Ma Erniang's Splendid Pastoral

Chapter 52
Ma Qifeng replied in surprise: "Brother Liang..."

"You still know how to call me big brother, that's right, this brother is not in vain, let's go, let's go to the big brother's site." Liang Shixing stretched out his hand and warmly hugged his shoulder.

Seeing that the sun was about to set and the gate of the city was about to close, he had to rush back and kept refusing, but he was an opponent of a local snake, and was pushed and coaxed by Liang Shixing to his own gambling house.

Back home, Mrs. Guo Li saw that her eldest brother hadn't come back yet, "Er Niang, come to my house for dinner."

Ma Min'er shook her head, "No, Aunt Guo, when my father left, he told us to wait for him to come back."

"Oh." Guo Li didn't say anything, and after returning home, he divided the remaining rough noodles.

"Mother, I'll go and deliver it." Although Mother didn't say anything, Guo Daping knew that these rough noodles were for Ma's family, so he said hastily.

Mrs. Guo Li weighed the rough noodles in the ladle, "After eating this meal, I don't know where it will be tomorrow?"

"Mother..." Guo Daping cried bitterly.

"Mother didn't ask you to give it to me!" Mrs. Guo Li glared at her son, "Why don't you share it with me?"

"mother!"

"You child..." Mrs. Guo Li gave the scoop to her son, "Go and give it to Er Niang."

"Okay, mother." Guo Daping happily went to Ma'er's family with a ladle in his hand.

Ma Min'er saw Guo Daping approaching, "Brother Daping..."

"My mother asked me to give it to you." Guo Daping was a little embarrassed.

Ma Min'er wanted to postpone it, but it was getting dark and her father hadn't come back yet, so it seemed that she could only use the rough noodles from Aunt Guo's house first. Although the noodles were given to her by herself, if they were given to others, they belonged to others. It was taken back, but the current situation can only be taken back.

"Thank you Daping brother."

Guo Daping smiled shyly again, touched the back of his head, "Then... then I'll go back."

Ma Min'er smiled slightly and watched Guo Daping leave the yard.There were not many rough noodles, not even enough for cakes, so she made batter soup, wondering when her father would come back, and left a small handful of noodles to make batter soup when he came back.

After dinner, I helped my brothers and sisters to boil hot water and take a bath. After the work, it was completely dark and it was night.Xiao Yue'er leaned against Ma Min'er, "Second Sister, is Dad not coming back?"

"Maybe I didn't close the city gate in time, father stayed in the city."

"Then where is dad sleeping?" Xiao Yue'er was worried.

"Don't worry, Dad is rich after selling the handkerchief, so he will find an inn to stay in."

"What if Dad can't bear the money?"

"..." Ma Min'er didn't know how to answer, maybe... for some reason, a place that shouldn't appear appeared in her mind, could father be there?
Ma Dalang and Ma Sanlang came back from the intersection holding hands. Mrs. Guo Li heard the sound of the fence gate and hurried to the fence, "Dalang, is your father back yet?"

"No."

"Do you want me to help you find it?" Guo Li was very worried, and opened the fence door of her own house with her hand.

"Aunt Guo, no need!" Ma Dalang shook his head.

"if……"

"No." Ma Dalang said hastily: "Father said, let us not wait for him after the end of Youshi (7 o'clock in modern times), he has his own place to go."

"Your father is going to Pingding County for the first time, where can he go?" Guo Li didn't realize at all that as a neighbor, her caring expression and behavior were a little too much.

Ma Dalang is 11 years old and can't tell the difference at all, but he knows that his father may have gone there and how he made money to support them, but he will not tell others, "Aunt Guo, it's late at night, go back and rest quickly. After finishing speaking, he took Saburo's hand and entered the room.

"This child...don't you worry..." Guo Lishi looked towards the dark road, but there was no moon in the cloudy sky, and she couldn't see anything except darkness. She looked anxious.

Ma Min'er was standing under the porch, although she couldn't see Guo Lishi's expression clearly, but her eager voice of concern was still heard. As a 28-year-old soul, she certainly knew the meaning. Lang came in and called out, "Brother..."

Ma Dalang took off his straw sandals and went to the corridor, and said in a low voice, "Don't worry Daddy, go to sleep."

Seeing Ma Dalang's determined and worried expression, Ma Min'er realized that his father had really gone to the gambling house, and sighed helplessly, "Then you should take your younger brother to bed too."

"Ah."

At night, it rained heavily around Yunshui Town again. The raindrops hit the roofs crackling, making people sleep uneasy. group.

Xiao Yue'er heard the noise and shrank into her sister's arms, "Second sister, I'm afraid!"

