Looking up at the stars in 1946

Han Yan was taken away by Old Li with a crooked neck early the next morning.

Qi Si privately told the crooked-necked old Li to be optimistic about Han Yan, don't let him run around, and don't let anyone bully him.Lao Li didn't sound right, but he didn't ask any more questions.He knew that what Qi Si did was always justified.

Lao Li pulled a mule, tied a bag of millet seeds to the mule, and asked Han Yan to take a shovel, bucket and other tools, and the two of them, one mule, walked out from the side door of the Qi family compound.

The Qi Family Courtyard is just to the west of the village, and a hundred steps further west is the vast black land of the Songhua Plain.As far as the eye can see, there are several small slopes on the horizon, on which are dotted with houses in twos and threes, hidden among the elms and willows.Han Yan knew that it was Sanyuantun, which was the closest to Yuanmaotun.From Sanyuantun to the Qijia compound is a large field full of sorghum and corn, and it is also the largest piece of land saved by the Qi family for three generations.

There has been a lot of rain this year, and most of the crops have been ruined, including the Wuyang land of Han Yan's rented flag master.But the one in front of me still maintains a vigorous posture because the terrain is relatively high and the water cannot overflow.Han Yan reckoned that Fourth Master Qi would recruit people to harvest soon.Autumn in North Manchuria is short, and the autumn harvest is fast.

"What are you looking at!" Lao Li said suddenly.

Han Yan got excited, looked at the road quickly, and said, "It's nothing."

Old Li smiled triumphantly, and said, "In addition to this piece of sorghum field, the Banner family also has [-] yong corn fields in Sanjiatun!"

Han Yan's eyes widened, and he said in a low voice, "So many..." But when he thought that except for a small number of people from the Qi family who had reclaimed those lands, Han Yan was a little angry when he thought that the rest were occupied by others and bought cheaply. I thought, what's so proud of this?I don't know how many sins I have committed.

The Northeast Plain is flat, and the occasional curves are just small slopes lying on the ground.The opium field chosen by Mr. Banner was in the middle of several small slopes, forming a half circle, sunny and fertile. It is also very convenient to irrigate through the depression in the middle of the slope.

The land is not big, it seems to be more than ten acres.Han Yan lowered his head and squeezed a handful of soil. The soil was soft and smooth, and it looked like it had been well turned over.

Lao Li had already taken the seeds and was about to go to the ground. He shouted to Han Yan: "Okay, the ground has been turned over. Let's spread the seeds now. You can see how I am doing it first. Don't make a mess! This flower It's precious!"

Han Yan nodded and watched Lao Li sow the seeds seriously.He is used to doing farm work, so he knew how to fix it after a while, so he took the seeds and followed Lao Li's method: digging up the soil, planting the seeds, and aligning them with the position, row by row, row by row.Occasionally, when encountering weeds, Han Yan grabbed them by the roots and soil and threw them on the slope.

Seeing that Han Yan was doing well, Lao Li simply rested beside the field ridge.He carried a cigarette pouch with him, and as soon as Han Yan turned around, he lit a fire and smoked yellow cigarettes.

Han Yan didn't look at him either, just focused on the work at hand.The sun had already risen, and Han Yan's shadow was cast on the soil, long and bent.

After the seeds were sown, Lao Li instructed Han Yan to fetch water from the creek.Without saying a word, Han Yan took the bucket and went.

By the time the soil where the seeds are buried is well poured, the sun is already in the middle.Han Yan was sweating profusely and out of breath after carrying water and watering the ground back and forth, but he was extremely happy in his heart.It is undeniable that he has been a little flustered by being around Qisi for the past few days, and now he has regained his energy after working hard.

Lao Li looked at Han Yan's work, his complexion improved a lot, and he was also in the mood to chat with him about the housework, and asked him: "Help at home?"

Han Yan nodded, wiped off his sweat, packed up the tools he brought, and tied them to the mule one by one.After finishing it, he turned around and asked, "Uncle Li, are you leaving?"

Although Lao Li was a little dog-eyed, he also saw that Han Yan's work was really good at this time, and thought of Qi Si's order, so he didn't say anything else, knocked off the soot, stood up with the trunk, and said:

"Go! Go back to the compound."

Autumn in Beiman is sunny, the sky is as clear as jasper, without a single white cloud.

The cool wind has faith, and silently blows the tassels of sorghum red, and the corn stalks yellow.The wind blew the sorghum and corn stalks, making a rattling noise.The tassels of sorghum turned from light yellow to red, and the sorghum stalks were also stained with red spots.The corn stalks are also browned.

Holding a bucket in one hand and a small scythe in the other, Han Yan walked slowly on the field ridge, taking a look at the scenery along the road.

The butler, Lao Li, only came to make inspections a few days ago, but he didn't come much later.Han Yan is used to doing farm work at home, so it is no problem to plant flowers.Only ten days later, the flower seedlings broke through the ground.Although Han Yan knew that the flower was not a good thing, he was very happy that his sweat was rewarded.He doesn't need Lao Li's instructions now, and whenever he has time, he runs to the small slope, weeding, watering, and loosening the soil, anyway, it's so delicate.

