Republic of China

Chapter 261 Under the old locust tree

No matter how aggrieved Zhao Sanyuan was, he couldn't keep blaming the tree.

Apart from the pain, we couldn't delay our business. We originally planned to arrive at Shimen in ten days, but now we haven't arrived yet after fifteen days. If we delay any longer, we might miss Master's important event.

That afternoon I drove the donkey cart away from the porridge farm. Since I couldn't change it, I could only do what I could.

This road is not easy to walk. After leaving the imperial capital and passing through Xushui, it is desolate, with uninhabited and ruined villages one after another. It can be seen that the famine in the Central Plains has affected southern Hebei. The rich moved their families northward, and the poor had no food. Zhong also had to flee with his family, which made it difficult for Zhao Sanyuan and others to obtain supplies, and they ate less food.

Fortunately, in addition to food, the donkey cart also carried a lot of medicines for emergencies. As they could, Lao Kang and Xiucai treated the seriously ill and fainted victims one by one on the roadside. Zhao Sanyuan and Lao Liu secretly squeezed them from their own mouths. He took out some rations and distributed them to the dying victims, pretending that nothing had happened.

Don't take evil for small things, and don't take good things for nothing.

But do good deeds and don’t worry about your future.

What makes the brothers happy is that, apart from the dirty and dirty, there is no shortage of kind and good people in this world.

There are many migrating convoys of large households slaughtering livestock to distribute food, saving every one they can, and there are also people who help bury the corpses on the roadside to guard against greater disasters caused by the plague after the hot weather.

Ups and downs, joys and sorrows.

It vividly reveals the good and bad in the world.

Just like this, we walked and stopped all the way, and at the end of April we finally walked out of the deserted area and arrived at Shili Village in the north of Shimen, which belongs to Zhengding County.

This place is much more popular than the disaster area, and the order is also there. In the fields, you can see old farmers who are busy in spring, sweating with their faces to the loess and their backs to the sky, looking forward to a good harvest this year.

Mowenshan means that we did not cross the Zhutuo River directly to enter Shimen County. Although this area is plagued by famine, it is also the hardest hit area by Yiguandao. Many people are believers, and even some villages all believe in Yiguandao and are very pious. .

In order to avoid alerting the enemy, he first settled down temporarily in Shilibao on the north side of the Zhutuo River, and then went to step on the plate to find out the news.

Of course, choosing this place was also based on researching the situation in advance. Shilibao was not interested in Yiguandao. It was not that they had clearer minds or were not atheists, but that they had a firmer belief.

Ten Mile Fort believed in Zhao Yun.

Yes, he is the well-known general of Liangfu Young Master. Shilibao belonged to Changshan Zhending in Jizhou during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Therefore, people here have had extremely high faith in Zhao Yun for two thousand years.

Who is the Wusheng Old Mother in Yiguandao?

Sorry, let’s just identify Zhao Zilong.

If you have anything to do, go to the nearby Zhao Yun Temple to pay homage. It is more reliable than trusting that old mother who has no idea who she is. At least Zhao Yun is a real ancestor and fellow villager.

That's why Mo Wenshan chose this place to live in a down-to-earth manner without fear of exposing his identity and alerting others.

But there are pros and cons.

Because the world is becoming more and more chaotic, the people in Shilibao are somewhat xenophobic, and they are definitely not friendly to outsiders.

Human nature.

Who knows if you are an outpost sent by some bandit? I'll wait until I find out more about the situation in the village before I try to grab one. There won't be any place to cry when the time comes.

"Uncle, would you like to stay overnight?"

"Can't make room."

"It's convenient, sir, how about a two-hundred-yuan ticket for one night?"

"What's so great about being rich? I look down on people who talk money but don't talk about it. If you have money, don't come here to make money. Come on!"

Old Liu was sprayed bloody, and he walked helplessly to the next courtyard. He also raised the price a bit, from 210 nights to 2,000 nights, but no one was willing to accept him.

They say you are a bastard who doesn’t make money if you have money, but these days there are really some people who don’t put money first.

Lao Kang, who had never traveled to the customs, did not know that in the land of Yan, Zhao, Qilu, Shandong abided by the rules, and Hebei abided by the righteousness.

Even though Shilibao is a small place, the villagers are very tough. If Lao Liu is almost selling out, he has a chance to stay with someone else, but if he talks about money and keeps money, no one really wants to talk to him. Hit a wall.

In the end, Lao Liu gave up and returned to the village like an eggplant beaten by frost. "It's strange. I raised the price to two thousand yuan, but no one agreed. There was even an aunt who listened." I don’t have a local accent. If you chase me with a broom and beat me, you must say that I am the bandit’s lackey.”

Kang Muang comforted him: "It's human nature. Nowadays, everyone is in danger because of the bad times. Now that I meet Old Liu, you look rather vulgar or have a foreign accent. It's understandable that you will be misunderstood."

"Isn't that right? I wonder if I have an accent either."

After saying this, Old Liu himself felt happy.

It seems to be a little bit

Then the two of them let out a long sigh.

