The battle for water, the lower river village won an unprecedented victory, the whole won ten flags, each flag is five days of water period, ten flags is fifty days of water period, next year’s harvest is guaranteed.
Competition for water won a big victory, under the river village men, women and children a boiling, until the end of the rally back home are excited to talk about, that whoever old Zhu’s children how how so on and so on. The next river village won, the village old man and Rizheng happy straight to the village temple, to console the ancestors.
When they were preparing to eat dinner at Lao Zhu’s house, the Rizheng of Xiahe Village led a few young men carrying a jar of old wine, a pig’s thigh, and a bag of rice into the door of Lao Zhu’s house.
“Old Uncle Zhu, you’ve raised two good grandchildren, especially your family’s little swine, it’s a good day. This is something the village elder and I have discussed, so don’t excuse yourself.” The Lower River Village’s Rizheng was a forty-something year old uncle, the kind of character who had eight faces, arching his hand as he spoke to his grandfather.
The village celebrated the victory in the water competition, and grandfather accepted it after just a little bit of excuses, and then greeted Rizheng and the few boys to sit down together to eat tea and drink wine. Rizheng excused himself and said that there are other students have to go, thanked the grandfather’s goodwill, and soon led a few boys to leave.
In the evening, Father Zhu made an exception and drank a few more glasses of wine, slightly drunk.
Zhu’s eldest uncle also came home from the ancestral hall and came home as if nothing was wrong, just like always, with the prideful feeling of a scholar.
Time just like this slowly passed more than a month, Zhu Pingan rode the old yellow ox to school, between classes came out to the size of the two lolis to talk about the Shooting Eagles to talk about the Laughing Pride of the Wanderer, in addition to the Husbandman’s lectures on more and more, the other basically did not have any changes.
Oh, not nothing, every time to the size of the loli before the story, added an activity, is to see the size of the loli dancing rabbit dance, sing the song of snapping, of course, food is inevitable.
For the ability of qi luck this chicken rib, Zhu Pingan did many times to test, and roughly also figured out part of it, the light of the ancestors, these four words are the key, every ten days roughly can look at the qi luck, each time you can look at the time of three seconds or so, it’s very chicken rib.
In addition to these, Zhu Pingan also used Chen’s name in the four neighbourhoods to go to the door to play, to the big mother-in-law said free to give them raw materials to let them processed into wallets, and then from their hands to buy, each according to the price of the town of 10 wen. Dame daughter-in-law have to go to Chen’s confirmation, Chen’s also smart, although she knows is Zhu Pingan in her name, but counting, think there is a profit to be made, they said it is true to the packet. In short, that big basket in addition to give the eldest aunt and the third aunt, the fourth aunt some, all to these old lady small daughter-in-law. Discounting the handmade fees, Chen went to town and sold them to the shop, earning a total of more than one or two silver pieces. It was a pity that when she went to the cloth shop again to buy the rags, they were bought away. This made Chen, who had earned more than one or two silver pieces, heartbroken.
Time passed slowly for more than a month like this, and at dusk more than a month later, Zhu Pingan rode the old yellow ox back home as usual, only the difference was that this time, once again, a lot of people gathered at the old Zhu’s house, and gave Zhu Pingan sympathetic glances when they saw him riding back on the old yellow ox.
What happened, Zhu Pingan new a shudder.
Pushing open the front door, the inside of the home was in a mess, mother Chen sat paralysed on the ground crying like a tearful person, elder brother Zhu Pingchuan was also red-eyed and shedding tears.
Father Zhu Shouyi lying on a stretcher, the expression of pain trying to comfort the crying Chen, one leg is intact but the other leg is wrapped in white cloth, white cloth is still permeated with blood!
Seeing this scene, Zhu Pingan was almost completely confused.
In his mind, Zhu’s father was a strong ox-like man, although he was not good at expressing himself, but the love he gave was not less than Chen’s, and he was also the pillar of his small family, shielding his family from the wind and the rain. It was because of such an iron-fisted man that he could be carefree as a child when he crossed over. In the morning before going to town to sell rabbit skins, Zhu’s father also smiled and asked Zhu Pingan if he still wanted the rice paper from last time.
However, this iron like man was now lying on a stretcher with a painful expression.
Zhu’s father is so honest and simple, and righteous people, and never had a grudge against others. This time is to go to the town, there will be no danger, can only be someone under the black hand.
“Who, who injured father?”
Zhu Pingan felt that there seemed to be a fire burning in his heart, and with a grunt, he climbed down from the back of the yellow ox, and ran to Zhu’s father’s side with red eyes, and there were tears sliding down his angry little chubby face.
“Don’t cry, I’m fine, people’s doctors have said that they didn’t hurt the tendons and bones, just rest for a month.” Father Zhu was lying on the stretcher, enduring the pain and still trying to comfort everyone.
Zhu family’s other people are also there, the female are all in six minds don’t know what to do, the little fourth uncle is also a shocked face, this time it is he who went to the town together with Zhu father. Only on one side, the eldest uncle’s eyes were a bit evasive.
“I went to town with my second brother, only to sell the rabbit skin for money, did not go far was surrounded by five or six people, those people asked my second brother is not called Zhu Shouyi, my second brother said yes and asked them what they want to do, they want my second brother to return the money, said my second brother more than a month ago borrowed 10 two silvers of India money, now the interest rolled up interest into 15 two silvers. The second brother was baffled, did not borrow money ah”
“The man took out the loan note that Er brother had typed with his own hands and said that don’t try to deny it when it’s in black and white, robbed us of more than a hundred wen from selling rabbit skins, and then started to beat up the man without saying a word. He said that this time it was only light, and that he would keep his legs for the time being, and that if he couldn’t get the money in three days, he would have to really break them.”
Xiao Si uncle said about the incident in the town, still with a face of fear, is he also was kicked twice by others.
“Lao Er, what are you borrowing money for? What bad things did you do outside?” Grandfather was so angry that he was about to faint, holding a thick stick and standing in front of Father Zhu blowing his moustache and asking loudly.
“Father, how could my family Shou Yi borrow money!” Mother Chen cried as she defended herself next to Father Zhu.
“No ah father, I don’t use money for land, borrow money for what. Besides, my son can’t read a word, how could he write an IOU!”
Zhu father’s face was aggrieved and bitter. Inexplicably receiving a beating, and returning home to be suspected, his heart was bitter.
“It definitely wasn’t my father who borrowed the money!” Zhu Pingan said loudly with red eyes.
“But that note has your father’s name on it, and it’s also fingerprinted.” Auntie Xiao Si on one side also felt a little disbelief.
“My father can’t even write!” Zhu Pingan retorted with a puff of air, his little fat face red with anger.
Things seem to have entered a dead end, the general stamp money is usurious, but these people will not fabricate a person’s name to ask for money, the county officials are not fools, to sue the officials did not have their good fruit to eat, are looking at the people on the spot to write down and press the handprints before they are willing to release the money, will not be hard to withhold to a person for no reason.
Then this usury and how to come?