"Don't be afraid, you have a sister!" Ma Min'er patted her sister's back lightly, and the two of them fell asleep at some point.

Outside the post station, the torrential rain stopped Yao Zeliang's schedule, which didn't make him unhappy, on the contrary, he was very excited, "Yuanfu, this rain has greatly exceeded the range of Yunshui Town, right?"

"Yes, my lord, it seems that the drought in Yizhou is about to ease."

"Haha..." Yao Zeliang felt that the pressure on his body was much less invisible: "It's great, as long as there is rain, other things can be solved slowly."

"My lord, you are lucky."

Yao Zeliang shook his head, but didn't say anything. Suddenly, a group of horses galloped past the gate of the station: "Who is it, it's still so late at night?"

The servant at the post station immediately replied, "It's General Xia."

"Little General?"

"Yes, he often passes by, and sometimes rests at the station."

"Where is he going?" Yao Zeliang asked.

The station servant replied: "Pingding County."

"put down?"

"Yes, my lord, Pingding County is the place where General Xia has been stationed all year round." The post servant replied.

"Oh, I forgot about that."

The servant at the inn was a little proud: "Sir, to tell you the truth, there are no bandits or even many refugees in the area around Pingding County, all because of the garrison and prestige of the little general."

"Oh, that's right!" Lord Yao said with interest.

"Yes, my lord!"

On the official road, a group of soldiers galloped recklessly in the dark rain, swaying boldly and freely.

"Damn, how long has it been since you had so much fun?" Gu Dun's rough voice was especially loud in the dark night.

Jian Nianmei then shouted: "It's been a year, a whole year, and I haven't had such a good time."

"This rain makes me so happy, so happy!"

"Ha ha……"

"This is life..."

……

A guard asked, "How long will it take to reach Pingding?"

"We will definitely arrive at midnight." Mr. Tian replied.

Gu Dun exclaimed, "So long?"

"Long fart."

"Zhang Tiaozi, what are you doing, I don't believe it anymore, aren't you hungry?" Gu Dun yelled.

"You are stupid, I was not hungry at first, but I am hungry after being called out by you." Zhang Nianmei scolded with a smile.

Gu Dun asked loudly: "Mr. Tian, ​​is there any convenience around here for a meal?"

Tian Yangguang is an aide and clerk, no more than rough army men like them. The heavy rain has already made him unable to open his eyes. When he heard that Gu Dun wanted to make a tooth sacrifice, he quickly agreed, "Yunshui Town is ahead."

"Great!" Gu Dun yelled, "Little General, please take a break."

Xia Zhen didn't pay any attention, and rode straight forward.

Uh... Gu Dun was dumbfounded, "Little General..." Could it be that the toothbrush festival was in vain.

Several houses in Xiaowang Village were leaked by the heavy rain. Everyone dared not sleep, and gathered at Father Shi's house one after another. The torches were dancing, and people were uneasy.

"Uncle, what's the matter? It's not raining here. I look forward to the rain every day. Why is it raining, and it's so disturbing. Even the house is soaked. How are you going?"

"Yeah, uncle, you always know how to watch the sky, when will the rain stop..."

"The river is about to overflow, when will the rain stop..."

……

The villagers talked endlessly.

Old man Shi frowned: "This rain won't stop for a while!"

"Ah..." The faces of the villagers were disappointed and sad in the firelight, "God, why don't you let us live a peaceful life?"

As the horses galloped, Gu Dun yelled, "Hey, why are there torches in the middle of the night?" He reined in the horses as he spoke.

Mr. Tian also reined in his horse, and wiped the rainwater off his face with his free hand, "The rain was so heavy that my eyes were covered."

Seeing that the little general stopped, Zhang Nianmei also stopped, and was the first to jump off the horse, "I'll go into the village to have a look." Before she finished speaking, she ran to the village. Out of her corner of the eye, there was a small wooden house at the intersection, "This When did such a beautiful log cabin come into being here?" He was running and talking to himself, and after a while he arrived at the place where the villagers gathered, and asked loudly, "What's going on?"

Everyone was worrying, when the soldiers suddenly appeared, they were taken aback, "Mr...Mr. Jun...what's wrong?"

"I asked you what's the matter?"

"Back...Master Jun, their house was soaked in water and leaked rain." Father Shi quickly replied.

"So that's how it is." Zhang Nianmei nodded, seeing that there was nothing serious about it, "Who is Li Zheng, hurry up and make arrangements for everyone, and don't get together."

"Yes... yes, Lord Jun."

