all the way

It has been almost half a month since the beginning of spring, so although the wind in the mountains is still bitterly chilly, there is already a hint of spring in the air.

The small snowfall half a month ago has long since disappeared, and the Liu family’s courtyard is full of bright sunshine today. Although this kind of weather does not feel like Chinese New Year, it is really a comfortable and pleasant place. good weather.

Women wake up early in the morning and start to be busy again. The Spring Festival is like this. As long as it is not that day, I always feel that there is still a lot to prepare.

Yesterday, when it was getting dark, the last two stone piles and tree branch railings were finished. Liu Xia and the others had eaten and it was past eight o'clock. They were all so tired that their backs ached. The brothers were lying on the kang chatting. , Unknowingly fell asleep in a mess.

So Liu Xia didn't bother to give Mao'er a certificate these two days. Today is the thirtieth year, so there should be no further delay.

Today when Liu Xia woke up, he took out the painting he had prepared as a certificate. He originally planned to go back to the cave where he lived to make it after dinner, because Liu Yun and Liu Lei were too noisy. He guessed that he couldn't even cut the corners well in the main room, so the two little guys had to tear them apart.

But the two little guys don't need to do the work of smashing and piling during the day, and they can sleep casually like piglets at night, so they got up earlier than Liu Xia and Mao'er these two days, and after they got up, they were next to the house to cause trouble.

When Liu Ling got up this morning, he deliberately closed the door from the outside, implying that there was no one in the room, but the two little guys were very confident in their intuition, knocking on the door, kicking, stomping, and yelling relentlessly , and finally succeeded in driving Liu Hai, Liu Xia and Mao'er out of bed.

Now, seeing that Liu Xia and Mao'er were going back to the west room, they stepped forward and hugged Liu Xia's leg, then sat on his feet and looked up at him: "Don't call me running."

Liu Xia pointed to Liu Hai who had just put down the bowl and was stretching himself facing the sun: "If he doesn't run away, my son will play with him."

Liu Yun shook his head: "No, uncle."

Liu Lei looked at Liu Hai: "Uncle Six, play the boy's head." When Liu Hai was happy, he liked to play the heads of the two little guys, and the two little guys remembered it.

Sun Chang'e came out with the swill and poured it out. Seeing the two of them playing tricks on Liu Xia, she said to Liu Xia, "I don't come back all day. When I come back, I'm always interested in cats. You two, play with my son. My son is sensible now. Don't worry about it." I will play around with your inkstone and brush."

The cat set rules for the two little guys: "Dare to scratch and tear paper, play with ink, and spank their buttocks."

The two little things nodded: "Uncle hugs, brother draws, glasses."

Mao'er sternly refused: "That's your little brother Xin coaxing people, brother can't draw glasses, besides, if I dare to draw for you today, grandma will beat my ass to death."

Thirty, the big work is done, and the men are basically free.

Liu Chuan was helping Xiumei and Su Xiaohui prepare more delicate dishes; Liu Kui sat at the stone table and filled in the parents' opinions for Liu Wei and Liu Rui's notice.

Liu Changqing sat on the kang, holding a mahjong blank and instructing Liu Ling to carve a chicken;

Liu Hai also wanted to learn how to engrave seals this year, and was practicing with a white radish. He was also sitting beside Liu Changqing so that he could receive guidance at any time.

Liu Xia cut off the edges of the calendar that he had carefully selected, featuring mountains, grasslands, forests, and lakes, and then wrapped it with neat dark green edges, which are very harmonious with the color of the picture.

Liu Yun and Liu Lei are actually really good, they sat side by side on his left side and watched him work, curious a few times, couldn't help but reach out to grab it, but they held back when they were done, let's smack, smack their small mouths and watch Liu Xia.

Mao'er gave them the colored paper cut by Liu Xia, and the two happily tore them into shreds and sprinkled them on each other's head.

Liu Xia finished the base plate of the certificate, and was about to ask Liu Changqing what to name the cat this year, when Sun Yufang opened the door and came in first, followed by Liu Changchun, Liu Mao and Liu Yu.

