The late autumn dusk always comes quickly, and when the sunset subsides, the curling smoke and the gray-white twilight blend together, and the sky and earth turn a silver-gray color.

Zhou Zhi carried a shovel on his shoulder and walked slowly towards the entrance of the village. At this time, Zhou Zhi's mood was very happy, and tonight, Chen Wenju would send someone to plow Zhou Zhi's eight acres of land with oxen, and he would also plant wheat. It not only saves Zhou Zhi's strength, but also saves wheat seeds. The wheat seeds of the eight acres of land cost almost three stones, and with the three stones of wheat saved, the life of Zhou Zhijia will be much better.

Zhou Zhi thought that if he made a bet with Chen Wenju in the field today, maybe no one in the family would know about it now. In a family of five, the father can't move, and the mother has to serve the father at any time, so naturally he can't go out. In addition to cooking at home, my sister also has to help dry rice and rice, and she has no time to be idle when she is busy, so she naturally has no time to separate. As for the younger brother, he is still a child, so naturally he will not run to the fields.

What would the family have known if they had such a good thing today? …… I'm afraid that such a good thing is a good thing, but the cheap dad thinks it's a disaster and doesn't dare to bear it.

Thinking of this, Zhou Zhi secretly smiled bitterly.

In any case, home still has to be returned, Zhou Zhi quickened his pace into the village.

Speaking of Baiyue Village, it is very distinctive, rich in the south and poor in the north. A large road running through the east and west of the village divides Baiyue Village into two, and six or seven wealthy families led by the Yue family and the Chen family live in the south of the road, all of which have decent houses. Especially the Yue family and the Chen family, both families have the same vermilion gate, tall tiled houses built of blue bricks, and the two houses cover an area of almost hundreds of acres, which is very magnificent.

Lubei is inhabited by poor families, there are more than 300 households, most of them are unkempt and ugly, broken walls, dilapidated, a scene without vitality.

Zhou Zhi's family is in the northeast corner of Baiyue Village, and the Zhou family has been passed down from generation to generation, and only two sons were born in Zhou Zhi's father's generation, which belongs to a small family in Baiyue Village. Four low-rise adobe houses, washed by rains all year round, with ravines in the walls, look a bit old. The front of these four main houses is about half an acre square, which is considered a courtyard, and there is no courtyard wall. On the west side of the courtyard, there is a lower thatched hut, which is used to store sundries, which is considered a firewood house. On the east side of the courtyard is a vegetable field, at this time the vegetable field is planted with cabbage and radish, and the green growth is good.

There were a few elm and willow trees growing behind the house, and the leaves of the trees were already yellow, and they were blown by the evening breeze, and a few leaves fell from time to time.

The neighbors are all farmhouses close to Zhou Zhi's residence, some like Zhou Zhi's family have a few acres of land, and some simply have no fields and become tenants of the Yue family or the Chen family.

After Zhou Zhi entered the courtyard and put the shovel into the firewood room, he shouted softly in the courtyard, "Mother, I'm back!" ”

"Come back and go into the house." Immediately, there was a soft, but panicked voice in the room.

Zhou Zhi didn't notice any difference between his mother's voice and the past, and after washing his hands outside, he planned to enter the house later. As for the bet in the field today, Zhou Zhi was worried that his father would not dare to bear it, and he didn't want to say it as soon as possible.

Before entering the house, the younger brother suddenly ran out of the house. The younger brother's name is Zhou Shaocheng, he has just turned six years old, his health has not been very good, and he looks weak. However, this younger brother has a very bright brain, and he also respects Zhou Zhi very much, and he likes Zhou Zhi very much.

The little brother Zhou Shaocheng's face was a little pale and a little frightened at this time, as if he was frightened. He stepped forward and hurriedly grabbed Zhou Zhi with a small hand, and said in a low voice, "Brother, Daddy scolded you just now, he is angry, brother should not go into the house first." ”

Zhou Zhi's father's name is Zhou Tie, he is over forty years old, he is strong and burly, with a sturdy body, and he is a standard northern farmer. Zhou Tie has a short temper, and he will reprimand Zhou Zhi at every turn. However, Zhou Tie has always been honest and dutiful outside, timid and afraid of things, obedient, rarely quarrels with others, and hides from the rich families in Baiyue Village, never daring to provoke them. Speaking of which, Zhou Zhi's impression of this cheap dad is not very good.

