Ming Fang followed Zhang Meiman into the door of Zhang's courtyard, and saw that the wooden gate was mottled and scattered, and an iron lock was hung on it. Compared to the memories of the original owner when he was a child, the house is even older. In the courtyard, there are a few farm tools and a few bundles of sticks and straws erected against the wall. There is a pigsty on the west side, and there are no pigs, and the pigsty is empty.

There are three adobe houses, the middle is a hall house, there are two pots on the left and right, the north wall is a noodle jar, a big kang in the east house, where the grandmother and the younger brothers and sisters live, and the west house lives the two uncles and sons Sibao.

The uncle led Mingfang straight to the East House. I saw Mrs. Zhang, who was in her sixties on the kang, lying under the quilt, and a few children from Brother Lai, Brother Qiu, and Sibao were making a fuss on the kang.

A two-section old board cabinet against the wall. There were bowls on the board cabinet, and an old radio. The radio catches Mingfang's attention.

Zhang Meiman asked in a deep voice, "What about your mother and your sister?"

When someone came to the house, several children immediately quieted down, looked at Mingfang, and the second brother slipped out to the edge of the kang to find shoes: "Mother and sister went to collect firewood." ”

"Brother Lai, Brother Qiu, Sibao, call Sister Fang!"

The two girls were about six or seven years old, and Sibao looked like he was four or five years old, and Sibao took the lead and called Sister Fang.

The old lady opened her mouth and whimpered, unable to say a word, and looked anxious.

According to the memory of the original owner, when she was a child, she came to her grandmother's house to visit a lot of relatives, and at that time there were no children in her uncle's house, and she was very favored when she came, and her grandmother always wanted to make something delicious and asked her to eat. Grandpa knew medical skills and sometimes taught her some medical knowledge.

Ming Fang was also distressed when she saw the old lady like this. She put the things she brought on the board, and handed over two catties of pork to her uncle, Zhang Meiman saw it and said, "You girl, what are you doing with this money!" Seeing that the New Year was approaching, and she was worried about how to celebrate the New Year, Zhang Meiman hurriedly took the meat outside and hung it on the freezing.

Ming Fang opened the two paper bags, and Brother Lai, Brother Qiu, and Sibao's eyes immediately straightened.

Sugar cubes!

They have seen it with adults when they go to the supply and marketing cooperatives, and they have also seen others eat it, but they can't easily eat it.

Ming Fang grabbed a few Jiang rice sticks and handed them to Sibao, who took them and stuffed them into his mouth, chewing them with a clattering sound.

Mingfang called grandma at the old lady, and the old lady whined and kept nodding, knowing in her heart that she couldn't say it, and she couldn't be anxious.

Mingfang took off her shoes and went to the kang, went to the old lady, picked up her left arm, asked the old lady to make a fist, and clenched her fingers, Mingfang felt that the other party's left hand was powerful. Asked her right hand to repeat this action, her right hand obviously did not obey the call, and shook her right leg, checked her eyes and mouth, and preliminarily diagnosed that the old lady had a cerebral thrombosis, which is what people usually call hemiplegia.

Mingfang jumped off the kang, and Zhang Meiman asked her, "What's the situation, do you have to go to the hospital quickly?"

Ming Fang shook his head: "I have to hurry up the treatment." Uncle, you go find a small cart, I'll take grandma away, and you'll take care of grandma's treatment. ”

Ming Fang said as she took out ten yuan from her pocket and stuffed it into the other party's hand: "Uncle, it's almost the New Year, take this money." ”

Ten yuan in this era is equivalent to hundreds of yuan in the twenty-first century, and it is enough to buy something during the New Year, not to mention that Ming Fang also weighed two catties of pork.

Since the beginning of winter, she has been seeing a doctor for her mother intermittently, and the only little savings have been spent early, and the family is really difficult, Zhang Meiman held ten yuan, and her eyes were red: "Fang girl, my uncle borrowed you." ”

Ming Fang smiled indifferently: "It was given to my uncle by my mother, so I don't have to return it." Oh yes, you have sorghum ears at home, right? When grandma goes to my house, you have nothing to do to tie a sorghum broom, will you?"

Zhang Meiman nodded: "I will, the one used at home is what I pierced." ”

"Okay, let's start tying it tonight, if you don't have many ears of sorghum at home, you can change it to your neighbors, and tie thirty first. ”

"What the hell is that thing for?"

"I'll sell it for you. ”

"Ouch, Fang girl, what should people do if they see us selling things and say that we are engaged in the tail of capitalism?"

