Chapter 25 twenty five

These young people went out of the commercial field together and walked for a while.The door of the small restaurant was wide open, and the shop was full of people in simple clothes, and there were noisy human voices coming out of it, it was now a lively time.But these lights also passed before their eyes, and they turned into a quiet alley. There are no shops here, but high brick walls and the gate of the mansion.Black lacquered doors, red lanterns (there are also plain lanterns with blue characters written on white paper), iron thresholds (there are also wooden thresholds and stone thresholds), and stone lions are the only ones that adorn this lonely street scene.

However, there is no loneliness in these young people's hearts.They have too many visions, too many things.They don't let the few things they're tired of distracting their attention. Huang Cunren and others accompanied Cheng Jianbing to walk ahead.If Zhang Huiru wanted to talk to Juemin, he walked behind, two or three steps away from them. "Juemin, what are your plans for the future? When you graduate this time, did your family express anything to you? What do they expect you to do?" Zhang Huiru asked Juemin with concern. "They didn't express anything clearly. My elder brother hoped that I could take the post office exam, and it would be best to be a postman and a postal officer in the future. But he didn't insist on this opinion. As for me, I'm still planning to go to Shanghai," Jue Min replied.He had made up his mind, and he had already thought clearly that it would not be good for him to stay in this house for a long time.

"You can go to Shanghai to find Juehui, we can get in touch anyway, and you can also indirectly participate in our work," Zhang Huiru said. "What about you?" Juemin asked earnestly, "What are you two planning to do?" "A relative of mine found me a job teaching English at Jiading Middle School. My sister was very willing for me to go, but I didn't want to," Zhang Huiru replied.Then he explained: "I don't want to do this kind of thing. I decided to learn a craft. I originally planned to go to a printing factory to learn typesetting, but it was not easy to get in. So I want to learn tailoring. I would like to go to Chongqing to enter." The factory has already sent a letter to Chongqing. I haven’t received a reply yet. He also said that he wants to be a barber.”

"You've made up your mind? I haven't heard you say it before," Juemin asked in surprise. "I've already decided," Zhang Huiru said firmly. "I don't think it's enough to just talk empty words. Since we praise the sanctity of labor, we should work ourselves." "Yes, yes," Juemin interjected.At this time, the few people walking in front turned another street.They were also talking, but Juemin didn't pay attention to what they were talking about.Zhang Huiru's pair of energetic eyes suddenly lit up on his triangular face, and once or twice those eyes even shot into Juemin's heart.

"We should live with our own two hands. This is innocent and right," Zhang Huiru continued. "I know a tailor. He is a good man. I talked to him and asked him to take me in as an apprentice. At first he I didn’t believe it, and thought I was joking with him. Later, I told him seriously twice. He finally believed that I really wanted to learn how to be a tailor. But he made up his mind to make a formal apprenticeship contract... What do you think?" "I don't think the form of apprenticeship is necessary. It restricts you instead," Juemin replied thoughtfully, imagining what it would be like to be an apprentice in a tailor shop.But in this respect his mind is very poor.

Zhang Huiru smiled, and said slowly: "Restriction is certainly a bit restrictive, but I'm afraid that I won't grow up. This way, I can control myself so as not to change my mind midway." "It's a group activity..." Juemin said regretfully.He did not agree with Zhang Huiru's method, thinking it was a loss of freedom.He only said half a sentence, but the meaning was obvious. "I can also participate," Zhang Huiru replied quietly.He laughed again.He explained: "Naturally, my apprenticeship is a bit different from others, and he will not treat me as an ordinary apprentice. I will write it clearly when I sign the contract. I will not do those chores. After I apprenticed, I learned to use needle money. I told him that I only do things at eight o'clock every day. This will not hinder my activities."

"What about your sister, won't she stop you?" Juemin asked emotionally.He felt that he hadn't known this young man clearly before, so he looked at Zhang Huiru with a different perspective.But with the dim light, he could only see the outline of a thin face, besides a pair of bright eyes. "Of course my sister doesn't agree. But she won't make things difficult for me, at most she will only complain about me once or twice," Zhang Huiru replied confidently.Then he said in an apologetic tone: "I don't think so, so I have to make another idea. Now most of the family affairs are under his control, and my sister can't do without him. He is more capable than me."

