The Little Widower (farming)

34

After Zhou Yuan and the others set off, they picked up things from Yuan Wai's house and headed all the way to the capital.

Only Zhou Yuan knew what he was sending. Even Meng Qi, who had always been close to him, didn't say what he was sending. He had always been in charge of it. Not many people came this time, just Zhou Yuan and Meng Qi. Qi, and a man named Meng Shuanzi from the village. None of them own horses. They deposited money and rented horses from horse shops.

I haven't forgotten all the things taught in the barracks. At least I can still ride a horse easily. Even after riding horses for many days in a row, the sides of my thighs are a little uncomfortable, but I can bear it. There were many, many more difficult things than this before.

During this time, they lived in the open air. If they were lucky, they would find an inn and have a bunk to sleep in. If they were unlucky, they would have to spend the night in the mountains.

After all, Meng Qi was newly married. When he was resting, he would point to his clothes and say, "My wife made this for me." When he was staying at the hotel, he would take out his purse and say, "My wife embroidered

this for me."

When he was a kid, he looked at the dry biscuits in Zhou Yuan's hand and swallowed: "Brother, give me some?"

Zhou Yuan just glanced at him: "Why, your wife didn't pancake you?"

Meng Shuanzi on the side He also laughed: "His wife is good at everything, but she is not good at cooking. I heard that the day after we got married, she almost burned down his kitchen."

Meng Qi took a bite of the dry biscuit: "Then my wife is also the best in the world. Madam."

Zhou Yuan just smiled.

Meng Qi suddenly felt something was wrong, and he glanced at the cake in his hand: "Brother, you definitely didn't make this cake yourself."

Meng Shuanzi took a sip of water: "You are only allowed to have a wife, but you are not allowed to fall in love with someone?

Meng Qi straightened his back and said, "How could I not know? You don't even know who that person is, and you still have the nerve to laugh at me." "Why don't I know?" Meng Shuanzi sneered, "

If I don't tell you, you want to break it." I can't even think of it."

"Then who are you talking about?" The two of them started talking, and Zhou Yuan ignored them. Listening to their quarrel could relieve the loneliness he felt along the way.

"Why are you making fun of me?" Zhou Yuan leaned against the tree and played with the purse Chen Qing gave him. He had already touched the small talisman inside it many times.

"Brother, when are you getting married?" Meng Shuanzi asked.

"He still has to keep his filial piety."

Both Meng Qi and Meng Shuanzi felt that he was bitter, so they did not mention this and talked about their future plans.

Zhou Yuan then said: "Let's take this trip. When we come back from the capital, we can also take a look at whether there is any work along the way and earn some travel expenses."

"Let's run around first, and then we can set up a business when the situation becomes better in the future. " The escort agency will travel all over the world." Meng Qi looked forward to it, "With our brother's ability, this is not always a simple matter."

The closer they get to the capital, the colder the weather will be. Light snow has fallen in the capital.

In the capital, everything is more expensive than their small place. Even an ordinary 20-seat shop is many times more expensive than their small place. Zhou Yuan thought that they hadn't washed themselves properly in these days, so he asked for a 3-seat shop. In the guest room, Meng Qi's hands were shaking when he paid.

After settling in, the three of them took turns taking a shower. The room was expensive, but hot water was provided for free. Meng Qi took a look at the food price and decided not to eat at the inn.

This was their first time in the capital city. The bustling and bustling place was unparalleled anywhere. Meng Qi and Meng Shuanzi planned to go shopping and bring something to their relatives at home.

Zhou Yuan had other things to do, so he asked them to go shopping first while he wanted to go out first.

This time I came to the capital not only to do this, but also to meet with the general again.

After the border war ended, except for the original garrison at the border, the rest of the reinforced troops withdrew to their original garrison locations.

The person leading Zhou Yuan and others at that time was Pingnan General Xiao Chengyin.

During the Battle of Gupingguan, because of a spy in the camp, General Xiao was surrounded by enemy troops and was isolated and helpless. All his guards were lured away. Only Zhou Yuan was with General Xiao at that time.

Zhou Yuan cut his sword until it curled, killing twenty or thirty enemies, and brought the injured General Xiao to the reinforcements.

The battle at Gupingguan also laid the foundation for the court to win the battle.

After that, General Xiao wanted to take Zhou Yuan under his command, but Zhou Yuan cared about his grandmother at home and rejected his offer.

But when General Xiao returned to the court with his troops, he also gave Zhou Yuan a token. As long as Zhou Yuan repented, he could go to the capital to find him at any time.

Today, Zhou Yuan wants to return this token to him. From now on, he will take root in Luohe Village.

