Chapter 9 Chapter nine

Zhenguan returned to his hometown for more than a month, but there were two extraordinary things in the family: one was that his younger brother took the entrance exam for college entrance examination and got his first choice in high school; My uncle was transferred by the Japanese army to fight in Nanyang, and since then we have lost track of him. After the liberation, those who went with him, or those who survived, asked questions, but no one knew.Pity her eldest concubine, who brought her two sons and guarded him for thirty years. For example, the news that fell from the sky; an airmail sent from Tokyo, Japan, set the whole family up:

The letter was circulated for a long time, and it was put back on the Buddhist table in the hall. Almost all the people had read it, but the most relevant ones were silent and hadn't heard about it; Zhenguan Dajin, on the one hand, her literacy is not deep; Zhen Guan even thought: If there is a third reason to be found, it is similar love and cowardice, right? !It happened so suddenly, let alone her big concubine, anyone else would be dubious, as if in a dream. There is such an important event at home, naturally everyone sits together; Zhenguan first heard her grandma ask her grandfather, "Old man, what do you think?"

Her grandfather looked at her concubine and said, "If you want to ask, just ask Su Yunyi; all these years, I only know that the eldest family has a daughter-in-law, but I don't know that the eldest family has a son; everything he should do, she is doing for him... ...what else do you ask me?" "..." Now, all eyes are focused on her concubine; Zhen Guan sees that Yi Mu's eyes are red, but she is speechless. "Suyun—" "Aunt—" The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law stopped calling and answering in an instant, because there is so much to say, and where should I start?

"—I know all about your hardships, and there is no reason to wrong you; Guofeng—" "Aunt—" Her sister-in-law called out again, and only then did she burst out with words, but following the voice, there were actually two drops of clear tears: "I am in my forties and fifties, and I have already married wives and grandchildren. How could anyone be so narrow-minded and shallow-minded? Besides, many people are blessed—" Yi said, wiping her tears with the corner of a handkerchief, and probably couldn't continue for a while.Grandma Zhenguan then moved forward, took Yi's hand and said:

"Whatever you think, or what you think, you can breathe out with A Niang, and A Niang decides for you!" In fact, Zhenguan noticed: the tears of the eldest sister were mixed with joy and gratitude; after the uncle passed away for 30 years, she couldn't imagine that he was still in this world, sharing the years and years together... This alone is enough for Yi to shed tears: "Aniang, a man—" "You mean—" "Whatever he decides is good! I am so happy, happy that the two old men have found their son—" "..." "——Brother Yinshan, you can see your father... Sometimes, joy will also shed tears—"

"..." Only then did Dajin stop, and the hall fell silent. Everyone had a lot of feelings, and they couldn't say anything for a while. After a while, her grandma sighed and said: "You just know how to be a human being, so your father-in-law and I love you deeply, and the uncles, aunts, sisters-in-law and juniors in the family also respect you—" "..." "It's up to you to decide whether that Japanese woman will come back or not, what your dad wants." Her eldest sister-in-law lowered her head slightly, but when she heard this, she immediately sat upright and said clearly: "There are two elders in the hall, and it is natural that Father and Mother are in charge of all matters in the family!"

"..." "As for the daughter-in-law's own opinion: Guofeng has been away all these years, and Yi has taken care of her daily life, food, heating and cooling; there is nothing more than meritorious service—" "..." "—Besides, when Guofeng left home, Yinshan was three years old, and Yinchuan was holding him in his arms. Guofeng and I were three to five years old, but Yi and him were thirty years old!" "..." "If you lose Yi because of this, wouldn't Guofeng be unjust?! Our family has been innocent for generations, and there is no unjust person!"

"..." Zhenguan came late at night, still thinking about what her sister-in-law said during the day; she rolled over on the bed, unable to fall asleep for a long time. "Grandma! What do you think about uncle?" "What do you think?" The old man repeated it, as if asking Yi himself: "It's just like a dream!" This day is the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, Qixi Festival. Not long after the sun had set to the west, there was a sudden gust of wind and a cloud, and immediately the sky began to drizzle. This rain will fall every year at this time. People have long-term experience and know it in their hearts. If it doesn't rain, they will be surprised!

