The refugees in the "refugee camp" saw a man with the appearance of a rich man striding over excitedly, followed by a young girl with a beautiful makeup. The refugees were afraid of bumping into the nobleman, so they gave way one after another. After the father and daughter passed by, they quietly guessed what happened
Hearing the little girl's voice, Yu Hai reluctantly stopped in his tracks, turned around and took the hand of the little girl who was chasing him, and continued walking towards that familiar figure.
"Father? Who did you see? Is it my aunt?" Since the beginning of winter, my father has been talking about my aunt who is far away in the disaster-stricken area in the northeast. I don't know what's going on with my aunt. There have been refugees fleeing from Tang Gu's side, but there has been no news of my aunt.
Yu Hai held his little daughter's little hand, although he was in a hurry, he slowed down his steps to accommodate his daughter. Getting closer to that thin figure, Xiaocao felt her father's hands trembling slightly.
"Father, I'm eating porridge. Tanggu's porridge is much thicker than other places, and there's a lot of rice in it!" Yu Caifeng gently helped up the thin man lying in the straw, with a deep smile on his face. warmth.
The man coughed violently, his withered face flushed red, as if he might not be able to breathe at any moment. Fearing that he might be suffering from tuberculosis, the refugees from nearby families all moved away.
The man finally calmed down, gasped for a few breaths, and said weakly: "I'm not hungry, you and the children have a drink!"
Yu Caifeng shook her head stubbornly, and said softly: "The children are all queuing up to get the porridge! When you arrive in Tanggu, you are already home. When you have some strength after drinking the porridge, we will go back to Dongshan Village tomorrow."
The man moistened his chapped and bleeding lips with his tongue, and sighed slightly: "It's me who dragged you mothers down. If it wasn't for treating me, you wouldn't have suffered so much with me. My disease , Looks like it won’t work, this porridge is a waste if I eat it, you should eat it! The children are still young, your body can’t be dragged down... "
"What are you talking about!! Your illness is just a cold, and the conditions on the road are not good, so it was delayed. When you return to Dongshan Village, transfer some money to your father, and ask the doctor from Tongrentang to show you... Dr. Sun from Tongrentang in this town , the medical skills are good, and they say that if he wants to, he will be more than enough to be an imperial physician. He will definitely cure your illness! You hurry up and eat the porridge for me!!" Yu Caifeng's eyes were moist, and she pretended to be fierce .
The man was a few years older than her and was a widower. When she first married, she had a tough personality and didn't give him good looks for a long time. However, the man has a good temper and can tolerate her petty temper, pampering her like a daughter. Although she was dissatisfied with this marriage at the beginning, she was moved by the man's sincerity and lived with him wholeheartedly. Fifteen years of being with each other, relying on him and trusting him has become a habit. Now, she really can't imagine, if she doesn't have him, can she live on...
Looking at his wife's helpless and hesitant eyes, the man felt a sharp pain in his heart, which was even more unbearable for him than when he was sick. He forced a smile, and said: "Okay! I'll drink this porridge! I've persisted until the door, so I have to hold on! I really can't let the four of you mothers go..."
"Stop talking, let's have porridge..." Yu Caifeng wiped her eyes, took a spoonful of porridge with a spoon, blew gently, and brought it to the man's mouth. The man put the porridge in his mouth and swallowed hard.
Yu Xiaocao's father and daughter saw this scene from a distance, with mixed feelings in their hearts. At this time, three children holding porridge passed by them, and the voice of the oldest boy was a little brisk: "Father, mother! The people who give porridge here are really good, and our children can also get a full bowl What! These three bowls of porridge are enough for our family to share!!"
One of the girls, who was about Xiaocao's age, saw the man eating half a bowl of porridge, with a gratified smile on her face: "Father is in good spirits today! His appetite has also improved a lot! Mom, is my father's illness getting better soon? "
While feeding the man porridge, Yu Caifeng said, "When I see your uncle tomorrow, your father can go to the city for treatment. The doctors in the city are good at medicine, and your father's illness will definitely be cured!"
The youngest of the three children, said delicately: "Mother, Dad's illness is cured, so we don't have to beg for food anymore?"
Yu Caifeng had a sore nose, nodded heavily and said: "When your father recovers from his illness, he can find work in the town. Your father is so capable, it is absolutely no problem to support our family of five!"
"That's great! We won't be called 'little beggars' by people! Mother, Xiaoping is not a beggar and a beggar. The eldest brother said that we are just in trouble for a while, and we will be fine in the future!" The little boy opened his eyes Big eyes similar to Yu Caifeng, innocent and serious.
Seeing this scene, Yu Hai choked up sobs, he walked over quickly, and yelled loudly at Yu Caifeng: "Sister!!"
Yu Caifeng's hand holding the porridge bowl trembled suddenly, as if she couldn't believe it, she turned her head slowly, and seeing Yu Hai, her lips trembled so that she couldn't speak.