Although he still lives in the room next to Qisi's study, he hasn't seen him for more than half a month.I heard from Miss Xiaoyuan, who kept bringing him meals, that she went to Harbin to discuss business.

With Qi Si absent, Han Yan relaxed a lot and smiled a lot.He still stays in the room next to Qisi's study, and doesn't run around easily. There are not many people in Qisi's courtyard. round.

Xiaoyuan treated him a lot closer, and then she simply cleaned the small kitchen next to the study and cooked in it. Whenever she had time, she would cook small stoves for Han Yan, making potato noodles, pork buns, and leek egg dumplings.

Han Yan didn't dare to eat at first, for fear of being caught by Master Qi.He heard a laborer say that once he accidentally ate a meat bun from Master Qi's house, and half a year's labor gold was gone.Han Yan looked at the hill-like food in the bowl of the sea, thinking that if he had eaten all the food in the bowl, he might not even be able to pay it back if he sold himself to Fourth Master Qi.

Xiaoyuan sneered, and said: "What do you think? You! This is approved by the fourth master. He said that you did a good job of planting flowers. Let me make more delicious food for you. Don't lose your strength." !"

Han Yan didn't believe it, and said, "How does Fourth Master know that my job is not bad?"

Xiaoyuan smiled and said: "Don't you believe it? Someone told him! Could it be that you didn't do well? Are you harboring a ghost?"

Han Yan quickly said: "That's not true! I see it well!" Then he dared to pick up his chopsticks and start eating.

The two chatted while eating.

Han Yan said: "Miss Xiaoyuan, I want to tell you something from my heart, but I hope you don't get angry after I say it."

Xiaoyuan glanced at him with her round eyes, and said, "What are you talking about? Listen, I'm not a stingy person either."

Han Yan saw that there was no one around, so he lowered his voice and said, "Usually, I often hear people in the village say how bad Master Qi is, and thinking about how bad Master Qi is, the fourth master is the same... From today's point of view, Fourth Master is a good one!"

Xiaoyuan gritted the dumpling's teeth and paused for a moment, put the dumpling down, and said, "Of course the fourth master is a good one! Sometimes I also wonder, the fourth master's temperament is really not like that of Master Qi. I followed the four For two or three years, except for occasionally being punished by him for not doing well, there is nothing to vent your anger!" At the end, Xiaoyuan said, "But just remember one thing, fourth master will not do anything. He has his reasons. Don't ask, and don't shirk. Do whatever he asks you to do. As long as you don't go against his will and do things according to his words, fourth master will not treat you badly. Do you remember?"

Han Yan nodded like a chicken pecking rice, and said, "Well, I will remember!"

In the morning, the sky was a bit gloomy, and not long after lunch, it began to rain lightly.Seeing the bad weather, Han Yan didn't plan to go to Huadi in the afternoon, so he asked Xiaoyuan for a pair of needles and threads, and sewed the clothes.His clothes were torn by branches when picking wild fruits two days ago.

Seeing how well he met, Xiaoyuan was very surprised, and asked, "You're a boy, how come you know how to do needlework?"

Han Yan was a little shy by her question, and said: "My sister is still young, and my mother's health is not good. I can't let my younger brothers wear rags, so I learned some by myself."

Xiaoyuan said: "Brother of yours, you can be regarded as being responsible. Speaking of which, although the fourth master is the youngest of the three Qi family brothers, looking at it now, he is the only one taking care of the Qi family compound. The old man is getting old, his temper is even worse, and his energy is not good. He has been lying on the kang and taking medicine for a while. In short, it is unreliable. Although she is married to the fourth grandmother, the fourth grandmother is also a virtuous woman, but after all, she has two mother-in-laws above her, so she can't do many things, except look at the eldest sister. I can't help you usually."

Han Yan thought for a while and said, "When I was at home, I also heard something about Master Qi. He said that he was hanged and beaten by Master Qi when he was a child, and he was almost beaten to death, right?"

Xiaoyuan said: "It's true that this happened. I was the maidservant of the fourth grandma. I was not there at the time. It was Chen's mother here who told me that the old man was able to play at that time. Fortunately, the grandma stopped me." Come down, or you will be gone."

Han Yan was stunned when he heard that, "Isn't the young master Qi the son of the master Qi? How did he do such a cruel thing?"

Xiaoyuan sighed, and said: "You don't know that, it's because the young master beat the fourth master to bleed, so the old man taught him a lesson. Normally, he doesn't care about him, the young master is also a pitiful one, his mother said it early. The ones were given away by the old man."

Han Yan's face was full of disbelief, "You mean, Master Qi, gave away the young master's mother? Is there such a thing in this world?

Xiaoyuan said: "Could it be possible that I still lie to you? There are so many things you don't know about the Qi family compound, so you just make a fuss about this little thing. If I say something else, you don't have to be afraid of death."

Han Yan sighed, and said, "Master Qi is such an idiot!"

Xiaoyuan said: "So you have to be lucky! Now you are working with the fourth master, not the old man, otherwise you will feel better."

Han Yan nodded with lingering fear.