Locke was quite happy in childhood. He had a sister who loved him deeply, a pair of honest and honest parents. His favorite thing was to do in the hot summer. When his parents and sister were farming in the fields, he sucked fish in the ditch beside him. Although it was just a small fish, only a tiny fish as thick as a thumb, Locke still enjoyed it because it was a meat food in their family's life.

However, the good days are gone and the ravages of natural disasters. When Locke was 14 years old, a large-scale drought came to the Kingdom of Fostein, which was not vast. Three of the four provinces were in a food and drinking crisis. The Locke family in Maple Leaf Village, Kaidozi led the mine town of Del Province fell into a desperate situation.

It has been a whole month and a half since it was already mid-June. In previous years, another month was the harvest season. Often at this time, with the decrease in field activities, parents should take themselves to the town to purchase and sell some specialties from the village to earn some copper to maintain their low livelihood. The sister would also carry bamboo baskets and wrap a headscarf, and hold scarves, handkerchiefs and other small items made from leftover linens at home to sell to past merchants or adventurers in the town for half a year.

The rough linen scarf and handkerchief are not comfortable to use, but durable, strong and able to keep warm are loved by small businessmen and inexperienced adventurers. Moreover, Sister Locke's craftsmanship is very good. June is rainy season, and the temperature is still very low in previous years, so my sister's small things can always be sold. The thing that Little Locke loves to do is sit on the stone next to the big maple tree at the entrance of the village in the evening, and look at her sister from afar. When the sister wrapped in a blue cloth scarf and carrying a basket appears from a distance, Locke will rush up excitedly, hugging her dusty sister, groping her sister's pocket? Riding on the linen basket? No, when Locke looks disappointed, her sister will smile and stretch out her hand, and a few dark yellow sweet fruits. Locke is 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 graceful. Although his sister was only ten years old at the time, the matchmakers quickly broke the threshold of his family. After all, most people in this small village got married at the age of 15, and had a few children at the age of 17 or 8, and it was not young at the age of 10. Although a marriage cannot be handled, it can still be booked. At this time, Locke is always unhappy because he thinks these people want to steal his sister. Locke makes a big fuss and messes around in front of the person who proposes marriage. The sister's marriage is finally dragged down. When outsiders see this situation, they always look at Locke with strange eyes, and then seem to think of something, leaving a few words in a uncomfortable tone and leave.

Of course, the main reason is that Locke's parents also think it's too early. There is no such thing as engagement when they get married in rural areas. Only nobles have these rules. Generally, when they reach age, they look for young children in the village or town. If they feel the same, their daughter will not endure hardships and they will marry. The search for young people in this town is because they know the truth. They will not suffer after their daughter gets married. They can see their daughter frequently, and their daughter will often go home to help the family. Locke's sister, Leah, is only ten years old, and Locke's parents got married when Locke's father was 16 years old and his mother was 15 years old. It's really too early now.

Moreover, Locke's parents also have their own little thoughts. Their daughter looks so neat, they don't want to marry their daughter to an ordinary farmer's or blacksmith's children. If they can marry a son of the town mayor's family or a small businessman's family, their daughter will be blessed and can help their younger brother find a wife in the future. Moreover, although the Locke family is a humble farmer's family, it is a hardworking family. The honest and honest old Locke, the hardworking and capable Tia, their sensible daughter Lea, and the lively little Locke formed this poor but warm and happy family.

However, manpower still cannot withstand natural disasters. Even if someone can, it is definitely not the people of Fostertan, a kingdom with small territory and poor land, and it is definitely not the ones that the little Locke family can resist.

The drought has lasted for a month and a half, and most of the crops in the fields have dried up. Xiao Locke's parents have turned white with their hair worried. Xiao Locke found that his parents, who were only 30 years old, had only half of their hair turned white in just one month. Xiao Locke, who likes to listen to stories about bards in the town, suddenly understood a truth. On this continent, where the average age is less than 50 years old, his parents are almost entering their old age.

Xiao Locke hasn't eaten black bread for two consecutive weeks. Although the black bread is hard and has a faint musty smell, it is made of wheat peel and bran after all, and is rich in nutrition. In the past, even if the family is poor, his parents would give himself and his sister a dinner made of black bread and potato soup once a week. But this time, his parents did not. But Locke did not ask his parents because his sister hadn't eaten for three weeks.

Or he liked to stick to his sister since he was a child, and Locke and his sister have sensibility that his peers do not have. The neighbor's little Hans had already made the faces of old Hans and Aunt Mary more and more sad because they didn't eat black bread within a week. But Locke did not do so.