Pingding County is the northernmost county in Yizhou, not far from the grassland in the north, and people of different races often come to harass them. Once there is any disturbance, soldiers often appear. After being told by Zhang Nianmei, Father Shi hurriedly took the villagers to find Li is going.

Zhang Nianmei walked back and found that Gu Dun had pushed open the fence door and was knocking on the door of the cabin, "Is anyone there?"

"Who?" Someone inside the door asked back, but it was the childish voice of a young lady.

"Borrow a pot from your family to make a tooth sacrifice." Gu Dun replied.

Hearing the rapid knock on the door, Ma Sanlang ran into his elder brother's arms in fright, and cried softly: "Elder brother, I'm afraid..."

"Don't...don't be afraid..." Ma Dalang tried to calm down and comfort him, but his trembling hands made his fear evident.

In another small room, Xiao Yue'er was also woken up, tightly clutching her sister's skirt, her small body was shaking non-stop, and she kept calling: "Father...father..."

Ma Miner pricked up her ears and listened carefully outside, analyzing while listening, her nervous and fearful heart calmed down in the analysis, she patted her little sister lightly, "Don't be afraid, sister, go outside and have a look."

Xiao Yueer refused to loosen her hands.

"They're not bad people."

"..." Xiao Yueer looked at her sister in surprise: "Aren't you a bad person?"

"Yes, Yue'er."

Xiao Yue'er was dubious, but her hands loosened unknowingly.

"Open the door, open the door—" Gu Dun became impatient, shouting more urgently.

"Here we come—" Finally coaxed the little girl to let go, Ma Min'er straightened her clothes, took the latch, and opened the door. The sky was pale under the rain, and she could barely see who was coming, "Is it you?" He raised his eyes and looked behind the strong man.

"Little lady, it's you?" Zhang Nianmei's eyes lit up, and she grinned her white teeth.

The little lady is no longer ashamed today. Although she is wearing linen clothes, she is new and clean. The whole small face is illuminated by the torch, with a pair of clear and moving phoenix eyes lying under the curved eyebrows, she looks childish and charming, with a small nose. Slightly upturned, it looks agile and pleasant, probably sleeping at night, with black hair hanging down the back of the head, and seeing these rough army guys like them, they don't seem to panic.

"General, you are..." Ma Min'er didn't expect to see them when she opened the door, she glanced at them, and saw the stinky little general standing by her door, taking off the dripping helmet, when the helmet was taken off, The water drops hit her, and she quickly took a step back into the room.

How did this person do it, throwing water in front of people's door, what kind of tutor?As if hearing Ma Min'er muttering something in his stomach, the little general at the side turned his head to look inside the door, his face became even more stinky.

God, it was you who dumped the water on me, not me, right? Ma Miner couldn't help but glared at him.

Xia Zhen's pretty Ruifeng eyes narrowed for a moment.Why do you still want to hit someone?Ma Min'er glared fiercely again.

Mother, don't stare, little lady, our little general is an indiscriminate master, and if he gets angry, it doesn't matter if you are a little lady or a baby, you can still beat him up.The humid air suddenly became hot and dry.

snort!
snort!
Zhang Nianmei saw that the little lady dared to stare at the little general, so she hurriedly stood in front of the door, which was blocked by his wide shoulders and narrow waist, "Little...Little general, this subordinate will take off your armor and wrap around your clothes while talking." Turning to his master, he helped him take off his armor, and took the opportunity to secretly wink at the little lady inside the door, meaning what to do now.

Ma Min'er pouted, "Grandpa, disturbing the houses at night, and still being so virtuous, the beautiful phoenix eyes sneered, and said: "Everyone is here to hide from the rain?"

Zhang Nianmei replied: "Someone is hungry, let me borrow your pot for a tooth sacrifice."

"But my rice jar is empty." Ma Min'er's small face was wrinkled.

"Haha..." Zhang Nianmei laughed loudly, "Little lady, we have something for toothbrush."

"Oh……"

Zhang Nianmei handed the little general's armor to the servant Jingmo, glanced at the porch eaves, "Little lady, your wooden house is not big, but the porch eaves are not narrow, it is a good place to shelter from the rain."

Ma Min'er smiled softly, "The eaves were built to keep out the rain."

"That was really prescient."

During the conversation between the two, more than a dozen soldiers gathered under the eaves of the short corridor to avoid the rain, but the ranks were distinct, and Ma Min'er could tell it at a glance. He took the two small wooden stools to the corridor, "General, there are small stools here."

She yelled at Zhang Nianmei, although she could see that the young man with a stinky face was more powerful than the talking general, but she just didn't want to bully him.

Zhang Nianmei glanced at the black-faced little general with a guilty conscience, and quickly took the stool: "Thank you, my lady, my surname is Zhang." One of the stools he took was given to the little general, and the other to Mr. Tian.

