By dawn, the rain had finally stopped.

Xu Ping gently put Lin Suniang, who was still asleep, flattened down, got up and walked out of the room.

Although the wasteland after the rain is still chilly, it also has a fresh breath. At this time, the grass on the ground is half green and half yellow, and the green and yellow leaves on the branches are sparse and falling, revealing the autumn weather.

When he turned his head, he saw a horse tethered to the eaves.

When he came here, Xu Ping tied his horse under the eaves to hide from the rain. The horse ran for most of the day yesterday, and there was not much grass in its mouth, and it was hungry all night last night, and it was about to collapse by this time, looking at Xu Ping and letting out a wail.

Xu Ping could only apologize in his heart. At this time, the grass outside was full of rain, and the horse could not be released, so the horse could only continue to starve, and then compensate it when it returned to Zhuangzi.

Horses are delicate animals, they can't stand this kind of tossing, and today they can't count on it.

Lin Suniang's voice came from inside: "Da Lang, you got up early." ”

Xu Ping said: "I just got up, lady, you can rest for a while." ”

Lin Suniang didn't say anything, and only came out of it after a while.

Xu Ping looked at her, it turned out that she had cleaned up in the house, although she had been tossing for a day and a night, she didn't look so haggard, but her face was a little pale.

When she arrived at Xu Ping's side, Lin Suniang said in a low voice: "Is Da Lang feeling better?" ”

"Much better, out of the way."

Having said that, Xu Ping's head actually hurt terribly. I was drenched in the rain for a long time yesterday afternoon, how can I catch a cold so easily? I just don't want Lin Suniang to worry.

Looking outside, Lin Suniang asked, "Da Lang, what should we do today?" ”

Xu Ping sighed: "What else?" You can't wait here. If no one comes, it would be a death to spend the night here. You go eat a pear, and we'll be on our way in a minute. ”

Lin Suniang said: "Da Lang also came to eat one." ”

They each ate a large pear, and with some spirits, they put out the fire and went out of the room.

Xu Ping took the horse, touched its neck, and said in a low voice: "Brother Ma is hard, I still have to carry Su Niang for a ride today, she is delicate, and the road is muddy, so she can't go far." Fortunately, Su Niang's body is light, and it won't take much effort on your part, so when you return to the village, you will be able to eat enough good food. ”

The horse had been retired from the military horse, and had a docile disposition, but only snorted.

Xu Ping helped Lin Suniang to the horse, looked at the direction, and headed north. Even if you can't touch Zhengzhou to the north, you can go to the official road between the east and west of Beijing. This road is the main artery of the Northern Song Dynasty traffic, and it is very lively, as long as you get on the road, you have a way to go home.

I don't know how long I walked with one foot high and one foot low, Xu Ping only felt that his head was about to explode, and his vision was blurred, and he couldn't see what was in front of him clearly. It's just that Lin Suniang is young and a woman, so she can't count on it, so Xu Ping had to grit her teeth and insist.

Seeing that the sun was about to rise overhead, Lin Suniang saw Xu Ping's staggering steps, and said on the horse: "Da Lang, let's take a rest, we won't miss much time." ”

Xu Ping couldn't hold on, so he had to agree, find a clean place to sit with Lin Suniang, let go of the horse, and let it go to find some grass to eat.

Xu Ping calculated, and walked all the way for nearly two hours, and it was nearly twenty miles away. Yesterday was to the southwest direction, at most there are only six or seven miles and ten roads, the official road is almost due east and west through Baisha and Zhengzhou, it seems that there is no accident tonight can go to the official road.

After resting for half an hour and eating a pear, Xu Ping felt that he finally had the strength again, and said to Lin Suniang: "Let's go on the road, this time hurry up, we will definitely be able to meet people before dark." ”

Lin Suniang said: "Da Lang is right, there are no mountains further north, and it is densely populated. ”

After walking a few more miles, Lin Suniang shouted on the horse: "Da Lang, there is a road ahead!" ”

Xu Ping was shocked when he heard this, if there is a road, there will be people, and if there is a family, there will be hot rice and hot water, even if the two of them are saved, they accelerated their pace at the moment.

First, after a harvested wheat field, Xu Ping was even more excited, and it didn't take long to get on the road.

It is a country road that runs east-west, only two or three steps wide, and is bumpy.

Standing on the road, Xu Ping was a little hesitant. At this time, a Zhuangzi was often separated by ten miles and eight miles, and there were even some scattered people's homes, so they might choose where to live. If you go down the road, you will have to travel another 10 or 20 miles before there are residents, and you will also be miserable.

