In the afternoon, the sun shines on the windowsill, and there is a kind of warmth that has not been seen for a long time.

Two or three oblique suns came in the hall, mottled and sparse shadows, diffusing the smell of nostalgia, it is normal for the elders in the countryside to reprimand the younger generations, especially the old people in the family, there is no shame or shame.

On the contrary, it will be shameful to talk back.

Especially in front of many old ladies with broken mouths, for example, Chen Maimai next door sometimes quarrels with her mother-in-law, and then is called a shrew behind her back, and there is a "credit" for Aunt Yu here.

Grandma Tang talked for a while, tired, looking at the soybean milk powder on the shelf on the side of the door, she retracted her gaze and asked Wang Qiang's mother, "How much does the soybean milk powder cost?"

"No, not much. Mother replied.

Several old ladies looked at her in unison, "Cheng Lin should have something to say, otherwise she wouldn't have brought things." ”

Grandma Cousin hummed, "What's the matter?" ”

If other things are said in front of everyone, it is nothing, and it is not good to repay debts, seeing his mother's expression of wanting to speak and stopping, Wang Qiang knows in his heart that the popular wealth of Chinese people is not exposed, unlike many people who are afraid that others will not know that they are rich, and they show off their wealth in the circle of friends, and some people even beat their swollen faces and become fat. And now it's a shy and reserved era, others lend you money, you can't pit her in public, right?

But it didn't happen at the right time.

Grandma Cousin took the initiative to ask about the matter again.

Wang Qiang touched his mother's arm, "Mom?"

The mother seemed very hesitant.

In the eyes of Grandma Tang, she thought that Wang Qiang's family had encountered some difficulties, and suddenly hated iron and steel: "If there is any difficulty, you can just say, why are you hiding it?" Then she looked at a few little old ladies, she slapped the back of her right hand twice on the palm of her left hand, "Your in-laws are not able to help you, can I, a barley maker, still help?" Is it to repay the money for the time being, or is it not enough to go to Shanghai to work, and then borrow more? ”

This kind of thing is normal in the countryside, and no one will feel that there is anything wrong, or that Wang Qiang's family borrowing money is not new.

A few old ladies next to her nodded.

Grandpa Cousin, who was not far away, glanced at it and continued to play cards.

Everyone looked at Wang Qiang's mother's face and waited for her to speak.

"Cheng Lin, it's not a shame to talk to you about Barley Mai. ”

"That is, what are you afraid of?"

"Your family's conditions are poor, and it is normal for you to borrow money from Qiangzi for a while and a half. ”

"We all understand, and so do you, Barley Mai. ”

"Yes, Cheng Lin, you see that Xiao Zhong and Zhao Li are not urging you, you are in a hurry. ”

Everyone is gossiping.

The expression on the mother's face gradually changed to a wry smile, and she looked at her son, "Qiangzi." ”

Wang Qiang responded: "Hey." ”

His mother was still worried about fighting for his face, "You come and ...... Forget it, let's wait a minute. ”

Wang Qiang blinked, "Actually, it's not a big deal, just say it." ”

The mother shook her head, "Not very well." ”

Wang Qiang wants to pay off the debt directly, but his mother has always left a little room for others, since she is not very good, he always has to obey his words.

Watching the mother and son play dumb riddles, several old ladies were in a fog and didn't understand what was going on with them.

Suddenly, there was movement at the table.

One of the little old men smoked a low-quality cigarette and coughed, "Ahem...... Ahem, Cheng Lin, ahem, don't be embarrassed, we're not outsiders. ”

Grandma Li made up her words, "If you think it's not good, let's avoid it first?"

Mother hurriedly waved her hand, "No, no, no." ”

Grandma Tang also stopped and signaled to everyone that there was no need to be so troublesome, "You are sitting, what major matter can you avoid or not?"

