Chapter 1960 Winter Coal, Cold Rules


    One after another, after the cold breath invaded the north and south of the river, heavy snow like goose feathers poured down, covering many parts of the land of China.


    Chang''an Sanfu, although the snow has not yet hindered people''s travel, the number of pedestrians on the road has decreased a lot, and from the experience of previous years, since it is already snowing heavily, it means that it is very likely to receive There will be snow every time it comes down, just one after another.


    Therefore, under such weather, it is absolutely unnecessary for ordinary people to go out. The most commonly used method for these ordinary people in winter is to boil, reduce the amount of activity, and reduce calorie consumption, so they can eat less and boil longer.


    For the children of the gentry, the first heavy snow has inspired more desire to play.


    Of course, it is going to snow heavily. Not many people were interested in the first snow before, because the first snow melted easily, and then there was mud all over the place. There was really not much scenery, but under the heavy snow, the world was pure white, which made these people with black or gray hearts , I naturally feel that I have received some washing.


    Especially near Wuling in Chang''an, after all, business is prosperous, and there are quite a lot of well-off families. Many people can light a charcoal fire, wear thick fur clothes, and talk and laugh while warming wine...


    In the backyard of the General’s Mansion, a snowman was also piled up. The snowman has a fat head and a round belly, but there is no carrot broom as his costume, but a bamboo horse and a wooden sword.


    The snowman was made by Huang Yueying. Although this guy is already a child''s mother, but after all, he is only about 20 years old, and he was in Jingzhou before, and he rarely saw heavy snow, so in Chang''an, whenever there is heavy snow, he is more or less excited and playful. From Huang Yueying staring at Fei Qian and smiling, patting the snowman''s head for a while, and inserting bamboo horses and wooden swords, Fei Qian can roughly guess that Huang Yueying used herself as a template for the snowman.


    Fei Zhen also followed Huang Yueying crookedly, sometimes she couldn''t stand firmly in the snow, and she lay down on the snow with a puff, Huang Yueying just laughed, and then didn''t let the maids and servants help her, Fei Zhen didn''t feel the need He used crying to win sympathy, got up again staggeringly, and then chased his mother who seemed unreliable, and then Huang Yueying shook the snow-covered treetops again, and the head was covered with another meal falling snow...


    Fei Qian looked at it, but didn''t stop him. In fact, children are not as delicate as adults imagine, especially those who may enter the army in the future, so they should not be afraid of wind, snow, this or that.


    Fei Qian ordered some people to prepare some hot **** soup. When the kids had enough fun, take a hot bath and drink some **** soup to drive away the cold. Naturally, there would be no problem.


    Passing through the corridor to the front yard, in the hall, Pang Tong and Xun You had already been sitting in front of the fire in front of the hall, chatting while warming rice wine, and when they saw Fei Qian, they stood up to salute.


    Fei Qian waved his hand, sat down, took a bowl of warm wine from Pang Tong, took a sip, and suddenly felt the warmth spread down to his limbs, and even the soreness behind his shoulders seemed to be relieved After drinking a little, I couldn''t help exhaling alcohol, "Ha..."


    『Is the wine good? Pang Tong said with a smile, "It would be even better if there is some Qiang cooking..."


    Feiqian laughed, "Let''s put aside the food, let''s talk about the business first..."


    Pang Tong muttered something in a low voice.


    "Ok? Eating is the business? 』Fei Qian''s ears are also very sensitive.


    Pang Tong waved his hands again and again, "No! I just said, "This is also a business"..."


    Fei Qian knew about Pang Tong''s sophistry, but he didn''t chase after him, so he asked Xun You, "How is the distribution of the things to keep out the cold?" 』


    Xun You cupped his hands and said, "Everything has been delivered. The hay, thick cloth, linoleum, and blankets in the army are in sufficient quantity to survive the winter without worry. The folk villages outside the city also sent coal, and some people sent people to preach, inspect and investigate, and if there are corrupt people, they will immediately dismiss the officials and strictly investigate...』


    Fei Qian nodded.


    『How is the situation of the official examination this year? ’ Fei Qian asked again.


    Xun You was silent for a while, and said: "I''m afraid there will be many people who can''t bear it... Ruo Yanzhi, ten to three or four..."


    Fei Qian also fell silent.


