In early summer, the excitement is commotion, heavenly and earthly, flying and running, and the vitality is infinite.

Even at night, the bright moon and the crickets make people reverie.

At 8 o'clock in the evening, the house of the village secretary of Zhouqiao Village in Guqiao County was very lively.

A large table full of dishes, surrounded by men from the Zhou family, including Xiaoyan's father Zhou Qingsheng.

The reason why they gathered to drink was not to celebrate May Day, but to discuss the matter of erecting a monument to their grandfather.

After drinking for a while, Zhou Qingbao, the village secretary, straightened his beer belly and began to speak with a wave of his big hand.

"Well, everyone, our brothers are together today, I think everyone already knows what is going on, then, let me talk about my thoughts first."

He is very good at speaking, and he has a well-founded and logical voice.

"That, this matter, I brought it up. That, why do you want to erect a monument to your grandfather? That's what happened, I had a dream the other day. It's clear, I still remember it. ”

"What kind of dream, is it...... I dreamed that our grandfather had built a new building, but he was sitting at the door crying. ”

I asked, "Grandpa, why are you crying, Grandpa didn't speak, he still pointed to the door and cried." I, just then found out that there is only a door frame and no door at the door, do you think it's strange? ”

At this time, someone chimed in and said: "Strange"

Zhou Qingbing, who was drinking on the side, answered: "It's not strange, doesn't grandpa want us to make a door for his old man, isn't that monument a door!" ”

After he finished speaking, Secretary Zhou smiled at him with satisfaction, and then continued to flicker.

"Yes, yes, what the sixth brother said is right, as for me, I didn't understand it at first. Didn't I go on a business trip the day before yesterday! There happened to be a temple in the place I went to, so I went in and asked the master, who was famous in the local area. The master also said that it was my grandfather who asked me to erect a monument for him, so I came back and discussed with everyone to see what to do about this matter? ”

"What else can I do, raise money to erect a monument."

"Hey, ...... well"

After Zhou Qingbing finished speaking, the rest of the six people all nodded in agreement.

Their Zhou family, eight cousins, Xiaoyan's family is the poorest. Although the family has no money, Xiao Yan's father is a very face-saving person, the kind of person who wants to save face and suffer sinners, and no one else objects to him and does not shirk it.

"Then everyone agrees, right?"

Secretary Zhou asked again.

One person said, "Agreed, fifth brother, just say, how much money do each family have to make?" ”

"Good ......"

Secretary Zhou wanted this sentence, he rolled his eyes and continued.

"Originally, I didn't spend a lot of money, I wanted to give out all the money alone, but I also wanted to erect a monument to our grandfather, which is a good thing, naturally I can't monopolize it alone."

"That's it, I've inquired, a monument costs sixty yuan, the freight cost forty yuan, and a hundred yuan is not much, I thought that I would pay for it myself, but our monument has been erected, I think it's better to repair the grave again."

"This, the cost of materials plus labor or something, it is estimated to cost 4,000 yuan, in this way, we have eight families of five hundred, do you say okay?"

After he finished speaking, everyone else agreed, and Xiao Yan's father also expressed his attitude at this time.

"Okay! That grave is almost flattened, and it really needs to be repaired. ”

"Then it's decided, come on, let's drink......"

Seeing that everyone agreed, Secretary Zhou sat down and beckoned everyone to eat and drink.

。

"Third brother, come to me."

"Oh, okay."

After eating and drinking, it was ten o'clock, it was too late, everyone left, and Xiaoyan's father was just about to leave but was stopped by Secretary Zhou.

Xiao Yan's father drank a lot of wine, his face was red and a little dizzy, he followed Secretary Zhou to the back room and sat down on the sofa.

Secretary Zhou brought a few apples to the little goose father and put them on the coffee table in front of him.

