"Mother, I won't bring this basket of eggs to my mother's house, I'll keep it for you and my father and the letter to eat, my grandfather is old and can't eat much." Zhang Yan looked at the meat, dumplings, soybean oil, eggs and other good things that were ready to be brought to her mother's family, and she was very happy, but on the surface, she still had to be polite to Mrs. Liu.

"Girl, take it with you, your father married you into the Liu family compound in a beautiful way, today is the first time to go back to your parents' house after getting married, and you can look at it on the street, but you don't have to worry about it here, you go to the study and see what else your father has to tell you." Zhang Yan didn't have a chance to be alone with Daddy Liu yesterday, Huilan has been pestering Daddy Liu since she came, until more than three o'clock in the afternoon Wang Shouwu came to talk to Daddy Liu, she left the Liu family compound with a spring on her face, Zhang Yan was secretly jealous of Huilan, and thought that she must find a way to let Brother Shibao get Huilan to live in the county seat, with her in Shuangliu Village, most of Daddy Liu's soul will be hooked by Huilan.

Zhang Yan hurriedly came to the study, Daddy Liu was concentrating on reading, Zhang Yan playfully covered Daddy Liu's eyes from behind, smiled and didn't squeak, Daddy Liu smelled the familiar fragrance, and said with a smile, "Xiaoyan, don't be naughty, you will go back to your parents' house with Renzhang in a while, it's too late." ”

"Dad, it's really boring, let you guess it at once, I thought you would guess Aunt Huilan!"

"She won't be coming over today, aren't I going to your mother's house for a banquet at noon? She can't be prepared at home right now, busy preparing dishes. ”

"Dad, Aunt Huilan has always refused to move to the city to live, is it for you?" Zhang Yan asked intentionally or unintentionally lying on Daddy Liu's back.

"She has been spoiled by me since she was a child, and everyone before and after me is no big or small, I wish she could follow Shibao into the city to live, and I will be able to be idle."

"Dad, are you telling the truth?"

"Of course, Xiaoyan, don't mess around, come and sit down, today you go back to your parents' house, and your father will give you something." Zhang Yan was unmoved, and said shyly, "Dad, Aunt Huilan can be no big or small with you, I only ask that people and you are not big or small, right?" Renzhang is like a wooden stake, not understanding the style at all, last night Xinzhang just fell asleep, he didn't say a warm word, I knew that the monkey was anxious to pick up my pajamas, and I accidentally kicked on the root of his life, this stopped, I really hope that he will go to work in the county seat as soon as possible, so that I can sleep peacefully at night. ”

Daddy Liu sighed, Renzhang is too honest, even if he has half of Yizhang's domineering, it will not make Zhang Yan look down on him so much, a man must first stand up to the sky in this world and let his women worship in their hearts. Daddy Liu took out a jewelry box from the drawer and handed it to Zhang Yan, Zhang Yan opened it and saw that it was a Maitreya Buddha statue carved by Hetian jade, and he smiled chubbyly with a big belly, and Daddy Liu said meaningfully, "Xiaoyan, the days of you and Yizhang have just begun, and you can be generous to Renzhang in the future." Zhang Yan promised in her mouth, playing with the Jade Buddha repeatedly in her hand, and she couldn't put it down, so she untied her collar and asked Daddy Liu to bring it personally.

As soon as he wore the jade Buddha, the letter ran in a panic, and said to Daddy Liu in a dumb voice that the county sent someone to deliver the letter, Daddy Liu quickly got up and walked home, Zhang Yan turned around and buttoned the collar and then picked up the letter and followed, before he walked into the door, he heard the cry of Lady Liu from afar, Daddy Liu ran into the courtyard in three steps and two steps, and saw Father Liu sitting on the ground of the hall crying, Renzhang and Aidao also knelt beside Lady Liu and shed tears, and the messenger paced back and forth anxiously in the yard, Daddy Liu was also nervous in his heart, yesterday Huilan told herself that the ashes of the martyrs who had died on the front line were transported back to Huang County in the past two days, I didn't expect that there would be news so soon, seeing that Liu Lao Niang was so sad that he knew that something must have happened to Yizhang, Daddy Liu only felt a sharp pain in his chest, and the sweat on his sideburns came out all of a sudden, he pinned all his hopes in this life on Yizhang, Yizhang's life was far heavier than his own life, he didn't care about comforting Liu Lao Niang, who was crying and paralyzed on the ground, grabbed the hand of the messenger and said, "Comrade, I am Liu Wende, If you have any news, just tell me. Seeing that Father Liu was so nervous, the man who delivered the letter didn't bother to introduce himself, and said hurriedly, "Uncle Liu, Director Zhang Shibao asked me to send you a letter as soon as possible, your nephew Liu Houzhang died just after entering the court, and the ashes can be transported to Huang County this afternoon, and the county armed forces department will send someone to send the ashes of the martyr Liu Houzhang back to Shuangliu Village in the evening." ”

