Dressed as the best old lady in the famine years, I suddenly became rich

"In addition to buying food on the road, you also need to spend money everywhere. Look at this. If you have any jewelry you want to pawn in the future, why not show it to me first."

"Or if you trust me, you can give me a price and I will help you find an acquaintance to buy it for you. I will try my best to raise the price for you. If it is lower than your price, I will bring it back to you. If it is higher than your price, I will bring it back to you." I'll pay the price for you, it's just a matter of convenience for me, no trouble at all."

It is better to make money for her than for the pawnshop. The price she can give must be a price that the pawnshop will never give.

"Would this be too much trouble for my aunt?"

Mrs. Li San was a little embarrassed. She had told her aunt about Jin Chai several times. She decided to change it that day, but her aunt refused to take advantage of her and sincerely wanted to give her food of equal value.

"How can it be troublesome? My acquaintance also likes good things. I can send him good things. He praises me for my ability and remembers my good things. I won't ask him for help next time. It's hard to say anything." Ke Muqing said with a smile, "You see, I'm just asking for nothing with my words, okay?"

Mrs. Li San smiled and said, "Thank you, auntie. I will ask auntie for help next time."

The advantage of having a good county magistrate is saving money.

That night, everyone finally didn't have to sleep on the same bunk. Ke Muqing and Yang Xiu'e slept in the same room, so they didn't have to endure the weird sleeping positions of their children spinning 360 degrees. They slept until dawn.

After dinner the next morning, we set off early. With food in our bags, everyone seemed much more relaxed.

But good county magistrates like Magistrate Zhuang are not found everywhere.

Passing through two county towns in a row, the group never entered the city except to buy water at the inn.

Ten days later, the group finally left Yan County and entered the territory of Liang County.

I thought it would be better after entering Liang County, but I didn't expect that the situation in Liang County was not only not half better than that in Yan County, but even worse.

In the afternoon, a group of people arrived at the post station outside the city where the two counties are adjacent. The door of the inn station was closed. The government servant came forward and knocked on the door for a long time before the door of the inn station slowly opened.

The person who opened the door was an old man in his sixties, whose figure could even be described as skinny.

"Isn't this your inn? What? Didn't you receive the order? Didn't you know that we would be passing through here with the prisoners exiled from Lingnan? Why is the door closed?" Chen Hu had a bad temper and kicked the door open. Pushed the old man away.

"I'm so thirsty. Hurry up and bring a bottle of water to our brothers." Chen Hu turned around and saw the old man standing there motionless, so he urged, "Are you deaf and can't hear people talking? Just standing there motionless. , don’t you know how to get us some water?”

The old man shook his head and said, "Two days ago, the well at the inn station could no longer produce water. If you want to drink water, you can only go to the city to buy water. I am the only one left in this inn station. I am old and I have to go back tomorrow." I’m going to die in the countryside.”

When the old man said this, he suddenly covered his face and cried, "We were still counting on the imperial court to distribute relief grains. Who would have thought that there would be a locust plague in Yan County. The locusts passed through the border overnight and all the food in Yan County was eaten up by the locusts. The imperial court allocated When our food from Liang County passed through Yan County, it was seized by King Yan's men."

Ke Muqing and his party have been on the road these days, but they didn't know that so many things had happened in the DPRK and China in recent days.

Counting the time, the locust plague has indeed happened in the past few days, but I don't know how the relatives in the village are doing now. Have they quietly collected some food in the past half month?

"I heard from the merchants who came from Yan County that there was a saint in Yan County who predicted that there would be a locust plague. The saint asked the people to collect food in advance to avoid the locust plague. It was the damn King of Yan who suppressed the rumors and didn't even allow the people to do so. Harvest food early.”

"But King Yan collected the grain from his official fields early, and all the people's food was eaten by locusts. However, King Yan's food was collected in the granary." "But he still collected it in the name of emergency. The imperial court gave us the food from Liang County! He, King Yan, was struck by lightning and died!"

The more the old man scolded, the more powerless he became, "We, the people of Liang County, have no water or food. We have no choice but to die."

After he finished cursing, the old man sat on the bench next to him and said, "You can do whatever you like. Anyway, this inn will be useless after tonight."

Ke Xiucai was also full of anger. When he stepped into Liang County, he could see the cracked land. Even the seedlings that were planted could not grow well, let alone produce food.

Liang Jun should have reported to the court very early and waited for the court to provide relief. However, when he finally arrived, he was intercepted by King Yan. King Yan's trip was really infuriating.

"How come there are no grain merchants from the south coming to Liang County? Why don't the government go to the south to ask for help?" Zheng Hui asked.

The old man shook his head, "There is waterlogging in the south, and all the rice that is about to mature is submerged. There is no harvest in the south this year. This food is in short supply everywhere. The grain merchants are eager to take the opportunity to suck people's blood and drain the people. Why are you coming north?"

Ke Muqing really didn't know about the flooding in the south, and it didn't exist in the original owner's memory.

It’s not surprising, the original owner didn’t make it to the south alive, it’s only surprising that he knew.

Those who suffer drought will die, and those who suffer from waterlogging will die. It is the common people who suffer.

"Let's go to the city to see what's going on." Ke Muqing asked Ke Xiucai and the others, "Dad, you're old, so don't go. I'll go by myself."

When the people in Yin Tang heard this, they also said that they also wanted to go to the city to have a look.

Whether we can buy food or not is another matter, but water must be bought now.

"Carry all the empty water tanks to the same oxcart." Ke Xiucai said, "I'm not old enough to even go to the city. You can't do so many things alone."

Yang Jiye was just about to say that his brothers could go, but Ke Muqing asked him and others to stay at the inn to take care of their things.

The bullock cart arrived at the gate of the city after half an hour's journey. The world is so difficult now. I didn't expect that even entering the city requires money. One hundred pence per person, you can only enter after paying the money.

People living outside the city lined up in a long line to buy water in the city, and they had to grit their teeth for a hundred cents.

"Everyone tidy up the oxcarts, and those who want to buy water move the empty water tanks to the two oxcarts. Then you drive one of the oxcarts back, and dad and I will go into the city." Ke Muqing said, "We all Try to save some money as the south is flooded, so money will be burned everywhere."

Seeing Mrs. Li San behind her, Ke Muqing said the same thing to Mrs. Li San.

Mrs. Li San did not expect such a scene outside the city, so she also thanked her.

In the past, one hundred pennies could buy a lot of things. People outside the city grew their own food, and one hundred pennies could even last for several months.

But now this hundred cents is just the threshold fee to buy water in the city.