We meet every day, just like a family, so there is no politeness, Sun Yufang immediately washed his hands and rolled up his sleeves to help Xiumei and the others with work; Liu Mao sat next to Liu Kui, and picked up Liu Rui's winter vacation homework to read;

Liu Changchun sat on the edge of the kang and watched Liu Hai carve radishes, and Liu Yu crowded beside Liu Ling to watch him carve chickens.

Sun Chang'e handed over half a woven bag of peanuts to Liu Mao: "Peel some more for me, I think I've prepared a little bit, and the children are waiting to eat them, so let's fry some more and let them use it as snacks."

Liu Xia raised the finished base plate to Liu Changqing's face: "Uncle, don't you think it's beautiful?"

Liu Changqing, Liu Changchun, Liu Ling, Liu Yu, and Liu Hai all looked up, and Liu Changqing nodded: "Well, it's very pretty."

Liu Hai sighed three times and said: "The green mountains are not old, the green waters flow long, and the artistic conception is indifferent and lofty. It is the most suitable award."

Liu Ling said: "Baby, I think you are becoming more and more discerning, and your hair is getting thinner and thinner when you make jelly, so beautiful."

Mao'er and Youyou grinned: "My uncle makes me mili every year, it's so beautiful."

Liu Xia asked: "Then what awards are you giving Hai'er this year? I think Hai'er is much better than a three-good student."

Liu Hai grinned: "Hey, listen, when Yao'er compliments the cat, it makes people get goosebumps when Yao'er praises himself more than Brother Zhenbei praises himself, and he is ashamed to say anything, so why don't you just write about Liu, the best boy in the world?" Forget it, do you think he is the third brother?"

Liu Chuan placed a plate of steamed meat, and said without looking back: "I think the boy is really good, not only studies well, is sensible, but also cooks for himself, and the boy can make dumplings for Yao'er, and the best boy in the world is also the best boy in the world." There's nothing wrong with it."

Xiumei replied: "Let's write, let's write, just write about the world's best kid. I just watch him clean up the house, and I feel that no one can compare to our kid."

Liu Xia smiled triumphantly, took the cat over and gave it a big hug: "Baby, let's be humble, don't be as thick-skinned as your Sixth Uncle and Uncle Zhenbei, even if you are the best kid in the world, let's write a Five good students."

"Five good students?" Everyone including Mao'er looked at Liu Xia collectively.

Liu Xia said confidently: "Yes, at least five good things. In addition to studying well, the child has good moral character, good sports, and good health. At night, my uncle's arms are like a small stove; Changli is good, a handsome boy. , isn't this five good!"

Liu Ling raised her hand: "I agree, this year I will award Maoer the title of five good little handsome boys!"

Liu Xia said very shyly: "Sixth brother, hurry up and carve a stamp for me. This is a new name I specially gave to my baby this year. In addition to my family stamp, I have to add a separate stamp for my baby. So grand!"

Liu Hai was very excited when someone actually liked his craftsmanship: "Tell me, what are you engraving? Just your name? Isn't that a bit too simple? It's not enough for me!"

Liu Xia thought for a while: "Engrave the full name of my unit, and then my name underneath."

Liu Hai bared his teeth: "Then, that word is a bit too much, right? It's just such a little carrot, forget it, I can definitely overcome difficulties and complete the task with high quality.

Hey, cat, come here, learn to engrave seals from Uncle Six, in case you fail the exam in the future, if you want to secretly fill out a notification letter, secretly receive a registered letter or even a money order from your uncle, you can stamp yourself as a fake ..."

Liu Xia pointed at Liu Hai and called: "I just asked you to carve a carrot badge, so you dare to teach the child such a stupid idea, Sixth Brother, are you looking for it?"

Liu Hai said solemnly: "True, now there are people who make radishes and engrave the official seal of the unit, write a letter of introduction and cover it, and pretend to be a salesman to place an order. No money is required, and you can get kickbacks if you sign a fake contract!

