"Is there any safe place in this world?"
"From bottom to top, everyone is in danger."
Liu Taozi said.
Liu Zhang was stunned, "Taozi, you don't understand, we really can't stay here anymore, Wei. A very powerful Zhou person has already set his sights on this place!"
"Don't be reckless and willful!!"
Taozi turned around and looked at Mrs. Liu Zhang, his eyes were rare and gentle.
"Mom, you go first."
"I still have some things I haven't finished yet."
"peach."
"When I'm done, I'll go find you."
Mrs. Liu Zhang wanted to say something more, but looking at Tao Zi's bright eyes, Mrs. Liu Zhang stopped speaking, with two tears streaking across her face.
Taozi helped her wipe away her tears very seriously.
"Let's go home first."
Mrs. Liu Zhang choked up and pulled Tao Zi back.
Liu Da was no longer visible in the courtyard, and even the body of the beggar had disappeared without a trace.
It seems like nothing ever happened.
The mother and son walked out of the house. Erlang and Xiao Wu were squatting on the ground, playing with the bone crutches enthusiastically and devotedly. They had already forgotten Mrs. Liu Zhang's instructions.
Mrs. Liu Zhang laughed and scolded: "Is this how you keep your eyes on the road?"
The two of them got up and stood pitifully in front of Mrs. Liu Zhang.
Xiao Wu defended in a low voice: "There is no one at all."
"Walk!"
Zhang Erlang said goodbye to them and insisted on returning.
The alleys in the village are unusually quiet. Groups of rats visit from house to house, or they raise their heads and stare at the few people passing by with some sinister eyes. They are not afraid of people at all.
Although the sun has not yet set, the small village looks uniquely gloomy, with withered branches and broken eaves and broken walls blending into one, lifeless.
The three of them soon arrived at the peach grove, which was full of life. Mrs. Liu Zhang walked very slowly. She liked this peach grove very much.
She talked about old things that she never mentioned.
"When I was young, I contracted an illness. Some witches said that it was haunted by evil spirits. I used peach wood to ward off evil spirits and kill them."
"My father ordered peach trees to be planted inside and outside the mansion."
"My home was like a peach forest at that time."
Xiao Wu suddenly asked: "Don't you have peaches to eat every day?"
Mrs. Liu Zhang chuckled.
"Further later, when King Gao entered Yecheng, my father surrendered and hosted a banquet for King Gao's subordinates. Then I met another peach tree that could ward off evil spirits."
When she smiles, dimples appear on her cheeks.
"I like peaches the most."
She looked up at the peach trees around her, her eyes full of reluctance.
The three of them walked happily through the peach forest, and when they returned to the house, Liu Da was already sitting in the courtyard, tall and tall, wearing his usual clothes, waiting for them.
"Why are you here? I will kill you if I am hungry!!"
Mrs. Liu Zhang cooked a very sumptuous meal, which she would only eat on weekdays, such as New Year's Day.
The four of them didn't go into the house, so they just sat in the courtyard and ate. Xiao Wu wanted to bury his head in the bowl.
Liu Da also calmed down his violent temper, drank some wine, and chatted and laughed with Mrs. Liu Zhang.
The whole family was enjoying themselves happily, and even Taozi's face was much gentler than usual.
It's late at night.
Everyone was about to go back to rest, and Liu Dazheng grabbed Xiao Wu's ears and scolded him.
Mrs. Liu Zhang held Tao Zi's hand.
"Taozi. If I don't call you on weekdays, you won't know how to eat. You need to eat more in the future, because you are still growing."
"Don't go out at night. The weather is getting cold and you can't get sick."
"Don't associate with evil people, don't follow evil people and do bad things."
"Lu Lingshi is a good man. Ask him first when you encounter problems."
As Liu Zhang spoke, her tears fell again.
Taozi's lips trembled several times, "Okay."
Everyone went back to their houses. As soon as Taozi returned to her house, she felt a strange noise coming from the door.
"From today on, there will be no Orion Liu Da here."
"You have nothing to do with me anymore."
"Whether you want to be an official, kill people, or rebel, it has nothing to do with me."
"If we meet on the battlefield, I will never show mercy again."
A low voice came from outside the door.
Liu Taozi just looked at the door calmly and spoke:
"Take care of yourself."
There was sudden silence outside the door.
This night was extremely long.
The next day, Taozi opened her eyes and walked out of the door.
