"Husband, you are back." Zheng Sanniang got up from the stove, asked her youngest son to light the stove fire, and then walked into the yard.
"I'm back." Sun Erlang, a soldier of the Youguo Army, nodded, took off a sack from his back, and said, "I bought twenty kilograms of fish, enough to last until the end of the first year."
"Why are there so many?" Zheng Sanniang said angrily: "Just after the reward was distributed, you are so lavish."
"I bought it when I saw it. Zezhou is a small place, and it's not easy to meet fish sellers." Sun Erlang waved his hand and said, "The sage loved this thing very much and called it a treasure in the sea."
"I know, I know, you've said it dozens of times." Seeing her husband say this, Zheng Sanniang didn't blame her too much. While nagging, she quickly untied the bag, took out the fish one by one, and strung them up with ropes.
, hanging under the eaves.
After a while, the indigo-colored tiles were hung with dried salted fish. When the wind blew, they swayed gently from side to side, which was really beautiful - there was more than enough every year, which was a symbol of a prosperous life.
Sun Erlang walked to the fragrant stove and opened the lid.
The earthen pot was bubbling with steam.
Meat, wild vegetables, and winter bamboo shoots are tumbling up and down inside, and the soup is thick and white, making you salivate just looking at it.
There was half a pheasant stewed in the earthen pot, which he had hunted in the mountains when he had nothing to do.
After returning from Yunnan, he fell into a state of having nothing to do. Sometimes he would sit on the doorstep and look at the fields, mountains, and rivers outside the house. He would sit there all afternoon, until his father came with a broom.
people.
Really unable to sit still any longer, he made an appointment with his colleagues and went hunting together in the mountains until the snow became heavier and heavier, closing the mountains and blocking the roads.
"Sir, sit down for a moment. The broth is ready. I will serve you a bowl." Zheng Sanniang took a wet towel, carefully lifted it through the earthen pot, and carried it into the house.
Sun Erlang picked up the fire tongs leaning against the wall, took out the briquettes that had burned white, then put in two new briquettes, placed an empty earthen jar, poured some water, and prepared to warm the wine.
After fighting together for so long, I have to reward myself.
It is true that he had already rewarded himself when he was in Yunnan. He had killed people, robbed money, and raped women. But there, he was highly nervous and felt that anyone he saw was going to be detrimental to him, even if he was a big fish.
It is impossible to truly relax while eating a lot of meat.
After Ben returned home, he restrained his excesses in the past year, and the rules and regulations returned to him. It seemed that he was not free at all, but he felt the peace of mind that he had not seen for a long time.
People, after all, love their homes.
Zheng Sanniang walked virtuously between the central hall, the courtyard, and the kitchen. One moment she brought a basket of steamed cakes into the room, the next moment she brought two plates of food into the room, and the next moment she brought warm wine to the table.
Sun Erlang sat on the threshold again and was in a daze.
When the father saw him like that, he sighed, walked into the kitchen, gave his grandson a piece of persimmon, and kicked him off the stove. He sat on the pony and took care of the stove.
The child was eating persimmons and walking around the yard.
The big yellow dog followed happily, shaking its head and wagging its tail.
In the sheep pen in the southeast corner of the yard, the little lambs that had not yet grown up looked at them in fear and bleated. The ram walked to the edge of the pen, lowered its head slightly, and showed its horns full of cracks.
The child screamed and subconsciously took two steps back, almost dropping the persimmon.
The big yellow dog barked twice, seemingly fiercely. But after seeing its little master retreating, it whimpered and left the sheepfold.
"Husband, it's time to eat." Zheng Sanniang called out.
Sun Erlang stood up silently, went back to the room and sat down.
After a while, the father came over with a plate of mutton and placed it on the table.
"Yesterday, Yao Lang of the Zheng family came over. Seeing that you were not there, he sat for a while and then left." Zheng Sanniang poured half a bowl of wine for each of the Sun family's father and son, and said softly: "It is difficult for the Imperial Army to enter now. He has found many people.
, it didn’t even work.”
"Zheng Jia Yao Lang" is the younger brother of Zheng Sanniang and a soldier of Youguo. He is under the same command as Sun Erlang. One is an infantryman and the other is a crossbowman and long swordsman.
"The people above are talking in official terms, saying that the Great Xia Forbidden Army is not a force where father and son attack each other and are close to the party. Bah! It's obvious that father follows son, but they want to say it in such a high-sounding way." Zheng Sanniang continued: "Husband, please
Why don’t you use some money?”
"It's useless!" Sun Erlang took a sip of wine and his face turned red.
The life of a soldier in the imperial army is really good. Not only do they have enough to eat, but they also eat well. No wonder everyone wants to join the army.
"Why is it useless?" Zheng Sanniang was a little unconvinced.
"It's useless when I say it's useless!" Sun Erlang put the wine bowl on the table and said: "No one dares to accept money now. The recruits in the fifth courtyard are all queuing up and waiting for the opportunity. What's the use of looking for someone? Collecting money is useless.
If you can't get something done, you'll end up in trouble for nothing. No one is that stupid."
"Then..." Zheng Sanniang was speechless for a moment. After a while, she frowned and said: "After the New Year, husband, you will be thirty-seven, how many more years can you continue to work hard? Is it possible that the children will all farm in the future? But this land
It’s not enough points either.”
When Sun Erlang heard this, his expression became even more ugly.
Zheng Sanniang sat down instead and asked again: "If you are not good at the forbidden army, can you become a state soldier? After all, Goulang has practiced martial arts for ten years, and his skills are not bad. He should be qualified to be recruited as a state soldier, right?"
