Chapter 79

At this age, the weather is freezing, and it is difficult to prepare snacks in the market. Mrs. Chen rushed to the city carrying a can of soup, just thinking about whether she could earn some money.

She told Xu Yi what ingredients were used to make the soup in her pot. The big-bone butchers only charged her two cents. The mushrooms were picked from the wild, and the money was spent on those few sticks of firewood.

This firewood cannot be saved, but fortunately it can be used for heating when burning a fire, which indirectly saves the cost of burning charcoal for heating.

Xu Yi sighed, but when the lid was opened, a meaty aroma overflowed from the clay pot.

"It smells so good," he said softly.

Mrs. Chen smiled and said, "They are all made from cheap things. I said I would give you a try, so I can't break my promise."

She served a bowl to Xu Yi, and saw A Xu bringing her sweet chicken and ginger soup. He also added brown sugar and quickly scooped a bowl for A Xu.

"Axu boy, before I left, you were not even up to my waist. How could you be so close to my heart when I haven't seen anyone for a long time?"

After Mrs. Chen sighed, Xu Yi sent Ajin to call He. Madam, Madam He heard Madam Chen’s arrival and followed A Jin to Xu’s house happily. I saw Mrs. Chen wearing a coarse cloth skirt and a tight waistcoat, with her hair combed upwards in a brown scarf, and a wooden comb on the side, looking like a village woman.

Her eyes were slightly red, and she shouted happily and sadly: "Good sister, how have you been these past few months?"

Mrs. Chen was excited when she saw her good sister: "I am doing well. You can live a busy life without worrying about food. But you, why do you look so bad? What happened? "

"It's nothing serious. Can you go to the city in the next two days?" Checked their eyes.

Xu Yi said: "In the past two days, the prices of rice, flour and bean sprouts in the city's grain stores have become more expensive. A bucket of rice is said to be more than six or seven yuan more expensive. Madam He and I are worried that the prices will rise again in the future."

Madam Chen exclaimed: "Is there such a thing?"

Xu Yi frowned: "Ms. Chen is in the eastern suburbs, haven't you heard anyone mention it?"

Mrs. Chen said: "There are mostly Zhuangzi in the eastern suburbs, and the masters all live in the city. They stay there to keep watch. The people who follow Zhuangzi are all brokers, and I don’t even associate with them.”

The only person she could talk to was the old lady who rented her house. The old lady's sons don't live here, and there are only a few old servants at home. The family has a small population, and there is no shortage of food in the warehouse, so I don't think they knew about it.

Madam He asked: "Have you prepared food at home?"

"No..." Madam Chen shook her head. All the money she saved was used to buy iron pots and firewood, and there was not much money left in her hand.

"When I sell this can of soup, I can save some money and then go to the grain store to buy grain." She was panicking, but there was no other way.

Mrs. He felt inappropriate when she heard what she said.

"What if the price of food continues to rise by then?" She said, "Why don't I lend you money first, and you buy the food, and then pay me back when you make money."

Mrs. Chen was grateful and thanked her. "Good sister, I will pay you back as soon as I make money."

Xu Yi also said, asking Uncle Liu to follow Mrs. Chen to buy grain. One stone of rice weighs more than a hundred kilograms, and she alone can't pull it. If you find a strong man to pull the goods, you will have to spend a lot of money at least. At this critical moment, save what you can.

After a few people talked, Mrs. Chen decided to sell the cans of soup first.

The soup was put in a can, and some straw was stuffed into the bamboo basket. The soup inside was still hot for an hour or two, so the time spent talking was not wasted.

Mrs. Chen first went to the well to fetch water with a can and a wooden bucket, and then went to the market on South Street to sell cans of soup.

A passer-by asked what kind of soup this was, and after hearing that it only cost a penny, he thought about it and bought it.

The weather is so cold that traveling merchants, vendors, or servant girls can warm themselves up with a bowl of hot soup, which costs less money than boiling water for themselves.

More than half an hour later, the pot of soup that Mrs. Chen brought had cooled down. Seeing that there was not much left in the pot, she stayed in the market for a while. Seeing that no one came to buy anymore, she washed the dishes and put away the dirty ones. Well water was poured into ditches.

Returning to Shijing Lane, Mrs. Chen met her old neighbors who were familiar with her in the past. Several ladies only covered their mouths and stared at her when they saw her. Mrs. Chen raised her eyebrows and passed in front of them with her chest puffed out.

Mrs. Chen ignored them and quickly arrived at the Xu family yard.

