Chapter 6 Chapter Six

Putao tied the net on the river at night, and got up early to pick up four or five fish weighing half a catty.Er Da and she looked at the fish worryingly, not knowing where to start to clean them, and how to cook the fish.The two turned the fish over and over, and a few fish scales fell off. Putao suddenly remembered the scene when she saw her mother tidy up the fish when she was young.She pushed up against the fish scales with her fingernails, and a row of fish scales was removed, revealing the slippery tender flesh inside.They looked at each other, understood everything, and scraped the scales off the five fish with their thumbnails.The atmosphere in the underground kiln is so fishy that the air is tight, the throat is closed, and the stomach is straight up.He had never smelled such a bad smell in his life.

"How do you cook it?" Putao picked up the tails of the fish and turned his head to look at them. "Pocket water boil?" "Add more chilli?" "It's beautiful with soy sauce. I haven't eaten soy sauce for a long time." "Everything is delicious with soy sauce." Joining the group in the big cafeteria, the pots of each family have already been handed over to make steel.The oil bottle was hung on the wall, and the dust had grown into hair. When I picked it up and turned it upside down, I couldn't control a drop of oil.Er Da thought for a while, found a wire, threaded the fish into a string, and asked the grapes to roast on the fire.Putao used some broken firewood to burn a small pile of charcoal slag, put two benches on both sides of the fire, and tied the wire for the fish to the legs of the bench, so that the fish hung above the charcoal fire.After a while, the tail of the fish was burnt to black charcoal, and the body of the fish was still bubbling with blood.Er Da threaded them again and let the wire pass through the tail.After a while, the firecrackers sounded, and both of them ran back, and looked again, it was the fish eyes that were burned.Er Da laughed: "Your grandma, if you want to eat this piece of meat from you, you still play a ringing nun to scare me!"

The ten fish eyeballs formed a five-on-two kick.Putao and Erda haven't laughed like this for a long time.He laughed so hard that he didn't even pay attention to the dog barking.When they heard the knock on the door, the two men restrained their voices. "Who?!" Grape asked. "Me." The person outside said loudly. She recognized Shi Chunxi's voice. "What's the matter?" she asked, looking at Erda's waist, chest, shoulders, and finally his snow-white haired head sank into the kiln.She said, "What's the matter ye night?" "A visitor?" Chunxi asked outside.

"Are you a guest too?" Putao made a teasing tone while walking up the steps. "Wait for me to open the door for you!" Fortunately, the top of the wall has been raised.Generally, the horse barrier is on the shoulders of people, and you can see the courtyard below when you stretch your head.It was still back then that he and Chunxi built the wall with burnt bricks together.She opened the door bolt and saw him wearing a cotton coat with a fur collar and holding a notebook in his hand. "Yu Xiang! What are you cooking for the guests?" She let him in: "You are not a guest, you can come whenever you want."

Shi Shuji was very sure of himself on the way here, and he would never have any trouble with her.Seeing her wearing that little foreign satin jacket with many patches now, she immediately felt alive.His whole body was swollen with fever, his face was still tense, and he explained in one breath the district secretary's insistence that Putao go to the province to attend the Model Worker Conference.He didn't let himself go to her. He knew from a young age that he would be fascinated if he was too close to her. "I won't go. I told you. Whoever wants to be a role model will go." Putao said.

He looked into the courtyard and the house once, twice, and three times.But he said in his mouth: "If you are told to go, you have to go. Whoever is told to go must go. He is the district secretary." "The secretary of the prefectural party committee told me to eat shit, so I'll eat it too?" "You said you, dog meat does not serve!" "Dog meat can be served. I've been eating vegetable dumplings in the cafeteria for many days. Let's see if dog meat will be served!" Before she finished speaking, she became amused. Chunxi had already descended the steps and was standing under the paulownia tree in the yard. "Hey, I'm cooking fish." He looked at the string of black fish and said with a smile, "Why don't you cut open the belly of the fish? You have to take it out of the water. I saw the cooking team picking up fish in the army."

"I love to eat fish into the water." She had a stubborn mouth, but her heart opened up, and it turned out that the fish into the water had to be taken out. He wondered if she had hidden a man in the house.He cleared his throat, spit out a mouthful of phlegm, and rubbed the phlegm with the sole of his shoe. He smiled and said, "Don't hide, come out, I've seen it all!" Putao asked: "What do you mean?" She wiped her face. He thought how pretty she looked annoyed. "No matter how high your wall is, can it stop me, who specializes in climbing telephone poles in the army? I heard people talking and laughing in this courtyard!"

Putao was really annoyed, pointed to the door and said, "Go away." "Can he come but can't I?" He stared at her teasingly. The history secretary hated himself so much that he bleed: You look so contemptible! She deserves you too?! You don’t care if she strips for you! What are you doing by provoking her like this? "He can come, but you can't!" Putao said and stretched out her hand to push him.She grabbed his upper arm and pushed hard towards the steps.He was also annoyed, why did she still treat him like a few years ago? He was already the secretary of the commune, the youngest and most promising secretary of the commune in the entire county, and probably the most promising secretary in the entire province. What young girl wouldn't want him to praise her?She still drove him out? He broke free from her hand, wrapped around the tung tree in a circle, and went into her room.Who was she hiding? All the men in fifty villages could be smelted in one pot, but not a single piece of steel like Shi Chunxi could be smelted.

He entered her room, and it was pitch black.He took the flashlight out of his coat pocket and took a photo.There are no ghost shadows either.Before he came in, he clearly heard a man's voice. At this time, Putao said behind him, "It's in the cabinet." He felt that Tangtang's secretary of the commune was not interested in uncovering other people's cabinets, so she pushed him away with a "squeak" and walked over with a "squeak" and opened the cabinet door.It was this cabinet that was used as a fortification bunker for grapes, and the eighty-seven-year-old Chun Xi was outside.It was her mother-in-law's dowry cabinet. The plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum carvings on it were exquisitely crafted, and the paint on it was almost gone.During the land reform, Putao insisted on taking this cabinet.Chunxi was still young at the time, but she remembered the cabinet very clearly.The cabinet contained several catties of hemp and a bag of unspun flowers.

