In recent days, there have been more and more travelers coming and going to Anyi. I heard from people going north that there was a fight in Hongnong, re-enacting the tragedy of Hedong, with the Baibo army burning, killing and looting everywhere.
Fortunately, this time it was relatively close to Luoyang, so Dong Zhuo had no choice but to send his son-in-law Niu Fu to quell the rebellion, but with little success. The Bai Bo army always seemed to be able to learn about the movements of the Han army quickly, and dealt with Niu Fu skillfully. .
Niu Fu led an army of 50,000 people and was tired of running around. They fought here and there, but they were fooled around.
It's a mess anyway. Many aristocratic families in Hongnong fled, some to the south and some to Hedong in the north.
The Wei family has been inherited for three hundred years, and there are naturally many families with old friends in the surrounding counties. Among them, the Hongnong Yang family is considered to be the family with the best personal connections.
The two families were quite closely related by marriage. Two of Wei Cheng's aunts married into the Yang family, and now they have both come back, bringing with them dozens of people in their families.
In addition to the Hongnong Yang family, there were many other small aristocratic families. I heard that the Wei family had repelled the Bai Bo army, and many people came all the way to rely on them.
Of course, the largest number of innocent victims were ordinary civilians. In just a few days, nearly 200,000 to 300,000 refugees were added to the border of Hedong, causing chaos in the counties that had begun to recuperate.
Perhaps after hearing about Xu Huang's heroic deeds, Anyi County became the first choice place for refugees to gather.
The county town that could only accommodate 100,000 people was now forced to squeeze in 70,000 to 80,000 refugees. With no choice but to coordinate and organize manpower, the Wei family hired refugees to expand the satellite city outside the city.
The entrance to the new breeding farm. Wei Cheng was sitting on the carriage, and next to him was the farm manager who was making a report.
"According to the second master's instructions, we dug two moats along the city wall, diverted the Fen water, and hired many fishermen to catch live fish and put them in them. So far, the survival rate is about 80%, which is a remarkable achievement."
"....Yesterday, we collected another 300 spotted deer and nearly a hundred black deer. So far, everything is going well, but it costs a lot to raise them every day. The spotted deer are okay, but the appetite of those black deer is not average. It's big.
"The fourth master came here this morning and said that wheat bran can no longer be sent as feed. Now the population in the city has surged. If we want to survive until next spring, the amount of wheat bran must be controlled. It is not enough for people to eat, and it is impossible to use it for feeding. "Hei Ye." Wei Cheng's expression changed. Can wheat bran be eaten? However, he didn't say it, otherwise he would be suspected of "why not eat minced meat". You know, people can even eat dirt when they are very hungry, so don't say it. It's just wheat bran, but it's still grain after all. It tastes better than tree roots when cooked, but it's a bit harsh on the throat. After listening to the steward's report, Wei Zheng nodded and said:
"I will send some chicken and duck seedlings over later, and there will be special feed at the same time. You have to take care of it carefully. By the way, has the other shack I asked you to build completed?" Hearing this, the steward hurriedly raised his hands and said:
"It's finished. All we need now is the stove. The craftsmen are working overnight and it can be completed in two days at most. The charcoal is also ready. There will be no problem in burning it for the whole winter." In fact, the steward had a question in his mind, why should he give chickens and ducks? Specially prepared stoves for heating? Refugees outside the city are not treated like this. It seems that he saw his confusion. Wei Cheng said:
"Just do as I say. Next year you will know why you need to heat the chickens and ducks. Then everyone in the custody will treat you like an uncle and praise you. The steward hurriedly raised his hands and responded:
"I don't dare, I don't care, I don't dare to take credit.
"Okay, go and get busy if you have nothing else to do. Winter is coming soon. Go back to the mansion to get work clothes. All employees in the breeding farm will have their share."
