Chapter 4 Qiaoxiu and Dongsheng

The snow is melting.There are snowmelt water pouring into creeks and rivers everywhere in the field ditches, just like the yearning for the distant sea, they together make a kind of joyful rush.The sound of mountain birds from the bamboo bushes beside the stream with residual snow reveals a bit of spring news before the flowers and plants on the ground, and it seems to be a kind of knowing invitation to me.Especially the sojourner in the bamboo garden behind the window, the turtledove with a whole body of putty and a brocade belt around its neck, the melodies it made became more and more complicated and bizarre, as if it made a kind of melody in my ear. Dialogue, instead of the dialogue between me and Qiaoxiu: "Qiaoxiu, Qiaoxiu, do you really want to leave? You must never leave!"

"Brother, brother, oh. You call me? You never pay attention to me, how can you blame me?" Originally, he was only in a dream, but upon hearing this weird and absurd answer, he woke up very sad.At present, it seems to be clear, and slightly mocking, speaking close to my ears.I can no longer live in this big manor. Therefore, using "Happiness to be alone" as an excuse, they moved to a new place, the small and medium-sized upstairs in the side courtyard of the Medicine Palace outside the village.This can also be said to be the most satisfactory choice for me.Because the temple and the village are separated by a Datian dam, the status is completely isolated.Living alone is like getting everything, everything I need to be here as a guest at eighteen.

I have been to many strange places in my life.I have crossed many different bridges, sat on many different boats, and slept on many different beds.But nothing compares to that night half a month ago in the manchurian mansion, lying on the big bed carved with nanmu wood, let the sound of mountains and birds near and far and the pot of water in the room boil, and the situation of life floating up is a strange state of mind.And moving to this small building, lying on a hard plank bed, let the sounds of mountain birds from far and near fill the emptiness in my heart, and the emotion formed is even more vague and incomprehensible!

The yard was not small at first, and most of it was covered by bamboo plants, leaving only a walkway made of bluestone slabs for me to take a walk alone.Among the bamboo clumps, I found that there are Luohan bamboo and palm bamboo suitable for making walking sticks, purple bamboo and white bamboo suitable for making flute pipes, and snaketail bamboo suitable for fishing rods.All these bamboos with different natures bring pieces of broken jade in the breeze, and bring a coldness different from snow.What is even more secluded is the roof of the small building.Because the place is very high, it is suitable for looking into the distance, and there are almost always unknown birds singing on it.Some people are extraordinarily calm, enjoying their own music without doing anything, singing the joy of life.Some are obviously very anxious, such as eager to recruit friends, expressing their desire for love life.The putty gray turtledove is a regular visitor on my roof. If he came here to escape, he came here to have more opportunities to get close to it.From that low and slightly melancholy muttering repeatedly, it always seemed to remind me of something that should be put down but could never be put down-Qiaoxiu's departure.That is to say, when I first came to this snow-covered village, after attending a wedding banquet at a friend’s house, the owner of the house lit a torch and was about to send me to a courtyard to rest. Qiaoxiu, a seventeen-year-old country girl, made the bed for me with her lower lip in silence.I was just about to compare her eyebrows with the bride's eyebrows, to confirm whether the legend is true.And on her big braid and well-developed limbs, she had some absurd dreams of an eighteen-year-old youth.Unexpectedly, at the breakfast table the next day, I heard that she had brought a small bag and fled with a country man playing the suona. In that small bag, it seemed that a little of what I had was taken away. , a heart or a dream, also inadvertently taken away.

It has been half a month since Qiaoxiu escaped, and there is no news of her return.Try to imagine the whereabouts of this country girl with black braids, bright eyes, and full breasts. The life of the two of them and the inevitable ending tomorrow will inevitably make people feel more at a loss.Because not only what was taken away by accident can no longer be found, but also the woman herself, the enthusiasm contained in those clear and innocent eyes, the active vitality in the silence, everything is far away, and is being followed by a new Corroded by life, forgotten in time, disappeared and disappeared.Daxiguan in Changde Mansion, Youjia Lane in Chenzhou Mansion, and many small boats beside the large and small water piers in the Yuanshui River Basin, there are often thousands of little whores who accept merchants, with wide faces and thin eyebrows. Basking in the sun in front of the cabin and at the stern, while singing the ditty "Ten Xianglang" to send off the day, while carrying embroidered purses on the soles of shoes, trying to use these small things to connect the water to get the kindness of the boatman.In the ordinary appearance, there is a youthful heart that is always burning.On the one hand, it is so burning, but on the other hand, it is unavoidable to be bound by life, struggling to escape, and finally turned into a tragic end, with grievances and grievances tied together, narrow-mindedness, and stories of people throwing themselves into rivers and hanging their necks are heard every day.When tracing the sources and backgrounds of these women, most of them are similar to Qiaoxiu.

