Since Da Zhu's mother moved out to live, Da Zhu's daughter-in-law did not let Da Zhu go to her mother's courtyard at all. Dazhu has a cowardly personality and can't resist his daughter-in-law, so he acquiesces. Therefore, all year round, Dazhu only cares about his own small business, except for occasionally secretly sending some food for his mother and brother to taste rare, and his mother does not come here on weekdays.

Dazhu's daughter-in-law is in charge of the family business alone, and Dazhu's business is smooth, but he also saves some money. Dazhu's daughter-in-law does not worry about food and clothing, does not worry about spending money, has nothing to worry about, what is what, compared to the surrounding village women and neighbors, she feels that she is very decent, the only regret is that she has not had a child so far.

Although it is hard, but the peaceful life is what Dazhu Niang expects. Although her daughter-in-law did not do well, she finally had no worries about Dazhu in her heart. She just wants to live in peace, pull Erzhu up, and make him a family, and she will have no regrets in her life.

However, this peaceful life lasted less than three or five years, and when Erzhu was about ten years old, unforeseen circumstances enveloped this miserable family again.

One morning in early autumn, Da Zhu Niang was cleaning up the housework in the courtyard, and Erzhu was still lying on the bed. When he bent down to take something, he suddenly felt a heat in his heart, his eyes were black, and he vomited a mouthful of blood. Wheezed, shook a few times and fell to the ground, knocked over some pots and pans, and the clanging sound woke up Erzhu. After a while, Erzhu came out of the house with his eyes rubbed.

Seeing his mother who fell to the ground, and there was a pool of blood, Erzhu ran over with a scream, pounced on his mother, and cried desperately while shaking: "Mother, mother, wake up, mother, mother, what's wrong with you......"

Erzhu's cry was very miserable, and it spread far away in the village in the quiet early morning, and after a while, several nearby neighbors rushed over.

"Erzhu, what's wrong with your mother?"

"yes, what the hell is going on."

"There's still blood, isn't it a broken head......"

"Spit blood, you see there is still blood foam on the side of the mouth, there is no external injury." People are talking a lot about it.

"I don't know what's going on, when I get up, my mother is lying on her stomach here." Erzhu said while crying.

"Carry it into the house first, go and give the pillar a squeak, and then you can only count on him. Then I went to invite the old Chinese medicine doctor in the east of the village and asked him to take a look. "The sensible neighbors are busy directing everyone to help deal with it.

Everyone carried Da Zhuniang to the kang in the house and settled down. Several zealous women washed towels and wiped the blood off her face. Da Zhuniang's eyes were closed, her face was sallow, her gray hair was unkempt on her head, and she only breathed faintly, proving that she was still struggling on the edge of life.

"Mother, mother, what's wrong with you...... As soon as Dazhu heard the messenger, he hurriedly rushed over. Seeing that his mother was dying, he couldn't help crying. The two pillars on the side looked at their mother and burst into tears.

"Everyone, get up, let let, flash and let Dr. Xu pass." Someone shouted outside, it turned out that Old Chinese Medicine Xu had been invited.

After looking at it and asking, the old gentleman also shook his head.

"Dazhu, I might as well tell you the truth, you should be prepared." The old Chinese medicine doctor said slowly, "Your mother's disease is a chronic disease, and it can't be treated in time because of hard work, and it will eventually become a big problem." Now the pulse is weak, and the essence is completely empty, like the oil is running out of the lamp. According to my ability, I am powerless to return to heaven, you must be prepared. ”

Everyone was stupid when they heard it, they were very kind people on weekdays, and it wouldn't work if they couldn't say it. Creation makes people, which is too unacceptable.

When the brothers heard this, they couldn't stop crying sadly. No matter how much the crowd persuaded them, they couldn't stop crying.

"Oh, oh—" Suddenly, Da Zhu Niang woke up, and a faint sound came out of her throat.

"Mother, mother-" Dazhu and Erzhu hurriedly came to the mother's bed and shouted loudly.

"Erzhu, Erzhu, come here, mother take a look-", Dazhu Niang called Erzhu in a weak voice; "Dazhu, I haven't seen you for a long time." Seeing that Dazhu was also there, he said a word with great effort, and a big tear rolled out of the corner of his eye.

Da Zhu Niang's eyes swept towards everyone, wanting to greet everyone, but she couldn't raise her head or raise her hands at all, so she only nodded hard at everyone.

Everyone was sad and sad when they saw it, and a few women couldn't stop crying.

