Young York secretly went to cut fodder during the day without telling his mother, and the little bit of beans he exchanged for the fodder he put into the grain jar, thinking his mother didn't know,
but in fact, Monia already knew.
Living in such a village, how could she not know?
The beans in the grain jar, Monia counted almost every al, how could she not notice that there was a little more today than yesterday?
Recalling those nights when young York tossed and turned in pain and couldn't sleep, Monia's nose tingled with emotion.
Originally,
these things shouldn't be for him to worry about at his age.
At his age, he should be carefree, running wildly across the fields without being scolded by adults. After passing this tender age, only at seven or eight years old would he start being asked by his parents to help with so simple chores, truly becoming a mber of the family workforce only after thirteen.
But,
now this child feels incredibly guilty for eating black bread out of hunger and craving.
This made Monia's eyes well up with tears.
She reached out, gently stroking young York's head, and said softly:
"It's alright, York, if you like it, just eat it. It's the food you got. It belongs to you. How about we eat black bread for this al?"
"But, Mom, shouldn't we use these things to exchange for beans with Old Brown?"
Young York raised his head, his eyes filled with confusion but also a hint of hope.
"No, no need, we'll eat first and then see. Since that kind gentleman said everyone could fetch food, I guess it wouldn't be a problem if I go to fetch so more later."
Monia's gaze, filled with a kind smile, gently comforted her younger son.
"But, Mom, people in the village say... that gentleman is a demon sent to bring disaster upon us..."
Young York's voice hesitated, and his expression clearly showed inner conflict.
"York, don't believe just because people say so, what do you think of that gentleman?"
Monia interrupted York and questioned back.
"Uh... he looks a bit fierce, doesn't speak kindly, but that gentleman seems to be good people."
Young York still rembered,
when the Village Chief was taking the black bread, he originally planned to take two pieces, but his hand paused for a mont, took another piece, and even slipped a small bag of wheat into young York's hand.
That pause in action, young York saw it and rembered it in his heart.
"That's right, York, rember to always stick to your own opinions, don't be blinded by others' views."
Monia encouraged,
"Co, let's eat this black bread first; leave the rest to Mom."
The tone suddenly rose with a strength and confidence young York had never seen before.
"Do you think, York, if you, as a child, dare to fetch food, why would Mom, as an adult, not dare?"
For so reason,
young York felt like sothing indescribable had changed in his mother.
A mother's strength.
Maybe,
it was the earlier feeling of hunger and desperation that made Monia realize sothing,
since people are almost starving to death, why worry too much about it—not eating well would be foolish.
Monia looked at the black bread on the broken table beside her, wiped her hand on her skirt, and with so trembling, picked up the black bread from the table.
TWO days without food,
Monia's heart wasn't nearly as calm as it appeared on the surface.
Her stomach felt like a fire was burning inside it,
she handed one whole piece of the two and a half pieces of black bread to young York, then picked up the half that York had eaten on the way.
"Co, York, let's eat together."
Young York nodded vigorously,
after all, he was just a child, easily persuaded by his mother.
Besides, although he couldn't resist eating a half piece of black bread on the way, after being hungry for so long, his stomach was only half full.
That taste,
young York, who had tasted it, simply couldn't resist.
But just as he took the whole piece of black bread handed by his mother, upon seeing the piece in his mother's hand that he had left half-eaten,
he thought for a mont and snatched the half from his mother's hand while pushing the whole piece into his mother's hand.
"Mom, I've already had half a piece of black bread on the way, I'm full, this piece is for you, and the remaining half is for ."
He said, giving a belch and patting his stomach:
"See, my stomach is almost full."
Monia suddenly smiled,
petted young York's head again,
her eyes slightly red.
"Alright, Mom will do as you say."
After so thought,
young York woke his sleeping brother,
perhaps too hungry, the toddler was in deep sleep during the day, all this happening yet York's two or three-year-old brother was still sound asleep, sotis talking in his sleep, but never waking.
Young York then split his remaining half again, giving part to his stunned, just-awakened brother,
and not forgetting the several-month-old sister either,
soaking a small piece of black bread in water until mushy,
to feed the little sister in swaddles so mush.
Under Monia's kind smile,
the family had their most sumptuous al this year that noon.
A gentle feast.
During this rich al,
all of them, big or small, gobbled it up.
After starving for two days,
they all felt this was the most delicious lunch of their lives.
Like the fields on the brink of drought and death,
a life-saving rain ca just in ti, revitalizing the withered wheat shoots.
The black bread young York fetched from the castle pulled this nearly shattered family back from the brink of death.
After finishing a whole piece of black bread,
Monia, rarely felt this satisfied lull in her stomach, almost felt like an illusion, and strength slowly ca back.
After tidying things up,
she wrapped her little daughter in a patched infant cloth, carrying her on her back while holding her two or three-year-old son's hand.
Then she picked up the cracked, worn wooden basin at the edge.
"Mom?"
Seeing his mother ready to leave, young York felt sowhat puzzled.
Monia patted young York's head and smiled:
"York, stay ho and watch the house; Mom's going to fetch food from the gentleman, I'll be back soon."
Then,
like talking to herself, added:
"That kind gentleman said everyone could fetch food, so these two children should have their share too; hopefully, in the na of the Lord, the kind gentleman can give a bit more..."
Trying to get as much as possible,
this is the survival wisdom of the peasant serfs.
...
ps:
Fourth update is done, today it seems like the fifth will not be finished,
I'll try to write a bit more after showering as a draft for tomorrow.
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