Painting the Soul (short story) Zhang Baotong

Life after marriage is sweet and wonderful. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 infoBecause married men don't have to work in the fields, they just carry water, chop wood, and do some housework at home. Therefore, Ding Shaoguang has a lot of time to paint. Many of his works have been published in national and provincial literary and art journals, and his fame has slowly grown.

Before marriage, the man in love has to work for the woman for three years, and the girl can be more leisurely. However, after marriage, the girl becomes a woman, and the women of the Dai nationality are very hard and pitiful. They have to go to the fields every day to work, and sometimes they have to get up at 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning to go to the rubber forest to cut rubber. The beautiful clothes that I wore when I was a girl are rarely worn anymore. This made Ding Shaoguang feel very uncomfortable. Because he didn't want to watch Yujuan go to the fields to work every day, and he was a big man who stayed at home all day and didn't go out. However, there is no way, this is the custom of the Dai people. So, Ding Shaoguang always cleaned the house with Abba, tidied up neatly, cooked delicious meals, and waited for Yujuan and Grandma to come back from work.

As soon as Yujuan came back from outside, she washed her hands and feet, and changed into a clean and beautiful dress, which made her feel like she was back in the good old days of being a girl. After eating, the two newlyweds will talk and laugh together on the path by the village or the river in the twilight. If Ding Shaoguang suddenly came to inspiration, he would take out the big book and pen in his pocket, let Yujuan make a beautiful and moving gesture in the beautiful background, and start painting for her.

Because after getting married, Ding Shaoguang no longer works in the fields, and he has a lot of time to paint when he stays at home all day. He still insisted on getting up before dawn every day and began to carry water and sweep the cow and sheep dung downstairs. Then, start drawing. Because breakfast is all made by Abba. After breakfast, Abba washed the dishes and chopsticks and went out to find someone to chat. And Ding Shaoguang continued to paint, until it was time to make lunch, then he packed up his things, helped Abba wash the vegetables, and started cooking together. After lunch, Abba went to play cards, and he drew in the house, and when Abba came back from someone else's house, they began to cook together.

And Yujuan has to work hard in the fields every day, so in the evening, Ding Shaoguang didn't want her to work harder, the two had dinner, looked at the scenery along the path at the edge of the village, and then accompanied Yujuan to bed early. The two talked and laughed together in the mosquito net, talked about all kinds of happy and interesting things, and then fell asleep sweetly together.

The spring night is short, and the **** is long. They always have many, many things to say together, and many, many loves to talk about. So, every day and every night they spend together is so fulfilling and beautiful. Even if they sometimes walk on the path outside the village, they often can't help but hold hands, which makes everyone who sees them very envious. Two months later, Yujuan became pregnant. This made their whole family very happy. They all hope that Yujuan can give birth to a girl, and that girl will be as smart and beautiful as Yujuan.

As time passed, before they knew it, they had been married for five months. Yujuan's belly began to bulge visibly, and she walked a little differently than before. However, in Ding Shaoguang's eyes, he felt that she was getting more and more cute. At this time, he did not let her do the work at home and in the house, and as long as she finished work, he let her sit on a stool and rest. And when the evening came, as soon as it was dark, he slept with her, so that she could be as relaxed and happy as possible.

However, the sweet and beautiful times are always so short. At this time, because Ding Shaoguang's gongbi paintings were constantly published in national and local publications, he was recommended by the school to study in the United States. One day in May 1965, Ding Shaoguang's school, Yunnan Academy of Arts, sent a telegram saying that he had been recommended to study Western painting at the art department of the University of California, Los Angeles for three years. He must rush back to school within three days to attend the training, gather in Beijing at the end of the month, and then fly to Hong Kong, and from Hong Kong to the United States.

The telegram came suddenly, and Ding Shaoguang was asked to rush back to school within three days. However, it takes almost a day to get from Menghan to Jinghong, and it takes three or four days to get from Jinghong County to Kunming by car. Therefore, when he received the telegram that day, Ding Shaoguang felt very hurried, because he had to rush to the county seat early the next morning, and then take a shuttle bus from the county seat to Kunming.

Being able to study in the United States to study Western painting is a great joy for Ding Shaoguang. He showed the telegram to Yujuan. Although Yujuan was also happy for him, she was very panicked and reluctant in her heart. Because she doesn't want him to have much achievement and talent, she just hopes that he can be with her every day and live with her beautifully.

Grandma and Abba also had the same idea as Yujuan, and were even worried that Ding Shaoguang had left the cottage and gone to the city and foreign countries, and he didn't know what would happen. Because the men of the Dai nationality left the cottage and entered the big city, it is not uncommon for them to get divorced. However, none of them can take a stand, because this matter can only be decided by Yujuan. If Yujuan disagrees, Ding Shaoguang can't leave the house. Because everything in the Dai family is decided by women. Men can only obey women's commands.

