roccoschili Chapter 149 Official Documents
Chapter 149 Official Documents
The next morning, Su He took Chen Wen out to eat wontons, and Mu Tou and three others also joined them.
Chen Wen had a good night's sleep and felt particularly energetic now.
After the six of us had eaten our fill, we went to buy some maltose. The morning market here was very busy. Steamed buns, dumplings, and meat pies, fried dough sticks, and sugar dumplings were not enough. Su He also found glutinous rice balls, which are called Yuanxiao here. Sesame slices also have a nice name, called snow cake.
They also sell steamed buns stuffed with red bean paste. Su He couldn't appreciate them, but he bought 50 steamed buns stuffed with mutton and 50 steamed buns stuffed with pork.
The sugar figures in the sugar shop are very exquisite and the price is not cheap, 25 coins each, and 35 coins for a designated figure.
Su He generously let everyone choose, "Go ahead, one for each person, we are short on time, so just buy the ready-made ones.
Miaomiao cheered first and pulled Tiantian to choose. At Su He's urging, Chen Wen also embarrassedly chose a sugar man of a white horse.
Mu Tou was a tiger and Tie Tou was a monkey. Miao Miao looked left and right and tried to act coquettishly to get both. After being rejected by Su He, she could only choose a little white rabbit. Tian Tian waited until everyone had chosen and simply took an eagle.
Five 125 coins.
Chen Wen curiously took the candy man, the wood and the iron head and ate them while walking side by side. His mother never allowed him to eat them outside before.
“This is the first candy man I’ve ever eaten.”
Mu Tou gave him a sympathetic look, "I can't even count how many I've eaten. I've also eaten a dragon, but this candy shop doesn't have it today. If it does, I'd like to eat that too."
"Everything I ate was given to me by Aunt Lotus. I had never eaten it before."
Tietou comforted Chen Wen, saying that this young master was even more miserable than them and had never eaten anything. It seemed that his family did not have much property.
Tietou naturally thought of his wife Ben. He hadn't touched Chen Wen for a long time these past two days and he missed her a little.
"Sister, I'll give you a bunny ear, do you want one?"
Miaomiao was now trying to please Su He by putting her little white rabbit close to him.
Su He was not polite at all and put one ear directly into his mouth.
"Well, it's OK. Give me another rabbit eye later."
Miao Miao chuckled, "Then I'll keep it for you."
Tiantian also blushed and let Su He chew the eagle head.
Su He was afraid that Tiantian would be disappointed, so he tried hard to eat the eagle head.
The six people walked all the way to the end and when they were about to return, they saw four yamen runners wearing shop clothes coming over, and the leader was holding a few pieces of paper.
Su He asked the children to come over, and the position chosen by the yamen runner happened to be on the wall to Su He's right.
The yamen runner took out a brush, dipped it in a bowl, and started brushing it on the wall, leaving a mark the size of a piece of paper. The two yamen runners behind him carefully pressed the paper on the mark.
Su He stared at the words on the paper and read ten lines at a glance. He smiled after finishing reading. This was good news.
"West, Min, One, Five, Hundred, South, No."
Everyone was waiting for the official to read the words on the newspaper, but then they heard a childish voice speaking out word by word.
"What does this mean? What does the paper say?"
The people behind thought that this was what was written on the paper. Su He was embarrassed and quickly covered Miaomiao's mouth.
Newbies should not try to stand out.
"The northwest is suffering from a severe drought. The emperor has allowed the victims to flee on their own, in two directions: the capital and the south. Moreover, no one along the way can be driven away maliciously, and the gentry and wealthy families must donate at least 300 kilograms of grain. Officials at all levels are responsible for settling the victims in various places..."
Fortunately, the officer didn't care. He just said it three times to the paper and then left.
"What a sin! We have just had a few years of comfortable life and now there is another drought. God is not giving us a way to survive."
"Don't worry, we won't do that. But if those disaster victims come, we won't be able to do business. Petty theft is not a big deal, but I'm afraid these people will be so hungry that they will do anything."