Seeing that the sun has set more than half, I can no longer find a place to stay, and I have to sleep outdoors again tonight. In Hebei at the end of April on the lunar calendar, there are so many mosquitoes in the wild, it's a disaster.

At this time, the sound of children playing came from under the old locust tree at the entrance of the village.

Zhao Sanyuan looked for the reputation and found that there were seven or eight little boys playing roles. However, regarding the allocation of roles, one little boy with a big snot bubble expressed his dissatisfaction in a childish voice.

"We agreed that we would take turns playing Zhao Zilong. Today it's my turn. Why are you asking me to play Han De? I've been killed for several days!"

The tallest boy pointed at the little boy with his hands on his hips, "Okay, I won't let you pretend to be Mr. Han De, right? You will pretend to be Xing Daorong."

"Xing Shairong? Is he powerful? Is he with Zhao Zilong?"

"Bah, bah, bah! How can he deserve to be with General Zilong? He was stabbed to death by General Zilong under the city."

The little boy bared his teeth angrily, "That's not death? Why do I always play the bad guy!"

The kid king laughed loudly after hearing this, and the rest of the little followers also laughed.

Need to say?

Of course it's because you are isolated!

Everyone here has parents, but you only have one father in your family. You are obviously an anomaly!

Never underestimate children's IQ. They are often better at using the limited resources at hand to gain more benefits than adults.

It's like assigning roles.

The youngest boy only recently joined, and the others have been playing together longer than him. The palms and backs of his hands are full of flesh, and it is easy for the King of Children to offend anyone he lets act as a bad guy.

Since someone always has to play the bad guy, it’s natural for the isolated person to do it.

Offend one person and please more people. Just by talking, you can consolidate your position as the king of children, and you will always have the power of distribution and the pleasure of bossing around.

Of course, before the little boy came, there was also a poor little boy who was 'targeted', but after the new little poor boy came, the old poor boy didn't care about the helplessness he suffered, and completely stood in the camp of the king of children. The new little pitiful target.

Again, don’t treat a child as just a child. It’s really not certain who the clown is.

The child king tied a milky-white curtain around his neck that symbolized Zhao Zilong, pointed at the little boy and said, "Stop chirping, you have to go home and sleep in a while. I am still Zhao Zilong today, and I promise to make your death a pleasant one." "

After seeing him tie up the long milky white door curtain, the little boy's mentality completely collapsed, and his little body suddenly charged towards the child king.

In the eyes of adults, it is just a broken door curtain, but in the eyes of young minds, it is the most precious treasure in the world, and it is the jersey that many people want to wear most.

Helpless, the charge was ineffective.

The biggest reason why the King of Children is the King of Children is because of his great strength. He held down the little boy's round head with one arm and one hand, and even though the 'Fights' came like a storm, he couldn't hit him. Half a piece of clothing.

Then he tripped and the little boy couldn't control his body and rushed into the mound, which again attracted waves of ridicule.

"The enemy general is too weak!"

"Hahaha--"

"Hahahaha-"

The tears of grievance soaked the mound and mixed into mud and stained his face.

But he didn't seem to be discouraged, and he didn't clean up the dirt on his body. He rushed towards the child king again, but was knocked down again.

again and again.

again and again.

There was only the broken door curtain in his eyes, and he would not give up until he reached his goal. Even though his nose was bruised and his face was bruised and his face was swollen, and even though his cheeks were blurred by tears, he remained stunned and did not say a word.

Seeing that the little boy didn't play according to the routine, the kid king grabbed him by the collar and yelled.

"Are you surrendering or not?" "No!"

"Ask you again! Will you surrender or not?"

"No!"

The little boy who was originally so submissive suddenly behaved uncharacteristically today, catching the other children off guard.

They don't know whether this kid took the wrong medicine today or is out of his mind. After playing around for so long, you can just say surrender. Everyone goes back to have dinner and sleep.

But the little boy refused to bow his head, which made the King of Children very frustrated. He knew that if he continued, his prestige would be easily damaged.

Then the kid king started thinking and came up with a good idea.

He let go of the little boy's collar, pretending to be generous and threw the broken door curtain behind him.

"Very good, very good. You are a respectable enemy. I have decided not to let you play the bad guy, but you have to go home for dinner tomorrow~"

Without waiting for the little boy to respond, the kid king took the lead and ran to the village, followed by the other little followers, all praising the boss for his magnanimity.

It was originally an embarrassing scene, but the King of Kids took advantage of it. Not only did it resolve the embarrassment, but it also acted as a charity so that the little boy no longer acted as a villain, and his prestige increased instead of decreasing, reaching a higher level.

And even if the little boy got the treasure he dreamed of, he would be the only one left under the old locust tree.

A hero without a villain is probably not a hero.

He got it, but it seemed like he didn't get anything.

Ba Ling in the younger age group is often more heartbroken and unforgettable than those in the adult age group.

Under the afterglow of the setting sun, the shadows of the old locust tree and the little boy grew long.

When all his playmates had gone away and only one person was left, his grievance broke out completely. He punched and kicked the thick old locust tree, and his cries were heart-wrenching.