"Sister!" Yu Hai rushed over and hugged Yu Caifeng who was so thin that only a handful of bones remained. Tears rolled in his eyes for a long time and flowed down his cheeks.
"Xiao Hai? Is it Xiao Hai?" Yu Caifeng still couldn't believe it, for fear that she was in a dream. Along the way, besides the children, the only one who supports her faith is this younger brother who hasn't seen each other for more than ten years.
"Sister, it's me! It's your Xiaohai!! Sister, you have suffered!!" Yu Hai hugged his sister and cried like a child.
My sister was only three years older than him. When my mother just passed away, my sister suppressed her grief and hugged him like Yu Hai hugged her now, to comfort him. When Mrs. Zhang deducted the meals of the siblings on the grounds of lack of food, the older sister gave him a portion of her own food many times. In order to protect him, my sister was beaten and scolded by Mrs. Zhang many times. Even though he is nearly thirty now, he is still the "Xiao Hai" who trusts his sister!
Yu Caifeng held Yu Hai's face, looked at it carefully, and smiled reassuringly: "Xiao Hai, seeing that you are doing well, my sister is relieved!"
Yu Hai frowned slightly when he saw the rags and tattered clothes on his elder sister and the children, and asked, "Sister! When autumn comes, I will ask someone to send a message to let you come back. Why did it not arrive until now? It's not for you." Have you been entangled in the past? How could it be like this?"
Only then did Yu Caifeng see the cheap muslin robe on her younger brother. Although she was surprised how Mrs. Zhang would be willing to wear such a fine cotton robe for her younger brother, she didn't ask any questions.
From Yu Caifeng's words, Yu Hai learned that because of his sister and brother-in-law's hard work and thrift, the family has a little food surplus. There was a severe drought in the Northeast, and the couple received letters and money from Yu Hai, but they were reluctant to part with the foundation they had saved with great difficulty. So, he took out twenty taels of silver from Yu Hai's trustees, and quietly hoarded some grain, to see if he could survive until the spring plowing.
I never thought that after a winter, those starving people whose eyes were red from starvation would rush into their house, smash their belongings, take away the food, and kill her husband. Wounded. Fortunately, Yu Caifeng hid the remaining thirty taels of silver well and was not searched.
The food in the house was robbed, and the valuables in the house were taken away by the hungry people. In desperation, Yu Caifeng and his wife packed up some things, took their three children, and finally joined the ranks of refugees.
On the way, a cold spring suddenly hit the refugee team, and many fleeing people fell ill. Yu Hai's brother-in-law, Liu Hu, took advantage of his physical strength to give all the clothes he brought to his wife and children, and fell ill just like that.
At first, Liu Hu didn't take his illness seriously. Didn't the illnesses in the past just pass through? He didn't want to just push on the road because he had a high fever and didn't say anything because he delayed the trip. Finally fell ill in a small town just out of the northeast.
At this time, he was suffering from a mild cold, which had turned into pneumonia. The level of medical care in that small town is backward, and there is only one barefoot doctor. The money was spent, and the medicine was seized. Liu Hu's illnesses always come and go, and he can't be cured.
In this way, I have to stay in the hotel and get medical treatment. More than a month later, the money Liu Caifeng brought had already been spent. Liu Hu felt that his illness could not be cured, so he refused to receive treatment and insisted on continuing on the road. Yu Caifeng couldn't hold him back, so she had to pawn off her extra luggage, rent a bullock cart, and drive all the way south.
On the way, Liu Hu's illness went from good to bad, and all his expenses were spent. Even eating became a problem, let alone renting a car. The whole family supported each other, begging for food and hurrying on their way. If it weren't for a belief in his heart that supported him, Liu Hu would have fallen down long ago—before he died, he must look after his wife and children, return to his hometown, and find his relatives. Otherwise, he will die with regret!
People, once supported by faith, can often create miracles. Liu Hu dragged his sick body until the day when he saw the Tanggu City Gate. Watching the moment when his daughter-in-law and her brother embraced each other, a deep tiredness struck—perhaps, it was time for him to leave in peace.
"Dad...Dad! Mom, Dad seems to have fainted again!!" Yu Caifeng's eldest son, Liu Junping, gently pushed his father, but got no response. He shouted in a panic.
When Liu Caifeng came back to see the man's ashen-like face, her heart skipped a beat, and she rushed over, and with her trembling fingers, she stretched out under the man's nose. After this test, her complexion changed drastically, she cried out "His father!", and then passed out in front of Yu Hai.
Yu Hai quickly supported his sister's fallen body, and looked at Liu Hu who was lying in the straw pile with his eyes closed, and felt sour in his heart.
"Father! Daddy!!" The three children seemed to realize something, crying and shaking Liu Hu's body. The voice was sad, and those who heard it wept.