Chapter 175
The neighbors followed Cao Manjin with shovels and pickaxes. They came to an open space in the woods. Cao Manjin put San Ya down, and everyone went forward and started digging a hole in the ground without saying a word.
The temperature was more than ten to twenty degrees below zero, the ground was frozen, and digging the hole became extremely difficult. They took turns digging, and Lin Shuyue watched as they took turns several times and dug out a pit more than one meter deep.
Cao Manjin put the child into the pit with his own hands, and then filled the pit with soil with a shovel, gradually covering the child's face. Cao Manjin couldn't hold it in any longer, so she knelt on the ground and cried bitterly.
No one advised her. It is cold in the north, and the situation is even worse in the Bashang area. Many years ago, most of the families present had lost children. They felt the same way, and many of them shed tears silently.
Strong wind blew, making the leaves rustle. Some people couldn't stand the atmosphere and walked back crying. Yin Xin and Hang Yuhua remained silent and waited until the end.
Cao Manjin was tired of crying, so she filled the last bit of soil and placed three stone slabs on the mound. After that, she stayed on the cold land for a long time. Next to this small mound, there was another mound that was slightly bigger than it, and there was a stone slab on top of it.
Hang Jiabai said that it was Daya's grave. Every year, Cao Manjin would come to fill the grave with soil and pull out the weeds. Cao Manjin could not recognize many words and her child was too young to have a tombstone, so that tombstone was a mark she made for herself. She was afraid that as time went by, she would forget Daya's purpose.
Lin Shuyue stood in the wind and watched. The winter wind on the dam was so strong that it blew painfully on her face, and her heart ached too.
Cao Manjin sat there until she collapsed on the ground. Yin Xin saw that she was in a very bad mood, so she walked over and helped her up. Cao Manjin stood up obediently, with most of her body leaning on Yin Xin.
The two thin women supported each other as they walked forward. Hang Yuhua walked in front carrying a pickaxe. When she saw stones on the ground, she moved them to the side and kicked them, as if she was clearing a path for them.
Cao Manjin did not look back. According to the custom in their place, family members are not allowed to look back during the burial. If they look back, their loved ones will not be able to rest in peace and will be reluctant to leave.
The suppressed crying sounds were blown by the northwest wind and drifted in the air, first it was Cao Manjin's, and then Yin Xin's. The crying of the two was so sad that Lin Shuyue's eyes turned red. Hang Yuhua, who was walking in front, also took heavy steps.
Hang Jiabai put Lin Shuyue's cold hand in his own and said, "This is the cemetery for minors in the forest farm. I have a sister who is also here."
Lin Shuyue turned her head to look at her, and Hang Jiabai said, "She was born here like my brother, but when my brother was born, my parents hadn't moved here yet, so although it was very cold, it was still bearable. My sister was born here in winter. When she was two months old, she had a fever at night. It was snowing heavily, there was a shortage of doctors, and transportation was not well developed in that era."◣
"My father hitched a car and my mother borrowed blankets from all the neighbors, but my sister died before we could get down the mountain. When she was taken to the clinic at the foot of the mountain, her body was already stiff."
"Your mother is really strong." Not everyone can accept that their child dies in their arms. Lin Shuyue has experienced the feeling of a loved one slowly losing his or her breath in her arms, and she still dares not think about it.
Even though they had passed through the same world, she still didn't dare to think back. She couldn't imagine how Yin Xin had accepted it. How big was a two-month-old baby? She wasn't even fully pregnant.
Hang Jiabai nodded: "Yes, she is very strong, so after my accident, she returned to Guangdong Province to give birth. Four months after I was born, she returned to this land. She actually had many opportunities to go back."
"But she said, my sister is sleeping in this land, how can she leave? My father didn't want to leave either. He didn't say it, but I know he thought so too." Hang Jiabai didn't understand why his mother could be so cruel to keep him in Guangyue.
But when he grew up, he came to this place in person, saw the hardships of this place, and learned about his sister's story. So he had no complaints about his parents staying here on this land, and even his grandparents understood.
Lin Shuyue knew that life was full of suffering before, but at this moment, she finally realized how bitter life was.
This happened in New China, after liberation, which is even more unbelievable.
In Lin Shuyue's previous life, she lived in the 2000s. Her family was wealthy and she had never worried about money. Her grandparents were very kind to her. Even if she sneezed, her grandmother would take her to the clinic for treatment. And her home is very close to the clinic.
In this life, her childhood memories became clearer after that dream. When she was sick as a child, it was very easy for her to see a doctor.
Thinking of what Hang Jiabai had just said, that most people in the entire forest farm had experienced the pain of losing a child, Lin Shuyue felt a little sad: "It's really not easy for the people here."