Think about it, you don't need a penny, you can eat and drink whatever you want, and you can get kickbacks, how beautiful!I think the cat will win if he does this in the future, a radish can get the whole set, and the white wolf with empty gloves, what a bargain. "

Sun Chang'e said: "Xiaohai, you little turtle, with so many children in front of you, you dare to talk nonsense, see if I won't screw you up."

Liu Hai giggled: "Mom, art is not overwhelming, I just want to teach Mao'er to learn more martial arts, come on, Mao'er, hurry up, it will be of great use after learning..."

Liu Xia helped Liu Yun and Liu Lei, jumped off the kang, rolled his sleeves and ran to Liu Hai: "I think you haven't rented a house for three days, how dare you teach Maoer this in front of me..."

Liu Hai threw the radish and carving knife and jumped off the kang, opened the door and ran out: "Yaoer, don't fight with me, Maoer is a coward and needs to be taught? He was full of bad ideas, he told lies to lie It was just like the real thing, even you were coaxed by him, thanks to him not doing this..."

Liu Xia chased him out, Liu Hai laughed and jumped up to the big persimmon tree that was leaning outwards, Liu Xia followed and chased after him.

The cat chased after him and climbed up the tree: "Uncle, let's push him to that branch, don't tell him to jump on that branch and escape."

Liu Ling pushed open the window and called: "Xiao Hai, you idiot, if you don't run to the other side of the river and climb the tree, will you be better than the tree?"

Liu Chuan was dragged out by Liu Yun and Liu Lei, with rice still on his hands: "Xiao Hai, you'd better tell Yao'er to beat you up honestly, you teach the children not to learn well in front of our uncle and mother, he won't Even if you beat our mother, you won't be spared."

Liu Hai was besieged by Liu Xia and Mao'er, so he had to climb up the tallest branch, shouting, "I've been wronged, third brother, it's true that someone used carrot badges to make fakes, and I used the method of counter-evidence to stimulate Mao Let me be a coward, or..."

Liu Kui led Liu Xin out: "Xiao Hai, don't dare to go up anymore, don't you see if the branch can eat you? Yaoer, Maoer, don't block him, tell him to come down and you two Then fix him."

Liu Yu murmured: "How come Xiao Hai just suffers from a loss and doesn't learn from it. Compared with Yao'er, he can't run up the tree at any time."

Liu Xia and Mao'er have blocked Liu Hai on the highest branch, and they are leaning on a safe branch. Liu Xia grinned: "If you have the ability, you can go to the tree today and think about it in front of me." Teach the cat badly, if you don’t fix it, will you hit it?”

The cat continued to grin: "Hmph, if you dare to say that I'm a coward, if you dare to teach me to lie to my uncle, you can wait to put it on a tree for the New Year."

Liu Yun and Liu Lei hugged Liu Chuan's leg and dragged towards the tree: "Dad, let's go, go up the tree, let's go, Dad."

Liu Chuan raised his hands full of oil and rice and shouted back, "Xiaowei, Xiaorui, hurry up and get these two things away."

Liu Ling ran out first, and picked up Liu Yun: "Let's go, play with your sixth uncle for a while."

Liu Wei immediately came out and hugged Liu Lei: "Let's go, you son of a bitch, let's see how my uncle and your Brother Liu An are fixing Uncle Six."

Before he finished speaking, he heard Liu Hai's panic-stricken scream: "Ah—don't dare, don't dare, you cat, the branch is about to break..."

Liu Xia and Mao'er leaned on the branch behind them leisurely, you kicked, I kicked, and tacitly kicked the branch that Liu Hai was holding alternately, and the branch swayed back and forth.

Liu Hai hugged the tree trunk tightly and persisted, Liu Xia and Mao'er exchanged color, and the two stopped kicking the branches, and sat comfortably on the branch to confront Liu Hai.

Liu Ling hugged Liu Yun, Liu Wei hugged Liu Lei, Liu Rui led Liu Xin, and sat on a safe tree branch below to watch jokes.

