It was Zheng Ren's day to go home. When he left the academy, he felt the cold wind on his face like a knife cutting his face. He tightened his jacket and quickened his pace.
As soon as he walked out of the academy gate, he saw several students with patched jackets gathered together.
Seeing him, several students bowed respectfully.
Zheng Ren stopped and asked, "It's so cold, why don't you go home earlier?"
One of the students said a little awkwardly, "Sir, don't you know, it's the eighth day of the eighth month today, and Mr. Feng in the town is distributing porridge and rice. We have discussed and decided to go and get some back later."
He kept his eyes down while speaking. Scholars value integrity and face the most. They hesitated here, probably because they were too embarrassed to lose face to get porridge and rice. Therefore, Zheng Ren understood them and said, "We are going the same way, let's go together."
Several students were not so reserved and followed him.
Feng Mansion was on the way back to the village from the academy. Zheng Ren saw a lot of people gathered at the door of Feng Mansion from a distance.
The past two years have been difficult, everything has become expensive, and most people are not well-off.
The Feng family distributes Laba porridge, which is delivered one by one in cloth bags with the prepared ingredients. As long as you line up slowly, everyone can get a small bag regardless of age. A bag weighs about half a catty, or eight taels, which is enough for a family to eat for one meal. Families with more people can eat for several days with one bag.
Zheng Ren looked at the long line in front of him and was thinking about how to get around it.
However, a young man who looked like a servant stepped out from the crowd, bowed respectfully to him and said, "Are you Zheng Juren? Our master saw you from a distance and asked me to invite you to come over to get the rice.
Zheng Ren shook his head and said, "We have plenty of rice at home."
The servant smiled and said, "This is really a kind gesture from our master. If you don't accept it, I would be in a difficult situation. "
Zheng Ren was a famous tutor in the town, and he had been teaching in the academy for many years, so his reputation spread far and wide. People valued scholars, and many families were very courteous to him. It was not the first time that he had encountered such a kind hospitality from Mr. Feng. Thinking that if he took the lead, the students would feel at ease to receive their gifts. He did not refuse and followed the servant.
As soon as he went over, the crowd naturally made way for him.
Mr. Feng was standing on the steps, and when he saw him, he walked down warmly, greeted him, and then personally took a few bags of rice and handed them to him, "It's a small gift, I hope you don't mind."
Zheng Ren bowed and thanked him, and only took one of the bags, saying, "One bag is enough. Thank you, Mr. Feng. "
There were too many people at the time, so it was inconvenient to exchange pleasantries. Zheng Ren took the rice and left.
After squeezing out of the crowd at Feng Mansion, seeing that the students were all safely queuing up to receive porridge and rice, Zheng Ren set out on the road home.
Coincidentally, a child also received the rice and walked with him.
The child looked about the same age as his own son, but a little unfamiliar. Seeing that he was thin and small, he took the initiative to talk to him and said, "Can you carry it?"
The child nodded, with a firm look on his little face, "It's not too heavy. "
Because it has been snowing intermittently these days, the snow on the road has melted halfway, making it difficult to walk. Zheng Ren slowed down, thinking of waiting for the child so that he could help him if he accidentally fell.
The big and the small walked on the road one after the other until they reached the entrance of Huaishu Village. Zheng Ren thought it was a coincidence that they were children from the same village.
Zheng Ren was distracted when he heard a "bang". The child who had been walking with him all the way had fallen to the ground. He hurried forward to check. The child's eyes were tightly closed and he was breathing heavily. It was Hunhou, but he couldn't wake up no matter how much he shouted.
Zheng Ren quickly picked him up and held him in his arms, then walked quickly towards home.
At the Zheng family, Zheng Xiu had already prepared dinner.
Knowing that her father would be back that day, she prepared something extra rich. In addition to the must-eat Laba porridge, she also prepared rice, fried pork and steamed pork intestines, and stir-fried Chinese cabbage sprouts.
Zheng Yu also returned home early and was playing with the chickens in the yard.
As soon as Zheng Ren entered the yard, Zheng Yu shouted, "Dad is back, sister is ready to eat!"
"Yu, go get the doctor! "Zheng Ren carried the child and walked quickly through the main hall and into the house. Zheng Xiu wiped her hands and came out of the kitchen and followed him in.
