Li Yanzhi's team, led by the county lieutenant of Chu County, after leaving the south gate of the county seat, continued to travel south for six or seven miles, then turned east, crossed a bridge, and walked for about three miles. ”

Li Yanzhi led his soldiers and walked towards the village. Lieutenant Chu walked in front and took the lead to the entrance of the village. The village is sparsely populated at this time, but the sound of chickens and dogs barking can be heard from a long distance, and it is quite lively.

Seeing that there were only a few children playing at the entrance of the village, the lieutenant of Chu County went to a room on the side and knocked on the door, and after a while, a woman came and opened the door. looked at County Lieutenant Chu, but he didn't know him, with a blank look.

The county lieutenant Chu opened his mouth and asked softly: "Where are the officials here, do you know?" ”

The woman turned her head sideways, pointed to the east of the village, and said to the county lieutenant Chu: "Dou Lichang's house is in the east of the village, you go over and see the largest courtyard, which is his house." ”

The county lieutenant of Chu thanked the woman, and then beckoned Li Yanzhi to cross the potholed dirt road in the village and head east of the village.

More than ten people behind him followed Li Yanzhi and Chu County Lieutenant, walked about three or four hundred steps, and saw that on the south side of the road, there was indeed a courtyard, which was more than twice as big as the shabby house next to it. County Lieutenant Chu turned back to Li Yanzhi and said, "It's probably this one." Then he stepped forward and knocked on the knocker on the door. However, no human voices were heard, and a dog barked in the courtyard.

Lieutenant Chu turned his head and said with a slightly embarrassed expression: "There is a vicious dog in the Dou Li family, and the last time I came, this vicious dog barked at me non-stop, which is very hateful." ”

Li Yanzhi automatically ignored the embarrassing application of the county lieutenant Chu, and said with a faint smile: "County Lieutenant Chu, I have heard that the ancients said that dogs that bark do not bite." I'll go in first, and Lieutenant Chu will follow me. ”

County Lieutenant Chu still looked embarrassed. While the two were talking, there was a voice in the door asking "Who?" ”

The county lieutenant Chu replied to the door: "It's me, the county lieutenant of this county." ”

When the people inside heard this, they stepped forward and pulled the latch, and then the door creaked open. Standing inside the door was a middle-aged man in plain clothes. When I saw Lieutenant Chu, I greeted him: "Lieutenant Chu, you haven't been here for a long time......

County Lieutenant Chu responded with a smile, and then said, "The second child of the Dou family." Today, I am here with Li Sima for business. Ling Zun can be in the house now? ”

The second eldest of the Dou family smiled awkwardly and said, "County Lieutenant Chu, it's really unfortunate, my father is not at home at ...... at present."

Li Yanzhi looked at the middle-aged man's plain clothes intently, and suddenly asked, "Who died in the house?" ”

The middle-aged man glanced at Li Yanzhi, and the county lieutenant Chu was busy introducing beside him: "This is Li Sima, who is newly transferred to this county. Recently, Zhang Mingfu is not there, and there are a mountain of cases in the county government, and Li Sima temporarily handles the affairs of the county government......"

When the second elder of the Dou family heard this, he bowed his hand, and then lowered his head and said: "Li Sima, the younger brother of the family was recruited into the army a month ago, and then ...... Died in battle......"

When Li Yanzhi heard this, he replied with a sad expression: "I served in the county government before, and I was also in the battle of Jincheng...... Since Brother Ling died in battle, can you allow me to come in and pay respects? ”

When the middle-aged man heard this, he looked incredulous, stood for a moment before he came back to his senses, and then stepped aside, and hurriedly said: "Please, ......please, please."

Li Yanzhi turned around and instructed Zhao Da to lead his troops to wait outside, and he stepped in, followed by Lieutenant Chu. After the two entered the courtyard, the middle-aged man took a few steps and led the two up the hall. At this time, the barking of the dog sounded in the courtyard again, Li Yanzhi looked sideways, but saw a yellow dog leashed on the tree in the courtyard.

