Chapter 4 two families

More than two months ago, a Dr. Li came to our school to give a speech on "Relationship between Family and State".When it comes to the happiness and pain of the family, and the influence of men on career building, it also cites many old and modern facts from China and the West, and speaks vividly.While listening to it, I jotted it down in a notebook. After the meeting, it was four o'clock in the afternoon, and I went home. On the way in the car, I still read the notebook.Suddenly I heard a little girl's voice calling me, "Sister! Come and sit at our house." I looked up and saw that I had already reached the door of my aunt's house, and my little cousin was coming back from school; Tell her a story or two, so when she sees me today, she must pull me in.I thought tomorrow is Sunday, so I don't need to prepare my homework tonight, I might as well play here for a while, so I got out of the car and went in with her.

My aunt was working in the house, and when she saw me coming in, she put down her sewing, pulled a chair over, and told me to sit down.He smiled and said, "It's rare that you have time to come here today. How is everyone at home? Are you busy with homework?" I also smiled and promised a few words, but before I finished speaking, I was dragged into the backyard by my little cousin Under the grape arbor, she told me to sit on a chair with her and tell me a story.I couldn't remember it for a while, so I laughed and said, "The classics are all finished. Only the modern ones, do you want to listen?" She was about to answer when she suddenly heard the sound of a child crying.I wanted to distract her, so I asked, "Sister! Who are you listening to cry?" She turned her head and looked to the next door and said, "It's the eldest treasure of the Chen family who is crying. Let's take a look." Then she took me to the bamboo Next to the fence, he pointed it out to me and said, "This yard is the Chen family, and the crying child is Dabao."

There is only a bamboo fence between the backyard of my aunt's house and the Chen's house. There used to be many lentil leaves climbing on the fence, but now they are all withered; The yellow leaves hung on it, and it was clear to see. In the backyard of the Chen family, facing the fence, was a kitchen. The inside could not be seen clearly, only the walls were blackened by cooking smoke.At the door outside, there are many things piled up, such as broken porcelain pots and the like.There are some clothes hanging in the yard.There are three old women on the porch, and three little boys under the porch.I don't know why their brothers were arguing, but the big treasure was crying so hard, his two younger brothers ignored him, and just sat on the ground, making little clay figurines to play with.Those old mothers also muttered and didn't know what to say.

My cousin said to me quietly: "Their mothers are really ridiculous. They each protect their young masters, so they often quarrel." At this time, Mrs. Chen came out of the house with her hair tied and her shoes dragged, her eyes were sleepy, her appearance was beautiful, but she had a very tender air.As soon as he came out, he asked Dabao, "Why are you crying?" At the same time, the two old mothers took the two little boys away, and Dabao pointed at them and said, "They bully me and don't let me play!" Mrs. Chen spat: "This little thing is worth crying like this, and Mama Li doesn't even try to persuade her!"

Li's mother lowered her head and didn't know what to say. As Mrs. Chen sat down, she waved her hands and said, "Needless to say, you don't care about things anyway. What do I hire you to do? Do I ask you to help them?" Fight?" Then he grabbed a handful of coins from his pocket and gave them to Dabao, saying, "Take it and go play with Mama Li, I'm impatient to cry, don't cry!" Dabao took the coins , wiped away tears, and went out with Mama Li. Mrs. Chen called Wang Ma back, and another old woman came out of the room with a hair comb box to comb her hair.When I paid attention to Mrs. Chen, my cousin suddenly laughed, pulled my clothes, and whispered: "Sister! Look at the mud Dabao wiped all over his face!"

After a while, Mrs. Chen finished combing her hair.While I was washing my face, I heard the phone ringing in the front room.Wang Ma went to pick it up, and came out and said, "Madam, the Gao family is here to urge you, and all the card players are here." Mrs. Chen rubbed the powder and said, "I'll come if you say so." Then she went in. I lost my mind and just stood there. My cousin said, "They are all gone, let's go." I waved my hand and said, "Wait a little longer, don't be busy!" Ten minutes later.Mrs. Chen came out dressed in jewels and emeralds, walked to the door of the kitchen, put her right hand on the door frame, and said to the mother in the kitchen: "The Gao family is in a hurry, I won't have dinner, they are not at home, the master is back , tell me."

Turn around when you're done. I was about to turn around when my aunt came from the front, holding a fan, and said with a smile, "So you are here, it is cooler under the shade of the tree than in the front yard." I agreed, and sat down together to chat. Suddenly heard the sound of leather shoes, passed through Mrs. Chen's room and came to the back porch.My cousin whispered to me, "This is Mr. Chen." I heard Mr. Chen ask, "Mama Liu, where is your wife?" Mama Liu came out of the kitchen and said, "Madam just went to Gao's house." Mr. Chen remained silent for a long time.After a while, he asked again, "Where are the young masters?" Mama Liu said, "Going out to play in the street." Mr. Chen was in a hurry, and said, "Hurry up and call them back. It's getting dark and they still don't go home. And the street market Not a place to play."

