Song Jinggong thought of something that he didn't pay attention to before. After all, he was busy with too many things. The old man guarding the fire didn't say much. He naturally knew Song Jinggong.
Nodding his head, he walked over to the two of them and woke them up. The two of them were already cold and confused, so they slept together to warm up. Plus, there was a bonfire, so when they were woken up, they looked at the old man in confusion, thinking that the old man wanted to drive the two of them away.
The two of them sighed at the same time. Along the way, they had encountered too many such situations. They stood up and prepared to leave. Who knew that the old man would stop them and say to the two of them, "Young Master Song is treating us to a meal. Exercise well, we will be able to eat in a while."
"Eat?" The two people were stunned at the same time. They really didn't expect to encounter such a thing. They thought that they were dreaming. They stared at the old man blankly and didn't know what to say for a while.
Song Jinggong sighed, walked to the two people and said, "Do you want to find something to do here?"
The two people saw a person in silk clothes talking to them. They nodded at the same time, but didn't know how to answer. They had just been woken up in a daze and encountered such a thing. The two of them couldn't react at all.
"What do you know how to do? Forget it. Let's not talk about this first. Let's eat first. It's not too late to talk about it after eating. " Song Jinggong wanted to arrange something for the two of them to do. He couldn't directly arrange a position like a manager, but it wasn't a problem for them to do some manual labor. If the two of them had a skill, that would be even better.
The two of them sat on a temporary table in a daze. The thing on the table was something they had never seen before. It was a large basin with a lid on it. There was a hole in the middle of the lid, and the bottom of the lid was also connected. There was a charcoal fire inside, and the water in the basin was constantly boiling.
The old man guarding this place had eaten such a thing before. Last year, the county magistrate asked them to eat together, so he knew it was called hot pot. He said to the two silly people,
"Hurry up and sit down to eat. You've met a benefactor. Otherwise, you can only stay by the fire all night. I can't help you with anything. This thing is called hot pot. It's very delicious, but ordinary people can't eat it. Our Sanshui County is better."
"Thank you very much, Uncle. Actually, you have already taken care of us very well. You gave us two Herbal Tea Eggs each. I have never eaten such delicious Herbal Tea Eggs in my life. There was also hot water. Otherwise, my brother and I would have starved to death. We have not eaten anything for three days.
There were also people in the pavilion we saw earlier, but my brother and I didn't dare to go there. We were afraid that those people would drive us away. I didn't expect that uncle would actually give us so many things. Uncle, my brother and I will remember this kindness. If there is an opportunity in the future, we will definitely repay uncle. "
At this time, one of the two people spoke. From his words, it seemed that he had brought his younger brother out to find something to do.
The old man chuckled and didn't care at all. He said to the two people, "You came from Huayuan County, right? In fact, since you came from there, you should go to the pavilion to have a look. There are people in all the pavilions, and they will help you. This is the rule here. You can't just watch people freeze to death or starve to death, right? "
Only then did the two of them realize that this place was different from other places. It was just as the old man had said. If they had known that the pavilion in front of them could help them, why did they have to starve for three days straight? They were so hungry that they saw stars.
"Thank you for your advice, Uncle. If we encounter such things again in the future, my brother and I will be able to survive. Uncle, may I ask who this person is?" As the elder brother, he didn't expect his younger brother to speak. His younger brother was a little dull, so he asked alone.
When he asked, he thought in his heart that he had really met a good person today. Not only did the pavilion have a fire, tea eggs, and hot water, but even a random person who appeared wanted to invite them to eat this thing called hot pot.
When the old man saw the young man pointing at Song Jinggong, he was shocked. He quickly knocked the young man's hand down and said, "You can't point at Young Master Song and talk like that. This is a great benefactor who is in charge of the lives of many people. Without him, the people here can't live well."
Song Jinggong didn't care at all. He said to the two people, "It doesn't matter. Come and eat quickly. After eating, I will ask someone to find you clothes to wear. Don't worry. There has never been a case of people freezing to death or starving to death in Sanshui County and Huayuan County. I don't know where you came from, but you must have suffered a lot along the way, right? It's good that you are here. There is something for you to do. "
It would have been better if Song Jinggong didn't mention the things that happened along the way. When it came to this, the eyes of the two people immediately turned red. The younger brother still didn't say anything, but the elder brother said, "Benefactor, as you said, my brother and I wanted to find something to do along the way. In the end, the autumn harvest has already ended. There are many people who have nothing to do. Those places don't need my brother and I at all.
