Chapter 450: The Fisherman's Family is sad and desolate

Hebei border area in western Hebei. Yulin Village. It was nearly noon. Sunny.

Yulin Village has more than 100 households and a population of more than 500, making it a medium-sized village. Every family goes to the lake to fish in the summer and autumn fishing season, and goes into the mountains to hunt in the winter and spring during the fishing season, so as to feed the family, reproduce and continue the bloodline.

Fang Jiren ran all the way through Pinghu Village and Yangdian Village. When he arrived at the east entrance of Yulin Village, he gently pulled the reins, and the war horse under his crotch trotted all the way from the east entrance of the village through the village to the gate of a courtyard on the north side of Yueming Lake at the southern end of the village. Fang Jiren dismounted and led the sweaty war horse into the courtyard of the Cheng family.

Cheng's house is a courtyard house composed of adobe walls and thatched roofs, with a total of more than a dozen houses. The courtyard wall of more than two meters high is surrounded by four sides, and there are south gates and north gates. There are jujube trees and persimmon trees planted in front of and behind the house. Dry fish in the front yard, grow vegetables and raise chickens in the back yard.

A short-haired man with a bronzed face, nearly fifty years old, shirtless, dressed in knee-high light gray coarse cloth shorts, and barefoot and hands rummaging through dried fish drying on a wooden raft. He is the male owner of the family, Cheng Baocun, with parents and wife in their seventies, and three sons and two daughters. In order: eldest son Cheng Long (28 years old), eldest daughter Cheng Lian (26), second son Cheng Gang (24 years old), third son Cheng Qiang (21 years old), second daughter Cheng He (17 years old). For generations, the Cheng family fished, raised chickens and ducks, and hunted in the lower lake, living in poverty. In the past, the Cheng family and the Fang family had a close relationship and frequent contacts, with deep feelings and like a family, and several generations of friends and mutual trust. Every year, the Fang family will send the fresh fish, shrimp, crabs, prey, live chickens, ducks, and eggs to the Fang family's shop for sale, or for their own use. The Fang family received the goods at a price one percent higher than that of all the shops in the county. Cheng Baocun, Cheng Long, Cheng Gang, father and son, have learned martial arts in Fangjia Weiyuan Martial Arts Hall for several years. According to the generation, Cheng Baocun and Fang Jiren are brothers, and Cheng Long and Cheng Gang are Fang Jiren's apprentices. Fang Jiren and Cheng Lian were classmates in the sixth year of primary school, and Cheng Lian ate and lived in Fang's house at that time, and Fang Jiren's sister Fang Yunge and cousin Fang Luqing were good sisters who talked about everything. After graduating from primary school, Cheng Lian did not continue to study in middle school, and reluctantly left the Fang family and returned to Yueming Island. Every year on New Year's Day, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Spring Festival, Cheng Lian will come to Fang's house to help. Guo Shuting treats Cheng Lian, who is smart and sensible, and has quick hands and feet, as a daughter. Interestingly, the Cheng family calls Fang Jiren differently, and outsiders sound a little confused.

Since the Japanese army invaded and occupied the entire territory of North China, the Cheng family and the Fang family have gradually decreased their contacts. After entering 1942, contact was cut off, and the Cheng family's life became more and more difficult.

Hearing a noise behind him, Cheng Bao put away the dried fish in his hand and turned to face the courtyard door. When he saw clearly that it was Francis, he stamped his feet vigorously and glared, and said in a loud voice:

"Ouch! It's the brother who is here! But I'm looking forward to you, I want to die soon, why haven't you come for so long?! Don't forget about me, do you?! Yes?! ”

"Hey? Hey? How to talk about it? Why did you complain about me as soon as we met? Uncle Cheng, it's not kind. Fang Jiren said unceremoniously with a straight face, and then led the war horse to a date tree on the west side of the courtyard and fastened the reins.

"Humph! Do you dare to say that I am not kind? You haven't been to my house for several years, who is not kind? Cheng Baocun walked up to Fang Jiren and accused loudly.

"I've been so busy for the past two years. Uncle Cheng, aren't I here today? ”

"No matter how busy you are, you have to find time to come here. Oh, it's too busy, isn't it, isn't it too busy to marry a few aunts? ”

"Hey? Uncle Cheng, don't talk nonsense. How many rooms? Am I still alone now? Huh? Pick it up and say it, and I'm not afraid to flash my tongue. ”

"Then tell me, what have you been doing all the time?!"

"Shhhhhh Then he wiped his neck with the palm of his right hand.

Hearing the quarrel in the courtyard, Cheng Baocun's parents helped each other out of the north room, and Cheng Baocun's wife also walked out of the kitchen of the inverted south room.

Franciscan strode forward, stretched out his hands to support the two old men, and said apologetically:

"Slowly, slowly. Grandpa Cheng, Grandma Cheng, the little sixth son is not filial, it took so long to come to your second elder to say goodbye, I'm really sorry, the little sixth son is guilty. ”

"Where's that? Little master, how are the old man and the two grandmothers? Grandpa Cheng, who had a slightly hunched waist, a thin body, and a hoarse voice, asked with concern.

"It's all good, it's all good. My grandfather also asked me to say hello to your second elder. Grandpa Cheng, grandma, sit down and talk. Fang Jiren walked to a low wooden square table under a jujube tree on the east side of the courtyard, and slowly squatted down and sat on the bench. Cheng Baocun and his family followed.

Cheng Baocun: "Old woman, go and make a pot of tea for my brother, and make Gao Mo'er." ”

"In charge, our family has long been out of Gao Mo'er, and there is only a little tea soil left. What can I do? Cheng's wife whispered with an embarrassed expression.

