Chen Qiuniang woke up on one side and arrived at the door of Liu Cheng's house. She opened her sleepy eyes and jumped out of the carriage in a daze, only to find that the half-moon had reached the top of the mountain.

"I'm going back." Chen Qiuniang said, she was about to jump, but Liu Cheng grabbed it and said, "The moonlight is cloudy, the snake likes it, this ridge road, you wait, I'll take a lantern to shine on you back." ”

"Koyanagi doesn't have to be tired. I'll just light the lantern and send Miss Chen back. Jiang Hang, who had been silent, said, turned over and dismounted, folded the lantern on the carriage and held it in his hand.

"You still have to rush back to Liuhe Town, and this kind of trivial matter won't bother Commander Jiang." Liu Cheng said.

"Xiaoliu Langzhong tried his best to treat the second son, he didn't eat and sleep well these days, so he still went home and rested. Sending Miss Chen back is also a gesture. Jiang Hang behaved politely and spoke calmly. But Chen Qiuniang heard that there was no room for negotiation in his words.

Liu Cheng was told this by Jiang Hang, so he stopped talking and just stubbornly stood in place. Chen Qiuniang suddenly felt that Liu Cheng was not as calm as usual, and the atmosphere was a little tense for a while. She hurriedly said, "Brother Cheng has been tired for so many days, hurry up and go back to rest." Commander Lao Jiang sent me back. ”

Jiang Hang answered, didn't look at Liu Cheng, and directly ordered one of his swordsmen to also play the lantern, so that he would send Chen Qiuniang back with the lantern one after the other.

Chen Qiuniang walked a few steps, and couldn't help but look back, Liu Cheng was still standing on the side of the carriage, although he was a vague figure, but he could see that he was looking this way. Because he couldn't see his face clearly, he didn't know what Shen looked like.

Miss Chen carefully followed the path under her feet. This field path is narrow and uneven. Jiang Hang reminded loudly. Chen Qiuniang turned her head at this time, thanked Jiang Hang, and looked at the road seriously, for fear that another snake would come out.

Jiang Hang sent Chen Qiuniang to the door of the bamboo fence, and heard Chen Liushi asking, "But Qiuniang is back?" ”

"Yes, Grandma." Chen Qiuniang replied, and pushed the door in.

Chen Liushi stood in front of the door of the hall with a stick, the moonlight was hazy, and only her silhouette could be seen. Jiang Hang ordered his subordinates to wait outside the fence gate, and he personally carried the lantern to the door of the hall with Chen Qiuniang.

"I'm worried about my grandmother dead. It's good for you to come back. Just come back. Chen Liushi stepped forward and shook Chen Qiuniang's hand very excitedly.

"Grandma, what's there to worry about, I'm going with the fourth grandfather." Chen Qiuniang comforted.

Chen Liushi was speechless, looked at Jiang Hang again, and said, "Thank you Gongzi for sending my Qiu Niang back." ”

"Old lady don't have to be polite, this is a matter of duty." Jiang Hang saluted Chen Liu's family, then handed the lantern to Chen Qiuniang, and said, "If you arrive home safely, I will retire." It's been a busy day today, so Miss Chen should rest early. ”

"Thank you, Gongzi Jiang." Chen Qiuniang carried the lantern and saluted, and then answered Chen Liu's nagging. Of course, this answer must have omitted the thrilling part, only saying that she went to the Yunlai Inn, and the boss liked her very much, but they still need to consider it when it comes to being a helper.

"Did you tell me about your resurrection?" Chen Liushi asked worriedly.

Chen Qiuniang lowered her voice while checking the two younger brothers: "Of course I said it, the shopkeeper is a scholar, and he doesn't say that he is a strange force." Don't worry about that. ”

"That's good, that's good. There is hope for our whole family. Chen Liushi was a little excited.

Chen Qiusheng shouted unhappily: "Grandma." ”

Chen Liushi stopped talking. Chen Qiuniang looked at this situation and expected that something big must have happened during the day, and it must have something to do with Chen Quanzhong.

Chen Quanzhong will make trouble sooner or later, which is what she expected, and there is nothing surprising about her. Therefore, she also talked to Chen Liu, after all, Chen Liushi is an old woman, and she is still Chen Quanzhong's mother, and what she says from her perspective sometimes makes Chen Qiuniang want to beat her.

In order not to make herself unhappy, she immediately stopped what Chen Qiusheng wanted to say, and instead asked them what they had for dinner and how the two younger brothers were doing. Chen Qiusheng replied very obediently, saying that he had hot porridge for dinner, and he put on his pot helmet. The situation of the two younger brothers is very good, and the eldest brother also called Mom, with a vague pronunciation, but I can hear it, it is the mother who shouted.

When Chen Qiusheng said to his mother, his eyes were moist, and his voice was a little choked. Chen Qiuniang looked at this thin five-year-old child, and she didn't feel good in her heart. She stepped forward and touched his head and said, "Okay, let's not disturb grandma, let grandma have a good rest." ”

Chen Liushi wanted to say something, and shouted "Qiu Niang", but Chen Qiu Niang didn't want to talk to her, so she only said: "Grandma, it's not early, rest early." I'm tired today, too, and I'll talk about it tomorrow. ”

Chen Liushi had no choice but to say "um", and Chen Qiuniang pulled Qiusheng out of the room and went to the kitchen. She was going to boil some more porridge for the two younger brothers, but the children were hungry and crying so much that they had to be prepared.

Chen Qiusheng helped to light the fire very obediently, and the sister and brother were busy for a while. When the rice was put into the pot, Chen Qiuniang asked while taking care of the fire: "What happened during the day?" ”

When Chen Qiusheng heard this, he cried "wow", threw himself into Chen Qiuniang's arms, and said, "I'm sorry, eldest sister, Qiusheng is sorry for you." ”

"Man, what does it look like to cry and cry, say something if you have something." Chen Qiuniang patted Qiusheng's back, and she already had an ominous premonition in her heart.

