Chapter 7 Chapter VII

I have to go back to more than a year ago, back to the beginning of the famine, back to the night when Putao and Chunxi had sex for the first time.After Chunxi left, she went back to the yard, picked off the five grilled fish, and threw two handfuls on the ground lightly, throwing the place where it was charred into black charcoal.The fish meat was really fragrant, she and Er Da wondered how such a smelly and unpleasant thing would smell so delicious after being cooked. They used chopsticks to pierce the belly of the fish, but the fish inside was still fishy, ​​not cooked.The fish was pulled out from the water, and the grapes picked out a piece of meat, which was white and tender.She bit her teeth, smacked her lips, and nodded.Er Da kept looking at her, saw her nodding, then stretched out his hand, broke off a piece of fish tail, and took a bite, his mouth was full of thorns, he either spit it out or not, he opened his mouth halfway, not knowing what to do next.Putao didn't know what to do, seeing his mouth in such embarrassment, said: "Oh, throw up!"

Erda spit out the mouthful of fish meat on the ground, and the flower dog jumped up and licked it. Soon his throat became straight, he coughed and wheezed, and his paws went up to scratch around his mouth.When the two of them saw it, they both understood that it had a thorn in its throat.Putao was in a hurry, wanting to see if it would still eat, so he threw a vegetable bran dumpling to it.It chewed without chewing, swallowed half of the vegetable ball with a gulp, calmed down, ate the remaining half of the vegetable ball, sat down firmly, raised its face and waited for the next bite.The Erda said that it seemed that Huagou had a thick throat, and after swallowing a mouthful of vegetable dumplings, he smashed the fishbone down.

Knowing this, the two still dare not eat the fish.The next day, Putao went to the market to sell two feet of cloth, bought a new pot and came back, and threw the half-baked fish into it to stew.The soup is like thin milk, taste it with some salt, it's really not unpalatable.Erda frowned and finished his bowl of soup, then smiled and said, "We have never seen the world with this appetite, why do we still want to vomit!" After two days, there were seven or eight fish caught in the net. Putao took them back and carried them to the small train station in a basket.The chef in the kitchen was overjoyed when he saw it, and asked her how much the fish was selling for.Putao said that she would not sell it, and she wanted to exchange it for food. "

The master gave her a bowl of millet.The second time, she exchanged it for a catty of sweet potato flour.When it came to summer, the master said that they were short of food here, and the shortage was severe, and they didn't dare to exchange food for grapes.She said that she didn't want to take it back with her, and she was old, so let them eat it.The master immediately told her to wait, and he asked her to take two back when he cooked them well. This is what grapes are waiting for.She remembered it from the time when the master picked the scales and dissected the stomach.Then she wrote down how he fried it in oil and boiled it with scallions, ginger, soy sauce, and vinegar.On the next trip, she went to deliver the fish again, but the master was very embarrassed, saying that this time, she would only eat her fish.If the grapes are not right, just give me some soy sauce and vinegar.

Putao walked home with a small bottle of soy sauce and a small bottle of vinegar.How long had it been since she had eaten soy sauce and vinegar? She couldn't even remember.She walked around, but the sharp aroma of vinegar made her unable to walk, so she took off the bottle cap and took a sip.The sour smell rushed into her nose, and she shed tears, which was really happy.The smell of soy sauce and vinegar workshops that she has been accustomed to since she was seven years old ran in her mouth and tongue.Twenty years of memories are running in her mouth.She thought, tell me to eat some soy sauce and vinegar every day, and life will be beautiful.

The dashi made with soy sauce and vinegar tastes much better.She and Er Da gradually got used to the smell of fish, but they still didn't dare to touch the fish.Use chopsticks to pull the fish apart in the bowl, which is full of thorns smaller and thinner than embroidery needles.Eating that bite of meat is equivalent to swallowing a handful of embroidery needles. Their throats are not as thick as those of flower dogs. The villagers found that Putao put nets in the river every day.They followed her, watched her pick fish from the net, and asked her if she dared to eat it.She told them if they dared to eat it or not, they should cook it at home and try it.Asked how to do it, she said cook it.

People followed her example and caught some fish, and as soon as they got home and cooked, they cursed at the grapes: it took two hours to crack a bite of that thing.Some thorns are stuck in the throat, and they can't get out no matter what. Go to the health center and let the health workers use tweezers to get them out. When I first entered the summer carp grass, people flooded it and ate it, the river was bare, and the fish became thinner and smaller.This is a drought year, the river dried up in May, and it became one piece with the field built in the past few years, and the crack was so cracked that voles could run.

Putao discussed with Er Da, thinking that it was time to find the cave where the Japanese hid canned food. Putao waited for people to kill and eat all the breeding pigs and baby pigs in the pig farm. In her free time, she searched in the mountains seventeen or eight miles away from the water mill every day.The person I found was also turned into charcoal, but I found nothing.She was looking for it that day when she heard a group of people talking behind her.This group belonged to He Cun, and the man in the middle with handcuffs was Liu Shugen.She greeted them, and they looked very bad, and didn't ask her to hang around.Putao never saves people trouble, the less you ask her to do something, the more she does it.As if she didn't hear their scolding, she talked to Liu Shugen: "Uncle Shugen, I haven't seen you for a long time, why are you wearing handcuffs?"

Liu Shugen lowered his eyes and nodded. The man with the spear next to him said, "This guy is a spy of the United States and Chiang Kai-shek. He is spreading rumors in the village. Why do you go to him?" Putao asked Liu Shugen: "What rumors are you spreading?" Liu Shugen stared at his toes, pretending not to hear. The man with the gun threatened Putao with the butt of the gun: "If you don't leave, you will be handcuffed too!" Putao said: "This place belongs to your family, if you want to leave, do you want me to leave?" She thought that Liu Shugen must be leading them to the door of the Japanese warehouse.Whoever can find food now is a bodhisattva. If Liu Shugen can find those canned food, he will not only be innocent, but also gain merit.She no longer followed them openly, hid in the grass, and walked forward.She knew every blade of grass and every tree in this mountain, and after a while she had copied ahead of the group of people.

Liu Shugen said, "It's here." The original big oak tree was struck down by lightning, and a group of young oak trees grew on the ground.The grapes waited for them to pry open the cement and wood that sealed the hole, stood up facing them and said, "You Hecun want to eat alone? The Japanese cans in this warehouse are half of Shitun. There are also leather boots and belts." When she looked at the eyes of this group of people, she knew that they had one thought in their mind: just kill her on the spot. The captain of He Village said: "Oh! Isn't this Wang Putaowang's role model?"

