Chapter 78

Before the Chinese New Year, the ferry crossing of Shuibu Town was full of boats.

Jiang Bai and Tong Jingang were not going back to Jiangjia Village today. They were thinking of going back to Wucheng tonight, spending the night on the small bed in the store, and going back to Shuibu Town to sell for two days the next day or the day after tomorrow. This year's New Year's Eve is January 31st, and he plans to go back in the evening of the 30th, just in time to pay respect to the ancestors on the morning of the 31st New Year's Eve.

Jiang Xi did not force them.

If it weren't for Grandpa Jiang's eagerness to return home, Jiang Xi would have wanted to sell with them.

Grandpa Jiang wore his wolfskin thunderbolt hat, a black warm down jacket given to him by Jiang Xi, a sweater and his own wolfskin vest underneath, thick woolen trousers, and woolen knee pads specially found for him by his granddaughter, and high-topped black leather shoes.

He still hunched his back, with his head slightly stretched forward, and walked forward slowly, like an old turtle.

After nearly half a year of taking medicine and improving his diet, his skinny face had gained some flesh, and his complexion had improved a lot.

Jiang Xi wanted to help him, but he always pushed her away impatiently: "I don't need your help.

It's not like I can't walk. What do you need help for?" He stubbornly put his hands behind his back and walked through the crowded streets, showing off his new clothes and shoes as if he was taking a leisurely stroll, until he got on the boat.

Many people on the boat who knew Master Jiang, Seeing Grandpa Jiang, everyone greeted him: "Grandpa, are you going to the street to buy New Year's goods? What did you buy?"

Grandpa Jiang listened to the familiar local accent and replied with a smile: "I didn't buy anything."

Seeing that Grandpa Jiang was indeed empty-handed, they looked at his clothes: "Grandpa has made a fortune. You are wearing new clothes. Your children bought them

for you, right?" When he talked about his new clothes, the wrinkles on Grandpa Jiang's face deepened his smile. He showed his new clothes to the people on the boat: "My eldest granddaughter bought them. My clothes, pants, and shoes were all bought by my eldest granddaughter!"

They all praised Jiang Qing: "Your granddaughter is so filial!"

Grandpa Jiang was praised so much that he was very happy.

The people on the boat were all from the Linhe Brigade, which was composed of six natural villages, of which Xujia Village and Jiangjia Village were the largest. The boat they were on was from Xujia Village.

They didn't know much about Jiangjia Village, and only thought that the girl in front of them had gone out to work and had only returned today.

This was very common for them. The factory's holidays were not as long as students' winter and summer vacations, and generally only five or six days off. Coming back on the 27th of the 11th month was considered early, and there were

many who came back on the 30th of the 11th month, or even on New Year's Eve, and had to go back to work after the third day of the New Year. At this time, there were many young people on the boat who had returned from working in other places, carrying large and small bags of luggage, looking towards their hometown with excitement on their faces. There were also many people on the boat who greeted these young people, asking them where they worked, how much they were paid, and how the factory's performance was.

For the sake of face, young men and women all said that it was better outside, that the factory was better, and that the wages were high.

When they were asked about the high wages, they would immediately ask where their homes were, whether they could bring their daughters and children with them for the New Year, etc. These young people with tender skin could only laugh at the questions. Some of them, who had experienced the same thing, promised, "After the New Year, send your children to my village, and I promise to take them out."

After hearing such promises, the parents were worried. They recalled the incident in Jiangjia Village this summer, and they became worried again.

There was more than one boat going back to the hometown. When the boat was full, there were no acquaintances from the same village who had made an appointment, and when the time came, they set off.

When the boat was sailing, the river wind was very strong. People who took their children to the street to buy New Year's goods stuffed their children into the awning at the bow of the boat. Jiang Luo also stuffed Grandpa Jiang into the awning, and sat on the edge of the boat outside the awning, looking into the distance along the quiet lake.

The closer she got to Jiangjia Village, the more clearly she could feel her rejection and disgust for this place. There was no moment that made her face her inner feelings like this. She wanted to escape.

In winter, the water level receded and the rocks were exposed. The same was true for the Shahe River at their doorstep. The drop in the water level caused a large area of ​​sand to be exposed on the river surface. Many people who wanted to take advantage of the winter farming leisure came to the river beach with their bags to dig sand.