    Fei Qian has said several times before that the administration of officials must be strictly enforced, and the performance of officials should be evaluated, but maybe it is because the habits cultivated in the Han Dynasty for three or four hundred years are difficult to correct, or maybe these officials did not pay attention to this evaluation standard. , so that now, at the end of the year, many officials have not reached the standard.


    Among these officials who did not meet the assessment standards, some are idlers who only enjoy official blessings and do not do practical things, and some have worked hard but lacked ability and did not do well. Of course, some unlucky ones are not ruled out. of…


    Although Fei Qian really wants to rectify it, the problems he faces are equally difficult. If it is strictly implemented, removing these three or four layers of people will cause great turmoil, and this turbulent process is undoubtedly painful and troublesome. At the same time, from another perspective, if Fei Qian does not deal with these incompetent officials, he will go back to the old path of the Han Dynasty...


    Fei Qian looked at the snowflakes flying in front of him, and saw that these snowflakes covered the turbid gray and black ground into pure white little by little, and said in a deep voice: "Strictly deal with it!" Just like snow in winter, if you don''t experience the cold, how can you have the fragrance of the coming year? 』


    Xun You sighed slightly, then nodded silently.


    Pang Tong clapped his hands and smiled, and said, "My lord''s words are very kind!" If we don''t deal with the officials today, the officials will come to harm us in the future! Integrity is now stable in all directions, if we don''t strictly investigate and deal with it at this time, when will we wait? 』


    Fei Qian nodded slightly. It is difficult to conquer the territory, and it is even more difficult to manage the territory well. It is even more difficult to change old habits and promote a new order while governing the territory. However, even if it is difficult, you should not stop doing it. Therefore, as Pang Tong said, the four sides are temporarily calmed down at the moment, and if you don’t take advantage of the current time period to make reforms and changes, do you still wait for the external threat? What to do?


    The three couldn''t help being silent for a while.


    『Haha...』 Fei Qian put aside his troubles for the time being, and said with a smile, 『With such a snowy scene, let’s ignore business for the time being and let’s take a break! The mutton is boiled on the stove, and the Qiang is cooked at the right time! Come on! Let’s go and prepare some beef and mutton, set the pot here, enjoy the snow and eat it…”


    Pang Tong hastily said: "Very kind! Very good! And bring more fat ones! 』


    The servant turned to look at Fei Qian when he heard the words.


    Fei Qian waved his hands helplessly, and then said to Pang Tong: "Shi Yuan, you need to correct your obesity problem..."


    『No fat, why say joy? Pang Tong disagreed, "The oil is fragrant and full of oil, what a joy to live!" 』


    Fei Qian could only shake his head with a wry smile.


    Heavy snow flew down, falling on the roof of the eaves, puffing thinly, as if following Fei Qian and the other three, covering their mouths and laughing quietly...


    Snow-white snow fell both inside and outside the city.


    This is a little-known village under Zheng County, er, a small village that is not even marked on the county and township albums. Niu Dalang came out of the mountain against the wind and snow with a big pile of firewood on his back.


    If in future generations, at his age, some people might argue with their parents, saying that their parents don''t love him, don''t care about him, don''t care about his thoughts, force him to study all day long, and just think about it all day long. Knowing how to make money and work, when I get home, I only know how to ask for grades, saying that my life is meaningless, and I always say that I will die for someone to see, etc...


    However, Niu Dalang is not qualified for this, because his father Niu Sixia is no longer alive, let alone wanting to complain to his father, or even wanting to be beaten by his father a few times, which is not serious or serious, is an extravagant wish.


    His father died and his mother collapsed. Seeing his little sister curled up in the darkest and narrowest corner of the house with her eyes wide open in horror, Niu Dalang gritted his teeth, held the heavy farm tools in his hands, and carried them on his back .


    The nobles have been here a few times, Wen Yan comforted them, and gave a lot of money and items...


    Then, there is no more.


    Niu Dalang''s mother just cried and couldn''t say anything. Niu Dalang himself didn''t know what to say. Listening to those noble people, he could barely answer the words "I know" and "Okay".


    Neighbors in the surrounding area also came. In those few days, those who were better on weekdays would help clean up, help cook some meals, take care of mother and younger sister, and then left without taking anything. Things can''t stay in Niu''s house forever.


