After hoarding billions of goods and traveling through the book, he farmed in another world to suppo

Now that he had a house and a shop, all Xiao Li needed was people to do the work.

If it were a peaceful time, there would be nothing to be afraid of when hiring people, but in less than three years famine would come, and there would inevitably be a period of chaos.

At that time, people’s hearts were hard to predict!

Therefore, the best thing to do is to buy a few people, hold their indentures, and then plant mental hints in them to ensure that nothing goes wrong.

Having made up his mind, Xiao Li headed towards the East District, intending to buy someone from a pawnshop.

On the way, he also recalled the content of the melodramatic romance novel.

According to the timeline of "The Koi Farmer Girl Has Space", the famine will last for three years, with snowstorms, droughts, floods, and earthquakes occurring in various places one after another.

The aristocratic families sat idly by, the treasury was empty and could not provide money, and the emperor was powerless. After much thought, he decided to give his adult sons a chance to gain experience, and at the same time hinted that whoever could handle the matter well would be made the crown prince. In fact, he was just getting something for nothing and making the princes pay for disaster relief out of their own pockets.

However, the princes who were high and mighty did not care about the lives of the common people, and would never really provide disaster relief. They were just pretending.

The people followed suit and their lives became miserable. People rose up in rebellion everywhere and the whole country was in turmoil.

Because the male protagonist is favored by the author, the areas he is responsible for are the fastest to quell disasters and wars, and he thus gains military power, thus starting his journey to become emperor.

The reason why Xiao Li wanted to take the Xiao family to the capital was because when the famine occurred, the capital was the only relatively stable city in the entire country.

The one sitting on the throne now is not a very good emperor, but he is an emperor who truly cares about the world. In order to stabilize the people in the capital and the surrounding areas, he did not hesitate to make deals with the aristocratic families, and in the end he was almost completely marginalized by the aristocratic families.

It was also because of his painstaking efforts that the emperor died of illness less than a year after the male protagonist became the crown prince.

Rather than letting the male protagonist become the emperor, Xiao Li felt it would be better to let him stay wherever he wanted.

Otherwise, given the nature of the male protagonist in romance novels, who knows how he will target him.

So if there is a chance, we have to get rid of the male and female protagonists to avoid more trouble in the future.

……

Half an hour later, the dental clinic.

Xiao Liuzi was writing something on paper with a pen in his hand, with a frown on his face, and he didn't even notice someone coming in.

Xiao Li took a quick look and saw only a bunch of scribbles, which he feared no one except Xiao Liuzi himself would be able to recognize.

He tapped the table with his fingers, and Xiao Liuzi was startled. A large blob of ink appeared on the already illegible ghost painting.

"Oh my, sir, you gave me a big scare!"

Xiao Liuzi looked at the account he had worked so hard to calculate with a headache. He just wanted to find a piece of tofu to kill himself, and then he wouldn't have to think about anything else.

Xiao Li looked at him curiously, "What does this say?"

"My bill for this month! I'll calculate how much I'm going to get first, so I don't have to worry about making a mistake when my boss pays me." Xiao Liuzi sighed, "But I have to calculate it all over again now."

After saying that, he was about to take away those weird talismans. Xiao Li pondered for a moment and then asked him.

"Do you need help?"

"Sir, what did you say?"

"I'll help you calculate."

Hearing this, Xiao Liuzi was stunned for a moment, then ecstatically said, "Sir, are you willing to help me calculate it?" He paused and said, "Don't worry, I won't let you calculate it for nothing. When you come to the brokerage to trade in the future, I will give you the lowest price."

Xiao Li nodded indifferently, "You think I count?"

"Hey!" Xiao Liuzi attentively moved a chair for him, "Sir, please sit down."

After Xiao Li sat down and picked up the pen, confirming that he could start, Xiao Liuzi began to report the accounts according to his own ghostwriting.

Then he saw that just as he finished speaking, the guest wrote some awkward symbols on the paper with a big brush.

he:? ? ?

Xiao Li was waiting for him to continue reporting the bill. After waiting for ten seconds or so and hearing no response, he frowned and looked at him.

"Gone?"

"What's over?" Seeing his sullen, frowning face and intimidating demeanor, Xiao Liuzi anxiously probed, "Are you done?"

Xiao Li hummed, "What else?"

Xiao Liuzi widened his eyes in surprise, and after a while he continued to report the bill in a daze.

Then he finished speaking, and the guest was finished. Seeing that he didn't say anything, he looked at him expressionlessly, which was quite scary.

Things never happen three times. When Xiao Li stared at him coldly for the third time, Xiao Liuzi finally realized something.

This guest is very good at mathematics!

In the past, Xiao Liuzi had asked scholars to help him with accounting, but not only did he get the numbers wrong, he also ended up spending a lot of money. This happened one after another, so later he stopped asking others to do the accounting and started to do the accounting himself.