He's not bad at pretending, like she's a succubus who's just changed back into her original form for him to recognize. The team leader said: "We dare not keep anything belonging to the Japanese, we have to hand it in." Putao said, "That's not true." The captain said: "Whether you can find it or not is to test this hidden class enemy, to see if he really has the intention to make meritorious deeds and atone for his sins. If he found it, it is a good thing for our country to have an extra batch of canned food in difficult times, huh? If we find it, we'll hand it in and go home." Putao asked: "Whose country is it?" The captain didn't want to get entangled with her, he was anxious to take stock of the food inside.With this warehouse to eat, how could their brigade have survived the famine.He wants to strive to be the advanced brigade with the fewest refugees.He thought, when he sent her a few cans later, her mouth would be sealed, a woman. The Japanese dug out a cave into a warehouse, and the stacked things could not be transported away by a group of people in Hecun.The captain asked someone to go back to move the troops, and Putao said, "By the way, call the Secretary of History!" The team leader blurted out, "Why did you call that scourge?" Putao said: "The scourge will give you a receipt here, so you don't need to move this half of the mountain back to the village?" The captain knew that Putao was going to entangle with him to the end.He had seen Secretary Ding and Putao talking in the pig farm, it was homely and casual.He said, "Okay, let's invite the Secretary of History." Secretary Shi did not come alone. He took all the team leaders, party secretary, accountant, Communist Youth League secretary, and party members to the mountain together.From afar, he raised his round voice: "Great, our commune has these batches of canned food, so we can work hard!" Putao thought, Chunxi has three voices, one is for talking to the crowd, the voice is raised high and can be heard far away, as if his throat is connected to an electric circuit, and the words are broadcast when they come out.The second is to talk to the leader, that voice is friendly and kind, very considerate and honest.He used the third voice to talk to her. He has kept this voice in private since he was sixteen years old, and he will not use it unless he is alone with her.It's a little petty, with every sentence dragging the end of grievance, and implying a strong and naive attitude, it is the voice of a young man who thinks he deserves to be favored but never gets it in front of an older woman. The team leader shook hands with Secretary Shi and gave up cigarettes, forgetting what kind of trouble he was.He gave the history secretary into the cave, as if offering a treasure. Secretary Shi took a look into the warehouse with his flashlight, and couldn't close his mouth: one or two boxes of canned food were stacked up to the top of the cave. Secretary Shi was mad in his heart with his mouth open and staring like that, and he stood there for three minutes before he said a word: "You Japanese ancestor, you saved me!" Putao looked at his sweaty profile.Beads of sweat peeked out from his black stubble, and he wasn't ugly.Look at his two straight and long legs, spread so wide, he stands like Chairman Mao or Commander-in-Chief Zhu.She watched him stretch out his arm and put his fingers into the cracks of the wooden crate to touch the bare iron skin of the can.His hands weren't ugly, but they were too firm, as if he was going to rub her thin when he grabbed them.He was so happy that he became several years younger, just like when he and she fired the first kiln bricks together. "Rihe Japanese grandma! Our commune is saved now! Aren't you afraid you won't be able to survive the famine with some canned meat? After eating the canned Japanese food, let's beat the Americans hard!" "Liu Shugen found it." A militiaman said. "Excuse me, forgive me." The Secretary of the History laughed generously: "To provide food for the whole society is to save people's lives! Even if it is a crime of murder, it will be worth it if you save a life. Who will break Liu Shugen's handcuffs?" The order was implemented immediately, and Liu Shugen plopped and knelt in front of Secretary Shi: "Master Qingtian!" Secretary Shi raised his hand generously: "Get up. Not only will I not punish you, but I will reward you with some canned food. Whoever you are, give Liu Shugen's prize right now!" The captain watched from the side, and sneered so hard that he pressed himself under the flesh.This scourge made them pile up soil below and put "rockets" per mu on the top of the pile of grain. They were generous with the country, and now they are generous with the things they struggled to find. The secretary of the history asked people to look at the cave warehouse and take a good inventory, and then let the whole community come here to break up the cans into pieces.Otherwise, people will be so hungry that their stomachs will be bloated and their legs will be slender. When can these canned food be transported down the mountain? At night, thousands of people from the whole commune came up the mountain with torches and flashlights.The crowd was even more jovial than when the land and floating wealth of the landlords were divided, and the yellow and swollen faces on the flashlights under the torch all laughed out of shape.The students also followed.For the first time in so long, they had the strength to walk.The students didn't know what canned meat