In years of famine and drought, their village even rejected fatty meat.

Chapter 793 Ups and Downs

Thanks to the three brothers' dedication and hard work, they successfully completed their apprenticeship in just three months and were certified by Chenjia Village. They transformed from ordinary migrant workers into formal workers of Chenjia Village, and their wages increased from the original 350 coins to 800 coins per person!

In Chenjia Village, an income of 800 coins a month might not be enough to make one rich, but it would certainly be enough to ensure a comfortable life.

In addition, the three brothers were used to being frugal and dared not spend their monthly wages recklessly, so at the end of the month, they did not spend even half of their wages, but saved them all.

It wasn't until yesterday, when Chen Dao announced the Harvest Festival, that the three brothers were willing to take out their savings and purchase some items from various shops in Chenjia Village.

The three brothers didn't buy these things for their own enjoyment, but rather planned to take them back to their hometown so that their parents and family could eat better.

At this moment, Huang Ming sat on the bumpy donkey cart, the faces and voices of his parents, younger brother and sister flashing through his mind. He couldn't help but say, "We've been away from home for a year. I wonder how things are back home!"

Huang Ming never resented his parents. He knew that his parents had no choice but to drive the three brothers out of the village. At that time, the family had very little food left, and if they did not leave, the only outcome for the family would be starvation.

Therefore, he never resented his parents and family in the slightest. Since settling down in Chenjia Village, he has often worried about the situation at home and was concerned about his parents, younger brother and sister.

"My parents will definitely be alright, and my younger brother and sister will definitely still be alive!"

Huang Ming's elder brother, Huang Shu, clenched his fists and spoke with absolute certainty, though he was extremely uneasy inside.

When they left home, their parents were already skin and bones from hunger, and their younger siblings were also pale and thin. Huang Shu really didn't know how his parents and younger siblings could have survived under such circumstances...

On the long official road, the donkey cart bumped and jolted along, just like the fluctuating emotions of the three Huang brothers.

…………

…………

A day passed quickly, and the donkey cart arrived at Yongliang County.

Upon arriving here, the coachman finished his mission, and Huang Ming and his two companions had to walk the rest of the journey home on their own.

Huang Ming and his two companions had anticipated this. The donkey cart was rented from the carriage shop in Chenjia Village. Such rental vehicles usually only transport people to larger cities, and it was impossible to deliver them directly to remote villages.

After getting off the bus, the three Huang brothers carried large and small bags out of Yongliang County and headed towards their hometown, Linshan Village.

Along the way, the three Huang brothers encountered many other workers from Chenjia Village who were also returning home from Chenjia Village. After exchanging greetings, they continued on their journey in silence.

In the afternoon, as the sun was about to set, the small village at the foot of the mountain finally came into view at the edge of the three brothers' sight.

Looking at the small mountain village, the three Huang brothers couldn't help but feel excited and quickened their pace.

Before long, the three brothers crossed the village gate of Linshan Village and saw a desolate scene inside.

Linshan Village is built against the mountain and has been a poor place since ancient times. In addition, due to the impact of cold disasters and wars, it has long been unsuitable for living.

Before the Huang brothers were driven out of their home, the villagers either starved to death or fled. The Linshan Village, which originally had more than 100 households and more than 300 people, was reduced to only about 150 people.

Now, a year later, the population of Linshan Village has decreased again, and there are less than 30 households left in the village!

So when the three Huang brothers entered the village, they saw a Linshan Village that was completely different from what they had imagined.

The village was desolate, lonely, and bleak, filled with a deathly atmosphere. Only a few houses had smoke rising from their chimneys. If it weren't for the wisps of smoke, the three brothers would have thought they had entered a long-abandoned village!

Stepping onto the snow-covered road, returning to their hometown, the three Huang brothers, who should have been excited, were instead incredibly nervous. The situation in the village inevitably gave them a bad feeling.

"Who are you?"

Just then, a sound came from a house by the roadside, and a man came out of the house, looking at Huang Ming and his two companions with a wary expression, as if he mistook them for robbers who had come to the village to plunder.

"You are……"

Seeing the man's familiar face, Huang Ming couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Uncle Zhang?"

Upon seeing Huang Ming call him Uncle Zhang, the man frowned, still staring at Huang Ming and his two brothers with a wary expression. At the same time, many nearby villagers also noticed the commotion, and the men in the village came out of their homes and surrounded Huang Ming and his two brothers.

Many of them even carried crude weapons such as brooms and wooden sticks, ready to attack the three at any moment.

Seeing the villagers' reaction, Huang Ming was both amused and exasperated. He said to the man called Uncle Zhang, "Uncle Zhang, I'm Huang Ming. Don't you recognize me?"

Huang Ming?

The other villagers looked at each other, searching their memories for the name.

The man called Uncle Zhang trembled, and an incredulous look flashed in his eyes.

The name Huang Ming might not be familiar to others in the village, but he was extremely familiar with it!

Uncle Zhang's original name was Zhang Tianniu. He was very familiar with Huang Ming's father, Huang Li. When Huang Ming and his two brothers were still young, Huang Li would often bring them to Zhang Tianniu's house to play.

It could be said that Zhang Tianniu watched the three Huang brothers grow up, so he was very familiar with them, but...

Zhang Tianniu looked at the three faces that were both familiar and unfamiliar. As far as he knew, a year ago, the three Huang brothers had been driven out of their home by Huang Li and his wife to flee the famine.

The mortality rate for those fleeing famine in that era was extremely high. Therefore, neither Huang Li and his wife, nor the villagers like Zhang Tianniu who knew about it, thought that the three Huang brothers could come back alive.

Therefore, Zhang Tianniu was incredibly shocked when he heard Huang Ming reveal his identity!

"I remember now! Isn't Huang Ming Huang Li's third son?"

"I remember now! My God, Huang Li's son is back!"

"Didn't they go to escape famine? How did they come back alive?"

"They're still alive?"

"..."

Not only Zhang Tianniu, but all the villagers who remembered who Huang Ming was stared wide-eyed at Huang Ming and his two companions, their eyes filled with disbelief.

It was no secret that the three Huang brothers were driven out of their home by their parents and fled south to escape famine. After all, when Huang Ming's parents drove the three out of the village with sticks, it was quite a commotion, and almost all the villagers witnessed it.