"The secretary sees you coming, and you still can't put on airs?" Putao said to a few catties of cotton, and gave Chunxi a slanted look. "Who will see?" He was so bored. "Why don't you take a look? Widows don't steal men, and hens don't lay eggs." "I'm here to talk to you about a meeting. Serious business." "It's not serious." Putao looked at him with that kind of indecent look. "The secretary of the prefectural committee knows you, why didn't I know?" "I do not know either." "Secretary Ding said that he came to your house when he was in Japan to get money and food. He said he paid off and you went to his house to sit. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Is the district secretary older than your official?" "Do you dare to be older than my official?" He had never seen a more ignorant woman than her.When steel was being smelted, even the wives with little feet knew how powerful the district secretary was.How could he still hug her so foolishly? He was standing behind her at this moment, looking at the soft fluffy strands of her uncombed hair, which were curled up on the back of her neck.Before he could react, she was already in his arms.He spat at himself in his heart, you are cheap! Are you worthy of such an ignorant woman? She doesn't move, doesn't struggle or bounce.Standing with his face facing the wide-open cabinet door, he allowed him to exert force on her back. The force was so strong that he trembled.His flashlight went out, and he was face to face and arms to hers. His hand became a fifteen-year-old hand again, reaching under her old satin jacket.At the age of fifteen, his hands wanted to do what they couldn't do, and now they got what they wanted.Startled by what he touched, his hand flinched, and then it became a man's hand.Why is this pair of things so good? He is willing to let him not be the secretary tomorrow.Immediately his hands were hungry again, wanting more.It starts to go down.When he got to the bottom, he almost cried out: She pushed me and shoved me to pretend to be garlic! He closed his eyes and drowned his hands.Maybe this woman is really a girl, and she doesn't understand that her body is like this.Chunxi picked her up and went to find a bed.When he got on the bed, his cotton coat had fallen halfway. When he went to pick up the coat, he picked up the flashlight.If the daughter's hand electricity can be illuminated, can't it? He half understands. "Don't take pictures. It's your brother's." He knelt on the bed, thinking that he was so surprised that he asked: What did you say?! In fact, he didn't make any sound. "Come on, do you hate your brother? He is the president of the hero. Don't you go where the hero goes?" He suddenly slapped her on the ear. Where are the grapes for people to smoke casually? She jumped up naked, and grabbed the shovel by the door again.She had left the shovel in the house since he knocked on the door late at night five years ago.His eyes are useless in the dark, but her hands and feet are eyes in the dark.Holding the handle of the shovel in both hands, she stretched her legs apart like he was battling a bayonet in military training, and thrust the edge of the shovel forward and backward.After all, he was a soldier and went to the front line. He judged the direction of her attack from the sound, and instinctively dodged her weapon.He had already picked up the flashlight, flicked it on, and took a breath of air. In the white light circle, this naked female beast literally stepped forward from ancient times.What did he want? Such a wild thing? With a sound of "Dang", his flashlight was picked up by the shovel and smashed to the ground. She rushed forward like crazy, waving her left and right hands together, beating his face like a drum.He didn't expect how strong she was when she acted wildly, and he was crushed by her.Her flesh was slippery and greasy, and he was mad with rage.She didn't dislike his ugly brother, but she didn't want to let his handsome Chunxi taste it. It wasn't long before he avenged it with a violent glee.He thought, I can't even cure a dull woman, and I still have fifty villages to cure! But when he finished, he felt annoyed; she lay limply on the bed, and let out a deep and long sigh, It's like a child craving something, but after eating it in his mouth, he stops his head and exhales after a while of craving.He turned his head to savor the taste, and she seemed to be moaning a few times during the work, no matter how hard she tried to get her, she moaned and moaned until finally she stood up.The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became; wouldn't it be comfortable to serve her? Shi Chunxi thought about this matter that made him useless for several days.Putao really did what she said, but she didn't go to the model worker meeting.A lot of people came from other provinces to visit her pig farm, and Shi Shuji had to get along with her on the whole.In the twelfth lunar month, the pigs were slaughtered, and their income was double that of the previous year.All day long, people take trains and cars to learn the experience of grapes.Putao got annoyed and told the people they couldn't learn from her experience and they wouldn't treat the pigs well.Those who came to study said they must treat the pigs as well as she did.Putao said that they don't treat people well, can they treat animals well? In front of a large group of people with notebooks and pens in their hands, she entered the cave dwelling containing chaff and bran, and closed the door behind her. The history secretary directly blamed humanity, saying that Wang Putao had a rather individual personality and didn't like to brag about himself. What she meant was: Treat pigs like relatives.He also summed up the experience of raising pigs for Putao, summing up one, two, and