Jianzhou, Fujian Road Transit Envoy Yamen.

Yu Xianqing put down the letter in his hand and said to Xu Shen, the governor of Jianzhou, who was sitting opposite: "This Yongzhou general judge Xu Ping is also a good person, and the letter said that at the end of the year, 200,000 catties of sugar will be shipped to Fujian, and the price per catty will be 550 wen, and they will pay for the freight, and ask us to sell it." This price is much lower than that set by the three divisions, and the money and food of the states in the coming year will not have to be so tight. ”

Xu Shen said: "For the sake of Yongzhou, we have tossed Fujian Road for a few months, which is also how it should be." I heard Wu Chunqing talk about this Xu Ping, the family originally opened a restaurant, and also opened a sugar shop, knows how to broker, and it seems that he has a lot of means to collect money. Since it has been asked for us, we cannot let it go easily. ”

In the same year of Xu Ping, Wu Yu, the provincial yuan, was a native of Pucheng, Jianzhou, and his father Wu asked Zhenzong to serve as an official of the Ministry of Rites, a real official family, and the governor of this place was naturally familiar with him. In fact, not only Wu Yu, but also there are no less than ten Jianzhou Jinshi in the first branch of Tiansheng in the fifth year and Xu Ping, and the ability of Fujian Road to take the imperial examination is quite terrifying.

"It makes sense, there is no reason why we are out of Fujian Road, and we are infamous for him, but we can't get any benefits. The 200,000 catties of sugar will be set first, as long as he wants someone there, he will have to give him some blood every year. ”

Xu Shen nodded yes. A few months ago, the state recruited people to go to Yongzhou, and he was scolded miserably, and it was a good thing to save his image by reducing some money and grain with sugar profits. The tax amount of Fujian Road was basically determined according to the local government before the Song Dynasty, and a certain degree of reduction and exemption was made, but it was still high. In particular, the Qian family dedicated the country peacefully, and the money and grain paid after entering the Song Dynasty were heavier than the original Southern Tang Dynasty, and the local people were naturally unbalanced.

"Another point, the letter said that our people saved some money when they arrived in Yongzhou, and he reported to the Third Division, agreeing to let our states send money to those people's families according to the flying ticket, and the Third Division transferred money from other roads to make up for us. Xu Ping deliberately proposed to let the prefectures and counties unveil the list of townships and distribute them uniformly by the yamen, but it was not good to refute his face. ”

Xu Shenqi said: "Why did he make such a big move? How much money can you have? ”

Yu Xianqing shook his head disdainfully: "How many can there be?" One person is only a few bucks. Xu Ping knew that the people who were issued must be full of resentment at home, and the local people's hearts were shaken, and they used money to appease the people's hearts. It's not a bad thing for us, starting tomorrow, you will send an order to the counties, unveil the countryside, and choose an auspicious day for those who have families to go to Yongzhou to collect the money in the state and county. He has a list attached here, and you take the Jianzhou first. ”

Xu Shen glanced at the directory and was taken aback: "So many? Each of these people is no less than three full money, and it has only been a few months, so where can he send out so much money? ”

"Why is there a big commotion, can he not give people an advance? If you have more money, you can say that there is a light on your face. However, the letter said that there was another time at the end of the year, and I don't know how Yongzhou got so much money, so let's leave him alone! ”

Just the money sent by these 3,000 immigrants to Fujian Road, so that there are tens of thousands of yuan every year, Yu Xianqing also felt that his eyelids jumped when he saw it, and Yongzhou's handwriting was so big that he didn't expect. However, as a state transit envoy, he can't act like he hasn't seen money.

One day in mid-July, the drizzle kept falling, Lin Apeng brought a hat and a basket to go to the well to wash the wild vegetables dug yesterday, and her son Iron Hammer took her hand pitifully, her eyes blinked, and her thin little face was full of vegetables.

Lin Apeng sighed and broke his son's hand ruthlessly.

