The autumn rain has stopped for several days, and the long-lost sun is shining through the wet sky, and the air is still filled with some fishy moisture.

After autumn, the crops are ripe, the rice fields are densely arranged with full ears of grain, because of the rain for several days, the harvest day is forced to retreat, it is rare to meet the weather is clear, the farmers are in a hurry to harvest, and God is competing for time. As a result, most of the crops have been harvested, and only a few fields have a few swaying ears of grain left, and a few farmers wield their sickles, like Feng Yi, who is good at dancing, dancing in the wave-like rice fields.

The afternoon sun was slightly slanting, and the two shadows moving on the ridge seemed to be two bundles of gradually growing grains, and the two stepped on the soft soil and walked forward step by step.

"Sir, do you want to rest?" Xiuyuan wiped his sweat.

Zhuge Liang didn't look back, and said succinctly: "I'm not tired." ”

Xiuyuan had a bitter face, lame and struggling to keep up with Zhuge Liang's speed, he was really tired, the soil was slippery and soft, every foot stepped on was a pit, when he lifted it, the sole of the shoe was stained with thick soil, and then stepped on it and stained it, making the shoe heavier and heavier, and it became difficult to walk. But what puzzled him was why Zhuge Liang walked more and more briskly, obviously his robe was also stained with mud, and the soles of his shoes were also stained with clods, but he still walked as always, as if walking was like sitting and resting for him.

In a field ahead, the freshly harvested rice was thrown onto the ox cart parked on the edge of the field, but unfortunately the head was missing, and the sack full of rice rolled down the cart, and a rickety old farmer climbed up the field, lifted the sack with shaking hands, and just pushed the sack onto the cart, but the man fell down.

"Yikes!" Zhuge Liang exclaimed, jumped over step by step, and carefully helped the old man up with both hands, "Old man, are you okay!" ”

The old farmer gasped, his wrinkled face trembled, as if the piece of meat was about to fall, and coughed and said, "Thank you......"

Zhuge Liang helped him sit down against the ox cart: "Old man, why are you the only one harvesting the crops, and what about your family?" ”

The old farmer sighed sadly: "They ......" Suddenly, a glimmer of surprise flashed in his cloudy eyes, "You, you are ......"

Zhuge Liang was stared at by him uncomfortably, he didn't know why the old farmer suddenly seemed excited, as if he had seen an old acquaintance, so he had to smile at him gently.

The old farmer looked at Zhuge Liang carefully, hesitated, hesitated, and even panicked, and finally asked uncertainly: "You, are you a brother of the Ge family?" ”

Zhuge Liang was stunned for a moment, the title of the old farmer seemed to recall the memory of a long time, like a vaguely familiar echo from the distant mountain, he looked at this old face like a strange well field, and slowly searched in his memory, searching......

"You, you are," he said unconvinced, "Big brother of the Li family? ”

The old farmer's face suddenly lit up with excitement, and he said eagerly: "It's me, Li Laoyou!" ”

Zhuge Liang suddenly had mixed feelings. But I haven't seen him for eight years, and the sturdy Li Laoyou is actually as old as an old tree with roots uprooted, with branches and leaves withered and withered, and his torso scarred, and he is only about fifty.

"Brother Li, have you always been okay?" He asked with concern.

Li Laoyou trembled and snorted: "Okay, good ......" There was insincerity in his voice, he twitched silently, and burst into a vicissitudes of laughter, "Brother Ge, what about you, since you left Yizhou, where have you gone?" ”

"I'm going home, Jingzhou!" Zhuge Liang said.

Li Laoyou nodded weakly: "Oh, Jingzhou...... Are you coming to Yizhou again now? ”

"yes!"

"I haven't seen you for several years, and you haven't changed much," Li Laoyou's smile was bitter, but very sincere, "In the past few years since you left, our family has been thinking about you all the time, I really didn't expect to see you again!" ”

"I'm also worried about you, are the eldest sister and younger sister okay?"

"They ......" Li Laoyou choked up, tears welled up in the chaotic and godless eyes, he gritted his teeth and held back fiercely, "All dead......