"Uncle, you also saw it in the town today, isn't it okay for people to sell eggs and straw?" Ming Fang knew that he was timid, "The country's policy is now liberalized, called reform and opening up." ”

Waiting for Zhang Meiman to borrow a small cart, wrapped in a quilt and carried her to the cart, Aunt Jiang Guiping and adopted daughter Zhang Changdi came back, Jiang Guiping's basket was filled with sticks and stubble picked up from the ground.

Jiang Guiping saw that Mingfang was pulling her for a while, and he couldn't stop wiping his tears.

It's cold outside, so it's inconvenient to say more. Several children clamored to follow, Zhang Meiman shouted with a calm face and stayed at home honestly, the cat's waist pulled up the car, and Mingfang followed out of the door of Zhang's courtyard.

......

There were a few more days of exams, and Mingli had studied very tightly, so he went to find Fang Yuan after breakfast. The two of them studied together, Fang Yuan was a high school graduate, and he was equivalent to reviewing. Revision is much easier than learning in a new way. The first volume of Ming Lixue, Fang Yuan will review the next volume, so that Ming Li can't understand it, if you don't understand it, please consult Fang Yuan, Fang Yuan just reviewed it, and the content is familiar and easy to teach.

Fang Yuan had just received a letter from his mother, saying that his father had seen much lighter after taking the medicine, his cough was lighter, his chest was not so uncomfortable, and his food was fragrant, and it seemed that he would be almost fine after taking the medicine for a few more days. Fang Yuan was very happy to read the letter, and Fang Tou moved a stone with ease.

He said that thanks to Mingfang, his mother sent ten yuan with the letter, and with the money, he threatened to invite Mingfang to the town's restaurants. Laugh sensibly.

Fang Yuan hadn't seen Ming Fang these days, he seemed to be casually asking Ming Fang what he was doing, Ming Li told him that his sister had gone to the forest farm or the town. Fang Yuan's mind conjured up the busy petite figure.

While the two were laughing, did they hear a woman outside shouting that Fang Yuan was there?

The two put down their books and came out, and it turned out to be Hu Lingling, a female intellectual, who was transferred to work in the commune, Hu Lingling stood at the door of the house with a square headscarf around her head and her hands.

Fang Yuan hurriedly went to the house and asked her: "Hu Lingling, come into the house!"

Hu Lingling's face was gloomy, she glanced at Mingli, Mingli nodded at her, she smiled politely, and went straight into the room to sit down.

"Fang Yuan, it has just snowed heavily, I think you may not have worked, come and see you. ”

Fang Yuan poured a cup of hot water and put it in front of her, and sat down opposite her: "It's that I didn't work." Lingling, how are you doing?"

Hu Lingling looked around the room, expressionless: "There's nothing good or bad." Anyway, there is no hope of returning to the city, and it is just a mess every day. ”

"Alas, we are in sympathy with each other, and we are with each other. ”

Mingli looked out the window at the west, and said goodbye to Fang Yuan.

There were only two people left in the house, Fang Yuan and Hu Lingling, Hu Lingling's eyes were red, and she cried: "Fang Yuan, I really can't hold on." Rather than spend my life here, I feel that life is better than death......"

Fang Yuan was helpless when he heard this, and he had to comfort Hu Lingling: "Lingling, don't think too much, don't be too discouraged, the national policy is changing, maybe we will be able to see the moon one day?"

Hu Lingling stared at Fang Yuan, Fang Yuan understood what she was thinking about him, but he didn't feel anything for her.

"Fang Yuan, I like you......" Hu Lingling blushed, finally mustering up her courage.

Facing Hu Lingling's fiery gaze, Fang Yuan's little face appeared in front of him, that little face was so bright and brilliant, with a digging energy that was not afraid of heaven and earth, he even remembered the deliciousness of the crispy sparrows she made.

"Fang Yuan, I ......"

Hu Lingling eagerly approached Fang Yuan, Fang Yuan hurriedly came back to his senses, he smiled guiltily: "Lingling, I'm sorry, I'm ...... I don't want to think about it yet, we are the intellectuals who have been together for the longest time, and this comradeship is very pure, so it's good, don't you say?"

Hu Lingling actually knew that Fang Yuan didn't love herself, and her feelings for Fang Yuan were just unrequited love. Her eyes dimmed, and she shook her head and smiled self-deprecatingly: "Yes...... It's my own passion. Fang Yuan, I wish you all the best and return to the city as soon as possible. I'm leaving. ”

Fang Yuan kept her to eat, Hu Lingling shook her head and left as if she had run away. Fang Yuan stood at the door, looking at her thin figure, his heart sad.

"Fang Zhiqing!"

Fang Yuan was secretly sad, suddenly shouted, turned his head, and saw Li Honghua holding something in his arms, running towards him.