Xiuxiu brought back breakfast, but three steamed buns and a bowl of millet porridge. It's been like this for the past few days, Xu Ping didn't care, he took the steamed bun and ate it.

took a bite, only to find that Xiuxiu was looking at herself strangely, and couldn't help but ask her, "Why are you looking at me like this?" Don't you eat it? One more today. ”

Xiuxiu snorted: "I went to the kitchen, and Granny Hong said that it would be good to bring something back to the officials, anyway, the officials don't eat, they all want to go to the town to eat and drink." ”

Xu Ping said: "That old pious woman is hateful! You don't have to listen to her, you can eat it too. ”

But I was a little impatient in my heart, when I was a gentleman, I really didn't eat at home, I had to go to the restaurant to set a table, this is the style of the children of the capital.

Xiuxiu stood aside, pinched a steamed bun and got it up, glanced at Xu Ping secretly, and took a bite gently.

After breakfast, Xiuxiu cleaned up, Xu Ping sat at the table and rinsed his mouth, closing his eyes to recuperate.

These days have been adapting to this identity, adapting to the world, not thinking too much, since I have accepted this change, life can't be so muddy, at least when it comes to eating, although I don't pay much attention to it, but with the conditions, who doesn't want to eat a little more smoothly?

Steamed porridge every morning, good or bad, is it also a rich child? It's better to eat well in your previous life, and you can't go on like this anymore.

When it comes to eating in the Song Dynasty, if it was in the previous life, there must have been a bit of yearning. The bustling Bianliang of Tokyo is a myth in Chinese history.

But this is not the city of Tokyo, this is the countryside of Kaifeng Prefecture, although it is only a few dozen miles away from Tokyo, but it is completely two worlds.

In the previous life, when it came to the Central Plains, it must have been fertile and densely populated, but now it is not like that. At this time, the Central Plains was full of yellow sand, sparsely populated, and many places were half-farming and half-pasture. In the troubled times of more than 100 years, thousands of miles have been killed again and again, and the vitality of the Central Plains has long been exhausted.

At this time, China, or the world's two largest cities, were located in the Central Plains, Kaifeng in Tokyo, and Luoyang in Xijing, but around these two capitals, it was a different scene. Everywhere is wasteland, uncultivated, only used for sheep and horses. Taking Zhengzhou between the two capitals as an example, it was a city with an explosive population in later generations, and the population density was claimed to exceed that of Beijing, but the population at this time was only a few hundredth of that of later generations, and even less than one-tenth of that of the Tang Dynasty. The description of the people of the time, "There are no three temples in the north and south, and there is only one street in the east and west." There is no feast at four o'clock and eight festivals, and there are more boundary cards in the middle of the night. "Not to mention other rural places.

If we make a metaphor in later generations, the east and west capitals are surrounded by the poverty belt around the two capitals, and it is much more serious than the poverty belt around Beijing and Tianjin in the previous life. Due to the flooding of the Yellow River, the land here has long been unsuitable for farming, and it is sparsely populated and there is not enough manpower to manage it. Due to the location around the two capitals, a large number of people were sucked away, hundreds of thousands of soldiers, officials at all levels of government in the eastern and western capitals, royal families, officials at all levels, imperial tombs, and of course, countless conscripts in the Yellow River and Bianhe, the population was simply not enough to develop production.

It is often said that since the Tang Dynasty, China's economic center of gravity has shifted to the southeast, which often refers to the development of Jiangnan, but rarely mentions the withering of the Central Plains. At this time, in the north of China, the more desolate the center, but the two wings are much better, the east of Jingdong Road, which is later Shandong Subei, and the west of Shaanxi Road, these two places are still prosperous. And the area around Liangjing, which is located in the center, is a place where there is almost no hope.

Xu Ping is now located in the grange of Zhongmu, which is said to be at the foot of the Son of Heaven, the first good district, but in fact, the conditions are as difficult as the border wilderness. If you want to eat well, you either have to go to the city of Tokyo or do it yourself.

Xiuxiu finished cleaning up, came back and stood beside Xu Ping, and didn't speak.

Xu Ping opened his eyes and asked her, "Do you know how to cook?" ”

Xiuxiu replied: "Yes, my mother has to do life, and I cook it." ”

"That's good."

Xu Ping stood up, saw that Xiuxiu was still holding her little burden tightly, and said to her, "Find a place for you to live first." ”

There are three main rooms in this small courtyard in Xuping, one is used as a living room, one is a bedroom, and one is a study. On each side of the main room there was an ear room.

Xu Ping led Xiuxiu outside the ear room on the left and said to her: "You will live here in the future, go in and clean up, I will have something to do in a while." ”

Xiuxiu opened the door and saw that there were beds and tables inside, and the bedding was complete, so she hesitated suddenly: "I'm a subordinate, how can I live in such a place?" ”

Xu Ping said: "This was originally a guest room, and I didn't have any guests to come, so I made a show." Just stay and tell me what you need. ”

Xiuxiu hesitated and didn't dare to go in.

Xu Ping said: "Why are you so unhappy. ”

Xiuxiu went in with a small bag and closed the door easily, and she didn't know what to do inside.

After a while, Xiuxiu opened the door and came out, with a smile between her eyebrows, and bowed to Xu in a low voice: "Thank you, official." ”

Xu Ping said: "You come with me, and we will open a small stove to cook by ourselves in the future." ”

Next is the Xiuxiu ear room is two wings, which are used as kitchens. It was all planned when the house was built, and it was never fired.

