Aunt Zhao stood by the door and thought about it, pursed her lips and smiled, and said, "It's not inconvenient, I just said that you are a distant nephew who came to visit the door, what does she know?" Besides, she stayed for a while and left, who would ask her about our family. ”

Zhao Tie pondered for a while, nodded, and said, "That's right, I'll go out to meet with her, and by the way, inquire about the affairs of the kiln house." Well, if her brother comes to sell charcoal, maybe he can establish contact, but it saves a lot of effort. ”

"Then I'll go open the door of the lower courtyard, and you come out quietly, pretending to be from outside." Aunt Zhao advised.

"Okay, wait until I'll clean it up first." Zhao Tie stood up and checked the clothes on his body.

……………

The warm kang, Shen Chen felt very comfortable sitting on it, of course he didn't know that Aunt Zhao specially added firewood for her son at night.

Although the cave where he lived was sheltered from the wind, and he had a bedding and coat, and there was firewood, it was still not as comfortable as this hot kang. It's a pity that there is no way to pan the kang in the cave, and Shen Chen secretly regrets it.

The courtyard door rang again, and Shen Chen leaned on the window, looking out through a small piece of glass embedded in it.

It was a young man who seemed to be running a small business, and he was being let into the house by Aunt Zhao with a smile in the yard. It seems that he should be an acquaintance.

The door of the house rang, the voice was clear, the curtain of the door was raised, and Aunt Zhao led Zhao Tie into the house.

"This is my mother's nephew, named Tiezi." Aunt Zhao was full of smiles and made an introduction, "This is Damei, from the kiln." ”

Shen Chen smiled and said hello, "Brother Tie is good." ”

Zhao Tie was stunned for a moment, this title was a bit strange, but he then smiled and nodded, "Hello." ”

"Tiezi, you sit." Aunt Zhao let her son go to the other end of the small kang table, busily served hot water, and sat down next to Shen Chen, looking at this, looking at that, I didn't know what to say for a while.

"Da Mei, what do you think of this white cloth?" When Aunt Zhao saw the white cloth she brought in, she finally found the conversation, put it in front of Shen Chen, and said: "This is woven by my eldest daughter when she was not married, and it has only been two years of work, it is a little old, but it is still strong." ”

Shen Chen stretched out his hand and touched it, rubbed it, and nodded: "It's Chen'er's sister, it's really finely woven, and now I can't buy such a handmade homespun cloth!" When I bought it back, the young lady must be very satisfied. ”

"The girl has a good memory, and she listens to her words." Aunt Zhao was so happy that her eyes narrowed, and she almost held Shen Chen in her arms.

Zhao Tie smiled faintly, drank the water, and looked at the girl sitting on the kang.

Big eyes, black and bright, straight nose, white face, a smile is crescent eyes, and there are shallow dimples on the face, which looks really good, no wonder my mother likes it!

It's just - Zhao Tie felt that this girl was a little strange, and he couldn't say the specifics, but he felt that it was a little different from the girls he had seen or touched.

It stands to reason that looking at the appearance, the age is not too big, at most sixteen or seventeen years old, but-

Aunt Zhao and Shen Chen talked for a while, and when she saw that her son was a little stunned, she remembered that her son had said that he wanted to inquire about the matter of the kiln house, so she simply took it as a small talk, so she talked about this topic, and Shen Chen didn't care, and replied casually.

"My mother's family wants charcoal to burn the kang, so let my brother send it. Good charcoal is military coal, and the Japanese watch it closely. The charcoal picked on the gangue mountain is no problem to cook on the fire. I've caused so much trouble to you, auntie, what's the point of burning some charcoal! Shen Chen glanced at the big man opposite and saw that he seemed to be listening.

"In the past, your uncle also dug charcoal in the mine, but then he smashed his foot and stopped doing it." Aunt Zhao said: "It's dangerous to dig charcoal in the mine, I, I was worried all day long, and I went to the door from time to time to look, for fear that the mine would ring the bell and gong." ”

Ringing the bell and gong is an accident in the mine, either the roof or the water, who has to go down to work is not frightened, just looking forward to the safe return of their relatives!

"Well, my uncle just went down the well and broke his waist, and there was no money to treat it, so I sold myself, but fortunately the master's family is fine." Shen Chen said that he and Aunt Zhao felt the same way.

"What a sensible child." Aunt Zhao sighed, took Shen Chen's hand and patted it gently.

"It's winter, I want to go to the kiln to sell some charcoal to various villages, I don't know if it's good or not?" Zhao Tie interjected in an inquiring tone.