The courtyard was in a mess, the door was open, and there was no one there. There was only a table in the courtyard with a bowl placed on it, and there was still food in it.
Taozi trembled all over, but still walked to the case, picked up the bowl, and started eating.
After finishing the meal, Taozi sat alone in the courtyard, motionless.
"Brother Peach?"
Suddenly there was a shout outside the door.
Zhang Erlang looked into the courtyard through the gap in the half-opened door in surprise, wondering whether he should come in or not.
"Come in."
Zhang Erlang then walked into the courtyard. Looking at the messy courtyard, his eyes widened and he looked around blankly.
"Brother Taozi, what happened?"
Liu Taozi replied calmly: "My parents are also lost."
"oh."
Zhang Erlang carefully sat next to Tao Zi.
"Brother Taozi, don't be too sad."
"At first, I was a little sad and wanted to cry, but after being hungry for a day, I felt better and I didn't think about it again."
"When my eldest brother was taken away by officials and disappeared, I cried for two whole days."
"Later, I went fishing with my grandpa. When I came back, my grandma was missing. I cried for a long time. My grandpa beat me a few times and I didn't dare to cry anymore."
"Then my grandpa also disappeared, so I didn't cry."
"Sometimes I think, maybe they are already together now."
While Zhang Erlang was talking, he suddenly remembered something. He jumped up and asked quickly: "By the way! Where is Xiao Wu? Is he missing too?"
Taozi nodded.
"My bone crutch!! He borrowed it yesterday and said he wanted to play with it for a day!!!"
Zhang Erlang was immediately heartbroken.
Taozi ignored him and searched around the courtyard again. In the whole courtyard, only the door of the warehouse was closed. When Taozi walked in, she saw some hanging corpses, which were animals.
There was also a lot of wheat piled on the ground.
Taozi looked at Erlang and said, "Erlang, go and call everyone in the village who can walk."
"Let them come here."
"good!"
Zhang Erlang hurriedly ran away.
Taozi sat here for a long time. Finally, a rustling sound came from outside. Soon, more than twenty people appeared in front of Taozi.
There are fewer and fewer people in the village, and those who are left are either old people or children.
"Brother Tao! What happened?!"
There was an old man holding a hoe, with a nervous look on his face, and the rest of the people were also holding sticks, forks, and axes.
Taozi glanced at Zhang Erlang again.
"Don't panic, everyone. It's not a big deal. My grandfather is taking my mother back to my parents' home."
"I have to take a job in the county again, and I'm afraid I won't be able to see each other often in the future."
He pointed to the warehouse, "There is still some meat and wheat left there."
"You can take it home, hide it, and use it first. I will bring more when I come back from the city next time."
"You can also enjoy the fruits in this peach forest without asking anything."
Listening to Tao Zi's words, everyone in the village was speechless for a moment.
The white-haired old man dropped his hoe and said, "How can we harvest it?"
"Yes, I have received such kindness from your family, but I have never been able to repay it."
"It's okay, just take it and give some to those who can't go out on the way."
Taozi stood aside, watching them struggle to carry the food on their backs, thanking them with their mouths, and took away the food one by one.
Zhang Erlang glanced at Taozi secretly, "Brother Taozi, can I get some too?"
"You don't need to take it. Just follow me later."
"Ah? OK"
The house was finally empty, whether it was the warehouse or the courtyard. Taozi also gave the table and bowl to those people. Anyway, he wouldn't need them in the future.
Before leaving, the old man told him repeatedly that he would definitely guard Taozi's home and prevent thieves from coming.
Taozi thanked her.
Taozi found several packages in the house, which were full of various clothes and shoes.
These were all prepared by Liu Zhang for him in advance.
Taozi didn't say goodbye to the villagers anymore, called Zhang Erlang, and left the peach forest.
On the small road leading to the county seat, Liu Taozi strode forward, with a pile of packages following behind him.
That's right, it was a pile of packages, with legs growing out of them, struggling to follow Tao Zi.
Zhang Erlang was panting from exhaustion while carrying those packages.
When Brother Taozi said that he would take him to the county seat, he was very excited. He had never been to the county seat and was full of curiosity about it.
But when Brother Taozi threw these packages on him, the excitement in his heart was wiped out.
"Brother Taozi! Go slower! Go slower!"
"I can't keep up~~"
Chapter completed!