Before leaving, he made a special trip to the house of an old woman selling oil.
"Where's the girl?" Ling Muyun's face turned pale.
The baby girl saved that night has disappeared.
He knew that in the past two days, Dingbeicheng was in a state of hunger and panic. The baby girl was handed over to the old woman. He was always grateful for her generosity, but now, the baby girl was missing.
The old woman's eyes were evasive: "Master, it's not that this old woman has no credit, but she does have no food at home, so...just..."
"What's wrong?" Ling Muyun's hand was on the handle of the knife, for fear that the old woman would say "Yi Zi can eat each other".
To kill a frail old woman, you don't even need a knife.
"Sir, please forgive me!" The old woman knelt down directly on the ground: "Yesterday, the child was so hungry that he couldn't stop crying. I...I put the child at the door of Yishixuan."
"Then what?"
"The child was carried in by the old woman." The old woman said and started to cry: "Master, the old woman didn't throw it away intentionally. The last morsel of food was fed to the child! The old woman really didn't know that this girl is the young master's daughter. If she really knew , just for the old woman..."
"Okay!" Ling Muyun was a little impatient and interrupted the old woman.
Asked about the whereabouts of the child, he was happy to be a father...
Lai Jiu said that the child was given to the oil seller without giving any specific details. Looking at it now, the old woman did not lie. Maybe there was a misunderstanding.
"Are you sure the girl was carried in?"
"It's absolutely true, Young Master! When that group of people left the city, I saw my old lady holding her in her arms. Otherwise, why don't you rest assured!"
After the old woman finished speaking, she squeezed out two more tears.
"Yeah!" Ling Muyun looked at the old woman's pitiful appearance and felt that she had gone a little too far.
So, he took out a piece of silver cake from his backpack and handed it to the old woman: "Thank you for your hard work."
"Master, are you going on a long journey?" The old woman was not polite, took the silver cake, glanced at Ling Muyun, and asked boldly.
Ling Muyun nodded.
"Where did Yi Shixuan come from?"
"Chengnan! Young Master, we're one day behind, so I'm afraid I won't be able to catch up! This matter about me..." The old woman hesitated and handed back the silver cake.
She thought Ling Muyun was chasing the baby girl.
Without picking up the silver cake from the old woman, Ling Muyun turned around and left, preparing to leave Dingbei City through the south gate.
Just because Huguo Temple was stocking grain at the north gate, he was afraid of meeting Daoli.
Backfired.
Before Ling Muyun could pretend to be sad and say a few words, "The road is long and difficult," the remaining civilians in Dingbeicheng had already gathered around them, and they looked vaguely familiar.
It turned out that most of the people were saved that night.
"Master Ling! Are you leaving?" A young woman took out half a piece of dark dry food from her arms: "Eat on the way to avoid starvation!"
"How can we live without Mr. Ling!" A man sighed and handed over a small pot: "Cook something warm on the way!"
"The official family has left, and so has the Ling family. We..." The old woman squeezed in, holding an oil bottle in her hand: "Sir, this bottle of sesame oil is a little thought. If you put it less, you can eat more meals."
There was also a child, whose dark little hands handed over a lame rag doll...
Ling Muyun's hand stopped in mid-air.
He suddenly realized that what Dingbeicheng lacked now was not the official family or the Ling family, but a backbone.
The looting that lasted for half a day left behind not only ruins but also despair for life.
Look at this group of aboriginal people from Dingbeicheng, their voices are sad, and the rags they bring out are so rare that they would never even look at them, but at this time, they seem extremely precious.
"I am suffering, but I cannot see the suffering of all sentient beings!" Ling Muyun took a deep breath: "Sure enough, she is still too soft-hearted! However, the oil seller's mouth is too long, and those who don't know think that there are hot wheels under her feet. "
"Who said I'm leaving!" Ling Muyun rolled his eyes in a playful manner: "Aren't I going to see Poppy off? I'm late! Let's go, Ling Mansion!"
