Two days to come, two days to go. After staying in Taiqing Mountain for dozens of days, when I returned to Huantang Town, I felt a little "vicissitudes".

"Yun Zhao, why do I think this place is not quite like the Huantang Town you said?" Seeing Heng's eyes, he got out of the carriage and looked around, scratching his head a little puzzled.

Yun Zhao didn't know how to answer him, in her own opinion, this place really didn't look like the town she had lived in for ten years.

What was it like here in the past?

——The streets and alleys are full of stalls, selling snacks, buns, and purses...... There are women and old women who like to stand at the end of the street and chat, there are porters and men who pull the cart and walk out a yellow smoke, and sometimes the free-range calves and sheep go to the street, and a group of half-sized dolls follow behind with sugar gourds and giggle and make trouble......

No matter what it looks like, the Huantang Town in my memory has never been so depressed.

Yun Zhao looked at the scattered shops with open doors and windows, the peach branches with window panels were not as shiny as before, and they looked as if they were about to "break" and close at any time.

Two children, one thin and one fat, walked hand in hand on the street, and the thin child looked left and right, hoping to find a familiar face to come out and ask about the situation.

Walking to the head of the street, Yun Zhao's eyes lit up.

"Uncle Chen!" she shouted, pulling Jianheng and running over.

The bearded man struck the iron, and one by one...... I didn't hear Yun Zhao call him.

His eyes were fixed on the piece of iron under the hammer, as if he were staring at nothing, his eyes were yellow and dull, and his face was as dull as smeared with dirt.

"Uncle Chen!"

Ding——

The man raised his head in a panic, and looked at Yun Zhao in mid-air with his hand for a long time.

I don't know how long the stalemate lasted, Yun Zhao couldn't hold back the smile on her face, she stretched out a hand and waved it in front of the blacksmith, "Uncle Chen, you don't know me, I'm Xiao Zhao!"

The blacksmith seemed to have been woken up from a dream, and his spirit returned to his body little by little, he looked at the girl, and his eyes also accumulated brilliance, "Xiao Zhao?

Yun Zhao smiled, "Hey! it's me." ”

At this time, Blacksmith Chen finally looked the same as he remembered, he greeted his wife in the house, and then turned around and looked at Yun Zhao carefully, "Oh, I was thinking about something, but I didn't recognize it for a while...... Xiao Zhao, you have grown up!"

"Look at what you said, I've only been away for a long time, and you'll grow up when you look at it!" Yun Zhao was sincerely happy when he saw the old man, and his smile was bright without a trace of gloom, and he could see that Blacksmith Chen's heart was brighter.

A little girl with an unsteady pace stumbled out of the house and bumped into Yun Zhao, grabbed her clothes with her little hand, and shouted loudly with her mouth with a missing front tooth: "Sister Zhao......! Sister!"

"Nan Nan remembers her sister more than her father, wow, after you leave, she always wants to play with her sister," the woman wiped her hands with her apron and walked out with a smile, "Didn't Xiao Zhao go to Taiqing? Why did you come back now?"

"What are you doing here?" just cooked," Blacksmith Chen looked a little better with joy, "Xiao Yunzhao hasn't eaten yet, is this?"

Seeing that Heng was slapped by Blacksmith Chen's big palm, and his round body shook twice, he was extremely polite and replied loudly: "Yun Zhao and I are senior brothers and sisters!"

Uncle Chen smiled with his palms, "Okay, good, the fat boy looks really blessed, come in and eat together!"

Yun Zhao blinked when he saw Heng, and when he saw Heng, he was still a little nervous about meeting strangers, but it also disappeared a lot at this time.

Yun Zhao hugged the Chen family's little girl, followed by Jianheng, and several people happily entered the door.

Aunt Chen has a shy and gentle personality, she arranged a good meal, and sat down by the stove with her nannan, her face was still a little embarrassed, "Xiao Zhao and Xiao Gongzi smiled, I didn't make any good dishes today, and I will cook you something delicious in the evening." ”

There were three small bowls of brown rice and two bowls of green vegetables on the table, and I really didn't expect any guests to come.

"Auntie out of the way, we're not hungry ......"

Before Yun Zhao could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Uncle Chen's big palm on the shoulder.

"That's not good, you two little guests just sit in peace, you don't have to worry about your aunt. The man came out with two jars of wine from the back room, just put them on the table, and patted his head, "Ouch, I forgot, you can't drink...... I'm always thinking about drinking with your master's old man, and I'm confused......"