The family has been without food for five or six days, so they live by digging wild vegetables, and they don't know when the little millet planted in the mountains will come down, and they don't know how many days they can eat when they come down. Looking at his son with a long sigh, I don't know when this kind of day will be the end, and my five-year-old son doesn't know how old he can raise it.

The husband's forestry was recruited to Yongzhou at the end of February, and at that time there was no odd job to do, and there was no finch and rabbit in the mountains. The people in the village saw that the mother and son were pitiful, and several people said that Ah Peng would marry someone else, and Ah Peng didn't know how long he could end, life was like a mountain pressing on his body, and no one could help but bow his head.

Quietly wiping her tears and just getting out of the hospital, the second sister-in-law Li in the village hurriedly passed by, saw Ah Peng, and shouted: "Ah Peng, why are you still at home and don't go to the county to get money?" ”

Lin Apeng was taken aback: "What kind of money?" ”

"Ahh The white wall at the intersection has been revealed, and people who go to Yongzhou have sent money to their families, with your man's name! The one in our family also has money to send back, so you can go with me. God is pitiful, I have been married into this family for twelve years, and for the first time, I have money to bring home! ”

After Li's second sister-in-law finished speaking, she left in a hurry.

Lin Apeng was suspicious and followed Li's second sister-in-law closely.

Li's second sister-in-law's family is different from the Lin family, her man is good at drinking and gambling, and she is a disaster star who is born a loser, sending the man out, Li Er's sister-in-law almost beat the gong and drum to celebrate, and it is easier to raise the children by herself.

When I arrived at the entrance of the village, I saw Bai Shaoren surrounded by the white wall on the side of the road, some people read the names on it loudly, and others chattered and commented. Fujian Road is so good, there are many literate people, and if the government has something to do, as long as the list is unveiled in various white walls in the countryside, it will soon spread all over the township, and there is no need for the village scholars to shout everywhere.

Seeing Li's second sister-in-law and Lin Apeng, an idle man in the village shouted: "You two women, if you have money, you can't make a profit, but the money is much closer than the man!" ”

The crowd burst into laughter.

Another humane: "For the government to unveil the list, how much money do the men of these two families have to send back?" Could it be a coherent copper coin, a horse of ayaro? ”

"After going out for a few months, there will be a steady stream of money sent back, where is Yongzhou a mountain of gold and silver? However, the government has become a household name, and there should always be three or two hundred texts! ”

In the midst of laughter, Lin Apeng lowered his head and followed behind Li's second sister-in-law, and rushed to the county seat along the road.

I don't dare to expect a coherent copper coin, thank God I can buy two buckets of rice for hundreds of dollars, the mother and son eat a little thin, so that they can survive this month or two, and they can deal with it for a year.

When he arrived at the county seat, Lin Apeng felt that everyone in the city was looking at him, and he was panicked, how could he feel like a thief? Do men really have the money to send it back? She always felt that it wasn't true.

When I arrived at the gate of the yamen, I saw that there were already twenty or thirty people lined up there, and there was a table in front of me, and the chief bookkeeper of the county was standing aside and watching. Behind the table, the township managers are either in the middle or the township scrivener, and the three officials are one to inspect the person, one to send money, and one to let people draw a flower according to their handprints.

The people who left were really holding a lot of copper coins, and there were really a lot of copper coins!

Lin Apeng followed behind Li's second sister-in-law in a daze, only feeling like a dream, and I don't know when it was my turn. That second sister-in-law Li, who is from a village, ran away by herself after receiving the money.

"What's the name?" The official in charge asked without raising his head.

"Lin-Apeng-"

"What? No one! The official still didn't look up, and his tone was cold.

Lin Apeng only felt his head bang on the ground, and almost fell. Sure enough, it's all a lie, everything is a lie! Where in the world is there such a good thing?

"Not for you! Not to ask you! Ask your man's name! ”

The people standing behind stabbed the dazed Lin Apeng one by one, and stomped his feet in a hurry.