"Aunt Cheng, I brought tea, jasmine tea, fragrant." Fang Jiren untied the burden on his back and opened it on the low table, took out a bag of tea and handed it to Aunt Cheng.

"Ouch, that's not going to happen. Uncle, you are a distinguished guest of my family, how can you use your things? It's not polite to do that. We should have entertained you. Cheng's wife said with both hands holding the tea leaves.

"Uncle Cheng, why do you see Aunt Cheng treating me as a guest? It's too out-of-the-box. ”

"Old woman, my brother has never been an outsider, and there is no such thing as being polite or not. Don't be verbose, go make tea! Cheng Baocun said angrily.

Fang Jiren took out four canned beef and a packet of brown sugar captured by the Japanese army from his baggage and put them on the low table, and then took out two bottles of Hengshui Lao Baigan from the left and right trouser pockets and put them on the low table.

"Hey? I said, brother, why do you bring so many things? When people arrive, they have everything and everything. After Cheng Baocun sat down, his eyes were fixed on the things on the low table, and he swallowed his saliva and said insincerely.

"How unkind it is for me to come empty-handed. These things are all my filial piety to my grandfather, grandmother and Aunt Cheng. Uncle Cheng, just take a look, it's nothing to do with you. ”

"Huh? Don't, don't mind. Good brother, why don't you let me have a drink with you. Otherwise, I wouldn't be kind. Cheng Baocun said pitifully.

Grandpa Cheng and Grandma Cheng watched with a smile as Cheng Baocun and Fang Jiren bickered and played poor.

"Uncle Cheng, I'm sorry for you, go and bring me the horse coat on the horseback."

Cheng Baocun stood up and walked to the side of the war horse, and was about to reach out to take off the thick canvas coat on the horse's back, but saw a Japanese command knife tied to the saddle, and exclaimed:

"Ouch hey! Brother, you, you, why did you bring about the murderous guy of the Japanese devil? Where did you get here? Aren't you afraid of getting killed? ”

Fang Jiren got up and walked quickly to the side of the war horse, took off the horse coat on the horse's back and handed it to Cheng Baocun, raised his hand to untie the command knife, pulled out half of the sharp blade in his right hand and whispered:

"Uncle Cheng, this is what I got from killing a little devil Shaozuo. Wouldn't it be fun for me to slaughter a Japanese devil with a Japanese devil's knife? The relaxed-looking Franciscan spoke in a tone as simple as if he had killed a chicken.

"Huh? Are you sure? Brother, then you should be more careful when you go out in the future. Ay? Brother, tell me the truth, haven't you been busy with this matter since you haven't come to my house in the past two years? Cheng Baocun, whose expression was frightened and his heart trembled, asked in a low voice like a thief.

"Ah, yes. Uncle Cheng, now I can't smell or see blood for a day, and my hands are even more uncomfortable if I don't kill a few people a day. Hmph, wait, sooner or later, one day, I will kill all the little Japanese devils one by one. Francis's eyes widened, his teeth gritted, and he said viciously, angrily.

"Be quiet, be quiet." Cheng Baocun stretched out his hand and tightly covered Fang Jiren's mouth to stop it: "Brother, don't dare to talk nonsense everywhere with this kind of thing, if outsiders hear about it and report it, it will invite disaster." ”

"His uncle, the head of the house, come and drink tea. It's fragrant. Aunt Cheng walked out of the kitchen with a teapot and greeted loudly as she walked.

"Let's go, go over for tea." Francis put away his command knife and hung it on his saddle.

"Brother, what do you have in this coat? It's pretty heavy. Cheng Baocun asked as he walked behind Fang Jiren.

Fang Jiren took the horse coat from Cheng Baocun's hand, walked to the low table and sat down, and said:

"Grandpa, grandma, this is dim sum, sauced beef, roast chicken, dry yellow sauce, sesame paste, salty salt, all of which are filial to your second elder. There is also a pack of unicorn plaster. As he spoke, Fang Jiren took out one bag after another, and put them all on the low table.

"Ouch, little master, you have brought us so many good things, let me say something good? We can't thank you as a family. Alas, the past few years have been too hard and difficult, and I really can't go on. Grandma Cheng said sadly.

"I know, I know. Grandma, let's grit our teeth and hold on together, and the days of suffering will definitely pass. Fang Jiren took Grandma Cheng's hand and said with relief.

"Well, that's what I said. But when will this hard life come to an end? It's so hard, it's better to live than to die. Little master, I'm over 70 years old, I'm going to give up my old face and beg you to help our Cheng family. Grandpa Cheng looked at Fang Jiren beggingly and said.

"I'm not here. Grandpa, I will definitely help the Cheng family, it is my duty and responsibility. Besides, the Cheng family and the Fang family were originally a family. I not only want to help the Cheng family, but I also want to help all the suffering and poor people. The poor in the world are one family, and we must let the poor live a good life. Francis said impassionedly.

"Okay, that's a good idea. Ay? Brother, is your surname Guo or Gonggong? Listen to you, stubble, are you this? Cheng Baocun stretched out his right thumb and index finger and asked.

Fang Jiren picked up the horse jacket and asked Cheng Baocun to look at the two shell guns placed inside. Cheng Baocun's eyes widened and he looked at Fang Jiren who was winking at him in surprise.

"Uncle Cheng, what you want me to say most is what I mean. Ay? Uncle Cheng, I heard a few gunshots outside the village on the way here, what's going on? Who of us here can have a barge gun and a 38 big cover rifle? Francis asked solemnly.

Cheng Baocun sighed heavily: "Alas! Brother, how can I tell you? ”

"Bang", the courtyard door was knocked open, Cheng He's face was frightened, sweaty, panting, and staggered in, Cheng Qiang supported his second brother Cheng Gang, who was bleeding and covered in blood, and followed him into the courtyard.