Because of the obsession and unscrupulous enthusiasm before and after adulthood, he broke through the country habits and ran desperately.Take the analogy from water, "If you don't reach the Yellow River, your heart will never die."But most of these clear springs that flowed from the mountains never flowed to Dongting Lake, so they stayed in some small city or city, near the water pier, and lived their lives.It is impossible to go forward, and it is impossible to go backward, so it is over like that. The Yaowang Palace where I live was originally the seat of the highest meeting in the village, the site of the Village Security Elementary School, and the office of the regiment defense bureau that safeguards the security of the village.It's the annual holiday, and all the teachers and students of the school have gone home.Usually there are only two kinds of meetings: the positive ones are the spring and autumn seasons where the puppet theater troupe are invited to pay the gods and fulfill their vows, and the first ones are promoted to contribute.The negative thing is that when there are official business in the county, the gentry and the people gather to discuss countermeasures.Local security is not a big problem, and the regiment defense bureau does not have many affairs, except for my friend Man Dawei, who is also the head of security, and a permanent staff in the bureau. My master, another fourteen-year-old simple-minded self-defense force belonging to the Bureau, although there are more than 30 variegated guns, they are usually scattered among the big families in the village, just in case, and they are not usually needed.In other words, the place is often deserted.Because the local law and order is safe, the original quietness of the countryside is still maintained on the surface.

In the past half a month since I moved to Yaowang Palace, apart from going to the game with the captain a few times, I bought some tiger and leopard skins, picked some gamecock breeds, and went to the back mountain to hunt fur rabbits a few times. Turning back and forth between the rocky cliffs in the wet and slippery gully, getting into a mess, sweating profusely from exhaustion, most of the rest of the time is spent watching the chess match between the master and the small game.One of them is over forty-six or seventeen years old, the other is less than fifteen years old. They are not very good at playing chess on both sides, but they are also very serious.There are still half lithographs in the bureau.The environment and air of this place are really suitable for reading!

However, the newest discovery is from the newly hatched chickens in the corner of the house in the bureau, and the efficacy of bunches of unknown herbs on the bedside. In this way, he and Xiao Juding have also become true confidants.First, I searched for a few days, thinking that "Qingfeng" and "Huangying" would suddenly lift the curtain and enter here one day. Before coming here, I could hear the sound of footsteps in the stairwell. In fact, although there are many small sounds made by sparrows, Qingfeng Huang Ying never showed up.This kind of suspenseful waiting is a mixture of horror and joy, and it is naturally very useful for the eighteen-year-old life.But as soon as I got acquainted with the two of them, I felt that it was very reasonable to abandon those broken little books, because as long as I was happy, I could read a chapter of another big book at will, and everything would be lively and fascinating!

Qiaoxiu's mother was originally from Xikou, and she became a widow at the age of twenty-three, taking care of Qiaoxiu, who was less than two years old, and the seven acres of mountain land.Young, restless and willing to go on like this, he secretly fell in love with a tiger-fighting craftsman in Huangluozhai.The people in the clan knew about this, and wanted to plot against that piece of Susukida, to catch the adulterer and both, but they were finally caught alive, and a swarm of swarms brought them to the ancestral hall for a public trial.The original intention was just to frighten and beat the two of them for a while, so that everyone can get a strange satisfaction from the suffering and torture of others, and then marry her far away to get back a sum of money as a face For the deceased, use a small amount of paper money to incinerate the deceased, and the rest will be shared equally according to the degree of contribution to the good deeds.This was originally an old local rule, and everything should be done according to the rule, and no one else could object.Unexpectedly, Qiaoxiu's mother, who was the patriarch at the time, planned to be a daughter-in-law for her crippled son when she was not married, but Qiaoxiu's mother thought he had one leg and refused to agree.Later, she made excuses to tease her again and again, but was scolded by the temperamental little widow, thinking that she was always unruly and shameless.The handle is in the hands of the widow, and she can announce it at any time.Now that this kind of joke has been made, so when he returned to the old story, the enemy was extremely jealous when they met, and strongly advocated breaking the feet of the romantic tiger beater in Huangluozhai, and breaking them in front of the little widow.When the lynching was carried out, the tiger beater gritted his teeth and did not groan, but only stared at the little widow.After the punishment is over, two long-year-olds are going to be sent to carry him back to Huangluozhai, twenty miles away.Since the matter is well-founded, the people of Huangluozhai have nothing to say.But the little widow said in front of the clan that she would also go with her.