Lin Apeng heard it faintly, and involuntarily spoke: "Forestry-"

The official actually heard it clearly, flipped through the list on the table, turned around and shouted: "It's the same person as the one just now, what about the village scrivener?" ”

A middle-aged man who was drinking water turned his head, put the water down and approached, and said: "Yes, yes, this is the Hun family of forestry, there is nothing wrong!" ”

"Liuguan, let's go over there and draw a charge!"

The middle-aged man pulled Lin Apeng and went to the official next to him.

Watching the servant take out a large pile of copper coins from under the table, Lin Apeng looked left and right, and asked blankly, "This is mine?" My man sent it back? ”

The boss of the officials was impatient: "Is it difficult or I gave it to you?" Take it and go! Next-"

The middle-aged man helped Lin Apeng to receive the money into her basket of wild vegetables, and she could barely carry it. Lin Apeng gritted his teeth and held on to it, not letting go at all.

When he arrived in front of the next official, Lin Apeng drew a charge like a puppet and made a handprint. The middle-aged man drew the same charge on the side, proving that the money was sent to the right person.

Seeing that Lin Apeng took the money and stood still in a daze, stupid, the middle-aged man patted her: "Apeng, don't hurry home after receiving the money!" Cut a pound of meat for your hammer to eat! ”

Lin Apeng came to his senses as soon as he could, and somehow tears flowed down, and said to the middle-aged man: "Third Uncle Qin, I'll invite you to drink another day-"

The middle-aged man said: "Besides, you go home first." Six times is not a small amount, money should not be exposed, you cover it with wild vegetables in the basket, be careful on the road! ”

Looking at Lin Apeng's departing back and struggling to walk, this village scrivener sighed secretly, when will he be so pressed by money that he can't walk! Is Yongzhou really a mountain of gold and silver?

It is also raining in Yongzhou, much heavier than in Jianzhou, and the rain flows down from the surrounding undulating mountains, and streams rush to the surrounding plains, flow into Ruheshui, split the stone mountains, and flow into the Yujiang River.

On the side of the inspection village is another river, which flows north to Guwanzhai in the mountains and joins the Zuojiang River, which is called the Milky Way.

In the rain, more than 100 people gathered in the valley by the river, all dressed in robes and hats, and sheltered from the rain by the tall trees at the foot of the mountain.

Li Erlang shrank back, looked at the endless rain curtain, leaned against the middle-aged man beside him, and said, "Brother Lin, the money we sent should also arrive at home, right?" ”

The middle-aged man said leisurely: "It's time to arrive, the general judgment says that it is a flying ticket, and it will be soon." ”

"By the way, how much did you send home?"

"Liuguan. Ah Peng has suffered with me for many years, and I can't lose her. ”

"Why are there so many? The official only advanced three months' wages! Li Erlang was taken aback, and then his face fell, "I only sent two times, and I can't hide the news from a village, and my mother-in-law should scold me again." Alas, God testifies, since I arrived in Yongzhou, I have never gambled! ”

Forestry patted Li Erlang on the shoulder: "Don't worry, as long as you have money to send back, your family should be satisfied." For so many years, I have never heard of you taking money from your family, and if it weren't for the strict prohibition of gambling by officials, I don't think you would have been able to send back these two pieces of money. ”

Li Erlang shook his head vigorously: "That's it, just quit my gambling nature." By the way, Brother Lin, how did you get so much money? I can't save without eating or drinking. ”

Forestry looked around, attached Li Erlang's ear and said: "Reading in the same village, I only say it to one person, and I must not spread it." -- In my spare time, I like to wander around the surrounding mountains, and in the past few months, I have caught dozens of clams, and I have also gotten some musk, which I have sold and saved in Yongzhou City. ”

"Does that make that?"

"Why not? Barbarians can hunt, but we can't? ”

Just as he was at the end, a voice pierced through the rain curtain: "What's the matter, I ran to the foot of the mountain again!" Didn't I say that there is nowhere to run when the torrent comes down! Stand in the valley! ”

Xu Ping and Zhang Rong came out of the inspection village and stood at the gate of the village and yelled at the crowd.