was. When they asked their parents, they also said that they had never eaten it, and they couldn't rely on what little Japan ate.Twenty miles of mountain road, they arrived in the early morning.At twilight, the birds in the mountains sang tunes, people were all drenched with sweat and dew, and no child fell asleep. Clerk Shi, wearing an old military uniform and sweating sourly, arranged with a group of cadres to get the canned food.The teams stood in a line, and a representative went into the hole to pass the cans out. Like in the army, the historical secretary took the lead in shouting labor chants.The people below were panicked with embarrassment at first, and they didn't shout at him.After a while, seeing that Secretary Shi and his wife were not at all ashamed, they shouted louder and louder, so they slowly followed.They shouted the labor numbers that Secretary Shi's army had come to school, and at the same time passed the tin cans from hand to hand.When the sun rose above the ridge, they emptied the cave, and only then did they feel that they had exhausted their last strength. "This is a big harvest for our commune!" Secretary Shi walked around the paralyzed crowd. "Try harder, and move out the leather boots inside, and we'll divide the cans here! Do you agree?" People stood up again, relying on the little nourishment given to their bodies by the elm money, Sophora japonica, and pot helmet grass from the previous day, and started the second round of transportation.The cardboard box containing the leather boots has been rotten, and the black leather boots inside have turned into gray-green leather boots, and the mold on them is as thick as a penny.People use the clothes on their bodies to rub the mildew off, and the leather underneath has not decayed, especially the thick rubber sole, which is enough for a person to wear for a lifetime.People put their unwashed feet into Japanese leather boots and walked around laughing and beating.But they all asked each other: Are you wearing the wrong shoes? All discovered that they were wearing the wrong shoes: the right shoe on both feet.After asking, they understand that the leather boots in this warehouse are all right-footed.They guessed that the Japanese specially made shoes for the right foot for wounded soldiers with left stumps.I thought again, how could it be such a coincidence? It was only the left leg that was sawed off? That was saboteurs in the Japanese factory? In the end they guessed that the Japanese were too stupid, so they put the left and right boots into storage separately, and the left boot It is not sure which mountain cave it is hidden in. Even if a warehouse is searched by the Chinese, they will not be able to wear their shoes. People say that they just want to wear shoes that are not in pairs. Chinese people are not afraid of going barefoot, but are they afraid of "smooth running" shoes?! So they were all annoyed by the Japanese devils, and in a blink of an eye they divided the boots and put them on. Feet, soon the heat grew from the boots, condensed, and steamed the feet of Chinese peasants who had been accustomed to being comfortable and loose for a long time.Shi Chunxi smiled and walked with sultry "徉徉" steps, inspecting the various brigades that were distributing canned food.His feet were getting heatstroke, but he loved the pace and the sound of them.People didn't fight or quarrel at all, no one cursed, and the canned food was distributed to the production teams and households in a safe and sound way.He stood at attention in a standard and beautiful manner, but both toes pointed in the same direction; he stood at attention like this and said to people: "I hope everyone is flowing, huh? Don't eat all these cans in one meal! We Rely on it to persist until the wheat harvest!" Putao hugged the three cans she had been assigned, and seeing Chunxi digging tobacco out of the pipe like the old men to fill the pot, her heart melted softly: his hand gestures for filling cigarettes were exactly the same as his brother's.He was wearing "Yi Shun ran" Japanese leather boots and was joking with an old woman, helping her carry a basket containing five cans and walking down the mountain. His wife's grandchildren walked around him back and forth. Many people say that you have to eat a can before you have the strength to walk twenty miles.They found shovels and picks, and broke open the can. Someone was wrong, and it didn't smell good. White and green sauces emerged from the cracked tin opening.No matter how strange Japanese ghosts are, they won’t eat this stuff, let’s discuss it.One person dipped his hand into a little white sauce, smelled it, and shouted, "What kind of canned meat is this? This is paint!" No one could walk anymore.The children were all crying, and they had lost the strength to crawl.The people in Hecun remembered something and shouted: "Where is Liu Shugen, the spy of the US Chiang Kai-shek? Kill him soon! He wants to make us drink paint, and the medicine will kill us!" Only then did people think of Liu Shugen.His conspiracy is so big that it almost paints everyone's intestines and stomachs! Just a little short of that, the entire commune of Shitun was destroyed.They looked for Liu Shugen everywhere, and everyone's fists were clenched hard. They had smashed dozens of Liu Shugen in their hearts.This soldier ruffian, a strong man, had his 20 acres of land allotted from the land reform, and he hoped that the United States and Chiang Kai-shek would fight back.People say: Beat him! Chop