I live in Dayu Changsheng

Chapter 17, Sobbing

Sure enough, it was as Fang Rui expected.

In the afternoon, the news of the defeat of the first wave of bandit suppressing officers and soldiers spread in the city, and one stone stirred up thousands of waves, causing an uproar.

If it weren't for the news, the county lord had already made arrangements, and the reserve army had already been dispatched to carry the banner of suppressing thieves... I'm afraid it would not be as simple as a big commotion.

However, the chain reaction triggered by this is still terrifying.

The price of grain soared again, and the people rushed to buy it. Even the limited purchase order and price limit order did not help. I heard that there were fights and stampedes in many grain shops.

There have also been more incidents of petty theft and robbery on the streets.

The government suppressed it vigorously, but the effect was not satisfactory.

……

In the evening, the sun sets, and the afterglow of the setting sun renders the whole sky into the color of blood.

Outside the Hall of Grass, passers-by are in a hurry, and from time to time, arresters and government servants in leather armor can be seen passing by, patrolling illegally.

"The world will be in chaos!" Fang Rui sat behind the counter, looked out the door, and sighed.

Dangdang!

"They're all out!"

Dangdang!
The sound of the gong came from outside the window, making Fang Rui frowned and stood up.

"Brother Rui!" Fang Xueshi pulled Fang Ling and stuck his head out from the back room.

"Mother, you and Ling'er stay at home, I'll go out and have a look." Fang Rui confessed and went out.

At this time, the neighbors in Liushu Hutong also went out one after another.

Outside, one can see at a glance:

Mr. Hu was dressed in black and short, holding a plain knife in his hand, and a big horse with a golden knife standing. Two servants beside him beat the gong to call people in the alley.

"What's the matter? It's not the day to pay the regular money, why are the members of the Tiger Gang here?" Someone muttered.

"Did someone commit a crime again?" This brought back some bad memories.

"There's no need to guess again and again, just wait and see what Lord Tiger has to say! But...it's probably not a good thing..." The voice of the second half of the sentence was extremely low.

……

'The visitor is not good!Every time I see this dead tiger, nothing good will happen...'

Fang Rui glanced at Master Hu, then looked away calmly, and greeted the neighbors enthusiastically on the surface, blending in without being conspicuous at all.

"Have you all arrived? If anyone is not at home, that's okay, just let me know when you come back."

Master Hu saw that people were almost here, cleared his throat, and said loudly: "The Tiger Gang has an order. The original monthly payment will be changed to ten days...that is, every ten days..."

"In addition, in view of this year, prices are soaring, and the bill will be increased by [-]%..."

'Sure enough, nothing good happened. '

Fang Rui sighed secretly in his heart: "Ten days to pay, this is to shorten the payment cycle. It seems that the Tiger Gang also has hidden concerns about the situation in the city; the amount increased by [-]%, this is... crazy!" '

If we say: Tiger Gang’s previous share of the regular money was cutting the leeks; then, the continuous increase in the regular money now means that the leeks are about to be dug up.

'It's okay to say the first point, it's nothing more than a matter of going from place to place, or going from place to place; the latter point, it will really make things worse! '

Fang Rui looked around.

Sure enough, all the neighbors were in an uproar, and the noise suddenly turned upside down.

"Didn't it only increase by [-]% last month? This is another [-]% increase, but how will my family live?"

"That's right, life is already difficult, and there is an extra fee..."

"This is trying to kill us!"

……

Those who sigh have it; those who complain have it; those who weep have it...

They even cheered each other on and emboldened each other, creating a three-pointed and angry posture.

"Difficult!"

Fang Rui also sighed, pretending to be bitter.

Immersive show!

It is true that with the support of the finished medicine business on the black market, the Fang family can certainly afford this little money, but the money is not in vain!

"quiet!"

Lord Tiger yelled violently, and drew his knife out of its sheath, the bright cold light shone in the afterglow of the setting sun, making people's hearts chill.

The crowd fell silent instantly, as silent as a cicada.

'Good knife! Fang Rui's eyes flashed, and he lowered his head in the same way.

"Rules are rules, no bargaining is allowed, who is not convinced? Stand up!"

Master Hu glared angrily and stared at everyone. Wherever his eyes met, everyone avoided their eyes and did not dare to look at him.

Not to mention, stand out.

Fang Rui was an old god, his footsteps seemed to be rooted, and he cursed in his heart: "Which fool would bump into the muzzle of a gun and test the sharpness of this knife with his own head?" '

For a long while, no one made a sound.

"Okay, since no one disagrees, then everyone agrees."

Lord Tiger nodded in satisfaction, put the knife back into its sheath, and his expression became more relaxed: "My Tiger Gang is not unreasonable, how about this, I will inform everyone today, and at least give everyone some time to prepare, then come back tomorrow to collect this A ten-day bill..."