"Work clothes?" The steward was stunned. Xu Ding next to Wei Cheng said:
"You can come directly to me later. In addition to work clothes, there are also some special benefits, which are all prepared by the master because of your hard work. The manager was overjoyed, bowed to Wei Cheng respectfully, and said loudly:
"Thank you, Second Master, for the reward." Wei Cheng waved his hand, Xu Ding lowered the curtain of the carriage, and Xu Chu, who was sitting in front, waved his horsewhip, and the carriage drove straight towards the city gate. After returning to the mansion, Wei Cheng came to his residence. Cai Yan was in the yard. Reading a book inside, Aning and Niu Niu were chasing each other and playing around. The smell of stew came from the kitchen. Aunt Niu’s cooking skills have improved recently. After getting used to the various seasonings provided by Wei Cheng, the meals she cooks are getting better and better. It has the flavor of later generations. Seeing Wei Cheng coming back, Cai Yan put down the bamboo slips in his hands, stood up and said:
"Husband came back very early today. You must be tired. I made ginseng tea and the mung bean cake that Aunt Niu made in the morning." Next to them, Aning and Niu Niu came hand in hand and raised their little heads and said:
"The mung bean cake is delicious. Brother Wei will definitely like it. Niu Niu also nodded, licked his lips and replied:
"It's delicious." Wei Cheng chuckled, opened his bow on the left and right, picked up the two little girls respectively, and said funnyly:
"It's so delicious. You will keep it for me. I'm afraid if it's all stuffed into your stomach, there won't be any share for me." After hearing this, Aning blushed and defended:
"I don't have any. I only ate three pieces, which is less than Niu Niu. Niu Niu blushed and lay on Wei Cheng's shoulder. He shyly stretched out his little palm and gestured in a low voice:
"I ate five pieces." Wei Cheng touched Niu Niu's little head with his forehead, making the little girl shy, and said softly:
"Well, Niu Niu needs to eat more and eat as meaty as her sister to look good. Speaking of which, Aning has really changed a lot. I heard that Wei Cheng was completely different when he first saw her. At that time, Aning was thin. He was thin and small, with yellow skin, and looked like he had been malnourished for a long time. He was nothing like now, fleshy, and his face was red. Sitting opposite Cai Yan with two children in his arms, the scene looked like a family of four. It tastes warm and sweet. Cai Yan took out the mung bean cake from the food box and looked at Wei Cheng and the two children with a smile.
"Hey, Wei Cheng'er is back!" The rare warm moment was suddenly interrupted. Two ladies walked in with their three children at the entrance of the courtyard. These two people were Wei Cheng's two aunts. On the left were two children and a boy. The one with a girl is the aunt Wei Min, and the one with the girl on the right is the aunt Wei Ning[ng]. She is also one of the most beautiful women of the Wei family. Even the Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty wanted to accept her as his concubine. The eldest aunt Wei Min I am thirty-seven this year. In addition to the two children I am holding, I also have two sons who have grown up. They have been elected as filial and honest officials and are considered to be successful at a young age. My aunt Wei Ning is only twenty-eight years old this year. She is older than Wei Ning. Qing is only three years older and is the youngest daughter of Grandpa Wei. Although she is a daughter from a concubine, because she is a little girl, she has been favored by several elder brothers and sisters since she was a child. Wei Hao is even more like an eldest brother and a father, and has always regarded her as his father. The two sisters married into the Yang family successively. The eldest aunt was the first wife of the contemporary head of the Yang family, and the younger aunt was married to a prominent figure in the Yang family: the famous scholar Yang Xiu.
"I wonder why there are magpies chirping outside the window this morning. It turns out that two aunts are coming." Wei Cheng had a good impression of the two of them and complimented them at the right time. The two girls looked at each other and smiled. They both felt that Wei Cheng had changed. They have become more humane. In the past, Wei Cheng looked sick and rarely communicated with them. At most, they were just acquaintances, not as close as the servants in the house. But now she is better. Not only is her illness better, , people also become energetic, more confident and cheerful.
"Fu'er, Mei'er, this is your second cousin. I haven't called him yet." The aunt took two children forward and said.
Yang Fu is a half-grown boy, he is about to be fourteen when he is thirteen. He has thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a tiger-like head, but he is a bit short, otherwise he will be a handsome boy when he grows up. Yang Mei is about the same age as Aning, and is chubby. Little girl, short and fat.
After all, they were from the Hongnong Yang family, and the two of them were from a well-known family. The polite and well-educated Chao Weicheng and Cai Yan had a full sense of ritual in their salutes and greetings, but they did not seem to be close enough, and instead felt a bit distant.
What surprised Wei Cheng was her aunt Wei Ning's daughter. The little girl was about four or five years old. She had a pair of bright and bright eyes. She imitated her elder brother and sister's movements and called out crisply, "Cousin, cousin."
'I also saluted Aning and Niu Niu.
"Hello sisters. Aning and Niu Niu looked at each other with lights in their eyes. They felt that this sister was very good-looking and it would be great if they could play with her. When the little aunt saw this, she smiled and said:
"Xu'er, go and play with your two sisters. The eldest aunt also said to the children:
"Yes, you should go and play too. Just play nearby and don't go too far. The five children got together and quickly became familiar with each other. They played hopscotch in the open space beside the house that Wei Cheng gave to Aning. Wei Cheng also invited the two aunts to sit down and cooked tea to entertain the guests. Cai Yan went to the kitchen and asked Aunt Niu to prepare two more dishes. After the greetings, eldest aunt Wei Min touched the thigh of little aunt Wei Ning from time to time and winked. After a few moments, she gestured to Wei Cheng with her mouth open. Her little aunt Wei Ning was annoyed by her and glared at her angrily. Then she looked at Wei Cheng and asked with some embarrassment:
"Xiao Cheng, do you still have soap here?" Wei Cheng had already noticed the little actions of the two aunts. Hearing this, he said with a smile:
"If the aunts want it, of course there will be some. The eldest aunt's eyes lit up and she said hurriedly:
"I heard that this soap was accidentally thought up by Luo'er. So, Zheng'er is the only one who knows the recipe for soap in the world?" Wei Cheng was stunned, hesitated, and nodded in reply:
"Indeed, I think no one will be able to make a second piece of soap in a short period of time." The eldest aunt's phoenix eyes were shining brightly, and then she asked:
"That's good, that's good, Zheng'er, what do you think? How about our aunts partner with you and let's run this soap business together?" Wei Cheng was stunned and looked at the two aunts.
