Seventy Little Heads

Back from Da Zhuang’s and Han Wa’s houses, Goudan and Wang Xuan said, “I always think about what I can do for them, but I don’t even know what I can do.”

Wang Xuan gave Da Zhuang a new medicine. In the cold weather, his broken leg is prone to frostbite and often suffers from bone pain, while the other leg bears a heavy burden and often swells because it has to support most of the body weight. Wang Xuan takes these into consideration. up.

"You have the heart, but it's really not practical to look around us. Don't put too much pressure on yourself, we are still students, as long as we have the ability to help one or two in the future, that's all."

"Hey, those childhood friends are scattered, disabled, dead..."

"What nonsense are you talking about? It's not a good time to talk about death when the Chinese New Year is approaching." Then Wang Xuan immediately shut up again, and he said it himself.

Clean up the house and outside, take out the steamer that has not been used for a long time, and they are going to steam glutinous rice cakes.Life at home is good, Li Si can't help but do this and that during the Chinese New Year, and when the table is full after the Chinese New Year, the days to come will become more and more prosperous.Of course Li Si didn't know how to do it, but he was talking about Goudan and Wang Xuan trying to make it. The weather is so cold, and they are not afraid to let go of what they do.

The home is filled with the aroma of food for a while, making people smell happy.The glutinous rice cake process is somewhat troublesome.Soak the white and fat glutinous rice first, steam it on the steamer, and then mash it.The two young men in the family had no problem doing these physically demanding jobs, and soon round and flat glutinous rice cakes the size of a palm came out.

Put them one by one on a bamboo flat to cool. You can eat them hot or cold, but they will harden and dry when they are cold.When eating, put it on the stove and roast it. It will be soft and have a slightly yellowish burnt aroma, which is more delicious than before.Or put two spoonfuls of lard and fry it. Sprinkle some sugar on it to make it more perfect. You can eat it any way.

People who can steam glutinous rice cakes are all wealthy families. Most people are reluctant to waste land to grow glutinous rice that is not high-yield, and occasionally exchange it with others. Glutinous rice cakes can be said to be a very luxurious food.

In Li Si's heart, he felt that truly wealthy families could not finish their food, and this glutinous rice cake was a symbol.Seeing the abundance of food at home, I feel very beautiful. Before going to bed, I often turn on the flashlight to go to the granary to see the dried meat and various foods besides the grain.After counting, he closed the door and locked it, and went to sleep on the kang contentedly.

According to Li Si's idea, he killed a pig and sold half of it loosely, but Goudan insisted on keeping half of the meat for his own consumption.The two little piggies were brought back by the dog to raise him. Besides farming, Li Si also picked pigweed while grazing the cows.Goudan thought he should rest more, and Li Si thought that if he was an old man in the village at his age, he would be cast aside and insisted on working. That's why Goudan proposed raising pigs and geese.

When I am in a good mood, I repeat the old saying, "Father can still do it now. If there is a suitable girl, I will bring it back. When I give birth to a grandson, I will take it with you." It was silent.

"What's the matter? Hey, Dad is not forcing you to marry a wife, but if there is a suitable one." It takes four years for my son to go to college before graduating before he has a job assignment. of great age.

At that time, I had no choice, my family was too poor to marry a daughter-in-law, and now that my son is a promising family, there is no shortage of dowry, how could I be alone until then?If the son doesn't say anything wronged, the grandson doesn't know where he is.

"Father, let's talk about this again. Everyone in the city gets married late. Raising children now is different from back then. After graduation, the family conditions will be better and the children will not be punished."

"Uncle, Brother Goudan, to be honest, people in the city are getting married late now, really. They all want to start a career before starting a family. There are many choices in this way. And in the future, children can grow up in a very favorable living environment. Besides We are students, and the school will not give us any punishment."

Li Si disagreed in his heart, "What kind of living conditions do you need to talk about when you get married and have children?"It is very good that my family is not the only one in the village now.How else can it be better?This is good, whether the conditions are good or not, it will be good if the child grows up day by day.

"How poor is that old kidnapper's family? There are only old lice left in the family. Just like that, everyone is trying to find a way to marry their son to a wife and have grandchildren. What do you think? You marry a wife at home and go to school. I know." After all, Li Si believed that the most important thing in life is to marry a wife and have children.

