Back Off, Let Me Come

There are still three days until the autumnal equinox.

At the boundary monument of Heyin.

Official road, tea shop.

"Shopkeeper, please bring me a big bowl of tea."

"Just come!"

"Shopkeeper, here's another pile of beans."

"okay!

"Shopkeeper, do you have any soup cakes?"

"Yes, sir, wait a moment."

This simple teahouse was built not far from the official road.

Merchants passing by the boundary marker would stop here to replenish their energy or dry food, and when they glanced at it, there were number 20 people there.

The tea shop owner and the two helpers were busy outside, their feet never touching the ground, and their voices became hoarse.

It took me a while to catch my breath.

Just as he was about to wipe his sweat and beat his legs, he saw a middle-aged man leading a mule coming from the direction of the official road. His clothes were fully patched. The shopkeeper wanted to take a break, so he ordered his helpers to come over and entertain him.

The helper came forward enthusiastically: "What would you like, sir?"

Only when he got closer could he see the appearance of the middle-aged man clearly.

He looked at Lao BaJiao, who had black and gray hair wrapped in a black coarse cloth. His skin color is dark, and his face still has traces of sunburn in midsummer. It is obvious at a glance that it is caused by years of sun exposure. The hands are rough, the knuckles are rough and swollen, and there is mud hidden under the nails that are not finely trimmed. When you get closer and smell it, you can smell a bit of the sour smell of sweat, and the accent doesn't sound like a local's.

The middle-aged man rubbed his hands in embarrassment.

He lowered his head, his voice was hoarse after not drinking water for a long time, and because he timidly lowered his voice, the helper almost didn't hear what he said: "I just want to ask for some water..."

He couldn't afford the tea.

He was unfamiliar with the place and didn't know where there was a stream nearby.

When he saw the tea shop, he wanted to shamelessly ask for a drink of water. Unexpectedly, the gang union greeted him enthusiastically, leaving him at a loss. He was ready to say this, causing the helper to roll his eyes and sneer at him. Unexpectedly, the helper just smiled and said: "Yes, yes, yes!"

He turned around and brought a bowl of warm water with white steam from the tea shop. The pottery bowl didn't even have a crack.

"Here... Xiaolang, just give me a sip of cold water..."

It's actually still warm.

The helper handed it over and said with a smile: "We don't allow cold water to be sold here. If you are caught, you will be fined. It must be boiled."

The middle-aged man was flattered.

When he wiped his hands, which were about to be covered with mud, on the hem of his clothes again and again, he held the helper's pottery bowl in both hands. As soon as the moderately warm water came into contact with his dry and cracked lips, he couldn't wait to open his mouth and swallowed it in big mouthfuls. The water rolled down his mouth and into his throat, as if the land that had been dry for a long time was finally moisturized. He took a long breath after drinking it, but he still felt it was not enough.

I smacked my lips in my heart but was too embarrassed to ask again.

The helpers are busy in the tea shop. Why haven't you seen all kinds of people? He has already developed a good ability to observe words and expressions, and said: "If you are not busy now, I will give you another bowl. Does your mule have water? Why don't you lead him to the back and feed him some water?"

The middle-aged man thanked him again and again.

The mule was so hungry that it was almost skin and bones, its ribs were visible, and it looked like an old mule.

The mule was thin and old, but he could still work. The robe was stuffed to the brim, and Lao Gao's bamboo box was carried on his back.

I don't know what's inside.

Out of curiosity, I asked casually.

The middle-aged man didn't hide it either.

"I have saved a little charcoal and straw sandals at home. I heard someone here collects them. If we sell them together, we can get more money..."

It is said that the money is more, so it is only four or five cents more expensive.

However, he walked for two days and nights for these four or five coins, and he had to be cautious about meeting bandits on the way. I was worried that I would encounter jackals, tigers and leopards when I stayed in the wild at night. No matter how sleepy or tired I was, I didn’t dare to close my eyes and stop. I could only find a secluded place to relax for a while during the day, and I had to tie the old mule to myself with a straw rope. I was worried Someone stole both the mules and the charcoal.

Of course, it was not safe at night or during the day. I tried my best not to sleep, and after two days I felt haggard and in a daze.

Only then did the helper notice that the straw sandals on the man's feet were worn almost to pieces, with his toes exposed, dark red blood mixed with mud that had dried, and there were about ten pairs of newly made shoes on one side of the mule's trousers. While feeling sad, I can't help but sympathize.

I fed the mule a handful of bean dregs.

The middle-aged man looked at it, his eyes slightly red.

The muddy tears almost rolled down, and I kept saying thank you. The helper sent the middle-aged man to the road and kindly gave him directions. If you follow this road, you will be able to walk easily in less than a quarter of an hour.

His feet would also suffer less.

The middle-aged man didn't think much about it.

Reluctantly said goodbye to the helper.

There was also a big cake given by the helper in his arms.

