Pig Killer

Chapter 206

"Yeah! That's quite good!" Huang Bochang nodded vigorously, "If it weren't for the good life we've had in the past two years, we wouldn't be able to bear the repeated levies from the imperial court. If we hadn't made money and used it to redeem people, I don't know how many of our people would have been dragged away to build the palace." He suddenly remembered and said, "You didn't meet anyone from our village!"

"No!" Huang Zhongchang shook his head slightly when he heard that.

"That's right. You went to build the imperial mausoleum, and they went to build palaces. They were not in the same place." Huang Bochang recalled, "Since the new emperor ascended the throne, what has he been thinking about? The emperor is worried about having no place to live! Why build so many palaces?"

Huang Zhongchang tilted his head and looked at him in surprise and said, "Is it okay to discuss the imperial court like this?"

"We wouldn't have dared to say that before, but now that we've rebelled against the imperial court, what else can we not dare to say?" Huang Bochang said carelessly, "Isn't what I said the truth? Isn't it a waste of money and time? You really deserve it for what you have done to yourself!"

Huang Zhongchang's temples were throbbing. Has his family changed so much now?

"We are busy farming now!" Huang Bochang said foolishly, "After we finish planting wheat, we will organize the young and strong men from each village to train and defend their homes during the winter, waiting for the opportunity!"

"Second brother, second brother?" Huang Bochang tilted his head and found that the person next to him was gone. He turned back and shouted at his second brother who was lagging behind.

"Oh!" Huang Zhongchang came to his senses and took two steps forward.

"What are you thinking about?" Huang Bochang asked, looking at him with his dark eyes.

"I just sigh that our family has changed so quickly." Huang Zhongchang raised his head and looked at him with his black eyes.

"Has it changed a lot? It all revolves around the land." Huang Bochang looked at him gently and said, "Filling your stomach is the most important thing."

"All the food has been requisitioned. How can we have enough to eat?" Huang Zhongchang said as he walked.

"We went hunting in the mountains!" Huang Bochang said with a grin, "We also practiced archery while hunting, otherwise we really couldn't kill the bandits."

"Really?" Huang Zhongchang said thoughtfully.

"Oh! We're home." Huang Bochang pushed open the gate and said in a loud voice, "Mother, look who's back."

"It's the middle of the night, keep your voice down, you're disturbing others." Huang Zhongchang looked at him with a frown on his face and said quickly.

The guy with such a loud voice scared the dogs in the village and made them bark!

"Haha... I'm used to it." Huang Bochang said foolishly, "I'm so happy to see you."

Huang Zhongchang smiled at him when he heard the words.

"Boss, I seemed to hear our second son coming back. It was his voice." Huang's mother jumped up from the bed and said tremblingly.

"You heard it right, our second son is back." Huang Bochang said loudly standing at the door.

"Ah..." Huang's mother jumped off the bed with a scream.

"Clothes, clothes, put on your clothes first, don't catch a cold." Huang's father heard her panic and said quickly, "Light the fire and brighten the room."

"Mother, don't worry, my second brother won't run away." Huang Bochang said with a smile as he listened to the clanging sounds in the house.

"Oh oh oh!" Huang's mother responded in panic when she heard the words.

"Mother missed you so much." Huang Bochang looked back at him and said gently, "You don't know that mother was worried in the past two years when you left. Mother thought of you as soon as the imperial edict was posted in this county." She sighed with emotion, "I didn't expect you to come back like this." She smiled and said, "It's good that you are back, and it's good that you are back safely." Pointing to the shelf, she said, "Let's go and sit over there and wait."

"Bench?" Huang Zhongchang said as he sat down and touched the bench.

"Right?" Huang Bochang smiled and said, "Sitting on the ground with straw mats will attract many insects and ants in the summer." Then he said, "It will also stain our clothes. Sitting on a bench will not cause that." He smiled and said, "My sister-in-law has done a lot to sell the pork."

"Did Hui'e do it?" Huang Zhongchang looked at him in shock.

"Yes! It was all her idea. Our home has been transformed and it is much more convenient to live in." Huang Bochang looked at him with a smile and said, "You will see after daybreak. It is indeed much more convenient." He smiled and said, "Our life has improved, thanks to you..."

With a "creak..." the door was opened.

"Where is the second child?" Huang's mother looked around frantically.

"Mom, I'm here!" Huang Zhongchang stood up and looked at her and said.

"My son, you're back." Huang's mother walked up to him in two or three steps and said, "Why have you become like this?" She grabbed his arms with both hands and said, "Why have you become so thin? My son has been wronged, suffered a great injustice." Tears came down in an instant, and she cried loudly.

Huang Zhongchang had the look of embarrassment on his face, and his stomach growled at an inopportune moment.

Huang Zhongchang's face turned red, and he didn't know what to be embarrassed about.

"Mother, mother, hurry up and make something for my second brother." Huang Bochang said quickly, "My stomach is growling with hunger."

