On the Chinese New Year's Eve of the third year of Yonglu (1560), Yuqiuping was in the territory of Yeli County.

It's still snowing in Owari, and the temperature is very low and the wind is cold. The ashigaru people who used to be prepared dragged their families, both old and young, and it was impossible for them to live in a military camp that was built simply and it was difficult to keep out the cold. Therefore, Naoe Tadahei first placed all his subordinates and their families in Kuroda Castle. Kuroda Castle was the largest castle in Yuakihei's domain, and only a small number of defenders were stationed in the castle, and after the handover with Naoe Tadahei was completed, all of them left. A large number of vacant houses in the castle and in the castle town were temporarily used by Naoe Tadahei to house the families.

After completing the initial resettlement, Naoe Tadahei began to buy New Year's goods for everyone at the request of Tokiwa and the officers. However, due to the lack of funds in Yuqiuping's hands, this year's New Year Festival was relatively shabby. However, these people and subordinates who are used to living a hard life have not yet "gone from thrift to luxury", and they are already very happy to be reunited as a family.

On the night of Chinese New Year's Eve, there are still small snowflakes in the sky, but Kuroda Castle is already full of smoke, and every household is celebrating the Spring Festival. And people with the rank of head and above gathered on the first floor of the castle tower, and dozens of people gathered around a large table where I don't know where to find it to eat Chinese New Year's Eve.

"We're not generous this year," Sena said with emotion as he looked at the waiter who was serving the food, "There's just one chicken, let's save some food." ”

"What! Just one of them is enough to eat! Yoshioka Katsumasa complained.

"It's just that it's not enough to drink." Ogawa Yuto muttered. Since he has been short on money lately, he hasn't had a good drink for several days. Finally, during the New Year, Naoe Tadahei purchased some wine, and he only got a share.

Just as everyone was busy complaining, Nakahide Omaezaki suddenly got up and said, "I'll go to the kitchen to help serve the food." With that, he turned and left. Everyone didn't react at first, especially Yoshioka Katsumasa and Ogawa Yuto, who were complaining vigorously. It was Sena Shiyoshi who first noticed that something was wrong, but when he got up and was about to walk to the kitchen, he had already seen Nakahide Gozenzaki walking back from the kitchen with a chicken leg bone in his mouth with satisfaction. Beside him, there was a dejected attendant, holding a roast chicken with only one leg left on his plate, and placed it on the table.

"You kid! Damn! Yoshioka Katsumasa was anxious all of a sudden, "It's just two chicken legs in total!" You just grabbed one! Not at all! ”

Yoshioka Katsumasa just wanted to get up and go to Mimasaki Nakahide to ask for justice, but Mimasaki Nakahide smiled evilly and pointed to his back. I saw that the three pairs of chopsticks of Nominee Anayama, Yuto Ogawa and Yoshiyoshi Sena had reached for the chicken leg at the same time.

"You guys! Put your chopsticks down! Yoshioka Katsumasa hurriedly rushed to the table, and with a stroke of the left and right, he knocked all the chopsticks down on the table. However, at this time, how can everyone give up easily! That's the only chicken leg left! Even the Water Atom Sutra, which is usually very serious, and Lan Xiang Huadu, who is one level lower than the regular samurai, also stretched out his chopsticks!

"No! It can't be like this! Seeing that his chopsticks were rolling to the other side, he probably couldn't grab them, so he hurriedly interrupted: "We are so praised!" Who the hell is this chicken leg for! ”

"Yes! Oh, yes! "The ashigaru heads who were far away also broke through.

