[Short Stories in Troubled Times] Caiwei

He pressed his throbbing forehead, rubbed his eyes and stood up.

In the dimly lit small room, a lamp is like a bean.The night outside the window was thick, and it was already the third watch.

With both hands, he was so vain that he could hardly hold the carving knife in his hand.He gritted his teeth, patted his cheek vigorously to drive away the sleepiness that was surging up like a tide, and got up his energy to make the last meticulous carving on the white jade paperweight that had just taken shape in his hand.Another subsistence wage.Don't dare to neglect.

Mother and sister are all dependent on him.

The lights were dim, and the young man with a weak crown crouched slightly, a hideous scar crossed his left eye obliquely, and his eyes were gray and dull.

From time to time, I shiver slightly.The night is so cool.

On the jade stone at hand, the lines of handwriting already reveal a school of strong bones——

"What is Bierwei? The flower of Weichang. What is Bilusi? A gentleman's chariot. Once the military chariot is driven, the four men are engaged in business. How dare you settle down? Three victories in one month."

—————————————————————

Finally, the coach's unshaven Chinese character face has a smile on it!

"Scatter it, eat and drink, you're welcome!" The wine bowl in his hand was raised high, and half of the wine in it dangled and spilled half of his hand, and the veteran with star temples let it flow down his arm and into his sleeve, happily From ear to ear, "In less than a month, three victories! What a fucking joy!!"

The rim of the thick porcelain bowl was close to the mouth, and he drank it with a gulp, pouring out the hearty drink he had accumulated for six years.

There were applause and cheers everywhere, and at the first glance, countless arms raised up and down the barracks stretched out and waved to the sky, really raising their arms and shouting.Good news spread frequently, and they flew all the way to the capital, no one dared to look down on them any more.The confidence to eat himself into a fat man again with the spoon was rekindled, and every day he happily circled the stove to show off his skills.Even the little mute's skinny little chin, which can poke people, has grown a little flesh. The young man who has just passed the weak crown clenched his fists in relief, opened his mouth and grunted, gestured and rowed, and greeted others "What do you mean?" Gongsun Chongwu is the only one who understands the puzzled look in his eyes - let you pay back the food, ask you to pay back the food, let's see if you still dare to deduct our food!

The food and grass came down, and the big guys were busy carve up the mutton to celebrate the victory, and they approved several times of excellent military equipment, so they didn't have to worry about winter cotton coats.The three leading masters and apprentices were promoted, and the official who delivered the decree clasped his fists and knelt down in front of him. Every wrinkle on the commander's face revealed pride and ambition.Behind them, the two brothers kneeling side by side looked at each other and smiled. They were young and dashing generals, heroes of the new generation, and the future alive on the frontier battlefield.

The coach didn't get carried away.At the celebration meeting spontaneously held in the barracks, he held the wine bowl and thought about it carefully, and shouted, "Don't drink too much! Those who are watchmen and guards, keep your ears closed! Be on guard as usual! Come on!" When he was about to find two apprentices who came over to give some advice, they disappeared.

——It turned out that I was with a few boys in their early twenties, squatting or standing together, and I didn't know what to do.

A little mute squatted in front of Mo Xingtian.He stretched out his thin fingers, one by one, to pick up the scattered petals on the ground in front of him, without daring to take a breath, like picking up gold.Beside him, Gongsun Chongwu was bent over, leaning over to hold an old but still clean piece of cloth, his palms were slightly closed, and the little mute put the petals on it one by one.

Behind them were a few sergeants holding their breaths, and in front of them was a soft and charming color—a thin tree of Tangdi flowers blooming at the border.

The tender, delicate little flowers are sparsely hung on the branches, opening stubbornly towards the starry sky.

It's so beautiful, the faint fragrance lingers on the nose, Gongsun Chongwu squeezes a little in the palm of his hand, wraps it up carefully, the little mute nods to him, and he puts it into his arms carefully.

"Ah." The little mute raised his hand, pointed at the tree Tangdi flower, and gestured something with bright eyes.

