Xia Chun's marriage began at the age of five.

In the late summer afternoon of 1919, the green bricks and tiles, the horse's head wall was deep, the sun was shining, the dense mulberry trees cast a dappled light and shadow, the grass and trees were shady, and a breeze blew from time to time, driving the noisy cicadas in the mulberry trees.

Under the mulberry tree, there is a set of wooden tables and wooden stools, sitting on the father and daughter, the father is an old talent, named Xia Wen, sitting in a precarious position, wearing a long robe, with a sickly face, slightly closed eyes, holding a long ring ruler in his hand, shaking his head and listening to his daughter Xia Chun's recitation of the ninety-nine watch.

"One gets one, one two gets two, one three gets three...... Twenty-two gets two, two-three gets three, two-four gets four......"

Carrying it on his back, Xia Chun's voice became smaller and smaller, but Xia Wen's snoring became louder and louder.

Xia Chun stretched out his little hand and waved it in front of Xia Wen, and after making sure that Xia Wen was asleep, he stuck out his tongue, held a small box, and jumped out of the door with a smoke.

At the same time, a big red sedan chair stopped at the door of Xia's house, and Xia Wen only heard a coquettish shout from outside the door, "Cousin, are you there......?"

Dressed in a long shirt with a stand-up collar of black fragrant cloud yarn, the skirt is embroidered with flying butterflies and elegant orchids, and the jet-black hair is curled into a bun at the back of the head, with only a hosta shallowly inserted on it, setting off the same low-key but atmospheric face.

The person who came was Mrs. Mei.

I saw a pair of slender jade hands wearing jade rings open the sedan curtain, covered their chests, and got off the sedan chair.

The world is bustling, all for profit, the world is bustling, all for profit.

The bazaar is holding the annual "Cricket Fighting Competition" in Qingshuijian, and this year's prize is said to be a genuine painting of Tang Bohu in the Ming Dynasty.

It's just that as soon as her jute head came on the field, she met a bully "birthday head" [2], and she was beaten to the ground just after two rounds.

Xia Chun was sighing, a little beggar who had been watching the battle for a long time in the corner came over, the little beggar looked like he was in his teens, but not as tall as Xia Chun, with a yellow face and thin muscles, dressed in tatters, with a long hara flowing from the corners of his mouth, his clothes were torn into strips, hanging in wisps, and a slender wooden stick was pinned to his waist. But those little eyes were turning slightly, and they looked very bright.

Xia Chun was just about to leave in disgust, but the little beggar suddenly grabbed her and mysteriously took out a rosewood box from his pocket, "Girl, how about a deal?" This king's baby is sure to help you take the lead, and this king is not a greedy person, so you can buy me a few steamed buns to eat on the road." ”

Xia Chun glanced down, and saw that the rosewood was smooth and high-quality, maybe there was something good in it, and he thought he might as well give it a try, anyway, a few steamed buns for a Tang Bohu, he would not lose. He nodded.

The two little hairy children went to the table again, the little beggar opened the sandalwood box, and a small cricket jumped out of it, and when he looked at it, his hind legs were still broken, and it was a crutch cricket, Xia Chun closed his eyes in despair, thinking that this battle was about to be more auspicious, and he covered his face and turned around and wanted to leave.

However, the world is wonderful here, I don't know what tricks the little beggar played, Xia Chun's right foot just raised, then heard a cheer behind him, Xia Chun turned around, only to see the huge "birthday head" under the attack of the crutch crickets of Xiao Bulaji, dying.

Xia Chun's eyes widened, and his left hand had already touched the little beggar's head, and this little female overlord from ten miles and eight towns showed a loving smile.

It didn't take long for the birthday star's head to freeze on the stage.

It's just that the little beggar's crutch cricket, which also seems to have exhausted all his strength, slowly, slowly, heroically fell on the stage in the posture of a victor.

At that time, the little beggar did not expect that this would be a harbinger of his own fate many years later.

The entrance of the steamed bun shop.

Xia Chun held the scroll drawn by Tang Bohu, looked at the little beggar gobbling up, and sneered, "You eat slowly, no one will rob you." ”

"You try not to eat today, I am much more hungry than me," the little beggar touched his nose and didn't finish showing off, "My master is a cricket, so ah, the highest level of this cricket, is no longer a cricket, but this ......."

Xia Chun tilted his head, "Is your master also a beggar?"

