Yizhou Prefecture, Tanshan City.

Under the dim dusk mixed with earthy smell.

A young man wearing short brown trousers, with a rather large frame and a somewhat sallow complexion, was walking cautiously through the streets.

Not only did he look around vigilantly, but he also subconsciously covered his bulging skirt with his hands.

He didn't even care that his bruised and swollen face was exposed.

"Today I went out to the city to dig up grass roots, and even got into a fight with others over the territory. I managed to keep these gains with great difficulty.

With this pack of grass roots, my wife and I can survive for two more days."

The calloused palms protect not the grass roots, but the couple's hope of survival.

"Yesterday I heard that His Royal Highness King Jing of Dengzhou Prefecture next door issued the "Announcement of Peace of Mind."

As long as you enter Dengzhou Prefecture, you don't have to worry about starving to death. If you have a skill, you can still get wages.

I, Xu Wenkang, am not only a good blacksmith well known far and wide, but I am also well-educated. Xiaofu is an outstanding female beauty. If I can escape to Dengzhou Prefecture, I will definitely be able to accomplish something.

However, the Yizhou government has set up checkpoints at all levels. If you want to pass the customs, adults must pay three thousand coins and children must pay two thousand coins. If you escape, you will be executed if caught.

A few days ago, in order to buy the high-priced grains in the government treasury, my family had already spent many years of savings. How could we go out?

I just hope that His Highness King Jing, who is said to have captured Dongchang Prefecture, can come to Yizhou Prefecture as soon as possible."

In the eyes of Xu Wenkang, an honest common man.

In this magical world, there is no flying, escaping or magical powers. All it has is firewood, rice, oil and salt, and two meals a day.

But even this humble wish cannot be realized.

There was a severe flood last year and a severe drought this year. The drought is particularly serious.

The fields have been harvestless for a whole year, which is a devastating blow to ordinary farmers who have no grain in their hands.

Craftsmen such as blacksmiths and weavers are naturally affected and cannot survive alone.

He walked hurriedly into an alley.

"San'er, San'er, my San'er, where are you? Come out quickly, don't scare me..."

There happened to be a crazy woman passing by him, calling out a nickname repeatedly, as if she had accidentally lost her child.

But Xu Wenkang clearly saw that she was holding a dead child with bruised skin in her arms, and there were many flies lingering around, buzzing.

Xu Wenkang didn't have much fear of the dead, but could not help but feel some pity.

In troubled times, everyone is suffering. This woman probably couldn't accept the fact that her child died. She was obviously completely crazy.

Watching the other person gradually go away.

But when the woman was passing by a small alley, she saw several strong and strong arms suddenly stretching out from the dark alley and pulling her in.

After just a few sobs, there was no trace again.

"live..."

Xu Wenkang stretched out his hand, but his feet seemed to be filled with lead. After all, he was unable to take the step to save people.

Gritting her teeth, she turned around and left.

"These days, the daughter of the Cui family in the city has been giving porridge at the west gate, and Xiaofu and I have also had two bowls.

Not only are people beautiful but also kind-hearted, and there are countless living people...

But such a good person was nowhere to be found just because he returned to the city a little later than usual last night.

When he was discovered again this morning, his entire body had been eaten by a group of scabies-covered refugees!

Mrs. Cui, who had been fasting and chanting Buddha's name all her life, cried and passed out on the spot.

Just because the blind fortune teller in Xicheng said that the fresh flesh of a pure and kind person is the best medicine in the world, and it is the best medicine for curing diseases.

After hearing this, those refugees had evil thoughts.

I can’t be a good person in this world, my wife is still waiting for me to go back, I can’t be a good person, I can’t!”

The virtuous and house-keeping wife Xiaofu

, is Xu Wenkang’s biggest spiritual support to this day.

With a pure character, knowledgeable and courteous, Xu Wenkang regarded her as a lifelong blessing to be able to marry her.

If he was gone, he couldn't imagine how his wife could continue to live in this kind of world.

But.

Holding the bag of hard-earned grass roots in his arms, he carefully walked through the back alleys and returned to his home.

After calling his wife's name a few times as if to take credit, but surprisingly he didn't get any response.

Xu Wenkang suddenly felt a little flustered.

