In recent days, there have been more and more travelers traveling to and from Anyi.
I heard from people who went north that fighting broke out in Hongnong, re-enacting the tragedy in Hedong, with the Baibo army burning, killing and looting everywhere.
Fortunately, this time it was relatively close to Luoyang, so Dong Zhuo had no choice but to send his son-in-law Niu Fu to quell the rebellion, but with little success. Bai Bo's army always seemed to be able to learn about the movements of the Han army quickly, and dealt with Niu Fu skillfully.
.
Niu Fu led an army of 50,000 people and was tired of running around. They fought here and there, but they were fooled around.
It's a mess anyway.
Many aristocratic families in Hongnong fled one after another, some fled to the south, and some fled to Hedong in the north.
The Wei family has been inherited for three hundred years, and there are naturally many old friends and families in the surrounding counties. Among them, the Yang family in Hongnong is considered to have the best personal relationship. The two families are quite closely related by marriage. Two of Wei Cheng's aunts married into the Yang family. Today,
They all ran back, dragging their families and dozens of people with them.
In addition to the Yang family of Hongnong, there are many other small aristocratic families. I heard that the Wei family defeated the Bai Bo army, and many people came all the way to rely on them.
Of course, the largest number of innocent victims were ordinary civilians. In just a few days, nearly 200,000 to 300,000 refugees were added to the border of Hedong, causing chaos in the counties that had begun to recuperate.
Perhaps after hearing about Xu Huang's heroic deeds, Anyi County became the first choice place for refugees to gather based on the principle of hugging others.
The county town that originally could only accommodate 100,000 people now had 70,000 to 80,000 refugees squeezed in. With no choice but to coordinate and organize manpower, the Wei family hired refugees to expand the satellite city outside the city.
The entrance to the newly built breeding farm.
Wei Cheng was sitting on the carriage, and next to him was the farm manager who was making a report.
"According to the second master's instructions, we dug two moats along the city wall, diverted the Fen water, and hired many fishermen to catch live fish and put them in them. So far, the survival rate is about 80%, which is a remarkable achievement."
"....Yesterday, we collected another 300 spotted deer and nearly a hundred black deer. So far, everything is going well, but it costs a lot to raise them every day. The spotted deer are okay, but the appetite of those black deer is not average.
It's big.
"The fourth master came here this morning and said that wheat bran can no longer be sent as feed. Now the population in the city has surged. If we want to survive until next spring, the amount of wheat bran must be controlled. It is not enough for people to eat, let alone used for feeding.
Black Lord.'
Wei Cheng's expression changed. Can wheat bran be eaten?
However, he didn't say it, otherwise he would be suspected of "why not eat minced meat". You know, when a person is very hungry, he can even eat dirt, let alone wheat bran. It is grain after all, and it is worse than tree roots when boiled.
It tastes better, but a bit harsh on the throat.
After listening to the manager's report, Wei Zheng nodded and said: "I will send some chicken and duck seedlings over later, and there will also be special feed. You have to take care of it carefully. By the way, the other shack you built will be completed.
Yet?'
When the steward heard this, he hurriedly cupped his hands and said: "It's finished. Now we just need the stove. The craftsmen are working overnight, and it can be completed in two days at most. The charcoal is also ready. There will be no problem in burning it for a whole winter."
In fact, the steward had a question in his mind: why should special heating stoves be provided for chickens and ducks? Refugees outside the city did not receive such treatment.
It seemed that he saw his confusion.
Wei Cheng said: "Just do as I say. You will know why you need to heat the chickens and ducks next year. By then, everyone in the custody will treat you like an uncle and praise you.
The steward hurriedly raised his hands and replied: "I don't dare, I don't care, I don't dare to take credit for it."
"Okay, if you have nothing to do, go and get busy. Winter is about to come. Go back to the mansion to get work clothes. All employees in the breeding farm will be covered." "Work clothes?" The steward was stunned.
Xu Ding, who was beside Wei Cheng, said: "You can come to me directly later. In addition to work clothes, there are also some special benefits, which are all prepared by me for your hard work.
The steward was overjoyed, bowed respectfully to Wei Cheng, and said loudly: "Thank you, Second Master, for the reward."
Wei Cheng waved his hand, Xu Ding lowered the curtain of the carriage, Xu Chu, who was sitting in front, waved his whip, and the carriage drove straight towards the city gate. After returning to the mansion, Wei Cheng came to his residence.
Cai Yan was reading in the yard, while Aning and Niu Niu were chasing each other. The aroma of stew came from the kitchen. Aunt Niu's cooking skills have improved recently. After getting used to the various seasonings provided by Wei Cheng, she made this
The food is getting more and more like the taste of later generations.
Seeing Wei Cheng coming back, Cai Yan put down the bamboo slips in his hands, stood up and said, "My husband came back very early today. You must be tired. I made ginseng tea and the mung bean cake that Aunt Niu made in the morning."