him up!Boil him into meatballs! Deep-fry them in a frying pan!...Oh, that’s a waste of oil! I haven’t seen an oil star in so many days! Liu Shugen is gone.His cave was locked.He, his wife and children are gone.People don't know that Liu Shugen received five canned food rewards that day, went home to find a knife to open a canned food, and passed out on the spot.His wife poured cold water on him, and he woke up and said, "People from the village are coming soon, and they will beat me to death and chop me up! The wife said: "You don't know the paint in that can!" Liu Shugen said: "I don't know. But I'm not a spy of the United States and Chiang Kai-shek. They say you are, so you are. When they opened the can, they saw that there was no meat in it, so they had to chop me up and boil it into balls..." He collapsed into a puddle, waiting to be chopped. My wife had been a kiln sister and had more knowledge than the women in the village, so she quickly packed up her clothes and bedding, and while the whole village was still on the mountain celebrating a bumper harvest of canned food, she dragged Liu Shugen and left.There was not a single person on the road in Tongxian City. On both sides were bald grass and dead trees eaten by people. A thin dog was thrown away by someone and died in the ditch, flat and thin like a dog-shaped blanket.After walking for a while, the old crows on the new grave saw someone coming, hovering over his head.They thought that after hovering for a short time, they could dive down.They often chase the meat that is still moving in this way, whether it is a dog or a human. Before planting wheat, Shi Chunxi called all the party members, model workers, activists, cadres, and demobilized soldiers of the commune to the original Sun's department store for a meeting. Chunxi suddenly aged ten years, and her vision was a little flowery. She squinted her eyes and announced to everyone that the most critical moment had arrived. Putao's face was also swollen and numb, but his hands were still very busy, using a thread picker to tie the twine.She can beat broken flax into smooth and firm twine.She danced her arms up and down, trying to seize the time of the meeting to get the mess out of the thread. Wheat seeds and livestock are big problems.The livestock in our commune are almost dead, and the money for wheat planting has not yet been settled.As Chunxi said, she took the steps of an old man and walked back and forth at the front desk.In the spring of this year, the commune lent all the wheat seeds to the commune members to eat. After listening for an hour, everyone understood what Secretary Shi meant: he sold his watch and Xiaohe's button sewing machine, and pooled a part of the money to buy wheat seeds for the commune.He was demobilized from the army, and the few things left by the demobilization fee he received were donated to the society.Everyone understands that this is the time for them to contribute.None of them had a sewing machine or a watch to offer.There is only one pot and one spoon at home, and they have been donated to be smelted into steel. Up to now, the pots and spoons have not been fully prepared. Putao's hand danced faster, knowing that Shi Chunxi's eyes would light up on her for a while.Dongxi will not pile up the soil, cover it with a cloth and spread a layer of wheat, and finally use the wheat seeds as a "rocket" to fly into the sky.But she was still determined to look for Dongxi in every expression and every movement of Chunxi.When she finds Dongxi waving her hand, lowering her eyes, and frowning, she is fascinated: that is Dongxi borrowing Chunxi to return her soul.When Putao commits serious crimes, she will feel sorry for Chunxi: in order to order wheat seeds, she will worry about him older than her brother. Chun Xi's voice was merged with the voice of the kidnapper flying around the grape thread, and it sounded like Dong Xi.She raised her head and looked at him with her swollen eyes.It's been a long time since she dreamed of seeing a man like this.At that time, she and Zhu Mei, the luthier, looked at each other as they watched the new mud and wheat seedlings sprouting from the cave dwelling.The red wax in the bridal chamber spat out a fleshy tongue of fire, licked it warmly, and licked it again.The licked air moved, tickling the tender young wheat seedlings on the wall, with a thrust and a flash.The luthier and Putao had the same dream. She is also itchy and cheap now.She wondered why Chunxi and her were such enemies? Why did she have to find Dongxi in him so as not to annoy him? Don't be late for meetings, don't stare at my face." She couldn't seem to understand what he was saying.He frowned.Putao's heart softened, against the sallow face, his eyebrows seemed to be long gone. "Borrow money, buy wheat seeds, and buy a few baby pigs," she said. He twitched the corner of his mouth, understanding what she meant: I still like you a little bit.She saw that there were only him and her face to face in this big shop. "How can I feed them now?" Chunxi said.She also understood what he meant: I miss you now. "Bring me the baby pigs, I'm sure they won't starve to death," she said.What he heard was: I miss you too.I miss you all the time.He said a few more sad words about crops and livestock, but in fact he said: You, you, you finally miss me.She also said a word or two of reassurance, but her eyes told him: I like you physically, but my heart still annoys you. After Chunxi understood what she said, she suddenly lowered her eyes. "What