In midsummer, the sun is scorching, and people are still coming and going on the streets of Haocheng, wearing straw hats or turbans, sweat dripping down their cheeks, but they still can't slow down.
Unlike a major hub city like Fengri City, people in Haocheng don't have that many ways to make money. Apart from those wealthy households with big businesses, ordinary people still have to rely on small businesses in the surrounding area to survive, such as firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea. , coupled with cloth, carriages and horses, although it is inconspicuous, it can feed most people.
Although everything has been in chaos in the past two years, evil spirits often harm people, and people are panicked and no one can live a clean life, under the control of the Ministry of Household Affairs, the government granaries of various local government offices are still open and stocking food, and basic tasks have been kept Food prices have remained at a very low growth rate, and coupled with the food rations distributed by Shantang, there has been no famine in various places.
It is not possible to starve to death, but for the people at the bottom, they have rarely had enough to eat in the past two years. The pocket is even more clean.
This kind of tight life cannot be changed by ordinary people's own efforts, because this is not a problem of diligence, but a problem of the general environment.
People everywhere are in panic and have trouble sleeping and eating. Who has the energy to give birth? Even if it is produced, there must be a place to sell it? So most people just have to make ends meet, and they really can't get in the mood for anything else. .
But it's different now.
Since this year’s Blue Moon Festival, the area around Haocheng has gradually begun to return to its previous peaceful state. Those evil spirits that make people hate and fear gradually become less frequent, and now they have not been seen or heard of for more than a month.
The environment has become safer, and people have begun to focus on production. Who wants to have only half-full food all day long? Who doesn’t want to eat meat every three days?
So even if the weather is hot, the people of Haocheng, who have been in poverty for more than two years, don't care at all. It's just a couple of extra sips of water. Now that their livelihood has improved, who doesn't run faster and earn more?
In a back alley away from the main street of Haocheng, there are several strong men guarding it from the entrance of the alley, and when you enter, several senses will sweep over you. This place is not accessible to ordinary people.
The door of an inconspicuous house deep in the alley is closed, and there is no plaque on the door. I don't know which house it belongs to.
Compared with the deserted and guarded scene outside the door, the courtyard separated by a wall is a lively scene.
There is a large round table in the main room. The table is unique. There is a round mouth in the middle. There is a charcoal stove below and a large pot on top. The bright red soup in the pot is boiling. Pairs of long chopsticks are holding various ingredients. Rinse them in the pot, then put them into the oil dishes in their respective bowls to soak them, soaking up the flavor before putting them in your mouth.
"Hiss, this hairy belly looks a bit old!"
Hairy tripe is the stomach of a cow. People in both worlds Shen Hao has experienced have the habit of eating this stuff. But Shen Hao likes to use hairy tripe to boil hot pot and put it in the boiling red soup for dozens of times. Pick it up after counting, and roll it in the oil dish. The taste is enough to make people want to stop.
However, sometimes I miss the best time to pick up the tripe while chatting with people nearby. It would be better if it is a little older, but if it is too old, it will not be crispy and will affect the taste.
"Sir, now that we've finished eating the tender meat slices, can I ask someone to get some more?"
"Okay, bring some more, then let Fei Long stand in front of him. The guy will just stare at the tender meat slices. Let him eat as much as he can today."
"Haha, okay sir."
...
There are quite a few people here, but they are all old acquaintances.
Wang Yiming, Wang Jian, Lin Chen, Tang Qingyuan, Zhu Shou, Feilong, Yu Wenhe. None of these seven people let Shen Hao down, especially during the two years when he disappeared. Their care for the Shen family and their actions of gritting their teeth and not choosing another side could be considered to have withstood the test, and they also made them Continue to sit here.
Especially Yu Wenhe and Fei Long were even more determined than Shen Hao expected. You must know that compared to the previous few people, Feilong and Yuwenhe will face all kinds of violent storms without the shelter of Shen Hao's big tree. Whether it is the channels of the black market or the huge financial resources in Yu Wenhe's hands, they are definitely things that can make people take risks. If you are disobedient with good words, then thunderous methods will naturally follow. Most people simply can't bear it.
Feilong's hand was originally injured two years ago, and half of his palm was missing. He now relies on magic weapons to move around. Now he's better, he's missing one eyeball, and he's completely disabled. There's a black eyepatch on his bald head, which adds a bit of fierceness. It is said that the eyeballs are thrown away when the other party suddenly becomes angry when negotiating with someone.
Yu Wenhe was fine, but his family was in great trouble. After a fire, only the son who hid in a well holding a bucket survived. And Yu Wenhe also turned half of his hair gray overnight because of grief and anger. At this time, Feilong joked that he looked like a "flower bear".
Of course, after Shen Hao came back, whether it was the person who wanted to take away Feilong's eyeball or the person who almost destroyed the Yuwenhe family by setting fire to it, they were no longer around at this time. Feilong chopped up his enemy one by one with his own hands, cooked it and fed it to pigs, while Yuwenhe made his enemy not even a blood relative.
Shen Hao's return and the two's ruthlessness caused those people and forces who still coveted him to hunker down and stop showing up.
After we had had enough wine and food, the table was removed and replaced with a coffee table and herbal tea.
"I am now promoted to the fourth rank by Pang Pang. This has been interpreted by many outsiders. In fact, the speculations outside are correct. Pang Pang intends to retreat in recent years to concentrate on cultivation in order to make another breakthrough. Xuanqingwei He was going to leave this pile in my hands.
Therefore, I am very short of people recently. It is not enough to rely on Master Jiang Cheng's team alone, and it cannot be all. I have to prepare for the future.
You are all my confidants, and you have all known the truth over the years. So if there are any suitable candidates, you can come to me to recommend them. Those with high cultivation level will be given priority, followed by those with good cultivation talent. "While drinking tea, Shen Hao explained the main purpose of this small gathering.
Xuanqing Guard is a place where force is the first priority. To hold the position, you need to have corresponding cultivation level as a threshold. Unless you are a special and rare talent, or there are some special considerations, otherwise, if your cultivation level is not enough, don't even think about being in Xuanqing Guard. The Qing Dynasty is prosperous.
As soon as Shen Hao finished speaking, several people present straightened their backs. Rumors outside are spreading very loudly. It has long been said that Commander Pang Banzai paved the way for Mr. Shen to be entrusted with the fourth-level title of real power for the first time. These people were so excited that they never dared to ask. Now that I heard Shen Hao admit it personally, I naturally understood the weight of it.
"Sir, as long as you have enough cultivation or talent, is it okay? It doesn't need to be someone from the Xuanqing Guard establishment?" Zhu Shou looked around, gritted his teeth and chose to speak first.