Next to them, Aning and Niu Niu walked hand in hand, raised their little heads and said, "The mung bean cake is delicious, Brother Wei will definitely like it."
Niu Niu also nodded, licked his lips, and replied: "It's delicious.
Wei Cheng chuckled, opened his arms to the left and right, picked up the two little girls respectively, and said funnyly: "It's so delicious, you will keep it for me, I'm afraid if you stuffed it all into your stomach, where would I still be?"
ah.
Hearing this, Aning blushed and defended: "I don't have any, I just ate three pieces, which is less than a cow."
Niu Niu blushed and lay on Wei Cheng's shoulder, shyly stretched out her little palm and gestured in a low voice: "I ate five pieces."
Wei Cheng touched Niu Niu's little head with his forehead, making the little girl shy and said softly: "Well, Niu Niu needs to eat more and eat as meaty as my sister to look good.
By the way, Aning has really changed a lot. I heard that when Wei Cheng saw her for the first time, she was completely different. At that time, Aning was thin and small, with yellow skin, and she looked like she had been malnourished for a long time. How could she look like that?
Now, he is fleshy and his face is red.
Sitting opposite Cai Yan with two children in his arms, the scene is as warm and sweet as a family of four.
Cai Yan took out the mung bean cake from the food box and looked at Wei Cheng and the two children with a smile.
"Hey, Cheng'er is back!'
The rare and warm moment was suddenly interrupted when two ladies walked in with their three children at the entrance of the courtyard.
These two people are Wei Cheng's two aunts. The one on the left with two children, a boy and a girl, is the eldest aunt Wei Min, and the one with a girl on the right is the younger aunt Wei Ning, who is also one of the many beauties of the Wei family.
There was a time when even Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty wanted to make her his concubine.
My aunt Wei Min is thirty-seven this year. In addition to the two children she leads, she also has two sons who have grown up. They were promoted to be filial and honest and serve as local officials. They are considered successful at a young age.
My aunt Wei Ning is only twenty-eight years old this year, only three years older than Wei Cheng. She is the youngest daughter of Grandpa Wei. Although she is a daughter from a concubine, because she is a little girl, she has been favored by several elder brothers and sisters since she was a child.
Wei Hao is even more like an eldest brother and a father, and has always raised her as his daughter.
The two sisters married into the Yang family one after another. The eldest aunt was the first wife of the current head of the Yang family, and the younger aunt married a prominent figure in the Yang family: the famous scholar Yang Xiu.
"I asked why there were magpies chirping outside the window this morning. It turned out that two aunts were coming.'
Wei Cheng had a good impression of the two of them and complimented them appropriately.
The two girls looked at each other and smiled. They both felt that Wei Cheng had changed and became more humane. In the past, Wei Cheng looked sickly and rarely communicated with them. At most, they were just acquaintances, not as good as the servants in the house. People are close.
Now he is on the mend. Not only is his illness cured, but he has also become energetic, confident and cheerful.
"Fu'er, Mei'er, this is your second cousin, and he's not called me yet." The aunt took two children forward and said.
Yang Fu is a half-grown boy, he is about to be fourteen when he is thirteen. He has thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a tiger-like head, but he is a bit short, otherwise he will be a handsome boy when he grows up. Yang Mei is about the same age as Aning, and is chubby. Little girl, short and fat.
After all, they were from the Yang family of Hongnong, and they were both from a well-known family. The way Wei Cheng and Cai Yan, who were well-educated and well-educated, carried a full sense of ritual in their salutes and greetings, but it seemed that they were not close enough, and instead felt a bit distant.
What surprised Wei Cheng was her aunt Wei Ning's daughter. The little girl was about four or five years old. She had a pair of bright and bright eyes. She imitated her elder brother and sister's movements and called out crisply, "Cousin, cousin." She returned to the court. Aning and Niu Niu also saluted, "Hello, sisters.
Aning and Niu Niu looked at each other, their eyes shining. They felt that this sister was very good-looking and it would be great if they could play with her. Seeing this, the little aunt smiled and said: "Xu'er, go and join the two sisters. Go play.
The eldest aunt also said to the children: "Yes, you should go and play too, just play nearby and don't go too far.
The five children got together and quickly became familiar with each other. They played hopscotch in the open space beside Wei Cheng. Wei Cheng also invited the two aunts to sit down and cooked tea to entertain the guests. Cai Yan Go to the kitchen and ask Aunt Niu to prepare two more dishes. After some pleasantries
My eldest aunt Wei Min touched my aunt Wei Ning's thigh from time to time, blinked a few times, and gestured to Wei Qing with her mouth open.
Aunt Wei Ning was annoyed by her and glared at her angrily. Then she looked at Wei Cheng and asked with some embarrassment: "Xiao Cheng, do you still have soap here?"
