The rice seedlings were weak, and everyone was hurt. The withered grass was yellow, and it was hard to find cattle and sheep.
In Henan Province, there was not a single drop of rain. The drought was a foregone conclusion. The only thing that made the people feel a little better was that they no longer had to worry about the locust plague. In addition to the more than 30,000 domestic animals that came from afar, the local domestic animals were also released.
During the day, they relied on these animals to eat the grasshoppers. At night, the people lit bonfires to attract the locusts. After these days of hunting, the locust plague finally did not spread to other places. The local people also received some imported food and eggs from the domestic animals.
This was especially true for those who lived close to the Yellow River. One after another, they used small rafts to travel through the much shallower water to the estuary. There, they used very low prices to buy some things. After loading them up and bringing them back, they could exchange for a lot of eggs.
Some diligent people even walked back and forth a few times and found that not only was their income not less than before, it was even more. This made them feel even more grateful to the Zhang family's manor, especially Yingtao and Lil 'Red. When the local people saw that the two of them were not only beautiful but also kind, they all set up a Longevity Shrine and worshipped them day and night, hoping that the two of them could live to a hundred years old.
Xiao Hong and Cherries got up today to continue looking for the remaining locusts for the domestic animals to eat. Suddenly, they received a piece of news. The masters of Zhang Family and Wang Family in Zhuangzi had been promoted to an official. At the same time, they also received a lot of food.
"Xiao Hong, we succeeded. We finally forced the people above to put down the reward. We won't eat it anymore. Let's go back. We'll go back immediately. Bring the domestic animals back. Anyway, there aren't many locusts here. We'll also bring back the seafood that we haven't transported back this time."
When Cherries heard the good news, she didn't want to stay here anymore. She also wanted to go back and celebrate. She was so excited that her eyes turned red.
"Cherries, you've made a great contribution this time. So many poultry were hatched by you. It's worth it. We've worked so hard here for so many days. It's all worth it. A seventh rank official, the same rank as a county magistrate."
Xiao Hong held Cherries's hand and jumped up and down. She had finally completed the task of the young master and his wife. She had earned some merits for Zhuangzi and also received many things. These things would be of great use to the young master.
Xu Si, Erniu, and the others also ran over at this time. Their faces were full of excitement. This was the first time they had encountered something so exciting, especially Xu Si. This time, he had organized a lot of people. After so many years, there had never been a day like today where he could participate in a matter that concerned the life and death of Zhuangzi.
Thinking back to the time when he was idling in Zhuangzi of the Ge family, he knelt on the ground with a thud and shouted loudly, "The heavens have eyes and sent me, Si Gou, to the young master. Did you see? Did you see? Even I, Si Gou, have such a day. From today onwards, my surname is no longer Xu. My surname is Zhang. My name is Zhang Si. "
The people around him looked at him, but no one laughed at him. They knew what kind of life Xu Si led back then. They were also glad that they had met the young master and his wife, so they had the opportunity to decide the life and death of Zhuangzi. They succeeded. Not only did they use righteousness to pressure the imperial court to give them a reward, but they also earned a lot of things this time.
When they returned to Zhuangzi, they would definitely see the young master and his wife's happy faces. In the future, Zhangjia Zhuangzi would not be like the other ordinary Zhuangzi.
With Cherries's order, more than 30,000 poultry were gathered together. Countless local cars were hired to carry these 'heroes' and the things they had exchanged for, majestically returning home.
*****
In Zhangjia Zhuangzi, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were lying on the couch. Each of them was holding a book in their hands and reading it in boredom. The two of them had stopped training and were focused on recuperating.
"I'm not reading anymore. Xiao Bao, are you okay now? Can we still go to the wilderness survival training? "Wang Juan put aside the book in her hands and looked up at the ceiling.
"Let's see if the leg can recover. If it's not, then let's continue to recuperate. The older children have a long time, and there are still many days before they can finish their training in the grasslands." Zhang Xiaobao also felt a little vexed. He was recuperating all day and couldn't do anything else.
"Oh, then let's wait. Xiao Bao, do you know the Yunnan Baiyao? That thing recovers very quickly. It's better to get some. "Wang Juan agreed verbally, but she was still a little unsatisfied.
Zhang Xiaobao shook his head, "This thing is too difficult. I heard that there is a kind called Teng Sanqi. I don't know if it looks the same as Teng Sanqi. I've never seen it before. Give up. Sleep. Sleep is the fastest way to recover."
"Sleep well, I'm not reading anymore. When I wake up, I eat. When I'm full, I sleep. When I'm happy, I hum twice." Wang Juan closed her eyes and muttered.
"Yes, like a pig." Zhang Xiaobao replied and also closed his eyes.