Li Si didn't believe what he said, but he knew that his son was used to being alone since he was a child, and he didn't know how to listen to others, so he could only worry in his heart.

Hurry up, hurry up and get used to it.Li Si really can't control the dog, even if he said that, he can't force his son if he doesn't want to do it, so he simply knows that his son will not worry about marrying in the future.Maybe it's really like what those wretched women said: they have high ambitions, and they only want to marry an educated daughter-in-law in the city.

"Father doesn't care about your affairs, and I will just talk about Xiaoxuan."

Goudan glanced at Wang Xuan, but Li Si didn't notice and continued, "It's that Accountant Chen, remember. Didn't he have a daughter who was in the same class as you, named Xiaojuan. He went to a technical secondary school a few years ago, and now he is assigned after graduation. I went to work as a hygienist in the health center in the next town, and said it was for giving people needles. Her father asked Wang Xuan several times, which meant that he wanted to be an in-law... "

"impossible!"

Goudan said: "Wang Xuan is not interested in her daughter." Then he looked at Wang Xuan, and Wang Xuan nodded quickly, "Uncle, from now on, tell me that my studies are heavy and I don't think about personal matters for the time being."

All right.One or two.

"Son, don't think too much, it's just that people seem to have a fancy to you and ask uncle about it." They all fancy Wang Xuan who has no father or mother, and now that he's done, he will be with his mother-in-law in the future. "That girl is really nice. She's a wage earner now, so I thought you were classmates after all." Even such a good girl is unwilling, and she doesn't know what kind of wife she wants to marry?

Li Si couldn't control it anymore. On the first day of the new year, he wore the new clothes his son specially bought from Kyoto, and reservedly paid New Year's greetings to the elderly people who were still alive in the clan.Everyone who met Li Si said, "The fourth son of the Li family is terrible, and he has raised his head."

That's right, Li Si's back is straight.The son is promising, the adopted son is promising, and filial, as if all the hardships and eyes of the past are for the enjoyment of the present.

In addition to being jealous of Li Si, Goudan and Wang Xuan were even more popular. They were dragged to talk for a long time, and after a long time, they finally broke free.

"Think about following my father when I was young, and paying New Year's greetings to the elders of the clan like everyone else. We were always left in the corner, and no one thought of us for a long time. We often kowtowed, and people had to stand aside after waving their hands. Not to mention what Guazi Shanhuo is doing, but there is no sip of water. My father dragged me to follow, and I watched the food in other children’s pockets and drool.”

Goudan took out all kinds of food stuffed just now from his pocket: "Look at candy, melon seeds, glutinous rice cakes." What he once longed for most, with his finger in his mouth and eagerly watching others eat, now has it in his pocket, full of it. of.But he doesn't want to eat anymore.

Wang Xuan took Goudan's hand, "Poor kid. But at that time, everyone was poorer than now, and the family couldn't bear to eat a bite. What the family gave the child was melon seeds and chestnuts fried by myself."

I’m not rich now. During the Chinese New Year when I was the poorest, I would prepare some snacks for my children, even if they were dried goods I picked and dried in the mountains. .

"But other children have a handful of salty melon seeds. I never had any in my pocket. At that time, I really wanted to eat them, so I secretly picked up the melon seeds thrown on the ground by others and stuffed them into my mouth. They are sweet and salty." Just grab, grab food from those children, and then he will be even less treated.When those women saw him, they said, "Dumbs are born bad."

Now let alone forget the dog's egg in the corner, the grandpas and grandmas in those tribes can't wait to rub the dog's egg in their arms to show their love.Those who used to despise are now left to please, but Goudan doesn't care about these now.

"Look at the annual gift we gave, even if you don't like me, you have to like me."

The older people get, the more they realize that Chinese New Year is getting simpler and easier, and the rest are routines and obligations.When I was young, no matter how poor I was, I longed for the New Year every year, but I had no new clothes or pocket money, and I was happy to eat something dry.At that time, he was always looking forward to the day and month, but now he finds out that the Chinese New Year is here, he will arrive before he knows it, time flies so fast, and the New Year doesn't feel like that anymore.

Apart from growing old, do you really think there is anything to look forward to?

