Chapter 35:

Bai Liangcun, the cannon fodder brother in the story.

'Cock-clack-' The rooster has already begun to crow, but the winter days are short and the sky is still dark outside. People are still enjoying the warmth of their quilts, and the village is still silent. Occasionally, a light will come on in a house, but it will go out again soon. Until about seven o'clock, the sound of "swish, swish, swish" sweeping the yard came from every house.

Because there was snow and a north wind last night, the temperature dropped sharply today. Even though Pei Xinglin was strong, he couldn't help but rub his hands while sweeping the yard.

"Hurry up! The sun is already shining on your butt. What time has it been? How can you learn anything like this and still study every day!" Grandma Pei's penetrating voice came from next door, and in an instant He drowned out the voices of neighbors chatting casually when they came out to take out the ashes in the alley early in the morning...

"Yuhua, are you going to town today?"

Pei Xinglin went to his grandma's house next door and asked I saw Aunt Cao'e talking in the yard.

"Hello, auntie." Pei Xinglin greeted.

Because Aunt Cao'e has a good relationship with grandma, the relationship is discussed from grandma's side.

"I heard Xinglin sweeping the yard early in the morning. He is so diligent." Aunt Cao'e saw Pei Xinglin and complimented her naturally, "Why do I think Xinglin has grown taller again."

"This child is diligent, but has a bad temper. Stubborn..."

"I'm such a good boy. He has grown up so quickly and will be able to marry a wife soon..."

...

saw Pei Xinglin come in, who had just been pulled out of the quilt by his mother. Pei Jianglin, who was twisting his head, nodded, which was a greeting.

Pei Xinglin's grandfather, Pei Ruzhen, had three sons, the eldest son Pei Yimin, the second son Pei Yijun, and the third son Pei Yiguo.

Pei Yimin married his wife Zhang Chunhong and had three children, a pair of twin sons Pei Jianglin and Pei Hailin, and a daughter Pei Xuan.

The second son, Pei Yijun, married Zhao Wanqing, an educated youth wife. However, within a few years of marriage, his wife abandoned him and their son and returned to the city. Pei Yijun did not remarry until his death three years ago, so now he only has one son, Pei Xinglin.

The third son, Pei Yiguo, is now in the county. He has two children, the eldest daughter Pei Qian and the youngest son Pei Yaolin. The children are also in the county.

At eight o'clock, after the poached egg-like sun got a little brighter, Mr. Pei and Pei Yimin, who had gone to the fields, came back, and everyone started eating.

The polenta was steaming hot, and in a large porcelain basin next to it were golden and steaming sweet potatoes, as well as some yellow white-faced steamed buns. On the table were a few drops of autumn pickled cucumbers, pickles, radish pickles, and a few more Eat the green onions grown at home, eat some pickles, and then take a big sip of the hot polenta that will burn your throat to warm your body immediately.

"I'm going to town today. Xinglin, you come with me. I have to buy a tank." Grandma Pei instructed her grandson.

"Yeah."

"Since you don't go to school anymore, then go to the town and see what kind of work there is in the coming year. You are old enough to get a wife, and your father is not here, so no one can help you." Mr. Pei The word suddenly said, "It's your dad's death anniversary in two days. You go to town and buy a bottle of wine. Your dad is good at wine."

"Yes."

...

The family finished the meal in silence, Pei Xuan Going to wash the pot, Pei Hailin came to Pei Xinglin and said, "Brother, if you go to town today, can you help me buy a hair tie? It's the fat one that girls like these days. I'll give you the money."

Pei Hailin hugged him Pei Xinglin, but he was not very tall, so he stood on tiptoes, looking a little funny.

Pei Xinglin heard him speak, looked at him a few times, said nothing, and just accepted the dollar he handed over.

"Don't tell others. Also, if there's any money left, you have to pay it back to me. Mainly because I'm tight on money lately."

"What are you talking about! Let's go, Xinglin! Otherwise, I won't be able to catch up with you Liu." Grandpa's car is here!" Grandma Pei came out with a red scarf on her head and a large woven basket in her hand, calling Pei Xinglin.

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Another place.

At seven o'clock in the morning, the banging green train stopped in Chaishan City in the thick fog. A man wearing a large military green cotton-padded jacket held a large box in his hand, and held a man wearing a small cotton-padded jacket in his arms with his other arm. A two or three year old boy.

The baby boy was wrapped in a big cotton-padded jacket for most of his body, but because his exposed face was so beautiful, people around him still looked at her from time to time.

"It's been many months, are you hungry?" After getting off the train and leaving the train station, the man in the green coat took off the leather gloves on his hands and patted the face of the dazed child in his arms.

"No, I'm not hungry." The child's nose was red as he stuttered out two words.

Zhao Huaishan looked at the child with chapped cheeks in his arms, sighed, walked to a stall on the street that looked relatively clean, and bought three large buns.