Mama Liu went away for a long time and didn't come back.Mr. Chen paced back and forth on the porch, sighed slightly, and sat down again after a while.Light a cigar, hold a newspaper in your hand, but look up at the sky and think deeply. After a while, when they still didn't come back, Mr. Chen stood up abruptly, threw away his cigar, put on his hat, and walked away with his cane. The cousin laughed and said: "Mr. Chen got angry and left again. Yesterday Mr. Chen and Mrs. Chen quarreled, saying that Mrs. Chen was not like a family member and was not at home all day. After arguing, they went away separately. Their mother Li said that they quarreled. More than once."

The aunt said: "You don't care about other people's affairs, what do you do with children, don't talk about others!" The cousin smiled and said: "Who cares about their affairs, just learn the tongue for my cousin." My aunt said: "Mr. Chen is really special. Mrs. Chen has nothing wrong with her. She treats people very kindly, but she is young and playful, so the housekeeping is naturally a little loose. This is also a trivial matter, so why always get angry!" After talking for a while, I looked at my watch. It was already half past seven and the car was still waiting outside, so I resigned from my aunt and went home.

The next day I woke up early, after washing and washing, my mother said to me: "Since the third brother came to Beijing, you haven't gone to see it yet. Yaxi came yesterday morning, please go today." ——The third brother is my uncle Brother, Yaxi is my classmate and my third sister-in-law.When I was in middle school, she was in the fourth grade of the university. Although she was only a classmate for one year, she had a very close relationship with her, so she got used to her name and didn't change her name.I would love to see them, and took the car after lunch. The street where they live is very quiet, full of bookstores and schools.When I got to the door, I rang the bell, and an old mother came out, looking very clean and smart, and asked me with a smile: "What's your last name? Who are you looking for?" I haven't agreed yet, Yaxi has already come out from inside, we meet, we like it No, hold hands and go in together.After six years of not seeing each other, Yaxi has become more amiable and quiet, but her lively attitude has not changed.

