Chapter 14 Chapter 2: Leaving home is for eating

Zhu Wusi was squeezed dry by the land, but the land did not prepare his burial place.Burying into the ground is the last and irresistible request of a Chinese. Even if they are going to die of starvation tomorrow, the Zhu brothers still have to put their father's body in a proper place today.However, in times of disaster, it is really difficult for the impoverished families to find a cemetery.In desperation, the two brothers begged the landlord Liu De with a thick-skinned heart, thinking that after all, the landlord and tenant had been in a relationship for many years, no matter how cruel he was, he would not have the heart to let an old tenant die in the wilderness.Unexpectedly, not only did Liu De show no sympathy, but he "screamed loudly", scolded the two brothers and drove them out.Zhu Yuanzhang later recalled: "The landlord (Liu) doesn't care about his morals, and he shouts loudly. He doesn't share with the land, and the neighbors are melancholy."

Fortunately, China's rural land not only suffers from hunger and cold, but also has endless simplicity and kindness from generation to generation. The tragic scene of the old Zhu's house made the neighbors worry about it.Liu Jizu, a distant relative of Liu De, is another big family in the village. Seeing this situation, he sent his son Liu Ying to call the Yuanzhang brothers to his home, gave them a hot meal, and said, your parents are both An honest and honest person cannot live without a place to be buried after death.The land in the east of my village, the corner of the land is relatively high, and it can be used as a cemetery. If you don't mind it, I will give it to you.

Hearing this, the two brothers had tears in their eyes, knelt down and kowtowed vigorously a few times.Liu Jizu hurriedly helped them up, saying go back and get ready! In fact, there is nothing to prepare.Because there is not even a grain of grain left, let alone a coffin.Not only was there no coffin, but even after searching the entire house, they couldn't find a complete piece of clothing that could be used as a shroud.I had no choice but to let my parents wear the tattered clothes riddled with holes, rolled up in the reed mat with many holes exposed, and buried in the soil.The two brothers were so hungry that they couldn't afford to dig a deeper grave, so they had to bury it hastily.Zhu Yuanzhang later recalled the situation at that time and said: "There is no coffin in the funeral, and the body is covered with evil clothes, floating three feet, what kind of food is laid!"

The family is broken, the relatives are separated, and the brothers are preparing to flee separately like their father and grandfather did back then.In this world, the life of the poor is more fragile than an ant. After this breakup, they are scattered in the vast sea of ​​people, and they may never see each other again.Thinking of this, the brothers hugged each other and cried.Many years later, Zhu Yuanzhang recalled the tragic scene in "The Monument of the Imperial Mausoleum" in this way: "My brother was hurt for me, and I cried for my brother. The emperor's day is bright, and my heart is broken!"

The crying alarmed Aunt Wang next door, and the old man walked over to comfort the two brothers on her little feet.The aunt said, it’s okay for the second brother to go out alone, but Chongba is too young, how can he go out alone!Why not go to the Huangjue Temple at the head of the village and become a monk!Besides, your parents once wanted to send you to the temple to become a monk. It turned out that not a few days after Zhu Yuanzhang was born, he suffered from abdominal distension and refused to breastfeed.Zhu Wusi sought medical treatment everywhere, but to no avail.So I discussed with Mrs. Chen that I wanted to give Chongbashe to the temple, and promised to send Zhu Yuanzhang to be a monk when he grew up, and prayed to gods and Buddhas to bless him safe and sound.

However, it is not so easy to become a monk.Because the rations in the temple are also tight, without some gifts to get through the joints, it is easy to get in.People who eat the same water and soil are like potatoes on a vine, and their hearts are all connected.Although she was too poor to open the pot, Mrs. Wang still took out the money pressed at the bottom of the box, bought incense candles and gifts for Yuan Zhang, and asked her son to accompany Yuan Zhang to the temple.