Chapter 5 Returning to hometown to worship ancestors
Zhang Wanwan continued to hold the book and read bird language that her father and mother could not understand. Soon, her mother's exclamation came from the balcony.
"Girl, have you washed the clothes?" Although she used a questioning tone, there was no other "idle person" in the house except Zhang Wanwan, so who else could it be except her?
Zhang Wanwan nodded obediently and said, "I cleaned the stove this morning and washed the clothes. They are all mine and not very dirty."
Zhang's mother didn't know what to say. She and her husband earned their money through hard work, and they came home every day covered in dirt. Their clothes had to be washed immediately because Zhang Wanwan had a fever and was sweating all over last night, so she changed into an extra set of clothes. She wanted to wash them now, but she didn't expect the girl to do it herself. Could it be that she suddenly became sensible after being sick?
Zhang's mother couldn't figure it out, and Zhang's father was even more confused. Fortunately, their daughter didn't do anything out of line, so they didn't think too much about it.
The next morning.
Zhang Wanwan was still lying in bed when her mother got up. The house was small and there was not much soundproofing. The noise of pots and pans in the kitchen made Zhang Wanwan unable to sleep even if she wanted to, so she simply got up and washed up.
When she finished cleaning up, the table was already filled with porridge and side dishes.
Zhang's mother asked the father and daughter to eat quickly.
It took Zhang's father less than five minutes to finish two bowls of porridge. Seeing that Zhang Wanwan was still chewing slowly, he took out five yuan from his pocket and gave it to Zhang Wanwan. "Keep it with you for future use. If you meet the elders in your hometown, you should say hello. Also, burn more paper money for your grandparents."
Father Zhang talked on and on, and Zhang Wanwan could only nod sullenly. She felt a little depressed when she mentioned her grandfather. Her grandmother passed away before she was born. When she was young, her parents had to work to make money, so she and her brother were raised by her grandfather. She had a deep relationship with her grandfather, but it was a pity that the old man had a miserable life and passed away before he could enjoy much of the blessings of his children and grandchildren. Since grandfather passed away, father and mother Zhang borrowed money from everywhere to buy this house in the city and moved away in order to give them a better educational environment. They would only return to their hometown on the anniversary of their grandparents' death, major festivals, and the Spring Festival, but they would return on the same day. The place had been abandoned for so many years and there was no place for people to live.
After dinner, Zhang's father went out to work. Zhang's mother specially changed into a set of clothes that were 80% new and chose a youthful and beautiful dress for Zhang Wanwan before taking her out with satisfaction.
My hometown is Xiqiao Village, a village near Qingpu, the county seat. To get from Pushi to Qingpu, you have to go to the bus station to take a bus. At that time, the traffic was not as congested as it would be six years later. Not every household in a small city could afford a car, so most people would go to the bus station to take a bus. It takes about an hour and a half to take a bus back to the county seat. After arriving at the county seat, you have to take a motorcycle taxi back to the village. It takes almost three hours to get to my hometown, and it is noon when I get back.
In the past, Zhang Wanwan didn't like going back, always feeling that a round trip would cost her half her life. After her rebirth, she was extremely awed by ghosts and gods, always feeling that it was the blessing of the Zhang family's ancestors that allowed her to live another life. Not only was she not disgusted, she was also extremely excited. This time when she goes back, she must take a good look at her hometown, burn more paper money for her grandparents, and worship the ancestors of the Zhang family, being as pious as possible.
The mother and daughter squeezed at the station for most of the day and finally bought tickets and got on the bus. Most of the people on the bus were from Qingpu. Hearing the familiar local accent, Zhang Wanwan showed a satisfied smile on her face.
Zhang's mother soon started talking to a passenger next to her, and they were all talking about things in her hometown. Zhang Wanwan found it boring and stared out the window, distracted.
The bus was bumpy all the way, the people on it swayed from side to side, but the ticket inspector stood still, obviously trained. Zhang Wanwan glanced at him and couldn't help but admire him from the bottom of her heart. Six years later, the national highway was rebuilt and the bumpy concrete road was made into asphalt again. Such a scene will never be seen again.
While she was daydreaming, they had unknowingly arrived at the county town. Zhang's mother pulled her out of the car and rushed to the market near the station to buy a bunch of fruit bread, jelly and biscuits, as well as several bundles of incense and gold and silver paper money.
The two men couldn't hold on for long as they were carrying large and small bags, so they hailed a motorcycle on the side of the road and sped all the way to Xiqiao Village.
At that time, Xiqiao Village was still a small village. Every household lived in a slate bungalow. Those who could afford it lived in the slate houses on the second floor. Anyway, everywhere you looked, there were slate houses and farmland. Even if it was not a full slate house, it was a mixed slate house. She didn't understand it before. She always felt that this kind of slate house was very dangerous to live in. The house would leak when it rained. It was not as good as the red brick and tile houses built in the rural areas of Pushi. When she grew up, she realized that it was because the village was close to the sea, and only slate houses could last longer in such an environment.
The motorcycle taxi driver was obviously a village bully. Zhang's mother only mentioned a place name, and he took them directly to their doorstep. Zhang Wanwan paid the fare with the five yuan given by Zhang's father, and Zhang's mother didn't say anything.
As soon as the two put their things down, an old man from the village came over with his hands behind his back and called out, "Meilan, bring the child back for worship."
Zhang's mother looked back, nodded and smiled, "Aunt, have you eaten?"
Zhang Wanwan called out politely, "Mother-in-law."
The old man smiled kindly and said slowly: "I was just about to go back to eat! You just arrived, why don't you go to my place to eat."
Zhang's mother quickly refused, "We ate on the way, so you should go back quickly."
The old man didn't argue and just turned and walked away.
Most of the elderly people in Xiqiao Village live separately from their sons and cook their own food. The villagers are used to being frugal, and the elderly are even more so. Zhang's mother would never take other people's polite words seriously.
Taking out a bunch of keys from her bosom, Zhang's mother opened the door of the old house.
My hometown is a square small courtyard with a large courtyard in the middle and a well on the side. There are houses on all four sides. On the north side is the living room, which is connected to the room where the portraits of deceased elders are placed. However, this room is usually locked and is only opened during worship. On the west side are the kitchen and utility room, which used to store firewood and farm tools. The other two sides are sleeping rooms, a total of four rooms. Such a courtyard looks good, but in fact it is nothing at all in the countryside.
After the mother and daughter entered the house, Zhang's mother closed the gate to prevent the villagers passing by from coming in to say a few words and wasting a lot of time.
Zhang Wanwan was very satisfied with Zhang's mother's behavior. She was also impatient to chat with the villagers. They kept talking about the same things, such as what they were doing, how much they earned a month, how their children's grades were and so on. Their family was not well off. It took Zhang's father and mother so many years to barely pay back the money they borrowed to buy the house. It was no exaggeration to say that the family was penniless. Zhang's mother felt uncomfortable when money was mentioned, and Zhang Wanwan felt embarrassed when studying. If she said something bad, outsiders would lecture her, and if she said something good, others would feel uncomfortable. So they simply closed the door and both mother and daughter wanted some peace and quiet.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
