A broken stone tablet was erected at the entrance of the village, engraved with "Songkou". It should be the name of this village: Songkou Village.
Tianlan looked at it for a while and felt that he had heard of this name a long time ago. But his memory was too complicated. He could not be sure if he had heard of a similar name in his life. Maybe it was the same name. After thinking about it, he didn't care. Hear Rongrong back to the Fengling Staff. Then enter Songkou Village alone.
Songkou Village is roughly the same as what he thought. It is a very inconspicuous small mountain village. The houses are all flat wooden houses built with cedar wood. The roofs are covered with thick cedar branches. First, keep warm and second, they are hidden. Function. It is not easy to be discovered by condescending beasts at once.
There are not many people in the village. You can only see some women walking around with babies under the age of one year or children who are not good at walking. There are also elderly people who are staggering. When the villagers see him, they stop walking. .Look quietly, without saying anything. The eyes are the eyes that a person outside the village should have... Be wary and confused.
Tianlan had already taken off the cape on his head, revealing his true face, silently staring at the silent crowd around him, and walking forward step by step. He suddenly understood why he was located in the mountains where wild beasts often appeared, but he was not standing guard in his prime... ...Because there is no more of the top-aged man in this small village who can show off. Only a group of old, young, women and children are left.
Why is this happening? He could also guess: Not far from here is the battlefield between the two countries. All the men who can almost go to the battlefield must have been exiled. All that can be left is a bunch of women and children who are ineffective. They are gone. The pillars of the family are naturally in danger. Not only should we be careful of the beast tide after spring, but we should also be careful of outsiders.
Tian Lan said silently. This is the consequence of the war. When the monarchs of the two countries ordered the war to begin, they would never think of these indigenous people on the border. Because they were too small. Compared with the so-called interests, these were sacrificed at any time. Ants...
"Mr. Lan...is it Young Master Lan?"
Tian Lan was slightly stunned. Then he noticed a skinny and hunched old man in front of him. He was confused for a moment and did not recognize who the person in front of him was. It was not until he looked at the old man's hopeful eyes that he suddenly remembered: This person is The former old servant in their mansion... Song Tao.
He still remembers that Songtao went to the mansion before he was born. When he was a child, he had several years to be his full-time servant. He could be said to be meticulous and treated him as his own flesh and blood. In the entire mansion, except for his brother. In addition, Song Bo and him were closest to him. Song Bo almost replaced his father. He has cared about him since he had memory. It was not until he was twelve that Song Tao retired and returned home on the grounds of his old age and physical weakness. .
He finally remembered somewhere to hear the name Songkou Village. When he was two or three years old, his old servant Songtao talked about the good things about his hometown. Only then did he vaguely remember the word Songkou Village.
It was just six years later. Tianlan almost recognized this old servant who treated him like a father and a friend. Because Song Tao's changes were too great. In his influence, Song Tao has always been a capable person. Even if he is just a An ordinary person without cultivation can still straighten his back without any effort. But now, the Song Tao in front of him is like a weak old man .How can I have the style of the past?
Song Tao walked over tremblingly. He raised his head and looked at him with his turbid old eyes. He felt mixed emotions and even shed tears.
Tianlan subconsciously held Song Tao's arms: "Song Bo..."
"Yes...yes...Young Master Lan. It's an old servant..."
Hearing Tian Lan's voice, Song Tao burst into tears and cried in a hurry. He raised his wrinkled right hand tremblingly and barely reached his shoulders. He seemed to want to touch his face like he was a child. But Tian Lan had grown taller. But he was much shorter than before. He could only reach his shoulders.
Tianlan gently grabbed Song Tao's old palm, lowered his head and leaned over, pressed his cheek against his palm, feeling the unique warmth and smell of his palm, and the old wound on the back of his hand. Tianlan finally believed it .This old man who was like a candle in the wind was his once close family...
When he accidentally met an old friend, Tianlan was not in a hurry to leave. He sent Song Bo home first. Song Bo's home was on the other end of Songkou Village. It was also a small wooden house. It was not bigger than other people's homes. It would be enough for the family of three to live in. There are very few things in the wooden house. They look empty, but they are clean and neat. They are Song Bo's style.
Tianlan looked at it carefully. There was no trace of other people's lives in the wooden house. It seemed that Song Bo lived alone here. However, he saw two small windmills and flower drums on the flower table at the corner.
The little windmill and the little flower drum look very familiar. It seems to be the gadget that Song Bo used to tease him when he was a child. Before he was five years old, his memory was not awakened. He was just a complete child. He was carefree. It was just that He probably can't remember the things that happened in the past. But he remembered everything after the awakening of memory clearly.
The two of them sat side by side on the bed. Songtao held his hand tightly, as if he was holding a life-saving straw. He didn't dare to let go.