Tian Chan's daughter has to follow if she doesn't want to.This time the people in the clan really lost face.Especially the head of the clan, who has a vicious heart and complicated emotions. He is afraid that there will be troubles in the future. say.The ancestor of the clan is a scholar, has a little fame, has read several "Ziyue", coupled with his seniority, powerful influence, and usually stubborn and domineering temperament, even because of this, the children of the same clan have to be afraid if they are not convinced. .Now they use the reason of maintaining the family's reputation and face to put forward such exciting opinions, and add that the issue of adoptive incense will be discussed after the matter is resolved.There are too many people to make a fuss, and everyone naturally agrees without thinking too much.Once the clan agrees, those young, ignorant and good-for-nothings will immediately find ropes and millstones to supervise them.Human morality and sadism have become inseparable in the chaos.The other women stood far away, fearful and uncomfortable, helpless, they could only shout "God" softly, but could not make any other protests.Some young people of the clan stripped the little widow's clothes off outside the ancestral hall, bound her hands, carried a small stone mill on her back, and fastened the stone mill to her neck with vines and kudzu.Everyone surrounded the little widow, admiring the radiant young body shamelessly, while scolding the woman for being shameless.But the little widow remained silent and let her do what she did, searching for the wronged family ancestor from the crowd with wet eyes.The patriarch, who was afraid of uncovering the truth, pretended to be very angry when he was stripping his clothes. He looked at the little widow fiercely up and down, scolded "lowly and lowly", and hid in the ancestral hall as if he had something to do.When I arrived at the ancestral hall, I discussed with a few other elders and reported to the county, preparing for everyone to be charged, and shift the responsibility to the masses, so as to avoid other accidents in the future.At the same time, he comforted and comforted the elders in the clan who had nothing to do but were old and fearful, and quoted some words from the Bible to eliminate evil and do everything, so as not to change midway.In the second half of the day, a group of troublemakers in the clan and the ancestor of the clan surrounded the little widow to the mouth of the stream, boarded a small boat, set up oars, and rowed silently to the Changtan in the upper reaches of the mouth of the stream.The woman still bowed her head and was speechless, just looking at the swaying water in the river and the cloud shadow and starlight in the water smashed by the oars.Maybe I am thinking of the problem of reincarnation in the second life, or the story of being molested by the ancestors in the past, or some small grievances and grievances that I "owed" and "owed" during my lifetime.Maybe I just think of the past, present, and how I will live in the future.Will Qiaoxiu, who is less than two years old, try to kill someone tomorrow by choking her throat?Before setting off to the river, an old cousin hugged the ignorant child and wanted to come close to let the little widow feed her milk. When the old patriarch saw it, he roared and cursed, "Old fox, you have seen a ghost, why don't you come here?" Get the hell out of here!" Kicked away.But it was strange, from the woman's face, there was no hatred or fear, no special tension, everything seemed calm and abnormal.As for the head of the clan, he was sitting on the stern of the boat, and he didn't seem to want to look at the little widow.In fact, a very complicated and chaotic emotion swirled in my heart.In order to get rid of those thorns in my conscience, I just murmured repeatedly that this was the right thing to do, and the whole family's face was at stake, so it had to be like this.Being the head of the clan and having read the books of the sages, I have the responsibility to maintain moral integrity. Of course, I don't dislike that youthful, healthy and glamorous body; enjoy.Jealousy burns in my heart, morality grows stronger, sadism grows stronger, and I only urge to sail.As for the other members of the clan, it may not be natural to think of who will manage the few acres of land in the future.Because the original sexual impulse was a thing of the past, and he was somewhat lost to the little widow's calm posture.When the boat reached the deepest part of the pool, the oarsman pulled the oars out of the water and put them on the side.After stopping, the boat turned slightly to the left and then to the right.Everyone knew what was about to happen.A slightly older person said, "Qiaoxiu's mother, Qiaoxiu's mother, you have a wrongdoer and a debtor, you understand it in your heart, go well. If you have anything to say, just say it." The little widow looked at the person who spoke to comfort her, and then whispered after a while. "Third Cousin, do something good, don't let them crush me Qiaoxiu.