"General Zhang—"

"Where's your father?" Zhang Nianmei found two little boys standing at the door of another room, but didn't see the adult.

"My father has something to do and is not at home."

"So that's the case, then I'll ask the cook to go directly to your kitchen and start a fire."

Ma Min'er nodded, "General Zhang, please feel free."

Zhang Nianmei nodded, turned around and arranged for the attendants to start the fire.

Ma Min'er nodded to Mr. Tian who was looking over, "The house is small, I can't invite everyone in, please forgive me."

"Miss Ma, you are being polite!" Mr. Tian smiled slightly.

Ma Min'er didn't expect the other party to know her surname, she was taken aback for a moment, "Everyone, please feel free, I won't bother you if I take my sister to rest."

"Miss Ma, you are being polite." Mr. Tian smiled and nodded, indicating that the lady is free.

Ma Min'er turned her head and gave her eldest brother a calm look, and then gently closed the wooden door. Before the door was closed, she felt a glance glance at the door. , I can't tell if it's his gaze.

No matter, in the middle of the night, my sister was going to sleep, so she walked to her sister and said softly: "Yue'er, go to sleep with my sister."

"Oh!" My sister responded calmly, Xiao Yue'er was no longer afraid, and lay down on the floor with her sister, listening to the rough voices of the soldiers outside, she fell asleep unknowingly.

Ma Min'er didn't know when these soldiers left. When she woke up, it was already the next morning. When she opened the door, her eldest brother was cleaning the corridor.

"Big brother..."

"Big sister, you're awake!"

"Hmm!" Ma Miner asked, "When did they leave?"

"They stayed under the eaves for more than half an hour before leaving."

"Oh." Ma Min'er thought of the kitchen, "They won't dismantle the pot and stove, right?"

Ma Dalang smiled and said, "No."

Uh... Ma Miner's 'demolition' does not mean that things have been taken apart, but that the kitchen has been messed up, and they rushed to the kitchen in a few steps.

"Brother, you still said you didn't dismantle it."

"The pot is still there!"

My mother, Ma Miner covered her face, in the kitchen the size of a palm, there were chicken feathers all over the floor, and the paste on the stove was everywhere, and the firewood behind the stove was scattered all over the floor.

"I..." Ma Min'er looked at the thick big brother, but couldn't say a word, she stretched out her sleeves and cleaned up the kitchen.

Shaking the pot first, Ma Miner lifted the lid, "Hey, there's even a piece of bacon!" She poked it with her hand, "It looks like pork." God knows how long she hasn't eaten pork.

Ma Dalang was clearing the ground when he turned around and saw the rice vat, "Sister, there are two rice cakes in the vat."

Ma Min'er excitedly turned her head to look at the rice vat, "Wow, really, I've got breakfast today."

"Unexpectedly, these soldiers are really good, and they actually paid for firewood." Ma Dalang sighed.

"I should have given it in the first place." Although Ma Min'er said so, she knew in her heart that the ancient army was not as qualified as the modern people's army, and it is really surprising that they can leave firewood expenses.

The two brothers and sisters happily tidied up the small kitchen. Just when they were about to discuss how to make breakfast, Mrs. Guo Li came and stood in front of the small kitchen door, "Da Lang, Er Niang, are there any big soldiers at night?"

"En!" Ma Dalang nodded.

"I wanted to come over at first, but after listening to it, they seemed to know you, so I didn't come, it's okay."

Ma Min'er shook her head, "It's okay, Aunt Guo."

"They seem to be hiding from the rain and eating. Have they finished eating all the rough noodles in your house?"

"That's enough!" Ma Min'er said amusedly, "Those people have something for themselves."

"That's good, that's good." Guo Lishi turned his head and looked towards the intersection, "I don't know when your father will come back?"

"It's probably going to be noon." Ma Min'er guessed.

"How about I ask Daping to meet him on the road?" Mrs. Guo Li was worried.

Ma Min'er was a little uncomfortable, and quickly said: "Don't bother, Aunt Guo, Brother Daping is not familiar with this place, if you get lost, it will be hard to find."

"Oh, I'm already half a child, so don't lose anything." Mrs. Guo Li didn't mind.

Ma Min'er still refused: "Aunt Guo, no need, really no need, my father let us wait for him at home with peace of mind, don't worry about it."

"That's it!" Mrs. Guo had no choice but to give up, "Then I'll go back, if you need my help, tell my aunt."

"Okay, Aunt Guo."

