The weak scholar in the end of ancient times

Chapter 25 This is Hard Currency

Chapter 25 This is Hard Currency
The two of them stopped thinking about looking for some immortal. At this time, nothing was more important than food!

It would be difficult for the weasel to drag such a big and fat rat, and its movements are not flexible enough, so they can still go over and stop it.

But Wen Gu stopped him and said:
"Don't chase it, the mouse is dead."

Xiao Liu was unwilling to accept it: "That shouldn't be the case. He was screaming just now!"

County Captain Zhou was more rational at this time. He glanced at the place not far away and sighed heavily.

Even if the mouse is not dead yet, it is not far from death. It is useless to snatch it away.

What can I do? I can't just keep attacking Daxian, right?
Inappropriate or inappropriate.

You can only retract the knife.

Seeing this, Xiao Liu had no choice but to grit his teeth and put away his bow.

Taoist Qingyi standing next to him was deeply puzzled.

With that dog scholar's cleverness, he should have asked Zhou Shan and Xiao Liu to stop the fat rat as soon as he discovered it. Why did he wait until the rat was about to die before slowly asking about it?
Is it intentional? !
Zhou Shan and Xiao Liu didn't think about anything else. They were extremely upset at this time and stood there reflecting.

This is what you should have thought of when you first saw that fat rat!
Why was it that at that time the only thing on my mind was worshipping the immortal?
This is really not the case!

Blame it?

Of course, we can’t blame the immortal, and we can’t blame Wen Gu either.

Blame me!
The two men felt deeply remorseful, as if they were watching a large bag of rice disappear into smoke before their eyes.

Next time you see a deity, you can’t just worship him, you should first see what it portends!
At critical moments, one still has to be a scholar who has read the books of sages and is rational and smart.

Wen Gu didn't say much at this time. He neither blamed them nor tried to change their superstitious ideas.

As for those who have survived to this day, although it is not absolute, most people prefer practicality - as long as they can survive, it doesn't matter if they offend gods, monsters, etc.

Without the fat rat to lead the way, they could only speculate on its movements.

Where on earth did it come from?

They searched several houses and looked in the rice jars, but found not a single grain of rice in them; they had already been cleared out.

If it's buried underground, they have to know the approximate location before digging, right? This town isn't that small, and with just a few of them, they can't really dig up the entire area.
I wonder if there is a second fat rat. If not, what should I do?
I know there is food hidden here, but I don’t know where it is. How can I be willing to give up?

Feeling anxious.

Zhou Shan and Xiao Liu looked at Taoist Qingyi.

The Taoist priest didn't say anything, so he probably didn't have that kind of magical power. He couldn't be relied upon.

They looked at Wen Gu again.

Wen Gu took out a map of the town he had drawn and pointed to one spot and asked, "Is that the grain store over there?"

County Lieutenant Zhou said, "Yes, that's the largest grain store in town. The owner lives in the courtyard at the back. But we searched it just now, and it's empty. The cellar is open, and someone had already searched it."

The previous large force that arrived must have also focused their search here after clearing out the evil creatures in the town.

Even if the grain store and the owner had secretly hidden grain, it would have been confiscated long ago.

"Let's go and have another look." Wen Gu said.

Although I just took a quick glance, it seemed that the fat rat ran out from that side.

The grain store was not big, so we searched it quickly and carefully.

No exception.

They went to the owner's yard at the back.

He was in the grain business, had money and connections, and his house was quite nice. Even if it wasn't as good as the wealthy families in the county town, it was a brick and tile house with a yard. But it had been neglected for a long time, lacking the maintenance and attention, so it looked a little shabby.

There is a well, several stone mills of varying sizes, and a stone grinder in the yard.

It's not surprising that the grain store owner has these things at home.

Thinking of something, Wen Gu asked again:

"County Lieutenant Zhou, you said earlier that the grain store had reported to the authorities that pirates were stealing grain?"

"Yes, at the time, there was unrest all over the county town, so we couldn't spare the manpower to handle things here. But I also asked around, and people from town who went to the county town said that this grain merchant had his house broken into and his grain stolen in the middle of the night.

"Not only the grain store, but also their family's stock was robbed, and several parts of the house were burned down. That night, the servants fought back in anger, but unfortunately they couldn't stop the pirates, and the courtyard wall collapsed. No one else in the town dared to come, and the neighbors all closed their doors and windows."

County Magistrate Zhou recalled the news he had heard and continued:
"This grain merchant's grain was robbed, and the cries of his family could be heard throughout the street. Every day, the owner's mother and daughter-in-law sat at the doorway, crying and cursing, staring at passersby with sinister eyes. The townspeople all walked around the area."

Wen Gu said, “So, everyone in town knows there’s no food here.”

