A cast-iron kitchen knife slices through the chicken bones and lands on a three-inch-thick willow cutting board with a dull clang.

Wang Chong's voice also sounded: "I remember that year was forty-two years, after the beginning of spring, there was not a day of rain, the crops in the field were sunburned, and in time for the war, the government collected grain every day, even the bark and leaves were gnawed away, many people choked to death after eating Guanyin soil, I followed the people of the same village to escape the famine, and traveled to many places, but at that time there were wars everywhere, and we could only hide in Tibet, and when we came here, dozens of people either starved to death, or died of illness, and I was the only one left."

I didn't bother to go any further, so I simply started working in the landlord's house in the village, relying on a little strength, barely survived, and then after liberation, the land was divided, this house was the courtyard of the landlord who was the original long-term worker, and the peasant association gave me this yard at the time of the land reform. ”

"Forty-two years?" Jiang Hongguo was a little surprised, a little different color flashed in his eyes, when the great famine happened, Jiang Hongguo was only a teenager: "Many people starved to death that year!" ”

That year's famine can be described as starvation everywhere, mourning everywhere, and many people died.

"Brother Wang, now that they are all liberated, don't you plan to go back to your hometown to have a look?"

Wang Zhong smiled bitterly and said: "What are you going back to do, it's been so many years, I can't find my way back, besides, I'm used to living here, this is my home." ”

There was still a bit of embarrassment in his tone.

Jiang Hongguo draped a towel over her shoulders and combed her hair with a comb, and her heart was touched, it was precisely because she had experienced the escape from the famine that she could understand the pain of escaping.

Now although he is also fleeing the famine, but in the end he can still get food, but when Wang Chong fled the famine, there were wars everywhere, dozens of people came out together, and he was the only one left who died of hunger and disease, and Jiang Hongguo also fled with his parents and family that year, and when he finally went home, there were few people left in the family.

The weak string in his heart was suddenly touched, and his gaze when he looked at Wang Chong also changed, and even Jiang Hongguo himself didn't realize it.

Wang Zhong put the cut chicken into the cabinet, walked to the edge of the stove, lifted the lid and looked at it, the water in the pot had begun to bubble: "Actually, when I saw you for the first time on the road today, I knew that you must have also escaped from the disaster at home." ”

Wang Zhong put the wooden lid on the shelf of the lid against the wall, turned to the bathroom, took a wooden bucket out, and scooped hot water into the pot with a wooden scoop.

Jiang Hongguo sighed: "If you really can't live, who wants to run out of your hometown to escape the famine!" ”

"Big brother, I'm here to help you!" Jiang Hongguo stood up and was ready to help.

Wang Chong smiled and refused: "No, no, you hurry up and dry your hair first, this night is no better than the day, the more night it is, the colder it gets, but don't catch a cold." ”

So saying, the king carried the bucket and went into the bathroom, and after a while, the sound of rushing water came from the bathroom.

Jiang Hongguo sat in front of the stove drying her hair, but her heart was full of mixed tastes again.

······

At night, Wang Chong sat in the room, reading at night with candles, and watched the "Legend of the Swordsman of Shushan" bound in blue leather.

I was watching word by word, when suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Big brother! It's me! Jiang Hongguo's voice sounded outside the door.

Wang Chong pulled the bolt of the door and opened the door, and when he opened the door, he saw Jiang Hongguo standing at the door with his hair in his hand.

"It's cold outside, let's talk about something in the house!"

The king welcomed the man into the house and tied the door again.

"Why does Big Brother light so many lights?" Jiang Hongguo walked straight to the side of the kang and sat down, and asked curiously.

There was a kerosene lamp on the kang table, another on the windowsill, and another on the box at the west end of the kang.