three, and asked people from all provinces to take notes in their notebooks.Finally, he said in a serious tone that the most important thing about Comrade Wang Putao is her simplicity.She has no vanity, she is the same to everyone and everything, with pure class feelings. He himself made himself wake up.Putao is indeed a rare, very real person. When the secretary of the history of the day was talking about one, two, and three experiences to those who came to learn the scriptures, the district secretary Ding came.He greeted Putao and waved his hands, telling Putao to do her work first, and then talk after finishing her work. Putao chopped up Cai Bangzi to feed the pigs, and said with a smile, "Speak quickly if you have something to say, I'm always busy, except for sleeping on the bed at night." "I went to the province for a meeting, but I didn't see you there." Secretary Ding said. "Do you think I can attend? There are so many piggies." Putao said. "Look for someone to help." "Who works hard? They all like to exercise! I don't dare to ask them to exercise here. The pigs don't know what exercise you do. Once you exercise, they will suffer from the disease and have to endure hunger." The district secretary looked at her with a smile.She moved her hands and mouth quickly, and they all moved happily.She shoveled the chopped vegetables into the pot with a big shovel, picked up a big bucket of water, poured it in, stirred it, and added half a bucket of water, the water droplets splashed on her face, and also on the faces of the secretary of the prefectural committee and the commune. superior. "What are you looking at? It makes people feel uncomfortable!" She pouted with a smile, took off her big apron and handed it to the secretary of the district committee.Shi Chunxi laughed.This stuff was born! She asked the chief to wipe the apron for feeding the pigs. He had already taken out the handkerchief in his pocket, thankfully he just changed it yesterday.The secretary of the prefectural committee has already taken the apron that was splashed with pig food, and wiped it on his face and head. Shi Chunxi took a look and felt that Wang Putao and the district secretary were so casual, they must know each other very well.It turned out that she was very hard backstage.No wonder she wasn't afraid of anyone, and didn't take Shi Chunxi as a character, so there was someone backing her up.It's just that she is stupid and ridiculous, and she doesn't know how many officials this person who supports her is.Judging by her casual attitude, she probably regarded him as a boss. Shi Chunxi was smart, and Secretary Liu Ding only prepared a few bowls of steel wire noodles for dinner.A few dishes of cold salad: tofu, dried tofu, bean sprouts, bean shreds.He just sullenly told the kitchen to clean everything up.From the words and demeanor of the secretary of the prefectural party committee, he judged what standard of food would make him comfortable.If you give him six dishes and a bottle of wine, it will definitely be thankless.The food was in the small warehouse behind the cafeteria. He ordered someone to clean it up, and hung up New Year pictures and award flags.Dozens of white flour pockets were filled with miscellaneous bean noodles. He told the district secretary that grapes were in trouble and they couldn't come for dinner together. At this time, he heard the secretary of the prefectural party committee ask him, what kind of rice does the cafeteria cook? He answered bluntly that only one kind was made, and the chief executive and ordinary commune members ate the same.Tonight, the whole society eats steel wire noodles. The secretary of the prefectural party committee turned his face to look at him, as if he hadn't spotted it before, but this time he had to look carefully. "It's not easy, Xiao Shi, such a young secretary. I'm afraid there aren't many canteens where you can eat steel wire noodles mixed with cold dishes at this time of year, right?" "Secretary, don't misunderstand, cold dishes are added separately for you, and ordinary members only eat noodles and frangipani marinade." Shi Chunxi said.He only hoped that the secretary would not stand up and run to the kitchen, and he would be ruined if he checked with the cook.Although he arranged for the commune members to have breakfast early so that they would not run into the secretary of the prefectural committee, he was still worried about revealing his secrets.The commune members ate sweet soup made with barley noodles, light and thin, not thick, and sweet potatoes were exchanged for a few carts of radishes in the county, and they were pickled and asked them to drink the soup.All the food for the New Year depends on the pigs raised in grapes, and I am not willing to give it all to the buying station. I keep one for myself. After listening to Shi Chunxi's explanation, the secretary of the prefectural party committee appreciated him even more.Shi Chunxi knew that he had met his boss's appetite, so he hurriedly said that the "tofu of four generations living under the same roof" on the four plates was also made by the cafeteria itself, and the beans were harvested from the field.The secretary of the prefectural party committee is here, everyone is honored, but the chief is too wronged. Chunxi understood that her impression on the secretary of the prefectural committee was getting deeper and deeper.The secretary of the prefectural party committee is different from the secretary of the county party committee.When the secretary of the county party committee came down, Chunxi would know what kind of meal and what kind of wine to serve with a few words.When the secretary of the county party committee came down, he asked people to transport the sand and soil to the field first, and piled them into round