"Uncle, you actually have a blacksmith shop around here?" Noticing the old man's unease, Gu Qingshan deliberately started a conversation. However, he was genuinely surprised. In his hometown, blacksmith shops were usually only found in towns, since ironware was expensive these days, and pig iron was naturally expensive as well. Blacksmiths had to register with the government to open their shops!
The old man glanced at Gu Qingshan. Perhaps he was pleased by the address of "Uncle" and the humble attitude of asking questions, or perhaps he was afraid of upsetting this strong man who could take on three men at once, so he patiently explained.
Originally, although Shiligou was a village, it had a large population in the early years, with more than 100 households. It had a village head and elders, so it was no different from a small town. In addition, it was close to the prefectural city, so it was natural to set up a blacksmith shop.
As he spoke, a glow spread across the old man's face, as if he were recalling the past prosperity. But then his gaze fell upon the desolation before him, and he couldn't help but sigh, "Alas, now some are dead, some have fled, and half the families are gone!"
"Uncle, we don't lack water here, so why are so many families fleeing?" Qin Sanniang was also very surprised. Although Huang Dali had told her it was because of war and famine, and that taxes were high, this place had good weather and abundant harvests. Even if they fled to other places, could they really avoid taxes? Avoid war and famine?!
If that's the case, what's the point of them traveling thousands of miles to settle here? Are they going to have to flee again? She really doesn't want to live a life of constant displacement!
The old man didn't even turn around to look at Qin Sanniang, and said leisurely, "Although there is no drought here, in previous years, bandits ran rampant, making it difficult for everyone to survive. Those damned bandits would come and raid whenever it was harvest time, and most of us couldn't keep our grain! How can we live without grain? If we can't pay our grain taxes, we become unregistered residents, and many families have to flee."
If it weren't for the fact that he had many sons, he could have hidden some of the grain earlier when the bandits came, and he would have starved to death a few years ago!
Knowing they planned to settle down, and seemingly afraid of frightening them, the old man quickly added, "But don't worry, last year a new upright official came to the city and wiped out the bandits who used to harass us. We haven't seen them come down the mountain this year."
"If you settle here, the village head will be very welcoming. Just don't go to the mountainside; it's not safe there! There are still quite a few empty houses in our village. You can buy them for a little money, tidy them up, and they'll be habitable."
Knowing that the old man genuinely cared for them, Qin San Niang and the others quickly expressed their gratitude. As for settling here, they would have to consider it further! However, after inquiring, they understood why Huang Dali had suggested they settle here; this place welcomed refugees, presumably because the population was too small.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the old man pointed to a shed in the distance and said, "That's Cheng Shitou's blacksmith shop."
Looking over, Qin San Niang saw a simple wooden shed erected outside a house, with a stone wall surrounding the house behind it, and white smoke billowing from the chimney inside.
This shop is really shabby!
Seeing that there was no one outside the shop, they figured business must be bad and everyone had gone inside. Besides, there wasn't much work to do in the dead of winter, so there was really no need to repair farm tools.
The old man got off the carriage, but he didn't forget to take his hoe with him. It was one of the few farming tools his family had, his old partner in the fields.
"Stone! Stone! We have guests at your house!" The loud shout contrasted sharply with the old man's hunched back.
Before long, a series of hurried footsteps could be heard from inside, followed by a male voice replying, "Coming, coming!"
Cheng Shi was genuinely surprised to see the three carriages at the door! Could these be customers buying ironware? But that didn't seem right. Why would someone who could drive three carriages come to his rural blacksmith shop to buy things? They would go to the big blacksmith shops in the prefecture city.
Seeing him standing there in a daze, the old man gave him a familiar shove, "You rascal, why don't you hurry up and let the guest sit down? They've come all this way!"
In his opinion, there was nothing wrong with inviting them in for a seat. The Cheng family's blacksmith shop was dirt poor and had nothing worth coveting! Besides, Qin San Niang and the others had been quite polite, using respectful language when speaking to him!
Before Cheng Shi could react, Qin San Niang had already jumped off the carriage and walked up to him. Although they were looking for relatives, no one knew them, so it was only right to be a little cautious!
“Brother Cheng Shi, we came from the north. Your brother-in-law, Chief Escort Huang, is our friend. We’ve been fortunate to have his help along the way. Knowing that we plan to settle in Jiangzhou, he sent us to find you. He should be here soon after he’s finished with his business at the escort agency.” As she spoke, Qin San Niang handed him a wooden dart.
The woman before him had fair skin and particularly bright eyes, looking like a lady from a wealthy family, which made Cheng Shi dare not look at her too much. He carefully took the wooden plaque from Tan San Niang, examined it closely, and then answered earnestly.
“Madam, these are indeed my brother-in-law’s things. Please come in and sit down. It’s cold, have some hot tea first! Uncle, please come in and sit down too!”
It turned out that the old man's surname was Chen and his given name was Geng.
Old Chen waved his hand. Now that they had recognized each other as family, his task was complete. He should hurry home; the children at home were probably waiting for him to start the meal! Although there was only a few mouthfuls of thin white porridge, as the elder, no one dared to eat before he started.
Seeing him about to leave, Liu quickly stepped forward and handed him a bag of steamed buns as a way of thanking him for showing her family the way. Besides, if they really wanted to settle here in the future, an older local like Old Man Chen could be a great help! Moreover, this old man seemed to be an honest and upright person.
"Brother, this is a small token of our appreciation! Thank you for showing us the way, please don't refuse," Liu said with a smile.
These steamed buns were taken out by Third Aunt this morning. Although the skin was a bit hard, they were made of white flour, and she didn't believe anyone would dislike them!
Sure enough, when Old Man Chen saw that the bundle contained several large white steamed buns, his beard practically bristled with joy. This family was truly courteous! However, having lived for so many years, he was a bit thin-skinned and tried to politely decline. Of course, he couldn't match Liu's eloquence, and in the end, he happily wrapped the buns in a large leaf and went home beaming!
He walked briskly, thinking to himself, "Good deeds are rewarded after all. Look, he only led the way, and he got several large white steamed buns. If I count them carefully, there's enough for each of his grandsons to eat half a bun! The Cheng family is probably going to become rich!"
When Cheng Shi saw Liu Shi pull out a bundle of white steamed buns in the blink of an eye, his eyes widened! This family was nothing like other poor relatives who came seeking refuge! Someone who could casually give away white steamed buns couldn't possibly be poor! It couldn't be!
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