Father Liu instructed Zhang Yan, "Liu Zhangyan, quickly make tea for this comrade." The person who delivered the letter hurriedly excused himself, and he said to Father Liu, "Uncle Liu, if something like this happens in your house, I won't bother, and the letter has been delivered, so I will leave." Liu Chengzu, Liu Wengui, Liu Zhongzhang, Liu Weiji and others rushed over when they heard the cry, and they all anxiously asked Zhang Yan what happened, Zhang Yan said dejectedly, "Brother Shibao sent a letter to say that Houzhang was sacrificed, and the ashes will be sent to the Liu family compound in the evening." ”

"Ah, Houzhang is dead?" Zhongzhang heard this bad news like a thunderbolt from the sky, he suddenly sat on the ground and cried, his mother had just died a few years ago, and now his only brother left him, how could he not be heartbroken! Wei Ji squatted down and hugged Zhongzhang's arm and cried bitterly, Father Liu endured his grief, appointed his younger brother Liu Wengui as the supervisor of Houzhang's funeral, Zhang Yan as an assistant, and set a principle, starting from Houzhang, all the children of the Liu family who participated in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea and died must be buried thickly, and the cost was borne by the Liu family compound, and the heirs of the Liu clan in Shuangliu Village must attend the funeral.

"Xiaoyan, according to local customs, today is the day for you to go back to your parents' house, go back to your parents' house to thank the Zhang family for their nurturing grace over the years, you and Renzhang will go back now, and by the way, tell your grandfather that the noon banquet has been canceled, and you and Renzhang will return to the Liu family compound immediately after lunch."

Zhang Yan nodded, went into the West House to comfort Mrs. Liu, and hurried back to her parents' house with gifts with Renzhang.

Shang Zhang heard the news and immediately rushed to the Liu family compound, first went to visit Zhongzhang, and then came to Liu Dad's courtyard, Liu Lao Dad and Ai Dao were comforting Liu Lao Niang, it turned out that Liu Lao Niang heard the news of Hou Zhang's sacrifice, and her spirit collapsed, she felt sorry for Hou Zhang and worried about Yi Zhang, and he began to die after more than a month, and his baby son Yi Zhang was also very auspicious, Zhi Yan sighed, she sobbed and complained about Liu Dad, "Ren Zhang Dad, our five sons are the second child, you just sent him to be a soldier, If the pillars of the family are gone, I won't be alive! ”

Daddy Liu didn't squeak either, he knew that Houzhang's death didn't say that a woman like Mrs. Liu, it was a big man like himself who stood up to the sky, and he was also deeply shocked, the key was too fast, Daddy Liu knew very well in his heart, whether it was Houzhang or Yizhang, they were all defending the country and fighting, and it was righteousness to sacrifice their lives for the country, but every relative was flesh and blood, with seven emotions and six desires, sadness and grief were human nature, he understood Liu Laoniang's pain and complaints, it was better to vent it than to hold it in his heart, Shang Zhang whispered to Daddy Liu, "Dad, Come out and I'll tell you something. ”

Seeing Shang Zhang's serious expression, Father Liu knew that he must have something important to discuss, so he said to Liu Lao Niang, "Renzhang Niang, now is not the time to be sad, you have to cheer up, and you and Aidao lead the ladies to make filial piety clothes, calm down your emotions, and hurry up and get busy." Old Lady Liu nodded and responded, "Father Renzhang, you and Shang Zhang are busy, and Aidao and I will go to Zhongzhang's house in a while." Father Liu turned his head to Shang Zhang and said, "Let's go, let's go to the study to talk." Daddy Liu and Shang Zhang came to the study, Shang Zhang added some coal to the coal stove, made a new pot of tea for Daddy Liu, the two sat down, Daddy Liu asked, "Shang Zhang, is your father okay?" I'm too busy these days to visit him. ”

"Dad, my father is in good health, and he often talks about you."