After persisting for less than 5 minutes, Liu Hai couldn't do it anymore, and started to slide down involuntarily. Liu Xia and Mao'er raised their feet at the same time, and started a new round of shaking.

It was useless for Liu Hai to try his best to hug the tree trunk, his body kept going down, and as soon as he retreated to the position where Liu Xia could stretch out his arms, Liu Xia pulled off the shoe on his right foot and threw it down.

Liu Hai knew something was wrong, but he knew it was useless to persevere, so he took the initiative to retreat. Liu Xia seized the opportunity and scratched the sole of his right foot a few times.

Liu Hai was so itchy that he couldn't help laughing, the tension on his legs loosened instantly, and his whole body became bald.

Liu Xia and Mao'er rushed forward and started to creak, Liu Hai laughed and screamed itchyly, Liu Ling also came up with Liu Yun in his arms, and Liu Yun eagerly rubbed forward: "Ah, creak creak old beauty... "

Liu Wei came up with Liu Lei in her arms: "Lao Mei, you are not up yet, let's go!"

.........

Xiumei put a few pieces of sliced ​​meat on a plate, glanced outside the window, and said to Su Xiaohui, "Xiaohui, go get Xiaoyun and Xiaolei down, don't dare to ask them to follow the cat Learn, if you learn how to go to the sky and go to the earth to build a house, you will be scared to death all day long..."

Su Xiaohui glanced out the window, and said calmly: "They can do whatever they want, as long as they grow up to learn, there are half cats who are sensible, even if I burn high incense, I will be satisfied with everything."

Xiumei suddenly saw Liu Mao who was sitting at the stone table, holding a few peanuts in her hands, looking out of the window absentmindedly, and couldn't help but glance at the tree outside, just in time to see Liu Hai, who couldn't stand the creaking, rushing out of the encirclement, He jumped directly from the tree to the guarding slope below, and Mao'er and Liu Xia followed suit.

The bowl containing the peeled peanuts on the stone table fell down with a bang, and the peanuts spilled all over the floor.

Liu Mao was like waking up from a dream, standing there a little at a loss for a moment: "I, I..., sister-in-law, let me pick it up..."

Both Su Xiaohui and Sun Yufang turned their heads to look, Xiumei wiped her hands with a rag and squatted down: "This table seems a little unstable, I have to ask your elder brother to get something to support later. Mao, let me pick it up, move it over there , another half bowl is almost enough.”

In the yard, Chang'e Sun watched the three wild boys disappear from sight, and yelled down the slope: "You three turtles are dying, aren't you? You dare to jump down even if you are so tall, and even jumped into that wild sage tree, stuck in it!" I see that your little grandchildren are safe and sound with a needle in the buttocks, so crawl back to me quickly, or you won't have dinner at noon today."

"Sister-in-law Qi, are you scolding my nephew? I've heard from afar that our yard is lively." Liu Changxing came up from the slope with a big bag on his back, and asked with a smile.

The whole family greeted Liu Changxing and let him go into the main room. Liu Changxing took two letters from the small bag on his chest: "I went to Wangning and turned to the post office. A letter, and I'll bring it back."

He handed the letter to Liu Ling: "I just got home today, I don't dare to stop anymore, Seventh Brother, Seventh Sister-in-Law, Liu Kui, you can put it here, I will go back quickly, I guess my uncle and our grandfather are in a hurry It's all gone."

Both Liu Changxing and Guan Erping became full-time workers two months ago, and at the same time successfully competed for posts. Although they were only the captains of a coal mining team, they were still very different from being simply workers in the past. They were much busier than before. No surprises, I will definitely come back once a week, now, this time is not guaranteed.

Liu Changxing walked to the bottom of the slope, and met Liu Hai, Liu Xia, and Mao'er who were chasing and running back. The three of them were covered in dirt and grass clippings, and Liu Fulai followed behind.

It was already half noon, and the sun was warm. Liu Ling sat on the swing under the sun, and looked back and forth a few times with the two envelopes.