Lin Suniang said: "We just go east, always getting closer and closer to home. ”

Xu Ping also felt that it made sense when he heard it, so he led the horse to the east.

After walking for about two or three miles, she still didn't see the village, but Lin Suniang said: "Da Lang look ahead, are there two people riding horses?" ”

Xu Ping was under the horse and couldn't see that far, so after listening to Lin Suniang's words, he stopped there.

After a while, two horses appeared in front of them, both of which were ridden. At this time, after the rain, the road is soft, and there is no sound of horses' hooves.

Xu Ping looked around, in the wilderness, except for the two people and two horses in front, there was no one in sight. With a move in his heart, he pulled out the long knife and held it in his hand, thought about it and hid it behind his back.

I was afraid that people would rob the road, so don't be regarded as a robber.

It didn't take long for the two horses to get closer, and suddenly they heard a shout from the front: "Is it the little official and the lady of the Lin family?" I'm Gao Daquan! ”

Hearing this, Xu Ping's tense spirit suddenly relaxed, and he could hardly stand.

In the past day and night, he used his will to hold on, and his body almost collapsed. This time I relaxed, and I only felt that there was no pain in my body.

Lin Suniang waved happily on the horse and said yes again and again.

Seeing that there was a response, Gao Daquan galloped over and dismounted to salute Xu Ping.

Xu Ping was already shaky, just waved his hand, unable to speak.

Gao Daquan hurriedly came up and helped Xu Ping up.

Another person came up, and it turned out to be Shi Yannian, which surprised Xu Ping and hurriedly stepped forward to greet him.

Gao Daquan said on the side: "This time, thanks to Shi Guanren, I originally went to the town to look for Sang Xiucai, and I wanted to come out with him to find you." Who knows how to find him, it just so happened that Shi Guanren was eating wine in the town, and when he heard about it, he and I came all the way. Pity you, I've finally found you! ”

Xu Ping hurriedly thanked him.

Shi Yannian said: "I just do it casually, and there is nothing to do with these two days of vacation." I heard you, the banker, say that it may be out of the Kaifeng Mansion realm, and I am afraid that there will be an accident, so I will follow and take a look. ”

This era is different from Xu Ping's previous life, you can run around the country with an ID card. Ordinary people must have a reason to travel through the state and get permission from the government, especially in the countryside, and if there is no explanation, it is likely to be taken as a thief or a smuggler. Although Shi Yannian did not wear an official robe, he still carried it with him, which is the most powerful proof that no one dares to take him without the permission of the imperial court.

After listening to what Gao Daquan said, Xu Ping knew that there was another large army in Zhuangzhong, and more than a dozen Zhuangke were led by Sun Qilang, and followed Lin Wensi to find it in another direction. Lin Wensi has the status of a tribute student, and he can also move around the country freely, and he is not afraid of local people making things difficult.

After the Song Dynasty passed the state middle school and became a tribute student, he basically had two privileges, one was to be exempted from his own service, and the other was to travel around the country. Therefore, some people who have passed the liberation test and feel that they have no hope of going further, will use the convenience brought by these two privileges to do some businessmen's deeds. As for the later Ming and Qing dynasties, people can be officials, and they can give the whole family tax exemption and many other treatments, which are unthinkable at this time.

Xu Ping was close to running out of oil and running out, and he didn't have half the strength. Gao Daquan was riding Xu Ping's horse in the village, so he gave it up to him to ride at this time, took Xu Ping's place and led the horse for Lin Suniang.

Waiting for Xu Ping to get on the horse, Shi Yannian said: "Go down this road, there is a grass market about ten miles away, we can go there to rest." ”

Gao Daquan and Shi Yannian walked along the post road to Putian Town, and felt that it was meaningless to look for it on the official road, so they went down from Putian to the country road and looked for it along the country road, and they just happened to meet it. This is also due to the scarcity of villages in this area at this time, and there are not many rural roads, and the density is lower than that of the roads in Xu Ping's previous life, so there is this luck.

The three rode along the country road for more than half an hour, and finally saw a village.

There are fifty or sixty families in this village, scattered around a large pond. The path passes through the village, and on both sides of the road there are a few places to pick out, but there are all complete, some selling wine, some selling medicine, and some selling groceries.

In front of a tavern, Shi Yannian said to Xu Ping: "Let's eat something here, and we can hurry when we have the strength." There is no inn in this grass market, so it is not easy to stay. Fortunately, after this grass market, I entered the boundary of Kaifeng Prefecture, not far from Baisha Town. ”

Of course, Xu Ping had no objection.

