Good son-in-law of the Ming Dynasty

"This thief is going to starve to death the four members of my Xiao family!"

The sun was already streaming in through the window and down on the mats.It's autumn, the tigers are rampant, and the weather is one-third hotter than the ups and downs.The hut was facing east, and it was scorching hot inside for an hour.

But Xiao Xiucai was completely cold. Looking at the sunlight outside the window, he murmured a sigh, but there was a rumbling sound in his stomach, and a sense of hunger and nausea came over him like a tide, making his whole body feel light, as if he was about to rise. go to heaven.

It has been more than ten hours since yesterday morning, and I haven't had a serious meal.

Xiao Xiucai's family is located in the east of Cangzhou City, and his family was considered a middle-class family in the past.It's a pity that in the early years, in order to support myself to study, the family property has been tossing around.Last year, his father passed away from a serious illness. In order to treat his father and for his funeral, the Xiao family filled in the last bit of their family background.

It is said that a well-known scholar enjoys a series of preferential policies of tax exemption and corvee exemption from the state, plus he can read and write, so he can make a living no matter what.Reluctantly, he was in the three-year filial piety period and could not take the imperial examination.And after studying books all his life, his mind became pedantic, and he didn't know what to do to make a living.

Sitting and eating like this, life at home gradually became embarrassing.

Because he has the face of being a scholar, he is ashamed to work on the street like everyone else.I can only sell the family belongings bit by bit and exchange them for rice grains. Up to now, not only the jewelry from the wife as a dowry, but there is not even a table and chairs for eating in the house.

He remembered that the last time he had a full meal was half a month ago, and he spent the next fifteen days relying on porridge with wild vegetables.

Just last night, the last handful of rice was thrown into the pot.It is already three shots in the sun, but there is no sign of fire in the house. It is estimated that the cooking has been completely cut off.

How should I live the next day?

Perhaps, in at most three days, the four members of my Xiao family will die.

It doesn't matter if I starve to death alone, but a man can't support his parents at the top, and can't feed his children at the bottom. What's the point of living?

The feeling of weakness became more and more intense, and when he looked up at the empty room, Xiao Xiucai dropped his head weakly on the pillow.

There was a sound of light footsteps, and when I looked up, the delicate and thin face of my wife Liu Shi appeared in front of me: "My husband, the child is already too hungry, didn't you go to Yang Daguan's family to apply for a job yesterday. When you came back last night, you didn’t say a word, and it’s not easy for the servants to ask, but I don’t know if Mr. Yang agreed or not?”

"Don't talk about it." Xiao Xiucai felt anxious for no reason, "What kind of official in Yang is just a merchant. Scholars, farmers, businessmen, and merchants are the bottom of the four people. I am also a scholar with a reputation. If you are willing to work as an accountant for him, you won't lose the dignity of a scholar!"

Seeing her husband's displeasure, his wife Liu said in a low voice, "It's just that my husband doesn't want to go to Yang's house, but the family has run out of food today. We adults don't eat, so it's fine for one or two meals. It's just that my mother is getting old. , the child is still young, if something happens from starvation...how about I go to my mother's house and see if I can borrow some rice?"

Xiao Xiucai's natal family was a small landlord in Cangzhou. They had more than a hundred acres of dry land, and they lived well.

But I didn't want to, when Xiao Xiucai heard this, he was furious: "Shut up, you are a member of my Xiao family when you marry me. How can you blindly ask your natal family for help and spread the word? How can I be a scholar? Also, Those brothers of yours are philistines, if I come to the door, wouldn't I be humiliated by them for nothing?"

"Xianggong..." Seeing that her husband was so angry, Liu sighed.She knew that her husband valued his status as a scholar, and he refused to humble himself and beg for help.She was weak by nature, so she didn't say any more: "I'd better go outside the city to search, see if I can bring back some wild vegetables."

Just as she was about to leave, Xiao Xiucai suddenly stopped her: "My lady... you have suffered a lot these days."

Tears welled up in Liu's eyes, and she couldn't speak anymore.

"My lady, actually...the Yang family still hired me, but..." It's just that Xiao Xiucai didn't want to go.

Mrs. Liu turned her head in surprise: "I really hired you as an accountant, Amitabha, and I don't know how much a month's salary is?"

"Two or two a month." Xiao Xiucai sat up with a wry smile, "Actually, I don't like the work of the tent as a husband, but for the sake of mother and child... Madam, bring me a basin of water, after I finish washing up , I’ll go to work now. Don’t worry, I’ll be able to bring you some food back at night.”

After washing his face, Xiao Xiucai raised his spirits and walked towards Yang's house. He was probably very hungry, and when he walked, his feet felt fluttering.

That's right, the place he was going to was the firm of Yang Jianzhong, the largest salt merchant in Cangzhou.

Yang Jianzhong had a huge net worth, and most of the accountants and shopkeepers in the firm were from scholars, and many of them were classmates of Xiao Xiucai when he was studying.

Seeing that his livelihood was difficult, some classmates recommended him to work in the accountant of Yang's family. Yang Jianzhong also agreed to meet him as an interview, and the time was set for yesterday.

Ordinarily, Xiao Xiucai was born as a scholar at any rate, and the people in the Yangjia firm are all highly educated. If he spends a few years in the company, he may not fail to be the chief accountant or even the shopkeeper. At that time, the monthly salary will not be two or three. There are two problems, and there will be dividends at the end of the year.By that time, he, Xiao Xiucai, could be considered a proper senior official.Yang Jianzhong is a generous man, and his opponents are also good, but it's a pity that Xiao Xiucai went at an untimely time, when the official Yang was in a bad mood.

It turned out that the Yan Division had set up a development bank and issued a bill called a salt ticket.This thing is mortgaged by official salt, which is no different from the treasure notes issued by the previous court.

But for some reason, Yang Jianzhong was furious, saying why the salt ticket should be mortgaged with official salt, and you can go to the salt company to exchange it for table salt at any time. If that is the case, what do we salt merchants do?It must be that Mei Fugui made it tomorrow, this birdman even dared to change the salt policy in order to retaliate against me, Yang Jianzhong, a thief and a thief!

Xiao Xiucai also couldn't figure out what the salt ticket was. The problem was that he came to apply for a job only because Yang Jianzhong was in a bad mood.

Official Yang was in a bad mood, his words were hard to hear, and he was not very respectful to Xiao Xiucai.

Although Xiao Xiucai was poor, he carried a pedantic and arrogance unique to a scholar, and immediately had an attack. The two of them fought for a long time, and finally the scholar walked away, saying: "A gentleman does not eat what he comes by!" .

But seeing Liu's tears just now, Xiao Xiucai felt sad and sighed: My face alone is nothing, it is impossible for the whole family to starve to death, let's go, let's go see Yang again today. Jianzhong would do it once, at worst, he would wipe his face off and put it in his arms.