    Those who have a bad relationship just approached them lukewarmly, and praised: "Looking at the Niu family is still a bit lucky, look at these things... the Niu family has made it, tsk tsk, it''s worth it, if my old ghost has one Life can be exchanged for these utensils, I can''t wait to let him go quickly...』


    Have you sent it yet?


    not at all. Niu Dalang was at a loss for those utensils and floating wealth, and his mother was weak and couldn''t keep them at all. This family said they had borrowed them for two days, which family said they were in debt, and within a month or two they all disappeared.


    Farm farmers only harvest once or twice a year, so most of them are young people. This year’s harvest will be used to offset the old debts of previous years, and then continue to credit young crops in the new year, etc...


    So my father owed money, that’s for sure, but when my father was alive, did he really owe so much money?


    Although Niu Dalang felt something was wrong, he didn’t understand, because he couldn’t read. Looking at the handprints on the IOUs, Niu Dalang didn’t know, and couldn’t tell whether they were the handprints drawn by his father.


    Anyway, the money Niu Sixia got in exchange for his life not only did not bring good fortune and wealth to the family, but even lost the original cow, which could be regarded as "wiping out" all the debts.


    Niu Dalang unloaded the firewood on his back in front of the yard gate. The little girl heard the voice and hurried out to help. There were chilblains one after another on the red hands and feet.


    『Why did you come out without shoes on? 』Niu Dalang drove the little girl away, 『Go! go inside! It''s cold outside! 』Most young girls are reluctant to wear shoes, even if they are straw sandals, they feel that if they are worn too much, they will break.


    The little girl was silent and didn''t answer, but her hands didn''t stop. She helped to pile up the firewood under the eaves in the courtyard, then she looked at her brother timidly, and still didn''t speak.


    『What’s the matter, mother? ’ Niu Dalang asked.


    The little girl shook her head.


    『Hey...』 Niu Dalang stretched out his hand and patted the little girl''s head.


    Little sister''s hair is messy, thin, and withered and yellow. Niu Dalang''s hands are rough and dirty, with fragments of mud and wood slag, but the little girl still stretches her neck forward to make her head more submissive to Niu Dalang''s hand, just like a dog trying to please its master .


    Niu Dalang knew that the little girl lived in panic since she was a child, and it has been like this since childhood. She panicked and had no food to eat. When she panicked and had no food to eat, her family would either sell her or give her to others for exchange. Order "Meat Lotus Root" and come back...


    Now that the father is dead, the younger sister is even more panicked. Several times when Niu Dalang woke up in the middle of the night, he saw the younger sister curled up in the corner, staring at him, holding his clothes tightly, motionless...


    『It''s okay...it''s okay...'' Niu Dalang said, he didn''t know whether to tell his little sister or himself, 『It''s okay...it''s okay...we will live on, we will be together...』


    Inside the house, it is actually the same cold.


    It''s windy outside, like a sharp knife cutting, and it''s gloomy and cold inside, like a blunt needle piercing.


    Niu Dalang hugged the little girl in his arms, the two of them curled up, trembling, staring at the sky outside the window, waiting for the sky to get dark, at that time, they could regenerate the fire, cook the late preserved meat while keeping out the cold, and then Go to bed quickly after eating, and rest for a few hours with some warmth, until you wake up from the cold again.


    Suddenly a voice came from outside the courtyard: "The Niu family, is the Niu family here?" 』


    Niu Dalang recognized that it seemed to be the voice of the neighbor''s aunt, so he quickly answered and walked out, "I''m here!" exist! Is it Mrs. Wang? 』


    Aunt Wang looked at Niu Dalang, with a little pity on her old face, "Is my girl from the Niu family feeling better?" Have you eaten my child? Come on, here is a piece of pancake, don''t hold it back, take it! obedient! take it! 』


    Aunt Wang couldn''t help but stuff the black pancake into Niu Dalang''s arms, then looked around, frowned and said, "It''s such a cold day, why don''t you light a fire to warm it up, if it freezes, what will you do next year?" Don’t be reluctant to bring the coal you get, use it when you need it, and a good person is the fundamental...』


    『Ah uh...』 Niu Dalang sniffed his nose, 『What did you say, Madam? What coal? 』


    Aunt Wang couldn''t help asking: "Huh? Haven''t you collected your coal yet? 』


    Niu Dalang was taken aback.