"Don't let them come to our place. It's bad luck."
Su He took his family away from the crowd, and everyone returned to the inn in silence.
Chen Wen and Mu Mu could understand all the words on the paper.
"Sister, is there anyone donating food to us?"
Miaomiao arrived at her own territory, climbed onto the kang and asked Suhe.
"It was the Emperor who asked the landlords and wealthy families to donate grain to the disaster victims. Although we are also fleeing famine, we cannot eat this grain. The relief grain is limited, so leave it to those in need."
While explaining, Su He told her family about the announcement she saw at the morning market.
"Lotus, does this mean that the officials will take care of us?"
Grandma asked her granddaughter happily.
"No, this is just the emperor's idea, but it's hard to say whether the officials below will try their best. Have you forgotten the food we found in the valley?"
That's the food and wages for the border guards, and even that can be embezzled, let alone the relief food sent down from above.
"Then the emperor's words are useless."
Grandma was quite disappointed.
"Of course the emperor's words are effective, but there is also a saying that the emperor is far away. We are too far away from the emperor. The emperor has the will but not the power. Fortunately, our family still has some financial resources. In any case, it is much better than the disaster victims behind us. Grandma, eat two meat buns. We will set off immediately."
Su He had never counted on these officials. The only benefit of this announcement for them was that it brought the issue of fleeing famine to the surface. They were a regular team of famine refugees allowed by the emperor. Officially, these officials could not refuse these outsiders from moving in. That was enough.
She was mentally prepared for the rest, which involved using connections and relationships.
Chen Wen listened thoughtfully at the side. The teacher never mentioned this as the emperor is far away.
Everyone skillfully carried their luggage onto the bus, and a quarter of an hour later, everyone set off again.
Liu Bai joined everyone that evening.
The town they stayed in that night was called Guanshan Town. They found an inn as usual. The Su He family had just finished their meal and were sitting together chatting. There was the sound of horse hooves outside the door, followed by that familiar voice.
"Boss, have you ever seen a convoy of six hundred people?"
Liu Niang, who was still sorting her clothes, rushed out excitedly.
"Abai!"
There was first surprise and then relief in Liu Bai's eyes. He finally caught up with everyone.
Su He ran out and saw the two people hugging each other. She was also filled with emotion. After not seeing Liu Bai for more than ten days, he became much more down-to-earth.
Looking at the crying Liu Niang, Su He stopped Miao Miao and others who were watching the fun, nodded to Liu Bai who was looking over, and led everyone away.
A quarter of an hour later both men came in.
"Xiaobai, you are finally back! I told you that you missed a good thing."
Wang Bin and others greeted them warmly.
"I'm glad you're back. Haven't you eaten yet? Zhou, bring two meat buns to Xiaobai."
Zhou smiled and handed Liu Bai two meat buns.
"Xiaobai, this bun is still hot, eat it quickly."
Grandpa looked at Liu Bai with a smile. They knew that Liu Bai and her son were servants who had signed an indenture contract to sell themselves, but after so long of sharing the joys and sorrows, they got along very happily and Liu Bai was also one of their own.
Liu Bai took it with both hands and thanked Zhou and his grandfather.
Everyone gathered around Liu Bai and chattered, wanting to know what would happen next in the valley.
Liu Bai said a few simple words and turned to look for Su He.
"Miss, Master Chen has something to tell you in private."
Su He also wanted to talk to Liu Bai, so the two of them went to the stable where there were few people.
"What did Master Chen say?"
Liu Bai looked at Su He quietly, "My Lord gave us a horse, but didn't say anything else. I still have 30 taels of silver that you gave me. There are also some copper coins."
Su He was quite happy when she heard this. A horse was worth at least several dozen taels, and it was not something that ordinary people like them could afford. It was indeed a good thing.
"You've worked hard along the way. You don't have to give me the silver. I still have money to give you."
Liu Bai was the one who made the greatest contribution to the matter in the valley, and he also received 50 taels of silver.
Su He took out a cloth bag with three pieces of paper in it.