The Happy Life of Small Officials in Northern Song Dynasty

The Elm Alley is located in a remote part of the South City. The most obvious feature is the big elm tree at the entrance of the alley. The tree is surrounded by two people. It is more than several feet high. It seems that it has grown for at least a hundred years.

Wang Chao saw the big tree with bare branches higher than all the surrounding houses from a distance, and said, "That's right here, Mr. Song, you really belong."

Song Quan said: "What's the matter? I've been here before. I also asked about the origin of this elm tree alley. The common people love this big elm tree very much."

Su Jin asked: "What's so precious about this, it's just an old tree."

Song Quan said: "You don't understand, the elm tree is also known as the 'money tree', its fruit looks like copper coins, and it is also a hundred-year-old tree. Surrounded by the fence, the well water under the tree is also extraordinarily clear and delicious, this place is really good."

Su Jin said with a smile: "What's the use of begging for word of mouth? You have to earn money with your hands, and you have to make your own future. If this can also lead to promotion and fortune, I'm afraid every house is full of this elm tree."

Song Quan said with a smile: "Although that's the case, who doesn't like to hear auspicious words."

The two chatted and laughed in a low voice. Over there, the dynasty had already reached the door of a family. The firewood doors in the small courtyard were hidden, and there was no decent fence around them. They were just woven with branches and straw ropes and inserted into the ground to surround a small courtyard. extreme.

Wang Chao stretched out his hand and pushed it, and the chai gate opened. Several people walked gently into the courtyard. There was a stone mill in the courtyard, several persimmon trees, and a few red persimmons hanging on the trees. Relying on a Taiping car, it is obviously an ordinary family.

Wang Chao stretched out his hand to pat the door, Su Jin stretched out his hand to hold him back and said, "Take it easy, don't scare people."

Wang Chao nodded and tapped lightly with the back of his hand a few times. There was a coughing sound in the room. After a while, the lights came on, and someone asked in a low voice, "Who?"

"Brother, we are on errands in the yamen, and we have something to do with you."

"The servant of the yamen? The villain is a man of duty, but he hasn't done anything illegal."

A panicked woman's voice came from inside, and the man lowered his voice and said, "Why are you afraid of him? I haven't violated the law."

Su Jin coughed and said: "Brother, please open the door. How about we meet and talk? There are one inside and one outside the door. People see it and don't know what's going on. To tell you the truth, the magistrate sent me to wait for you." Condolences to the people, I am here to send money to tide you over."

There was silence inside for a while, and finally the light flickered in the crack of the door, and the latch clicked, and then the door was pulled open, and a strong and burly man in a coat stood at the door, holding an oil lamp in his hand.

Su Jin cupped his hands and said, "You're polite, I'm bothering you in the middle of the night."

The man looked the four of them up and down, and finally moved his thick lips and said in a low voice: "Master, please."

The four of them entered the house and closed the door. Su Jin glanced around with the help of the faint light. The house can be described as barren with four walls, except for tables and stools, there is nothing long; the tables and benches are all black, as if covered with a layer of dust , the straw mat hanging on the door of the inner room was still shaking, obviously the female relatives just hid in the inner room.

The man brought two benches and put them beside the table, he stretched out his hand and said, "Master, sit down."

Su Jin and the others thanked them, sat down on the stool, and said with a smile: "Brother, I'm really sorry to disturb your house so late, but there are too many people in the daytime, so I really can't come, I hope you forgive me."

The man said: "The poor man is so polite, the villain still thinks he has committed a crime."

Su Jindao: "Family of duty, live in peace, there is no mistake to make, we are ordered by the government to distribute some money and things to subsidize the family of the poor. Recently, the price of rice has skyrocketed, and the common people have suffered. .”

The man hurriedly waved his hand and said, "I dare not do it, how can I bother the officials."

Su Jin smiled, turned to Song Quan and said, "Young Master Song, it is really admirable that you personally represent your father to come to express condolences to the people, so let me show it."

