…
…
…
"Mom, when will Dad come back?"
"When the war is over, Dad will come back."
"Who is Dad fighting with?"
"Alien races. They are those races with strange shapes. Different from humans, they are other creatures living on the mainland."
"Is the alien race strong?"
"It's very strong."
"Better than dad?"
"Um."
"But Dad is already the most powerful person I know. If Dad can't even win, what should we do?"
"It's enough to make up for the shortcomings with things other than force. Rely on wisdom, discipline, and tools. Think about it, we have the most prosperous civilization, with flames and smelting technology, and can forge materials from other races. Become your own weapons and equipment. Isn’t this a proof of the strength of human beings?”
"Is Dad's weapons and equipment also very powerful?"
"Of course. Dad is serving in the army of Duke Huai's territory. He must use the sharpest weapons and wear the strongest equipment. He will follow the army and beat those monsters who dare to invade the human land to death. One day , he will return triumphantly on a tall horse, and take our mother and daughter to live a good life... "
The corridor deep in memory is mottled like scenes on an old TV.
A very young boy is lying on a lacquered stool, talking to his mother who is doing needlework.
…
Gradually, the scene began to slowly distort and was replaced by the next picture.
The gentleness just now disappeared, and the kind mother became ferocious, with red eyes.
In front of her, stood three soldiers in old clothes. A pair of straw mats were placed under the soldiers' feet. The tattered armor, the face was covered in the straw mat.
The woman yelled at the three soldiers like crazy:
"Look for yourselves, keep your eyes open! This armor filled with shredded paper and cotton, this long spear is not much stronger than a wooden pole! Is this the sincerity of your Duke Huai? My men followed you through life and death, and you Even the most basic armaments have to be withheld like this, do you still have a conscience? You let him wear such an armor and hold such a weapon to fight those alien races? What are you thinking? Tell me, tell me !"
Among them, the younger soldier lowered his head and said softly:
"Sister-in-law, sorry. We are the same as our elder brother. We all use this kind of equipment. The new equipment in the propaganda is actually only allocated to generals and related soldiers. Those of us who were born as civilians and went to the army to fight for fame , In the eyes of others, it is a cheap life... Our military salary for a lifetime may not be able to buy a set of exquisite armor, how could they send it to us. "
The woman covered her face and squatted on the ground crying non-stop, crying from day to night, from clear to hoarse.
At night when the moon came out, the woman hugged her husband's corpse, pursed her lips with disheveled hair, and repeated only one sentence:
"He worked his life for human beings, how can you be so cruel..."
Behind her, the young boy silently watched the scene, his fists closed silently.
…
The picture became blurred again.
"Liu Shi, it's your turn to serve Master today."
An apprentice in cloth and cloth hat said to another young man.
The young man was dressed in plain clothes, and his hair, which is slightly longer than a man's, was tied behind his head. He nodded and replied:
"knew."
The elementary school student inquired incessantly:
"It will be Qingming in two days, will you go to sacrifice this year?"
The young man gave an "hmm" as an answer, and the little apprentice sighed and said:
"Father died in battle, and mother committed suicide afterward. Liu Shi, you've had a really hard time. Next time you get paid, I'll buy you a drink."
The young man said calmly:
"I do not drink."
"Never drink in this life?"
"I will never drink in my life."
The little apprentice clasped his hands behind his head, muttered "It's so boring", and left.
The youth walked to the forging room. In the middle of the forging room was a grand master's chair. An old man with white hair and childlike face was sitting lazily on it. Several young and beautiful maids were helping him stretch his legs and shoulders. Around him who was at ease, there were seven or eight busy people. A busy apprentice. Their faces were tired, because they stayed by the fire for too long, sweat had already soaked their clothes, as if they were wearing clothes to take a sauna.
The young man served tea to the old man. The old man squinted his eyes, took a sip, and said lazily:
"That's right, after following me for so long, I'm finally good at making tea."
The young man didn't answer, which was really not a compliment to him.
He lowered his head and said:
"Master, I want to take a leave of absence next week to pay homage to my parents. It will take about five days."
The old man frowned and asked while thinking:
"Next week...? Don't worry about it for a few days. The dog raised by the old man, you know, the pure black night wolf dog, I don't know why it doesn't like to eat during this time. You take it next week Go to Qingge, the veterinarian in Wufeng City, and let Qingge see what the problem is. This is a famous dog, so don't delay."
The young man froze for a moment, then repeated:
"Master, I'm going to honor my parents."
