On the sixth day of the 11th month of the 10th year of Tiansheng, because the renovation of Ouchi was completed, the Yuan Ming Road was changed. The world was amnesty, and each of the hundred officials was added to the rank of official, and Xu Ping was promoted from Tuntian Wailang to Metropolitan Official.

The heavenly saint means that the two are holy, and the Ming Dao is the sun and the moon in the sky, and the year name clearly shows that the Empress Dowager Liu is still in power at this time. Although the Son of Heaven is twenty-three years old, the Queen Mother has no sign of returning to power. However, the direction of the wind began to change slowly, Ming Ho and others wrote to ask the Queen Mother to return to power, although some of the rhetoric was fierce, but it was only the result of not reporting, and was not expelled from the center like Fan Zhongyan and others.

The most unexpected beneficiary of this amnesty was Ding Wei, who had already moved to Daozhou to manage it, and thus received the treatment of Zhishi, retired peacefully, and unexpectedly got a better ending than his old rival Kou Zhun.

The local officials in Zuojiangdao who were sent by Xu Ping to the prison cities of various states were involved in rebellion, and their sentences were not commuted, and only Huang Zhixian, who was the first accused, was able to return to Yongzhou alive because of the relatively minor charges and lived with his in-laws.

Almost at the same time, Zhao Deming, the leader of the party and the king of Xiping, died, and his son Yuan Hao succeeded to the throne, and he was still named the Taishi of the inspection school and the servant, the envoy of the Dingyan Army, and the king of Xiping.

It has been half a month since the news reached Yongzhou, and Xu Ping did not feel the joy of being promoted, but only felt that the whole world began to change slowly, and his heart became more and more uneasy.

Li Yuanhao is still called Zhao Yuanhao, and he is not officially anti-Song, but this name is too loud in history, although Xu Ping suddenly can't remember what his deeds are, but there is still the impression that he disturbed the northwest of the Great Song Dynasty and caused a series of chain reactions.

Seriously speaking, whether it is the historical Nong Zhigao rebellion against the Song Dynasty in the southwest region, or the later invasion of Yong, Qin, and Lian by Jiaozhi. All related to the rise of the party in the northwest. No party members attracted the attention of the Great Song Dynasty to the northwest. And won many times. These two forces also did not have the courage to invade internally.

In this general situation, Xu Ping decided not to wait any longer, urgently recruited Sang Yi to Menzhou, gathered troops, and prepared to attack Guangyuan Prefecture with all his strength first, and then return to the division to take Langzhou, regardless of Jiaozhi's reaction for the time being.

The situation on the border of Yongzhou is becoming more tense day by day, but for the people at the bottom. Life has not changed, and the trajectory of their lives is still repeated day after day.

A small group of caravans stopped at the fork in a mountain road, and the leading caravan man picked up a seven or eight-year-old boy from his horse, patted his head, and said with a smile: "Stinky boy, don't follow people like this in the future, that is, we are all honest people, and if we meet such a ruthless person, we will definitely sell you to Jiaozhi to be a slave and servant, and you will never be able to turn over!" ”

The pony's hooves shrunk its neck. He asked seriously: "How much will I give you for taking these roads?" I only have the copper coins of the Great Song Dynasty. Gold and silver do not have. ”

Several men laughed and said to the little pony: "You are such a child, don't you curse us not to be human when you collect money from you?" Forget it, you keep your copper coins for yourself, and you have to buy a fruit to eat when you are free. Also, although this area is the territory of Jiaozhi, the copper coins of the Great Song Dynasty are just as versatile, so you don't have to worry about not being able to buy things. ”

As he spoke, he took the small half pocket from the horse and handed it to the little pony's hoof: "And your rice, take it with you." You are so weak, can you carry it? Is home far from here? ”

The little pony's hooves hugged half a pocket of rice tightly in his arms, and said: "My house is just in front, two steps away!" I can handle these rice, and I carried it myself before I found you! ”

Seeing the vigilant appearance of the pony's hooves, several men laughed and shook their heads, and said no more, said goodbye to him, and drove the horses along the mountain path to continue walking.

The little pony's hooves looked at the distant caravan, and there was no one in sight, so he gritted his teeth and carried the small half bag of rice on his back, and walked crookedly towards the fork in the mountain.

Although I said it lightly just now, I really carried it on my back, and twenty catties of rice were still extremely heavy, and it was not easy for a seven or eight-year-old child to walk on such a mountain path.

At this time, it was winter, and the mountains were not as flat as the ground, and the chill was clearly felt. At the beginning, I was blown by the cold wind in the mountains, and the little pony's hooves still felt cold hands and feet, and he couldn't walk half a mile, and he was already sweating profusely.

After walking for two or three miles, the little pony's hooves only felt that his hands and feet were weak, his mouth was dry, and his heart was pounding hard. Those two legs seemed to be no longer their own, and they were as heavy as iron, and they couldn't lift them.

