Chapter 3 Guisheng

Guisheng was sharpening his sickle by the side of the ditch, and the edge was sharpened to a bright appearance.After trying the blade with his hand, he slashed into the water a few times at will.In autumn, the water in the stream is clear and bright, and it flows alive. Many small shrimps hang around in the water with their feet clinging to a blade of grass.Guisheng was also very happy to see this.The weather is excellent, and it is the season of "high and refreshing autumn" as the elegant people in the city say. If Guisheng's sickle is used properly, you can have a good winter with plenty of fish and meat.Autumn comes, and the thatch grass blooms with white flowers all over the mountains and ridges, swaying gently in the breeze, as if beckoning to people, saying, "Come, cut me, let the weather sharpen your knife, come and cut!" Let me pick it into the city, 800 qian Dan, half a catty of salt, or a catty of meat, whatever you like!" Guisheng knows these benefits.And knowing that five loads of grass can be replaced by a pig's head, kneaded for four taels and salted, and that pair of pig's ears is enough to drink two or three times!When threshing millet a month ago, each family poured water into the fields, and everyone used chicken coops to cover the fat carp in the fields, but Guisheng sharpened his sickle, lit a torch, and in the middle of the night he chopped down ten thousand fishes in the ditch by himself. Here comes a big carp, all rubbed with salt, hung on the stove and smoked dry with firewood.Now sharpen the knife and prepare to mow the grass, and go to the city to exchange for new year's goods.As the saying goes: Two hands and one shoulder, happy gods.The people living in the village, because everything in the city is expensive in the past few years, their life is not as good as before, but a single man, young and vigorous, willing to do anything when encountering problems, and not doing anything reckless, life is always easy.

Guisheng lived twenty miles away from Dacheng and two miles away from Mr. Zhangwu's Weizi.The fifth master is a local rich man, and most of the fields on the nearby hillside are under the management of the fifth master, so all the people who work in the fields have a relationship with the fifth master.The fifth master wants Guisheng to be a long-term worker, but Guisheng thinks that if he is a long-term worker, he has to guard the mountain and his actions are restricted, so he is very unwilling. I cut bamboo with a sickle, peeled the bark, and moved stones. Under a small slope, not far from the stream, I borrowed the land of the fifth master to build a small house, and helped the fifth master guard the two hillsides where tung seeds were planted. Home exchange.After staying here, he cut firewood and cut grass for a living.During the busy season of farming in spring and autumn, when someone asked a day laborer to help, he would go anywhere within five miles to help (the amount of food is equal to two people, and the strength is equal to two people).During festivals and festivals, people in the village donate money to set up dragon lanterns and go to the city to compete. He will fight for treasures in front of the dragon head, and dance a red cloth hydrangea like a ball of fire, and be applauded by others.In the spring and autumn seasons to thank the land, the villagers sang operas together. He pretended to be Mrs. Wang's pot tinker and Cheng Yaojin who sold firewood.He likes to drink a glass of wine, but he doesn't want to drink and fight with others.He can play chess, but he is not a chess fan like many people.Occasionally tell a joke, but never hurt anyone.He's a little naive, but not stupid.Although he is a poor man, he is so poor that he is tough and self-respecting.Sometimes when he went to the enclosure, the fifth master gave him a piece of clothing, a pair of trousers, or half a catty of salt. He felt uneasy and would bring something to make up for it at another time.He often went to the city to sell firewood and grass, and exchanged the money for some useful things.There is also a fifty-year-old uncle in the city who works as a cook for a wealthy family. He doesn't see each other very often, but the two are very close.When he went to the city to visit his uncle, he brought some gifts as usual, not a bag of walnuts, a bag of chestnuts, or a weasel caught in a mountain suit, or a pheasant.When he was in the city, he sometimes stayed with his uncle. The uncle would take him to the Tianhou Temple along the river to watch a night show when he had nothing to do at night, and treat him to a bowl of beef noodles during midnight snacks.

In the countryside, people in villages several miles away are familiar with him and like him. But he was happy to go to a small businessman's shop at the end of the bridge not far from his residence.The owner of the grocery store is from Youpu City in Yuanshui River. He used to do business in the countryside. Once a month, he would pick up goods from various villages and talk to the villagers. He sold everything he needed.Later, I fell in love with that bridgehead, knowing that there were many people coming and going on the official road, so it would be better to set up a home at the bridgehead than to run around the country with goods from the city.While doing business in various townships, on the other hand, we set up a pavilion for passers-by to rest their feet, and do business for passers-by nearby.So I settled down at the bridgehead.The place must be there, and I brought my wife and a thirteen-year-old girl with me.The people in Pushi were originally friendly, and in addition to the fact that they had contacts with various nearby villages and villages in the past few years, it was only natural for them to open a shop in Qiaotou, and the business flourished.The wife was dressed like a middle-aged woman from Pu City, with a long black crepe kerchief wrapped around her head all the year round, and her eyebrows were plucked thin.With a sweet mouth, you must call a man big brother and a woman sister-in-law, and treat others very attentively.Therefore, in less than half a year, the bridge shop has not only become a place for country people to shop, but also a place for country people to chat and rest.In summer, there are three big green trees at the bridgehead, which is very cool.In winter, the ground in the shop is covered with big tree roots and dried oil cakes, and the flames are blazing-it's really suitable for everything.

Guisheng was a good fit with everyone in the store, and he was diligent. Over the past few years, the proprietress of the grocery store had treated him very well, and he had also treated his daughter very well.There are many wild melons and fruits on the mountain, chestnuts and hazelnuts are not surprising, in March he picked big berries for her, in June he gave her loquats, in August and September there are famous local ones that look like dried sea cucumbers and have flesh as white as jade and snow August melon, especially makes the girl happy.The girl's name is Jinfeng. The proprietress died of a heart attack a year ago because she went back to Pu City to have a wedding, and the grocery store had a new guy who had no problems in his body, but because of his lively temperament, he was named Laizi.

