In this way, little Peter received the aristocratic education of the old man and Uncle William, and at the same time studied the scriptures hard in the dead of night. Just when he thought that such an ordinary day would last for a long time, he was told that he would leave here and leave for the next place in the next two days.

"Grandpa, where are we going this time?" asked little Peter

The old man paused, looked at little Peter with a dark complexity, his eyes showed reluctance and struggle, and then said casually: "Oh, the cold winter is coming soon, so we are going to go to a warm place." ”

"It's a long journey, the scenery along the way is good, you kid has eyes. Uncle William smiled and answered.

"How long will it take?" asked little Peter.

"It didn't take long for winter to arrive. Go ahead, go about your own business, where are so many problems. The old man waved his hand impatiently.

Little Peter slowly moved to the door, and before closing the door, he looked up again, and saw the old man half-lying on the bed, trembling and holding a cup of black tea. He first found that the gray hair had already climbed on top of the old man's head, and now his aging face was very different from the picture in his impression. He hurriedly closed the door tightly, pursed his lips tightly and strode away.

When William heard the footsteps go away, he buried himself on the large sofa and said in a sullen voice: "That kid is worried about you, don't say you don't see it." ”

The old man took a sip of tea and then put the teacup in the tray, made a few "hiccup" sounds in his chest, and slowly moved down until he was completely lying on the bed before he sighed helplessly and said: "I'm not a fool, of course I know." ”

William didn't say anything, but tried his best to hide himself in the small shadow of the sofa, he had been with the old man for about thirty years, and he knew the other party's character too well, so he didn't persuade or comfort, just silently guarded the side.

The whole bedroom was silent, and after half a ring, I heard the old man's words full of happiness: "He is worried about me, and we are also worried about him, probably the family is just like that." ”

William couldn't help but purse his lips happily and nodded slightly.

In an ordinary carriage, Uncle William was driving the carriage in front, and in the carriage little Peter was holding a book and reading with relish, and the old man was lying opposite and squinting and not knowing whether he was awake or asleep.

Little Peter finished the last page, slowly closed the book, and turned his head to look out the window. I saw the golden wheat fields in my eyes, busy farmers looming in the fields, the clear blue sky was cloudless, the evening sunset was lazy and sheep hanging in the west, and a city was clearly visible under the sunset.

"The view is so beautiful. Little Peter thought to himself. Looking back at the old man's aging face, worry crept in his eyes, and he gently put the book back into a sheepskin bag, and sighed secretly.

Before the sun set, the carriage drove into the city gates, and after paying the entrance tax, stopped at the only hotel in the city, according to the instructions of the guards.

Little Peter helped the old man into the hotel, and the first thing that caught his eye was the prancing horse pattern in the center of the wall, which was about three stories high, and the hall on the first floor was like a tavern, with several wooden tables, and three or two people were arguing about something. The proprietress sat bored at the top of the stairs looking around, and when she saw the guests, she hurriedly got up and greeted: "How many?"

He carefully helped the old man to a table and sat down. While waiting for the transaction between Uncle William and the proprietress , he looked curiously at the arguing crowd. I saw that these three people were dressed like ordinary farmers, with dark skin and thin figures.

"I wonder why these farmers are gathered here?" said little Peter. However, when the people who had been arguing with each other saw the strangers coming, they closed their mouths vigilantly and secretly examined them.

Little Peter couldn't help but feel sorry and went up to the room on the second floor with Uncle William.

As soon as the door was opened, little Peter shivered with a damp and cold feeling in the wooden room, which was not large, except for a bed made of hay, with something that looked like a blanket with a few holes in the bed, and a tattered wooden chair near the door, and nothing else.

"Grandpa sleeps here?" said little Peter, pointing to the room, surprised.

"It's better to sleep here than on the street. Uncle William took out a bearskin blanket from his backpack and spread it on the bed, saying without raising his head.

The old man waited for William to clean up the bed before he staggered over and sat down, rested for a while, and said, "Okay, I'm not that serious, you all go and do your own work." ”

William said to the worried little Peter, "You go first, I won't have any problem guarding here." ”

Little Peter looked at William's serious face and nodded slightly, and closed the door.