There was a gap between the rocks on the side of the road, and a big tree grew in it, and when the little pony's hooves arrived here, they couldn't hold back any longer, and sat down on the root of the tree that had been arched out of the ground.

Gasping for breath, the pony looked around helplessly.

At this time, the sun in the sky was slanting to the west, and it looked like a man's pale face, without a trace of life. The mountain wind blew on his body, and the little pony's hooves couldn't help but shiver, and the sweat all over his body felt even more cold.

The endless mountains could not see the end, but I felt that one mountain was higher than the other, stretching all the way to the horizon.

Little Pony's heart gave birth to a sense of powerlessness, only to feel that he was abandoned in this corner of the world, and he was no longer able to touch the world, and those who cared about him were as far away as in another world.

It's better to put the rice here, and let Second Uncle Hong pick it up when he arrives in the village, he is an adult, not as weak as himself, and he will definitely be able to carry the rice back to the village.

The pony hugged his knees, looked at the sunset in the sky, and couldn't make up his mind for a while. What if the rice is put here, what if it is taken by someone else? It's just that you hide it well, no one finds it, and even there may not be a second pedestrian in this mountain today, but what if you are found by the beasts in the mountain? The humble bear is blind, and he looks stupid, but he is the most harmful to people, and no matter how tightly he hides it, he can find it. Not to mention the rats in the mountains, all kinds of birds, they are nowhere not to be found.

The more the little pony's hoof thought about it, the more he felt that he would never be able to find this rice again as soon as he let go, and if he missed this time, his dear people in the mountains would never be able to eat sweet white rice again for the rest of his life.

This is the rice grown from the cane sugar, white, crystal shiny, one grain at a time like a pearl, where is the brown rice in the mountains can be compared. What's more, it is brown rice, and people in the mountains may not have a grain in their mouths all year round, and they were snatched by the main family and received in the warehouse as soon as they were harvested.

Little Ponyhoo remembers that when he was a child, his father died early. I didn't have to eat any milk. It all relied on Second Uncle Hong, who secretly hid a few grains of rice and cooked porridge to feed themselves. Just rely on this brown rice porridge that has no mouthful. The little pony's hooves slowly grew into big children.

At that time, Xiao Ma Hoof felt that brown rice porridge was the best thing in the world, and he swore that when he grew up, he would let the people who helped him, Second Uncle Hong, eat it to their heart's content.

Now he hasn't grown up yet, but he has brought back refined white rice that is thousands of times better than brown rice, no matter how difficult it is, he has to bring it back to Second Uncle Hong. Let them eat enough at once.

Feeling that he had regained some strength in his body, the little pony's hooves finally did not dare to take risks, and still carried a small half bag of white rice, half back and half drag, and moved towards the mountains step by step.

The days are short in winter, and the sun disappears before you know it, which often catches people off guard.

There are less than 10 families in this small mountain village in Hongdong, and when the sun hides and the moon does not appear, the villagers have to light a bonfire. Gather around to talk about family life, and the women get together to do needlework. The night is quiet and peaceful.

"Oh, there's a monkey stealing something from the dark down the road over there?"

A woman screamed and shouted as she pointed to the road at the entrance of the village.

A man jumped up and shouted, "There is no food in the mountains in winter, so it must be a monkey who has come into the village to steal!" Light the torches and follow me to chase them away! ”

As he spoke, he grabbed a pine branch and stretched it out into the bonfire, turned it around and lit it, and held it in his hand.

The idle men were bored, so they got up one after another, made torches from various branches, and went to the dark shadow at the entrance of the village.

Second Uncle Hong is a good hunter, took a pine branch and lit it to hide behind him, and ran towards the black shadow first.

When he arrived, Second Uncle Hong suddenly lifted the pine branch from behind his back, reflected the black shadow, and shouted: "The third watch walks on the mountain road in the middle of the night, see where you are!" ”

The little pony's hooves had already walked out of strength, dizzy, and the light of the fire, but he felt a familiar face flash, and his eyes turned black, and he sat down on the ground.

"I'm back," he muttered, "I'm back," tilted his head and fell to the ground.

Second Uncle Hong took advantage of the firelight, and felt familiar at first glance, so he stepped forward to take a look, and shouted: "This is a little pony's hoof, last time I heard that it was caught by someone from the Great Song Dynasty, but it can be regarded as coming back!" ”

Hearing this roar, men and women gathered around and gossiped.

Second Uncle Hong probed the snort of the pony's hooves and said to everyone: "It's okay, the baby is just tired, just go back and rest!" Whoever has rice, make it out and boil a porridge to feed him, and he will raise it! ”

A woman raised her hand and said, "I still have a little bit in my house, which was hidden on the beam of the house a few days ago, and was not searched by the master's house." You will be able to boil a small half-pot of porridge, enough for a few meals of little horseshoe! ”

Second Uncle Hong said yes, bent down to hug the little pony's hooves, but found the pocket under the pony's hooves.