Wei Ning didn't expect the eldest sister to be so direct and said hurriedly:
"Xiaocheng, what your aunt means is that if a good item like soap is only used internally, it will obviously waste its real value; in fact, trading is secondary, and we can use it to obtain many unexpected benefits. Ah, for example, Chen'er's favorite herbs.'
"Well, yes, yes, you scholars can still speak." The eldest aunt agreed.
"Change the herbs?" Wei Cheng was moved. The younger aunt seemed much more reliable than the elder aunt. Wei Cheng said curiously:
"Little aunt, can you tell me in detail?" Wei Ning nodded slightly, and she took out a roll of tissue paper from her sleeve, which was full of Juanxiu's handwriting.
"Look, this is the order that brought us to come to you in exchange for soap." Wei Cheng took the tissue paper, and a refreshing fragrance hit her nostrils. Wei Cheng raised his eyes to look at his little aunt. It has to be said that the Wei family is the most beautiful woman. If it is true, a beautiful woman like Wei Ning can be called a goddess even in future generations. Withdrawing her mind, Wei Cheng looked at the words on the silk paper. The first sentence made Wei Cheng's heart skip a beat, and she exclaimed road:
"Wenxi, Mrs. Pei is going to exchange deer antler for my soap, or should we exchange equal weights?" It's not surprising that Wei Cheng was surprised. If anyone in the future generations heard someone exchange a pound of deer antlers for a pound of soap, he would definitely be surprised too. Such a reaction was due to the huge difference in value between the two. However, Wei Cheng quickly recovered. After all, he had experienced the outrageous plot of exchanging gold for soap. My aunt Wei Ning said:
"Equal weight is definitely not possible. This is the price proposed by the other party. As for the so-called asking price and paying back the money, I think three pounds for one pound is about the same. Your aunt even said that it would be five for one." The eldest aunt looked arrogant. said:
"Who doesn't know that Pei's old lady is very stingy? It's a rare opportunity to make them bleed. If you ask me, it's five for one. Wei Qing laughed, looked at the second article, and muttered:
"Will Mrs. Zhou exchange it with cloth this time?"
"Yes, the Zhou family is one of the largest families in Yuzhou. They are rich in various fabrics, among which red cloth is the most precious. They also have a kind of gauze, which is said to be woven from silk. It is as thin as cicada wings and light. Compared with the clouds and smoke, it is known as Zen clothes with plain gauze."
"Uh-huh, Susha Zenyi?" Wei Cheng was really shocked this time.
"Don't you know about the plain gauze Zen clothes?" The eldest aunt was startled when she saw this. She casually pulled the little aunt aside, violently opened her collar, pointed to the thin layer of gauze on the little aunt's chest, and said:
"Here, this is the plain yarn Zen garment. This is the inner lining, and there are also outer ones, which are more expensive. One piece can be exchanged for five horses."
"Gulu!" So big. Wei Cheng quickly looked away and said awkwardly:
"Well, this Susha Zen clothes is nice. It's big and white. You can change it." The eldest aunt looked unconcerned. When Wei Cheng said that she could change it, she said excitedly:
"Then I have to give Zhou a good thumbs up. My little aunt was blushing, tightened her collar, glanced at Wei Cheng, pursed her lips and said:
"The Zhou family has a longer heritage than my Wei family. There are many good things in the family. This plain yarn Zen clothes is just one of them. I will try to exchange it for some thousand-year-old medicine."
"Is there a thousand-year-old treasure?" Wei Cheng was really surprised and happy this time. The little aunt knew that Wei Cheng liked herbal medicine, so she nodded and said:
"More than a thousand years ago, the Zhou family had a private medicine garden. Legend has it that the First Emperor wanted to refine the elixir of death, and he asked the Zhou family for ginseng that was ten thousand years old... However, the Zhou family burned the medicine garden with fire to force him to do so. Refused.
"Ten, ten thousand years?!!!!" Wei Cheng was greatly moved, and immediately slapped the case and said:
"Come on, let's go ahead and do it. You can have as much soap as you want. If you can exchange it for a thousand-year-old elixir, I can even exchange it for a prescription for soap." Good guy, a millennium is already amazing. Ten thousand years...it still won't become a spirit!
