The Woman in the Mountains (novella) Zhang Baotong

The next morning, it was a little overcast, as if it was going to rain. At first, it rained a few drops, but it soon stopped. Qiao Ling's husband Fusheng still went out before dawn. As soon as Qiao Ling got up, she changed into a beautiful dress that seemed to be going out, washed her face white, and combed her hair bare. This makes her look very refreshing and elegant.

I went back to Qiao Ling's house from where I slept, Qiao Ling was busy pouring me face water, pouring me water from a cup for brushing my teeth, and asked me how I slept last night. I said it was okay and I fell asleep. During the meal, I said to Qiao Ling, "Otherwise, I'll go out for a walk alone, and I don't want your dad to come over and see me with you." That's not good. But Qiaoling said, "Don't be afraid, you come with me, they still have to have a banquet at noon." I said, "I don't want to join in the fun, your family is married, and you are all a family when you sit together, and I am an outsider." I don't want to bother you. But she still said, "It's okay, in fact, I was fine in the past, my father was talking to the old people about everything, and we were just foils." To go there is to have a meal. And we women don't sit at the table, so we can only stay in the kitchen and eat. Listening to her, I agreed, because I also wanted to see how they made their daughter married in the mountains.

After eating, Qiao Ling and I sat in the house and waited for her father to come over. Qiao Ling said to me, "My mother's family also lives in the opposite mountain. My dad and my husband's dad are brothers. I heard that his father had been kind to my father, so my father promised me to Fusheng when we were very young. We were set to be a baby kiss at that time. I said, "If you don't agree, it's completely renegable, for example, you can not get a marriage license." Qiao Ling said, "I didn't get a marriage certificate, my father got the marriage certificate, she is a staff member of the township government, and the person who issued the certificate is an acquaintance." I said, "He's doing it against the law." Qiao Ling shook her head and said helplessly, "What about breaking the law? He is my father, and I can't sue him." This is in the mountains, not in the city. The life of a woman in the mountains is miserable, and she is not worth much. I have a cousin who got along with a classmate in the same class, but the family thought that the classmate was too poor and didn't agree, so they insisted on finding her a rich family, but my cousin couldn't help her parents, so she committed suicide by drinking pesticides. ”

After a moment of silence, I asked, "Today is to marry your sister, does your sister like people?" Qiao Ling said, "That boy's name is Jiancheng, and he is our mother's neighbor, and their family moved to Gansu more than ten years ago. I remember when our family moved to town, he was only seven or eight years old, naked all day, with a runny nose, and my sister was only five or six years old. Later, their family went to Gansu, his father first worked as a migrant worker on the construction site, and then turned into a regular worker, two years ago, his father retired from the unit in order to let him take over, and returned to his hometown. ”

I asked, "Then what is your sister doing now?" Qiao Ling said, "My sister only graduated from high school last year and is still unemployed at home. She could actually take over my dad's class, but my dad didn't want her to take over and wanted to let my brother take over after his high school graduation in another two years. I said, "So, if your sister marries that boy, she will have to go to Gansu?" Qiao Ling nodded and said, "Then you still need to say?" I said, "Then your sister is willing?" Qiao Ling said, "Our family is all headed by my father, and even my mother's words don't count." At the beginning, my mother didn't agree to let me marry in this mountain, but she couldn't resist my father. ”

I asked, "Is your sister pretty?" Qiao Ling said, "It's okay, but she's not as pretty as me, but she's in high school and better than me." ”

At about ninety o'clock in the morning, I saw a tall man in his fifties wearing a gray kazab tunic walking down the mountain towards Qiao Ling's house with a young man. At first glance, the man looked like a township cadre, and the guy in the back was carrying a big travel bag, presumably a blind date from Gansu.

I said to Qiao Ling, "Is it your father who is here?" and she said, "Yes." I said, "Why didn't your sister come?" she frowned, and said, "yes, but yesterday my brother came and said she was coming, too." I said, "Is it because your sister doesn't have a crush on this guy?" because this guy is not tall, mediocre in appearance, tiger-headed, and a little dark-skinned. Qiao Ling said, "How can I know? Regardless of it, I can't control their business." ”

They came up from the path up the hill and all the way to us. I graciously took out a cigarette and gave it to them. Qiao Ling's father lit a cigarette and glanced at me with a wary gaze, and then asked, "What are you doing?" This tone was very much like the police checking the household registration, which made me feel a little unhappy, I said, "I work in a district education bureau in Xi'an, I know Qiao Ling, and I want to come and see the scenery here." The township cadre looked at me again with a scrutinizing gaze, and then said to Qiao Ling, "Are your in-laws not at home?" Qiao Ling said, "Maybe they are." Qiaoling's father said, "I'll go over and have a look." He didn't say hello to me, but walked with the young man up the hill.

After they left, I asked Qiaoling, "What level of cadre is your father?" she said, "He works as a discipline inspector in the township." I said, "It's a unit-level cadre." "A unit-level cadre in the countryside is so good that he doesn't even look at me, a section-level cadre in a provincial city. It made me feel very uncomfortable. But this idea makes me feel a little dirty, and I never like to compare myself to other people's official positions. The elements of official positions are more sophisticated and sophisticated, and what is lacking is simplicity and sincerity. If people lack simplicity and sincerity, their hearts will easily grow old. When the heart is old, people will become snobbish and sophisticated, the transparent eyes will be clouded by the world, and the vain heart will set up the balance of fame and fortune. However, if you are not worldly and snobbish, you cannot stop the worldliness and snobbery of others. So, at this point, you have to be more open-minded and not let the sophistication and snobbery upset you. Qiao Ling saw my displeasure and said to me, "My dad is like this, he never has a smile when he talks to people, don't care." I said, "He may be afraid that I will abduct and sell you." Qiao Ling said, "Even if you are a liar, I am not a fool." ”

But twenty minutes later, Qiao Ling's father came down from the mountain with the guy again. When he came up to us, I didn't even get up from my stool. Of course, he could sense my disrespect for him, so he said coldly to Qiao Ling, "Let's go now." Then he went down the hill with the boy.

Qiao Ling entered the house and wanted to find a lock and lock the door. I followed her into the house and said, "I'm not going with you, look at your father." He clearly said that I was not welcome. Qiao Ling suddenly put her arms around my neck and said earnestly, "He is the person I hate the most in my life, and he has harmed my life, but there is no way, he is my father." You just ignore him, just stay with me, okay? I don't want you to wander around alone outside. I said, "But your dad doesn't want me to be with you." It's not good for you. Qiao Ling said, "I don't care about him." He loves to be happy or unhappy. I used to do everything because of him, so I hurt myself like this. Actually, I don't want to go over there, but it's not good to go for my sister's sake. Seeing her earnestness, I had no choice but to agree.

Qiao Ling and I followed them from a distance, talking and going down the mountain. When you go down to the path on the side of the mountain, there is a small bridge made of stone slabs. We crossed the bridge to the other side of the stream. On the opposite bank there was a path covered with grass, which turned and went down the hill into a wooded field. Walking further from the path in the forest, out of the woods, I saw several very dilapidated houses hiding in the mountains.