"This soup is still good. If brother Yi doesn't dislike it, you can drink it no matter how warm it is." After saying that, Mrs. Chen was worried that Xu Yi would misunderstand, and said, "I took it back and couldn't finish it, and I would be even more reluctant to part with it if it was lost. "

Xu Yi naturally said happily: "The wild mushroom soup is sweet and delicious. Madam Chen, you are so good at cooking. How could you dislike it?"

He asked A Xu to go to the kitchen to get a small pottery basin to fill the soup.

When Mrs. He got the news, she also got half of her bowl of fresh and sweet soup.

Although this is just the leftover soup, in fact, if Ms. Chen sells it hotter, she can still sell it. Besides, if you were given a bowl of delicious soup for free these days, who would refuse it?

After dividing the soup, Uncle Liu arrived in an ox cart.

Xu Yi came out of the house and told Uncle Liu a few words to help Mrs. Chen pull food to the eastern suburbs.

How could Uncle Liu refuse: "Doctor Xu, don't worry, as long as I'm here, I'll definitely send Mrs. Chen to you."

Xu Yi smiled and said, "With Uncle Liu, I can rest assured."

He and Mrs. He watched Mrs. Chen go. Get on the bullock cart and leave.

Mrs. He said happily to Xu Yi: "She is living a harder life now, but she doesn't look worried anymore. When she can start a stable food business, her life will not be worse than that."

She went to the Chen family next door to point out. He moved his eyes, not thinking favorably of Chen Erwang.

This man just stays at home and doesn't go out, so he doesn't have much potential.

Xu Yi said lightly: "Reconciliation is not a bad thing for women."

Mrs. He sighed, it is not.

It's okay to divorce if you can't live with her anymore, you don't have to suffer from such cowardice anymore. Moreover, Mrs. Chen is good-looking and has a lot of skills, so she doesn't have to worry about getting married again.

...

Two days later, Xu Yi went to Huanggou Village to give Grandpa Zhou acupuncture.

On the way, they heard that the price of grain at the grain store in the city had increased again. It had increased by three cents per bucket, and one stone was thirty cents more expensive.

Xu Yi asked Zhou Fu if he could buy grain.

Zhou Fuleng shook his head sternly and said, "I didn't buy it."

Uncle Liu, who was in charge, turned to look at him and asked thoughtfully, "Are the tenant farmers cultivating the fields at home?"

Zhou Fu touched the machete, thought for a while and said, "It's been rented out."

He and his grandfather were the only two people in the family, and he ran away all year round. He had no land but no one to farm.

The government stipulates that the fields in this land cannot be abandoned, so Grandpa Zhou leases his family's fields to families with a large population but few fields.

Leasing land to fellow villagers is different from renting to tenant farmers. Simply put, the relationship between tenant farmers and household heads is superior and subordinate. If the land is given to people from the same village, the relationship between the two families is equal, and the renting family only needs to give the Zhou family a sum of money or part of the grain.

Although they are all providing food, there is no need to be humble.

Moreover, they are all familiar with each other from the same village. Grandpa Zhou does not receive much land rent, only 10% of the grain harvest.

Even so, his family has more food than they can eat every year.

Grandpa Zhou had the foresight to not sell the excess grain from this year’s autumn harvest, but instead saved a few more dan.

This increase in food prices has no impact on the Zhou family.

Uncle Liu felt envious and uncomfortable when he heard that his family was not short of food.

He went to the grain store several times and saw that the price was high every time. When he came home, he couldn't sleep. His wife advised him to relax and listen to Dr. Xu's advice and buy some to save.

There was nothing he could do, even though it cost more than two hundred cents, Uncle Liu still took two shi of food home.

Xu Yi analyzed: "Sichuan is no longer a closed place. Although Maozhou and other places are invaded by foreigners, other places in Shu are still relatively stable. Food prices have been stable in the past few years. This time the price increase is due to Westerners. The disaster has affected Chong County, and I think the food price will not be turbulent for long before it calms down."

Uncle Liu and the others were also disappointed when they heard that Xichong County was affected.

Not long after, the oxcart arrived at Huanggou Village.

Grandpa Zhou was already waiting outside the house on crutches.

Xu Yi said, "Why are you still coming out? It's so windy outside."

Grandpa Zhou smiled kindly, groping for the edge of the door and entering the house, while saying, "I think it's time for Ah Fu to pick you up, Doctor Xu." Come out and take a look, there is not much wind."

He looked bad and asked Zhou Fu to pour water to receive Xu Yi and Uncle Liu.

