Chapter 12 twelve

On the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, the annual Spring Festival has finally passed.The hard-working farmers have worked for a year and prepared for the twelfth lunar month. In the first and middle ten days of the first month, they are full, drink enough, and have fun.After they lived their most luxurious and extravagant life, the face urn was empty, the rice in the rice cabinet was gone, the hanging meat on the beam was gone, and the wine in the jar was gone.Of course, the oil and water that had just sprouted in the stomach was consumed day by day, and everything before was restored.The days are the longest, and the season of spring sowing has arrived.

February and March are the most sleepy seasons.Han Xuanzi's feeling seemed to be more serious than anyone else's.He is visibly aging, and his appetite is no more than before.He suddenly experienced the sadness of a person in his later years, and a shadow of fear of death came to his heart from time to time.This surprised him greatly.He used to laugh at some people's panic, but he didn't expect that he would do the same now! Er Bei Niang knows the old man best.When she woke up at night, she always found that Han Xuanzi was still asleep; when she opened her eyes the next morning, Han Xuanzi was no longer on the kang.He lost his drowsiness more and more, and sat for a long time on the threshold behind the screen wall, or under the ancient cypresses in Sihao's cemetery, drinking tea and smoking.But never do those fitness activities again.I rarely go out during the day.His interest seems to have shifted to raising the flock of thoughtless chickens and planting the silent flowers.

He refused to talk much.Occasionally laugh, still silent. "Why don't you go to the cultural station? Isn't the newspaper reading room open today?" Er Bei Niang always reminded him, hoping that he would go out for a walk. "I've already told Secretary Wang," he said, "They think I'm not good enough, so they will replace me." In Erbei's school, there is exercise every morning.As soon as he got up, Baiyin got up and filled the jar with water.The yard was swept clean of dust.But the slippers are still worn.Is it getting warmer?He also changed into the suit, revealing the nice sweater inside.Of course Han Xuanzi didn't like it, but he didn't say anything.

Baiyin said to Erbei: "Father's temper is much better, and now he likes to stay at home." Han Xuanzi valued this family more and more, and wanted to guard it more and more.The family's financial power is more tightly grasped than ever: write a letter to Da Bei, asking him to send money every month, at least ten yuan, as long as the conscience can't bear it, fifteen yuan or twenty yuan is not much; Tell Erbei that five yuan per month must be handed over before the tenth; the youngest daughter is not given a penny of money, and the amount of money is not even told to the wife.

Erbei didn't dare to disobey his father's request. After paying enough five yuan, he bought wine for the first time and brought it to his father, saying: "Father, it's time for you to drink too much. Drink less, it will be good for your health!" "It's time to drink." Han Xuanzi said, as if he just remembered that he hadn't had a drink for a long time.In the evening, I came to Gong Desheng's grocery store. Gong Desheng scooped up the wine as usual, and the date pit woman also took out a plate of crisp candy.He ate one and found it delicious, took another, and another, and said:

"This is the product from Xi'an, it's so crispy!" Gong Desheng said: "Where can I buy goods in Xi'an? This is from Wangcai's processing factory." Han Xuanzi stopped eating, he didn't say anything, but only drank and stopped using his teeth. Gong Desheng knew Han Xuanzi's heart disease, but couldn't help but said: "Brother Han, have you heard? People in the village are saying that why Secretary Ma knew about Wang Cai is because Wang Cai sent a report, but he didn't write this report." "Hmm." Han Xuanzi stopped drinking when he reached his mouth.

"It was written by Er Bei." Gong Desheng said, "I don't believe it, Er Bei is our child, how could he write it?" "Hmm." Han Xuanzi calmly drank slowly again. When he returned home, he didn't tell his wife about it, nor did he call Erbei to question him. He pretended not to know, or he had already forgotten. He just accepts the tribute money from Dabei and Erbei on time every month. Money, money, money always seems to be not enough for Han Xuanzi.There are too many households in the countryside, and the etiquette is too heavy. They need to buy food, vegetables, feed for chickens, better food, and newer clothes; Say:

"As the saying goes, the father borrows the son to repay. Our house, although it is okay, but the two questions on the left are a little leaky. Summer is coming in a blink of an eye, and it needs to be renovated. To be renovated, we need to add bricks, tiles, cement and lime, and hire carpenters. , Earthworks, if there is no one hundred and fifty yuan, I can’t afford it. I will borrow the money, and I will ask Dabei to pay it back. I spent so much on Chinese New Year hospitality, and the house is getting more and more empty, so I can’t pay it back: I owe Gong Desheng sixty I owe Zhang Wugan 50 yuan, and your second aunt 20 yuan, I think about it. You have to pay back the money."

Erbaimer acquiesced. Three days later, every time Han Xuanzi got up, Baiyin disappeared, and when he came back to cook and eat at noon, he disappeared again, and he didn't come back until dark.He felt strange and asked his wife, who said: "Erbei and Baiyin wanted to tell you, but I persuaded them. I didn't tell you on purpose. Baiyin went to work in a processing factory. Don't be angry, and don't scold them. If you want to scold you, scold me." ．If you want to hit you, hit me. Erbei only has such a small salary, and money is tight. How can I pay off the debt owed? Now there is no work in the field, and Baiyin is not allowed to earn some money. The family has gold and silver, and can recruit Do you sit and eat for free?"

Han Xuanzi stared at his wife with staring eyes, and finally sat down on the wooden pier by the fire of the stove.Outside, there was a strong wind.Blow it.One of the old couple stood behind the pot, and the other sat at the fire of the stove. They looked like wood carvings and clay sculptures, letting the wind blow open the kitchen door.The sieve hanging on the wall started to move.Han Xuanzi went to the main room, drank the wine with a gurgle, and the wine flowed down, wet his heart and eyes.He walked out step by step. The wind was still blowing, and everything in the yard changed shape and orientation.The feathers of the hens in the chicken coop were all turned up; the cat jumped up the courtyard wall with the wind.Light as a leaf; a tile falls.Seeing broken.There was only one oleander plant that was alive, with a red flower blooming on the top, which fell down thousands of times, and stood up again thousands of times. The flower refused to fall, and it bloomed gorgeously.Er Bei Niang heard the old man go out from the courtyard gate.I haven't come back for a long time. I ran out to find Shi.Not in front of the screen wall, nor by the bamboo grove, but in the Sihao cemetery, under an ancient cypress, on the top of a mound, Han Xuanzi sat in a daze, and when he saw her, he held back his breath.

After a lot of effort, he finally said: "His mother, I refuse to accept it, I will refuse to accept it to the death! Just wait and see, his king will not have a good place to stay!" Grass ended on 11 March 1984 The rewriting was completed at noon on March 23