and pointed piles, all of the same size.Then spread cloth on the mound, and sprinkle wheat grains on the cloth.The secretary of the county party committee reached out and inserted his hand into the wheat, but Chunxi thought not to insert too deeply.The secretary of the county party committee inserted his hand two inches deep, grabbed a handful of wheat grains, and sprinkled them on the pile of wheat piles with soil underneath, saying: "Hey, this is really a rocket! The yield per mu is 8,000 catties! It's amazing!" ! The peasants of New China have created a great miracle!" The secretary of the county party committee awarded a walking tractor to the Shitun People's Commune when he went back.Some team leaders were not happy with Chunxi's "rockets", saying that commune members who paid so many public grains would have to drink wind and foam since autumn.He criticized them for their political shortsightedness. Isn't that how the "rockets" in Shanxi, Hebei, Jiangsu, and Anhui were launched? They released the "rockets" without drinking the wind.A team leader said, dare you not publish it in the newspaper? This year, Shitun Commune's yield per mu was the highest in the county, and the amount of public grain handed over was the highest in the region.Shitun has become a lively place. Primary school students often put on colorful clothes and tie ribbons to welcome the visiting representatives on both sides of the street.The representatives looked at the piles of wheat, millet, and sorghum in the Shitun warehouse, picked them up with their hands, and said with a smile on their faces like a dream: Ah, is this communism coming to fruition soon?! The food can’t be eaten up What is it if it’s not communism? We haven’t encountered a time when we can’t run out of food! Chunxi thinks, fortunately, he has rich experience in arranging these landscapes, and he is very generous wherever human hands can touch. Thick piles of wheat and millet.Wherever people can see from a distance, there is a huge pile of soil underneath, and under the layer of grain is the layer of cloth. Chunxi became the most promising cadre.He chose July 1st, the party's birthday, to marry Xie Xiaohe, Xie Zhizhi's daughter.Xie Xiaohe went to junior high school in the county, returned to his hometown to support the agricultural construction of his hometown, and worked as a private teacher in an elementary school on the street.She and Chun like to fall in love with each other when they are making steel.When she led the students to sing, Chunxi was arguing with Wang Putao in the yard.Afterwards, Xiaohe came up and said that Putao's sister-in-law had mental problems. When she was a child, her father said she was born, and told Chunxi not to be as knowledgeable as her. After that she and he corresponded.Xiaohe's new school, the word "love" was mentioned in the first letter.The word "love" on the letter was written for a year, and the two got married.On the night when Chunxi came out of Putao's cave, he wrote four or five "love" letters to Xiaohe."Love" with Xiao He, he feels that he is a new youth, and Xiao He and him love each other through love for the country, the party, and the commune.So this love is thick and rooted.He and Xiao He are not only lovers, but also comrades, friends, and comrades-in-arms.Falling in love with Xiao He removes his humble nature. After marrying Xie Xiaohe, he did a beautiful thing; he dismissed Xie Zhizhi's accounting position and gave it to Uncle Shi's third child.Xie Zhezhi originally thought that his father-in-law, who became a secretary, would be able to keep his eyes closed as an accountant.He was almost congested when he was dismissed.He never took bribes, and his accounts were clean and beautiful. Once he was dismissed, who could tell his integrity? The Secretary of History bought Qianmen cigarettes and Daqu liquor to make amends to him and let him understand and support his strategy.Accounting is a position that everyone covets, and the secretary and the accountant form a family, so gossip from the masses is inevitable.He asked Mr. Xie to work as an attendant in the commune office to help him receive representatives from various places who came to visit and learn from the scriptures. Representatives came infrequently, and gradually no one came anymore.The gongs, drums and singing of the students also fell silent.On Stern Street, you often see dogs with their mouths on the ground looking for food, their bellies are shrinking day by day, and their spines are getting sharper day by day.In winter, people walking on the street look like dogs foraging for food with their mouths sticking to the ground.They tucked their hands into the sleeves of their ragged jackets, looking for it, not knowing where to find the food for the day, for the wives, old men, and children at home.They walked slowly to the courtyard gate of the commune office, squatted in a row, and waited for the secretary of the history to lend them a ration when he came to work.Secretary Shi always does not work in the office.The secretary of history is in the field, on the river embankment, and the commune members go to work, Xie Zhizhi told them.Secretary Shi went to work mainly to visit the poor and ask the poor, encouraging those who were too hungry to stand up again, so that when wild vegetables grew on the ground in spring and the elm trees gave out elm money, it would be better. Secretary Shi was still at work at major intersections and train stations, and when he saw who had carried his bedroll, dragged his family and fled with sticks, the militiamen would arrest them.He told those fleeing famine not to forget that they were from advanced communes, and that going out to be beggars was equivalent to pissing on the heads and faces of their advanced folks. The people waiting for