Wei Cheng had long noticed the little actions of the two aunts. Hearing this, he said with a smile: "If the aunts want it, of course they will.
The eldest aunt's eyes lit up and she said hurriedly: "I heard that this soap was accidentally thought up by Luo'er. So, Zheng'er is the only one in the world who knows the recipe for soap?'
Wei Cheng was stunned, hesitated, and nodded: "That's true. I think no one will be able to make a second piece of soap in a short time."
The eldest aunt had a pair of phoenix eyes, and then asked: "That's good, that's good, Zheng'er, what do you think of this? How about our aunts partnering with you and let's run this soap business together?"
Wei Cheng was stunned and looked at the two aunts.
Wei Ning did not expect the eldest sister to be so direct, and said hurriedly: "Xiaocheng, what your aunt means is that if a good item like soap is only used internally, its true value will obviously be wasted; in fact, the sale is secondary, We can use it in exchange for many unexpected benefits, such as various herbs that Chen'er likes the most.'
"Well, yes, yes, you scholars can still speak." The eldest aunt agreed.
"Change the herbs?" Wei Cheng was moved.
The younger aunt seemed much more reliable than the elder aunt. Wei Cheng asked curiously, "Can the younger aunt tell you in detail?"
Wei Ning nodded slightly and saw her take out a roll of silk paper from her sleeve, which was filled with Juanxiu's handwriting.
"Look, this is the order that brought us to you in exchange for soap.'
Wei Cheng took the tissue paper, and a refreshing fragrance hit her nostrils. Wei Cheng raised his eyes to look at his little aunt. He had to say that the most beautiful woman in the Wei family was definitely a fake. A great beauty like Wei Ning could be called that even by future generations. Be worthy of the goddess.
Withdrawing his mind, Wei Cheng looked at the words on the silk paper.
The first one made Wei Cheng's heart skip a beat, and she exclaimed: "Does Mr. Wenxi, Mr. Pei, want to exchange deer antler for my soap, or should we exchange equal weights?"
It’s not surprising that Wei Cheng was surprised. If anyone in the future generations heard someone exchange a pound of deer antlers for a pound of soap, they would definitely have the same reaction, because there is a huge difference in value between the two.
However, Wei Cheng quickly recovered. After all, he had experienced the outrageous plot of exchanging gold for soap.
My aunt Wei Ning said: "Equal weight is definitely not possible. This is the price proposed by the other party. The so-called asking for a high price and paying back the money at the same time. I think three kilograms for one kilogram is about the same. Your eldest aunt also said that it would be five for one. '
The eldest aunt said with an arrogant look: "Who doesn't know that Pei's old lady is very stingy? It's rare to get a chance to make them bleed. If you ask me, it's five for one.
Wei Cheng chuckled, looked at the second item, and muttered: "Will Zhou use cloth to change this?"
"Yes, the Zhou family is one of the largest families in Yuzhou. They are rich in various fabrics, among which red cloth is the most precious. They also have a kind of gauze, which is said to be woven from silk. It is as thin as cicada wings and light. Compared with the clouds and smoke, it is known as Zen clothes with plain yarn."
"Uh-huh, Susha Zenyi?" Wei Cheng was really shocked this time.
"Don't you know about Susha Zen Yi?" The eldest aunt was startled when she saw this. She pulled the little aunt aside, violently opened her collar, pointed to the thin layer of gauze on the little aunt's chest, and said: "Here, this is the Zen Yi with plain yarn. This is the inner lining. There are also outer ones, which are more expensive. One piece can be exchanged for five horses."
"Gulu!" It's so big.
Wei Cheng quickly looked away and said awkwardly: "Well, this Susha Zen Yi is good, it's big and white, you can change it."
The eldest aunt looked unconcerned. When Wei Cheng said it could be changed, she said excitedly: "Then I'll have to give Zhou a good deal later.
The little aunt was blushing, tightened her collar, glanced at Wei Cheng, pursed her lips and said: "The Zhou family has a longer heritage than my Wei family. There are many good things in the family, and this plain yarn Zen clothes is just one of them. Look back Let’s see if we can get some thousand-year-old medicine in exchange.”
"Is there a thousand-year-old treasure?" Wei Cheng was really surprised and happy this time.
The little aunt knew that Wei Cheng liked herbal medicine, so she nodded and said: "The Zhou family has a private medicine garden for more than a thousand years. It is said that the first emperor wanted to refine the elixir of death, and he asked the Zhou family for ginseng that was thousands of years old... It's just that , Zhou tried to force her by burning the medicine garden, but she refused.
"Ten, ten thousand years?!!!!"
Wei Cheng was greatly moved and immediately said: "Come on, two aunties, go ahead and do it. You can have as much soap as you want. If you can exchange it for a thousand-year-old medicine, I can even exchange it for the soap recipe." '
Good guy, a thousand years is already amazing. Ten thousand years...that still doesn't mean it can become a spirit!