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Huang's mother hurriedly walked into the house, "Second brother, come in too. Look at the weather, and you're still wearing so little."

"Go inside. It's warm inside." Huang Bochang walked up to him and pulled him along. He then said considerately, "Ask your friend to come in with you."

Huang Zhongchang nodded and followed them into the house.

Huang Bochang sat on a small stool in front of the stove and quickly lit the fire.

The room suddenly brightened up.

Only then did Huang's mother see her second child clearly. Tears suddenly started to flow again. She covered her mouth with her hands and started crying again, "Wuwu..."

"Instead of crying, hurry up and cook for your son." Huang's father urged.

"My son has become so thin that he looks unrecognizable." Huang's mother said with a sob, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"When you come back, give him good nourishment." Huang's father urged.

Huang's mother sniffed and said, "Go to bed quickly. It's warm here. It's already September, why are you still wearing thin clothes?"

"It's better for me not to go to bed." Huang Zhongchang hesitated and said to them.

Huang's mother stopped wiping her tears, looked at him and said, "Why?"

"I'm dirty, I've got lice all over me, please don't make the bed dirty." Huang Zhongchang pointed at himself and said, "My hair is all in clumps, it's itchy, it's all over my body."

"Sit down! How can we despise you?" Huang's mother's eyes were filled with tears again when she heard this. "When have I ever suffered such torture at home?"

"No, no, I'll just sit on this bench." Huang Zhongchang pointed to the bench behind him, "The fire is burning brightly and I'm not cold at all."

"Hurry up and cook! Just listen to the second son!" Father Huang said to his son who was like a savage without blinking his black eyes.

"Cook, cook." Huang's mother said in a panic, "Can I heat up two buns for you first?"

"Dumplings?" Huang Zhongchang's eyes flickered as he heard her, and he muttered to himself, what is this? "As long as it's edible."

"It's filled with radish and vermicelli." Huang's mother hurriedly steamed the buns.

Huang Zhongchang's face was dancing with flames, illuminating his complexion. He pulled the corners of his lips slightly and said, "As long as it's edible, I'm not picky."

Huang's mother steamed ten buns directly. It was very quick. When the buns were hot, she put them directly into the coarse earthenware bowl.

"Be careful, it's hot! Here are the chopsticks for you to eat with." Huang's mother handed the chopsticks to them. "I'll make you some white flour soup and add an egg."

"No, no, just the buns are good enough." Huang Zhongchang puffed his lips and said in a muffled voice.

"It's too dry to just eat the buns." Huang's mother said immediately after hearing this.

"It's okay, just give me some water. Sorry to bother you so late at night." Huang Zhongchang said embarrassedly.

"What is this silly boy talking about?" Huang's mother looked at him unhappily and said, "Soon, when the water boils, we'll have rice." Seeing the water in the big iron pot boiled dry, she gathered some cold water, took a coarse earthenware bowl, and stirred some noodles, almost beating out the gluten.

After the water boils, stir the noodles into the boiling water, add an egg, boil it twice, and the white noodle soup is ready.

Huang's mother turned around and saw that the two of them had finished the buns. "You eat so fast." Then she asked, "Is it enough? If not, I'll make you some more."

"I'm full, I'm full." Huang Zhongchang let out a long sigh, "I'll just have some more soup."

"I'll serve it to you." Huang's mother came forward, took the empty bowl, and served them two bowls of porridge. "Be careful, it's hot right out of the pot."

"I know." Huang Zhongchang looked at them softly and said, "I'll wait."

Huang's mother cleaned the pot and added some cold water to make some hot water.

"You won't leave this time!" Father Huang asked his second son while sitting cross-legged on the bed.

"No way!" Huang Zhongchang shook his head slightly when he heard that.

"Why, you still want to leave?" Huang's mother straightened up and turned to look at him and said, "Where are you going in this mess?"

"I have to leave! Our county is too small to accommodate so many of us." Huang Zhongchang said as he looked at him with his dark eyes flashing with fire.

"With so many people, how come we can't support you?" Huang's mother looked at him in surprise.

"About three thousand people." Huang Bochang pursed his lips and said as he looked at them.

"Oh my god, so many people?" Huang's mother's jaw almost dropped in shock. "So many people, there are not even this many people in our county, men, women, young and old, combined."

"Yes!" Huang Bochang said, "I've seen the population records, and it's over three thousand."

"You little brat!" Huang's mother looked at him unhappily, then turned to her second son and asked, "Where do all these people come from?"

"We resisted them together and escaped." Huang Zhongchang said frankly after hearing this.

"Then won't they go home?" Huang's mother looked at him suspiciously and said, "Aren't they all conscripted civilians from all over the place? They have families and relatives."

"Well..." Huang Zhongchang bit his lip and looked at them and said, "It's not any better to go home now."

"I heard from your eldest brother-in-law that common people from all over the country are rushing to the government." Huang's mother sighed and said, "Can't we just live in peace?"