Both belonged to Chen Zhenbei, but the envelopes were different. One was an envelope from their army, which he and Chen Zhenbei usually used, and the other was a larger envelope made of kraft paper. Strangely, the kraft paper envelope was torn open first.

Liu Hai conceded defeat, came over to pick up his shoes and slipped them, and said to Liu Xia: "I'm going to carve you a seal, if my mother hits me later, you have to speak well for me."

Liu Xia said proudly: "That depends on the level of the stamp you carve. If the level is not good, I will ask my mother to beat you."

The cat said: "That's right, if Lao Lai doesn't win, my uncle will give me a certificate, it's so beautiful, I can't stamp it with an ugly badge; Uncle, my brother Xiaowei told me to touch the persimmon monkey, I will go." .” Then he ran away.

Liu Hai looked at Mao'er's back and said, "Little Zhou picks skin and exploits Sixth Uncle's labor for nothing, but he's actually picky about fat and thin!"

Liu Xia said: "You deserve it, who told you to be poor, honestly go and carve your carrot badge."

After he finished speaking, he ran to the swing, and leaned on Liu Ling's shoulder: "Five letters in half a month, brother Zhenbei, he wrote something! Tell me to read."

Liu Hai looked at Liu Ling, turned around and easily threw the shoes in the air and walked towards the main room: "I'm not afraid, at worst, ask the fifth brother to carve it for me, and the eldest and third brothers are also at home, our mother can't hit it at all. I."

Liu Ling stretched out his hand to take out the letter, feeling something was wrong, took it out and saw that it was a letter still in an envelope, he turned it upside down and held it upright, and said, "It's the letter from my former deputy squad leader, the company commander, he actually He transferred the letter of the squad leader Li for me, and he was wronged this time."

Liu Xia said: "Let me tell you, it's only been a few days, brother Zhenbei has written a letter again, and it turned out to be forwarding for someone else."

This letter was from Wen Yongsheng, the deputy squad leader who took good care of him in life, mentioned in Liu Ling's letter to Liu Xia.

Liu Ling and Wen Yongsheng have been keeping in touch with each other for the past few years. Although they don't write letters frequently, they never stop. Chen Zhenbei also knows Wen Yongsheng.

Wen Yongsheng's life is not going well, he has an older sister, besides the younger brother who failed the college entrance examination and committed suicide by taking medicine, he now has a younger brother and a younger sister.

His current younger brother, Wen Yongming, is the same age as Liu Hai, did not go to college, and works as a farmer at home like him.

Wen Yongsheng's letter focused on his sister Yongfang, saying:

Half a year ago, someone introduced Yongfang to someone from a village near the county seat. We met twice, and both Yongfang and that person thought it was okay. So I decided to settle the marriage.

It's just that the elders of both sides met once, and the bride price was just talking, but before it happened, that person fell off the scaffolding and died when he went out to build a house with others half a month later.

It took less than two months for Yongfang and him to meet him for the first time until his death, and they only met twice. Now, everyone in their family says that Yongfang was hard-pressed and killed their son. Our village Everyone here knows about it.

Now, there are no matchmakers in the village for Yongfang. A few days ago, I finally got a matchmaker from a distant aunt from my own family, who was a man in his 30s who had a dead wife and brought a son and a daughter with him.

Now Yongfang refuses to even leave the house, and is pointed at when she goes out.

Liu Ling, although our place is not in the mountains like yours, it is also a relatively poor and backward area. People are superstitious and ignorant. I am so worried about Yongfang, but women are very attractive Taboo topic, so I have nothing to say, so I have to write to you, or I will be suffocated.

.........

Liu Xia turned his head to look at Mao'er, who was tossing about with Liu Wei and Liu Rui on the tree like a monkey, and took a deep breath.

Liu Ling patted Liu Xia's arm: "Our child has already jumped out."

Liu Xia said, "I know."

Liu Ling put away Wen Yongsheng's letter, looked into the distance and let out a long sigh, and opened Chen Zhenbei's letter after a while.