Hang Jiabai said: "It's much better now. The forest farm has a tractor. It's easier to go down to the dam in summer and autumn. It's still difficult in winter, but a doctor came to the forest farm a few years ago. He can treat minor illnesses such as colds."
This was the thing that made Lin Shuyue feel most gratified after hearing the news.
When they returned home, Cao Manjin was lying in the west room. Yin Xin served her some food, but she didn't eat it.
Yin Xin said to Lin Shuyue: "Let her lie down inside and let her be quiet."
After this incident, the atmosphere at home was not so warm anymore. Everyone finished their meal quietly and Lin Shuyue was called to the east room to sleep.
The furniture in the east room is much better than that in the west room. There is a kang table two meters long and one and a half meters high at the end of the kang. There is a mirror inlaid on the door near the window. There is a row of small flower pots on the windowsill, planted with green onions and some green plants.
There is a circle of small cabinets built around the wall under the kang, and white lace scarves are draped over the cabinets, which looks pretty and beautiful. There were two large trays on the side next to the door. On one tray was an upside-down glass cup with red double happiness characters and peony flowers printed on it, and on the other tray were several thermoses with the same flower pattern.
Hang Jiabai poured Lin Shuyue a cup of hot water and explained to her in a low voice: "Originally, my mother wanted you to live in the west room, and my eldest brother and I would sleep next door."
"now
Seeing Cao Manjin like this, she was really worried, so she told her to live in the west room for a few days. She would sleep with Cao Manjin, while my father, my eldest brother and I would sleep over there. ”
Yin Xin is also from Guangdong Province. She knows and respects Lin Shuyue's living habits. The west room is unoccupied all year round, but Yin Xin will clean it regularly.
"My mother is the women's director here." Hang Jiabai explained.
Seeing that the neighbors subconsciously let Yin Xin stay until the end, Lin Shuyue had already guessed Yin Xin's identity.
"Tell your aunt that it doesn't matter where I live." Lin Shuyue said.
Hang Jiabai smiled at Lin Shuyue and squeezed her hand: "Are you used to eating here? Is there anything you want to eat?"
Lin Shuyue thought of the delicious stewed bones with bracken at noon and laughed, "I'm used to it. It's the first time I know that bones and bracken can be stewed together. It's really delicious."
The northern part of the country focuses on the taste of rich oil and red sauce, which is different from the light taste in Guangdong and Guangdong. For Lin Shuyue, it was like a mouse falling into an oil tank, it was so delicious.
Seeing that Lin Shuyue was really used to the food, Hang Jiabai felt relieved.
During the meal before, Yin Xin told Lin Shuyue many stories about the summer and autumn on the Bashang grassland, and Lin Shuyue was very yearning for it.
"If I have the chance in the future, I will definitely come here in the fall. Auntie said that the summer and autumn here are very beautiful."
"We'll come together then."
"Okay." Lin Shuyue agreed.
There was a roar of a car outside, and Cao Manjin in the west room stood up and rushed out. Yin Xin was tidying up in Hang Jiaqing's room next door, and when he heard something, he hurried out as well.
When Lin Shuyue and the other person came out, all the neighbors came out. They followed the green jeep to the Wei family.
Wei Guoyong's hair was sticking up and his clothes were wrinkled. Lin Shuyue had good eyesight and could even see the boogers in the corners of his eyes.
Everyone, including Lin Shuyue and others, felt very disappointed. Aunt Wang, who lived next door to the Wei family and had talked to Grandpa Hu in the morning, spat at them.
"I've known for a long time that Wei Guoyong is no good, but I didn't expect it to be this bad. His daughter died in the morning, and it's not even two o'clock yet, and he's sleeping soundly in the house? Even animals are more humane than him!"
Aunt Wang’s words resonated with everyone present.
Wei Guoyong didn't think there was anything wrong with him, and hurriedly went to greet them: "Hello, police comrades, hello, come in quickly. Cao Manjin, what are you doing standing there like an idiot? Quickly pour some water for the police comrades, cut two more pieces of meat, and cook something delicious for the police comrades later. It's not easy for you to come up from such a long distance."
Wei Guoyong didn't think that the death of a daughter was a big deal. He even thought that without San Ya, the burden, he could wait until next year to have a son with Cao Manjin. Each of his brothers and the bloodline of his Wei family cannot be cut off here.
Cao Manjin pouted, and his bloody saliva fell on his face: "Boil you, Wei Guoyong, you heartless beast."
Wei Guoyong was stunned by the scolding. He was generous enough to not care about Cao Manjin spitting on him in the morning. Why is he doing this again now? And you call yourself a beast?
Wei Guoyong's teeth were gnashing as he raised his fist and punched Cao Manjin. How could the policemen who came up from the dam let him attack a woman in front of them? One of them, wearing a dog-skin hat, finally slowed down and pulled his clothes together. He shouted at Wei Guoyong, "What do you want to do?"
