Haisheng Mingdi

Chapter 318 Hungry People
"Head of the family, you should sell me and exchange some food to keep the children alive."

Xuzhou, by the canal, Mrs. Liu was too hungry to walk, but seeing the dying children made her heart ache even more.

The tall and tall Zhao Gui was also skinny and skinny at this time. This Shandong man looked at his wife and children, and was silent for a while, then got up and tightened the straw rope around his waist, "I'll look for the mouse hole again."

Mrs. Liu shook her head and grabbed her husband, "There are so many people fleeing famine. The mouse holes on this road have been dug up long ago. It's a waste of time to go. If my baby has nothing to eat, she will starve to death. You sell me." , if you sell me, you can escape to the south and live.”

Looking for mouse holes during the famine is not only digging for mice to eat, but also digging for winter food stored by mice.Although the plague has been rampant in the north in the past few years, and it is unknown how many people have died, many people say that the plague was contracted by digging rat holes and eating rats.

But when you are starving to death, who cares about this?

It's just that at this time, I really wanted to eat mice, but I couldn't find them.

Rats have long since been eaten.

The grass roots and bark are stripped off.

"Sell me, mother has to take care of my younger siblings." The frail eldest daughter was only seven or eight years old, but she asked to sell herself for food to save her parents, younger siblings.

Liu's tears had dried up, but her eyes were still red with heartache when she heard this.

"God, this thief, the people who are forced will have no way to live." Zhao Gui, a tall Shandong man, couldn't help squatting down and hammering the ground.

At this time, Zhao Fu's family from the same village came over, and Zhao Fu squatted next to Zhao Gui, "Just now a family member died of a child, five or six years old, cover it up."

Zhao Gui gritted his teeth.

"Thin is a little thinner, but at least there is still some flesh. Those who died of starvation, not illness."

Zhao Gui lowered his head.

"We're going to starve to death. We can't care about that anymore. Let's dig it up secretly. I think there were a lot of people watching when it was buried just now. If it's too late, we won't have a chance."

"That's someone else's baby." Zhao Gui said.

"How can we care about these things at this time, our wife and children are going to starve to death, let's live first, let's talk about it after we live."

Zhao Gui looked at his wife and eldest daughter who were scrambling to sell themselves in exchange for food for the family, and nodded in pain. He had studied books, practiced martial arts, and knew loyalty and etiquette. A long-term worker can hire a few short-term workers when the farming is busy, so he can be regarded as a self-cultivator who can live well.

During the slack season, he would bring his long-term workers into the mountains to hunt and collect herbs, and sometimes he would sell local herbs and so on. His life should be fine.

She gave birth to five children, three sons and two daughters. The baby is still young, but she is also obedient and sensible.

This kind of life is very good, and he can even pay for his children to go to school.

But these years have become more difficult every year, with constant famines, especially in Shandong, a land of etiquette. In the early years, there was a Denglai rebellion, and later the Qing army plundered Shandong, and there were frequent civil uprisings. , This one helps that thief's robbery.

The little family business accumulated by Zhao Gui's family for several generations is also sold out little by little. This year, a few acres of land will be sold in disasters, and next year, a few acres of land will be sold in chaos.

Gradually, the long-term workers were forced to resign, and the land became less and less.

The tartars went south, thinking that life might be more stable, but who knew that there were more tax apportionments, three salaries had to be paid continuously, and many new apportionments were added.

Life can't go on, and the remaining bit of land is not enough to turn in the output after planting, so I can only flee to famine.

On the way, he was robbed by soldiers and bandits again, so he finally became a real refugee.

There were more and more refugees along the way, and everyone fled to the south.

But the grass roots were not even dug up on the road, so I couldn't walk anymore.

In the distance, someone climbed up and shouted, "This world doesn't allow people to live anymore, it's against the gods, grab the food, grab the big family, live!"

Countless hungry people gather, the hungry ones have only a breath of strength left, they are extremely weak, but they don't want to wait to die, if they are in a hurry, then turn to their mothers.

Even if you die, you want to be full before you die.

Hundreds of thousands of people quickly gathered there, and they headed towards the town.

Zhao Gui didn't go, he has a wife and children, and he has read books, so he knows very well that these hungry people with only a dog-beating stick in their hands and swollen legs may not be able to beat them even if they find a rich family with food. Next Landlord Compound.

These days, all the big landlords who can survive have their homes reinforced several times, their courtyard walls raised, watchtowers even built, courtyard guards hired, knives, bows and even blunderbusses bought.

It is very difficult for ordinary hungry people to have a chance, unless it is the kind of bandit who threatens the people, he will have a chance, but that kind of thief, he does not want to follow.

Zhao Fu didn't go either, he was still thinking about the dead child.

When a person is starving, he has enough food to change his son, let alone a dead person.That's not a dead child, that's a pot of meat.

Zhao Gui is still hesitating.

On the one hand, there are hungry wives and children, and on the other hand, the bottom line of being a human being.

If it eats a human being, can it still be a human being?

"Dad, I'm hungry."

The five-year-old second son cried weakly.

Zhao Gui finally made up his mind, he patted his son, "Father, go get some meat, you and mother will light the fire first."

Liu's face was numb. She heard what her husband said to Zhao Fu, but like Zhao Fu's wife, she didn't object. In the face of hunger, she couldn't care less about it.She was even willing to sell herself in exchange for a bucket or two of grain to keep her husband and children alive.

She also knew very well where those who came to buy people during the famine and where the women who bought them ended up going.

