Six years later, early in the morning.

The morning dew converges from the periphery of the green leaves to the middle, condensing into a sparkling water pearl, which is crystal clear and sparkling in the morning light. The water pearls gathered more and more, and finally they were so heavy that the leaf could not absorb them, so they slowly slid down the main vein of the green leaves. At the moment when the tail of the leaf is bent, with the flick of the green leaf, the water pearl falls back to the earth in a wonderful arc, nourishing the flowers and plants.

At the mouth of the ant hole on the edge of the grass, a few worker ants shook their long tentacles and probed their brains there, as if to confirm the dawn? Is it time for hard work?

Under the eaves, the dogs had long been chasing and playing excitedly, and the villagers who Tian Mo was carrying on his shoulders were busy.

The so-called plan of the day lies in the morning, don't let time leave in order to live a good life!

Next to the paddy field ditch in front of Qingtan Village, three village children of seven or eight years old were squatting on the ridge of the field, watching with great interest an old farmer pouring cold water on the waist of the cow with a spoonful of a long wooden scoop. After the buffalo was drenched with four or five spoonfuls, it was stimulated by the cold water and shook off the large bubble yellow urine, and the urine was just a large wooden bucket for the cow's buttocks. This is an important fertilizer for farmers, and it is used to thrive on rice seedlings in the field and vegetables in the vegetable garden.

Before the cow finished urinating, the village heard a shout that the villagers had been accustomed to for several years: "Ah Yuan, turtle grandson!" The sweet potatoes are boiled, go home and eat them! Hearing the shouting, the three children on the ditch ran away as soon as they slipped away.

The three village children in the run, the one in the middle is named Li Yuan, and his mother gave birth to 4,000 gold, and after giving birth to him, he finally looked forward to a boy, and the family loved him in every way. named Li Yuan, thinking that he would take the lead, and the family would continue to have more good wishes.

Li Yuan's family has a grandfather who is nearly 80 years old, and his teeth have basically fallen out. Grandpa dotes on his grandson of three generations, and every morning after breakfast is ready, he always likes to stand on the village field and call Li Yuan home to eat, for fear that he will starve his grandson if he is delayed for a moment, which is an expression of love for his old man. The tragedy is that the grandfather's teeth have almost fallen out, his speech is leaky, and he always calls the "good grandson" as the "turtle grandson" when he is slurred. In the mornings of the past few years, the old voice shouted "Turtle Sun" and spread throughout the village, which has become a bright color in the quiet life of Qingtan Village. At first, Xiao Li Yuan protested with his grandfather many times, but the old man's ears were behind his ears, and his memory was even worse, and the village still resounded with the cry of "turtle grandson" every morning. Li Yuanchai thought he was unlucky and gave up his efforts, and slowly accepted this fact with everyone.

The lean village boy who ran the fastest and had slightly shabby clothes was named Li Jiansheng. He is really a hard-working child, except for an old scalper-like father, there is only a half-blind grandfather and a crazy mother.

At the end was Levin. He was a month or two older than the other two, but he was the slowest runner. may have really found Li Wen's "heart of self-improvement", and his body gradually recovered. Now, nearly six years later, although his physical condition has improved greatly, he is still a little far from returning to normal, and his movements are still slightly sluggish.

It is said that other people's children grow up fast, and in a blink of an eye, Li Wen is already a lively child. When Li Wen was a child, his hands and feet were stiff and inflexible, and he often told the villagers that he was locked in his hands and feet, and slowly evolved from the "lock boy" in his mouth to the ridicule of "stupid boy". He has weak hands and feet, can't keep up with the rhythm of others, and has no close relatives to cover the children of his uncle's family, so there are not many children.

Li Yuan may be a bit cowardly and a little girly because most of his family are girls. Therefore, he was often disliked and bullied by his peers, and since he was nicknamed "Turtle Sun", he was often ridiculed by a large group of children of the same age in the same village Li Shifu.

Due to family factors, Li Jiansheng's personality is arrogant and stubborn, and he is not well received. Coupled with the low self-esteem and inferiority complex, he does not get along well with ordinary village children of the same age, and has very few playmates.

The three of them get together to play together on weekdays, although they may not be like-minded, but they are less eye-catching and exclusionary, and they are also harmonious with each other. The three of them, who were sympathetic to each other, became inseparable friends over time.