Gongsun Chongwu looked at it for a while, smiled clearly, turned around and read aloud to several people:

"Brothers fight against the wall to defend against their humiliation."

"Brothers fight against the wall to defend against their humiliation."

Qin Song sat on the wall dangling his legs, shaking his head and reading.

On the ground, the two brothers were fighting fiercely, and Mo Xingtian was driving Gongsun Chongwu to run all over the yard. Hearing the sound, he raised his head and pointed at Qin Song: "What are you talking about?"

"An article "Tangdi" in Xiaoyali of the Book of Songs." Qin Song said leisurely, "That is to say, no matter how fierce the two brothers fight at home, they will immediately agree with each other when outsiders come to bully them. In my opinion, it is you two who are talking about."

Mo Xingtian stopped chasing, and Gongsun Chongwu didn't run away either. Both of them stretched out their hands and pointed at each other: "Who wants to agree with him!"

"...That's right." Qin Song silently supported his forehead.

"By the way, Erhei, is it necessary for you to treat me so cruelly, brother?" Gongsun Chongwu wailed, "Didn't I just casually say that the Luanzhong slope outside the border can overlook the desert every day, and the scenery is pretty good, so it's not bad to live there , It’s not even a joke?! Did your conscience feed the real second black at the entrance of the village?!”

"Are you sick?! Can you talk nonsense like this?!" Mo Xingtian roared and replied, "Hurry up and pooh on the ground three times and take it back!"

"Cut, the same old way, if you tell me to pooh, I'll just pooh, why do I listen to you like that..." Before he finished speaking, Gongsun Chongwu raised his fist again seeing Mo Xingtian's dark face, turned around and walked up At the same time, the two brothers continued to chase and fight, Qin Song was condescending, watching with gusto.

Brothers fight against the wall to defend against their humiliation.At this moment, they are still brothers in the same border. On the battlefield, the two tasseled spears forged together are invincible.Do you say no clothes?In the same robe as the son.In the barracks, a group of brothers from hundreds of families cultivated in the desert.

Picking the Ping An button on his fingertips, the green little thing looked brighter and brighter under the reflection of the bonfire. Mo Xingtian swayed his finger lightly, and it turned its round body dangling back and forth with his movements , making him involuntarily think of the dangling shoes on Qin Song's toes.I really don't know how the child was able to control the range and strength. The cloth shoes were hanging on the toes and swung left and right, but they couldn't fall off. Even the white skin on the back of the uppers, which appeared and disappeared from time to time, shook so much that Mr. Mo boasted that he was resolute and invincible. The heart of the iron cloth shirt that passed the golden bell was itchy like a cat scratching.This little thing... Mo Xingtian looked at the little jade hanging lively and swaying on the slender fingertips, his stern face couldn't help being mixed with a little softness, and he smiled unconsciously.That's right, it hangs precariously, and with the busy military career, it dangles in my heart, swinging and swinging, and I can't get rid of it no matter what.

Qin Song.

Looking at the wine bowl missing a small half of the rim in his hand, the soil is choking and white, and of course spicy golden soup is indispensable at the celebration banquet.Look at this group of disgraced sergeants beside you, good fellows, a crowd of demons dancing wildly in a drunken state, punching, chattering, because you once ate half of my cornbread, choking each other's necks and fighting with thunder and rain The gangsters, clenched their fists, clubbed their hearts, wept bitterly, patted their shoulders and pointed to the sky, and swore to be brothers in the next life... Mo Xingtian remembered that when Qin Song was 14 years old, he coaxed him to look at the little jade pot he had just carved He gulped down most of the pot of rice wine.The half-grown cub drank alcohol for the first time, and within less than a stick of incense, he was like the Monkey King, jumping up and down happily, driving Rhubarb and Erhei at the entrance of the village with their tails between their tails and their heads in their arms, even gnawing half of the meat and bones In the end, he grabbed Mo Xingtian's clothes and climbed onto his shoulders, coercing Mo Xingtian to carry him around the streets and alleys of the village all afternoon, only to be silently sighed that he is really a general who asks for trouble I drank strong tea, stuffed it under the quilt, and fell asleep.

