Chapter 30 Twenty-eight

Twenty-eight Twelve large trucks with their wheels removed, six in a row, end to end, parked on a small flat field by the river.about The De family was lucky, and they caught up with a vacant seat and lived in the end of a truck that hadn't arrived yet.The later cotton pickers only It's easy to live in tents, and each tent is filled with the small flat ground. They did a good job.Mother made small pockets for each of the children out of old shirts, and the two children also learned how to pick them off. cotton.They can eat meat once every night, and buy something extra. That evening, returning from the cotton fields, they entered the shop at the crossroads.Mom bought three pounds of ribs,

A piece of beef, and a bottle of milk for Rose of Sharon.Pa ordered another jar of syrup for pancakes. Lucy took two big boxes of popcorn and called out tentatively: "Mom?" Asking turns into surprise or sadness.Ma said, "Put it back—" Sadness began to form in Lucy's eyes.dad Said: "It's only five cents a box. The two little guys did a good job today." Mom nodded and said, "Okay." Lucy Surprised and delighted, he dragged Winfield and ran out the door. Back home, Mom had just cooked the ribs when Winfield came in quietly. "Mom, Lucy said it." "What

What did you say? " "Tom's business. Mom stared and knelt down: "Who did she tell?"said something What? "Here's the thing. Lucy didn't eat the popcorn all at once, she ate it little by little. Several children came over and wanted to eat, but Lucy refused to give any.Some kid stole Lucy's popcorn box son.Lucy ran after them, hitting this and that.A big girl comes and beats Lucy up and makes Lucy cry up.The two fight.Lucy said she wanted her brother to kill the big girl.The girl said she also had a brother.lucy Said, "My brother will kill your brother." The girl said, "What if my brother killed your brother?" Lucy

He said, "My brother has killed two people, and he is hiding." Mom lost all strength, "Oops! Blindfolded, what should I do! ... Winfield, go and get Lucy back. "Winfield just left, and the three men Come in.Ma whispered to Pa, "Lucy told about Tom hiding." "What?" "She told the others children fight and tell about it. " "Oh, the beast! " "No, she doesn't know what's in it. Doesn't matter.I have to go to Tom and tell him to be careful. You stay here and watch out for something. "At this time Lucy came in, she was ashamed and afraid, all dirty,

There are bloodstains on the face.Winfield followed triumphantly, "I told her she got into trouble." Mom shouted, "Shut up! Lucy has suffered from others, don't make her feel wronged anymore." Lucy threw herself into her mother's arms, crying : "They robbed my Wang Mihua. That stinky girl, she hit me—" Mom stroked her head, "Don't cry, you still don't want to cry!" sensible. Let go of me, I'm going out. "It's all because of her popcorn," Winfield said.She should be beaten. " "Mind your own business. You're going to get a beating. Let me go, Lucy." Ma put two ribs and some fried potatoes in the

An iron basin, wrapped in newspaper, went out, and walked in a big way.Along the way, someone greeted her: "Hi, Mrs. Joad. ""Hello. "" Send something? "There's a friend over there."I want to bring back some bread. " After walking through the row of tents, she looked back and saw that the small field was full of lights. Ma waited quietly in the willow bushes by the river for five minutes to see if anyone was following, and then walked along the riverside. Path forward.Came to a dry stream. She saw a black hole on the wall of the ditch, and every time she brought food to Tom, she always put it in that hole.

She took out the empty tray left there, and carefully stuffed the paper bag into it, then got into the willow bushes, quietly sit down.After waiting for a long time, the sound of light footsteps gradually approached, and a dark figure came to the stream, covering the I passed the black hole, and walked away after a while. "Tom!" "It's you, Mom!" Mom got up and walked over to him. Tom said, "You shouldn't be here. It's too close to the path, and people might walk by." "I have something to say to you. Said, I must wait for you. "Then come with me!" ’ Tom walked a quarter of a mile along the edge of the field through the willow bushes,

Walk to a field of wild blackberry trees.Mom followed.Tom pulled back a bunch of vines and said, "Got to climb in, I'm Live like a rabbit. ' Ma crawled into the hole, and heard Tom crawl in, and heard him unwrap the paper, Just say: "There are ribs, and fried potatoes." "Honey, it's still hot." The hole is dark, what Can't see either, Ma can hear Tom eating well. She said uncomfortably, "Tom, Lucy has told about you." Tom asked what was the matter? Ma said, "It's not her fault. When she fights, she always calls out her brother to scare the opponent. You know what they do.

