Before liberation, his grandfather was a small merchant walking the streets, and later his grandfather exchanged three silver dollars for his little foot grandmother. They gave birth to a total of three male babies, one died young, one starved to death, and the third baby took over from his grandfather's class when he grew up, and he also became a small merchant who picked goods and did business.

The grandparents died one after another, and the boy had nothing to rely on, so he had to carry the burden in the wind and rain every day, and live thriftily. It's not bad, relying on the income from selling goods to accumulate over time, he finally married a daughter-in-law at the age of forty and continued the incense.

After a lifetime of burden, he gradually became an old merchant from a small merchant, and finally because of old age and frailty, coupled with years of hard work and illness, he had to hand over the burden to a child who had just turned seventeen. Soon after, he was gone.

The child has just gotten out of school, is innocent, does not know how to interact with people, and does not know anything about doing business. My mother lived in seclusion all day long, and she refused to show her face. Although the child took over the merchant's livelihood and went out for a walk, he didn't see a few years of looking back.

The mother and mother can only rely on the savings left by their father to live, only pay money, do not see the money, "sit and eat the mountain, stand on the ground and eat the trap" The mother and mother both understand, but no one is powerless to change the status quo.

Early one morning, my mother finally broke out: "Back then, your grandfather used a merchant to support your grandmother and your father, and later your father also used the same method to support the family, why is it that now when you come here, you can't make a living?" ”

"Mom, I also go out to shout and sell, but people always don't come to buy my things, and I can't ......help it," the child didn't dare to look his mother's eyes, he stared at the worn cloth shoes on his feet.

"What's the point? Your father, how can your father have a way, you have to use your brain! ”

"Mom, I want to do something else, I don't think I'm suitable for selling things......" The child finally said what he really thought in his heart.

"If you don't be a merchant, what can you do?" Mother's eyes were even more severe: "Wen can't be civil, martial arts can't be martial, what are you capable of?" ”

"Mom, I want to go to ......"

"Don't think about anything, you go and sell the goods!"

My mother took out several pairs of thick insoles from the basket: "It's cold, but the insoles I sewed by myself are very pleasing." In the past, when your father was alive, as long as it was a cold winter, he would be able to sell dozens of pairs a day!"

"I didn't sell a pair of insoles you put yesterday, and I don't need to put them anymore today, and if I put them, I put them in vain." The son muttered a few words angrily.

"Tell you, if you want to use your brains to sell goods, why are you a mess!"

The child didn't dare to squeak anymore, and let his mother stuff a dozen pairs of insoles into his full cargo.

The busiest place in the morning market is the vegetable market, where there are many people, buying, selling, everything.

As soon as the little merchant put down the burden, an aunt with a red armband wrapped around her arm wanted him to shout: "Hey, the seller, this place cannot be bought and sold, this is not a planning area, this is a blind road." ”

"Oh, I know, I'll leave right away." After the little merchant Lang Nono finished answering, he carried the burden to the door of the vegetable market in one go. Putting down the burden, he was so hot that he was sweating profusely, and he couldn't take care of much, he put down the flat burden, shook the rattle skillfully, and began to shout hard: "Uncle and aunt, uncle and aunt, big brother and sister, brother and sister, big guy come and take a look, pick one: needle thread, brain digging ear spoon, pen stationery, soft copy, shoe brush, broom, gourd scoop, scarf, autumn pants, ear hat, as well as nail clippers, fly covers, chilblain cream, rat medicine, ......"

"Well, I said, young man, what are you shouting here?" A middle-aged man in a security uniform waved to the little merchant and motioned for him to stop immediately, "I'm sorry, this is along the street, according to the regulations, no trading is allowed here, you better go somewhere else." ”

The little merchant nodded, helplessly picking up the burden.

The security guard hurriedly stopped him: "I said young man, I have seen you appear here several times, listen to the advice of the eldest brother: you better change your career as soon as possible, you look around here, shops, supermarkets, commissaries, grocery stores, there are no less than dozens, you still carry a merchant burden, who can you sell to?" In other words, who do you think will come and buy your stuff? ”

"I thought about changing careers, but my mother didn't allow it."

"What age is your mother, what age are you, why do you listen to her all? If you think about it, many years have passed since the reform and opening up, why can't you keep pace with the times? ”

"I, let me go back and think about it......"

The security guard shook his head and sighed.

Turning left and right into the alley, the little merchant began to shout again. Suddenly, someone behind him stopped him, and he put down his burden and wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead.

"Little merchant, do you have insoles for sale?" There was an old voice in my ear, and it turned out to be an old lady with a kind face and good spirits.

"Yes, yes, I have a lot!" He took out a dozen pairs of insoles and placed them on the shelves.

"Oops, that's a lot!" The old lady was amazed and exclaimed: "What a good workmanship!" ”

"Grandma, you pick slowly, you pick as much as you need."

"These are hand-sewn?"

"It's all stitched together."

The old lady was selective and finally bought only one pair of insoles.

I thought it was a big customer, but it turned out to be a disappointment for the small merchant. He packed up the leftover insoles and was about to leave, but was stopped by the old lady: "Young man, how much can you sell a day now?" ”

The little merchant pursed his lips, and his expression darkened: "I won't tell you, in fact, I ...... I can't earn a lot of money, and I don't have enough money to live on. ”

"Then why don't you change careers?" The old lady sighed: "If you are poor, you will think about change!" In the past, we often saw a lot of burden-carrying merchants here, and the business was easy at that time, and their income was good! I also asked them how their income was, and they were all extremely proud to tell me: there is food, drink and savings! They say that they can feed a large family by themselves! ”

"I can't support myself now...... the little merchant lowered his head, speechless in shame.

"Young man, listen to grandma's advice, people don't be enemies of the trend, you see for yourself, who else wants to go to the business of a merchant? It's not that they don't want to do it, it's because they don't support people in this business, so it's not worth doing. ”

"Grandma, I'm white."

"You can find a job and earn money steadily, I think it's much better than this business." The old lady sighed: "You go home and discuss it with your family." ”

"Hmm!" The little merchant ran home with the burden in one breath, knocked on the door of his yard, put the burden on the ground, and immediately took his mother's hand: "Mom, I have already thought about it, I want to change my career, and I will never be a merchant again!" ”

The mother's face immediately changed: "Nonsense! I won't allow you to change careers! ”

"Since the cloudy days, I have been looking for a job, and as long as I have a job, I can support my family."

"You dare!" The mother became irritable: "Your grandfather can be a merchant, and your father can be a merchant, why did he change his business when he came to you?" ”

"Times have changed, and people have to change with them!"

"No matter how times change, you can't change either!" The mother pointed to her son and said, "If you change your career, unless I die!" ”

"Mom...... I beg you......" The son was so aggrieved that he almost cried.

"Don't say it, I sewed several pairs of insoles today, and you went out on a cloudy day to bring them on."

Early the next morning, the north wind was compact, and a few snowflakes suddenly fell from the dim sky.