Goulang is Sun Erlang, the eldest son of Zheng Sanniang. He is nineteen years old this year and has grown up to be tall and tall. He went to Taiyuan with some friends a few days ago and will probably not be able to get back until before the Chinese New Year.
"Didn't you see that the state soldiers haven't been recruited for a long time?" Sun Erlang ate a piece of mutton and became a little angry.
.Don’t you understand what it means?”
"Then what should we do? I am really worried that I have been practicing martial arts for so many years in vain?" Zheng Sanniang was a little embarrassed and said: "It was you who asked Gou Lang to practice martial arts since he was a child. He said that when he grew up, he could inherit his father's legacy and continue.
Become a member of the imperial army. But it is so difficult to enter the imperial army. If I had known this, it would be better to let him learn a trade and be able to support himself. Is the saint Lao Hu Tu? These are all old men who have been fighting for him for half their lives. We don't need them.
, we must use those soldiers who don’t know the basics.”
"You know nothing!" Sun Erlang subconsciously got angry when his wife complained about the saint. He slammed the table hard and said: "The saint is such a heroic figure, and it's your turn to arrange it? What a stupid woman!"
"
"I'm stupid, but you're smart! In the end, you can't accomplish anything! Where's the cleverness?" Zheng Sanniang also had a fierce temper and retorted directly.
Sun Erlang was about to get angry again. The Sun family's father knocked on the table hard, and both of them stopped.
"Son, a few days ago the elder son of the Zhang family said that he would send his son to the Western Regions. Should he be a state soldier or a government soldier?" Father Sun suddenly asked.
"They are neither state soldiers nor government soldiers." Sun Erlang took a sip of wine and said, "They are carrying guns for King Zhao."
"King Zhao?" Father Sun was stunned for a moment, and seemed to understand something. He sighed and said, "That's not a serious business. Is Zhang Shuzi cruel enough to just watch his grandson end up like this?"
"It doesn't matter if one or two of his ten grandsons are lost." Sun Erlang said: "Besides, I have seen that young man. He is really good for nothing except being brave and fierce. Let him farm, do business, and learn crafts.
If he fails, he will only kill people."
"What's the difference between your dog man?" Father Sun muttered and sighed: "If it doesn't work, let him go on the road with the Zhang family boy, ugh."
"No!" Zheng Sanniang said anxiously, "The Western Region is so far away. Now that Gou Lang has left, will we be able to see each other again?"
By the end, I was a little choked up.
Sun Erlang just bowed his head and drank wine without speaking.
Father Sun also sighed, obviously reluctant to leave his grandson.
But the reality is here, what can be done?
In the past, people said that practicing martial arts would make the whole family happy. For their family, a family of Forbidden Army warriors, this was even more true. It had almost become a tradition.
But who would have thought that the world would gradually become peaceful and there would no longer be the need for so many martial arts warriors to fight in battle. These young men who have been practicing martial arts since childhood despise any other livelihood. Apart from fighting and killing, they really know nothing.
What can be done?
Father Sun has two sons, three daughters, and five grandsons. The eldest grandson was trained as a martial artist since he was a child. He is good at using a foot bow, a long spear, a horizontal sword, and can also ride a horse. He was originally a good young man for the Imperial Army, but the competition was too fierce.
, I can't even get in even if I squeeze my head, so there's nothing I can do.
"Can King Zhao offer a reward?" After sighing for a while, he finally had to face reality. Father Sun asked.
"It should...it's okay." Sun Erlang wasn't very sure, but King Zhao was the prince after all, so he couldn't even give out rewards, right?
"Can you go to the Western Regions and become a soldier?" Father Sun asked again.
"I wonder." Sun Erlang said: "There were rumors a while ago that Qingzhen was recruiting two thousand soldiers. Zezhou seemed to have posted a notice, but they only wanted to ban the army or surrender troops from all walks of life. Gou Lang has never been in battle.
, If you have seen blood, you shouldn’t be able to do it.”
"What a pity." Father Sun sighed.
Seeing the Sun family father and son seriously discussing the feasibility of going to the Western Regions, Zheng Sanniang felt empty in her heart, her body went limp, and she slumped down on the rope chair.
"King Zhao wants to have a fief, right? Is it in the Western Region?" Father Sun asked after thinking for a while.
"Nine times out of ten."
"Are the thieves in the Western Regions fierce?"
When Sun Erlang heard this, the corner of his mouth curled up subconsciously, seeming to be a bit sarcastic. He only heard him say: "Didn't the knight of Lubu Feijie say, how powerful can it be to destroy the Gaochang Uighurs in half a year? Those Tibetan bandit soldiers
, the robes and I can beat them to a pulp with just one charge."
"You are you, and Gou Lang is Gou Lang. He has never been in battle, and has never seen blood. It is different." Father Sun knocked on the table and said.
"You have to go through this." Sun Erlang poured wine for himself and his father, and said: "I was only twenty years old when I first went into battle. I was recruited into the army by Li Renhan in Ruzhou. I will also be there at that time.
Even if you are at a loss, you will be afraid. But after more than ten years of fighting, you have discovered that it is just that. Kill or be killed, that's all."
Father Sun drank and ate in silence. After a long time, he suddenly raised his head and said, "Let's find someone to inquire about it in a few days. King Zhao is the descendant of a saint, so he should not act randomly."
"Okay." Sun Erlang responded.
Zheng Sanniang covered her face with her hands, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.