"I've taken the most credit this year!" Yoshioka Katsumasa immediately patted his chest and smiled, "Don't say anything else, the merit of being the first to climb to the top of Da Gao City!" Who can compare! ”

"What, what is this," Mizenzaki Nakahide immediately shouted: "Back then, in Yinma City, if it weren't for me, His Highness would have been finished a long time ago!" What a rescue! ”

"You've eaten a chicken leg, what are you yelling about?" Cave Mountain Nominee immediately scolded, "Narumi City was shocked at the beginning! It was I who was ordered to report back to Suruga! Not only saved the life of our housewife, but also captured Okabe Masatsuna! I take the most credit! ”

"To be reasonable, you relied on our master mother to succeed," Shui Atom Jing shook his head solemnly and said, "Are you worthy of your master mother for dominating merit like this?" ”

Everyone quarreled with each other, and they couldn't distinguish the high and low for a long time, and seeing that the chicken legs were about to be cold, they finally found Fukushima Yasunari, who was hanging aside by them and didn't speak.

"Big brother! You're here to judge! That brainless one, really..."Anayama Nominei muttered and turned to Fukushima Yasunari, but was suddenly stunned, "Huh? Big brother, why are you crying? ”

Fukushima Yasunari's eyes were a little dazed, and two lines of tears flowed down his cheeks.

·

That was 24 years ago, and my memory is a little blurry.

It's also the time of the Chinese New Year, and it's also such a big table. Fukushima Yasunari's father, as the eldest son of the Fukushima family, held a Chinese New Year's Eve dinner at home. As the child born to his father's wife, although he was only six years old, he naturally had to attend. Fukushima Yasunari still remembers that there was also a pot of fragrant chicken on the table at that time. As the eldest son, he naturally got a chicken leg. Even if he used his chopsticks before his father and uncles and elders, no one punished him.

However, when he finished eating one chicken leg and wanted to go and get another. only to find that the chicken leg was held in the hand of his half-brother.

"You give me the drumsticks." Yasunari Fukushima stretched out his hand across the small half table and asked the half-brother for chicken legs. The younger brother was estimated to be only four years old, blinking his teary eyes, sniffing the chicken leg in his hand again, and reluctantly giving it to him.

"Forget it, An Chiyo," the younger brother's half-brother couldn't stand it anymore, and said, "Xiao Qi has taken the chicken legs, give him food." ”

"If An Chiyo still wants to eat, Uncle will find someone to cook for you next time." Fukushima's father's younger brother, his uncle, also advised, "Let this be eaten by the little brother." ”

"Why do you care about me?" Fukushima Yasunari crossed his waist and glared at his uncle. The uncle's face sank, and he was naturally not in a much better mood when he was so offended. However, Fukushima Yasunari's father freely doted on the child of his most favored wife, and did not say much, just touched his head dotingly.

"Give me the chicken legs!" Fukushima Yasunari still stretched out his hand reluctantly, and said fiercely in a childish voice: "Otherwise, you are good-looking!" ”

"You kid, why are you like this!" The other uncle couldn't stand it anymore, "How did your father teach you!" Is it so rude? ”

"What's the matter with you? Why are you meddling! Fukushima Yasunari saw that everyone was blaming him, and his mouth pouted, and he was also a little angry, "I just want to eat chicken legs!" I don't care! ”

"Azuchiyo!" His cousin couldn't stand to see his half-brother being bullied like this, and said angrily: "Don't be big or small!" ”

"A child born in the second room! Don't be qualified to care about me! The angry Fukushima Yasunari scolded unceremoniously. In fact, he didn't even understand what the second room was, but when he was listening to the maid chatting, he mentioned that the status of the second room was much lower than his mother.

"You!" The elder brother of the concubine was so angry that he couldn't speak, and he trembled all over, looking at the younger brother who was only as tall as the table, pointing his nose and scolding himself.

"Sorry! It's not good for the master! It's a concubine who is not in good health! The second room in Fukushima Yasunari's mouth immediately apologized and slapped his eldest son in the face. snatched the chicken leg from the youngest son's hand and carefully put it on the plate of the arrogant Fukushima Yasunari, and the youngest son cried out loudly.