Wang Zhong smiled and said: "The light is too dim, reading is not good for the eyes, order a few more lights to brighten the hall." ”

Jiang Hongguo looked at the thread-bound blue book on the kang table, and a little surprise and admiration flashed in his eyes: "It turns out that the eldest brother is still a reader!" ”

"It's just a bit of a bustle." Wang Chongdao: "What's the matter with my sister looking for me so late?" ”

Jiang Hongguo looked at Wang Chong, her beautiful eyes were covered with a layer of mist, and her silver teeth tapped her lips, which were still a little chapped, and said: "Brother Wang, your meal today saved my life, I have nothing to repay you, only this body, if Brother Wang doesn't dislike it, I am willing to serve Big Brother ·····"

Wang Chong stood up abruptly, and said with a straight face: "Sister, don't mention this again, I'm not the kind of person who takes advantage of people's danger, and I won't do that thing that brings kindness and hope, I gave you food, because I saw that I remembered myself many years ago, and I just wanted to help you, and I didn't have any other thoughts." ”

Jiang Hongguo looked at Wang Chong's clear and bright eyes, and couldn't help but be moved, tears instantly filled his eyes, and he flowed down: shaking his lower lip: "Brother Wang, I don't hide it from you, I have been out to escape for half a year, and I haven't eaten a full meal, and now the weather outside is getting colder and colder, I really can't walk, if you don't dislike it, you want me, I work very neatly, laundry and cooking, work in the field, clean up the house, I can do it, I promise to serve you well." ”

While speaking, Jiang Hongguo took the initiative to bully and grabbed Wang Chong's hand.

In the dim candlelight, the two tear stains hanging on the delicate and lovely face are clearly visible, and the jinghai cloth skirt can hardly hide the beautiful color, which is really pitiful to me.

Wang Zhong sighed, looked at Jiang Hongguo and said earnestly: "Sister, I can understand your suffering, it's cold and snowy outside, and you are not familiar with life, where can you go, if you don't want to go anymore, it just so happens that the wing room at home is still empty, so let's live first." ”

"Big brother, I'm ······" Jiang Hongguo grabbed Wang Chong's wrist excitedly, stared at Wang Chong with his eyes, bit his lip, the tears in his eyes couldn't stop pouring out, and he was moved beyond words.

Wang Chongdao: "I won't let you live in vain, this winter you will help me do housework, laundry and cooking, tidy up the house, and serve the dozen chickens in the backyard." ”

"By the beginning of spring next year, several mutual aid groups in our village are ready to expand production, and the work in the field will definitely be too busy at that time, and it is the time when there is a shortage of people, if you want, you can stay, at least you can have something to eat, if you don't want to, you should be ······."

"Big brother, I'm willing! I do! Before Wang Chong finished speaking, Jiang Hongguo grabbed Wang Chong's hand tightly and couldn't wait to say, "I can do anything." ”

Wang Zhong patted the back of Jiang Hongguo's hand that was holding his hand tightly, took his hand out of Jiang Hongguo's hand, and said with a soft smile: "Then from tomorrow onwards, the work in this house will be handed over to you, sister, I can't see the chaos in the house, so I bother you sister." ”

"Big brother, don't worry, it's all on me." Jiang Hongguo was moved, and those beautiful eyes were full of crystal tears.

If at this time, Wang Chong stepped forward and pushed the person down on the kang, everything would definitely fall into place.

But Wang Chong smiled softly and said: "Sister, it's not too early, you must be tired after a day's journey, so let's go back to sleep first, rest early, nourish your spirits, and work tomorrow." ”

"Let the eldest brother see the smile." Jiang Hongguo raised her sleeves and wiped her tears, sobbing and said, "Big brother, then I'm gone." ”

"Alright, let's go back!"

Wang Zhong sent people out of the door: "Go to bed early when it's cold, and don't forget to get up at night to add firewood to the stove." ”

"I remember!" Jiang Hongguo's voice seemed to reveal a bit of relaxation and happiness that he had not had before.

Wang Chong tied the door and sat back on the kang, just now he did back to Liu Xia Hui, but he had some regrets in his heart, but regrets are regrets, but Wang Chong does not regret it, Wang Chong likes beauty, but it is not the kind that can't walk when he sees a woman.

Jiang Hongguo is indeed beautiful, and her appearance is also in line with Wang Chong's aesthetics, with a goose egg face, willow eyebrows, and a little gentleness, but if she sleeps like this, it is no different from buying tea from those young ladies who sell tea in the real world.

Since you want to sleep with someone, you have to capture your body and mind, that's interesting, if you just want to sleep with a woman, with Wang Chong's ability, there is still nothing you can sleep?

In the east wing, Jiang Hongguo was lying on the hot kang, covered with a soft and warm quilt, looking around with a pair of eyes, looking at the clean and tidy room, thinking of the past things that Fang had just talked about with Wang Chong, and couldn't help but have a strong curiosity about Wang Chong.