Chen Qiusheng stopped crying for a while, nodded his head and promised that he would not cry again in the future, and then said that Chen Quanzhong had come back during the day. It's just that as soon as he came back, he asked Chen Liushi for silver, saying that the gambling house gave a deadline, otherwise his hand would be cut off. Chen Liushi said that there was no money, so Chen Quanzhong had to take his two younger brothers to sell them to repay the interest, and at the same time, when he saw the rice and noodles in the kitchen, he also had to move them away.

Chen Liushi panicked, knelt down and cried and begged Chen Quanzhong not to toss this family anymore, not to toss the child. Chen Quanzhong ignored it, and was about to leave with a child in one hand.

Chen Qiusheng immediately panicked, because he promised Chen Qiuniang to take good care of his younger brother, and he also knew that the eldest sister was never willing to sell them, let them die miserably, or go to live a miserable life under the fence. At this time, the eldest sister was not at home, so he begged his father, but his father was no longer a loving father, but a gambler who was blindfolded by lard and his six relatives did not recognize him, and he kicked Chen Qiusheng with a single kick.

Chen Qiusheng couldn't care about the pain in his ribs, struggled, and asked loudly: "Two younger brothers, how much can you sell?" ”

"Five taels of silver. Add you and maybe you can buy ten taels, and you can work. Chen Quanzhong replied shamelessly.

Chen Qiu was angry, so he ran to the house and took out seven taels of Chen Qiuniang's silver, saying that it was the eldest sister's money from selling snakes, and begged Chen Quanzhong not to sell his two younger brothers. As a result, the money was taken by Chen Quanzhong, and Chen Quanzhong also shrewdly forced Chen Qiusheng to ask more than this, there must be more.

Chen Liushi scolded Chen Quanzhong for a long time, but it was useless. Chen Quanzhong dug three feet into the ground at home, and threatened not to hand them over, so he still had to sell the two small ones.

"Eldest sister, I'm sorry, I'm afraid he sold his two younger brothers, and I'll hand over the rest. Hit me. Chen Qiusheng lowered his head and cried.

Chen Qiuniang's anger was more distressed. She took Qiusheng in her arms and said, "You didn't do anything wrong, how can I beat you." Don't think about it, I'm going to rest, and you're going to help me do things tomorrow. ”

"Eldest sister, you don't blame me? I peeked at you burying the money, and I gave it to my father. Chen Qiusheng raised his head in surprise, trying to find a reproachful look on Chen Qiuniang's face.

Chen Qiuniang smiled at him and said, "This matter of voyeurism is not done by a gentleman, you yourself know that it is wrong, and if you don't commit it in the future, it's just that." Big sister doesn't blame you. As for the matter of taking the silver and leaving his two younger brothers, Qiusheng can distinguish the importance clearly, see the shape clearly, and attach great importance to affection and righteousness. The eldest sister was very happy. How can I blame you. ”

"Big sister." Chen Qiusheng was very excited, stared at Chen Qiuniang for a while, and then said as if making a guarantee: "Qiusheng will definitely be a man who stands up to the sky." ”

Chen Qiuniang touched his head lovingly and said, "This is the demeanor that the Chen family should have." ”

Chen Qiusheng finally nodded less sadly, and then a small face appeared worried, and he whispered: "But without silver, it will be difficult for us to live." ”

"With the eldest sister here, how can you be sad. Believe me? Chen Qiuniang pinched his little face and asked with a smile.

Chen Qiusheng looked at her, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Believe." ”

Chen Qiuniang smiled, and she already understood in her heart: Compared to Chen Quanzhong, this child obviously regarded her as a trustworthy reliance. She has become the hope of all ages in this family.

She suddenly felt a lot heavier on her shoulders. So, he comforted Chen Qiusheng again, and assigned him the task of getting some fine sand back early tomorrow morning, and then coaxed him to sleep.

Chen Qiuniang turned around and went to the kitchen again, picked up the porridge that was boiling in the pot and put it in the basin, and then drew cold water from the well platform to get up and calm it, and only when the porridge was completely cold and covered the lid did she turn off the lights.

Outside, the moonlight had dimmed for some time, and the moon looked like it was covered with silk, and it was not very distinct.

"It looks like it's going to rain heavily." Chen Qiuniang said to herself that her rural life since she was a child has made her have a keen judgment of these weather phenology. She stood in the courtyard, looking at the moon, thinking of today's ups and downs, and sighed a lot in her heart.

After standing in the courtyard for a long time, she played a set of five poultry plays, and then she went into the house and lay down.

Maybe I slept in the car, maybe all kinds of ups and downs were too bizarre today, or maybe the silver was taken away by Chen Quanzhong and I felt uncomfortable. In short, Chen Qiuniang went into the house to lie down, but she couldn't sleep for a long time.

The mountain village is silent, as if the barking of dogs on the other side of the mountain can be faintly heard. In this silence, Chen Qiuniang's thoughts fluctuated, thinking of the time she spent with her grandmother in her previous life, Dai Yuanqing's smiling face in her eyebrows, and Chai Yu's resolute look in the daytime. Later, she began to ponder the attitude of the Zhang family, especially what the situation was with Zhang Ci.

She pondered back and forth, couldn't guess, and became even less sleepy. I don't know how long it took, but it suddenly rained heavily, and when I looked through the crack in the wall, the moonlight had already faded, and it was pitch black outside.

The rain only stopped for a while, but the moonlight did not come out again. In the second half of the night, Chen Qiuniang, who was thinking a lot, heard the dogs in the village suddenly bark one after another.