The courtyard wall is a bit broken, the door is a bit old, the thatch on the roof is also much thinner, and the chickens in the yard are no longer the same ones...
Ammu looked at this simple courtyard and two equally simple thatched houses. He grew up in this low, narrow, and old mud house.
When Amu reached out to push the door open, as if he had a telepathic connection, the two dilapidated doors made a squeaking sound, and the hard door hinges made a tooth-piercing noise, and the door was opened from inside.
Come on.
Then a short woman appeared in front of him.
When Amu left, his gray hair was completely white, his face was covered with deep wrinkles, and his eyes had become a little dry and lifeless, no longer as moist as before, as if a soul had been sucked out.
It’s common for people to leave.
If it weren't for the faint hope left in her heart to support her, she would have turned into a walking corpse.
When the woman opened the door and saw Ammu in military uniform, she couldn't help but be startled. Then the basket in her hand fell to the ground, and the contents spilled all over the floor.
She stared at Amu, covering her lips tightly with both hands, tears flashing in her eyes, for fear that she would cry next moment.
Amu also felt excited for a while. He smiled reluctantly and said in a hoarse voice: "Mom, I'm back."
As he spoke, he stretched out his hands.
The skinny mother grabbed Amu, hugged him, and burst into tears.
Amu choked up for a moment and burst into tears. In the past two years, he has been away from home. Only his mother was left alone. The army never paid him military pay. Even if he received military pay later, others were far away.
In the human continent, I cannot deliver it to my mother.
After losing Amu, just thinking about it, you can already know how difficult her life was.
When the neighbors heard the crying, they couldn't help but come out of their homes.
There are no idle people in this small village. The men go out to sea to fish or work, and the women stay at home with their children to sew and mend. There is always endless work waiting for them.
Seeing the thin woman holding a strange soldier there and crying, everyone was surprised for a while. But then someone recognized the soldier's identity.
Seeing the two of them holding each other's arms and crying, everyone couldn't help but sigh.
"I didn't expect that this boy Amu was so lucky that he actually came back struggling."
"I thought at first that this kid wouldn't survive more than three months under the hands of those nobles."
"Looking at his beautiful military uniform, it's obvious that he has become famous."
"This is my life. I have been blessed by the great devil~!"
"..."
Immediately, everyone came forward to comfort the two of them.
Ammu's mother also invited everyone into her yard.
The originally deserted courtyard suddenly became lively.
All the neighbors came in and congratulated Amu on his reunion with his mother.
There has been no news since he was captured. Although the villagers did not say anything, they all speculated that the boy might have died in that place.
Ammu's mother also pulled him and told him that without the help of the surrounding villagers, she, a lonely old woman, might have starved to death long ago.
She relies on the help of neighbors and weaving fishing nets to make a living.
Naturally, everyone showed humility, and the villagers were always the simplest.
Feeling grateful, Amu immediately took out the things he bought at the Military Welfare Club and distributed them to everyone one by one.
"Hello, Uncle Amu."
These are children, so naturally these White Rabbit toffees have to be given away.
"Uncle Amu is so handsome~!"
Of course, it goes without saying that the child has a sweet mouth and is smart, and will become a great person in the future, so we have to add two more secretly.
"Ouch~ Amu is out of business."
This is the neighbor's aunt, and she has to offer half a pound of Feiying sugar.
Those white sugars were as white as sand, the grains were pure, without a trace of impurities. Everyone was amazed again.
When these villagers enter the city, they can take out two copper coins and buy their children a cup of light sugar water as a snack reward.
"Ah Mu, I haven't seen you in two years, and you've grown so big. Hey, you don't recognize me anymore? I hugged you when you were little."
This is the neighbor's uncle. You must not offend him. You must first offer him a cigarette respectfully.
The uncles took the cigarettes and were filled with admiration. These cigarettes were high-end goods and could only be bought by nobles and wealthy people in the city.
Although they had heard of it before, they had never tried it themselves.
Immediately, Amu took out a match and helped light it.