That is someone's incense!When you grow up, don't hold grudges, that's enough! "Everyone fell silent. In the beautiful evening air, everything is still.At first, no one would make a move.The old family's ancestral appearance was majestic, but his heart was a mixture of terror and reservedness. When he walked past the woman, he suddenly threw the little widow into the water.As soon as the weight was out of balance, I hurriedly sat down to the other side, making the boat wobble.When one gets into the water, one cannot help but struggle a little at first, because the stone mill hanging from the nape of the neck is quite heavy, and then spins and sinks straight down.For a while, the blisters turned upwards, and then the water and sky were calm.The boat slipped with the current and gradually left its original position.The young people on the boat were still staring at the water with their eyes straight and silent.Because death took away her personal shame and grievances, but it seemed to give everyone an invisible gift.Although it is said that the daughter will not hold grudges when she grows up, how can the participants forget the stupid things they did.The few men then turned the boat around as if they had completed a solemn and serious work.The dead have died because of their sins, but the meaning of "death" has been transferred to the burden of the living, and they have to go back to the ancestral hall to kowtow, set off firecrackers and hang red, to drive away evil spirits, and to express this "brave" and "death". Decisions, combined with genuine folly, have restored the lost "honor" of the clan.In fact, all these are used to exorcise the invisible condemnation that can grow in peace, can be contagious, and affect people's soul or conscience.Because of this horror, four years later, the ancestor of that clan went berserk and committed suicide in the ancestral hall.Just because of the last sentence, Qiaoxiu was sent to Gaojian Manjia Manor, thirty miles away, and survived. Qiaoxiu grew up and saw this scene with her own eyes. The uncle who brought her up, the master of the Regiment Defense Bureau, originally intended for her to be the little wife of Captain Manjia, with a refuge and protection.It's just that the old lady is old and sees many things, and she has a painful memory in her heart, thinking that everything should be planned from the long-term.Qiaoxiu really doesn't know anything about the past, she just doesn't like it.It's still too early, so it's on hold for now. Qiaoxiu often goes to the Regiment Defense Bureau to help the master mend clothes and socks, and is also close to Dongsheng.Dongsheng's mother, Aunt Yang, is a kind and virtuous old lady who is so poor that she always praises Qiaoxiu in front of her master.As usual, Dongsheng often interrupted to remind his mother, "I'm not yet fifteen, mother." "You'll be sixteen this year and next year, and you'll grow up!" As usual, the words are not easy for outsiders to understand.But the master understands in his heart that although the mother and son have opposing opinions, they both like Qiaoxiu and care about Qiaoxiu very much. Qiaoxiu's fleeing is just like mine coming to this village. It doesn't affect this place much. Everything that has been fixed in history still exists, and all the big and small things that are customary are still going on as usual. Dongsheng's mother is commonly known as Aunt Yang in the village.When her husband died ten years ago, there was only a small house and a vegetable field the size of a palm.Although life is poor, he is honest and kind, and does not give and take randomly, just like the so-called "old class people".I also believe in God and people, and feel that there are many things in this world that I have to hand over to God, which is simple and convenient.But there are some problems that God can't handle, but people have to work hard.If a person is willing to work hard, he can still think about the results of the most difficult things; if he can't do it, he will return it to God.Like other rural people whose brothers and feet are close to the land, they do everything they can and believe in the destiny. Their lives are full of ignorance and ignorance. At the same time, they are close to a "destiny theory".Dongsheng grew up beside such a mother, watching cattle, mowing grass, picking fungi, and other rural children's lifestyles, but he grew up strong, healthy, smart and intelligent.After only one year of elementary school, he can write a small script, and learn from the master of the regiment defense bureau, so he knows a little bit of official document procedures.The income of a public servant is not much, but there is no need to worry about clothing, food and housing.In addition, there is a basket of clean millet and a little money every month.This ration was brought back to the writer, so Aunt Yang's life became much more relaxed.Moreover, among the 250 households in this village, the regiment members are voluntary and do not receive wages.There are no more than four or five people in the income class with public status and public status. Except for the captain of the security guard and the master, there are only two primary school teachers, and the expenses are not