Chapter 25 Chapter 23 (3)

The sun is already westward.Sima Lan said that no one should fucking cry, I keep all the money for selling the skins in my hand, you all take your children and wives to the city, no matter how much you sell or how little you sell, each family can spend 10 cents for themselves. One, one hundred yuan can be spent on ten yuan, and the remaining nine-tenths will be handed over to the village to repair the Lingyin Canal.At this point, Sima Lan looked up at the sun, then looked back at the villagers, and said that they should all go to the city to go to the market, to get some clothes for the children and daughter-in-law, and to buy some carrots and pickles.

The villagers didn't move, their eyes were hardened. Sima Lan said: "Let's go, the Jiaohuo Academy is not home." Lan Liugen stood up with his legs supported. "Village chief, can you only spend ten yuan for a hundred?" Sima Lan said: "Five hundred can cost fifty!" Du Zhu looked up and asked: "What if you can't bear to spend?" Sima Lan thought for a while and said: "Anyway, one-tenth of it belongs to me, and I don't spend it." Lan Liugen limped away first, holding his leg with one hand and pulling his daughter with the other.His woman followed behind him, carrying a bundle in her hand, and told people that she was going to tear off a cloth shirt to wear, saying that she hadn't pulled a cloth shirt for six years.

Liu Gen also led the women and children away. The villagers of the three surnames are all off-line like pearls. One family is gone, limping, although there is still pain, but there is no cry from the world just now, the footsteps are soft and soft, and the humming is like falling leaves behind.In the blink of an eye, the villagers limped out of the Jiaohuo Academy one by one, and melted into the crowd on the road outside the door. Fives The Jiaohuo Academy suddenly became deserted.The doctor and other idlers also went to the ward.The shadow of the church building crept up to Sima Lan's feet silently.The hospital had regained its tranquility.Only the Sima family was left, and Sima Hu was standing there supported by the fifth brother, Sima Lu, and said, fourth brother, you sold a six-inch square for 1,200 yuan, and one-tenth is 120 yuan. Don't spend it on the street?

Sima Lan said, "What are you buying?" Sima Hu said: "Whatever you want. You can't use it all on the canals, you have to spend one hundred and twenty yuan." Sima Lan said, "I'll just buy a piece of floral cloth for the eldest brother Teng and the second child Erge." Sima Hu said: "You can give me more than you can spend. My fifth brother is married, and I don't have a date yet. You already have two daughters, but I'm still a bachelor. I'll get married as soon as I can get it right." Sima Lan said, "Who are you marrying?"

Sima Hu said: "Lan Ju said she doesn't want clothes, as long as she can buy coffins for her parents and let them be buried in coffins when they die, she will marry me." Sima Lan said: "My God, how much is the dowry for two coffins?" Sima Hu didn't speak anymore, and walked towards the Qipifang with big strides alone.The sun was shining bright yellow on his back.Both Sima Lan and Lu looked at him in surprise and said, where are you going, tiger?Sima Hu turned around and said that no one is afraid of pain if you give money to yourself, you can keep your money and share it with the fourth sister-in-law, the fourth sister-in-law has a big belly again.Sima Lan said that when you come back, no one wants to buy leather anymore.Sima Hu said that I sold it cheaply, they sold it for 200 yuan an inch, and I sold it for 150 yuan. No one wants me to sell leather for 100 yuan an inch. He said that if you don’t go back to the village, no one will know that Sima Hu sells leather again. Sell ​​another five inches or eight inches, and I can buy two coffins to marry Lan Ju.

Sima Lan and Sima Lu stood still. Sima Hu walked towards the Qipifang. six They all left. Sima Lu supported his younger brother Sima Hu who sold another eight inches of skin.Sima Lan limped out of the hospital alone, on the road leading to Sanxing Village on the outskirts of the city, getting smaller and smaller, like a few sparrows with broken legs and broken wings hopping on the field.There are many small trees on the road, all of which have been broken by people. The fresh white stubbles stand on the side of the road with bright thorns, and those lost branches lie vertically in the road.Needless to say, most of the villagers with the three surnames have passed by here, and they broke these trees to make crutches or simple stretchers.

seven The Sima family returned to the village.It was sunset the next day.However, there was no sunlight, and the sky was so cloudy that it seemed like weeping without tears.The village was so quiet that the people who had returned from the Jiaohuo Academy had already fallen on their beds. Only the women who stayed at home two days ago were carrying water in the village, and the squeaky sound of the shoulders was wet in the alley. with.Amidst the noise, the three Sima brothers returned home and fell asleep. Sleep for three days. In the past three days, Sima Lan ate one meal, went to the bathroom twice, and slept in the dark.

