Chapter 29 Sister-in-law who makes my heart ache

The mention of the fourth brother and the fourth sister-in-law really made my heart ache and I had a headache.This pair of children gave me a lot of trouble, but also gave me the greatest joy.The fourth brother is the most neurotic of the four of us, kind-hearted, sentimental, impatient, and active.Because he was the youngest, he was raised very capriciously and spoiled.Even so, he always obeyed what his parents and elder brother said, and even said everything to me.He was still in middle school when I was teaching.He likes to raise animals, such as goldfish, pigeons, crickets, etc., and he needs to raise 108 of each kind, and he nicknames them the heroes of Liangshanpo.For example, his two most aggressive crickets, kept in the most exquisite earthen jars, are "Leopard Head Lin Chong" and "Walker Wu Song".He expected that when his father would not give him more money to buy living things, he would come to ask me for money; he would grind until I agreed.

The object of his love is H, a little girl from our distant family.They were born on the same day, and she is only one year younger than her fourth brother.During those few years we lived in Shanghai, my third and fourth brothers and I would go home every summer vacation to visit our relatives. H's family is also in Shanghai, and her father thought that the middle school in Peiping was better than the one in Shanghai, so he asked me to send her to the girls' middle school in Peiping, and they would accompany her every summer vacation.We all like sea travel, and we don't get seasick. We take walks and games on the deck in the morning and evening.The fourth brother became acquainted with her at that time.I just think they are very kind and never think of anything else.

After half a year, the fourth brother suddenly fell silent, always speaking with a little worry, and didn't pay attention to his homework.Most of his teachers were my classmates, and some of them came to tell me, "Your fourth son has been very confused lately. Could it be that he is sick?" He didn't go to class, lying on the bed in the dormitory, humming and reading "Flower House Collection".When I asked him what was wrong, he said it was a headache.It seemed that he had indeed lost weight, and he couldn't tell the cause of the disease.I thought it was a lack of nutrition, so I bought him some cod liver oil and canned milk, and told him to take it on time, and I came back very worried.

It will be spring break soon, and I invite my third and fourth younger brothers and H to visit Yuquan Mountain together.I found that there seemed to be something "something" between the fourth brother and H, the smile was so shy, and the conversation was unnatural.For example, when going up the steps, if I or the third brother helped her, she would politely thank her; when the fourth brother helped her, she would blush and sometimes even drop her hands.While sitting by the spring and having tea and chatting, the third brother and I asked about the health of the fourth brother. The fourth brother sighed and said some pessimistic words, and often glanced at H. H, however, blushed and looked away, as if he hadn't heard it.This is very different from her usual lively and polite attitude, and I understand most of it in my heart.After returning from Yuquan Mountain and sending H away, I questioned my fourth brother carefully. He faltered at first, and then admitted frankly that he loved H and begged me for help.I said to him sternly: "Love is not a game. You are too young to know what love is. Besides, H is a very noble and strong girl. Because you love her, you have abandoned your studies. You don't want to It’s really useless to make progress!” The fourth brother was silent, and I sent him back to school in the evening wind, and we didn’t talk much on the way.

The fourth brother improved slightly in his homework, but his health got worse.I suddenly thought of asking him to suspend school for a year. First, tell him to stay away from H, so that he will have time to think; second, he can rest well by his mother's side.So I wrote a long letter to report to my parents, only saying that the fourth child was not in good health, and sent him back to rest for a year, while sending him away in a hurry. I went home during the summer vacation and saw that he was indeed a little stronger.One day, my mother said to me behind my back: "Fourth and H seem to be very good, and they often communicate with each other these days." This was a bit unexpected to me, I always thought he was in unrequited love!So I told my mother everything about the past. My mother was very happy and said, "H is the best girl among our relatives. She is lucky to have a crush on fourth." You have to live up to it yourself, otherwise you won’t be humiliating other girls!” My mother said angrily, “There’s nothing wrong with our fourth child!” I couldn’t help but smile too.

At that time, a maritime school in Liverpool, England, was recruiting sailing students, and my father could recommend one. When I came home, I happened to talk about it at the dinner table. My fourth brother was very excited and wanted to go.My father said: "The sailing course is very rare, and the work is extremely hard. Last year, I sent three students, and two of them ran back. I am not reluctant to let you go, but I am afraid that you will not be able to bear the hardships, drop out of school, and lose my face." Mother also had no words.After dinner, the fourth brother brought the third brother to my room and asked me to petition my father for him to allow him to go to England.I said, "Father made it very clear. It's not that I don't want you. I promise to say it for you, and you have to promise that you won't drop out of school." The fourth brother said sadly: "As long as you all trust me, and at the same time H doesn't treat me As a decadent person, I have this kind of courage. You and I were born of the same father and mother, and I believe that if I work hard, I will never be too far behind!" Seeing his resolute and pitiful words, I told him The third brother discussed it, and while speaking for him in front of his father, he found an opportunity to talk to H, saying:

