Niu Mantun whispered: "Old Zhang, tell the truth, how much food does your family have?"

Zhang Liang said with a wry smile: "There are less than two bushels of grain left, I'm afraid the spring famine will be difficult!"

Niu Mantun felt nervous after hearing this, and immediately felt that he had arrived in time. He immediately whispered: "Don't leave, just wait for me here."

After saying that, Niu Mantun climbed over the wall and returned home. After a while, Niu Mantun dragged his sack of grain over the wall. He stuffed the sack in his hand into Zhang Liang's arms and whispered: "Here are six measures of grain. You can take it."

Keep it! Remember, don’t eat this food, just keep it at home. Don’t eat it! Give it back to me after a while! Also, don’t tell anyone about the food I got for you! Remember that.

!”

After saying that, Niu Mantun turned around and jumped over the courtyard wall. He turned around and said to Zhang Liang again: "Don't eat this food, just keep it at home. Give it back to me after a while! And don't say I gave it to you."

The matter of getting food! Remember it!"

Zhang Liang stood there stupidly holding the grain sack and nodded. He waited until he was sobered by the cold wind that he remembered to go home. When he got home, his mother-in-law saw the sack and said in surprise: "This is Brother Niu."

Did he lend it to you? Brother Niu was a big help!"

Zhang Liang said blankly: "But Brother Niu said that this food cannot be eaten and can only be kept at home. It will be returned to him after a while."

The smile on his mother-in-law's face immediately disappeared and she muttered: "What the hell is this awesome brother doing?"

Zhang Liang's father heard the conversation between the couple in the back room and said, "I have seen that young man from the Niu family. He is an honest man. Just do what he says. Otherwise, our family will not be able to pay back the food after eating it."

Hearing what the old man said, the couple could only touch a few handfuls of the grain bags to feel the heavy grain inside, and then carefully put them in the cabinet.

Niu Mantun turned around and went to the neighbor Song Yonglian's house on the right and the neighbor Li Xiucai's house on the back wall twice. He gave them food and repeatedly told them not to eat the food placed there. After a while, he had to return it to him. He also warned them.

Don't let them talk about lending them food. It will make the other two families confused.

In the following days, the weather became colder and colder. Niu Mantun made a few sets but didn't get much, so he simply stayed at home. Fortunately, before winter came, Niu Mantun and two Aha cut a lot of wood.

, it’s not cold in the room.

Niu Mantun has been very preoccupied these two days, and even his mother-in-law can tell. Niu Mantun won't tell me why he asked me, so his mother-in-law doesn't bother to pay attention to him. Niu Mantun has nothing to do today, so he got up to take care of his weapons.

As soon as Niu Mantun took out his knife, he heard the rapid sound of horse hooves outside. Niu Mantun immediately judged that there were at least thirty or forty cavalry in this group, otherwise the horses' hoofs would not be able to make such a big noise.

Niu Mantun walked towards the door with his sword in hand, wanting to see what happened outside. He already had a guess in his mind, but he still hoped that his guess was wrong. Before he could reach the door, his mother-in-law grabbed him

He pulled him back and said nervously: "Don't go out. There is a cavalry team coming outside. They must be here to do errands. But you are the Jurchen's son-in-law, so you should be fine. I just don't know what errands they are doing and why so many people are here."

?”

After Niu Mantun sat down, he still couldn't pull out the knife and put it on the table. He sat on the chair. After an unknown amount of time, the door of his house was kicked open by someone. A cold wind immediately swept in.

After the door opened, several soldiers of the Hou Jin Army in helmets and armor filed in. Niu Mantun recognized them, they were from Zhengbai Banner.

The officer at the head saw the sword on the table and said with a sneer: "It's amazing that there is a Nikan who can actually draw a sword."

After saying that, he turned to look behind him and said, "What's the name of this family?"

The village chief behind him came out and said: "This man is called Niu Mantun, and he is from the Han Army Banner."

Officer Hou Jin shouted loudly: "Where is your food? Take me to see it."

Niu Mantun knew that Nurhachi's order had taken effect. Without saying a word, he stood up and took the officer to see the grain. He opened the cabinet, and the Jurchen officer stepped forward to take a look, then opened his bag and grabbed a handful inside, and then put the grain in.