Grandma Fu said with a pleasant face: "Cheng Lin, everyone cares about you, don't you say who can help you." ”

Wang Qiang looked at seven or eight outsiders, and said in his heart If it weren't for your presence, he would have said it a long time ago.

Indeed, there are some things in the countryside that can't be hidden, if you really see and give a large sum of money to your grandmother, it is estimated that someone will soon say that your grandmother's family is rich and so on, and then she is happy, she is willing to help Wang Qiang's family, it does not mean that she is willing to help other relatives.

Seeing that the mother and son still didn't speak, several old ladies counted down again.

"You're thin-skinned. ”

"It's all poor like this, and you still care about face. ”

"Can face be eaten as food? Your wife is like this, and so are you. ”

Although everyone's words are ugly, there is actually no malicious intent.

Grandma Tang sighed and said to Grandpa Tang, "Xiao Zhong, stop playing cards, let them go back first." ”

"Right away. Grandpa didn't reply, "Wait for me to finish this." ”

Hearing this, the expression on her mother's face became a little anxious.

Originally, I wanted to wait for someone to leave, but I didn't expect Grandma Tang to ask with concern, and a few old mothers said a few words from time to time, and it turned out to be like this.

It seems to have reached the point where the arrow has to be fired.

Wang Qiang took a look at the situation, gritted his teeth, forget it, no matter what my mother thinks or I say, you can't really drive people away, the old mothers have gone from this side, and they can't tell what to arrange behind their backs, but he has learned the power of the people's mouths and gold, and he can be a gentleman, but he can't wronged his mother, right? Wang Qiang must put his mother first.

"Mom. "Wang Qiang doesn't care," I said. ”

The mother pursed her lips and nodded, this time it was rare that she did not stop her son.

Maybe she also knows very well that if she really drives people away, I'm afraid that gossip will fly all over the sky.

"Say it. She said.

Over there, Grandma Li immediately stopped and said, "Don't, it's really inconvenient, I'd better go first." After she finished speaking, she looked at the other little old ladies, "Can you go?" Go to my house for a meeting, my daughter bought me a new dress, take a look at you?"

It can be seen that she is defending Wang Qiang's family.

If there is really something unspeakable, it is better to have fewer people.

Aunt Yu has always liked to watch the excitement, pretending not to understand, shook her head and said, "What do you want to see in the new clothes, I won't go." As he spoke, he also glanced at Wang Qiang's mother.

The other two old ladies also reacted in exactly the same way.

In the end, Grandma Tang said: "It's inconvenient to reveal first, it's inconvenient for me to let them go first, so it's convenient to say it in front of everyone." ”

Grandma Li got up and said, "I'll go first." ”

Aunt Yu pulled her sleeve, looked at Wang Qiang and her mother, her eyes were curious, and she said without giving up: "Why are you in a hurry to leave, Cheng Lin and Qiangzi didn't say that it was inconvenient." If there is really something bad, she will talk about it when she hears it, and many old ladies in the countryside are like this, sometimes they want to sharpen their heads to find out other people's privacy, and then chew the root of their tongues behind their backs.

In fact, everyone present knew that Wang Qiang's family conditions were not very good.

I guess what I want to say today is not a good thing, but the more it is so, the more it will attract them.

"Is it convenient?"

"Just say what you say. ”

Here the grandmother is a little bit waxy, she still doesn't know what the environment of Wang Qiang's family is? The village counts backwards, there have been a few years of poverty that almost can't afford to eat, today I came to the door to say things, it is estimated that there is a big thing, she didn't react just now, now Wang Qiang and Cheng Lin have been in a row for a while, even if she is old and slow-headed, she can see it, so she drove people away: "Why do you ask so much, are you okay at home?"

Aunt Yu pretended to be stupid and said, "It's nothing." ”

Grandma Tang is a little angry, what kind of person, they have all driven you away and still won't leave? Is it necessary to find ways to find out about other people's inconvenient things? Yes, even if you say Cheng Lin two sentences, it is your own family, and there is nothing difficult to say, but your Aunt Yu is not even a neighbor, and there are more than a dozen families between the two families, what are you curious about? No matter what, Grandma Tang must defend her own people.

