In the second courtyard.
Zhou Tian is having breakfast.
I saw this guy squatting under the eaves, holding rice porridge in one hand and steamed buns in the other, wolfing down the food.
After trying hard to swallow the steamed buns in his mouth, he glanced at the thick porridge in the tenants' bowls and sighed: "Damn it, your tenants here eat better than me!"
Hearing this, Ma Sangou on the side smiled and said: "I asked you to join the team but you didn't come. Who's to blame?"
"Don't tease me with this."
Zhou Tian muttered and continued to chew the steamed buns.
At this moment, Han Zhen led Uncle Fu out of the backyard.
"Sangou, help me load the goods onto the oxcart."
"Good!"
Ma Sangou responded, got up and helped carry more than a hundred kilograms of refined salt onto the bullock cart.
Taking advantage of this moment, Han Zhen came and sat down next to Zhou Tian: "How is An Niang doing recently?"
"not too good."
Zhou Tian shook his head.
Han Zhen frowned slightly: "What's going on?"
Logically speaking, with Liu Yong helping to take care of him, the rogues in the county should not dare to cause trouble.
Zhou Tian took a sip of porridge and said, "The scoundrels don't dare to make trouble, but the Xu family and the Zheng family do. After they found out about An Niang's relationship with you, they often sent servants to harass and beat them up. Liu Du I helped him drive away a few times, but every time Liu Dutou left, they came back."
"These days, the county magistrate is recruiting archers, and Liu is so busy that he has no time to take care of this. So the Xu family and the Zheng family became more and more arrogant. Yesterday, An Niang had no choice but to close the tea shop. ”
After all, he had a romantic relationship with An Niang, and it was also because of him that the Xu family and the Zheng family caused trouble for her.
Thinking of this, Han Zhen ordered: "When you go back, help me deliver a message to An Niang. Tell her that if she trusts me, she will move her family to Xiaowang Village today, and I will send someone to pick her up."
There is no guarantee for other things, but it is no problem for An Niang's family to have enough food and clothing to live and work in peace and contentment.
"good."
Zhou Tian nodded in agreement.
After breakfast, Zhou Tian and Uncle Fu left in a hurry.
There were two ox-carts and ten donkeys when they arrived, but there was only one ox-cart when they left.
…
…
By the time we returned to the county seat, it was already ten minutes past noon.
Knowing that Zhou Tian was now helping the magistrate, the gatekeeper did not dare to ask where the other ox cart and donkey had gone.
First, he went to the Yamen to pay a job, and received two hundred coins as a reward from Changzhi County. Then he happily came to the tea shop.
Today, the tea shop is still closed.
Across the street, a few gangsters were squatting there furtively, peeping their heads as if they were watching.
Zhou Tian didn't care and walked around to the back door of the tea shop.
Bang bang bang!
Knocked several times in succession.
After a while, the wooden door was opened a crack.
When she saw it was Zhou Tian, An Niang's vigilance dissipated for the most part, and she asked, "Why are you here?"
Zhou Tian winked at her: "This is not the place to talk."
"Come in."
After a slight hesitation, An Niang opened the door, and Zhou Tian immediately stepped in.
An Niang looked around and saw a rogue poking his head in this direction, so she quickly closed the door.
The constant harassment by the servants of the Zheng family and the Xu family in the past few days has made An Niang exhausted mentally and physically. Her haggard look at this moment, coupled with her watery peach blossom eyes, really makes me feel pity for her, and it makes people feel a pang. Share protective desire.
Han Er is so lucky!
After feeling sad in his heart, Zhou Tian lowered his voice and said, "I just met Han Er!"
"ah?!"
An Niang was startled at first, then quickly covered her mouth and asked with concern: "How is he now?"
"Very good, he is living like a master now."
Zhou Tian felt a little sour again when he thought that all the tenants in Han Er's family had better food than him.
"That's good."
An Niang couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief, and then asked curiously: "Where did the master's life begin?"