Everyone followed Amu's example and puffed away for a while. Although some people were choked and coughed repeatedly, after all, this represented an elegant lifestyle. Taking a puff of cigarette and spitting out a stream of white smoke was very impressive, just like...
Like a nobleman.
Everyone bit the bullet and took a few more puffs.
Immediately, some people felt the wonderful taste of it. After taking a sip, they felt refreshed and had some ecstasy. It was really good.
Seeing this, Amu also handed over a packet to everyone, and then handed over a box of matches.
The cigarettes sold by the Military Welfare Society are definitely not high-end products, and naturally they are not too expensive either. With the soldiers' military pay, they are still affordable.
It's a pity that the old man just took the match in his hand, and before he had time to take a closer look, he was quickly snatched away by the old ladies next to him.
This match is an extremely good thing.
With just a slight stroke, fire will come out. It is extremely convenient to light a fire and cook.
There is no need to knock on the ground with a fire knife and sickle for a long time as before. When sparks appear, you have to quickly put some hay to ignite it. If you move slower, you can turn around and the fire will go out again.
It takes a long time to do it every time. It’s so troublesome~!
The old man found out that his belongings were taken away by a woman on the spot, without saving any face. He was furious and about to explode.
Amu hurriedly took out the Feiying Erguotou he had brought and poured a small cup for everyone.
As soon as the bottle was opened, the tangy aroma alone made the drunkards salivate. These country bumpkins who had only drank inferior potato wine smelled this aroma for the first time.
Those who want to make a fuss will stop making noise, and those who want to make a fuss will stop making a fuss.
Everyone picked up their wine glasses and drank them all in one gulp.
The wine burned from the throat to the stomach like a raging fire, stimulating the men's facial features and grinning. After a while, they all praised it, it was indeed a good wine~!
As if by magic, Amu lit a match and gently swung it back and forth on the wine glass several times, and then he saw blue flames rising in the wine glass.
Everyone couldn't help but stared at it again and gasped: the wine can be lit. If you don't see it with your own eyes, who can believe this is true?
Water can actually catch fire. Oh my god, this is simply a miracle~!
As each novel item was brought out, the small courtyard became more and more lively. These rare items from the human continent were an eye-opener for villagers who had never been out of the Caribbean and were amazed.
Everything Amu took out was looked over and over by everyone.
Many girls in the village also heard the sound and rushed over. Then they stood far away, beating Amu curiously and timidly.
In the past, Amu was a thin and timid boy who always kept silent and was just an inconspicuous child in the small village. In comparison, those who followed their fathers to the mountains and sea and were physically strong were more popular among the girls.
At this time, Amu is no longer the thin boy he was two years ago. After two years of training, he has grown into a standard soldier.
Although he kept circling in the crowd, he had a straight waist and generous manners. In addition, he was wearing a neat and beautiful woolen military uniform and shiny leather boots.
He looks majestic, heroic, and extremely heroic. He is truly a good Semitic man.
The girls who were pregnant with him all looked at him lustfully... well, they looked at him affectionately and silently, and some bold ones even gave him a flirtatious look. Girls from the Semitic tribe have always been unrestrained and passionate, and they dare to love.
Dare to hate.
Amu, who was so busy that he was busy, blushed and his heart beat, and then he secretly flirted with Erya, the most beautiful girl among them.
That girl was a flower in the village. Two years ago, the thin Amu had very low self-esteem and only dared to peek from a distance, but now...
The aunts nearby discovered their little tricks, and these sharp-tongued women immediately spread the word without mercy and loudly shouted about it.
It caused everyone to burst into laughter.
Amu's mother was walking back and forth among the crowd, glowing and happy, even her original wrinkles had been smoothed out, as if she had suddenly become twenty years younger.
Everyone praised Amu without saying a word, for being young and promising, which made her, a mother, hear it in her ears and feel sweet in her heart.
"This Amu is really becoming more and more promising."
"That's right, a military salary of two gold coins a month is more than that old man in my family earns in a year."
"Sister-in-law will be blessed in the future."
"Just wait to hold your grandson. Look at the little girls outside drooling..."
"..."
All kinds of compliments came in like a flood, and she was so happy that she could hardly close her mouth, but then she couldn't help but shed tears.