"Xiaofu, Xiaofu!"

He quickly rushed into their bedroom, only to see three thousand Wen Jianming Tong Bao neatly stacked on the table, with a piece of letter paper underneath.

Seeing the three thousand dollars, Xu Wenkang's heart skipped a beat again.

He picked up the letter with trembling hands and read his wife's final letter, which was still stained with tears.

"Seeing words is like seeing face. I am loved and cared for by my husband. I am satisfied in this life, but I know that I cannot hinder my husband's life. I can only see him again in the next life...

If a husband and wife starve to death together year after year, it is better for the concubine to go to the vegetable market. If you get three thousand yuan, you can travel one mile.

The hibiscus texture becomes fragrant when cooked, and the meat is used to make wontons, and people are eager to try it. Cut off the two arms and hang them in the butcher shop, then cut off the thighs and hold them for soup.

He insisted on fresh meat even without orders, and saw every piece of it go into the bellies of hungry people. Several people were buried alive with their intestines full, but luckily the black kite didn't peck it early..."

Instead of us starving to death together, it would be better for me to go to the vegetable market and get money to support my husband on his journey to find a way to survive. A piece of meat can help you travel one mile.

In three days, my flesh will be buried in the human stomach, leaving only a ghost, hoping to see me again in the next life.

After reading this letter, Xu Wenkang felt his eyes suddenly go dark, and he let out a cry of blood:

"Xiao Fu, without you, what's the point of even if I can survive?

You have to wait for me!"

Without hesitation, he threw away the grass roots in his arms, grabbed the three thousand coins and wrapped them around his waist, and rushed like crazy to the innermost corner of the city's market - the vegetable market!

...

At about the same time, Wang Yuan and Huang Wu walked into Tanshan City in a carriage.

After unfolding the [Dharma Body of Two Realms], they seemed to be wandering in another realm, and ordinary Master Huang Zhuan could not detect their shadows at all.

It’s just that this time I passed through [Ghost Pass] and returned to Dayan from Dushuo Mountain.

Along the way, they couldn't help but suspect that they had not come from the fairy mountain to the human world, but had stepped from fairyland to hell in one step!

It is unimaginable that in just one month, the situation in some places has collapsed to this point.

I thought that Tanshan City was at least a little better than other places, but I found that the misery was even worse than outside the city...

Not only did the government fail to provide relief to the victims, but they were all busy levying exorbitant taxes, crushing the bones and sucking out the marrow, trying to squeeze out the last trace of life from the people.

Pedestrians on the street looked like zombies, their eyes had lost their luster.

When she got here, Huang Wu couldn't help but scold her useless brother:

"What a useless thing. It's been almost a month since we just captured Dongchang Mansion. When can we get here and kill all these dog officials?"

When you get back, send that bitch Lao Hei over and let them all know what real efficiency is!

It really pisses me off!"

Wang Yuan could only pat the girl's back to calm her down, but he didn't dare to say a word to help his eldest cousin.

He made it clear that it was really not his fault.

The people of Dayan were registered according to their household registration records such as Min, Zao, Confucianism, Medicine, Yin and Yang, Craftsman, Military and so on.

As of the 15th year of Jianming's reign, when it still had the ability to roughly govern the country, the imperial court estimated that the country's population was about 60 million, and the records were well documented in the yellow books.

However, those immortal officials with unpredictable powers in [Nine Soldiers] have calculated more accurate figures.

Those people registered in the register to provide taxes for the dynasty, plus

There are various kinds of hidden households, and the total population living in the Kyushu land of Great Yan is actually about 200 million.

The 140 million that do not need to pay taxes is actually the "dragon energy" embezzled by the powerful, gentry, Taoists and temples in various places.

From public to private, they continue to suck blood from the country.

The burden on the remaining 60 million people will naturally become heavier and heavier, and sooner or later they will completely collapse.

Nowadays, everyone is treated equally. In the troubled times, there is no distinction between good people, seclusion, ups and downs in the troubled times, and drifting with the tide. Everything is not up to oneself.

As the disaster years continue and become more severe, it will have to wait until the number of people dying is equal to the food output before it can come to an end.

Then it lasted until the end of the Little Ice Age and started the next warming cycle.
To be continued...