I want to be a good person

"you"

A dozen men burst into laughter.

“Have you grown all your hair?”

"Age doesn't matter. I'm from Rehe. You had a locust plague last year. If you don't believe me, I'll leave next year. We are not destined to be together."

After leaving the words, he held the reins, pulled the donkey inside, and prepared to turn around, shouting "Leap~Leap~Leap" and turning the donkey to the left.

"Wait a moment"

Zhang Aiguo did not stop and continued to lead the donkey and turn around.

If they are a group of people who refuse to move forward and instead go backwards, no one can do anything about it.

Seeing that the donkey cart had turned its head, Zhang Aiguo was ready to sit on it.

People would rather believe that something exists than believe that it does not exist.

"Hey, wait a minute"

"We have a carpenter in our village who can make wooden frames. He is the best carpenter within a radius of more than 20 miles."

"There are new sheepskin coats and boots made with nitrate in the village. If you really want them, we can sell them to you."

"call"

"I'm telling you, I just wanted to buy something. As the saying goes, the secret of heaven cannot be leaked, and I don't want to tell you. After crossing the river, the first village is destined to meet you."

"Okay, come with me"

Obviously, men cannot make the decision. During the Republic of China period, village heads in rural areas all had a certain reputation and strength, or they came from a strong clan. Generally, the village heads' families were relatively wealthy, and they were usually landlords or relatives of landlords.

"You are the one who can tell fortunes, young man, huh."

A fat old man in a mandarin jacket and long gown stood in front of Zhang Aiguo, with a melon-shaped hat on his head, a pair of round-framed glasses on his nose, and a walking stick in his hand.

"Village chief, I'm telling you, whether you believe it or not, you must have a good attitude. The more pious you are, the more effective this kind of thing will be."

Zhang Aiguo could tell at first glance that this guy had seen the world. In the Republic of China, glasses were considered beautiful when they were round, and this style was the same for both men and women.

"Haha, I've been around a lot when I was young, I'm not that easy to fool."

"Old sir, I am just a passing merchant. I can only give you a general idea, not details. It is not my destiny to meet you."

“Okay, I’ll listen.”

"Last year, there was drought in spring and summer followed by locusts, and severe flooding in summer and autumn. This year, drought in the south and floods in the north began in spring. Be prepared early, for next year"

Zhang Aiguo shook his head and smiled bitterly.

"What about next year?"

"There will be drought first and then floods. There will be wind in spring and hail in summer. So, store up more food and build cellars now. Don't dig them at home because there are animals more powerful than locusts. When the locust army comes, they will kill, burn, rob and plunder. In the end, not even a nail will be left."

"But it's better on the plains, where there are no floods. There are no mountains or anything like that. It's hard to hide! It's not a human thing, could it be the Japanese?"

"Yes, these are worse than beasts. Kill them all, rob them all, and burn them all."

"These damned people, it's not enough to rob the Northeast, what about the officials and soldiers?"

"Hey, there are wolves in front and tigers behind, and there is a nest of little mice in the middle, all trying to preserve their strength and occupy the mountain as king."

"Alas, this world"

The old village chief also shook his head. This was a good landlord, but judging by his age, he would not live to that age.

"The rest?"

"The secrets of heaven must not be revealed. Excessive exposure will shorten your lifespan."

"Understood"

"I am sorry for the inconvenience you showed me before. I would like to invite you to visit my humble abode for a chat."

"I don't deserve it. The surname Zhang doesn't have the word 'noble' in it. Sorry to bother you."

Someone came forward to help pull the donkey cart.

Zhang Aiguo accompanied the old village chief inside.

The house faces north and south, with a very high grey wall and a blue-grey gate located in the southeast corner. It is a typical two-courtyard house with two courtyards, a blue brick and wooden structure, a grey tile roof with a curved eaves, and window lattices with brocade patterns.

Walking around the square screen wall and entering the living room, the maid brought two cups of tea.

The walls were covered with calligraphy and paintings. Zhang Aiguo glanced at them and knew his own level. He lowered his head and drank tea without making a sound. His cultural level was obvious. Natural disasters occurred every year in the Republic of China, and they were almost the same every year. Natural disasters were bloodless massacres. The whole country was plagued by disasters, and it was better not to mention man-made disasters.

After waiting for a while, the sheepskin coat was delivered and the carpenter also arrived respectfully.

Looking at the sheepskin coat and its long fur, I feel warm in my heart.

“The wooden shelf I made is very simple, it can just hold items.”

Zhang Aiguo made a rough gesture and the carpenter drew it with a pen. It was better than Zhang Aiguo had expected and was of professional standard.

"Master, I don't want it to be carved or delicate, but solid and able to bear heavy loads."

A shelf is three meters high. You need three in a vertical row and three in a horizontal row, for a total of nine. You also need to splice the shelves together. The sides can be used to place small items, and the large ones can be stacked up.

"It will take five or six days. It's Chinese New Year and my apprentices are leaving. I can't handle it alone."

The carpenter saw that there were so many tasks to be done, and although they were simple, it was difficult for one person to do it.

"It's okay. I'll pay more and let the apprentice leave a few days later. I'll pay first for the sake of the old village chief. I want to use good materials."

"Okay, don't worry, it will take at most four days, and I will definitely use good materials."

The carpenter smiled happily. After working hard for a year, this was the last business before the New Year and he had to get extra money.

Zhang Aiguo felt that since it was not his hard-earned money, he did not feel bad about spending it, because there were still countless gold mountains waiting to be dug.

It was not in vain that I suffered from the cold wind while sitting on the donkey cart. I had made plans in my mind. Money, clothes, shoes, oil, seasonings, eggs, cooked food and other supplies were placed on the shelves. Bullets for rifles and pistols were also stored here.

Bags of grain were stacked to form a wall, with vehicles and horses placed on one side and items from the director's home on the other. There were countless small grids in the space that did not interfere with each other, just like the horse standing on the car now, without any impact.

"Where is Master Zhang going?"

"Stone Gate"

“Cargo delivery”

"Um"

"Hahaha, how much can your donkey cart pull? At most, it can pull 750 kilograms. What can it pull? Forget it. If you don't tell me, I won't ask."

An old man becomes cunning, an old horse becomes slippery, an old rabbit becomes hard to catch by an eagle!

"Hehehe"

Zhang Aiguo could only laugh dryly a few times.

"For four days, I think you might as well stay at my place. I can still afford a few meals."

"That's fine, I have to give the money. When I go out, I rely on my friends and kind people. Otherwise, I will feel guilty."

"it is good"

"Comer"

After a while, a maid came in and answered with her head down.

"Master, what are your orders?"

"Take the guest to the west wing guest room, don't neglect it."

"Yes, sir"

"Old man, I'll take my leave first."

"go"

The old village chief took a sip of tea and felt that Zhang Aiguo was a little different. His fingers were very strong, there was no banditry in his eyes, he was young and clean, and he had a cowhide suitcase. Usually, driver-drivers were not well educated, but this one seemed to be able to read. It was obvious that Zhang Aiguo's performance after entering the house was noticed.

The old village chief stroked his beard and fell silent, wondering what he was thinking.

"Where's my donkey cart?"

"It has been unharnessed and put into the stable."

"it is good"

Zhang Aiguo sat in a chair, thinking about the major events of this year and searching his memory.