"What?" Zhuge Liang exclaimed.

Li Laoyou sighed sadly: "Little sister, and her mother, died the year before last......"

He's dead...... Zhuge Liang's heart suddenly became cold, and the scene of the past appeared in an instant. The girl who always blushed her cheeks and hid in the corner to watch herself write, and the gentle, soft-spoken, hospitable peasant woman, their voices, words and deeds were very clear at this moment, but they were all far away from the world, buried under the heavy loess of rolling away time.

"Big brother, what's wrong with them?" Zhuge Liang said sadly, but he couldn't fully express the doubts in his heart.

Li Laoyou shook his head bitterly: "Don't mention it, it's dead, it's buried, it's all over......"

"What about the big and the small?" Zhuge Liang was a little careful when he asked.

"Da Sheng was injured the year before last, and his leg was broken, Xiao Xi," Li Laoyou paused, and said with difficulty, "Sold to a big family as a small slave......" He stopped, and cold tears flowed down the two deep furrows on his face. Suddenly, he felt that he was very rude in front of Zhuge Liang, so he embarrassedly squeezed out a little smile and hurriedly wiped away his tears.

Zhuge Liang looked at this simple farmer, and felt a sadness, a sorrow, a gust of wind, and a gust of rain in his heart. He didn't expect that after eight years of separation, the fate of Li Laoyou's family had such a terrible reversal, and his life had started a new journey since then, but they were moving along two different paths, perhaps, it was impossible to say who was happier and who was sadder.

Li Laoyou smiled apologetically: "See the smile, it's rare for you to come once, just listen to me talk about family affairs, just don't mention those things about Chen sesame and rotten grain." If you don't like it, go sit at home and taste the new corn this year! ”

Zhuge Liang did not hesitate, he replied gratefully: "Then trouble Brother Li!" ”

"No trouble, no trouble!" Li Laoyou waved his hand happily and gently swept away the dust on the car board, "Get in the car, I'll take you there!" ”

Zhuge Liang pulled Xiuyuan, who listened dumbly, and the two jumped into the car with Li Laoyou. Li Laoyou flicked the whip rod, and the loud sound shook the dust in the air one after another, and the ox cart creaked across the wet land and drove towards the village not far away.

Xiuyuan bumped on the rickety car, smelling the strong smell of cow dung, he couldn't help but sneeze several times in succession, and he had been timid in his heart, for fear that the cow pulling the cart would lose his temper, so he turned around and pushed himself with his horns, and tightly pulled the corners of Zhuge Liang's clothes all the way.

Zhuge Liang looked at him timidly and smiled: "At first glance, he is a careless man!" He handed the feather fan in his hand to Xiuyuan, "Hold on to this, if you are afraid, you will block your face, and if you can't see it, you will not be afraid!" ”

"The children are from the city, pampered, and very noble, where are they like country boys, and they are used to fighting the sea!" Li Lao said loudly that he came to the spirit, and his words also had strength.

Zhuge Liang said with a smile: "Where is he still young, he will be twenty years old after the New Year, he should marry a daughter-in-law, he wants to be in charge of a family, or this delicate and weak girl's temper, which girl is willing to marry him!" ”

"Sir!" Xiuyuan became more and more anxious, grabbing the feather fan to cover Zhuge Liang's face, trying to stop him from continuing.

Zhuge Liang pressed down the feather fan and teased: "What, I'll find you a daughter-in-law, aren't you happy?" ”

"Sir, don't say it......" Xiuyuan's face was as red as boiling, he turned around and waved his fan, and suddenly, the ox cart drove over a hurdle, and the body shook violently, he thought it was a cow criminal, and he was so frightened that he threw himself on the sack.

Zhuge Liang couldn't help laughing: "Stupid boy, what a pampered city person!" In the middle of the laughter, the ox cart slowly drove into the village, and it was almost afternoon, and the peasant family had eaten early, and the smoke was already curling in every house, and the smell of rice enveloped the small village.