At this time, the river sand of Shahe had not yet been contracted by anyone. Anyone who built their own house could come to the river bank to dig sand.

The boat that could have docked near the ferry had to moor at a deep-water dam far away from two villages below their village.

Jiang Xi helped Grandpa Jiang get off the boat.

The wind from both sides of the riverbank blew on Jiang Xi's face, like a knife cutting. It was not a knife cutting described by magic, but a real and sharp pain like a knife cutting and needle pricking because of the cold. Even though she was wearing rabbit fur gloves, she still couldn't resist the biting cold wind.

The ground was frozen hard in the morning and evening, but because of the rare sunny day today, the ice on the ground melted, making the ground on the river bank extremely muddy and difficult to walk on. One step could sink the soles of the shoes five centimeters deep into the yellow mud, but the people carrying the loads still walked very steadily and quickly, and soon only their disappearing backs were left to everyone. Only Jiang Xi, supporting Grandpa Jiang, and a group of young people who had returned from working outside the place, carrying large and small bags, were left, walking hard on the muddy dirt road, wearing the decent clothes and shoes they had bought with great difficulty.

Some young people are reluctant to part with the new shoes they bought just to look good for the New Year. They simply take off their shoes, hold them in their hands, and walk barefoot on the muddy road. When they reach the village entrance, they wash their feet in the ditch, wipe the water off their feet, and put on new shoes to go home.

Grandpa Jiang also wants to take off his shoes and go home barefoot, but Jiang Qi refuses.

The mountains are damp and cold with heavy dew. He patrols the mountains as a forest ranger all year round. The dew on the bushes and grass will wet his pants and legs. When it is cloudy and rainy, his legs will ache.

In the past, he had no choice but to endure the pain alone. Now his granddaughter has taken him to Shanghai for medical examinations and treatment several times, and the pain has been slightly relieved.

Jiang Qing would never agree to such a harmful behavior, and threatened him directly: "Grandpa, if you take off your shoes and walk barefoot, I will do the same. I heard that if a girl's legs are frozen when she is young, she will not only suffer from chronic cold legs, but also be unable to have children."

After hearing this, Grandpa Jiang, who was suffering from chronic cold legs, no longer dared to say that he wanted to take off his shoes and walk back barefoot. He felt sorry for the shoes on his feet all the way and said, "I should have worn rain boots when I came back."

After finally passing Wangjia Village and Xujia Village, he finally arrived at the area of ​​Jiangjia Village.

Looking at the familiar rural scenery, Grandpa Jiang's smile became more and more relaxed, and his steps became more and more brisk.

Someone saw Grandpa Jiang on the road. Seeing that he had no patches on his clothes and that he was wearing thick and warm clothes, someone greeted him unexpectedly: "Grandpa, where did you come from? You look like you are doing well."

She looked at Jiang Xi again, with a surprised look on her face: "Is this Xi Xi? How come you have grown so tall in half a year? Your family is all big, if you grow any taller you will be able to catch up with your mother!"

Jiang Xi was still wearing the tattered clothes she had brought from home before, a sweater and a thin down jacket under a large cotton jacket.

This cotton jacket was worn by the eldest cousin and then the second cousin. The second cousin is now grown up and has reached the age of getting engaged, so she needs to wear some nice clothes when getting engaged. After this jacket became old, it was given to Jiang Xi.

The eldest and second cousins ​​are both of adult height and body shape. Although Jiang Xi has grown a bit taller in the past six months, she is still thin. Her originally baggy clothes became fitter after she put on a down jacket underneath. The clothes looked fluffy and plump. Her legs are thin and long. From a distance, they look like round apples with two thin chopsticks inserted underneath.

Only her face exposed outside the scarf was still small and had a pointed chin. "Huh?" The aunties were surprised to see Jiang Wu's fair and tender face: "Wu Wu has grown up too?"

Jiang Wu, who was originally skinny, was not pretty in the eyes of the village aunties. In the eyes of the aunties, pretty girls all had round faces, were slightly plump and fertile. In the eyes of the aunties, a small face and a pointed chin were signs of poor development and bad luck. Jiang Wu had been eating braised pork every day for the past six months. Not only did she grow taller, but she also finally had some flesh on her face, and she looked a little chubby. In the eyes of the aunties, her pink and tender flesh had become pretty.

