The wind blew howling outside, blocked by the layers of plain silk on the windows.
But the skylight outside filtered in through the plain silk.
Then she raised her head, touched her second son who was confused and frightened, and then patted the baby in her arms.
The child in her arms was already tired of crying.
But Mrs. Xin only ate a little from yesterday to today, and there was really no milk to feed him.
Thinking about what the old lady said earlier, what kind of bags would Mrs. Yan give out to her children?
Then I thought of the porridge being cooked outside.
Mrs. Xin swallowed, stood up, and wanted to ask shamelessly if she could get a bowl for the three little ones to fill their bellies first.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
The maid who led them in earlier opened the door and said, "Sister-in-law, I thought you might be hungry too, so I made some porridge outside.
She said she had beaten a little, but the maid actually held a small half jar in her hand, with several pottery bowls on top.
Madam Xin showed an extremely grateful look on her face: "Thank you, madam, thank you madam."
The maid waved her hand: "Just call me Ayue."
As she spoke, she placed the porridge jar in her hand on the small table at the end of the bed and filled out a few bowls.
Considering that people who come here may have been hungry for a long time, the most stomach-friendly corn porridge is prepared here.
Those who pounded the rice were all Hu captives who were being reformed.
Among the prisoners, those who committed the most heinous crimes were all beheaded, regardless of whether they were Hu people or Yuan soldiers.
The remaining Yuan troops were incorporated into the army by Zhao Yun, while the Hu prisoners were bald in the newly built prison camps and underwent transformation that touched their souls.
They are managed by experienced education managers from Guzhu and Lulong.
Unlike the herdsman slaves in Lone Bamboo Village, these war prisoners were all jackals who wandered into the Han region through Liu He's open door.
But he is also a warworthy soldier.
Based on the principle of recycling waste, try it for free.
As long as you don't die, you will struggle to death.
Gongsun Yan developed the most unethical management method she could think of to eliminate their original habit of being aggressive.
After morning classes, there is endless work, and before going to bed at night, there are brainwashing evening classes.
Only a meager amount of food is provided every day, which is enough to survive, and endorsements are required in exchange.
Gongsun Yan believes that under the pressure of survival, people will sincerely change their ways and study hard.
These corns, which are specially supplied to the Salesian Home, without any husk, are the fruits of these people's labor.
Lady Xin looked at the yellow porridge in front of her and didn't dare to take it: "Just one bowl is enough to fill the bellies of a few little ones."
She licked her lips and said, "I don't have to waste it. Let's start working. I'll eat again."
Getting something for free is always unsettling.
The mother-in-law didn't know what to do, her daughter was still ill, and Mrs. Xin didn't dare to be greedy.
No matter how the maid Ah Yue tried to persuade her, she refused to eat.
I just ordered a small bowl and planned to share some with a few children.
In the end, Ah Yue had no choice but to go to Mr. Yan, who was in charge here, to see if he could arrange a job for Mrs. Xin first so that she could feel at ease.
When the maid Ah Yue left, Mr. Yan was filling his mouth with wolfberry.
After hearing about this, he put down the book in his hand, chewed it a few times quickly, and said, "Then go and get some rags to paste for her."
In fact, the Salesian Home is extremely short of manpower, but Mrs. Xin's current situation is such that she is allowed to do whatever she wants for now.
Ah Yue got the order and left quickly.
She quickly found someone and got a pile of rags, and placed them in front of Mrs. Xin: "Now, sister-in-law, can you feel at ease? Eat quickly."
Mrs. Xin's eyes were filled with tears. She had experienced too much on this day, and she was at a loss when faced with such pure kindness.
Ah Yue served them porridge and helped her feed some to the children on the bed.
Then he opened the door with an empty porridge bowl.
"Miss Ayue, thank you."
Ah Yue turned around and smiled at her: "I was sold to the Lian family on such a snowy day."
"I'm happy to be able to help you now."
After saying that, she waved her hands, closed the door and left.
Madam Xin looked at the closed door and then at the children in the room.
Gently hold my daughter's hand on the hospital bed.
After a while, I got up, picked up the pile of rags, and started working.
While lining her insoles, she turned to look at the sky outside.
When the sun was about to set, there was a noise outside the door.
Madam Xin turned around to look, only to see the old woman standing in front of the door. Seeing her, she shook her head slightly.
"The person was already gone when we found him."
Shortly after Mrs. Xin left with her children, the old man broke the only porridge pot left in the house and swallowed the pieces.
When the soldiers who were sent there were found, they were hardened.
The body was covered with the sack of grain.
Mrs. Xin's heart twitched suddenly.
The old woman said again: "The body is temporarily stored in the Yizhuang outside the city. The weather is cold for the time being..."
She didn't make it clear, but continued: "Ms. Yan knew that everyone who came here was in trouble, so she allocated a sum of money."
"You can use the talisman letter to temporarily borrow some money without interest. You can go through the funeral first, and then you can pay it back slowly after working."
Madam Xin's tears fell on the half-pasted insole in front of her: "Thank you, Auntie."
Then he knelt on the ground and kowtowed: "Thank you, Madam Yan, for your kindness."
…
Mrs. Xin’s mother-in-law’s funeral was very simple.
A thin coffin was buried outside the city, next to the man who Mrs. Xin died last year.
Mrs. Xin, with a white linen cloth tied around her forehead, knelt alone in front of the loess tomb. In front of the tomb, she placed corn rice with meat slices two fingers wide.
"Mother-in-law, you still said there was no taste in your mouth last year. Look, this is good stuff."
"You enjoyed yourself so much. Don't blame me for throwing you away. There's nothing I can do about it."
She sniffed and looked at the tomb on the other side: "Don't blame me for not bringing the children to see you. Da Ya's illness hasn't healed yet and she can't catch cold."
"No one in our family can help with my mother-in-law's funeral. I'm so busy on my own that I can't take care of my children."
"But don't worry, the children are all at the Salesian Home and fine!"
A trace of tenderness flashed in her eyes when she mentioned the child: "Da Ya is very well-behaved and knows how to help me with my work. Everyone in the Salesian Home likes her very much."
Madam Xin, as if she were talking to someone face to face, babbled: "By the way, how could you, a dead guy like you, know anything about the Salesian Hospital?"
"Salesian Hospital is the best place in the world."
"We live warmly and well-fed there, and we even gave my son diapers and swaddling clothes the day before yesterday. Do you think it is the best place in the world?"
She laughed as if remembering something: "I heard that we will be taught how to read in a while. It's really embarrassing for me at my age to have to sit with the children to learn how to read."
After talking for a while, Mrs. Xin patted the loess on her skirt and stood up: "Okay, I have to leave. I can't leave for too long and cause trouble to others."
She turned around and walked a few steps, then looked back at her husband's grave, the light shining on her face.