Jiangnan Water Town, full of paddy fields, just two days ago after the rain, the dirt road to the village is full of potholes, accidentally raised a piece of sewage.

Zhang Guoqing honked the horn and controlled the speed of the car, and drove for about ten minutes in less than a thousand meters. It didn't stop until it reached the bridgehead at the entrance of the village.

After crossing this stone bridge, it is the hometown of Old Man Jiang.

At this time, the sun is setting, many people on the ground are busy with farm work, and there are many children swimming in the river on both sides of the bridge.

When I saw a military vehicle stopped, they all stopped and looked at them.

Zhang Guoqing got out of the car and waved to the children on the shore. After a while, a boy of seven or eight years old, naked and barefoot, stepped forward.

"Children, do you know where the old man from Jiang Tongsuo from the city lives?"

The little guy nodded and shouted to the friends not far away, "It's a relative of the old grandfather at the east entrance of the village." ”

All of a sudden, a string of children ran to the front of the car, babbling in Mandarin and local dialects to ask various questions.

Under the chatter, Zhang Guoqing could only roughly understand, these children asked if they were from the capital? Or just wait for them to have a ceremony.

At this time, a thin and short man in his sixties came over from the bridge, and before he could ask, he shouted loudly in dialect: "Are you the grandson of the old Jiang family?" Hurry up, I'll be waiting for you. ”

This will Zhang Guoqing understand and let them go over quickly, let Aunt Chen hold Ping'an, and he and Yi Jiefang will carry their luggage and belongings to the bridge.

The old man put his hands behind his back and walked quickly to lead the way in front, followed by Zhang Guoqing and them, asking as he walked. It soon became clear that they didn't understand a lot of the local dialect at all.

He had no choice but to ask again in accented Mandarin: "The dead old man is very stubborn, and the old brother and sister are not as good as day by day, so I asked him to write to his granddaughter, but he said that the child is too busy and does not want you to go back and forth." By the way, what about the Jiang family's daughter? ”

Zhang Guoqing explained: "My daughter-in-law was sent by the leader to do office work, and I couldn't contact her for a while. I had to bring my child first, this is my son. ”

No wonder the old man praised his granddaughter every day. Well, it's good to have a chance. Our village has finally produced capable people. Did you see the locust tree in front of you? That place is. I see that your family is doing well, let him build a better house, but he refuses, he has to have a whole thatched house. Alas......"

Zhang Guoqing looked at the three thatched-roof earthen embryo houses not far away, and he was really angry and anxious. This old man is really good at tossing! As far as he knows, the two old men don't talk about the wages of these years, even his father-in-law has been sending money over.

I don't know what to do with all this money?

"Old man, is there an empty yard in the village to sell?"

"No, I don't have to. A few years ago, after joining the team, several villages lived on the same land. Don't spend that unjust money, find a few people to entertain a few meals, it won't take long, and it will be built soon. ”

After speaking, the old man looked at Zhang Guoqing's hesitant face, and then said, "Are you worried that you don't have time?" Go to the captain, give him money, and he will arrange. ”

Zhang Guoqing nodded. This time, only the old man is left, and he still has to deal with the rest of the matter. I don't know if there are any orphans in this area, so he really has to go to the captain to discuss.

There are three thatched-roof earth embryo houses under the big shame tree with bamboo fences in a small courtyard, and there are several middle-aged and elderly people helping in and out at this time.

Zhang Guoqing took over Ping An from Aunt Chen, put on a small white shirt for him, pinned a green gauze, put on a small white shoe, and then tied a filial piety belt. When tying it, it is also deliberately made that the length of the two ends hanging down is the same.

He can let his son Dai Xiao, but also to thank these two old people for Zhou Jiao, and even more so that as his father-in-law said, let the old man who has no children and no daughters not go too miserably.

When Zhang Guoqing himself changed into a white shirt and white shoes, tied a filial piety belt, and pinned a black gauze and a small red cloth on his arm, the old man Jiang who heard the news was teary-eyed when he saw this.

