Chapter 32 Liu Dong and his relatives

After the teaching team graduated, Liu Dong went back home again.The home is still the original home, but people have changed a lot. Liu Cao often ran back to live with her natal family, and Hu Xiaohu went home less and less often.I used to come back once every ten and a half months, but now I don't see anyone for a month.A well-meaning person reminded Liu Cao that he saw Hu Xiaohu had a woman in the town and rented a house in the town. When Liu Cao found out, she didn't even blink her eyelids. She said indifferently: "Whether he's a prostitute or a bet has nothing to do with me."

At this time, great changes had taken place in the countryside. The communes were changed into townships, the brigades were called villages, and all the land was contracted out to individuals.Lao Hu, who used to be the director, is no longer the director. He stays at home and cultivates his own land.Although Lao Hu, who was once a director, is no longer a director, he still looks like a director when he was a director.Clothes are not properly worn on the body, but wrapped around them, no matter how long after eating, a toothpick is still held in the mouth, and the tongue is rolled on the toothpick. As if that toothpick was his status symbol.

Lao Hu has clearly realized that the relationship between his son and Liu Cao is that the rabbit's tail can't grow anymore.In the beginning, Liu Cao lived in his house patiently. Regardless of whether Hu Xiaohu came home or not, she cooked three meals for Lao Hu every day; but now it is not what it used to be.The village health center where she is now is not the cooperative medical care in the past. After being contracted by her, the villagers come to her for treatment when they have a headache. Her life is still somewhat hopeful. Lao Hu seemed unwilling to see such a relationship between his son and Liu Cao. He said a lot about Xiao Hu in front of Liu Cao, and even swore that he would go to the city to find his son.

He really went there once, and came back the next day in disgrace.He saw not only his son in the city, but also a woman living with his son. It was a woman from the city, two years older than her son. Two years ago, her husband died and she lived alone. After living with her son , life seems to be very bright. That night, Hu Xiaohu also drank with Lao Hu.After a few glasses of wine, Hu Xiaohu said: Dad, you can leave me alone.My life is much better now than before, Liu Cao is nothing, she hangs her face all day long, as if I owe her. Lao Hu advised: Get together and break up, or you will leave her.

Hu Xiaohu laughed and said: Dad, I left her, who will cook for you?Back then, if you didn't help her brother to be a soldier, would he be able to do it?I heard that kid Liu Dong has gone to school, and he will be promoted when he comes back. Their family should thank you.What's wrong with asking her to cook for a few more years?This is what her family owes us. When Lao Hu heard what his son said, he also felt that it made sense.After returning from the city, Lao Hu kept silent about his son.Liu Cao cooked, and he ate with peace of mind.He knew that the relationship between his son and Liu Cao was over, and it would be a matter of time before they could leave.There is no impenetrable wall in the world, and he has also heard about Liu Cao and Houcun Dabao. Thinking about his son's appearance in the city, he resisted not having an attack.He knows that no one listens to him about the big and small things in the village now, and the seizures are white, and there is no evidence, just hearsay.

Since then, the way he looks at Liu Cao has changed. No matter whether it is good or bad, she is his daughter-in-law after all. From the emotional point of view of the family, she is a junior.Since knowing his son's true thoughts, Liu Cao has changed in his eyes. Although she is still his daughter-in-law in name, she is no longer emotionally.She's just a woman, and a wild one at that. One night, he came back from outside with his clothes on and a toothpick in his mouth. Seeing that the light in Liu Cao's room was still on, he opened the door and walked in.Liu Cao was reading a book under the lamp, when she saw him coming in, she didn't think much about it, she just moved her body into the kang.

He was sitting on the edge of the Kang, very close to Liu Cao.Lao Hu lit a cigarette, and held it between his fingers in a dignified manner: "Wow, Xiao Hu won't come back, you guard this house alone, are you afraid?" Liu Cao said without raising her head: "There is nothing to be afraid of. There are neither wolves nor tigers." Liu Cao's words choked Lao Hu for a while, and he was speechless for a while, thinking to himself: This little girl, it seems that she should be given some strength.So, he said solemnly: Grass, that's right, I heard recently that you and Dabao from Houcun often meet, which is not good.You are my daughter-in-law. When you enter this family, your surname will be Hu. You can't do those nonsense things.My old Hu is also a man of reputation, who in the ten miles and eight villages doesn't know?You are so nonsensical, our old Hu family can't afford to lose this person.

