Crossing the green wheat ears

Xiyuan returned home, and as soon as he opened the courtyard door, Wei Chengcheng ran out of the house.Xiyuan hurriedly carried him into the house.In the main room, grandma and mother are steaming rice cakes. The homonym of rice cakes and "nian gao" indicates that next year will be better than this year, so every family will steam some during the Chinese New Year.The rice cakes here are made of yellow rice ground with broomcorn millet. Grandma sprinkled red beans and mung beans on the rice cakes, and it looked very lively.

Xiyuan watched her mother cut the rice cakes into small pieces and put them on the curtain (made of sorghum stalks, sometimes called pot pad or grate cover).He took a piece casually, broke it in the middle, ate half of it himself, and handed the other half to Wei Cheng.

In the east room, grandfather and father are cutting the yellow paper for the grave. The day after tomorrow is Chinese New Year, and tomorrow they will go to the family's ancestral grave, and even the eldest grandson in Xiyuan has to go.

"Brother," Wei Cheng tugged Xiyuan's sleeve, and Xiyuan put him on the ground when he entered the back room, and then put the book on top of grandma's cabinet.

"Brother," seeing that Xiyuan didn't respond, Wei Cheng tugged at Xiyuan's sleeve again.

"What's wrong?" Xiyuan looked down at Wei Cheng.

"Tooth..." Wei Cheng raised his face.

"Hey, look at how sticky our rice cakes are, it's sticking our Chengzi's teeth down."

Wei Cheng is now 7 years old, and he has reached the age of tooth replacement, but there has been no movement before. Xiyuan guessed that the nutrition may not keep up, which affects the growth of the child's teeth.A few days ago, the front front teeth were a little loose. Xiyuan thought it would take a few days before they fell out, but it stuck after eating rice cakes today.

"It's all right now, I'll be able to drink rice porridge from now on, and there's nothing blocking the teeth in front." Grandpa also joked with Wei Cheng.

"I lost my tooth..." Seeing Wei Cheng's eyes filled with tears, Xiyuan hurriedly picked him up.

"It's okay. If it falls out, we will grow a new tooth, which is better and stronger than this one." Xi Yuan comforted Wei Cheng and took the lost tooth from Wei Cheng's hand.

"The upper teeth grow down, and the lower teeth grow down. What we lose is the lower teeth, and we have to throw them on the roof." Xiyuan hugged Wei Cheng, went out of the house, and threw the teeth on the roof of the house with all his strength.Seeing his brother throwing teeth at him, Wei Cheng wanted to laugh, but was afraid of showing a missing tooth, so he quickly covered his mouth with his hand.

"Hehe, are you embarrassed?" Seeing Wei Cheng's cute appearance, Xiyuan wanted to tease him. He arched his head on Wei Cheng's neck a few times, and Wei Cheng couldn't stop laughing. Thinking of missing a tooth a few times, it doesn't look good, and he puffed up his mouth and covered it.

"Chengzi, do you still want to eat rice cakes? Our family just steamed a big pot." Xiyuan's mother saw that Xiyuan teased Wei Cheng and followed suit.

Wei Cheng looked at the rice cake, then at Xiyuan, shyly put his head on Xiyuan's shoulder and hid his mouth.

"It's okay, everyone has to change their teeth, no one laughs at you." Xi Yuan patted Wei Cheng's little butt.

"Does brother change his teeth?" Wei Cheng raised his head and covered his mouth and asked Xi Yuan.

"Change, why not? When your brother changed his teeth, he lost three of them in two days. The front only had one tooth to handle the door. His words leaked out." Grandma continued Wei Cheng's words. Wei Cheng listened to grandma's words and looked at Xiyuan. It looks like a smile or not.

"How dare you laugh at me!" Xiyuan bit Wei Cheng's cheek with his mouth, and Wei Cheng pushed Xiyuan's face with his hands.

At this time, there was the sound of opening the courtyard door, followed by the sound of footsteps, it must be Xi Wei who came back.

"Brother, brother," Xi Wei called as soon as he entered the door.