Halfway through his speech, his wife threw a look at him, and he pondered that this was inappropriate, and he was embarrassed for a moment, and then changed his head, "You two little guys, why did you run out of the sect?"

Yun Zhao smiled, "This is my friend Xiao Shu, he and I are going to practice in the Lingying Sect, I want to come back and get ...... The sword that my master gave me took leave and came over with a small bolt. ”

"Oh," the man nodded, "I've fixed the sword for you, don't rush today, rest at your uncle's house for the night, and take it tomorrow." ”

She knows that Uncle Chen treats people warmly, but now she is a little helpless, "Uncle Chen......"

The woman on the side couldn't help laughing, "Your uncle treats you as a daughter, and after you leave, he often chatters, saying that he wants someone to bring you some food, and now that you are back, you will accompany your aunt and the girl more." ”

Uncle Chen took a sip of wine and looked a little sad, "According to my relationship with your master, alas, ......"

Yun Zhao didn't want him to say more, so he only smiled slightly and poured him another glass of wine, "I know, uncle, I'll leave tomorrow." ”

The man smiled and nodded vigorously, and there was something bright in his eyes.

At this time, Nan Nan started crying, she was clamoring to break out of Aunt Chen's arms, and her little hand stretched out in the direction of Yun Zhao.

"Auntie, if it's not in the way, let the girl come over and hug me," Yun Zhao took a bite of food, opened his hand and looked at the little girl with a smile.

The woman's face was embarrassed, and with this stunned effort, the little girl broke free and stumbled to the dinner table.

She didn't go to Yun Zhao's arms, moved her little body, climbed onto Jianheng's lap and sat down, biting her fingers and staring at Jianheng.

Seeing Heng chewing rice in her mouth, her head slightly arched the little girl's forehead, and the little girl giggled. Then he also smiled and took another chopstick of green vegetables, and sent a small piece of rice to Nannan's mouth, Nannan opened his mouth to take it, grinning and hugging Jianheng's neck and laughing.

Seeing Heng also smiled, his eyes crooked, "I was very hungry when I was a child, and I went to others to ask for food, and I also bit my fingers like Nan Nan and looked at others, hahaha......"

The speaker has no intention, but the listener has a heart.

Yun Zhao was careful, her smile stopped and she was stunned, she looked down at the two bowls of green vegetables on the table without any oil and water, and then at the delicious and gobbled up.

She remembered that Nan Nan had always been the most picky.

Yun Zhao turned his head and saw Uncle Chen eating happily, while Aunt Chen lowered her head and didn't speak.

"Auntie...... Yun Zhao said with some hesitation, "In the town, is there something going on in the town?"

As soon as the words fell, Uncle Chen cleared his throat, "Hey, what can happen in this town?" Xiao Zhao is about to eat, and he asks if there are any of these. ”

Uncle Chen had a straightforward temperament, but Yun Zhao had already figured out that something was wrong from his extraordinarily fast speaking speed.

"Auntie, you talk to me, this is also my home, as soon as I come back today, I will find out that something is wrong, what happened to Huantang Town?" Yun Zhao was anxious.

The woman raised her head, her eyes were a little red, but she still smiled and shook her head, "It's okay, Xiao Zhao, you don't have to worry about it." ”

Yun Zhao looked back at the gobbling girl, and suddenly became angry, "If you don't tell me, I'll ask others!

"You stubborn girl!" Uncle Chen scolded with a straight face, pulling her to sit down, "Your temper really hasn't changed at all!"

"Then you say, can I not be in a hurry? This is my home!"

The man was silent for a long time before taking a sip of wine and slowly speaking.

Only then did Yun Zhao know that such a situation had already appeared before she left Huantang Town.

On the day Yun Zhao left Huantang, Emperor Yongdong lost his first battle in office.

There was a bleak inside and outside the court, not to mention, the bones of the 100,000 soldiers who died in front of them were not cold, and the first holy decree came down, and they actually had to continue to fight.

The imprisonment of the officials and the death of the dead could not stop the young new emperor...... No, it should be said that it is the queen mother behind the curtain.

Ordinary people don't understand these doorways. But immediately, an official document of "collecting taxes" came down. If you want to say that this is about taxation, you only have to notify the "additional collection" before the tax is collected every year, and I have never heard of the truth of "collection" after the tax!

So it was just after the end of the New Year, and the surplus food at home was swept away by the officers and soldiers.