Da Zhu Niang stared at the two brothers quietly, looked at them for a while, and almost tried her best to say: "Take care of Erzhu ......." Da Zhu Niang then gasped desperately for a few breaths, tilted her head, a wisp of blood flowed from the corner of her mouth, and slowly closed her eyes.

"Mother, mother, mother......" Erzhu pulled his mother's clothes and shouted desperately, Dazhu tears rained down, and everyone couldn't help but sigh.

With the help of everyone, Dazhu held a funeral for his mother; Although Dazhu's daughter-in-law was reluctant, under the pressure of the clan and the neighborhood, she still let Erzhu come to the house.

With the arrival of the second pillar, Dazhu's daughter-in-law thought that she was raising a person for nothing, and she was burdened, and she suffered a great grievance, and she kept holding her breath in her heart. Therefore, his attitude towards Erzhu is extremely cold, and he eats three meals a day, and tries his best to make things difficult for him.

"Let's call Erzhu to eat." Dazhu is going to call the second brother for lunch. Teenage kids are at the age of crazy play, and as soon as they run out, they forget to go home for dinner.

"You sit down for me, it's still merit to play crazy and run crazy. You have to be invited to eat, and if you don't come, you won't eat. Dazhu's daughter-in-law scolded.

"I'd better call him." Dazhu got up and wanted to call the second brother.

"You dare! Don't scream, don't eat a meal and don't starve to death. ”

Dazhu had no choice but to sit down obediently.

"Sister-in-law, why is there only half a bun and half a bowl of rice left?" Erzhu went home and saw that there was only so little food left, and he felt a little unhappy that it was not enough.

"Doing less." My sister-in-law replied angrily.

"I won't do more!" Because he always couldn't eat, Erzhu felt wronged and argued. "Do more, do more, and don't come here sooner next time." The sister-in-law's roar was accompanied by a heavy slap, which made Erzhu timidly shut up.

In the days to come, the food cooked by my sister-in-law and Erzhu caught up in the shadows, and Erzhu couldn't catch up with the meal. Needless to say, if you go home late, you can eat a limited amount when you go home early, saying that children don't work, and it's useless to eat too much. Either there is a shortage of food and rice at home, and you must learn to save and live.

Therefore, Erzhu always felt that he could not eat enough. Although his mother is gone, his brother and sister-in-law are the closest people in the world. But living such a day with his eldest brother and sister-in-law, Erzhu really didn't feel how good it was, he felt indescribably depressed and depressed, and after a long time, he felt that it was a kind of torment.

In fact, even so, Dazhu's daughter-in-law can't tolerate this younger brother. After barely enduring it for more than two months, Dazhu's daughter-in-law found an errand for Erzhu as a restaurant man. said that he wanted Erzhu to experience and learn some skills, so he sent Erzhu out of the house and went to work as a partner in a restaurant in the town.

In the restaurant, you can have a full meal, no longer have to look at your sister-in-law's scary face, and you don't have to suffer from your sister-in-law's troubles. Therefore, Erzhu is very comfortable and diligent here. Time flies so fast, five or six years have passed in a flash. In the past few years, Dazhu has been able to take a look at his brother every other month. As for the sister-in-law, how can she remember this brother? Although Erzhu is lonely, he still feels very happy compared to the days when he was wronged at home.

It's a pity that Erzhu's "good days" didn't last forever. One night, the owner of the restaurant got drunk, and he didn't know what he ignited, and caught fire, burning the restaurant to the ground, and the owner was also buried in the fire. Although Erzhu picked up a life, he ended up penniless; The restaurant is gone, and of course Erzhu has nowhere to go.

There was really nowhere to go, there were wars and wars outside, so Erzhu had to go back to the home he really didn't want to go back to.

"The second brother is back." Dazhu saw the second brother and hurriedly pulled into the house.

"Yo, Erzhu has made a fortune and come back." Dazhu's daughter-in-law raised her eyebrows and said in a weird manner.

After five or six years, Erzhu has now grown into a strong young man. He didn't have a good impression of his sister-in-law, and when he saw her banter like this, he didn't make a sound, just stood there and twisted his head to the side.

"Your sister-in-law is joking with you, don't care. Come sit down and rest, if you haven't eaten, brother will get you some food. Dazhu was busy letting Erzhu eat.

Dazhu's daughter-in-law saw Erzhu enter the house, and her heart was blocked. I simply came out of my house and went out on the street. Although it is not a large market town, there are still a few merchants.

When I came to the street, I suddenly saw a group of people talking around a piece of paper on the wall, so I crowded forward to see the excitement.