"Gah!" The wheels shook against the ground, and after a moment of slight trembling, it quickly stopped. Xiuyuan raised his eyes and looked, it turned out to be parked in front of a farmhouse, the courtyard wall hung down with a dry creeper, like a dry hand drooping down, Li Laoyou pushed open the courtyard door, and shouted happily: "Dasheng, look who is coming!" ”

Zhuge Liang and Xiuyuan followed Li Laoyou into the courtyard gate, and there was a damp smell of dust on their faces, as if they had entered an old coffin. The courtyard was empty, but it was chaotic, with two large broken wooden barrels lying on the ground, a pool of yellow and black water running down the steps of the hall, and a large pink spider crawling out from behind the door and swishing away.

In the courtyard lay a large millstone, and a thin donkey spun in a circle with all his might, rattling like a tattered windmill, and behind the mill slowly rose a head, and his pale cheeks were covered with confusion.

"Dad, what's wrong?" He carried a thick wooden rod with a strip of cloth wrapped around his head, and a thin slit whip hanging from his hand, which struck the donkey from time to time, causing the lazy donkey to snort unhappily.

Li Laoyou pointed at Zhuge Liang: "Look, who is this?" ”

Li Dasheng stared at Zhuge Liang, and his gloomy eyes flashed with confusion, astonishment, and aftertaste...... He swallowed his dry throat and said sluggishly, "He, he's Kudzu......"

"He is the Ge family brother!" Li Lao shouted in a choked voice.

"Ge, Brother Ge?" Li Dasheng said in disbelief, "It's really you ......"

"It's me!" Zhuge Liang said with certainty, and he walked towards Li Dasheng with a smile.

Li Dasheng limped with a stick, and suddenly held his hand hard: "It's really you!" He whimpered, tears rolling down his thin, hard cheeks.

"Don't cry, don't cry!" Zhuge Liang patted him on the shoulder comfortingly.

Li Dayou blamed: "You baby, what are you crying about, the Ge brothers came to see us from afar, you just cry a lot, and don't beckon people to sit down!" ”

Li Dasheng hurriedly wiped his tears, pulled Zhuge Liang and walked inside: "Sit in the house, sit in the house!" ”

He dragged out the two rough-textured three-foot tables in the room, asked Zhuge Liang and Xiuyuan to sit down, and went to find two pottery cups, wiped them inside and out, poured two cups of hot water and put them down.

"Brother Ge, why did you think about coming to Yizhou?" He crouched by the door with a stick, a hearty smile on his face.

Zhuge Liang took a sip of water: "Come and travel." ”

"Oh, it's good to travel, the scenery of Yizhou is good, take a look at it." Li Dasheng smiled and didn't ask much, but when he saw Xiu Yuan frowning with a cup, he asked, "What's wrong, is the water cold, I'll change a cup for you?" ”

"No, no, no!" Xiu Yuan shook his head, but he had to take a sip of water, and a greasy and stuffy smell entered his throat, so that he almost vomited. Quietly handed over his eyes to look at Zhuge Liang, the glass of water had gone down halfway, but his face was calm, and he didn't see the slightest disgust, as if he was drinking elixir.

Li Laoyou shouted at the door: "Dasheng, you greet the guests, I'll cook!" ”

"Alas!" Li Dasheng responded, suddenly remembered something, and said loudly, "Dad, I came here just now, and said that this year's autumn endowment has to be increased by 20%!" ”

"What?" Li Laoyou had already raised his legs to leave, and when he heard this, he turned back like a scorpion, "Add two percent?" Why? ”

Li Dasheng said sullenly: "Yes, it is said that the guests of Jingzhou want to add land endowment, and the main family is sent to the heads of the tenant farmers!" ”

"These Jingzhou people, not to mention occupying our land, are still so greedy!" Li Laoyou took a sip, suddenly remembered that Zhuge Liang was also from Jingzhou, he was busy, took a step back awkwardly, squeezed a smile and said, "I, I cook ......" hurriedly walked to the kitchen.