the history secretary at the gate of the commune went from black and thin to yellow and swollen, and gradually turned bright gray.They talked to each other about twenty bowls of water mats, eighteen plates of mutton haggis, and eight plates and six bowls of Shitun tofu mats.They recalled the feast that Sun Erda made for Putao and Tie Nao in the past, bowl by plate: the wide vermicelli with big meat is so delicious, the fat is two fingers wide, and the oil drips from the corner of the mouth when you sip it! The braised tofu It’s so ostentatious, soy sauce can be willing to put it on, it’s fragrant, and it’s not inferior to the big meat! How big is the banquet! Tie Nao ran around to borrow a bench! After eating, a group of people came, and another group of people came. Erda is alive. He can find a way to get something to eat. Besides, people's mouths are full of saliva, and they can't speak.They all laughed and scolded each other: look at this foodie, it doesn't matter if he is a bully landlord or not if he wants to eat.When they said it, they were all startled again: What is a "bully" anyway? They talked and basked in the sun at the gate of the commune, as if they were hungry.Their daughters-in-law were not as friendly as they were, and they often quarreled and fought over barking an elm tree.There is an elm forest on the river beach. After one winter, the bark of the trees is stripped off, leaving only the bare trunks to freeze in the cold winter.The peeled elm bark was dried in the winter sun, and the women stood by and broke the dry bark into pieces.The children came home with swollen legs, and the women brought cooked elm bark powder to the table.The children said it was better than sweet potato noodles.They have long forgotten the taste of sweet potato vermicelli.The women sprinkle a handful of crushed garlic flowers in the black, bright and sticky powder of elm bark, then twist a pinch of spicy red pepper powder, and add a handful of salt. They still look in the empty pot and say, "I'm still hungry." In spring, tung trees, jujube trees, persimmon trees, and toon trees all sprouted, and an entire elm forest on the river beach died.Let people eat to death.The remaining bark is still being peeled off on the high tree trunk.Shi Xiuyang's daughter-in-law's small feet did not prevent her from jumping high. She was hanging on a dead elm branch that was as thick as a small arm, and her two small feet were dangling. A butt pier sat on the ground.At the end of fifty years old, she sat there waiting for the scattered soul to come back.Mumu's butt began to hurt, as if he had broken his tail.She thought: Well, I am alive! I know it hurts! When she stomped on the ground and got up stiffly, the branch she broke was already in Li Xiumei's hands. "That's mine!" Shi Xiuyang's daughter-in-law didn't feel any pain in her buttocks, and she pounced sideways like a female leopard. Li Xiumei said: "I saw it first!" She pulled the tree pole towards her with all her strength. "That's what I broke!" "When I came, you sat there and dozed off, why did you poke?!" Shi Xiuyang's daughter-in-law played a trick, let go of her hand, Li Xiumei staggered back a few steps, a branch stuck her face, and she closed her eyes.Shi Xiuyang's daughter-in-law grabbed the branch and left as if she couldn't see the wound on Li Xiu's face.Li Xiumei burst into tears behind her, begging her to do her a favor and call her a mother, because her four children were about to starve to death. Shi Xiuyang's daughter-in-law's heart softened, and she wanted to leave it to her, widow and orphan.But the winter on her butt made her heart hard again. Someone in her house opened her mouth and waited to be fed. Doesn’t she have one at home? If you want to find food, go out early, lazy woman! What’s the use of crying with her so delicately?Go cry with a man, maybe you can cry for a bun.She thought this way, without turning her head, let her cry. Li Xiumei found some unpeeled elm bark, most of which were on high branches.When we got home, the children had stopped crying and were lying in the quilt and blinking slowly.She quickly lit the fire.When the water boiled, she saw that there was an egg in the basket, and she beat it into the pot cruelly, stirred it into egg flowers, and then put in the elm bark powder she had saved the day before.While working, she talked to the children in the cave: "Mom is making egg drop soup! Laoxiang! Let's eat it behind closed doors, and don't let Shi Xiaoni and Shi Suozi eat it, huh?" Shi Xiaoni, Shi Suozi The son is the dead Shi Dongxi's child. She didn't have much strength to pull the bellows, so she had to stretch her feet out, leaning against the bellows with the strength of her body and legs, and pulling her arms one by one. "The meal is ready!" she shouted to the children, out of breath.Slowly, the four children walked up to her, not knowing her but the dirty food in the pot.Li Xiumei was holding an oil bottle in her hand, the bottle was almost covered with dust, and the mouth of the bottle was almost covered with dust.She held the bottom of the bottle upside down, and the eyes of the children went up and down following the drops of oil dripping from the mouth of the bottle... Three drops, four drops, five drops, the children's eyeballs were shriveled, and their eyes were also dry. , staring at her, his tongue turned into a rag, licking and licking again and again on the dirt-covered mouth of the bottle. She smiled and said, "Oh, it's New Year's Eve, and we're eating egg noodles with sesame oil! Don't dare to make a sound, let the flower dog from Putaozi's house next door hear it, it's time to grab it!" While talking to the children, Li Xiumei set out four large coarse porcelain bowls.He also asked the boss to fetch chili peppers and pestle