The fourth uncle slept in the cave all night, and he couldn't stand the cold of the cave, so he asked Zheng Zhishang to go home with him to sleep the next day. However, Zheng Zhishang insisted on disagreeing. The fourth uncle also knew the reason, and seeing that Zheng Zhishang insisted, he finally stopped persuading, but went home and moved his futon over.

My father came back on the third day, packed up some supplies for his younger brother Zheng Zhihao and sister Zheng Zhixin, and left in a hurry. His younger brother Zheng Zhihao and younger sister Zheng Zhixin are seriously ill and need to stay in the hospital for observation.

Maybe God opened his eyes, and he couldn't bear to let Zheng Zhishang continue to blow the cold wind in the cave, and the snow that had been falling intermittently for three days finally stopped.

The New Year's Pass has also begun to be put on the agenda of every household, and the only one in the village who has not moved is Zheng Zhishang's family, although his sister Zheng Zhixin has lost his fever, but his younger brother Zheng Zhihao has not completely reduced his fever, so his father is still taking care of him in the hospital.

The household responsibility system, which has been in place for two years, and the dumping of dried red mushrooms after the autumn harvest this year, has made every household in the village more or less have a small amount of money in their hands, while some people use the money in their hands to exchange cloth tickets with others and go to the city to buy new clothes for their children and prepare for the New Year.

The fourth uncle was also called back to the house by his grandmother, and only at night would he secretly come over to accompany Zheng Zhishang for a night, and the next day before dawn he had to rush back before his grandmother found out, and he couldn't be here in the cave during the day.

In the evening of this day, Zheng Zhishang hesitated for a long time before he mustered up the courage to walk into the former home again.

"What are you going to do?" The voice was very cold, even a little disgusted.

"Ah grandma, I'm looking for the fourth uncle...... Zheng Zhishang paused, looked up at his grandmother, and knew in his heart that grandma didn't like herself, nor did she like her father and mother.

"I'm not you, ahma...... There's no ...... your fourth uncle here."

Although it's not the first time I've heard this sentence, every time I hear it in my ears, it hurts in my heart, I can't help but want to cry, I feel wronged for my parents, it's all meat that fell from my grandmother's birth, even if I was kicked out of the house, even the most difficult last year, my father didn't forget to be filial to her.

"Grandma, what are you doing?"

Just when Zheng Zhishang was sad and angry, he was about to turn around and leave. The fourth uncle ran out of the house and said with a smile at Zheng Zhishang: "Xingxing, I've arrived at the door, come in, we'll have dinner together, so you don't have to go home and do it yourself." ”

"I didn't prepare extra ......"

"Grandma......"

Zheng Zhishang held back the tears that were about to fall, smiled reluctantly at the fourth uncle, shook his head and said, "No, it's okay, fourth uncle, I'll go first." ”

"Grandma, what are you doing, the star is not your grandson, the eldest brother is not your biological son......"

Behind him, the fourth uncle's voice of scolding his grandmother came, Zheng Zhishang hurriedly quickened his pace, only thinking about escaping far away, and wishing that he had just had a dream, and he had never been here at all today. Despite how hard Zheng Zhishang tries. I still heard the movement behind me.

"Slap", yes, the fourth uncle was slapped by his grandmother, and then his grandmother splashed and sobbed, "What did I do, why did I raise these white-eyed wolves." ”

The voice gradually weakened, and Zheng Zhishang's splash in his eyes could no longer bear to fall "crackling", and he leaned against the earthen wall in pain.

"Star, what's wrong? Are they bullying you again...... "Grandma Wen's loving voice came from her ears, and she wiped the tears on Zheng Zhishang's face softly and distressedly, "Don't cry, Aunt Wen, I'll give them noodles when I go back." ”

Vermicelli is a kind of rattan and bamboo strips that are tied together to beat children, and adults jokingly call it eating vermicelli.

"Auntie, no, they didn't bully me." Zheng Zhishang forcibly endured the splash in his eyes, and reluctantly smiled at Grandma Wen, "Auntie, I still have something to do, so I'll go first." ”

Getting rid of Grandma Kaiwen, Zheng Zhishang hesitated again and again, and finally lowered his head and returned home.

Back at home, Zheng Zhishang quickly found the dilapidated chicken coop from a pile of miscellaneous items, which could fit three of his chicken coops, but fortunately his father had repaired them before leaving. It's just that the young Zheng Zhishang is holding a cage that is several sizes older than himself and completely blocks Zheng Zhishang's small body.

After struggling to walk to the two-wheeled wooden cart, Zheng Zhishang put down the cage, and then he had a sad face, now that he had already passed the farm schedule, the body of the cart and the bulky wooden wheels were separated. With Zheng Zhishang's small body, he didn't have the strength to carry the board car and install the wheels.

"Xingxing, what are you thinking?"