Zhuge Liang was puzzled when he heard this, and asked: "Jingzhou Kejiatian Fu, what is this statement?" ”

Li Dasheng sighed gloomily: "Brother Ge, you don't know, half a year ago, a soldier from Jingzhou occupied our Yizhou, drove General Liu away, and became the new master of Yizhou. Since they came, they have blindly bullied our Yizhou people, forced many lives, and now they have frequently increased the field endowment, last time they said that they would add one percent, and today they said that they would add two percent, and there is no head. I heard that they also wanted to take away the fields of our peasants and distribute them to the heroes, so that we would have no land to plant and be their domestic slaves, alas! ”

Zhuge Liang's expression became grim, where is this Jingzhou Ke's seizure of farmland, it is clearly a deliberate planting, transferring the grievances of Zhangtianling to the farmers, arousing the resentment of the farmers against the Jingzhou people, it is really an insidious and vicious means.

The grudge against the legal power has not disappeared, and now it has added to the anger of the peasants, and disasters have followed. Although Yizhou has been held in his hand, he has not really obtained it, which is like grabbing a slippery snake, which is not only difficult to control, but will also be attacked by it at any time. Although the country is majestic and beautiful, it can also become a grave to bury oneself if it is not guarded well.

Winning the country is not only to get the land, but also to win the hearts of the people, if the people's hearts are lost, no matter how strong the rivers and mountains are, they will collapse like a dam gnawed by an anthill.

"Brother Ge, where have you been all these years, why haven't you come to Yizhou all these years?" Li Dasheng asked.

Zhuge Liang smiled slightly: "When I returned to Jingzhou, some miscellaneous matters were delayed, so I couldn't come to Yizhou to visit you." ”

"Alas......" Li Dasheng sighed sadly, "You have been gone all these years, we are all worried about you, little sister, my mother...... They also think about you, but they can't wait......" The wings of his nose twitched, and heavy tears spread over his faintly lit eyes.

Zhuge Liang couldn't help but feel sorry, and asked softly: "Dasheng, what kind of disease do the eldest sister and younger sister have, how can you say that it is gone?" ”

Li Dasheng whistled his nose uncomfortably: "The younger sister is a stupid woman, a stupid woman......" He raised his face, hatred and grief were like a light and shadow, intertwined on his painful face, "She was killed by the master's family!" ”

Zhuge Liang was surprised, put down the cup in his hand gently, and slowly stood up half an inch.

"The year before last, the little sister followed us to send rent to the main family, and was favored by the main family, the main family deceived her into the house, put her, and ...... her" Li Dasheng hung his head, his hands were cut behind his back, and there was a fine crackling sound between the bone joints, "bullied the ......" The surging tears stained his face with misery, he tried his best to let himself recall the unbearable past, and his voice trembled like a bamboo tree blowing the wind, "After the little sister came back, she didn't say anything, and she was stuffy in the room for three days and three nights, we were all in a hurry, she shouldn't knock on her door, and my mother was so anxious that she kept crying, She just doesn't come out to meet people...... On the morning of the fourth day, she disappeared, and the family searched for her two days later by the creek...... I'm already out of breath......"

He covered his head, and tears dripping on a large part of the floor: "My mother was crying and fainting at that time, and the family ...... I went to the Lord's house for a judge, and they discounted my leg...... The mother went to the government to complain, knelt at the public gate for two days, and no one accepted it, she was carried back by others, and it was only three days before she could do it, and she went with her sister ......"

He raised his head, deep pain and hatred tormented his young and vicissitudes of life: "I hate it so much, I wanted to fight to the death with them, but the neighbors persuaded me to endure it, for my father's ...... I'm really unproductive, the master's family has ruined my family, and we still have to pay rent for his land, I can't figure it out. This hatred is in my heart, and it makes me restless every day, if I can't take revenge, am I still a human being? He cried out, and the wooden stick in his hand pounded the ground frantically, as if to condense the bitter hatred of his life.

"What are you still doing mentioning these old things, don't let the guests laugh at you......" Li Laoyou didn't know when he came, he leaned against the door woodenly, and his wry face was two lines of gray tears.

"Brother Li," Zhuge Liang slowly stood up, the deep sadness in his clear eyes flashed over the calm embankment, "Where are the graves of the eldest sister and the younger sister, I want to go and pay respects." ”

Li Laoyou was stunned for a moment, he covered his face violently, and cried out.

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