the hell are you bothering me with, Grape?" he asked, suddenly. The grapes are stunned.She never figured out why she annoyed him.She just annoyed him.She couldn't explain why he was bad, but her heart knew it, and her heart didn't tell her the truth. Chun Xi came up and hugged Grape.Her mouth was as tight as a fresh knife wound.He tore open the wound with his tongue.He knew how much he was wronged; he knew that her body was clearly open, waiting for him was painful. Putao waited for him to put her on the table and cover her under his body before she forgot everything.Heideng Xiahuo is so beautiful, she doesn't care who he is, as long as she likes him physically. After that night, Putao and Chunxi often rejoice in the woods next to the graveyard.She thought, his brother loves his brother, and he loves her grapes too, so he won't let him and her be hungry as well.On such a hungry day, it would be difficult to endure without this beautiful thing.Every time Chunxi finished his work and talked to her, she put her sweaty hand on his lips.She and he couldn't talk together. Wheat is plowed by people on their backs.The commune secretary became the first steer in the Shitun Commune. He jumped into the ground, put a harness on his body, and told everyone: "The Soviet Union's grandson wants to force us to pay debts. Can he be forced to die?" He leaned forward, stretched his neck, and kicked his legs apart. Secretary Shi worked as a cow for a few days, and a herd of good cows was brought out from below, and the wheat was finally planted on time.After carrying the plow all day, he regained his strength as soon as he saw the figure of grapes.He and she got into the woods where the north wind was blowing whistles, until they were both as hot as a bathhouse. Grape's swelling subsided, her face became rosy, and her flat chest swelled again.Every day when she was hungry and flustered, she thought of the joy waiting for her at night, just like walking home from the field when she was a child, thinking of a cucumber waiting for her with ice in the well water, everything immediately became beautiful. As the sky was getting dark, she poured a basket of tung tree flowers into the freshly opened pot, sat down and pulled up the bellows.The pot was opened again, she lifted the lid and scooped up the softened tung tree flowers, which gave off a fresh fragrance.The tung tree flower tastes good when cooked well.The waterlogged tung tree flowers were poured into the pot, and she scooped up two scoops of cold water into it.It has to be soaked for a day before it can be cooked and eaten.The flowers soaked yesterday are soaked, torn by hand, and poured into the pot.After cooking for a while, the fragrance is not clear, and there is a smell of oil and meat rising from the pot. The grapes put the cooked tung tree flowers in two large bowls.She fumbled out the salt shaker in the dark, and there was a broken rough porcelain spoon in it.She scraped hard with her spoon over the salt shaker for a week, and another week.The salt jar was obtained when the families were separated. I don’t know which lazy woman used it. She must have inserted a spoon and chopsticks with soup and water into it to scoop out salt. The dry salt was soaked in water and formed a hard shell over time. Now that the grapes have eaten up the salt, they can only rely on scraping the salt shaker. Sprinkle the salt and chili peppers and mix them again. She picks up a piece with chopsticks and puts it in her mouth.The taste is really fresh, a bit like shredded chicken.But Putao has long forgotten what shredded chicken tastes like.She put some of the tung tree flowers in her own bowl into the second bowl, put the two bowls into a basket, and carried them down to the kiln. She groped to arrange the dishes and chopsticks, and then groped to put the stool away, and asked Er Da: "Why are the tung tree flowers so fresh? They taste like shredded chicken." Er Da hummed, and touched the padded jacket with his hand. As soon as she heard his movements, she said, "Father, it's too cold, isn't it?" The Erda hummed again, and went to lift the quilt with his hands, knocking the grass that was used as a mattress.She listened and thought, this shaking method is not cold.She stretched out her hand accurately and touched his forehead.It's like touching a piece of charcoal.She said, "Dad, when did you get sick? Why didn't you tell me in the morning?!" Er Da opened his mouth, his upper and lower teeth chattering loudly.He said, "It's all right." Putao turned on the lamp only to realize that Er Da looks more scary than it sounds.His face was pale and yellow, his eyes became the yellow eyes of a raccoon, and there was a swollen head the size of a basin in the middle of his white hair and beard.At this time, if he was walking on Shitun Street, no one would recognize him as Sun Huaiqing who was executed ten years ago. Putao was catching the evening train from Lower Los Angeles.The cook at the small railway station saw her, gave her a box of leeks with lentil noodles, and handed her over to the cook on the train, saying that Putao was a family member on the railway, and asked him to carry her in the dining car. Los Angeles.The penniless Putao arrived in Los Angeles at nine o'clock in the evening.It was already ten o'clock when we arrived at Sun Shaoyong's house. Shaoyong opened the door and let her in, keeping his eyes on her face.He asked her why she was here so late and if she was in a hurry. "But there is." Putao said, seeing that he gave up