After traveling so fast for more than an hour, he still hadn't reached his destination. Su Huaizhang asked, "Miss Qiu, haven't you arrived yet?"
Qiu Jintang responded: "We're almost there, Mr. Su, haven't you been here before?"
When Su Huaizhang left the village and came to Weizhou City, Qiu Jintang hired an ox cart for him. He was enjoying the ride in the ox cart, and naturally he didn't feel that he was far away.
It was already late at night when we arrived in the small mountain village. At this point, it was already a quiet time when everyone was asleep.
Unexpectedly, every house is lit with weak lights, like fireflies in the distance.
The night is not completely silent. There are sounds of movement from time to time, but they are the busyness and anxiety hidden in the dark night.
Su Huaizhang couldn't help but exclaimed excitedly when he saw it: "It's like a New Year's vigil. Just from the red dots, I can already feel the excitement."
Xie Fu smiled bitterly. Although Su Huaizhang's words were somewhat elegant, they were not the taste for ordinary people.
Most people work hard during the day, and the night is when they catch their breath and sleep, because the next morning is another day of hard work.
If you are deprived of even this time to breathe and sleep, you can imagine the exhaustion and hardship involved.
At this time, on the dark village road, a figure quickly approached here. When he got closer, he saw a middle-aged man carrying two wooden barrels.
Qiu Jintang took the initiative to say hello: "Uncle Dog."
The middle-aged man stopped. He was wearing only a single shirt in the winter. He was sweating profusely and panting for a long time before he responded: "Xiaotang."
"Uncle Dog, how's it going?"
"My fields haven't been watered yet, and there's a drought again." The middle-aged man's voice sounded tearful, making you feel like you were about to cry.
"Where's Aunt Dog?"
"My bitch is paralyzed from exhaustion, I'll let her rest."
"Uncle Dog, this time I brought..."
Before Qiu Jintang finished speaking, the middle-aged man interrupted: "Xiaotang, let's not talk anymore. Uncle Gou has to carry water. If the wheat dies due to drought, Uncle Gou will not be able to survive this year."
After the middle-aged man finished speaking, he picked up the burden and left quickly.
Running ten miles to pick up two buckets of water and come back to water the ground, back and forth like this is ridiculous and ridiculous when you think about it.
But this is the reality before us. Is this person absurd or the world is absurd?
Seeing Qiu Jintang standing there with a sad expression on her face, Xie Fu gently patted her shoulder.
Qiu Jintang looked back and saw Fu Xie with a kind smile on his face, which made people feel very cordial and warm.
Xie Fu smiled and blinked, and Qiu Jintang smiled shyly.
Su Huaizhang saw it and was secretly happy. It seems that Brother Xie is interested in Miss Qiu. Well, well... Then I will help you two get together.
"Miss Qiu, why are you blushing? Do you like Brother Xie?"
"Hey, brother Su, don't make any mistakes."
Seeing that the nerd Su Huaizhang dared to tease her, Qiu Jintang responded fiercely: "Yes, I just like Mr. Xie, how can I not be like a nerd like you who rushed to jail in a daze?"
Su Huaizhang was unhappy: "Why are you talking? I'm not here to help you."
"Did you help? You can do more than help. Do you know that I have been running around for you these two days. If I hadn't met Mr. Xie by chance, you would still be in jail."
Su Huaizhang said angrily: "When I get to your house, prepare pen, ink, paper and inkstone for me immediately. I will edit a book and promise to help you solve the problem within half a month."
Qiu Jintang sneered: "Half a month! Half a month, the day lilies are already cold."
Xie Fu smiled and said: "Okay, okay, why are you two like enemies?"
The two said angrily in unison: "Who is his enemy?"
Xie Fu said: "Okay, Miss Qiu, please lead the way. I'm hungry."
Entering the village road, I met more and more people, men, women and children, all like the middle-aged man, hurriedly carrying buckets to fetch water.
In the middle of the night, there was only half a bright moon in the sky illuminating them. They had nothing on them, so they had to walk slowly along the road, not to mention carrying two buckets of water on their bodies, walking as fast as putting out a fire.
It was indeed not easy, but wheat was their life. No one wanted to fight so hard unless they were forced.
At this moment, a tender cry of pain came from behind.
Several people heard the sound and looked back, but they saw a woman carrying two buckets of water and falling to the ground.
Seeing that the water in the two buckets was drained, the woman seemed to be suddenly stimulated and burst into tears.
Qiu Jintang ran quickly: "Aunt Niu."
The man ran over and helped the woman up, and asked with concern: "Aunt Niu, is it not broken?"
The woman cried for a while and said with sobs: "Xiaotang, it's all over, it's all over."
