“...... The eldest girl who is not married is Sister Shen. ”

The old man held chopsticks and said,

In the courtyard, the guests were still silent as before, only the sound of some dishes and chopsticks colliding was mixed, and from time to time a few people who helped the cook, carrying dishes, passed by the table.

Lian Ge held chopsticks, sandwiched the dishes, and ate at will, just quietly listening to the old man's narration, and did not express any opinions.

“...... Everyone in the village knows that Sister Shen is not married, because she is waiting for someone, waiting for Brother Liang and Liang Xingguo to come back. I haven't seen Brother Liang since I can remember, but I just listened to my mother and my father, there is such a person. ”

The old man held chopsticks, seemed to recall, and said,

“...... At that time, it was still before liberation, and it was different from now, the girl was old and not married, so she was going to be poked in the back and gossip...... At that time, there seemed to be someone in the village who said that Sister Shen had a physical problem, so she never got married...... Although a few people said that, although when I was young, Sister Shen was already a little old, but the threshold of her family was still about to be broken by the matchmaker, not only in our village, but even in other villages across the distance wanted to marry Sister Shen back.

...... Sister Shen is a good person, she is a warm-hearted person, she will help with any family in the village, she is also quick with her hands and feet, and she is a diligent person......

But fortunately, Sister Shen's father and mother went early, although her parents would also urge her to get married, but after all, there was a layer of separation, and her attitude was also resolute, so she could only urge, but she couldn't force her, so she could keep waiting...... Later, she was really old, and there was no matchmaker at home, and the elders in the family slowly stopped urging and gave up...... She just kept waiting. ”

“...... Uncle Xu, Uncle Xu...... The cave room has been settled according to your words, what do you think we can do now?"

On the side, the woman from before walked out of the hall, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and quickly asked the old man,

"It's all in place. You go over and help your mother and your Uncle Liang...... Hey, after today, it's time for you to change your name to Daddy...... You go over again, greet your parents and greet the guests, and come over and sit down to eat. You've had a busy day today. ”

“...... Eh, okay, Uncle Xu, then I'll go over and greet you first, and you eat slowly first. ”

The woman answered, turned around, and walked over to the table next to her, and greeted her.

The old man watched the woman walk away, then slowly turned his head, paused with chopsticks, and then continued,

......

“...... Brother Liang, I just heard Sister Shen say that when I was young, I was curious, so I asked Sister Shen about it, and she didn't shy away from it, she was generous, so she told us. also told us, if she hadn't waited, we saw Brother Liang to help say. ”

Holding chopsticks, the old man seemed to recall, saying,

“...... Brother Liang, Liang Xingguo, don't call it by this name...... When he was young, it happened to be the era of the sinking of mountains and rivers, and he changed it himself. He, and Sister Shen, are childhood sweethearts who grew up in a big yard. Just in time for that era, Brother Liang, he wanted to go out of the village and join the army. When he left, Brother Liang said, if he can come back, he will come back within five years, if he doesn't come back, let Sister Shen, don't wait. Sister Shen, I agreed......

In the first half of the sentence, Sister Shen did it, she waited for Brother Liang for five years, but ah, in the second half of the sentence, she didn't do it. She didn't wait for five years, but she continued to wait. When I was eight or nine years old, she had been waiting for almost ten years.

In the middle, there was only one letter back, saying that Brother Liang had joined the army, was incorporated into an army, and was going abroad...... The place where he went abroad was not far from us, and the letter he wrote from here not far away......"

As he spoke, the old man paused,

“...... It was forty years ago, and the army, it should be called the expeditionary force at this time. ”

“...... That letter, Sister Shen kept it very well, she told me that at that time, she took it out and showed it to me......"

“...... At that time, in fact, I wanted to tell her, could it be that this Brother Liang had fallen on the battlefield...... But I couldn't say that when I looked at her......

But ah, I don't talk about it, and there are others who talk about these things in her ear every day, but she, ah, it seems that she has never heard a word, or ah, she has listened to it, but she still hasn't heard it......

She, just guarding the letter, waiting day by day, waiting for Brother Liang to come back......"

“...... When I was younger, when I was older...... By the time my mom was too old to walk, she was still waiting for ......."

The woman who had greeted the guests on the side walked back again, listened to the old man's words, slowed down, put down the wine glass on the table again, was silent, and interjected,

“...... When I was a child, when my mother picked me up, I knew that my mother was waiting for someone, and tomorrow morning, when the rice was boiled in the pot, she would go to the village entrance to have a look, and in the evening, before dinner, she would also go to the village entrance to have a look...... She said that if she didn't go to see it for a day, she panicked in her heart, afraid that she would miss it...... She said, this village has changed a lot over the years, and I'm afraid he won't be able to recognize the way when he comes back......

In the past, my mother told me that she picked me up, not only to show kindness, but also to think that if she couldn't wait one day, she could let me help her wait......"

“...... Every time I want to tell her, if she can't wait, then he will ...... too."

“...... But ah, every time I look at her, I can't say these words. ”

The woman spoke, paused, first a smile appeared on her face, and then the smile faded away, and she was silent,

“...... Before leaving, my mother and her, a little back, she asked me, pushing her, to go to the entrance of the village to see if he had come back...... She sat on the stone slab at the entrance of the village...... When they were temporary, they all looked out of the village......

When I went, my mother was already over 100 years old, and she had been waiting for about seventy or eighty years, almost a hundred years...... She walked with a smile when she walked, and she seemed to see him come to pick her up......"

“...... Those of us who are sons and daughters can't do anything but hold a wedding for the two old people, which can be regarded as my mother's wish for so many years, so that after so many years of waiting, there will be a result. ”

The woman said, with a smile on her face, and then picked up the wine glass on the table, and lifted the bottle of wine.

“...... Uncle Xu, young man, you eat first, and then I'll go over and help my mother...... My dad greeted the guests, and today is their big day, and they must want to make them happy......"

“...... There you go. ”

Laughing, the old man answered,

The woman smiled, carried the wine, took the glass, and walked away.

Lian Ge has been just holding the dishes, eating casually, listening quietly, not making a sound, and not expressing any opinions.

After clamping the chopsticks and handing them to the guinea pig, Lian Ge paused to eat the vegetables and put down the chopsticks.

Turning his gaze and smiling, Lian Ge looked at the old man and didn't speak,

“...... Ahem, boy, eat some more? This coleslaw tastes good here, don't you want the cook to mix it for you. ”

The old man coughed, looked at Lian Ge, and said out loud a little shyly.

Looking at the old man, Lian Ge smiled, still silent, and stood up from the dining table.