If you want to say it, there is still hope.I made more money this year, right?

This tiring year is almost over, and activities such as visiting relatives, visiting teachers, and reunions with classmates are also over.

"What, you want to build a new house? Now you have to go to school in our family."

"After we lived in this thatched cottage, although it has been renovated many times, it is still very dilapidated. It may collapse directly in a strong wind and snow. I just want to build a strong one, which can be used for many years in the future."

Li Si was very excited, and everyone in the village was looking forward to building a new house.Marry a wife, have children, buy cattle, and build brick houses.Then the house was passed on to the son and then to the grandson, and it became a great estate.

"Our family's money...," Li Si stood up and opened his suitcase, and took out a cloth bag from it. "Father has it here. All the bricks and tiles may not work, but half of the brick wall is still okay." Li Si opened the black cloth, began counting the money beamingly, and put the money into his son's hands after counting. "Acquaintances are asked to help, and three rooms can be built."

Goudan saw that there were whole sheets of ten yuan and five yuan in it, which looked very old.The rest are gross bills.

Those whole sheets of big money, including the brand new five ten-yuan bills that Goudan gave him for the New Year a few days ago.

"Father saves all the money you gave, and what's more, most of the tuition expenses for you and Wang Xuan in these years have been earned by yourself, so don't let father worry about it. All the money earned by father's own farming has been saved. If it's not enough, wait a few days, when the chickens lay eggs, and the pig in our pigsty is out of the slaughter, dad, and then save up, it should be almost the same."

Goudan didn't know what to say, so he made a lot of money.This money is not as much as he earns in a day, but Li Si has saved it for many years. "These bits and pieces..."

"Father made money by selling eggs, goose eggs, and grain. Didn't someone collect the herbs in summer? Dad has time to dig with others, and the income is not bad. They are all saved. Dad is thinking that you will have a few more years." Just work? How can you have money when you just work? After that, you can spend it later. Now that you want to build a house, you should take it first, and then slowly save it later.”

Li Si usually lived frugally, and Goudan started to make money and then gave him living expenses, but he was willing to cut some meat to eat when Goudan and Wang Xuan came back from school.That's why every time the two of them came back from the county, they bought a lot of meat with big bags, just hoping that Li Si would have some meat to eat when he was away.Even if it is made into jerky or bacon?He can eat slowly by himself, otherwise, it is up to him not to buy two catties of meat for himself throughout the year.

Such a frugal person who is so picky about himself, now in order to support his son to build a new house, he took out all his savings over the years at once.It was very refreshing, and I gave it without any objection.

"Father, what did I say? Let you buy some good food. You..."

"Hey, dad is doing well. Eat enough, wear warm clothes, and enjoy the blessings. Dad's life is not bad." It is even much better than most of his life before.

"You take the money first, and I'll ask you to ask for it when I don't have enough money."

"That's fine too. Dad just put it here. If you don't have any money, you can take it yourself." It's really indulgent. How can anyone say: Son, put the money here, you don't have enough money for it?

Which parents are not frugal, and then the money is well hidden, when they have no money and cry poor.How dare he be like Li Si, let his son know how much money he has in his hand, and where to put it?Then it's his own son, many parents don't want their children to know.After all, there are several children, and parents have to hide some private money.

Although his son was unwilling to marry a wife and have children prematurely, he had finally accomplished a major event, and Li Si felt very comforted.

Building a house is a major event. In addition to considering materials, masons, and master craftsmen, you also have to consider the number of rooms, direction, and orientation.The most important thing is to look at the almanac, when to measure, when to break ground, and when to build beams.They are all particular.

Goudan is not going to start working all at once, there is not enough time now, and the month is not right.After the beginning of spring, it's freezing cold now, and school will start in Kyoto after the Chinese New Year.Now I just want to discuss it with Li Si, so that he can be mentally prepared.

How to live the day.

Grandpa San was talking. Goudan and Wang Xuan would be returning to school in a few days. Li Si couldn't bear to part with his son. When his son left, the house would be deserted, and he ate alone in the air every day.This is the biggest reason why he hopes that his son will get married and have a few grandchildren for him. The older a person is, the more afraid he is of being lonely.

But before he said a few words, someone shouted outside.