Zhenguanyuan and Yinchan sisters were rubbing the balls in the back, they were the kind who pretended to be the Weaver Girl's tears; rubbing and pinching, for some reason, suddenly on a whim, they walked towards the front hall alone. She just kept moving her feet, but she kept rubbing her hands, and when she was about to press the dimples with her fingers, she suddenly stopped moving. In this town, the gates of every household are seldom closed; Zhen Guan was standing in the courtyard, his eyes first saw a person at the gate, he was about to enter or not, he seemed to be at a loss, but he did not lose him. A person is born with a big appearance.

Zhen Guan stepped forward step by step, thinking: In the past two days, my uncle wants to come back, and some strong men in the family have gone to Taipei to pick up the plane. If this person wants to find Yinchuan and Yin'an, he will be in vain ...and ask him. "Who are you looking for?" On such a hot day, the man's long white sleeves were still put down and not rolled up, and he looked at ease with ease. "I--" He actually decided to look at Zhenguan first, and when he saw that she was not happy, and deliberately stepped back and ignored her, he smiled and said: "Zhenguan, I am a great believer!"

There is such a person who comes to your door and catches you by surprise—but the person who comes is a guest, especially now this person is even more amazing!The younger brother passed the exam, and he has a large amount of credit in his credit book. Her mother and everyone have been thinking of him all the time, and they don't know what to do; besides, he is the nephew of Sijin's natal family. So he said: "Ah—it's you! Please sit inside, I'll go and talk to Sijin—" Then, he took the luggage on the ground for him, led him to the hall and sat down, and invited grandpa, grandma and others. They had something to say about this meeting; she herself took advantage of the chaos and slipped back to continue making balls. This person came just as he said, and he didn't make any preparations to harm her... She was still a little annoyed by him, but it was strange!The breaths of the two are still connected, otherwise, why would they not sit here and suddenly run to the front to open the door for him? In the rush just now, she didn't even dare to see his face clearly... In this way, is it considered that the two have met? Did he choose such a big day to meet each other on purpose?Or accidentally hit? ... Although rubbing the balls can be unconscious, but rubbing and rubbing, Yinchan yelled: "So your palms are sweating, I thought the kueh balls were wet, and sister-in-law didn't drain the water!" Zhenguan looked at it by himself, and saw the newly rubbed rounds, all of them were wet and tearful, and he could only smile and say: "Hurry up and rub it, I want to go home and call Ah Zhong!" "What do you want to do?" "A visitor from Taipei is here. It's Si Jin's nephew. Of course Ah Chung is coming to see the teacher!" When Zhenguan came home, she realized that her younger brother had already been summoned by Yin Jubilee, so she walked home by herself—her mother was preparing to worship, and she said to her: "Ah Zhong is walking fast at the moment. , and didn't tell him the details, I wonder if this kid will invite someone to dinner?... Or should you go again?" Zhenguan helped his mother set up bowls of fried rice, and said, "What are you worrying about? How can it be our turn tonight? My aunt and nephew, where will Sijin put it? Sijin doesn't say anything, there are Where's Grandma! How do you go and grab someone from Yi?" Her second aunt smiled at her mother and said, "Yeah, you still let Zhenguan go? Whoever he is tonight, if he goes, he won't even think about coming back! When the time comes to see your pot of oily rice, who will help you eat?" Her mother laughed and said, "How do you say that?" Her second aunt said with a smile: "there are high-class guests over there, and it's hot! Anyway, the table is open, and if you invite one person, it's an invitation, and if you invite ten people, it's also an invitation. Why don't you come and keep one, and two people? Don’t even think about coming back to eat, Ah Zhong, you still miss Rai?” Sure enough, her elder brother didn't come back after seven o'clock; everyone here had to eat dinner, because seeing what was left in the pot, they couldn't help but say: "Look! There is only Ah Zhong left, and there are so many left. Go, you don't even have to cook tomorrow!" Zhen Guan said with a smile: "Boys can eat, but I can't match it. If Ah Zhong really invites guests, mother will be troubled; I wonder if this pot is enough for half-satisfaction?" Talking, talking, it was time for the "Fan Li and Xi Shi" song play; her mother and second aunt both went back to their room, and the younger brother also closed the door and went to do his homework