large.Therefore, Dongsheng's status is worthy of the envy of fellow village boys and they are happy to get it.In addition to the income, the position also has an abstract value, that is, to be exempted from military service, and it is less subject to regular and additional apportionments from the military and political parties in the city.Anyone who grew up in a village of the same type knows the apportionment decree above, and how the four seasons come and go in turn.Just like the captain in the village who "kicks" everything, when he sends people to sieve gongs to send word to gather elders and elders for a meeting in Yaowang Palace. Counting the workshops and small grocery stores, the amount paid is usually more than others.And frowning, complaining that the turnover is not working well, and sometimes borrowing money for profit.However, people in the village only saw that when the captain came back from the city, he always brought some eye-opening civilized gadgets, or changed a felt hat, or brought a foreign fountain pen with him. As usual, fingerprints or crosses are drawn, and a few seals are stamped, but the team leader pulls out the shiny round baby from the breast pocket of the Chinese tunic suit and writes his own name, which is surprising enough.It was even more frightening when you asked about the price. It turned out to be more expensive than a farm ox! Who would not like to be poor like that!Dongsheng accompanied the team leader's big white mule to and from the county town five or seven times a year, and his knowledge and experience were naturally richer than other countrymen. Coupled with the normal behavior of the mother and son, they also won a different status.And this status is recognized and manifested very clearly, that is, several small landlords with daughters aged twelve or thirteen are willing to recruit such a capable young man as their son-in-law, thinking that it will be a good helper to start a family and start a business. The village is forty-five miles away from the county seat, and Liguan Road is also three miles away.The place should not be an important place, and no soldiers have been stationed.Because there are two good wells and springs, which flow continuously all the year round, and protect a good winter paddy field on the dam.Tianba is surrounded by a row of hills, and the hillsides are full of paulownia, tea, bamboo and lacquer.There is an agreement in the village that no one will cut down the mountains or steal water for water. Due to the long-term stability of the place, the atmosphere formed is naturally different from that of ordinary dilapidated rural areas. As usual, there are rules for everything.Although due to this long-term customary rule, some people have some economic advantages and become the long-term ruler and chief person in this village. That is to say, some other people will inevitably keep their tenant qualifications for generations, or semi-fluid long-term employment qualifications, living in a dominated situation, and the contradictions are obvious.However, although there is a gap between the two ways of life, they are still not too far apart. They also have to be close to the land and participate in labor production. No one lives with their hands completely.However, under the comparison of life with each other, along with the changes of the big society, a kind of dissociative elements are still produced.There is a formula for the growth of this kind of person: everything starts from small to big. When he was young, he was a urchin and a wild child. He wanted to break through the agreement of the same town in everything. He chopped down bamboo to make fishing rods, picked oranges and pomelo from other people's gardens to quench their thirst, and released them secretly. People catch fish in the water, or catch wild animals from nets #o/oo set up by others.Since I was a child, I had an invention that I got for nothing, and everything was done very smoothly. When I grew up, I couldn't forget to take advantage of everything.As soon as the romantic mood expands, it will inevitably change from being a peasant to "playing".The society is still stable, there is no room for heroes, and they can't become a big climate, so they open a small shop on the street in the village, and often put small cards on the table to twitch their heads and make some money.There are many acquaintances, a village has a book in its mind, and knows who is powerful and who is not rich, so they blackmail those widows who have money but no future.Usually, he has no fixed livelihood and does not work in the fields. When the four townships meet, they will gamble on the field.There are three or five brothers in each village in the surrounding forty miles. They can eat and drink in normal times, and they are easy to help each other in times of difficulty.Or if you make a point in the sale of pigs and cattle, you can share some wine money from the broker when the transaction is completed, and put pen to paper.If there is a big show in any village, you must participate in the excitement.If you have friendship with the class leader, you will be invited to eat eight big bowls at the table when you open the gong and seal the box, and you will be called by the