Elm Hutong is in the middle of the south of the city, and the obvious feature is indeed the big elm tree at the mouth of the alley, which is surrounded by two people, more than a few zhang high, and seems to have grown for at least nearly a hundred years.

Wang Chao saw from a distance the big tree with bare branches higher than all the surrounding houses, and said, "This is it, Song Gongzi, there is really you." ”

Song Quan said: "What's this, I've been here, and I once asked about the origin of this elm alley, and the people are very fond of this big elm treasure." ”

Su Jin asked, "What's so precious about this, it's just an old tree." ”

Song Quan said: "You don't understand, the elm tree is also known as the 'cash cow', its fruit is like a copper coin, and it is a century-old tree, the people love to ask for this mouthful, so they are particularly precious to this tree, you see, the root of the tree is surrounded by a fence, the well water under the tree is also exceptionally clear and delicious, this place is very good." ”

Su Jin said with a smile: "What's the use of begging for lip service, money has to be earned with both hands, and the future has to be broken by yourself, if you can also be promoted and make a fortune, I'm afraid that every house is full of this elm tree in front of and behind the house." ”

Song Quan smiled: "Having said that, who doesn't like to listen to auspicious words." ”

The two talked and laughed in a low voice, the dynasty over there had arrived at the door of a family's house, the small courtyard was covered with firewood, and there was no decent fence around, just woven with branches and straw ropes, and inserted in the ground to enclose a small courtyard, which was extremely simple.

Wang Dynasty stretched out his hand and pushed, the firewood door should be opened, and a few people walked gently to the courtyard, a stone mill in the courtyard, a few persimmon trees, a few red persimmons hanging on the tree, a row of sorghum ears drying by the eaves, leaning on a Taiping car, obviously an ordinary family.

Wang Chao stretched out his hand to pat the door, but Su Jin stretched out his hand to hold him and said, "Light, don't scare people." ”

Wang Dynasty nodded, and tapped lightly with the back of his hand a few times, and there was a coughing sound in the house, and after a while, the lights came on, and someone asked in a low voice, "Who?" ”

"This big brother, we are from the Yamen, and we have come to you for something."

"The poor master of the yamen? The villain is a family of duty, but he didn't do anything illegal. ”

A panicked woman's voice came from inside, and the man lowered his voice, "What are you afraid of him?" I have not broken the law. ”

Su Jin coughed and said, "This big brother, please open the door, how about we meet and talk?" I don't know what's going on when I see it, so I'll tell you the truth, the prefect sent me and others to comfort the people, and I came to send money to you to tide over the difficulties. ”

There was silence for a long time, and at last the light flickered in the crack of the door, and the latch clicked, and then the door was opened, and a stout and burly man stood in the doorway, cloaked, with an oil lamp in his hand.

Su Jin arched his hand and said, "It's polite, it's disturbing in the middle of the night." ”

The man looked the four of them up and down, and finally moved his thick lips and said angrily: "Please come in." ”

The four of them entered the house, closed the door, Su Jin looked around by the faint light, the house can be described as the four walls of the house, except for the table and stool, there is nothing else; The tables and benches were all black and seemed to be covered with a layer of dust, and the straw mats hanging on the door of the inner room were shaking, apparently the lady had just taken refuge in the back room.

The man brought two benches and put them on the side of the table, stretched out his hand and gestured, "Poor master, sit." ”

Su Jin and the others thanked him, sat down on the stool, and said with a smile: "This big brother, I really don't want to disturb your house so late, it's just that there are many people in the daytime, and I really can't come, so I hope for forgiveness." ”

The man said: "The poor master is so polite, the villain should have committed a crime." ”

Su Jin said: "Divide the family, live in peace, how can there be any mistakes to make, we are ordered by the Fuzun to give some money and materials to the poor to subsidize the family, recently, the price of rice has skyrocketed, and the people have suffered." ”

The man hurriedly waved his hand and said, "Don't you dare to be, how can you bother the officials." ”

Su Jin smiled, turned to Song Quan and said, "Song Gongzi, you personally came to visit the people on behalf of Ling Zun, which is really admirable, so let's take it out." ”

Song Quan was surprised: "What to take?" ”

Su Jin frowned and squeezed his eyes and said, "Condolence money, didn't you bring the usual condolence money?" ”

Song Quan said: "What kind of condolences ......?"