County Magistrate Zhou nodded: "Yes."

They had already searched the place, focusing on the main house. The cellar had been raided, and they had gone in to confirm that there was really nothing left.

Wen Gu stood in the yard and looked around.

"We were robbed by pirates in the middle of the night and the wall was destroyed, so we had to build a new wall with bricks?"

County Magistrate Zhou said, "Yes, courtyard walls can be used for defense. When times get chaotic, they definitely need to be repaired first. It's said that after the town's largest grain store was robbed, the other two grain merchants became worried and quickly fled with their families. Not long after, the other wealthy families also fled, including this grain merchant."

The situation became increasingly worse, food prices became ridiculously high, and in the end, there was no food left, so of course the townspeople had to flee.

Wen Gu suddenly smiled and said, "This grain merchant is a very particular person. The world is about to be in chaos, and the newly built courtyard wall is still covered with a layer of wall shell."

After a pause, he added, "It's also higher and thicker."

A grain merchant with connections and a way out will not stay here.

The collapsed wall can be repaired as a temporary fix, why build it so well?

Several months had passed, and the newly built wall was already mottled with the effects of wind, sun, and rain. It also looked uniformly desolate and inconspicuous.

After a brief observation, he walked towards a certain place and used the stick in his hand to push away the bushes growing in the corner of the wall.

I saw that the surface protective layer had been peeled off at the corner of the wall near the ground, and the bricks on the inner side of the wall had also been peeled off. If you look closely, you will find that the edges are covered with teeth marks.

"Is this the brick used to build the wall? The bricks on this courtyard wall are not the same inside and outside."

County Captain Zhou and Xiao Liu also came over.

Xiao Liu has no knowledge of wall bricks, as the walls in his village are all made of stone and soil.

However, County Captain Zhou's expression changed.

Wen Gu said, "I heard some old stories when I was studying abroad. If my guess is correct, this should be..."

County Magistrate Zhou was surprised: "Prepare for famine relief grain?!"

Without saying anything more, he took out the dagger he was carrying, scraped off some of the wall, roasted it over the fire, and smelled the smell. After the high temperature roasted it to remove the evil spirits, he licked it before it cooled down.

As soon as Xiao Liu heard the word "grain", he did the same thing. He is very sensitive to the taste of food.

"food!"

“It’s grain bricks!”

For a moment, they stared at the courtyard wall with burning eyes.

The two of them swapped positions, scraping off the outer layers of the wall from different surfaces. Xiao Liu even roasted the wall plaster to taste it. Hmm, this doesn't seem edible.

What excited them was that the inner side of the newly built wall was made entirely of grain bricks!
so much!
So many grain bricks!

He is worthy of being the largest grain merchant in the wealthy town!

It’s a pleasure to review old things.

The number of hunger-repelling pills refined by the Taoist priest is limited and they have almost been digested. This dog Taoist priest must have some in his private collection, but he won't take it out easily. It is understandable. That is the last thing to save his life. Who is willing to share it?

These grain bricks are indeed good supplies for escape, they are durable and can last for a long time!
After being excited, County Magistrate Zhou became happy again.

When the county wanted to quell the rebellion and collect grain, the grain merchants ran away one after another, and this family was simply "robbed" and became the victim.

So many grain bricks...

What about the rumors in the town about the pirates who robbed the grain store?

Directed and acted by myself!

We are originally one family! Knowing that the price of food is too high, if chaos breaks out, they will lose their food, so they start by robbing themselves, letting everyone in the town and outside the town know that they have no food!

The grain went around outside, turned into grain bricks, and was brought back to build the courtyard wall. It was still their own property, and no one could take it away.

"Ah!"

County Magistrate Zhou sneered.

What was yours is now ours!

Xiao Liu was now filled with emotion. "We still have to thank the Immortal! If Wong Tai Sin hadn't caught that fat rat right in front of us, we wouldn't have noticed. Who knows, there might be a few more nests of rats here soon, ruining all the grain!"

County Magistrate Zhou agreed: "Could this be the immortal pointing the way mentioned in the storybooks?"

Xiao Liu nodded heavily: "Of course! We are not perceptive enough, it still takes Second Brother Wen."

Even Taoist Master Qingyi didn't realize the opportunity given by the immortal.

When Qing Yidao understood the underlying meaning, his face turned black: Stupid common people!
Wen Gu decided not to let these people know the legend of the five great immortals.

In order to make it easier to pry open the grain bricks, they chose to spend the night at the grain merchant's house and stay for another day or two.

Dinner is just boiled grain bricks.

It may hurt your teeth if you chew it dry, but after adding water and boiling it, it’s edible, the taste doesn’t matter!
After making the beds in the three rooms, of course I would sleep better if possible. My body will recover faster after a good rest.

