Song Lizheng coughed and changed the topic: "Daping, I just went to your house and told those three fools that the matter of serving as corvee must be decided early. The town will come to pick people up the day after tomorrow. If there is no one on the list,
Come on, you will be punished."
When Song Zhenping heard about corvee service, he nodded blankly: "Master Li Zheng, my second uncle and grandma are the ones who make the decision in my family."
Song Lizheng sighed. He suddenly said this sentence and was looking for something to say.
Even he, the honest man, dared not interfere in the affairs of Song Laoer's family, so how could these two children interfere.
He felt guilty and wanted to show his concern again, but when he saw that the small "pyre" beside him could no longer stand, he could only wave his hands: "You guys go back quickly! Don't be tired!"
"Why!"
Song Zhenping responded softly, lowered his head, tightened his back rope with one hand, and helped his brother lift the hook rope on the firewood pile with the other hand, hoping to save his brother some effort.
The two brothers staggered back to the door of the house.
Seeing the two people leaving, Song Lizheng sighed again and shook his head helplessly.
It is said that it is difficult for an upright official to deal with household chores.
Song Laoer's family is constantly committing petty crimes, but they never commit major crimes, cannot report to the government, and have no use for the law.
But there was such a shameless stepmother who kept saying she was having an affair with him.
If he had paid more attention to Song Lao'er's family here, he would have been drowned in the spit of the villagers. He would have no time to hide and would not dare to take any more care.
The two children have an uncle, a nurse, a house and land, but they have a harder time living than the beggars in the town. They are really pitiful for the Song family.
As soon as the Song Zhenping brothers left, those snoopers appeared again. They dared to joke with Li Zheng, but they did not dare to offend the shameless Mrs. Gu.
In recent years, if anyone wanted to be fair to the eldest son of the Song family, the old Mrs. Gu and the little Mrs. Gu would rush to the door of the house, scold and make trouble, throw feces and piss, and do anything.
People who are like shit like this cannot be beaten or scolded, and everyone should stay away from them.
This made Xiao Shicun feel more sympathetic, and the two brothers had to hide when they saw the Song family's eldest room, for fear of provoking the scolding of the shrews.
Seeing that Li Zheng had not left yet, someone boldly asked: "Fifth uncle, did the rich family of Song De say who would go to do the corvee this time?"
Everyone knows that Song Defu is the only one in the village who hasn't had his fingerprints printed yet, obviously because he wants to stay on the sidelines.
Song Lizheng was upset. When he heard the man ask about this matter again, he glared and said: "This is doing things for the imperial court. Even the king of heaven can't hide from him. If he doesn't pay, someone will always deal with him."
After saying that, he spat on the ground again, and started to walk away with his hands behind his back, but was stopped and asked another question, so he had to stop.
In the Song family courtyard, the Song Zhenping brothers saw that the main door was closed tightly, so they quietly went to the firewood pile for fear of disturbing the family.
The second aunt hates her younger brother Song Zhenan the most, and will beat anyone whenever she hears his voice.
Song Zhenping first helped his brother unload the firewood, and then untied the rope from his own shoulders.
His spine, which was bent due to the weight, suddenly relaxed. The soreness made his eyes black and he almost fell. He quickly reached out and grabbed the pile of firewood to stabilize his body.
"Brother, brother!" Next to him, Song Zhen'an, who was panting heavily, supported him and shouted in a low voice, her face turned pale with anxiety.
Song Zhenping sat down and calmed down, then shook her head to her worried-looking younger brother and said, "It's okay. I'm just tired. I'll go in after a while."
Yesterday morning, Nai gave me only two hard-boiled woofou, so she drove herself and her younger brother out to chop firewood, and said they wouldn't come back until we cut ten loads of firewood.
There is almost no firewood around the village. If you want to get good firewood for sale, you have to walk a long way.
It takes at least five days to chop ten loads of firewood.
