Childhood
In early autumn, Lai County is still so humid and hot, with no sign of autumn.
"Hey, have you heard? There are some outsiders in Second Alley, a family of three. I heard that the couple are teachers."
"I just went over to take a look, and that family looked so pretty!"
"Hey, stop talking. I even asked her age, and guess how old she is? Forty-one! She looks like she's only twenty-eight. I don't know how she maintains such good looks..."
At the door of an old tile-roofed house, several middle-aged women with strong waists and tiger backs and a big belly were discussing a foreigner who had moved here recently.
Guanzi sat on a bench at the door, holding a stainless steel bowl, eating white rice with soy sauce while listening to their chat. This group of women were always the same, gossiping about this family and that family after dinner.
However, he was a little curious about the family they were gossiping about today. After all, they were from outsider, and he had never seen outsider before.
"Boy." At this time, an old and hoarse voice came from the house. It was his grandmother Wang Dajuan calling him.
Guanzi responded, "Yes!"
Wang Dajuan's voice continued: "Come in, grab a piece of dried radish to eat with it, it will taste better."
Guanzi ran inside, past the living room cluttered with plastic bottles, cans, and cardboard boxes, and into the kitchen, which was where he and his grandmother made their living.
Wang Dajuan's bony hands picked up two small pieces of dried radish and placed them in Guanzi's bowl. Guanzi smiled toothlessly, "Thank you, grandma."
Wang Dajuan also laughed. She also had no front teeth, but Guanzi's front teeth would grow new ones, but hers would not.
Wang Dajuan is 88 years old this year, with her face full of wrinkles and age spots. But in Guanzi's mind, his grandmother actually became like this because of a spell cast by an old witch, so every morning when he wakes up, the first thing he does is go to Wang Dajuan's room to see her face, hoping that one day she will return to her original appearance.
He has been looking forward to this event since he was four years old. However, two years have passed and his grandmother has not returned to her original appearance. Instead, she has become older and more terrifying.
Guanzi always felt that it must be because the old witch's magic was too vicious. He hated the old witch, but he didn't know where the old witch was. If he found out one day, he would definitely learn all her magic and then punish her severely, forcing her to restore her grandmother to her original state, or die with her!
After all, grandma is such a good person. According to several aunts in the neighborhood, my parents didn't want me when I was two years old. It was my grandma who took care of me and I have grown up until now. Although other children always think I am dirty, it is because other children's mothers use fragrant laundry detergent when washing clothes, but my grandma doesn't use it. Laundry detergent is too expensive and grandma said she can't afford it now.
Because my clothes have no fragrance and smell greasy, the kids gave me the nickname "stinky boy". They are so annoying. My name is "zi" (zi) which means "day", but they always call it "zi".
After dinner, Guanzi went to the small pool at the door to wash the dishes as usual. Because he was small, he had to use a small stool every time.
While he was washing today, he heard a voice from behind him that he had never heard before. The voice was very pleasant and soft.
"What a smart kid! He even knew to put a bench aside."
Guanzi turned his head. He had never seen this person before. Her skin was as white as snow, her long hair was slightly curly, her eyebrows were curved, and the hem of her white lace dress was blown by the wind like an umbrella. Guanzi instantly thought of Snow White. If his grandmother had not been cast under a spell by the old witch, she would definitely be as beautiful as this.
Guanzi said: "Hello, Auntie, I am not smart, this is the idea that my grandmother came up with, but she, the nasty old witch, cast a spell on me!"
When the aunt heard what he said, she couldn't help laughing. The world of children is just like that, pure and simple.
She pointed to the cilantro and onions planted in a foam box at the door and said, "Are these grown by your family?"
Guanzi nodded: "Yes, my grandma planted it."
The aunt handed Guanzi a five-dollar bill and said, "Auntie, buy some from you. My cooking is almost ready. It's too late to go to the market now."
Guanzi shook his head: "You don't have to pay, just pick them. There are usually other people picking them."
Auntie asked, "Is your grandma at home?"
Guanzi nodded.
The aunt touched his head and then walked into his house.
Guanzi felt very strange. When he finished washing the dishes and was about to go listen to what they were talking about, the aunt and grandma came out. Wang Dajuan smiled and said, "Boy, say hello to Aunt Xu."
It turned out her last name was Xu. Guanzi said, "Hello, Aunt Xu."