Guisheng didn't know why he didn't like the lame man very much, the two of them often talked harshly, but the lame man always smiled at him.Guisheng said, "Lady, if you are in the city, you are a rascal; if you are in the book, you are a traitor." Laizi still smiled at him.Guisheng doesn't like leprosy, no one understands the reason, but the owner of the grocery store knows, because Guisheng is afraid that leprosy will invite a man to come to his door, so he changed from a helper to a son-in-law. At that time, Guisheng was by the stream, wondering if the lame boy would become an "oil seller", when someone in the yard sent a message, saying that Wu Ye had gone to the countryside, and he asked Guisheng to go and see if Nanshan tung seeds were ripe.After reading it, go to the enclosure to answer.

After Guisheng heard the letter, he immediately went to the mountain to see Tongzi. Guisheng went up the mountain. The soil on the mountain was loose, the roots of the trees were covered with grass, and autumn insects were singing everywhere.With one kick, big black oil crickets and small golden bells with pointed tails jump around.I looked at several hilltops, and saw that every branch was bent by the full and solid paulownia fruit, and many of them had fallen to the ground, and the grass at the foot of the mountain was everywhere.Because there was a long vine on a soil ridge, with many black things growing on it, a group of mountain magpies chirped, knowing that the August melon was ripe, and hurried over.The mountain magpies flew away when they saw people coming.Guisheng plucked all the August melons from the vines, packed them into a half-bamboo hat, and prepared to take them back to Jinfeng at Qiaotou to eat.

Guisheng had seen Tongzi, and when he returned home, it was still early in the evening, so he went to Weizi to report to Fifth Master. When I got to the enclosure, I saw a sedan chair in the yard, and several porters were squatting with their eyes closed on the stone apron, smoking dry pipes.Guisheng saw that there were other people coming from the city, so he turned and went to the warehouse to find Uncle Yamao.Uncle Ya Mao is an old long-term worker in the fifth master's enclosure, sitting by the barn every day, playing straw sandals.There was no one in the barn, so I went to the kitchen again, only to see Uncle Ya Mao sitting at a small table with a few young men from the city, using big grapes to scoop up shochu from a black urn, and fry a thousand fish to serve with the wine.When Guisheng came, he invited him to sit down and join them in eating and drinking.It turned out that the newcomer to Weizi was Fourth Master, who had just returned to the city from his post in Henan and came to see Fifth Master, and had to go to Henan again in a few days.Several people were talking about all kinds of interesting stories about Fifth Master and Fourth Master's tenure.

A little bald man from the city, with an old military look, smiled and said: "People say that our fourth master is really short of a cavalry brigade commander. He played it himself. A person likes to play, and there is an account on his clothes. If he doesn't play Seeing that the King of Hades couldn’t get rid of the bill, he still played after death. Last year when the army was stationed in Runan, he played eight games a month, and used up all the top products from that place. He also said, “What kind of place is this, woman? It's all made of urine, it's not okay.His whole body is as white as gray face, loose and loose, not interesting at all, and he is putting on a pose, one way or another. 'Guess how much it cost.Forty yuan a night, except for bastards, it doesn't count.You said that young people are not allowed to go out and make trouble, but I ask you, if we boys want to make trouble, is it possible?Seven yuan and six yuan a month, and three yuan and three yuan for fire food, how much is left?Don't shave your head, don't do laundry, and leave money for one game a year, my uncle, you just let me mess around, where do I start! "

Another tall general said: "Fifth Master is a good person. This way is not like Fourth Master's wasting money. You can also play with a sense of proportion. You can throw one hundred and eighty at will, and there is always a fixed amount." Uncle Duck Feather said: "Stir-fried beef with leeks, everyone loves it in their hearts. Our Wuye flower girl can't get his money, but Huagu fascinates him. In the past years, I lived with the old lady in the city and lost 28,000 overnight. Come to talk, the old lady cares about face, she is afraid that the fifth master will lose face, and she will be shamed in the future, so she asks us to dig out the silver from the cellar temporarily, dig out the ingots one by one, and give the count to the head. After paying off the debt, she smiled and said to the fifth master , 'Look good when you are fooled, don't be an example.' If you are not lucky, don't place a bet on someone as a living ingot, saying that the Zhang family will pay for it!"

"Others say the old lady is mad." "That's not it. I spent 30,000 yuan to earn a big face, and I can't help but feel bad if I have self-cultivation! It is obvious that the fifth master was fooled by someone, and the dumb man eats coptis, why isn't he angry? A bag of anger is stuffy in my heart, and I have been sick for four days. Ten days, it's over, dead." "But the fifth master is filial. When the old lady died, he spent 16,000 yuan in the funeral for seven or forty-nine days. Who doesn't know about it! They say that the old lady has a good heart and a good life." , enjoyed endlessly during life, and brought thousands of ingots and treasures with her after her death. Forty maids and old ladies took care of the box and cage, and served her all the way to the west. .There is a filial son who is filial and dies without regret.”