When they passed by Jiang Xiao, they looked at her and couldn't help saying, "Xing Xiao has grown into a big girl in the blink of an eye. She's getting married now!"

Grandpa Jiang's face turned black. He said, "Our Xiao Xiao is still young. She's still in high school. She has two years to graduate and will go to college in the future!"

"What's the big deal? Get engaged first if you find someone you like on a blind date, and then get married after you graduate from high school!" The aunties said nonchalantly, "Young men should settle down quickly, otherwise they will all be picked up, and the ones left will be ugly. Your Liu Liu is so handsome, and he's still a high school student, you have to pick a good one." They

have already started to think about whether they have any nephews or nieces of similar age, and if there is a suitable one, they should quickly ask someone to come to the Jiang family to propose marriage. Two years ago, the little girl of the Jiang family was so skinny and looked like a malnourished bean sprout. Only two years have passed, and she has grown into such a decent and beautiful lady. If they don't settle down quickly, by then, I'm afraid the Jiang family's doorstep will be trampled down by others!

Grandpa Jiang could see what these people were thinking, and said with a smile: "Qingqing is a high school student. When she gets into college, she will have to find someone who is also in high school or college like her."

The aunts couldn't help but smirk when they heard Grandpa Jiang say this. They thought of this old man. He knew in the 1980s that he had tried to find a girl in the town, and he really found one. Now that his granddaughter is in high school, he must find her in Wucheng, right?

For a moment, they all gave up their thoughts.

Jiangjia Village is a well-known large village nearby. Four families live together. The village is very large. Not everyone knows that Grandpa Jiang went to Wucheng to accompany Jiang Qing to study. They only know that the old man is old and gave up the job of forest ranger to his younger brother.

This frustrated many people who were eagerly waiting for Grandpa Jiang to retire and wanted to take over his job, and they couldn't help but speak badly.

When she went back and mentioned this to her neighbors, she couldn't help but mutter: "I saw that the little girl of the big guy's family was very good-looking and a high school student. I wanted to find a marriage for my nephew from my mother's side, but I didn't know that her grandfather had high standards and said he wanted to find a high school or college student for her." She couldn't help but snort and said: "Life is really thinner than paper, but the heart is higher than the sky. Which high school student or college student would marry a country girl?" Thinking of the gray old house of the Jiang family, which was shorter than the surrounding area, she muttered disdainfully: "Her family is so poor."

Most of those who lived below had built houses by the ditch after the foundations above had been divided. They all lived in a mixture of two-bedroom and three-bedroom houses.

The person who was talking was from the second wife's house. The neighbor was from the third wife's house. He felt uncomfortable after hearing this and said, "What's wrong with a country girl? There are so many people in the city who marry country girls! Forget about anything else. The eldest master's daughter graduated from elementary school and married in the town. Lingling is a high school student after all. If she can get into college and get a stable job after graduation, why can't she find a city girl? Don't you see how good-looking the people in his family are? From the tall stature to the Ailian, go to his brother's two sons, then look at his grandsons, which one of them is not handsome? Especially the Jiang Song brothers!"

Jiang Bai is fine, a boy with a feminine appearance, not the type that the village aunties admire. Jiang Song is different. He has completely inherited the advantages of Jiang's father and Jiang's mother. He has thick eyebrows and big eyes, and he looks heroic. He is warm and generous. He greets everyone he sees warmly. Which aunt in the village would not praise Jiang Song as a dragon among men when seeing him?

Even his elementary school teacher commented on Jiang Song: "Your son, in the future you will either be Jackie Chan or a worm."

In Jiang's father's ears, he is definitely Jackie Chan.

The neighbor sneered, "Take his brother's Guoan for example. If he wasn't born good-looking, would his wife fall in love with him, buy him a house, and ask his father-in-law to transfer him to Wucheng to be a teacher? Even though he rarely comes back, right? But as a national teacher, he has a guaranteed income regardless of drought or drought, and more than three months of winter and summer vacations a year. I don't know how happy his life must be!"

The aunt of the third room thought of what she had just seen, Jiang Xi's face, which was rolled up in a scarf but still couldn't hide his handsome face, and she couldn't help but curl her lips and kept silent.