"Eat, third brother. Well, there's something I'd like to discuss with you. ”

"What's the matter, the matter of erecting a monument? It's okay! I paid for it. ”

Xiao Yan's father wants face when he is not drunk, and he wants face when he gets drunk, and he talks a lot more arrogantly, and he doesn't care about money.

"No, it's about money, that third brother, I know that your family is not rich, and you don't need to pay for this money, just go over and watch how the workers work."

Secretary Zhou's face was flushed when he was drinking, but he drank a lot and was not drunk, and he looked at the expression of Xiao Yan's father from time to time when he spoke.

"No, how can it be, five hundred yuan, I can pay it back."

Under the stimulation of alcohol, Xiao Yan's father spoke loudly and moved loudly, he put his arms on the back of the sofa and lifted Erlang's legs, with the posture of a big brother, as if he had changed someone.

"I know, third brother, I really don't need you to pay, listen to me, this matter is decided."

Secretary Zhou said this in an ordered tone, Xiao Yan's father was speechless, five hundred yuan is not a small amount for Xiao Yan's family after all, this is Xiao Yan's two months' salary.

Seeing that Xiao Yan's father was speechless, Secretary Zhou went to the cupboard and took out two bottles of boxed wine and put them in front of Xiao Yan's father.

"Third brother, I know you like to drink, let's give you these two bottles of wine, you know that I like to drink liquor, not much wine."

This week, the secretary didn't blush when he lied, he drank at home, and drank everything.

"This, this, how to do this, you can't do it."

Eating, drinking, and taking, which made Xiao Yan's father very embarrassed and hurriedly got up.

Secretary Zhou smiled and asked him to sit down.

"Take it, I wanted to send it to you today, but I came back late, since you came, take it back. You're welcome, third brother, this was given to me by someone else, and I can't drink it, so you can take it. ”

Secretary Zhou accidentally said that he leaked his mouth, but he was clear about Xiao Yan's father's temper, and Xiao Yan's father did not expose him for receiving gifts when he saw the leaders of the city.

"Oh, that's good."

Daddy Little Goose no longer refused. He likes to drink, and he can't afford to drink bottles, so he uses plastic buckets to go to the supply and marketing cooperatives to get a few catties of the cheapest, even then he is reluctant to drink, and only when he is tired of work, he will drink a few sips.

Seeing that he had accepted the wine, Secretary Zhou took out a cigarette and lit it for Xiaoyan's father.

"That third brother, my nephew Dapeng is Chinese New Year's Eve five today, right?"

"Oooh"

Speaking of Brother Xiaoyan, Xiaoyan's father simply responded twice. The son is so old and doesn't have a daughter-in-law, which is a disgraceful thing in the countryside, but Xiaoyan's heart disease.

He has been worried about this matter, except for this matter, nothing else is a problem, it is five hundred yuan, and Xiao Yan's father is not very heartbroken.

"Third brother, I'm thinking about telling Dapeng a daughter-in-law, what do you think?"

"Huh? Okay, tell me quickly, whose child is it? ”

Father Xiaoyan's eyes widened when he heard this, and he looked at Secretary Zhou seriously.

Secretary Zhou asked again: "Then, what kind of girl does our nephew want?" ”

"Hey, what kind of girl, it's okay to get married for a second time without children."

"That's not possible, although we Dapeng are stupid, but it's not really stupid, we can still work, and we're obedient, so naturally we have to find a good one!"

What Secretary Zhou said was really heard, and Xiaoyan's father believed it.

"Then you're talking about the girl from that family?"

"This girl is estimated to know you, it is our youngest daughter in the neighboring village, Liushengmei."

"Ahh

Secretary Zhou said this, plus what Zhou Qingbing said when he went to his house that day, Xiao Yan's father already understood what Secretary Zhou meant by coming to him today.

But Secretary Zhou said this, Xiaoyan's father was not angry, Secretary Zhou took five hundred for him, and also gave wine and cigarettes, if he refused, wouldn't he not give face?

But Xiaoyan is so good, and he is unwilling to let her marry a fool.