"You still know how to go home! Where have you been playing all day?" Mother came over and patted the dirt on Xi Wei's body.Not only was Xi Wei's body covered in dirt, but his face was also as dirty as a painted cat's.

"It's all mud monkeys." Mother poured hot water into the washbasin and washed Xi Wei's face and hands clean.Xi Wei didn't care about these things, he looked at the rice cakes on the stove and took a piece.

"Be careful, you think Brother Zi got his teeth stuck from eating rice cakes just now." Xi Yuan threatened Xi Wei.

"Ah?" Xi Wei brought the rice cake to his mouth and was about to bite, when he heard Xi Yuan's words, he hurriedly looked at Wei Cheng's teeth.Wei Cheng covered his teeth with his lips, so he wouldn't show them. A missing tooth is so ugly. In the past, when a child in the village lost a tooth, other children would laugh at him.

"Hurry up, your brother is teasing you, it's time for Chengzi to change his teeth." Grandma hurriedly explained Xi Wei's confusion.

"Oh," Xi Wei looked at Wei Cheng suspiciously while eating, how could one tooth be missing?Wei Cheng was so embarrassed by the sight, he leaned on Xiyuan's shoulder and refused to turn back no matter what he said.

After dinner, grandpa heated the house warmly, and mother boiled a large pot of hot water. After the Chinese New Year, everyone in the family had to take a bath to wash away everything from the old year and welcome the new year cleanly.

Xiyuan led Xi Wei and Wei Cheng to wash first. After washing, Xiyuan saw that Wei Cheng's hair was yellow and dry, with lice eggs on it. It couldn't be eradicated either, so Wei Cheng shaved his head bald, not all of it was shaved off, leaving a small patch at the front, slightly upturned, with Wei Cheng's two black eyes, like carp in New Year pictures baby.

Seeing Wei Cheng's head, Xi Wei also found it strange, so his brother insisted on shaving it for him too. "It's okay, let's shave." Grandpa spoke first.After hearing what his grandfather said, Xiyuan shaved Xi Wei's head like Wei Cheng's.The two carp dolls are sitting on the kang of their own house. No matter how you look at it, they are so festive. It seems that next year there may be carp jumping over the dragon's gate. It's a new year.

Wei Cheng and Xi Wei touched each other's bald heads, feeling very novel.Although children's hair here is not as particular as that of adults, there are very few shaved ones, and most of them are cut short and can hang down naturally.

Xiyuan himself doesn't like to comb his hair long, but he is too old to shave like Wei Cheng and the others, so he begged his mother to cut him as short as possible, so short that he could just tie a small bun on both sides.Xiyuan suddenly felt much refreshed.

The next day, Xiyuan went to the cemetery with his grandfather, father, second uncle, and old uncle.The second uncle just rushed over this morning. There are many people buying tofu at the end of the year. In order to make money, he and his uncle have not stopped until the 29th of the twelfth lunar month. Everyone who should buy has bought it, and the family has to worship their ancestors. It was only when I went to the grave that I stopped.

After visiting the grave and returning home, the family sat in grandma's room and chatted.Xiyuan was afraid that Wei Cheng would be uncomfortable, so he took him to his side to help his mother make dinner together.

The second uncle doesn't live in this village, so it's not easy to come back, so I want to cook some delicious food and treat him well.Xiyuan watched his father go out and brought back half a chicken and some vegetable buns from the barn, but he didn't say anything.

The second uncle brought 20 yuan of frozen tofu to Xiyuan's house. He made this, and he must bring some for the elderly and children when he comes back, otherwise it will be unreasonable.The old uncle was more impolite. He didn’t take anything when he came. Seeing that the second uncle brought tofu for the elder brother’s house, he felt uncomfortable. Sitting there, his nose was not his nose and his face was not his face. In the end, grandma didn’t want to look at him That face, I picked it up and gave him seven or eight yuan, and let him take it home.

Xi Mingwu is a strong-looking man with a temper similar to his grandfather's. He was close to his eldest brother when he was a child. Brother, it cannot be said that it is completely unreasonable.