    Aunt Wang understood, sighed, and said: "General Hussars is kind, every household will be given per head... While it''s still early, go to the next village to find the pavilion chief... Remember to bring a basket... Hurry up go, go...''


    Coal and charcoal in winter are not only materials used for heating, but also represent a little more hope of living, prolonging the life of suffering in winter!


    Niu Dalang hurriedly took the basket, and hurried to the next village.


    The village next door is much larger than the village where Niu Dalang lives, and the largest yard is the home of Tingzhang Zhao.


    From a distance, Niu Dalang saw long white smoke rising from the chimney of Zhao Tingchang''s house, the door was wide open, and there was a lot of people''s voices. It seemed that there was a faint heat wave sweeping in, driving away all the cold inside and outside the courtyard.


    Zhao Tingzhang had two helpers outside the door, one of them stared, "What are you doing?" Do you know where it is? ah? It''s okay, don''t hang around here! 』


    Niu Dalang was trembling, his clothes were almost soaked in the wind and snow, "I... I... come, come, get... coal... coal..."


    『Get a fart! The gangster snorted, "Yesterday is over!" Just got it today! Do you think this is your home? Come whenever you want? ah? get out! 』


    Another helper patted the wooden sign beside the door wall, "Did you see it? Such big characters are written clearly and clearly! As of yesterday, get it with the card! Those who do not claim within the time limit will be deemed as voluntary confiscation! Do you understand? Ah ha, forgot, you will definitely say that you don’t recognize…』


    Niu Dalang nodded again and again, indicating that he really did not understand the words on it.


    The two helpers laughed and pointed at Niu Dalang, as if they had encountered something extremely joyful, "I said, didn''t I, I didn''t know the mother... These troublemakers are all like a bird!" It''s up to you whether you recognize it or not, do you understand? This brand stands here, this is the rule! This is the process! This is true for everyone, and it is fair and fair! Who the **** do you think you are, what right do you have to break the rules and break the process? ah? 』


    Niu Dalang knelt down on the ground, kowtowed again and again, so anxious that tears flowed down, "I really don''t know... small, small, yes, it''s the next door village, really, really, really no." I''ve heard people say...if it wasn''t for Aunt Wang, Aunt Wang told me, the little one would still know...』


    『Ahhhhhh...』 The young helper grinned in distaste, turning his head away from Niu Dalang, 『Here again, kneeling down and crying at every turn, you gangsters, can you have some backbone, huh? Isn''t it just a little coal, as for? ah? 』


    Niu Dalang wiped his tears, "My old lady is bedridden, and I have a younger sister who needs to be taken care of by me... Without these coals, I''m afraid it will be difficult... I would like to ask my two uncles to help me... Great kindness, little one, definitely, definitely ...''


    『Ah, I remembered, you are Niujia Dalang, right? Okay, okay, do you have the sign? ’ The slightly older helper frowned, seeing Niu Dalang’s appearance, maybe he had thought of something, and somewhat softened his heart, he sighed and said, “Give me the sign first, I’ll help you to ask…”


    Another helper pulled him, "Are you stupid? 』


    『Hey, I’ll just ask, if it’s going to happen, it’s not up to me...』


    『You have thought about it…』


    "understood! ’ said the older helper, ‘Mr. Zhao Tingzhang is unparalleled in virtue and is well-known in the countryside. Of course he won’t leave no room for help, no, maybe it’s a beautiful thing...’


    『Cut, up to you, up to you...』Another helper no longer stopped me.


    Less than half an hour later, the elder helper came out frowning, pointed to the sign and said to Niu Dalang, "This sign says Niu Sixia''s, right? Aren''t you Niu Sixia? 』


    Niu Dalang nodded again and again, "I am Niu Dalang...that is my father''s brand..."


    "General Hussars has an order, you are not allowed to take it under false names... The brand you are holding is "Niu Sixia", but you are Niu Dalang..." The old helper seemed to have a headache, and he said it a bit awkwardly, "The pavilion is benevolent, I would like to see it. For the sake of the folks in the village, I made an exception, but this...the brand does not match the person, so I can''t receive it. If it is given to you, we will violate the military order and be beheaded...』


    『I...this...』 Niu Dalang was dumbfounded.


    (end of this chapter)