"Some sects with whom we have good relations in the past occasionally come to borrow food. If we have particularly good relations with them, I will lend them a few dozen kilograms at a time according to your instructions. If we have only ordinary relations with them, I will not lend them."
Liu Yitian frowned and said: "Why are there people borrowing food just after winter? In previous years, wasn't it always the time of the year when there was a shortage of food... didn't we borrow food from each other?"
Several disciples glanced at Liu Yitian, and Xu Fang pursed her lips and smiled.
"Our harvest in Qiyuan County this year is not good, and it will be even worse if the Yao clan makes trouble. We don't have any surplus grain, and in addition to the cold winter, heavy snow and road closures, it is even more difficult to transport grain. As for the price of grain
, you know..."
Manager Shi glanced around and continued in a low voice: "Magistrate Wen's brother said he wanted to celebrate his birthday, so he went to all the grain merchants in the city. Then, the price of grain in the city skyrocketed. Big gangs didn't care.
, but small gangs and ordinary people are in danger."
Wang Shoude lowered his head and grabbed the broken fan around his waist.
"What you hear is not trustworthy," Liu Yitian said.
Xu Fang sneered and said: "Old man, are you pretending not to know or do you really not know? Ever since County Magistrate Wen arrived in our Qiyuan County, his younger brother has never been idle. Today he is congratulating his brother on his birthday and tomorrow he is congratulating his sister-in-law.
When setting up the banquet, people said that one of the two brothers was very good at writing, and the other was bad at writing. Since these brothers came, Qiyuan County has become worse every day."
"Don't talk nonsense!" Liu Yitian blew his beard and glared.
Xu Fang said with a smile: "The official news is suppressed, but who of us discerning people don't know? The cemetery outside Wangjiatun usually increases by ten every month, but after the winter this year, at least fifty graves were erected.
Although the sects in Wangjiatun are dilapidated, they are all martial arts practitioners and are tougher than ordinary people. If you go to other villages and towns, and to the cemeteries outside the county, the funeral attendants are busy from morning to night. The coffin shops and shrouds are very busy.
The store is sold out and they won’t lie to people.”
Liu Yitian snorted softly and said: "Boss and second brother still don't believe it?"
Xu Fang sighed and said: "Perhaps we have exaggerated the Shen Gong Sect so much that the two of us didn't believe it at all. No, I still gave some money as a gift a few days ago. I was thinking about it, wait until the end of the year, let the third brother
Go and bring them back. And Xiaowu, for the sake of Tianxuan Holy Land, he even gave up on his sect."
"Is there any news from Tianxuan Holy Land?"
"There is a lot of news every day. Today this person has found a skill, and tomorrow that person has found a magical weapon, and they are boasting about it, but in the end they only see people dying and no treasures. I heard that some sects are red-eyed, and some are afraid of killing.
, get ready to come back.”
Li Qingxian said: "Gang Leader Wan just came back yesterday. He and the Qingshan Gang have abandoned the Tianxuan Holy Land. I asked a few questions and he also said that many people died."
Liu Yitian shook his head and said, "It's been such an eventful time. Have you heard about what happened in the capital, right? How come we're all here together?"
Xu Fang hurriedly asked: "Jingqiu, are Xiaowu and the others okay?"
Li Qingxian hesitated for a moment and said: "Gang leader Gao said that some gang members saw him being chased, but he was not seriously injured."
"Ah? What should we do? Why are we being chased? Do you want to find a way to send a message to Xiao Wu?" Xu Fang looked at Li Qingxian eagerly.
Liu Yitian snorted coldly and said: "Confused! Where was the Xuansheng Land that day? Why did he, a seventh-grade man, go there? I talked with him all night long, but in the end I couldn't stop this stubborn donkey. Since he was willing to go,
What’s the point of being chased if you don’t even care about your life?”
"But this child..."
"Let him go, and you will understand when he kowtows his head and bleeds." Liu Yitian said.