- He can be regarded as a descendant!

"Grandpa......" Zhang Guoqing stepped forward to help him, and he was short of words for a while. There were many words of consolation, which he could not say. The departure of the wife who depended on each other was half the sky for the old man.

He beckoned to Xiao Ping'an beside him, "Son, call Grandpa quickly." We'll put incense on your grandmother for your mother. ”

Old Man Jiang squatted down, looked at the child kindly, listened to the child's loud voice, and complained to Zhang Guoqing: "Why did the old man take the child far away?" Take the little girl to the house. ”

Ping An took his hand, "Grandpa, I'll accompany you in." My grandfather asked you to mourn, and he said that he and my mother can't come on official business now, and let me represent them. ”

"Good...... How can our good grandson be so good at talking? Are you tired on the way over? Hot or not? Do you want to eat anything......"

Zhang Guoqing watched the old man's spirit recover a lot at once, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he came to take the child this time, and at the critical time, his son was capable.

Watching them enter, Zhang Guoqing asked Aunt Chen to take care of them, he came to a table by himself, and said to a middle-aged man who looked at him curiously: "Uncle, thank you for your hard work, thank you for coming over to help." ”

The middle-aged man hurriedly waved his hand, "It should be." We're your grandfather's distant nephews. ”

"Then I should call Uncle. Uncle, I'm not polite to you. You can call me Xiao Wu, and you just have to tell me what to do next. ”

The middle-aged man smiled when he heard this, quickly restrained his smile, and hurriedly said, "There are many things for you to deal with next." The mourning hall has been set up, and now the Taoist priest is not going to come to chant the scriptures, but the paper money still has to be asked. Take a look, this is the favor of the village, and what the family has prepared, all recorded in this book. ”

Zhang Guoqing was not polite and took a look. I found that in addition to human favors, the amount of things prepared was very small, and the amount of brown sugar on the side was not much.

He learned from Huang Dong that no matter how simple the ceremony was. When a guest comes, drink a bowl of brown sugar water and eat a tofu rice first, these are musts.

After seeing this, Zhang Guoqing whispered to him: "I'll go inside to see my grandmother first, and I have to trouble you to write down what you lack, and I will be ready." ”

"There are many juniors with the same surname in the village, and they read your grandmother's kindness and want to give her filial piety. When the evening gets off work, they'll be over soon, and you can ask them to help you if you have something. ”

Zhang Guoqing raised his eyebrows when he heard this-he didn't ask for any kindness. He took the white cloth and black yarn from Yi Jiefang's hand and put them on the table, and took out fifty catties of national food stamps and fifty yuan from his pocket.

"It's okay to let me go first, I won't need to pay you back. This white cloth is too good to use so much. They will prepare it themselves. ”

Zhang Guoqing shook his head, "This is as it should be." I'll go in first. ”

There is no reason for outsiders to come to Dai Xiao, they are reluctant to have some fabrics. He knew that cloth was rare now, and some people might take a fancy to these white cloth strips, and they would come over to Dai Xiao and change into the homespun cloth, but he didn't care.

If you are particular about people, you won't even want a funeral cloth, for fear of bad luck. That is, in these years, who is willing to be a filial son. It is possible to bury the old man with dignity, which is nothing.

When Zhang Guoqing entered, Ping'an was already under the guidance of Aunt Chen, kowtowed to the old lady's body three times, and used a long incense. He also went in immediately afterwards and drew a scoop according to the gourd.

After finishing everything, Zhang Guoqing asked Yi Jiefang to drive to see his mother-in-law, and brought some brown sugar and some missing things by the way. He saw this situation until tomorrow before going up the mountain, and the father and son would not be able to leave the village.

Sending Yi Jiefang away and arranging for Aunt Chen to take care of the old man and son, Zhang Guoqing began to arrange the funeral with the uncle who was far away.