"Dong dong qiang~dong dong dong qiang~"

Suddenly there was a familiar voice coming from behind. The little boy knew it was the accompaniment of something like the opening of a shadow puppet show. He had seen it once before in Shimen County and remembered it clearly.

Turning around in confusion, he saw a young man wearing floral pudding walking in a dramatic manner and looking with extremely exaggerated eyes.

"Who is coming? Can you please leave your name?"

Just eight words made the little boy stop crying immediately.

Because he wanted to be asked this question countless times, and he secretly practiced how to answer it countless times, but he never got what he wanted.

When he heard the words he wanted to hear the most when he was the saddest, the little boy posed almost like a conditioned reflex, flicked the broken door curtain behind him, held his head high, even though he was crying like a little cat, with big snot bubbles spraying out. , but it does not affect his majesty.

"I am Changshan Zhao Zilong!"

Zhao Sanyuan pretended to be shocked, took a few steps back in panic, and said tremblingly: "Are you the Changshan Zhao Zilong who is courageous, supports young masters, fights in Jingnan, and worships the five tiger generals Liuhe, seven in and seven out? Generals? Where is he? Why don’t you capture him quickly!”

Needless to say, Zhao Sanyuan's performance was exaggerated and embarrassing, but what was even more exaggerated came from behind.

I saw Old Liu hitting his head with the vegetable basket. I don't know if it was the sequelae left on the Oriental train before. He screamed and rushed towards the little boy. As for the speed, it was no faster than cerebral thrombosis.

Anyone who saw this weird appearance would be startled. The little boy was also frightened. He tried to protect himself with his bastard punch. Unexpectedly, the punch hit him, and the strange basket old Liu clutched his stomach and screamed. land.

"So, so strong——"

Next came Xiucai and Lao Kang. The two brothers touched their faces with cinnabar until their faces turned red, as if someone's pomegranate had turned into essence and ran out.

But they were all 'cut' off the horse by the little boy, lying on the ground with their arms and legs spread out.

Why not lie down?

Because it's so embarrassing that it snaps your toes.

Who would be a nice man to play role-playing with a naughty kid?

It's embarrassing, but the brothers are all willing to do it.

Under the deserted big locust tree, the shadows of a small child and four older children sometimes overlapped while they were playing.

Finally, it was Zhao Sanyuan, but when he came to the little boy with a strange smile, he suddenly fell to the ground holding his crotch, gasping for air.

This is not staged.

It was the crotch that received a solid punch.

"Are you serious about this?"

Zhao Sanyuan lifted up the little boy like a carp and spun it around in a circle.

The screams gradually turned into cheerful laughter. The little boy was not afraid at all.

In the end, Zhao Sanyuan got confused and had to put him down, breathing heavily.

"Not fun?"

"Fun."

"You said you kid, just pretend to be a bad guy. You're like a stubborn donkey. You'll get a beating for nothing, right?"

"We agreed that I will be Zhao Zilong today, but I can't lie to others."

Zhao Sanyuan couldn't help but smile and rubbed the little boy's hair vigorously, turning it into a chicken coop like his own. Then he smiled and asked behind him, "Lao Kang, he looks like me, right?"

Lao Kang nodded, recalling with his eyes, "More than just a resemblance? They are all as stubborn as stones in a latrine, and no one can tell what they are sure of."

There is a saying that you look old at the age of three. This little boy will definitely be a stubborn donkey when he grows up.

"What's your name?"

"embolus."

"It's getting late, hurry up and go home, little Shuanzi."

"My father hasn't come back, and I will be alone when I go back."

Zhao Sanyuan was slightly surprised, "Do you have free space in your house? Can you accommodate a few more people?"

Shuanzi answered honestly, "Yes."

"It just so happens that we don't have a place to spend the night. How about staying at your house for a few nights?"

"No, my father said he won't let me bring people I don't know to my house."

"Look, look, we just met, and you punched me in the crotch. It's cool no matter what, right?"

"That won't work either. In the worst case, I'll ask you to hammer it back."

Shuanzi was so sincere that he actually took off his pants and showed off the little bird, and just gave it to his brother to fix it. He couldn't laugh or cry.

Are all the naughty kids in Hebei so honest?

Zhao Sanyuan rolled his eyes and thought of a good idea. He first looked around cautiously, and then said cautiously: "To tell you the truth, I am actually Zhao Zilong's friend. He and I are buddies. This time we are here to surrender." Demonic."

This expression, this tone, and this content are the same as those of human traffickers.

Shuan Zi looked at Zhao Sanyuan with a retarded expression, an expression that said I believe you are a ghost.

boom--

A small ball of flame suddenly lit up in Zhao Sanyuan's palm. Shuanzi was completely shocked and changed from treating a mentally retarded person to treating a god.

Zhao Sanyuan, who didn't even wait for a fire talisman to be consumed, continued to cheat. Shuanzi took his hand and ran towards home.

"Let's go, let's go! You can't stay at my house!"

(End of this chapter)