Zhou Yuan arrived at the concierge and handed the token to the concierge. The concierge could recognize it as the general's token at a glance and quickly reported the letter. Soon someone brought Zhou Yuan into the main hall.

General Xiao was nearly fifty years old, but because he had been fighting outside all year round, his health was still not very good. At this moment, a charcoal fire was lit in the flower hall. When he saw Zhou Yuan coming in, he stood up.

"Zhou Yuan!"

Zhou Yuan bowed to him: "I have met the general."

General Xiao was very happy to see him and patted his shoulder. The remaining snow on it had turned into ashes under the baking of the fire. After catching the water that seeped into his clothes, he pulled Zhou Yuan up: "Have the affairs at home been settled? Are you coming to my place?"

Zhou Yuan shook his head: "The affairs at home have been settled. This time I came here to return the token to the general."

General Xiao was stunned: "Huh?"

Zhou Yuan handed the token back to General Xiao: "The grassroots are about to get married, and I don't want to be separated from my husband. You have lived up to the general's expectations."

"You're married?" General Xiao didn't go to pick up his token, but he was sincerely happy for him. "You can bring your husband to the capital with you after you get married, and you can do a lot of work in the house. "

Zhou Yuan nodded: "In the future, I want to settle down at home, farm with my husband, and do some small business."

General Xiao nodded: "Very good, very good.

" The purpose of meeting the general is to return the general's token, and also to say goodbye to the general."

General Xiao nodded: "Everyone has his own ambitions. After seeing the cruelty of war, the more ordinary things are valuable, you can keep them, they will be useful in the future. That's the place."

Zhou Yuan nodded and saw the people waiting next to General Xiao and was about to leave.

General Xiao was not in a hurry to let him go. He only asked his subordinates to bring him some specialties from the capital. He also said that he was getting married and would also bring some gifts for the new husband.

Zhou Yuan came to visit just to return the token, and did not want to get anything from General Xiao, so he refused to accept the gift prepared by him. In the end, after several refusals, he only accepted the gift prepared by the general's wife. A piece of red cloth for the wedding, but he didn't accept any other money, jewelry or jade.

When Zhou Yuan finally left, General Xiao patted him on the shoulder: "If you have a chance in the future, bring your husband to come and sit with you. You can keep the token, just like your knife."

Zhou Yuan He left under the leadership of the housekeeper, and finally looked at General Xiao standing in the yard, sighed, and left the general's mansion.

But in the end, when the General's Mansion sent him out, he still packed a big baggage with him. Knowing that it would be bad to refuse any more, Zhou Yuan bowed three times to the General's Mansion.

When they returned to the inn, Meng Qi and Meng Shuanzi had already bought things. After all, they were still not rich, and they didn't dare to buy anything. They mostly just watched the excitement.

They saw the piece of red cloth brought back by Zhou Yuan at a glance, and they thought that it was his brother who knew how to cherish his husband. He thought about it even though he was so far away, and even bought the red cloth for the wedding.

"Brother, are we going back tomorrow?" It's already mid-November. If we speed up our return trip, we might be able to go home in time to celebrate the Laba Festival.

Zhou Yuan nodded, and the three of them went shopping in the streets of the capital in the evening. They all saw too much and were reluctant to buy.

When they walked to a restaurant named Tianji, the three of them were attracted by the strange fragrance inside, but Zhou Yuan took a look at the price tag at the door and quickly left the main entrance of the store with Meng Qi and Meng Shuanzi. .

Meng Qi looked back frequently and said, "It smells so good. What is it selling?"

Shuanzi also swallowed, and he felt very delicious just by smelling it.

Zhou Yuan had never smelled such a fragrant smell, but he also knew that a meal in that shop would cost at least four or five taels of silver. Such a shop was not meant for people like them.

After bypassing this farm, they wandered aimlessly for a while, and soon heard a noise in front of them.

"I've packed all the goods, but now you tell me that the escort can't arrive? Where are the other escort agencies!"

"Because it's the New Year, many escort agencies have gone out. What should I do? What if I can't deliver it? " My lord, I know..." "

Stop arguing." The steward stroked his hair, "You can go and see if there is anyone who can take this trip. It doesn't matter if the price is high.

" After looking at each other with Meng Qi, Zhou Yuan strode forward and walked to the steward's side.

The steward glanced at Zhou Yuan's tall figure, and then at his clothes made of rough fabric. His attitude was not so good: "What are you looking at?"

Zhou Yuan smiled: "I just heard the steward said that he wanted to find something. The escort agency escorts things, which is what we three brothers do."

The steward glanced at Meng Qi and Meng Shuanzi behind Zhou Yuan again. Zhou Yuan is the tallest, but Meng Qi and Meng Shuanzi are not bad either, especially Meng Shuanzi, who is all fleshy and has a fierce look.