Picking up his pocket, Second Uncle Hong said, "What's heavy inside?" No wonder this doll is tired like this, how can she carry such a heavy thing at such a young age! ”

The pocket is opened, and the firelight reflects the white flowers, revealing an alluring luster.

Second Uncle Hong reached into his pocket, grabbed the polished rice one by one, and clenched it, and the rice slowly slipped out of his fingers. Second Uncle Hong shook it again and slid out again, this feeling was like a dream. The smooth and warm feeling didn't make him so excited even when he touched Hong's second sister-in-law's body for the first time.

"This, this is white rice? You see, this is -- this is white rice? ”

Second Uncle Hong muttered, turned his head to look at the people in the village, and only felt that everything was like a dream.

The people next to him put their hands in their pockets one after another, and took turns touching a handful, shouting: "It's really white rice, the little pony's hooves actually brought white rice back, and I will see white rice back in this life!" ”

shouted in his mouth, picked up the little pony's hooves with all hands and feet, and squeezed to Uncle Hong's house one after another.

Little Ponyhoo felt that he had a long dream, and although the dream was full of thorns, he was very happy, very happy, and lived happily with the people around him, those who cared for him.

The dream was so beautiful that he didn't even want to leave the dream world. However, the call of the familiar voice in his ears made him slowly open his eyes.

In front of him was a childish face, although the face was clean, but the hair was unkempt, and there were even two dead grasses on it. The eyes on his face are as bright as the stars in the sky, full of curiosity and love.

"Rika, am I in your house? I am back? ”

Rika looked at the pony's hooves and nodded emphatically.

Second Uncle Hong, who heard the voice, came over, touched the head of the pony's hooves and said, "Good doll, you can be regarded as awake!" We've been worried for the past two days! ”

"I'm back! I'm finally back! ”

The pony's hooves were so excited that they wanted to jump up, but their weak bodies only arched their waists.

Shaking his head helplessly, the little pony's hoof asked Second Uncle Hong: "Second Uncle, is Auntie's body better?" ”

Second Uncle Hong sighed: "How good, I can't afford to buy medicine in the mountains, so I have to stay up for a day." We people in the mountains, a lifetime of such a hard work has passed. ”

"Second uncle, you help me up!" The pony hoofed on the bed.

Second Uncle Hong shook his head, with a caring look on his face, and came over to gently pick up the pony's hooves.

Sitting up on the bed, the little pony solemnly put his hand into his arms, slowly pulled it out, and said to Second Uncle Hong: "Second Uncle, reach out and continue!" ”

Second Uncle Hong just laughed, not knowing what strange things the child had brought back from outside the mountain, a pair of big hands full of calluses were opened, and they were placed in front of the little pony's hooves to satisfy the child's vanity.

Xiao Ma Hoof put the things in his hand into the hands of Second Uncle Hong, and said seriously: "Second Uncle, this is the copper coin of the Great Song Dynasty, I asked, we can also use Jiaozhi, you take it to Aunt Nan to buy medicine!" ”

As he spoke, he reached into his arms and grabbed them one by one.

"I have a lot of money here, and a lot more, all of which I earned! Grandpa cooks for people, and I pick up stones everywhere for money, for a lot of money, and I exchange money for my aunt to buy medicine! ”

Second Uncle Hong looked at the yellow and clear copper coin in his hand, his eyes straightened, and he couldn't believe that it was real.

What people in the mountains need is to exchange things, fur for salt, eggs for needle money, when have you ever seen copper money? It's still such a lot of copper coins from the Great Song Dynasty.

It wasn't until Second Uncle Hong's hands were about to be out of his hand that the little pony's hooves stopped and said: "I earned all this money, and the rice was the rations saved by me and my grandfather, not someone else's, but our own!" Outside the mountain, the Great Song is not interested in taking other people's things, and everything has to be earned by yourself! It's earned by ourselves! ”

Second Uncle Hong looked at the copper coin in his hand, looked at the little pony's hooves, and muttered, "Doll, what are you and grandpa doing in the Great Song Dynasty?" Didn't they get captured by their people? How can there be money and rice? ”

"We were in the sugar cane business, and my grandfather was there to cook for people, and he was given rations of rice and copper coins every month. But we stole from someone else, got fined, and now we can't get it. ”

At this, the pony hoofed his head and whispered, "It's not right to steal!" ”

Second Uncle Hong was stunned there, and after a while, he said: "That cane sugar business, I also heard from the guests from outside the mountain that it was from the Great Song Dynasty, why do you still accept the Jiaozhi people?" ”

"We are not Cochins! I've heard people say, from Luzhou to Langzhou, although I don't know what kind of place it is, but this mountain is from the Great Song Dynasty, and we are all from the Great Song Dynasty! Of course, the Song people can enter the cane sugar business, they can work to receive grain and rice, and they can work to receive copper coins! ”

Speaking of this, the little pony hoof raised his head: "Second uncle, you and the people in the village should go with me to the sugar cane business, there is a doctor there, and you can also earn money, and you will definitely be able to cure your aunt's illness!" (To be continued.) )