dream bubble

Chapter 3
As soon as I crossed the street, I saw a big archway.

The archway has three floors up and down, with upturned eaves and red and gold stickers on it, which looks quite grand.Behind the archway is a patio, and on both sides and behind the patio is a circle of main buildings with six floors up and down.

The uncle led the people in, and the second son asked him to come directly, so there must be no problem.

Before entering the door, I heard a commotion from inside.

The small courtyard was full of people, most of them were women, and they gathered together to pick vegetables and talk, all gossip about Zhang's parents and Li's family.There is a well in one corner, and people keep coming to fetch water from the well, and a circle of people are washing clothes there.

Above the patio, there are rows of bamboo poles on which clothes are dried to dry.There were also men in the courtyard, a few small businessmen were cleaning up their stalls, and an actor with a full face was hanging his voice.

Seeing such a large group of people coming in, those people in the courtyard were stunned for a moment, and then a woman slapped her thigh and shouted loudly: "Brother Li, sister-in-law, why are you back?"

"Second son-in-law, I haven't seen you for 15 years, and you are still the same." Aunt Li led the woman and walked over.

The actor and one of the businessmen also recognized the uncle, and they all bowed their hands.

"Brother Li, you are safe and well." The actor spoke in a gentle voice.

"What can I do?" The uncle laughed.

A few people chatted there, Xie Xiaoyu looked around on his own.

The archway is very bright on the outside, but the inside is simple, the whole is made of moso bamboo.Not only the archways, but also the buildings where people live are built with moso bamboo as pillars and beams, and then built with mud bricks. The junction of moso bamboo and mud bricks is rammed with mud mixed with brown hemp.

As the sky gradually dimmed, the second son's daughter-in-law suddenly remembered something and waved someone to move the table and chairs.

"Don't spend money." The uncle hastily stopped.

"Brother Li, you finally came here, you must celebrate." The second daughter-in-law picked up the basket and ran out. There was no fish or meat at home, so it was impossible to serve vegetables and tofu.

"I still have a piece of bacon at home."

"I have a salted carp, which is suitable for drinking when it is torn apart."

"I also have a hanging sausage at home."

"..."

The people I met with the uncle were very polite, and they didn't hide any good things, they took them all out.

When the uncle saw this scene, he didn't stop it anymore. Anyway, he kept this favor in his heart.

There were a lot of people, and there were a lot of helpers, and soon a dozen tables were placed in the courtyard, and a row of stoves in the kitchen were shining brightly, and the women and girls showed their skills.

Of course the men sit in front of the table, the uncle must sit at the head seat, a square table with eight immortals can seat eight people, the seat next to the uncle is vacant, reserved for the second son, on his left is the actor, who sits at the same table The other five were also people he had known before.

The actors talked about the changes in Tianbao Prefecture, and the uncle talked about what happened in Middle Earth.

At the beginning, everyone talked very lively, but gradually the atmosphere became dull.

The actor sighed softly, and pointed to the sky: "You were lucky back then. Within half a year after you left, there was a black tide, and it was a big black tide that had never happened before. The mine you stayed in later, all Everyone died cleanly."

"Is everything okay in the city?" the uncle asked with a frown.

"There is a large formation blocking it, it's still so-so, but the elderly and weak people still can't stand it. During those days, carloads of corpses were transported out every day." The actor seemed to think of those horrible days again, his lips trembled twice , speechless.

"In the past 15 years, there have been continuous natural disasters, and then there were three black tides, but they were not so terrible." A businessman said lightly, he was already numb, so he didn't seem to care much.

"It's not wise for you to come here this time." The actor finally recovered, but he didn't want to talk about the topic just now, so he changed it: "With several black currents in a row, the pollution in most places is much worse than before , I used to be more careful, and I could support it for ten or twenty years, but now I can’t, whether it’s going down the mine or into the dense forest, at most five or six years, one person will be useless.”

This is obviously a heart-wrenching topic, the actor pointed at himself and shook his head feebly.

The expressions of other people are similar. People who come to Tianbaozhou to venture into the world, the first choice is to be a miner. There are mines everywhere here. Being a miner is very hard, but the income is stable. After working for five or six years, you can get a wife and start a family. After working in the mine for ten years, the wealth accumulated by living frugally is enough for him to live a good life in the Middle Earth. If it is not forced by the age, their family can definitely be regarded as a well-to-do family.The second choice is to be a hunter, which is more dangerous. Tianbao Prefecture is full of monsters and beasts, and the danger is extremely high. Being a hunter will bring money quickly and kill you quickly.

Including the actor, when these men first arrived here, they were all strong and strong. They had all been in the mines and the forest, but later their health became weaker and weaker, so they found another way to make a living.

