Chapter 4: The Sufferings of the Common People
第四章：百姓的疾苦
During his journey, Lao Can saw the sufferings of countless common people. They lived in poverty and hardship, yet no one paid attention to them. This situation made Lao Can feel heartache.
老残在旅途中看到了无数百姓的疾苦。他们生活在贫困和苦难中，却无人过问。这种状况让老残感到心痛。
Many farmers lost their harvests due to natural disasters. The famine compelled them to sell their children and even sell themselves into slavery. Lao Can felt immense sorrow upon seeing these scenes.
许多农民因为天灾而失去了收成。饥荒让他们不得不卖儿卖女，甚至卖身为奴。老残看到这些场景，感到无比的悲哀。
Some handicraftsmen also faced dilemmas. The influx of foreign goods caused local handicraftsmen to lose their markets, and many became unemployed as a result. Unable to find work, they could only rely on meager savings to barely maintain their livelihoods.
一些手工业者也面临着困境。外国商品的涌入让本地手工业者失去了市场，许多人因此失业。他们找不到工作，只能依靠微薄的积蓄勉强维持生活。
The impoverished people in cities were even more miserable. They had no land and no skills, and could only do the most lowly work. Even so, their income could barely sustain their basic needs, and their lives were exceptionally difficult.
城市中的贫民更加惨淡。他们没有土地，没有技能，只能做些最低贱的工作。即使如此，他们的收入也勉强能够糊口，生活异常艰难。
Lao Can recorded all these situations. He hoped that through these records, later generations would understand the hardships of that era, and also hoped to arouse some people's attention and promote change.
老残将这些情况都记录了下来。他希望通过这些记录，让后人了解那个时代的苦难，也希望能够引起一些人的关注和改变。