Su Jin interrupted him and said: "Gongzi Song, this is not good, the condolence money is for the poor people, you don't even want to hold yourself for this time." ”

Song Quan's teeth itched with hatred, this cramped boy, and he was teasing himself again, and he saw a small cloth bag in his arms, saying that it was a condolence money for the people, why did he blink an eye, and said that he took the money himself.

Song Quan didn't want to lose his demeanor in front of the people, so he patted his head and pretended to be suddenly enlightened: "Oh, yes, yes, you look at my memory, it's me." ”

Su Jin almost laughed in his belly, but he saw Song Quan touching it around, but he didn't find a copper coin, but he took out a silver ingot, and held it up: "This big brother, are you looking for a head?" I forgot to bring the copper coin, only these two taels of silver ingots. ”

The man said: "Where did you come from to find your head, the last two times I bought all the black market rice today, and there are more than a dozen copper plates left in the house." ”

Su Jin snatched his hand and said: "What do you want to find a head, won't it be over if you give it together, this big brother, remember this Song Gongzi's generosity, he has given you extra money out of his own pocket, this silver ingot is enough for two big money, buy some food and clothing for a few children." ”

Song Quan's mouth opened openly, and he said in his heart: "This guy is simply self-cooked, so generous to others, he lost two big money for no reason, what the hell is going on." ”

The man rubbed his hands together and said, "How easy is this, how can this be afforded." ”

Su Jin said: "Take it, you can afford it, you should be it, Song Gongzi is the son of Lord Fuzun, and he is used to caring about the suffering of the people, tell the child to go to Song Gongzi to kowtow during the New Year's festival and express his gratitude." ”

The man stretched out his hand to take the silver, there were tears in the corners of his eyes, and he said in a trembling voice: "Son, come out and thank Song Gongzi and the poor masters, you really sent us the money." ”

The straw curtain was lifted, and a thin and sallow woman with a sallow face came out with a cloak and the man knelt down to kowtow to Su Jin and Song Quan to thank him, Song Quan was greatly moved, and hurriedly told them to get up, and suddenly, the depression of losing two taels of silver in vain disappeared, but he felt that the two taels of silver were worth it.

After some chaos, she finally settled down, the woman was busy making a stove to boil water, Su Jin and others dissuaded her, but the woman just didn't listen, so she had no choice but to go with her.

Su Jin turned to the man and said, "This big brother has a big name?" ”

The man said honestly: "Little people, what kind of noble surname do you talk about, the small surname is Wu, the second line in the family, and the person is called Wu Erlang." ”

Su Jin was startled, and quickly calculated the year, and then breathed a sigh of relief, this Wu Er is not the other Wu Er, although the Wu Erlang of the big tiger is also in the Song Dynasty, but now he is still smoking, and he was not born at all, in fact, it is impossible to say whether there is such a person or not.

"Oh, it turned out to be Second Brother Wu, how many people are in the family."

"My parents have long since passed away, and now I am living with my three children."

Su Jin said: "Look at it like this, life is quite difficult." ”

Wu Erlang frowned and said: "No, on weekdays, I help people drive cars and pull horses to unload trucks to earn some money, and the Hun family sews and washes for others to subsidize the family, and mixes food and clothing for a year to feed the children." ”

Su Jin said: "Recently, the price of rice has risen wildly, I'm afraid it is more troublesome." ”

Wu Erlang pinched his thick hand and said: "But isn't it, the last two pieces of money in the family today were only exchanged for seven liters of rice, this is the end of October, and I don't know how to live in the future." ”

Su Jin pretended to be surprised and said: "Two pieces of money are only exchanged for seven liters of rice? Whose grain shop is so black, what is the difference between this and slaughtering people with a knife? ”