Almost the same experience, coupled with the enthusiastic hush and warmth, Jiang Hongguo not only did not have any discomfort, but enjoyed it very much.

Thinking of his actions, he couldn't help but have hot cheeks, and when he thought of Wang Chong, his mood became complicated again.

In the chaotic thoughts, the thick tiredness came like a tide, and Jiang Hongguo himself fell asleep at some point.

The next morning, the light spilled into the house from the window, Jiang Hongguo opened her worried eyes, and gradually woke up from her sleep, the warm quilt made her feel like a dream.

I haven't slept well in such a warm quilt for half a year, sleeping in the open is not ordinary, it was okay in summer and autumn, but it suddenly cooled down a while ago, and it was fatal, Jiang Hongguo not only had to worry about eating every day, but also had to worry about the place to stay.

If you're not careful, you might never wake up one night.

It is common for those who go out to escape the famine, freeze to death and starve to death.

Jiang Hongguo is just a woman in her twenties after all, and her heart is not as strong as she expected.

With a ten-pound quilt covering her body and a kang burning underneath, Jiang Hongguo was finally able to take off the padded jacket that she had been wearing for almost a month.

Before she got out of the bed, Jiang Hongguo heard the shouting in the courtyard.

Jiang Hongguo reacted suddenly, his face was anxious, he quickly got up and dressed, opened the door under the kang and saw that the yard was already white, there were still snowflakes in the sky, and there were already many footprints in the yard.

It didn't look like there was anything brilliant and gorgeous, but when a fist and an elbow were struck, with a fierce wind, the wind and snow within a radius of a few feet were also empty.

The shouting sound like thunder, although the pitch was not high, but when it fell in the ears, it made people tremble inexplicably.

Seeing that the door of the east wing was opened, Wang Chong stood with his fists folded, a smile on his face.

"The girl is up!"

Jiang Hongguo said apologetically: "Big brother, I'm really sorry, I overslept, I'm going to make breakfast." As he spoke, he pulled his legs and ran to the main house.

Wang Zhong smiled and said, "No need, I've already done it!" ”

"Huh?" Jiang Hongguo froze in place for an instant, turning his head to look at Wang Chong.

"It's too cold outside, let's go inside and sit!"

The two walked into the house and closed the door, Jiang Hongguo looked at the steaming steam drawer in the morning, and immediately lowered his head in shame: "Big brother, I slept too heavily last night, I usually get up early, ······"

"Girl!" Wang Chong smiled and waved his hand, interrupting Jiang Hongguo's words: "You have been fleeing the famine for half a year, and you are in a hurry to beg for food every day, and it is cold for a while, you must not have slept a few well, so you finally sleep comfortably on the hot kang, and it is normal to sleep a little deeper." ”

"Big brother, don't worry, there will never be a next time." Jiang Hongguo's tone resolutely assured Wang Chong.

"Good, good!" Wang Chong said: "There is hot water in the thermos!" You go wash your face and rinse your mouth first. ”

"Hmm!" Jiang Hongguo turned around with a look of chagrin and self-reproach and took the thermos and went into the bathroom.

When she came out of the bathroom, the two layers of steaming drawers on the pot had been placed on the table, and the yellow buns in the steaming drawer had been sandwiched into the grate by Wang Zhong and placed on the kang table.

In addition to the yellow steamed buns, there are also two bowls of steamed eggs sprinkled with chopped green onions, two bowls of steamed eggs with soy sauce, and a plate of pickles.

"Quick! Time to eat! Wang Zhong greeted Jiang Hongguo with a smile.

Jiang Hongguo climbed onto the kang and sat cross-legged, looking at the steamed eggs and yellow steamed buns on the table, and then raised his eyes to look at Wang Chong, who was nibbling on yellow steamed buns and eating pickles.

"Look what I'm doing, hurry up and eat!"

Jiang Hongguo picked up a yellow bun and ate it.

While eating, Wang Zhong said: "Sister, after eating later, you go with me to find our village party secretary, say hello to the branch secretary first, and then you go to the county with me to buy something." ”

"Uh-huh!" Jiang Hongguo put down the hot egg soup and nodded again and again: "No problem." ”

"Eat while it's hot!"

After eating, Jiang Hongguo took over the work of washing the dishes and cleaning up, and this time Wang Chong didn't be polite to her again.

When Wang Zhong led Jiang Hongguo out, although there were still snowflakes outside, they were getting smaller and smaller.

