Chapter 221 [Another city ahead of the path]
Song Shan looked at the couch and sighed: "A few days ago, a few people suddenly came from the nearby prefectures, and they advertised that they can sell goods on behalf of others. They only need to pay a deposit in advance, and they can pick up the goods and sell them. If they can't sell them all, they can pay a high price. Repurchase. In the first few months, they did so, and they did repurchase those goods, so many people around invested their wealth in it.”
"But later, one day, all of them disappeared, including people and goods, and the promised repurchases were gone. Many people even borrowed money to join, including this one. The sandalwood incense is a valuable item, and ordinary people can't use it. In fact, how much can you sell in a few hundred miles around here? What's more, it's not worth the price at all, and it's all in your hands."
"Many people go bankrupt, but the lenders don't care about these things. They go around chasing debts and making the house a mess. Some people can't bear it, so they die immediately, or their wives and children are arrested to pay off debts. It's extremely miserable. This one was taken away." After buying the house and floating wealth, it is almost worth paying off the debt, but I have nothing..."
Fang Chang folded his hands in his sleeves, pinched his calculations slightly, was surprised, and asked:
"Do you know where this group of people come from?"
Song Shan said:
"I seem to have heard someone mention that this group of people is from Guangping Mansion? They claim that there are two luxurious sons there, one surnamed Song and the other surnamed Lu, who have started a great business together. They endorsed themselves and attracted a lot of money. people trust."
"But they wouldn't tell the truth if they thought about it. Which liar would have the confidence to tell the truth? I guess I don't know where I escaped. The world is so big, and no one has the energy and financial resources to track it down. Sigh..."
Fang Chang hummed, thinking to himself.
Just now, after calculating, he suddenly discovered the traces of this group of criminals. He could only find a rough idea, but the exact location was vague.
He is no stranger to this kind of situation, and it must have something to do with this catastrophe. It should be done by some members of the enemy.
Song's father and son were about to start busy with the old man's funeral. After thanking Mr. Fang, they were about to send him out of the door. At this time, there was a knock on the courtyard door, followed by a strong voice shouting outside the door:
"Is there anyone at home? The material is here."
But they did not find a straw mat as the deceased said, but took out their savings and ordered a thin-skinned coffin from a special store. Although they did not handle funerals, they could give the deceased a shelter. It can also be considered as benevolent.
The folks here are taboo about "delivering a coffin to your door", so after mentioning it, they often use only the word "cai", which has the same sound as "cai", to seek auspiciousness. The coffin shop guys who are responsible for door-to-door delivery will be warned about this when they enter the business, so they must not make mistakes—
—to avoid being beaten out with sticks.
Fang Chang turned sideways to let the door open, watched a few strong men carry the coffin into the small courtyard, and then settled the final payment with the Song family and his son.
He turned his head, raised the signboard turned into Lingquan sword in his hand, and walked outside.
The small town was still quiet, but some townspeople were walking back and forth. Hearing the Song family's father and son greeting, some people began to call their neighbors to help with the burial.
But these have nothing to do with Fang Chang.
There is no tavern in the town, but there are several large wine vats in an inn, selling undiluted sorghum wine and rice wine. He added some sorghum wine to his gourd, then ordered two bowls of rice wine, and then poured himself some of the simple side dishes sold in the store before leaving here.
...
After dozens of miles, the surrounding scenery is different from before.
The terrain here is not high, close to the river, and the temperature is suitable, so the road is full of rice fields. The style of houses in the villages and towns, as well as the customs and accents of the people, are also different from the places I have seen before.
It is said that in ancient times, this place used to be a vast marsh with many fish and turtles, and a large number of aquatic monsters entrenched in it.
However, due to changes in climate and rivers, Daze disappeared and turned into vast farmland, full of people.
The monsters are also gradually dying out, but the fish and turtles still breed in the many lakes left by Daze and become an important food on the human table.
Fang Chang can even buy fish soup in roadside shops.
Recently, instead of taking the official road, he followed the winding path, passing through villages and towns, and was occasionally called to see a doctor.
At this time, he would check the patient's pulse and write a prescription for the doctor to catch.
Fang Chang’s medical fee is as low as that of ordinary wandering doctors, so he often leaves after prescribing a prescription. Whether to use the left prescription often depends on the trust of the patient’s family in him. Moreover, it is not convenient to get medicine in the villages and towns, and along the way, there is no time left to wait for the patient's medicine to be cured.
The road is not all low-lying. The land here seems to have many folds, and there are many hills between the large rice fields.
There are often villages and towns on these difficult-to-irrigate hillsides. Because of this, there is a lot of rain in the area. It is necessary to prevent waterlogging from soaking the houses and washing away the belongings. In other places, some vegetables or fruit trees are planted, and some northern crops are planted in some places.
Fang Chang was walking on a small path, and saw the round and light yellow pears on the tree beside the road, which were very cute, so he couldn't help thinking of tasting them.
He saw a family beside the pear grove, so he knocked on the door.
"Is anyone home?" Fang Chang asked, but with his hearing, he had already heard people moving around in the courtyard, and he could even tell their weight and approximate age.
"Come here, wait a moment." A voice from inside agreed, followed by footsteps.
The old wooden door opened with a creak, and then a young man poked his head out, saw Fang Chang outside the door, and asked, "Where did the guest come from? What's the matter?"
Fang Chang took out a few pennies and said with a smile:
"But when I was passing by, I saw that the pears beside the road were growing well, and I wanted to buy a few to eat. Does the owner know whose pear tree belongs to it?"
The young man laughed and waved his hands:
"The guest was joking. This pear tree does not need to be watered or fertilized. It grows on its own every year. If you pass by, you can pick it yourself when you are thirsty or hungry. How dare you ask for money? Please take it yourself."
Fang Chang refused, took out a copper coin and stuffed it into the young man's hand, then went to the side of the road, picked up a big juicy one, picked six or seven, and put them in the package. The remaining one is held in the hand, and there is no need to wipe it, just gently pat a descaling technique on it, and the pear will be as clean as if it has been washed.
One bite, the taste is sweet and juicy. Although it is not as good as the special product of Huaifeng Prefecture, it is still top-grade, and at least the pear skin is much thinner than the duck pears of Huaifeng Prefecture.
He gnawed on a pear, walked along the road under his feet, and came out of the pear forest ahead.
After a slight turn, he was back on the official road.
There is an ordinary small town in front of it, Fang Chang is going to go in and have a look, stay for two days, and then continue to the west.
I wish you all a happy Children's Day and may you be forever young.
Thank you Alloy Niuniu, 140513140519798, and Drunken Dreams for your rewards.
(end of this chapter)