In the late winter, Lin Yuan was still wearing a padded jacket, and the temperature still didn't come up. He sneezed, rubbed his hands, and hugged the padded jacket tighter. Siniang was burning charcoal next to him, and it would take a while for the room to warm up.
The price of carbon is not low, and Lin Yuan didn't buy much. When this last point is burnt out, he can only burn wood.
Poor people have to burn firewood tightly.
There is no way. Now there are fewer people who go to the mountains to chop wood. If they wear clothes to go up the mountain, they will get sick if they are not careful.
Fever in winter is not far from death.
People are still dying.
Before the end of winter, Lin Yuan almost stayed indoors. Even with cotton coats, it was still not warm enough. It would take less than half an hour to walk outside and it would be unbearably cold. Erliang was similar to Lin Yuan. Although it was cold in the north, it was not as cold as Lin Yuan. The south is wet and cold, no amount of clothes can be worn, and the cold is piercing to the bone.
Lin Yuan hugged Madam Tang and asked Erliang, "Where are Si Niang and the others?"
Twenty and two rubbed their hands together: "Siniang is mixing noodles, and eating noodles at night."
No green cabbage, just put some sauerkraut.
Although there is a conservatory now, Wucheng does not, and there is only sauerkraut throughout the winter.
Erliang looked out the window and sighed, "I don't know where Brother Chen is."
Lin Yuan has never talked to Erliang about this topic, and the words Chen Ge are like forbidden words.
That loyal and upright man may have died a long time ago, but Lin Yuan and Er Liang both hoped that he would survive.
"Master." Erliang said, "Brother Chen knows we are coming here. If he doesn't come here next year, we will set up a tomb for him."
Lin Yuan did not refuse, nodded and said, "Okay."
The winter days are quite comfortable for a wealthy person like Lin Yuan. He doesn't have to go out and stays in his room all day. He visits the oil farm every three days and checks the accounts every week. He usually sleeps in the winter. But ordinary people suffer. This winter, a lot of beggars freeze to death on the roadside. Most of the beggars are plagued by old diseases. It takes a day to live. Once they encounter a cold winter, few can survive.
The past few years have been bad, the big households in the city have no porridge, no one walks on the streets, and even the small vendors no longer appear.
Lin Yuan didn't dare to go to the street. He might not be a good person, but he still had sympathy. He was afraid that as soon as he went out, he wouldn't be able to hold back and bring those people who were about to freeze to death home.
But he doesn't have any money at hand now, and he has used the money to hire people.
Erliang didn't dare to go out. The last time Erliang went out to buy meat, she came back crying.
Only Siniang and Gouzi dared to go out. Both of them had escaped from the famine.
But they also have lingering fears, because they know that if Lin Yuan is not willing to buy them, they will be no different from those who freeze to death.
Gouzi was still young, and Lin Yuan didn't dare to let him do heavy work—there wasn't much heavy work to do at home, and Gouzi's daily routine was to do rough work, sweep the yard, and watch the house.
Erliang does the delicate work, and Erliang never slacks off. This is a habit he developed in the Lin family.
His parents are family sons, and they tugged at his ears and told him to be diligent since he was a child.
Er Liang still remembers what his father said: "You have to be able! Otherwise, the son of Lao Liu next door will go away. You can follow the young master, which is a blessing you have cultivated in your lifetime!"
After following the young master, Erliang understood what his father meant.
When you follow the young master, you don't have to go to the ground, you don't have to do rough work, and you can still read.
Moreover, the young master does not toss or beat others, and he is a good-tempered person.
Now that he has come out with the young master, Erliang doesn't have to worry about anything. The young master can do everything, and he can do everything well. He just needs to stay by the young master's side and serve the young master well.
Erliang and the dog chat.
"Dog, when you came over, did many people die?" Erliang asked.
Gouzi chewed the oil residue in his mouth and said with a contented face: "There are many, some of them starved to death, their stomachs are bulging, their legs and hands are very thin, and they all say that they are too hungry. I drank myself to death."
Er Liang was startled: "Then how did you survive?"
The dog swallowed the oil residue: "My mother peeled the bark for me to eat."
Erliang was curious: "Is the bark delicious?"
Gouzi nodded: "It's okay, I don't know what kind of tree it is. After peeling it off, there is a layer of white. The white can be eaten. It tastes dry, but chewing is more delicious than dry bark."
"There is also a kind of grass root." Gouzi said enthusiastically, "I have never seen it in my hometown. Pull up the grass, and there is a small tumor under the grass root. It can also be eaten. It is delicious when roasted. It is soft, but nothing. smell."
Erliang listened very carefully, but he knew that if he had lived in the dog's life, he would have died long ago, and he couldn't bear that hardship, so Erliang pretended to be mature and patted the dog on the shoulder: "Dog, it's not easy for you."
Gouzi smiled and said, "I'm here too. Now I have food and clothes, a bed to sleep in, and a quilt cover! I've never covered a quilt!"
Gouzi whispered, "Young master gave me eggs to eat. I've grown up so much, and I haven't eaten eggs a few times."
Er Liang was shocked: "Your family didn't raise chickens before?"
Gouzi: "Raise, my mother sells eggs when she goes to the market. If I can buy salt and other things back, how can I eat it at home?"
The dog said excitedly: "When I grow up and give birth to a son, the young master can give my son eggs to eat."
Erliang: "… "Young man, you may not think too far.
The dog touched his nose and laughed: "My mother's hands and feet are no longer cold now, and she said it's good to eat."
Gouzi asked Erliang: "Brother Erliang, have you been with the young master all the time?"
Erliang raised her chest proudly: "My parents are both children of the Lin family, and I have been with the young master since I was eight years old."
The dog was a little envious: "Then do you often eat eggs?"
Erliang said, "Young master has always asked me to eat with him. I will eat whatever the young master eats, and I will eat meat every day!"
There is meat to eat every day, it is like a fairy-like life, and the dog swallows his saliva with envy.
"Second two brothers, your life is very good." Gouzi said, "I will work hard in the future, and the young master will give me meat to eat."
Erliang encouraged: "You must do it!"
The dog grinned at two or two.
When the two of them chatted, Lin Yuan sat by the window and didn't miss a word.
This world seems to be worse than he imagined.
Then a few years later, when the smoke of gunpowder is everywhere, what will the world be like
He has only just started to buy properties. When the land will produce output by the end of next year, and Zhuangzi is built, he will send a message to the original owner and his family. He occupies the original owner's body, although it is after the original owner's death. However, he still accepted the gift of the original owner, and he also lived on the money given by the original owner and mistress.
His conscience has not yet fed the dog, so that he can ignore the original owner's family.
Lin Yuan took a sip of hot tea to warm his stomach and sighed silently.