Song Quan asked in surprise, "What are you taking?"

Su Jin frowned and said, "The condolence money, didn't you bring the usual condolence money?"

Song Quan said: "What condolences..."

Su Jin interrupted him and said: "Young Master Song, this is not good. The condolence money is for the poor people. You don't even want to use yourself for money."

Song Quan's teeth were itching with hatred, this narrow boy was teasing himself again, just now he clearly saw a small cloth bag in his arms, saying it was a condolence money for the common people, how could he say that he took the money himself in the blink of an eye.

Song Quan didn't want to lose his demeanor in front of the common people, so he slapped his head and pretended to have suddenly realized: "Oh, yes, yes, you see, my memory is on my side."

Su Jin almost burst out laughing, and saw Song Quan fumble around, but found no copper coin, but took out a silver ingot, holding it up and said, "Brother, do you have any change? I forgot the copper coin, and only These are two taels of silver ingots."

The man said: "Where did you get the money, the last two have bought black market rice today, and there are only a dozen or so copper coins left in the house."

Su Jin snatched it over and said, "What do you want in exchange? If you give it together, it's over. Brother, remember the generosity of Mr. Song, but he gave you extra money out of his own pocket. This silver ingot is worth it. A full two pennies to buy some food and clothing for the children."

Song Quan's mouth was open, and he said in his heart: "This guy is so familiar, he is so generous to others, and he lost two big money for no reason. What the hell is going on."

The man rubbed his hands together and said, "It's so good, it's worth it."

Su Jin said: "Take it, you can afford it, you can afford it, Mr. Song is the son of the lord of the government, he is used to caring about the sufferings of the people, tell the child, go to Mr. Song's place to kowtow to express his gratitude every new year and festival, that's all. "

The man stretched out his hand to take the money, there were tears in the corners of his eyes, he said with a trembling voice: "My mother, come out and thank Mr. Song and the servants, it really is for us to send the money."

The straw curtain was lifted, and a thin, sallow woman with disheveled hair came out and the man knelt down to thank Su Jin and Song Quan. Song Quan was greatly moved, and hurriedly told them to get up. The depression of the two taels of silver disappeared, and I felt that the two taels of silver were very worthwhile.

After a lot of fuss, she finally settled down. The woman was busy lighting the stove to boil water. Su Jin and others tried to dissuade her, but the woman refused to listen, so she had no choice but to let her go.

Su Jin turned to the man and said, "What's your name, brother?"

The man said honestly: "Little common people, what are your surnames? The little one is surnamed Wu. He is a second-hand man in the family. He is called Wu Erlang."

Su Jin was taken aback, and quickly counted the years, and then he was relieved. This Wu Er is not that Wu Er. Although the big tiger Wu Erlang is also from the Song Dynasty, he is still smoking and has not been born at all. There is no telling whether there is such a person.

"Oh, so it's Brother Wu, how many people are there in the family?"

"My parents have passed away long ago, and now I am living with my wife and three children."

Su Jin said: "Looking at it like this, life is quite difficult."

Wu Erlang frowned and said, "That's right. On weekdays, I help people drive carts, pull horses and unload trucks to earn some money, and my wife sews, washes, washes and subsidizes the family. After a year, I can get enough food and clothing to support my children."

Su Jin said: "The price of rice has skyrocketed recently, I'm afraid there are more troubles."

Wu Erlang pinched his thick-knuckle hands and said, "Isn't that right, I took the last two pennies of money at home today and only exchanged for seven liters of rice. This is the end of October, and I don't know how to live from now on."

Su Jin pretended to be surprised and said: "Two pennies of money are only exchanged for seven liters of rice? Whose grain shop is so black, how is this different from killing people with a knife?"

Wu Erlang sneered and said, "Of course the servants don't know. There is no grain shop open now. They buy black market rice. The grain in Yangzhou city may be scoured by that vicious tiger. This black-hearted thing."

