The fifth

On the day of the New Year, my grandmother and mother made a noon New Year's dinner early. The whole family didn't come back from noon until the sun was in the west, and the dishes were all hot, and they didn't wait for the uncle to come back. Lilac and the second brother went to the village to pick up the water truck twice, and Lilac and the second brother looked disappointed at the people who returned to the village for the New Year, but they didn't see their uncle! The little thing I had eaten in the morning had already been digested, and I couldn't even cross the threshold when I went home hungry for the second time.

When the lamp was in hand, the grandmother said, "Don't wait, maybe your uncle will come back later, let's eat first and keep a portion for him." Lilac and the second brother ate very well that night and were hungry. Grandma and Mom didn't eat much and didn't talk all night.

On the first day of the new year, I didn't go to my uncle's house to pay New Year's greetings as usual, and the family was waiting for my uncle to come back. The sun is in the west again, and my uncle has not come home, so my grandmother and mother are anxious, and they are discussing that tomorrow my brother-in-law will send my brother-in-law to the county seat to see if he comes to visit the New Year.

During the second tea of the junior high school, the brother-in-law and his family brought their little nephew to visit the New Year early, and when they were eating tea, their grandmother told their brother-in-law that their uncle did not come home for the New Year. The brother-in-law was stunned for a moment, and the sister hurriedly said, "You go quickly, so as not to worry about your mother and grandmother."

The brother-in-law hurriedly got up and hurried down the stockade.

From time to time, Lilac and the second brother ran to the intersection to look down the mountain to see if their uncle had returned. By noon, Lilac saw a group of people coming up from the bottom of the mountain, and it was her uncle who was the leader. Now Lilac happily turned around and ran home, and when she crossed the threshold, she shouted, "Grandma, Mommy, Uncle and Uncle are back!!"

Hearing Lilac's shout, grandma and mother hurriedly put down their work and trotted to the door of the earthen wall courtyard to greet her. I didn't see my uncle outside the hospital, only two black holes of guns pointed at my mother and grandmother, and there were a few people with guns at the intersection on both sides of the road. The uncle didn't come, and squatted under the big maple tree next to the ancestral hall with his head bowed and his hands down. At that time, my mother was so frightened when she saw this situation that she sat on the ground.

The leader is still the beard that took my father away last time, the silk clothes he wore last time, and the cotton wo he wore today. It's just that this time I didn't have the kindness of last time, and as soon as I entered the door, I waved my hand and shouted at the soldiers at the intersection: "Search for me, don't run away from the bandit Cao Yushi!" Hearing the word jade, my mother fell to the ground with her hands spread out, Lilac and the second brother hurriedly ran to take care of the mother, and the sister also leaned over to check with her nephew.

At this time, the soldiers at the intersection had already crossed the threshold, completely ignoring the mother who fell to the ground, and one of them even stepped directly over the mother and rushed into the hall. After a long ping-pong search, a few soldiers with guns returned to the courtyard and said to the beard: "Report to Captain Chen, you have found Cao Yushi!" At this time, the beard holding a hand put his hand down, turned his head and said to his grandmother in a slightly fierce tone: "Uncle, I'm bothered!" Your Cao Yong escaped through the Communist Party to rob the prison, and he has been punished on the spot! The suspect Cao Yushi has fled and hidden, if Cao Yushi is found to be home and must not be shielded, he is advised to immediately surrender and be lenient. ”

Hearing this news, the grandmother, who had been strong and resolute all her life, burst into tears, and it took a long time before she slowly said to the beard: "I still call me Uncle Sheng, I am satisfied, but the jade is really coming back, today you are lucky to have a trip, but the captain is annoying to talk about Cao Yong, where to stop now?" At this time, the beard motioned to his subordinates to pour a glass of water, and after drinking the water, his tone was much better: "Uncle, Cao Yong has been engaged in it with me for several years, and he knows the roots, but this time he doesn't know what kind of madness he committed, when Jiang Ye led people to rob the prison, he guarded and stole himself, and also helped the Communist Party open the prison door and let Cao Yushi go - of course, brotherhood is understandable, but there is national law on it." Others are still in the county! After speaking, he bowed his hand to Grandma, and said: "Call someone to get it tomorrow morning, uncle, the nephew eats yamen rice, and I will offend you today!" After speaking, he waved his hand at his subordinates, and all of them took a gun and left. The uncle had been squatting under the tree and had not moved, and walked with them when Luo Feihu arrived at the ancestral hall.