Wang Qiang didn't have any scruples, glanced at Aunt Yu, and was ready to speak.

Someone rushed ahead, and the grandmother looked at Aunt Yu, and said with a poisonous tongue: "Your father-in-law has been lying in the hospital for a few days, and you are still fine?

Before Aunt Yu, who was so angry that her face turned pale, could say anything, Wang Qiang spoke, "Grandma Tang, there's nothing inconvenient, since everyone wants to know, then I'll say it." ”

Grandma Cousin was stunned, huh? Really said it in front of everyone?

Aunt Yu looked at Grandma Tang, and said in a strange manner: "Look, Qiangzi said that there is nothing inconvenient, and you are still hiding it." ”

Grandma Li, who said that she was going to leave, couldn't stand it anymore, and felt that Aunt Yu was doing a little too much, she couldn't ask others, but she could always ask for herself, so she got up and prepared to leave.

At this moment, Wang Qiang did not hesitate any longer, and said, "Today, my mother and I are here to repay the debt." ”

Grandma Tang was stunned, and looked at the mother and son in surprise, who came to repay the debt? Others don't know, can she still not know how much Wang Qiang's family owes her? In addition to the tuition fee of 15,000, she also owed 500 before, and she was a little suspicious for a while: "Pay off the debt?"

Everyone was a little stunned.

Regarding the fact that Wang Qiang's high school admission score is not enough to pay a lot of money, the village almost knows it, because whether it is money or not, it is already great to be admitted to the third best high school in the county.

It's just started now.

The mother and son actually said that they wanted to repay their debts?

Do you have so much money at home?

It's not just that these old mothers don't believe it, even the three card friends who sit at the card table and the grandfather feel that it is unlikely, and their eyes keep looking over, they estimate that the mother and son will pay back one or two hundred yuan first, and will not pay it all back.

But Wang Qiang was very direct, took out a handful of money from his pocket, and gently stuffed it into Grandma Tang's hand, "Grandma Tang, are you going in and counting points?" ”

Originally, I was surprised enough to hear that I was going to repay my debts, but I couldn't help it, a few old mothers refused to leave, she couldn't really bang people out, but when there was an extra roll of thick banknotes in her hand, Grandma Tang sighed in her heart, knowing that it wasn't a star.

This......

Two thousand dollars owed?

She hurriedly said hello to everyone, then hurried to the bedroom, closed the door, and counted in a whisper.

"One Hundred ......"

"Three Hundred ......"

"Eight Hundred ......"

"Nineteen Thousand ......"

After finally counting, Grandma Tang opened the door and returned to the hall again, her eyes revealing inexplicably complicated.

Aunt Yu asked, "How much did you pay back?"

Grandma Tang said in a strange tone: "It's all back." ”

As soon as the voice came out.

The whole hall became silent.

Aunt Yu sighed and looked at the mother and son.

The others, whether they were playing cards or old ladies, were slightly surprised.

originally wanted to leave, but when she saw that Wang Qiang really wanted to repay her debts, Grandma Li, who was standing on the edge of the threshold, was also slightly stunned.

These people may not know the exact number, but everyone understands that it is at least not less than one thousand five, because they all know that Wang Qiang spent money to buy high school, and it takes one thousand and five to add tuition and miscellaneous fees, and Grandma Tang just revealed that she almost borrowed this number.

Wang Qiang didn't care about everyone's expressions, he only knew that he couldn't let his mother lose face in front of everyone.

I returned the money in public.

I don't think they have anything to chew on behind their backs.

Although he knew that taking out a large sum of money at once might attract people's eyes, and even some relatives might come to him to borrow money, he had already made up his mind to take his mother to Shanghai, and no one with ulterior motives would be found at that time, so he had nothing to scruple about.