Xu Xiaoxia smiled and bent down to look at Guanzi: "Just now your grandma said that you are six years old this year. Auntie also has a six-year-old baby, who is the same height as you. You should come to Auntie's house often to play in the future, understand?"
This was the first time that Guanzi was invited to someone's home.
He felt a little awkward and didn't know how to respond.
"What's the matter?" Xu Xiaoxia touched Guanzi's skinny face and said, "Auntie just moved here. She lives in the third house in the second lane behind yours. Do you remember?"
After a long while, Guanzi nodded, and when he spoke again, his voice was as thin as a mosquito's: "I understand."
Xu Xiaoxia saw his annoyance and whispered softly, "That's right, that's it. Auntie invited you to my house, and you agreed to go. So when are you going? Hmm?"
Guanzi's face was puffed up, and he didn't look at her. His voice was soft and awkward: "Tomorrow."
Xu Xiaoxia covered her mouth and giggled: "Okay, since you agreed, I must come. What does the boy like to eat?"
Guanzi really didn't know how to answer this question. He ate whatever his grandma ate. As for snacks, he had only eaten a few kinds of spicy strips that cost 30 cents a bag.
Guanzi said, "I don't have anything I like to eat."
"Is that so? Auntie will order a small cake for you tomorrow, and you must remember to come over tomorrow." Xu Xiaoxia stood up. "Okay, if I don't go back soon, the food will get burnt. Little Guanzi, remember to come over tomorrow." She picked two green onions into the foam box and went back.
That night, for the first time, Guanzi went to bed without expecting to see his grandmother return to her original appearance the next day.
Because he had been wondering what the cake looked like all night. He heard it was sweet and fragrant, and super delicious!
As I was thinking, daybreak came.
Tomorrow is here, and he will go to Aunt Xu's house to eat cake as agreed.
Guanzi got out of bed and went to the kitchen as usual to cook the leftover white rice from last night into porridge. His grandmother was in poor health, so he did most of the chores.
After the porridge was cooked, Guanzi opened the dining table that was missing a leg and fixed it to the wall, then put a pot of porridge on it and took out a bowl to let it cool.
Normally he would serve two bowls, but today he wanted to eat cake, so he chose not to eat any. He wanted to save his stomach to taste the cake.
After finishing all this, Guanzi trotted to the door of Wang Dajuan's room and said, "Grandma, the porridge is ready. Hurry up and get up. The sun is shining on your butt."
Grandma turned over in bed and said in a hoarse voice, "I know. My legs are a little sore. Let me lie down for a while."
Guanzi said with a smile: "Then I will give half of the cake that Aunt Xu gave me to Grandma later. I heard that cake is sweet. Grandma, your legs are sore, so eating something sweet will make you feel better."
Grandma giggled in bed: "That kid, remember to take off your shoes when you visit someone's house and don't touch anything. Take as much food as Aunt Xu gives you. Remember, don't be greedy."
Guanzi felt that he didn't need his grandmother's instructions, as he understood everything. Guanzi said, "I remember it very clearly."
Wang Dajuan said, "Well, if you have nothing to do now, you can go to Aunt Xu's house and see if there is anything I can help with."
Guanzi said: "Okay, then grandma, you have to get up quickly."
After Guanzi finished speaking, he trotted towards Xu Xiaoxia's house.
When Guanzi arrived at the entrance of the second alley, he saw Xu Xiaoxia washing at the sink at the door.
At this time, Xu Xiaoxia also caught a glimpse of him. She looked a little stunned, as if a little surprised that Guanzi came so early, but then she smiled and waved to Guanzi.
Guanzi walked over. Xu Xiaoxia finished her last sip of water, looked at him for a few seconds, frowned, and asked, "Didn't you sleep well last night? Why are your eyes so swollen and have dark circles?"
Guanzi was embarrassed to say that he had been thinking about the cake all night and had not slept all night. He rubbed his eyes, pretended to have just woken up, and said, "I slept very well. I just got up."
In fact, I have been up for almost an hour.
Xu Xiaoxia took Guanzi's hand and said, "The little boy at my house is still sleeping in bed like a pig. Come on, I'll take you to see him."
The pig-like child was crawling out of the bed. When he looked up, he saw his mother holding a child at the door.
Xu Xiaoxia said, "Luo Yu, guess who this is?"
Luo Yu looked at Guan Zi, and after confirming that he didn't know him, he shook his head and said, "No, I haven't seen him before."