"Alas..." Xu Fang sighed.
The clouds in the sky are getting thicker and thicker.
Someone shouted in the distance.
"Brother Liu, Head Liu, it's me, Xiao Jin."
Everyone followed the sound and saw an old man wearing a ragged felt hat and black cloth standing outside the gate of the archery training range. He was hunched over and leaning to the left.
Manager Shi whispered: "Gang Leader Jin came to borrow food ten days ago, and I gave him ten kilograms and sent it away."
Liu Yitian sighed softly and said: "Back then, we fought side by side against monsters. Later, he injured his leg and failed to reach the sixth level. The White Blade Gang also failed to recover. He is older now. I heard that the old injury has recurred, so he may only be at the ninth level.
Strength. You go about your business, I’ll go have a chat with Lao Shi and prepare some food to send over.”
"Master, there are too many people in the autumn wind these days. If everyone is like you, our food will run out sooner or later. You said that this matter is under my control. I can't let you do it for the sake of opening more than a thousand mouths in the gang."
Shi Guanshi.
Everyone looked at Li Qingxian but said nothing.
Liu Yitian's face darkened and he walked towards the door.
Li Qingxian followed, and the others followed silently.
"Brother Liu, your Shengong sect is so impressive now. Look at this archery training ground. No one in the city can compare to it, let alone Wangjiatun." Lao Jin arched his back, smiled broadly, and breathed out like a sigh of relief.
Groups of icy clouds.
Liu Yitian walked over, lightly beat Lao Jin's chest, and said, "Look at you, you are quite tough."
Lao Jin grinned and said, "You may not think that my legs and feet are bad, but my body and bones have always been good."
Liu Yitian glanced at Lao Jin's black cloth singlet, which was patched, and then looked down at the blue silk cotton-padded jacket he was wearing, feeling uncomfortable.
"How are you all in the gang? I haven't seen your eldest grandson for a long time."
After Liu Yitian finished speaking, the smile on Lao Jin's face disappeared, and Manager Shi and several disciples also sighed secretly.
Lao Jin smiled dryly and said: "The child's tuberculosis had no money to treat, so he got over it and left the root of the disease behind. He breathed like a broken bellows all day long."
"Why didn't you come to me earlier?" Liu Yitian shouted, his eyes slightly red.
Lao Jin turned his head, took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and raised his head again: "At that time, I heard that you were hiding from debts, so I didn't dare to trouble you. Later... later, wasn't it the New Year, so I wanted to find you.
Borrow some food. I didn’t want to come at first, but the child couldn’t eat the bark and was so hungry that he cried..."
Halfway through, Lao Jin lowered his head.
The snow in front of his feet melted into small gray pits.
Liu Yitian turned around, with a livid face, stretched out his hand to Manager Shi, and said, "Give me the key to the warehouse."
Manager Shi looked troubled and looked at Li Qingxian. Li Qingxian nodded slightly. Manager Shi immediately handed over the key and said, "I'll get it with you."
Liu Yitian patted Lao Jin on the shoulder and said: "Lao Jin, you go back, I will go to your house to get the food. Tell your child that Grandpa Liu will treat him to meat today and eat dumplings stuffed with pork and cabbage, even if it is not the New Year!"
"
"Well, thank you Brother Liu, I'll go back and tell my eldest grandson." Lao Jin didn't look up, turned and walked away, wiping his face with his sleeves and forming a thin layer of ice.
Liu Yitian and Manager Shi walked towards the warehouse.
Li Qingxian looked at the two people's backs and asked, "Are there many sects like Wangjiatun?"
"Quite a few. Most of the sects have families and dependents. They have little livelihood in winter and have to endure it day by day. This year it is especially difficult." Xu Fang said.
"Sister Fang, find a few reliable people and make statistics on the gangs in Wangjiatun. Which ones have a good reputation and can't be blamed. We will lend them some food."