Grandpa Zhou asked Xu Yi: "Doctor Xu, I have been drinking medicinal soup for the past few days, and soon after I finish drinking it, my eyes feel hot."

Xu Yi said: "In addition to eye heat, are there any other symptoms?"

Zhou Grandpa shook his head: "That's not true."

Xu Yi nodded: "It's not a big problem, you can continue taking it."

After that, he went to follow up with Grandpa Zhou. After taking the medicinal soup for five days, there was a milky white substance condensing on the lesion in his left eye. It has been reduced and my spirits have improved.

While examining his eyes, Xu Yi asked him about his diet in the past few days.

After learning that he was eating more and going to the toilet and not having diarrhea as before, and that although he had not returned to normal yet, he was much better, Xu Yi took out the acupuncture with satisfaction.

He said: "Take this prescription for another twenty days. During this period, I will acupuncture my father-in-law three times, and I should be able to distinguish objects with my left eye."

Grandpa Zhou couldn't help but be startled, and then he was happy.

He quickly took Zhou Fu to thank Xu Yi and told his grandson to thank him properly.

Zhou Fu frowned and said a little worriedly: "Sending grain?"

Grandpa Zhou was choked by his answer, and then said: "That's okay. Grain is expensive nowadays, and the grain shops in the city are raising their prices. Ah Fu moved two stones of rice to the cattle Let Dr. Xu take the car back."

"Yes." Zhou Fu responded calmly.

Xu Yi: "..."

He said aloud: "I appreciate my father-in-law's good intentions, but my family is not short of food. My father-in-law needs to keep this food for himself in case of emergencies."

Grandpa Zhou said: " Ah Fu and I are the only two people in the family, so we can't eat that much, so it won't hurt if we give out a few more stones."

No matter what he said, Xu Yi still wouldn't accept it.

Two stones of food are worth enough money to make a living, but the Zhou family's family background is not in the category of wealthy families. Xu Yi insisted on the bottom line and only charged five cents for consultation, five cents for acupuncture, and medicinal materials.

Waiting to leave Zhou's house.

Uncle Liu asked Xu Yi puzzledly: "Why didn't Doctor Xu accept it?"

That was two shi of grain. If you save on eating, it would be enough for a family of three for more than two months.

In addition, the price of food is so expensive now, but Xu Yi doesn't accept it. He really can't figure it out.

Xu Yi smiled and said, "It's just because the price of food is high that I can't accept it. Uncle Liu, do you know what kind of business Zhou Fu does?"

Uncle Liu said without thinking, "I work as a guard for businessmen. Every time I can You can get hundreds of dollars, and if you run far, you can still get a lot of money."

Xu Yi asked again: "Does Uncle Liu know that when you leave Yanting County and go to Shu Road, you will encounter people on the road. How many bandits have robbed the convoy on the way?"

Liu Bo was stunned: "..."

"Zhou Fu earns money by selling his life, and he can die in the fight with bandits at any time. It is a profession of licking blood." Xu Yi slowly said. Said, "Zhou Aweng couldn't see the eye disease, so he rented out more than ten acres of land at home, and only harvested 10% of the grain from each acre. This grain was not much, and it was only because the Zhou family had a small population that they could save grain."

The Zhou family thought Give it, but he dare not accept it.

First, he had already paid for the consultation and medicine.

Second, food prices are too expensive.

When Uncle Liu heard what Xu Yi said, his face became hot, thinking that he regarded Xu Yi as someone like him.

I didn't expect that Xu Yi would think so much about this matter and would not happily accept it just for two stones of food.

After sending Xu Yi back to the Xu family, Uncle Liu went to meet individual tourists.

Not long after, many people knew that there was a doctor named Xu on South Street who could cure blindness.

At this time, Xu Yi didn't know that Uncle Liu had once again promoted him. If he had known about it, he would have covered his mouth.

Among the common people in the countryside, there are often half a hundred old people whose eyesight cannot be seen clearly, as if covered with a layer of gauze, which has been blurry for several years. In severe cases, there are often severe cases where they can no longer see directly. As time goes by, this disease is called by many people. "Blinding disease".

In the past, the only doctor who could cure "blindness" in Yanting County was Dr. Chen. Dr. Chen's medical treatment was expensive, and many families could not afford to hire Dr. Chen.

Now that there is an additional "Doctor Xu", people come to South Street looking for him and ask where Doctor Xu lives.

"Are you looking for Dr. Xu to see a doctor?" The neighbor who was asked for directions saw that someone was looking for Xu Yi. There was nothing strange about him. He asked if he wanted to see a doctor, so he gave the person directions.

