In Gulou Village, Jinghai Town, Tianjin, Tian Erniu, Zhao Houhou, Dahu, and Silly Xiong looked at everything they were getting familiar with, and their steps became faster.
"Haha~ I'm finally home."
Looking at the familiar village in front of him, Zhao Houhou couldn't help but want to shout out with excitement. After walking for three days in a row, he was finally home.
"Which is better, a golden nest or a silver nest, or a doghouse at home~"
Dahu looked at the village in front of him and couldn't help but sigh. It felt quite good to return to his hometown after being away for a while, especially now that it always feels a little different.
As they walked towards the village, they looked at everything in the village with great curiosity.
"All the leaves on the old Chinese chrysanthemum tree have fallen off. When we left, there were still many leaves on it."
"Isn't that right? The chun buds from this old chun tree are delicious, but we won't be able to eat them next year. We will definitely still be working on them in Xishan."
"Who cut down that pine tree? It was planted when the guard station was built, why is it gone?"
As the four of them walked into the village, they also pointed at some things in the village, trying to find out what was different from when they left.
"Guys, why are you here in our Gulou Village?"
The voices of the four people quickly attracted the attention of the people in the village. At the entrance of the village, an elderly man looked at the four of them. Their faces were somewhat familiar, but he didn't dare to recognize them for a while, so he asked cautiously.
"Grandpa~ You don't recognize me anymore, I'm a monkey~"
As soon as Zhao Houhou saw the old man, he walked over excitedly and said loudly.
"monkey?"
When Uncle Zhao heard this, he looked at Monkey Zhao carefully and said in disbelief: "Are you a little monkey?"
He really couldn't believe that the person in front of him was his grandson. He knew that his own grandson was so thin and small that a strong wind could blow him away.
But the young man in front of me, although not tall, is not thin at all. He looks very well-proportioned, strong and full of vitality.
What's more important is that the man in front of me is fairer, not as dark-skinned as my grandson, and his clothes are clean and tidy. His clothes and shoes are all brand new.
Uncle Zhao still knows the situation of his family very well. The family is so poor that they don't even have any decent clothes. This monkey has gone out to spend the winter again (it doesn't sound good to go out to beg after all, but it sounds much better to say that he has spent the winter). Why?
Maybe wear some nice clothes.
His hair was cut very short, his beard was shaved, and he was dressed so well. How could he be his grandson?
Moreover, the spirit of the man in front of me is completely different from that of his grandson Zhao Houhou. His eyes are very smart and he looks very confident. However, he is very different from his grandson in terms of temperament.
"Grandpa, I am a little monkey. Do you still remember that I burned your beard when I was a child~"
Zhao Houhou said very seriously that only his grandfather and his grandson knew about burning his grandfather's beard.
"You little monkey~"
When Uncle Zhao heard this, he immediately looked at his grandson carefully. His appearance was correct, but the change was too great.
"You have changed so much that I can't even recognize you, grandpa. Didn't you go out for the winter? Why are you back now, and you?"
"I'm coming back to celebrate the New Year~"
"Haha, grandpa, you don't even recognize me."
Zhao Houhou was very happy, then pointed at Tian Erniu, Dahu, and Silly Bear and said: "This is Brother Erniu, this is Brother Dahu, and this is Brother Silly Bear~"
"Uncle Zhao~"
Tian Erniu, Silly Xiong, and Dahu also greeted Uncle Zhao with smiles.
"Why are you all so different~"
Uncle Zhao looked at the three people carefully and found that the three of them were the same as his grandson Zhao Houhou. Except for the same appearance, all other aspects had changed.
"Haha, it's hard to put it into words~"
"We are lucky to go out for the winter this time."
Dahu smiled and said with some emotion.
"Yes, it's hard to describe in one sentence. Anyway, too many things happened. We can talk about it slowly later."
Zhao Houhou also nodded.
"Okay~Okay, just come back~"
Uncle Zhao looked at the four people in front of him and was very happy. Then he turned around and walked towards the village. As he walked, he shouted loudly: "The ones who spent the winter are back, the ones who spent the winter are back~"
"The four of them, Monkey, Erniu, Big Tiger, and Silly Bear, are back from the winter. Everyone, please come out and have a look."
Gulou Village is a big village, and the whole village is a guard station. Everyone gathers together to cultivate the land in peacetime and go to the battlefield in wartime. Originally, the guard station system was very good when it was first established.
It’s just that with the development now, military households are the poorest and lowest-level existence in the Ming Dynasty. These low-level military households have become private slaves of those thousands households, hundreds households, etc., and the fields of the guards have also been honored.
Officers and so on invaded and occupied seven or seven hundred and eighty-eight.
The remaining land simply cannot support the growing number of military households, and military households are strictly prohibited from engaging in other industries, making life extremely difficult.
During this winter, basically every household is staying at home. This is called cooping up in winter, because it is warmer at home and can also reduce food consumption.
As Uncle Zhao roared, the entire Gulou Village became lively. People from every house came out wearing shabby and black cotton-padded clothes, ready to come out to watch the excitement.
Silly Bear Family.
"What? We're only twenty-nine, and that debt collector is back. How will we survive this winter? With him here, our family won't have enough food no matter how much food it has~"
As soon as Silly Bear's mother heard the noise outside, she immediately became anxious. She couldn't help but look at the noodle vat at home, and then at Silly Bear's younger brothers and sisters. Her eyes went dark.
It's not that she doesn't love her son, but she really has no choice. Her family is really poor, and it's not easy to raise Silly Bear to a half-grown boy. There are still two little ones to raise later, so she was cruel at first.
Drive the silly bear out for the winter.
This is the helplessness of the poor, and it is also the wisdom of survival. The whole family will starve to death if they stay at home. If Silly Bear goes out to spend the winter, at least the two younger ones in the family can still survive.
"Oh~ I went out to take a look. I'm back after all. At worst, I just have to drive him out."
Silly Bear's father, Xiong Heishan, sighed and walked out.
Tian Erniu's family.
Tian Erniu's wife Xiu Niang was preparing to cook something to eat. On the bed were two children aged five or six.
"Aniang~ I think I heard someone say that Dad is back~"
Tian Erniu's son was so hungry that he couldn't sleep at all, and he wanted to go out to play. However, in this winter, the weather was too cold, and Xiu Niang didn't allow him to go out to play at all, so he could hear clearly if there was any movement outside.
Chu.
"Impossible~ Your father went out to spend the winter and won't come back until the winter is over."
"You must be very hungry. Just wait a minute. Dinner will be served soon."
The embroiderer smiled and shook her head and said that she also missed Tian Erniu, but there was no way. There was not much food at home, and Tian Erniu had to go out for the winter.
At this time, Uncle Zhao's voice came in again, this time it was clearer, even the embroiderer could hear it clearly, and she was immediately stunned.