"Yo! Big worm, where did you get the new daughter-in-law back? "As soon as I went out, I met Niu Daring, this guy is babbling, and his voice is loud and can go to the sky.

Wang Zhong smiled and said: "What daughter-in-law, Brother Daring, don't talk nonsense, the girl is from Henan to escape from the famine, I ran into it, temporarily stayed at my house, now it is cold, she has nowhere to go, I took her to Wanchun, say hello, let her stay in our Maixiang Village first." ”

"Fleeing the wilderness!" Niu Daring's expression changed, there was no ridicule on his face, and he gave Wang Chong a thumbs up: "That's to help!" ”

All the way out, I met a lot of people, all of them were as surprised as Niu Daring, Wang Chong would patiently stop and explain to people, Jiang Hongguo looked at Wang Chong's appearance of patiently explaining to the villagers with a smile, and the already complicated mood had a few more different feelings.

Most of the people are simple and kind, and now the situation in the village is getting better and better, and every household is not short of food.

"Fleeing the wilderness!" In the office of the village committee, Wang Wanchun looked at Jiang Hongguo, who was wearing an old cotton jacket next to Wang Chong, looked at it with a bit of kindness in his eyes, and after asking Jiang Hongguo's origin, he nodded and said, "Since Wang Chong is willing to take you in, then stay first!" ”

"Thank you, thank you!" Jiang Hongguo hurriedly bowed to Wang Wanchun.

"I can't help it!" Wang Wanchun hurriedly got up and held on.

After a few words of greeting with Wang Wanchun, Wang Chong led Jiang Hongguo to the direction of the county seat.

Today's county town is different from later generations, and it is still surrounded by high city gate buildings and protective walls, compared with previous years, there are fewer soldiers and bandits wearing military uniforms and carrying guns on their backs, and there are more people entering and leaving.

However, it is now winter, and it is still snowing, and there are not many people in the county.

I bought two pieces of cloth, went to the butcher's shop and cut a few catties of meat, and went to the pharmacy to buy a lot of herbs, as well as oil, salt, sauce and vinegar and other miscellaneous things.

"Brother, don't buy a dog!" The dog seller was a middle-aged man in his forties and fifties, dressed in an old cotton jacket and wearing a sticky hat on his head.

"How do you sell it?" Wang Zhong squatted down and carefully looked at the puppies in the wooden cage.

Among the several earth dogs, there were even two Laizhou red dogs, and it was those two red dogs that Wang looked at.

"Brother is knowledgeable at a glance," the dog owner showed a shrewd smile on his face: "The best I have here are these two red dogs, almost two months old, raised but they are good helpers for taking care of the family and going up the mountain to hunt." ”

"That's the number!"

"What about the two together?" Wang Zhong looked at the dog owner.

The dog's owner's eyes lit up, his eyes flashed with surprise, and the smile on his face became brighter: "I see that brother, you sincerely want it, so let's do it, you can give me this number." The dog owner held up six fingers.

Wang Zhong smiled and stretched out his hand to pull back two fingers.

The smile on the dog's owner's face immediately stopped abruptly, as if he had swallowed Coptis chinensis, with a bitter face.

"Big brother, you're too ruthless to kill!"

Jiang Hongguo watched Wang Chong and the dog owner kill for a while, and finally happily paid for two red dog pups, tied them with two hemp ropes, and brought them home.

Wang Chong's reception of a handsome girl spread throughout Maixiang Village in less than half a day, causing a lot of heated discussions.

"Guo'er, wash a piece of ginger and peel a few more heads of garlic."

Wang Chong stood in front of the stove, holding a spatula in his hand, commanding Jiang Hongguo to give him a hand, and after more than a day of getting along, Wang Chong's name for Jiang Hongguo also changed from sister to fruit, adding a bit of intimacy.

"Okay!"

Jiang Hongguo was watching the fire in front of the pottery stove in the courtyard, on the pottery stove was a one-foot-square, three-inch-deep casserole, the pot was stewed by the female pheasant, which had been simmering for a whole afternoon, accompanied by white water vapor gushing out of the pot, it was so rich that people could swallow the aroma of their tongues in their stomachs.

After a day's work, Jiang Hongguo was almost familiar with it, and he picked up a piece of old ginger from under the eaves that was still wrapped in dry mud, and skillfully scraped and cleaned it.