He threw it back into his pocket and said, "It's really surprising that a Nikan has so much food! Where did the food come from?"

Niu Mantun had been in battle and killed people, and his courage had grown up. He stared into the officer's eyes and said: "In the battle at the front, I have the merit of being the first to push forward. The food is rewarded by the sweat."

When Officer Hou Jin heard that Niu Mantun had the credit for kicking first, his expression softened a lot. He turned to look at the village chief, saw that the village chief nodded repeatedly, and left without saying a word.

As soon as Officer Hou Jin left, Niu Mantun sat back on the chair, sweat dripping from his head. His mother-in-law asked beside him: "What's the purpose of checking the food when you enter the door?"

Niu Mantun waved his hand to her indiscriminately, gesturing for her to close the door. He thought to himself that he had finally escaped this disaster.

Before Niu Mantun's sweat subsided, he heard faint cries from outside. Niu Mantun opened the door and walked into the yard, looking out on the wall. Many Han families were surrounded by those Hou Jin

The soldiers escorted them out, tied them up with ropes, and stood in the cold wind. Many people had their thin clothes torn apart because they were torn and pushed by Hou Jin soldiers, and they could only tremble in the cold wind.

Moreover, as the Hou Jin officers searched, more and more people were standing in the cold wind. These Hou Jin soldiers had no mercy, and would whip people with horsewhips whenever they were not satisfied, and their thin clothes could not bear it at all.

Hold the whip

After being beaten, there was obviously blood on the clothes on the back. The person who was beaten could only try his best to suppress the screams to avoid angering these Houjin soldiers again.

Niu Mantun shrank his head and didn't want to look anymore. He felt very sad, but he knew that he really couldn't save so many people. He could only cover his ears and squat in the corner, hoping that the crying sounds would end soon.

After an unknown amount of time, the crying sound not only did not end, but became louder. Niu Mantun rubbed his eyes and looked outside, and found that the team of Houjin soldiers escorted a large number of people towards the outside of the village. The remaining soldiers were walking outside the village.

They searched the houses one by one. The items they found were hung on horses, seemingly ready to be taken away.

Niu Mantun knew that the people who were taken away were finished. They either died in the cold wind or died under the sword of Houjin soldiers. There was no third way. At this time, Niu Mantun had been stiffened by the cold wind.

He moved hard towards the rooms. Now his body was extremely cold from the inside out and he had to go home to warm himself up.

Niu Mantun returned to the room, and just as he was catching his breath, he heard a knock on the door. Niu Mantun said feebly: "Come in yourself, the door is unlocked."

The door opened, and Zhang Liang's family came in. Zhang Liang was holding a grain bag in his arms. He respectfully put the grain bag on the table, then took a step back, and the whole family knelt down and kowtowed three times to Niu Mantun.

Ring your head!

Niu Mantun had no strength to stand up at this time. He waved his hand to Zhang Liang's father and said: "Uncle Zhang, get up quickly! Get up quickly! I don't have the strength to help you!"

Zhang Liang and his family stood up after kowtowing. Zhang Liang said: "Brother Niu, although I don't know why those people were taken away, but judging from the situation, they can't come back! So you saved the lives of our whole family.

You will be my brother from now on! I will stand in front of you on the battlefield."

Just after Zhang Liang's family left, Song Yonglian's family came again. They said and did the same things as Zhang Liang's family. The last ones came were Li Xiucai's family. However, Li Xiucai did not kowtow to Niu Mantun, but only made him a long bow.

.His son actually kowtowed to Niu Mantun.

Li Xiucai didn't say anything else, he just said firmly: "Come to my place whenever you are free from now on, and I will teach you how to read and write."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and took his son away. His behavior made Niu Mantun happy! He laughed and cursed: "You old Dong Heng!"

Looking back, Niu Mantun saw three grain bags on the table. He sighed again and cursed in a low voice: "This is a hell of a world!"

In the first month of the ninth year of Tianming, Nurhaci issued nine edicts to investigate the so-called "people without grains" and ordered the officers and soldiers of the Eight Banners to "treat people without grains as enemies" and "capture and send them". Finally, on the twentieth day of the first month of the first lunar month,
Chapter completed!