Uncle Duck Feather said: "The fifth master is afraid of being laughed at, so he tries to show face to others. Because the old lady loved face during her lifetime, and the fifth master was a roommate, he took over a huge fortune as soon as he came here. Now that the old lady has passed away, the fifth master should spend more money. After spending money, not only the old lady has face, but the fifth master also has face. Everyone thinks that the fifth master is stupid, so he is not stupid! If it is not for the flower bones, he has nothing to worry about!" "Not long ago, I heard in the city that I lost another five thousand dollars. Later, I wanted to get rid of the bad luck. I wanted to hang up the clothes for Concubine Nanhua Xiang in the Xiaoxiang Pavilion, and the six hundred yuan purse to do everything. The fourth master helped him with that old bitch. That's right. I don't know why, Fifth Master himself changed his mind on the spur of the moment, went to Meifu foreign firm to play the three-carry-one card, and lost another 800 in one night. He didn't do it for 600 for the flower king to bloom, and spent 800 to boil it. One night, sitting on three sedan chairs for one night, when the work was done, he joked to people: Thank you Fifth Master for the gift. I was so angry that Fourth Master was broken." "Pippy dogs are not white-faced cats. They each have their own tempers. When you get money, don't spend it, it's not going to happen! These people don't do anything but have money, and money seems to be brought by fate. Destiny It wants to come, but the door can’t stop it; it’s destined to go, but it’s not bound by chains and chains. Zhu Wang cobbler picked up an ingot of silver, put it in his arms when he slept, and the silver turned into mud when he woke up. You and I are poor people, and yellow flowers There is no destiny for girls, no destiny for money, only a little destiny for wine. Let's drink another bowl after we finish this bowl of wine. Guisheng, drink a bowl with us, you are all brothers, don't stick to it." Guisheng didn't want to drink, so he took a big bag of chestnuts, went to the stove, put the chestnuts in the hot ashes and simmered them to eat.Let's tell Uncle Ya Mao that the fifth master wants him to go up the mountain to see the tung seeds. This year the tung seeds are especially good, and it will be white dew in three days. It's time to hit the tung seeds.What day to call, set a date, so that he can help.See if the fifth master still has anything to say, and if he has nothing to say, he went home. Uncle Ya Mao went to see Master Wu and said, "The Guisheng in Xikou has already seen the tung seeds, the mountains are facing the sun, this year's frost is coming early, and the tung seeds are all ripe, and it's almost time to pick them up. Guisheng, what else can you say to Master Wu?" Sue him." The fourth master from the city was talking about divination and physiognomy with the fifth master. He talked about how a Yang Banyan in the middle street of the city used philosophical eyes to judge the good and bad luck of people's life and the root of life, which made the fifth master very happy.I heard that Guisheng is coming, so I want to call Guisheng to come in and have something to say. When Guisheng entered the courtyard, he was worried about dirtying the floor of Wu Ye, so he hurriedly took off his straw sandals and went to see Wu Ye barefoot. The fifth master said, "Guisheng, have you seen our Nanshan tung seeds? This year the tung seeds are very good. The price of the oil store in the city has increased, and the listing is twenty-two taels. To rectify the navy, to prepare for the world war, to buy large ships with tungsten paint, they need a lot of fuel. Foreigners are happy to save face, no matter whether the country is rich or poor, they are always unwilling to lag behind in military equipment. Let them fight the war, and we China can make a fortune! " Guisheng didn't understand the meaning of Wu Ye's words at all, he just stood in the corner of the hall with a little awe. Uncle Duck Feather made a circle and said, "Fifth Master, when shall we hunt tung seeds?" The fifth master smiled, "Hurry up if you want to make foreign money. Since foreigners are waiting for our Chinese tung oil tankers to fight, why don't you hurry up? Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow will be fine. I want to see for myself, so I will fight two with fourth master." Playing with little fur rabbits. Guisheng, how many rabbits are there in Nanshan this year? Let’s go tomorrow while the weather is good.” Guisheng said, "Fifth Master, you always said that tomorrow is tomorrow, and I boiled tea at home, so that Fourth and Fifth Masters can rest when they are tired. I will leave if there is nothing to do." Fifth Master said, "You go back. Duck Feather, give him a catty of salt and two catties of sliced ​​sugar, and let him go home." Guisheng thanked Fifth Master, and was about to turn around to go out, when Fourth Master suddenly interjected, "Guisheng, have you become a relative?" With one sentence, Guisheng asked Guisheng so hard that he didn't know how to answer, looking at the thin face of the retired officer with excessive selfish desires , shaking his head, just amused, he remembered a few popular sayings: "Women, women, the king of grinding people, after three years of grinding, the hair on the tip of the mouth will grow." Ya Mao interjected, "We persuaded him to look at a marriage, he was afraid of being fascinated by a woman, so he dared not do it." The fourth master said, "Guisheng, what are you afraid of? What's so scary about women? You are not afraid of your wife like that. Let me tell you, if you fancy someone, just bring her into the house. There is a woman in the house." , is good for you, you don’t understand? Just try it, don’t be afraid!” Guisheng remembered the conversation with several people in the kitchen just now, so he said softly, "One person has one life, so you can't come by force." Then he left with Ya Mao. Fourth Master smiled and said to Fifth Master, "Fifth Master, Guisheng looks good, don't you think so?" The fifth master said, "A big fool, begging his wife to come into the house, I'm afraid he won't play with his wife yet!" Guisheng took the sugar and salt home, and took a detour to the Qiaotou grocery store to have a look.It wasn't until I got to the bridge that I found out that the head of the family had gone to the city to handle the goods, and only Jinfeng was left sitting by the wine jar, picking up the soles of his shoes.Seeing Guisheng, he gave him a very affectionate look with a smile and expressed his welcome.Guisheng was a little unnatural, stood in front of the cabinet and took out the pipe to light up and smoke, expressing his calmness, "The head of the house is coming back soon?" Jinfeng said, "Guisheng, you've gone to the city too, what are you holding?" "One catty of salt and two catties of sugar were given to me by the fifth master. I'll go to the enclosure and sue them for beating tung seeds." "How is your fifth master treating others?" "The fourth master from the city is also here, and he also said that he will come to the mountain to hunt rabbits tomorrow..." Gui Sheng remembered what the fourth master said earlier, and he started to giggle. Jinfeng didn't know what was so funny, and asked Guisheng, "What kind of character is Fourth Master?" "A great military officer, I heard that he was a military commander and