Mrs. Guo Li had just left when Fu Xiaoyou, a little beggar from the town, came, his voice was very low: "I saw someone in the backyard of the yamen went to the grain store in the town to buy cakes."

"Buy drink cakes?"

"Ah."

"Where did they get the money?" Ma Min'er was extremely surprised.

Fu Xiaoyou said in a low voice: "I followed behind secretly, and saw that the silver coins they held were smashed into pieces."

"Where did the silver coins come from?" Ma Min'er frowned.

Fu Xiaoyou shook his head: "I don't know."

"Brother, do you know?"

Ma Dalang also shook his head.

"Xiaoyou, go and inquire again."

"Okay!" The little beggar was about to leave when Ma Min'er called him to the kitchen, tore half of the pancake and gave it to him, "I don't have coins today, so I can use this to pay, is that okay?"

"Of course." Fu Xiaoyou happily took the cake and left.

The backyard of the yamen was not very quiet in the thunderstorm. The old barn kept opening and closing the door for a whole morning. At noon, it simply did not close the door, allowing people in the courtyard to come and go freely.

Not far from the yamen, in the best two-entry and two-exit courtyard in the town, a young clerk wearing a bamboo hat quickly ran into the study of the pavilion chief.

"My lord, my lord, they can't take it anymore, they have to pay out their private money!" Du Yingxiong, who is a headhunter in the yamen and does all kinds of errands, has not arrived in the room, and Li Yaozong's excited voice has already entered Li Yaozong's ears.

"Really?" Li Yaozong happily left the chair, stretched his neck and leaned under his hand.

"Yes, my lord, they went straight to the Gao's Bakery to buy biscuits, and all they used were silver coins."

"Sure enough, they are from the capital!" Li Yaozong's happy old face turned into a flower, "I knew it, they must be rich, haha..."

"My lord, what shall we do now?"

Li Yaozong beckoned, "Come here, just like this... like this..."

"Yes, my lord!"

At noon, Ma Qifeng finally returned home.

"Father..." Xiao Yue'er threw herself into Ma Qifeng's arms like a swallow. She lost her mother at a young age, and she is very attached to her father.

Ma Qifeng put down the grain bag in his hand, and picked up his little daughter, "Yue'er, what did Dad buy?" He took out two ribbons from his bosom, which were used to tie the double buns.

"Wow, Dad, it's so pretty."

Seeing his daughter happy, Ma Qifeng who hadn't slept all night, a smile blooming on his pale face, no matter how hard it is, it's nothing, winning or losing overnight, he racked his brains to get out of the gambling house, at this moment, whether it is the brain Still exhausted physically.

"Yue'er, Dad is tired, come down." Ma Min'er noticed Dad's exhaustion.

"Oh." Xiao Yue'er happily slid down from her father's embrace with a red ribbon in her hand, "Second Sister, here you are, we are alone."

"No, sister has it!" Ma Min'er happily stretched out her hand: "Come here, let sister tie you into a bun."

Ma Qifeng took out another pair of green ribbons from his arms, "Min'er, you have them too."

"Father, I'm an adult, I don't want these."

"Big..." Ma Qifeng was amused by his daughter's straight-faced attitude, and all the tiredness seemed to have dissipated, "Take it."

Ma Min'er is not a child, let alone how difficult it is to survive, his father went to the county town to sell a few handkerchiefs and sachets, but he certainly didn't find a job, and he didn't come back overnight. She didn't think about anything except in the gambling house, but She couldn't bear to blow a father's heart, and she didn't say a word except words of gratitude.

Reaching out to take the ribbon, it was quite beautiful, Ma Min'er smiled and said, "Thank you, dad."

Ma Dalang picked up the cloth bag and weighed it, fearing that there would be twenty or thirty catties of rough noodles, "Father..." He looked up at his father with joy in his eyes.

"You must be hungry, Min'er hurry up and cook."

Regardless of how the food came from, let's talk about living first, Ma Min'er replied crisply: "Okay, Dad!"

"Father, I have broth today, I'll wait for you to eat it when you come back." Ma Sanlang shouted happily.

"Meat...where did it come from?"

"Bacon left by a group of soldiers."

"Soldier?" Ma Qifeng frowned suddenly, "What's going on?"

"Father, don't worry, we have met those soldiers twice, they are not bad people." Seeing that her father was worried, Ma Min'er said quickly.

"The group of people who threw you last time?"

"Yes, Dad!"

"Oh." Ma Qifeng recalled that his daughter had snatched bamboo tubes and pancakes from someone else, and they didn't do anything to her daughter. He let out a sigh of relief when he mentioned it, and his eyelids twitched, "Father needs to rest for a while."

"Father, go to sleep for a while."