the chair, she refused to sit down. "Sit down and talk." Shaoyong took out a dry bun and poured water on her. "I'm not here to beg you for food." He saw that her complexion was not bad, and she was not too swollen.It's just that the look in her eyes is different from before, as if she was thinking about her own thoughts while talking to him. "Sit down and talk slowly." "No time to sit. You come back with me." "What's the matter?" "Someone's sick. Very sick." "Who?" "You will know when you go back." Shaoyong stared at her.It can be seen that that person has a secret relationship with him and her.Is it their child? Yes, definitely.She has been hiding somewhere to raise it, this woman named Putao can do such a good thing. Shaoyong pulled the scarf and cotton coat from the hanger.He took some more money from the drawer.He raised his chin and told Putao to go first. After leaving the house, Putao remembered and asked, "Didn't I tell your wife?" Shaoyong just kept walking forward.He went to the public phone at the gate and dialed the number, and he got connected after a while. He said that he had to go on an urgent errand, and his old family was seriously ill, so he had to use the hospital car.He said he paid the standard fare for the car and the driver's night shift. Shaoyong and Putao went back to Shitun in an old ambulance.The ambulance has been decommissioned, but the smell of detox water is still very strong.It is the smell of Shaoyong's body -- the smell that Putao felt that he was so clean and refreshing earlier. Shaoyong got in the car for half an hour before speaking.He said, "What symptoms does the child have?" Putao opened his mouth and made no sound.He thought it was his son who was sick.He still believes that he and Putao have a son, and he is growing into a little Shaoyong day by day in a place he can't see.For the sake of his son, he even ignored his wife, and he didn't even say a word when he went out in the middle of the night. He asked again, "Are you hungry?" Putao opened his mouth again, but made no sound.He squeezed her hand, grinned and said, "Why don't you talk? Dead?!" "The whole body is yellow, and the eyes are like cat's eyes. The face is swollen, always scary." Putao said, tears falling down. He shook off her hand. "You're so ruthless, Grape." She understood that he meant that she had done too much and monopolized the child, and she would not let him see him until he died of illness. Shaoyong asked the driver to drive the car back to the hospital.He also understood more than half of the symptoms of the disease, and went back to get the needles and medicine, along with sugar and soybeans.When they were on the road again, he urged the driver to go faster. On the way, he asked Putao, "Does she look like me?" "Yeah." She remembered that the last time she saw Ting, he was as tall as her, and he could play the harmonica and gather firewood. "Where does it look like me?" Shaoyong asked. "It's like everywhere." "Who do the eyes look like?" "When I was breastfeeding, I looked like me. When I got bigger, I didn't look like me anymore. If it grows longer, it will grow into my father's eyes. It's so amazing." Shaoyong swayed with the car.His son did not dare to die, he was the only son.Zhu Yunyan is too busy to take care of her family all year round, either going to the countryside for a long stay or being raised to study.He gradually discovered that the woman who became a cadre was actually not a woman, and if he loved her as a woman, she would panic; to use her as a woman was something that he didn't even think about.Shaoyong respects Zhu Yunyan, but how can a man and a woman live a happy life with all the respect left? Zhu Yunyan said as soon as he wanted a child: "Slow down, what's the big deal right now?" What kind of cadre is Shaoyong, a doctor? How is it different from a backward peasant? Shaoyong let her respect her and lived year after year.Later, he also got cold, so he treated Zhu Yunyan as a lesbian who legally slept in the same bed. Anyway, when he fell asleep and stood up, he said the same thing.Needless to say when they fell asleep later, they were back to back, snoring each other.There are two quilts on a bed, and often there is only one bed left.Her quilt is always tied up with hemp rope, and she is asked to carry her back here to stay here and visit that place. "How tall is Ting?" Shaoyong asked again. "Tall. Like our father. Taller than both you and Tie Nao." Putao said. "Where did you keep him?" "The world is so big, how big is Ting?" Putao said. "You said he would recognize me when he saw me?" Putao watched the black electric poles receding one by one outside the car window.She smiled: "Who knows. As long as he is good, he is alive. Whether he recognizes me or not, it's up to him." "I don't know you?" "Know him or not, as long as he is alive and kicking, I will be happy." "Is he far away from you?" "Far away. Ting doesn't talk about us anymore. He talks about others." Shaoyong looked at the grapes.Grape looked out the window.The car jumped high and threw her up, and he held her up.He thought, since Putao had given it to someone far away, why did he bring him to Shitun again? The car had already entered the village, and Putao asked him to tell the driver to park the car at the entrance of the village.When she and Shaoyong walked to her house, she said, "The sick person is not your son." Shaoyong stood under a locust tree, the moonlight cast the shadow of locust branches on his face. "Whose son?" he asked. "It's your