"If you walk a few doors down Shijing Lane, there will be a house with a green brick roof. That is Doctor Xu's house." The

person who asked for directions thanked him and walked quickly to Shijing Lane.

Looking at the dilapidated houses around him, the man frowned and thought with some disappointment. Xu Naizhi was afraid that he was ill and had to seek medical treatment. How could there be a doctor here who could cure "blindness"?

Really, I would never live in such a place.

He thought so, and although he was unhappy, when he found the Xu family, he walked up and knocked on the door.

It was A Xu who came out to open the door.

A Xu stared at him and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

The man lowered his eyes at the little boy in a green cloth robe and asked, "Is this Dr. Xu's house?"

A Xu nodded and turned away. He said, "Mr. Lang is in the room. Are you here to see a doctor?"

"No."

He twitched the corner of his mouth. The child's eyesight was not good. He looked like a sick person?

He said: "I was asked to find Dr. Xu and ask him if he can cure blindness. If he can, please come with me. The people in the mansion want to ask him to treat the eyesight of my mother-in-law." ."

A Xu was confused. He had never heard Lang Jun say that he could cure "blindness", so he asked the man to wait while he asked Lang Jun.

When Xu Yi heard A Xu running into the room to report what this man said, he felt a little strange in his heart.

How could someone come here to ask him if he could cure "blindness"?

This "blindness disease" is nothing but a cataract that can be classified as "round nebula cataract" in traditional Chinese medicine. There are too many names for the disease, and there are many causes. Once the disease occurs, it will only get worse and worse, eventually leading to blindness and blindness. [Note 1]

Apart from treating Grandpa Zhou’s eye disease, Xu Yi never treated anyone else.

So who said he could cure eye diseases?

Xu Yi thought of Uncle Liu, who had a criminal record. When he came back that day, during the second half of the journey, Uncle Liu's eyes changed again and again, as if he had a lot to say.

"..." Could it really be him?

Xu Yi smiled helplessly.

Xu Yi said: "Invite him to come in and talk."

After the man came in, he looked up and down the room, and then said slowly: "Who is Dr. Xu?"

There were Xu Yi and A Xu in the room. The words were somewhat knowingly asked.

Xu Yi nodded: "It's me."

The man said "Ah" and shouted in disbelief: "You are so young, can you really cure the 'blindness disease'?"

Xu Yi said truthfully: "I have never treated it." After a pause, he thought about explaining that he could check on the patient first.

As a result, before he finished speaking, the man said impatiently: "You haven't even been treated before, so why are you asking me to come into the house? Are you telling me to come in for fun?"

After saying that, he spit on the ground and cursed. He left the main room and walked outside.

"You..." A Xu's eyes widened. He had never seen such an unreasonable person.

"This man is so angry. You haven't even finished speaking, Lang Jun. He just said this to Lang Jun. It's really annoying." A Xu was so angry that he wanted to run out and stop the man to argue.

Xu Yi frowned and told him not to be angry.

He looked at the spit smear on the floor, frowning in disgust, and said: "Axu, please remove the dirty scum first, and then use white wine to scrub it."

Axu nodded angrily, ran to the kitchen, took a rag and Come over here.

After this person left, there was no follow-up to the matter for the time being.

...

After the news of the disaster in Xichong County spread in Yanting County, Xing Yuesen and others sent their servants to ask Xu Yi if he had enough food at home.

Hearing that Xu Yi had already prepared the food, Xing Yuesen sent two baskets of high-quality peach charcoal.

The peach charcoal is smokeless when burned, the smell is not choking, and there is an indescribable elegant fragrance.

Xu Yi got this charcoal, so he couldn't take it for free.

It's just that there was nothing worth giving away at home, so Xu Yi soon put his mind on Agarwood.

These pieces of agarwood have been stored for several months, but I still haven't found a reason to throw them away.

In this case, Xu Yi chose to keep it in case he could give it as a gift and have something handy.

The two baskets of charcoal given by Xing Yuesen cost at least two or three ounces of silver. Xu Yi then went into the house, cut off a piece of agarwood three fingers wide, took a wooden box and put it in, and told A Xu to deliver it to Xing Mansion and give it to Xing Yuesen's servant.

A Xu took the wooden box and went to Xing Mansion. He happened to meet Xin Shengyuan who came to Xing Mansion to find Xing Yuesen.

Xin Shengyuan saw A Xu from a distance, called him over and asked, "Why are you here? Could it be that Xu Yi asked you to come?"