Since then, Lilac has never entered her uncle's house.

After the soldiers left, the brother-in-law looked left and right and came back, and together they helped bring the mother who had moved to the chaise longue back to the house. Half an hour later, relatives and friends of the same clan came, and everyone discussed how to arrange tomorrow.

The next day, just before dawn, my brother-in-law took a group of clansmen to the county seat to pick up my uncle, and the other went to dig a grave in the wasteland on the side of the mountain. A quarter after noon, the brother-in-law and the others carried their uncle up the mountain and returned home, and Sister Lilac had been pulled aside by her aunt of the same clan, and she did not see her uncle dead. At the insistent request of my grandmother, after the processing stopped, my uncle put it into the coffin that my grandmother had prepared for her on her 60th birthday.

Only then was Sister Lilac led by the adults to the coffin to take a look at her uncle. The uncle's open eyes lost the spirit of the past, glowing as gray and white as the eyes of a long-dead fish, and Lilac also took a closer look at his uncle's head, and found that his uncle's head and neck were well connected, not like the person who was hoeed down in the ancestral hall, but Lilac still cried very sadly.

The uncle was buried the next day, and it was not placed for two or three days like the people who died in the village in the past, but the patriarch did not allow it. The main reason is that the situation is different, and the second is afraid of affecting the villagers and relatives.

Despite this, my grandmother insisted on inviting the Taoist Master and it was lively all night. The cost of the burial was to give the house to Liu Sanye, a wealthy family in the village, a guarantee made by the patriarch, and a mortgage drawn by the second brother and his mother.

The mortgage is a job, and the deadline for one month is set, and the money has to be handed over when the money is made in the first month. This is still the usual friendship between Liu Sanye and Yushiye, and he is afraid of falling into a situation where he takes advantage of people's danger and takes over the industry. I'm afraid that if Lilac Daddy comes out in the future, everyone's face will not look good.

When the burial was carried out by Lilac with filial piety, it was arranged by her grandmother, because her uncle had recognized Lilac as her daughter when she was young. My uncle's graveyard was a corner wasteland, because the time was only one day, and it was difficult to dig with gravel in the soil, so the coffin lid was only a foot deep from the ground when the coffin was lowered.

After the 80s, when Lilac went back to the village to erect a monument to his uncle, he cried once, and told his sons that his second grandfather was buried so deeply, and he couldn't live in his old man's house, and the second son also comforted her and said: "Popularity after shallow burial."

Lilac listened, wiped away her tears, and said reverently: "Your second grandfather is kind to me, and he will definitely bless you."

It took a few days to find out that on the day of the Chinese New Year, Jiang Ye, secretary of the Anhua Communist Party County Committee of Jiulong Township, led his people into the county seat, opened the prison door, and rescued more than 120 people who were imprisoned, including Yushiye.

In fact, when he was a child, his uncle was already in contact with a certain Communist, and the prison door was opened by his uncle. At that time, my father refused to go out at first, he wanted to be innocent, after all, there was still a large family. In the end, the uncle knelt down and said to his father: "Brother, you have seen a lot of formations in the north and south, you should know more than me, you have been locked up in the recidivist area for half a year, there are only two people here who have not cut off their brains, a few days ago Qingtang Xiongjiawan sent more money and gifts than us, half a month ago they were sent to Changshada, wake up!!"

After finishing speaking, the brother hugged his head and cried, and his father pulled his uncle to go together, but the uncle waved his hand and said, "Brother, you go first, don't go back to the house, go to Dongting Lake Caowei Street and wait for me!" I'm going to come to you when I'm done with something! Dad couldn't explain a few words, and after Uncle must be careful, he reluctantly ran away with his fellow inmates.

When Gui Xiaotong of Lilac Fort climbed to the earthen city wall but didn't dare to jump down, his uncle kicked him off the city wall and rolled to the Huanshui River. At this time, a soldier from the countryside fired a shot in the back of his uncle, and the bullets were shot in the front chest and embedded in the earthen city wall, and the blood sprayed out stained the wall red. When the soldier who had discharged his gun came up to inspect it, his uncle, who was covered in blood, suddenly jumped up and carried him down the stairs from the side of the earthen city wall to the middle of the road below the wall, and the soldier climbed out from under him for a long time.