It turned out to be a conscription proclamation, a strong man can get 20 silver dollars as a soldier, and he is willing to sign up on the table next to him and cash in the reward on the spot.

When Dazhu's daughter-in-law heard the twenty silver dollars, her eyes suddenly lit up, and she had an idea of killing two birds with one stone.

After asking the reason, she hurriedly came to the table next to her, registered for Erzhu, signed a pledge with the security chief, received twenty silver dollars, and made an appointment to report to the security chief before noon tomorrow.

Dazhu's daughter-in-law carried the silver dollar, took a small turn on the street, bought some wine, meat and dishes, thought of the rhetoric, and rushed home.

"Ouch, Brother Erzhu, it's rare for you to go home. Sister-in-law, I bought you some wine and food, and you and your brother have a drink. Erzhu listened to his sister-in-law's sweet and greasy voice, and felt unspeakably uncomfortable, but he still said politely: "Trouble sister-in-law." ”

"What are your plans for the future?" After listening to Erzhu's story, Dazhu, who was half-drunk, asked casually.

"Brother, how can there be a good way out of this troubled world, I have no strength and nowhere to go." Erzhu is also worried about his future livelihood.

Seeing that the time had come, Dazhu's daughter-in-law raised her eyebrows, smiled and added a glass of wine to Erzhu, and said, "I have a way out, I don't know if Brother Erzhu is willing." ”

"What's your idea?" Dazhu asked with some confusion.

"Can't you let the Erzhu brothers go as soldiers? If the brothers can be mixed with one official and one half-job, won't we also have something to rely on? Dazhu's daughter-in-law squinted at Erzhu.

"No, no, that's too hanging, it's just a joke." Dazhu waved his hand and disagreed.

Dazhu's daughter-in-law was a little impatient when she heard this, she pushed the wine jug and stood up, looked at Erzhu, who bowed his head and was silent, and gritted her teeth and said: "When you are a soldier, you have food and salary, maybe you will make another meritorious service, and then you will have everything." How do you know that the Erzhu brothers don't want to go? You chirped first. ”

Seeing that Dazhu and Erzhu bowed their heads and didn't talk, Dazhu's daughter-in-law shouted again: "If you don't go to be a soldier, you have no way to go, you can be an old lady at home!" The old lady didn't have the leisure to serve. After that, he turned around and left, "Hey, let me tell you, I signed up with the village chief, and they also gave you a reward, otherwise, where will you get the spare money for drinking." After speaking, he lifted the curtain and went into the back room.

After listening to his sister-in-law's words, Erzhu understood what his sister-in-law meant. Looking at the wine and food in front of me, I felt uncomfortable like a knife, is this a catch wine? This is clearly a table of guillotine wine. Thinking back to his past experience with his mother, he knew that this heartless sister-in-law would not let him stay at home. He looked at his brother who looked helpless, and his heart calmed down.

"Brother, I'm going to be a soldier." Erzhu said quietly.

"Brother, brother, look at this thing......" Dazhu muttered for a long time, but didn't say anything.

Erzhu didn't say anything more, just drank glass after glass until he was so drunk that he fell asleep on the table. Dazhu shook his head with a bitter face, picked up a piece of clothing and draped it over Erzhu's body.

Early the next morning, the chief of security came to ask for someone. Erzhu didn't even bring a change of clothes, but quietly turned around and said to the eldest brother: "Brother, I'm leaving, you take care." "I went with the security chief.

Dazhu and his daughter-in-law are still living their distant lives. It's just that the big pillar couple who have a lot of money on hand are becoming more and more narrow-minded and selfish, and they can't get some light when dealing with people, but they can't stand the slightest grievance, so they have a treacherous and insidious reputation in the mouths of the villagers. However, Heaven sometimes perfects those who are treacherous and sinister. No, the Dazhu couple, who regard wealth as their life, are greedy for a good thing.

A distant aunt of Dazhu's family, who has been widowed for decades, has only one daughter named Chunling under her knees. The daughter grew up and married into a neighboring village, and there was only such an old lady left.

Seeing that she was getting old, Mrs. Li remembered that she had no one to send her to her after a hundred years, and her daughter had no one to rely on. asked the clansmen to testify, and promised to let a person recognize his daughter's relatives with his own wealth and house. If you talk about distant relatives, the Dazhu family is the closest to Mrs. Li's family, so of course you have to ask the Dazhu couple about this matter first.