Zheng Yu didn't see clearly who his father was holding, but after hearing what his father said, he ran out quickly.
Zheng Ren put the child on the kang. Zheng Xiu followed him into the house and saw that the child on the kang had messy hair, a dirty face, and was wearing something that couldn't be seen. took out an animal skin jacket of the original color. Who else could it be but Xue Shao.
Zheng Xiu was greatly surprised. Ever since Xue Shao left because of his brother's words a few days ago, she went to Xue's house several times but couldn't find him. And when she went to check again later, she found that the food left there had not been touched. She was still worried about where the child had gone and whether he had encountered any accident outside.
"Why is it him? Where did Dad bring him back from?"
Zheng Ren explained: "This child followed me back to the village from the town. He suddenly fainted at the entrance of the village, so I brought him back first. Do you know him? "
Zheng Xiu briefly talked about the relationship with the child.
After a while, the old doctor came over.
When he saw that it was still the same child, the old doctor checked his pulse, twirled his beard and said: "This child is still weak in energy and blood, and is hungry. Didn't I tell him to take good care of him last time? Why did he faint again? Zheng Xiu did n't
explain much, and just said: "I have written down all your instructions, and I will definitely let him take good care of him." "As he said, he asked for more money, but the old doctor refused to accept it. He packed up his things, said goodbye to Zheng Ren and went back.
Zheng Yu lay on the edge of the bed and looked at Xue Shao reluctantly. Why is this man so haunting? He keeps coming to his house. He hates it so much.
After the doctor left, Zheng Ren sighed: "He is also a poor person. There is no news about his father? "
During the days when Zheng Xiu couldn't find Xue Shao, she went to Li Zheng's house every day to inquire about the news. However, the snow on the mountain had not melted completely, and the search and rescue people did not dare to go deep into the mountains. There is still no news of those hunters.
Zheng Xiu shook her head, "Mrs. Li Zheng said that after we find him, we can send him to her house. At least wait until the New Year is over and the snow has melted, as for the future…”
If the child’s father is really gone, then he will most likely be sent to the orphanage.
Zheng Ren sighed. After all, the years were too difficult. If the times were good, everyone in the village would give him a bite, and the child would be able to grow up by eating food from hundreds of families.
Zheng Xiu asked her father and brother to start eating first, and she took a small bowl of laba porridge, sat on the kang and fed Xue Shao spoonful by spoonful. Fortunately, he could still swallow, and he finished a bowl of porridge quickly. After feeding him the porridge, she wrapped a handkerchief and wiped Xue Shao’s face and hands with hot water.
After wiping his face, she realized that Xue Shao was very good-looking, with a fair and clean face, long eyelashes, and a straight nose. After cleaning up, she closed the door and went out to eat with her family.
After the door was closed, Xue Shao opened his eyes.
In fact, he had just fainted at the entrance of the village and woke up when Zheng Ren carried him back. It's just that he hadn't eaten properly for several days and had no strength in his body. Later, the Zheng family surrounded him and talked. He already had the strength to open his eyes, but somehow, listening to their chattering, and then the sister feeding him and washing him, he suddenly felt at ease in his heart, so he didn't move obediently.
He closed his eyes for a while, thinking that they said there was no news about his father and he might not be able to come back. He thought it was impossible. His father was so capable. He always managed to stay safe in such dangerous situations outside. He will definitely come back safely this time as well!
When Zheng Xiu returned to the main room, Zheng Ren and Zheng Yu had not started yet and were waiting for her.
Zheng Yu pouted, looking very unhappy, and muttered, "Why did you bring him back again? He is so dirty, and he was placed on the kang. I don't want to sleep with him."
Zheng Xiu hit him on the head with a chopstick without thinking.
Zheng Yu touched his head and pursed his lips. That guy is really dirty!
Zheng Xiu glanced at him sideways, and told his father about the time when Zheng Yu secretly went to the dyeing workshop to dye her skirt and fell into the dye vat and almost got into trouble.
After hearing this, Zheng Ren said, "He's at the dinner table, why are you hitting him with chopsticks?"
Zheng Yu looked at his father gratefully, and then heard his father continue, "If you want to teach him a lesson, use the cane to beat him after dinner! Besides, you're not in good health, so just let your father do this rough work."
Zheng Ren smiled lovingly and picked up a piece of bacon for Zheng Xiu.
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