Three days later, Sima Lan came out of the house, looked at the accounts on the palm of his hand, and found that they were still there, so he went to the door to collect money.He carried a small cloth pocket and wanted to collect all the money. He was afraid that the pocket would not fit in it, so he wanted to change to a bigger one, but he couldn't find it, so he had to carry the small pocket.From west to east, the first house is Lan Liugen's house. After pushing the door open, Lan Liugen was not there. His mother was standing in the middle of the courtyard, and she called Sima Lan's nephew embarrassingly, saying that Liugen had gone out and wanted to take advantage of the money. If it has not been confiscated, do some business and overturn the family house.

Sima Lan was stunned, and asked when he would be back? Liu Genniang said, ten days and a half months, maybe thirty days a month. Sima Lan glanced at Liu Genniang, kicked a basket in his house, and went out to Yang Gen's house. Lan Yanggen actually went with his uncle Liu Gen. His wife said that it was fashionable to do business, so she asked him to go out and pay for her. His younger sister earned a dowry money, saying that Yang Gen regretted that there were not enough leathers to sell as soon as he came home. The man from the third family didn't go out, but Sima Lan's elder brother from the same family saw Sima Lan walking into the courtyard, but he kicked at the door of the upper room and asked about money?The answer is to spend.What about the rest?The answer is that there is not a cent left, and it is all spent.Ask who cost you all?He kept silent, hooked his head between his legs, let you ask any more questions, and kept silent, as if you kicked your foot on his mouth, and he decided not to speak again.Sima Lan already had a premonition that something shocking would happen, he suddenly thought how could he sleep for three days?Why are you so sleepy?Staring at the brother Benjia who shrank into a ball in front of him, he really kicked him in the face. Brother Benjia let out a shriek, and when he was about to kick again, he saw that on his left leg, there was a A layer of blood pus seeped out of his pants, and he took back the resentment on his feet.

Ask: "Where is sister-in-law?" Answer: "I went to do business with someone." Q: "What deal?" When it comes to cities or towns, if you buy a bunch of green onions from one end, you can earn five yuan by selling them on the other end. Or you can collect some peanuts in the countryside, smash the shells with a stick, and sell kernels for a catty in the town. You can earn 40 cents, and you can earn 50 cents per catty selling kernels in the county.My elder brother said that he was going to go, but the skin on the leg was not disinfected well, and there was pus in three days, so he had to let his wife go.