Just when Zheng Zhishang was sad, the fourth uncle came. Zheng Zhishang raised his head and smiled at the fourth uncle, "Fourth uncle, you're here, it's nothing." How did you get here. ”

The fourth uncle seemed to know what Zheng Zhishang wanted to do, so he took out the bulky wooden wheels from the warehouse and easily loaded the cart. looked at Zheng Zhishang and asked, "Xingxing, what is the matter with me in the evening?" ”

Zheng Zhishang shook his head, "It's okay, I just want you to help me load the cart." ”

The fourth uncle stared at Zheng Zhishang for a while, "Xingxing, your grandmother ......"

"Fourth uncle, I know, it's okay." Zheng Zhishang held the palm of the fourth uncle, turned his head and smiled at the fourth uncle, "Oh, by the way, the fourth uncle, you came just in time, I picked a big rooster and a big fat duck, and prepared some mushrooms, fungus, etc. for you to take back." ”

"No, you keep the ...... for yourself"

"It's okay, there are still at home, I'll go get you ......" broke free of the fourth uncle's hand on the weak shoulder, Zheng Zhishang ran to the chicken and duck shed.

It didn't take long for Zheng Zhishang to run two trips to the chicken and duck shed before he struggled to put a chicken and a duck in front of the fourth uncle, and then ran to the warehouse to bring a bag of mushrooms and fungus that had been prepared to the fourth uncle.

After sending the fourth uncle away, Zheng Zhishang began to get busy again, and now put the cage on the cart, and then ran to the chicken and duck shed, and a chicken and a duck were caught out of it and put in the cage. It took a dozen rounds like this. After doing this, he didn't bother to take a breath and rest, so he turned around and ran into the barn again. I packed a bag of dried shiitake mushrooms and dried fungus.

Before it was completely dark, he was finally busy and rested for a while, Zheng Zhishang went around the bulky board car about his height, tried to lift the rider, and pulled it forward hard.

However, Zheng Zhishang, who had just turned five years old, had a pitiful little strength, where he could pull the bulky shuttle, exerting all his strength, in the open space in front of the cave, twisting and turning, like a turtle, walking a distance of one meter, he was out of breath, a little sloppy, and he couldn't pull it.

"If only there were cows." Zheng Zhishang sighed.

The strength is pitiful, Zheng Zhishang tried a few more times, but he couldn't control the board car, seeing that the sky was completely dark, he had to go back to the house, boiled a pot of hot water for himself, and took a hot bath comfortably, I don't know if I was too tired, I didn't even make dinner for myself, and fell asleep in a daze on the bed.

Before dawn the next day, Zheng Zhishang woke up, cooked himself a big bowl of rice porridge, and after breakfast, he came to the cart again, in a daze with a sad face.

"I really want to grow up soon." After a long time, Zheng Zhishang muttered with emotion.

"Xingxing, have you eaten it?"

It was the fourth uncle who came, Zheng Zhishang looked at the fourth uncle with some surprise, nodded and said, "Well, I have already eaten, why did you come here so early, fourth uncle." ”

"Today is the town gathering, I told your grandma that I want to go to the market."

The countryside rushed to the market, there was a very early time, and later although because of some historical reasons, it was forbidden to buy and sell privately, and the assembly never stopped, and now after the market is developed, although the material is still very scarce, many things, all kinds of tickets, go to the supply and marketing cooperatives to buy.

But very peasant, even if there are no tickets or anything, they also like to catch the market, join in the fun, whenever they go to the market, they will always wear clean and neat, like a festival. In all directions, rush to the bazaar.

"Fourth uncle, how do you know my ......?"

The fourth uncle smiled, "How can you hide it from me with your little care, okay, get in the car, otherwise you won't be able to occupy a good position." ”

"No, I'll just walk by myself......"

Regardless of Zheng Zhishang's answer, the fourth uncle picked up Zheng Zhishang, put him on the cart, and straightened Zheng Zhishang's wrinkled clothes, "When are you going to go?" ”

He also pulled up the cart, walked forward steadily, and suddenly asked, "Xingxing, do you know how to sell these things?" ”

Zheng Zhishang nodded, "Hmm." ”

Although it was not yet dawn, he set off from home, but when he arrived at the market with his fourth uncle, a short street was already full of various stalls, some of which were the same as Zheng Zhishang, who took the chickens and ducks at home to the market to sell, and there were also some street vendors, but the things sold were limited, far less than the goods in the market when he was a child in his previous life.

found a position, with the help of the fourth uncle, put the mushrooms, fungus, chicken, and duck away, Zheng Zhishang said to the fourth uncle, and went to the nearby stall to inspect the market.

Not long after returning, a middle-aged woman wearing a fat green military uniform came and asked, "How do you sell chickens, ducks, mushrooms, and fungus?" ”

"Ten yuan a pound of mushrooms, eight cents a pound of fungus, four yuan a pound of chicken, three yuan and five cents a pound of ducks......" Zheng Zhishang looked at the middle-aged woman while quoting, and saw that the middle-aged woman frowned, and hurriedly added: "Auntie, you have cloth tickets, food tickets, and oil tickets, and you can also exchange these for them." ”

Although most of the people who rushed to the market were farmers from villages from all over the world, at this time, there were not many families who raised livestock at home, first, they had no money to buy chicken seedlings and duck seedlings, and second, they were very food-consuming, and many families were reluctant to do so.