commander, and he spent his whole life enjoying himself, even playing with the officer." "The rich always live like this. It's the same for those who are officials and those who run shops. We, the owner of Yuanchang in Pu City, sent ten big wooden bamboo mats from Hongjiang to Taoyuan County. In one night, these wooden bamboo mats will be gone." Guisheng knew this story, so Guisheng said, "They are all women." Jin Feng blushed, looked at Gui Sheng, and protested, "Why, they are all women! How many women have you seen!Women are also good and bad, just like you men, you can't generalize! " "I didn't mean you!" "You men are really bad. What are the fourth and fifth masters? If you have money, you are a king. You spoil people and don't count them..." At that time, three passers-by crossed the bridge to the thatched shed in front of the shop, and lifted their burdens from their shoulders. Take it off, make a fire and smoke, and see what there is to eat.Bought a bowl of wine, and the three of them served the wine together with corn flowers.Guisheng is going to continue the conversation with Jinfeng, but he doesn't know how to say it.As soon as the three of them walked, he went down to the bridge to wash his hands and feet.When they walked up after a while, they saw three people were about to leave, one of them was young, dressed like a player, looking affectionately at Jinfeng, just smiled.When taking out the money, he intentionally revealed the big silver chain on the belly of the buckle flower, and said to himself, "Since there are tens of thousands of dollars, it is difficult to buy a heart. It is easy to find a priceless treasure, but it is rare to have a lover." After the three left Jinfeng lowered her head and sat on the wine jar in a daze, without saying a word.Gui Sheng wanted to continue what he had said before, but he couldn't open his mouth. When I arrived, the weather was fine, and Fang said, "Jinfeng, you want chestnuts. The chestnuts on the mountain have exploded these days. I installed a kit the day before yesterday. I went to see it in the morning, and a squirrel was arching its body. Chewing chestnuts on the wooden board, seeing me coming and running unhurriedly, it’s funny. Go pick chestnuts tomorrow, there are so many underground!” Jinfeng ignored him, still angry at the frivolous words of the passer-by just now.Guisheng didn't quite understand, so he said again, "Do you remember that one year you stole chestnuts on my sandy ground, if you didn't run fast, I would break your hand!" Jin Feng said, "I remember, I won't run. I'm not afraid of you!" Guisheng said, "You are not afraid of me, and I am not afraid of you either!" Jin Feng smiled, "Now you are afraid of me..." Guisheng seemed to understand the meaning of Jinfeng's words, smiled at Jinfeng, and replied in his heart, "I'm definitely not afraid." The Mao guy came back after mowing a load of grass, and when he saw Guisheng, he called out, "Guisheng, don't you say go up the mountain to mow grass?" Guisheng ignored it, but told Jinfeng that he found a lot of August melons on the mountain. She wanted it, and she would get it by herself tomorrow, because he would go up the mountain to help when he was hunting tung seeds tomorrow, and the fifth and fourth masters said they would come to catch them Rabbit, I'm afraid I don't have time. After Guisheng left, Mao said, "Jinfeng, this idiot, the National People's University Hollow School." Jinfeng said, "Don't talk nonsense, he will beat you when he is angry." Mao said, "This kind of person won't get angry. I'm not a tin wine jug, and I can't beat it flat." The next day, at dawn, Guisheng took his sickle up the mountain.The mist at the foot of the mountain spreads out like a white blanket, which becomes wider and wider as it is stretched out. From a distance, one can see that the Zhang family’s large enclosure is lined with beautiful trees, and several old ginkgo trees stand upright in the air. The family is prosperous.Everything seems to be floating on the top of the clouds, ethereal and not fixed.He thought that the fifth and fourth masters in the enclosure might still be sleeping and dreaming, and in the dream they were also five and eight horses, and the white board was popular! But after a while, there was a ringing of horses' bells on the field, and people's voices were noisy. It turned out that the fifth and fourth masters had come early.Guisheng hurried downhill to lead the horse. A total of twelve male and female workers came, four followers, and a few children who picked up waste in the enclosure.As soon as they arrived at the ground, everyone started to fight from the top, some climbed trees, some beat with bamboo poles, and the purple-red fruits rolled everywhere in the grass and mud. The fourth and fifth masters looked at it for a while, and each took a bamboo pole and hit them a few times. After a while, they got bored and asked Guisheng to lead them home.The water in the stove pot at home has boiled, and the duck feathers are used to make tea for the fourth and fifth masters.Seeing the pile of August melons in the bamboo hat in the corner of the room, Fourth Master picked them up and just laughed. "Fifth Lord, what do you think this looks like?" "Fourth Master, you are really ignorant, and you don't even know August Melon." "Why don't I know it? I say it's just like..." Because Guisheng was going to send August melon to Jinfeng, he felt uncomfortable when he heard fourth master say such a foul word, so he said casually: "Fourth master and fifth master are happy, take them home and eat." Fifth Master took one, put it in the hot ashes and simmered it for a while, picked it out, peeled off the hard black shell, and ate the heart.Fourth master said that the food was greasy and sweet, but he praised Guisheng's fishing rod endlessly. Therefore, Si Ye started talking about fishing, and talked about the different fishing methods in streams, rivers, rivers, seas, and reed fields in the north.Suddenly a young woman called Guisheng from the fence, her voice was clear and crisp.Guisheng ran out in a hurry, came in again after a while, and left with the pile of August melons in his arms. Fourth Master's eyes were sharp, and he caught a glimpse of the woman's white headkerchief and big black braids from the door, and asked the duck feather, "Who is the woman?"Duck Feather said: "It's the daughter of a Pushi man who sells groceries on the bridge. Boss Nei went back to her mother's house for a wedding in the hot weather last year, and died of a heart attack at the banquet. Only this little Maotou is left. This year he will be sixteen years old. , whose name is Jinfeng. In fact, the real name should be 'Guanyin'! The grocery seller probably took a fancy to Guisheng. He is simple and strong, and will inherit his family business in the future. Guisheng is still undecided. Waiting for the wind to turn. It's a waste of time." The fourth master said, "Old man, you are really Emperor Xuantong. You live in the Forbidden City and eat and drink foolishly. You don't know anything outside the enclosure. A place with beautiful mountains and clear waters must have noble people and virtuous people. Why don't you..." Ya Mao said, "A fortune teller It is said that a woman is heavy on her parents and her husband, so no one dares to touch her. Guisheng must be afraid of her..." At this point, Guisheng came back, his face was red, he wanted to say a word but he didn't know what to say Nothing