The heavy rain fell intermittently for three days before it stopped, and the people in the temple who took shelter from the rain left one after another. There was neither food nor shelter here in Zhanghe Town, so Li Zhangqi and his family had to continue south. In the past few days of being trapped in the temple, the food of each family has been consumed, and the displaced people have turned their eyes to the wild one after another. The wild herbs and grass roots that no one noticed before have really become fragrant and sweet. At the beginning, Li Cui's could pick a small half basket, and gradually he could get a handful a day.

The more rare it is, the more crazy it becomes, and the vast number of homeless people are like locusts crossing the border, and the small towns and deserted villages they pass through are all avoided. The Li family has changed from two meals a day to one meal a day, and only a piece of dry cake is needed for that meal, and the rest of the time can only eat some wild vegetables, and there is no oil and water for nearly half a month, and hunger has become a lingering shadow in everyone's minds.

One evening, when they were passing by a small village, Li Hongshi and Li Cuishi gathered several children together, gave them a few broken bowls, and said, "Stone mother, you can take the children to ask for some food." ”

Li Cuishi answered and set off with his three children. Because the villagers in this village are very scattered, and it is getting late, and a few people are afraid that they will not be able to go to a few houses together, so Li Cuishi asked the children to go to the village, and he ran farther away. The net is bigger, and hopefully there will be more. When you break up, you must explain again and again, when you meet someone, your mouth must be sweet, say more words to ask for someone, although your face is thicker, but you must not cause trouble, it doesn't matter if you can get food or not, the important thing is peace.

Zhang Xing's family was superior in her previous life, her parents were both Kochi, she was the only daughter in the family, although she was well-informed and strong-minded, but it was the first time she had done this to beg, and she was inevitably apprehensive. Holding a broken bowl, holding his sister, he entered the village, and it happened that the family at the head of the village was eating with the door open, the aroma of food wafted out, and Zhang Tao swallowed hard.

Zhang Xing went through Li Cui's explanation in her heart, and went over cautiously, but before she could speak, a mother-in-law from this family came out, waved her hand, and said impatiently: "Go, go, no, no." Then he snapped the door shut.

Zhang Xing was stunned for a while and went to the next one. The man of the family squatted at the door to eat, and when he saw two little beggars, he didn't say a word, turned around and entered the house, and closed the door with a bang. Zhang Xing stood at the door and listened to the man in the house say, "I don't have anything to eat, where is there anything for others?"

After walking seven or eight families in a row, Zhang Xing still hasn't gotten anything yet. As the twilight wore on, she couldn't help but feel frustrated. Zhang Tao pulled her sleeve, pointed to the front, and shouted, "Sister......"

Zhang Xing looked at what she was pointing at. Not far away, the stone was standing at the door of a family's house, knocking on the broken bowl against two closed doors, and singing a song in a staggered manner. Zhang Xing listened carefully, the rhyme of the song was smooth, catchy, all words such as auspicious and rich, is it not the lotus flower of the begging woman?

Zhang Tao was about to go over, but Zhang Xing hurriedly grabbed her and said, "Wait." ”

The stone knocked on the door and sang to himself for a long time, and the house finally couldn't wipe his face, opened the door, and a thin old man came out, took some leftovers and poured them into the stone bowl, waved his hand, and said, "Okay, okay, stop singing, let's go, let's go." ”

Shi smiled and said: "Uncle, you are so good-hearted, you will live a long life in the future, and you will be rich and rich, thank you Luo." He picked up his broken bowl and turned to leave.

Seeing the two sisters looking at him silently not far away, Shi Shi hurriedly waved his hand, "Tao'er, come here, come here." How much did you ask for?" Zhang Tao turned his head to look at the empty bowl in his sister's hand.

"Ah, empty. Shi looked at Zhang Xing and couldn't help clapping his hands and laughing, he was as old as Zhang Xing, and he had been preached on the opposite side of the comparison in the past few days, and it was easy to turn over, which was really fun. After the music was over, he stuffed his full bowl to Zhang Tao, took the empty bowl in Zhang Xing's hand, and showed off: "Look at me." ”

It was June, and there were several women sitting on the bench gossiping, and there were four or five seven or eight-year-old children playing next to them. The stone put the bowl on the ground, and did not come forward to talk, but only kicked his legs twice, and then he turned seven or eight heels in a row, from one side of the field to the other side of the field, and then from that side to the other side, and then turned over from that side, and the children all gathered around.

The stone flipped over and followed, and then came to a handstand with both hands, and walked five or six steps in the field. Now not only the children, but also the women who spoke also stretched their necks to look, and some couldn't help but ask curiously: "Hey, which baby is this?" ”

Zhang Xingfu was heartfelt, hurriedly picked up the bowl on the ground, knocked it a few times, and said: "Kind-hearted aunts, sisters-in-law, little brothers and sisters, our brothers and sisters are from Yu'an Tang Town, our hometown has been flooded, and it has been a few days since we eaten. As he spoke, he brought the bowl to the women, "Lady is fine." ”

The stone turned over there and snorted and gasped. The women looked at each other at first, and one of them sneered, stood up, and said, "I still have some leftovers in my house, girl, if you don't dislike it, I'll bring it to you." Zhang Xing hurriedly thanked: "The little sister-in-law is so kind-hearted, thank you sister-in-law." ”

The woman took the lead, and two more stood up one after another, and after a while, they came over with some food, filling Zhang Xing's bowl to the brim, and one of them was a little older and looked at Zhang Xing with her sister, and grabbed three steamed buns and stuffed them into Zhang Tao's hands.

After returning with a full load, Zhang Xing and the three of them were in a good mood, and when they left the village, Shi hurriedly grabbed the leftovers with his hands and stuffed them into his mouth, Zhang Xing hurriedly stopped them, saying, "What's the hurry? "Although it is good to have something to eat at this time, these are always leftovers from others, and after the fire, it is still better.

The stone was upset and said, "I have got all these things." Zhang Xing smiled, took a steamed bun from Zhang Tao's hand, and said: "Yes, yes, these are the fruits of your labor, and it is up to you to divide them, but you have to go back and burn them over." If you're really hungry, take this mat first. ”

"Well, that's pretty much it. The stone took the bun and said as he ate.

The three of them walked back in the moonlight, and Zhang Tao pulled the stone and asked, "Brother Shi, what kind of song did you sing at the door of someone else's house just now?" ”

"Listen to that. "This is what my grandmother taught, and I will teach you several, and I will teach you later." ”

The three of them left the village, and after walking for long, they met Li Cuishi, and she also asked for a bowl. When the stone saw his mother, he naturally couldn't forget to come forward to show off, holding two full bowls, and said: "Mother, mother, you see, these are all what your son and I begged." ”

Li Cuishi snorted and said, "Look at what you can." In the end, the corners of his mouth turned high, and his thin and sad face became vivid.

Zhang Xing took Zhang Tao and followed them silently, and couldn't help but sigh in her heart: This begging is really a skill.