The Zhang family is not an old resident in Zhuzui Lane. They didn't even live in the west city more than a year ago, but lived in the north of the city, where people from well-off families basically lived in complete sets of houses.
Later, the family suffered a disaster and the family fortune collapsed. In desperation, he sold the house together and moved to Zhuzui Lane in Xicheng to live.
Life in Zhuzui Lane is not stable for the Zhang family.
First of all, there is a shortage of labor in the family. The money that can be exchanged for just relying on the skills of my mother and Zhang Huiyuan is not much. In addition, the cost of cooking medicine, the family has been using up the money left after selling the house.
And although the surrounding neighbors are not hateful, they are not friendly to their family. It's not that the residents in Zhuzui Alley are not good people. On the contrary, many of them are actually good people. It is precisely because they are good people that they dislike the Zhang family who has beheaded. Because the Zhang family are "bad people" in their eyes.
There are even many second-rate people who would say nasty things to each other at the door of the Zhang family, or slander Zhang Huiyuan, the younger sister of the Zhang family.
However, the unexpected good news aroused a glimmer of hope in the Zhang family's sinking life. Their second son, Zhang Yan, who was sent to the frontier army and had a narrow escape, miraculously cleared himself of the serious crime in just a few months. He also received a forced recruitment order from the frontier army because of his outstanding military exploits. As soon as the credit was exchanged for fertile land, he went directly to Zhang Yan. In the hands of family members.
With the land, this undoubtedly brought the Zhang family back to their status as "landlords". Although the two pieces of fertile land were not very wealthy, they would definitely keep the family fed and clothed. If you hire someone to take care of the fields, as long as you survive one year and have some growth in the next year, your life will gradually get better.
The most important thing is that there is finally a male in the family. The second child, Zhang Yan, will be back in more than a year. What obstacles will the family have to overcome by then?
With hope, the difficulties at hand no longer feel painful. Even my mother smiles more and her body becomes stronger. Even the eldest son Zhang Shun, who had been depressed for many years, rarely took the initiative to help with small tasks and no longer looked lifeless all day long.
But the good days are full of hardships.
Not long after the Zhang family obtained fertile land, those friends of Zhang Yan who had disappeared after the Zhang family's disaster came over again and said that they could find a way to redeem one of the two confiscated shops. , as long as you sell the two new fields in your hand, you can negotiate. He also said that with the store, Zhang Yan would have something to do when he came back, so he wouldn't be idle.
Can the Zhang family clearly see the faces of these people? After refusing, they did not let these people leave. Instead, they came to harass her every three days. They even blocked Zhang Huiyuan on her way out, knocked over Zhang Huiyuan's embroidery, or even destroyed the medicine she bought for Zhang Huiyuan's mother.
If it weren't for the fact that many people in Zhuzui Alley couldn't bear to see such bullying, and there would always be someone shouting out a few words, those people would probably do even more extreme things.
Zhang Huiyuan kept many things in her heart and did not tell her mother and elder brother at home. But she didn't know how long she could resist. She was also scared, but she would only cry when her head was covered under the quilt late at night. The rest of the time, she acted tougher than her husband.
Zhang Huiyuan didn't sleep well last night. She didn't go to bed until late at night, just to catch up on the work of the day before yesterday, which was to be handed over to the embroidery workshop this morning. With this job, my mother will have enough money for medicine this month, and she can cut two pounds of fat for the family to eat.
After drinking a bowl of rice soup and eating a piece of dry biscuit in the morning, Zhang Huiyuan packed up her things and said hello to her mother and elder brother to go out. But just as she was about to open the door, she heard a knock on the door, which made Zhang Huiyuan's face look ugly.
"Little sister, push me over, I'm going to fight with them today!" Zhang Shun, the eldest brother, had red eyes and tightly held a short knife that he didn't know when he had hidden on his body, looking indescribably angry.
"Shun! What are you doing! Put down the knife! If you have another accident, what do you want mom to do? You're confused!"
"Brother, don't be like this. Although they are hateful, I can still handle it. Can they still eat me? Let's wait until the second brother comes back." As he spoke, Zhang Huiyuan sighed and regained his energy.
"Yuanyuan, please open the door. Maybe they are not those people. It doesn't sound like it." The old mother's eyesight is not very good, but her ears are good and she is more sensitive than others. She doesn't remember those bastards knocking on the door so politely when they come. He kicked with his foot, banging, banging, as if he was trying to tear down the door.
After their mother's reminder, Zhang Shun and Zhang Huiyuan both reacted. They really didn't seem like those bastards?
Zhang Shun put away the dagger, but was also on guard, hiding his hand in his arms without letting go of the handle.
Zhang Huiyuan took a deep breath and opened the door. What she faced was not those disgusting fair faces, but a dark and fierce man's face, followed by a oppressive martial robe, and that aura that made Zhang Huiyuan unstoppable. The momentum of retreat.
Someone from the military? Or the warrior master? !
"You, you..."
"Is this Zhang Yan's home?"
Just when Zhang Huiyuan was a little at a loss, a slightly kind question came from outside the door, and then the fierce man in front of him turned sideways and gave up his position. Only then did Zhang Huiyuan see that the person asking the question was also wearing a military robe, and he looked like a high official. look.
She wanted to speak, but the pressure from the other party made Zhang Huiyuan too nervous. How could she, at such a young age, cope with such a person? He just nodded stiffly, indicating that the other party had found the right place.
"This is Mr. Zhou, the city guard of Langyuan City Garrison. He is here to visit you this time. He also brought Zhang Yan's family letter." The adjutant followed and introduced the Zhang family. Although he tried his best to soften his tone, he still sounded habitually stiff.
The three Zhang family members were dumbfounded when they heard that someone as big as the city guard was coming. In the end, the old mother Wang Lanping was the first to react. She pulled her daughter to kneel on the ground and saluted, and said respectfully: "Caomin Zhang Wang pays homage to you! My daughter is young and the eldest son has inconvenient legs and feet. If you neglect me, please punish me." There is no way to teach.”
"Haha, Mrs. Zhang Wang is up to speak. I came here as entrusted by others. Firstly, I came to visit your family to see if you need care. Secondly, I also handed over a letter from Zhang Yan's family to put your mind at ease."
Compared to his adjutant, Zhou Cang obviously paid more attention to the Zhang family, smiling and showing affection in his words.
There is no other reason. The letter Zhou Cang received from Lin Zedong clearly stated that Zhang Yan, the second son of the Zhang family, was not a simple man. He was a scholarly scholar who had repeatedly made great contributions to Yubei Mountain and was valued by Song Qinghe. Now he is charged with this crime. It has been cleared, and it is very likely that he will return to Langyuan to live in the future. It is better for Zhou Cang to provide help in times of need now than to add icing on the cake in the future, right? Besides, what kind of effort would it take Zhou Cang to take care of the old and weak like Zhang family? It's just a matter of greetings.