Grandpa Jiang ignored the villagers' gossip and said to Jiang Liu, "Don't pay attention to them, okay? What do they know? You've been trapped in this small mountain village with only one acre and three mu of land all your life. The farthest place you've seen is Shuibu Town. How can you know how big the big cities are? How good are the big cities?"

After going to Shanghai with Jiang Liu several times and staying in Wucheng for half a year, Grandpa Jiang became more and more determined to let his granddaughter study and go to university, so that she can fly out of this narrow mountain village and take root in a big city.

He walked on the familiar country road with his back hunched and trembling, holding Jiang Xi's arm, and said, "Don't listen to those who tell you not to study. Just study hard. Only by studying can you have a future."

He didn't say any great truths. He also knew that his own background, experience, and knowledge had trapped his vision. The words he taught his granddaughter were sometimes not necessarily right, so he was always silent and rarely spoke. He only knew that one thing was definitely right, that is, to study more and read more books. The great principles he didn't know were all taught to his granddaughter in books.

Jiang Xi held her grandfather's hand and responded softly.

She was born in an environment that favored boys over girls, and her parents favored boys over girls, but she was so lucky to meet a grandfather who treated her sincerely without any selfish motives.

Grandpa Jiang walked home step by step. The familiar accent of everyone in his hometown made him feel very close. Although Grandpa Jiang opened the shop and sold things happily every day, he knew what he felt in his heart.

He was old and could not speak Mandarin or Wucheng dialect. He could only speak Shuibu Town dialect. He could understand Wucheng dialect, but Wucheng people found it difficult to understand his Shuibu Town dialect. They often spoke at cross purposes. He always spoke happily and was also listened to happily.

The closer he got to the village entrance, the bigger the smile on his face, and the lighter his pace became. He even wanted to shake off Jiang Luo's hand and walk to the old locust tree at the village entrance without her support.

In winter, no one was under the old locust tree. The elderly gathered at the door of the small shop at the entrance of the village to bask in the sun. The radio beside them played the storytelling they were used to. The storyteller's words were wonderful and rhythmic, making people feel as if they were there. Everyone was immersed in the storyteller's words.

They sat on the high platform and saw from a distance Grandpa Jiang walking slowly towards them along the stone path of the pond with withered lotus leaves in winter.

One of the white-haired old men suddenly shouted in surprise: "Look, isn't that Lao Facai?"

"Lao Facai is back?"

"Oh my! Lao Facai is really rich, look at the new clothes he is wearing!" Some people had good eyesight and saw that there were no patches on Grandpa Jiang's clothes, but some old men couldn't see clearly, so they squinted their eyes and looked out with their hands on the stone railings.

"Lao Facai! Lao Facai!"

There were also old men who had a good relationship with Grandpa Jiang and shouted loudly.

Grandpa Jiang also smiled brightly when he heard this: "Why did you call me for the past six months?"

"Where have you been for the past six months? I haven't seen you for a long time. I thought you were dead!"

Grandpa Jiang laughed and scolded back: "I won't be dead even if you are dead. I'm in good health!"

After the age of 40, the old guys who grew up with them passed away one after another.

In that era, it was really rare for people to live to 70. If they could live to 60, they were already long-lived.

"Oh, old Fa Cai is really rich. He even wears leather shoes!"

As Grandpa Jiang approached, his clothes became more and more clearly revealed to the eyes of these old guys.

"Wow! Really leather shoes." They exclaimed, and looked closely at Grandpa Jiang's shoes: "These shoes are not cheap, are they?"

They were wearing cotton shoes and cloth shoes with thousand-layer soles handmade by their wives and daughters. Such shoes are not only comfortable to wear, but also will not melt like rubber shoes when placed in a fire barrel. The only difference is that they are not very waterproof.

Seeing the big leather shoes on Grandpa Jiang's feet, they were really envious.

Grandpa Jiang sat proudly on the long bench and let them look at his leather shoes.

Seeing the thick jacket he was wearing, they all asked him, "You old man, why did you suddenly quit your job as a forest ranger? I don't know how many people envy you for such a good job, but you still quit? Where are you going to make money?"

"Many people say that you went out to beg for food. How can a beggar afford such nice clothes and shoes? Take me with you, and I will go begging with you!" they said half-seriously.