*****
Night soon fell. Li Cheng, who had been busy for two days, once again rushed to Tuqiao Village. He really couldn't bear the sleepiness, so he asked for a courtyard Between the Clouds and the Water and slept until dawn. He held the picture that he asked others to draw based on his memory and began to walk around Zhangjia Zhuangzi.
It was still cool early in the morning. After walking around, he still didn't see the master. He stood outside the school and listened to the children for a while. He felt bored and found that the weather was hot, so he had to walk to the market. There were already people here all day, especially the tea stall. As long as the weather was a little hot, he would definitely not miss it. Even if there were only a few people coming to drink tea, he could still sit there and enjoy the summer.
"Old man, there are too few people in your stall. Can you make money by staying here for a day?" Li Cheng asked the old man who was boiling water. He asked for a bowl of tea and drank it. In front of him was a small plate with a handful of white melon seeds. He ate one from time to time. Thinking of the master, he asked the old man who was boiling water.
"There are few people at this time, but it will be better in the afternoon. When there are many people, there is no place to sit. You can't make too much money, but it's better than farming. My place can't compare to the three Zhuangzi here. It's so dry that there is nothing left." After the old man finished adding firewood, he moved a small stool and sat aside. He looked at the sky and said to Li Cheng.
Li Cheng forced himself to swallow the disgusting tea. He put the bowl aside, grabbed the melon seeds, and slowly ate them. He was thinking about something in his heart, but he didn't speak.
"Young man, you are not a local, right? You look unfamiliar. Are you here to buy more things to sell elsewhere? I advise you to leave. The things here are not allowed to be bought and sold. If you are rich, go to the grocery store over there and find Er Gou. He will give you a price. "
The old man was also bored. He looked at Li Cheng and thought that he was a businessman who came here to do business. He was afraid that he didn't know the rules, so he advised him.
Li Cheng was thinking about where the master lived and when he would show up. When he heard the old man's words, he was stunned for a moment and asked curiously, "Why can't I just buy here? Won't it be cheaper if I buy more? "
"Young man, do you really want to buy things?" The old man asked.
"Well, since I have nothing to do, I want to see what goods are here. If I buy them, I will have good luck and sell them elsewhere. Can't I just buy them directly? Do I have to find that dog?" Li Cheng was really puzzled. It was the first time he heard that money couldn't buy things.
The old man chuckled and got up to add some water to Li Cheng's bowl. He grabbed a handful of melon seeds and put them on the plate in front of Li Cheng. He said, "The price of the things here is all decided by Er Gou. In order to not let the people who buy and sell lose, the price has to be set every day.
Looking at you, I know you want to buy more to lower the price. It's useless. No matter how much you buy, it will be the same price. If you want a cheaper price, you can only find Er Gou. Otherwise, no one will dare to lower the price for you. "
"What? Is that Er Gou more powerful than the government? He can do whatever he wants? I don't believe it. " Li Cheng, who didn't think much of it, heard the old man's words. He felt that Er Gou was too arrogant. He dared to set the price? Why?
"Even if you don't believe it, you have to hold on. No one here dares to disagree. Whoever disagrees can forget about doing business here in the future. This place belongs to the Wang family in Zhuangzi. If they tell you to leave, do you dare to not leave? Young man, don't be so angry. This is good. No one has come to deceive people. "
This was not the first time the old man had met such people. He had said the same words many times. There were people who were more angry, but they were still driven away in the end. Besides, he did not want to let some foreign merchants mess up the price. Buying low and selling high, how could this be a market for the poor?
Li Cheng understood now. The Wang family was in Zhuangzi. Naturally, they could let anyone come. Those who didn't follow the rules could only be driven away. Thinking of this, his eyes suddenly lit up. He felt that he had a way to threaten the Wang family in Zhuangzi. He asked the old man, "Old man, how much tax do you have to pay here? Who will collect it? It can't be that Er Gou, right? "
As he spoke, he just waited for the old man to tell him the tax. When the time came, he would ask others. In that case, he would be charged with the crime of embezzlement and contempt of the imperial court. The more serious case would be rebellion. If not, why did you dare to tax on behalf of the imperial court?
The old man looked at Li Cheng and sighed again, "Young man, put away your little thoughts. There is no tax here. I only rented a room to put my things and sleep. Ordinary transactions are not taxed. Don't think about reporting it to the officials. Just say what you want. When there are more people later, don't say anything. Otherwise, you will be beaten. No one will stop you. "
"No tax? Do they give a place to others for free? Great philanthropist? "Li Cheng was even more confused. He thought the old man was lying to him and sneered.
"Young man, go away. I don't want the money for the tea. Don't come here in the future. If you make trouble for them, you will destroy our way of life." The old man's temper also rose. He put away the things in front of Li Cheng and waved his hand like he was shooing a fly.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