"Shang Zhang, go back and tell your father, look forward to everything, as the saying goes, stay in the green mountains without worrying about no firewood! In his last letter to me, he quoted 'A thousand sails pass by the side of the sunken boat, and ten thousand trees spring in front of the sick tree.' "It's good, no matter how cold the winter is, it will eventually pass, and the pace of spring cannot be stopped by any force!" ”

"Dad, you're right, please believe me, one day I will revive the lintel of the Willow House, and I am looking for you today to report to you a very important matter." Saying that, Shang Zhang took out two gold bars from his pocket and handed them to Daddy Liu, who took the gold bars and looked at them lightly, then handed them to Shang Zhang, and said in a low but stern voice, "Shang Zhang, hurry up and put it up!" ”

Shang Zhang packed the gold bars and whispered, "Dad, my father asked me to tell you that there is a secret room under the house where we live, which contains a large number of gold bars and silver dollars, which is my father's life savings, and there are also many calligraphy and paintings deposited by my grandfather Liu Yanzu in my house. ”

"Shang Zhang, these wealth is not robbed and not exploited by the poor, it is all obtained by your father's painstaking life, now the country is in trouble, it is said that a part of it should be donated to the country, but it is okay not to donate, but it will be confirmed by Liu Kuizhang Your father is a landlord, a bully, and a capitalist of counter-revolutionary charges, so now you can't mess with the slightest, let alone hand it over to me to preserve, now the safest place is your family's secret room, Liu Kuizhang has led people to search the Liu Mansion upside down, the looted land has been pulled away, I am not safe here, You may fall into the same situation as your father at any time, so it is better to be quiet, and some of my antiques and property here will also be secretly transferred to your family's secret room, and no one can be sure of the future policy, so now you must be a man with your tail between your legs, you will honestly study and farm now, including the next step after you and Ai Dao become married, you must be low-key, the Liu family compound was originally a half-ploughing and half-reading home, Ai Rice's spinning skills are becoming more and more proficient, and it is very good for men and women to weave and weave safely, remember, in this eventful autumn no disaster is a blessing! ”

"Dad, I have memorized your lesson. I've heard from the street that you're going to have to bury a thick seal, and it takes a lot of money, right? ”

"I said that the thick funeral is mainly a grand form, all the men of the Liu clan must participate regardless of their age, but they don't care about the meal, the dumplings are to make some, after the offerings, they can be distributed to the children who participate in the funeral, so the cost will not be very large, and the Liu family compound can afford it."

The tea was almost drunk, and the matter was settled, Shang Zhang picked up a few books and got up to say goodbye, and returned home on his own, seeing his father Liu Wenhua pacing in the yard on crutches, Shang Zhang hurriedly helped Liu Wenhua forward, and whispered, "Dad, it's cold outside, let's go into the house." ”

"Shang Zhang, why did you come back so soon? What did your father-in-law tell you? ”

"Dad, you go to the kang first, cover the quilt, and I'll tell you slowly." Shang Zhang helped Liu Wenhua onto the kang, and then recounted to Liu Wenhua everything that Daddy Liu had confessed.

After hearing this, Liu Wenhua said with a smile, "It is enough to have a confidant in the world, I Liu Wenhua handed over Liu Yan's grandfather and son all my life, all of them avoided me far away, only Daddy Liu not only repeatedly saved me in times of danger, but also fulfilled your marriage with Aidao, how much trust and courage does it take, he is unmoved in the face of a huge amount of property, and he has to hand over his property to you for safekeeping, he is a real man who is rare in a hundred years, Shang Zhang, you can't live up to your father-in-law and Aidao's hard work!" ”

"Dad, knowing a son is better than a father, you know best what kind of person my son is, even if I die, I can't repay the great kindness of the Liu family compound to our family, not to mention that Aidao is my daughter-in-law, and Daddy Liu is my father-in-law, now we are a family, a family that shares honor and disgrace!"