Grandpa Jiang didn't even go home, but was surrounded by his old friends. He sat on a bench, legs stretched out, and tugged on his leather shoes. He boasted with a smile: "Isn't this the first prize for my granddaughter's composition? She bought this for me with her scholarship."

He sighed with a smile on his face and said: "What do you think of her? She bought me clothes with her scholarship? She bought me a lot of clothes. "Such nice shoes! You don't know how warm these shoes are, they are full of wool, my feet are burning when I wear them, do you think she is wasting money? It would be great if she could buy herself some new clothes with this money, but for an old man like me who has one foot half in the coffin, buying such nice clothes and shoes, isn't this a waste of money?"

Grandpa Jiang complained with a smile on his face.

The old men present were all jealous, wishing that Jiang Xi was their granddaughter.

The owner of the small shop at the entrance of the village, who was the same age as Grandpa Jiang, said something fair: "What's the point of wasting money? Your granddaughter bought it for you, so you should wear it well. You deserve it." The old man with gray hair said: "Look at you, you have spent your whole life raising your children and grandchildren, so what's wrong with wearing their new clothes? Your granddaughter gave you this as a gift, so you should keep it!"

Grandpa Jiang laughed, and his eyes became wet again.

Many of the elderly people present had tears in their eyes.

Among these elderly people, the best ones are Grandpa Jiang who has a regular job and a salary, and the old man who runs a small shop at the entrance of the village. But even Grandpa Jiang who has a salary has been living alone in the mountains these years. Not to mention the lonely life in the mountains, even if he falls or gets hurt one day, no one will know. Isn't it sad?

These elderly people who have no income and can only herd cattle and take care of children can only live by watching their children's faces at home. It's okay if they are filial, but if they meet unfilial children, they will be even more angry.

Their shouts also alarmed Uncle Jiang and Father Jiang, who lived next door.

Seeing that Grandpa Jiang was finally willing to come back, Uncle Jiang held the bowl of noodles in one hand and said, "My dear darling, my old father, you are finally back. I don't know why you are still struggling at your age? You have been away for half a year. We were so worried that something might happen to you!" After

Uncle Jiang and Father Jiang separated, Grandpa Jiang gave Father Jiang the money he earned from patrolling the mountains in those years, and subsidized his youngest son and paid off Father Jiang's debts. It is impossible to say that Uncle Jiang did not have some opinions or unhappiness in his heart. It was just that his family had been living better and better in recent years and had built two buildings, while his brother's family had been living worse and worse. The house was still a gloomy and short old house, and they owed a lot of debts to others. Only in recent years has Uncle Jiang's mood calmed down.

He said he was so anxious, but he didn't really go to look for Grandpa Jiang.

Over there, Jiang's father and mother came out of the house. Because Grandpa Jiang didn't give her this year's salary, she held it in her own hands. She was a little lukewarm to Grandpa Jiang, and didn't say to welcome him home to cook noodles or something. Instead, she glanced at Jiang Xiao who was standing next to Grandpa Jiang and said sneerly: "You still remember to come back? There has been no news for so long, I thought you died outside!"

She said Jiang Xiao, but her eyes were looking into Grandpa Jiang.

Father Jiang glared at Mother Jiang angrily: "What are you talking about on New Year's Day? Can't you say something nice?"

Mother Jiang's voice also got louder: "How can I say anything? Don't you see what they did? The old one quit his job without saying a word to me and left without telling me. He took his salary and disappeared for half a year. The young one lied to me and said he was going to work in a kiln factory. "Grandpa Jiang has been working all his life, working diligently

like an ox to support his youngest son's family. He also lives in a ranger's house on the mountain. How could he have endured such humiliation?

He didn't speak to his daughter-in-law either, but only said to Jiang's father: "Clean up the small house downstairs for me. I will live in the small house with Xiaoxiao at night, and I will leave after the New Year."

The small house he was talking about was the small mud house directly opposite Uncle Jiang and Jiang's father's house. It used to be the house where their great-grandmother lived. After her death, this house became a storage room. After Jiang's father paid off his debts, he did not go out to work this year, but raised two pigs at home. Now this small mud house has become a pigsty.