The little beggar nodded.

Xia Chun asked again, "What about your master?"

The little beggar's eyes dimmed, "Dead, starving, Master ate the last bite of steamed buns for me." ”

Xia Chun was silent.

After the little beggar finished eating the last bite of steamed buns, he suddenly took out the wood hanging from his waist, stood towards the sky, raised his arms and shouted, "This king is going to join the rebellion and demand the abolition of the 'Twenty-one Articles'!"

Xia Chun didn't know about the vigorous May Fourth Patriotic Movement a few months ago, and asked with an immature face, "What is the '21st Article'?"

The little beggar looked disdainful, "Tsk, you don't even know twenty-one, twenty-one is ......"

As soon as he was about to explain, a man led a few strong men rushed in front of him, "That's them! Little brat! He actually gave Lao Tzu a thousand people! Tang Bohu who deceived Lao Tzu with loose tendons!"

"Oh no! I've been discovered! Run!"

Before Xia Chun could react, the little beggar grabbed Xia Chun's hand, hugged the steamed bun, and threw his legs faster than scuds!

In the end, the two of them escaped by hiding in a big bamboo basket in Headless Alley. The little beggar let Xia Chun hide behind him with one hand, and clutched the small wooden stick with the other, ready to do a big job at any time.

In the big bamboo basket, the bodies of the two people were close together, Xia Chun didn't dare to move, looked at the little beggar quietly, and saw the fluttering Adam's apple on his neck that had just been revealed, and his resolute face, this was the first time she had been so close to a man other than her father.

After the people walked away, the little beggar pushed the lid of the bamboo basket, "It's really hot to death......

The little beggar jumped out of the bamboo basket, stretched out his hand, and kindly prepared to pull Xia Chun out together, but not only did Xia Chun appreciate it, but also grabbed the little beggar's right hand with two hands is to take a big bite, and the little beggar's tiger mouth fell a row of tooth marks.

The little beggar pointed at Xia Chun with his right hand, and screamed bitterly, "Ahh

Xia Chun crossed his waist, pouted, and was serious, "My father said, be honest, how can you deceive people?"

The little beggar touched the bite on his hand, calmed down, and said thoughtfully, "That makes sense." ”

Xia Chun also jumped out of the bamboo basket and patted the little beggar on the shoulder, "You are not allowed to deceive people in the future!

"Good. ”

Xia Chun stretched out his right hand, "Pull the hook hook." ”

The little beggar was not happy, "Pulling the hook is something that only children do, and I am no longer a child!"

Xia Chun simply broke the little beggar's hand, "Hang yourself on the hook, for a hundred years, you must not change!"

The little beggar pouted.

After pulling the hook, Xia Chun made a new request, "Little beggar, send me home!"

The little beggar glanced at Xia Chun and muttered in a low voice, "King Ben is really unlucky today, he met a little shrew!"

Xia Chun glared and asked, "What are you talking about?"

The little beggar smiled flatteringly, "It's nothing, praise you for your beauty." ”

After sending Xia Chun to the door, the little beggar handed Xia Chun the rosewood box, "Okay, you go back, thank you for the steamed buns, this box should be left for you as a souvenir, I will continue on the road, the mountains are high and the rivers are far away, we are destined to meet again." ”

"Where are you going?"

The little beggar wiped his nose, "I'm going to Nanjing first, and then maybe I'm going to Shanghai, I'm going to see the world!"

Xia Chun thought for a moment, took out a small purse embroidered with orchids on his waist, and stuffed it into the little beggar's hand, "I don't have any money, so I'll give you the travel expenses." ”

The little beggar touched the purse, although it was bulging, but when he touched it, he knew that it was just some worthless copper coins, he hurriedly stuffed the purse into his chest, but he still waved his hand, pretending to refuse, "The big husband goes everywhere, how can he ask for a woman's money?"

Xia Chun stretched out his little hand and muttered, "Then you pay me back!"

The little beggar protected his chest, for fear that Xia Chun would come to rob him, "If I don't pay it back, I will buy steamed buns tomorrow!"

Seeing Xia Chun's disgusted face, the little beggar touched his round belly, burped, turned around and put the wooden stick on his shoulder, staggered and turned away, shrouded in a faint moonlight, the little beggar's figure was elongated, lonely and lonely.

Xia Chun suddenly remembered something, and called out from afar, "Hey, what's your name?"