Xu Xiaoxia smiled: "Of course you don't know him. This is your future playmate, Guanzi." She lowered her head and said to Guanzi: "Boy, his name is Luoyu."
Guanzi waved and greeted the chubby little boy: "Hello, Luoyu, my name is Guanzi, the house opposite your door is my home, I live with my grandma."
Luo Yu was very curious about this new friend. He jumped out of bed and looked him over. Then, looking at Xu Xiaoxia, he said in a soft voice, "Mom, is the character 'guan' in his name the same as the idiom 'guan' (apprenticeship) you taught me the other day?"
Xu Xiaoxia said: "That's not right. The "guan" in "yiguanchuchu" has the first tone, while the "guan" in "guanzi" has the fourth tone, which means "champion."
Luo Yu understood. He looked at Guan Zi and smiled without any front teeth. "Hello, Guan Zi, my name is Luo Yu. I live behind your house, which is where you are standing now. I live with my parents. The one next to you is my beautiful mother, and my handsome father went out to buy breakfast."
Guanzi didn't pay attention to what he said. He pointed at Luoyu's big teeth, then at his own teeth, and said in surprise: "So you don't have any front teeth either."
Luo Yu said, "Yes, but it hasn't grown out yet. Don't you have any too?"
Guanzi opened his mouth and said, "Ah, look, no, my grandma doesn't have it either! We are so amazing."
Luo Yu's little face pouted, feeling puzzled. "Your grandmother is an adult. How can an adult not have front teeth? Are you lying?"
Xu Xiaoxia burst out laughing.
Guanzi waved his hands: "No, no, no, I'm not lying. My grandma not only has no front teeth, she only has six teeth in her entire mouth!"
Luo Yu exclaimed "Huh" in surprise: "Was it knocked away by someone?"
Guanzi thought of the old witch. Grandma's appearance was caused by the old witch's magic. Then was Grandma's teeth also caused by the old witch? The more Guanzi thought about it, the more likely it was. He immediately wanted to tell her about the old witch.
Just as he was about to speak, a deep and powerful male voice sounded.
"Hey, who's the guest at home?" Luo Zeping came over with a bag of buns and said to Xu Xiaoxia, "Your laughter is almost heard all the way to Lingcheng."
Xu Xiaoxia was still laughing: "The two kids chatting together are making me laugh to death."
Although Luo Zeping didn't hear what the two children said, he couldn't help laughing when he saw his wife laughing so happily.
Guanzi looked up at the tall man. Luoyu said to him, "This is my handsome dad."
Guanzi smirked and said, "Hello, Dad."
“…………”
"Hahahahaha..." Xu Xiaoxia laughed even louder. "Oh my God, I can't take it anymore. Lao Luo, tell me the truth. When did it happen? Was it when I was pregnant?"
"Hey, you," Luo Zeping said helplessly, "Look at what you said, is this human language?"
The two children didn't understand what their adults said. Guanzi only knew that he had said the wrong thing, while Luoyu only knew that he was going to have a brother.
Luo Yu's chubby hand took Guan Zi's thin hand and said, "Guan Zi, you have to call my mother "Mom" again, then lie in my mother's belly for a while, and then my mother will give birth to you. Only then can you call me "Dad."
Guanzi felt strange. He scratched his head and said, "But I'm already born. How can I get into your mother's belly?"
Luo Yu said, "I'll put you in." He looked at Xu Xiaoxia, "right? Mom?"
Xu Xiaoxia was laughing so hard that she couldn't speak. After a long while, she finally said, "Go ask your father."
Luo Yu said, "But isn't it you, the mother, who is responsible for giving birth to the baby? Why do you have to ask Dad?"
"Ahem." Luo Zeping coughed twice, feeling that the topic couldn't be continued, so he said, "Okay, okay, it's time for breakfast. Have you brushed your teeth?"
Speaking of brushing teeth, Luo Yu quickly covered his mouth tightly, with a face full of resistance, "I don't want to brush my teeth, I don't want to brush my teeth, Dad, I beg you, please don't make me brush my teeth, brushing teeth is so annoying."
Luo Yu's fear of brushing his teeth started last week, because his two front teeth fell out when he brushed his teeth.
Luo Zeping said, "No, brushing teeth is something you do every day. If you don't believe me, ask this kid if he has brushed his teeth."
Guanzi said, "No."
“…”
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