In the dark morning, before the fourth watch, Wang Xiao, whose home was close to the city wall of Mizhi County, climbed up, and there was no oil lamp to light, so he used the west-slanting moonlight that had no window paper to leak in, groped for clothes that could no longer be called clothes, and put them on, and then quietly went to the ground, opened the door, looked for firewood in the dark, stuffed it into the stove, and lit it with a smoldering fire (the poor could not afford to buy a fire fold, so they used wood ash to smothered the flames, and when they were used, they blew it), and for a time this ice cellar-like house had a little life.

Wang Xiao scooped a scoop of cold water in the water tank, poured it into the broken pot, and then watched the water slowly become hotter, and in the light of the fire in the stove, a young and miserable face was reflected.

Wang Xiao is only sixteen years old, in fact, he is still a child, but since his father was drawn by the government to go to Biansai last year, he has never returned, and the livelihood of this family has all fallen on this child who was only fifteen years old at the time.

The land has long been assigned to Wang Tian, there is no ridge, every day in the morning and late return, rushed to the county to find some work within his ability, earn a handful of coarse grain Fukang, will raise the old lady who is sick in bed, and a little sister who is just seven years old. During the day, the old lady and the little sister also staggered through the streets and alleys with sticks to beg for some food.

However, in this world of natural and man-made disasters, where can the well-meaning poor still have half a grain of rice to help others? How can a rich man with money and rice, shouting and laughing when he hears only a piece of wine within the high wall, give these poor people half a mouthful of food and drink?

Every day, the old lady and the sister are plain and scolded, but they can't be hungry, it's okay in the summer, they can dig some wild vegetables back after begging, and they can't die with the Fukang coarse grains that Wang Xiaoyi came back, but seeing that the weather is gradually getting cooler, the wild vegetables are beginning to be gone, but the rice tank is still empty for the winter, how to pass this winter? Wang Xiao couldn't help but let out a sigh that didn't match his age.

The old lady woke up a long time ago, but there was no food in her stomach, she didn't have the strength to open her eyes, and when she heard the sigh of her young son, she couldn't help but cry, secretly hating that she was incompetent and dragged down this child, and she had to bear the burden of this livelihood at a young age.

Since beating her husband was sent to the border by Latin, I know such a result, the neighbors who were pumped to the neighborhood in a few years, I didn't see a back, I heard the rumors of the past, every year the Mongolian Tartars buckled the border, and the officers and soldiers also fought hard with the Tartars, but every time those officers and soldiers who couldn't even eat enough were suffering heavy losses, no way, in the end, they had to make up for the transportation of heavy grain and grass into the army, and then throw the corpses on the battlefield, hey, this is all fate.

Look at this dilapidated home, look at the unbearable pressure for a family's livelihood, and your body is gradually unbearable, not only can not help, but has become a burden, I also want to understand myself at a certain time, but every time I see my daughter who is with me, I can't bear this thought, and I leave again, so who will ask for a full warmth after leaving the two children?

In the misery, the kang slowly became hot, and he fell asleep in a groggy way, and sleep became the only way to live.

Wang Xiao saw that the water had boiled, so he secretly put his hand into his arms, and there was half a piece of mixed flour cake in his arms, which was a temporary loan from Wang's house yesterday, a total of two, at that time he was hungry, and he also had the strength to dry again, so he ate one, and brought the rest back to his dying mother and his thin little sister.

The little sister was sensible, just took a bite of the half of the cake, and sent it to her mother's mouth, and let her mother eat it weakly, but the mother just smiled (that laughter is harder than crying) and said: "Good son, you cut and eat some, for the mother has no appetite" and closed her eyes, but Wang Xiao obviously heard the soft sound in her mother's stomach.

Wang Xiao knelt down and cried and begged the old lady to take a bite, the family was crying, a piece of cake, and turned around between the mother and son, and there was still half of it left, and finally the old lady said that she was the pillar of the family, and she could earn food for the family after eating, so Wang Xiao took the cake in her arms.