garlic.The children all guarded their empty bowls, and their eyes still only recognized the contents of the pot, but no one else.Li Xiumei was busy with her work at this moment, and Gu Shang looked up at the children.She shivered in fright, surrounded by the rice bowl were four wolves, with cold eyes and no kinship.If she didn't get them something to eat today, it would be hard for them to tear her up and eat them. She struggled to hold back tears.It's because she's useless and can't find a good man to raise the child.If she is as capable as grapes, the children will not suffer from this disease.Look at that little face, how swollen it is. Li Xiumei picked up the black elm bark powder with chopsticks.Too slippery, chopsticks are useless.She went to find the spoon, and then remembered that the spoon had been donated by her to make steel.She rummaged around in the dark kitchen, trying to find something better than chopsticks.When she returned to the house, the children had already divided the contents of the basin into bowls by themselves, a lot had been spilled on the table and the floor, and white steam was rising from the dark cave dwelling.She hurriedly said: "Don't dare to eat fast, it's too hot! Blow it and eat it!" Before he finished speaking, the four-year-old son let out an "uh", and the sticky powder that was full of boiling soup had slipped into his throat.He tried to stand up, but didn't.Li Xiumei said: "Open your mouth and spit!" She ran to pick him up, and he opened his mouth, clutching his neck with his hands, twitching his shoulders.She knew it was too late, the hot thing couldn't hold back anymore, it entered the throat, scalding the tender meat to pieces.The youngest son twitched and slowly calmed down, his dull eyes slowly turning into two glass beads.The child was scalded to death.The other children didn't seem to understand that the little brother had left, and they were still pumping hot powder into their mouths "spittingly". When Li Xiumei took her children to the river beach to dig for the newly grown shepherd's purse, people found that one child was missing.But no one bothered to ask her.People don't care about anything but their mouths and stomachs.Even Xie Zhizhi often squatted at the gate of the commune compound, listening to people talking about food.Xie Zhizhi's daughter-in-law told him to find his son-in-law to see if he could get some food from him.It happened in the twelfth lunar month, and Xie Zhezhi also ate persimmon bran noodles for a while.They were a gentle family, and he did not allow his wife to live wild on the river beach like other women in the village, arguing over a little bit of elm bark.He lived until he was sixty years old, and he always regarded his appearance as the top priority. No matter how hungry he was, he had to go out cleanly, and no matter how swollen his face was, he would always greet people, "Have you eaten?——I just ate." Fortunately, he hid a little The jewelry was put down by him when he was working as the accountant for Sun Huaiqing.He asked his daughter-in-law to take the jewelry to the city and exchange it for some sweet potatoes and carrots.His daughter-in-law is careful and never buys fine grains. It didn't take long for the little jewelry to be eaten with fine grains, and the jewelry was all pawned. Wiping her tears, the daughter-in-law said to him: "There is only one way left, go find Xiaohe." From the twelfth lunar month to the first lunar month, he went to Shi Chunxi and his daughter's house more than ten times.Every time I enter the door, I say to myself: Don’t talk nonsense with them today, just borrow money at the first sentence.Xiao He's face was also swollen, and her pregnant belly was sticking out, so she made him a bowl of noodles.Asking her to eat together, Chunxi said: "You eat it, we have eaten it." This night also became a nonsense. One day before the Chinese New Year, Chunxi met him in the office, put a few banknotes in his hand, said that it was his monthly salary, and Xiaohe asked him to give it to his parents for the Chinese New Year.Both of them nodded and smiled, Xie Zhizhi understood that his son-in-law was thanking him for not making trouble for him, and not letting him be the secretary to do something hard. Xie Zhizhi was so hungry that day.Since the bowl of sour sweet potato leaf soup yesterday afternoon, he hasn't eaten a bite.He walked slowly on Shitun Street, rubbing the soles of his feet against the loess ground until the soles of his feet were numb.The house of Sun Huaiqing's department store was dark and the paint was peeling off. Someone stole one level of the bluestone steps and took them home to make pig troughs or build rabbit nests.But the house is still a good house, the wood of the door is so good, and how much work is needed for those carved pillars! The door is closed, and what kind of cadre meeting is held inside.Going back more than ten years, this house is rushing to make pastries for the New Year, and the staff is not enough, so people have to be hired to wrap the pastries.The dim sum was wrapped squarely and covered with red paper. After a while, the paper became transparent and the sesame oil soaked out.The whole street tasted sweet and fragrant.Packages of pastries were piled up from the case to the ceiling, and people from forty villages carried them to visit relatives. Xie Philosophy recalled the New Year's Eve at that time, when he went home with the bonus money and two packs of snacks.When he returned home more than ten years later, his wife came up and asked him if he could borrow some lentil noodles.He slowly took out the money given by Chunxi.When the daughter-in-law saw it, she knew that the son-in-law and daughter were helping them, so she snorted and said, this time it's not bad, it's not so