He had already heard about the fact that his elder brother's family spent five taels of silver to bring back a child, but seeing that Wei Cheng didn't say anything, he still disapproved in his heart.He knew about the situation of the eldest brother's family. He couldn't take care of the few members of his own family, so how could he still care about other people's affairs!

But even though he thought so in his heart, Xi Mingwu didn't show it on his face.

After sitting in the room for a while, he could tell that the eldest of the next generation in the family—his nephew Xiyuan valued Wei Cheng very much.This kid Xiyuan used to be a boring gourd just like his elder brother, but when he saw it today, he was different from before, with a pair of eyes rolling around, smiling with everyone, and speaking crisply, he looked like he had a heart, an idea positive child.

Only then did Xi Mingwu believe what others told him—carrying a small ax to drive Wei's second child all over the yard, it was really something this kid could do!Xi Yuan looked much better than his elder brother Xi Mingwen, and he would not be able to say anything in the future. Since Wei Cheng was left behind by him, there was no need for him to say anything more embarrassing.

Moreover, I heard the old lady whispering to herself in private that the five taels of silver given to Wei Cheng's second child and the money for Wei Cheng's medical treatment are all earned by Xiyuan himself. Learn to read with Dr. Li.Dr. Li is so weird, most people don't pay attention to him, but his elder nephew can have a good relationship with Dr. Li!Besides, if Xiyuan could read and write, he would be different from ordinary peasant children.Thinking of this, Xi Mingwu unknowingly gave this eldest nephew a higher look.

For dinner, Xiyuan helped his mother make a chicken stew with mushrooms. The mushrooms were pine mushrooms that my grandfather stepped on in the summer. The family has never been willing to eat them. Now that the second uncle is back, the grandparents are so happy that they are willing to take them out.In addition, I fried a hot and sour potato shreds, which is Xiyuan's reserved dish; then stir-fried the pig's heart with dried chili.Xiyuan Niang mixed a home-cooked cold dish with shredded cabbage, vermicelli, shredded tofu, and bean sprouts (the bean sprouts were grown from mung beans by Xiyuan, and she made a pot for cooking during the Chinese New Year), and Xiyuan used bean sprouts and leftovers from the day before yesterday The chicken blood under it made a chicken blood soup with bean sprouts.The rice was steamed vegetable buns, put them on the steamer to heat up, and boiled a pot of corn porridge in a small pot.

When the food was served on the table, Grandpa was very happy. It was rare that the children in the family gathered together so well. Seeing Ximing was not an eyesore. He wanted to have a drink, but Grandma didn't stop him. The four of them chatted while drinking and eating vegetables.

Xiyuan led Wei Cheng and Xi Wei did not serve the table, and ate with his mother in the West Room.I was quarreled by the old uncle in the middle, and I went to give a toast to several elders.The old uncle felt that Xiyuan didn't like him very much, and this was finding fault.Xiyuan didn't want to spoil the atmosphere at home, so he didn't bother with him, he cheerfully filled up the wine, and had fun with his grandparents for a while, coaxing the two old people happily, and then went back to the Westinghouse.

Seeing the closeness of his parents and Xiyuan, Ximing felt uncomfortable: he finally knew why the two elders were willing to spend their own money on the child to prodigal. Not far north.Therefore, he began to say that Xiyuan was ignorant and didn't respect the elders, and the two uncles came to eat at home without saying that they were there to serve them.Xiyuan really listened to it in the Westinghouse, but pretended not to listen.

Xi Mingquan became annoyed when he saw that no one picked up on him after talking for a long time, "Brother, it's not brothers talking about you, you can't be used to children, or you won't harm your family when you grow up." He squinted his drunken eyes and looked at Xi Mingquan. clear text.

"What's wrong with my Xiaoyuan? Don't get used to my Xiaoyuan, he is more sensible than anyone else." Xi Mingwen is really unhappy: he lives in the same village, and usually refuses to help when there is something at home; now at his house He ate and drank, and said that his son was not good; Xiaoyuan from his family was very sensible, and there was no child in the same village as capable as Xiaoyuan from his family.