But Daddy, like any other farmer, was still very industrious. If it weren't for the fact that he accidentally twisted his waist and couldn't move because of carrying rice a few days ago, my father would have gone down to the field to turn over the fields and would have returned home very late.

Zhou Zhi secretly thought, it seems that Daddy Bacheng heard about his bet today, and he really didn't dare to bear it, for fear that the Chen family would retaliate.

Fortunately, he can't move now, and he can't do anything to himself.

Thinking like this, Zhou Zhi hesitated a little outside the house, then smiled at his younger brother Zhou Shaocheng, and then stepped into the house.

When you enter the house, you will find a stove house and a dining room. My sister was busy in front of the stove wearing a coarse cloth apron. At the back of the room was a low dining table, on which there were already a few freshly baked cakes made of yellow rice and sorghum flour. Zhou Zhi came in, she glanced at Zhou Zhi, and her face could not hide a little worry.

Zhou Zhi's sister is called Zhou Luyun, one year old and sixteen this year, although her face is not very fair, she is very delicate, and she is a beautiful and virtuous woman.

If this family treats Zhou Zhi best, it should be her sister Zhou Luyun.

"Xiaozhi, you sit there first and wait, the meal will be cooked soon." Zhou Luyun pointed to a small stool in front of the dining table and whispered, apparently for fear of alarming the father in the back room.

Sure enough, before Zhou Luyun's words fell, Daddy Zhou Tie's violent voice came from the back room, "Hmph! You rebel still have the courage to come back and come into the house. ”

Zhou Zhi calmed down and entered the back room unhurriedly.

Zhou Tie was lying on the kang, obviously the pain and torture of the past few days had made the northern farmer's face a little haggard, but at this time, his eyes seemed to be about to erupt fire, and he was glaring at Zhou Zhi fiercely. Mother Zhou He stood under the kang with a bowl of white water in her hand, and was about to hand it to Zhou Tie.

Mother Zhou He is a hard-working and simple northern peasant woman, although she is just thirty-five years old, but because of long-term work in this poor family, her temples are faintly white. Her mother has always been kind to her three children, and Zhou Zhi has always had a good relationship with her mother.

"Daddy, son, drink saliva, don't get angry, listen to Xiao Zhi first and tell me what is going on today." Mother said.

"Say what? Didn't Aunt Li next door say it very clearly a long time ago, today this rebel made a bet with Third Young Master Chen, won Third Young Master Chen, and let the Chen family plow the fields and plant wheat for our family. Hmph, this provoked the Chen family, will our family still have a life in the future? Zhou Tie said angrily.

"Daddy, that Chen Wenju deceived people too much, and the child couldn't swallow this breath to teach him a lesson. Today, the child and Chen Wenju bet that there is a contract, and the old lady of the Yue family is a witness, so the Chen family will not treat us badly.

Daddy, it's a good thing to come to the kids. You can't get the land now, and you only rely on children to plough the eight acres of land alone, and I don't know what year and month it will take, and you will definitely miss the farming time and can't plant wheat. Now Chen Wenju ploughed the land for our family to plant wheat, and our family also saved wheat seeds, and life will be much better. Zhou Zhi said with a frown.

"Listen, child, mother, listen, this rebel is still talking about the Tao, which is obviously not knowing life and death, and he wants to be angry with me." Zhou Tie's anger was even stronger, and he roared.

In the past, Zhou Zhi was always obedient in front of Zhou Tie, and his father Zhou Tie was whatever he said, and he never dared to contradict half a sentence. But today, Zhou Zhi began to fight with confidence, where could Zhou Tie stand it.

Zhou Tie struggled with his body, so he had to raise his hand to hit Zhou Zhi. Unexpectedly, this movement caused a piercing pain in his waist, and he reluctantly put his hand down. At this time, his black face was already red and purple, and he was panting heavily.

"Xiaozhi, don't say good things about your father. Do you know how much trouble you have done today? The Chen family cultivated the fields and planted wheat for our family in vain, and he suffered such a big loss, how could he give up?

Xiaozhi, your father has already thought about it, let you quickly catch two chickens and go to the Chen family to apologize, our family does not dare to bother the Chen family to plow the land and plant wheat, today you bet with the third young master Chen It should be a joke, please forgive the Chen family. The mother looked worried and said hurriedly.