Zhou Tian explained: "He occupied Xiaowang Village and lived in the king's house. He was served by maids and cooks. Now he has a relationship with Changzhi County and lives a happy life."
"He...did he mention me?" An Niang's tone was resentful, with a hint of expectation in her eyes.
"Han Er asked me to give you a message. If you believe him, you will move your family to Xiaowang Village today, and he will send someone to take care of you."
Hearing this, An Niang said quietly: "This damn ghost finally has some conscience."
"The words are here, I'll leave first."
Zhou Tian didn't dare to stay here for a long time, otherwise he would be in trouble if he was jealous of the Xu family and the Zheng family.
"Thank you very much."
After sending Zhou Tian away, An Niang returned to the house.
In the house, a blind old woman was holding her grandson in her arms and said with an anxious expression: "Ms. An, who came just now?"
"Zhou Tian."
An Niang replied absently.
The blind old woman asked doubtfully: "What is he doing here?"
"He came to deliver a message..."
An Niang told her exactly what happened just now.
The old woman was startled and hurriedly dissuaded her: "Han Er killed officials and rebelled. Now he is a bandit. I'm afraid that in a few days, the officials will go to suppress him. An Niang, please don't get confused and really go and join him." he."
She was blind but not blind. She had long known about the relationship between her daughter-in-law and Han Zhen.
It was just that I had to rely on Han Zhen for help before, so I turned a blind eye.
But now that Han Zhen has become a bandit, how can she dare to defect to him?
"Mom is right, I don't agree either."
At this time, a male voice came from inside.
Hearing this, An Niang said angrily: "What if I don't go? What will our family eat and drink?"
The old woman mumbled, "Isn't this... Liu Dutou helping me?"
"Liu Du only helped out for Erlang's sake, so he couldn't keep an eye on him all day long. As soon as he left, the servants came back again. Now the business can't be done, but the rent still has to be paid. , is it possible to sit at home and wait for death?"
After An Niang's words fell, there was suddenly no sound in the room.
The old woman was still hesitating, looking confused.
Seeing this scene, An Niang continued: "Auntie, I know what you are worried about. If you really want to elope with him, why bother telling you, just go to Xiaowang Village by yourself."
"An Niang, that's not what I meant." The old woman quickly waved her hand to explain.
She is blind at home and cannot do any work.
My son broke his waist again and could only lie in bed all day long, unable to move.
The whole family relied on An Niang to support them. If she really ran away with Han Zhen, their family would really starve to death.
"We can be hungry, but we can't let Xiaodouzi starve with us, right? By following him, we can always have a mouthful of food to make Xiaodouzi grow bigger."
An Niang's words instantly touched the soft spots in the hearts of her mother-in-law and her husband. Xiaodouzi was their lifeblood and the hope that supported their survival.
The old woman thought for a while and said hesitantly: "Is it reliable?"
"It should be true. Erlang won't lie to me."
She still understands Han Zhen's temperament. One is one, and two is two.
If the situation was really difficult, Zhou Tian would definitely not be called to deliver the message.
Seeing that the conversation had reached this point, her mother-in-law and husband still had not made up their minds. An Niang simply said with a sudden heart: "If you don't want to go, just stay. I will take Xiaodouzi with me, and I will take Xiaodouzi with me later." The beans are too big, so I can give an explanation to your Li family."
"Don't say that, why don't we go?"
The old woman panicked immediately. As her daughter-in-law, she was very independent and would do what she said.
There was nothing to pack at home, just two thin quilts and a few hundred cash.
An Niang's husband couldn't walk, so he could only spread the bedding on a wooden cart and then dragged it onto the cart with great effort.
Soon, the back door of the tea shop was opened.
An Niang dragged the wooden cart out of the door, followed by her blind mother-in-law and her five-year-old son.
The family walked out of the east city gate and walked along the loess road towards Xiaowang Village.
When the few gangsters who were following him saw this, they immediately ran towards the Xu family.