by himself. Zhenguan was tasteless alone, so he had to go back to his room and sit quietly. Up to now, her heart is still in a mess!Originally, she was going to be tailoring with Yin Chan tonight, but an unexpected guest came, and when he bumped into her, she couldn't find the original seat and let her go. The small radio on the table was an experiment done by Ah Zhong herself, so she turned it on casually, and the song "Peach Blossom Transition" slipped out: It turns out that Peach Blossom is going to cross the river; the old man on the ferry beckoned her: You can also cross it , you have to marry me first! Peach Blossom Road is: It’s not difficult to marry you, let’s sing to praise you first, if you win, follow you, if you lose, call me mother, and cross me obediently——Zhenguan heard this man and woman sing: Listen, listen, Zhenguan couldn't help laughing: This woman is so aggressive and coquettish, and this man is so self-satisfied, but I can only think that the two are cute, they don't do bad things, they just value themselves--I haven't thought about it yet. After finishing, he heard two "dong dong" sounds from the door, and then Zhen Guan asked, "Who is it?" "Sister, it's me! Brother Daxin is here to sit at home, why don't you come out and sit?" ... This person, what does he want her for?Visiting relatives, playing, he has many reasons to stay, it's not that she doesn't welcome her, she has nothing to say! If he hadn't written those letters, then he was just a guest at home, and she could treat him politely and politely, and now she knew him so well, but there was an extra detail, how could such an unfamiliar scene be good? If she was really angry, it would be easy to deal with, she could end it abruptly, but this mood was more than that, especially after hearing her sister-in-law's words that day, she understood that life is careless, she was even more in a double boat, and her heart was in turmoil Get up——Zhen Guan changed into a grass-blue dress with yellow and white polka dots, and the guest sat directly opposite her mother. Seeing her, she stood up and sat down again. Zhen Guan poured him a glass of ice water, only to see that he already had a glass in his hand; seeing that everyone in the room had it, he drank it himself.When everyone was talking, Zhenguan only drank water, and when she got the third cup of cold drink, her mother couldn't help but say to her: "Just now I told you to eat an extra bowl, but you said you were full, and now you still drink so much ice water? " Zhenguan didn't speak; Daxin smiled and said, "The stomach that eats ice is different from the stomach that eats! All the younger sisters in my family say that—" Her mother, younger brother and second aunt all laughed; Zhenguan herself also secretly laughed in her heart. Not long after, Daxin said that he would go to the beach to see the sea, and her mother and second aunt called Zhenguan sister and brother to accompany her. Zhenguan responded, and he walked ahead all the way in the lead, how could he know that not long after, the two behind also followed! The three of them walked together for a while, and suddenly the younger brother was in front, and she and Daxin were behind. What Zhenguan fears is the moment when he sees his life directly. She slowed down her steps, her eyes only looked at the toes of her shoes, but Daxin also slowed down; she didn't know why her mood was so complicated, but she still had trust and comfort in her heart. However, when she saw his clumsy leather shoes, she couldn't help laughing; tonight, on Qixi Festival, she was surrounded by the most psychic person and the ugliest pair of shoes——Daxin finally said: "Hey! You Have you noticed this? The seventh day of the seventh month in the solar calendar and the lunar calendar are all related to bridges!" Zhen Guan smiled and said: "Yes! If you don't mention it, I almost didn't think about it!" Daxin added: "Just now I also heard 'Peach Blossom Transition', it's really good!! Strange! Why did I ignore it before? When I was in elementary school, the radio sang it every day! The song and lyrics are good...do you know how to sing?" Zhenguan thought to himself: If he knows how to sing, he will not sing to you—but it is hard to say it, so he can only smile. The two of them walked through the street at night, with street lamps shining one by one, looking from a distance, it looked like a row of pearl hairpins on a heavenly coat. Da Xin added: "I don't know what you think, but I think Yi and Ferry are a real match!" "Who is Yi?" "Peach Blossom!" "Oh!" "A woman like Taohua, every man will love her!" "..." "What do you say?" "How would I know? After all, I am a woman, how can a woman know a man's heart?" Daxin laughed: "Don't you know? Didn't the Buddhist scriptures say that you should smile while holding flowers? It's just a smile, and you don't even