"What are you talking about? Why are you talking about me?" Zhang Huanru suddenly turned around from the front and asked with a smile. "Your brother said you are very capable," Juemin replied with a smile. "Don't believe what he said. He is lazy and doesn't care much about family affairs, so he puts it on me. He said that I am capable, and one day I will be a barber," Zhang Huanru said with a smile.He also divulged his wishes.However, this is just a simple wish, he has not made up his mind, and he never thought of making this wish come true in a short period of time.

"You're a barber? You can't even shave your face," Chen Chi said with a chuckle. "I will learn. I will definitely cut your hair in the future," Zhang Huanru said seriously. "I also want to tell Jian Bing that I must cut off her braids in the future." "Okay, I'll wait for you," Cheng Jianbing said with a smile. "Then you can put a sign on the door saying 'Shaver Zhang Huanru', it must be very good," Chen Chi continued laughing. "What else can I do? It's a pity that I'm not an aristocrat, so I can't be like Mirabeau," Zhang Huanru replied with a smile, knowing that Chen Chi was quoting Mirabeau's story.It is said that during the French Revolution, Count Mirabeau, in order to show that he despised the title of nobility, specially opened a shop with the signboard of "Mirabeau, a tailor".They had read the story in an article that had been reprinted in the city's newspaper.This is an example.Zhang Huanru said Mirabeau's name in passing, but he didn't expect how much encouragement these words would have on his elder brother Zhang Huiru.

"Others did it more than 130 years ago. Why haven't I dared to do it now? Don't I have the courage?" Zhang Huiru thought excitedly.He felt his eyes suddenly brighten up. Mirabeau's story reminded Juemin that he now understood Zhang Huiru better.He patted Zhang Huiru's shoulder lightly, and said emotionally: "Huiru, you are better than me, I can only admire you." "Don't talk about this kind of child. It's nothing. Everyone has their own circumstances," Zhang Huiru gave Juemin a grateful look, and replied with a smile. "I'm not being polite to you, I'm telling the truth," Juemin explained sincerely.He didn't despise himself, and he didn't want to be a tailor or a barber.But he felt that Zhang Huiru's behavior was indeed admirable.