"Don't bother the concubine too much! Retire! After doing this, the second room immediately pulled his two children out of the banquet. Before leaving, the eldest son who was born in the second room was really angry, and muttered loudly: "You look like this!" No one will play with you in the future! ”

"Who is rare!" Fukushima Yasunari nibbled on the chicken leg he was fighting for, and said loudly: "Who is rare of you!" Love to go wherever you go! ”

That time the banquet broke up unhappily, and several uncles also lost contact with Fukushima Yasunari's father after that. However, Fukushima Yasunari didn't care, and didn't care whether the uncles and their children came to play with him.

Anyway, at home, he's the boss.

"I've spoiled you, Yasuchiyo," her mother complained one day, "what will you do if you have a willful nature, you will fight for everything you encounter, and you won't let you go?" ”

"Mother, it doesn't matter," Fukushima Anari said coquettishly: "Anyway, my father and mother spoil me the most!" Sooner or later, they'll come over to play with me! ”

"Then people will be unhappy if you are like this. Cherish the time you spend together. Mother said.

"Oh." Fukushima Yasunari replied casually, "Let's talk about it next time." ”

I don't want to, but it's a prophecy.

A few months later, the Hanakura Rebellion broke out, and the Fukushima family sided with Genhiro Emitan. But I didn't want to, the Sena family, the Asahina family, the Okabe family, and the Sekiguchi family all sided with Mei Yue Chengfang later. The Fukushima family was outnumbered and eventually defeated. Yasunari Fukushima's father opened the gates to the crusaders in exchange for his family's lives. Unfortunately, however, due to his son-in-law's insistence on resisting, he killed one of the generals of the Okabe family. The Okabe family was angry and wiped out Fukushima Yasunari's concubine brothers, leaving only Fukushima Yasunari and his parents alone. All the other men of the Fukushima family were executed.

The young Fukushima Yasunari stayed under a big tree on the edge of the execution ground at that time, watching his uncles and uncles, the servants he usually called and drank at home, the concubine brother who threatened not to play with him again in the future, and the younger brother who wanted to eat chicken legs with tears in his eyes, were executed one by one. Familiar faces fell off their limbs and rolled down to the ground with a hideous twist. Bright red blood spurted from his neck, staining the soil beneath his feet.

He had not yet saluted his uncle and uncle; He hadn't thanked the servants yet; He hadn't played with that brother again; He hasn't let his little brother take a bite of chicken thighs yet... There's so much more he hasn't had time to do with everyone...

Everyone is gone, there is nothing left. In the past, what could be changed with a small act of oneself is now out of reach. Why didn't you cherish the time you spent together? Why didn't they have a little fun? Why fight, to let your willfulness bring unhappiness to everyone? It wasn't until everyone was gone that they regretted it alone under the tree.

Only when you have it will you understand the pain of loss, the heart-rending pain.

What is there in the world that has a substance, and what is immortal?

At that moment, Yasunari Fukushima grew up all at once.

Cherish the present... Cherish the time when everyone is still happy and reunited. Don't fight, don't grab, everyone is happy. Don't do anything that you might regret after you lost it.

·

Fukushima Yasunari relieved himself, noticed his gaffe, and hurriedly wiped his tears: "I'm fine." ”

"Look, if you don't give Big Brother chicken legs, you will make Big Brother cry!" Nakahide Mimasaki quipped, "Big brother, you can eat this chicken leg!" Thank you for taking care of you for all these years! ”

"No, I won't rob you," Fukushima Yasunari squeezed out a smile and got up from the table. He turned around and walked to a tree outside the castle tower, sat down against the tree, and looked over the snowflakes to the first floor of the castle tower, where the brothers began to fight for chicken legs.

In the past year, everyone has escaped death twice. On the banks of the river, how many brothers have fallen under the city. We were also forced to be separated from our families, suffering from lovesickness, and wandering the world with His Highness. But now, everyone has survived, and finally has a place to settle down and can be reunited with their families. What's not to be satisfied with? What's there to fight about?

He had no great ambitions, no samurai pride. The only dream is that every year for the Chinese New Year, I can lean under a big tree and watch everyone happily together.

That's nice.