need to say a word or half a sentence!" Zhenguan said nothing more. Daxin said again: "Listening to this song, I feel like someone who has met her; Taohua is a girl, there is no old or new, old or new, she has lived in China for thousands of years, like a grandmother, and like a younger sister—" "—Even Chaos created the world, since the creation of the world, she has been singing and cursing there!" Now Zhenguan couldn't help laughing anymore; this smile was a compliment to Peach Blossom and cheers to the people around him. Daxin smiled and said, "Hey! What are you laughing at!" Zhenguan said: "A peach blossom has a bosom friend like you, and a peach blossom is really a thousand-year-old human body; you don't have to fall into reincarnation, and you don't go into calamity!" "More, more! You haven't finished yet!" "——I like her kind of survival from a desperate situation; in comparison, they are the real survivors, as if no matter what the world can do to her,... even thrown to the cliff, they will not only live tenaciously Go down, and-" "—I still have to come back with a triumphant song, sorry?" "..." There is really no gap in his connection; is there really such a similar mind in the world?Zhenguan is getting more and more confused. The three of them came to the pier, looked at the fishing boats and lights, looked for the coastline, and walked straight through Hougang. Along the way, Daxin had something to say, and Zhenguan thought: This person is here to talk!Where does he want to see the sea? When I turned back, it was past half past nine; her younger brother met a classmate from elementary school on the road, and went to sit at his house; the remaining two walked like cows—at the door of the house, Zhen Guan stopped Looking back, he asked Da Dao: "It's not early, so I won't invite you in; do you know the way back to grandpa's place?" Da Xin smiled and said, "If you say you don't recognize me, will you send me?" "This--" As expected, Zhenguan looked distressed: "—I really don't know, I have to wait for Ah Zhong to come back——" Daxin smiled and said: "Don't worry! I even counted the number of electric poles on the road, which is better than your Taipower workers here!" Zhen Guan also smiled: "I knew you were pretending!" The two looked at each other and smiled, then waved their hands and said goodbye; when Daxin was about to leave, Zhenguan stood still and said, "Good to go——Happy birthday to you!" It can be imagined that when Daxin heard the last sentence, he became surprised and happy, and rushed to Zhenguan at once. Zhenguan felt: This person is like a rubber band that bounced back because of a wrong direction. "Ah! You...I didn't say it after I endured it all night. How do you know?" "I do not know how?" Knowing this question, Zhenguan couldn't help laughing: "Who doesn't know that you were born on the same month and the same day as Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty?" Daxin was even more surprised: "The more I talk, the more nervous I get, so hurry up and clarify!" "No! This is a secret—" Daxin could only laugh: "Don't tell me...my heart almost stopped!" "Is there such a big connection?!...Then, well——" When Zhen Guan said this, he also found it funny: "Nine years ago, I knew it! That day was also Qixi Festival. When everyone came back from watching the sea with you, the adults were all asleep, and only Sijin went to cook an egg under the stove. A duck egg for you to eat!" "Oh!" Daxin let out a sigh of relief: "Just because of it, you know that it's my birthday?" "That's right! It's such a custom in the south!" “In Taipei, I eat pork knuckle noodles!” Zhenguan explained: "It was eaten after the age of twenty, when I started to be an adult. Before, children only ate those two items; eggs represent chickens, and duck eggs represent ducks. It is equivalent to eating a chicken and a duck!" Daxin laughed and said: "A chicken is a duck; Chinese culture is so profound that Americans will probably never understand it, nor can they understand why an egg is a chicken!" "Geometry can't do it, and algebra can't do it." After saying this, the two couldn't help laughing at each other: "Our national nature is: no matter what we do, we always feel that he is enough for you in the long run...Ah! Ah Zhong is back!" Later, Daxin was sent away by her younger brother. As soon as the two left, Zhenguan went back to the house to shower and change clothes, until she lay down on the bed, but still did not feel sleepy; how many things were on her mind! Thinking of my uncle's coming back soon, thinking of my uncle's person and her affection...you uncle is thinking about his father and second uncle. There is such a big difference between death and life; death means being a human being in this life and never seeing each other again—and life means that as long as you live, as long as you have a breath, no