The middle-aged man reprimanded a few times, and the yellow dog lay down under the tree with a face full of grievances, still purring, but the barking sound was never seen again.

The two entered the front hall, but there was a mourning hall in the front hall. The middle-aged man took two plain clothes, put them on respectively, and then the two walked to the spiritual seat, each took three sticks of incense, and then kowtowed three times, and inserted the incense into the incense burner in front of the spirit tablet.

After the worship was over, the middle-aged man led the two to the inner hall, invited them to sit down, and ordered the family to serve some snacks. The county lieutenant Chu hurriedly waved his hand and said: "I'm not busy, I'm not busy, I'm here for official business today, and I don't dare to bother for a long time, so I took the liberty to ask, when will Ling Zun return home?" ”

The middle-aged man said: "The foolish brother has gone to find his father and come back, please wait for a while." ”

After that, the middle-aged man also sat on the side and talked with the two. About two quarters of an hour later, a man in his thirties came from outside, supporting an old man. When the three of them saw the old man, they hurriedly got up to greet him. Lieutenant Chu threw his hand to the old man and said, "Dou Lichang, I haven't seen you for a long time, are you okay?" ”

The old man coughed lightly twice and sighed: "Alas, the body is fine, but the dog died suddenly, and the white-haired person sent the black-haired person, and it was inevitable that the injury ......"

As he spoke, the old man shivered and took out a handkerchief from his bosom and wiped his tears.

Seeing this, the county lieutenant Chu was also a little unbearable, so he introduced Li Yanzhi to the old man, Li Yanzhi also met the old man, and then explained his intentions: "Chief Dou, I am now in charge of the affairs of the county government, and the state government orders all counties and counties to count the soldiers killed in the previous war, and then give them a pension." We did not dare to slack off, so we sent men to the various villages to visit these fallen soldiers to make sure that there were any omissions, and then when we returned to the county government, we would raise money and food and distribute these pensions, so that the families of the martyrs would not suffer from hunger and cold again......"

When Dou Li heard this, he wiped his tears and sighed: "Okay...... All right...... This kind of thing, we are the chief officials...... Naturally, I'm going to help......"

After a pause, Dou Lichang pointed to the son who had just brought him in and said, "Let the dog and the two go to each house to have a look, the old legs and feet are not very bright...... I won't go......"

When Li Yanzhi heard this, he hurriedly said: "You will rest at home, I am already quite disturbed when I come here, how can I ask you to personally guide ......"

At this time, Dou Lichang had been helped by the middle-aged man from before to sit down on the Hu bed, he gasped, waved his hand and said, "Old, it's useless." You young people have to take care of these things...... You see, I went out and walked for a few miles, and my legs and feet didn't obey me......"

Li Yanzhi said respectfully: "Chief Dou Li, please rest in peace, and leave the matter of compensity to me." We will definitely complete this matter as soon as possible and give a satisfactory explanation to the orphans of the families of the martyrs......"

After saying goodbye to Dou Lichang, Li Yanzhi took off his plain clothes, handed them to the middle-aged man, and then walked out of the courtyard. With the son of the county lieutenant Chu and Dou Lichang, they walked towards the homes of the fallen soldiers in the village. Knocking on the doors and looking at the lonely relatives of the fallen soldiers, Li Yanzhi finally understood why Dou Lichang was reluctant to take them to visit these homes in person. For every person who has lost a relative, the sadness and despair that comes out of his heart make him feel that his heart is being tortured over and over again.

No matter what the purpose of the war is, whether it is defending the countryside or expanding the territory, those low-level soldiers and generals have always been humble and easy to ignore, looking at the parents who have lost their children, wives who have lost their husbands, and children who have lost their fathers in front of them, Li Yanzhi can no longer restrain himself, and he went out of the yard under the pretext of going out, thinking of himself watching Niu Erzhuang's death in battle, thinking of Niu Erzhuang's mother and sister, tears have involuntarily flowed all over his face......