good, just rub your hands. Fifth Master said, "Guisheng, what are you afraid of?" Gui Sheng didn't understand the meaning of this sentence at first, so he agreed blankly, "I'm afraid of ghosts." One sentence made everyone laugh, and Guisheng also laughed. A few people took two skinny yellow dogs to chase rabbits on the barren hills, but they got nothing for a long time. At noon, I returned to Guisheng's house for the afternoon.The fifth master asked the long-term worker how much tung seeds he received this year, and knowing that it was better than in previous years, he told the duck feathers, and shared three loads of tung seeds for Guisheng's remuneration, and rode back to the enclosure with the fourth master.There was no need to turn around at the mouth of the stream when going back, but the fourth master proposed to ask the fifth master to take a detour with him and go to the bridge to have a look.I bought some food at the Qiaotou grocery store, chatted with the businessman for a while, and took a good look at Jinfeng before turning back to the enclosure. Back in the enclosure, the fourth master laughed at the fifth master again, thinking that being an emperor in the enclosure, he really didn't know the sufferings of the people.The words pointed to something, and fifth master understood the meaning. The fifth master said, "Fourth master, you are really, you can't say that a person is still stealing meat from a dog's mouth." The fourth master slapped the fifth master on the shoulder and said, "Five, don't talk about it. If I were you, I would not be like you. A piece of fat mutton is for the dog to eat. Don't you see: long eyebrows, bright eyes, a thrush Birds, shoot sparrows!" Fifth Master just laughed and said nothing.One person has one's own destiny, Wu Ye likes to play cards, and he always thinks that losing cards is not unreasonable, and every failure is just bad luck, not bad skill.The fifth master laughed at the fourth master who didn't like to see women, he was tired of eating big fish and meat in the city, so pay attention to wild game. Naturally, Guisheng didn't know anything about what happened in this regard. Guisheng only knew that he got three more loads of tung seeds this year, and another two or three loads from picking waste. There were five or six loads of tung seeds retting under the bed at home, which was enough to kill a winter night. The sun and the moon alternate, the dogtail grass in front of the house and behind the house are all white, and the prickly pear balls beside the road are yellow like gold. The astringency has faded away, and it has turned from sour to sweet.Guisheng went to the city to sell more than a dozen grasses, and sold several baskets of prickly pears to the official pharmacy. Counting the days, it is already October of Xiaoyangchun.The weather is getting warmer, and the wild peach trees by the stream are blooming. At the grocery store at night, the Mao guy would burn a tree root on the spot, the flames were blazing, and he waved to the neighboring residents with images, welcome to the bridge, and everyone chatted to the fire.At this time, the fodder for the animals is stacked, the grain is harvested in the warehouse, and the sweet potatoes are also put into the cellar. It happens to be the time for everyone to rest, so there are people there day and night.It was especially lively at night, because occasionally soldiers returning home on leave and customers selling cinnabar from Daxing Market came to the grocery store to report the news of the province. When Guisheng went there, as usual, he sat by the fire and didn't talk much. He listened to them and glanced at Jinfeng from time to time.When the eyes meet Jinfeng's, the blood seems to move much faster.He also helped Boss Du with some small things, and he also helped Jin Feng with some small things.When it rained and he was the only customer in the shop, he would sit silently by the fire smoking a pipe, listening to Boss Du's calculations under the Mobil lamp, counting the remaining goods.The abacus in Guisheng's heart is also picked up and down, and he counts his own furniture.He knew that the price of oil in the city was good, and twenty-five catties of oil could be exchanged for six catties of cotton and two catties of salt.He has several loads of tung seeds this year, which is really a small fortune!At the end of the year, we have all the fish and meat, and only one person is missing. Sometimes the boss has settled the accounts and has nothing to do, so he finds a red-papered civilized almanac from the wine jar, and reads the "Encyclopedia of Rewarding the World" and "The Divine Number of Fate" attached to the almanac. .When you get to the Jinfeng horoscope in the first row, you must say that the Jinfeng horoscope is a monster, and it weighs two pounds. It is either a "madame" or a "prisoner".Jinfeng just pursed her lips and smiled. Or just talking about this kind of thing, the owner of the grocery store will suddenly ask: "Guisheng, do you want to start a family? You want to find a wife, I will help you." Guisheng looked at the upward flames in front of him and said, "Boss, are you telling the truth? Who will marry me!" "There is someone you want." "I do not believe." "Who believes that the tengu bites the moon? Even if you don't believe it, the tengu will bite the moon at that time. I can't help but believe it. Let me tell you, the bamboo sparrow on the mountain wants a female sparrow, and even sings to find it by itself. You have to be careful, learn 'return' Guihong, Guiguihong', 'Mother-in-law is drunk, mother-in-law is drunk!'" ①The words led Guisheng to the road. . There might be an extra word between the hairy guys, and Jinfeng would say, "Guisheng, don't listen to the lame man, he talks nonsense. He said he would pretend to catch raccoons and otters, and he would pretend to catch raccoons and otters. The flower cat has been caught." Although Jinfeng was talking about the Mao guy, she was actually using the Mao guy's words to divert the question raised by the shopkeeper Na Du. After midnight, Guisheng walked home with a torch, and as he walked, he thought that the grocery seller was also there to dress up and catch his son-in-law, so he couldn't help but grinned.One sets the trick intentionally, and the other is willing to play the trick, and things seem to be simple.The difficulty lies not in personnel but in people's hearts.Guisheng is similar to all country folks, with a little bit of superstition in his heart.The woman's face is red and white, her eyebrows are long, and the corners of her eyes are flying upwards, which is a "restraint" appearance; she can't be restrained by others, and she can only pass the test at the age of eighteen!Because of this superstition, he took a step back. The grocer's pretense did not work, and he failed.But all winds will not always blow south, and there will be a turning point. One day when it rained heavily, Guisheng stayed at home and twisted a few straw ropes. He took a look at the retting tung seeds under the bed, and saw that the color had turned black, so he poured half a basket of tung seeds and peeled them.I don't know which gust of wind blew in a different direction, and he suddenly remembered that things were a little dangerous.When Jinfeng grows up, his heart is opened, and Mao can become Jinfeng's person at any time.In addition, people from Pu City who sold pigs to visit fellow villagers on the official road, and guests from