My brother and I walked along the river from the capital all the way here. We didn't know that those small pavilions were built to help others. If we had known, we wouldn't have been hungry for three days. My brother and I were so hungry that we felt like we were going to die at any time.
I don't know if you can tell me and my brother why such pavilions are not built in other places, but only in Huayuan County and Sanshui County. "
The older brother was very puzzled. He didn't think that this place would be so mystical. They actually built a pavilion to provide help to others. The younger brother was also very curious. He looked at Song Jinggong and hoped that he could explain why this was the case.
Before Song Jinggong could speak, Ma Dashan, who was among the three people who had already sat down, said, "You don't know about this, right? Huayuan County and Sanshui County are rich, and it is also the territory of the Zhang family. They don't allow people to starve or freeze to death in their place. Even if they fall into the water and want to drown, it is difficult.
Because of this, they specially used some of the money they earned from doing business to build these pavilions. You don't have to worry about anything when you are here. Isn't it just looking for a job? There is a lot of work waiting for people to do here. If the two of you have some skills, it will be even better. The wages you get will be much more than manual labor. "
When the two heard this, they were very surprised. They really didn't know who the Zhang family was, and they didn't know why the Zhang family could do this. They were really good people.
The elder brother continued, "Then I don't know where the Zhang family is. I want to go and thank my brother in person. After all, because of them, my brother and I didn't starve to death. This is a big favor we have to repay."
At this time, Hu Liang said, "The Zhang family went to Lingnan. I heard that the people there are blessed. Wherever the Zhang family goes, there will be good days. Remember, in these two places, and even in the other counties in Yaozhou, don't speak ill of the Zhang family in Sanshui. It is very dangerous.
If the people in these places hear you speak ill of the Sanshui Zhang family, they will bite you to death. Don't doubt me. If you don't believe me, you can shout now and see what the consequences will be. "
Hu Liang's words gave the two of them a fright. They immediately understood the reason behind this. It seemed like the Zhang Family had won the hearts of the people here. Otherwise, there wouldn't be such a saying.
The two were now calm. Since the people in Yaozhou and the people in Yaozhou were protecting the Zhang family, it meant that this place was really good. At least the Zhang family was good to the people.
Song Jinggong saw that the two were still asking questions and didn't sit down to eat. He had to personally ask the two to sit down and said, "Eat first. Someone will send the cotton-padded clothes in a while. When the time comes, you don't have to worry about being frozen to death. If you want to know anything, you can talk while eating.
I'm the person in charge of the Zhang family here. It's very easy for me to arrange things for you. You don't have to worry about the future. Come and try this pickled cabbage. "
Song Jinggong said as he picked up some food for the two of them. Seeing that the two of them were eating, he started to eat as well.
The others weren't polite, especially the old man guarding the pavilion. He didn't care about Song Jinggong's status at all. He only knew that the Zhang family was good. Even if the master of the Zhang family saw him, he would invite him to eat with him. In the past, when they met, they even talked.
The two brothers were really hungry. Even if they ate two tea eggs and drank a lot of water, they still didn't feel full. They didn't even have time to rinse the food, especially the tofu. They picked up a big piece and stuffed it into their mouths.
Song Jinggong originally wanted to eat slowly and chat with them at the same time. When he saw that the two of them were so hungry, he told him to be careful not to burn the food while he kept putting food into the pot. He basically didn't eat anymore. When he put some food into the pot, the two of them would finish some of it.
In the end, there was no other way. Even Ma Dashan stopped and put food into the pot for the two brothers. The two lowered their heads and ate fiercely, thanking him as they ate. Even if they weren't hungry, they could still eat a lot of food since it was the first time they ate such a delicious hot pot, not to mention that they were hungry now.
When Song Jinggong saw that the two brothers were showing signs of being full, he stopped them. The two brothers let out a sigh of relief and touched their stomachs, feeling the happiness of being full.
"Okay, now tell me, where did the two of you come from? Why did you come so far? And what do the two of you know how to do? " Song Jinggong saw that the two of them had stopped and cooked some mutton to eat. Only then did he ask the two of them.