Xiuxiu said cautiously: "Official, I don't know if I should talk about it or not, it's not early now, aren't you going to say hello to Lin Xiucai?" ”

Xu Ping was stunned. In this era, respect for teachers is important, and when his teacher came, it stands to reason that he should get up early every day to say hello.

Thinking of his poor ancient literary skills, Xu Ping said to Xiuxiu: "Mr. has a tired journey, don't bother, it's not too late to go tomorrow." ”

Xiuxiu didn't say anything anymore and obediently followed behind Xu Ping.

As soon as Xiuxiu said it, Xu Ping was also a little uncomfortable, and comforted himself in his heart: "The teacher has just failed in the imperial examination, and he must be uncomfortable, let him calm himself, it is also for his good." ”

At this time, the imperial examination system was moving towards standardization, which was very different from the later ones. In the previous life, if it was in this era, I would definitely wonder what joy there was in the middle of the move. At this time, it is rare to say that people are lifted, but it is said that they have passed the liberation test, and they are called Gongsheng, or Township Gong Jinshi, and Township Tribute Subjects, and they can participate in the provincial examination. After passing the provincial test and the palace test, as long as you fail in the last level, everything will have to start all over again. The release test is a one-time qualification exam, and you will have to do it again next time, so once you fall behind, it is nothing.

Even lifting people doesn't count, and there is no show talent. At this time, Xiucai is the honorific title for scholars, which means that learning is very good, so Xiuxiu and Zhang Sanniang are both called Lin Wensi Lin Xiucai, although Xu Ping feels weird.

When I entered the kitchen, what I saw at a glance was a large pot on the stove, which made Xu Ping a little kind, and it was somewhat similar to the earthen stoves in the countryside in later generations. However, at this time, it was not popular to stir-fry like in later generations, and the so-called stir-fry was mostly dry stir-frying, rather than stir-frying with oil, and this large pot was used for steaming and cooking. Xu Ping still has a lot to do if he wants to eat a meal that suits his taste.

There are also many small kitchenware next to it, all of which are used to make current food, Xu Ping is not interested, his goal is this cauldron.

When he arrived at the pot, Xu Ping saw that the pot was still clean, and said to Xiuxiu: "You light the fire." ”

Xiuxiu went to the side to get firewood and said, "Didn't the official eat enough just now?" ”

Xu Ping shook his head and didn't speak.

I don't know when this firewood was placed here, it's almost rotten. Xiuxiu took firewood, lit a fire, and lit a fire under the stove.

Xu Ping touched the pot with his hand, Xiuxiu saw it, and hurriedly said: "Officials, don't do these things, this is what our subordinates do." Wait a minute, I'll go fetch some water to brush the pot. ”

Xu Ping said: "No need. ”

After speaking, the hand he held spread out in front of Xiuxiu, and there were five or six peanuts inside.

Seeing Xiuxiu's puzzled expression, Xu Ping smiled, sprinkled the peanuts in his hand into the pot like dice, and flipped them a few times.

Xiuxiu shouted "ah", hurriedly stood up, and said to Xu Ping: "The officials are far away, so I'll do it." ”

"Burn the fire with peace of mind, you can't control the fire."

After Xu Ping finished speaking, his hand stirred the peanuts in the pot a few times, and the hot temperature came, and the warm feeling seeped into his heart.

Seeing that the peanut skin changed color, Xu Ping asked Xiuxiu to put out the fire, and casually fished out the peanuts in the pot, took one and put it in Xiuxiu's hand.

Xiuxiu stuck out her tongue: "It's so hot!" ”

Xu Ping taught Xiuxiu to peel the peanuts and eat two.

Xiuxiu praised the fragrance and asked Xu Ping: "Why didn't the officials fire the others?" ”

Xu Ping patted her on the head: "You are also a child of a poor family, don't you know that you would rather be hungry than eat seeds?" By the way, haven't you ever fried before? ”

Xiuxiu dodged away and whispered: "Our hands are so dirty, officials, wait, I'll go get some water to wash it." ”

Although he said so, his feet did not move. She's an eight-year-old girl, where can she get water? As for fried peanuts, how can they be eaten by the poor? Such a big iron pot costs a lot of money, and they still use crockpots for cooking at home, anyway, stir-fry is not popular now, how can there be this spare money to make up for the fence?

Xu Ping didn't care, took her hand and returned to his residence, and took out a large porcelain bowl. There was clear water inside, soaked in other peanut kernels, and said to Xiuxiu: "Let's go farming." ”

Xiuxiu didn't have any ideas, just followed Xu Ping.

When he left the hospital gate, he met Xu Chang standing idly in front of his residence. The small courtyard where he used to live has been given to Granny Hong, moved to the gatehouse, and is also a janitor.

Seeing Xu Ping come out with a bowl, Xu Chang said, "Da Lang, where are you going?" ”

Xu Ping said: "I'm going to plant this." By the way, you follow me with a hoe. ”

Xu Chang didn't know what Xu Ping was doing, so he went to the library to get a hoe.

After a while, he came out, followed by five or six idlers, all of whom were bankers in the village. There are now more than 20 tenants in this grange, and due to the drought, there is no work to do, and they are all idle at home, but they only raise pigs and feed chickens. This grange is more than ten miles around, tens of thousands of acres of land, and more than 20 people can't plant it at all. However, the preferential policy when buying land has not paid taxes in recent years, and the Xu family does not care.

Hearing that Xu Ping was going to farm, these people came out to watch the excitement together as if they were watching a show.