Ma Qifeng nodded, lifted his feet up the wooden steps, and reached the corridor, as if thinking of something, he glanced at Gebi and turned his head, "I will give you some food for Aunt Guo's house."

"Yes, Dad."

Guo, Li's mother and son were hiding away. When Ma Qifeng came back, they had long wanted to come over to say hello, but they saw that he was holding a grain bag in his hand, so they didn't have the nerve to come. It is true that there is no source of food, what a worry!
Ma Qifeng's voice was not loud, but they still heard it, and they were really grateful and guilty.

"Mother, I heard from people in the village that it's raining, and in a few days, weeds and vegetables will come out soon. When we have these, we can find more for Uncle Ma's house."

"Yes, yes, yes, yes!" Hearing what his son said, Guo Li suddenly felt that he could repay a little favor and return some favors.

Ma Dalang shared a large scoop of rough noodles, which weighed four to five catties, and the three of them could eat it sparingly, and they could eat it for several days.

After Ma Dalang left, Mrs. Guo Li sat on the threshold and wiped her tears and began to cry. This cry was not a cry of sadness, but a cry of gratitude. She grabbed her two sons and said, "Daping, Erping, Uncle Ma You will remember your kindness forever."

"Mother, I know." Guo Daping nodded honestly and honestly.

"Mother, when I have something to offer, I will definitely buy a lot of delicious food for Uncle Ma." Erping Huantuo said hastily.

"My good son, the great kindness of the Ma family, my mother has forgotten you." Mrs. Guo Li wiped her tears and smiled.

When Ma Qifeng woke up, it was almost time for dinner. When he opened his eyes, Sanlang and Siniang were sitting on the side playing wooden birds, but he did not see Dalang and Erniang when he raised his eyes, "Sanlang..."

"Father, you're awake!" Ma Sanlang asked happily.

"Where are your brothers and sisters?"

"Second sister said, take advantage of the rain to go to the back of the village."

"What are you going to do there?"

"Sister said, let's see if there are any wild vegetables to bring back and stir-fry for soup." Ma Sanlang followed his father from the floor and stood up, "Dad, the washing water has been prepared, and it is placed on the wooden board at the door of the small kitchen."

Ma Qifeng reached out and rubbed the top of his son's head, "Did your sister let it go?"

"That's right, the second sister said that Dad has worked hard to make money, so she brought you face washing water, baked cakes and stewed soup are all heated on the bamboo sticks in the big pot, and you can eat them as soon as you wake up. "

Seeing how caring the children are, Ma Qifeng was moved. He took one of them out of the house with one hand, walked through the verandah, and arrived at the door of the small kitchen. To remove the smell, I spit it out on the muddy floor next to it, took a cloth towel placed by the side of the tub, wiped my face vigorously, and dried it on a wooden stick next to it.

Looking up and looking into the distance, the sky is not clear after the rain, the gray is like misty rain and ink, the distant mountains and the near fields are bleak, but not desolate, Ma Qifeng secretly said to himself, don't be afraid, let alone discouraged, the days will pass and the better.

"Father, don't you want to eat meat?" Ma Sanlang stood beside his father, seeing him in a daze, he quickly reminded him.

Hearing his son's immature and anxious voice, Ma Qifeng came back to his senses, grinned, and stretched out his hand to scratch his son's little nose, "Son, don't you want to eat meat?"

"Of course!" Masaburo pouted shyly.

"Haha..." Ma Qifeng laughed, picked up Xiaoyue'er with one hand, took his son's hand with the other into the kitchen, let go of his son's hand, lifted the lid of the pot, and a smell of meat wafted into his nostrils.

"Wow, it smells so good."

"It smells so good!"

A pair of sons and daughters choked on their saliva.

Ma Qifeng understood that before he woke up at noon, the two older children must have not touched the broth, so he picked up chopsticks and gave each of the two younger ones a piece: "Eat it!"

With the meat in his mouth, Ma Sanlang held it with his hands and frowned, "But brother and sister haven't eaten yet?"

"You and Yue'er will pay first. After the payment is over, let's wait for our brothers and sisters to come back to eat, okay?"

"Okay!" As he could eat meat and wait for everyone to eat together, Masaburo happily put the meat slices in his mouth and began to chew.

The bacon was sliced ​​very thin by Ma Miner, almost as thin as a chef in a star-rated restaurant, and when one piece was put into his mouth, he felt nothing at all.

Masanlang smacked his lips hard and looked outside, "When will it be dark!"

"Haha..." Ma Qifeng laughed again, couldn't bear it, and took another piece for his son.

"Father, what if my brothers and sisters have nothing to eat if I eat them all?"