Liu Cao had already thought of the worst outcome. Divorce was a liberation for her, and she could have a legitimate relationship with Dabao in the future.So, after hearing Lao Hu's words, she said without changing color and heartbeat: "Whoever wants to chew his tongue, let him chew it. I am upright and I am not afraid of the shadow slanting." She and Dabao had nothing to avoid when they were in contact. They just sat under the tree and talked, reminiscing about the time when they were in school.She also persuaded Dabao to let him be friends earlier.As soon as he said this, Dabao stopped talking and just looked at her directly.She understood Dabao's thoughts, but she hadn't divorced yet after all, so she couldn't make any promises to him.

Old Hu saw that the hard ones were not enough, so he changed them to soft ones. He leaned over and said, "Fuck, my prodigal son, you know, he has a woman in the city."I don't think it's fair to you. He has women in his arms at night, but what about you?I can't bear to stand alone in an empty room. When he said this, he twisted the cigarette butt to the ground as if he was cruel, turned around and put Liu Cao in his arms, panting and said: "Cao'er, I know what you're thinking, so let me accompany you." accompany you. Liu Cao didn't expect Lao Hu to do such a thing, she struggled with a hand while being shocked, and slapped Lao Hu hard.Then she put on her shoes, ran back to her mother's house in one breath, threw herself into Wang Guixiang's arms and cried loudly.

She only told her mother about this, but she didn't dare to tell Liu Shu, for fear that her brother would not be able to suppress his anger and make things worse.Since then, Liu Cao has lived at home, and she is determined to divorce Hu Xiaohu. During this time, Liu Shu suffered a serious blow on the issue of love.In rural areas, if a man in his thirties has not yet talked to someone, it means that he has missed the golden age and can only settle for the next best thing.Seeing that Liu Dong can be promoted after graduating from the teaching team, Liu Shu's heart is at ease.He no longer rejects the fact that his mother is looking for someone for him, and he also knows that he should have a family, even if he doesn't think about himself, he should think about his mother.My mother has worked hard for most of her life and never enjoyed a single day of happiness. Even after my father passed away, my mother took care of the house all by herself.He didn't want his mother to worry about him anymore, and besides, marrying a daughter-in-law into the house would somewhat share some of the mother's housework, which could be regarded as a filial piety for a son.

