Big businessman and little fisherman

Chapter 167

The wind blows from the lake, and the cold seems to be able to blow into the bones of people.

Lu Xiaosi waited for Wu Ding to entrust the stall to others, then turned his head to look at the small market where she and Sister Xiaoli had sold rice dumplings in the distance, the originally lively vegetable market was a bit deserted.There were almost no cargo ships on the pier, and even the men who carried the work on the pier lost sight of them.

The doors and windows of Lai Fushun not far away are closed, and the bustle of visitors is no longer seen.The original vermilion lacquered gates and window rails were eroded by wind and rain and became dull and lifeless.The guise of Lai Fushun, which was flamboyant in the wind, was torn at some point, and it swayed in the wind, making people feel a bit depressed for no reason.

Seeing that Lu Xiaosi looked at Lai Fushun without moving, Lu Xiaoli couldn't help sighing, "I don't know if shopkeeper Li can come after the Chinese New Year."

"It will come."

Winter is over, and spring is not far away!
The three hurriedly turned the corner and walked onto the longest street in the town.

Some of the doors on both sides of the street are open, some are closed, and some are closed tightly. You can tell that the doors have been closed for a long time just by looking at the dust at the door.

It seems that the business of selling joss sticks and paper horses is okay, and one or two customers can be seen talking inside.The stove was extinguished in the blacksmith's shop covered with thick dust, and the blacksmith was wearing an old coat and squatting at the door with his eyes closed, basking in the sun.Looking in the store, those knives and irons seem to have frozen their souls. At first glance, they are dark, and they don't even reflect the light.

There is also the proprietress who sells rouge and pollen. In the past, she was always seen painting her eyebrows and powder and standing at the door with a smile to attract female customers.Seeing you today, you have a plain white face, you don't wear makeup, you can see a bit of the charm of the past on a face that has accumulated over the years.

Seeing Lu Xiaosi looking over, the clerk of the Dong's Cloth Store rushed out a few steps to welcome him, thinking of attracting business.Seeing them passing by on three feet non-stop, he walked back dejectedly and stood at the door, waiting for the next wave of customers to pass by, so as to attract a business.

Ding Wu saw that Lu Xiaosi was still looking at him carefully, so he couldn't help but relax his nerves.

After passing Dong's cloth shop, Lu Yange asked, "Should Dong Yong come back for the Chinese New Year?"

They are all children from the town, Ding Wu should know much better than him.

"Well, I will definitely come back during the Chinese New Year. Being an apprentice is really not easy. Not to mention giving Baigan a job, I am still not free. Last time my father met Uncle Dong, he said that Dong Yong had been released for a day in the Mid-Autumn Festival and did not come back. His father still felt sorry for him." He went to see it himself, and said that he was a little taller, but he lost a lot of weight."

After finishing talking, Ding Wu thought of himself, if it wasn't for Xiao Si's lo-mei, he might also go out to be an apprentice, or run a boat with his brothers.

They have five brothers and one mother. The eldest brother sells butcher at home, he sells lo-mei at home, and the second brother, third brother, and fourth brother run boats.Speaking of the days of running the boat, the three brothers all said that it was hard work.

But what's the matter with hard work, I still want to go, I can't eat my parents and my father at home.

"Just wait until you learn it." Lu Xiaoli, who was walking behind the two of them, said silently.

Ding Wu sighed: "I hope so."

It also depends on whether you meet a good master, who is willing to teach the handed down skills to people with other surnames.

Dong Yong also went to work as a buddy, not as an apprentice.

"It's okay, Dong Yong is smart. As long as he wants to learn, he will definitely learn the skills. As long as the general direction is good, and he will come back and explore by himself, he will definitely succeed."

Lu Yange still had confidence in Dong Yong, the boy followed him up mountains and down rivers, and was willing to do anything for the sake of dyeing cloth.

Bold, sweet-mouthed, thick-skinned, and smart-headed, such a person can succeed as long as he is given a chance.

The three of them walked for a while, and found that the farther away from the town center, the more shops were closed.

Compared with this side, the side near the pier is not bad.

Lu Yange stopped in his tracks: "Is your family's braised meat business not doing very well recently?"

"It's really not good, but it's not that the lo-mei business is not easy to do. After closing so many stores and leaving so many merchants, everyone's business is not good. My meat case now kills one pig less than in previous years." As he said, Ding Wu sighed again: "The business at the end of the year is not like this."

When mentioning the previous years, Ding Wu felt a little sad for a moment.

What was it like in previous years?
He couldn't remember it for a while, he only remembered that in the past years, there was a flow of people everywhere, buying and selling roadside stalls at night to light up the lights to buy food.He led a few nephews and nieces from one side of the town to the other side of the town. When they came back, everyone's footsteps seemed to be a little heavier, and they fell firmly on the ground.

Now, the prosperity of the past seems to have receded like a tide, leaving only the empty streets, and the dead leaves and dust wandering between the streets.

Where have all those shoulder-to-shoulder people gone?
Those shopkeepers who have closed their stores don't know if they will come to the town in the coming year.

The Hongying Army revolted, yelling that they would have food, food, and money.

Who knew that they were grabbing food from the mouths of the people, distributing food from the pots of the people, and taking money from the pockets of ordinary people like them.

What is the difference between this new dynasty and the old dynasty?

Return the emperor's innocence and help justice.

It turns out that as long as a person becomes an emperor, he will be immoral!
After all, Ding Wu was a gangster in the town, and it was easier to inquire about the news than Lu Yange. He only asked two or three people, and then led Lu Xiaosi and his brother to a courtyard at the southern end of the town.

Lu Quan and others were locked in a courtyard of Master Lin's house. The three children walked around the courtyard wall and did not enter, let alone see anyone.Ding Wu was really eager to help, seeing that he couldn't get in and told Xiao Si and Xiao Li to wait at the door, he turned his head and ran back, finally found two acquaintances who could talk.

With the face of Uncle Ding, the two did not make things difficult for Ding Wu, and told him bluntly that they would release him as long as he paid the imperial rations.

It's not really going to be locked up, it's just to frighten these country folks and find a few people to make an example to others.

"That can make you meet."

Ding Wu knew Xiaosi's temperament, so he was afraid that if he was not allowed to see him, he would be able to climb over the wall in the middle of the night.

Seeing that the acquaintance did not say a word, Ding Wu hurriedly stuffed the money for selling braised meat today: "Brother Zhou, Brother Wang, I don't have time to treat you to tea, you take these and drink some hot tea."

"How can I ask for your tea money?"

Zhou Da hurriedly pushed, but was pushed back by Ding Wu: "I am not polite to my two elder brothers. One of the people imprisoned here is my family uncle, and my uncle has praised his character."

Hearing Ding Wu mention his uncle, Zhou Da retracted his hand again, and took the money bag: "Then I'll find a way for you, I'll keep the money for tea, and it's not for nothing, brother also has to ask for it." The gatekeepers are eating."

Ding Wu nodded in panic: "I know, that's what I mean."

When Ding Wu led Zhou Da and Wang Er over, he saw them walking to the gate and talking to the gatekeeper.

The gatekeeper glanced at the three children not far away, and nodded.

Ding Wu hurriedly led Xiaosi Xiaoli over.

Lu Quan and the others were locked in a side courtyard. While waiting at the door, Lu Xiaoli slipped to the window and counted first, but he didn't see the people clearly.

Come over and whisper to Xiaosi: "There are probably less than twenty people inside."

(End of this chapter)