Uncle has not been in tune all his life, he is stubborn when he is young, and he is a fox friend and dog friend when he is an adult, and he is drunk today and drunk, no matter where he comes in the future; His grandparents married him two daughters-in-law successively, one died, and the other ran away, but he was still entertaining himself and messing around heartlessly; At the moment of life and death, Yibo opened the prison door for his brother, showing filial piety and benevolence; On the head of the county yacheng wall, he sacrificed his life to save each other by inserting a knife for a meeting with a prison friend, and the real righteousness was thin and cloudy; As a former Qing martial artist, my uncle proved his martial courage and fortitude for the first and last time.

My uncle died, my father's whereabouts were unknown, there were only four women and children left in the family, and my uncle still owed a lot of debts when he was buried.

Out of the New Year, the patriarch led Liu Sanye, who lent money to his grandmother, to the door. When he entered the house, Liu Sanye handed over a paper envelope gift bag to his grandmother, and said: "Mother Gong, it's not a good thing, just give it to the two children with a little meaning!"

Grandma hesitated, took the gift bag, and replied with some shame: "Third master, you helped a lot a few days ago, and you had to break the bank, so I really don't want to go." At this time, the mother had already set up the tea in the hall, and everyone sat down together, Liu Sanye did not squeak, and looked at the patriarch with his eyes. The patriarch's name is Cao Wangsheng, and he is the same generation as his grandfather in terms of generation, and they all call him Grandpa Wangxiang on weekdays.

The patriarch glanced back at Liu Sanye, turned his head to look at our family, was stunned for a while, and said slowly: "Old sister-in-law, there is such a big thing in your house, I, as the patriarch, are all members of the Cao family, I am incompetent, and I can't help, jade and their brothers-alas, don't talk about it." The patriarch stopped, thought for a moment and then said, "On the way here just now, the third master told me that the agreement was signed only when the situation was urgent. The jade matter is not over yet, and the mortgage agreement can not be counted. Hurriedly offset the house and wait for the jade to come back in the future, everyone is not good at talking, so let's wait for the jade to see. The third master is a soft-hearted Bodhisattva with a good heart, and there is nothing to talk about in the place. ”

Speaking of this, the patriarch stopped again, supported the table with both hands and tapped his fingers a few times, and thought for a while before he spoke: "That's it, I'll talk about it, right or not, the old sister-in-law, the third master, you two will take care of it, the house is still not moving for the time being, change the agreement again, and wait until August, well, if the jade comes back in August, it's not too late to hand over the house, third master, you are a good person to the end, and suffer some losses!" If the jade is in trouble in the future, and the family will be made again after two years, then I will not repay your old man! ”

After speaking, looking at Liu Sanye, Liu Sanye was busy and said: "It's all a person from an ancestral hall in a village, you should help, it doesn't matter if you slow down!"

Grandma listened and hurriedly thanked: "When the jade comes back in the future, I must thank the third master for the kindness of reconstruction!" Grandpa, I thank you for my three nephews! ”

Hearing this, the patriarch waved his hand and said: "The family is polite, but there are some things that should not be said and asked to be taken care of by the old sister-in-law, and the August period is mainly for your sake, if the jade can't come back for three or five years, the old in the house, the small, always have to use the degree, and it will go on in the future, what about your two mothers-in-law and daughter-in-law?" Mom and grandma hurriedly thanked: "Thank you two elders for your pity, in the future, jade - and nephews and grandchildren will remember your kindness!!"

After eating tea, he re-signed the mortgage agreement. When the meal was kept, the two insisted on refusing. Looking at the distant back, my grandmother couldn't help but say to my mother: "There are still good people in the world!"

Mom is a little foot out of the house can not do things, at home housework, do some washing and sewing things, grandma although old, still with cloves, the second brother opened the garden to plant vegetables, go up the mountain to dig wild vegetables to pick some wild fruits, dig some herbs to survive the day, looking forward to the return of Dad! My sister's life is not easy, as a cousin, Mr. Wang's affairs have affected them somewhat, and my brother-in-law is getting less and less courageous. In addition, my father's business costs a lot, and my life is a lot harder, so I can't help Lilac them at all, and occasionally I send some food out of my teeth!