He sighed melancholy: "Young Master Lan. I haven't seen you for five years and eleven months. You have grown up. You are already eighteen years old... Haha. The old servant said that our Young Master Lan will definitely be handsome and charming when he grows up. Sure enough, Yes. The master’s children are all talented... I’m so happy today…”
As he said that, he wiped the corners of his wet eyes. It felt like he saw his child becoming an adult.
Tianlan was in a complicated mood. He was naturally very excited when he saw Song Bo. But he felt very unbearable when he saw his current financial difficulties. He said, "Song Bo, you should still be the same as before. Just call me Xiaolan. You can leave. When I was in the mansion, I should have received a sum of comfort. Why now..."
Song Tao understood what he said and explained: "Oh, Xiaolan, you know, in the past few years of war, everyone has not been easy. How could I have the nerve to eat a huge sum of gold by myself? When I first came back, I distributed it to my neighbors and villagers. We're here."
Tianlan said silently after hearing this. Indeed, Songtao, an old man, has too much wealth, and will only attract people to suspect it. It is better to sell personal favors and live a better life.
He knew that Songtao had always missed his hometown very much. He often missed his relatives at home. When he was old, he had one wish: to return to his hometown. So even though Tianlan was reluctant at that time, he could only look at Songtao's distant back with tears in his eyes.
Song Tao asked about Tianlan's recent situation. But he was just an ordinary person. What Tianlan experienced was too far away for him. So Tianlan didn't tell him too much. He just gave a brief explanation and said that he had already It's much better. Don't worry too much.
Song Tao felt that today was the best day in the past six years. He kept chatting with Tianlan. It turned out that he realized that his first wife had passed away long ago. His two biological sons were arrested many years ago to be exiled. The eldest brother left a daughter-in-law and a son. However, because the husband had not returned for many years, the wife left her son to the neighbors and went to join relatives by herself. So Songtao only had one grandson left.
Just last year, his grandson had just turned fifteen. The officer came to this small village to arrest and serve as a soldier. He was not allowed to go to the battlefield as a soldier when he was less than eighteen years old. However, in this radius of thousands of miles apart from the wealthy and noble family, there is no place to go The eighteen-year-old man and officer took Song Tao's grandson away as they saw that Song Tao's grandson was almost the same.
This trip was almost the same as his two sons. It was hard to see each other again in life. Luck almost died on the battlefield. Most of the luck was better as a deserter and could not return home. As for the promotion, the return home in glory, etc., they are ordinary families How is that possible...
"Song Bo...Don't be too sad..."
Tianlan didn't know how to comfort him to be effective. He had to say so.
Songtao smiled bitterly and said, "Xiao Lan. You, Uncle Song, have been in the general's mansion for more than 30 years. You have long seen too much of the separation of life and death. How can you not know the cruelty of war? Actually, I thought about it a long time ago. Maybe. Such things will happen to me... Haha. Nothing. It's really nothing. Not only me. Everyone in Songkou Village is in this situation. I'm pretty good. At least I'm pretty healthy. Haha..."
Listening to his smileless laughter, Tian Lan felt sad and said, "Song Bo. Let me accompany you before the end of the war..."
Songtao took care of him for so many years when he was a child. Now Songtao is old and there is no one around him. He should also look back and take care of this old man Chi Mu. What he thought was that during this period, Songkou Village is now waiting for the war to calm down. Come down and take Songtao back to the capital and enjoy your youth.
Tianlan rarely has a utilitarian concept of hierarchy in his heart. He believes that the kindness of a drop of water should be repaid with a spring. Song Bo is not his servant, but his respectable elder. So he should do it for Song Bo. To the best of your ability.
"Okay... OK..." Song Tao kept saying yes. He knew Tian Lan's identity. At such a tense time, he was willing to leave behind all important things to accompany him as an old man. What is this called Song Tao? How can I not be moved? It can be said that what Songtao wants most now is someone to accompany him. Even if it is just talking, it is good. And in his heart, Tianlan is his child. There is no difference. He suddenly felt that he had just returned today. Arrived at "home". The home with family...
While chatting with Songtao, Tianlan secretly planned the specific matters to settle Songtao in the future. However, these are a bit far away now. Because my brother is the head coach of Qinglong in this war. He must have been very busy during this period. Tianlan himself is also It is inconvenient to come forward, so I can't hurry. But he believes that he is here. Even if there is any accident in Songkou Village, he can deal with it in time.
Perhaps. This time he can temporarily forget all the troubles outside and spend a peaceful time with his elders with peace of mind...
However, Tianlan didn't know that even if he intentionally jumped out of the vortex, the gears of fate would never stop once they started to operate. How could he allow him to choose tranquility?