Ming Dynasty: Domination of the World from the Imperial Examination

Chapter 32 The best place!

Early morning on the third day.

On the streets along the river, snack shops began their daily business amid the howling of the cold wind. At the snack stalls, the firewood under the stove seemed even more vigorous and bright, and even hotter under the cold wind.

A skinny man in thin clothes was beating sesame cakes with a bang.

The chef who came from Liaodong skillfully opened the steamer, and instantly white steam came out and the aroma of noodles filled the air.

There is also an old Semu man with a full beard, who uses bamboo tongs to take out the Hubing, a dish only cooked in the north, one by one from the oven and arranges them in a bamboo basket like flowers. The Hubing is crispy and yellow, and the aroma is so fragrant that you can still smell it even from a distance of seven or eight feet.

There are also people carrying shoulder poles and selling candies on the streets.

Amid these shouts, the dormant Yingtian Prefecture was gradually awakened, and became full of life, dispelling the coldness in the streets.

Xia Zhibai walked on the foggy and frosty streets, observing the people's lives in Yingtian Prefecture.

At this moment, Yingtian Prefecture is full of vitality, showing an image of prosperity and peace.

If it weren't for those homeless beggars.

Coming to the street, as more and more people go out, the street has a more urban atmosphere.

Xia Zhibai stopped at a steamed bun shop.

He ordered thirty meat buns.

They are all meat fillings.

I paid a full thirty copper coins.

Xia Zhibai went to the wooden table at the outermost end of the shop, but did not pick up his chopsticks. Instead, he ordered another bowl of hot soup and drank it slowly.

Seems like he's waiting for someone.

The shop owner served the hot soup enthusiastically and even added some oil and salt to it. He had only met wealthy customers like Xia Zhibai a few times in all the time he had run the bun shop, so his attitude was naturally very good.

Just as the others were looking at Xia Zhibai curiously, several beggars suddenly appeared not far away. The leader of the beggars stood on the street and looked around. He seemed to have seen something, called out to the others, and walked towards the bun shop.

The shopkeeper's face darkened and he cursed inwardly, then he stuck his head out, pointed at the group of beggars and started shouting angrily.

"You are a bunch of dead beggars. Go away and beg somewhere else."

"If you delay my business, I will beat you to death."

"Dead beggar."

The beggars were also frightened.

I dare not move forward any further.

Xia Zhibai frowned and said, "Shopkeeper, I found them."

The shopkeeper was stunned and a little panicked, and hurriedly said: "Sir, I was afraid that they would come over and affect your meal. I really didn't know that you called them."

"Here, I'll call them over now."

"No need, just wrap the buns." Xia Zhibai shook his head.

He knew that after the shopkeeper's shout, these little beggars would probably not dare to come again.

He stood up, took the wrapped buns, and said, "Shopkeeper, although they are beggars and do make a living by begging, they are not liked by people, but after all, they have not done anything harmful or dishonest. If you don't like them, just drive them away, and stop scolding them so loudly."

"Yes, yes, yes." The shopkeeper nodded quickly.

Xia Zhibai was not embarrassed.

Shop owners are also worried that these beggars will make them unhappy and affect their business.

He could certainly call all these little beggars over, ask the store owner to apologize, or even ask the store owner to serve these little beggars in a flattering way, but if he really did so, he would only be exchanging the identities of "himself" and "store owner".

There is no essential difference.

What did the store do wrong?
He just doesn't want his business to be affected.

If there is really something wrong, perhaps it is the world that is wrong. Why are there still beggars in the world?

Xia Zhibai was carrying a bag of buns and walking towards a few little beggars.

The leading little beggar was only as tall as Xia Zhibai's chest. He was estimated to be only thirteen or fourteen years old. In this freezing weather, he was shirtless with only a piece of rag hanging from his lower body that couldn't cover him completely. He had no shoes on his feet and was holding a broken bowl in his hand. His hand that was holding the bowl was covered with frostbite, looking hideous and frightening.

The people behind the little beggar looked the same.

All were in extreme distress.

When Xia Zhibai approached, the little beggars were huddled together, their faces had turned blue from the cold, and some of their ears were frozen. Their helpless little feet rubbed against each other, trying to make their feet less cold.

Xia Zhibai was very familiar with the clothes these people were wearing.

I sent it out myself yesterday.

However, he only gave one, and now there were five or six standing in front of him. Judging from the size, there must be more.

The world is full of difficulties.

This is the best place in the world.

"Brother Xia." The leading young man said timidly.

Xia Zhibai nodded, touched the boy's head, handed over the bun wrapped in oil paper in his hand, and said with a smile: "Share it while it's hot, they are all big meat buns."

The boy's eyes lit up, and he was a little bit incredulous.

But as my stomach growled, I couldn't help but reached out to take it. As soon as I received it in my hand, before I opened it, I smelled the tempting aroma and couldn't help but 'tear' it and swallowed a few times.

Xia Zhibai didn't pay attention to the embarrassing teenagers, but looked around and tried to find a place to shelter from the wind. The teenagers were dressed too thinly.

And this is not the place to talk.

He asked, "Is there any shelter around here?"

"Have."

"There's a hole under the bridge. It's warm inside."

"There's a forest over there that can also block the wind."

"."

These young men knew a lot about the shelter and they talked about it at once, but their eyes were fixed on the paper-wrapped meat buns, as if they were worried that if they didn't ask, they wouldn't get any of the meat buns.

Xia Zhibai did not express his opinion.

He just asked the leading boy to take him to the nearest place.

On the way, Xia Zhibai asked to share the meat buns, but although the boys were looking at them eagerly and drooling, they only ate the dough outside the buns.

Seeing the appearance of these young men, Xia Zhibai roughly guessed what was going on.

I'm afraid only a few will come.

They are saving it for others who didn't come.

Xia Zhibai did not expose the truth. Although he wanted to help, in such cold weather, he could not save many people, and he could not afford to feed them.

If these people want to survive, they still have to rely on themselves.

Xia Zhibai raised his eyes and suddenly looked towards the direction of the imperial palace.

He believed that the news of his contact with these beggars must have reached Zhu Yuanzhang's ears.

He didn't know what Zhu Yuanzhang would do.

But what he was clear about was that there were beggars in Yingtian Prefecture, and Zhu Yuanzhang should and must know about it.

Zhu Yuanzhang didn’t do enough!

Not a moment.

The group sat under a big tree.

Xia Zhibai looked at these timid teenagers and said straight to the point: "Heiwa called you here, there are some things I should tell you."

"I need a few people who can endure hardships and work hard."

"You can provide meals or give money."

"But I didn't tell you everything yesterday. I need you to follow me to leave Yingtian Prefecture and go to Kaifeng." As if thinking of something, Xia Zhibai added: "Kaifeng is about 400 miles away from Yingtian Prefecture, and the round trip is almost 20 days."

"Because you have to carry things, you need to be strong."

“There may be dangers along the way.”

"We still have to go down to the ground."

"."

Xia Zhibai made a series of requests, but in the ears of these young men, only two words were left.

Free meals!

"I'll go. I'm strong."

"I can endure hardship."

"I!"

(End of this chapter)