Chapter 13 Dice ①

Mrs. Li lay on the bed, stretched out her skinny hand, and said to the daughter-in-law standing in front of the bed, "Congru! You see, I have been sick for only half a month, and there is no blood on my nails." Holding the medicine bowl and holding the curtain with one hand, he smiled and said after hearing what the old lady said, "But today's weather is a bit colder, and your old ailment just got worse. I think today seems to be much better." The wife shook her head and said, "I don't see how it can be relieved. I still cough incessantly at night. Let's see if I take the medicine." While struggling to sit up, it seemed as if he had taken medicine in his hand.Congru helped her to lie down slowly again, put down the medicine bowl by herself, sat on the edge of the bed, and patted her gently.After a while the old lady seemed to fall asleep, so Congru quietly stood up, opened a window to let in air, and came back to sit in front of the bed.

At this time, a little girl walked in from the door, and shouted: "Mom! Grandma today..." Congru waved her hand quickly, and she approached gently and asked, "Is grandma feeling better today?" " Congru stroked her head, and said quietly, "It doesn't seem to be a problem." She asked again, "Has Daddy come back?" Congru said, "He hasn't come back yet, you go out to play first." Come on, turn around and wake up grandma." She tiptoed to the bed and opened the curtain, looked around before going out. ① Dice, gambling tools, made of ivory or animal bones, three-dimensional square, six sides, engraved with the number one, two, three, four, five, and six, all of which are black in color, except four are red.The red star is used to win or lose in throwing, so it is also called dice.

As soon as she left the house, her father Zesun happened to come in with the doctor. Seeing her, she asked, "Wen'er! Is grandma awake?" Wen'er was about to agree, when she heard the old lady coughing in the room, Congru called, "Mother is awake, please come in." They went in together, Doctor Feng held a pipe in his hand, nodded slightly to Congru, and sat at the table in front of the bed. After drinking tea, I took the old lady's pulse.Wen'er was also standing by, seeing Dr. Feng's long nails and unclean hands, and wondered why he, as a doctor, didn't know how to clean himself.After a while, Dr. Feng finished his pulse diagnosis, asked a few words about his illness, picked up his pen, and wrote a prescription with flying dragons and snakes, then he left and went back.Zesun sent it to the door and came back, and then went into the back room, where he saw the tents. Congru frowned and said to Zesun, "My mother is still not well today. I think Dr. Feng's medicine doesn't work very well. I'd better get another doctor to take a look." That's it." Zesun nodded.Wen'er said: "Doctor Feng's hands and face are very filthy, and he can't even take care of himself. How can he treat others?" Zesun couldn't help laughing, and said to Congru, "I want to call a western doctor tomorrow. Look, I'm afraid my mother won't take foreign medicine." Congru was about to speak when the old lady coughed again in the tent.They went to the bed together.

After two days, the old lady's illness still didn't get better, and seemed to be getting worse.Both Zesun and Congru were very anxious, so they talked politely with the old lady and asked a Western doctor to see them.The old lady didn't say a word, and after a while she said: "I'm not used to foreign medicine, let's try it." Then she said: "Last night, I dreamed that your father came, and he seemed to tell me that he is here now." A place where there is a house and something to do, and I want to live there. I think about my illness..." Having said this, he coughed again.Zesun looked at his mother's face dubiously, felt no sadness in his heart, so he forced a smile and said, "It's because my mother is ill and mentally ill, so she has such a ridiculous dream." The old lady shook her head and said, "In my dream As if it was real, your father is still wearing the same clothes he wore when he was buried." At this time, everyone was silent, and Wen'er stood aside, thinking silently in her heart.

The old lady said again: "The lottery from the Guanyin Temple is the most effective. Ask Mama Wang to draw one to have a look." Congru agreed, and went out to tell Mama Wang. After lunch, Wang Ma really changed into a Hsinchu cloth shirt, red flowers, and incense candles, and went to the temple.Wen'er followed to the door and said quietly: "Mother Wang! You draw a good lottery and come back. Wang Ma couldn't help laughing and said: "That's not sure... It's just based on the wishes of the gods and Buddhas. Maybe because of the girl's filial piety, she will get a lucky lottery." "As he spoke, he went by himself.

After a while Wang Ma came back and went to the old lady's room.Congru was sitting by the medicine stove watching the fire, and Wen'er was standing beside her. When she turned her head and saw Wang Ma coming, she came over and asked, "Wang Ma! How is this lottery?" Pass the paper to Congru.Congru took it over and read: "Fish can't be caught in the deep abyss, and birds can't be caught flying in the net; the current situation is like this, laugh and cry again." After reading, he just groaned.Wen'er quickly asked: "Is this sign good?" At this time, the old lady opened the curtain and asked: "Is Wang Ma back?"