In March, when rape seeds were set, Lilac carried a bamboo basket to dig wild vegetables in the mountains one day. It was almost noon, tired and hungry, looking for some familiar wild fruits on the mountain, and walked to Wulei Cave to rest and eat something. Suddenly there was a noise at the bottom of the mountain, Lilac turned his head to look, only to see his uncle leading a group of soldiers along the river to find something, when Lilac turned back again, an alert call came from the deep cave: "Aunt Man, come in!"

This is Ziyang's voice, following the sound Lilac carefully approached the entrance of the cave, before he could see clearly, he was already pulled into the cave by Ziyang, and when he stumbled into more than 20 meters, Ziyang let go of his hand, and he couldn't see his five fingers in the dark hole, and he couldn't see Ziyang's appearance at all. It's just that Ziyang's breathing is extremely peaceful, not like himself.

calmed down the work of the two pillars of incense, and it turned out that Ziyang could be seen in the dark cave. The face is not very clear, but you can see that Ziyang's bright eyes are staring at her, and Lilac can't help but follow Ziyang's eyes and ears to Ziyang's neck, and the head and neck are still connected.

Lilac snorted and sobbed quietly. "Okay, Aunt Man!" In the darkness, Ziyang showed his snow-white teeth when he smiled.

At this time, Ziyang carefully moved to the entrance of the cave, and came back after touching a pillar of incense, he sat on the ground with his buttocks, and said with a sense of relief: "The dog's legs have gone away, and he is taking a risk." Next, Ziyang and Lilac chatted for a long time, about his father, Mr. Wang, uncle, and Ziyang himself.

Now Ziyang is already a small traffic officer of the Communist Party, and he helped Mr. Wang deliver a letter when the school was gone. During the last Lunar New Year riot, Mr. Wang took Ziyang from Changsha back to Anhua, and the news of the failure came on the second day of the new year. Ding Xiang's father and a few prison mates also met with Ziyang and them, Mr. Wang told the news of his uncle's death, and then his father insisted on not going with Mr. Wang and them, and decided to go to Hankou alone to beg for a living, saying that when the days are better in the future, I will pick up Lilac and their sisters to go together.

Hearing the news of her father for the first time in a few months, Lilac couldn't help crying, Ziyang was busy covering her mouth and stroking Lilac's back with her other hand, "Aunt Man, don't cry, your dad is so good," After finishing speaking, he turned his head and glanced at the entrance of the cave, and said in his mouth: "It's not good to recruit people!" Lilac stopped crying, paused for a while, and suddenly smiled to herself, Dad is okay, this is the best news in half a year!

Then Ziyang talked about Mr. Wang, who was arrested a few days ago by a whistleblower, and Ziyang was not there when he was arrested. On the street, Ziyang saw Mr. Wang from a distance, and Mr. Wang also saw him, and Mr. Wang pretended to be careless and signaled Ziyang not to come. Three days ago, he was tied to a thorny honey locust tree that Lilac had last seen in front of the county office, covered in blood, and later shot. Speaking of this, Ziyang himself couldn't help but sobbed quietly.

Later, Ziyang chatted with Lilac about the happiness of his friends in the school, and when he inadvertently talked about Uncle Lilac, Ziyang muttered: "It's my father that Mr. Yao sued, and he is good with my father on weekdays!" Speaking of this, both of them were silent for a long time, and Lilac remembered his uncle who was squatting under the maple tree when he came to the house with soldiers when his uncle died.

When I got home, it was dark, and Lilac, who was standing at the entrance of the cave, heard the anxious call of my grandmother and mother opposite: "Full sister, full sister!!" But Lilac didn't agree, and slowly groped down the mountain alone, and Ziyang was still whispering at the entrance of the cave behind him: "Aunt Man, be careful not to fall!"

I met my grandmother who was shining an oil lamp on the river pit by the waterwheel by the river, and when I saw my grandmother, my grandmother pulled her over, "Sister, why are you doing it so late at night, your mother is worried about death!" Lilac replied softly and calmly: "I've gone away, and I can't get out of the thorn nest." After listening to the oil lamp and shining it up and down to make sure that everything was okay, the grandmother relieved herself and took the cloves home, and when she walked to the courtyard gate, she saw her mother's worried pale face in the dim oil light.

After eating, Lilac whispered to her mother, grandmother, and second brother about today's events, and the whole family was very happy that night, and my mother, who rarely went out, walked out of the earthen wall several times in the middle of the night to look around, as if waiting for something.

End of the fifth round