When his mother once again mentioned at the dinner table that he was looking for someone for him, he didn't object. His mother's eyes lit up. She rubbed her eyes and said, "Listen to what mom says, and we'll go and have a look in a few days. It's your Zhang." My aunt's family is from Murakami, and she has mentioned it to me several times. After my father passed away, my mother's eyes became watery all day long and couldn't be wiped clean.Liu Cao said that her mother had tears in her eyes and advised her to go to a big hospital, but she refused to go.In desperation, she said: Let the tears flow, and you won't eat or drink by mistake, so what are you doing with that wasted money? The mother stayed next to each other day by day, and after a few days, she and Liu Shu walked more than 20 miles on the mountain road, and met the girl who wanted to marry Liu Shu. The girl's surname is Wang, and she is twenty-five this year, so she is a good match for Liu Shu in terms of age.Since it was a blind date, the girl also dressed up and looked pleasing to the eye, but she revealed her secrets when she spoke. The girl is a little mentally retarded, and she always speaks half a word when she sees people. She smiled and said to Liu Shu: Your name is Liu... Liu He is here... how do you look at me? After she finished speaking, she chuckled and walked up to look Liu Shu back and forth. The girl's mother said: Our girl is fine, she can eat two bowls of rice for a meal, and she can do whatever she wants.When I was a child, I quarreled with her father and knocked her under the kang, and my brain was broken, leaving some roots of the disease.It doesn't matter, don't eat or drink by mistake. That time Liu Shu didn't say a word, he pulled his mother and left.Walking all the way to the outside of the village, my mother sat on the ground and wailed loudly.Liu Shu stood beside his mother, he knew why she was crying.When his mother cried, his heart was also sour. He had been arrogant for so many years, but he never expected to end up like this. My mother cried all the way back. She cried and said, "Wow, Shu, this family is the trouble for you. You can't find a good girl. Even if your mother dies, you won't be able to close your eyes." Liu Shu said angrily: Mom, it's nothing.The big deal is that I won't look for it anymore, I will accompany you for the rest of my life. When she was about to enter the house, her mother held Liu Shu back. She lifted her skirt, wiped her eyes, and said seriously: "Shu, you have to promise your mother that you don't go to your brother who you haven't met. This is the case in our family." I don't want to hurt him anymore.Promising one by one, even if he is far away in the sky, he is still my son, your younger brother. Liu Shu bit his cheekbone, and promised his mother: Mom, if I don't go looking for him, why are you looking for him?Let him live cleanly in this world. Mother nodded, and wiped away her tears sadly. Liu Dong, who returned home again, looked at the family in front of him, feeling more sad and helpless in his heart.My brother is in his thirties and still hasn't found a partner; and if I don't join the army, my sister won't marry Hu Xiaohu.Now my sister can only live at home, and he can no longer see the old smile on her face. She seems to have turned into a wooden figure, and she has nothing to say when she returns home.The first time I saw Liu Dong, I just said hello: You are back.Then he hid in the room.Early the next morning, she hurried to the contracted clinic again. Looking at the current state of his brother and sister, Liu Dong felt uncomfortable and suffocated for a while.He said to his mother: Mom, it's time for my brother to start a family. The mother sighed, wiped away her tears, then looked at him and said: Your brother's heart is cold, he doesn't want to see anyone now.They introduced a girl in Hexi, and I heard that she was a substitute teacher, but your brother said nothing. When Liu Dong saw his brother, Liu Shu was busy in his field.Liu Dong didn't say anything, and followed his brother to do farm work.As the sun rose, the two went to the shady place on the ground to rest. Liu Dong took the opportunity to say: Brother, it's time for you to start a family. Liu Shu didn't speak, and squatted on the ground rolling a cigarette. He has learned to smoke now.A puff of thick smoke half-hid my brother's face. Liu Dong also knelt down, looked at his brother and continued, "Brother, you have sacrificed too much for this family. We all feel bad if you don't have a family." Liu Shu took a breath of cigarettes, with helplessness and confusion on his face, he lowered his head and looked at the two ants under his feet: It's not that I don't want to start a family, but I don't like us, and I don't like us too much. Brother, you should go and see that substitute teacher in Hexi. Liu Shu shook his head and said: It's useless, don't waste your feelings. Liu Dong looked at his brother crying, and said in a trembling voice: Brother, I beg you, just go, I will accompany you. Liu Shu raised his head, looked at the bright sky, the sun was shining, he narrowed his eyes, his face was numb and indifferent. Brother, you have to go just for this family.After finishing speaking, Liu Dong knelt down in front of Liu Shu. Liu Shu threw down the cigarette in his hand, helped his brother up, patted the dirt off his knees and said: Brother, don't do this, you are an officer now, people will see it as a joke. He looked at his brother unyieldingly, with tears in his eyes: brother, if you don't go, I will kneel down for you. As he was about to kneel down again, Liu Shu hugged him, and replied helplessly: "I'll go, brother will listen to you once." The next day, Liu Dong set off with his brother. The two walked a long way from the house, and the mother chased them out in a panic. When she got close, she looked at Liu Shu carefully, straightened the hem of his clothes, and said worriedly: "Speak well to others, but don't lose your temper." . Liu Shu didn't speak, and Liu Dong replied for his brother: Mom, I got it, you can go back. After walking a long distance, Liu Dong looked back and saw his mother standing there looking at them.The mother's Fenglei eyes must be crying again, Liu Dong clearly saw that she was wiping her face with the front of her clothes. The substitute teacher looked like a woman who had seen the world and could speak well, and she boldly looked at the two brothers.After Liu Shu entered the door of the house, he didn't speak again, and sat there like a stone. The substitute teacher glanced at Liu Shu, then turned to Liu Dong, and asked: Are you his younger brother, Liu Dong? Liu Dong nodded: I came with my brother. I heard you are an officer?The substitute teacher