The woman who was boiling water coughed hurriedly, Wu Erlang poked his neck and said, "Why are you afraid? There is no way to survive soon, so are you afraid to say a few gossips?"

Su Jin smiled and said: "Second Brother Wu said it's okay, but I don't understand. Who is this evil tiger? With such a great ability, he can collect the whole city's grain and sell it at a high price on the black market. What is his origin?"

Wu Erlang glanced at Su Jin and said: "This poor man is new, doesn't he even know Feng Huo's name? Didn't he hear the rumors on the street? 'It's better to meet the Nanshan wolf than to mess with the Yangzhou tiger.' Hundreds of wolves gather on Nanshan Mountain, they are extremely ferocious, but they are still kind compared to Feng Huo, the wolves still have bones after biting, if this Feng Huo gets into trouble, you won't even be left with scum."

Su Jin frowned and said, "So powerful? Does he have a backer?"

Wu Erlang shook his head and said: "I don't know about this villain. It is said that he has a group of people under him, and he doesn't cause trouble on weekdays. It's just that all those who offended him disappeared inexplicably, and even their corpses disappeared." If he can't find it, even if he reports it to the police, he won't be able to find out the truth, and over time, people won't dare to mess with him."

The woman finally couldn't bear it and said: "Don't talk about it anymore, if it gets out, will the five of us still survive?"

Wu Erlang also felt that he had said too much, so he shut up quickly.

Su Jin chuckled and said: "Brother and sister-in-law, don't worry, we will keep our mouths shut. If you reveal half a word, will it be smashed into pieces by thunder? Well, I won't ask any more. Just tell me that the black market is here. Where is it, to be honest, I first came to Yangzhou as an errand, and my family has a lot of people, the food provided by the government is really not enough, so I want to buy some."

Wu Erlang showed sympathy, and said: "It's not hard to find, it's in the Sanli Hutong at Beikou, but it's so tightly guarded that ordinary strangers can't enter it, and even if they enter the alley, they can't buy food."

Su Jin said: "Then what should we do?"

Wu Erlang lowered his head and thought for a while, then raised his head as if he had made up his mind and said: "In this way, when Engong goes to buy rice, just say that it was introduced by the blind third master of Nancheng. Don't say anything else, just buy the rice and leave." .”

Su Jin asked in surprise, "Who is the blind third master?"

Wu Erlang said: "The Blind Third Master is my boss, and I help him work all the year round. As for the relationship between him and Feng Huhu, I really don't know."

Su Jin didn't ask any more questions, this was naturally a friendship in the underworld, and Wu Erlang didn't know if he asked.

After chatting for a while, she got up to say goodbye, the woman poured water but saw that everyone wanted to leave, she was really sorry, she hurriedly took a few roasted sweet potatoes and stuffed them into the hands of Su Jin and others, everyone quickly refused, Wu Erlang said: " Take it, benefactor, send money to my family, and you can't even drink your saliva, how can you make people feel at ease, eat these sweet potatoes to warm your body."

Su Jin smiled and said, "Thank you then." He took the sweet potatoes and left the house. The sweet potatoes were roasted hot and sweet, and they ate them all the way, mouth-watering.

Su Jin felt that this little sweet potato was the most delicious thing he had eaten since he traveled here.

(Small complaint: This book has been written for almost four months today, and the results can only be regarded as mediocre. There are many friends who read the book, but the collection of red tickets is not satisfactory; I am not good at asking for tickets and collections, in my opinion In this book, readers read it well, and they will give it to you if you don’t ask for it, but recently I found that many book friends just read the book and came back to give pointers, but the sad thing is that they don’t even click on the collection, calling it a vulgar For example, it’s like you go to an entertainment place to spend money, and when you’re done, you pull up your pants and leave. Hey, brother, you haven’t paid me yet! So I implore readers to check the bookshelves to see if they have been collected. Red It would be best if you can give me a few tickets, thank you all!)