Later she said that her brother had killed two people and was hiding. Tom giggled, "Mom, it's just It's okay for kids. "" No, it's not that simple.Children will talk about it, and adults will go around when they hear it Say.They will probably send someone to follow up on that case before long.Tom, you must go now. ""I Say it all the time.Always worried that someone saw you put things in that hole. "Ma knew Tom was right to worry, But I always hope that he stays close by.She hadn't seen Tom for a long time, and now she couldn't see again, so she asked Tom what happened to his face.

That's it.Tom said it was getting better soon.Ma moved Tom closer and touched his head and then his nose, Then he touched his left cheek and said, "You've got a big scar and your nose is crooked." Tom thought it was a good thing, Perhaps no one will recognize him. If he hadn't left his fingerprints in prison, I'd be too happy to say it. Mom said: "Let me touch it again. I want to remember you, even if I touch it with my fingers. Fingers also have memories. You must go, Tom. ’ She called Tom to hold out his hand, and said: ‘We’ve done a good job.I secretly save

some money.Here's seven bucks. "I can't take your money," said Tom.I have a way of messing around. " "I won't sleep if you don't bring some money. Maybe you'll have to take a bus, or something. I hope I hope you run farther, three or four hundred miles away. "" I don't want the money. "" Take it, do you hear me?you shouldn't make me sad.I think you can go to a big city.When you get there, people won't look for you anymore. "Tom Turning around, he said to Ma, "Guess who I'm thinking about when I'm alone all day and all night? Casy! He's told a lot about Reason, often makes me hate.But now I remembered what he said.He said that once he went to the wilderness to find himself He found his own soul, which he found to be but a part of a larger soul.He said wilderness was bad because his A part of the soul is of no use unless it becomes one with the rest.That's weird, how can I Remember so clearly.I wasn't listening at all. Now I understand that it is useless for one person to leave the group. "Mom asked Tom what he planned to do in the future? After a long silence, Tom said he remembered the situation in the shelter.Why can't we live like that everywhere? And said he was going to do what Casy did.He kept thinking that if all the common people were gathered together, it would be like a farm The people who were on strike yelled——Mom said worriedly: "How can I find out about you in the future? They may hurt you, they may kill you.How do I know? said Tom, laughing uncomfortably: "Perhaps Casy is right. A man has no soul of his own, but part of a larger soul. Then— —" "So what, Tom? " "Then it doesn't matter.I just wandered around in the dark. I'm everywhere -- no matter which way you look, you'll see me.As long as there are hungry people in order to eat Where there is struggle, I am there.As long as there are police beating people, I will be there.when people are angry Yelling, yelling, I was yelling with them.Hungry kids laugh when they know dinner is ready, and I tell They are laughing together.We ordinary people eat the food we grow and live in the houses we built ourselves. I'll be there all the time.God, I sound like Casy when I say that. I think he thinks too hard, and sometimes I seem to see him. "Ma didn't quite understand what Tom meant. Tom Said that he himself didn't understand, a person who couldn't move around all the time, would inevitably have to think wildly. It's time for Ma to go home. She must make Tom take the money.Tom didn't push any more, but took Ma's hand and walked out of the hole, saying He said "goodbye".Mom also said "goodbye" and left quickly.His eyes were wet and burning, but he didn't cry come out. On the highway, Mom heard footsteps behind her.She turned her head in a panic, and a man caught up with him. A small farmer has 20 acres of cotton, which matured a bit late, and now it is finally ready to be picked, and wants to hire some people to come Picking, willing to pay 90 cents a hundred pounds, mother asked the location, said: "We must go." Back to the next bus In the van, Pa and Uncle John sat with their backs to the wall with Mr. Waywright who lived at the other end of the van.mom said As for picking cotton elsewhere tomorrow, Dad said that it is best to drive a truck to pick more cotton.Cotton here is fast It's over.Wainwright asked if they could go too. Of course, Ma said, and that the Weywrights could ride in his truck and the gas would be shared equally.Wei Wright Thankfully, Ma said it was good for both parties. Dad told Mom that Mr. Wey Wright had come to talk to them about his company. This matter made Wei Wright very worried. His daughter, Archie, was out walking with Al every night, and something might have gone wrong.Aki has grown up, It's time to have a husband.The Wei Wrights don't hold grudges against Orr, they like him quite a bit, but they are worried that once the two families break up, Aki is going to go wrong again, and