Yujuan didn't want Ding Shaoguang to leave at all, because she loved him too much and didn't want him to leave her and leave this home, and besides, they would soon have their own children. However, Yujuan knows that men have their own careers and ideals, and he wants to become a famous painter. So, she still decided to support him to study abroad. Originally, the two old men did not advocate Ding Shaoguang to study abroad, but seeing their daughter's resolute attitude, they did not express their position, but just kept a straight face and did not say anything.

The night before she left home, Yujuan had been crying because she was reluctant to let her beloved go. Xishuangbanna in May has entered the rainy season. The drizzle drenched the mountains and mountains, and also drenched Yujuan's heart. Under the sapphire blue night, in the heavenly quiet rainy night, I looked at Yujuan who cried into tears. Ding Shaoguang put his arms around her, wiping her tears for her, and persuaded her, "Yujuan, don't cry, I'm going to study abroad, not to the execution ground." As soon as I finish school, I will come back, and by then, our children will be more than two years old, and I will take you and our children to live in Kunming. ”

Yujuan nodded and said, "You need to come back early." How much I will miss you if you have been away for so long. ”

Ding Shaoguang said in an oathing tone, "If you miss me, I will miss you." Don't worry, as soon as the study abroad is over, I will rush back immediately. ”

Yujuan wiped her tears, took off the jade Guanyin she was wearing around her neck, put it on Ding Shaoguang's neck, and said, "You are away from home, the road is bumpy and far away, this Guanyin will bless you with peace and happiness." Because Guanyin is a Sanskrit paraphrase, which means "to see its sound, to solve disasters."

Before dawn the next day, Abba got up and started cooking for Ding Shaoguang. After eating, Grandma and Abba sent Ding Shaoguang to the entrance of the village, and then, Ding Shaoguang was accompanied by Yujuan and walked towards Jinghong County.

The rain was falling intermittently, but the two walked side by side with umbrellas. Originally, Yujuan felt that she had a lot of things to say to her lover, but when it was really time to part, she suddenly felt empty in her heart and couldn't say a word. The two walked out of the mountain path and came to the road leading to the county seat. At this time, Ding Shaoguang asked Yujuan not to send him anymore, because he knew that Yujuan was pregnant, and it was constantly raining. However, Yujuan didn't listen to him and continued to send him silently. Because Ding Shaoguang carried a large bag and a small bag. The big bag contained some clothes and household items. And that little bag contained all the paintings he usually painted. He wanted to use these paintings as a reference for his future creations.

Yujuan has been carrying that big bag on her back. It is precisely because it is very heavy, so Yujuan has to send him all the time, afraid that he will carry it too heavily on his back. There is almost sixty or seventy miles from Olive Dam to Jinghong County, and it takes almost half a day to walk. The two walked along the road straight ahead. Luckily, it didn't rain much, and it didn't rain anymore in the afternoon.

The two of them walked silently forward, the rustling of footsteps constantly disturbing their minds. Every time he walked on a road, Ding Shaoguang said to Yujuan, "Baby, go back, send you a thousand miles, and you must say goodbye in the end." ”

But Yujuan shook her head, kept silent, and continued to walk forward.

The two walked for more than ten miles, and Ding Shaoguang saw that Yujuan was carrying the big bag very heavy, so he wanted to grab it and carry it himself. But Yujuan refused to let go. There was no way, Ding Shaoguang had to let her continue to carry it.

In this way, they sent one ride after another, and each time they were sent, they were closer to the county seat, and the time for them to break up was faster. Unconsciously, it is not very far from the county seat. So, Ding Shaoguang wanted Yujuan to go to the county town for a meal and then go back. It was already one o'clock at noon when I came to the county seat. Yujuan was afraid that Ding Shaoguang was not familiar with the county seat, so she took him to the bus station first. They saw that the bus from Jinghong to Kunming departed at 8 o'clock the next morning, covering a total of 763 kilometers and taking more than 40 hours. Yujuan helped him find a small hotel on the street and arranged for him, and then the two came to a small restaurant on the street and had lunch together.

After eating, Ding Shaoguang asked Yujuan to stay and go back the next morning. Because it was already two o'clock in the afternoon, if you want to rush back, you will not be home until ten o'clock at night at the earliest. Therefore, he was afraid that it would not be safe for her to walk alone at night.

However, Yujuan didn't tell her parents that she was going to send him to the county seat when she went out, so she was afraid that her parents would not see her go home, so she would be very worried. So, she told him that she was not afraid, and then, taking his hand, holding back tears, said to him, "You must come back early!" Then, turning around, wiping tears with her hands, she walked away quickly, and soon disappeared into the vast crowd.

Looking at Yujuan's distant figure, Ding Shaoguang felt that his wife was so good, and in the future, he must use double his affection to thank her and repay her. (To be continued.) )