Sima Lan entered seven more gates in a row, all of them were women at home, while men limped off to do business.The village is empty, and everywhere is as quiet as a cemetery. Without saying anything else, he stood in an empty courtyard for a while, then strode out, went straight to the middle of the alley, and eagerly rang the iron bell on the saponin tree.In the gloomy weather for several days, the bells fell to every household like a torrential rain.Sima Lan beat the iron clock until it hurt, and it was swinging in the air like a swing, until his arm was sore, and he didn't throw the stone until he heard footsteps behind him. However, when he turned around, he saw several women who had come to the meeting with their babies in their arms.The women came to this meeting place, which has always determined the fate of the villagers, and did not walk in front of Sima Lan.They were breastfeeding the baby from a distance, watching Sima Lan's black face timidly, and waiting for the rest of the people who came to the meeting.Time disappeared in a hurry under the old saponin tree, and a gleam of sunlight appeared over the gloomy village. Finally, all the villagers came. There were five men in total, and besides the three Sima brothers, two more were There was pus after the skin was cut on the leg.The rest of the households were all women, and they acted like thieves, standing far away at the side of the venue, waiting for something to happen, holding the baby in their arms, in case something called, maybe because Due to the weakness of the child, the hit object, the stick or the fist, will suddenly stop in mid-air.Sima Lan sat down on the stone under the clock with his head bowed. He smoked a cigarette, which was the unfinished foreign cigarette that the skinny nurse gave him at the dinner table a few days ago. He smoked dullly and deeply. He took a deep breath one mouthful at a time, but no smoke was exhaled.He swallowed all the cigarettes.The cigarettes were blowing rapidly, and finally the white ash, which could not be held, fell to the ground and exploded, being swept away by the wind.Several men were a few steps away from Sima Lan, and they all knew about the incident of a pregnancy in the village in the past few days, and it was about to explode in this venue at this time. Very quiet.The sound of fallen leaves was earth-shattering in mid-air. The scattered breaths of the women are like the wind blowing in the sky.The heads of several men were hooked between the crotches, hanging like rotten pears about to fall from a tree.There are chickens digging under the saponins tree, and the sound of chicken feet touching the ground is rough and loud.Everyone was waiting for a big explosion, waiting for Sima Lan to stand up suddenly from the ground, saying that I have eight generations of your ancestors, and then swearing in general for a while, and then going from door to door. But. But Sima Lan finished smoking the cigarette, threw a little bit of cigarette butt on the ground, stomped on it, coughed lightly, coughed out the white smoke stuck in the throat, stood up slowly, swept After glancing at the scattered villagers, his eyes fell softly on Sima Hu. "Sixth brother, where is your money?" "I'm engaged to spend nothing left." Sima Lan asked, "With whom?" Sima Hu said: "He Ju. I told you about Lan Ju." Sima Lan glanced at the villagers near and far. "Where's the Chrysanthemum family?" "I went to do business with that money." Sima Hu said, "I asked them to go, let their family go, and when I come back from a business, I will share a shop with Chrysanthemum, and her family can come up with a set to marry me. Mile." Without saying anything else, Sima Lan stared at Sima Hu coldly.Sima Hu also looked at Sima Lan coldly.Everyone heard the green crackling sound of eyes colliding in mid-air, and they all thought that a fight was about to start, but after a long time, Sima Lan rubbed his painful eyes on his face, and wiped his hands from top to bottom. After coming down, the coldness on his face became shallow, and his complexion softened.You get married.Sima Lan suddenly said, "It's time to have a family. Sixth brother. If you don't have enough money, I'll give you all the money you need to sell the skins. You are twenty-two. No one in Sansurname Village has a family later than you, and you have less fucking life than anyone else." I have had a good life with a daughter-in-law for several years.Let's talk about getting married, you, we three brothers also go out to do business when we become married, and we don't even live to be 40. Is it true that Sima Lan has a better life than others?Do you still want to live in this world?After saying this, he cried, turned and left the meeting with tears in his eyes, turned around and left alone without announcing the end of the meeting, and went home, walking slowly and limping, as if he had been tired for days and nights. It's like calling it a day and going home.The remaining villagers were at a loss behind him, not knowing whether they should leave the venue or not, they all stood up blankly and watched him drift into the alley in a vain manner, getting closer and closer like a lonely boat going down the river. Far, until the corner disappears, still ignorant in the middle of a daze.Anyway, I can't understand that the village head Sima Lan didn't get angry with him, but said to his younger brother, "We should also go into business, and if we don't live to be forty, we won't live to be forty. Is it possible that I, Sima Lan, are still willing to stay here?" World?The villagers saw the sadness in Sima Lan's eyes, which was as huge as a mountain range blowing in the breeze under the boundless clouds and mist.The alley he walked to was as quiet as late at night.The villagers stood up and looked at that alley, as if they were looking at a bottomless ravine in the countryside, guessing that Sima Lan's calmness today might lead to a more terrifying