"Lin Dog!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xia Chun heard a long belch again.

Walking through the dim courtyard, Xia Chun looked up at the faint moonlight, estimated that Xia Wen had fallen asleep, and was about to sneak back to the boudoir, but heard a cold and powerful "Stop" from the lobby.

Xia Chun turned his head with a smile and saw Xia Wen sitting in the center of the lobby with a sullen face, and next to him, sat the Mrs. Mei who came during the day, she and Xia Wen were sipping tea, and when they saw Xia Chun coming, a smile bloomed on their faces.

Xia asked with a straight face, "Where have you been?"

"In order to get you a picture of Tang Bohu's authentic painting, I went to fight crickets......"

Xia Chun unfolded the scroll, it is a landscape painting, in the distance is the mountains and mountains, near the pine trees, and a scholar with a bow of his head walking under the pine trees, which seems to be the artistic conception is endless.

Looking at this painting, it seemed that he thought of his undesirable life experience, Xia Wen sighed a few times, and suddenly coughed while holding his chest. Several times in a row, I didn't have to stop.

Xia Chun was anxious, he was really afraid that his father would be angry, so he rushed up, and patted Xia Wen's chest with his little hand, "Dad, don't be angry!"

Finally stopped, Xia Wen glanced at Xia Chun, his voice was not loud, but it was deep and powerful, and it ran through the entire lobby, "In the future, you will follow this Aunt Mei home, I will not have you as a daughter." ”

Xia Chun didn't react, "Why?"

Xia Wen turned his head, "Because you are too stubborn and unsuccessful, my father sold you to Aunt Mei." ”

It turned out that some time ago, Xia Wen learned that he was terminally ill and had no medicine, so he asked his cousin to take care of his daughter.

Mrs. Mei walked over, and was about to hug Xia Chun with both hands, but she pounced.

I saw Xia Chun take two steps back, and his originally crisp voice was filled with a heavy cry, "Sold out?

Xia Wen glanced at the sloppy Xia Chun, and felt uncomfortable, if Xia Chun had a mother in the past few years, he would not have grown up like this, he found a reason randomly, "Because you can't memorize the ninety-nine table, you can't learn well after two months of study, it's too stupid, Dad doesn't like fool daughters, I raised you for five years, I taught everything that should be taught, and I paid back everything I owed you in my previous life, in the future, you stay in Mei's house well, don't come to find Dad, and Dadden won't look for you......"

Xia Chun cried out suddenly, her tears were like pearls with broken threads, she shook her little head desperately, and held Xia Wen's hand tightly with both hands, "Dad, I will memorize the ninety-nine watch, one by one to get one, one to two to get two, one to three to get three...... Twenty-two gets four, two-three gets six, two-four, two-four, two-four, two-four......"

What is Twenty-Four, What is Twenty-Four, What exactly is Twenty-Four?

She searched desperately in her head and couldn't find it, she was so anxious that she couldn't recite it, and she could only keep repeating it in her mouth, and finally she cried so much that she almost broke out.

"Twenty-four, two-four, two-four......" Xia Chun still couldn't pronounce it, she hugged Xia Wen again, her little face was crying white, and she couldn't breathe when she spoke, "Dad, I don't want to leave you, I don't have a mother anymore, I can't live without a father anymore......"

Xia Wen finally pretended to harden his heart and softened, he slowly touched Xia Chun's head, "Actually, Dad doesn't want to leave you, but Dad is like this, cough cough ......"

Xia Wen's blood surged, he took out a handkerchief from his arms, covered his mouth and nose, and in the middle of the handkerchief, a pool of red blood fell.

Mrs. Mei tiptoed her little feet, walked over little by little, hugged Xia Chun, who was crying into tears, in her arms, and took off the jade bracelet on her wrist and put it on Xia Chun's slender right wrist, "Chun'er, my aunt promises you, although you are not my own child, but my aunt will treat your daughter as your daughter in the future." ”

Xia Chun trembled in Mrs. Mei's arms, she didn't know at that time that Mrs. Mei had her own considerations, and she came to pick up Xia Chun because she wanted to take her back as a child daughter-in-law.

Out of nowhere, there were bursts of crickets, one by one, the summer was long, but they could only live this summer, and naturally they all desperately wanted to bloom.

[1] Cricket species.

[2] The finest cricket species are very rare and rare.