1959, the fifth day of the first lunar month.

"Wow~Wow~"

The cry of the newborn baby came from the house, and outside the house, his hands were in his sleeves, walking back and forth for a while, squatting down for a while, and Zhou Laoer, who sighed, finally squatted down against the adobe wall and did not move.

Looking up at the three children in front of him, the eldest daughter Zhou Changcui is twelve years old this year, and she can already help the family cook and earn work in the field.

The second daughter, Zhou Changzhi, is also ten years old, following behind Changcui, and is looking at the man at this moment.

San'er is a boy, named Zhou Changmin, nine years old, so old, the snot is still long and drooping on his lips, and he licks it with his lower lip, and he is short and not like a nine-year-old child.

Zhou Lao Er is in his forties, and he is the father of these three children, oh no, plus the one in the house, he is now the father of four children.

The three children in front of them were all yellow and thin, and the clothes they wore were patched and patched, layer after layer, and their eyes now had the meaning of inquiry, looking at the man.

Finally waited until the movement in the house subsided, "Changcui, your mother is born, you and your sister go to boil water and cook." San'er, come, come to Daddy's arms. Zhou Lao Er said to the two girls, and waved at San'er.

The two girls obediently walked to a grass hut and scooped water to make a fire for cooking.

Holding San'er and leaning against the earthen wall, Zhou Laoer, whose eyes were full of melancholy, muttered: Today is the fifth day of the first lunar month. On the fifth day of the first lunar month, hardships and hardships. The year has just passed tightly, and now there is another person in the family, what can I do in the future? Thinking of this, Zhou Lao Er sighed again: "Alas..."

Zhou Laoer, who had just sighed, heard the sound of the door opening and quickly stood up. A tall and thin woman walked out of the house, wearing a headscarf, and said with a smile: "Second Zhou, you have another son." ”

"Hey, good, good... Sister-in-law, is she okay? Zhou Lao Er seemed to be in a heavy mood, repeated, pointed to the room and asked.

"Lao Wei and the child are fine, you go and ask Cuicui to get some food, I should go back, your brother stays home and waits for cooking." The woman smiled and turned away, and walked out of the house without courtyard walls in a few steps, and the woman lost her smile on her face, and sighed and walked home quickly.

Zhou Lao Er put down his third son, entered the house, looked at the child lying on the bed and the weak daughter-in-law, his eyes were full of helplessness and sadness, and he walked out of the room again.

As soon as the woman pushed open the door and arrived home, Boss Zhou, who was smoking dry tobacco in the courtyard, opened his mouth and asked, "Mother, has the second daughter-in-law given birth?" ”

"It's born, it's a son, what do you say about this? Now that the days can't be opened, add another one, and the days can't go on... Alas..." Women nagging while washing their hands and tying their aprons.

"Okay, don't be silent, a woman doesn't understand anything! There is strength in numbers! There will be money later. Well... Give me a dollar. The man smoked a cigarette and cursed vaguely.

As soon as the woman heard that she wanted money, she was anxious: "Boss Zhou, what do you want to get?" How can we still have money? ”

"There is no piece, take five cents, the second child of the family only gave birth to a child, can you watch a few people starve to death? Hurry up! "*** get up, blow your beard, stare at the order.

After getting five cents, Boss Zhou walked to Zhou Laoer's house.

As the boss, I can't help it, my parents are gone, the second and third are married, one person has a few children, I can't help the foil, and the fourth child is still living with him... Alas... It's all because of poverty!

At a glance, in this small village, there are dozens of households, which one is better? Not a single household! It's not bad to have a dirt house! On this great plain, the villages are next to each other, and every house is the same, and the houses are not like houses, they are all mud huts lying on the ground!

There is not even a decent road, there is no road, and there are only a few poplars if you want trees! Without roads and trees, when will you be rich? God doesn't call the living anymore? Alas...

Be content! That's good! New China has been founded, and it is much stronger than before! Don't be beaten! More or less able to feed a family.

