Han Shizu

Chapter 1725
The warm spring light shrouded the streets of Tokyo, and there was still a slight chill in the spring breeze. The white catkins were flying around, tickling the nostrils of passers-by, and there were refreshing sneezing sounds from time to time in the market.

The climate is getting warmer, everything is recovering, the last harsh winter seems to be going away, and the vitality in Tokyo is also re-emerging.On the street, there is a stream of people, a lively scene.

The guise supported by the long poles swayed in the breeze, a stove was set up, a few tables and chairs were set up, and the most common restaurant in Tokyo was set up.Liu Yang was sitting on a bench, eating the pancakes slowly, but his eyes were always focused on the scene in the market, the carriages passing by, the peddlers carrying burdens, the coolies resisting packages, the street vendors along the street, the wandering Officials and soldiers, as well as patrols passing by from time to time.

In the city, there are also class distinctions. After decades of development, the boundaries of settlements in Tokyo have become more and more clear. There have long been distinctions between the poor in the south and the rich in the north, and the rich on the inside and the humble on the outside.Of course, in terms of excitement, it has to belong to Nancheng, Nanshi.Whether a city is prosperous or not depends not only on the places where wealth and honor gather, but also on the lives of these humble people.

"Ah!"

The crisp sound attracted Liu Yang's attention. Looking down, he saw his second son Liu Wenji holding a porridge bowl in one hand and a spoon in the other. thing.

With a gentle smile on his face, Liu Yang took out a handkerchief and handed it to him: "Wipe your face clean yourself!"

"En!" Liu Wenji responded obediently.

Looking at the porridge bowl that was half missing, Liu Yang asked, "Are you full?"

"full."

"Is it tasty?"

"good to eat!"

"Take you to visit other places!" Liu Yang chuckled lightly.

Hearing this, Liu Wenji's bright eyes immediately lit up, and his little face also showed joy, and he stood up straight away, looking positive.Although she was taught to be obedient and obedient by the princess and concubine Xiao, she is still full of curiosity and fantasy about the world outside the palace.

"Shopkeeper, pay the bill!" Liu Yang stroked Liu Wenji's head, turned around and shouted at the busy vendors on the street.

This is a husband and wife stall. Hearing the greeting, the male owner hurried up, with a warm smile on his face, and the shrewdness of a small citizen on his simple and rough face. He glanced at him, rubbed his hands, and said carefully: "Guest Officer, a total of 52 articles!"

For such a small street vendor, Liu Yang can be regarded as a big customer, not to mention the exquisite dress, just that plate of venison is worth twenty coins, and usually few people order it.

"52 articles." Liu Yang muttered.

Seeing his reaction, the shopkeeper hurriedly introduced the price of the vegetables, then gritted his teeth and made a generous appearance: "You can give fifty yuan!"

Noticing his expression, Liu Yang smiled: "It's not easy for you to make a living. How can I take advantage of your two pennies?"

"Pay the money!" After speaking, Liu Yang said to Wang Yue who was waiting beside him.

Seeing this, the shopkeeper immediately smiled and praised Liu Yang for his generosity.After finding the money, Liu Yang glanced at the peddler, waved at him, and said, "If you are not busy, can you sit down, I have a few questions I would like to ask for advice."

The shopkeeper was stunned, a little embarrassed, but Liu Yang's bearing was there, and he didn't dare to refuse. He sat down on tiptoe, and said carefully: "What the guest officer wants to ask, the villain doesn't understand anything."

Liu Yang was originally out of excitement, but seeing his reaction, he was taken aback, and said gently: "You don't need to be nervous, just chatting briefly."

"From your accent, are you from the capital?"

"Exactly! My little family has been in Tokyo since my grandfather, and it has been decades now!" the shopkeeper replied.

Liu Yang showed a little smile: "In this way, your family can be regarded as accompanying the big man, accompanying Tokyo, and growing up together to this day!"

"You're so good!" The shopkeeper showed a simple smile, and there was a little pride in his tone: "The villain's grandfather has joined the army for two generations, and fought with His Majesty. You know Zhaolie Temple, the spirit tablet enshrined in it, There are the names of my grandfather and father, and the villain will go to worship every year!"

"Oh?" Hearing what he said, Liu Yang became more interested and his expression became more gentle: "He is still a hero! I don't know where the sacrifice is?"

"Grandfather died in Shouzhou, Huainan, and my father died in Qianyou's Northern Expedition and in the Battle of Nankou!" the man sighed.

Hearing this, Liu Yang nodded slightly: "It is because of a hero like your grandfather who sacrificed his life that the great man is as prosperous as he is today!"

As he said that, Liu Yang glanced at the street vendor and the pavement he was leaning on again, and said curiously: "As far as I know, the imperial court will give out pensions and grant land to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives on the battlefield. There are two generations of your grandfather. , The pension you received should be quite a lot, enough to support your family, how can you start such a small and hard business?"

Mentioning this, the store opened its mouth, and replied: "Neither of the two grandfathers could become an officer, and even the grandfather is only ten years old. Of course, more than 200 acres of land have been left for our descendants.

However, my family still has uncles, nephews and brothers. After the separation, the land of each family will be diluted.The villain has four sons, the eldest son is married, and he has to buy the adoption gifts for the remaining three sons. Now, the land is managed by the sons. Considering that there is still this property in Tokyo, the villain also has some cooking skills. Only then did I tidy up and run the business.