At this moment, Sanyou was sitting on the threshold of Li Yuan's house, each holding a hot sweet potato, squeaking and eating vigorously. Li Wen's favorite thing at this time is that while eating sweet potatoes, he looked at Grandpa Li Yuan, who was also eating opposite. There were not a few teeth left in the old man's mouth, and his cheeks were already concave, and his cheeks quickly bulged and concave with the action of eating sweet potatoes, very much like a frog with croaking cheeks in a summer night. Li Wen felt that the old man was full of joy at this moment, and often his happy day began at this time.

It's just that before he could eat a few bites, a woman with unkempt hair and a thin crane came to the door of Li Yuan's house. Holding a few green wild fruits in her hand, she slowly paced towards Sanyou, who was sitting on the threshold, but her eyes were looking at Jiansheng directly. This is the only crazy woman in Qingtan Village, and she is also Li Jiansheng's mother. But at this time, if you just look at her eyes, she is like an ordinary person, and there is a faint taste of love in her eyes.

Sister Li Yuan lifted the lid of the pot, took a sweet potato and walked to Li Jiansheng, lightly pressed her knees against Li Jiansheng, who was immersed in eating, and then pouted to his mother's position, and said softly: "Jiansheng, take this to your mother to eat!" ”

Li Jiansheng looked up at the woman in astonishment, but like a frightened rabbit, he quickly got up and ran away, shouting: "I don't eat your things, don't follow me, I don't know you!" ”

Seeing this scene, the eldest sister of Li Yuan's family couldn't help but sigh softly, Li Wen and Li Yuan were also gloomy in their hearts, and the woman's eyes, which still had a hint of brilliance, changed back to a discrete state.

"Eldest sister, you don't have to give it to his mother every time, it's useless." Li Yuan looked at the little figure running away and said.

"That's right, Sister Caiyun! Jiansheng told us that every time his mother always followed him, she took some messy things and stuffed them for him to eat, and he was annoyed to death! Li Wen on the side also said.

Li Caiyun shook her head and didn't say anything more, she had to be busy with the family work that was always busy.

It is said that Li Jiansheng's family is really a great misfortune, I don't know when his family has suffered bad luck, family accidents, and deaths, and in the end, only Li Tian and Jiansheng's half-blind grandfather are left to rely on each other.

The family has bad luck one after another, and there is nothing left of the family wealth, and there is a lot of debt, only a mud house to live in. Fortunately, Li Tian is honest, working some short-term jobs around, and occasionally receiving help from his neighbors, although he is still poor, he can still live in peace, and his debts are gradually paid off. But due to family factors, Li Tian is still alone in his thirties. It wasn't until a few years ago that people were matched to marry women who had been displaced here. It's just that the woman was crazy and demented, and finally gave birth to Li Jiansheng, a healthy only seedling, which is a fortunate thing in misfortune.

Jiansheng is quiet and stubborn, but fortunately he can become friends with Li Wen and Li Yuan, and his children's life is a little more colorful.

After eating the sweet potatoes in their hands, Li Yuan and Li Wen walked towards the small hill at the end of the village, of course they knew where to find Li Jiansheng.

As they walked through the village, a group of village children of the same age stopped chasing and playing and looked at them. Among them was a well-dressed and fat white fat village boy, who exaggerated Li Wenxian's stiff walking posture while shouting at the two of them: "Turtle Sun, silly boy, come and play with us." There are seven or eight village children who are also walking there with exaggerated steps, and at the same time, "lock boy", "turtle grandson", and "sissy" scream.

"You ducklings play on your own!" Li Wen is used to this, and to him it is just a group of ducklings croaking and walking in a figure-eight step. After shouting back at them, Li Wen didn't bother to pay attention to it, and continued to go his own way as if nothing happened. Li Yuan tightened his neck, leaned on Li Wen's side, and left the end of the village without saying a word, and walked into the small hills.

This is a group of village children headed by the largest landlord's family in the village, and there are many people. Fortunately, Li Wen's family background is also good, and he has a father who was born as a military attaché, except for his physical condition, Li Wen can be proud of himself in front of the village children in other aspects. The dog will choose people and bark, these thieves and village children do not dare to blatantly bully Li Wen, they will only live around the corner.

"Brother Wen, the beef jerky called 'Pingyao Beef King' that you sent to my house last time was so delicious, even my grandfather swallowed several slices stiffly, and he didn't care about his throat being said to be delicious by Caren. The first time I saw my grandfather's old gluttony, and the first time I saw my grandfather's monkey hurry, I almost fainted with laughter. ”

"What kind of beef is it made of, and how can it be so delicious? Is it really made from the meat of the king of the ox? Li Yuan chattered on the way.

