Jincheng flower hour

In late autumn, a fire ignited deep in Zhushan, and the smoke filled the air. People in Zhuli came out to look around one after another, not knowing what happened.The burning point is far away, and it belongs to a place that most Zhuli residents have never reached.

Father Chun and a group of young men carried weapons and went to visit.Liu Hong naturally followed inside.

"Going forward, even I have never been there."

Everyone stood in front of a stream, and Father Chun found a huge and half-bare redwood tree by the river, and this was the furthest place he had ever been.

Most of the young and strong people in Zhuli have never seen the Qiong people. Father Chun has seen them in the depths of the forest. When he was young, he had a small trade with them, exchanging rice for animal skins.

Over the years, the Qiong people built their residences deeper in the mountains and forests. There is a mountain road in Linqiong that leads directly to their settlements, but it is not in Zhuli.

Red cedar leaves, red as fire, fell all over the riverside. Among the fluttering red leaves, Liu Hong saw the black smoke curling up into the sky. It seemed that he was still far away, or he could find the source of the fire after another hill.

Even these Zhuli farmers who have never seen anything in the world know that it is probably a war.

"Let's go back."

Father Chun brushed off the leaves on his head, turned his head with his spear, he led the team, and everyone followed.Liu Hong turned his head and took a last look at the beautiful streamside, where the redwood forests paved the way for the sunset, reflecting the waning sun in the sky.It was so quiet and beautiful here, he thought of Zhuang Yang for some reason.

This tranquility is beautiful, and in this turbulent situation, I am afraid that it will be broken sooner or later.

A group of people felt at ease when they walked out of the redwood forest and saw the familiar bamboo forest.They don't eat bamboo, but they grow up surrounded by bamboo forests, and they are used to the greenery that never fades over the years.

Back in Zhuli, facing the old women who were asking questions, Father Chun said, "It's okay, the fire started far away, and it won't come over."

Liu Hong went to the dealer. He sat in the yard of the dealer, took off the bow and arrow he was carrying, and wiped the dust and sweat from his face with his sleeve.

Egg cake came, wagging its tail towards him, and licked Liu Hong's hand with his warm tongue.It has smooth hair and a pair of gentle small eyes. As a dish dog, its dog life is really comfortable and comfortable.

There are things in the bamboo that Liu Hong wants to protect, even such a dog raised by Erlang, he can't bear it to suffer.

"came back."

Zhuang Yang came, and he sat down next to Liu Hong, with his hands on his side.

"Erlang, we went to a forest with red leaves and a stream."

Liu Hong held Zhuang Yang's hand, and the two of them were so close that if they didn't come closer to take a closer look, they wouldn't notice that they were holding hands.

Zhuang Yang didn't withdraw his hand, and the expression on his face remained unchanged.He seemed to be acquiescing to Liu Hong's small actions, as if there was nothing wrong with it and it was natural.

"The fire is burning on the mountain in front of the stream. I can't tell what kind of place it is, whether it is a house or a tree."

"I heard from An Shi that the barbarians were in turmoil, and the county has sent troops to quell the chaos for several days."

Yuan Anshi served as a minor clerk under the county magistrate. Under these years of exorbitant taxes, the Yuan family became poorer and Anshi was forced to become an official.

"In this world, people are really dying."

Zhuang Yang could imagine the burning forest, people crying, and animals running around.

Liu Hong held Zhuang Yang's hand tightly, rubbed the back of Zhuang Yang's smooth hand gently with his rough fingertips, held onto Zhuang Yang's hand, and protected him for the rest of his life.

Zhuang Yang slowly withdrew his hand, Liu Hong looked up, and A Yi suddenly appeared in the courtyard with firewood on his back.

"Ahiro, you are back, is it a mountain fire?"

Ah Yi waved the machete and pointed to the forest to the west.

"The fire is far away, several hills away."

Liu Hong stood up and carried the bow and arrow on his back. It was getting dark and he should go home.