The person walking in front suddenly stopped.There are some lights on both sides, and most of the shops at the intersection have not closed their shops.They all stand at a crossroads because they should part ways here. "Juemin, you don't have to send Jianbing, you can turn around and go home," Huang Cunren said to Juemin when he saw him approaching. "Okay," Juemin replied.He glanced at Zhang Huiru again.Now he could see the triangular face clearly.His face hadn't changed, it was still the face he was very familiar with, but he could see a lot of courage and determination on his face.He asked Zhang Huiru, "How are you?" "I can still walk with them for a while, you go back," Zhang Huiru replied.Then he said: "You'd better invite Yunhua to come next time." Juemin nodded in agreement, bid them farewell, turned and left alone. The road is very familiar, he walked very fast.In the shadows he walked one street after another.At last he entered the street where he lived.He slowed down a little.When he was only fifty or sixty steps away from home, suddenly the sound of bells and chimes and the sound of chanting came to his ears.He saw a small group of people gathered at the gate of Zhao's house from a distance, and knew that there was a flame in that mansion.He stopped there and looked around.Unexpectedly, he saw Juexin also standing among the crowd.Juexin had already seen him, so he came over to talk to him. "Have you been to your aunt?" Juexin asked kindly. Juemin nodded and said, "I didn't expect you to be here." Then he asked Juexin again, "Shall we go back now?" "Wait a while, I like to listen to the mouth of flames," Juexin said reluctantly. "Others are here to grab red money," Juemin said without thinking. "Listen," Juexin said, ignoring Juexin's words, but calling Juemin's attention, because at this time the monks were reciting his favorite lyrics. The old monk wearing a Pilu hat sat cross-legged on the last table with his palms folded and his face facing the gate.He sang up and down: Summoned wholeheartedly, the emperors of the dynasties, the princes of the past dynasties, the nine palaces and palaces are high, and the mountains and rivers of thousands of miles are alone. Sitting between the monks in the row on the left of the two tables in front, a monk with a round face knocking on a wooden fish raised his voice and continued calmly: Warships coming from the west, the thousand-year-old king's spirit is lost; going to Luanyu to the north, the complaints of grievances from the five kingdoms continue.Alas…… "It's the same thing again, always talking like this," Juemin frowned and said to himself. "I think such words are interesting," Juexin said slowly, his attention drawn to the words. Juemin glanced at his brother in surprise, but said nothing more.After the young round-faced monk had finished reading "Ming Hu", the young monk sitting on the right opposite him and knocking on the small bell continued to sing in a loud voice: "The cuckoo is called the peach blossom moon, and the blood-stained branches are growing." Then all the monks sang the following words in chorus with the sound of musical instruments: "If you are like the former queen and uncle, a group of lonely souls, etc., I only hope that... this night and this time, come to the Dharma meeting and receive this unconcealed nectar." Food." After the "Emperor Lord and King", the old monk sang "Build an altar to worship the general, build a festival and seal the prince".In the future, there will be "talented men from Wulings, virtuous men from hundreds of counties," "talented men from the school, scholars from the white house", "beauties in the palace, beauties in the boudoir" and so on.These sad and sentimental words wrenched Juexin's heart.Among them, the words "a cup of loess covers the article" and "green poplars and grasses are cold on the skull" even made him feel a little hairy.But he still didn't want to leave here.He felt that these sentences reminded him so much, told him so many things, they were like a frying pan of oil frying his heart and driving him to tears.His heart ached.Yet at the same time he felt a kind of exhilaration like giving up in despair. The same words entered Juemin's ears, but they never had such an impact.Juemin felt that they were tickling his heart.But he doesn't let them scratch, he drives them away.He can control his mind.The monks were still singing vigorously, and they tried their best to make the surrounding air mysterious, especially the conch shells that they blew when summoning ghosts made shocking sounds several times.Many people waited for the sitting old monk to scatter the red-stained bronze coins.Yet even these scenes were not able to completely change Juemin's mood.He was thinking about his own business, his own plans.He thinks about the future, not the past.The monk's voice was also pleasant to his ears.But he did not grasp the meaning of the words.He completely forgot about them. So the old monk began to distribute red money.Juemin saw others leaning over to pick up and grab the red money, he thought: there is no need to keep it.He has been standing with Juexin for a while, so he should go home too.He said to his elder brother: "Brother, let's go back, there is nothing to listen to in the future." His voice was very gentle, revealing his concern for his elder brother. "Okay, I feel tired too," Juexin said listlessly, and followed Juemin away with a tired look on his face. Juexin bowed his head and remained silent, as if he had a heavy worry on his head, and he couldn't straighten his body to let out a breath.Juemin said a few words to him on the way, but he didn't answer a word.Then they reached the house and stepped through the iron-clad threshold of the gate.The gatekeeper, Xu Bing, was sitting on the grand master's chair, chatting with Gao Sheng, the old servant who had been evicted several years ago and had become a beggar.Gao Sheng was sitting on a bench opposite, wearing a ragged, dusty dress.When he saw Brother Juexin coming in, he stood up with Xu Bing, and called out timidly, "Eldest Young Master, Second Young Master." He