On that day, Chen Song took several of his subordinates to visit the people of Zhongli City, and Bei Liangrong begged Chen Song to bring her with him. But Chen Song remembered that Bei Liangrong's bereavement had not yet healed, lest she see that the refugees were about to weep again, and her heart was still hurting, so she persuaded:

"Miss Beiliang, you should recuperate at home, and it's not too late to visit your neighbors in a few days!"

Bei Liang Rong said worriedly:

"General, my sister is gone, and now I don't have any relatives, but ...... I still have one more person in mind, that is, Aunt Li next door to my house. She treats me like my own daughter, and I can't forget her in this difficult time!

Chen Song stared at those watery eyes, which clearly concealed a glimmer of light. He knew that it was a burning desire, that was a heartfelt kindness! He silently muttered in his heart: Chen Song, you can't refuse her! Otherwise, where is the conscience, and where is the conscience!

"Auntie, are you okay? Rong'er has come to see you!" Bei Liang Rong shouted as soon as she entered the door.

There was silence in the room, and no one responded. On the old wooden table, on the brown clay cups and bowls, on the back basket hanging on the gray wall, on the sickle and hoe in the corner, on the rotten threshold, on the gray crisp paste window paper, there was a thick layer of dust. Ants eat table legs and purlins, boldly swaggering through the market, without a trace of fear of people. The spiders kept spitting silk, and the eaves were covered with cobwebs, like a large gauze covering this small space. The rat women freely shuttled through the dark big and small cans, occasionally coming out for a stroll. The rats were scurrying around on the beams, chirping hungrily.

"Yes...... Who...... Huh?" said a feeble voice from the back room.

Bei Liangrong walked in quickly, and saw Aunt Li lying on the bed, her face was pale, as if she had been absorbed by white dew. The eyes were sunken, and the protruding bones were clearly visible. The black and white hair seems to be dyed overnight.

"Auntie, it's me, I'm Rong'er!" Bei Liangrong came to the bed, stroked the lady's dry hand with both hands, and looked at the aunt with tears in her eyes.

The eldest lady wanted to get up, but Bei Liangrong hurriedly helped her with her hand.

"Rong'er...... You're here...... Are you alright?" said the eldest lady in a soft voice.

"Auntie, Rong'er is very good, Rong'er only came to see you today, I'm really sorry!" Bei Liang Rong blamed herself.

"Your sister is gone, and now you are left alone and helpless...... You have to live well!" The eldest lady coughed a few times and said with difficulty, "Is there anything you want to help in the future...... As long as the eldest lady is alive, she will definitely lend a hand. ”

"Auntie, why are you so sick?"

"Out of the way...... Auntie is fine...... My aunt is still thinking about my son!"

Bei Liang Rong only remembered Li Yonglai, since he was conscripted into the army when he was sixteen years old, he had only seen one or two times during the New Year's holidays. Last year, he also sent some rice cakes. At the time, she didn't even recognize him. He grew taller, his figure became burly, his face became more aggressive, and his eyes were still as bright as ever.

"Rong'er, this is the rice cake my mother just made, she asked me to bring it to you to taste!"

His voice was thick and magnetic, and her face instantly turned red, like a brilliant sunset on the horizon at dusk. She took the basket from his hand, bowed her head shyly, and then said "thank you" and turned away.

That youthful memory was still as fresh as new, and he couldn't help but worry when he remembered that Brother Li had also participated in the battle of Wu Chu. But I can't be shaped, and I can't let my aunt worry!

"Auntie, don't worry! Brother Li will be fine!"

Aunt Li held Bei Liangrong's hand, sighed and said:

"Rong'er, I'm afraid my aunt won't be able to survive this!" The eldest lady was lying on the bed, her face was as white as a white face.

"Auntie......" Bei Liangrong choked up, "Auntie, you will be fine, you must live...... I'm going to get a doctor!"

Bei Liang Rong was about to get up, but was grabbed by the dry firewood.

"No need...... I'm not sick...... You don't have to worry about me......" The lady's breath became weaker and weaker, the picture in front of her became more and more blurred, and the last sentence stayed in her mouth, "I...... Target...... Child...... Sub ......"