eruption next time, as if the silence was to accumulate strength. Sima Lan went to Lan Shishi's house. In the days that followed, the villagers were intimidated by Sima Lan's undeserved calmness, and awed by the power contained in this calmness.When people saw Sima Lan from the other side of the village, they all hurriedly turned around to hide and closed the door.If you were walking on the street and heard Sima Lan's footsteps behind you, your shoulders would twitch and tremble under your clothes. Needless to say, you didn't dare to turn your head back, and your steps would speed up unconsciously, for fear that Sima Lan would He will suddenly call your name and make you stand up immediately.Some people have already sent word out of the village, telling men who go out to do business not to come back, especially not to come back first.Men and women, adults and children, village rivers, pigs, sheep, chickens and ducks are all waiting for an explosion buried by Sima Lanshen.This situation made the village quiet and quiet all day long, people's voices were a little weaker because of timidity, and even the fallen leaves in autumn did not dare to fall down like in previous years, but fluttered, stopped, and fell. It stops and floats in the air and descends, and when it reaches the ground, it dodges and lies on the side of the road or under the wall. Eight The days passed slowly like backflowing water, day after day, and even the cries of old cows, chickens and sheep were suppressed into panting, except for Sima Lan who took time to sit on the mountain ridge every day, and sat in the distance towards the official road, demented. Stare blankly for a while.Nothing happened in the village, it was as calm as water in a jar, the only thing that changed was Sima Lan's hair.Half a month later, when people were eating at the door, Sima Lan came down from the mountain ridge. Before people could dodge, they stood up and wanted to say something to him, but they all found that Sima Lan's hair was messed up in half a month. It's frosted.With a bang in their hearts, they all saw— Sima Lan is old. It will be old in half a month.The pallor of the old man on his face overlaps like clouds, and the wrinkles around his eyes and mouth are as deep as old branches of dead trees.When looking at his head from a distance, it seemed to be a large ball of dirty cotton hanging in the air, but when he got closer, he realized that it was not a ball of cotton, but the head of an old man.There is a slight chill in the climate, and the autumn is as deep as a canyon.When Sima Lan passed in front of the people, it seemed like everyone owed him something, and they all stood up respectfully with their rice bowls in hand, but he stopped talking to anyone, and didn't even look at anyone.He was always sad and silent with his thin face, walking silently in front of people, and walking silently again. After that, people saw him standing alone on Liangshang for a while every day, and then walking back alone. Finally he spoke again, after half a month passed, a man staggered back from the other side of the beam that day, carrying his luggage, slowly, thinking that he was a villager who came back from business, he was half happy and half sad They greeted each other eagerly, but at the entrance of the village, they saw Du Bo who had come back from the town. The two of them watched from a distance without saying a word to each other. He said that the villagers are crazy about doing business in the city, and they are also crazy about selling leather. They all set up a straw hut to live behind the Jiaohuo Academy and sell leather. Who will come back to repair the canal with you? He squinted at Dub. Du Bo said that the world outside has changed, and the land has been divided for several years.Let go, you don't divide the land and don't let people do business, who is willing to repair the canal?It is said that it is all money from selling human skins, who will do it if you ask it to be confiscated and repaired?Every family wants to turn that thatched cottage into a tile-roofed house. Every family wants their daughters to have a dowry when they go out, the children to have a bride price when they marry, and a good coffin to leave this world.It is said that business money is flowing like water, who are you waiting for to repair the canal for you?Du Bo was a little sad, and after a shadow passed over his face, he said that you and I are worthy of the village. I, Du Bo, pestered him and said that we would move the Sanxing Village away. Then I told a county magistrate, who was in I can’t find the Sansurname Village on all the new and old maps of the county, but I found a sesame spot on the map of the neighboring county, saying that the Sansurname Village is here. I’m afraid the county doesn’t have the power to relocate it. What about the Sansurname Village? I haven't figured out which county or township I belong to.At this point, Du Bo stopped, glanced at Sima Lan for a while, and said that if our village really does not belong to the current county and township management, as a cadre, I still don't know what to do. Sima Lan said: "The Japanese ancestors wanted to see that there are mines and gold mines on Palou Mountain. You see, it's no wonder that the three counties don't fight over us." They were silent and looked at each other.There was no one else on the village street, only wisps of cooking smoke behind them. Two men were drying their festering thighs in the sun, like a piece of mud on their legs.Speaking of this, Sima Lan turned his eyes away, looked at the man drying his legs, turned his eyes back and put them on Du Bo's luggage, stared at them for a while, and Du Bo smiled wryly to himself first, and said: "It doesn't matter if we are in the town. I was sent back to work as a liaison officer in the village before I started working. If it takes me half a month and twenty days, I must first distribute the land, cattle, and farm