Coming to a shady alley, the brother and sister sat down against the wall.
Zhao Zhenfang held the remaining handful of steamed buns with dirty hands: "Second brother, you eat, I'm full."
Zhao Han did not refuse, but smiled happily. He divided the food into two halves again and handed half back to his sister: "Share it."
"Um."
Zhao Zhenfang tore up the crumbs of the steamed buns and put them in her mouth. She was reluctant to chew or swallow, and could only taste the fragrance of the food with her tongue.
Seeing Zhao Han looking at her, Zhao Zhenfang seemed to have forgotten her sorrow and smiled happily: "Second brother, the steamed buns are so delicious."
Zhao Han stroked his sister's head and promised: "When my second brother makes money, I will let you have steamed buns to eat every day."
"That's really good." Zhao Zhenfang said longingly.
After putting his little girl to sleep, the smile on Zhao Han's face suddenly disappeared. He picked up the dog beating stick and ground it on the ground. He still didn't have much strength, and the speed of sharpening the weapon was very slow, but one end of the dog beating stick was sharpened after all.
stand up.
A simple bamboo spear is formed, and it can kill people at critical moments.
What he had just experienced made Zhao Han deeply realize that in addition to the possibility of starving to death at any time, there are countless potential dangers waiting for him.
Stroking the bamboo spear, Zhao Han finally felt a sense of security and had the illusion that he could control his own destiny.
In the evening, Zhao Zhenfang woke up and was hungry again.
Zhao Han held a bamboo spear in one hand and supported his sister with the other, walking along the street.
After each eating half a steamed bun and resting for half a day, the brother and sister recovered a little strength. At least they didn't have to crawl like dogs when begging for food.
When Zhao Han came to the back door of a certain house, he beat it for a while, and finally someone came to open the door. Before he could open his mouth to beg, the other party saw the two brothers and sisters and slammed the door.
I knocked on four or five more stores along the way, but only one did not close directly.
"Madam, please do a good job and give it to the one who stutters. Bodhisattva will bless you with a long life." Zhao Han hurriedly said auspicious words.
The woman said: "There is really no food left at home. You can go begging for food elsewhere."
We live in a small household, and we don’t have enough to eat during the famine years. How can we have food to help the poor and beggars?
When Zhao Han saw that he couldn't get any food, he said, "Can I give you some water? I'm very thirsty."
The woman was kind-hearted and never refused: "Just wait."
The door is closed.
After a while, the woman opened the door again, scooped out a ladle of water, frowned and asked, "Where is your begging bowl?"
Zhao Han casually joked: "I was beaten to pieces by a few beggars. They don't allow me to beg for food here."
The woman was even more compassionate, handed the water ladle and said, "Take it and drink."
Zhao Han first let the little girl drink water to quench her thirst, and then poured the remaining water into her belly. He returned the water ladle, bowed and said, "Thank you so much, my benefactor!"
"He is also a young master in trouble. Alas!" The woman sighed and closed the door.
He knows etiquette at a young age, how can he not be a young master in trouble?
After Zhao Han drank water, he finally regained some energy. He did not continue to beg for food in this back street alley, but went all the way to Pier East Street, which is the most prosperous place in Tianjin.
Night has fallen, but North Pier East Street is brightly lit.
Because the cargo ship ran aground in the canal, a large number of merchants stayed here. The inns were already full, and some wealthy merchants could not find a place to stay, so they simply settled in the brothels outside Beicheng.
Outside the canal, the ground is full of hungry people, but Pier East Street is blooming with flowers, and the aroma of wine and meat can be heard from the restaurants.
Zhao Han chose a restaurant and squatted at the door waiting for the wealthy guests.
As soon as he stood still, a shop assistant came out and drove him away with a stick: "Little beggar, get away quickly!"
Zhao Han hurriedly said: "My ancestor was an imperial chef and had an exclusive secret recipe for cooking. It only costs ten taels of silver..."
"Get out!" The store clerk hit him with a stick.
Zhao Han raised his bamboo spear to block the attack, and pulled his sister back continuously, standing far away waiting for the wealthy guest to enjoy the meal.
As a result, he didn't get any food, but instead provoked a group of beggars.
The beggars Zhao Han killed before were mainly active in Pier North Street. Pier East Street is the territory of another group of beggars. They belong to the same beggar gang, but are managed by different small bosses.
These beggars are more powerful, and there are more than ten of them looking for trouble.
Zhao Han stood against the wall to protect his sister, using his bamboo spear in a bayonet stance, provoking: "Come on!"
