"Bang, bang bang ......"

In the whistling cold wind, a little boy dressed in thin clothes, shivering and knocking on the door of a family's yard.

It was New Year's Eve, and from time to time the sound of laughter rang out in the courtyard.

"Bang, bang bang ......"

After waiting for a long time without a response, the little boy raised his hand to pull the door ring again and knocked gently a few times.

"Phew ......"

The day is too cold, after knocking, he immediately put his hand to his mouth and breathed in to warm up a bit.

Not only his hands, but also his feet, which were only wearing straw shoes, were already frozen to the point of being insensitive.

"Who is it?"

At this point, the yard finally responded.

The little boy's face was happy.

"Second uncle, it's me."

He hurriedly answered.

He hurriedly answered.

"Creak ......"

Not long after, the courtyard door was opened, and a middle-aged man with a sturdy appearance poked a head out from among the doorway.

"Oh, it's Taiping, it's so late, what's the matter?"

The middle-aged man asked the young boy.

"The second ...... second uncle ...... home charcoal burned out, I think, I want to borrow a few pounds of charcoal with you second uncle, the next spring, can go up the mountain to cut firewood, I will definitely return you."

The little boy was a little embarrassed eyes averted said.

"A few pounds of charcoal can be worth a few dollars? You can wait here, uncle will take it to you!"

The man waved his hand and agreed.

"Taiping, have you eaten yet?"

Not a few steps out, the man suddenly stopped and turned his head to the little boy and asked.

"I, I ...... I ate ...... grandfather ...... grandfather did not eat ...... "

The little boy's hand clutched the corner of his coat, the words came to the end, the voice was small

Faintly inaudible.

The middle-aged man saw the situation, sighed lightly, then grinned again and said.

"Taiping you wait, second uncle will be right there."

"Mm."

The little boy nodded gently.

This time a cold wind blew, the little boy shivered with cold, but the heart is not so cold.

"Taiping!"

Not long after, the middle-aged man came out with a dustpan.

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Take it."

The second uncle, who had white air in his mouth, walked quickly to the courtyard door and shoved the dustpan into the little boy's arms.

The little boy looked down, only to see that the dustpan, in addition to a few pounds of charcoal, but also put four smoking hot white flour bun.

"Second uncle, I ......"

Looking at the several large white buns, the boy was somewhat terrified, but he had not eaten for a day, after seeing the several white flour buns, or indisputably gulped.

"Take it!"

The middle-aged man smiled nervously.

"Erniu, why are you still dawdling in the yard?"

Just then, a woman with a somewhat sturdy figure walked quickly to the entrance of the courtyard.

Seeing this woman, both the young boy, and the middle-aged man, their faces changed.

"Taiping ...... Taiping to borrow some charcoal."

The middle-aged man smiled sarcastically at the woman, his eyes dodging, full of fear.

"Two ...... two aunt."

The little boy called the woman a bang.

The woman first whitened the middle-aged man, then her eyes looked at the little boy, and finally fell on the dustpan in his hand.

After seeing the several white flour buns placed on the charcoal, her face immediately pulled down.

"This white flour bun, I saved it for Xiaohu, I can't even spare it for myself, you're so broad!"

The woman fiercely glared at the middle-aged man, and then unkindly grabbed two white flour buns with one hand.

"Mother, roast goose is ready yet, I want to eat roast goose, do not chew white bun!"

At this time, a fat boy wearing a new cotton jacket came out from the house, after seeing the white bun in the woman's hand, suddenly a look of displeasure.

"Son, what are you doing out, it's cold outside, go inside, don't freeze."

The woman saw the situation with an anxious face towards the fat boy.

"Mother, I don't want white bun, I want roast goose!"

The fat boy stomped his feet with a displeased face, seemingly about to cry.

"Good, good, good, roast goose will be ready soon, these buns are for Ah Huang to eat."

The woman, while coaxing the chubby boy with a doting face, threw the two white flour buns, casually, into the dog cage under the eaves.

"Ugh ......"

Seeing this scene, the middle-aged man frowned, and then sighed hopelessly.

The little boy looked at the dog gnawed a few white flour bun biting his lips, then clutching the dustpan containing charcoal in his arms, looked up at the middle-aged man and smiled and said.

"Second uncle, thank you, I'm leaving."

"Be careful on the way, burn charcoal at night, remember to leave a gap in the window, help your master cover up the quilt."

The middle-aged man waved his hand.

"Xu Erniu! If you don't go back to the house, don't try to get on my mother's bed tonight!"

The woman's cursing voice came from inside the house again at that moment.

"Coming, coming!"

The man hurriedly answered, smiled sarcastically at the little boy, and then closed the courtyard door.

After the door was closed, the last light in the snow disappeared, and the whole world was swallowed up again by the night, with only a small light still on in a thatched hut not far to the east.

"With these charcoal and two white flour buns, grandpa will definitely be able to get better."

The little boy in the night did not feel afraid, he shrunk his head, smiling and mumbling a sentence, and then clutching the bob of charcoal and two white buns, jumping quickly towards the night of a small lighted earth house.

......

In front of the small earthen house.

"Creak ......"

The little boy pushed open the door of the house.

"Taiping ...... is that you?"

Only as soon as he entered the door, an old, hoarse and somewhat feeble voice came from the room with the light on.

"It's me, grandpa."

The little boy rubbed his frozen face hard and tried to squeeze out a smile before walking quickly to the door of the room, lifting the curtain and walking in.

Once inside the room, a strong smell of herbs came overwhelming.

Because there is no stove fire, the temperature inside is no different from outside.

In the innermost part of the room, there was a bed made of several wooden boards, worn out to reveal the cotton wool quilt, an old man so thin that only skin and bones were left huddled in it.

"Grandpa, second uncle lent me a few pounds of charcoal, and also gave two white buns, we wait to bake and eat."

The little boy Taiping while pouring charcoal into the stove, while full of joy rushed to the old man on the bed said.

"Good ...... good ......"

The old man smiled and nodded his head.

Although the old man's body exudes a dying aura, but that pair of cloudy eyes after seeing the little boy Taiping, at once regained its luster.

"Taiping ah ...... these years ...... follow grandpa ...... suffering you."

The old man's gaze is full of love to look at Taiping, mouth difficult to mumble.

"Grandpa, I'm not bitter, not bitter at all."

The charcoal stove will be lit Taiping, raised his head, grinning at the old man and shook his head.

"Silly child, really a silly child ah ...... these years if not for your care, grandfather would have left ......"

The old man reached out and touched Taiping's little head, full of pity and sighed.

"Grandpa you do not say these inauspicious words, you will be able to live a long life." Taiping baked steamed buns while shaking his head vigorously.

"Taiping ah, have you heard of immortals?"

The old man suddenly asked Taiping.