Eating big melon is so refreshing

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for families to reunite. However, for the Zhao family, this year's Mid-Autumn Festival is very unusual.

Zhao Erlang set out on the journey to the Xiupingshan coal mine in Teng County, where his parents, Zhao Bei and Zhao Yang, had been forced to mine coal for more than three months by the prefectural governor.

The prefect originally planned to punish Zhao Yang for only one month, but Zhao Bei took all the blame for his wife in court. This made the prefect completely angry, so he revoked his good citizen's household registration, turned him into a commoner, and sentenced him to one year of service!

Zhao Erlang sneered in his heart, his father, who has lived for fifty years, doesn't know how to read people's faces. You are showing your affection in front of the orphan of a victim. This is like an old man hanging himself - looking for death!

When Zhao Erlang finally arrived at the Xiupingshan coal mine, he saw that his parents had dull faces and looked exhausted, with none of their usual spirit.

"Dad, Mom, I'm here to see you!" Zhao Erlang hurriedly went up to greet them with concern. He took out two sets of clean clothes for Dad and Mom to change into, and prepared water and moon cakes. After all, they had to celebrate a festival.

"Erlang, you're finally here." Zhao Bei sighed with a worried look on his face. His eyes became moist as he looked at the mooncake in his hand. It was already Mid-Autumn Festival.

"We haven't been home for almost three months. The prefect is so cruel that he insists on detaining us here." Zhao Yang's eyes were red and tears were welling up in her eyes.

"Mother, you can say whatever you want, but don't bring up the prefect." Zhao Erlang warned in a low voice.

"Would you like to extend your term of service by a few more years?"

Zhao Yang's eyes flashed with fear, and finally she dared not say anything. The three months she had endured here seemed as long as three years.

Zhao Bei devoured the mooncakes in a hurry. The prison had two meals a day, two kang cakes and wild vegetable soup in the morning, and bean rice and some dried radish in the evening. He regretted it in his heart. He shouldn't have said too much in court. Since ancient times, people should not fight against officials. How could he be kicked in the head by a donkey?

"Mother, you should eat some too." Zhao Erlang said, "The next visit to the prison will be during the Chinese New Year. This mooncake was made by Third Grandma with fat added."

Zhao Yang was also very hungry, so she grabbed the mooncake and took a bite. She had learned from experience these days that good things must be eaten on the spot, otherwise they would be snatched away by other prisoners.

"Ji Lang, how is home?"

"With my great grandfather and second grandfather helping with management, nothing went wrong generally." Zhao Erlang didn't want to discourage his parents. Life at home was better during the time they were away.

The time for visiting the prison is limited, and the police are already urging them to go. Zhao Bei said, "Erlang, you can go back. We can still get by here."

Zhao Erlang nodded helplessly, watching his parents return to their hard work. He sighed in his heart, hoping that this matter could be resolved as soon as possible, and his parents could return to their hometown to live a healthy life without any more trouble.

Not long after Zhao Erlang left, a team of yamen runners and farmers arrived. As a Mid-Autumn Festival snack, all the prisoners would eat rice tonight. Among the more than 600 prisoners, 60 with good performance would have their labor reduced by two months. Two of them were Zhao Bei and Zhao Yangshi.

Several supervising yamen runners looked at each other in bewilderment. It was already rare to have an extra meal on Mid-Autumn Festival, but to be able to have a sentence reduced was something that had never happened before.

"Brother, is the current prefect the same as before?"

"The previous prefect was just transferred today. Brother, you are really well-informed."

"What do I know? I'm just guessing. Did something big happen out there?"

"Duke Zhenguo (the queen's father) forced his way out and became possessed. He died suddenly last night."

Several yamen runners gasped. The waters in the imperial capital were too complicated to distinguish true from false. They only knew one thing: the previous prefect was a disciple of the younger brother of the Duke of Zhenguo. The Duke of Zhenguo died yesterday, and the prefect was immediately replaced today. Is this a fucking coincidence?

Almost at the same time, little Chunya got the news from Master Mingyue that her little mouth could open wide enough to swallow a duck egg.

"Practicing ancient martial arts is very dangerous. Once you go astray, you'll be dead."

"Normally, cultivation won't lead to insanity. Who knows what kind of random pills he took to force a breakthrough?" Xiao Qiulin said with a bit of disdain, "He doesn't even know that you can't take random medicines."

"Is the 'Da Li Wan' a random pill?" Xiao Chunya said, "Grandpa said that you need a connection to buy the genuine 'Da Li Wan', and it costs one tael of silver per pill."

"The medicinal properties of the 'Power Pill' are too strong and can cause certain damage to the body. It is indeed suitable for breakthroughs. Many people cannot break through when their strength reaches 250 kilograms, and they are stuck there for the rest of their lives."

Xiao Qiulin said, "Uncle Wu has never taken the "Power Pills". It's okay to take it once in a while. Grandfather has considered every aspect."

"It's a pity that you don't know how to make pills. From the immortal cultivation novels I read before, the properties of the pills should be relatively mild. Otherwise, those people would have exploded and died if they took several pills every month."

Xiao Qiulin, who can't make pills, looked a little strange. How could the fat sister think that he couldn't make pills? Who stipulated that the Heavenly Master could only catch ghosts?

"Third Grandpa's shop is reopening today. Let's go and help. We can also eat something secretly." Xiao Chunya took her brother away to help.

Xiao Qiulin was too tired to complain, the purpose was to eat a little secretly, sister, you blurted it out!

After Master Mingyue saw the man leave, his smile disappeared and his eyes became deep. Which bastard was trying to take advantage of the situation and spread rumors to shift everyone's attention to his elder brother?

Although the Duke of Zhenguo formed a clique for personal gain, he did have meritorious service after all, and the amount of bribes he took was not large. Part of it was used to provide relief to the families of his brothers who died in battle. In a sense, he could be considered a good man.

Ask Xiao Qiulin to do divination tomorrow. Even though his elder brother is the national master, his methods are not as good as the heavenly master. That kid can even do such illogical things as traveling through time and space. Catching a bastard is a piece of cake.

Zhao Erlang drove his carriage back and caught Xiao Chunya and Xiao Qiulin running around as soon as he reached the alley. Don't people carry lotus lanterns during the Mid-Autumn Festival? What's the meaning of carrying a big turtle? Can't he see that it's made of paper?

"Father!"

"Where are you taking this turtle?"

"This is a giant tortoise, a thousand-year-old tortoise, we are going to take it to the door of Third Grandpa's shop, so that Third Grandpa's shop will last as long as the giant tortoise."

"Are you sure that Third Grandpa was surprised and not frightened when he saw the big turtle?" Zhao Erlang carried the two little guys into the car, and also carried the big turtle. Fortunately, he added a trailer behind the car, otherwise there would be no room for this big guy.

"Let's eat first. Your third grandfather is very busy with his business today. We need to eat well so that we can have the strength to work."