stopped and looked at Gao Sheng and asked, his face was still clouded. "The little one doesn't dare. Go back to the young master, the young one has quit smoking. I have nothing to do at night, so the young one came to gossip with Mr. Xu. It's not a festival, so the young one dare not come to ask for money," Gao Sheng said respectfully with his hands down He replied with a smile that made his thin, grime-covered face look even uglier. "Your words are probably unreliable. I think you have become thinner this year. Well, you can take this money," Juexin said, taking out three or four small silver coins from his pocket and handing them to Gao Sheng, without waiting for Gao Sheng to say Saying thank you, I went inside.Juemin followed his brother inside.Juexin's behavior tonight surprised him, and he knew that Juexin must have something on his mind.But he didn't ask either.They walked up the hall, entered the turning door, and heard a girl's cry flying out of the right wing room.They were startled, and both of them stopped. A bamboo board hit the table, making a crisp sound, followed by Shen's loud scolding.Then the bamboo boards fell on the person like a torrential rain, and Chunlan cried loudly: "...Madam, I won't dare again!..." These words were like some rough things grinding Brother Juexin's heart. "Even you dare to bully me! You dare to look down on me!" Shen raised her voice and scolded, "You little 'watchdog', you forgot who you are! How dare you fight against me?  … " "Madam, I don't dare, I dare not..." Chunlan kept begging, but the board kept falling, making her cry out in pain. "You don't dare? I forgive you, you don't dare either! You have to understand. Let me tell you, I'm not easy to mess with! If you play tricks like crazy, I'll kill you someday!" Shen seemed Feeling the joy of venting his anger, he cursed even more proudly.Suddenly there was another woman's shrill voice.The woman also spoke loudly angrily: "Fifth wife, you have to speak clearly, and she didn't offend you, please stop rambling. If you have something to say, please speak clearly! Who doesn't know that your fifth wife is not easy to mess with?" Yes! You will hide in the house and curse people, it depends on whether you chew your tongue and curse people to death!..." "Fart! Do you dare to come and talk to me? I will curse you, I will curse you, I will curse you to death, you 'surveillance'..." Shen stamped her feet angrily and cursed.Then she shouted, "Sister Hu! Mrs. Hu! Are you dead?" "Second brother, I don't want to listen anymore. Why are these voices always? Where is there a quiet place? Let me hide for a while!" Juexin said to Juemin in pain and even begged for help. "Then let's go to your room," Juemin replied gently. "It's still audible there," Juexin said half-consciously, his mind cluttered by the sounds.The mind was still full of rude expletives. "Brother, you can't escape, why are you afraid? We still have our own affairs," Juemin said to Juexin in a firm tone. Juexin nodded reluctantly.He covered his ears with his hands to prevent the curse from the right wing from breaking in.He followed Juemin back to his own room.They had only walked a few steps when they suddenly saw a figure running out of the right wing room.Then there was a strange sound of footsteps. "Fourth sister!" Juemin exclaimed, then stopped, grabbing Juexin's arm with one hand. This is Shuzhen, she is moving her little feet and running towards them.Juemin went to meet her. Shuzhen came to Juemin, called out: "Second Brother," and threw herself on Juemin as if falling down.Juemin quickly hugged her.She didn't speak, but sobbed softly. "Fourth sister, what's the matter?" Juemin asked in pain, he had already guessed half of it. "Big Brother, Second Brother, please help me," Shuzhen struggled for a while before uttering this sentence, she still hid her face on Juemin's chest. Without needing a second sentence, the girl's tragedy was clearly before their eyes.She walked into the abyss step by step, consuming her tears drop by drop.Her feet, her face, her voice, her attitude, and even her character are all the result of this family life, and there is nothing that does not bear the marks of oppression and destruction, and there is nothing that cannot be told. A story of a small life being ravaged, this is not a day's work.Over the years, they had been used to hearing the little girl's cries for help, and they had also seen with their own eyes how the blood color gradually faded from her pretty little face.They gave her sympathy and pity, but they never extended a helping hand to her.Now looking at this cute little life struggling with weak strength, they feel remorse and ashamed because of their helplessness.However, even at this time brothers Juexin and Juemin were not in the same mood.What Juexin felt was still grief and despair, and his eyes seemed to become darker. He couldn't see the way, and he didn't believe that he would find it.Juemin, on the other hand, felt a sense of readiness to fight in addition to hatred and pain, and he also felt a sense of responsibility.He seemed to see a way, and he felt that he should find a way. "Fourth sister, don't be sad, what's your matter, let's discuss it slowly," Juemin comforted softly.Shuzhen still didn't raise her head, she just cried in a low voice, and seemed to cry even more sadly. "Fourth sister, I'll accompany you to the third sister's place to rest for a while, okay?...I'll ask Qixia to fetch water to wash your face, and third sister will accompany you well," Juemin urged gently and moved . Shuzhen slowly raised her tearful eyes to look at Juemin, agreed gratefully, and took out her handkerchief to wipe away her tears. "Fourth sister, go with second brother, you'll feel better in third sister's room," Juexin said to Shuzhen, holding back tears. Shuzhen nodded.She asked Juemin to hold her hand, and followed him slowly to Shuhua's house. Shuhua sat in front of the desk and read a book intently.Qixia sat on a chair by the window doing needlework.When they heard footsteps, they all turned their eyes to the door of the room.Qixia was