"The trouble is not just poisonous gas and miasma. Ten years ago, those barbarian tribes united and elected twelve chiefs. Since then, the barbarians have become more and more fierce. The year before Qianmu City, the year before last Ziguicheng, last year Fenglan City was breached one by one by them. I heard that on the day the city was broken, all the men were killed, and the women and children were taken back as slaves. I don’t know what those barbarians can do. Can they survive?" The actor poured himself a drink, as if he was using wine to drown his sorrows.

"What I'm most worried about now is that one day, those barbarians will come to attack Linhai." The businessman also picked up the wine glass.

The uncle was scratching his head when he heard this, if he had known this earlier, he would not have come here. After two years of hard work in his hometown, even eating bark would be better than coming here to die.

While he was worrying, the pharmacy clerk came back.

The second son was holding two drawers in his hand. Inside were side dishes he bought at Qingfeng Building after closing. There were four kinds in total, stir-fried haggis, lard belly, braised paddles, and shredded wild rice white pork. There were not many types, but Full of four large bowls.

Although it's not big fish or meat, it's just some scraps and scraps, it's not easy for the people in the building to eat these.

"You're spending money again." The uncle complained.

"You and my brother, why are you being polite?" The second son sat down next to the uncle, picked up the jug and filled the uncle first, then filled himself, put down the jug, and after having a drink with the uncle, he shook his head and said, "But There is one thing I must say."

"Are you also persuading me not to go to the mine?" The uncle could completely guess what the second son wanted to say.

"Even if you don't think about yourself, you should think about your child." The second son patted the uncle on the shoulder.

The uncle's heart shook when he was told.

But at this time, the actor sighed again, and this sigh was rhythmic, full of indescribable pain.

"It's not easy to make a living in the city!"

This sentence made everyone stop their chopsticks and put down their wine glasses.

In the end, the small businessman calmed down and said: "People like us who can't work in the mine can only find other ways to make a living. In the past few years, it was easier to do business, but now it is difficult, because more and more young people Not daring to go out of the city, everyone can only grab jobs in the city, and some people don't want to work hard to make a living, so they simply go to crooked ways, so now the city is getting more and more chaotic, and life is getting more and more difficult."

As soon as the words "grab a job" came out, everyone stopped talking and everyone ate with their heads covered.

The second son also looked embarrassed, but he couldn't say anything. He could only hold the flagon in his hand, and as soon as the uncle's glass was dry, he would immediately help fill it up, and he himself was by the side.

The people gradually dispersed, no matter how thick-skinned they were, they were embarrassed to stay longer, and in the end only the people brought by the uncle and the second son's family were left.

Seeing that the people were almost gone, the uncle who had been drinking put down his glass and said, "Everyone, come here, I have something to say."

The fellow countrymen he brought out quickly moved over.

"Put the table together." Xie Xiaoyu said.

These words reminded everyone.

Those who moved the tables moved the tables, those who moved the chairs moved the chairs, and soon the four tables were put together, and more than twenty people all sat down.

"You have all heard what you said just now, what do you think?" The uncle didn't force it, he was the one who brought these people out, and now it seems that he has made a mistake, so he doesn't want to make a mistake again.

"Father, I'll follow you." Li Jinbao was the first to say, he didn't want others to think that he was here to steal his job.

"Uncle Li, count me in."

"Me too."

Someone responded one after another.

I don't know if it's because of seed gas?Most of the people brought out by the uncle were similar to his son, a little stunned and careless.

"It doesn't matter to me, it's fine to go to the mine with you." Xie Xiaoyu said unhurriedly.

"Others don't want to go together?" The uncle confirmed again.

Those who didn't speak just now all lowered their heads, they were indeed frightened.Knowing that he was dishonest, he still decided to stay in the city and find a stable meal.

"Everyone has their own ambitions..." The uncle paused, unable to say those heavy words: "Forget it, I planned to leave tomorrow, but now I can only stay for one more day. No one sold me an old face."

"Let my sister-in-law and niece stay." The second son-in-law said quickly.

The uncle deliberately refused, but when he thought of the danger in the mine, he finally couldn't bear it, so he acquiesced.

"Others stay at home and don't run around, so as not to get into trouble." The uncle glanced at Aunt Li. Others don't know the seriousness. His wife has lived here for more than ten years, so she must know the pros and cons.

"I'll keep an eye on them." Aunt Li replied.

"I need to go out for some business." Xie Xiaoyu greeted.

"It's up to you." The uncle smiled.

"He can go out, why can't I." The uncle's son popped up.

It's a pity that what was waiting for him was a pot cover. After he slapped it down, the uncle scolded sharply: "It's good enough that you don't cause trouble for me. On the way here just now, where were your dog eyes looking? , do you think I don’t know?”

Li Jinbao was originally afraid of his father, but he jumped out just now because he hadn't thought through it, but now that he was hit, he dared not speak anymore.

……

(End of this chapter)