The anti-Qing movement began with the looting of the Eight-Nation Alliance.

"Mom, come quick! Tie Niu has brought back so many things!" the young woman exclaimed in delight.

An elderly woman with half-gray hair groped her way out of the back room, and Zhang Tieniu quickly went to help her. "Mother, quickly light the lamp. Your eyesight isn't good, don't you know?"

"Alright!" The young woman quickly found the oil lamp in the house, carefully poured a little oil into it, then took out a tinderbox, blew on it a few times, and lit it.

The tiny flame didn't provide much light, so Zhang Tieniu went over and fiddled with it a few times to make the lamp brighter. The young woman opened her mouth, but ultimately didn't utter a sound.

"Daddy, Daddy!" Two childish voices rang out, and two naked children ran out one after the other.

"Hey!" Zhang Tieniu smiled warmly when he saw his son and daughter.

"Running around naked like that, hurry up and sit in bed. See what good things your father brought you today." Zhang Tieniu picked up his son, then took his daughter's hand and led them back into the house.

After tucking the two little ones into bed and covering them with blankets, Zhang Tieniu took out a paper package from his pocket, carefully opened it, and took out a string of candied hawthorns.

"Look, what's this?"

"Dad, I know! It's candied hawthorn." The six-year-old daughter clapped her hands happily as she spoke, her bright eyes sparkling.

"Good, Yaya is so smart! Here, share this with your brother, don't fight over it! I'll ask Mom to make you some fish-shaped noodles later." Zhang Tieniu patted his daughter's head and handed her the candied hawthorn.

Ya Ya took the candied hawthorn, swallowed hard, and handed it to Xiao Niu first; "Little brother, you eat first!"

Zhang Xiaoniu didn't stand on ceremony; he had been craving one for a long time. He immediately took a bite and started crunching away.

Ya Ya then took a small bite, and the sweet taste made her big eyes turn into two crescent moons.

Zhang Tieniu turned around and went into the main room, where his wife and mother were excitedly examining various items.

"My son! Where did you get so much money to buy so many things?" The old lady carefully stroked the cotton cloth in her hands. She used to weave cloth, but she hadn't woven for a long time after her eyesight deteriorated.

"Mother, I've joined Lord Shen's new army. This time I received ten taels of resettlement allowance and two taels of silver." Zhang Tieniu could no longer hide it from them.

"My son! The battlefield is dangerous. How could you join the army? If something happens to you, how will our family survive?" The old lady said, tears streaming down her face.

"Mother, we can't live like this anymore! If I don't try my luck, my whole family will starve to death. Don't worry! I'll be careful. Lord Shen is the best official in the land; I'm lucky to be his soldier. Many people want to go, but they still go!"

"Mother, you didn't eat dinner again, did you? Hurry up and make some noodles, make a lot, so the children can all have a good meal." Zhang Tieniu didn't dare to talk too much with his mother and quickly changed the subject.

"You can't waste it like that! Just make some corn porridge!" the old lady quickly interjected to stop her.

"Mother, let her make the noodle fish! The children haven't had a proper meal in ages. Ten taels of resettlement money will last a long time, and I also get my military pay every month. You won't have to go hungry every day anymore!"

"The children are at a crucial stage of their growth, so we must ensure they have plenty to eat every day!"

Seeing that her mother-in-law didn't say anything more, the young woman quickly picked up the flour bag and went to the kitchen with a happy expression.

"Where are Erniu and Niumei?"

"Brother, we're here!" The two little ones had already heard their older brother return and were hiding behind the door eavesdropping! When they heard their older brother ask, they quickly ran out.

Erniu is thirteen years old, and Niu Mei is almost twelve. They are both as thin as sticks, with dry, yellow hair and no flesh on their faces. Their clothes are all patched, but they are all clean.

Thinking of his father holding his hand before he died, telling him to take good care of his younger siblings, Zhang Tieniu's eyes welled up with tears. Thankfully, he had joined the army; things would get better from now on.

"Here! These are the candied hawthorns your brother Shitou bought for you. Take them and eat them. Don't fall asleep for a while, your sister-in-law is making dough fish-shaped pastries!"

"Mom, these pastries are specially bought for you. Have some to tide you over!" Zhang Tieniu took out a few paper packets from his pocket and handed them to his mother.

"Oh dear! Why are you wasting your money? Such good stuff is just a waste of my time. You should save it for when we have guests!" The old lady quickly waved her hand.

“Mom, I bought this especially for you, so please try it! Our family is so poor, we don’t have any guests coming! This pastry will spoil if left out too long,” Zhang Tieniu said helplessly.

Just as the mother and daughter were struggling, a voice came in: "Is Brother Tie Niu home?"

Upon hearing the voice, the old woman reacted swiftly. Clutching the cloth and the grain sack, she turned and went into the inner room, pulling Erniu and Niu Xiaomei inside as well.

Zhang Tieniu couldn't help but chuckle; he had no idea his mother possessed such incredible skill.

"Who is it! It's here." Zhang Tieniu answered and went outside. It was already getting dark.

"Second Grandma, let's go inside and talk. It's already dark outside." A moment later, Zhang Tieniu brought in an old woman with gray hair who was still in good spirits. Shi Tou followed behind, pouting.

"Second Grandma, please sit down. I'll pour you a bowl of water!"

“Brother Tie Niu, don’t bother! I came here to ask you something. Shi Tou came back with a bag of flour and more than ten taels of silver, which scared me to death. He said it was given to him by Lord Shen, but I can’t believe it! How could a child like him have such a good thing? He said he went with you, so please tell me what happened quickly.”

The old lady gripped Zhang Tieniu's hand tightly, and Zhang Tieniu felt a little pain.

"Second Grandma, don't rush. Sit down and let's talk!" Zhang Tieniu helped Grandma Stone to a stool.

The old woman carefully sat down, her hand still gripping Zhang Tieniu tightly. "Tieniu, you'd better tell me what happened!"

Zhang Tieniu had no choice but to squat down and say, "That's right, Second Madam! Shitou and I went to pay our respects to Lord Shen's new army. Here's the ten taels of resettlement allowance and two taels of silver. We bought flour together."

"That's good, that's good!" The old lady patted her chest, as long as the money was obtained honestly.

"But how could you dare? You're the pillar of your family, and Shitou is our only son. If anything happens to you, we..." The old lady couldn't finish her sentence and wiped away her tears.

“Second Madam, there’s no hope of staying at home these days. We’re just looking for a way to make a living! Lord Shen is a well-known upright official, and it’s our good fortune that Shi Tou and I can serve as his soldiers.”

Zhang Tieniu patted his second grandmother's hand reassuringly.