official name, and you have to wrap it in red paper to save face.If the newcomer Qing Danjiao wants to become famous, he has to deal with them, relying on the lamp, so as not to throw stones for others out of thin air.When something happened, or offended a local dignitary, or was shamed by other things, I had to go out to avoid the storm and change the pier, so I ran out with a small burden.Most of them imitated Xue Rengui and joined the army. Naturally, he disappeared since then, and most of them became cannon fodder sooner or later.If it is a woman, the situation is slightly different.The development and mutation of life are rarely affected in the age of girls, but most of them are related to sexual puberty before and after adulthood.Or suppressed by the tradition, struggled to no avail, and finally went crazy and committed suicide.Or break through all tangible and intangible restrictions, go your own way, that is, you must flee with others.However, the result is inevitably still in a tragic way. However, the society has been undergoing changes in the past two decades, and the self-destructive and self-imposed separatist situation of the civil war in the past two decades has disintegrated everything in rural society.The impact on this small place is naturally obvious.The contact between the rural ranger's mood and some kind of social reality knowledge made this village with less than 300 households have 30 to 50 more variegated guns, and more than a dozen retired company commanders, platoon leaders, squad leaders, and Two or three more advanced and complex characters.These people seem to be close to a brand-new class, that is, to survive without brotherhood and hard work, and to be close to a sustenance.Those with a family and property may become small local tyrants, while those without roots may become vagrants and bandits, and the two must have a common trend, that is, they are increasingly isolated from the people's land production and labor, but they have learned new skills. Sophisticated and brutal.In particular, some people have learned the skill of playing with weapons, and they have no ambition, opportunity, or capital to do big things.Of course, returning home can only do some free business.And in a new way of life, a set of realistic philosophy is produced.Although this system has not been analyzed and described by anyone, it is actually adopted by a very large number of characters who can play the game according to the environment.There is always a "last resort" as an excuse, so kidnapping tickets to grow cigarettes has become a last resort.The combination of all kinds of depravity caused by last resort formed the expansion and continuation of the later ominous situation.But in the kind of villages at that time, it stimulated the self-defense instinct on the other hand, that is, the advanced skills of rich families to preserve their wealth.While sending their nephews to the military academy, they are collecting money to buy guns and protect their families and homeland. In fact, they are protecting their special rights and interests.Of course, there will be struggles between the two, and there will be bloodshed anytime and anywhere, and the enmity will affect the generations.Especially the conflicts between small rural areas with different interests. These two decades have been a form of rural disintegration, just like the situation in the disintegration of a large society. If many problems are completely opposed, but if there is a contradiction everywhere, in certain circumstances, it is expected to achieve temporary success. balance.One keeps a fixed land, and one goes up the mountain and falls with the big villa, oil mill or mill and distillery; but the common use of the term "family side people" reduces confrontation and friction, and each does what it wants, and each gets what he needs.This incident seems strange and very common, because the development and existence of contradictions in the whole society are completely consistent with the situation in this part.As usual, the design of the country's reconstruction neglected the process of combing and analyzing this reality. As a result, one case turned into tragedy and led to war.This small village is located on the border of Guizhou and Hunan, which is relatively remote and remote. Although the local government strictly prohibits "special goods", it also collects taxes and levies.In such a situation, the confrontation between local privileged people often disappears because of the "equal sharing of interests".The place is not suitable for official roads, but it is suitable for smuggling. The convection of smoke and salt supports this balanced opposition.Since confrontation is a fact, the weapons of all sides seem to have been stored away and disappeared.At least for those who go out on errands, it is safer to use bare hands than to carry weapons for safety.Passing customs and entering the village, a business card with a title is safer and easier than carrying a gun. Dongsheng works in the bureau, and occasionally has to travel on business, but he guides and protects the small cigarette dealers, one or two picks up the tobacco soil, or walks by the side.The road does not need to go out of the border, so