"If you can't afford it, it's okay. You can borrow money from us. You can use your fingerprints and draw a mortgage. We are all friends, so it won't matter..."

Many people curled their lips secretly.

Whoever believes this is a fool? Is it easy to borrow money from the Tiger Gang? !

It is very difficult to pay back the interest that comes out of nine and thirteen returns; if you really can't pay it back, the house will definitely be gone, and even the whole family will have to pay for it and sell themselves into slavery.

'Xiu'er!The person who came up with this idea is really TN is a talented person... Clearly robbing money, less robbing, and asking the victim to write an IOU... No, to be precise, it is to use the less robbed money to release the victim. usury……'

'This is really...a bone-sucking marrow! '

Fang Rui felt cold in his heart.

Every time, when he thought he knew enough about this world, he would be taught to be a man again by reality.

After Lord Tiger left.

A group of families in Liushu Hutong also dispersed in twos and threes with sad faces.

"Brother Rui, do you have enough money at home? Do you want to borrow some?" The third lady called Fang Rui to stop.

"Thank you, Third Sister, for your kindness, but my family still has a little savings, so I don't need it for now..." Fang Rui politely declined.

"That's good."

The third lady pulled her nannie and said with a smile: "If you need it, just tell my sister..."

……

Come back home.

Fang Rui talked about the additional extra money: "...Mom, that's it, our family has another expense."

When Fang Xue heard this, she was also angry: "This is driving people to a dead end!"

"It's better for our family to talk about it... put it in another house, I'm afraid it won't be long before someone wants to break up like the old Chu family back then..." She sighed.

But anger is anger, and emotion is emotion. Afterwards, she still prepared the regular money to be paid tomorrow.

Like most people in this world, Fang Xue's temperament is soft, and he will not have the courage to stand up and resist unless he is forced to a dead end.

Of course, wives, children, and children are a large part of the reason—they are all family members, so they can't be impulsive, and dare not go all out!

Cooking smoke rises curlingly, and when it is blurred, it is the smoke and fire in the world.

Fang Rui looked out the window and knew: this night, there will be a lot of unrest in every household.

However, this has nothing to do with the Fang family.

With him around, it will be like a mountain dam, blocking out all wind and waves, so that this small home can still maintain a rare tranquility.

Today's dinner: sorghum porridge, sorghum pancakes, a bowl of fried wild vegetables.

The food is simple, but the atmosphere is warm.

After dinner.

There is no other family, so I came to Fang's house to borrow money.

For one thing, in this willow tree alley, most of the households set aside part of their future food expenses to tear down the east wall to make up for the west wall, which can still be repaired for the time being;

Secondly, except for the San Niangzi's family, the other families are relatively distant from the Fang family. Even if they borrow money, they will choose to have a good relationship and be relatively sure.

Otherwise, if you don't talk about not being able to borrow money, you will still be embarrassed. In the future, wouldn't it be difficult for both parties to communicate?
……

Tonight, Fang Rui didn't go to the black market. After dinner, he washed up early and went to bed.

Fang Ling, this girl, come to sleep in his room.

Squeak!

Fang Rui came to the window, opened it, and wanted to ventilate the room, but he heard the low sobbing sound of an unknown family coming along with the wind.

He paused and thought to himself: "It should be someone who can't make up the regular money..."

"Brother?" Seeing him stunned, Fang Ling got up from the bed and shouted.

"Hey, here we come."

"Brother, I want to hear a story."

"Okay, now, let's tell a story about Sun Dasheng..."

Fang Rui's eyes flashed: "I applaud Sun Dasheng today, only because the demon mist is back again!"In this world, I don't know when a person like the rising sun in the east will be able to save the people from the fire and water...'

he?
He is a worthless person who just wants to live a peaceful life. Maybe one day in the future, this idea will change, but at least not for the time being.

Fang Rui shook his head, didn't think too much, and narrated "Havoc in Heaven", each character came to life, as if pictures appeared in front of his eyes.

In such a sound, the moon rose, and the moonlight came in from the window and fell on the bed, flowing like water.

Outside the window, there was the neighing sound of unknown insects in the summer night, mixed with low sobbing sounds coming from nowhere. In such an environment, Fang Ling fell into a deep sleep.

……

The next day.

Lord Tiger is coming again, most of the households in Liushu Alley have paid the regular money.

If you pay, you can survive; if you don't, you will lose your family immediately... This multiple-choice question is still very easy to do.

Among them, of course the Fang family was also included, but when Fang Rui presented the money with a smile all over his face, he secretly made a note of this dead tiger in his heart.

In addition, there are three or five families who have not collected enough money... Mr. Tiger took two followers, searched through their homes, confirmed that the bones were knocked out, and there was no more oil to be squeezed out, so he gave an IOU. Ask them to press their fingerprints and draw a note...

escaped this disaster.