"Don't worry, son, there are a lot more." Ma Qifeng looked at the wooden bowl and confirmed that there was still a lot in it, but it was very thin. He reached out and took a piece of pancake to rest his stomach, and found that the pancake was enough to eat at night. This child is really caring Yes, two meals in one.

After filling his stomach, Ma Qifeng took a pair of children to sit on the porch, bored, and taught them to recite an enlightenment poem - "No Clothes" from the "Book of Songs": How can it be said that there are no clothes, and you are in the same robe as your son.Wang Yu Xingshi, repairing my spear, and the same hatred with the son.Qi said no clothes, and the son of the same Ze.Wang Yuxing master, repair my spear and halberd, and work together with my son!Qi said that he has no clothes and wears the same clothes as his son.Wang Yu Xingshi, cultivate our armored soldiers, and walk with you!
The two little brothers read with their father shaking their heads.

When Ma Min'er returned to the cabin, she saw such a situation. This poem, which she had learned in college, was a war poem. She did not expect her father to have such feelings.

She and Ma Dalang took off their muddy straw sandals, went barefoot on the wooden floor of the porch, sat on the edge, and listened to their younger siblings recite poems, and waited until they had finished reciting poems before saying, "Father, have you eaten yet?"

"Eat a piece of pie."

"Didn't you drink the soup?"

"Wait until you come back together."

"Father, wait a minute. My brother and I found a few purslane trees. I'll wash them and put them in the soup." Ma Min'er said as she went down, put on straw sandals and went to the kitchen.

After a while, the aroma of the broth overflowed, and the aroma wafted all the way to Guo Li's room. Without any surprise, Ma Erniang brought a bowl to Guo Li's.

"Er Niang, it's just a little bit, you eat it, why bring it here?"

"Aunt Guo, this was left by the soldiers last night. It's not much, and everyone will pay for it."

"Oh, Er Niang, you are too polite."

Ma Min'er smiled: "Aunt Guo, I'm still waiting for the bowl!"

Guo Li smiled helplessly: "Okay, then auntie is welcome!" He poured out the broth and returned the bowl to Erniang.

Ma Erniang brought another bowl to old man Shi who brought taro.

"Ms. Shi, this is left by the soldier who beat the teeth last night. I cooked it and brought you a bowl for the old man."

"Oh, how did this happen, how did..." Aunt Shi repeatedly declined.

Ma Min'er smiled and said, "Auntie, as the saying goes, good neighbors, Han Jinbao, if you hadn't sent a few taro that day, we would have fainted from hunger."

"Oh, you child..." Aunt Shi smiled so hard that she couldn't see her eyes.

"Mother, hurry up, my father is still waiting for me to go back to eat."

"Then..." Aunt Shi glanced at her old man, saw that he acquiesced, and politely accepted it. When she took out the empty bowl, there was a handful of wild garlic in it.

"Ma'am..." Ma Min'er's eyes lit up, she was worried about lack of seasoning.

Aunt Shi replied with a smile: "There has been a lot of rain in the past two days, and the wild garlic behind the house has grown like crazy. It is as long as a finger. It is delicious to take it back and mix it in rough noodles."

"Thank you ma'am."

Aunt Shi sent Ma Erniang to the intersection, and she didn't stop talking, "Erniang, after the heavy rain, I often go out for a walk, and there are a lot of wild vegetables."

"Okay, ma'am, thank you!"

"This child..." Aunt Shi looked at the back of the little lady and smiled so hard that she couldn't even close her mouth.

When passing by the empty house of the Luo family, Ma Miner glanced subconsciously. Although the house of the Luo family was dilapidated, it was very large. If it was bought by someone and rebuilt, it would be able to build a beautiful house with two entrances and two exits. Pity.

Ma Qifeng stood under the eaves, watching his daughter deal with the people around him like a mistress. While feeling relieved, he couldn't help but think of his wife, and his heart ached. My wife... my wife...

"Dad, I'm back!"

Ma Qifeng was awakened by his daughter's crisp voice, "Hurry up and eat."

"Yes, father." Ma Min'er took off her straw sandals and put them under the steps, and went up the corridor barefoot.

"Eat a good meal, dad will make you a pair of cloth shoes." Ma Qifeng whispered to his daughter.

"Thank you dad."

"Let's eat."

The Ma family gathered around the small table and began to eat dinner.Pie cakes and broth, this is the best meal they have eaten since they were exiled. The family just eat with their heads down, quiet and beautiful.

After eating and drinking enough, the family sat on the floor of the room, and the two young ones still played with the wooden bird, as if they couldn't get enough of it.