It was still early for dinner, and he didn't know what to do when he went back to his room, and when he thought of the mysterious farmers downstairs, little Peter couldn't help but walk downstairs curiously.

As soon as I walked to the corner of the stairs, I heard the voice of the innkeeper: "Hey, you guys, don't go home here and prepare to stay here." He hurriedly hid in the corner and did not dare to make a sound.

Then I heard a farmer with a very thick voice say, "Well, don't you say we're afraid?" ”

"Yes, yes. That Eris is too deceitful. A shrill voice.

"What's wrong with Eris, didn't you say you don't mess with him, you are all outsiders who can afford to mess with others. "The voice of the hostess.

"What's wrong with Eris, Eris killed Ivan, Ivan. The shrill voice said.

"Oh, what about Nina!" the proprietress voice was full of disbelief and anxiety.

"Both are dead, both husband and wife are dead, hey, that's miserable. The stout voice said hatefully.

"It's terrible, it's terrible, Eris is crazy, by the way, that little girl Eva, wasn't she snatched by Eris. The proprietress said anxiously.

"Let me hide. Aren't we talking about what to do? A thick voice rang out.

"What else can I do, let her run quickly, Eris will bring someone to everyone in a while. The shrill voice said in fear.

When little Peter heard this, he was very curious, and he couldn't help but lean out cautiously and quietly look at it.

"You're still not a man, why aren't you as bold as a mouse. The proprietress said angrily, pointing to a skinny-looking farmer.

"I'm here, I'm not afraid, you know Eris is not a person. The farmer said with a look of resentment.

"What a nice person the Ivan family is, honest, kind, and helpful, how did you say that such a good person met Eris. A farmer with a rough voice who looked a little shorter sighed.

"Yes, what a good man, no, the child must be saved, there is only one girl left in their family, and Eris can't find out if he says anything. The hostess slapped the table.

"What do you have to do?" asked the peasants, looking at each other with a look of hope.

For a long time, no one spoke.

"Hey, you said that people as good as Ivan's family could die so miserably. The last farmer said generously: "I am from the same village as his family, and I am more close to you in terms of relationship, when he first got married, Nina's stomach just didn't move, and both of them were desperate, and finally conceived Eva, the baby is terrible." The farmer's eyes were red as he spoke, and he had to wipe his eyes with his dirty cuffs.

Later, the two of them also enjoyed a period of happiness, although they couldn't get rich, they could eat enough, and the family lived happily. Later, Nina brought back a baby girl from the field, the second girl you know. That's adopted, not biological. The farmer fell into memory.

"Ah, the second girl is adopted?" everyone was surprised.

The proprietress was even more incredulous and asked again: "You said that the second girl was adopted, that is, the one that was sold to the marquis as a maid?"

"Well, adopted. The farmer nodded affirmatively, and then said, "On the day I sold the second girl to the marquisess, Ivan asked me for a drink, and I asked why I didn't send the eldest over, the second is still so young." Do you know what Ivan said?"

The farmer looked around, took a deep breath, and said in Ivan's tone: "The eldest is his own child, and it is appropriate to follow me to endure hardships, but the second child is not, if there is a chance to enjoy happiness, of course, if she goes first." When the farmer finished speaking, he slapped the table and asked aloud, "Pat yourselves on the chest, touch yourselves, and ask yourselves, which of you can do it?"

There was a deathly silence in the air, and after a long time, the honest farmer said resolutely: "Anyway, I don't care about anything else, and I can't avenge Ivan, so I must save his blood." You've got to help me figure it out. ”

The other two farmers looked at each other and nodded.

The proprietress wiped her tears and cried: "Good people, hey, the family is all good people." How can it end up like this? ”

"In this world, what is the use of a good person, the better he is, the faster he will die. The farmer with a thin voice said in a low voice.

After a long time when no one spoke, little Peter wiped his face and crept up the stairs.