tools to individual households." Woolen cloth." Sima Lan stared at Du Bo: "Everything is divided, people's hearts are scattered, what should Lingyin Qu do?" "We'll talk about it later," Dub said. Sima Lan snorted and said, "Your mother, Du Bo, what's the big deal in the village? When you go back to the village, you distract people and prevent me from cultivating the Lingyin Canal. I can't cure you. Du Bo, but I have a way to deal with your sister Zhucui." Du Bo's gaze became blank and helpless on Sima Lan's face. Nine But the land is finally divided. The cattle are also divided. The plow, columbine, rake, and oxen's bridle were distributed to each family. After the distribution, Du Bo went to the town and the county seat. When he came back, he stopped Sima Lan who was carrying water in the village, and said that he had met Sima Hu and Sima Lu, and that they had met Sima Hu and Sima Lu in the town a few days ago. Let’s go to the city by car. He said that his leg injury is healed, and he will go to the city to sell two pieces of leather. He said that he also met other people in the village. The business is doing well, even if it is selling green onions. Garlic, everyone knows that the scale of buying is higher, and the scale of selling is lower.It is said that within two years, every household in the village can live in tile-roofed houses. Said that because of this, he was finally transferred to a state cadre. Du Baili, who has become a cadre, stands in the center of the village, full of energy like a tree that has finally become a tree.He said Brother Sima Lang, the commune has been changed to a township, the brigade has been changed to a village, and the village with three surnames is too remote, you don’t know these policies, and he said that I will live in the village all year round, and it is a country where the village lives in remote mountainous areas The cadres said that the land will be distributed to the masses, the production will be contracted to each household, and the responsibility system will be implemented. The township head and secretary all say that they are doing well. Sima Lan said coldly: "The land has been divided, and we have started business. What about the canal?" Du Bo said: "Policy, who can stand up to it?" Sima Lan asked: "The village listens to you or to me?" "You are the village head, but I am the liaison officer sent by the village to live in the village, and I am an official national cadre. Who do you think should listen to whom?" Sima Lan didn't say who to listen to, and Sima Lan threw down an empty bucket. Taking two steps forward, biting his lip, Leng Dinger punched Du Bo on the chest, like a hammer hitting a piece of wood. After a hollow sound, Du Bo stumbled back a few steps , Why did you hit me when you said Sima Lan? Not only did I lead you, but my sister Zhucui married you, so why did you hit me?Sima Lan followed closely, slapped his face repeatedly, and kept saying that I will let you divide the land to do business!I let you divide the land to do business!I'll let you do business on the goddamn land!Every word he said was a slap in the face.The sound of white thorns being slapped, green and cold, and ice cubes flying out fell on the inside and outside of the doors of every house, on the village and the fields on Palou Mountain. The villagers finally waited for Sima Lan to beat someone, as if they had waited for thousands of years for him to beat someone, and now they finally waited, they all opened the doors of each house and rushed towards the village, and they all saw Du Bo evasively dodged and returned punches and palms from time to time, but his mouth kept mourning, saying, brother Sima Lang, did I offend you?Why do you beat me? Anyway, I am a state cadre and you are my brother-in-law. Do the masses blame me for not cultivating spirituality?Which grandson doesn't want to live past forty?Let me tell you, I am afraid that I will not live to be forty years old. I read "Huangdi Neijing" every day in the town, and I cook Chinese medicine soup every day.Sima Lan ignored Du Bo's words, kept cursing, waved his hands and feet, and forced Du Bo to a corner like crazy, still repeating those two sentences, "I told you to divide the land for business! I tell you to divide the land to do business! If the land is divided, everyone will take care of themselves and who the hell will repair the Lingyin Canal!" In an instant, the village street was filled with muddy fist sounds and bright purple noises. With the sound of slaps, the bloody smell in the sky suddenly dyed the sun from light yellow to bright red. However, just as Du Bo was cornered, Sima Lan squeaked and stopped hitting the brakes.He saw Lan Liugen, Lan Yanggen, Gougou, Du Zhu, and several other men who came back from business outside in the crowd.He woke up suddenly, knowing that some of the men in the village had already returned to the village, but they just avoided going out because they were afraid of seeing him.He stared at them with dead eyes, raised his hand in the air, held his breath for a long time, and at the end suddenly yelled into the air: "Tomorrow, just tomorrow, let the adults and children in the village of the three surnames die to death, my God--it's not my family who suffer from laryngitis--God, you really have eyes, don't let the villagers live to three Ten years old, you let them live until they are twenty—let them die of throat blockage as soon as they are sensible..." He cried out hoarsely, for most of the day, the sky above the village was filled with his cries, half blue and half purple, and the sun was dimmed. ten Zhu Cui said: "Brother, it's not that you don't know his temper, but you can't talk to him like that." Du Bo turned over on the bed, "Let's go, good or bad I've been in the town for many years, I know what I should do to make him listen to me in the future. A person like him doesn't have to be sincere. It’s better to pretend to be good to him.”