"You said Xiaoyuan is sensible? You still do such a stupid thing when you are sensible, that child from the Wei family..."

"You still told people not to have a meal, eat quickly, your second brother has to go back after eating." The old man got angry.He knew in his heart that when they were talking in the east room, Xiyuan could hear them clearly in the west room. Xiaoyuan might not be angry when he said that Xiyuan was not good, but when he said that Wei Cheng was not good, Xiyuan was [-]% impatient.

"Father, didn't I say nothing?"

"Needless to say, these are all cooked by Xiyuan for his mother, and your eldest nephew did his best, as long as you know." The old lady also chimed in.

"What do you plan to plant next year?" Xi Mingwu asked Xi Mingquan, his family's land was snatched from his elder brother's house, and he must be short of breath when he mentioned it.

"I didn't think about it. Second brother has a lot of money left over from making tofu this year, right?" Xi Mingquan hurriedly changed the conversation, because his elder brother always disliked him because of the matter of the land, and he was like a mirror in his heart. .

"I didn't earn much. It's all hard money, and I have no other income. I can only earn money by working hard." Xi Mingwu was finally relieved when he saw that the third child no longer mentioned Wei Cheng. He didn't want to go home and wait. One day it is also mixed into right and wrong.And he didn't want to offend Xiyuan, since this kid would be promising in the future, he still thought about borrowing Xiyuan's light from his two boys.

"Father, this chicken tastes delicious, is it pheasant?" Xi Mingwu asked the old man.

"Yes, your elder brother and Xiao Yuan went to Daye to catch him, which made us Xiao Yuan exhausted." When grandma mentioned the eldest grandson, her face was full of pride.

"Xiaoyuan can catch pheasants? My eldest nephew is promising." Xi Mingwu was not stingy with his praise.

"It was Xiaoyuan who went all out to catch him, otherwise your elder brother wouldn't know. It was your father who caught him when he was young, and the three of you don't have the skills." Grandma continued.

"No, that year, my elder brother and I walked for a whole day but didn't find a pheasant, and even wore out our shoes. When we came back, I asked you to give us a meal of broom bumps." Xi Mingwu also thought of the past. funny.

"Well, Xiaoyuan still has half of it, take it when you leave later." Xi Mingwen also smiled, and his second brother was still caring to him.

"Don't, Xiaoyuan caught it very easily, let's keep it for the children."

"Just take it for you. Xiaoyuan gave it to him, saying it was for his two younger brothers to satisfy their greed. When the weather is warmer, you bring the two children back to stay for two days, and let me and the old man have a good time." Grandma Thinking of the other two grandchildren.

"Brother, do you have a copy for me?" Xi Mingquan saw that no one mentioned him, so he couldn't wait any longer.

"Aren't you eating now? The family is gone, so I left half of it for your second brother. He is far away, and it's not easy to go home." The old lady hurriedly said.Seeing that Xiaoyuan doesn't want to see his old uncle, but he can't agree to get it for him.

"You're too partial!" Xi Mingquan felt uncomfortable.

"Yes, I'm not partial. Your second brother came back from a long distance and still wanted to get some pieces of tofu for your elder brother, and some snacks for me and the old man. I haven't even seen a hair of your hair here all year round." The old lady was not happy either.

"Okay, okay, just pretend that I didn't say anything, I'm not close, you can go to my house if you want to eat." Everyone was too lazy to talk to the third child, and no one said anything.

After dinner, it was getting late. Tomorrow was the New Year's Eve, so Xi Mingwu didn't stay too long. He rushed back at dawn, and grandparents sent them outside the gate.Seeing her grandma wiping the corners of her eyes with her sleeves again, Xiyuan couldn't bear not having her second child by her side, but what could be done, the family had no other means of livelihood, so she couldn't stop the child from living a good life.This son was brought up so easily, got married, but went to other people, and the two little grandsons didn’t see each other for a few times a year. Thinking about it, I was worried. If only there was a way to earn money in the family, then Let the second son move back...