Shen Chen thought for a while and said, "Hades is easy to provoke, and the little ghost is difficult. The mine belongs to the He family, and the supervisor of the He family is the best at extortion. It seems that he is a living person and an honest person, and he must be charged with a crime, and he must cheat some money. ”

After a pause, he thought more carefully, "If you want to sell charcoal, it is better to go around the village and talk about it, let people know first, and then let the charcoal seller send you to a place a little farther outside the village, and then you can carry it away." If you want to make a living for a long time, you have to spend a lot of money and have a relationship with the overseers and bosses, who are not clean with their hands and feet, and often secretly get the charcoal from the mine to sell it! ”

"Big sister is thoughtful." Zhao Tie was a little surprised in his heart, this girl was generous and not very afraid of life, and she spoke in an orderly manner, which was really rare.

Shen Chen smiled, didn't answer Zhao Tie's words, but continued to chat with Aunt Zhao.

"If you can get good charcoal, you will make more money, I don't know if there is a way?" Zhao Tie found a free time, although it was not a direct inquiry, but he looked at Shen Chen, obviously hoping to get an answer.

Shen Chen blinked his eyes wide, lowered his eyelids and thought for a while, and said uncertainly: "There are not many nests for good coal in the mine, and the Japanese also watch it closely. But if you can steal it from the mine and mix it with some black mud and gangue, maybe you can't tell that it's good coal, right? ”

This brain is both smart and clever. Zhao Tie's eyes lit up, nodded secretly, and said with a smile: "Well, this is really a method." ”

Aunt Zhao smiled happily, took Shen Chen's hand and said, "Wow, after eating here, go away, when you leave, your aunt will send you, handsome and smart, walking outside alone, Auntie is a little uneasy!" ”

Shen Chen thought about it and nodded in agreement. It's good to save yourself from having to freeze outside, and wait until it gets dark to sneak back into the mountains and forests. Besides, he doesn't eat for nothing, give money!

There was not much time, Zhao Laohan came back, with some things that Shen Chen wanted, as well as some miscellaneous meat and two catties of white noodles.

At that time, the people basically had two meals, especially during the winter leisure. Aunt Zhao got off the kang and was busy working in the stove outside, while Shen Chen opened the small baggage, put everything in it, and tried it casually.

Pliers, not the kind of industrially made vices, but made by blacksmiths, are relatively simple, but the function is okay, at least more powerful than teeth;

As for the small file, that's it, anyway, Shen Chen didn't use it for any big work......

"Big sister, what do you want these things for?" Zhao Tie was puzzled and asked curiously.

"My young lady wants it, but my lord won't buy it, and I don't know what she's going to do!" Shen Chen's lies are slippery, and he can also block people's follow-up questions, I don't know, you can ask in vain.

Zhao Tie definitely didn't understand what was going on even if he wanted to break his head, so he smiled a little wryly, and couldn't ask any more.

The meal was not sumptuous, but it was already a rare good meal. Pancakes, stewed chicken, minced meat, and scrambled eggs were served after a while, and the four of them sat around the small kang table, humbly conceded, and ate them.

"Come on, Damei, eat this." Aunt Zhao sandwiched a chicken leg for Shen Chen.

"Auntie, uncle, you eat, I'll come by myself." Shen Chen also knows how to be measured, although he has not fully adapted to this woman's identity and performance.

"Tiezi, you're welcome, eat more!" Aunt Zhao beckoned her son, look at this, look at that, and feel a little emotional in her heart, when can you be like this, make up a family and have a reunion dinner!

Shen Chen tried his best to slow down the pace, but he ate a lot. In contrast, Zhao Tie was not as open as him. It's not that he's shy, it's that he has something on his mind, and his mind has been thinking about it, so it's a little tasteless.

After eating, Aunt Zhao pulled Shen Chen and talked for a while, and then Shen Chen said goodbye and left.

Although I want to find a secret place outside to stay until nightfall, Lao Lai is in someone else's house, and a girl who does not rush at dawn also makes people suspicious.

"Hey, you girl, you don't have a good eye for bullying your mother!" Aunt Zhao didn't see it, but Zhao Tie saw it and gave her a look.

She took out the five-yuan bill that Shen Chen had stolen from under the kang seat, and insisted on returning it to Shen Chen, "The eldest lady's house is not a restaurant, so she just eats casually, why do you still keep the money?" ”

Shen Chen refused, and said with a smile: "Auntie, no one's family is rich, how can you slap your ass and leave after eating this good meal?" If you don't accept it, then I won't have the face to trouble you again in the future. If you don't want me to come back, I'll take the money back. ”

"This girl's clever mouth can make the aunt embarrassed, you-" Aunt Zhao was stopped by these words, and Shen Chen took advantage of the situation to stuff the money back.

"Auntie, aren't you going to send me off?" Shen Chen diverted the topic and solved the trouble of pushing back and forth.