Spending money wasn't necessarily the right thing to do anyway, and he would have to be an idiot not to continue spending that money.

Xiao Li quickly settled the account as Xiao Liuzi said and left an Arabic numeral on the paper.

"The total is four liang, one qian and twenty wen."

Xiao Liuzi was delighted when he heard this, and didn't care whether it was right or wrong, and kept saying nice things.

"Sir, you are truly my benefactor. Because of you, I was able to receive two more taels of silver than before. It is also because of you that I know I can receive so much monthly silver..."

Fourth Young Master Xiao had heard so many compliments that he wasn't interested in listening to his nonsense. "Didn't they say there was a new group of people here? Take me to see them."

"Okay, sir, follow me." Having put his worries aside, Xiao Liuzi was in a very good mood. He led him to the backyard with a smile on his face, and asked him how many he wanted to choose and what kind of people he wanted.

Xiao Li had already thought about these on the way here, "I want three, male or female, preferably literate, and preferably one who has been a shopkeeper or manager."

Xiao Liuzi thought for a moment and asked, "Is it okay to be a criminal slave?"

"Are there any criminal slaves here?" Xiao Li raised his eyebrows.

It's no wonder he was surprised. Nan'an County belongs to Beiyang County in Liangzhou, close to the border. There is a large army from the northern border in front of it to block the nomadic people outside the pass, so it doesn't suffer from the pain of war. However, it is really poor, and basically no one comes here.

Criminal slaves did not necessarily commit crimes themselves. Most of them were implicated by their masters, or their nine clans were implicated. Most of them came from wealthy families.

Most criminal slaves like these know a lot of rules, or can read and write. As long as they don't have any major problems, they are in high demand no matter where they are. How could they come to Nan'an County from other places?

Xiao Liuzi knew at a glance that he was a knowledgeable man, and did not dare to hide anything, so he quickly told him everything he knew.

"The criminal slave who came this time is different. He was specially cared for by the higher-ups. It's said that he offended a powerful nobleman in the capital. Not only is he lame, but he's also a sickly person. Who would be so stupid as to buy such a servant back home?"

Xiao Li looked at him with a half-smile, "Really?"

When Xiao Liuzi met his oppressive black eyes, his heart tightened. It took him a while to realize that he had said something nonsense, and he quickly slapped his mouth.

"Look at my broken mouth, sir, please don't be angry. I didn't say you were stupid. I just thought you were rich enough to buy a sickly child and take him home to raise him. The main thing is that the man is not only literate, but also..."

Although there was no one walking around, Xiao Liuzi still looked around before he felt relieved.

"That man was once the son of a high-ranking official. He had a reputation for success, but he ended up offending someone and ended up like this..."

In the dim room filled with all kinds of unpleasant smells, there were no less than fifty people crowded together, both men and women, all of whom were pale and thin.

Most of them had numb expressions on their faces, and had long lost hope in life. They didn't even raise their heads when they heard the noise, and silently waited for their arrangements.

Those who came with their families looked at Xiao Li and Xiao Liuzi with wariness, fearing that they would break up their family.

They obviously still had hope for life. When they heard the noise, they raised their heads as soon as they heard it, hoping that a young master would come and buy them back so that they could at least have enough food and clothing. In the pawnshop, they only had brown rice porridge for one meal a day, which was barely enough to keep them alive.

There were a few who were tied up with hemp ropes. Not only were they the thinnest among these people due to hunger, but there were also obvious signs of whipping on their bodies.

Xiao Li glanced around and saw the person Xiao Liuzi mentioned in the corner.

He was about twenty years old, wearing tattered coarse linen clothes, with a pale face. He was leaning against the corner of the wall, coughing from time to time while covering his mouth.

Whenever he coughed, people around him would frown and cover their mouths and noses, as if he had some contagious tuberculosis.

Seeing that he stopped and didn't go in, Xiao Liuzi thought he was unwilling to go in because of the dirt and stench inside, so he said, "The smell in there is not very pleasant. I'll go and bring the person out for you to take a look."

"No need." Xiao Li's eyes fell directly on the man, "I'll go in by myself."

Xiao Liuzi was confused now. Did he dislike the dirt and stench inside or not?

Not to mention the environment in the apocalypse, the zombies alone are many times more disgusting than the smell here.

After experiencing the end of the world, even if Xiao Li had mysophobia, it would probably be cured.

Perhaps his gaze was too obvious. When he was halfway there, the man suddenly opened his eyes and stared at him with indifference.

I didn't feel anything when he closed his eyes, but now that he opened his eyes, the shabby and dirty environment couldn't hide his noble aura.

That kind of temperament cannot be acquired overnight, but is formed over time through the accumulation of countless resources.