Chenzhou who trafficked cattle and collected mercury in Guizhou Province, were all eloquent and willing to spend money.Shan didn't know how to abduct the woman away, that's really "Mo Naihe"!People are always people, if there is a backrest, everyone, big and small, will have a backrest if things are done well.Naturally, his thinking was simpler and more vulgar, but he came to the conclusion, that is, hot rice to make papa, everything must be done as soon as possible, and there should be no delay. He planned to go to the city to discuss with the uncle the next day. Guisheng went to the city to find his uncle.It just so happened that the big family was holding a dinner for guests. In addition, a big cook had to be in charge of the pot, and the uncle was the second in command, cutting kidneys on the door panel. Seeing that his uncle was busy, he stayed in the kitchen to help his colleague peel green onions and edamame.In the evening, when the mat was removed, it was almost the second watch, and I went to bed after eating.The next day, the owner of the house wanted to cook some mother-in-law porridge, cooked a pot of fish and meat, and was busy all day, so it was still inconvenient to talk about him.On the third day, my uncle was tired and sick.Guisheng went to the character testing booth to test his characters. He picked up a character for "Shuang" for his uncle, and a character for "Hui" for himself. The word tester said, "People are in good spirits when they are happy. If you ask about illness, the illness will be cured if there is a happy event." He also said, "Hui is half of the happy word, half of the auspicious word, but half of the word of speech." Do the things that need to be done as soon as possible. , I'm afraid it's too late.He thinks it makes sense. When he returned to his uncle, he said that he wanted to get married, and that the grocery seller's daughter in Xikou was decent and virtuous, so she could be his wife.It would be good for her to help him feed the pigs and cut grass, and it would be good for him to grind and grind tofu for her.As long as he speaks, he can be sure about 70% to 80%. The shopkeeper agreed, if you have a little money, you can get married at the end of the year, have one more person to eat, and one more person to mend clothes and feet. There are disadvantages and advantages, so I came to discuss it with my uncle. The uncle heard that there is such a good thing, so there is no reason to be unhappy.He had saved twenty yuan over the years, but he couldn't make up his mind whether to buy a coffin for it in advance, or buy a few piglets and let someone feed it.As soon as he heard that his nephew was interested in picking up a wife and would pair up with his daughter who sells groceries, of course he made up his mind and "invested" his money in this matter. "You need money to marry, I'll help you with some money." The cook got up and took out all the savings from the soil at the foot of the bed, and put it in front of Guisheng, "If you want to use it, you use it. In the future, you will raise a son. One counts as my little grandson, who burns 300-dollar papers during festivals and festivals, and that’s it.” Guisheng ate and said, "I don't want that much money, the shop owner won't accept my gift!" "Why don't you? If he doesn't want you, you have to. You can't say that a poor bachelor eats the tiger and eats the wind, and tightens his belt when he doesn't eat. You can get by in grass and mud alone, but two people can't do it! Everyone has face, beg A wife has to support a wife and children, and you can’t rely on Qiaotou Boss Du, who will tell you that you eat nepotism. Use the money, and what uncle has is yours.” After the two discussed it, Guisheng went to the street to buy goods.I bought two Zhangs of official green cloth, two Zhangs of white cloth, three catties of vermicelli, a pig's head, and some paper for incense sticks. The total cost was nearly five yuan.After the things were done, Gui Sheng happily brought the things back to Xikou. On the way out of the city, he met two long-term laborers in the enclosure and picked up baskets to enter the city. Gui Sheng asked them what was the urgent matter of rushing into the city. A long-term worker said: "I don't know why the fifth master sent us to do the goods on a whim! It's like picking up a daughter-in-law. I opened a long list, and there are a lot of them! " Guisheng said, "The fifth master is really the fifth master. He is so easygoing that he doesn't even think about doing anything." "Really, a lot of things are done without thinking." "If you do good deeds, you will ascend to heaven and become a Buddha. If you do bad deeds, you will teach others to suffer." The long-term worker saw that Guisheng had a lot of goods, and said with a smile, "Guisheng, you seem to want to fulfill your wish. Could it be that you are about to treat us to a wedding?" Another long-term worker also said, "Guisheng, you must have made a fortune in the city. If you buy a pig head that big, it will cost twelve catties." Knowing that the two were teasing him, Guisheng replied half-seriously and half-jokingly, "No more, no less, a pig's head weighs three and a half catties, and I'm about to cook it for a drink!" When we parted, a long-term worker said, "Guisheng, I see that you look good. You must have a happy event. Don't tell us." A few words put Gui Sheng's heart at ease. At night, Guisheng made up his mind to go to Xikou Qiaotou to talk to the owner of the grocery store.It was only when I got there that I found out that Boss Du was not at home and had something to do.When asked where Jinfeng's father had gone and when he would be back, Jinfeng said indifferently that he didn't know.Turning to the hairy guy, the hairy guy said that the boss had gone to the enclosure, and he didn't know what happened.Guisheng felt that the situation was a bit strange, and thought that maybe the two father and daughter had quarreled, and the old man left in a fit of anger, so Jinfeng was not very happy.He still sat on the low stool, brushed the hot ashes of the kang with his feet, and took a pipe to smoke. Mao couldn't help but suddenly blurted out, "Guisheng, Jinfeng is about to take a sedan chair!" Guisheng thought he was mentioning something about him, looked at Jinfeng and said, "It's not true, is it?" Jin Feng stared at the hairy guy, "Scorpion, you talk nonsense, I'll sew your mouth!" The hairy guy shrank, and smiled at Guisheng, "I really sewed my mouth, and there will be no one who will ask someone to play the suona in a few days." Guisheng thought that Jinfeng was afraid of embarrassment, so he changed the conversation and said, "Jinfeng, I have gone to the city and stayed with my uncle for three days." Jin Feng lowered her head and said in a suave manner: "It's fun in the city!" "I have something to do in the city. I'll discuss it with my uncle..." He didn't know what to say, so he turned to the guy, "The fifth master in the enclosure has another business and wants to invite guests." "More than a treat..." Mao guy was about to continue talking, but Jin Feng asked Mao guy to check if the duck gate was closed. Sitting down always seems like a cold stove.Boss Du hasn't come back for a long time, so Jinfeng has to ignore what he says.Guisheng didn't think the limelight was right, so he didn't talk to each other.After silently blowing a few tubes of cigarettes, I had to leave. Back home, I moved a tree root from the back of the