While thinking like this, I walked to the second child's house.

walked to Zhou Laoer's side, collected the dry tobacco, put their hands together, squatted to the side and said: "You go to work in the afternoon, the third and fourth are in the production team today." To give! This is five cents, you take it, Ming'er will be over the New Year, it's time to open the market, you go cut some meat. Tell the team to finish the work, you come back early, take the third and fourth, and let's go to the east pond to catch some fish. ”

"Got it. Changmin, pour some tea for your uncle! Zhou Lao Er took the five cents, put it in his arms and nodded.

In the afternoon, after finishing the work, Zhou Lao Er carried the iron and called Zhou Lao Si Zhou Lao 3 and Zhou Lao Si, and ran to the Dongdi Pond.

"Second brother, my sister-in-law has another son today?" The third child also carried the iron and turned his head to ask Zhou Lao Er. Well, Zhou Lao Er doesn't talk much, maybe it's because he's in a bad mood.

Zhou Laosi looked at Zhou Laosi, squeezed his eyes at the third brother and grinned, and then said: "Second brother, don't worry so much, life must go on, just one more child, you say that our old Zhou family can't afford to raise a child?" ”

Zhou Laosan took over the conversation: "Yes, yes, it's not in the way, I'll go home at night and get a few yuan to send it to you, I can't let my nephew starve to death." ”

The three of them went to the pond and found that Boss Zhou was already splashing water with an iron and blocking a small piece with silt.

"Hurry up, the second and third, you two come down, tell the fourth to rest, just pick up the fish, the three of us use the iron to throw the mud up, there must be a lot of loaches or something!"

"Good!" The three of them responded together, and they did what they said.

The eldest loves the fourth child the most, of course, the second and third children also love the fourth, who makes him the youngest?! The crown prince of the Yellow Emperor Laozi, the son of a cropper man! The eldest brother is like a father, and the three of them are the fourth is a treasure! Don't let him do a lot of heavy work.

The four of them worked hard, and after a while, they really got a lot of small fish, and the four of them also got mud and water, carrying iron lifts, carrying shoes, drooping clothes, and the torn pants of the lower body were also rolled up to the knees, barefoot, how can it not look decent, but this is the out-and-out dress of a poor middle peasant!

Self-reliance, self-reliance! Not shabby at all! Chairman Mao said that the working people are the most glorious!

Boss Zhou lit a dry cigarette, turned his head and asked Zhou Laoer, who was walking at the back: "Has the child's name been taken?" ”

"Nope." Zhou Laoer, who was walking with his head bored, looked up at Boss Zhou when he heard this, and then shook his head and replied. "Oh, long (cha

g) Characters, it's called Changling, right?! ”

"Long Ridge? Middle! Zhou Lao Er nodded and replied.

When I returned home, I called all the people of the Zhou family, the elderly and children who were close to the door, and made a pot of fish soup and drank it together.

The family is happy, the old people talk about the past together, the children are running carefree, and the house without the courtyard wall is lively as if today is the first day of the new year, as if there is no barrier of the courtyard wall, and the joy in the courtyard has spread far and wide, and the whole village can hear it! Enjoy poverty, live with your own hands, and be poor and poor!

"Second child, let's sing a few words!" The boss drank a little wine and wanted to listen to the play again, so he dropped out and sang with Zhou Laoer.

Zhou Laoer, who is usually not good at words, really knows a few words, although he usually doesn't like to talk, but he can sing a little while he is happy!

"The three cannons outside the far gate are like thunder... Hahaha" Hahahaha... Laughter echoed in the night sky of the village, and a little spark was intoxicated and did not respond.

When the crowd dispersed, Zhou Lao Er was already lying on the ground and sleeping, and in his dream, he was thinking about how to make the four children live well!

Cuicui, Xiaozhi, Changmin... Well, and Long Ridge! Long Ridge! Alas... Did you know that your arrival has overwhelmed your family? Endless snoring to answer this question...