The man only had two hands, holding the child with one hand and carrying the box with the other. He was really embarrassed, so he put the leather box in his hand on the roadside, freed up one hand to pick up the bun, blew it, and put it on the On the child's lips.

"Eat, I don't know what's going on at your brother's house." Zhao Huaishan wanted to touch the hair of the child in his arms, but found that Xiao Duoyue was now wearing a furry hat, so he gave up with a little embarrassment.

Zhao Huaishan can be said to be Duoyue's cousin. He is the cousin of Xiao Duoyue's mother, Zhao Wanqing.

More than ten years ago, Zhao Wanqing, the mother of a few months old, went to the countryside as an educated youth. As a result, she got married in the countryside. When her family found out about her situation, it was too late and they could only let her live there. Unexpectedly, by the time the educated youth When she could return to the city, she left her family and career behind and came back.

Because of her behavior, the neighbors couldn't help but make some sarcastic comments and strange looks. These made Zhao's father, who was himself sick, very depressed. Within two years, he fell ill and passed away. Because of this, mother and daughter They started quarreling as soon as they met, maybe out of guilt, and Zhao Wanqing didn't go home either.

Until five years ago, Zhao Wanqing came home with a pregnant belly. A year later, she gave birth to Duo Yue. Although the family could not find out who Duo Yue's father was, the child was already born. He was also a little life and added to the Zhao family. I felt a little happy and thought it would be over like this, but no one expected that in May this year, Zhao Wanqing and her daughter died on the bus due to a robbery on the bus.

Now Pei Duoyue is the only one left in the Zhao family. The closest relatives have been playing football for half a year. Everyone pities the child, but no one is willing to raise it. Finally, Zhao Wanqing's eldest son comes to mind.

Zhao Huaishan looked at the child with some guilt. He was originally a pretty child. Every year when they met during the Chinese New Year, the child would be dressed in red. His skin was tender and white, his cheeks were chubby, and he looked like a little red envelope. But now, The child's cheeks were already chapped and he didn't speak much.

"Duoyue, you should be good when you go to your brother's house. Your mother has passed away. From now on, you will only have your brother, do you understand?" Zhao Huaishan looked at the child in a daze, holding the buns in his hands and eating them slowly, feeling pitiful in his heart. , but there is nothing we can do.

Holding the child in his arms, he picked up his suitcase, asked his neighbors where the bus station was, and then walked to the bus station where buses to Banjiang Town were available.

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There is a big fair every seven days in Banjiang Town. Grandma Pei and the others are here to catch this big fair today. You need to buy a jar for pickling pickles, and you also need to buy mung beans. After you buy them, you can put them on the kang to germinate on their own. I also want to ask when there are fewer people playing cotton. It's winter and cotton needs to be played. I also want to ask if there is fresh tofu...

After finally buying all the miscellaneous things, everyone is still in a hurry for lunch, so Hurry and find a carriage from your village to go home.

"When I was selling eggs there, I saw a man in a military coat. He was very wealthy. I don't know if he went to our village." Aunt Yuhua said as she packed the things in her basket that she saw gossip.

"Really? The children of the old Zhao family in the west of our village are serving as soldiers, right?"

"I saw that man carrying a big suitcase. It looked like he was from the city, not from our village." Aunt Yuhua retorted.

"Xinglin looks like a city man, tall and handsome. If he joins the army, he will definitely look better in military uniform than others."

At this point, there was a sudden silence on the carriage, and the aunt who spoke was stabbed by Aunt Cao'e. For a moment.

Pei Xinglin's mother was from the city. She said she was going to college, but she left and never came back. Aunt Pei didn't like to talk about it outside, and everyone never said it in front of her.

The horse's hooves clattered to the entrance of the village, and everyone came down. As noon approached, snow began to fall in the sky again, and a layer of white soon appeared on Grandma Pei's red headscarf.

As we walked, everyone said goodbye, but as soon as Grandma Pei and her group reached the entrance of their alley, they heard a quarrel inside.

"This is the child of your Zhao family! Not the child of my Pei family! Haven't your Zhao family made my Pei family miserable enough!" It was the voice of Grandpa Pei, Pei Ruzhen.

After hearing this, Grandma Pei quickly walked to the door of her yard and saw a man wearing a military green coat standing in the middle of the yard, with a child who was no longer than his thigh next to him.

The child was wearing a small brown cotton-padded jacket, black trousers underneath, and a black hat on his head. Snow had already fallen on his shoulders. Because he was so small, from a distance, he looked like a snowflake. people.

"What's wrong?" Grandma Pei handed the basket in her hand to Pei Hailin who was standing aside, "Who are you? People named Zhao? Members of Zhao Wanqing's family?"

"I'm telling you! People named Zhao, get out of here as soon as possible!" Don't dirty my Pei family's land!"

The yard was full of people from the Pei family, and there were even neighbors peeking in at the door.

Seeing Pei Xinglin carrying a large vat behind him, Pei Jianglin stood next to him and helped him put it down, and Pei Hailin also came over.

"Brother, the man said that the child is your brother and was born to your mother."