The old man waved his hand and said with an annoyed expression:
"I know, I know, what do you always say about such an unlucky thing? If you die, you will die. You can burn incense and they will be able to come back to life, right? Young people have that time to do more useful things. By the way, the travel expenses are from you this month It was deducted from your monthly payment. The last time you came to see the old man, the night wolf dog yelled at you twice, didn’t you? Maybe it was the bad luck on your body that surprised it, which made him refuse to eat. This matter It has nothing to do with you, so you can deal with the aftermath yourself. If you don’t do well, at least you will be whipped forty times!"
The young man lowered his head and replied:
"Yes, I understand, Master."
He stopped continuing the topic just now, and asked instead:
"Master, I have almost learned the chores now, when will you teach me the real skills?"
The busy apprentices around stopped suddenly, and their eyes turned to this side, and everyone's eyes were different. There is worry, contempt, and curiosity to watch the excitement. The old man slowly opened his eyes, glanced at the young man, and said with a half smile:
"Craft? Young people, sincerity is the most important thing in learning skills! If you are not sincere, everything is useless. Look, look, what can you do in the future if you are so impetuous?"
The young man replied:
"I don't know. But I know, serving tea and water, sweeping the floor and cooking, cleaning toilets, picking manure, feeding pigs and cows, chopping firewood, plowing land and farming, carrying coal and iron, picking up leftovers like this every day... If life continues, I will never be a blacksmith in my life."
The atmosphere became tit for tat in an instant.
The old man patted the armrest of the grand master's chair heavily, stood up, pointed at the young man's nose and cursed:
"Are you questioning me? Questioning my blacksmith, Broduos?! In these years, no young man has dared to talk to me like this—to tell you, if you follow me to learn technology, you have to treat yourself as a servant, as a hard worker, as a slave! Liu Shi, don’t think that your talent is of any use. Just based on what you said just now, this old man can make you completely unable to survive in the forging world. Do you believe me? Right now, apologize! Kneel down in front of me and apologize! "
Before the young man could speak, the apprentices in the house had already shouted in unison:
"Apologize! Apologize to Master!"
"How dare this person talk to Master like that? Do you really think you are someone?!"
"Brothers, teach this ignorant bastard a lesson for master!"
This is the best opportunity to show your loyalty.
Those apprentices who were doing hard work every day vented all their grievances on the young man at this moment.
If you knock him down, you will be able to claim credit from the master. Maybe the master will reward you with some skills when the master is happy.
Doesn't every apprentice grow up like this
Then wait for them to become masters, and then repeat the process.
However, before they could make a move, the whip in the old man's hand fell heavily on the young man's arm, tearing his clothes, and a bloodstain instantly swelled up. Before the young man could react, another whip hit his face, causing blood to flow from the corner of his mouth, half of his face was swollen, and he kept backing away.
The apprentices approached step by step with the semi-finished weapons in their hands.
In the end, the wounded young man left the mansion of blacksmith Brodous.
Except for the wounds all over his body, he took nothing away from here. Before leaving, no one came to see him off, including the young apprentice who invited him to drink. He didn't even groan in pain, just let the blood drip down all the way, stepping barefoot on the bluestone road, walking towards the vast and homeless world.
The night wolf dog tied to the door barked at his back like General Desheng.
…
The picture gradually became fragmented.
Consciousness slowly returned.
Those distant pictures, which seemed to have been forgotten for many years, reappeared in my mind for some reason.
It's like having a long dream and watching the marquee of half a lifetime.
Liushi opened his eyes.
Still aching in the back of his head, he also realized the fact that he was in a dark and dank dungeon. At the beginning, he was a little confused about time and space, and even thought that everything in front of him was still a dream, but it only took a few seconds for him to recall it.
The fact that she was betrayed by her own daughter and beaten unconscious by the guards she brought.
Liu Shi lowered his head and looked at his current situation. And his current situation is that his hands and feet are tied to a chair with iron chains, and he can't get rid of it at all.
In addition, in front of his eyes, there is a person standing at this moment.
A man who was similar to his age, more handsome than him, and a man with a little bit more nobility of a rich family. Long brown wavy hair, sword eyebrows and starry eyes, and a sharp-edged face. When she smiles, she will reveal a mouthful of white and neat teeth. The tailor-made robe was worn on his body, which perfectly set off his tall and strong figure.
It took Liu Shi a little effort to remember this face.
Carissa's childhood sweetheart whom she once met at her wedding.
Shoz Yoshihirata.
Xiuzi had a gentle smile on his face, and his gaze fell softly on Liushi's face.
"Are you awake? It really made me wait... It's just that you haven't fully woke up yet."
He smiled, raised his hand, and said:
"Come here, bring a bucket of ice water from the cellar. It's rare to reunite with Liushi after a long absence, and treat this distinguished guest from afar!"