These chickens and ducks were raised by their mothers when they were there, and they were raised for two years from a hen that laid eggs, and hatched chicks before they could be sold this year.

Although the things Zheng Zhishang sold seemed to be a little expensive, not long after the market began, they were still bought with money or various tickets.

After counting today's income, it is not bad, more than a dozen chickens, ducks plus more than 20 catties of mushrooms and fungus have also sold a total of more than a dozen food tickets, oil tickets or something, and some five-foot cloth tickets, as well as more than a dozen yuan, most of which have been exchanged by Zheng Zhishang for various tickets of equivalent value.

In this era of material scarcity, money is sometimes not as good as these tickets, at least most of the things in the supply and marketing cooperatives need to be obtained with tickets, with these cloth tickets, younger brother Zheng Zhihao, sister Zheng Zhixin, and father can pull new cloth and make a new clothes.

Since his birth, Zheng Zhishang has never made a single set of clothes, and the clothes on his body are all old clothes from his father, fourth uncle, and old clothes from various families, and they have been changed from smaller. Not to mention my father, he didn't even pull a foot of new cloth to make clothes when he got married.

Holding these things, Zheng Zhishang's young face, which was a little dark, smiled at the fourth uncle, "Fourth uncle, let's go have lunch." ”

The two had lunch, under the leadership of the fourth uncle, Zheng Zhishang went to the supply and marketing cooperative, looking at the monotonous coarse cloth, Zheng Zhishang selected for a long time, and then picked the cloth with a more preferred color, and said to the fourth uncle: "Fourth uncle, you also pick a piece." ”

However, the fourth uncle didn't pick it, Zheng Zhishang could only pick it for a while, and changed the cloth ticket in his hand for cloth, and then replaced the food ticket and oil ticket in his hand with things. The New Year's goods for the New Year were also fully prepared, and then I went home with the fourth uncle on the cart.

Zheng Zhishang left enough cloth for his father, younger brother, sister, and himself to make clothes, and selected two pieces of new cloth and some New Year's goods exchanged for food and oil stamps, and gave them to the fourth uncle, asking the fourth uncle to take them home.

Although the fourth uncle insisted on not wanting to, when he got home, he went back empty-handed. However, Zheng Zhishang still wrapped up these things and stepped into the former home again, this time fortunately, grandma was not there, and there were only the fourth uncle and grandfather who had just separated, as well as the aunt and uncle who came to send off the festival.

"Grandfather, third uncle, fourth uncle, aunt, uncle." Zheng Zhishang put down the things he was holding in his arms that had blocked him, and greeted him politely.

Seeing Zheng Zhishang, the fourth uncle's face immediately stiffened, "It's not that you said no, what else did you send over, for yourself and your younger brothers and sisters." ”

"Xingxing, come and sit ......" The aunt took Zheng Zhishang's small hand and pulled it to her side.

"No need, auntie." Zheng Zhishang looked at his grandfather, who had always had a straight face and no expression, "Grandpa, I went to the market today to buy some New Year's goods, and my father is still in the hospital, so I sent it to you for him." ”

"No, listen to your fourth uncle, take it back and keep it for yourself." A grandfather who didn't open his mouth finally spoke, speaking Hokkien language that Zheng Zhishang was incomprehensible, but fortunately, Zheng Zhishang still heard a general meaning.

"There's still something at home." Zheng Zhishang turned his head to his aunt and uncle again, and said, "Auntie, uncle, you have time to come to the house for dinner." There was something else going on at home, so I'll go first. ”

In fact, at this time, there is basically nothing to do at home, but Zheng Zhishang is a little afraid of running into that grandmother.

Not long after being kicked out of the house last year, his mother asked someone to get two piglets, one male and one female, to raise as breeding pigs. In terms of pig raising, Zheng Zhishang didn't know much about it, and only learned something about it after his mother started raising pigs.

Later, the mother went, Zheng Zhishang also took over the work of raising pigs, before the winter of this year, the sow was also very competitive to give birth to the first litter of piglets, although there were only six, not as the legend can give birth. But Zheng Zhishang was happy for a long time.

Six piglets, even if the survival rate is only 50%, after two months, there will be three piglets to sell, and after a year, there will be three big pigs to sell, and the sow can continue to give birth. Even if you don't have the technology, you should still be able to have two litters a year.

Fortunately, the six piglets are very competitive and have always been healthy, at least in Zheng Zhishang's eyes, but in that winter snow, two more piglets were frozen to death, and since then, Zheng Zhishang has taken more careful care of the piglets.

The remaining four piglets have also survived for two months, and now that the piglets are ready to be sold, Zheng Zhishang looked at the pigs "humming" in the pigsty, and began to worry, thinking about what to do with these four piglets?

It is impossible to keep all four piglets, and Zheng Zhishang is powerless even if he wants to. I didn't eat, drink, sleep, and kept picking wild vegetables, which was not enough for six pigs to eat, and there was not so much food at home to raise pigs.