When they entered the shop, they saw that there were only five or six tables and stools, all of which were very dilapidated, and there was not a single customer, knowing that business here was not good.

This kind of country hotel is just a business when the grass market is crowded in the morning, and the market is dispersed at this time, of course, there are no people.

Xu Ping was already hungry, so how could he care about this.

A few people sat down, and an old man with gray hair came over to greet him: "What kind of dishes do the guest officers want?" How much alcohol to drink? ”

Xu Ping said: "What ready-made food do you have here?" ”

The old man said: "There is a good snowflake yellow beef, do you want to come a few catties?" ”

Xu Ping was taken aback, he didn't expect beef to be sold here, this is a forbidden thing, and he couldn't help but glance at Shi Yannian who was sitting next to him. Seeing that he looked calm and had no unusual expression, he said to the shopkeeper, "Let's take three catties of beef first." What else is hot that is not? ”

The old man nodded hurriedly: "There are also chickens and geese, but they all have to be slaughtered and cooked." If the guest officer wants to eat rice and eat cakes, I can weigh some rice noodles for you in the store, and you will not charge for firewood, and you will cook it yourself. ”

Xu Ping smiled bitterly: "Then forget it, just serve us beef and the wine will be hot." Also, I have a few horses outside, you can find some good food to feed, and I will calculate the money together later. ”

The old man was a little disappointed and turned around to get busy.

This kind of rural wine merchant is not as good as the city and town, just selling wine, and the others are all partners, and they will not spend that effort to prepare. Rural people have low spending power, and they don't have enough money to make a lot of tricks.

After a while, wine and meat came up.

The meat is solid beef, just coarsely done, but cooked. The wine is very turbid, not to mention the sorghum Daqu made by Xu Ping, and even the rice wine in his restaurant is clearer than this.

This kind of rural wine households have a fixed tax amount of dozens or hundreds of wen a year, and there are few or even a few wen, and the government is too lazy to take care of it, so they toss it around.

Xu Ping was so hungry that he took a large piece of beef and sent it to his mouth. The meat is badly boiled and has a strong flavor, but it is so light that it doesn't taste good.

Xu Ping swallowed his stomach and said to the old man: "Master, your beef is too light, send us some salt, so you can dip it in your mouth!" ”

The old man looked bitter when he heard this: "Guest officer, in the countryside, salt is a precious thing, and you have to add additional money." ”

Xu Ping didn't care about him, he just called him up and asked the store to put a bowl of salt water next to him.

Shi Yannian and Gao Daquan barely drank a bowl of wine, and they couldn't eat anymore. This wine is as light as water, and the taste is not right, where are they interested?

Xu Ping said to Shi Yannian: "Officials eat a little, please drink good wine in the evening." ”

Shi Yannian smiled: "Then why don't I keep my stomach until the night?" ”

As a result, Xu Ping ate and drank alone, Lin Suniang frowned and ate a little beef, and Shi Yannian and Gao Daquan just watched from the side.

Shi Yannian is an official eunuch in the end, and his mouth is understandable, but he didn't expect Gao Daquan to stay in Xu Pingzhuang for more than half a year, and his mouth has become tricky.

Filling his stomach, Xu Ping finally had some spirit and asked Gao Daquan to go to the account.

Gao Daquan came out to find someone, and he had a few pieces of money that Xu Chang specially handed over to him.

The old man calculated the accounts, and to Xu Ping's surprise, there were only more than 300 yuan, and the price was really low. You must know that although Xu Ping didn't eat much of the three catties of beef, he had to pack it and take it away, and it was the first time he ate beef when he came to this world, and he didn't want to waste it. That's a lot of money, not to mention a belly of horse feed.

But I didn't know that due to the policy of the imperial court, beef on the surface was the cheapest meat. In rural areas, beef cannot be sold in the city, and of course it is not expensive. The so-called stealing cattle to make a fortune are all in the prosperous places of the city, and they can be secretly sold quickly, but they do not include this country tavern.

Looking at the sky, the sun was already in the west, and the four of them did not dare to delay.

Xu Ping took Lin Suniang to ride with him, and the ravaged Li Wei's horse carried a tall and heavy weight. This horse has just eaten a stomach of good food, and it is just time to eat, and it is difficult for it.

Fortunately, there is only about twenty miles ahead, and there is no need to rush on horseback.