father." Knowing that he would be shocked, Putao came up and put his arms around his shoulders. Shaoyong took her words as crazy.Putao often speaks crazy things.The down on her forehead and temples touched his cheek, and the grapes from all those years ago were back.Every inch of his skin and flesh knew that grape. "Why do you always talk about gouging out people's hearts, Putao?" He said affectionately, every word got into her hair. "Second brother, did mentioning father really gouge your heart?" She turned her face up to him, and the moon illuminated her as if she were fourteen or sixteen years old again, her eyes were still so ignorant, she was only seven years old. "You don't understand, Putao. I was young at that time. Now that I think about it, my heart is like gouging out." She nodded, admitting she didn't understand. "Second brother, don't be afraid." Shaoyong looked at her.She took his hand and walked forward.After taking two steps, she clamped his hands into her armpits.She added: "Don't be afraid of anything, there are grapes." In front is the grape kiln.Shaoyong's hand gave her a fever.Not a single bark.Squatting and standing in the cemetery not far away are wild dogs that come to the cemetery every night to try their luck.Shaoyong didn't need to look, he also knew that this was no longer the Shitun it used to be, the village he was familiar with had become wild due to the famine, gave birth, and he no longer knew him, and he didn't know it either. How did Putao survive the nearly three years of starvation? He scolded himself in his heart when he saw Putao unlock the door.The flower dog was still alive, his tail was so thin that he couldn't shake it, he had already heard the grape's footsteps, and when the door opened, he had already climbed up to the highest step. As soon as Shaoyong entered the yard, he held his breath and listened around, his eyes flickering from side to side.He really can't figure out the grape's trick. Putao closed the door, and then carried a stick as thick as the mouth of a bowl against the door.Before she turned around, she said, "Second brother, you are a doctor, and you only care about treating your patients. Don't be afraid of anything." He didn't think she was talking crazy anymore.The matter must not be a joke, otherwise why did she coax him until now, telling him to "don't be afraid"? He didn't ask any more, anyway, everything should be clear.Putao walked into the house, he followed and saw her lighting a lamp.Then, she took out a small photo from her bosom.He leaned forward, and this was his son.Eight-year-old Ting was wearing a red scarf, staring blankly.He also likes to put on a straight face like Shaoyong when he was a child, and he will put on a straight face when he meets strangers. He looked around.The bed was empty.The cabinet is white with oil, and the flowers on it are painted green.He looked at it and asked, "Where is the child?" "The child is in Shaanxi." He was afraid that if she continued to ask, she would say that she had already died of illness.So he didn't ask any questions. "Is the child sick? It's my father, my second brother who is sick." "Who is the father?!" "Our fathers. How many fathers do we have?" "Sun... Huaiqing?" "Don't ask him how he has survived until now. You just treat him as your patient and treat him with medicine." "Grape……?!" "It's useless to ask more questions. Second brother, at this time, you are asked to confess our father and have him executed again. Do you confess?" Shaoyong looked at the grapes.She made him slip into a nightmare. "You won't confess. I know you won't. If you confess, Ting will be gone. You will never want to see him again in your life." He still looked at the banshee grape. "Remember, if you want to be a rebellious son again, you will act as if you don't have that son. If you kill your father, I will kill your son, and I will repay you in this life." Putao said, grabbing his bag, which contained medicine and a needle, and lead him to the courtyard. Sun Shaoyong did not expect that he would cry when he saw his father.When Putao lit the lamp and shone on the dying father's face, his tears flowed out.If my father was taken to the hospital, lying on the emergency bed, and begged him to rescue him, he must have thought he had saved a stranger's life.He kept turning his face, wiped his tears on both shoulders, and shot down the injection.Eighteen years ago, my father and mother went to Xi'an to visit him together, when he had just graduated.The father laughed and said that he is not afraid of getting sick when he is old, and his son has become a foreign doctor. Father was unconscious.Shaoyong was always grateful that his father spared him and did not give him the most embarrassing father-son recognition.On Xi'an Avenue, his father led him into a store and bought him a Kim Parker pen.He just said why buy such an expensive pen? 父亲只管往外掏大洋，说他我养得起马，难道配不起鞍吗? 医生做成了，还掏不出一支排场钢笔给人开方子? 母亲也噘嘴，说那笔够家里买粮吃半年了。二十二岁的少勇挑了一支笔便宜，说他中意它。父亲说它太轻，说给人开药方，手上得掂个重东西。 孙少勇给父亲查了心、肺，看父亲两个厚厚的眼泡明晃晃的，他想，三分人、七分鬼的老父亲要能活过来，不知会不会问起那支金笔。父亲和母亲前脚离开西安，他后脚就把那笔给典了。典的钱和父亲给他留下的三十块大洋一块，交到了地下党组织手里。他已记不太清当时父亲给他钱时他有没有推让。按说他是会推让的，因为他知道父亲的积攒都给他哥俩求学了。正因为父亲只是能写几个字算算账的半文盲，他才巴望他的儿子们成大学问。 不过父亲可能再不会醒了。 一连几天的输液，他明白那场过堂一般的父子相认他妄想躲过了。父亲身上和脸上的黄胆已退了下去。眼睛的黄胆也浅了。这天晚上，他下到地窑，见煤油灯的火苗捻得老高，小桌上摆了两个怀子一个茶壶。父亲躺在灯光那一面，头发、胡子已剃去。虽然还不是活人的脸色，至少不象鬼了。他知道父亲闭着眼却是醒在那里。他的下一步，就是跨进油锅受熬炼。 这时忽听父亲说：“葡萄，医生来了?” 葡萄嗯一声。少勇看着她：难道父亲一直不知道治他病救他命的是他的逆子少勇? 父亲说：“给医生沏茶了没?” “沏了。”葡萄的脸上有一点诡密的笑，把他拽到板凳前，捺他坐下。 父亲的嗓音气多声少：“那你告诉他，我就不陪了。我得闭上眼，睁眼老费气呀。请医生该咋诊病就咋诊。跟他赔个不是，说我怠慢他了。” 