the first to stand up.Shuhua sat with her back to the door, and when she saw them coming in, she stood up with a smile.Seeing Shuzhen's red and swollen eyes, she immediately put away her smile, walked over to greet Shuzhen, and grabbed Shuzhen's hand affectionately. "Qixia, go get Miss Fourth a basin of face water," these were Juemin's first words after entering the room.Qixia agreed and walked out immediately. "Third sister, don't you go to accompany fourth sister, you see she is crying again," Juemin reprimanded Shuhua kindly. "I was reading the textbook you bought for me. I was reading geography. They were full of weird words. It was hard to remember, so I didn't go to see Simei tonight," Shuhua replied with a smile, her eyes Looking at the books spread out on the table, she was still holding Shuzhen's hand.Then she lowered her eyes and asked lovingly: "Sis, did Aunt Wu scold you again?" She suddenly became angry: "It's really unreasonable! Aunt Wu always uses Si Sister to vent her anger. Si Sister, you Don't go back tonight!" "Mom didn't scold me," Shuzhen said, shaking her head. "This morning, she scolded Miss Xi, and my father helped Miss Xi with a few words. My mother was angry, and then I hit me a few times. When my father was not at home at night, my mother saw Miss Xi teasing her younger brother, and she got angry again. Chunlan beat her If a teacup is rotten, she will beat Chunlan. Now she is arguing with Miss Xi. I am afraid to hear them quarreling. I really can't listen to it. I don't know how long they will be arguing!" Shuzhen couldn't help but shed tears again. "Aunt Wu is too unreasonable. What's the point of arguing like this? She doesn't want to do anything serious! Xi'er used to be her own girl, but now she has the support of Dad Fifth, so of course she can't control it. We used to say Xi'er is stupid, and now she has been forced hard by Fifth Aunt. She deserves it! Fifth Aunt is afraid of Fifth Dad, so there is nothing she can do about Xi'er. When she is angry with others, she only dares to vent her anger on her own daughter , It's really unreasonable!" Shuhua said angrily.When she said this, she looked at Shuzhen with loving eyes, and continued in a reproachful tone: "Fourth sister, I also blame you for being too kind, you are too honest, you are too weak! You can bear anything Go on! If I were you," she raised her eyebrows and her eyes shone brightly, "I would not endure everything like you. Even if she were my mother, if she scolded me wrongly, I would have to deal with her. Quarrel……" "Have you forgotten the saying 'A father wants his son to die, and not to die is not filial'?" Juemin deliberately interjected from the side to provoke Shuhua. "Second brother, don't provoke me! I understand what you mean," Shuhua said frankly. There was no smile on her face, but she still showed an expression of anger. "I don't believe that there is such an unreasonable reason. No matter what is right and wrong, there is always reason. Children are not the property of parents, so how can they be disposed of by parents at will? What parents say, if it is unreasonable, it is unreasonable." You should listen. Do they tell you to kill and steal, and you want to go?" Juemin smiled happily.He didn't expect that Shuhua could speak so clearly, and her proposition was so firm, he was very satisfied, especially because these words might be a lesson to Shuzhen.But he also praised jokingly: "I just said a word, and you published this great truth. Third sister, you can be a female speaker now. I will go out and promote it for you." "Second brother, you're making fun of me again, I don't obey you!" Shuhua laughed.She knew Juemin agreed with her words.Also very happy.She turned her head to ask Shuzhen again: "Fourth sister, do you think what I said is right?" There was no longer a single tear to be seen on Shuzhen's face.When she heard Shuhua's question, she answered in bewilderment: "I don't know." Seeing that Shuhua was looking at her with surprised (maybe a little disappointed) eyes, she felt uneasy, and quickly went on to say: "Third sister, I can't compare to you. I don't understand anything." She couldn't think of another word. That last simple sentence is a sincere confession.This illustrates the tragedy of Shuzhen's life.Shuhua and Juemin looked at Shuzhen with pity at the same time, and they understood (but to different degrees) the meaning of this sentence.Shuhua only knows that all blame is useless here, and Shuzhen does not have the opportunity that she (Shuhua) had.This little girl was placed in a huge palm when she was born, and she hasn't taken a step out of the palm until now, so she has been teased by others all the time.What she (Shuzhen) needs now is sympathy, comfort and help.Juemin is different from Shuhua, he now sees a way. "If I want to help her, I must first make her understand everything..." he thought. Qixia came in with a washbasin, and she said, "Miss Si, you have been waiting for a long time. We waited in the kitchen for a long time before we got this basin of water." She looked at them again in surprise, and asked, "Second Young Master Miss San, why don’t you sit down?? She put the washbasin on the table and said, “Miss Si, I’ll twist your facekerchief. " "I'll do it myself," Shuzhen said, and walked over to take the freshly wrung facekerchief from Qixia's hand. "Third sister, why don't you play with fourth sister for a while. I have something to do, so I'm leaving," Juemin told Shuhua reassuringly when he saw that Shuzhen had completely stopped her grief. "You go, I know," Shuhua replied with a smile, but when Juemin turned around and walked to the door, she suddenly called him back. "What's the matter?" Juemin asked with a smile. "Here are fresh lard rice cakes and mung bean sand cakes, do you want to eat?" Shuhua pointed to the four packets of well-wrapped snacks on the table and said to Juemin. Juemin shook his head. "Grandma sent someone to send it, and you have a share. I'll ask Qixia to send it to you later," Shuhua said again. "I'll take a bag of rice cracker candies," Juemin said, walking to the table.