Qiu Jintang hurriedly comforted her: "Aunt Niu, it's okay, I'll help you."
"What can you do for me? The wheat in your own field is almost gone."
Qiu Jintang stopped and didn't respond. In order to save money for his cousin to marry a wife, his second uncle rented a few more acres of land. Who knew that this year he would be so unlucky that there would be a month of continuous drought.
She had been punting the boat these days. She originally wanted to save more money to tide over the difficulties, but unexpectedly she encountered a storm and the boat was destroyed. Now she doesn't even have the tools to make a living.
Thinking of this, his eyes turned red.
The woman cried to herself: "Your Uncle Niu died early. I, a woman, live on these pieces of land. If the wheat dies due to drought, how will I live? I am afraid I will have to beg from house to house with my two children." go"
Gu Yuling had never seen such suffering in the world, and her eyes turned red when she heard it.
Xie Fu smiled slightly, never expecting that his aunt, with her cold appearance, could have such a soft heart.
Gu Yuling suddenly thanked Fu, but she was really angry: "You are still laughing! Do you have any conscience?"
Xie Fu smiled and said, "Do you want me to make her laugh right away?"
Gu Yuling was stunned for a moment. Xie Fu had already walked over, knelt down, took out a piece of broken silver and handed it to the woman. He asked with a smile: "Auntie, can you still live like this?"
When the woman saw the silver, she was startled and asked weakly: "Master, what is going on?"
Xie Fu smiled and said, "It's nothing. I just heard that Auntie, you are having a hard time alone. I just want to help Auntie."
Xie Fu crouched down and spoke in a very easy-going manner, without any condescension. Despite this, the woman still did not dare to accept the money. After all, this was not ten cents, but a few taels of silver. To put it bluntly, she I have never seen what Yinzi looks like in my life, and he gently looked at Qiu Jintang.
Seeing that Aunt Niu had stopped crying, Qiu Jintang was very happy and said with a smile: "Auntie, this Mr. Xie is my friend."
"Xiaotang, how did you meet this noble friend?" He gave away a few taels of silver as soon as he made a move, so he was definitely considered a noble friend.
"Aunt Niu, I met Mr. Xie when I was punting. Mr. Xie is very warm-hearted. He knows the situation in our village and came here to help."
The woman exclaimed: "There are still such good people in this world."
Xie Fu smiled and put the money into the woman's hand. The woman still did not dare to accept it: "Young master, you have no merit and no reward, how can you use it?"
Xie Fu simply said: "We haven't eaten yet, and we have to trouble my aunt to entertain us."
As he spoke, he forced the money into the woman's hands. He knew that ordinary people were not greedy for money, but they were just self-conscious because of their humbleness.
"No problem, I also have a chicken, which I can kill just in time to entertain you guys."
The woman stood up excitedly. Although the tears on her face were not dry, there was already a smile on her lips. But as soon as she moved, she let out a cry of pain. It seemed that she had been injured just now.
Qiu Jintang immediately helped the woman up: "Aunt Niu, let me carry you back."
The woman lowered her head and glanced at the bucket and pole on the ground. For ordinary families, nothing in the house was unnecessary.
Xie Fu picked it up directly and said with a smile: "Let's go, I'm starving."
The woman who saw this scene looked surprised and was really shocked inside.
Qiu Jintang led the way with the woman on his back, and the three of them followed behind.
Gu Yuling smiled softly at Xie Fu and said, "It's really yours. Why didn't I think of it just now?"
Xie Fu said with a smile: "If you, a rich lady, have stayed with me for a long time, you will be able to think of it."
Everyone has different life backgrounds and different understandings of things. In the eyes of wealthy people, a few taels of silver is just money for a meal.
In the eyes of poor people, it is a guarantee of livelihood, and even a very different fate.
Although Fu Xie is rich now, he also came from poverty, so he immediately sees the woman's needs clearly, and like a famous doctor, he prescribes the right medicine and gets immediate results.
Gu Yuling couldn't help but sigh: "Today is really a colorful day for me. I feel that my life was too boring before."
Xie Fu whispered: "Follow me and I will ensure that your life is rich and colorful every day."
Gu Yuling said with a smile: "I believe it." Suddenly seeing Fu Xie carrying the load steadily, he couldn't help but pursed his lips and smiled.
Xie Fu smiled and asked, "Why are you laughing?"
"I'm laughing at you now. You're really... a water bearer." Gu Yuling said and couldn't help but laugh.
Su Huaizhang followed behind, thinking that Xie Fu had stolen all the limelight just now, and why he didn't seize such a good opportunity to perform.
Suddenly he heard his cousin's sweet laughter, and he secretly exclaimed that Xie Fu had won his cousin's favor.