A beggar hit him with a stick, but without any method, he swung the dog-beating stick high above his head.
Zhao Han didn't move his feet, he just leaned forward and hit the opponent's thigh with a thrust.
The beggar covered his wound and screamed. The other beggars attacked one after another, and Zhao Han hit several people in succession. Unfortunately, he didn't have the strength, and he had to protect his sister, so he himself also received a few blows.
"He's a practicing master. Go back and report to 'Master Marquis'!"
The beggars screamed and fled in an instant. Zhao Han used force to obtain the temporary right to beg on Pier East Street.
It happened that a wealthy businessman had had enough food and wine. When he left the restaurant, he saw a good show of beggars fighting. He immediately clapped his hands and cheered, and said drunkenly: "It was a lively fight, give me a reward!"
The servant next to the wealthy businessman grabbed a handful of copper coins and threw them in front of Zhao Han.
"Thank you for the reward, sir." Zhao Han was very happy. Using the dim light from the restaurant, he and his sister lay on the ground to pick up money.
Copper coins also have good and bad qualities, and this time I got all the good money.
The brother and sister were so hungry that they hurriedly ran to buy food, including Tianjin steamed buns stuffed with meat!
Zhao Zhenfang's cheeks bulged up after eating, like a little hamster guarding its food. While chewing, she said: "It's so delicious, even better than steamed buns!"
After finally having a full meal, Zhao Han was quite happy and immediately said with a smile: "If I get the money another day, my second brother will buy you a more delicious roast duck."
Zhao Zhenfang said with admiration: "Second brother is so awesome, dad always said you have a smart mind..." The words stopped suddenly, and the little girl said sadly: "Second brother, are dad and mom dead? I know what death is.
Now, just like my elder brother, I can’t wake up when I fall asleep.”
Zhao Han hugged his sister's thin body and comforted him: "Don't be afraid, my second brother is here."
"Well, I'm not afraid." Zhao Zhenfang nodded and sobbed. Her sobs gradually turned into sobs, and her tears left two white marks on her muddy face.
After crying for an unknown amount of time, Zhao Zhenfang finally fell asleep.
Zhao Hanze's mind is very confused. He doesn't know how to find a future. Is it possible that he has been begging for food?
…
Pier West Street.
A beggar knocked on the door of the house, walked straight to the main room, knelt down and kowtowed: "Master Marquis, there is news that those two bastards have entered Maliu Lane."
"Master Hou" is a nickname in the world of martial arts. His real name is Deng Gui. He was born in a military household and became a beggar when he fled.
While fighting for land in Tianjin's dock area, he was poked out of one eye. He was first called "One-eyed Dragon", and later changed to "Xiao Xiahou". Now the beggars in the dock area respectfully call him "Master Hou".
Zhao Han encountered two groups of beggars one after another, all of whom were subordinates of the Marquis Deng Gui. This guy controlled all the begging businesses outside Beicheng and also worked part-time as a petty thief.
Deng Gui was having dinner with his family, a wife, two concubines, and five children.
He put down his chopsticks and said: "First send a few people to block the alleys. Don't let him escape. If he is caught, his legs will be broken immediately!"
In one day, one of his subordinates was bitten to death and more than ten were beaten away, and the troublemaker was actually a child. Where does this put the face of the "leader of the Beggar Clan"?
Rumble!
Suddenly there was a muffled thunder, and everyone in the house was delighted.
Deng Gui walked to the small courtyard in person and said with a smile: "After months of drought, God is finally going to rain."
The beggar under his command asked: "Master Hou, why don't you do it tomorrow?"
Deng Gui nodded and said, "You can do it tomorrow, but you have to send someone to follow. I'm afraid that little brat will run away."
They are just a bunch of beggars. They really don’t dare to work in the rain. If they get sick from the rain, they have no money to treat them.
"Boom!"
Lightning illuminated the courtyard, thunder sounded from far away, and a strong wind suddenly blew.
…
Zhao Zhenfang was awakened by the thunder, enjoying the cool breeze, and said happily: "Second brother, it's going to rain."
Zhao Han stood up and said, "Let's go, find a place to take shelter from the rain first."
The brother and sister had a good meal and rested for a long time. Now they were no longer weak. They immediately held hands and searched for a shelter from the wind and rain in the dark.
Ma Wu is a new beggar who joins the group and has to pay tribute to the organization every day.
If you can't beg for food, not only will you go hungry, but you will also be beaten up by the leader.