disrespectful. The daughter-in-law sent Xie Zhizhi to the street to buy noodles and meat.This is the last big episode of the new year, and she has to buy all the food for the new year.Both dumplings and steamed buns have to be made on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. From the 30th to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the kitchen is not used, and only frozen dumplings are cooked and eaten with frozen buns.The daughter-in-law calculated while counting the money, enough to buy eight taels of meat and five catties of flour.Chop more sour sweet potato leaves and boiled radish into it, and make hundreds of dumplings. Xie Philosophy said: "Old hunger, get some food and ask me to buy it." The daughter-in-law brought sauerkraut soup.He asked if he could give a piece of sweet potato or not.The daughter-in-law said save it, and save the sweet potatoes for the New Year.She patted him on the back as if coaxing him, and helped him adjust the gold-rimmed glasses that supported his disabled leg, and pushed him out the door. I thought of the snacks in Sun's Department Store again.Xie Philosophy felt that the sauerkraut soup he drank just now made him hungrier and it took more effort to walk.He walked past several food stalls, but he was reluctant to buy it; they were too heartless to charge such a high price.Xie Zhizhi is not a person who can bargain, he just walks forward to find a benevolent grain dealer.When he walked to the long-distance bus station, a car opened the door beside him.The conductor above said angrily: "Hurry up, hurry up!" Before he could understand what was going on, he was already sitting in the car.All his life, he was a mild-tempered person who listened to people's yelling and was manipulated by others. If the conductor yelled "Hurry up, hurry up", he would come up as if he had obeyed the order.The car is going to Los Angeles.Two hours later, Xie Zhizhi was already in Los Angeles.Only then did he realize that he wanted to come to Los Angeles.Thinking of the sweet smell of Sun Huaiqing's cakes, he was already going crazy.If he doesn't go to Los Angeles to eat something greasy, meaty, sweet and greasy, he will definitely go crazy.It turned out that he had secretly made up his mind to go to Los Angeles for a meal, and he had been thinking about it since Secretary Shi put the money in his hands.The idea was out of place, out of his usual person, so he dared not admit it to himself.It wasn't until the car left him on the bustling streets of Los Angeles that he realized how shameless he was, and stole the family's New Year's money for a rich meal. Xie Zhe thought, I have been caring for others all my life, so why shouldn’t I take care of myself? At the same time, he thought, you beast, what do you do if you eat your daughter-in-law? He immediately refuted: What daughter-in-law? Count one, one bite, one bite.With this thought, he immediately became confident, feeling that everyone owed him.The daughter-in-law only gave him sauerkraut soup, the daughter never gave him food, and the son-in-law was even worse, even asking him to be an accountant.People all over the world bully him, Xie Philosophy, for being honest, kind, and aloof from the world. He walked into a pastry shop and saw golden silk cakes, honey three knives, and all kinds of pastries, and he didn't know which one was the most cost-effective to eat.Finally, he said to the female salesperson, "Give me a piece of all kinds of dim sum." "What do you call it?" The operator rolled his eyes at him. "Weigh it piece by piece." He had money in his pocket and his voice was strong. "We don't sell it like that here. Oh, weigh one piece, count one piece, how many pieces do you get?" "Then why do you sell it?" "Buy one if you want." "Which one of the two?" The camper tossed his braids and turned around, looking east, west, north and south, but not where his fingers were pointing.He thought, why do people become like this? Ten years ago, if you dared to talk to your employer like this, Sun Erda asked you to open the way in front of your employer. Reluctantly, the salesperson picked out Misandao and Golden Silk Cake for him, and threw them on the weighing plate, which made him jump. "Broken!" he said. She glanced at him, ignoring him.Then she wrapped the snacks, tied them up, and said, "Two catties of food stamps." He asked, "What food stamps?" "I don't know about food stamps? It's twenty-eight catties per person, and if you have a registered permanent residence, you can get it." She looked him up and down, and frowned: "Why do you come here without a registered permanent residence to make trouble? You also need a variety of pieces. Is there any loss? You call!" Xie Zhizhi went to several pastry shops, all asking for food stamps.He walked into a steamed stuffed bun restaurant, and it was written on the blackboard that a steamed stuffed bun cost one or two food stamps.He couldn't get any food stamps.He went up to try to curry favor and asked him if it would be okay to buy a bun for the price of two buns, but the bun seller told him that there were no food stamps, and it would be impossible to pay for ten buns. He walked out of the bun restaurant and sat on the ground at the door.A dozen or so beggars stretched out their dirty hands to him, but he didn't dare to rest, and stood up before leaving.When he first got up, he couldn't see anything, his feet were on the clouds, he thought, don't starve to death with money.He walked slowly along the road, turned a corner, and turned into a shop with a strong smell of soy sauce.A large jar reads: Sweet Bean Sauce.一个“甜”字，一个“面”字，让他把甜面酱到底是什么东西全忘了。他就冲着那“甜”和“面”花了两块五角钱，买了半斤甜面酱。他走到一个背静的小巷，两头看看没人，打开甜面酱的盖子，三根手指进去捞出一把酱，舌头便上去舔。开头两口还不觉得什么，不久那咸味就成了苦味，再吃一口，舌头都咸硬了。他整个脸挤作一团，把那口酱硬吞下去，硬了的舌头却用它自己的力往前顶，“哇”的一声，他吐了出来。