The younger brother still didn't say anything. The older brother was easy to talk to and answered the questions. He said to Song Jinggong, "My younger brother and I came from the north. We're not from the north. We were born there after someone from our family moved there. There was a drought this year, and the harvest of the highland barley was too little. There wasn't enough food at home. My younger brother and I usually eat a lot and felt that we couldn't stay at home.
Otherwise, not only would my younger brother and I starve to death, but the rest of the family would also starve to death. So I discussed with my younger brother and walked very far from there. Later, we took a ship to the capital. When we got to the capital, the things there were too expensive. My younger brother and I couldn't buy anything with the little money we had.
We wanted to find something to do, but in the end, the places that recruit people usually require a household registration. Otherwise, they wouldn't dare to accept people. My younger brother and I couldn't get a household registration, so we walked all the way here. We found a few places along the way, but no one was willing to accept us. "
After the older brother said this, he didn't seem to feel sad. It seemed that they had experienced a lot of things along the way.
Song Jinggong listened and ate. He had been giving food to others, so he was hungry. He didn't care about being polite. When he heard the older brother, he nodded and signaled for him to continue.
The older brother immediately said, "My younger brother and I have a lot of strength. We can do hard work. As long as we have food to eat and survive this winter, my younger brother and I don't need to be paid. We eat a lot, so it costs a lot of money."
"Do you have any skills?" Song Jinggong put a piece of duck blood into his mouth and asked in a confused voice.
"Skills? No. My younger brother and I don't know how to do carpentry. We don't know how to be stonemasons. I don't know if raising eagles and dogs counts as skills. I can raise eagles, and my younger brother can raise dogs. Especially my younger brother's dog. It is very obedient. It does what I tell it to do. Unfortunately, when we came out, the dog was already starving to death. I also set the eagle free and let it find something to eat. "
When the older brother heard that it was a skill, he felt awkward. He had to say two things that he didn't think were skills.
Song Jinggong was picking up tofu. When he heard the older brother, the tofu in his chopsticks suddenly dropped. He couldn't believe it and asked, "You said you can raise eagles? The kind that can fly in the sky. It's about this big. "
Song Jinggong used his hands to measure the size of the eagle. He opened his arms as wide as possible.
"I can raise eagles, but I don't have such a big one. Unless I open its wings, it will be even bigger than this. After it closes its wings, it will be smaller than a sheep. It won't be as heavy as a sheep. If I can meet an eagle as big as you said, then I will raise it. How can I not find food? With such a big eagle, I think it can even catch a cow. It won't be afraid of a bear."
When the older brother saw Song Jinggong's measurements, he shook his head hard. He had raised eagles before, so he knew the size of an eagle. Although it was easy for an eagle to catch a sheep, it wasn't bigger than a sheep. It was stronger than a sheep. If there was an eagle as big as Song Jinggong's measurements, then he would be very powerful.
When he saw Song Jinggong's measurements, he asked in a low voice, "Have you seen such a big eagle?"
Song Jinggong blushed. He hadn't seen how big an eagle was. He only knew about the wings. After hearing the older brother's explanation, he knew that the eagle wasn't that big when it closed its wings. He smiled and said, "No, I haven't. I'm just asking if you have seen one. Do you really know how to raise an eagle and it will do whatever you tell it to do?"
The older brother nodded. Song Jinggong then asked the younger brother, "Do you really raise a dog that will do whatever you tell it to do?"
The younger brother still didn't speak, but he nodded like the older brother.
"That's great. You two stay and find a way to get an eagle and a dog that you can raise. In the future, you will work for the Zhang family. When the time comes, you will sign a contract. In the future, you will get at least five strings of cash per month. What do you think?"
Of course, Song Jinggong knew how useful these two people's abilities would be to the Zhang family, especially since this ability could be learned. He believed that there would be no problem for the young master and the young lady to learn this, especially the young lady. In the past, she always said that she wanted to raise a dog. He didn't know if she had found a dog that she could raise now.
If he really sent these two brothers to other places to do manual labor and the young master and young lady found out, then it would be terrible. Well, they had to stay. No matter what, they had to stay.
The two of them naturally knew how much five strings of cash per month was. If they had five strings of cash per month, the two of them wouldn't have to come out to look for work. It would be enough for their family to spend the winter there, and there would be a lot left.