The organization structure of the beggar gang is loose, and it is obviously going to rain tonight. The orders from the superiors have been passed down to the bottom, and the appearance has completely changed.
One passed the buck and the other left, leaving Ma Wu alone to handle the matter. He had to keep an eye on the Zhao Han brothers and sisters all night long.
All I know is that the target has entered Maliu Lane and is running around in the dark. Where can I find someone?
Ma Wu wandered along the streets for a while. He had mild night blindness, so it was impossible to find people at night. It was like using a blind man as a sentinel.
"Damn it, you're all here to bully me, I'm not that stupid!"
Ma Wu was sitting under the eaves of a house, which was barely sheltered from the rain. He planned to get a good sleep first.
Just as he was daydreaming about big fish and meat, Ma Wu suddenly heard footsteps, and he quickly opened his eyes and wiped his saliva.
The footsteps were getting closer and closer, but Ma Wu couldn't see clearly at all.
A bolt of lightning pierced the night sky.
Zhao Han caught a glimpse of people huddled under the eaves of the door. He stepped forward and asked, "Uncle, are there any ruined temples nearby?"
Ma Wu subconsciously replied: "It's far away, the City God's Temple is in the southeast."
Zhao Han looked at the place carefully and found that the eaves of the door were not wide, and the heavy rain must have been blown in by the wind, so he took his sister to find a better place.
Ma Wu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly came to his senses and followed quietly behind the brother and sister.
This guy obviously doesn't understand what stalking is, and his night blindness affects his vision. Even a fool would know that something is wrong with the noise he makes.
After walking for a while, Zhao Han suddenly turned around, walked quickly to Ma Wu, and asked, "Why are you following me?"
"No...no." Ma Wu denied.
Zhao Han immediately raised his bamboo spear, pointed the tip of the spear at the opponent's throat, and shouted: "Speak!"
Ma Wu instantly remembered the rumors. Just today at noon, a leader on North Street was killed. The kid in front of him was really good at killing people. He was so frightened that his legs became weak, and he knelt down and said: "Little ancestor, spare your life!"
"Speak quickly!" Zhao Han's expression was serious.
Ma Wu poured beans out of a bamboo tube and told everything he knew: "You killed the Marquis's people, and the Marquis sent people everywhere to look for you. If they caught you, they would break your legs. You are all children, and it would be better if you broke your legs."
If you beg for food, the Marquis will not kill you."
Breaking your own and your sister's legs to beg?
Zhao Han suppressed the anger in his heart and asked: "Who is Mr. Hou?"
Ma Wu replied: "Master Hou is Master Hou, and all the beggars near the North Pier are under his control."
Zhao Han asked: "Leader of the Beggar Clan?"
"Beggars' Gang?" Ma Wu shook his head and corrected, "We are from the Lotus Society."
Zhao Han continued to ask: "Is that Marquis just a beggar leader? Or does he have some other identity?"
Ma Wu said: "I am just a beggar leader. Now I don't beg for food myself."
Zhao Han asked: "You said that the area near the pier is Mr. Hou's territory, but what about other places in Tianjin?"
Ma Wu replied: "It's not the case in other places. The Marquis is in charge of the area from the north city wall to the north pier."
The thunder became louder and raindrops began to fall.
Zhao Han suddenly became silent, his hands holding the spear loosened and tightened as he was analyzing his current situation.
First of all, troubled times are coming.
Secondly, I and my sister are young.
Two young children must think about how to survive in troubled times.
Zhao Han couldn't remember exactly which year it was.
Anyway, either next year, or the year after that, or maybe the year after that, the Jurchen army will break through the barrier and march to the outside of Beijing with overwhelming force.
When the war breaks out, Tianjin may not be safe either.
If Zhao Han traveled through time and became twenty years old, he would actually have many options, and he could even go to Shaanxi to participate in the peasant uprising.
But he is only ten years old now, and he has a six-year-old sister with him.
The only option is to look for opportunities to go south and grow up in the stable Jiangnan first.
Moreover, during the Little Ice Age, winters in the north were too cold, so it was not easy to freeze to death in the south.
Putting aside the matter of going south for now, someone is going to break his legs and use him as a begging tool!
Zhao Han straightened his back, his confused eyes gradually became firm. He asked sternly: "Tell me, where does that Marquis live?"
(PS: Three updates on the first day, and two updates every day thereafter, regularly updated at 12 noon and 8 pm. In addition, high-stakes players who are interested in giving rewards can save it for next Monday and then make it to the list.