Moreover, although this person's eyes did not show any anger, there was no trace of treachery in them. If he really had the ability, he could be used for his own purposes.

Xiao Licai stopped walking, and Xiao Liuzi was already impatiently acting as his mouthpiece.

"Sir, you are going to select three literate people from the pawnshop. I told you about you. You..." Xiao Liuzi said with a bit of reluctance, "Tell me what skills you have. If you can catch your eye, it will be a great reward after all the hard work."

Shen Congzhou looked at his lame leg and didn't say anything for a long time.

What's the point of buying a cripple like him, a criminal slave with a dirty family background?

It's not that he is self-pitying, but that he is too aware of the shortcomings of this era.

Xiao Li noticed his hidden gaze and curled the corners of his lips slightly.

Since this person still cares about something, then it will be easy.

"I have a way to make your legs work again."

"Wh, eh, what?"

Because he hadn't spoken for a long time, the young man's voice was very hoarse when he spoke.

Xiao Li repeated what he had just said, and then asked him, "Do you want to follow me?"

There was already desire in Shen Congzhou's eyes, but when he heard that, that light instantly went out and he looked at him expressionlessly.

"I am a man."

"I'm not blind, I can see that." Xiao Li said with disdain, "Tsk, don't worry, I'm not interested in someone like you. I have a husband."

Shen Congzhou frowned, "Then what did you mean by that just now?"

"I want you to work for me."

Hearing this, Shen Congzhou's brows relaxed a little, but he did not completely believe what he said.

At that time, the third prince also claimed that he had no such intention towards him, and he believed it. But what happened in the end?

His father died unjustly, his brother's whereabouts were unknown, and he was the only one left alive in the family, and now he had become a criminal slave.

Seeing that he didn't say anything, Xiao Liuzi couldn't help but feel anxious for him, "Why don't you tell me what you can do?"

Xiao Li also looked at him with interest.

Although that gaze was clear, when it looked at him too intently, it always reminded him of some bad things.

Shen Congzhou lowered his eyes, forced himself to ignore that gaze, and coughed several times.

"I can't work."

Xiao Liuzi was anxious, "Hey, you!"

Xiao Li raised his hand, and he immediately shut up, glaring at Shen Congzhou with disappointment.

You are almost dying of illness, but you don’t seize the opportunity. Do you have to die here to be happy?

Xiao Li didn't need the other party to do hard labor for him. "I heard that you once had a great reputation?"

Shen Congzhou's body froze noticeably, and after a while he looked up at him, then nodded with a dead heart, "Yes."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Li didn't ask any other questions, but asked Xiao Liuzi to prepare the other party's indenture contract.

Shen Congzhou didn't expect him to be so decisive and not ask anything else. For a moment, he felt like a huge rock was pressing on his heart.

The easier it is to get something, the more uneasy it makes people. After experiencing the incident with the third prince, he has reached the point where he is extremely nervous.

When Xiao Liuzi went to get the indenture contract, Xiao Li turned his head and looked at the others.

"Is there anyone here you're friendly with?"

It took Shen Congzhou a while to realize that the question was directed at him. He shook his head and said nothing.

He was a criminal slave, the lowest class of slaves. Moreover, he had an old injury that had not healed and he was coughing frequently. He had been transported from the capital to here. Who wouldn't avoid him?

Even the Third Prince, who had ill intentions towards him at first, lost interest after seeing his shabby appearance, which allowed him to successfully escape disaster.

Xiao Li could probably guess his situation. Seeing that he was unwilling to talk more, he didn't force him and asked him, "What's your name?"

Shen Congzhou was silent for a long time before he slowly replied, "Shen Congzhou."

Congzhou is his courtesy name, and his real name is Yu, Shen Yu.

However, since he got a pen name, no one except his father and brother called him by that name anymore.

Now that my father and brother are gone, I’m afraid no one will call me in the future.

Xiao Li knew that the ancients made a distinction between names and surnames, but he didn't care about it.

"Okay, I remember it."

I had no intention of introducing myself at all.

He didn't say anything and Shen Congzhou didn't ask. Until he followed him out of the pawnshop, Shen Congzhou was still a little confused.

The cage that he thought would trap him to death was released so easily.

Xiao Li didn't hear any footsteps following him. When he turned around, he saw him looking at Ya Xing with a complicated expression, so he simply stopped and waited for him.

"Reluctant?"

"...No." Shen Congzhou came back to his senses, lowered his eyes and walked towards him.

He had a lame leg, and even if he tried hard not to let others see it, his gait was always uneven, and it was easy to tell that there was something wrong with his leg.

Xiao Li had seen all kinds of people with missing limbs, but his case was no big deal, and he didn't even change his expression.

"Hurry up and follow."