"Erlang, I'm going back."

Zhuang Yang nodded, and he called back the quiche that was following Liu Hong.

Ever since Zhuang Ping went to the county to study, Egg Bread and Liu Hong have been very close, which is also strange. Liu Hong is tall and heroic, and the timid Egg Bread should have run away when he saw him—let Liu Hong enjoy the treatment of Lao Duan and Wu Tingzhang.

Back home, Liu's mother brought the food to the wooden case, and the mother and son ate under the oil lamp.Mother Liu doesn't care much about the outside situation, probably because her son is strong enough to protect her; moreover, she also saw turbulent scenes when she was a girl, and she survived that year of despair, her heart is tough.

"Mum, you should rest earlier and stop weaving."

Since Zhang Changsheng brought a new-style loom to the family, Mother Liu started her weaving life day and night again.This loom can weave water chestnuts, and a piece of water chestnuts can be sold for a lot of money.Bandits are everywhere in Linqiong, but Jinguan City is still prosperous. The rich and powerful love this exquisite and time-consuming fabric.

Like most merchants in Linqiong, Father Zhang is a cloth merchant, and he sells precious silk.

At night, listening to the sound of locomotives, Liu Hong fell asleep.

The wooden couch he slept on felt quite spacious two years ago. Two years later, when he wanted to straighten his legs, he had to put his feet outside the couch.Liu Hong will be 16 years old next year. In this war-torn world, the government collects adult taxes on 16-year-old boys, and they need to perform military service for one year. 16 years old is considered an adult.

In Liu Hong's dreams, he often dreams of Zhuang Yang.That night, he dreamed of the redwood forest and the stream. He and Zhuang Yang were saying goodbye by the stream, the red leaves were flying, and the homeland behind him was raging with war. Looking at the figure of Zhuang Yang turning away, his heart ached from the sorrow of parting.

As winter was approaching, the weather was getting colder, and Liu Hong was still wearing only a thin coarse cloth.He presides over archery competitions in the dealer's yard.Zhuang Lan and Chang Sheng competed in bow shooting, and Zhuang Lan was even better.

"Brother Lan is amazing, he is willing to bow down."

Changsheng bowed to Zhuang Lan.

"Of course!"

Zhuang Lan was triumphant, but not humble at all.

Zhang Changsheng would come to Zhuli occasionally, he had many servants with him, and ordinary bandits couldn't rob him.

"Come on, what do you do if you lose?"

Zhuang Lan stretched out her hand to Zhang Changsheng, Zhang Changsheng bowed his head and untied a little rabbit made of horns hanging from his waist, and reluctantly handed it to Zhuang Lan.Satisfied, Zhuang Lan hung it around her waist.

"Alan, come here."

Seeing this scene, Zhuang Yang called Zhuang Lan over.

Knowing that making a bet with others is something that his elder brother will read, Zhuang Lan cast a small look at Liu Hong asking for help, but Liu Hong pretended not to see it at all.

"Brother Hong, I often practice bow at home, why can't I win a girl?"

Changsheng followed Liu Hong, talking to Liu Hong about his doubts.

That's because you brother Lan, she is not an ordinary girl.

"When you hold a bow, you have a habit of leaning to one side."

For the sake of the loom at home, Liu Hong planned to teach him a thing or two.Although when Zhang Changsheng sent the loom, he still used a little trick to send the loom while Liu Hong was away, and told Liu's mother that Liu Hong bought it.

Because the cloth woven by the old-fashioned loom could no longer be sold at a price, Liu's mother needed a new loom, so Liu Hong paid for it and left it for Liu's mother to use.The old loom, which has been used for more than 20 years and should have been buried in the ground, is stored in the utility room.

Changsheng's little cleverness is used in crooked ways, and the problem of family education is not small.

Listening to Liu Hong's instructions, Zhang Changsheng demonstrated his bow holding movements, and Liu Hong corrected him.

"Be so persistent."