The shopkeeper had already seen this in his eyes, smiled and said: "The water does not count, the rest will be deducted from your wages..."

The helper said: "Naturally."

In fact, he had only lived a good life for a few months.

Seeing the middle-aged man like this, he felt the same and couldn't help but want to help. The helpers were originally desperate refugees who came to Heyin. I thought this place would become his burial place, but unexpectedly, I was saved by the kind-hearted shopkeeper.

I help out at the tea shop every day.

Take care of food, housing, and money.

The helper didn't dare to ask for it at first. How could the little work he did be worth so much reward? But after listening to the shopkeeper, I realized that this was not much. If you go to a medical center to find a job, the pay will be good. If you leave it here in the tea shop, you won't starve to death at most.

Because he was the only one left in the family of helpers, he had saved up a sum of savings in the past few months - the savings amounted to only thirty or forty dollars, and a dozen cakes - so it didn't matter that the shopkeeper deducted his wages, as he was in charge of food and drink anyway. Live, the helper doesn't care much.

The shopkeeper smiled and shook his head.

The wages were not deducted on this day's settlement.

Inside and outside the teahouse, passers-by were talking in low voices. From time to time, laughter and banter could be heard, and the air was filled with a happy atmosphere. At the same time, the middle-aged man walked through a bumpy, bumpy and muddy road, and then froze.

Without him——

The road ahead is too wide and flat.

He almost thought he was hallucinating.

He didn't dare to put his foot on it.

Looking left and right, he finally received a gentle nudge from the old mule and secretly took a step forward as if he was a thief with a guilty conscience. This road stretches to the end of sight and can accommodate three chariots running abreast! It was completely opposite to the dog-gnawed road before.

The road is getting better and the pace is faster.

Not long after walking, I saw a neat field.

The middle-aged man was stunned again.

Looking around, the corn in the field is almost turning into golden waves. Each plant is covered with heavy, plump fruits. Each plant is forced to bend down, and it seems that it can fall to the ground at any time when the wind blows. He is also a good farmer, and he has two acres of thin farmland at home. However, after a year of farming, even in good years, he can only make ends meet for his family...

These, these were things he had never seen in his dreams.

I heard it from some old people in the village.

If you have fertile farmland and have a good year with good weather, you may be able to compare the yield per mu with what you have in front of you.

"What are you looking at? What are you looking at?"

Perhaps he had been standing there for too long and looked around in a suspicious manner as if he had never seen the world. The tenant farmers working in the fields immediately sounded the alarm, pointed at him with poles and hatchets, and yelled at him. He was misunderstood by the common people as a thief...

The middle-aged man had to talk a lot before he could explain clearly.

Several tenant farmers then softened their expressions.

The middle-aged man said a few auspicious words to celebrate the harvest, which made people feel very comfortable and liked him. Some people were even willing to give him a pair of half-worn straw sandals.

The middle-aged man was a little confused.

He had heard of He Yin.

In addition to being poor, it is poverty, and the mountains and rivers are poor.

It is said that no matter how good the grain varieties are, their yields will be reduced here.

Refugees must avoid this area when fleeing, lest they cannot get food and be caught and eaten by local unruly people.

Looking at it now, it’s not like that.

I don’t understand why there is such a big gap between rumors and reality!

Everyone started chatting, and the middle-aged man shamelessly asked for the secret of farming, and saw someone waving his hand.

"Where can this thing be found?"

"It's all thanks to Lord Shen's blessing!"

"These are nothing here. Only when you go to Fu Gu's place will you know what a 'harvest' means. Oh, I'm so hungry."

"Fu Gu's field is called fat..."

"Then, can you not get fat if you are exposed to Shen Jun's immortal energy?"

Everyone was talking happily.

The middle-aged man listened for a while but didn't understand.

I only know that there is a new county governor in Heyin. He came to Heyin just last year to take office. He is very young, very handsome, and does not have the airs of a high official. If you are lucky enough to go to Fugu, you might be able to see Mr. Shen himself. The changes in He Yin this year are the result of the hard work of Shen Jun and everyone in Shen Jun's account.

The middle-aged man even saw an old woman with her hair wrapped in a bun as she talked, shedding muddy tears, sobbing, and praying again and again in a certain direction, and others were also infected.

Middle-aged man: "..."

He still didn't know why.

Walking along this road, which is smoother and more comfortable than the best official road, all the way down, the conditions of the villages along the road are similar. Every household is busy farming and preparing for the autumn harvest. There is a smile on his face, there is wind in his step, and his clothes are clean.

It took more than a dozen people to encounter two or three patched ones, and even if they were patched, there weren't many patches on them, which was completely different from his old clothes with patches everywhere. The people here are simple and hospitable, and there are always those common people who see him thin and tired, and see the old mule withered and thin, they will stuff him with half a pancake.

By the way, he was kind enough to give him directions.

When he arrived at dusk, he was wondering whether he should find a stone bridge to sleep on, and then some people warmly invited him to his home. Although the home was not big and only had one room, he could sleep in the yard, which was better than sleeping at night. It's safe to stay outdoors.