Cut ginger and garlic, stir-fry the rooster, collide with the thick cast iron pot, the fire scorchs the oil, the chicken quickly turns from raw to cooked, and seasonings are added one after another, and soon the aroma of meat that makes people hungry fill the whole hall.

"It's ready to come out of the pot like this!"

At the stove, Wang Chong was stir-frying while explaining to Jiang Hongguo.

Today, Wang Chong is only in charge of these dishes, and all the work of cutting, washing, burning and miscellaneous work is covered by ginger red fruits.

Jiang Hongguo stared intently at the steaming chicken in the cast-iron pot, swallowing his saliva uncontrollably, and not forgetting to nod.

Remove the chicken from the pan and pour a ladle of water into the pot and bring to a boil over the remaining heat.

Jiang Hongguo quickly brought the fried chicken to the kang table.

The casserole on the stove was also brought into the house by Jiang Hongguo with a rag wrapped in his ears and brought to the kang table in the house.

"There's an aluminum lunch box in the cabinet, take it out and hold some meat and soup, and after eating later, you and I will send it to the second grandfather."

Jiang Hongguo took the aluminum lunch box, opened the lid of the casserole, took the soup spoon and put the steaming meat and soup into the aluminum lunch box, and asked, "Who is the second grandfather?" ”

"Maixiang Village is mainly surnamed Niu and Ma, and the second grandfather is from the Niu family, with a very high generation, high prestige, integrity, and is very respected by the villagers, but there are no heirs."

"In the past, when I fled the famine, thanks to the second grandfather who gave me a few meals, I didn't starve to death."

Jiang Hongguo nodded again and again.

Wang Zhong said again: "Hold more meat!" ”

"Hmm!" Jiang Hongguo acted according to the law, and specially picked a chicken thigh, a few pieces of chicken breast with more meat and fewer bones.

It's just an aluminum lunch box that's so big, and the broth can't hold too much.

The aluminum lunch box lid was tightened, and Jiang Hongguo brought hot yellow steamed buns.

"Stop busy, sit down and eat!" Wang Zhong greeted Jiang Hongguo.

"Okay!" Jiang Hongguo responded with a smile, and was just about to untie his apron and put it on the kang, but remembered Wang Chong's words again, and hurriedly walked into the bathroom to wash his hands, and then sat down on the kang.

The yellow buns are steamed in the morning and can be eaten as soon as they are hot.

"The nourishing effect of pheasant soup is better than that of old hens, boil for a few hours, this essence and nutrition are in the soup, you drink more soup to make up for it!"

Wang Zhong had already put a bowl of chicken soup in front of Jiang Hongguo.

"Big brother, I'll do it myself!" Ordinary women have always been easily moved by this kind of subtle care, and Jiang Hongguo is no exception.

After eating a few bites of yellow steamed buns, Jiang Hongguo picked up the fragrant chicken soup and blew it, lowered his head and took a sip, as soon as the yellow-white chicken soup was in his mouth, Jiang Hongguo's eyes suddenly widened, and the child hole shrank, with a shocked face.

"This chicken soup is so delicious, I've never tasted such a delicious chicken soup!"

Wang Zhong only smiled slightly.

"Brother, how can your chicken soup be so delicious?" Swallowing the chicken soup and yellow steamed buns in his mouth, Jiang Hongguo couldn't help but ask curiously.

The fifth-level cooking skills are placed in the feudal society, even if you enter the palace as an imperial chef, it is completely enough.

The way of cooking, in addition to the dishes and ingredients, lies in the same ingredients, the same conditions, in the hands of ordinary people and people with advanced cooking skills, the taste is like mud.

How to prepare the ingredients, how well to boil, when to add seasonings and side dishes, and so on.

"It's nothing more than the material and the heat, I'll teach you later!"

Wang Chong said: "After eating later, remember to feed Da Hong and Erhong." ”

"Good!"

Wang Zhong asked, "You can make clothes, right?" ”

Jiang Hongguo nodded: "Yes!" ”

"Didn't you buy two pieces of cloth today, the flower cloth is for you, the second box on the west side of the warehouse is filled with cotton, you go and take some out, and make a new cotton coat for yourself."

"I ······"

"I bought everything, I can't waste it, right? Do you want me to wear flowers? ”

Jiang Hongguo looked at Wang Chong and bit his lower lip, "Big brother! Thank you! ”