The young and beautiful ones might be used as concubines for rich families, but most of the women like them could only sell their flesh and blood, and they were the most humble ones.A well-grown little girl may be sold to raise a lean horse.

It was a fire pit, but they could only jump down.

In comparison, eating dead human flesh is nothing.

She pulled her son into her arms.

Zhao Gui nodded to her and went with Zhao Fu.

After a while, they came back.

Seeing their empty hands, both Liu Shi and Zhang Shi showed disappointment and even despair.

Zhao Fu sighed, "Someone dug it away first, and there is only an uncovered hole left."

Mrs. Liu hugged her second son who was hungry and passed out, "You should sell me."

"Let's go south." Zhao Gui tied one child on his back, picked up another, and then led the eldest daughter.

Even if you are willing to sell it now, you have to find someone to buy it.

Walking hungry on the barren land, I don't know how long I walked, suddenly there was a sound of horseshoes ahead, and a group of cavalry appeared.

Zhao Fu panicked, "Tartar."

However, Zhao Gui saw clearly that although the cavalrymen who came were also wearing cotton armor, they did not have braids on the back of their heads, "It is the Master of the Ming Dynasty."

Sure enough, the team of cavalry galloped over and did not rush at the people, but just looked at them carefully, and then asked them where they came from.

"In front is Luqiao Town. The forward of my Great Ming Northern Expedition Wangshi is stationed there. Hurry up and go there. There is porridge and relief there!"

Looking at these majestic cavalry, Zhang Gui couldn't help sighing, "The king's division will attack the Central Plains in the north,"

But Zhao Fu said excitedly, "There is porridge ahead, hurry up, I'm afraid it will be gone if you go late."

Luqiao Town is located on the bank of Baima River, north of Fushan Mountain, and on the east bank of Nanyang Lake.

It is the southernmost part of Jining Prefecture.

After crossing Fushan Mountain is Dushan Lake, which enters the boundary of Teng County.

Zhao Fu and Zhao Gui hurriedly carried their children and brought their wives to rush over with the last of their strength. Fortunately, it was not far away and finally arrived in front of Lushan Town.

On the west bank of the White Horse River, outside the town.

Jinwu Town cooks porridge here to help the hungry people.

Hundreds of stoves were dug in the field, and then pots were set up to cook porridge.

The victims lined up in long lines.

Each person can have a bowl of porridge, which is very thin and can reflect the silhouette of people.

But for the starving people who were dying of hunger, the porridge exuded an intoxicating taste.

Zhao Fu stood in the queue, excited but worried, "Why do these soldiers still give out porridge and relief? Don't they want to force strong men to become soldiers?"

They came all the way from Yanzhou before, and they met the Qing army quite often, but let alone relief, every time they encountered it, they had to be searched again, and they immediately snatched away valuables, and refused to give even a catty of rice. them.

On the contrary, the grain hidden by some people was taken away by them.

Some even insulted or even snatched young and beautiful women and girls.

Those are not soldiers, they are more excessive than bandits.

The hungry people were wary of the army, but driven by hunger, they still couldn't resist the temptation of porridge.

Zhao Gui also thought of this, but he could only come to line up.

Without another morsel, he might last a few days, but the children would surely starve to death.

Just pull the strong man, as long as he can exchange two or three buckets of food for his wife and children, he is willing.

Finally got myself in line.

"Each person has a bowl of porridge, be careful not to burn your mouth, drink slowly."

"Go to the side quickly after eating porridge, don't block the people behind."

"If you've been hungry for a long time, you can't eat more, or your stomach can't take it, so you can only eat a bowl."

The porridge was served by a soldier. He saw that Zhao Gui was tall, so he specially scooped up some more rice porridge for him from the bottom.

Zhao Gui said flatteringly, "Master Jun, I still have five children, please save my life, please."

The soldier looked at him with one on his back, one in his arms, and one in his hand, "Aren't there three children?"

"Later my wife brought two more."

"Well, it's not easy, do you have a bowl?"

Zhao Gui quickly took a leather bag that he carried when fleeing, which could hold water or porridge.

The soldiers poured five bowls into him, which was equivalent to one extra bowl.

"Thank you, Mr. Jun."

The porridge soldier sighed, "It's not easy for you, you all escaped from Yanzhou. His Highness Jian Guo is from Yanzhou. You are both His Highness's people and His Highness's fellow villagers. His Highness has confessed that you want to appease and rescue those who came from Shandong." hungry people."

"Are you His Highness's soldiers?"

"Well, we are the imperial army of His Royal Highness King Lu, this is the imperial army of the horse army Jinwu Town cavalry and infantry warriors, Yongwei Town."

······
When the family finally drank the rice porridge that was still hot, they were all crying with joy.

Even after drinking the soup with water, I picked up the last few grains of rice and put them in my mouth.

It's nice to feel full with something in your stomach.

Countless victims of disasters gathered here, and the imperial camp kept putting out porridge, and the pots never stopped. After Zhao Gui was full, he took his wife and children to help collect firewood.

After returning, Zhao Fu came over.

"I just found out that Lu Jianguo's imperial battalion is no longer recruiting soldiers, and they don't recruit strong men. They have auxiliary soldiers to transport these, and they don't want strong men."

"However, I also heard that an official from the grain platform in the imperial camp said that they welcome everyone to go south. If there are skilled craftsmen or literate literati, they can pay for the grain in advance and go south. Arrange things to do after arriving in the south. .”

"There's more..."

(End of this chapter)