Wu Erlang sneered: "Of course you don't know, how can there be a grain shop open now, all you buy is black market rice, and the food in Yangzhou City is afraid that it will be exhausted by that evil tiger, this black-hearted thing." ”

The woman who was boiling water coughed hurriedly, and Wu Erlang stiffened her neck and said, "What are you afraid of?" There is no way to survive soon, are you still afraid to gossip? ”

Su Jin said with a smile: "Second Brother Wu, but it doesn't matter, I don't understand, what kind of person is this evil tiger, such a big ability, he can collect the grain in the whole city and open the black market to sell it at a high price, what is his origin?" ”

Wu Erlang glanced at Su Jin and said, "This poor master is new, don't you even know Feng Laohu's name?" Haven't you heard the rumors on the street? 'Rather meet the Nanshan wolf, don't provoke the Yangzhou tiger. 'Hundreds of wolves gathered on Nanshan, ferocious and abnormal, but compared to Feng Laohu, it is still merciful, the wolf bites and there are bones, if this Feng Laohu is provoked, you don't even have scum left. ”

Su Jin frowned and said, "So powerful? Does he have a backstage? ”

Wu Erlang shook his head and said: "This villain doesn't know, it is said that he has a group of people under his hands, and he doesn't cause trouble on weekdays, but all those who offend him have disappeared inexplicably, and they can't even find the corpse, and they can't find out the truth even if they report to the official, and over time, people don't dare to mess with him." ”

The woman finally couldn't help but say: "Don't talk about it anymore, if it spreads, will our family of five still live?" ”

Wu Erlang also felt that he had said too much, so he quickly shut up.

Su Jin smiled and said: "Big brother and sister-in-law, don't be careful, we will definitely keep our mouths shut, if we show half a word, will it be called a big thunderbolt?" Okay, I won't ask, you just tell me where this black market is, it's not a secret, I first came to Yangzhou on an errand, and my family has a lot of people, and the food issued by the official family is really not enough to eat, and I want to buy some. ”

Wu Erlang showed sympathy and said: "It's not difficult to find, it's in the Sanli Hutong of the North Exit, but it is strictly guarded there, and ordinary strangers can't get into it at all, and even if they enter the Hutong, they can't buy food." ”

Su Jin said: "Then what should I do." ”

Wu Erlang lowered his head and thought for a while, raised his head as if he had made up his mind, and said: "In this way, when Engong went to buy rice, he said that it was introduced by the blind third master of Nancheng, and the rest should not be said much, just buy rice and leave." ”

Su Jin was surprised: "Who is the blind third master?" ”

Wu Erlang said: "The blind third master is my owner, and I help him work all the year round, as for the relationship between him and Feng Laohu, I really don't know." ”

Su Jin didn't ask any more, this was naturally a friendship on the underworld, and Wu Erlang didn't know if he asked.

After chatting a few words, he got up and said goodbye, the woman poured water but saw that everyone was leaving, she really didn't want to go, and hurriedly took a few hot sweet potatoes and stuffed them into the hands of Su Jin and others, everyone hurriedly refused, Wu Erlang said: "Take it, Engong, send money and silver to my family, I didn't even drink saliva, how can I teach people to feel at ease, these sweet potatoes are eaten to warm up." ”

Su Jin smiled: "Then thank you." "I took the sweet potato and said goodbye and went out, the sweet potato was roasted hot and sweet, and several people ate all the way, eating straight mouths.

Su Jin felt that this little sweet potato was the most delicious thing he had eaten since he crossed over.

(A little spit: It's been almost four months since this book was written, and the results can only be regarded as average, and there are many friends who read books, but the collection of red tickets is not satisfactory; I'm not good at asking for tickets and collecting something, in my thoughts, readers see it, you don't ask him to give it to you, but recently I found that many book friends just read books, but also come back to point out the country, but the sad thing is that they don't even click on the collection, to use a vulgar analogy, it's like you go to an entertainment place to spend, and you pick up your pants and leave, hey, comrade, you haven't given money yet! So I kindly ask the book friends to check the bookshelf and see if they have collected it, and the best ones can be given to a few red tickets, thank you! ）