattered like birds and beasts.

In the end, only the toddler was left, standing stupidly beside them, and then he was carried away by his brother who had gone and returned.

The little brat who was caught in pain by his wrist was still not convinced, so he raised his leg and kicked Qiao Yu's leg if he couldn't make a move.

With sharp eyes and hands, Qiao Ling kicked him hard at the crook of his leg again. The boy bent his leg, faced Qiao Yu, and knelt down with a plop.

Qiao Yu wanted to laugh, but she lost her breath and started coughing again.

Qiao Ling quickly stretched out his hand to comfort him on his back, wrinkled his small face, and kept asking, "Brother, how is it? Is it uncomfortable?"

Qiao Yu waved his hand, grabbed the boy by the wrist and pulled him up, then smiled and leaned towards his face, and said in the boy's ear: "I don't have any other problems with this person, just one thing, to protect my shortcomings, next time I will Let me see you say these nonsensical things in front of my brother, and be careful that I will make your mouth bloom."

In fact, the little brat didn't understand a few words of Qiao Yu's words, but the way he said gentle and cruel words with that smiling face made people's heart tremble inexplicably. The kid wanted to curse a few words, but his mouth After opening and closing, I still dare not say.

He only pretended to be vicious and said to Qiao Ling: "You guys wait for me, don't think that you are the only one who has an elder brother, let's see how my elder brother will deal with you when he comes back from his errand!"

As he spoke, he violently broke away from Qiao Yu's hand, and ran away without looking back.

Qiao Yu straightened up and rubbed her temples, feeling a little dizzy.

Qiao Ling reached out to support him, he smiled and said, "It's nothing, just a little dizzy, not so delicate."

"Let's go, go buy some New Year's goods, just the two of us have to have a good New Year's Eve."

Qiao Ling hummed, but still couldn't help but hold his arm, and walked slowly beside him.

Qiao Yu glanced back, and saw that the brat had already disappeared, so he asked, "What's the matter with him? Did you have a festival before?"

Qiao Ling shook his head: "No, we met my brother once the day we moved here. Later, he threw stones in our yard. I wanted to beat him up, but my brother refused, saying that we will be neighbors from now on."

As he said that, he raised his head and glanced at Qiao Yu, a little afraid that Qiao Yu would teach him with a glance like his brother.

Who knew that Qiao Yu patted him on the shoulder very appreciatively upon hearing this.

"Next time if he dares to come again, you call me together. I will keep beating him all over the place. No matter whether he is a neighbor or not. If he comes to the door for a beating, he will beat you first. If you have something to do, I will support you. Don't be afraid." .”

Qiao Ling froze for a moment, rolled his eyes, and smiled.

"You're not like your brother at all."

Qiao Yu snorted, "That's right, this is the only one, there are no other branches."

After this little episode, the two of them walked slowly towards West Street again.

The rich have fun, the poor have a poor way of life.

The people in West Street are poor, but there are no fewer places to buy and sell than other places. There may not be many gold and silver utensils, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, but eating and drinking is still indispensable.

Qiao Yu hadn't even left the alley when he heard all kinds of cries coming to his ears.

Those who sell sugar cakes and rice cakes, those who sell glutinous rice balls, those who sell rice noodles, grains and oils, and those who sell hairpin flowers and rouge, are too busy.

It was the first time he went out, and it was also the first time he saw the ancient market in the real sense, and he was quite excited.

Pulling Qiao Ling, he strode out in a hurry, passed through the last alley, and plunged into the crowded West Street.

It's the end of the year, and the year is approaching. Even the poorest people will buy a few pots of shochu and weigh pork in such a day. Try to eat better.

Qiao Yu has not felt such a strong New Year's atmosphere for many years.

When he was very young, he went to his hometown in the countryside with his parents. During the Chinese New Year, his grandma would buy home the food for the Chinese New Year early, and there would be endless food for the whole year.

Later, the economy became more and more developed, the food got better and better, and the taste of the year became less and less. After the death of his grandparents, his parents rarely returned to their hometown in the countryside. Compared with the fresh vegetables that can be bought as you eat, my mother no longer stock up and buy things for the New Year in advance.

Later, his parents passed away in a car accident, and he was alone. He preferred to go out and hang out wherever he wanted rather than staying at home during the Chinese New Year every year, so he never felt the atmosphere that the New Year should have.

And now Qiao Yu felt that he had regained that feeling.