Don't have enough surplus?

Then replace it with silver.

Not enough?

It's good to say, take a man as a replacement, go to the battlefield, and pay off debts.

That's a five-fold increase in taxes!

Every family scraped together enough food and silver to pay it together, and the rich people could say that if it was an ordinary family, it would be enough to scatter all the wealth, and when it came to the poor families, more than 15 men were arrested and conscripted into the army.

The good name is said to be loyal to the country.

"You and your Aunt Chen took out all our savings to protect me, Nannan is still young, this family can't live without me. The man put his big palm on the top of his little daughter's head and said in a daze, "It's spring, and when the grain is gone, plant again, and make money when the money is gone." This battle cannot be fought...... Everyone knows that you can't go. ”

"In town...... How many people have joined the army?" Yun Zhao asked softly.

"You don't know anything else except the eldest son of Uncle Chang's family that you know," Uncle Chen sighed, "Your Aunt Yu has saved money to buy a shop for a few years by selling steamed buns, and now she has handed it over, just to protect her man." ”

Yun Zhao didn't know what to say.

"Look at you, what are you talking to the child about," the woman wiped her eyes, took Yun Zhao into her arms and touched her head, "It's not a big deal, you can get money and food...... Let's eat!"

I didn't know the taste of the food I ate at this meal, and after eating, Yun Zhao and Jianheng took the little girl to the street to play, and after a walk, as Uncle Chen said, most of them were closed, including Uncle Chang's dim sum shop.

For her, Huantang Town is like her roots, and the town has become like this, and there is no reason not to be in a hurry. It's just that she's still a child, and she doesn't have any skills, so she can't think of any way, so she can only worry.

Aunt Chen saw that she was sullen, and said a few more words of comfort and amusement, and Yun Zhao began to frown.

Let's look forward to a better harvest this year.

At night, Uncle Chen cleaned up the guest room for Yun Zhao and Jianheng to live in, and the two small dolls did not shy away from it, so they packed up and slept on one bunk.

As for Xiao Jiu, Yun Zhao was afraid that it would suddenly become bigger like before, and he was not willing to sleep with Xiao Jiu as before, so he locked the little fox in the firewood room of the kitchen room.

Early the next morning, as soon as she woke up, she heard the voice of Fat Dun calling herself, and in a trance, Yun Zhao thought that she was still in Taiqing Mountain.

"Yun Zhao Yun Zhao!"

Yun Zhao rubbed his eyes and sat up, and the genius was bright.

"Yun Zhao, I just went to the thatched house and passed by the firewood house," Seeing that Heng seemed to have just run around, and his head was still a little sweaty, "I found that Xiao Jiu was gone!"

Yun Zhao's heart was cold, and he woke up completely.

She got dressed and followed Jianheng to the firewood room to take a look, and sure enough, Xiao Jiu was gone.

"The door was still locked when I came to visit," Jian Heng scratched his head and looked at the wide open door, "I don't know who opened it at this moment." ”

As he spoke, Uncle Chen came out of the kitchen, was a little surprised to see the two children, and then smiled slightly, "Hey, Xiao Zhao Xiaoshuo, get up so early?"

Yun Zhao was a little absent-minded, and nodded with a forced smile.

"It's just right, Uncle is going to get up to cook a meal, and I'm going out to buy some meat," Uncle Chen touched Yun Zhao's head, "You two will light the fire for me!"

Seeing that Heng hurriedly responded, saw Uncle Chen walk away, and pulled Yun Zhao into the kitchen to look for it.

After looking for a long time, there was no shadow of Xiao Jiu, Yun Zhao was a little depressed, and sat on the chair.

"Don't worry," Jian Heng squeezed over, stuffed the firewood into the stove, and threw a match into it, "Xiao Jiu used to run out before, maybe he went out to forage for food at this time......"

As he spoke, he saw Heng "huh".

Yun Zhao also noticed that the fire in the stove was extinguished by something, she was curious and was about to probe to look, when suddenly something rushed out and pounced on her, and the black grass ash pounced on her face.

"Wow!"

It was a little boy with no clothes, with a pair of big black eyes, his hands on Yun Zhao's shoulders, and his white face was rubbed with black ash, but he still looked very good.

He stretched out his hand to hug Yun Zhao's face, seemingly very excited, looked at his hand, and then looked at Yun Zhao's face, his eyes were almost shining, and then he grinned happily.

"Wow!"