The Eighth Section: The Cold Crow

  Winters here rarely see snow, only cold rain, damp and wet.

  Yun Jianqiang leaned against the edge of the fire pit, shivering uncontrollably. Yun Zheng covered him with all the warm things they had at home, but the child was still shaking violently. Fortunately, he didn't have a fever; if he got sick in this godforsaken place, Yun Zheng wouldn't know what to do. There were no hospitals, no doctors, and no medicine, except for praying to heaven, there was nothing they could do. The nearest Chinese pharmacy was fifteen miles away in Dou Sha Guan.

  Maybe it's because of the orphanage's care that they've been in this world for three months now, and neither of them has ever gotten sick. Especially Yun Zhēn, after three months of chopping firewood training, he is now no different from the sturdy young men of Cang Erjia, with a native accent that makes the old tribal elder very satisfied. In his eyes, this is already considered one of the village's children.

  It's really miserable to have rain in winter, the simple bamboo building can't keep out the damp air at all, and even if Yun Zheng burns the fire pit more vigorously, it won't help.

  The little yellow dog burrowed into Yun Jianqiang's quilt, holding the little dog might be warmer, this dog has grown a lot and became a half-grown yellow dog, although it is just a native dog, it is Yun Jianqiang's **. There are only two people in the Yun family, Yun Da and Yun Er, the villagers call the Yun brothers like that, so the little yellow dog naturally became Yun San.

  "Be strong, wrap the quilt tightly, don't let in the wind. If you want to sleep, just sleep for a while. Today we can't do anything." Yun Zheng put down the book in his hand and said softly.

  The clay pot hanging over the fire had a voice, and Yun Zheng's ginger tea was finally cooked. He poured some into Jian Qiang's bowl, but saw that he still made a bitter face and didn't want to drink it. Yun Zheng shook his head and went to the wall, cut off a small piece of beehive from the hook, and soaked it in Jian Qiang's bowl. There was honey inside, and with the honey, the ginger tea wasn't so bitter anymore.

  This is a gift from nature, Yun Zhong certainly knows that for this beehive, he was stung by two egg-sized hornet nests on his back, and it took three days to slowly subside.

  Next year at this time, I must build a earth house. Although the earth house can't withstand the erosion of heavy rain, Yunzheng also plans to do so. The bamboo building is really not suitable for his brother's living habits.

  Yun Cong poured out a purse of money from a large bamboo tube, and he knew there were 131 coins in it without counting. He took a look and put it back, plugging the opening with a stopper.

  "Big brother, when we came here, we had nothing but the clothes on our backs. But I remember you still have a mobile phone. Sell it and our housing problem will be solved."

  "Never mind, I smashed the phone and only left a mobile phone charm. Although that charm is worth some money, it can't be used. That's what I prepared for you. In case you get sick, I need to take it to exchange for money to treat your illness. Don't worry, next year I will definitely earn enough money to build a house for us, maybe even a tile-roofed house."

  We built a big kang in the house, and when winter came, we heated it up warmly. Let me tell you, a warm kang is much better than central heating. We put a small red clay stove on the kang table, stewed a pot of sauerkraut and white meat, and ate until we were full.

  Yun Jianqiang drooled with a silly smile, as if he had already seen such days. Yun Zhong pampered him and gently patted his head before picking up the book to continue reading.

  The little yellow dog's ears suddenly perked up, and Yun Zheng glanced at the little yellow dog, holding a book and pushing open the door to look outside. The small rain outside was still falling ceaselessly, and the village seemed to be shrouded in a layer of green mist. A group of officials suddenly emerged from the green mist, and Yun Zheng found it extremely laughable. The leader of the officials rode on a horse that was not much bigger than a donkey, with both feet almost touching the ground, yet he still puffed out his chest and shouted loudly: "Old Tian, you old dog, listen up! The government is going to rectify the defense of Dou Sha Guan City, every household must send one strong young man, if there's one less, we'll take you, this old dog, to make up for it."

  An old man with a hearty laugh came out of the bamboo building, clasped his hands together and said: "Director Liu, what wind has blown you here? Quickly come up to the loft, first drink two bowls of light wine to dispel the chill. On a day like today, you still have to work and exhaust your spirit, it's really sinful."

  Liu Duotou dismounted with a limp, handed the whip to the bailiff, and scolded his way up the stairs. Yun Zheng put down the book in his hand, instructed Yun Jianqiang to take care of himself and keep warm, and went out saying he would be back soon.

  In the past, Cang Lao had said that as long as officials came to their doorstep, they would have to go over and accompany them. Yun Zheng went up to the bamboo building of Cang Lao's home and saw Cang Er and his family's little mouse hiding in a corner, and three women who were even more afraid to come out, only Cang Lao accompanied the five officials roasting by the fire and drinking wine.

  The old man hastily pulled Cloud's hand and said to Liu: "Look, this is the treasure of our village. He has been studying with his master in other places for many years and will take part in the county examination this year. He just returned home. Look at him, he is a scholar, thin and weak. Look at this cold weather, it's hard for children to bear the bitter labor. You are a noble person, please show mercy and let this child go."

  After hearing Cang Lao's words, Yun Zheng took a step forward and bowed his head to Liu Doutou: "The elder's kind intentions, the younger generation has understood, but setting up a household and serving as an official are determined by national law. Grandfather, you are making things difficult for Liu Doutou."

  Liu Dutou looked at Yun Zheng with a playful expression, discovering that this child had a calmness that other children did not possess. Even now, facing the bitter cold of winter conscription, he still spoke without being servile or overbearing, although his words carried a hint of arrogance, yet without losing decorum. Damn it, scholars always speak in this tone.

  "Now that you know this is the law of the land, you should also be aware that after serving as a government official, you can avoid paying taxes for next year's summer tax. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Since you've already established yourself as a household head, the local authorities will have to treat you with respect."

  The old man was in a hurry, and every winter day had labor service. Those tasks were not moving stones or lifting soil to build the city wall, which was absolutely not something that Cloud could handle with his small stature. Just as he was about to speak, Liu Doutou took out a thin account book from his pocket and handed it to Cloud, saying: "Participating in labor service is inevitable, no one can help you, but what kind of work you do on the construction site, I can adjust a bit. Since you are an educated person, our imperial court has always been lenient towards scholars. Moreover, our Mianzhou is originally a remote and desolate place, with very few scholars. As long as you can check this account book within an hour, I will ask you to manage the food account on the construction site, without having to work on the site, and it will be considered that you have completed your labor service. What do you think?"

  Yun Cong took the account book handed over by Liu Du, flipped through it and immediately had a grasp of the situation. He had thought it would be the legendary "Four Pillars Clear Book", which required knowledge of the old balance and income, only after deducting expenses from the actual amount could one get a complete account book. Now, what he held in his hand was just a rough ledger, filled with errors like "three seven twenty-eight". These must be evidence of corruption. Yun Cong smiled lightly and began to mentally calculate these simple accounts, his eyes clouded with anxiety.