Xu Wen and Xu Yunqing walked in with dark faces. When they saw the Xu family in the courtyard, their faces became slightly better.
"Dad, brother, you are back. What's wrong? Why do you look so angry?"
Looking at the father and son who walked in without saying a word, everyone looked puzzled. Xu Wen calmed down the look on his face and touched Xu Yunjin's hair with a smile.
"It's okay, you go and cook with grandma, grandma, aunt, and the others, and we'll talk about some things in the evening,"
Xu Yunjin knew something was wrong as soon as he heard these words. The Xu family is a very open-minded family. Most of the time they discuss things together. This kind of situation usually does not happen, except when the family made a profit a year ago.
That time when a large sum of money was paid, Mrs. Zhang took her two daughters-in-law to the kitchen, and sisters Xu Yunjin also went to help.
After finishing the meal, he probably felt a different atmosphere at home. Little Baozi was no longer as noisy as before. He sat quietly on the stool designed by Xu Yunjin and ate his meal. The food on the table was the same as in the past six months.
The food is the same, mostly wild vegetables and whole grains, and some soybeans are boiled into soup.
Looking at the soybeans boiling into soup, Xu Yunjin got a big headache. He had never learned how to make tofu, but had only watched a few videos.
I only know one way to order tofu, which is to use salt brine, but this dynasty has extremely strict control over salt. I haven't found anything that can replace the salt brine, so for the time being, the soybeans can only be boiled in soup and fried. Fortunately, Zhang's
Li's craftsmanship is pretty good, and even the coarse grains taste pretty good.
After finishing dinner quickly and cleaning up the main room, Mr. Xu and Ms. Zhang sat in the middle seats. Xu Wen glanced at the children at home, then returned his eyes to the two elders and said a little seriously:
"There has been a drought in several border states for two years, with no crops harvested, and taxes have to be paid every year. The people have been miserable. I heard in town today that refugees in Wuzhong County next to Nanshui County have begun to move south to escape famine.
"
Xu Wen paused and continued: "Although the Northern Barbarians also suffered from severe drought this year, the geographical location of the Northern Barbarians is higher than ours. There was a light snowfall last winter, so they will not be short of water and food like us. I
I found a classmate in the county town and heard the news that the Northern Barbarians were preparing to send troops to attack the border. The grain provided by the court for disaster relief was mostly mixed with chaff. When Liang County, which was the most severely affected by the disaster, saw the grain for disaster relief, they started a riot in the Yamen. After being suppressed by the Yamen, they
I followed Wuzhong County and moved south to escape famine. The price of food in the town has increased, 45 cents per catty, and it is all coarse grain. Just like this, two grain shops have closed down."
After Xu Wen told the news he got from the academy, no one present said anything, because Nanyun Village is closest to the Nanyun Mountains and is the source of the river. Although it is one of the small tributaries, it is not as good as the current degree of drought.
Although Nanyun Village is considered to be in good condition, it is still unable to grow food. The current water source is only enough for the people in the village to drink let alone use it. Xu Yunjin has not taken a bath for almost half a month.
"Hey, if it doesn't rain this year, when the river dries up, won't we have to..."
When Zhang heard these words, he also thought of what might happen. Xu Yunqing also said:
"The worst situation at the moment is not this. The news coming from the border is that the Northern Barbarians sent 150,000 troops to suppress the border. Hanshanguan also changed its border guard general this year. It is said that this person has no great talent, so if the border town of Hanshanguan cannot be defended,
Then we may have to run for our lives, so now we have to think about where we should go next.”
Mr. Xu paused with his hand holding the cigarette rod, glanced at the children sitting below, sighed and said
"Tomorrow, the boss and the eldest son and the second son will go to the fields to collect all the grain they can. The eldest son, his wife, and the second daughter-in-law will follow your mother to count the grains at home and make some dry food to save."
After hearing the news brought back by his father and brother, Xu Yunjin felt that he had found the source of his panic during this period.
Daqi has been established for more than two hundred years. During the reign of the late emperor, the government was in chaos. The old emperor was weak and incompetent. The court was controlled by the Prime Minister and his faction, veterans of the three dynasties. The imperial power declined. The Prime Minister and his faction exploited the people, and the people lived a miserable life.
Unspeakable.
Fortunately, after taking office today, although the annoying moths in the court have not been eradicated, the imperial power and the prime minister's party have basically maintained a balance. These are what Xu Yunjin often told her father and brother. After all, she is not that kind of person.
Those who are blind to what is happening outside the window must always understand the era in which they live.
Over the years, the barbarians have also been constantly harassing and testing the border. This year, they seized the opportunity of a severe drought in the north, and the border guard general was replaced by a man with only force and no brains. The northern barbarians chose the best time to attack Daqi.
, I am afraid that the Daqi border cannot be defended, so as soon as Mr. Xu finished speaking, Xu Yunjin spoke first.
"Grandpa, if we want to escape from famine and one oxcart is not enough at home, we must at least find a way to buy another one. We have a lot of food and property at home, my brother is still young, and grandma is old. We can go by ourselves, but grandma and brother
You must often ride an ox cart. The journey is long, so you must take my medicinal materials with you. Otherwise, there will be troubles on the road and you will not be able to find usable medicinal materials. Grandpa, grandma, and Grandma Li’s family also need to be notified.
The villagers also need to tell the village chief, I have a very bad feeling."
Xu Yunjin had a premonition that she had to run quickly, otherwise it would be too late. When Mrs. Li and Mrs. Lin heard Xu Yunjin mentioning their natal family, they both looked at Mr. Xu with uneasy expressions.
"Grandpa, my sister is right. Now we have to make all preparations. The Northern Barbarians are coming fiercely. Even if the border can be resisted for a while, this is not a long-term solution. We have to make plans early."
Xu Yunqing looked at his sister who spoke eloquently and couldn't help but sigh. Outsiders often say that she is smart, but in fact the smartest is her sister. If she were a man, she would definitely shine. Xu Yunqing took over Xu Yunjin's words and said to Mr. Xu
said
"The second brother and Erlang will go to town tomorrow to find a way to get a cow. The boss will go to Lijia Village to inform your wife's family. First son, you will go to the nearby Linjia Village to inform your grandpa Lin. Uncle Lin packs up his things as soon as possible and asks them what their plans are.
, Old lady, you take your two wives, children and grandchildren and count the grains to make dry food now. The boss and the second brother will follow me to find the village chief,"
Mr. Xu thought about it and adjusted his plan. Everyone started to take action, including the five-year-old baby Xu Yunzhao, who tried their best to help. This chapter has been completed!