If he could survive until home, what should he say to Xiao Song when he entered the house?Mo Xingtian shook his slightly drunk head, and suddenly thought of such a serious question.

Even if you don't know each other when you meet, your face is covered with dust, and your temples are like frost? ——Forget it is too sour.

Xiao Song, don't you think it's miraculous that I came back alive? ——Thunder is rolling, ahhh.

Xiaosong, I miss you to death, you think I don’t want me, can you think about it, you can’t sleep every day after thinking about it...——Bring it down, Mo Xingtian, you’d better pack up and die.

Well, maybe according to your own temperament, actions are worth a thousand words, just grab your wrist and clasp the back of your head, and push Qin Song into your arms.Well, just saying "I'm back" is enough.

Xiaosong will definitely be a well-known craftsman in the future, so I should be able to help him after returning home. If the eyes, ears, arms and legs are still intact, he can continue to work, or take care of apprentices like a master. The key is to leave home for the first time. For so long, I have to make up for Xiaosong. If you want the stars to pick the stars and the moon to catch the moon, if you want to chase the dog, go to the entrance of the village and lead him Rhubarb Erhei. Black is not... The little guy must have bent his black eyes like crescent moons.

As Mo Xingtian thought about it, the smile on the corner of his mouth grew stronger.

Alas, why does that little guy like to laugh so much.

The sergeants on the side were holding wine bowls, steamed buns in their mouths, and gnawing mutton, staring at them and froze in place.

With a bang, half of the steamed bun fell from the open mouth to the ground.

"I'll go... No way... Master Mo smiled..."

"Master Mo actually smiled...I'm not dazzled..."

"I must be drinking too much... Is it because I'm just smiling like a bum... and I'm smiling like the flowers are blooming and the stars are shining!!"

A burst of crackling footsteps approached quickly, and Mo Xingtian reacted even more quickly, grabbing a dirty and oily paw back into the palm of his hand before it touched the safety buckle on his fingertips, and grabbing it with the other hand. Pull aside the little soldier rushing over.The soldier who failed in the sneak attack was not upset, but his eyes lit up excitedly: "Master Mo, you have been looking over and over with that piece of jade all day long, who gave it to you? Such a treasure, was it given by the little daughter-in-law at home?" Yes?"

puff!Mo Xingtian barely choked to death on the wine in his mouth.

Following Xiao Bing's reckless question, everyone immediately jumped up like a spring, and Mo Xingtian wiped the wine from his mouth and quickly denied: "No! I haven't married yet!"

It didn't work at all--

"Impossible! Master Mo, you are over thirty, why don't you marry a wife? Don't fool us!"

"Even if you haven't passed the door, you should have already decided to live forever, right? How can we let Master Mo think about it every day?"

"It must be a girl who values ​​love and righteousness! Look, the tokens of love are chosen so carefully, I hope you are safe!"

"Stop talking nonsense, you're not a daughter-in-law!" Mo Xingtian couldn't match the crowd's tongue. Out of the general's majesty, "If you gossip again, go and run around the barracks for me twenty times tomorrow!"

The booing finally subsided slightly, and Mo Xingtian just breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the little soldier just came over again with a face:

"Lord Mo, this jade...is it called Ping'an button? The choice is really beautiful, cute and bright. Your wife must have gone to several workshops, right? Where did you buy it?"

"I can't buy it. He didn't buy it. He carved it with his own hands and gave it to me." Qin Song's frowning eyebrows appeared again in Mo Xingtian's mind, and the corners of his mouth could not help but slightly sculpt again. Up, he replied reflexively.Immediately, he realized that there seemed to be something wrong——

"I didn't deny 'your wife'..."

"I just said it must be a daughter-in-law!! Now you can admit it!"

"What a clever girl! Master Mo, you are so blessed!"

