flstandardbreds Chapter 142 Deserted Town
Chapter 142 Deserted Town
Like Li the Butcher and his men, other civilians were also questioned by officers and soldiers when they arrived at the town gate.
Only after the people voluntarily paid the entrance fee to the town, would the officers and soldiers say a few words in a pretentious manner and then let them pass.
For those who didn’t pay, if they said they would not make trouble, they would be driven away. If they were going to make trouble, they would be arrested directly.
Ji the butcher and his group entered Hukou Town with a nervous mood. There were not many people on the streets of Hukou Town, with only one or two vendors selling things occasionally.
Other people were even rarer, and the whole town seemed extremely deserted.
"Hey, Mr. Li, there are so few people in this town. Are these people fleeing famine like us? There don't seem to be many people on the street.
Not to mention some vendors, there are almost none. Is the situation so serious now?"
The man who pushed Li the butcher just now, seeing the situation in the town, couldn't help but ask questions, although he had already heard what the officer had said.
But when I actually saw it, I couldn't help but sigh that this town was so depressed and deserted.
There was no one on the street, and there was no bustle as expected in a town.
At the same time, they were a little worried. There were so few people. If they wanted to buy something, they would probably have to go to the restaurant.
But not everyone can buy the things in the restaurant. This is a difficult problem. What should I do if I really can't buy anything?
Butcher Li looked around the town carefully. Most of the houses in the town were thatched houses, and there were relatively few blue brick and tile houses. It seemed that the people in the town were not particularly wealthy.
But there really weren't many people on the street now. Could it be true that the officer said that all the people had left? Then could they still buy things? His heart was beating fast!
"Brother Shi, don't worry. Let's go to the restaurant first. If the things are too expensive, we can buy less.
There were not many people on the streets of the town, so we probably could only go to the restaurant to buy things.
There was nothing we could do about it, as everyone in the village was waiting to eat. It didn't matter to us adults, we could eat tree bark or something, but children couldn't wait.
It seems that the situation is not optimistic. Let's hurry up and go to the restaurant to take a look.
Don't delay, lest the officers and soldiers see us later and accuse us of wandering around.
We don’t have a household registration, we only have a travel permit. If someone doesn’t listen to us, we won’t be able to explain ourselves even if we have 100 mouths.”
After seeing the surroundings, Li the butcher had no choice but to compromise with reality. He decided to go to the restaurant first. He suddenly remembered his seven or eight-year-old son.
It doesn't matter if he suffers a little, but he doesn't want his children to suffer too much.
For the sake of his children, he could starve himself. He believed that other people in the village had the same idea as him.
Aren't parents all thinking about their children? No one doesn't love their children.
"Okay, Brother Li. Let's go to the restaurant first to see what's going on. In this town, we can't find food anywhere else, so we can only go to the restaurant first.
We'll see what the situation is and buy the most important things. Let's hurry up and go."
The man who pushed Li the Butcher just now was called Shi Lei. After listening to Li the Butcher's words, he also felt that it made sense. It was too early to draw conclusions before we even got to the restaurant. We had to go and take a look first.
There was no food to be found elsewhere in the town, so they could only go to the restaurant. So Shi Lei took Li the butcher and walked quickly towards the restaurant.
There weren't many people on the road and they walked faster, so everything went relatively smoothly.
On the streets of Hukou Town, you can occasionally see soldiers patrolling. They are divided into several groups, going back and forth.
When Li the butcher and his men saw the soldiers, they lowered their heads deliberately, fearing that they would be questioned by the soldiers and not be able to answer.
They are the ones who will suffer, and it also helps to avoid unnecessary trouble.
After walking for about a quarter of an hour, Li the Butcher and his companions arrived at the door of a restaurant, which was the restaurant where Yuan Xichen and his companions had bought food on the road.
You can also see quite a few people gathered there, probably coming to eat.
Butcher Li and his companions did not delay and went straight into the restaurant. When the waiter saw them, he greeted them warmly.
"Sir, welcome, welcome. What would you like to order? We have steamed buns, steamed bread, and special dishes. Just tell me what you would like to order."
The waiter ran over with a smile on his face, and did not show any disdain for the tattered clothes worn by Li the Butcher and his men.
Everyone who comes is a guest, and as long as they come to the restaurant, they are all here to spend money. There is no need to worry that they can't pay, after all, the officers and soldiers in the town are not vegetarians.
If you really encounter someone who eats and dines for free, just arrest him and take him to the government office.
Butcher Li looked around the restaurant and found that the lobby downstairs was quite large. There were not many people, only about one-third of the seats were occupied.
But it is indeed a little more lively here than on the street just now, at least there are more people.
Seeing the waiter welcoming them warmly, Li the butcher felt very relieved. He knew that they were in rags. If someone didn't know, they would be considered beggars.
But the waiter did not ignore them, so he felt respected by others and felt very happy.
"Little Brother! This is what happened. We are planning to buy some food to take away. Also, do you have water for sale? We brought some water bags and would like to buy some water.
We are fleeing famine and just happened to pass by here. Can you sell us some water? If you have steamed buns, please.
Let's just buy some steamed buns. How do you sell your steamed buns?"
Butcher Li still answered the waiter's questions politely, and then stated his needs.
He was a little worried that the food in the restaurant was too expensive and they couldn't afford it.
When the waiter heard this, his smile became even brighter. If they want to take it away, it must be a lot. It seems that this is another big customer.
"Hey, big brother, are you here to buy some steamed buns? You've really found the right place. Our steamed buns are the best in this town.
As for steamed buns, there are white flour buns, corn buns, and brown rice buns. The cheapest is the brown rice bun, which costs one penny each.
White flour buns are five cents each. Corn buns are three cents each. How many do you need? What kind of buns do you want?
As for water, I can sell some, but it's a bit expensive. If you have a water bag, it will cost about ten coins to fill it up. How much do you need?"
The waiter smiled brightly and quoted the price of steamed buns and water.