"Brother Hong, is that so?"

"No, keep your arms still and keep your eyes on the bow."

Liu Hong leaned against Zhang Changsheng's back and taught him hand in hand.He only focused on teaching, without thinking too much, Liu Hong didn't even notice that Zhuang Yang's eyes were on them.

Zhang Changsheng was a stupid apprentice, while Liu Hong did things from the beginning to the end. He taught Zhang Changsheng for a long time, and he was close to the body, shoulders and hands.Zhuang Lan looked at the two people in the yard, wanting to doze off boredly, her elder brother who was sitting quietly on the mat beside her suddenly got up and walked upstairs without saying a word, leaving only a silent back.

Zhuang Lan felt that his elder brother seemed a little unhappy, but his elder brother was never unhappy, probably because the two of them kept saying that bows and arrows were too boring, so they went back to their room.

Zhuang Yang did not really leave, he climbed to the second floor, and Zhang Changsheng cheered: "Brother Hong is amazing! I shot it!" Zhuang Yang stopped and stopped in front of the railing. He saw Zhang Changsheng in the courtyard He hugged Liu Hong tightly.

Finally, Liu Hong seemed to have noticed something. He looked up and saw Zhuang Yang at the railing on the second floor.Zhuang Yang backed away, turned and left.

Zhang Changsheng bid farewell on this day, and Zhuang Yang came out to see him off as usual.Changsheng invited them to his house as guests, Liu Hong casually said another day, Zhuang Lan said yes, with Brother A Hong, they would not be afraid of being robbed.

Seeing Liu Hong agreeing, Zhang Changsheng was very happy, and led a group of servants away.He is dressed luxuriously, looks handsome, and has a handsome servant and carriage, just like that ostentatiously in Zhuli.

Standing outside the courtyard, Zhuang Lan shivered in the strong wind at dusk. She looked at Liu Hong who was wearing thin clothes, and seemed to think of something. She said:

"Brother Ah Hong, brother made a robe for you, I don't know if it's ready or not."

Liu Hong didn't hear Zhuang Yang mention this matter, he looked up to see Zhuang Yang, but he didn't think that Zhuang Yang had already left, only leaving him a figure climbing the stairs.

Liu Hong remembered that when he taught Zhang Changsheng to bow and arrow, Zhuang Yang got up and left suddenly; and he was standing on the second floor watching, his expression seemed a little surprised, and Zhang Changsheng suddenly put his arms around him.

Erlang, he must have misunderstood something?

Liu Hong hurried upstairs to Zhuang Yang's bedroom.He hurried over and entered the dormitory, but saw Zhuang Yang quietly reading the wooden slips in front of the desk, nothing unusual.

"Erlang, that longevity..."

Zhuang Yang made a stop motion. He sat in front of the case and looked at Liu Hong with calm eyes.

"Ah Hong, try on the robe on the hanger and see if it still fits?"

Winter is coming, and I can't bear that he doesn't have a decent winter coat. When Zhuang Yang was making winter coats for his family, he also made one for Liu Hong.

Liu Hong went to the hanger to take off the robe. The robe was thick and kept warm.Liu Hong put it on and it fit perfectly.Zhuang Yang has never measured the length of his clothes and pants, but he knows what size clothes he should wear.After Liu Hong tied up his belt, he was very happy. This was the best winter coat he had ever worn, and it was a gift from Erlang.

"It fits well."

Zhuang Yang looked away, and he opened the wooden slip, as if he didn't want to talk anymore.

Liu Hong looked at him bent down to read, and he felt that Erlang seemed a little sad.Liu Hong sat down next to Zhuang Yang, he looked at the door, and saw that it was already dark outside, he stretched out his arms to hug Zhuang Yang, put his face on Zhuang Yang's back, yearning for the breath on his body.

In the huge dormitory, there was only one small lamp. Zhuang Yang felt the warmth coming from behind him. He turned sideways and patted Liu Hong's head.