Many years later, when a reporter interviewed General Amu's mother, he wanted to know how General Amu embarked on the road to success. He planned to publish a long inspirational literature about how General Amu grew up to be a rich and handsome man, and took a photo by the way.
Flatter this famous general in the republican government.
The old lady was rubbing her crotch and could not help but sigh with tears in her eyes: When Amu was forced to become a man, she thought she would never see him again in this life...
Later, in the book "The Autobiography of General Amu from Poverty to General", he wrote: General Amu lived in the free Caribbean area, was influenced by what he saw and heard, and had a broad mind.
Therefore, he rarely has extraordinary ambitions. He has set his ambition since childhood to work hard for the reconciliation of human beings and Semitic peoples and for world peace.
Later, when he heard the news of the conscription, he resolutely joined the Semitic Expeditionary Force and did a lot of work in the process.
He risked his life to deliver all kinds of information. During the war, he braved artillery fire and went between the trenches of both sides, and finally reconciled the two tribes. He made a huge and indelible contribution to the independence and freedom of the Semitic people~!
Just when almost the whole village was gathered in the small courtyard talking lively and listening to Amu tell about the adventures of their fourth division over the past year, they suddenly heard the sound of footsteps.
Immediately afterwards, a burly man strode in, surrounded by a dozen hunters armed with spears and bows.
Seeing that person, the atmosphere in the courtyard suddenly became cold.
This big man is the dominant figure in their area.
Although the Caribbean is close to the ocean, many people make a living from the ocean, fishing or running boats.
But these people are different. They make a living on the hilly forests of the Caribbean. They have been hunting for generations and have formed their own lineage.
This also created their strong skills, outstanding archery skills, and superb martial arts.
This big man's name is Kane. He is a well-known hunter with great martial arts skills. He also went out for hunting when he was young.
It is said that he was almost selected to become a knight of the Royal Guards, obtain a household registration in the capital, and achieve a glorious career, but then he was hit by an arrow in the knee. That glorious career naturally came to an end.
But despite this, he is still a highly respected heroic figure in the Caribbean.
The big man came to the courtyard and couldn't help but be startled when he saw the crowd of villagers in the courtyard. Especially when he saw Amu in military uniform standing in the crowd, his eyes couldn't help but flash several times.
At that moment, someone came up to him and said, "Kane, what are you doing here?"
The big man snorted coldly, then looked away, turned around and searched the crowd. Then he saw the village chief hiding in the crowd, then took a step forward and said: "Village Chief Baer, you are indeed hiding."
Here.”
The village chief couldn't help but smile bitterly and said in a harsh voice: "Brother Kane, what do you want to do here this time?"
Kane raised the steel fork in his hand and said with a smile: "What else can I do, of course it is to fight tigers."
After hearing what he said, everyone present fell silent.
Amula pulled the person next to her and asked softly: "What's going on?"
The man glanced at Kane secretly and whispered: "After you left, a ferocious tiger came from our back mountain.
Every once in a while, I would come down the mountain and steal cattle and sheep from several nearby villages, and I even killed a few people."
Ammu couldn't help but be surprised: "Is there such a thing?"
Behind the Caribbean is a swamp and mountain forest area that stretches for hundreds of miles. Things like beasts emerging from the forest often happen, and every time the villagers spend their own money to solve it.
The man smiled and continued: "Kane heard about it, so he took over the job and asked for a lot of gold and silver from each village. But now, it has been two months, and there is not even a tiger hair.
Fish for it.
Moreover, every time I go to each village, I eat and drink for free, and I have to take some more before I leave. I have become a bully who brings trouble to everyone.
The chickens in the villagers’ homes were almost eaten by them.
That's all.
Now he has fallen in love with Erya and must ask Erya to marry his eldest son."
Amu's heart suddenly sank.
The man paused and continued: "You don't know, his eldest son is a fool. If he marries her, Erya's life will be ruined."
Ammu looked not far away, and immediately saw a pair of bright eyes staring at him unblinkingly, with a trace of pleading and expectation in his pitiful eyes.