At that moment, he ignored the pain in his feet and hurriedly followed, shouting: "Wait for me."
Su Huaizhang came closer, and both Xie Fu and Gu Yuling tacitly kept their mouths shut.
Su Huaizhang said excitedly: "I have thought of a solution."
Gu Yuling was particularly concerned about this matter and asked: "Cousin, what can I do?"
Su Huaizhang said with a proud smile: "Every household can help a little, and everyone will get through the difficulties." He also thought of this from the woman who just thanked Fu for giving alms.
Gu Yuling snorted: "That's right."
Su Huaizhang smiled and said, "I think I can raise 1,800 taels, and it should be no problem to help them get through this year's difficulties."
Gu Yuling smiled and felt that her cousin was quite enthusiastic. She looked at Xie Fu as if to ask, how should you, the grown-up, express yourself?
Xie Fu said: "What they want is not money, nor do they want to live on the charity of others. What they want is self-reliance with dignity."
Su Huaizhang was stunned for a moment: "So?"
"So this well must be dug!"
Aunt Niu whispered to Qiu Jintang: "Xiaotang, I think Mr. Xie is a nice person. He is handsome, easy-going and polite. I have never met such a noble man."
Qiu Jintang laughed and thought to herself, Aunt Niu, you have been living in this small mountain village all day, how have you ever seen anything in the world? You have never seen even a young master in the village, so she replied: "Yes, thank you, Mr. Very nice and enthusiastic people.”
"Xiaotang, then you have to seize the opportunity."
Qiu Jintang said blankly: "What are you sure about?"
"You really don't understand or you are just pretending to be stupid. Why would a noble young man follow you to this miserable place? It's not because of you."
Qiu Jintang was stunned for a moment, then heard Aunt Niu continue: "If you can keep up with such a man, you can still make money as a concubine, but you must seize it and don't miss the opportunity."
Hearing this, Qiu Jintang said angrily: "Aunt Niu, where do you want to go? Mr. Xie is not this kind of person at all."
"Harm, I live one life longer than you. Nothing in this world is good for no reason."
Qiu Jintang was angry: "Aunt Niu, I won't tell you anymore."
We soon arrived at our destination. There were two houses not far away, with a simple yard built with fences outside. One was dark, and the other had a bonfire burning in the yard.
Su Huaizhang saw a bonfire burning in the yard and wondered: "Is lighting a fire in the yard some kind of ritual?"
Xie Fu said with a smile: "Brother Su, what kind of ceremony do you think it is?"
Gu Yuling became curious after hearing this, and felt like a little girl who didn't understand anything in front of Xie Fu.
Su Huaizhang said: "Customs are different in different places, and the ways of performing rituals are also different in different places. Maybe they use this method to pray to the sky for rain."
Since ancient times, people have relied on the sky for food. In years of severe drought, people often pray to heaven for rain. Therefore, many rituals for praying for rain have been derived, and there are even cruel and cruel rituals of exposing witches and burning witches. Rain way.
Gu Yuling gently looked at Xie Fu, asking in her eyes, is this like this?
Xie Fu couldn't help laughing, and Gu Yuling asked curiously: "Why are you laughing?"
Su Huaizhang was quite displeased: "Brother Xie, what kind of advice do you have?"
"Brother Su, then I will tell you the truth. Please forgive me if I offended you."
"I'm all ears, Brother Xie, for your advice."
Xie Fu said with a smile: "I think they lit the fire in the yard not as a ritual, but for lighting."
Su Huaizhang sneered: "Why don't you light up the lights? Why do you want to make such a big bonfire?"
"Brother Su, you are right, why don't you light a lamp? Can they afford this candle? The lamp oil is not cheap, do you think they are willing to keep lighting it?"
Gu Yuling and Su Huaizhang suddenly realized.
Xie Fu continued with a smile: "Ordinary people usually don't light lamps at night. They go to bed early after dinner and there are no other entertainment programs. The lighting relies on moonlight."
Su Huaizhang asked: "Don't you light the lamp?"
Xie Fu said with a smile: "Even if you want to do something, you can only light it for a short while, and do the rest in the dark."
Gu Yuling heard the implication, her face darkly reddened, and she pinched Xie Fu's buttocks secretly with her hand, warning him not to speak lewdly.
Su Huaizhang asked in confusion: "What are you doing at night?"
Xie Fu said with a smile: "Brother Su is a scholar. You should have heard of the allusions about cutting through walls to steal light and gathering fireflies to make bags."
Su Huaizhang suddenly realized: "I understand, I understand. Brother Xie used this allusion well. I understood it all at once and was taught."