The people in Liushu Hutong were not only unhappy, but even more frowning.

This day was already difficult, and they couldn't go on. They had thought of staying until autumn, when the drought eased, but they didn't expect... The Tiger Gang came here.

For a period of time in the future, it can be expected that it will be more difficult and bitter!

……

Time flies by like a white horse, passing by in a hurry, and half a month passes in a blink of an eye.

What about Fang's life?

It's not bad.

With the supply of profits from the finished medicine business, the Fang family's food reserves were not consumed, but increased a little.

In the black market, items such as soybeans, meat, and suet became increasingly rare. Fang Rui was lucky enough to come across them twice, but he never bid to snatch them away.

In general, the Fang family can eat enough, but there is no oil and water.

Fang Rui didn't feel comfortable at first with a lot of coarse food to barely supply his body's needs, but now, he's getting used to it.

For other families in Liushu Hutong, it will be difficult.

There is no guarantee of one meal a day, and the only meal that may be possible is a gruel that even dare not add more wheat bran.

Fang Rui keenly observed: the neighbors around, even the adults are weak, they don't move when they can, and they don't stand when they can lie down; the children are even pale and thin, and they don't even have the energy to play up.

The situation in Liushu Hutong is not a special case, but a microcosm of the majority of people in Changshan County today.

Even worse, there are not a few of them.

Fang Xueshi has stopped letting Fang Ling out now, and the outside is getting more and more chaotic.But she knows: a hungry and crazy person can do anything.

It's chaotic outside, but the Fang family is still calm.

this night.

"...Thank you, sister of the Fang family!"

Mrs. Cai Gen carried a sack containing two catties of wheat bran, said her words of gratitude without any money, and left with gratitude.

After she leaves.

Fang Rui closed the door, sat down opposite Fang Xueshi, and said solemnly, "Mother, our family can no longer borrow food from others, otherwise..."

Mrs. Cai Gen is not the first to come to Fang's house to borrow food.

In the past half a month, many people in Liushu Hutong have thought about this idea.

Although the Fang family is relatively estranged from all the neighbors, and the relationship is not very good, but they are almost hungry and crazy, what are they supposed to do?
Come to Fang's house to borrow food, that is, if you have dates or not, you can make two poles.

After so many years of neighbors, people came to visit, and it was not easy for Fang Xueshi to rush out, especially: people didn't directly talk about borrowing food, but they talked about it and beat around the bush...

Fang Xue also has a way: for those who have little relationship and basically no relationship, pretend to be stupid, and complain relatively, because they have no food anyway;

Of course, she was not stupid, she was reluctant to borrow sorghum noodles, she only lent out wheat bran, and the amount was not much, only one or two catties.

However, so far, I have borrowed from three or five companies.

"...This number is already on the verge of the warning line, and may even have attracted the attention of interested people."

Fang Rui's eyes flashed, and he said, "Mother, did you notice that in the past two days, more people have come to our house to borrow food than usual?"

"really."

Fang Xueshi listened to Fang Rui's seriousness and paid attention to it, so she agreed very seriously: "Okay, mother won't borrow, and I won't borrow anything from now on."

It's still the same sentence: Except for San Niangzi's family, the other neighbors in Liushu Hutong are relatively distant from Fang's family, and the relationship is just like that.

It's one thing to be kind-hearted, and ten or twenty catties of wheat chaff is nothing, but if it involves the safety of your own family, then it must not be allowed.

"That's good."

Fang Rui heaved a sigh of relief.

What he said was serious, in fact, there might not be anything wrong, and the current risk is not too great, but he just wanted to attract Fang Xue's attention and nip the danger in the bud.

Having said that, Fang Rui didn't dare to be careless, he was not afraid of ten thousand, just in case, he wouldn't dare to bet even if there was even a chance.

"Actually, when I'm at home, I'm not afraid of any accidents; it's just that when I go to the black market every now and then..."

In Fang Rui's view, locking the door is not safe.

In this regard.

He also has a way: recently, when he went to the black market at night, he let Fang Xueshi and Fang Ling hide in the cellar, and moved a big stone to block it. Those who are not talented or high-grade warriors cannot move it at all.

This is much safer.

It was agreed upon.

Fang Xue said with emotion: "Two days ago, I paid the regular money again. The people who borrowed from the Tiger Gang before, are like the old Chu family back then. They broke up..."

"In this world, when will it be the end?" She seemed to be asking Fang Rui, and seemed to be muttering to herself.

"Who knows?" Fang Rui also sighed.

Farmers in the countryside have already gone bankrupt on a large scale; now, it is the turn of the cities.

"It's all difficult and bitter, so take it slowly! Relatively speaking, our family is already doing well."

"Yes!"

"Ugh!"

"Ugh!"

Two long sighs came out of the window, drowned in the deep night, like the whimper of the times.

……

(End of this chapter)