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

Chapter 595 How does this look like a skinny monkey?

"What? This guy is a skinny monkey? He doesn't look like a skinny monkey at all!"

"The face is somewhat similar, but the body..."

"This can't be a skinny monkey."

"No, how could this be a skinny monkey?"

"..."

The other villagers looked at the skinny monkey's familiar face and were a little confused.

The skinny monkey's face did look somewhat familiar to them, but his healthy complexion and robust physique made it impossible for them to believe that this person was the skinny monkey they remembered.

“It’s not just Skinny Monkey, there’s Zhang He too.”

At this moment, Tie Zhu, having regained his senses, pointed at Zhang He and said, "Look, Zhang He has changed a lot too!"

Upon hearing this, everyone turned their attention to Zhang He, and soon showed expressions of astonishment.

"Zhang He? Is it Zhang He from Zhang Qi's family?"

"What? This is Zhang He?"

"What...did Skinny Monkey and Zhang He take some kind of super tonic? How come they're so strong?"

"..."

Looking at Zhang He, who had a plump face and a strong physique, wearing only a thin garment in the slightly chilly autumn, the villagers' eyes were filled with disbelief.

In their memory, Zhang He was a thin young man. Although he wasn't as skinny as a bamboo pole as a skinny monkey, his cheeks were sunken and his body was thin because he hadn't had enough to eat for many years. His clothes were also tattered, making him no different from a beggar.

But the man in front of me...

He was broad-shouldered and burly, and although his face looked tired from traveling, his clothes were made of excellent material, which contrasted sharply with the patched clothes worn by the villagers.

Seeing the utterly shocked villagers, Zhang He and Shouhou were overjoyed. The reason they made a special trip back to the village was not only because they missed their hometown, but also because they wanted to return in glory and show off to the villagers they used to know.

"Are you really Zhang He, the son of Zhang Qi?"

Village chief Zhang Hao strode forward, closing the distance to carefully examine Zhang He in front of him.

"Replace it if it's fake!"

Zhang He said with a smile, "Village chief, if you don't remember what I look like, don't you remember my voice?"

of course I remember.

Zhang Hao subconsciously thought to himself, as the village chief of Zhangwang Village, he was very familiar with everyone in the village, especially after the cold disaster, when the village population was decreasing, so he had a very deep memory of everyone who survived.

only……

Zhang Hao still couldn't quite believe that the man in front of him was Zhang He. There was no way around it; Zhang He had changed so much that he couldn't recognize him.

“Village chief, your name is Zhang Hao. This is Zhang Tiezhu, that’s Aunt Wang, and that’s Aunt Wu…”

Seeing that Zhang Hao still didn't quite believe it, Zhang He pointed at the villagers and read out their names and identities one by one.

At this point, Zhang Hao and the villagers finally believed Zhang He's identity.

"It really is Zhang He?"

"The changes are too great! So great that I can't even recognize it."

"My God! Did Zhang He eat a thousand-year-old ginseng? His arms are as thick as my thighs."

"I remember Zhang He used to be skinny, how come he's so strong now?"

"I thought Zhang He had died on the way to escape the famine, but I can't believe he's back today."

"..."

After confirming Zhang He's identity, the villagers were filled with extreme shock.

Looking at Zhang He and Shouhou, who had full complexions and were dressed neatly, and then at their own patched clothes, the villagers were at a loss for how to react.

"Zhang He, Skinny Monkey, you two have really struck it rich!"

After a brief moment of shock, Zhang Hao couldn't help but sigh, noting that his eyesight was better than the villagers' and that he recognized that Zhang He and Shouhou were wearing silk.

"Not bad, not bad!"

Zhang He said with a hint of pride, "Skinny Monkey and I were just lucky. We managed to escape the famine and end up in Qingzhou, where we found a job to make a living."

I wish I had that kind of luck!

The villagers silently thought to themselves, looking at the well-fed Zhang He and the skinny monkey, and then at themselves, starving and dressed in tattered clothes, their envy was almost overflowing.

"I'm so glad you're back!"

The village chief looked at Zhang He, who was half a head taller than him, and sighed, "There aren't many people left in our village."

Upon hearing this, a look of sadness flashed in Zhang He's eyes as he recalled unpleasant memories.

Back then, the entire Zhangwang Village was starving, as were he and his parents. He was lucky enough to escape to Qingzhou and transformed from a refugee into a merchant.

His parents were not so lucky. Long before he fled to Qingzhou, they gave him all their last food rations, and the two of them starved to death at home.

To this day, Zhang He still remembers what his parents said when they handed him the food rations: "Son, your parents are old, but you are still young. You have a long road ahead of you. Take this food ration and head south with it until you reach a place where you can survive."

"Father, Mother, wouldn't it be better if we went together?"

Zhang He, with tears in his eyes, asked as he received the rations.

"It won't work!"

Zhang He's father waved his hand weakly and said, "Your mother and I are no longer able to go. Take your food and set off. As for your parents... just stay in the village."

"No, no, no."

Zhang He shook his head frantically: "Father, Mother, if the three of us walk together, we'll definitely reach a place where we can survive."

"obedient!"

"I won't listen! I don't want to leave you."

Zhang He knew that if he went on this journey, he might never see his parents again, so he refused to set off no matter what.

However, Zhang He's father, Zhang Qi, knew that the remaining food rations were far from enough to sustain the three of them on their journey. If Zhang He set off alone, he might survive, but if the three of them set off together, they would probably all starve to death.

Left with no other choice, Zhang Qi took out a stick and forcibly drove Zhang He out of the house, forcing him to embark on a journey south, all so that Zhang He could survive.

"Father, Mother, you must live."

Driven out of the village by his father, Zhang He, his body stained with blood, turned back and kowtowed heavily in the direction of his parents, and then...

With less than two pounds of rations, they set off for Qingzhou.

Zhang He's parents stood there, gazing intently at his retreating figure, a look of contentment on their faces.

They knew they wouldn't survive, but at least... their son still had hope of survival.

They only hoped that Zhang He could live a good life.

"Wife, let's go."

Zhang Qi turned to his wife and said with shame, "I'm sorry to you and our son. I haven't been able to feed you properly."