There are many flowers planted in the yard, and a very long path runs from the green grass to the bottom of the steps.On the porch, I saw a little boy playing with building blocks on the rattan chair behind the reed curtain.With pitch-black eyes and blush cheeks, it is obvious that it is Xiao Jun, a famous nephew whom he has never met. Yaxi smiled and said, "Xiao Jun, this is my aunt." He smiled and bowed, feeling unnatural, so he turned around, still playing with his building blocks, singing slightly.Entering the room in the middle, the windows are covered with greenery, a few foreign-style chairs and tables, a piano, a few antiques, a few pots of flowers and plants, a few pictures and photos, all scattered and elegantly decorated.A door on the right is open, and there are several bookcases inside, full of Chinese and Western books.The third brother was sitting at the desk writing, and the chair opposite seemed to be Yaxi's.I walked in, and the third brother stood up, and said with a smile: "Today's worship!" I said, "Yes, why is the third brother so busy?" This book is almost finished, I’m free today, and I took it out for entertainment.” I looked down, and there were two books on the opposite side of the table, one was the original text, the other was the third brother’s dictation of Yaxi’s notes, the handwriting was very sloppy, There are also one or two traces of alteration.On the other side of the table, there are several books in Yaxi's handwriting, which have already been translated. Ya Qian smiled slightly and said, "I have translation books there, but I just need to learn a little more English." I said, "It fits a line of Mr. Liang Rengong's poem 'Red Sleeves Add Fragrance to Translation Books'." Everyone laughed. The third brother called Xiao Jun in again.I held his hand and talked to him. I thought he was very smart in coping, and knowing that he was a naive student, I asked him to sing.He just looked at Axi with a smile.Yaxi said: "Sing it, my aunt likes to hear it." He sang a verse, his voice was very loud, and the words were very clear. When he finished, we clapped our hands together. Afterwards, Yaxi and I went to visit their family, and felt that everything was clean and regular, and in my eyes, it could be regarded as the number one. At two o'clock in the afternoon, the third brother went out to visit friends, and Xiao Jun also went to take a nap.We came out and sat on the porch, with the slight wind blowing the fragrance of flowers.While Yaxi was knitting Xiaojun's socks, she was talking to me.After a while, the third brother came back, Xiaojun also woke up, and we played together again.As the sun sets in the west, a glow of sunset reflects the brilliant flowers and green grass. This yard looks like a small paradise. The dishes for dinner were prepared by Yaxi, and they were very delicious.While we were eating, we looked out of the window. Xiao Jun had already eaten first, and was piled up with sand and soil on the porch to build a few small towers. The doorbell rang a few times, and the old lady came in and said, "Mr. Chen is here to see you." The third brother looked at the business card and said to Ya Qian, "I haven't finished my meal yet, please ask our little waiter to bring him in." Yaxi stood up and called out, "Little waiter, we have a guest!" Xiao Jun raised his head and said, "Mom, I'm not going, I'm just building a tower!" Yaxi smiled and said, "In this way, we won't ask you to be a receptionist in the future." Xiao Jun immediately stood up and said: "I'll go, I'll go." Shaking the dust off his hands, he ran out. Mr. Chen and Xiao Jun went into the guest room together talking and laughing. It turns out that this is Mr. Chen who lives next door to his aunt. At this time, the third brother went out, and Xiao Jun came in.As the sky was getting dark, Yaxi turned on the light and said to me, "Please tell Xiao Jun some stories for me. I'm going to settle my accounts." After finishing speaking, she went out. I told the story of "Three Bears", and Xiao Jun was very happy to hear it. At the same time, I felt that he was a little tired. Looking at his watch, it was already eight o'clock.I said: "Xiao Jun, go to bed." He rubbed his eyes, stood up, I took his hand, and we entered the bedroom together. His bedroom is really interesting, with small beds and small furniture of the same color, various toys lined up in small glass cabinets, various pictures hanging on the wall, and cut-out flower and bird figures drawn by himself. He changed into pajamas, got into the small bed, and said, "Auntie, go out, see you tomorrow." I said, "Do you want a lamp?" He shook his head, I turned the lamp down, and came out by myself. Yaxi sat alone on the steps, and when she saw me coming out, she nodded with a smile.I said: "Xiao Jun is really brave. He is not afraid of being alone in the house, and he is not afraid of the dark." Yaxi laughed and said, "I never tell those ghostly and tragic stories to stimulate his delicate mind. Even if it is dark, he also knows the reason for the darkness, so naturally he doesn't know what it means to be afraid." I also sat down, looking at the bright lights in the living room opposite, and the voice of the conversation was very loud.At this time, Yaxi was called by the old lady again, and I noticed their conversation unconsciously. I only heard the third brother say: "When we were studying in the UK, we felt that you were not a person who gave up on himself. Why do you have this habit of drinking and drinking now? What is our purpose and what is our hope? Have you forgotten all about it?" Is it?" Mr. Chen said in a low voice: "In this current situation, if you don't play or drink, what else do you want to do? Is there a place for a hero?" The third brother sighed and said: "This is certainly reasonable. In this situation, there is so much blood in one's bosom, and there is no place to spill it, which is really frustrating. But a great hero should hold the situation with his bare hands, not be saved by the situation.If you destroy the foundation yourself, it will be useful in the future, and you can't be a great hero. Isn't it self-defeating? " At this time, Mr. Chen seemed to stand up, and the tall shadow kept swaying in front of the window. After a while, he said, "It's no wonder you said such things, because if you have happiness, you have hope. It's not like I don't have happiness." , so I feel that the future is very dark!" At this time, Mr. Chen's voice was full of anger and misery. The third brother said: "This is strange again. We graduated together, studied together, and returned to China together. In terms of positions, you are higher than me, and your salary is also higher than mine. As for the lack of ambition, they are the same. If you have happiness, why don’t you have happiness?” Mr. Chen asked, "What's your family like? What's my family like?" The third brother didn't say a