The steward looked away: "Which family do you belong to?"

"The three of us brothers are doing some odd jobs, and it's not very popular yet. This time we are going to the capital. We will be returning to our hometown in the next two days. If we are on the way, we can also run. One trip."

The steward thought it was a bit unreliable, but they really had no choice: "Are you really in this business?"

Zhou Yuan said, "We brothers are all veterans who have retired from the battlefield. I can still make a living by my own fists."

The steward was already convinced: "It's just that there is no evidence, how can I trust you?"

They all carry household registration documents with them. Yuan took out the document and said: "This is our household registration document. It also tells where the family lives. We can run away, but the family can't."

The steward took it and looked at it carefully, and found that the three people's household registration documents were except for this one named Zhou. Those who are far away are all bringing their families with them, and there is indeed a seal from the court on them, proving that they are indeed veterans.

The steward then said: "Our cart is going to Yunxi Town in Xixin Prefecture. Can you guys drop by?"

Zhou Yuan nodded. Xixin Prefecture is right between the capital and their hometown. It's not even a turn away. What a waste.

In the end, the steward decided to send someone to go with them on this trip. He was really ill and sought medical treatment. The most important thing was that when Zhou Yuan took out the documents, he saw the token of Pingnan General's Mansion.

Tianji in the capital is backed by General Zhengxi's Mansion. Naturally, the manager has been hanging out with dignitaries in the capital for so many years. He can see Zhou Yuan's righteousness at a glance. If there is really a problem, he can naturally go to Pingnan. Asked at the general's house.

So the next day, Zhou Yuan and Meng Qi and Meng Shuanzi set off for Yunxi Town, taking with them a steward from Tian Ji.

They did not ask what was on the two carriages, but the stewards on the road could tell that it was not something simple.

So they stopped sleeping at night and took turns watching.

The steward was bored and intimidating, so he talked about Tian Ji's situation.

"The big shopkeeper of our Tianji is the second master of General Zhengxi's Mansion. Since you are veterans, you should know General Zhengxi, right?"

Of course they know General Zhengxi Cui Chaoming, but they have never heard of the second master.

The steward was quite proud: "More than half of the military expenses during the war were raised by our Tianji."

The war was fought by General Zhengxi, and the military expenses were raised by the second master. This general's mansion can be regarded as making a huge contribution to the court. contribution.

The three of them listened carefully and decided to be more careful.

As for the day of Laba, they didn't bother to eat Laba porridge. They only focused on giving a severe lesson to the bandits who wanted to steal things. They barely ate a grain of rice that day.

It can't be said to be smooth sailing on the road, but fortunately there was no danger. On the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month, the manager and things were delivered to Yunxi Town.

There is also a Tianji in Yunxi Town. The shopkeeper's surname is Tian. He was very grateful when he saw the few people who came to deliver things. He also heard that they were veterans who had retired from the battlefield and treated them preferentially. He treated them to a meal that they could not afford in the capital. Tian Ji, who was born, was given generous rewards.

Zhou Yuan had no intention of knowing what the relationship between Tian Ji in Yunxi Town and Tian Ji in Beijing was. They were only responsible for transporting things. He only remembered that shopkeeper Tian could pick up a box with one hand that others needed two people to carry, but Zhou Yuan From a distance, shopkeeper Tian already has some gray hair and looks like he is old enough to know his destiny.

After the handover was completed, they stayed in Yunxi Town for one night, and went shopping in Yunxi Town the next day. The overall prices in Yunxi Town were not as good as those in the capital, so they bought some specialties here, which are said to be good. Cook the same delicious seasoning as Tianji.

Finally, Zhou Yuan went to a medical clinic and asked about Zhang Yin's condition. The doctor looked bookish, and his temples were a little gray, but he was so calm that he didn't look like he was just from the town. doctor.

Doctor Yu was very cautious. He only listened to Zhou Yuan's description. Without seeing the patient, he couldn't be sure. The symptoms seemed to be very difficult.

"I haven't seen the patient, so I can't prescribe medicine rashly. It would be better if I could diagnose the pulse."

Zhou Yuan was inexplicably convinced by him: "You'd better prescribe some medicine, so that the family can feel more at ease."

Yu Yu Nian had no choice but to prescribe some warming medicine, and told Zhou Yuan that it was very dangerous to listen to his description, and told him to take people to see a doctor as soon as possible.

Zhou Yuan went out carrying the herbs, but saw Tian Ji's shopkeeper coming out of the backyard of the medical center.

He nodded to Shopkeeper Tian, ​​then left with the medicine.

The three of them worked hard in the following days, and finally returned to Luohe Village on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, the small year.