Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

Chapter 931 Yi Er

Ah Xiu and Lu Huaijin both disappeared in that war-torn spring, leaving the people of the city behind, hoping for justice that would come at an unknown time in the midst of war and chaos.

In the third year of Qianyuan, a severe drought swept across the Central Plains, leaving thousands of miles of barren land and starving people everywhere. Li Afu squatted on the cracked ridge of his own field, looking at the dead seedlings, his throat felt like a ball of burning charcoal. The family had been out of food for three days. His seven-year-old son Hu Wa was so hungry that he didn't even have the strength to cry. His wife Liu was lying in bed, so weak that she could only cough occasionally. "Dad, I'm hungry..." Hu Wa tugged at the corner of Afu's clothes with his dirty little hands, his voice as weak as a gossamer. Afu touched his empty pocket, his heart aching. Suddenly, he remembered the old forest behind the village, where there might be some edible wild vegetables. Afu picked up a bamboo basket and walked towards the old forest. The forest was gloomy, and the dead branches made a "crackling" sound under his feet. He searched carefully and finally found a patch of purslane. Just when he was happy, he heard a noise not far away. Looking closely, it turned out that Zhang Ergou from the neighboring village was also digging wild vegetables with a few people. "Afu, this land has been occupied by us, if you know what's good for you, leave quickly!" Zhang Ergou shook the sickle in his hand and said viciously. Afu clenched the bamboo basket tightly, and his heart tightened for a while, but for the sake of his family, he gritted his teeth and said: "Ergou, this forest is unowned land, and everyone can dig." "Unowned land? I have the final say!" Zhang Ergou rushed over with a sickle. Afu instinctively raised the bamboo basket to block, and in the chaos, his arm was cut with a long cut, and blood flowed. But he didn't care about the pain, and tried his best to protect the wild vegetables he had dug with great difficulty. When Zhang Ergou and others were not prepared, he ran away. When he got home, Afu simply bandaged the wound and boiled the wild vegetables he dug into soup. The family drank it greedily. Although it was bland, it filled their stomachs at least. At night, Afu lay in bed tossing and turning and couldn't sleep. He knew that this was not a solution and he had to think of a long-term plan. The next day, Ah Fu came to the county town with a bamboo basket on his back. The people in the county town were also in a panic. The price of food was soaring, and ordinary people could not afford it at all. Ah Fu walked around the streets and suddenly found a business opportunity: although the rich people had no shortage of food, they were tired of eating big fish and meat, and were very interested in rare things like wild vegetables. Ah Fu immediately returned to the village and collected wild vegetables from house to house. He exchanged the little food in his family with the villagers and promised to repay them double when he had money in the future. The villagers did not believe him at first, but seeing Ah Fu's sincerity and thinking that there was not much food in his family, they agreed. Ah Fu came to the county town again with a full basket of wild vegetables on his back and set up a stall on the street where the rich lived. "Fresh wild vegetables, pure natural and pollution-free!" he shouted loudly. After a while, he attracted a lot of onlookers. A gorgeously dressed woman came over, looked at the wild vegetables carefully, and asked, "How much do you sell it for?" "Madam, you can give it as much as you want, just hope to exchange it for a meal." Ah Fu said humbly. The woman smiled slightly, took out a few copper coins and bought some wild vegetables. This business deal gave Ah Fu hope. In the next few days, he could sell a lot of wild vegetables every day. The money he earned could not only feed his family, but also buy some grain to exchange for more wild vegetables. As the business got better and better, Ah Fu was no longer satisfied with simply selling wild vegetables. He found that drying wild vegetables and making them into pickles could not only preserve them for a longer time, but also sell them at a higher price. So he mobilized the whole family to make pickles. His wife and Hu Wa were responsible for washing the wild vegetables, while he was responsible for pickling and drying them. Ah Fu's pickles had a unique taste and soon became known in the county. Many restaurants and restaurants came to him to place orders. Ah Fu knew that this was a good opportunity to expand his business. He recruited several young people in the village, taught them the craft of making pickles, and set up a small workshop. However, a big tree attracts the wind. Ah Fu's business aroused the envy of some merchants in the county. Wang Youcai, a well-known local businessman, sent someone to the door and threatened Ah Fu, saying, "If you know what's good for you, give me your business, or you'll be in trouble!" Ah Fu was not afraid and said firmly, "This is the livelihood of my fellow villagers and I. No one can take it away!" Wang Youcai was furious and sent people to spread rumors everywhere, saying that Ah Fu's pickled vegetables were not clean and would kill people if eaten. For a time, Ah Fu's business plummeted, orders were cancelled one after another, and a large number of pickled vegetables were piled up in the workshop. Ah Fu was anxious, but he did not give up. He went door to door to explain, and personally took customers to visit the workshop to show the production process of pickled vegetables. After some efforts, Ah Fu finally restored his reputation and his business was more prosperous than before. He did not forget the villagers who helped him in the past. He not only repaid the grain on time, but also led everyone to get rich together. He built a factory in the village, expanded the scale of production, and provided more people with jobs. Ten years later, Li Ah Fu became the leading large merchant in the local area. His pickled vegetable business spread across the surrounding counties and he also opened restaurants and grain stores. But he always maintained his true nature as a farmer, often returning to the village to help his fellow villagers improve their lives. The farmer who once worried about having a meal during the famine wrote a legendary counterattack story with his wisdom and courage.

The road to counterattack in the financial tide In 1912, the whistle of the Huangpu River pierced the thick fog in Shanghai. Sixteen-year-old Lin Yuanqing huddled behind the newsstand on Xiafei Road, holding a stack of Shenbao with his red fingers, watching the people in suits and leather shoes walking in and out of the bank door on the corner. The muddy water splashed by those shiny leather shoes stepping on the bluestone slabs always stained his patched trouser legs. "Newspapers for sale! Newspapers for sale! Yuan Shikai will be the provisional president!" Lin Yuanqing shouted at the top of his voice, and the steamed bread in his arms had already gone cold. Suddenly, a piece of paper fell from the pile of newspapers that the newspaper vendors were fighting for. He bent down to pick it up. The yellowed paper page was printed with the word "stock" and the picture was the towering foreign bank building on the Bund. He was reading it in a trance when he heard the sharp sound of leather shoes behind him. "Little red man, you are blocking the way!" The police baton of the patrol brushed his ear and swung it. Lin Yuanqing retreated in a hurry and knocked over the newsstand. Among the scattered newspapers, the stock report was particularly eye-catching. He recalled hearing people talking in the teahouse a few days ago, that some people became rich overnight by buying stocks, while others lost everything and jumped into the Huangpu River. Curiosity was like a seed, taking root and sprouting in his heart. When night fell, Lin Yuanqing squatted under the eaves of the pawnshop and counted copper coins. The money he earned from selling newspapers during the day was just enough to buy two steamed buns, but he walked into the "Hongyunlou" teahouse for some reason - this was the gathering place for stock brokers. Behind the carved screen, in the smoke, a man in a suit and leather shoes slammed the table and shouted: "Nanyang Tobacco's stock will definitely rise next week!"