The middle-aged man hesitantly agreed.

Another bowl of warm water was given to me by the host.

The middle-aged man finally couldn't help it.

"Boil it and drink it. Oh, how much firewood will it cost..."

The host said: "If you don't boil it and drink it, you will be fined."

The middle-aged man vaguely remembered that the tea shop helper said the same thing, and for a moment he was speechless for a long time. Life is so difficult for the common people. It would be nice to have clean water to drink. You have to know that in drought years, you can't even drink a sip of muddy water.

What kind of family background...

Do you need to burn water even if you drink it?

The middle-aged man couldn't help but express his inner doubts, and the host laughed loudly: "Well, our Lord Shen heard from the gods that unheated water has some bad smell. If you drink it, your body will be harmed." If you are not so good, you will get sick..."

The orders of the government offices are enforced.

If you are caught once, twice or three times, you will be fined.

If there is a fourth time...

Haha, just drive He Yin out.

The common people are not afraid of anything else but being driven out.

They also know what the world is like outside. Being able to stay in Heyin is a result of their blessings in the previous life. They have enough to eat and wear, have work to do, and have land to farm. Not even the gods have such a beautiful life.

In addition, the Fugu government office was willing to purchase charcoal from various stores at a relatively high price, so everyone was willing to go to the trouble of boiling hot water for drinking. Not only do they drink hot water, but several households work together to raise raccoon slaves to catch mice.

If the raccoon slave catches more mice, he will get a prize.

The raccoon slave in their village won three kilograms of pork, two big fish, and a piece of cloth by relying on his rat-catching skills!

The middle-aged man was fascinated by what he heard.

I even thought of leaving my hometown and moving here.

The host knew that the middle-aged man had this idea, and kept talking to him over and over again. The core idea he kept thinking over and over again was - "Jun Shen, you are a good person and a good official!"

Follow Shen Jun to fill your stomach!

The next day, the middle-aged man took the well-rested old mule on the road. The experience along the road was very different from yesterday.

No, there is one thing that is different.

Old mules were fed more.

After asking, I found out that Shen Jun's horse was a beautiful mule that was all white and without a trace of hair. It was said that it also had a name called a motorcycle. The common people in Heyin gradually fell in love with Wujiwu and developed a certain preference for mules. Although you still have to work when you have to, the food and treatment are much better than before.

The old mule was so thin that his ribs were visible and he walked unsteadily. The people felt pity for him and couldn't help but feed him some.

After stopping and walking, we finally arrived at a nearby market.

Every market has a charcoal collection point set up by the government.

When I asked, the price was indeed more expensive than in his hometown.

In addition to the charcoal I saved, I also had straw sandals and small woven bamboo baskets. After sitting on the roadside and selling them for a long time, I almost sold them.

At this time, a person asked the price and threw down a bamboo stick as payment. He was so angry that he grabbed the person's hand, clenched his fist and wanted to hit him. This frightened the nearby stall owners into a commotion and passers-by avoided. The caught thief was furious.

"What are you doing? What are you doing? Why are you arresting me?"

"You stole my things!" The middle-aged man's eyes turned red with anger, and a grown man almost cried on the spot.

Passers-by and stall owners gathered around to watch the excitement.

Finally, the market clerk was alarmed.

The clerk came over and asked what was going on.

The thief said angrily: "How did I know? He's gone crazy!"

The middle-aged man held the bamboo stick and said angrily: "He, he left this thing behind and wanted to steal my things..."

Everyone: "..."

Market clerk: "..."

Immediately I understood what was going on.

The market clerk pressed the throbbing veins on his forehead and said angrily: "Don't you know these notes can't be paid to outsiders?"

The "thief" was scolded so much that he dared not say a word.

He took his bamboo stick back from the middle-aged man, threw a copper coin back, and muttered, "Unlucky, how did I know he was from a foreign country?" The market official said to those who were watching the excitement, "Go away, go away." Only the middle-aged man was at a loss.

Why don't you catch the thief?

At this time, the stall owner next door asked with a smile.

"You're from out of town, right?"

The middle-aged man nodded.

The moisture in my eyes has not receded, and I wiped my tears with the back of my hand in grievance. The money was not much, but it was the lifeblood of the family.

How could anyone rob someone in the street?

Why don't Mr. Shen punish these crazy people?

The stall owner smiled kindly and said: "Oh, it's normal. If you don't want those notes, just tell them that you are from a foreign country. You will understand after you come here a few times. I am also a businessman from a foreign country. It was the same as you for the first time. Hey , don’t panic, don’t be anxious.”

Middle-aged man: "..."

hi(..)

Hey guys, you guys are all here, please give me a monthly ticket

Alas, the krypton gold party is very rampant.

PS: I can’t keep my monthly ticket number one. The chrysanthemum is in danger. Please give me your monthly ticket_(:з」∠)_