"yes, look at my memory." Aunt Zhao looked at the money in her hand, and said helplessly: "Okay, this money Aunt keeps, come back next time, and make something to eat for you." ”

The ponytail opened and coiled up a bun, and her face was smeared with black and dust, and Aunt Zhao made up and dressed Shen Chen, while also expressing regret, "In this world, handsome people have to be dirty and ugly, really-"

Hehe, Shen Chen smiled, showed a few white teeth, and said, "Auntie, don't praise me, I don't look good, and I can't match handsomeness." ”

"Who said that?" Aunt Zhao said dissatisfiedly: "Just like you, don't say that our village is one top one, and the lady of ten miles and eight villages has not seen anyone better than you." ”

"It's that they're all dirty and ugly, and if you dress up, you'll know they're all better looking than me."

"This girl, the eldest lady can't talk about you." Aunt Zhao turned her head to look at Zhao Tie, and asked half-jokingly: "Tiezi, come on, is Da Mei good-looking?" ”

Zhao Tie couldn't laugh or cry, and hurriedly nodded: "Good looking, Da Mei girl is indeed a top talent." ”

"Look, the eldest lady is not wrong." Aunt Zhao finished cleaning up, looked at it carefully, and then clapped her hands and said, "I don't wear a hat or anything, what can I do if it's frozen?" As he spoke, he took Zhao Laohan's three cotton hats and put them on for Shen Chen.

Shen Chen obediently let Aunt Zhao fiddle with it, and his heart was warm, deeply moved by this simple, warm-hearted, and kind-hearted family.

Carrying the burden, Shen Chen said goodbye to Zhao Laohan and Zhao Tie, walked out of the courtyard gate with Aunt Zhao, and went out of the village.

……………

Coking coal, how can it be obtained, and can it be shipped out?

Zhao Tie returned to the utility room, touching his chin and thinking hard.

That's right, this is his main task in entering the enemy-occupied area this time, to get in touch with Lao Zhou in the mine, and to find a way to get good coal for the base area that can make steel and iron.

This task is difficult, and the first step is to steal good coal from the mine; The second step is to transport it out of the kiln and hide it in a hidden place.

The last and most difficult step is how to cross the watchtowers and checkpoints set up by the enemy and transport them to the base area.

After entering the enemy-occupied area, Zhao Tie did not immediately rush to the kiln house, but acted separately from the pillar, and first contacted a few lurking inner lines.

Among them, there are those who work as errands in the Imperial Army, those who go to villages and towns to do business, and those who use other identities as cover.

The purpose is to grasp the situation in the enemy-occupied area in as much detail as possible, and to use all available relationships to complete this mission.

Shiwolf Valley was originally a predetermined passageway, but there were sentry posts and turrets along the way, which was obviously unlikely.

Zhao Tie thought about it, and there was only one way left, breaking through the blockade of the forbidden mountain, crossing the forest and the mountains, and smuggling out coal or other materials.

But now this road is also difficult, and the actions of unknown attackers have made the devils and puppet army strengthen the Forbidden Mountain, and it will undoubtedly take a lot of twists and turns to break through.

Zhao Tie thought about it and felt that there were not enough people, and it would be difficult to complete the task no matter how difficult it was to rely on him and the pillar. And the latent inner line, unless it is a last resort, it is better not to use it, so as not to be exposed.

There was a sound of talking in the courtyard, and the courtyard door also rang, Zhao Tie looked at the wall, it was his mother who came back and was talking to his father.

Aunt Zhao closed the courtyard door and did not go back to the house, but came directly to the utility room, wanting to talk to her son more.

"Mother, why did you come back so soon?" Zhao Tie smiled and asked his mother to sit down, and asked with some doubts.

"Hey, that girl won't let me go far, and if I don't go far from the village, I have to ask my mother to come back." Aunt Zhao shook her head and said: "My heart is good, and my courage is not small, but it's a pity that it's a girl ring that is sold to a big family, and I don't have any freedom!" ”

Zhao Tie pondered for a moment and said, "If it weren't for the call of the master's family, would she be able to run outside alone?" Seeing that she can eat so much, she may not be able to eat and dress warmly in the Lord's house. ”

"She is a good girl, and she pays for her meals." Aunt Zhao paused and said helplessly: "It's a pity that our family is poor, if you have money, you really want to redeem her." is sensible and can say, if you can accompany your mother all day long, how good it would be. ”

"There are many poor people in the world, and there are girls who make maids and servants for the landlord's old wealth, and it is useless to redeem one or two." Zhao Tie comforted his mother, "If you want the poor to be liberated, you have to break this old world." At present, the national contradiction is the main one, and the class contradiction will have to be resolved later. ”