Ma Dalang sat next to his younger siblings, helping them pick up birds that had been thrown away from time to time, with a never-ending smile on his face.

Ma Qifeng sat at the small table and wanted to help his daughter make shoes, but there was no oil lamp and it was too dark, so his daughter snatched it away, "Father, do the same thing at dawn tomorrow."

"It's okay, Dad's hands are itchy."

"That's not allowed, it hurts the eyes."

That's true, that's how the lady's eyes hurt, not only the eyes, but also the body... Ma Qifeng thought of the lady who died of illness again, and his heart ached again.

Sensing her father's depression, Ma Min'er said, "Dad, during the day, I walked around the village, and some people are planning to open up land to grow some food."

"Father doesn't understand these things."

"I know, father!" Ma Min'er said, "We don't understand, we can learn from the people in the village."

Ma Qifeng nodded, "Well, I just don't know when the land will be allocated."

This is also something that Ma Miner is worried about.

Early in the morning of the second day, Ma Min'er got up to make breakfast for her family. Just as the wowotou was ready, someone called out from the yard, "Ma Erniang..."

It was the voice of the little beggar Fu Xiaoyou, and Ma Min'er rushed out to meet her, and opened the fence gate with her hand.

"Er Niang, I found out."

"Oh, what's the matter?"

"The hidden private room was taken out."

Ma Qifeng was helping his daughter make cloth shoes in the room. Hearing someone calling, he left the room and stood in the corridor. He heard the conversation between the two of them.

Ma Min'er came to the edge of the corridor and whispered, "Didn't you get scammed by the messenger?"

Ma Qifeng sneered: "No matter how you say it, the Ma family is a big family. A skinny camel is bigger than a horse. They can always find a way to hide some private houses."

Uncle, if you don’t take out the money from your private house, you come to suck my family’s blood, Ma Min’er is so angry that your heart hurts. After thinking about it, these people dare not be the first to take out the money from their private house, for fear that their private house will become public.

Grandpa's... Grandpa's... Ma Min'er secretly scolded these people as bloody spouts. Fortunately, He Dae shocked them that day and stopped their idea of ​​sucking blood. They probably had no other choice, and took out My own private house, but the private house will be exhausted one day, why not let the pavilion chief divide the house and land?
For this group of cowards who eat the soft and fear the hard, the Ma family is completely defeated.

Ma Min'er was about to go to the kitchen to get a bun for the little beggar, but he looked around slyly, and then looked mysterious, "The town officials seem to be eyeing them."

"What do you mean?"

"In the past few days, I have been paying attention to the people in the Houya, and found that the town's servants and small officials are also paying attention to the Houya. They are all very excited to see them taking their private houses."

"Father..." Ma Min'er was taken aback.

Ma Qifeng suddenly raised his head and looked towards the town. He was going to secretly send some food there tonight, but he didn't expect such a thing to happen.

"Father..." The rest of the Ma family are like strangers to Ma Miner, no, worse than strangers, but father is a member of the Ma family, how will he treat this matter?
Ma Qifeng sighed, "Father will remind them at night."

"Oh!" This is the best, and it's done the duty of the Ma family, Ma Min'er went to the kitchen to get two steamed bread, "If there is anything in town, please come and tell us anytime."

"Okay!" Fu Xiaoyou took the cornbread and ran away happily.

This breakfast was uneasy because of Ma Qifeng, his emotions infected the children, and they also had uneasy eating.

Ma Min'er didn't say much. After breakfast, she put away the kitchen and planned to plant a handful of wild garlic given by Mrs. Shi in the yard. Later, she could pinch the leaves to season dishes and pasta.

Seeing Ma Miner planting wild garlic by the fence, Mrs. Guo Li hurried over, "Er Niang, let Aunt Guo do the work from now on."

"How can I do that, Aunt Guo, I have to learn."

"That's not in a hurry. It won't be too late when you are two years older. In the past two years, let Aunt Guo do these jobs."

Ma Min'er looked at her nine-year-old hands, and said, "That's a hard work for Aunt Guo."

"You child, don't say such kind words in the future, besides, my aunt will be angry."

"Okay, listen to Aunt Guo." Ma Min'er is no longer pretentious, "Aunt Guo, you see, the section from the porch to the fence gate is quite large, I want to make it into a vegetable field and divide it into several rows , there are different vegetables in it, what do you think?"

"It's pretty good." Mrs. Guo Li agreed, "Auntie is here to fix it. It will take less than two days. I promise to fix everything for you."

"That's hard work, auntie."

"There is food and drink, so what's the hard work?" After eating Ma's food, he was finally able to do something for his family, and Guo Li's family couldn't wait.

(End of this chapter)