Life is still going on day by day, from eating wheat crust porridge to pancakes made from cereal chestnuts, to wild vegetable soup, to chewing tree roots, the days at Rock's family are getting harder and harder.

Finally one day, Locke was gone forever and he chose to join the army. Locke and Lea slept without separate beds before the age of 12. Lea was both sister and mother taking care of Locke at night. That night, although Locke was very careful, she was still discovered by her sister Lea, who had lived with her for many years. Lea did not stop Locke, but let him come back alive with tears in her eyes.

As if he was thinking of the stubborn brother that night, Lea showed a look of pain and relief.

"I hope Locke can come back safely," Lea sighed and said softly. This family has lived more than a little better than before, but their parents are not happier. Their only son is fighting outside, and they don't know how to live or die. The old couple has no chance to enjoy a moment of peace.

Perhaps because he remembered what his parents said just now that he had arranged a marriage for Locke, Leah also used her brains. There were very few beautiful girls in the village. Even if there were, according to the plans of Lao Locke and Tia, he would definitely look down on them. That was to marry the girl in the town. Mining Town is a small town, mainly rich in ore and animal fur. Most of them were merchants. There were not many rich merchants among them, but there were also many. I believe that if a team leader got married, some small merchants would agree to marry their daughters.

When Lea sells her handicraft work in town, she often sees some ladies shopping in groups. She envies the ladies. They are so carefree and do whatever they want. But Lea is just envious. She doesn't yearn for a generous life, but she just wants to do something she likes. When she thinks that her dear brother might marry one of the ladies in the future, she feels like her younger brother is leaving her.

Many of the messages sent by my younger brother asked me to buy silk scarves or clothes. Leah was very moved, which means that my younger brother did not forget her. But the money sent back was limited. Not only the food price has increased, but even the salt price has begun to increase. Leah dared not spend money indiscriminately. She has only bought two silk scarves and didn't buy clothes. The poor families never buy new clothes, but they all bought cloth and made it by themselves. Last year, Tia pulled a foot of new cloth to make a skirt for Leah. It looked very good. Leah didn't dare to wear it after only once, because she was afraid of getting dirty.

On the other hand, Old Locke and Tia were lying on the bed and did not fall asleep. Old Locke was only over thirty or less than forty this year, but he was so old that he could not plough the land. He was tired over the years. So was Tia. Tia, who was just thirty, had to take on the burden of farming and doing housework with Old Locke. His arms were tanned over the years. I remember that Tia was also a beauty in Maple Leaf Village.

Old Locke was very moved by his wife's help over the years. Lying on the bed, Old Locke held Tia's hand in one hand, just like 20 years ago, Old Locke held Tia's hand for the first time. So many years passed in a flash. Tia also held Old Locke backwards, and the old couple lay quietly, feeling each other's warmth.

"Rock's kid" Tia said, "Hey, he doesn't know what he thinks, don't we understand yet."

Old Locke didn't speak, and he didn't know what to say in this regard.

"Your sister entrusted Leah to you to raise. Although the family was poor over the years, I still raised Leah well. I have long regarded her as my biological daughter. You said Locke." Tia held Old Locke's hand tightly, and seemed a little excited.

"Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. Let the children solve the problem of Locke and Leah by themselves." Old Locke said.

"That's all that is possible." Tia said helplessly.

Locke and Lea didn't realize that they had a bond with each other, it might be because they were in this mountain. As parents, Old Locke and Tia can certainly see that the message brought back from Locke and Lea's reactions can be seen differently. It's fine once or twice. After so many years, they have been like this, and they can't help but think about it as their parents.

"I heard from the village chief that this is the prevalent aristocrats. It is said that Baron Kaidozi's second wife is his cousin," Old Locke muttered in the dark.

"Why do you care about so many people? We are civilians, can we compare with the nobles!" Tia opposed. Although Old Locke and Tia were very harmonious at home, Old Locke usually listened to Tia because he loved his wife so much and felt that he owed Tia. She suffered a lot with her.

"Let's talk about it when Locke comes back." Old Locke decided to stop the topic. He was worried that the two of them would speak too high and let their daughter hear it.

"Yeah." Tia answered, clinging to the old Locke's arm, and asked him sideways, "Can Locke come back?"

"Look at you, and say this again." Old Locke patted Tia's shoulder, "You don't know how capable my son is, you must come back alive. Let's go to bed, sleep, don't think about it, I have to go to the field tomorrow to collect the vine potatoes."

"Yeah," replied Tia.

It's late at night—
Chapter completed!