A Xu saluted, shouted "Hello, Xin Langjun" and said, "Lang Jun I was

sent to deliver

something to Mr. But I can’t care anymore.

Why did Xu Yi only give gifts to Xing Yuesen and not him!

A Xu didn't know what he was thinking. Xu Yi didn't tell him that he couldn't tell. When he saw that Xin Shengyuan was no one else, he told the truth: "Mr. If you don't want to return the gift, let me give you something, but I don't know what it is. Lang Jun didn't say anything."

Xin Shengyuan: "..."

There were footsteps coming from the side, and Xing Yuesen said, "What are you talking about?"

"Mr. Xing." A Xu saluted hurriedly.

Xin Shengyuan curled his lips and said somewhat unhappily: "You gave Xu Yi a gift, why didn't you just say a word to us, so that we can give it together at least."

Xing Yuesen said "oh" clearly and said: " It's not an expensive thing. Zhuangzi happened to burn a few carts of charcoal and delivered it. I thought it looked good, so I sent two baskets."

After that, he clapped his hands and said, "By the way, I'll give it to you too. You sent two baskets?"

Xin Shengyuan's mouth twitched: "..."

He didn't notice.

Seeing his expression, Xing Yuesen had already guessed something, and couldn't help but smile: "Xinyao, you are so old, why haven't you grown up yet? You are like a little baby, and you are thinking about these things."

Xin Shengyuan was not happy and said: "Xu Yi gave you something, but I can't ask if I don't have it. Besides, you have a lot of ambitions and always go behind our backs to please Xu Yi, just because you are afraid that Xu Yi will get along with me and Qing." Hao is closer .

"

We're here."

"Okay, Mr. Xing."

A Xu quickly put the wooden box on the stone bench next to him and saluted Xing Yuesen and Xin Shengyuan, "then A Xu will go back and inform Mr. Xing."

Xing Yuesen picked up the wooden box and said, "Well, let's go back."

After watching A Xu go away, Xing Yuesen opened the wooden box in front of Xin Shengyuan.

"Eh?"

"What is this?"

Xin Shengyuan came over to take a look, stared at the piece of dead wood, and was a little surprised: "Why did Xu Yi give you a broken piece of wood, and it's still so small?"

Xing Yuesen couldn't help but rolled his eyes.

This is agarwood!

It is also the best agarwood that is extremely rare in Yanting County!

Last time, his father recovered a piece from some prodigal son. He was so happy that he invited several close friends to come to the house to observe.

How could Xu Yi give this agarwood to him casually?

Xing Yuesen's heart was slightly shaken, thinking that Xu Yi could give agarwood to him, wasn't it a sign of trust in him? How can you not be excited to be treated sincerely by your friends?

He ignored Xin Shengyuan, who was scratching his head next to him, and said to him: "Since you don't know this thing, don't tell it if you see it today. Later, if Yi... Xu Yi also I'll give you a piece, then ask him."

Xin Shengyuan frowned: "What if Xu Yi didn't give it to me?" "..." Xing Yuesen said, "If he didn't give it to me, wouldn't you give it to him first

?"

I was speechless by his answer, but I felt distressed that Xing Yuesen was right.

He couldn't fight back.

He came out of Xing's house, and the more he thought about it, the more something was wrong. The wood looked unfamiliar, but he had just gotten closer and could smell the faint aroma. The smell was very familiar, as if he had smelled it somewhere before.

Xin Shengyuan couldn't figure it out, so he stopped thinking about the problem. He planned to listen to Xing Yuesen and pick out a few good-looking things to give to Xu Yi first.

As soon as he returned to the yard, the maid from the queen's house came to invite someone.

"Say hello to brother Xin. My wife asked me to invite you over. It's someone from my aunt's family who wants to see you." The female envoy said in response after making a blessing ceremony.

Xue Lian changed Xin Shengyuan's clothes and put on a red fox fur cloak that reached to his ankles, making him look even more like a dragon, colt and phoenix.

Xin Shengyuan followed the female envoy to the eldest lady's room, stepped in, and smelled a vaguely similar smell.

Huh? It’s the smell of that piece of wood!

Xin Shengyuan asked: "Auntie, what kind of incense is in your house?"

Mrs. Chu smiled and waved him over, and said: "It's just the agarwood incense that the girl in the room lit. If you like it, you can come over later and let me have it." Xuelian took a box back."

Xin Shengyuan raised his eyebrows, knowing what kind of wood it was.