“...... Then you wait, I'll pour you a bowl of water. ”

As he spoke, the old man turned and stepped over the threshold and walked into the hall behind him.

Stepping into the hall, the old man first put the dishes and chopsticks in his hand on the table, and then walked towards the backyard.

Through the open door, Lian Ge glanced at the hall, paused slightly, didn't say anything, and turned his gaze back.

On his shoulder, the mouse also turned its head and looked around.

......

“...... Have a seat. ”

The old man carried a bowl of water in one hand and a stool in the other, and then walked out of the hall.

put the stool on Lian Ge's side, handed over the bowl of water again, and said.

"Thank you, old man. ”

Taking the bowl of water, Lian Ge thanked him and sat down on the stool, but he didn't drink the water in the bowl, he just took it.

When the old man heard this, he shook his head, stood outside the threshold, turned back, and walked into the room.

He picked up the chopsticks that had been placed on the table in the hall, walked out of the hall again, and sat down on the threshold of the hall as before.

......

Holding the bowl of water, Lian Ge sat beside him, turned his gaze, and looked at the old man again.

The old man sat on the threshold, holding a bowl and chopsticks, the bowl seemed to be noodles, the old man picked up the chopsticks, lowered his head from time to time to take a bite, and from time to time raised his head again, and glanced towards the road outside the courtyard.

Retracted his gaze and looked into the distance, Lian Ge didn't say much.

A gust of mountain breeze blew, rolling up some fallen leaves in the yard.

“...... This wind is really strong, look at this day, I'm afraid that it will be strong wind and heavy rain in the past two days......"

The old man held a bowl and chopsticks, tilted his head, and looked into the deepening night, as if to say to himself,

“...... Change it, I'm afraid I have to ask the third child of the Shen family to come over and turn the roof over for me, otherwise it will rain again, I'm afraid that the house will leak rain......"

Babbling and talking, the old man shook his head, picked up his chopsticks again, and ate the noodles in the bowl.

......

“...... Lao Qiu, eating. ”

"I just ordered some noodles, would you like to eat some...... You've just come back from the river?"

Another villager walked by, talking to the old man sitting on the threshold,

One hand carries a bucket, the other holds a retracted fishing net, and his feet are wearing boots, and his body is stained with mud that has not yet dried.

On the iron bucket, the paint has peeled off, and the rusty iron sheet is exposed.

"No, no, the old woman is still waiting at home...... Hey, isn't this looking at the good weather today, just a little free, so I went to the river on the other side of the mountain and laid a few nets, don't you say, today's nets went down, and I really caught a lot of fish, I left a few back, and the rest, I took a few nets to sell before. ”

The people in the village laughed, answered the words, and carried the bucket again, and walked closer to the courtyard.

“...... Lao Qiu, you can take one and eat it too. ”

"That's not possible, what will I do with the fish you have caught. The old man took the bowl, stood up, and waved his hand, "Let's take it back." ”

"Hey, Lao Qiu, what are you polite about. There are a few fish here, my wife and I are at home, and the two children are outside, how can I eat them. ”

Carrying a rusty bucket, the villagers said, "You might as well take one." ”

“...... Then you can give me a small one, I am the only one in this house, and I can't eat much. ”

"Okay, then this one. ”

The villagers nodded, stretched out their hands, and grabbed a fish from the bucket,

"Lao Qiu, bring a bucket and some water. ”

"You wait......"

The old man nodded, walked a little faster into the hall, put down the bowl and chopsticks, and walked into the back room.

......

“...... Thank you then. ”

"What's polite, all the folks in the township...... Then I'll go back first, and the old woman at home will see that I haven't gone back for a while, so it's time to be anxious. ”

"That's it, you go slowly. ”

After the villagers spoke, they continued to walk along the village road, and the old man stood where he was, paused, lowered his head again, and looked at the fish in the bucket.

Turning around, carrying the bucket, he stepped over the threshold and entered the house.

......

On the side, watching the people in the village walk away, the old man walked into the house again, and looked into the hall through the half-open door of the hall, Lian Ge withdrew his gaze,

Holding the undrunk bowl of water, he didn't say much, turned his gaze and looked at the hills in the distance.

......

“...... Knock knock, knock knock ......"

The old man was still in the backyard of the house, cleaning up the dishes and chopsticks,

Two figures, along the village road, approached the village.

When he walked to the door of the old man's house, he paused, turned around and walked into the courtyard.

seemed to be unaware of Lian Ge, who was sitting not far from the door of the hall, walked to the door of the hall, looked inside, and stretched out his hand to buckle the door of the hall.

"Fellow, comrade...... Is anyone home?"

After slamming the door, one of them shouted twice more into the house.

......

Turning his gaze, Lian Ge glanced at the visitor.

Both of them are young men, wearing camouflage uniforms, with short hair on their heads, dark skin on their faces, sweat on their foreheads, and a little tired faces.

Just standing outside the threshold, his back straight.

“...... It's coming, it's coming......"

The old man behind the house heard the voice, wiped the water on his hands, and walked out of the backyard quickly,

“...... Who are you...... Do you have anything to do, two military comrades?"

Walking to the door of the hall, looking at the two soldiers standing outside the door of the hall, there were some doubts in his eyes, and he asked out loud,

"Uncle, we are on a mission, passing by here. After walking for a day, I came across the village. I'm really hungry, and I don't know if the old man has anything to eat at home that he can sell to us. ”

One of them said to the old man with a kind face.

"That's right...... There are not many people around our village. Then you guys come in first. ”

The old man stepped out of the way and walked into the hall.

"Uncle, let's stand outside. We have been walking for a day, and there is a foot of mud on our feet, don't stain your land, uncle, you will be troublesome to clean up. One of the soldiers first looked down at the mud on his feet, and said to the old man with a smile,

"Get out of the way, let's go inside. The old man paused, turned around, and said, "I don't have any stones or cement in my house, and it's nothing to get mud on it...... If you want something to eat, it's not convenient to stand in the yard. ”

“...... Then let's wipe the mud off our shoes in the yard. ”

One of the soldiers answered, and walked quickly to the edge of the courtyard with the other soldier, and wiped the mud from his feet at the edge of the courtyard, before turning around and walking into the hall.

......

On the side, watching the two soldiers walk into the hall, Lian Ge withdrew his gaze.

With the bowl of water in hand, he got up from his stool, crossed the threshold, and entered the hall.

In the hall, the two soldiers and the old man seemed to be unaware of Lian Ge on the side.

......

“...... Two military comrades, look at what you two eat, I'll make you some. ”

As he spoke, the old man took two stools from the side of the hall and placed them at the sides of the two soldiers.

Seeing this, the two soldiers hurriedly took two steps forward and took the stool.

"Don't bother you, uncle, you see if there are any leftovers, just sell us some and we can eat them." ”

Putting the stool to the side, the two soldiers did not sit down, and one of them smiled and replied,

"You don't have to be so polite," the old man shook his head, and then continued, "are you very hungry, if you are." The water under my pot was still hot, so I'll serve you two bowls of noodles, as fast as possible. ”

"Don't tell you, uncle, we're really hungry. One of the soldiers replied with a smile.

"Then sit down first, and I'll go and boil water for you." ”

As he spoke, the old man nodded, and walked further towards the backyard.