The water was boiling, Wang Xiao quietly broke the cake, carefully put it in the pot, and with the splash of water, the half cake became a pot of paste.

Quietly put two bowls, one bowl on the mother's kang head, and one bowl on the side of the little sister's head. Looking at the broken pot that was already empty, Wang Xiao straightened up, scooped a bowl of cold water with a broken scoop and drank it with his head up, which was considered to be full, tightened the straw rope around his waist, and then strode out. He didn't see it, and a string of cloudy tears left in the corner of the eyes of the old lady who had lost her human form.

There are very few pedestrians on the street, but some men who have not eaten come out early, hoping to be the first to find a way to live.

Waiting for a few old soldiers to lazily open the city gate, Wang Xiao began to enter the city with the flow of people who got up early, and when he walked a few steps, he was mixed up by a thing under his feet, Wang Xiao didn't look at it, he got up and left, he knew by feeling that it was a dead (corpse) This kind of thing has seen a lot, and it is not surprising, but he is glad that his family is not one of them, sure enough, after a while, I saw a few old soldiers pushing a broken car, and the car has been left with a few homeless people to fight the big guys and walked by, no one went to take a second look, All of them went on their way numbly.

I found a leeward wall and squatted down, talked to some brothers who were also weak, and waited for the patron to come.

It's strange, before dawn today, there are big housekeepers coming, looking for someone to pack the furniture, and don't ask the price, as long as you do it. Yan Dao not only has a good salary, but also manages lunch.

What's going on? Those guys who eat people and don't spit out bones suddenly have a kind heart? Whatever, there is a salary to get and a full meal, which is a good thing for a thousand years, so Wang Xiao came to their gloomy mansion with a housekeeper of a rice shop.

Now, in the courtyard of the original palatial mansion, there are already chickens, flying dogs, jumping and crying, all the people are running around like flies, gold and silver are piled up all over the yard, and the boss of the Wang family's grain merchant is standing on the high steps, with a black face, jumping and scolding, constantly urging, even if he hits some objects, he can't take care of it.

Wang Xiaoxiao hurriedly packed and packed his hands and feet neatly under the shouts of the housekeeper's subordinates, and took the opportunity to start? Wang Xiao didn't even think about it, and he couldn't do it, didn't he see the wolf-like family guarding the courtyard beside him, holding a leather whip and stick to watch over him? Earn what you deserve.

Don't steal if you starve to death, and don't sue the official if you die unjustly, this is what the old lady has repeatedly advised.

"When did the rich become so panicked, is the sky going to change?"

"Hey, you know?" A brother who had just arrived slipped into the crowd and whispered mysteriously.

"Know what?" A few people were busy with their feet not touching the ground, and they didn't have the slightest interest in paying attention to him.

Although the coolie ignored everyone, he still whispered with interest: "I have just come from outside the city, and I know the whole story. ”

Wang Xiao packed a cage with him and asked casually, "What's the news?" ”

The coolie looked left and right, and saw that those family members did not look here, and whispered: "The day before yesterday, just the day before yesterday, King Zhangyan of Zhangjiabao, thirty miles away from the city, was broken by a pole, and his grandfather and grandson were all cut off by a pole." ”

Wang Xiao didn't react, where is Zhangjiabao, he really doesn't know, he went back and forth between this and the county when he was a child, as for Zhangjiabao? If it's broken, it's broken, now the poles are everywhere, if it weren't for the old lady and little sister who need to take care of it, I can't say it, I would have taken a firewood knife up the mountain a long time ago.

"This is not the most important thing, the key thing is that the pole has already released cruel words, to gather tens of thousands of horses to attack the county seat, so these old men are busy with dots, thinking of running elsewhere to avoid the military disaster."

