Daliang has been established for more than 200 years, chaos has begun to appear, and disasters have occurred frequently in the north, especially Ningxi.

The first year of Tianfu: "There was a severe drought in Ningxi, three cents of rice were eaten by people, and the dead were pillows."

Tianfu third year: "In March of the third year, last year, Ningxi Province was deserted and drought-dry, and the room was like chimes hanging, and there was no green grass in the wild. The rice was as expensive as four cents on the side, and the military and civilians were in trouble."

In the first year of Ganyou: "In the Great Wilderness in Ningxi, there was eight coins of rice. People began to dig grass roots, willow leaves, and tree bark, and then pounded stones to eat them. They fell to their stomachs and died. People robbed each other and thieves and zombies were everywhere."

...

July of the second year of Ganyou.

In the celadon in Xijing City, Cao Xin returned home and was afraid: "Fortunately, he ran away early when he saw something bad!"

In the past few days, I heard the discussions about the drought in Ningxi on the streets and alleys, and all kinds of tragic situations were shocking.

For the people in Xijing City, Ningxi is too far away. Xijing is one of the five capitals of Daliang and is the most prosperous city in the world. It is difficult for the people of the capital to experience it personally.

But Cao Xin is different.

He died of an accident during a trip in his previous life. He was born in Ningxi until he was five years old. Later, his family couldn't survive, so his father Cao Kun took his family out.

Go out of Ningxi and enter Tanxi.

Passing through Tanxi, enter Shangjiang.

Finally, he came from Shangjiang Province to Xijing City.

After three years of hardships, three of the seven sons and two daughters of the Cao family died, and two of them were lost. Even the pillar Cao Kun died of illness last year and died in Shangjiang.

When they arrived in Xijing City, the only family who were originally a eleven-sized family was left with their mother Cao Zhang, eldest brother Cao Ren, eldest sister Cao Xian, seventh-year-old Cao Liang, and Cao Xin, who was in the family for five.

"well!"

Thinking of the three years of separation and death, Cao Xin couldn't help but sigh.

Three years of fleeing famine and wandering.

Among them, hardship is not worthy of being told by outsiders.

Although we have settled in Xijing City and have become the "city man" that everyone envies, the hard days have not yet passed.

"I'm poor!"

Cao Xin went back to the house and opened the rice jar. The empty inside could run away, but he was so poor that he could wait for the rice to be put into the pot.

wrong!

Where can I eat rice!

The drought in the north is severe. Although Xijing City is still prosperous and full of money, it is somewhat affected. The most intuitive thing is the rise in grain prices.

Four or five years ago, I could buy two stones of rice for one tael of silver in Xijing City, as low as four cents per pound.

This year, it has increased to 14 yuan per catty, more than tripled.

17 texts of white flour have also increased by three or four times.

But the people's wages did not increase.

Originally, a strong laborer earned 40 to 50 cents a day, and could buy ten kilograms of rice or nine kilograms of white flour, which was enough to support a family of five.

But now, most people in Xijing City can no longer afford rice and white flour.

They mainly eat coarse grains-

Corn slag 10 text.

2 text of red potato.

...

A visible decline in quality of life.

Even the people born and raised in Xijing City are still in a difficult situation. It is even more common for the Cao family, who just fled from the northwest to starve for nine days.

After eating, I was worried about the last meal.

Life is too difficult.

Even if there is a tiles covering this day, it will be the eldest brother Cao Ren who fought for his life.

When the family came outside Xijing City, Cao Ren was looking for a job at Caishuihe Wharf, he happened to save a small leader of the Caishui Gang and was then taken over.

The little leader gave Cao Ren two hundred yuan of Wen's family expenses, and through the relationship between Cai Shui Gang and the city's wealthy merchant Sun family, he vacated two downcast rooms in a large courtyard under the Sun family's name.

Although the sun is not seen in the downward room for many years, at least it has roots that can shelter from wind and rain.

Logically speaking, this has surpassed countless victims and even surpassed many people in Xijing.

For ordinary people, especially those in the northern disaster victims, a low life can be exchanged for two houses, and two hundred Wen Huan’s family expenses. I’m afraid that everyone will not be able to find it.

But Cao Ren is Cao Xin's eldest brother. Even though Cao Xin was older than Cao Ren in his previous life, Cao Xin still admired and respected the character of this half-brother in this life.

He couldn't see Cao Ren, who was only sixteen years old, licking blood in the gang, and he would lose his life one day.

"make money!"

In the end, we will return to ‘money’.

If you have money, you can travel all over the world, but if you don’t have money, you can’t move.

“How to make money?”

The Cao family is poor and can't do business without capital, and it's hard to do small business.

handicraft?

Technical job?

Won't!

If there is a technology, it will not fall to the point of escaping thousands of miles of famine.

"Beg!"

Cao Xin remembered the only skill that he had honed along the way to make money, and then thought about the lively atmosphere of the Maxing Street Market in Xijing City. If he could place bowls and beg for begging there, with his "lotus fall" accent, it would be a dream to gain hundreds of literature every day.

But if the eldest brother joins the gang and goes to beg for himself, the Cao family's reputation will be completely destroyed. Neither of these two houses will be kept, and it is likely that they will be jointly driven out by the residents of the slums.

"It's hard!"

The world is not easy, Cao Xin sighed.

...

The sun sets westward, and the courtyard is gradually becoming lively.

This slum, including the newly moved Cao family, lives in a total of 16 households and nearly a hundred people, most of whom are Sun's friends, workers, masters, and shopkeepers, scattered in many industries under the Sun's name.

When colleagues join neighbors, their relationship will naturally be close.

Speaking in groups of three or three, his mental outlook was completely different from that of the people in the northern three provinces.

However, the excitement belongs to them and has nothing to do with the Cao family.

The Cao family came from fleeing famine, and the city people were proud, and xenophobia was one aspect.

On the other hand, the Cao family does not have a regular businessman, and the boss Cao, who is a leader, is a gang member, and no one wants to get involved.

First arrived.

I am so poor that I eat dirt.

The house is deserted.

This is the current situation of the Cao family.

...

"Fifth Brother, Fifth Brother."

Cao Xin sat down, and his younger brother Cao Liang came back trotting, holding a handful of peanuts in both hands.

Cao Liang is six years old today, two years younger than Cao Xin. He is thin and small. His years of malnutrition make him look only four or five years old, and he looks thin and thin.

The clothes were also worn in tatters, and Cao Xin had forgotten where he picked up this outfit.

I just arrived in the yard and was often laughed at.

However, after three years of hardship, he now has a residence in Xijing City and doesn't have to travel all day long. Although his family was rejected in the yard, no children were willing to play with him, and even if he hadn't had two brothers, he would have to be bullied. But Cao Liang had long been used to it and could be good alone.

"Fifth brother, look!"

"I dug earthworms and sent them to the backyard. This was given by Sister Xiaoyan."

Cao Liang's face was dirty, with gray and sweaty, and his lips were white, but he was very excited.

Yesterday, he saw several children of the same age in the yard catch insects and send them to Xu Dazhi and Fang Xiaoyan and his wife's house, and brought back a few handfuls of wilted vegetable leaves, so he got the idea.

I was so happy that I went to dig earthworms early in the morning and sent them to the backyard one by one. I actually exchanged a handful of peanuts for him, which made him so happy.

Labor can bring rewards, which makes Xiao Cao Liang particularly satisfied.

Even if you get rid of a layer of skin, you don’t care.
To be continued...