Chapter 35: Midnight

Locke’s childhood was relatively happy. There was a sister who loved him a lot, and a pair of honest and decent parents. His favorite thing to do was in the hot summer. When the parents and sister were farming in the fields, he was on the side of the ditch. Touching the fish in here, although it is just a small fish, only the thick fish with the thickness of the thumb, but Rock still enjoys it, because this is the meat of their family.
However, the good days are gone under the scourge of natural disasters. When Locke was 14 years old, a large-scale drought struck the kingdom of Forstan, which was not vast, and three of the four provinces were caught in the food and drinking crisis. The Rock family is in a desperate situation.
It has not rained for a whole month and a half, and the time has come to mid-June. Another month is the harvest season in previous years. This time is often accompanied by the reduction of field activities. Parents should take themselves to the town to purchase and sell some villages. Chinese specialty, earn a little copper Dele to maintain a livelihood that is not affluent, the sister will also hold a bamboo basket, wrapped in a headscarf, holding scarves, handkerchiefs and other small things that she used the leftover linen in her home for half a year. Sold in the town to passing merchants or adventurers.
Scarves and handkerchiefs made of rough linen are not comfortable, but they are durable, strong and able to withstand the cold. They are loved by small businessmen and unadventurous adventurers, and Sister Locke’s craft is still very good. June is In the rainy season, the temperature is still very low at this time in previous years, and my sister's small things can always be sold. What Locke liked to do most was to sit on the stone next to the big maple tree at the entrance of the village in the evening, where he looked at her sister’s return from afar, and when her sister wrapped in a blue cloth headscarf and carrying a basket appeared from a distance, Locke will rush up excitedly, hug the dusty servant's sister, and explore the sister's pocket? Riding a linen basket? No, when Locke showed a disappointed look, his sister would stretch out her hand with a smile, a few dark yellow ganache, Locke was very excited.
Locke’s sister is one of the few beauties in the village. When Locke was 7 years old, Locke’s sister was already in a stately appearance. Although her sister was only ten years old at the time, the matchmaker quickly broke the threshold of his family. Most people in this small village were married when they were 15 years old, and there were a few children when they were 17 or 8 years old. When they were 10 years old, they said that they were not small. . Whenever this time, Locke was always unhappy, because he felt that these people were trying to take away his sister. Locke was making a lot of noise and was arrogant in front of the person who raised the relatives. The sister's family affairs were finally dragged down. Outsiders seeing this kind of situation always look at Locke with weird eyes, then they seem to think of something, and leave a few words in an uncomfortable tone.
Of course, the main reason is that Locke’s parents also think that it is too early. The saying that there is no engagement for the villagers to get married. Only the nobles have these rules. Generally, when they reach age, they look for young descendants in their village or town. If she feels the same, her daughter won't endure hardship, so she gets married. The reason for looking for young people in this town is because they know their roots and roots, and their daughters will not suffer after they marry. They can often see their daughters and they will often go home to help their families. Locke’s sister, Leah, was only ten years old. It was Locke’s parents who were married when Locke’s father was 16 and his mother was 15, but it is indeed too early.
Moreover, Locke’s parents also have their own thoughts. Their daughters are so neat, they don’t want to marry their daughters to ordinary farmer’s or blacksmith’s children, if they can marry a son or a small asset of the mayor’s family. In the family of merchants, their daughters will be blessed, and by the way, they will help their younger brother to beg a daughter-in-law in the future. Moreover, although the Locke family is a humble farmer family, this is a hard-working family. The honest and decent old Locke, the diligent housekeeper Tia, their sensible daughter Lea, and the lively little Locke make up this poor but warm. Happy family.
However, manpower is still unable to withstand natural disasters, even if someone can, but it is certainly not the people of the kingdom of Forstan, such as small territory, barren and weak, and certainly not the resistance of the small Locke family.
The drought has lasted for a month and a half, most of the crops in the field have dried up, and Locke’s parents are worried about their hair. Little Locke found that only 30-year-old parents have turned a half of their hair white in just one month. . Locke, who likes to listen to the storytelling of the minstrel in town, suddenly understood the truth. On this continent with a per capita age of less than 50 years old, parents are already entering their old age.
Little Locke hasn’t eaten dark bread for two consecutive weeks. Although dark bread is firm and has a mild and musty smell, it is made of wheat hulls and bran after all. It is rich in nutrients. Even if the family was poor before, parents I will give myself and my sister a dinner made of dark bread and potato soup once a week. This time, the parents did not do it. But Locke did not ask his parents because his sister had not eaten for three weeks.
