The north wind finally subsided, but it was still very cold. The dark clouds in the sky have been continuous, although no rain or snow has fallen, but it has blocked the sun, and the snow on the ground of Kaifeng City has not melted.

Cai River is located in the south of the city, and the area sandwiched by the Bianhe River is usually very lively because of the two Cao roads. I don't know how many coolies gathered here, begging for a living on cargo boats on two rivers. Now that the river is frozen and the transportation is impossible, these coolies have lost their livelihood all of a sudden, and they are working hard day and night, just looking forward to the day when the weather will warm.

A lean man wearing a lotus leaf scarf walked along the frozen Cai River, carrying a small basket on his arm, looking around all the way, his small eyes dripping and turning, very cautious.

This area is inhabited by coolie sellers, and the houses are dilapidated and the eaves are low. Many families can barely shelter from the wind and rain, but they can't stop the howling north wind.

A woman in her forties leaned against the shelter from the wind, warming herself by the pitiful rays of the white sun in the sky, and when she saw that the lean man could not walk, she said in a loud voice: "O man, what is in your basket?" Looking around, he has the face of a thief! Why don't you come to us and Zhang Feng? ”

The man smiled: "You mother-in-law can't speak in tune!" The people who live here can't even squeeze two taels of oil out of the pot with their bones, and who has been kicked in the head by a donkey, come to you to Zhang Feng! ”

"The poor family is worth a lot of money, why don't there be thieves! Tell me what's in the basket! ”

Seeing that the woman was not relenting, the lean man stepped forward and said to the woman mysteriously: "Now that the north wind is blowing strongly, and the sky is freezing, seeing that you are shivering with cold, what do you want most?" ”

The woman was spicy, and she didn't care that the man's appearance was a little obscene, and said with a smile: "Naturally, it is charcoal, if there is a big pot of charcoal fire burning vigorously at home, who will come to the street to drink the wind!" ”

"Whatever you want, I've got it here! Come and see—" said the man, lifting up a black cloth covering the basket, and inside was a basket of fine charcoal.

The woman pursed her lips: "What kind of world is it now, even this black charcoal head, some people come out with baskets!" In the past, you people who carried baskets, no matter how bad they were, sold pears and apricots. ”

The man said: "What kind of melons and fruits are worth the current charcoal!" This basket of charcoal is sold for a day, and it is enough for my family to eat and drink for a day, so what's the matter with selling it on my shoulder? ”

The woman squinted at the man and said disdainfully, "How much is your charcoal a catty?" ”

As soon as the man heard the price, he came to his senses, and his expression became more and more obscene: "Fair price, forty pounds a catty!" ”

The woman snorted and laughed: "See your mother's ghost! The notice issued by the name of Kaifeng Mansion, the charcoal price of the charcoal line is one hundred and one hundred, you will want forty wen a pound here, do you want to go crazy for money? ”

"One hundred feet and one name! The government will just say it casually, and a fool will believe him! The palace sells charcoal in the field, and it costs 300 wen to call it, and now it costs 100 wen to say it, and the people in the charcoal line will sell it if they are stupid! ”

"The people in the government are staring, do they sell or not because of the charcoal business? I've heard that people buy it every day! ”

The man sneered: "Of course I sell it every day, otherwise where will the charcoal in my basket come from?" The charcoal line is just the story of Kaifeng Mansion, which sells so many hundred and eighty names every day, except for us people, you can try to see if you can buy it! ”

The woman naturally knew that this had become an open secret, and the charcoal store did not dare to force the Kaifeng Mansion, and issued a certain amount of charcoal every day and sold it at a fixed official price. However, the people who buy charcoal are all predetermined by them, they are all fixed people, and after buying low-priced charcoal, they will carry a basket to distribute it, and then share the profits with the charcoal merchants.

This kind of small merchants and hawkers are not taxed according to the regulations, and the Kaifeng Mansion can't control it, so they can only try their best to check and prevent them from doing business in a busy place, and they can only hang out in such a remote place.

But I know that the people here can't afford to buy a pound of charcoal at all, and the woman is just bored, teasing the man to gossip and play.

This lean man was also rushed here from the Bianhe River by the government officials, and he didn't expect to sell much here, and he had nothing to do anyway, so he chatted with the woman without a match.

The two of you say a word to me, and they are happy with each other's guns and sticks.

After a while, another woman in her twenties turned around from the corner of the street, came to the front, glanced at the man with the basket, ignored him, and said to the woman who was standing and chatting: "Sister-in-law of the Cheng family, I have to borrow two more handfuls of rice, the children in the family are cold and hungry, crying endlessly, I really can't resist." ”

Looking at the young woman, the sister-in-law of the Cheng family shook her head: "When is this a head?" Your child is just two years old, and he can't support him anyway, so it's better to find a good family and send him out, which will save him from suffering with you. Two-year-old children don't remember, and it's not easy to give them away if they want to raise them for a few more years. ”

The young woman sighed: "How can you give up your own flesh and blood?" ”

The sister-in-law of the Cheng family just shook her head, but the poor people survived by helping each other, shaking their heads, or obediently turning around and going home to get rice. Whatever you don't borrow, you have to let people survive first.

The lean man watched the two women leave, staring at their figures disappearing from the corner of the street, and wandering away.

The young woman, though of average appearance, was young and clean, which made the lean man feel bad.

At this time, it is unbearable cold everywhere, and there are charcoal fires in the slightly larger restaurants, and the female prostitutes who sing songs and laugh in the restaurants all come to the restaurant early in the morning, regardless of whether there is business or not, and refuse to leave there. For example, those low-level prostitution houses around Pig Killing Alley have long been closed for business, and women might as well go to the restaurant to rub free charcoal, which is a little better than doing business.

After waiting for a while, the woman who was basking in the sun borrowed rice and went out of her house, and went out of the house to bask in the sun.

Seeing that the lean man was still here, the woman smiled and said, "Why are you still here?" Look at me, but can afford to buy dozens of dollars a pound of charcoal? Didn't you fall in love with the old lady! ”

The man laughed with him: "My sister is also a beauty, but she is older." Dare to ask the lady just now, but is she also from here? I wonder who else is in his family? ”

The woman took a sip: "It turns out that you, the thief, have taken a fancy to the lady of the Wu family!" Die of this heart early, the man in her family is picking ice in the Bianhe River, but he is not easy to mess with! If it weren't for the black hearts of those rich families who refused to settle cash, their homes would not be empty. ”

The lean man walked forward with Xiaoxiao, lifted the black cloth covering the basket, and said to the woman: "Sister, go and tell that lady, if you can pity me, this basket of charcoal will be baked for my sister and her house." It's freezing on this day, and adults are unbearable, how can children and children stand it? (To be continued.) )