In the autumn of that year, it was unbearable to look back.

It is often said that the years are like water, and what remains in the heart are good memories. Only that autumn was terrible, and it was not nostalgic at all.

In early spring, the yellow sand is full of dust and dust. Even in winter, a thick layer of yellow sand can still be seen in the fields. Farmers gather ears in the fields covered with yellow sand, and they can only pick up a handful in a hard day. The wind blew more and more fiercely, and the dust weather lasted for nearly half a month. The bad weather makes people prefer to starve to death at home than brave the wind and sand to pick up ears outside.

Drought ensued. In the spring in northern China, the dust is always followed by drought. But the drought showed no signs of abating until August. The sun is scorching, the land is cracked, and people are thirsty. But even more worrying is the fact that the rice has not yet been planted, as there is no irrigated water source at all.

Autumn is coming. It was supposed to be a harvest season, a season that brought some solace to the poor peasants. But the autumn of no harvest can only bring people endless disappointment and decline.

The most worrying thing happened. Hunger caused the increasingly weak women and children to fall one after another, and die one by one. On the surface, they were said to have died of disease, but everyone knew that they were actually starving to death. It was hunger that made them powerless to fight the disease. The famine has left children emaciated, and adults are swollen from lack of nutrition. Thus, a massive plague broke out. No one knows what kind of plague it is, and no one is able to find out what kind of plague it is.

In this way, two people suddenly appeared in a small farmer's house south of Ge Weidian, a small village on the banks of the Yishui River, on the outskirts of Jiangzhou County, Qingzhou Prefecture, Shandong Province, which was devastated by drought, famine and plague.

"It's not going to be good lately!"

A young man squatted in the corner of the yard, fiddling with a scythe. His name was Wang Yi, and Wang Yi did not look up. Needless to say, in this famine year, who can have a better life?

Seeing that Wang Yi ignored him, Chen Lao Liu frowned, suppressed the anger in his heart, and asked.

"What is that for?"

Solid ash wood is roasted and bent, and the ends are tied with hemp rope. Although Wang Yi was not skilled enough, the things in his hands showed the rudiments of a bow and arrow.

"Go up the hill to hunt rabbits. ”

"People are starving to death, will the rabbits still be alive?"

Wild cats and wild dogs have not been seen in the village for many days, and they have either been slaughtered or escaped. The drought has made their lives very difficult, too. Will the rabbits on the mountain still be there? But we can't just sit back and wait, Wang Yi, as the eldest son, has to do something.

Chen Lao Liu found that although Wang Yi had not raised his head, his weak hands had stopped. It is estimated that Wang Yi also knows that all this is just in vain.

"Looks like things are going better than you thought!"

Chen Lao Liu secretly rejoiced.

"Are all the family okay?"

"It's okay for now. ”

Wang Yi raised his head and glared at Chen Lao Liu's oily face and silk clothes. Chen Lao Liu is the housekeeper of Chen Jiazhuang, the richest man in Ge Wei shop. The owner of Chenjiazhuang sits on most of the land of Ge Weidian, and Chen Lao Liu is this person's lackey confidant. Wang Yi wondered in his heart, what was the purpose of the master of the Three Treasures Hall in front of him, who had nothing to do, to come here today.

"That's good!"

Chen Lao Liu said perfunctorily. He opened the wood door, walked into the courtyard, and looked around the house, which was really dilapidated and crumbling. There was a young girl curled up by the earthen wall, and on her lap lay two babies who looked less than ten years old.

Chen Lao Liu looked at the girl carefully.

"Sure enough, it lives up to its name!"

The girl's eyebrows are clear and beautiful, and in this small village in the poor countryside, it can be regarded as a national beauty. As far as Chen Lao Liu knows, this is Wang Yi's sister.

"It should sell for a lot of money if it is sent to the Qinglou, but today it is not for you......"

Chen Laoliu shifted his gaze to Wang Yi. Wang Yi was dressed in shabby linen clothes, and his thin arms and legs were exposed. As the eldest son of a poor peasant family, he bears the burden of supporting the whole family, and it is inevitable that some calluses will develop on his hands.

Driven by this sense of responsibility, he will make that useless bow and arrow. ”

Not only was the bow difficult to aim, but it couldn't shoot far. Wang Yi made a bow, which was really a helpless move, just to avoid the helpless eyes of his family members who were suffering from hunger. Thinking of this, Chen Lao Liu suddenly felt pity.

Chen Lao Liu shook his head.

"Maybe that's a good thing for him......"

As soon as the king saw that he had been silent for a long time, he looked up and asked.

"Why are you here?"

Wang Yi's words reminded Chen Laoliu of his true purpose for coming here. The situation of the Wang family is so miserable that he doesn't need to beat around the bush. When Chen Lao Liu thought of this, he cleared the mulberry and said.

"You know who my master is, right?"

Wang nodded. The owner of Chen Lao Liu is undoubtedly Uncle Chen, the owner of Chenjiazhuang.

"Then do you know that his son, that is, the young owner, was recruited by the imperial court?"

Wang Yi shook his head. It was the first time he had heard of it.

"How is it possible...... people from Chenjiazhuang still have to serve in the military?"

At this time, Wang Yi's father pushed open the door, poked his head out, and looked at them incredulously. His face had turned pale from hunger. The so-called imperial conscription should refer to military service. But not all of them will be drafted by the imperial court. In general, only the destitute would choose to go for military service. There is no reason why the young master of Chenjiazhuang would receive such an order!

Chen Laoliu said disdainfully.

"This originally had nothing to do with the young owner, even if he really received such an order, he could not go at all. But...... How so...... It's just that something is wrong. ”

He lowered his voice and said in embarrassment.

"The young owner drank too much wine and made a mistake...... was targeted by the magistrate. ”

Wang Yi also heard about this. I heard that three rich children ruined a woman on the mountain road, but unfortunately, the woman was the daughter of a relative in the county. As a result, these rich children were assigned to serve in the army.

"So ......"

Chen Laoliu paused for a moment and waved his hand outside the chai door.

"Bring it in!"

The strong man who was traveling with him carried the things on the donkey's back into the yard. For a while, the eyes of the whole family were focused on those boxes.

"I'll give you five stones of rice first. ”

Wang Yi's father asked tremblingly.

"First...... What does that mean?"

"There will be 20 stones of rice in the future. When it is folded into silver, it is ten taels. I was afraid that you would be hungry, so I brought it with me in exchange for rice, and if you wished, I could exchange it for silver. If you ......"

Chen Lao Liu looked at Wang Yi and said slowly.

"If my son wants to. ”

Wang Yi lowered his head and did not speak. He now finally knew the intention of Chen Lao Liu. As long as he is willing to serve in the military for the young owner, he can get ten taels of silver.

Today, rebellions are rampant, and the Xiongnu in the north and the Japanese in the south are also ready to move. Wang Yi knew that in these years, as long as he went to the front line, he didn't want to come back alive. Therefore, Chen Lao Liu wanted to buy his life with ten taels of silver.

Wang Yi slowly raised his head. Bloodshot eyes stared at him, their fiery eyes flushing his face. The anticipation in his eyes weighed him down like Tarzan.

A sick father, a exhausted mother, and a younger brother and sister on the verge of death ......!

Wang Yi slowly raised his head, looked at Chen Lao Liu, and said slowly.

"Twenty taels!"

Chen Lao Liu thought about it, then nodded and agreed.

In this way, Wang Yi assumed the pseudonym Chen Kezhao and began his 7-year military career.