word.Mr. Chen sneered and said, "You probably understand...my purpose and hope before returning to China were hit hard, and I was half discouraged, and I was very impatient sitting around in the office all day long. I finally returned to China. At home, I saw the messy housekeeping and the sound of children crying, which really added to my unhappiness. My wife is a lady from the eunuch family, and I don't know all the family management methods. I only go out to entertain banquets every day. The children are not educated, and the servants are omnipotent. I persuade her many times, but she always refuses to listen, and says that I 'do not respect women's rights', 'inequality', 'not letting go' and other misunderstandings. I have also made up my mind I don’t want to make things difficult for her, but I just organize and improve on my own. Unfortunately, I don’t even know the price of rice salt, and I can’t sit at home all day long, so I have to let nature take its course. Therefore, the financial difficulties are getting more and more difficult every day, and my children are getting more and more indulgent every day. It forced me to go out! After going out, I had to find the noisy place in the theater and tavern. I wanted to use violent stimulation to wash away the troubles in my heart. In this way, day by day, unconsciously became Habit. Every time I go back to the tavern, the lights go out, and the people in the theater disperse; when the night is quiet and I return alone, why don’t I feel that these things are not what I, Chen Huamin, should do? But... Cough! Brother Jun! You You have to save me!" At this time, Mr. Chen's sobs were already heard.The third brother stood up and walked in front of him. The doorbell rang again, and my mother came in and said that my car was coming to pick me up, so she went in and said goodbye to Yaxi, and went home by car. The two-month summer vacation has passed, and when I passed my aunt's house on the first day of school, I suddenly saw a "Lucky House for Rent" poster posted on the door of Chen's house. As soon as I arrived at the door after school, the third brother also came. There was a white paper flower on the lapel of his clothes, and his face was full of distress. I was very surprised, and I didn't dare to ask. The mother kept asking the third brother: "How are Yaxi and Xiaojun? Why don't you come and play?" At this moment, the third brother turned a smile on his face, picked the white paper flower and threw it in the writing paper basket . Mother said: "Axie is too shrewd and capable. She has to do all the big and small things by herself. I think she is too busy. But I have never seen her with a reluctantly hurried attitude, a hurried and worried look, and I always like to take it easy.This child is so cute! "The third brother said: "Now I have an old mother, and I have a helper. Originally, Yaxi meant not to use it."I think all the rough work, and taking care of Xiaojun on the way to and from school, Yaqian is absolutely unable to do it alone.Besides, the standard of living of us Chinese is still low. Hiring a servant does not make any financial difference, so I hired this old mother, but in terms of rough work, I was under the command of Yaxi, and Yaxi taught her to read every night. The word card and, now the name on the business card and the characters on the account can almost recognize more than half. " I remembered something and said, "Yes, that day Mr. Chen came to see her and gave her a business card, so she knew that her surname was Chen. I found it very strange, but I didn't know that it was Yaxi's student." The third brother suddenly sighed and said: "Chen Huamin is dead, he was hanged today, and I just came back from there."——I didn't know the origin of the white paper flower, and it was because of the bad face of the third brother—the mother said "Is that Chen Huamin who studied abroad?" The third brother said, "Yes." The mother said, "It's really strange. A handsome young man like him would die too. Could it be a symptom?" The third brother said, "Where?" It's a symptom of the time, but because he is too smart, and his goals and hopes are too far-reaching. When he was studying in the UK, he recharged his energy and stored up his energy. He was full of thoughts that he would turn China over as soon as he returned to China. Who knows After returning to China, the government only gave him the vacancy of a dispatcher, receiving a salary of 200 yuan a month for no merit. Fighting wine, he came to my house that day, and I was shocked. I don’t know where I lost the respectable and lovely mental attitude before, my head drooped, my eyes were scattered, and my body became weak , I was very sad, and I was afraid it would not be good, so I advised him to come to my house often to talk and relieve boredom, and stop drinking, but he refused to listen. And said: "Thank you for your kindness, but when I come to your house, Seeing your children and your family life in comparison makes me feel even more sad, why not..." I didn't say anything after that, only weeping, and I also cried a lot. After that, I felt that his body was changing day by day. When he became weak, he forced him to go to a German doctor for a physical examination. The doctor said that he had already suffered from the third stage of lung disease, and it might not be easy to cure.I was even more worried, so I forced him to stay in the hospital for treatment slowly, and I also visited him every day.Unexpectedly, last Monday night, it was the last time I went to see him. ..." At this point, Third Brother's voice trembled violently, so he stopped talking. My mother sighed and said, "It's a pity! I heard that his talents and knowledge make even English students envious." The third brother nodded and didn't say anything. At this time, I remembered that Mrs. Chen was here, and I asked, "Where are Mr. Chen's family members?" The third brother said, "I'm going back to the south. I heard that her finances are very tight, her debts cannot be cleared, and her child is young. I don’t know how to live!” My mother said, “It’s always because she didn’t have a school education, otherwise she could support herself. But her natal family is rich, so she won’t have to suffer very much.” The third brother smiled and said, “It’s better to rely on my brother than to rely on my brother. Own!" The third brother sat for a while and then went back. I sent him to the door and came back by myself, feeling very moved.I picked up a book at random to read, but it was my notes from last semester. On the last page was Dr. Lee's speech. The words in it talked about the happiness and pain of the family, and the influence of men on building career capabilities. Name: Ms. Bing Xin, later included in the collection of novels "Going to the Country", first published in October 1933 by Beixin Book Company.Those who are signed by Bing Xin will not be noted otherwise. )