"The fourth brother is going abroad. He is young and has a difficult job. It is said that he suppressed all this energy for you. If you can love him, please encourage him. If you have no possibility of loving him, please You tell him clearly, so that he can give up and leave." H blushed and didn't answer, and it was inconvenient for me to ask, so I had to forget it.However, the fourth brother was very happy and walked away courageously. I believe he has been encouraged. Love is really a strange thing. When the fourth brother got on the boat, he became a different person, hard-working, hard-working, lively and brave.

His schoolmates, besides the British, also have children from Nordic countries such as Norway and Denmark, all of them are burly, tough, rude and straightforward. He spent five years among these playboys and traveled all over the world Haikou in Shanghai has experienced all the turmoil on the sea.At the end of five years, he returned with a dusty face, a muscular body, a heart full of joy, and an honorary diploma. In the past few years, H also entered the university and became my student, so I had many opportunities to meet him.I often secretly praise the fourth brother for his good eyesight. His choice of love partner is just as noble and exquisite as his usual choice of food, clothing, housing and transportation partners. H is the best little girl I have ever seen, calm and generous, gentle and lively, at school and at home, she has become the object of admiration of people around her, this is what my mother feels very satisfied.During the five years of separation, she and her fourth brother also had several quarrels and misunderstandings. Every time there was an accident, the fourth brother would immediately send me a letter and ask me to help.It is also inconvenient for me to persuade people very much, and I often only take a neutral and serious attitude.A lover's quarrel will not last long. After being coquettish and crying, when others are still anxious, they themselves are already fine.After several turmoil, I have also learned to be good. No matter how tense the situation is, I will never take it to heart.

There was only one time when H didn’t reply to my fourth brother’s letter for more than half a year, and I couldn’t find the reason when I asked him. At the same time, I got my fourth brother’s ten-thousand-character book every week, with various stamps on it, and he traveled all over the world to write me about the tastelessness of life. If it is, it seems that there is a tendency to throw myself into the sea. At that time, I was a little panicked! The fourth brother came back to China, and within an hour of being at home in Peiping, he came to see me in the western suburbs, and within an hour of staying with me, he went to the girls' dormitory to look for H. From then on, this pair of young lovers often appeared in my living room. conversation.The day before my fourth brother left for work in Shanghai, the three of us came back from the city by car. Just outside the city, the car broke down. When the driver got out of the car to repair the parts, they suddenly took my car alone. One hand, tell me they're engaged.It seemed inevitable, but I was also having infinite joy at the time.

In the summer vacation of the second year, H graduated from the graduate school, and his fourth brother went north to congratulate him, and got married in Peiping.The third brother just came back from the United States, just in time to be the best man.They stayed with their father for a few days and then went back to Shanghai.My third brother and I went to the station to see us off. We saw how far the train had gone, and they were still waving from the window.After leaving the station, we walked casually, entered the snack department of Zhongyuan Company, took off our hats and sat down. The waiter came over and asked with a smile:

"Do you want ice cream, gentlemen?" I seemed to feel very cool, so I said, "Two bowls of hot noodles in soup." After eating the noodles, we went to the European and American Student Association to go to the dance tea party where my cousin Yuan Yuan got engaged.While the third brother was dancing with many beautiful girls, I went to the library, picked up a piece of letter paper, and wrote a letter to the new couple, saying: "Ah H and fourth brother, after you leave , the third child and I felt infinitely lonely, our hearts felt cold, and the weather was no longer hot. We are authentic Chinese, and instead of eating ice cream at the Zhongyuan snack bar, we ate two bowls of hot noodle soup!" For five or six years, their small and exquisite home has become my residence. When I go south or north, or to escape the heat in summer, I always stay with them.Everyone does their own thing during the day, and at night they often light candles and listen to radio music.Sometimes they also fight coquettishly in the shadow of candles, complaining to the eldest brother, and sometimes introduce some young girlfriends to the roof garden of the restaurant to meet the eldest brother.These things are also very interesting, a very gentle change in my calm and serious life. Last week I got another letter from them saying: "All our ships have been requisitioned by the British government. It's a pity that we can no longer use small guns to chase Japanese smuggling ships! But, old man, we may have to transfer to Chongqing. You Do you have a headache?" I really have a headache, but it's not a sudden headache! (This article was originally published on July 4, 1941, Issue 31 of the Chongqing Edition of "Weekly Review", signed by a man, and later received.)