Dazhu's daughter-in-law went to Mrs. Li's house and knew that Mrs. Li had some wealth, so she immediately agreed when she heard this. But this woman has her own plans: she can ask for things, but she doesn't plan to take care of things.

Mrs. Li has been frugal all her life, and she has been taking care of her for many years, and she is not a rich family, but it can be regarded as a good family business. In the old days, rural girls were outsiders when they got married, and when they came back to inherit the property and family business, they would be excluded and made difficult by the clansmen; And if there is no one in the family of the married girl, she will also be despised and bullied by her husband's family. That's why Mrs. Li made this decision, which now seems a little puzzling.

Because they are close relatives, they found the patriarch and guarantor, and after the Dazhu couple swore and cursed to promise, the matter was agreed upon: a hundred years after Mrs. Li, Dazhu will go to the grave and write a tablet for Mrs. Li during the New Year's holidays, and Mrs. Li's daughter will walk around with Dazhu's family as her mother's home.

There were unforeseen circumstances, and in the early autumn of that year, Mrs. Li was bedridden with a cold. The daughter was undressed and waited for more than half a month, but the old lady still left the West. Dazhu helped to arrange the funeral for Mrs. Li, and then found a guarantor to collect the key to Mrs. Li's house, which can be regarded as officially taking over Mrs. Li's family business.

Chunling is also an honest woman, she just thinks that she is finding a place to go to her mother's house and finding a family member for herself to rely on, and she doesn't think much about it. According to the rules of the countryside, after three days of mourning, you should go to the grave to worship and add some new soil, which is called "round grave" in the countryside. In the countryside, the "round grave" is a big event, and there are many exquisitenesses; For example, the family must make some dumplings with their close relatives and bury some around the grave during worship, as if to give food and sacrifices to the deceased, and this custom is still the same today.

In a blink of an eye, the time for the "round grave" came, because she wanted to make some dumplings in front of the round grave, Chunling rushed from her in-law's house early in the morning with a basket.

The old mother is gone, and now everything has to count on Brother Dazhu. So Chunling brought the gift and went straight to Dazhu's house. When I came to Dazhu's house, I saw that the courtyard door was locked; Chunling wanted to "round the grave" today, whether everyone was in her own yard, so she rushed to her door, but it was still General Tie who guarded the door.

Chunling wondered if Brother Da Zhu had something to do and happened to go out at this time, and felt that he would have to come back after a while. For such a big thing as giving his mother a round grave, he won't forget it. Chunling put her things down, sat on a bluestone slab next to the door of Dazhu's house, and waited for Dazhu to come back.

"Lingni, this is here to round your mother's grave."

"Has Chunling eaten?"

"Sister Ling came strangely early." ……

Neighbors who passed back and forth greeted each other with concern.

After a long time, looking at the sun rising in the middle of the day, Chunling felt a little anxious.

"Second uncle, have you seen the people from Brother Dazhu's family?" Chunling finally couldn't help but walk to the corner of the street to inquire.

"Dazhu and his family went out of the village early in the morning to catch up with the market to do business." Someone next to him answered.

"Okay, I'll give my mother a round grave today...... Chunling said and pursed her lips, almost not crying.

"Hey, Lingny, don't count on the big pillar. It's not clear who the two of them are. Neither mother nor brother can ......"

As soon as he mentioned this, the second uncle was indignant.

"This is bullying no one in my family-" Chunling finally couldn't hold back her tears.

In the midst of everyone's consolation, Chunling carried a basket and a bag and dragged a borrowed shovel to round the grave for her mother alone.

When she came to her mother's grave, Chunling felt aggrieved, threw her things away, and knelt down and cried loudly. This burst of crying, crying until the wind is gloomy, and the sun and the moon are dark. After a long time, Chunling came to her senses, put some food on the table as a sacrifice, prayed, turned some paper money, and then shed tears while adding soil to her mother. Chunling was really angry that Dazhu and his wife were so shameless and treacherous, and cursed at her mother's grave: "Mother, if you have a spirit in the sky, you must not let go of this animal dressed in human skin!" Let his family not live in peace. After that, a whirlwind suddenly blew around Chunling, circling Chunling several times and never disappeared for a long time.

The two of them rushed to the market, which was the woman's plan. They just let Chunling, who came to the round grave, eat a closed door, let her know the difficulties and retreat, and don't trouble them again in the future. Nowadays, as villagers, they can see it very clearly, obviously this is the real estate and family business that dominates others. Dazhu knew that this was against his conscience, but out of greed and fear, he acquiesced. R1058