Now two days have passed. I gave the dry food I brought to my younger brother. I haven't eaten for three meals and I am so hungry that I can't hold on anymore.
Then he met someone bringing a letter saying that something happened at home and asking him to come back quickly. The person who brought the letter said it was from his mother, so Song Zhenping quickly packed up his things and came back.
At this moment, he felt uneasy. He didn't have enough firewood yet, so it would be bad to ask him to come back now.
It's getting cold at night this season, and I don't know how long I and my little brother will be kneeled on.
While the two brothers were talking, the door to the main room opened, and old Mrs. Gu rushed to Chaiduozi like a whirlwind, holding the door bar.
Before Song Zhenping, who was sitting on the firewood pile, could stand up, Mrs. Gu had already cursed: "Damn lame, did you steal a cornbread yesterday morning?"
Song Zhenan was so frightened that she shivered all over and huddled next to her elder brother without saying a word. He remembered that when he went out yesterday morning, his elder brother secretly stuffed half of the mixed noodle buns into him.
Song Zhenping said feebly: "Nai, two steamed buns are not enough to eat. Xiao An is still young and can't hold back his hunger. He has to go up the mountain to collect firewood, so I gave him half a steamed bun."
Old Mrs. Gu raised her eyes and cursed: "Fart! You little beasts are talking nonsense. If your food is not missing someday, you will steal it at home."
I am not your biological mother, so you are deliberately ruining my reputation outside, just to see if I don’t kill you two, the disaster star."
As she said this, she swung the door stick and hit Song Zhenping on the head.
Song Zhenping was so exhausted at this time that he didn't even have the strength to stand up and get out of the way, let alone hide.
Seeing the wooden stick as thick as his arm being hit at him, he could only raise his arm to protect his head and face.
At this moment, Song Zhenan next to him didn't say a word, rushed towards him, blocked the stick with his body, and murmured: "I was the one who ate the wowotou, don't hit my brother!"
"Bang!"
"snort!"
Song Zhenan received a blow on her thin back, her face instantly turned pale, she couldn't breathe, and she slid softly to the ground.
Mrs. Gu had long wanted to beat Song Zhenping hard. After all, he was a nineteen-year-old young man. Even an old woman couldn't afford to fight back, so she chose to strike only when he was exhausted and had no strength to resist.
He had used up enough strength just now, he just wanted to beat Song Zhen to a bloody head and let Song Liyun know that he was the one in charge of this family.
But I didn't expect Song Zhenan to protect her.
"Little brother!"
Song Zhenping exclaimed, he staggered to his feet, hugged Song Zhenan and slapped his chest hard.
Fortunately, after only a few breaths, Song Zhen An burst into tears.
If Song Liyun's weakness is his two brothers, then Song Zhenping's weakness is the younger brother who was brought up by him.
He could be starved and beaten, but he could never let others bully his younger brother. Granny Gu completely angered Song Zhenping, and blood rushed into her brain.
He has endured this kind of life for ten years, struggling on the edge of life and death every day. It should have been him who was beaten today, but his younger brother suffered it. What about tomorrow? What will happen tomorrow?
Song Zhenping put the crying Song Zhen'an next to the firewood pile, and then grabbed Granny Gu's clothes fiercely, her eyes were blood red, and she gritted her teeth and said: "Damn granny, Xiao An and I work every day and we don't have enough to eat.
If I don't wear warm clothes, I will still be beaten and scolded by you casually.
I'm going to open your heart to see if it's actually flesh, and why you are so cruel and insist on abusing us."
Seeing Song Zhenping, who had only been able to withstand severe beatings since childhood, suddenly looking desperate, Mrs. Gu shrank into a ball in fear.
However, she doesn't hit people every day or two, she has long been used to it.
At this time, Song Zhenping didn't even listen to what Song Zhenping was saying. He just straightened his neck and screamed: "My grandson is going to beat grandma. Damn you beast, help me! He's beaten to death! Second child! Second child, come and save me."