After all, there are a lot of diners in Tokyo, and they earn more money. Compared with those few acres of land, the income is higher! "

Liu Yang frowned subconsciously: "A few acres of land! Didn't your two grandfathers leave more than 200 acres of land? How many uncles, nephews and brothers are there in your family? Even if the family is divided and the property is divided, they still can't support the family?"

The shopkeeper was a little hesitant, but now he came back to his senses.Seeing this, Liu Yang put on a serious face: "But it's okay to talk!"

Startled, he hesitated for a while, but still hesitated and said: "The little family gets 35 mu of land, all of which are fertile fields by the Wuzhang River. If we manage it well, it will not be a problem to support the family, and there may even be more than enough. However, the imperial court’s taxes are not low, and there are a lot of labor, and the price of food has not been able to rise in the past few years, not to mention, more than 20 acres of land have been sold.”

"Ordinary farmers would like to keep the land for a lifetime, and your home is fertile soil where the Wuzhang River flows. How could you sell it? What difficulties did the family encounter?" Liu Yang looked inquisitive.

"Officer, villain can't say any more!" The shopkeeper shook his head again and again, with a little panic on his face.

After taking a deep look at this person, these four words suddenly circled in my mind. These four words are still the property owners after heroes and heroes. What about those real ordinary people?

After thinking for a while, Liu Yang smiled again, and his tone was more gentle: "I was just asking casually. If you have scruples, I won't force you. Besides, how long have you been running this food stall?"

"About five years!"

"How much profit can be made this day, it must be five or six hundred dollars!" Liu Yang laughed.

The shopkeeper shook his head again and again: "There are not so many. Big customers like officials are still rare. For ordinary diners, it is enough to order some rice and pancakes for a few pennies. Even if you order chicken and mutton slices, you can't use it Twenty words!"

Hearing what he said, Liu Yang nodded, pointed to the remaining half of the venison on the table and said: "Your venison tastes good!"

"To tell the truth, our small stall is not comparable to those big restaurants. The venison is all obtained from hunting by the villagers themselves. There is not much meat, but they are made with more care."

"Not bad!" Liu Yang said with a light smile, "However, the taste is a bit bland, so there's not much salt in it!"

Hearing this, the shop owner was a little embarrassed, and said in a low voice, "Salt is expensive these days."

"How much is the price of salt in Tokyo today?" Liu Yang asked immediately.

"Hey!" Then he sighed, and said, "Now it has climbed to 67 wen a dou, which is double that of ten years ago. Even half a year ago, it was only [-] wen a dou."

"Why?" Liu Yang's face looked ugly.

"It is said that because of the rebellion in the northwest, the local green and white salt could not be shipped out, so the price of salt also rose."

Liu Yang heard the words, thought for a while, and couldn't help saying angrily: "What does the northwest rebellion have to do with Tokyo? How many people in Tokyo eat green and white salt?"

"The officials are right! Small people like us in Tokyo eat Yangzhou salt, Cangzhou salt, or Hezhong salt. The northwest is too far away from us. Although green and white salt is good, only those dignitaries can afford it." , the Northwest is in turmoil, and the price of salt has risen everywhere, and I have to buy it, hey."

Seeing his long and short sighs, Liu Yang was silent for a while, and changed the subject: "It's hard work to manage in this city, but have you encountered any troubles? Is there any government oppression or hooligan harassment?"

"This"

Seeing his hesitation is self-explanatory.During the conversation, I saw two young men wandering in, wearing silk cloth on their heads, with their nostrils facing the sky, ostentatiously passing through the market.The buyers and sellers along the street all took the initiative to say hello. Of course, it was the vendors who attracted Liu Yang's attention, who took out copper coins, actively stuffed them into the pockets hanging on their waists, and carefully complimented them.

When he arrived at the store, the old man hurriedly charged Liu Yang to confess his crimes. He did the same thing and took out a few copper coins.And those two youths showed satisfied expressions.

However, he took a little look at Liu Yang who was sitting on the side of the street, and quickly withdrew his gaze.They also took two pieces of venison by the way, gnawed away like that, and walked along the street. It is conceivable that their waist pockets could be filled with copper coins after just walking through the street.

Seeing this scene, Liu Yang had mixed feelings in his heart. Of course he knew what was going on. When the old man in the store returned, he asked, "How much did you pay?"

"Ten pieces!"

"Is it like this every day?"

The old man shook his head, looking at it quite openly, or he was used to it: "Not really, it's just every now and then."

"What are the identities of these two people? I don't think they are like tax collectors. You work hard from dawn to dusk, and you don't get much in a day. Just let them get nothing for nothing?" Liu Yang asked.

Asked here, the old man did not answer, but thought for a while, Fang cupped his hands and said: "This official is obviously of extraordinary status, and I don't know the difficulties of me and other ordinary people. This street is already considered good. For us He said, it is enough to spend some money to buy a safe, safe and stable business, so why bother yourself.

What's more, they also collect taxes on behalf of the government."

This last sentence can be regarded as touching Liu Yang's sensitive place, staring at the old man with piercing eyes: "What's going on, please explain it in detail!"

But this time, the old man didn't dare to speak nonsense anymore, he shook his head again and again, refusing to say more.

(End of this chapter)