The Woman in the Mountains (novella) Zhang Baotong

Qiao Ling plucked a piece of grass from the grass next to her, and while looking at it in front of her, she said, "When my child was four years old, my husband worked in the city. One night, when it was getting dark, I was in the house changing my clothes when suddenly someone grabbed me by the waist from behind. I was startled, screamed, and asked who it was. He laughed and said it was me. When I heard that it was him, I was very annoyed and shouted loudly, let go. However, instead of letting go, he kissed me on the cheek. With all my might, I broke away from his hand, turned around and slapped him. He was a little annoyed, and while covering his face, he gritted his teeth and said to me, "What about slapping people in the face?" I said just hit you in the face? Who told you to be shameless? And then he shouted for him to get out. And he left in a rage.

Later, I once rode a bicycle to the market, and I was carrying 30 catties of wheat in the back of the car, and I wanted to take it to the market to exchange some money for some clothes. However, the tires blew out when the car was halfway down. I was so anxious that I could only push the cart on a hot day. After a while, he happened to come by riding from the opposite side, and when he saw that my car was broken, he gave me his car and pushed my car to someone else's house to repair it. When I got back from the market town, he had already fixed it and was waiting for me on the side of the road. I was so embarrassed that I apologized to him that I shouldn't have punched him in the face that day. He said to me, "There are more women I have embraced, and there is no one as powerful as you who dares to hit me in the face." I said I let you go, why don't you let go, if you let go, I won't hit you. But he said that you women are all hypocritical, if you want to hug her, hug her, kiss her, touch her, she will make a very ashamed appearance, not let you hug, not let you hug, not let you kiss, not let you touch, but if you go to hug her, hug her, kiss her, touch her, she will fall into your arms all at once, whatever you do to her. However, I didn't expect you to be different from others, so powerful. I smiled at him and said, "Now you know me." ”

At this point, Qiao Ling shook the long hair scattered in front of her back, her eyes were shining, and she continued to speak, "One day a few days later, it was raining heavily, and it was also dark, and that Guiping came again. At that time, he did not bring an umbrella and his entire clothes were soaked. He said he had come to borrow an umbrella. So, I brought him an umbrella and handed it to him. Moreover, I also found my husband's clothes for him to change into. I thought he would leave immediately, but the rain kept falling heavily and it was getting darker. I had to leave him for dinner. After dinner, the rain continued to fall. I can't rush him out quickly. When it was already dark, he suddenly pleaded with me pitifully, saying, "I don't want to go home in this heavy rain, so I will stay with you tonight?" I said that if you don't go home, your daughter-in-law will ask you tomorrow, how can you answer? He said that he would play mahjong at someone else's house. I looked out the door, and the rain wouldn't stop for a while, and it was dark and quiet outside, so I bolted the door. By this time, the child was already asleep, so I asked him to sleep on the cot next to him, but he said that he wanted to sleep with me. I thought about it and let him sleep with me. ”

Listening to Qiao Ling's words, I was surprised, because most people don't tell others about their privacy. However, Qiao Ling didn't treat me as an outsider, and it didn't seem to be a shame for her, but a natural thing. Perhaps there is a saying that the more strangers you are, the closer your heart will be. There are secrets that can never be told to those closest to oneself, but can be told to strangers. And strangers can easily become their most trusted and dearest people.

I said, "Did you sleep once?" she shook her head, smiled slightly, and said, "People are emotional creatures, and when you have feelings, you will always want to be together." Later, he came four or five more times during the night. We didn't talk to each other until my husband came back from the city. I said, "Do you miss him very much?" Qiao Ling said, "At first, I thought about it a little, but after a long time, I forgot about him." We women are different from you men, you men are so attentive that they can't sleep all over the world. But if we don't love a man, we won't let him come near me. However, once you fall in love with a certain man, you don't want to be with another man again. If I don't break off contact with Na Guiping, I will always think about him in my heart, and I will have no feelings for my husband. ”

Then she asked me, "Have you ever had a woman you love?" and I certainly loved other women, but they all left quickly, and we didn't have such a relationship. But I still said to her, "No, because we are in contact with people in our unit every day, and the ambiguous relationship between people in our unit can easily turn into scandals." If there is an affair between colleagues, it is not good to stay together. She looked at me and believed me. She said, "You all got married after falling in love, unlike when I got married, I didn't know what love was." So, sometimes I always want to make up for this lesson, but no matter what I do, it seems that I can't make up for it. ”

The two of us walked side by side by the woods at the top of the hill like lovers, and people kept looking at us in the distance. We looked at the scenery as we walked. Qiao Ling said, "I don't know how many times I have visited these places, but I have never felt that the scenery here will be so beautiful." I said, "Because you walk with people who love to see the scenery, you also have the mood to see the scenery." Qiao Ling said, "With the person I like, it feels different, as if the air is full of love." ”

We watched as we turned, and then we followed the path on the side of the hill back to the door of Qiao Ling's house. Qiao Ling said to me, "My cousin came today and didn't take you to see the scenery. Let's go back tomorrow. I said, "Okay." I'm going to be here for two or three days. ”

At this moment, Qiao Ling's sister-in-law came over and said to her, "Your brother came over just now, and I didn't find you when I talked to you." He said that your father will bring Jiancheng and your sister over tomorrow for a family banquet. I want you not to go out tomorrow, but to go to Jianjia's house for lunch with them. Qiao Ling asked, "When did you come back?" said the sister-in-law, "I said that I only came back from Gansu today." I'm staying at your mom's house today, and I'm going to come with your dad tomorrow. Qiao Ling said, "Got it." ”

After my sister-in-law left, Qiao Ling said to me, "I'm afraid I won't be able to take you to see the scenery tomorrow." My dad is going to bring someone over to marry my sister. I'm going to have to go with that, too. I asked, "Is it far away?" she said, pointing to the mountain opposite, "not far away, on the back side of this mountain." I said, "Otherwise, tomorrow I will go to the mountain beam alone to see the scenery, and you will go to your sister's wedding banquet." But Qiaoling turned her face gloomy for a moment and said, "But I want to be with you, or shall we go back the day after tomorrow?" I hesitated for a moment and said, "It's okay, but my family will come tomorrow, and I'm not right with you?" Qiaoling said, "What's the matter? ”