"Not leaving?"
"You talk a lot, but the young master doesn't want to leave!"
The joyful crowd surrounded Ling Muyun as he walked towards Ling Mansion.
"Besides listening to music, I don't know how to run a business!" Ling Muyun thought to himself as he walked, and finally wanted to give himself a slap: "Isn't this just trying to catch a duck to the shelves? Anyway, hold on for a few days. After a while, the officials will come, and then give up. Leave!”
I was still calculating in my mind, but when I turned around, I could no longer see the huge crowd!
If you can’t do it alone, you can find help. What do you do best?
give an order!
"Who knows where Zhang San is?" Ling Muyun had a suspicion in his mind.
"Zhang San!"
"Zhang San, the young master is calling you!"
"Sir, Zhang San is here!" Zhang San responded loudly, walking through the crowd and coming to Ling Muyun: "Sir, if you have something to do, just ask!"
"Go and call your friends here!" Ling Muyun continued to ask, "Who can write?"
"Sir, I am a lawyer in Dingbeicheng. I can write a few words."
"Who has the fastest legs?"
"Sir, I served as a flag officer. Although I am old, my legs are no slower than those of a younger one!"
…
Zhang San led the group of local snakes to serve as temporary security guards, and also took in the soldiers who had not left the city to temporarily maintain order in Dingbei City.
The old lawyer temporarily became Ling Muyun's servant, responsible for logging in and writing.
The flag officer, Lao Qi, had a loud voice and walked through the crowd carrying a makeshift flag made of rags.
Carpenters, bricklayers, weavers, down-and-out landowners, hard-working tenant farmers, all walks of life are recorded.
When night fell, a skillful old woman walked up to Ling Muyun like she was protecting a treasure: "Master, this old woman has no skills. This flag was made in a hurry. If you don't mind it, I can hang it on my house." !”
Seeing this, the flag officer hurriedly stepped forward and offered his hand. A large green flag with yellow edges slowly unfolded, with the word "Master" flying in the air!
Look at the old woman's fingers again. They are faintly red and pinholes are visible. I think it's because the branches are in urgent need.
"Okay!" Ling Muyun was very high-spirited for a moment: "Old Seven, hang the flag on the gate of Ling Mansion! Where the flag is, I, Ling Muyun, will be there!"
Since the beginning of the city's founding, Dingbei City has enjoyed unprecedented harmony.
Although there are not even ten young and middle-aged people left, regardless of the distinction between men and women, everyone is contributing their final strength to stay alive.
Houses are being repaired, bodies are being buried, and smoke is rising from the cooking pots.
Diverting water and building canals, planting seeds and vegetables, and traveling between fields.
In just half a year, Dingbei City regained its vitality. The landmark event was that the crops finally ushered in the first round of harvest.
Ling Muyun was wearing a short shirt, fanning a cattail leaf fan, sitting in front of the gate, watching everyone lining up to receive grains, vegetables and fruits, and couldn't help but be filled with emotion.
"Zhang San!"
"Young Master!" Zhang San has long since lost his naughty ways. In half a year, he worked hard and accumulated a lot of reputation.
"Divide the grain, divide the terra nullius and the Ling family's land according to the head! Dingbeicheng implements the land equalization system!"
"Sir, according to this year's practice, everyone will have food to eat. If we divide it, I'm afraid people will be scattered."
"What do you know?" Ling Muyun stretched: "Only when everyone has their own land can they stimulate greater vitality!"
There is a subtext that Ling Muyun did not say. The disadvantage of eating in a big pot is that when you are satisfied with keeping warm, selfishness will overflow.
Once there is selfishness, there will be overt and covert fighting.
Not picking up lost things on the road in Dingbeicheng and not closing the door at night are the virtues of living and dying together, not the standard of wealth and honor.
Just as Ling Muyun and Zhang San were discussing more details, Flag Officer Lao Qi hurried over: "Young Master, Young Master! A large group of people appeared at the north gate, about a thousand people!"