Congru hurriedly came over.The old lady said: "Read to me what it says on the signature." Dim, but said nothing. Wen'er came home from school tomorrow and saw her father talking on the porch with a friend in western clothes.Wen'er stepped forward and bowed, and was about to go into the house, only to hear the gentleman say: "Auntie's illness is not a problem, and this medicine will definitely work in the future, but I think my aunt's spirit is very depressed, could it be Is there something unsatisfactory?" At this moment, Wen'er stopped.Zesun recounted the old lady's dream and the drawing of lots. The doctor smiled slightly, then frowned and said, "It's best to get rid of this crux and refresh your mind. This disease is not difficult and you will be fine." The patient's psychology and symptoms are closely related!" They talked for a few more words, and the doctor left.

At night, the old lady really felt much lighter.Zesun and Congru were both in the house.Wen'er was also sitting on the bed and beating her legs. The old lady's heart was still hazy, and she didn't really believe it. Thinking of the two lines of the poem "The situation is like this, laugh and cry again", it seems that today's decline is not a good sign.At this moment, Wen'er smiled and said: "Grandma is much better today, and she will be able to see the peach blossoms in two days." The old lady liked it again, and said, "How do you know that I will be well? The words signed yesterday It's very ominous!" Wen'er said: "The words on the signature are not accurate, that clay puppet..." At this point, seeing her parents looking at her, she was embarrassed, so she swallowed.But the old lady didn't listen to the truth, and said: "I have always had the best number of dental cards, but unfortunately I can't sit longer now, I can't count it. Zesun, you bring the dice basin, I will throw it, and take advantage of my luck." stop."

At this time, both Zesun and Congru had lost their minds, and the old lady's illness increased or decreased, so she put all her eggs in one basket.The dice don't obey orders, and it can't be a coincidence that "six children are all red". In case - Zesun hesitated and just stood there, trying to divert other words, but the old lady kept calling for the dice basin Come, Zesun had no choice but to fetch it and put it on the table in front of the bed.Congru had no choice but to help the old lady up and sit down. Wen'er was also stunned by the side, so she quietly asked: "Mom—what kind of throw is the best?" Congru looked at the old lady, He replied casually: "It's good if the six dice are all red." At this time, the old lady had already held up the dice basin and prayed silently. Wen'er suddenly stood on the chair and pulled out the gold hairpin from Congru's head Get down; jump off the chair again, and walk into the corner of the room beyond the shadow of the lamp.

After the old lady prayed, she grabbed the dice and was about to throw it.Zesun and Congru watched with bated breath, both sweating.At this moment, Wen'er suddenly frowned and ran over from the corner of the room, clenched her fist in her right hand, and took the dice from the old lady's hand with her left hand, and said with a smile on her face: "Grandma! Wait for me to throw it, maybe it's because of me. This bit of filial piety will bring great luck." The old lady smiled and handed it to Wen'er.Both Zesun and Congru looked at her, very surprised. They didn't know what she meant, and were about to stop her, they saw her rolling the dice with her left hand, stuffing them into her right fist one by one, looking up at her. , but it was not a prayer, all six grains were stuffed, his right fist loosened a little, he rolled up his sleeve with a smile, looked at the dice basin, and threw it down with a clang.

The six dice kept spinning, and they all froze after a while.Zesun suddenly cheered and said, "Mother! All six are red!"He looked up at Wen'er and said, "Wen'er! You..." He quickly swallowed again, and congratulated him.Zesun felt it too, and when he saw Wen was a child, he saw her with her hands behind her back, looking at her grandmother with a smile.The old lady was full of enthusiasm, so she picked up the dice basin and looked at it with a dazed old eye, and said in her mouth: "After all, it is Wen'er's filial piety, and God is also sorry." Wen'er quickly took the dice basin with her left hand, put it aside, He said with a smile: "This is the grand blessing of my grandmother, I just throw it around." The old lady's illness is getting better day by day, and the whole family is relieved.On this day, the old lady got dressed, washed and washed, and went out to look at the peach blossoms in the yard.The son and daughter-in-law were all chatting and laughing, and the old lady felt tired after a while, so she went in to rest, while Zesun and Congru were still sitting on the porch. Congru smiled and said, "Mother's illness recovered really quickly. It's really thanks to that doctor. At first, when I persuaded my mother to take western medicine, I was very worried and felt unsure, but now she is really recovering." Zesun nodded and said, "But it's Wen'er's fault too!" Congru said quickly, "I can see it too, it's really hard for her..." At this time, Wen'er was holding her schoolbag, and jumped in from the door, smiling and calling: "Daddy! Mom! What did you say about Wen'er again?" Congru only smiled and took her hand, while Wen'er smiled, On the one hand, he broke free and said: "Mom, don't hold it tight, my palm still hurts a little!" (This article was originally serialized in Beijing Morning Post on April 6-7, 1920.)