And this was only a month's salary for one of them, which made the two of them feel like they were dreaming again. Otherwise, how could such a good thing happen? The two of them would get ten strings of cash per month.
The older brother and younger brother looked at each other. At this time, the younger brother finally spoke, but he didn't speak to Song Jinggong and others. Instead, he leaned close to the older brother's ear and whispered a few words. The older brother nodded and said to Song Jinggong,
"Sir, are you really going to give the five strings of cash per month to me and my brother? Let's make it clear first. I can only raise two eagles, and my brother can only raise six dogs. Otherwise, the five strings of cash won't be enough. "
The older brother said so, and the younger brother nodded. It seemed that the two of them had calculated the amount of food for the two eagles and six dogs.
Song Jinggong chuckled and said, "It seems that the dogs you raise also need to eat meat. Good, a dog that eats meat is good. That kind of dog can help you do a lot of things. Needless to say, the eagle must eat raw meat. Don't worry, this money is not for the eagle and the dog. The five strings of cash is your wage. We will take care of the eagle and the dog's meat. This way, we can raise more of them, right?"
Song Jinggong had heard that it was very rare for a person to raise more than one eagle. He didn't know if it was because of the loyalty of the eagles or the ability of the person raising them. In any case, since this older brother could raise more eagles, then let him do so. It would be best if he could raise a few hundred eagles. When something happens, all of these eagles would rush over together. Who wouldn't be afraid of that?
At this time, the two brothers were stunned again. The things they encountered today were always difficult to understand. Not only were the two of them stunned, but even Ma Dashan and the other two were also very surprised. One person was five strings of cash per month. This was too much. Many people couldn't save five strings of cash per year.
It seemed that people with ability were different. One could raise eagles, and the other could raise dogs. The two of them could save ten strings of cash per month. Yes, it was saved. They didn't need to care about the meat that the eagles and dogs ate. How could the Zhang family not give them enough food? The Zhang family had always done things well. Even the people who worked could eat meat, not to mention the two people who were chosen.
Seeing that the two of them didn't speak, Song Jinggong asked again, "Can you raise more eagles and dogs?"
"Yes." This time, the younger brother and elder brother spoke at the same time.
The elder brother looked at the younger brother and said, "When the time comes, as long as you arrange some people for us, we can go and get more eagles and dogs. The people you arrange must not be too bad. Otherwise, if they are not careful, they can be injured. Eagles are not that easy to catch."
"Well, you can rest assured that the people you arrange will be arranged. I will write a letter to the Prince in a while and ask him to send a hundred guards of the Prince's Mansion. When the time comes, they will listen to the command of the two of you. However, the Prince may ask for one or two eagles, but there is no other way. After all, the guards of the Prince's Mansion are not here."
When Song Jinggong heard that they were looking for people, the first thing he thought of was the guards of the Prince's Mansion. These days, he had a lot of dealings with the Prince's Mansion, especially with the dock and ship company. He had no choice but to run to the Prince's Mansion again and again.
The two brothers were shocked again. The elder brother asked with a trembling voice, "Noble, you actually know the people of the Prince's Mansion? Then can you arrange for an official? Also, you are from the Zhang family. Then, there should be an official in the Zhang family, right? Then, will we be people of an official's family in the future? That's great. Let's see who dares to bully us. Noble, is the official of your family higher than the county magistrate? "
"Hahahaha!" The old man who was looking at the pavilion laughed loudly. The people around who heard him also laughed non-stop. The two brothers were confused.
After a while, the old man stopped laughing and said to the two brothers, "The county magistrate is nothing. The master of the Zhang family is a fourth-class Dayuan. He wears a red official uniform and is the provincial governor of a province. He is in charge of many county magistrates. Also, he was the top scorer and is less than 30 years old this year. When the people there live a good life, he will continue to be promoted. What do you think? With such a master, you don't have to be afraid anymore, right? "
"Ah? Provincial governor? A high-ranking official who is in charge of several county magistrates? He is less than 30 years old and is the top scorer. My God, how can he be so powerful? But when a high-ranking official goes to other places, can he still control the county magistrates here? If I raise an eagle here, many people will miss it. "
As the elder brother, he knew a lot of things. He immediately understood how powerful the person he was going to follow in the future was. He was such a high-ranking official at such a young age. In a few years, he would be even more powerful. But he was worried about the county magistrate here.
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