Wei Guoyong is a coward who bullies the weak and fears the strong. When the police scolded him, he dared not say a word and did not dare to move.
The policeman wearing a dog-skin hat rolled his eyes when he saw him like this: "Where is Lao Hang? What's going on? I heard a child is missing?"
At this time, Hang Yuhua squeezed in from the crowd: "Here, here. I just went to do something."
Hang Yuhua walked up to the policeman and told him the whole story. The policeman wearing a dog-skin hat was named Zhao Fu. After listening to what Hang Yuhua and Cao Manjin said, he asked Wei Guoyong.
"Wei Guoyong, you said that you went to see the child before going to bed last night. She was indeed sleeping in the west room, right?"
Wei Guoyong smiled obsequiously, looking rather embarrassed. At this moment he hated those nosy neighbors in the place. It wasn't their child who died, and he, as a father, hadn't done anything yet, so why were they so anxious?
And Cao Manjin, don’t you know that family disgrace should not be made public? Is it a glorious thing for a child to freeze to death? He actually caused such a big fuss that the police were called. What a waste!
Wei Guoyong complained in his heart, but he dared not not answer the police's question: "Comrade police, I went to see Sanya last night, and she was indeed asleep. But I drank a few glasses of wine last night and slept deeply. I really don't know when the child went out."
"I realized that San Ya was out all night last night when Cao Manjin came back from her parents' home this morning. You see, this kid has a big mouth but doesn't say anything. She even goes out to the toilet and never comes back."
At this moment, Wei Guoyong did not feel that he was a bad father. All he could think about was what his child did wrong.
What does a three-year-old child understand? It is already amazing to be able to clearly say eating and going to the toilet.
"Bullshit, Wei Guoyong, your daughter is three years old, not thirty. Could she have opened the door and went out to the toilet by herself? It must have been you and your mother who opened the door and let her out, and didn't let her in." When Aunt Wang from next door saw the police coming, she didn't hide anything anymore and told them what she vaguely heard last night.
"Comrade police officer, I live next door to Wei Guoyong's house. Last night, around 3 o'clock, Sanya was crying and saying she needed to go to the toilet. Sanya's grandmother took her out, cursing at her. Sanya was going to the toilet in the yard. I woke up in a daze, and I heard Li Xiaohe scolding Sanya for being lazy and pissing a lot."
"I was so sleepy afterwards that I turned over and fell asleep again. I really don't know what happened afterwards. When I got up in the morning, I didn't see San Ya and thought she was lying in the house. I knew that Li Xiaohe went to the bottom of the dam, but I didn't take it seriously!"
"Now that I think about it, this old woman must have locked the door to the house last night. When she woke up this morning, she found her child dead and hurried to hide at the bottom of the dam."
Aunt Wang looked at Cao Manjin with an apologetic look on her face: "Manjin, I didn't mean to frame you this morning. I just knew that if Wei Guoyong knew that his mother was the culprit who froze San Ya to death, he would definitely pack up and run."
"I didn't tell you the truth just in case."
Following Auntie Wang's revelation, Lin Shuyue opened the good and evil identification system: [Name: Wang Xuehua, Sin value: 6%, Good value 40%, Gray area: 1, Overall evaluation: A very warm-hearted person~]
Cao Manjin did not blame Aunt Wang. The moment she saw the child's body, she had guessed the truth of the matter.
Every wrong has its perpetrator and every debt has its creditor. She now only wants to bring the culprit who killed San Ya and her mother who has done so many mistakes away to accompany her.
"What are you doing here at my doorstep?" A soft female voice came from behind the crowd.
Everyone turned to look at the source of the sound. It was a woman in her fifties. She was wearing a cotton jacket with purple, yellow and green flowers, a black woolen hat on her head, a headscarf covering her face and neck, and thick cotton pants with a large crotch. The shape of the pants was just like the harem pants of later generations.
The moment she appeared, Lin Shuyue's system for distinguishing between good and evil seemed to explode.
[Ding~~Li Xiaohe, a criminal with a sin value of up to 78%, appears. Host, please assist the police in capturing him. 】
[Ding~~Li Xiaohe, a criminal with a sin value of up to 78%, appears. Host, please assist the police in capturing him. 】
[Ding~~Li Xiaohe, a criminal with a sin value of up to 78%, appears. Host, please assist the police in capturing him. 】
The good and evil discrimination system played three messages of this type as usual.
Just when Lin Shuyue thought the broadcast was about to end, another broadcast sounded.
[Ding ding ding~~ Cao Manjin's sin value is detected to be 10% and his kindness value is 30%. The sin value is rising. Please pay attention, host! Please pay attention, host! 】
[Ding ding ding~ The sin value rises to 20%···30%···40%···]
[Ding ding ding~The sin value is as high as 50%! ! ! ! ! ! 】
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