"Erhu!"
The uncle from the pergola clasped his fists at Zhu Yuanzhang and said, "Don't be surprised if the little boy is ignorant."
But Zhu Yuanzhang's attention was obviously not here, but on what the young man said just now, "No money."
There were two large wooden barrels placed on the other side of the pergola. Zhu Yuanzhang stood up and walked over to lift the lids, and found that they were indeed full of mung bean soup and millet porridge, still steaming.
He picked up a spoon and dug into the bottom of the mung bean soup bucket, and picked up a spoon full of mung beans.
"The real stuff."
Zhu Yuanzhang sighed, scooped out a bowl, sat down, blew on the hot air, took a sip, and raised his head in surprise: "There is even icing sugar!"
The man from the pergola laughed and didn't explain, but asked Zhu Yunwen and others to sit down together.
Zhu Yunwen sat next to Zhu Yuanzhang and gently fanned him.
Zhu Yunxi quietly ran to the barrel to have a look, carefully picked up the bowl on one side, scooped out a bowl for each of his siblings, and brought it over.
Zhu Yunxuan was thirsty after playing for a long time. He took the mung bean soup and took a sip. As a result, he jumped up with an ouch as he was burned.
Zhu Lingxuan smiled and thanked Zhu Yunxi, took the mung bean soup and sipped it in small sips. Seeing Zhu Yun's embarrassed look, she hurriedly took out a handkerchief and wiped it for him.
Zhu Yunwen accompanied Zhu Yuanzhang and chatted with the uncle in the pergola.
"This mung bean soup and millet porridge are sent by Mr. Su every day. They are specially for the people passing by. They are not rare items."
As for why the icing was added, there wasn’t much explanation.
Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly became interested in the ten-dollar cup of tea.
The free mung bean soup is so delicious, but what does the paid tea taste like?
"Old man, give us a cup of that black tea."
"Okay! Erhu, a cup of black tea!"
The young boy Erhu was stunned: "These people want a drink? They are really stingy."
Zhu Yuanzhang blushed. Although he was an emperor, his poor life since childhood made him very frugal. If he hadn't become curious about this black tea, he would not have been willing to buy it.
Zhu Yunwen smiled and came to Zhu Yuanzhang's rescue: "It doesn't matter, this mung bean soup is very refreshing, and it's great to drink."
Zhu Yunxi nodded in agreement, quietly picked up the bowl and took a sip, thinking in his heart: "Even in the palace, you rarely get such delicious porridge."
Seeing that his grandson was so sensible, Zhu Yuanzhang happily touched Zhu Yunwen's head, and then asked the uncle: "Just now you said that Mr. Su prepared this mung bean soup for passers-by. Why?"
When Zhu Yuanzhang mentioned Mr. Su, the uncle's eyes turned into crescent moons when he smiled, and his tone was full of pride:
"Mr. Su is a good official. You don't know, sir. In the past few years, the people of Fengyang Mansion have been fleeing and going up the mountains. But since Mr. Su took office, life has been getting better and better day by day. !
Let’s just say that last year, many people from other places were invited by Mr. Su to settle down in Fengyang. In the past, you couldn’t see a single house in Fengyang for ten miles. Do you see how prosperous it is now? "
Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes wandered in front of him, and he nodded while looking at the lively crowd. He could tell lies about the memorial, but the sight in front of him could not deceive others.
"My father-in-law, you haven't said yet why Mr. Su provides free soup and porridge," Zhu Yunwen reminded with a smile.
"Oh, look, this man is always verbose as he gets older." The man from the pergola laughed and continued:
"Last year, when many refugees fled to Fengyang, countless people died of cold and starvation on the roadside. The scene was so miserable...
After Mr. Su found out about it, he asked the Yamen to invest in setting up a pavilion every ten miles on the Fengyang official road. Anyone passing by could get free porridge and water, and free food was distributed. The people were disciplined not to freeze to death or starve to death. "
Erhu on the side also interjected: "That's right, Master Su said at that time, 'These damn people can starve to death anywhere, but they can't starve to death on my territory, otherwise I will be more embarrassed?', You’ll be so excited after hearing this!”
Zhu Yunwen, who had been reading poetry and books since he was a child, was unhappy when he heard this. He whispered in Zhu Yuanzhang's ear: "This person's language is very vulgar. How can he look like a court official trained by the imperial court?"
Zhu Yuanzhang didn't take it seriously. We speak much more vulgarly than he does. How can we be emperors?
He thought about it and asked: "That's not right. There are at least tens of thousands of people in Fengyang County. How can a county government handle such free porridge every day? Besides, what do you earn by giving free porridge all the time?"
At this moment, the black tea ordered by Zhu Yuanzhang was brought up, with a hint of cold air rising from it.
"It's actually been chilled!" Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes almost popped out of his head.
It was not that he had never seen drinking ice in summer. There was a special ice cellar in the palace to store ice. However, it required a lot of manpower and financial resources, and Zhu Yuanzhang was reluctant to use it.
But this small roadside pavilion actually has ice?
Zhu Yuanzhang felt that he must not have woken up, otherwise how could he have seen something so subversive to his cognition?
"Hahahaha", the man from the pergola said with a smile: "Try this 'ice black tea', is it worth ten dollars a cup?"
Zhou Ji stepped forward: "Sir, how about I try it for you first?"
"No need." Looking at the steaming ice tea, Zhu Yuanzhang's saliva was almost flowing. He picked up the bowl and took a sip, his eyes brightening.
Then he immediately picked it up and drank it all in one gulp, shouting: "Happy, happy!"
Zhu Yunwen watched from the side, his throat couldn't help but gurgling, and he was also greedy.
"good!"
Zhu Yuanzhang arrogantly slapped the bowl on the table: "Old man, have another drink, no, give us one drink each!"
"Okay, Erhu, six cups of ice tea!"
"Okay~~~Six cups of ice tea~~!"
Zhou Ji was ecstatic when he saw that he still had his share: "Thank you for the reward, Master!"
Of course, the eldest son Zhou Ji would not be able to afford tea for only ten yuan, but it was rewarded by Zhu Yuanzhang, so how could it be the same?
While waiting for tea, Zhu Yuanzhang continued to ask the shop owner: "Shopkeeper, you haven't said how you make money yet."
But the man from the pergola looked at Zhu Yuanzhang with a smile: "Chenghui, didn't the old man make money from those iced teas you just ordered?"
Zhu Yuanzhang:. . .
Are you making money by killing me?
The man from the pergola continued with a smile: "Those free porridge and water are given to the passing people by Mr. Su's kindness, but there are also many merchants like you who pass by us, so they must take care of the small shop more or less." It’s business.”
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and decided not to talk to him. He had been stabbed in the heart a lot today, and his heart couldn't bear it as he got older.
After traveling for a day, I happened to feel a little hungry: "Xie'er, go get some food."
Zhu Yunxi stood up and went directly to the carriage to get dry food. Zhu Yunwen suddenly remembered that the shopkeeper said there was free food here, and couldn't help but stand up and go to the corner of the pergola where the food was placed.
Soon Zhu Yunxi came back with dry food, took the steamed buns from him, and Zhu Yuanzhang munched on them.
Suddenly, he noticed Zhu Yunwen holding a long thing and chewing on it, and asked with some confusion: "Wen'er, what are you eating?"