Young Amu suddenly felt his blood rush to his head.
At this time, Kane said loudly: "Village Chief Baer, I have discussed this with you many times. When will you be willing to marry Erya?
If you don’t marry, we won’t fight this tiger~!”
Village Chief Baer grinned and said with a wry smile: "Brother Kane, brother Kane, don't be anxious now. Let's discuss, discuss, discuss."
Then the young man next to him said impatiently: "What a discussion! We have discussed it so many times, but we still haven't come up with a result.
To tell you the truth, it took you several lifetimes to get you two to marry into our family.
You can eat and drink without worries, the wind can't blow you, the rain can't hit you, and you can wear gold and silver all day long. What else do you poor people want to ask for?"
Everyone in the village couldn't help but look at each other, and honestly speaking, his words seemed to make sense.
These hunters rely on their ability to avoid the government and never pay taxes. They hide in the mountains when the government comes. They often do some business without capital, which is better than poor fishermen like them.
The young man took a step forward and said coldly to the girl: "Hurry up and clean up. This time when we come back from the mountains, you can come with us."
As he said that, he turned his head, glanced fiercely at everyone present, and said solemnly: "If you dare not agree, you can kill the tiger yourself. If anyone is bitten to death again, it is none of our business.
…”
I'm so confused, this is a way to grab it openly~!
Although the people in the village are a little ignorant, they are all Caribbean people, and they are very smart in their calculations.
They had already collected the money before the tiger was hit. Then they set their sights on Erya and planned to snatch Erya away. Who knows if they would go on to rob Sanya, Siya, Wuya, Liuya...
It solved all the marriage problems of the old and young men in their family.
It's so good, maybe it will be paired with a mistress or something.
Everyone in the courtyard was in a commotion.
The young man immediately took off his coat, threw it heavily on the ground, and said in a sinister voice: "What? There are still people who are not convinced and want to practice with my buddies?"
Seeing his exposed muscular body, everyone present couldn't help but fell silent again. The other party had practiced martial arts, and he could beat eight of them, ordinary people with dung forks.
The village chief of Baer also looked anxious and said: "You... what are you doing? Do you want to rob in public? We have paid you to hunt tigers."
The young man snorted coldly and said disdainfully: "You are the only ones who give us those two small coins? Don't forget, we have to risk our lives, no amount of money is enough."
The village chief of Baal was immediately speechless.
The young man paused for a moment and said: "So, if you want us to risk our lives, you have to trade someone else. You must marry that second girl to my brother. Otherwise, you guys won't go~!"
From now on, if someone you love is killed by a tiger, you will consider yourself unlucky."
As he said that, he pulled over a stool and sat down with a shameless expression.
Chief Baer looked at the group of ferocious hunters, and then looked back at his fellow villagers. Everyone lowered their heads with guilt.
Although the village chief has a good relationship with him, he doesn't want to fight with those strong hunters because of him, let alone he can't beat them.
Not to mention, this is to eliminate the tiger, our common enemy. Although everyone feels a little bit heartbroken about the sacrifice of the village chief's daughter. But from a dialectical point of view, if she gets married, she will escape the sea of suffering.
I want to live a good life.
If it really doesn't work, you can angrily condemn it afterwards: This good cabbage has been taken over by a pig again~!
Village Chief Baer couldn't help but sigh in his heart, and then looked at his daughter. Only to find that she was not looking at him, but looking pitifully at Ammu on the other side.
Village Chief Baer's heart was moved, and then he gritted his teeth, got worried, and said loudly: "Okay, it's not impossible to marry my daughter. But let's start the scandal first. No matter who wants to marry me,
Daughter, you have to give tiger skin in exchange~!"
Kane looked at the village chief of Baal and couldn't help but curse in his heart: This damn old fox~! He is indeed extremely cunning.
He was afraid that if he married his daughter, nothing would happen. That's why he made such a rule.
But then, he burst out laughing. Then he stretched out his hand and said, "Is it a deal?"
Village Chief Baer gritted his teeth and slapped him hard, saying: "It's a deal~!" (To be continued...)