Amidst the more violent booing, Mo Xingtian was about to go crazy, and gave Gongsun Chongwu a "come and save me" look, but saw this guy with his arms around the struggling little mute who was writhing around, his face Buried on someone's shoulder, trembling all over, holding back his laughter, he was about to twitch.Knowing that jumping into the Yellow River would not wash him off, Mo Xingtian resigned himself to his fate——

"Lord Mo, can I ask... the name of that respectable lady?"

"...Komatsu."

"Yoyo, you can tell she's a cute girl when you hear it! How old is she?"

"...It's half a month away from 21."

"Oh, old couple and young wife! What a 'little' daughter-in-law! She must be a lively and lovely girl, right?"

"...Yes, I can't stop climbing the tree on the wall every day, so I jumped down from the top and let me continue."

"Tsk tsk □ love it! She must be waiting for you at home, right?"

"...That's right, when he sent me off, he told me——"

Holding the safety button in his hand, Mo Xingtian seemed to see Qin Song's thin figure drenched in the rain, looking at himself in the distance——

"'Xing Tianwu is a relative, and his ambition is always there. Xing Tian... I will wait for you to return home.'"

In the wilderness, there was a moment of silence.

For a moment, the sound of sniffling was heard piecemeal, and a hoarse shout broke the silence of the ground——

"Okay! Love and righteousness! Big guy, I did it for our little sister-in-law!!"

"Done!!"

The wine dripped wantonly along the upturned jaws of each face, everyone's face was wet, the noisy night, full of laughter, they have no tomorrow.Mo Xingtian quietly caressed the warm Ping An button, and the corners of his eyes were also hot.

Must be because he was drunk.he thinks.

From the beginning to the end, he didn't have time to explain... That little guy is actually not a girl.

But it seems...it doesn't matter.

After finally getting rid of the entanglement, Mo Xingtian found a secluded place and sat back by the fire.The gourd containing the wine was in his hand and he drank it by himself, but at some point someone took it away for a share, and when he turned around, "You are everywhere."

"When I saw you smiling like that just now, I knew you were thinking of Xiaosong." Gongsun Chongwu sat down beside him with the hem of his clothes lifted, and bumped his elbow gently on his shoulder.

"Now come to get close to me again." Mo Xingtian glanced at him, and handed him a wine bowl, "Seeing that my brother is in trouble, but you don't draw your sword to help, what use is your rhubarb."

"Xiao Song is really right." Gongsun Chongwu raised his head and took a sip, "The two of us met at Master's place for the first time since we were ten years old, and we started fighting for more than 20 years. But if there is a difference No matter who is offended, it must be the two of us going into battle together, and we cooperate better than anyone else."

"Now it's Xuanxuan..." Mo Xingtian lowered his eyebrows, looking at the not so clear wine in the bowl, as if he was sighing.

"Six years, fighting and killing, is it interesting?" With his arm in front of his eyes, Gongsun Chongwu raised his face and laughed, "People die every day, and those who die on the battlefield can't be picked up very often." This one, day by day, hangs around his head... Victory? This wine smells of blood!"

"Gongsun Chongwu!" Mo Xingtian shouted sharply.

"Okay, it's okay, I drank too much, I drank too much." Gongsun Chongwu rubbed his eyes, "Erhei, don't think about going home, remember that Xiaosong is still waiting for you at home. Just think about it, hang on Hold your breath, when the time comes, go back warmly!"

"...You too." The wine bowl in his hand lightly touched Gongsun Chongwu's. Mo Xingtian lowered his head and took a sip, his throat burning hot.

"I... don't care." Gongsun Chongwu shook his head, sounding nonchalant, "My family... all died long ago."

Mo Xingtian was startled and looked at him complicatedly.Gongsun Chongwu let out a long breath, did not speak again, and turned his eyes to the side silently.Over there, not far away, the little mute was looking at him quietly with his chin in his hands, and a few fine Tangdi flowers were silently sticking to his shoulders.

The author has something to say:

The plot here about "Xiao Song is Master Mo's little daughter-in-law" didn't exist...it was added after reading my classmate's article written by a little mute fan, hereby explain.

Thanks to my beloved classmate Dongdong, as a newcomer author, the colleagues who saw my own article for the first time were moved to tears, thank you