They took turns keeping watch.

Xiao Liu is still excited now, as if he has been injected with chicken blood, and is full of energy.

Digging for food is never tiring! I can dig up as much as I can!

County Magistrate Zhou dug bricks with him.

Taoist Qingyi closed the door to make medicine. There was a rustling sound in his portable furnace, and someone was frying something.

In another room, Wen Gu twirled an elegant letter opener between his fingers, recalling everything he had seen since arriving in this riverside town.

The arrows left behind from killing evil creatures, the emptied houses and warehouses...

From late autumn to early spring, the wealthy families will migrate north, and other survivors may follow.

The fleeing teams from all over the country must have already started moving, converging northward like a trickle of water.

Competition in the North is fierce.

It’s about to get more intense.

I wonder if my aunt and uncle in the north are doing well or how they are doing.

I hope they have gained a firm foothold in these troubled times and hold real power in their hands.

A cold light flashed.

Benedict!
A slender letter opener was nailed to the frame of the front window.

If it's a little to the left, it will be nailed to the brick wall. If it's half an inch to the right, it will go through the window.

Wen Gu walked over and pulled it out.

It’s not precise enough and is not nailed in the center of the window frame. I still need to practice more.

On the bed, my cousin Tietou was snoring loudly.

In the second half of the night, Wen Gu and his cousin were keeping watch outside.

My cousin was digging bricks, and Wen Gu was thinking about something by the fire.

In the room, the child of County Magistrate Zhou woke up from a nightmare in the middle of the night. County Magistrate Zhou spoke softly and it took a while for the child to calm down again.

If a child has experienced pain and is constantly worried, it will be harmful to his health in the long run.

Neither adults nor children could sleep well at night.

The next day.

Wen Gu laid out a cleaned stone mill of appropriate size, a small pile of broken grain bricks, and a few scattered stacks of oil paper he had found in the town.

He looked at the three children of County Magistrate Zhou with a friendly and kind gaze.

Come on, dolls, let’s get to work!
Work hard during the day and sleep soundly at night.

Wen Gu also explained to the others that they could eat the grain bricks themselves, and they could just throw them into the pot and cook them. They could knock off as many pieces as they wanted, or even put the whole piece into the pot.

However, when we flee north this time, we might need it.

It can serve as currency in troubled times.

If you take out a whole brick of grain, there is a certain chance that you will get into trouble.

But when others saw the packaged powder, they just thought it was dry food for long journeys.

In such a world, money is not widely circulated among the people, but food is an important commodity that can be used for transactions before and after the chaos.

There is no need to crush too much at a time, so this task is given to the three children.

County Magistrate Zhou had no objection.

This job is simple, not too stressful, and the location is safe.

In the next room, the Taoist priest closed the door and was still using his portable alchemy furnace to make some kind of magical elixir. A unpleasant medicinal smell emanated from it.

Taoist Qingyi said that the smell was not good for both humans and evil spirits, but because of the direction of the window opening and the wind direction, the smell would blow outwards instead of coming towards the yard.

So the three children working in this small courtyard did not feel uncomfortable.

Evil creatures entering the town will not approach the courtyard, and there is a falcon in the sky to keep watch.

County Magistrate Zhou was not worried.

With the help of Ma Tuaner, Xiao Liu hunted two wild animals.

Even though it is more troublesome to handle now and requires more caution and meticulousness, digging bricks consumes too much physical energy and we have to hurry, so everyone needs to eat meat to replenish their energy.

Wen Gu took Tietou and County Lieutenant Zhou to search for supplies in other houses to see if there was anything left.

The big forces are eating the meat in front, and these small minions can just pick up some soup to drink.

In a bookstore not far away.

The room was empty, and the stove was filled with the remains of burnt books and papers.

It can be seen that there were survivors here for a period of time at the beginning of the troubled times, but they did not dare to go out to look for firewood. Even if they chopped up the wooden furniture, they still needed flammable materials to start the fire.

When the surrounding vegetation is lush and contains a lot of water, book pages are indeed a very convenient fuel for starting a fire.

After all the furniture is chopped up, the books will be burned whole.

Later, another force came here to clean up again, and all that was seen was an empty place.

The windows and door panels have been removed, and if it is left abandoned for another year, the house is at risk of partial collapse.

County Captain Zhou knew at a glance that there was nothing left to take away.

But Wen Gu was seen rummaging in the stove with a long pair of tongs.

County Captain Zhou was puzzled: Is there something hidden here?

Soon, Wen Gu picked up two long and thin objects from the ashes.

It looks like a knife, but too small and unsharpened. Ornament?

"What is this?" asked County Captain Zhou.

"It's just a bookmark." Wen Gu said.

　Before I started writing, I set a goal for myself to update an average of 5,000 words per day...