Ah no, Wang Xiao suddenly panicked, his home is on the edge of the city wall outside the city, if this is really tens of thousands of poles to attack the city, then his own home will bear the brunt of the attack, become a blank land, this old lady and little sister will suffer, no, I have to go home quickly, carry the old lady and little sister to hide in the city, no matter what, now I have no furniture, the only thing I want is that my family dies together.

I just thought of this, but I thought that I finally did this fat work, ate a full meal, and brought back a bite of food to the old lady and sister who was waiting to be fed, so it was a pity to give up.

At noon, the work was finally done, and the originally stingy Boss Wang was also very generous to give each person ten steamed buns and a bucket of coarse grains, and then sent everyone away.

Wang Xiao hurriedly went out with steamed buns and coarse grains on his back and wanted to rush home, and as soon as he went out, he saw a servant running into the Wang family's mansion in a hurry, and shouted in his mouth: "The county respects and invites Master Wang to the county government to discuss matters, hurry up." ”

Wang Xiao didn't have time to watch the excitement, so he squeezed through the crowd and rushed out of the door.

Rushing to the street, Wang Xiao was so surprised that he almost dropped his jaw, and in a blink of an eye, he saw that the street was already in chaos, and it was the nobles and wealthy families who were running back and forth who were running back and forth, and the panicked ones were those who were originally fox and fake tigers, and it was those delicate and cunning young ladies who were crying in the mule cart sedan chair.

The shops and liquor stores that were originally opened are now closing the door panels, and those shopkeepers who are full of fat brains are hiding behind the door panels and sticking their heads out to poke their brains in fear.

On the contrary, it is the poor people who usually walk and slip away, the homeless people who shrank and shiver under the eaves, and their eyes are no longer numb and empty in the past, but instead of hidden excitement and hope.

Wang Xiao was still waiting to see it again, but he saw a group of officials holding a gong in their hands and striking the earth-shattering sound, "Sign Ding, sign Ding-one Ding for each small civilian household, rich gentry gather families to go to the city, homeless strong men, report to the barracks to eat food and serve as soldiers——"

When Wang Xiao heard this, he was shocked, no, this is about to start a war, so he has to go home quickly, take the old lady and his sister with some belongings and quickly escape the war.

Running to the city gate, it is even more crowded here, there are rich people hurrying out of the city mule and horse vehicles, there are people and landlords from other places who shout and shout to enter the city to seek refuge, and for a time people shout horses and cry and cry to shake the sky.

Finally escaped the arrest of the officials, but when he squeezed out of the city gate and rushed home, he saw the direction of his home from a distance, and thick smoke rose into the sky.

Wang Xiao shouted badly, hurried back to his home, but was stunned by the scene at that time, only to see that the original crumbling home has now been burned by the flames, and the villagers are sitting or standing with withered faces.

Dropped something and threw himself into the fire, crying and shouting for his mother and little sister, but there was no response.

Crying for a long time, seeing that the family is ruined, the heart is miserable, for a time all thoughts are lost, stamping his feet, about to rush into the fire, so that he died with his mother and little sister, and suddenly heard the shouts of his sister from a distance under the broken wall.

Wang Xiao suddenly turned around, and saw the old lady and little sister shouting about herself there, and hurriedly rushed over, and the family immediately hugged each other.

After crying for a while, Wang Xiaocai asked the reason for the fire in the whole village, and the old lady said in shock: "Son, the government said that the wall should be cleared and not an inch of grass should be left for the thieves, so just-"

Wang Xiaoduy looked at the still burning home, his teeth clenched, is there still a way for the people to live in this world? Suddenly stomped his feet and said hatefully: "Mother, this official mansion is not as good as a robber, we can't survive, let's throw a pole." ”

The old lady looked at her grown up son and then at the home that had burned out, and gritted her teeth: "Everything is up to the son." ”

So, Wang Xiaoxun retrieved the scattered grain, picked up the old lady, pulled up the little sister, and went to Zhangjiabao without hesitation