Bei Liang Rong cried loudly, holding the dry firewood, but it was already cold and cold. She kept shouting "Auntie" by the bedside, but no one responded.

"Miss Beiliang, let's mourn!" Chen Song walked up to her and comforted, "Don't cry, Auntie, she is gone." ”

"No, the eldest lady will not leave me alone! The eldest lady is the best for me!" Bei Liangrong said excitedly.

Chen Song stroked her shoulders and said:

"Auntie wants you to live well! You have to be obedient, Auntie doesn't want to see you sad and sad for her in heaven!"

As he spoke, he handed her a handkerchief.

Bei Liangrong looked at Aunt Li on the bed, she walked in such a hurry, with a trace of reluctance and resentment. The temples are all white, is it a moment of worry, or years of hard work, or day and night resentment?

Bei Liangrong turned to look at Chen Song, and could see that the corners of his eyes were also wet.

"General, I have something to ask for!"

"Girl, say!"

"Aunt Li's son has joined the army, can you help me take care of Aunt Li's funeral?" Bei Liang Rong begged.

"Okay, don't worry, I'll send someone to do it!"

"Thank you, General!" Bei Liangrong hurriedly knelt down and thanked him.

"Girl, please get up!" Chen Song hurriedly stepped forward and supported him.

There was a "dangling", and something seemed to fall from the next room. The sound passed through the walls, crawled on the walls, sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly, and finally disappeared into Bei Liangrong's eardrums.

"What's going on?" Chen Song hurriedly ran out and asked his subordinates.

"My lord, it was the rat in the kitchen next door who knocked over a clay pot. ”

"Oh. Chen Song said slowly.

Bei Liang Rong followed the route of the sound to the kitchen, where the plates, jars, cupboards, and cabinets were all empty. The stove was clean, there was not even grass and wood ash, and it was obvious that it had not been cooked for a long time. Firewood was piled up in the corners, rotting insects, crawling with moss and tree fungi.

Bei Liangrong opened the big vat next to the cupboard, and there was a nest of rats, a group of rat women, a group of cockroaches, and a pair of spiders sleeping in it. They live in harmony here, coexist and coexist, like a group of brothers and sisters.

Bei Liang Rong suddenly realized, she recalled what the eldest mother had just said, and she burst into tears.

"No need...... I'm not sick......"

Why didn't you tell me earlier? Why did you hold on? Auntie, it's all my fault, I didn't come to see you in time, so I let you go hungry!

Bei Liangrong's eyes were red and swollen from crying, and the whole person was like a wilted flower. Her tears flowed down her cheeks, and the bean-sized tears were enough to scratch a deep wrinkle on her face. With a "bang", the tears shattered on the ground, bursting out a string of tears, and the passing ants took the opportunity to take a bath. The little teardrops rolled by, mixed with muddy dust, and turned into small balls of mud, like meatballs.

Chen Song helped Bei Liangrong out of Aunt Li's house, and the mulberry tree in front of the door turned yellow in the setting sun. On the ground is an irregular spot of light, triangular, rectangular, square, parallelogram, pentagram, round, oval...... A wide variety of geometries, you name it. Hundreds of birds roost in the trees, crows, sparrows, swallows, magpies, ospreys, vultures, ...... They shouted wantonly, as if they were engaged in a singing contest. Bei Liang Rong walked in front of the mulberry tree, without a trace of fear, without a trace of nervousness, she smiled, that smile was both joy and sadness, both indifference and kindness, both lonely and friendly, both ruthless and sentimental, both pitiful and lovely, both resentful and appreciative. Bei Liang Rong stroked the trunk of the tree, which felt like she had never had since she was a child. Her hands were rough to the touch, bitter to taste, smelled the stench, heard lamentations, saw tears. Years later, when she experienced this feeling again, she would think of this dusk and the strange mulberry tree.

Bei Liang Rong picked a tender green mulberry leaf from it, put it in the palm of her hand, and carefully gazed at the clear and staggered veins on it, thinking a little. A gust of wind from nowhere swept away the leaf.

Only Chen Song knew that the credit for the timely grain relief was due to this mulberry leaf.