葡萄又诡密地朝他笑笑，说：“爹，哪儿有医生跟病人一般见识的?不想睁眼，不睁呗。”她把茶杯塞到他手上。他僵得手也动不了，茶杯险些打碎。她的手把杯子递到他嘴边，他木木地、乖乖地喝了一口被父亲叫成茶的白开水。开水一直烫到心里。 他问诊时，父亲也不直接回答，都是说：“葡萄，告诉医生，我肚里的水象下去不少。”或者：“问问医生，咋吃啥都跟药似的，那么苦?白糖水也苦着哩。” 少勇收了听诊器，血压器，父亲说：“跟医生说，葡萄，明天他不用来。六十里地，跑着老累人呐。” 少勇也不知说话还是不说话。他张几次口，那个“爹”字生涩得厉害，怎么也吐不出来。父亲为他行方便，不让他过那场父子相认的大刑，他只好把一再把“爹”字苦辣地吞咽回去。他朝葡萄使个眼色，叫她跟他上去。葡萄把纳鞋底的麻线往鞋底上一缠，站起身来。 “告诉医生，我就不跟他道别了。”父亲说。声音更弱，已半入睡了。 两人站在桐树下。一个好月亮。少勇两眼云雾，飘到这飘到那。葡萄不说话，等他魂魄落定。他嘴动了几次，都摇摇头，不说也罢地叹口气。葡萄知道他想问她怎样把他们的爹救回来，一藏十年。见他眼睛沉稳了，不再发飘，她想，他魂回来了。她只几句话，就把它讲完了，就象讲她去赶集卖鞋底、赶会赛秋千，若她和他真做成寻常恩爱夫妻，晚上闲下来，她都会和他这样说说话似的。 少勇觉得这就够了，不能多听，听这点已经够痛了。葡萄讲得淡，他的痛便钝些，她讲得简略，他痛得便短些。这样猛的痛，他得慢慢来，一次受一点。他每次来看父亲，都从葡萄那里听到这十年中的一节儿，一段儿。葡萄讲到他们爷儿俩如何做鱼吃，又怎样咽不下带刺儿的鱼肉。她每次都是三言两语，好象哪件事的由头，让她想起十年中的一个小插曲儿。假如少勇问她：这样藏下去是个事不是?她会说：啥事都不是个事，就是人是个事。问她万一给发现咋办，她会傻一会眼，好象从来没想过那么远。要是说：藏到啥时是个头呢，葡萄?她会说：咳，这不都藏这些年了。 每回少勇来，都睡在堂屋的旧门板上。这天夜里听见花狗叫起来，又听见葡萄的屋门开了，她穿过院子去开门。不久就听见葡萄和一个男人在院里说话。听着听着，男的嗓音厉害起来，象是责问葡萄什么。葡萄可不吃谁厉害，马上凶几句，过了一会，手也动上了。那男人动起粗来。 少勇把自己屋的门一拉，问：“谁?!” 男人马上不动了。葡萄趁机又上去搔了他一把。男人转身就往门外走。少勇又叫：“我认出你来了，跑啥跑?!”其实他什么也看不清。 男人给少勇一咋唬，心虚了，便站在台阶下说：“和嫂子说昨天出工的事呢……” 少勇说：“几点了，说出工的事?明明就是你见不得寡妇家门下太清静!早知道你没安好心!……” 其实少勇只是怀疑来的这个男人是谁，但还不敢确定。 男人说：“那二哥你咋会在这儿?六十里地都不嫌路远，隔两天往这儿来一趟？“ 他说着人已经走过来，迈着穿皮靴的大步，一边把肩上披的军衣往上颠。 少勇想，果然是这小子。最后一次见春喜的时候，他还是个青楞小子，这时一脸骄横，人五人六的成公社公记了。 葡萄抬着两个胳膊把头发往脑后拢，看看这个男人，又看看那个男人。 “我来咋着?”少勇说。 “来了好，欢迎。是吧，嫂子?给二哥配了大门钥匙了吧?” 少勇不知怎么拳头已出去了。他没有想清楚自己为什么恨春喜，而且也不止是为了葡萄恨他。春喜从几年前就把这个史屯闹得闻名全省，眼下的饥馑也全省闻名。春喜没想到会挨少勇这一拳，手抹一把鼻子淌出的血，借月光看一眼，突然向少勇扑过去。少勇年纪毕竟大了，打架也打得差劲，马上给打得满院子飞。花狗跑过去跑过来，想给人们腾场子，好让他们好好地打。 葡萄突然大叫："来人呐，出人命啦!快来人呐!……" 她声音欢快明亮，在水底一样黑暗安静的村庄里传得很远，先是在麦苗上滚动，又上了刚结绒绒果实的桃、杏树，慢慢落进一个个几丈深的窑院。 春喜不动了，站直身到处找他打架时落在地上的旧军衣。 少勇觉得胁巴已给他捶断了，抄起地上劈柴的木墩子时，疼得他“哎哟”一声。他突然觉得父亲给他的那支金笔，他是交给了春喜了。是给了春喜这样的人。春喜不明不白地把那贵重的笔弄得没了下落。他忍着疼，把木墩子砸过去，砸在春喜的腿上。 春喜得亏穿着日本大皮靴，腿没给砸折。他军衣也不找了，操着军人的小跑步伐往窑院的台阶上跑。李秀梅正一手掩着怀从家门跑出来，见春喜便问：“是史书记不是?” 春喜不答话，撒开两只一顺跑儿的皮靴，“跨跨跨”地往村里跑。这时葡萄的喊声才煞住。 第二天葡萄在春喜的军衣口袋里发现一块女人用的方头巾，桃红和黑格的，里面包了一封信。信只有几个字：葡萄，你叫我想死吗?我天天去林子里等你，等了一个月了。信还有个老老实实的落款，葡萄抱着围巾和信笑了：这货，上了心哩!她葡萄和他不一样，动的不是心，是身子。她葡萄能把身子和心分得好清楚。要是她的心能喜欢上春喜，她就不会把他的信和军衣收起来，防备着哪一天，她用得上它们。她想来想去想不明白自己，她到底不喜欢春喜哪一点。 麦收扬场的时候，春喜见了葡萄，她头上扎的正是那条桃红色头巾。他抓起一个大铁锨，一边笑呵呵地叫着“大爷”“大娘”，一面接近了葡萄。看两人能说上悄悄话了，他问她要他那件军衣。 葡萄大声说：“啥军衣?” 春喜赶紧把麦子一扬，走开了。再瞅个机会过来，他说：“把衣裳还给我。” 葡萄：“你衣裳借给我了?” 他见她狐眉狐眼地笑，明白她就是要和他过不去，又走开了。 这是三年来葡萄头一次吃上白面馍。她把馍从笼里拿出来，拌了一盘腌香椿。 她给了花狗两个馍一盆汤，挎着篮子把饭送下地窖，在窖口就叫道：“爹，新面蒸的馍来啦!” 她这天忘了拴门，一个人伸头进来，正听见葡萄刚叫的那句话。花狗饿了这些年，头一回吃馍，连生人来它也顾不得叫了。 这人是史五合，村里人都不敢理他，都说他媳妇饿死后让他吃了一条大腿。谁也没亲眼见到他媳妇的尸首，是一群孩子们传的故事。孩子们天不明出去拾粪，正见一群野狗把一个尸首从新坟里刨出来。孩子们打跑野狗，见那尸首只有一条腿。他们用粪叉子把尸首的上半身扒拉出来，认出是史五合的媳妇，头天饿死的。之后村里人就都躲开史五合了，说你看看史五合的眼，和野狗一样样，都冒血光。 五合在门口听了葡萄叫的一声“爹”，心里纳闷，本来想偷点什么，也忘了偷，边走边想，王葡萄哪里来了个爹呢? 这事一直让史五合操着心。过了几天，他想，他一直操心的这事得解决解决。他在一个晚上悄悄跑来拍葡萄家的门。葡萄开门便问：“麦吃完了?” “不叫我进去坐会?”五合的脸比花狗还巴结。 “有屁就在这儿放。”葡萄说，嘴角挑起两撇厉害的微笑。 “咱还是师徒关系呢……” “谁和你'咱'呢?” “我有话和你说。不能叫人听见的话。” “和你说'不能叫人听见的话'?”她咯咯咯地乐起来，不一会就扯住袖头擦乐出的眼泪。 五合看着这个女人笑起来露出的两排又白又结实的牙，个个都在月色里闪动。要能贴在她又干净又光滑的皮肉上，那可是消暑。 “咋就不能和我说说话儿?”五合伤心地一闪红红的眼睛，往她跟前靠靠。 “落臭名声我也找个是模样的。史老舅家的二孩、三孩，我要跟他们落个腐化名声，心也甘，冤枉我我甘心。人家扯起是个汉子，卧倒是条豹子。和你，值吗?”葡萄笑嘻嘻地看他一点点往她身边挤，等他挤上来了，突然抽身，手背掴在他下巴上，下巴险些掴掉在地上。 五合一手捧下巴，一手指点着葡萄，成了戏台上的小生：“好哇，打得好!再来一下!……” 葡萄说：“回头还得浪费肥皂洗手!” “再来一下!我看你敢!你再来一下，我啥也不说了，咱直接找民兵连长去。” “找呗。” “他们天天忙着抓捣乱破坏的地主、富农，漏网反革命。” “抓呗。” “你别以为你把他藏得多严实。” 五合说这话是想诈诈看。他红光四射的眼睛罩住葡萄脸上的每一点变动。葡萄的脸一点变动也没有。他心里一凉，想讹点什么的计划恐怕要落空。 “我藏啥了?”她问。 五合头皮一硬，嘴皮一硬，说：“那天我可看见了。你以为我没看见?”他想，诈都诈都这儿了，接着往下诈吧。 “看见啥了?” “你说看见啥了?看见他了呗。你给他蒸了新面馍。你能把啥藏得住?我马上就能叫巡逻的民兵过来。” 麦子收成好，民兵们夜夜巡逻保卫还没收的麦子。这时就听见两个民兵在不远处聊着笑话，从地边往这儿走。 “不给人，给粮也行。”五合说着，活动了一下下巴、脖子。 “你刚分的麦呢?”葡萄问。 “俺家借的粮多，还了就不剩多少了。” 葡萄叫他等着，她把门一拴，进去提了十来斤白面，又打开了门缝，把一袋面扔出去。她听五合在门外说“多谢了!”她想，那一点面够这货吃几顿?吃完又该来了。到了秋天，她的白面也吃完时，她只能把喂了五个月的猪卖了，换了些高粱米。榆树又挂榆钱时，她吃尽地上、水里、树上长的所有东西，把粮省下给二大和五合。她已经习惯吃鱼剔刺了。腥臭的鱼肚杂她也吃顺了嘴。这时，喂了一冬的羊开始产奶。葡萄走到哪里人们都吓坏了，说这个女人吃了什么了?怎么水豆腐一样嫩，粉皮一样光呢? 光吃鱼，喝羊奶的葡萄远远地看，只有十七、八岁。 眼看麦子又要收了。到处都贴着红绿标语。葡萄想，又是什么新词出来了。新词是“三自一包”。她的“三自一包”是猪场。村里的人又开始闹社火。梆子剧团来了一个又一个。一天戏台下有喊：那不是刘树根吗? 刘树根不见了几年，回来成了团圆脸，老婆也挂起双下巴。两人刚下火车，还没归置家就看戏来了。他和老婆逃出去之后，在山西和一群各省的流民落荒到一片山地上。他们烧了林子，恳出地，种了一季红薯。那年的红薯结疯了，吃了一冬都没吃完。第二年他们种了甜菜、大麦、高粱。又正碰上厂家大量收购甜菜。第三年他们碰见一个史屯公社的乡亲，说公社用刘树根找到的油漆在河堤上、山坡上写了大标语，都是支持党的新政策的口号，那些标语在飞机上都能看得见，正好这天有个中央领导和省里领导乘一架直升飞机参观“三自一包”的成就，中央领导说：“那是哪个公社?” 省里领导马上派人传达这句话。传达时这句话就成“那是哪个公社?搞得不错嘛！” 传到县里时，升任县委书记的英雄寡妇蔡琥珀再往下传，就成了：“那个公社稿得很那好嘛!” 这样史春喜就被叫到了省里，参加了一次经验介绍会。他讲着自己公社怎样战胜三年自然灾害，走出大饥荒时，忽然想到，他能有这份荣幸，得记刘树根一功。没有那些油漆，他们不会刷那么大的标语，也不会被飞机上的首长们注意到。那些油漆把整个史屯街上的门面房油了一新，各级领导们看到一色的白门窗绿门窗，精神振奋，忘了这是个刚刚从饥饿中活过来的村庄。当时看刘树根找到的油漆毫无价值，长远的价值都不可估量。社会主义革命更是精神上的，灵魂上的，所以那些油漆漆出的东西具有灵魂的价值。史春喜把这些话在公社干部会上讲了。这些话被传出去，传到了山西的刘树根耳朵里。 吃晚饭时，葡萄把刘树根回来的事告诉了二大。她的意思二大听懂了。她其实是说：那时刘树根给捶烂，也就捶烂了。他躲了事，也就啥事都没了。事都会变，人不会变。把人活下了，还能有啥事哩? 二大看她香喷喷地喝着鱼汤，心想，这闺女，好活着呢，给口水就能活。 二大说：“别老去偷青麦。吃了多可惜!” 葡萄说：叫别人偷去不可惜?她笑起来。村里常有偷庄稼挨民兵揍的。葡萄偷的手艺好，地头蹲下尿一泡尿，身上都能装满青麦穗。她做的青麦馍、青麦汤也不胀肚。用钝磨多推推，多掺些萝卜糊、锅盔菜，口味也不赖。做咸汤时，葡萄用鱼汤搅面，多放些葱姜，二大就吃不出腥臭了。 二大说：“往年没人偷庄稼。” 葡萄说：“往年不是公家的庄稼。” 二大说：“谁的庄稼也不该偷。” 葡萄说：“不叫抓着就不是偷。”她把碗筷收拾起来说，“爹，今天晚上上头可凉快，上去坐坐吧。” 二大和葡萄坐在院子里。有飞机飞过，两人都停下抽烟、打麻线，抬头看那小灯一闪一闪从星星里穿过去。葡萄告诉了二大，洛城修了座机场，离史屯只有三十里地。有一天她看见少勇坐的飞机飞过去了。少勇当医疗队长到黄泛区治病，立了功，上西安去开会就坐飞机去的。去西安之前他来和葡萄打招呼。那天葡萄看见一架往西飞的飞机。每回她说少勇的事，二大都象听不见。 第二天五合到猪场来找葡萄。他说他见到一个鬼。是给毙了十多年的孙二大的鬼。我“晚搬了个梯子，爬你墙头看的。” 葡萄说：“你想要啥?” 五合说：“粮我不缺。有青麦偷哩。” 葡萄手里掂个搅猪食的木棒，有五合的瘦胳膊粗。木棒在她手上一抽一抽的，就象硬给捺回去的拳头。木棒懂她胳膊的意思，她胳膊懂她心的意思。 “那你想要啥?” “你先说他是不是个鬼?” “是不是你不是看见了?” “我得让史书记，民兵连长，带着民兵去看看，他是个鬼还是个人。” 葡萄手里掂的木棒抽搐得狠着呢。她要不扔下它，它马上就要窜起来了。她把木棒往锅里一插，开始搅正开锅的猪食。史五合上了一步，把葡萄拽进怀里。 她看着这个一无用场、不长出息的男人花白的头在她怀里拱来拱去，象拱到奶的猪嵬似的马上安静了。 她看着她自己的衣服给那可怜巴巴的手扒下去。猴急什么呢?把钮绊都拽脱了。她看她自己的背抵着嘟嘟作响的锅，看着那只没干过一件排场事的瘦手上来了，掰开了她。是不是强奸? 她给他拖到撒着糠米儿、麸皮、黄豆瓶渣儿的地上。花白发的脑袋已软下来，软在她颈窝里，一股汗气让她张大嘴呼气。这是个活着没啥用的东西。他媳妇死都死不囫囵。 他自己亏空了不知多少似的，又是汗，又是鼻涕，气还没喘妥就告诉她，他每天得来找她一回。 她说：“找呗。就别上这儿来。” “那上哪儿?” “这儿多脏。” “你还挑干净呢?” “干干净净的，美着呢。” “那我明天上坡池里洗洗?” “别糟塌一坡池的水吧。牛们还饮呢。你下回来，我带你上一个地方。” 史五合五十岁来了这场艳福，高兴