看着地上一滩酱色汁液，他想吐出去的大概有五角钱。 谢哲学浑身发软。看看天色，有三、四点了。再不赶车回家该回不去了。他一想到赶车脚站住了。他一般想出好点子时就会走着走着冷不丁站住。好点子是火车。火车上的饭一定不要粮票。火车上都是南来西往的人，它收哪个省哪个市的粮票呢? 它肯定没法子收。谢哲学到底是读过书的人，在关键时候会用知识和逻辑解决问题。 他到了火车站问一个警察，火车上吃饭要不要粮票，回答果然是不要。正好有六点的车。正是开晚饭的时间，他吃了晚饭，车也该到史屯附近的小火车站了。他只有二十块钱了，买了火车票可能不够好好吃一顿晚饭。所以他问一个检票员，能不能放他进去接人。检票员头一摆：买月台票去。月台票只要一角钱。他还剩十九块九角，足够吃了。过去火车上有糖醋排骨盖浇饭，有肉丁豆干丁盖浇饭，还有最便宜的肉丝白菜盖浇饭。他一样一样回想，在脑子里和自己商量，是吃最贵的糖醋排骨呢?还是吃两份最便宜的。他决定不吃糖醋排骨。那东西靠不住，什么排骨?万一是砧碎的骨头，上面没挂什么肉，就糊上一层稀里涂糊的甜酸汁子，那不太亏?越是靠近吃的时间，他越是虚弱。爬上火车时两手拉住梯子的扶手，把自己一副空皮囊拔起来，提上去。 车开出去半个时辰了，还没见卖饭。他问坐在长椅上的旅客，车上一般啥时开晚饭。 回答说早开过了，节约粮食，一天两餐。第二餐是下午四点开的。 谢哲学手把住长椅高高的靠背，眼泪流了出来。 “大爷，您怎么了？”一个旅客问道。 他这才明白自己是太伤心太失望，也太饥了。他摇摇头，顺势滑下去，坐在过道上，脸埋在两个手掌上，尽量安静、不碍人事地把泪流完。旅客们还是从他微微颤动的白头发和一只手拿着的眼镜明白他在闷头大哭，他们使了个眼色，其中一个叫来了列车员。 列车员上来就说：“起来起来!马上要扫卫生，你这样坐地上算啥?” 他实在站不起来。也不想让人看他哭红的鼻子眼睛。 列车员问：“你去哪儿?看看你的票!” 他更抬不起头了。一生本份的他到六十岁干下这种没脸没皮的事。他听列车员一再催促，心想他身手不灵便了，不然开了窗子就跳车摔死。 “有票没有？”列车员用脚踢踢他屁股。 旁边的旅客说：“这大爷肯定病得不轻。” “没票?没票跟我走。……不走?行，有人让你走。”列车员离开了一会儿，再回来身后跟了两个乘警。乘警没什么话，一人拽一条胳膊就把谢哲学拽走了。 谢哲学只是盼望头低得把脸全藏住。藏住脸一火车人就看不见他这个人了。乘警带他走过一节又一节车厢，他想，这是在让他游街哩。那时让孙怀清游行，他不出门去看，也不叫媳妇和小荷出门。他觉得让孙怀清吃颗子弹算了，那样多仁义。火车上这一趟比他一生走的路都长。他没数数，一共走了多少车厢。假如他数的话，会发现不过才六节车厢。到了乘警办公室，其中一个乘警说：“耍赖，是吧?” 谢哲学不吱声。他觉得承认或抵赖都会延长这一场官司。 “去哪儿?”另一个乘警说。 他更不能吱声。要说去史屯的话，他们一通知史屯派出所的民警，他可完了。公社书记的老丈人让警察游了街再押送回来。 “你是哑巴?”头一个乘警冷笑着问。 他赶紧点点头。但立时知道头是不该点的，十哑九聋，装哑就得装聋。 两个乘警果然笑起来。 “你要是不开口，我们只好送你到总局去。车到西安你就跟我们走吧。” 他看着两个警察一模一样的黑布鞋。然后又看他们腰上别的手枪。他们的手又黄又瘦，也是半饱半饥的人。他一直没看两个警察的脸，到了第二上午，一个警察端了一盒大米饭上头盖着炒洋葱，他都不知道这是一个刚上班的警察，昨晚那两个去睡觉了。他吃了一辈子不知洋葱有恁好的滋味。一口一口的饭噎在他喉咙头，他得停下来，等着它唿嗵一下落到肚里，才能再吃下一口。那肚子又空又荒凉，一口饭掉进去直起回声。他不管他们给他送哪儿去；他此刻一个人只剩了一张嘴，只管张、合、嚼动、 吞咽。 下午一顿饭之后，火车到了西安。他整个人让洋葱米饭暖着，肚里揣了个小火盆似的，一点不觉冷。就在那不生炉子的拘留室坐着，他也暖洋洋的。拘留室里有男有女，捉虱子的、睡觉的、望房梁、望地板的都有。谢哲学是唯一靠着墙便睡着的人。 一觉醒来，正是半夜。第一个念头在谢哲学心里露头的是：现在我可是成了蹲过号的人了。旁边的鼾声高高低低，他这辈子居然也跟小偷、扒手、强盗在一个号里打鼾。还不定得蹲多久。肯定媳妇这会儿把女儿叫到家来了。女婿也派了民兵满世界在找他，手电筒、狗叫、人喊，周围四十个村子这一夜算给闹腾坏了。他们要找的那个老实斯文的谢哲学给当扒手正关着呢。 说不定史屯公社还要开他斗争会。现在在队里的柿子树上摘个柿子，叫人看见都得开斗争会。开斗争会又让他的乘龙快婿露一手，对老丈人也要讲究原则，决不姑息。他不配做小荷的爹，小荷肚里孩子的姥爷。 他叫起来，说他要尿。 这是他从昨天下午到现在开口说的第一句话。 警卫说：“那不是尿桶吗?” 谢哲学说：“这屋里有妇女哩。” 警卫说：“妇女都不嫌你，还把你个老棺材瓤子脸皮给嫩的！” 谢哲学说：“那它就是嫩，我有啥法子?你不叫我去出去尿，我可闹人啦?” 警卫只好打开门，哈欠连天地跟他去院子那头的厕所。 过了五分钟，警卫在外头问：“你是尿是屙?” 谢哲学在里头答道：“屙。” 过了十五分钟，警卫又问：“咋屙这么慢?” 里头没应声了。 又过五分钟，警卫进去。老头儿用裤带把自己吊在横梁上。他一辈子顾脸，这时两个手还耷拉在裆前，徒劳地想遮住那块从没见过天日的地方。 谢哲学的尸首是三个月后才被送回史屯的。史屯的人都没有顾上打听，他究竟怎样死的。反正死人的事不新鲜，史六妗子是在年前死的，拖带了一群老汉老婆儿去做伴。老人们都不抗饥，头一天还见谁谁在院里晒太阳哄孙子，下一天就挺在门板上了。 孙克贤的老伴死了后，他就念叨：“你看他还非不死!你看一口汤就能让他存住一口气!他活着有啥用啊!可他不死你也不能把他掐死!真掐死他他也没啥说的，就是他儿孙日后良心老沉。” 他这是替他儿子们在说话。 他的大儿子孙怀玉听着太刺耳，啐他一口说：“谁掐得动你?真有那心去使耗子药呗。” 孙克贤接着唠叨：“他就是有那心也没那胆呀，有那胆也舍不得呀。他是废物囊踹，舍不得药死自个。舍不得那五斤白面呀!” 孙怀玉一听，腻歪坏了。孙克贤知道孙怀玉一直藏着五斤白面，要到最难的时候才吃。孙克贤老伴快不行的时候，孙怀玉和他媳妇说：“不中咱用那白面给妈搅碗汤吧?”他母亲一下子就睁开眼，坐起来，说她好着呢，就象他们这样五斤面都存不下的败家子，搅了面汤她给它泼地上。那天半夜，母亲就去了。 孙克贤一辈子尖脸高鼻，现在脸肿成了罗汉，两眼一条缝，鼻子也平了。他见儿媳妇真把面拿出来，背着儿子要给他搅面汤，他用手抓住面口袋的口子。三个孙儿孙女都不出门了，以为马上能喝上面汤，儿媳轰他们：“面汤是给你爷喝的。看你爷肿得，一手指捺下去，到下午还见个坑在那脸上呢。” 孙儿孙女们懂事地都站起来，躲出去，叫他们爷爷心安神定地喝汤。 孙克贤笑笑说：“别搅汤了。我喝不下。” 儿媳说：“还玉下地去了。” 孙克贤脖子一梗：“我怕他个龟孙!我是真喝不下。就想喝碗酸汤。” 儿媳为难地在厨房里打转，酸红薯叶早掏完了。儿媳又转到村里，转到街上，回到家手里拿着用头巾兜的白土，告诉公公，好多人家都说这东西烙饼吃着不赖。孙克贤的儿媳把白土和上水，揉了揉，揉不熟，她叫小儿子回来给她摔。小儿子前几年还玩尿泥，把白土摔得又韧又光。她学着村里人把白土捍开，捍成一张饼，放在锅上烙。幸亏还玉落后，她家的大铁锅才没献出去炼钢，不然也得象其他人家一样另置新的。食堂在去年底散伙，她家也去哄抢伙房的厨具，但什么也没抢到。 她把锅在灶上慢慢转，这白土的烙饼也看不出生熟，也闻不出焦没焦。孙克贤在窑洞里问：“做啥呢?恁香!” “还不知做熟做不熟。”儿媳答道。 “香了就熟了。四二年我吃过那东西。” “咋不黄呢?” “它不是面，黄啥？” 等第一张饼烙出来，三个孩子都回来了，无光了多日的眼睛全滋润起来。孙怀玉这时从地里回来，带回一把锅盔草。草才冒头，已叫村里人吃光了。他看看孩子们，又看看锅里白得可怕的烙饼，问他媳妇："咱敢吃这不?" "敢吃!"他爹在窑洞里面答他。 媳妇说："都吃哩。就这一点还是跟人借的，明天我去弄了，还得还人哩。" 她一边说一边就来提溜锅里的饼。刚把饼拎起来，她“哎呀”叫了一声，饼落在了地上。孙怀玉看她甩着手，呲牙咧嘴。 "手叫它烧了。比炭还烫!"媳妇说。 孙怀玉把她媳妇的手一下捺在水缸里。等拔出手来，手指上两个琉璃大泡。媳妇苦脸笑道："忘了!他们告诉我，这土是做啥耐火砖的，可吸热，不敢用手抓!" 这天午饭一家人围坐在一块，吃着白土烙饼。白土里有盐碱，烙熟后香喷喷的，孩子们吃了一块还想吃第二块。还玉媳妇不叫他们吃了，说看明天屙出屙不出再吃。她见孙克贤抖得厉害的手伸向下一块饼，吞吐着说：“敢吃那么多呀，爹?” 他不理她，只管撕下饼往嘴里填，吞咽的声音很大。吃完第二块饼他说：“这东西吃着是不赖。” 第二天天不明，怀玉媳妇和史屯一群媳妇上路了。离史屯十来里地修建了一座耐火材料厂，那里堆着山一样的白土。她们翻过墙头，用两手扒拉，把带来的粮食口袋灌满，扔出墙去，再一个拉一个地翻出墙来。一袋白土比一袋粮食重多了，她们到下午才把偷回的白土扛到家。路上有一个新媳妇走着走着坐下了，说她得歇口气再走。等她们回到家才想起，新媳妇一直没跟上。晚上她的新姑爷把她背了回来，已经没气了。 各家都飘出烙白土饼的香气。孩子们高兴了，象过去年景好的时候吃油馍一样，拿着白土烙饼到街上吃。狗们过来，他们便赏狗几口。吃了一阵子，各家茅房都不臭了。所有的妈都把孩子搁在膝盖上，扒下裤子，用扁树棍捅进去掏。孩子们一挣一闹，她们就吼叫或者在那些屁股上拍几巴掌：“不叫掏就跟孙芙蓉的爷一样憋死!” 孙芙蓉是孙克贤的孙女。 孙克贤的肚皮叫白土烙饼撑成了一面鼓，硬硬的，一碰就碰出鼓点子。开始孙怀玉要给他掏，他不叫掏。第二天他叫掏了，掏过肚子还是一面大鼓。孙怀玉把他用独轮车推到公社卫生所，卫生所在他肚子上敲一阵鼓之后说：“得往县里送。” 孙克贤说：“别送了，没事，叫我好好放俩屁就行。那东西吃着不赖，要搁点油就好了，屙着就会这么费气了。” 公社卫生所的卫生员用肥皂水给他灌肠。灌了汤在他肚子上捺、挤。孙克贤成了叫驴，叫得地动天惊。叫了一个多小时，他死了。 孙怀玉回到家就把五斤白面找出来，扔在桌上，大骂他媳妇，叫她立刻给做熟。他媳妇哭哭啼啼的，把面倒进盆里，端到厨房去。他马上又追进厨房，说他一口不吃，全叫孩子们吃。 媳妇说：“你不吃，你干活儿哪儿来的力气呢?” “五斤面叫我一人吃还不够呢!”孙怀玉凶狠地回她。 “那你饿死，俺娘几个也是慢慢跟你去的。”她又把面往面口袋里倒。 “他们人小，饥不了多久。就让他们吃吧。” “你不吃，我们都不吃。谁也不吃。” “你别逼我揍你啊。” “揍了好。揍狠些。省得你死了我想你。” 孙怀玉和媳妇哭成一团。他哄她：“锅盔草都长出来了，就快出头了。别把咱孩子饿出好歹来，叫他们吃吧。” 媳妇说：“能觅食的老鸟饿死了，孩子多一两口迟早不还是个饿死?” 过了三天，五斤面还是五斤面。 孙怀玉没力气跟他媳妇斗嘴，哼哼着说：“蒸几个馍，熬点汤，俺们把那五斤面吃了。” 媳妇说：“谁知啥时是最难的时候?光绪三年的大旱，人肉都吃!再挺挺。挺到最难的时候。” 孩子们吃了锅盔菜、萝卜糊糊还是整天叫：“我老饥呀。妈，我老饥呀!” 孙怀玉躺在床上，他已经不饿了。他对孩子们说：“挺床上睡睡，睡睡就不饥了。” 窑洞里不点灯，他媳妇没看见他两个通黄的眼睛。他浑身皮肉也变黄了，好象血不是血，成黄连水了。这天她觉出他身上烫，才点上灯来看他。孙怀玉又黄又亮地躺在那里，肚子咣里咣当一包水。第二天早上，孙怀玉死了。又过一天，媳妇也黄黄地死了。 三个孩子们大哭大叫。哭一会，大孩子不哭了，到处翻找，在母亲枕头里找出了五斤白面。他拿了白面就去厨房烧水。这时邻居们赶来，问孩子们哭什么。孩子们都不说话，劈柴的劈柴，拉风箱的拉风箱。邻居们到屋里，才看见孙怀玉夫妇通黄通黄的尸首。 孩子们从此都不说话。人们猜不出孙怀玉夫妇是怎么死的，都说不是饿死的，因为家里存着五斤白面。他们想这三个孩子受了太大惊吓，哑巴了。他们上队里饲养员那儿领了死牲口肉，给孤儿们送来。 各生产队的牲口都开始死。给孙怀玉孩子们拿来的是死牛肉。那牛四岁，拉犁顶两头牛的力气。饲养员见它一天瘦似一天，去大队吵过几次，说牛饿死地就别种了。大队从公社弄了一点棉籽饼，让饲养员给牛补补，眼看要春耕了。 那条牯牛把头一餐棉籽饼两下吃完，哞哞叫，蹄子发脾气地又跺又踢，直到饲养员明白它没吃饱，又给了它一些棉籽饼，它才收了脾气。饲养员叫疙瘩，是个大麻子脸的光棍，五十多岁，平时和牲口们过成一家子，自己烧一杂面汤吃三天，倒是年年正月十六都给牲口们做一顿面条喂喂，嘴里还念叨：“打一千，骂一万，正月十六擀顿面。”正月十七要是队上有人使牲口，他不叫人使，说：“你过年过到十五，牲口们过到十七，人家还有一天，年才过完呢。”疙瘩此刻看着牯牛眨眼间把下一顿的棉籽饼也吃光了，任它去叫去跺蹄子也不理它。它叫出了人的声音来：饿!饿! 疙瘩怕它这样闹人，把旁边一头骡子也带坏，只好再拿出一顿的棉籽饼。看它吃得得意，他拿起鞭子抽它一下，说：“撑死了吧!看你有三个肚子没有!今天你爹我就陪你吃!还要不要?还要?好，再来一顿儿!喝口水?不喝?行，你也明白喝了水把肠子撑断呀?” 他喂了它五顿的棉籽饼，它还没有吃饱的意思，一停脾气就上来。第五次喂它时，它用犄角把饲养员盛棉籽饼的簸箩一挑，挑翻了一地。任他怎么抽它打它，它只管埋头满地去舔棉籽饼。吃完它还是大闹，疙瘩一看，它眼睛和昨天完全不一样，不是姑娘似的温顺腼腆，而是直瞪瞪的，又没神，象是瞎了的眼睛。 疙瘩把兽医找来。年轻的兽医给了些药，牯牛睡了一天一夜，起来又闹吃。疙瘩想着这新法兽医不灵，治不了邪病，就找了个老受益。老兽医扯出牛舌头，在舌下扎了一针，放了些血。第二天，他闹得人都没法靠近它。饲养员只好又剁下棉籽饼给它。它一吃就是另一个脾性了，随你怎么折腾它，捺它肚子，瓣它耳朵，到处插针进它肉里都不碍它事，只要让它吃。兽医检查下来，哪儿也没病。那一针安眠药起作用了，牯牛倒下来，鼻鼾把它面前的草末吹起，再吹起。它一醒，