it is very simple for this job. At about three o'clock in the afternoon, I sent two guests with special goods to cross the border by the small road inside the border as usual.Before leaving, he was talking about Qiaoxiu with me.While wrapping my feet in brown clothes, he asked me to tidy up the heels and earbuds of the straw sandals. I teased him and said, "Dongsheng, Qiaoxiu has run away. Then why didn't the captain send you to chase her back early in the morning?" "Humans are not brooks. How can you shut them with a gate? You are a human being! Even if I am her brother-in-law, I am not very capable, and it will not work! If I catch up, it will be useless." "People are just people, how can we forget the kindness that the old lady of the captain has shown her for more than ten years? There is also the master, the mill, and the fishing embankment in the upper reaches of the stream. They are all like close relatives and friends, how can they be willing?In my opinion, you can't bear it! " "The mill is not her property. You come from the city and you like it, but we don't. Qiaoxiu's heart was cleared, and she ran away with someone.Revenge for revenge, repay kindness for kindness, this account will be settled tomorrow. " "Will she come back by herself?" "Come back? A good horse doesn't turn back. How can the Yangtze River flow back?" "I guess she always settles down by several water piers, and won't fly to the horizon overseas. If you want to find her, you will definitely find her back." "No one wants a broken jar!" "Don't you want it? I don't want to part with you. In my opinion, this person is a very good person! He doesn't look like an arrogant girl!" My conclusion seemed to be true, but it caught Dongsheng's attention.So he also seemed to be genuine and said to me, "If you like her, I will tell her when I see her. She is good at needlework, and she will make you an embroidered hug, and it is filled with pumpkin seeds she ate herself." Ren. It's a pity that you didn't say it earlier, but the master can help you!" "Didn't you tell me sooner? I only saw her once when I came here. I only came to this village for one night, and she ran away with someone at dawn the next morning! Where can I find her with a lantern and torch?" "Then why don't you keep chasing him? Xiao He chased Han Xin, he's familiar with him at the pier of the river, you should go after him!" "I originally just came here to hunt with your captain, chasing muntjacs, foxes and rabbits. I didn't expect such a beautiful thing that grew up in the mountains!" All of this is of course a joke. The teacher who is almost fifty years old must have a much deeper meaning when he hears my jokes than Dongsheng, who is less than fifteen years old.I didn't open my mouth at first, so I also said, "Everything needs to be learned slowly before you can understand. In our place, the plants and trees have to be understood slowly, and they are all different in nature! Broken heart grass is poisonous, and cows don't eat it. The hemp grass stings your hands, and you will suffer if you are not careful." About one o'clock after Dongsheng left, Aunt Yang arrived at the regiment defense station with yellow mud on her feet.Master and I are by a nest of newly hatched chicks, counting the twenty little moving black and white fluff balls.As soon as he saw Mrs. Yang's feet of yellow mud and the things in the basket, she knew she had come back from the field. "Auntie, are you going to Xinchang to do New Year's goods? You are on a business trip in Dongsheng, and you will rest at Hongyankou today, and you won't be back until tomorrow. What's the matter?" Aunt Yang touched the packet of snacks in the basket, "It's nothing." "Has your bamboo shoot chicken hatched yet?" "My bamboo shoot chicken went to the city as a guest." Aunt Yang ordered some things in the basket on her lap, including a catty of Daxue jujube, a catty of knife head meat, a pair of Yuanqing shoe upper cloth, and a full copy of incense paper. , and added a letter of Baizitou firecrackers, and showed the teacher one by one. After asking, I found out that it was Dongsheng's fifteenth birthday that day.Aunt Yang had already bent her fingers to keep the date in her heart, and it happened that the Yala Camp was on the scene, and she murmured to herself for several days before she took out the twenty-four large white eggs that were ready to hatch one by one from the basket. Carefully put it into a basket lined with bran shells, catch the bamboo shoot-shell-colored hen, put on straw sandals, and rush to the field to deal with the people in the city.Even though he made up his mind to do that, when he walked to the field five miles away, it seemed that he was just going to have fun and watch the excitement, and there was no need for other things to happen.Because the chicken is close to a member of that person's family in any rural area, naughty and kind, and for the isolated old woman, it is unavoidable to entrust a little love, as a poor and simple dream that changes life a little.So when people and horses wandered around waiting for customers in the field where people and horses were splattered with yellow mud, Aunt Yang herself always thought that this could not be a real thing. When someone