matter how difficult or easy, no matter how long the night is and the long journey is long, you will always find it again. return. Yinshan has a father and can see his face again, while his mother and second aunt will always be heartbroken. From her mother and back to her younger brother: Ah Chung is about to go north to register... From the city of Taipei, I can't help but think: it has grown and raised a man as unique and passionate as Daxin... Zhen Guan reached out to close the window, but his heart became calm and bright. At two or three o'clock in the evening, it was time for everyone to take a rest. Zhen Guan was lying in her own room, half asleep, and the sound of a tailor's cart was heard intermittently in her ears; it was her second aunt who was changing an outdated dress in the next room—— ... The dream of spring night is the same day by day; the dream of spring night is the same day by day; Shine into the window, shine into Ruan's empty room;  … When Zhenguan heard it for the first time, she wasn't sure who was singing it, but the singing sounded over and over again. She finally heard clearly, it was really the second aunt's voice! Life is full of passions! !Twenty or thirty years have passed. In twenty or thirty years, the seedlings will grow into big trees. Those who have aspirations are enough to accomplish extraordinary things. And her second aunt was still in her chastity world, unable to forget her husband who was righteous to Yi... Zhong Qing is afraid of thinking about it, and hopes that the grass on the long embankment will be full of red hearts, and the autumn chant will move, and the green will fall into the yellow spring, so I will look for it in two places. When Zhen Guan recalled the sentence of the predecessors, his voice became hoarse—at this moment, he suddenly heard someone joking in the front room: Zhen Guan tried his best to identify them, only then did he recognize Ah Zhong and Da Xin. Early this morning, the two of them, the ones with the fishing line and the fishing rod, rolled up and said they wanted to go fishing. Before leaving the house, they both came to ask her. Why not go——she still doesn't even understand herself very well; similar feelings are more timid... I'm afraid this sentence can't describe it completely; From then on, the image of Daxin completely overwhelmed her and occupied her heart... However, she doesn't want things to happen too quickly, of course she doesn't want to see him every day; just thinking about it will cause confusion, how can she meet again? Zhenguan got up and pulled the drawer, and found every letter that Daxin had written before, and was about to read them one by one, but heard: "Auntie! Auntie!" It was Yinshan's five-year-old daughter who was knocking on her door! !Zhenguan received the letter, came to open the door, and saw the little girl! "A barbarian!" She hugged her niece with both hands, pecked her chubby face and asked, "Mom, where is Grandma? Who brought Grandma here?" The girl looked at her with black crystal eyes, and replied firmly with red lips: "Aman came here by himself! Ah Man is looking for Agu and Auntie!" Seeing this, Zhenguan laughed and said, "What do you want to do with Yimen?" The girl replied: "If you are looking for a aunt, you need to sew 'grain', and if you are looking for a aunt, you need to ask for rice! The rice is for 'grain'." Such a clear hierarchy is seen in the childish heart, and Zhenguan is even more distressed when he hears it: "Are you able to 'pick grains'?" "Aman can't do it now, but when he grows up, he will. Auntie will sew it up now, and when Ahman grows up—" "Picking grains" is a play in women's boudoirs!Use five pieces of various colored fabrics and sew them into the shape of zongzi. The inside is filled with heavy objects, such as sand or rice, or miscellaneous grains and beans. The size is about the shape of copper coins. Put it on the table, catch the person falling from the sky with your hands against the momentum, and then throw it upwards, pick up one of the grains on the table, hold it in the palm of the person who threw it, pick out a grain and put it aside, repeat this process Throw it again, and pick up all the west grains.Furthermore, pick two grains and throw them together, a total of three grains, repeat twice to finish picking.For the third time, only three grains are used, and the two extra grains are put aside. Pick one by one and put them in the palm of the left hand, then exchange the grains with the left and right hands, and quickly transfer them again. At this time, the grain in the left hand has been held again. On the right hand, and the original two grains of the right hand have to be thrown upwards, and they must be skillfully landed on both sides of the right wrist, and then thrown upwards again in the palm, and then grasp the two separated grains and hold them