When Uncle Jiang heard this, he immediately said, "Aren't you embarrassing me, old man? Guoping's house is small, there's no room for you to live in, so how can my family not have a place for you to live?" He quickly called Aunt Jiang, "Guiying, hurry up and clean up a room for our dad. It's New Year's Day. If we let the old man live in the pigpen, the villagers will point fingers at our backs and scold us, right?"

When he said this, his eyes were smiling at what Jiang's father said, which made Jiang's father blush. He quickly stopped them and said, "There is room at home. Songzi and Baizi haven't come back yet. The rooms are empty. You don't have to live at your eldest brother's house!" He angrily scolded Jiang's mother, "Why don't you go and clean up the room? What nonsense are you talking about on New Year's Day? Where can Dad live if he doesn't live in our house?"

"That's right." Uncle Jiang ate noodles and said with a smile in a sly tone, "Dad gave all his salary these years to you. Now he comes back to celebrate the New Year. You won't be without a bed, right?"

He looked at Grandpa Jiang and called Aunt Jiang, "Guying, go and see if my mother has finished eating the chicken leg. If she has, give her another bowl!" He took a bite of the chicken bone in the bowl and said to Grandpa Jiang with a smile, "It's New Year's Day. Guiying just stewed a chicken today. Dad hasn't eaten yet, right? Come, bring Luo Luo to my house to eat."

Uncle Jiang was just saying a few words to Grandpa Jiang, but if he really asked him to do something like making Grandpa Jiang sleep in a pigsty and not giving him food, even if he could do it, Aunt Jiang couldn't.

Grandma Jiang and her younger daughter-in-law had a hard time getting along. She knew that she had offended her younger daughter-in-law. She knew that she would have to rely on her eldest son and her kind-hearted eldest daughter-in

-law for the rest of her life. She was only thinking about her eldest son's family. She raised all three grandsons of her eldest son's family by herself. She was very kind to them. When she was young, she had a strong personality and a bad temper. When she was old, she believed in Christianity. Every weekend, she would invite other old ladies in the village who also believed in Christianity to go to the church in Tanshan to sing, learn to read, grow vegetables, and play leaf cards. Now her temper has also softened. The eldest daughter-in-law is not a mean person. Don't live too comfortably in the eldest son's family.

On the contrary, the old man worked like a slave for the younger son's family after being divided into the younger son's family. I don't see how he lived a good life.

As soon as she came out, she couldn't help but say to her youngest daughter-in-law, "Ailian, you shouldn't be so heartless. We agreed that I would give my property to the eldest brother's family, who would take care of him in his old age, and the old man would be given to Guoping, and you two would take care of him in his old age. In all these years, the old man's salary has been used to subsidize you. Even your eldest brother didn't say anything about this, and you can't be so heartless. The old man just quit his job this year, and you're just kicking him out? In this cold winter, if the old man really fell asleep in the pigpen and froze out, Come on, don’t even mention whether Guoping will forgive you, I can’t forgive you either!”

After Grandma Jiang converted to Christianity, she spoke slowly and said to Jiang’s father: “Guoping, your wife is not your biological daughter-in-law after all, but you are his biological son. Your father has been back for a long time, why don’t you ask him if he has eaten? Do you know how to serve him a sip of hot water?”

Jiang’s father was embarrassed and hurriedly helped Grandpa Jiang back home. Grandpa Jiang handed the bag in his hand to Grandma Jiang: “These are the shoes Xiaofeng made for you.” Then he followed Jiang’s father back home.

The other elderly people present sighed: "Old Fa Cai is really something, why did he quit his job when he had such a good job? It was such a good job, with a house to live in, money to earn, and a strong life without having to ask for help from others. Now he has to beg for food from his son and daughter-in-law."

The owner of the small shop and Grandpa Jiang's old partners learned more and said: "Don't you see how old Old Fa Cai is? With his health, he might fall down on the mountain one day and die."

Everyone felt sad when they heard this.

Thinking of Grandpa Jiang's new cotton-padded clothes and nice shoes, the shop owner sighed, "I just hope that Xiaoxiao is filial and can live up to the fact that Lao Facai has raised her for so many years."

He is afraid that he will spend his whole life raising his children and grandchildren, and in the end none of his children will want him, and his grandchildren will not be filial either. That would be a miserable life.