asks the price, they deliberately ask for an amount that is twice the market price, and make a confrontational look of "if you have the money, I will have the goods, if you don't buy, I won't sell", and don't want to sell.Because the asking price was too high, the old chicken seller from the city took the hen's back a little bit, and walked away without haggling.In this way, Aunt Yang must act contemptuously towards the buyer who is not very knowledgeable, flatten her mouth, turn her head and ignore it.All chicken dealers understand the mentality of country women. They can understand it from the clothes of the chicken sellers.And to provoke her, she said, "What eight treasures are worth so much!" Aunt Yang also got angry, and she looked very good at learning, "You can only buy tofu for the price you pay back. Go buy your tofu." And it seems that the amount of counter-offering not only insulted me, but also insulted the decent fat hen next to me, so I didn't like it, so I turned around, stroked the chicken's feathers, patted the chicken's head, as if to declare to the chicken, "Don't be busy, don't worry about it again." We'll go home in a quarter of an hour. I was just playing around, so I can't bear you!" The hen also seemed to fully understand her identity and her feelings with Mrs. Yang, closed her little red eyes, and only gently "Gu Gu" snorted twice in his throat, and Ruo completely agreed with Aunt Yang's plan.Both of them seem to feel that "that's nothing, we'll go back later, I'm really happy to go back, everything will be business as usual." When the counter-offer has reached the normal standard, there are acquaintances who know her and are happy to make things happen, and they will interject, "Add a little more, and I will sell it. This chicken was raised on mung bean-wrapped grains, and it has a lot of oil and water!" When the customer turns around , and gently informed Aunt Yang, "Auntie wants to sell it, but she can let it go. This time, there are more dealers in the city, and they can afford the price. If you go to the city, you can't sell this amount!" Because of the sentence " You have to sell it as soon as possible." This basically conflicted with Aunt Yang's mood, so the answer to the kindness was: "You sell me or I don't sell it, and I don't wait for money." Or someone said, "If you don't wait for the money, what will you do with it? If you don't have anything to do, you can watch teal ducks fight, and be a notary when you win or lose? Your shoulders are loose, why don't you carry a fan and a stone mill?" Aunt Yang took a look, and couldn't find anyone who was so glib and inconvenient, she just cursed softly, "You're unlucky when you recite, your mother and your mother-in-law only come to play with the stone mill. It's fun and informative!" Fifteen or sixteen years have passed since the incident, and the use of stone mills has long been an allusion, and not many local people know about it. ... How can there be anyone who spends such ten winters holding a chicken to enjoy the wind without waiting for money? It just so happened, because the city needed a lot of gifts for the New Year's Eve, at the end, Aunt Yang unexpectedly won, she only sold the hen, and sold it for more money than she expected. After the money and goods were cleared, Aunt Yang went to the various grocery sheds, and exchanged all the baskets from chickens, ducks, sheep, rabbits, kittens, puppies, and all kinds of yelling, swearing, and arguing transactions.In the end, as if mocking and cursing himself, he bought four pieces of tofu, and rushed back to the village from the field with a little bit of confusion, fatigue, joy, and hazy expectation mixed in his heart.On the way home, he saw people in the village using kudzu vines to tie piglets by their necks to drive the piglets on the road. He also saw people carrying these piglets on bamboo baskets on the road, which reminded him of Dongsheng's problem.冬生二十岁结婚一定得用四只猪，这是五年后事情。眼前她要到团防局去我冬生，只是给他个大雪枣吃，量一量脚看鞋面布够不够，并告冬生一同回家去吃饭，吃饭前点香烛向祖宗磕磕头。冬生的爹死去整十年了。 杨大娘随时都只想向人说，“杨家的香火，十五岁。你们以为孵一窝鸡，好容易事！他爹去时留下一把镰刀，一副连枷，……你不明白我好命苦！”到此眼睛一定红红的，心酸酸的。可能有人会劝慰说，“好了，现在好了，杨大娘，八十一难磨过，你苦出头了！冬生有出息，队长答应送他上学堂。回来也会做队长！一子双祧讨两房媳妇，鸦拉营王保长闺女八铺八盖陪嫁，装烟倒茶都有人，享福在后头，你还愁个什么？ ..." 事实上杨大娘其时却笑笑的站在师爷的鸡窝边，看了一会儿小鸡。可能还关心到卖去的那只鸡和二十四个鸡蛋的命运，因此用微笑覆盖着，不让那个情绪给城里人发现。天气看看已晚下来了。正值融雪，今天赶场人太多，田坎小路已踏得个稀糊子烂，怪不好走。药王宫和村子相对，隔了个半里宽田坝，还有两道灌满融雪水活活流注的小溪，溪上是个独木桥。大娘心想：“冬生今天已回不了局里，回不了家。”似乎对于提篮中那包大雪枣“是不是应当放在局里交给师爷”问题迟疑了一会儿，末后还是下了决心，提起篮子走了。我们站在庙门前石栏杆边，看这个肩背已佝偻的老妇人，一道一道田坎走去。还不忘记嘱告我，“路太滑，会滚到水里面去。 那边长工会给你送饭来的！ " 时间大约五点半，村子中各个人家炊烟已高举。先是一条一条孤独直上，各不相乱。随后却于一种极离奇情况下，被寒气一压，一齐崩坍下来，展宽成一片一片的乳白色湿雾。再过不多久，这个湿雾便把村子包围了，占领了。杨大娘如何作她那一顿晚饭，是不易形容的。灶房中冷清了好些，因为再不会有一只鸡跳上砧板争啄菠菜了。到时还会抓一把米头去喂鸡，始明白鸡已卖去。一定更不会料想到，就在这一天，这个时候，离开村子十五里的红岩口，冬生和那两个烟贩，已被人一起掳去。 我那天晚上，却正和团防局师爷在一盏菜油灯下大谈，以为那一切都是古代传奇，不会在人间发生，所以从不怕僵尸不怕精怪。师爷喝了一杯酒话多了点，明白我对青凤黄英的向往，也明白我另外一种弱点，便把巧秀母亲故事源源本本告给我。且为我出主张，不要再读书。并以为住在任何高楼上，固定不动窝，都不如坐在一只简单小小“水上漂”，更容易有机会和那些使二十岁小伙子心跳神往的奇迹碰头！他的本意只是要我各处走走，不必把生活长远固定到一个小地方，或一件小小问题得失上，见闻一开阔，人也就大派多了。不意竟招邀我回忆上了另外那一只他曾坐过久已不存在的小船。 我仿佛看到那只向长潭中桨去的小船，仿佛即稳坐在那只小船一头，仿佛有人下了水，随后船已掉了头。……水天平静，什么都完事了。一切东西都不怎么坚牢，只有一样东西能真实的永远存在，即从那个对生命充满了热爱，却被社会带走了爱的二十三岁小寡妇一双明亮、温柔、饶恕了一切的眼睛中看出去，所看到的那一片温柔沉静的黄昏暮色，以及在暮色倏忽中，两个船桨搅碎水中的云影星光。巧秀已经逃走半个月，巧秀的妈颈悬石磨沉在溪口长潭中已十五年。 一切事情还并没有完结，只是一个起始。 一九四七年七月末北平