Or since she was young, she likes to stick to her sister. Little Rock followed her sister to have a sensible idea that her peers did not have. The little Hans in the neighbor's house had been quarreling because of not eating black bread for a week. Locke didn't do it.
The days are still passing day by day, from eating wheat porridge to pancakes made of cereal chestnuts, to wild vegetable soup, to chewing tree roots, the Rock family's days are getting worse every day.
Finally, one day, Locke was gone, he chose to join the army. Before the age of 12, Locke and Leah slept in separate beds, and Lea was a sister and a mother to take care of Locke at night. That year, although Locke was already careful, she was still living with her sister Li for many years. Ya discovered that Leah did not stop Locke, but brought him back alive with tears.
Seemingly thinking of that stubborn brother that night, Leah showed a distressed and relieved expression.
"Hope Locke can come back safely," Leah sighed and said softly. This family is more than a little better than before, but the lack of parents is not happier. Their only son is fighting outside, and their life and death are unknown. The old couple has no chance to enjoy a moment of peace.
Perhaps I remembered what my parents said to Locke Zhang Luo, and Leah also used her brains. There are very few beautiful girls in the village. Even if there are, according to the plans of old Locke and Tia, it must be What is not worth seeing is to marry the girl in the town. Mine Town is a small town, mainly producing ores and animal skins, and there are many businessmen. Among them, there are not many rich businessmen, but there are also many. I believe if it is a small If the captain marries, some small businessmen will promise to marry their daughters.
When Lia sells her handmade work in the town, she often sees some ladies shopping in droves. She is envious of the ladies who are so carefree and do whatever they want, but Li Ya is just envious. She doesn’t want to have a good life. She just wants to do something she likes. She thinks that her dear brother might marry one of the young ladies in the future. His own brother is going away from himself.
Many of the messages from the younger brother came back to buy silk scarves or clothes, and Lia was very moved, indicating that the younger brother did not forget her. But the money sent back is limited. Now not only the price of food has increased, but even salt has started to increase. Lia dare not spend money at all. In these years, she bought two scarves. She did not buy clothes. The poor people never bought them. The new clothes were bought from cloth and made by myself. Last year, Tia pulled a foot of the new cloth and made a skirt for Leah. It looked good. Leah didn’t dare to wear it only once. She was afraid of getting dirty.
On the other side, Lao Luo and Tiya were not asleep on the bed board. Lao Luo was only more than thirty this year and less than forty, but he was too old to cultivate, all these years, Tiya Also, Tiya, who was just thirty years old, had to bear the burden of farming and housework with Lao Luo. His arms had been tanned all these years. I thought Tia was also a beauty in Maple Leaf Village.
Old Locke was very touched by his wife's help over the years. Lying on the bed, Old Locke held Tiya's hand in one hand, just as 20 years ago, Old Locke held Tiya's hand for the first time. Just passed. Tia also held old Locke, the old couple lying quietly, feeling each other's temperature.
"The boy, Locke," Tia said, "Hey, he doesn't know Leah, do we still understand?"
Old Locke didn't speak, and he didn't know what to say in this regard.
"Your sister entrusted Leah to you to support her. Although the family is poor in these years, she hasn't raised Leah well. I have long regarded her as her own daughter. You said Locke" Tia Holding Old Locke's hand tight, he seemed a little excited.
"Children and grandchildren have their own grandchildren, Locke and Leah, let the children solve it by themselves." Old Locke said.
"It can only be so." Tia said helplessly.
Locke and Leah didn't realize that they had a bond with each other. This might be because they were only in this mountain. Old Locke and Tia as parents, the message brought back from Locke and the reflection of Leah, of course, can be seen to be different, just once or twice, for so many years, it has always been so, can’t be both parents’ delusions .
"I heard from the village chief that the nobility prevailed. It is said that the second lady of Baron Kedoch was his cousin," Old Locke muttered in the dark.
"Why do you manage so many people! We are civilians, can we compare with the nobles!" Tia objected. Although the old Rock at home is very close to Tia, under normal circumstances, Old Rock listens to Tia, because he loves his wife too much, and feels owed to Tia. She has suffered a lot with her.
"Wait until Locke comes back." Old Locke decided to stop this topic. He worried that the two would speak too loudly for his daughter to hear.
"Yeah." Tia replied, leaning on old Rock's arm, and asked him sideways, "Can Locke come back?"
"Look at you and say this again." Old Rock patted Tiya's shoulder. "How old is our son? Are you still unclear? You can definitely come back alive. Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Don't think about it tomorrow. You have to go to the field to collect the vine potatoes."
"Well," Tia replied.
Late at night--
I took the time to write a chapter today, and this time I broke the exam, alas, Sang Xin.