Li Wen replied: "Listen to my father, it is a specialty of a place in the far north called Pingyao County, Shanxi. The cattle on our side are called buffaloes, and the cattle on their side are cattle breeds. That kind of cattle are more afraid of water, but they can keep out the cold and can be as if nothing is happening in the ice and snow in the north. Unlike the buffalo on our side, when the weather is cold, we have to pour porridge and wine to keep out the cold. ”

"Brother Wen, you are so happy! There's a good father to tell you so many interesting things! What a blessing in your home. Otherwise, you will marry my fourth sister in the future, I believe that the fourth sister will be as gentle as the eldest sister when she grows up, and it is much better than the little skin girl who often beats you all over her head! "Li Yuan is a little bit of a mother and a little bit of eight, and he exaggerates and publicizes a little thing.

"you, I don't want to marry anyone!" , Li Wenzheng said: "When I grow up, I want to go north and south like my father, how carefree I am!" ”

"When my father went out this time, I had asked him to bring back more 'Pingyao Beef King', and I would send more to you when the time came. The day after tomorrow is the initiation ceremony, and I think he should be back in two days. Hee-hee-hee! ”

The two talked as they walked, with giggles from time to time. Because it is simple, it is easy to find pleasure; Easier to satisfy, a little bit of fun can bring endless musicality and trigger strings of innocent laughter. At this moment, the two of them had thrown away the ridicule they had suffered at the end of the village, and that unhappiness did not leave a ripple in their hearts.

It didn't take long for the two to find Li Jiansheng, who was throwing stones into a small pool, which was one of the old places where they often gathered, and they came here by car.

"That kid surnamed Li, you haven't had enough breakfast!"

"Let's bake a sweet potato oven today!" Li Wen and Li Yuan said and took out six or seven sweet potatoes from their pockets.

Sweet potatoes are harvested in autumn, and after being collected in winter and spring, their inner flesh has become soft and glutinous and sweet. Thinking about the soft and refreshing taste of sweet potatoes when they were baked, Sanxiao had already moved his index fingers, and he was busy without saying a word.

After gathering a pile of fire-burning branches and leaves, and a small pile of long, soft loose clods, the three of them built an earthen hearth.

Find a flat place first, don't need to be big, about the size of the bench. After a little smoothing, three large clods of soil were used on top of it, two vertically and one horizontally, to reach the furnace mouth. Then use a long strip of soil to form a circle along the mouth of this furnace, and narrow it one by one while raising the barrier step by step. In this way, the top is slowly closed and closed, and it is shaped like a pointed yurt. Finally, the yurt is sprinkled with a small layer of earth from top to bottom, so that the gaps are plugged and the whole thing is done.

After the furnace is completed, the grass branches are stuffed into the furnace mouth and burned, and after a period of burning, the clods formed by the furnace begin to turn red from the inside. The three of them saw that the clods of soil on the side facing the inner layer had turned red, and they knew that the time had come. They quickly gouged out the charcoal ash from the furnace, then quickly opened a small hole in the top of the furnace, and then put the sweet potatoes into the hole, and finally pushed the entire yurt from the outside to the inside to cover the sweet potatoes.

The three of them crushed the red-hot clods of soil on the surface with a big stick, and then tamped them, and then waited there with excited faces, waiting for the fragrant sweet potatoes to come out of the oven.

After waiting for more than ten or twenty minutes, the three of them impatiently picked up the mound where the sweet potatoes were buried. When a little bit of soil was picked up, a unique smell of unusually stuffy fragrance wafted out from the hot soil, and the three children couldn't help but salivate three feet and three hands and quickly picked up the soil with both hands.

After picking out the sweet potato, the black and yellow burnt skin on the surface was uncovered without caring about the hot hands, revealing the yellow, fragrant, and steaming potato flesh. I couldn't bear to burn my mouth and bite down on the potato meat, but it was too hot, so I hurriedly stirred my little tongue to roll the potato meat, and even took a few breaths of cold air from time to time to help. After the hot potato meat has cooled down a little in the mouth and tumbling, it is impossible to wait to bite the teeth, and finally it is devoured into the stomach.

Sanyou exhaled and ate sweet potatoes while breathing in the cold air, and with the overflowing fragrance left in his mouth, he solved a piece in three or five bites. Even some of the larger sweet potatoes that are not yet ripe are slightly hard but also refreshing and crispy, and compared to the soft and sticky taste of ripeness, the crisp and sweet taste under the half-ripe also has a unique taste, and it is also delicious to eat.

The hard lines on Li Jiansheng's cool face stretched, and he smiled at the moment when he left his troubles, and intuitively felt that life was so satisfying and beautiful.