house, grabbed a handful of grass, burned it on the ground, picked up half a basket of tung seeds, and peeled the tung seeds with a small licking knife by the fire.Late into the night, something always seemed to bite his heart, but he couldn't tell what it was. The next day, he was thinking of talking to a grocery merchant at Qiaotou, when a man from the enclosure told him that there was wine and food in the enclosure, and that the fifth master favored him, and he was the daughter of a man from Qiaotoupu City.Already optimistic about the day, I will enter the door tonight, and I want everyone to kill Hei to help and pick up people with sedan chairs!Hearing this news, Guisheng seemed to have been hit hard on the head by someone, and he was unable to breathe for a long time. After the man left, he still didn't quite believe it, and ran to the Qiaotou grocery store in one breath, only to see Boss Du bowing his head in front of the counter and sealing the reward number with red paper. Seeing that it was Guisheng, the grocery store merchant smiled and said, "Guisheng, where have you been? We haven't seen you for several days, and we thought you were serving as Xue Rengui and enlisted in the army." Guisheng thought to himself, "I still want to be a bandit!" The grocer said again, "You've been in town for a few days, just go to the theater." Standing on the road outside, Guisheng stammered, "Big Boss, Big Boss, I heard people say that your family has a happy event, is it true?" Boss Du held up those small envelopes and said, "Look at this." On the one hand, he just smiled, and the matter was self-evident. Guisheng heard someone beating his clothes under the bridge, and knew that Jinfeng was washing clothes under the bridge, so he went to the bridge railing, and saw that the filial piety on Jinfeng's head had been removed, and there was a small red flower on a black braid, and she was bowing her head. Beat clothes.Guisheng said: "Jinfeng, you have a big happy event, congratulations, congratulations!" Jinfeng didn't lift his head, stopped beating his clothes, and kept silent.Guisheng knew from his expression that everything was true, and that his own business was completely over, over, everything over.Unable to speak any more, he gave the boss a hard look and walked away. In the middle of the night, Guisheng still went to the enclosure. When Guisheng came to the enclosure, he saw the fifth master wearing a spring silk thin cotton gown and a blue satin mandarin jacket over it, and was urging the workers to tie up the sedan chair in the yard, with an extremely happy expression.As soon as the fifth master saw Guisheng, he said, "Guisheng, you're here, very good. Have you eaten yet? Go drink in the kitchen. "He also said," what is your birth year?In the evening, the dragon will help me carry my Jiaozi, and cross the Xikou bridge to pick up the new couple.If you belong to the tiger, you don't need to go, just avoid it when the time comes! " Guisheng said timidly, "I am a tiger. I was born on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. I am a double tiger." After speaking, he still smiled as usual when he had nothing to say, with nowhere to put his hands and feet.Seeing that the fifth master assigned people to do things, and the one who tied the sedan chair pole was inappropriate, he walked over to help.At the end, Fifth Master asked him if he had drunk, but he remained silent.Uncle Duck Feather changed into a new woolen blue jacket, ran out to look at the sedan chair, and when he saw Guisheng, he dragged him to the kitchen. In the kitchen, five or six long-term workers were sitting on low benches by the fire, drinking and laughing while drinking.Because they were all appointed to pick up the relatives at Xikou, among them was a suona player whose face was red from drinking, and said, "Boss Du is usually generous and generous, and when we get there, he will definitely treat us to the Jiahu snacks brought from the city." , and encapsulation." Another long-term worker said, "I still owe him 200 yuan and put it on the water card. I'm really afraid to see him." Uncle Ya Mao teased him, "Of course the debt owed will be waived, just be careful when you lift the sedan chair." A long-bearded worker said, "You carry the sedan chair and see how far she is crying. After passing the big green tree, she still cries like a cat. If you want her to stop crying, just tell her, "Sister, if you cry again, I will carry you back." She must not dare to cry again." "How about she still crying?" "I'm really going to take her back." Everyone roared with laughter. The suona player can tell jokes, and then he told a rough joke about the bride returning home in three days, pretending to be a woman's voice to complain to her mother: "Mother, mother, I thought that marrying in the past was just to serve the parents-in-law, inherit the family and inherit the ancestors, what are you doing?" Thinking of the young man being careful, I am not allowed to pee at night!" Everyone laughed even more. Guisheng remained silent, bit his lower lip, pinched the bones of his fingers again and again, fixed on the red face and long nose, and wanted to punch that guy.But when he stretched out his hand, he picked up an earthen bowl, and several long-term workers bet, some thought that Jinfeng would not cry today, some said they would cry, and said look at that A pair of watery eyes is the face that will cry.In the middle of the chaos, the other sedan chairmen in the courtyard also came to the kitchen, and the chaos became even more chaotic when there were too many people talking. Guisheng talked a lot when he saw people, so he walked alone to the small room next to the warehouse.Seeing that a straw sandal was not finished, he sat down and rubbed the straw sandals.My heart is really a bit confused, I don't know what to do.There was still sixteen yuan beside her, pressed tightly against her waist.He thought of something out of nowhere.Three catties of vermicelli, two Zhangs of official green cloth, and a pig's head, what's the use?Five dendrobium tung seeds were sent to the Yao family oil workshop to get oil, and foreigners with large ships and cannons went to the sea to fight big battles, and what they wanted was tung oil.The paper sellers made eyebrows, "It's easy to find priceless treasures, but it's rare to have a lover", and the lover will come.The fourth master played with eight braids a month, and said that the woman's body was as white as gray face, which was meaningless.You official! Pure Thorn Boil Bud Pot Gushu* There was a lot of voices in the courtyard, and the suona player was about sixty percent drunk, so he blew the suona from the kitchen to the big courtyard outside.And listen to people shouting torches and cannons to set off.The gongs on both sides were ringing, as if to say, let's go, let's go, let's go!After a while, a group of people and horses really went out of the enclosure and walked south.After going for a long time, I can still hear the sound of suona whimpering when the wedding reception team walked along the hillside.Guisheng went to the kitchen to have a look, and saw a few women preparing soup and fruit.When Uncle Ya Mao saw Guisheng, he said, "Guisheng, I thought you had gone too. Do me a favor and fetch some loads of water.I need water later. " Guisheng picked up the bucket and walked out without a sound.Several piles of firewood were burned in the yard, candles were lit in the main room, and a piece of