"You are such a wicked old man. Other people's pancakes only cost one cent each, but you asked for thirty cents. Are you trying to cheat me because I am a foreigner?"
"Oh, brave man, it's unfair!"
The old man's wrinkled face was full of innocence.
"The brave man is wronged!"
The old man looked at the long knife standing in front of him with a look of horror on his face.
"Today's water price has risen to four taels of silver per bucket. Although making pancakes doesn't require much water, in this water-scarce year, the prices of vegetables, fruits, rice, and flour have all doubled. The flour I use to make pancakes has been driven up to a sky-high price. Haven't you noticed that there are very few vendors selling food along the way? If I didn't have a big family to feed, how could I risk being kicked out of my stall and come out to earn such hard-earned money?"
Not even a blade of grass could grow in the ground, and everything edible had been dug up and eaten.
Even the grass roots and tree barks are what people fight over every day.
A big reason why most vendors decide to close their shops, apart from the high costs, is the fear of being robbed.
"If my son hadn't been a constable in the government, with some skills and connections, how could I have supported this business?"
...
...
Just thinking about it makes me shed tears of sadness!
"The government controls the water source, have you ever thought of rebelling?"
"opposite?"
The old man looked like he had heard a huge joke.
"Who dares to rebel? Jing County is a lesson for us!"
Jing County?
Xiao Yuqi pointed at the stove and said, "Give me two pancakes first."
The old man cheerfully took out an oil paper bag and wrapped two hot pancakes that had just come out of the oven.
"Come, sir, have a try. I have been making pancakes for decades. In the whole Guangling County, no one else can make pancakes as delicious as mine!"
Xiao Yuqi sat on the small stool that the old man had placed next to the stall and took a bite while it was still hot.
The outer shell is crispy and crumbly, while the inside is soft and sweet.
"It's delicious. The old man's cooking skills are really good!"
"If you like it, please come often!"
Xiao Yuqi nodded and continued, "I just heard the old gentleman talking about Jing County. To be honest, I came here to buy a good horse in Jing County. But when I got here, I couldn't enter Jing County, and I couldn't leave Guangling County. I really didn't know what to do!"
He seemed to have lost his appetite even for pancakes.
His rough eyebrows were tightly furrowed.
The old man looked around and saw that there was no one on the road, so he pulled another chair and sat next to Xiao Yuqi.
"Listen to my advice, you can't go to Jing County now!"
Xiao Yuqi listened attentively.
"My son works in the government office. A few days ago, he told me that riots had already begun in Jing County, and the governor sent troops to suppress them. I heard that there were countless casualties!"
Xiao Yuqi's heart suddenly tightened.
"If that's the case, why do they keep the city gates closed and refuse to open them?"
The old man had an unfathomable look on his face.
"I can't tell you about this. I see that you are from another place and you are an honest person, so I give you a piece of advice. If there is any way, you should leave this place as soon as possible and never go north again."
It seems that the local people know some of the inside story.
But, for some reason, they all kept it secret!
Xiao Yuqi rewrapped the remaining pancakes, stood up and said goodbye to the old man.
"Thank you for your advice, sir. I'll try to think of a way to get home!"
"Hey, if you can go home, go home as soon as possible. You shouldn't stay here for long!"
He looked at this lifeless little town with his cloudy eyes and could only sigh.
This world will be in chaos sooner or later!
How long can the strong army suppress the rebellion?
How could Xiao Yuqi not understand that there was something else behind his words?
But where is his real home?
As the king of a country, all people under heaven are his subjects.
Wherever his people are, that is his home!
Occasionally, there were people on the road, walking hurriedly with buckets of water in their hands.
Some were dejected, some were indignant.
Suddenly, a bucket crashed down at his feet.
"What's the use of you? I've been married to you for three years, and life at home is getting worse day by day. Now, I asked you to go get some water, but you either said you had no money or you couldn't carry it. Do you want me to die of thirst and starvation with you?"
A shrill female voice roared hysterically from inside the house.
Xiao Yuqi saw a woman in coarse cloth pushing a man who was as thin as a bamboo pole.
The man seemed to be her husband.
Listening to the woman's scolding, he just lowered his head and said nothing.
In the dim room, there was an old woman, huddled in a corner, sobbing quietly.
The woman pointed at her nose and scolded her: "Cry, cry, cry! You only know how to cry after giving birth to such a useless son!"
After saying that, she overturned the table in the room again.
"I tell you, if you don't bring water back today, our whole family will die together!"
She pushed the man out of the house by force.
Then there was another bang, and the woman bolted the door directly from the inside.
The man seemed to have been drained of all his energy. He bent down to pick up the bucket that had fallen outside, and stood outside the door in a daze for a long time.
In the end, he just sighed heavily, picked up the bucket, and walked forward.
The man was wearing a long gown, the fabric was half-worn and had a few patches on it.
He doesn't look very old.
After a while, Xiao Yuqi followed him to the nearest well.
The well was crowded with people.
From a distance, you can hear what they are arguing about.
Xiao Yuqi is a martial artist and has good hearing.
Before I got close, I could hear what those people were arguing about.
"Three taels of silver for a bucket of water, and you're still raising the price? Is there any justice in this world?"
"Justice? You are a bunch of people without conscience, how can you talk about justice or injustice?"
"It's killing me, it's killing me!"
The people who came to ask for water had dry mouths and chapped lips.
The officers and soldiers who were selling water all had ruddy complexions and looked incredibly wealthy.
Xiao Yuqi watched the man carrying the bucket as he walked over, and was pushed out of the crowd by the crowd.
He seemed singularly useless.
He almost lost his grip on the bucket and fell forward.
Xiao Yuqi stepped in at the right time and held him up.
"Brother, are you okay?"
The slight movement here did not attract anyone's attention at all.
The anger has reached its peak, and even some people with hot tempers have begun to roll up their sleeves and prepare for a big fight.
Xiao Yuqi helped the man aside.
The man bowed to him gratefully.
He followed standard literati etiquette.
Xiao Yuqi clasped his fists and responded with a martial arts salute.
"Thank you for your help, brother. You have followed me all the way. Do you have anything to ask?"
Xiao Yuqi followed so obviously.
His height and figure are so eye-catching.
It was hard for the man not to notice.
Xiao Yuqi observed his words and actions.
"Brother, are you a scholar?"
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