looked at Liu Dong up and down again. Not yet.Liu Dong answered honestly. The substitute teacher said straightforwardly: Can you take your brother to the city to find a job? Liu Dong shook his head. The substitute teacher seemed discouraged, glanced at Liu Shu's face, and after pondering for a moment, said slowly: "There are three girls in our family, my eldest sister and second sister are married, and I am also a person with a job now. As a teacher, you have also heard that it is impossible for me to marry you.If you agree, you can come to our house. My parents are old and the family lacks labor. Liu Shu stood up and seemed to have something to say. Liu Dong hurriedly said: "Okay, I agreed for my brother and let him come over." Liu Shu on the side suddenly yelled at him: No way! Then, he rushed to the substitute teacher and said: This is definitely not possible, I don't agree. The substitute teacher shrugged regretfully and said: If you don't agree, I can't do anything about it, so I can only apologize. After finishing speaking, he stood up and pretended to see off the guests. Liu Shu picked up Liu Dong and left without looking back. Liu Dong struggled to discuss with the substitute teacher again, but his brother pushed him out of the small yard with great strength. When he got to a place where there was no one in the village, Liu Shu became angry. He shouted loudly: How can I come to her house?This is obviously to let me go to her house and work for their family. Liu Dong persuaded: Brother, don't speak so harshly, it's the 1980s now, it's the same everywhere you go. Then I don't care about our family?Liu Shu was really angry, and the veins on his neck were twitching. After I settle down in the army, I will take my mother to live there. Liu Dong looked at his brother, licked his lips and said: Mom is our mother, I can't let you support mom alone. Liu Shu still blushed and said: You are not even married now, and you don't have a family yet, how can you pick up your mother?Even if you took Mom away, there is still Cao'er, who cares about Cao'er? Liu Dong stopped talking, and Liu Shu stopped talking after saying this, and walked forward with his head depressed.Looking at his brother's back, Liu Dong was suddenly moved. His brother really gave himself to this family.His eyes suddenly became moist. Liu Shu's failed blind date again made the atmosphere at home very depressing.As always, the mother wiped her teary eyes with the front of her clothes, Liu Cao broke the silence first, and said: Brother, you don't have to worry about my affairs, I will leave this house when I get divorced. Liu Cao's words made Liu Shu's eyes red, and he said guiltily: I was the one who made the decision to let you marry Hu Xiaohu, and I also promised you that I would be responsible for your happiness. . As he said that, he looked at Liu Dong and Liu Cao again as a parent: Don't worry about me in the future, just take care of yourself. Brother, I know what's going on. Liu Dong stood up abruptly and called out: Brother-- Liu Shu waved his hand: I know what you're going to say, so don't say anything.Remember, when you return to the army, you only need to do your job well, and don't care about anything else.If you can do well, our family has a bright face. The mother raised her head and said to Liu Shu, "Shu, take Dong to see your father's grave, tell him what Dong Ti did, and make him happy too." His father's grave was covered with deep-rooted and luxuriant weeds. Liu Shu silently took out a firecracker from his arms and let Liu Dong light it. The firecrackers exploded in front of his father's grave with great excitement.Liu Dong knelt in front of the grave and wept silently, scenes of the past flashed before his eyes.At that time, my father was a mountain, and he was a grass growing on the mountain. The days of having a father were solid, but then the mountain fell down, and only he was left as a grass. With the shoulders of eighteen years old, he carried the burden of the family.Since then, my brother has been sheltering the family from wind and rain... He knelt there silently, for a moment he felt that his father was very close and yet far away. After setting off the firecrackers, Liu Shu also knelt in front of the grave. He choked up and said loudly to the grave, "Dad, Liu Dong is about to become an officer. My younger brother is promising. Dad, please be happy too."You have never been happy in your life, and you should be happy this time. At this time, Liu Shu was already in tears. Finally, the two sat on the slope, with their father behind them.They didn't speak for a long time, still immersed in the sad atmosphere. Finally, Liu Shu said: Dong, when I asked you to serve as a soldier, I was looking forward to this day, and when you are promising, I am relieved. Liu Dong cried out sadly: Brother-- Liu Shu continued: "You don't have to worry about brother's affairs. I'm fine now. I'm with Mom and Cao'er. I feel at ease."Don't worry about family affairs, doing your job well in the army is the best reward for the family. Brother, I see. Brother, this is the fate in this life, people sometimes have to accept their fate, so that life is not painful.While pulling the grass around him, Liu Shu said: Sometimes people are like the grass on this mountain. They grow on sunny slopes, and when there is more sunshine and rain, they grow taller and stronger.Brother is the grass that grows on shady slopes.Speaking of this, he smiled and said again, it's nothing, it's all grass. Liu Dong said sincerely: Brother, I can't let you worry about this family alone, it's not fair. Liu Shu patted Liu Dong on the shoulder and said: We are brothers, what are you talking about. Brother -- Liu Dong called again sadly, and hugged his brother beside him. Liu Shu also hugged Liu Dong in his arms, with tears rolling in his eyes, he choked up and said: Brother, do you know?We also have a younger brother, who is a twin with you, and was given away by our mother. Liu Dong raised his head and looked at Liu Shu in surprise. Liu Shu continued: Mom didn't tell anyone. She only told me when Dad died. Where is he now?Liu Dong pulled Liu Shu excitedly. Liu Shu shook his head and said: Mom said she didn't know, there are some things I know that Mom won't say. Liu Dong looked at his brother in front of him, and for a moment felt that everything was so unreal, like a dream. Our mother won't let me ask in detail, anyway, my brother lives in a good family, he must be better than you and me.Looking at Liu Dong who was staying there, Liu Shu hurriedly comforted him. Since then, Liu Dong has more things on his mind.When he was free, he would think of the younger brother he had never met, but where was that younger brother in the vast crowd?