they don't want to embarrass themselves.Mom promised Wei Wright that she would not embarrass his family, and Dad would To Al; if Pa wouldn't, she told Al herself.Way Wright thanked him and walked around the middle of the compartment The oilcloth stopper went to the other end. Ma called Pa and Uncle John to her, sat down on the mattress together, and whispered to them, "I'm sending Tom Gone, to a place far away. ’ Pa and Uncle John both thought it had to be done. Pa said: "I know. I'm useless. I'm always thinking about the past. I'm always thinking about my hometown, the situation here. The form seems invisible.How strange, let a woman be in charge of the house!The woman is called to do this and that, to go here and there, I don't give a damn either. Mom comforted him and said, "Women can adapt to the environment better than men."Women live by their hands, men Live on your head.Don't you worry.Maybe next year we can get a piece of land. "How can Dad not worry? With nothing, there will be a long period of time without work, and besides, Rose of Sharon's delivery date is not far away.to avoid For these heart-wrenching things, he kept thinking about the past.He said: "Our life seems to be finished." Mom laughed He laughed and said: "No, it's endless. Only women understand this truth. A man's life is a hop-up--children It is one jump to be born and die when you grow up; it is another jump to place a piece of land and lose it again.what about women, women My life is like a river, constantly flowing forward.That's how women see life.We're not going to die. People are always moving forward, and although some people die, those who remain are stronger.You have to live the day ahead.one Days can not relax. ’ Ma’s words reminded Uncle John of his wife, ‘if only she hadn’t died— —” There was a slow sound of footsteps on the pedals, and Al came in through the tarpaulin. Ma called him over and said they were talking.Orr said he wanted to talk too, and he was leaving soon.Ma asked him why he was leaving, and Al said he was with Aqi wants to get married, and he plans to find a job in a car dealership.Mom was overjoyed to hear that Orr and Archie were getting married. Hope he doesn't go away for now.Mrs. Waywright on the other side of the tarpaulin also heard the good news announced by Orr, and visited happily. Turn around and say that it's a pity that there is no wedding cake, so it's better to make a wedding cake or something. Ma said, "Let me make some coffee and some pancakes." Mrs. Wainwright said, "That's great! I'll take some sugar and put it in the pancakes. "While Ma was busy making flour, Rosasharn came back from the outside and asked Ma What happened.Hearing that Auer and Aqi wanted to get married, she looked at Auer without saying a word, turned around and walked out go.She went to the stream, went into the willow grove, and lay down on her back in the depths of the willow grove.She felt the weight of the child in her stomach of. Before dawn the next day, my mother got up.As soon as the stove was lit, Rosasharn also sat up.Mom found Rosa Xiang was unusual and asked her what was on her mind.Rose of Sharon said she was going to pick cotton too.Ma didn't agree with Rose of Sharon going because Because her due date is approaching.But Rose of Sharon insisted on going.Ma asked her if it was something about Al and Archie that caused her to what idea?Asked several times, the daughter did not answer. The whole family was called out, and the Wei Wright family over there also started to move.Orr muttered, it was too late to pick cotton. Ma said I'd be there by daylight.Both families were ready, but Mom still hoped that Rosasharn would not go.daughter clenched Jaws, must go.Mom said: "You don't have a bag, and you can't drag the bag." "I'll pick it in your bag." up. "Mom had to sigh and agree. They hadn't arrived early, and a crowd had already gathered there.When it was dawn, everyone rushed to the field, each occupying One line, pick up the cotton.The west wind blew their clothes, and piles of gray clouds floated across the hills on the wind, It's going to rain.People compete with each other and with the rain that is about to fall.There is only this little cotton to pick, and only This little money can be earned.At eleven o'clock, twenty acres of cotton had all been picked.After counting the wages, Yoder and Wei Wright's family went to work together again. Get in the truck and go back. Halfway to the car, heavy raindrops came down.Rose of Sharon leaned against Ma's arm, trembling.Mom says Rose of Sharon doesn't It should come, she only picked thirteen or fourteen pounds at most.Al did what Ma told him to do and drove back to the big truck.mom While letting the men and the two children rush back to gather some firewood, they helped Rose of Rose with Mrs. Wei Wright. Get in the truck and put on the mattress. Rose of Sharon felt cold, so Ma took all the blankets and covered her with them. It was getting dark earlier than usual.Families crowded in large trucks, listening to the sound of rain pouring on the roof.