red was hung.The women and children of the tenant families who lived in the enclosure were all standing in the yard, waiting for the newcomers to watch.When Guisheng took a shortcut to carry water, he had to go in and out through the gate, but he would rather take a detour and go through the back door.I went to the well to fetch seven loads of water, checked the level of the tank, and then stopped by the stove to dry the straw sandals. If you are a Rat with yin and yang, it is advisable to enter the door after dark. In order to avoid disagreement with the family members, all big cats and kittens in the family must avoid it when the sedan chair enters the door. Uncle Ya Mao was supposed to send a sedan chair to pick up people.We had to avoid it, so when the newcomer was about to enter the enclosure, he invited Guisheng to look at the cabbage and radishes in the bamboo garden at the back, and talked while walking. "Guisheng, there is a destiny for everything, so I can't force it. The spectator said that Deng Tong died of starvation. The emperor was not convinced, and gave him a copper mountain to make his own money, but he still starved to death in the end. The king of the city The rich man, who used to carry burdens and sell dumplings and bait to make a living, got lucky and lived in that small temple. The wall collapsed, and the couple almost crushed to death. When the two climbed out of the plaster, they saw that the wall There are two pots of silver in the house, and we have started a family since then... It’s not fate! Who would have expected that little girl from the grocery store on the bridge to be a member of our circle? Fifth Master is a scholar, understands science, and usually doesn’t believe in anything , except for foreign devils to see a doctor, according to what's called "try and suffer", I don't believe in anything else.The last time I went to the city, I lost two thousand, and the fourth master convinced me to live.The fourth master said, "Fifth master, you can't play anymore, you are so unlucky, you will still lose if you play again."Find a "original soup product" to try your luck, just make sure.Those hairy hens in the city don't know how to use pig intestines to pour chicken blood, and then pretend to be yellow-flowered girls.There are plenty of people in the countryside, think about it.Fifth Master was serious, and by chance, he fell in love with the grocery store daughter. " Guisheng kicked a rotten bamboo shoot, slipped it, and scolded himself softly, "Ghost interrupts, my eyes don't recognize the goods!" Uncle Duck Feather thought he was scolding Boss Du's daughter, so he said, "This is not a person who recognizes goods!" Uncle Ya Mao went on to say, "Guisheng, to tell the truth, I think Mr. Du and that girl from the grocery store were very interested in you before. The onlookers are clear, and the authorities are obsessed. You still don't understand. In fact, as long as you have the nerve to mention it yourself, the heavens are big." The matter is settled. The wild ducks fly everywhere in the sky, and what they catch is vegetables. Twenty-eight nights are busy in Kunyang, and the formation is lined up. The first strike is the best, and the second strike will suffer. If you don’t strike first, it’s no wonder!" Guisheng said, "Uncle Duck Feather, what you said was a joke." Uncle Duck Feather said, "It's not a joke! Everything is fate, and you can't help it at all. Ten days ago, I believe that little girl was only looking at you and her two grinding tofu at the bridge!" It was really not a joke, but when it comes to Here, because of the impermanence of human affairs, Uncle Ya Mao couldn't help laughing. The two of them were walking up the ridge of the bamboo garden, and when they reached the ridge, they could hear the whimpering of suona and the sound of firecrackers, and they knew that the newcomer's sedan chair was coming.The surrounding area also suddenly became lively.The torches were all lit, and there was a lot of voices. Some long-term workers who should be avoided all talked and laughed and ran to the bamboo garden behind, and some even climbed up to the big south bamboo like a monkey to have a look, to see if people and horses had entered the enclosure. The suona was getting closer, and people's voices in the yard became chaotic. Everyone knew that the sedan chair had entered the gate of the camp. Although some people were afraid of being offended, they couldn't care less now, and rushed over to watch the excitement. After the three cannons were let off, the suona blew "Heaven, earth and peace" to worship the ancestors of heaven and earth, and performed a greeting ceremony. After a while, the suona was finished and the torches were extinguished one after another. Uncle Yamao knew that people had entered the door and the matter was over, so he dragged Guisheng back to the kitchen. On the one hand, tell those who hold torches to be careful with candles.Many people in the kitchen were unpacking, counting the rewards in the red paper envelopes, scrambling to pour hot water into the wooden basin to wash their feet, and talking about how flustered Boss Du was when he was sending a kiss to someone at Xikou. joke.Besides, Boss Du and Ya Mao must have passed out drunk, lest they think about what happened to their daughter tonight.Uncle Ya Mao poured wine for the young people again, set the table, and a dozen young permanent workers sat down for a while, only to realize that Guisheng had slipped away. In the middle of the night, Fifth Master was dreaming with the newlyweds under the linen curtain on the carved plank bed, when suddenly all the dogs in the enclosure barked wildly.Uncle Duck Feather got up and saw that the corner of the sky was red, and there was a fire in the distance.The estimated direction is far and near, when it is on the edge of the stream mouth.After a while, someone rushed to the enclosure to report the news, only to find out that the grocery store at Qiaotou was on fire, and at the same time, Guisheng's house was also flooded.It is very strange that one fire burns in two places, and the details are not clear at all. Uncle Ya Mao hurriedly ran to watch the fire. He arrived at the bridge first. The fire was in full swing, and the big green trees beside the bridge were also on fire. People could only stand and watch from a distance.Whether Boss Du and Laizi were in the fire or walked away, I couldn't understand for a while.So I rushed past Guisheng's place again, and when I got close to the fire site, I saw many people watching the fire, but no one saw Guisheng. It's not clear whether the person was burned to death or left.The duck feathers were pounded into the fire with a long bamboo, sniffing it all the way, but people still couldn't figure out why they were in the fire or not in the fire.He is old and mature, and he understands this matter in his heart. There must be a reason for how the fire started. When turning around the enclosure, I ran into Fifth Master and Naxin Aunt on the way.Fifth Master said, "Is the person burned out?" Uncle Duck Feather stammered, "This is fate, fifth master, this is fate." Turning around and seeing Jinfeng crying, he said in his heart, "Girl, are you unhappy being a concubine? Go back and hang yourself with a rope, what are you crying for?" ?” Several people still ran to the place where the fire started. Written in March, 1937, rewritten in May——Peking -------------- ①Cuckoo and bamboo sparrow chirping.