together.The last one is to throw it upwards, it must fall on the back of the palm, and then the thumb and index finger will clamp one of the four grains on the table, and throw it over the back of the palm, and the original one on the palm should not fall because of this, and you will lose if you fall . ——Zhen Guan has been in school since he was seven years old, every time he plays this game, he always loses in this throwing action... She thought about it and asked the girl again: "Is there a rice vat at home? What does mom say?" The girl felt aggrieved and said: "Mom refused to give it to Ah Man, she just said not to play tricks..." Zhen Guan touched her face and said: "This is it! Rice is a grain, it is grown for people and Ah Man to eat, you can't play with it—" "..." The little girl was fascinated by it; Zhenguan continued: "Some people sewed bad grains, throwing them back and forth, and the rice was scattered all over the ground. If that happens, the God of Heaven will not be happy—" Before she finished speaking, she heard the little girl call out: "Uncle——" She turned around and saw that it was Daxin; she didn't know how long he had been standing behind her, so she asked casually, "The fisherman is back—" Da Xin's nose was slightly red, and he said with a smile: "Yes, I hurried back to take a class and be an auditor!" She let her cousin and niece down, and the aunt and nephew led them to the front room. Da Xin said, "Aren't you going to see the fish we caught?" Zhen Guan was surprised and said: "Why don't you put it over there and cook it for Si Jin?" "Don't worry! Both sides have a share!" In the front room, Ah Zhong had poured out all the things he had caught, put them in a big pot, and took a look: "Wow! Red wings, sand scorpions, nine larvae, and golden threads, on any good day today, all the fish will be cooked." One hole!" The little girl reached out and grabbed the big one, then turned to Zhenguan and asked, "Auntie, Ah Man wants to eat this one!" Zhenguan smiled and pointed to Daxin and said to her: "You have to ask Uncle, this fish was caught by Uncle." The little girl then turned around and asked Daxin: "Uncle, this tail is for Ah Man to eat, okay?" "Okay, okay—" Daxin smiled and said: "Ask Auntie to cook for Aman—" While collecting the fish, Zhenguan took his little niece to wash her dirty hands; when she came back, Ah Zhong was nowhere to be seen, only Daxin was sitting in front of the hall reading the newspaper. The little girl just sat down, and suddenly she thought again and said, "Auntie, let's come—Chicken Chirp Chirp!" As she spoke, she pulled Zhen Guan's hand to hold it; Zhen Guan had to raise her right hand upwards, and put her left index finger on her right palm, making a skeleton holding an umbrella—"Hee hee!" While smiling, the little girl stretched out her little finger to touch her palm, and the aunt and nephew read together: When the "chirp" sound is made, all the fingers that touch the palm of the hand must be moved away quickly, because the right palm will be closed like an umbrella. If it is too late to avoid and is caught, that person will be the head. The little girl was caught by Zhenguan this time, and she couldn't stop laughing when she heard her chattering: "It's Ah Man's turn to do it—" Her palm was so small that it was barely enough to reach Zhenguan with one finger, and the two recited: After saying the word "avoid", Zhen Guan withdrew her finger, the little girl grabbed her own, and laughed at herself again. "Auntie, come again, come again!" Da Xin smiled and said, "I really envy her—have you heard this story? You must have heard it!" Zhen Guan said with a smile: "Then someone who tells a story like this has a beginning and an end—" Daxin laughed and said: "The story is that; from one to ten years old, one is a real person, and one's true temperament. After eleven years old, everything is mixed with other things—" "..." Zhen Guan has actually heard this story before! It is said that all things in nature, the three realms, and the six realms, have their original lifespan; people are investigated and assigned to live only ten years.People in the underworld, hearing the judge's sentence, cried before the case, very sad.Later, because monkeys, dogs, cows, etc., saw people as pitiful, they each donated their ten years old to add to others... From then on, it is rare for people over ten years old to see people's original true nature. ... However, Zhenguan thinks: Most people have the formula to create their destiny; there are still great sages and great cultivators in the world, who have made great efforts to improve and extend their true ten ages endlessly. During the conversation, Daxin joined their game; when his hand was grabbed by the little girl for the third time, Zhenguan suddenly had the illusion: the man in front of him was just a ten-year-old boy!