Speaking of this, Xiao Yan's father seemed to have woken up at this time, sitting on the edge of the sofa, rubbing his hands between his legs, hesitating.

After a while, Xiaoyan's father said: "That, Qinghai, aren't you joking, the girl is so good-looking, can she still marry our Dapeng?" ”

"Yes......" Secretary Zhou saw that Xiao Yan's father was relieved, so he sat next to Xiao Yan's father, held Xiao Yan's hand and told him what he didn't lack.

"Third brother, that's the case, there is no shortage of it, I have known each other for a long time, and I am very familiar with it. As for me, I was also anxious when I saw that we didn't have a daughter-in-law in Dapeng, so I went to find him to stay there. ”

"Third brother, they have a stupid son and a sister in the family, and you also have a stupid son and a younger sister, do you see if this thing can be like this, that is, your two families will change parents, what do you think? There is no shortage there, I said it, and he agreed. ”

"Oooh······"

Daddy picked up the cigarette roll on the table, lit it and smoked it slowly, carefully pondering the value of this matter.

Secretary Zhou saw that he didn't object, so he was a little sure, and he didn't need to hold Xiaoyan's hand, so he was opposite Xiaoyan's father, smiled, lit a cigarette, and took a few deep breaths.

"Third brother, if you agree to this matter, I will leave the rest to my wife, she often talks about matchmaking, you know, third brother, do you see this?"

"Oh, let me think!"

"Third brother, are you worried that Xiao Yan will not agree?"

Secretary Zhou asked tentatively, and Daddy Xiaoyan frowned.

"Yes, that kid has been sensible since he was a child, and he has helped the family a lot, this is ······ Let me go back and think about it, think about it. ”

After Xiao Yan's father finished speaking, he got up and walked out, and Secretary Zhou put two bottles of wine in his hands.

"Third brother, if this is done, I don't want the money you borrowed!"

"Huh? How can that be! ”

"It's okay, isn't it just two thousand dollars! It's just like this money spent on building a tomb! ”

Two thousand yuan is not a small amount for Xiao Yan's father, not to mention that there are five hundred yuan for the grave repair, so two thousand five hundred yuan is saved, which makes Xiao Yan's father a little moved, and he doesn't know what to say after he stops.

"I, this, this ······"

"Go back, third brother, wait for your good news······"

。

Xiao Yan's father drank a lot, and when he went out and encountered the wind, he was confused after walking for a while, and then he actually carried two bottles of wine and wine, and walked directly towards a cemetery in the east of the village.

There are graves everywhere, and it's scary to look at.

"Peng mother, I'm coming to see you!"

Little Yan's father ran to Xiao Yanniang's grave in the middle of the night, that is, he was not afraid after drinking, and after he finished speaking, he sat down on the dry grass in front of the grave.

That's not all, Xiao Yan opened the wine box, took out the cork driver inside, opened a bottle of wine, and drank it.

"Peng's mother, Dapeng is thirty-nine now, I'm really useless, I didn't marry him a daughter-in-law, alas!"

After taking two sips, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve and continued.

"I'll tell you, now, Xiaoyan has grown up, and her temper is like you. Sometimes, I think she's you······"

"Peng's mother, Xiaoyan is very sensible and takes care of her family. You know, our son is stupid, he knows how to work, and it's usually Xiaoyan and I who discuss things-"

"Peng's mother, Xiaoyan is very similar to you, she will do the work in the field at home, to be honest, I am really reluctant to marry her. I know that you hurt Xiaoyan the most, but if we don't get married, then our Zhou family will be cut off······"

……

The night in early summer, although it is not as cold as in winter, is still very cold, but the little goose father does not know that it is cold after drinking too much.

He said for a while, took a few sips, then paused for a few more sips, and just like that, the two bottles were gone.

A gust of wind blew, the willow trees in the cemetery "rattle", and in the dark woods, from time to time came the cry of an owl, which was lonely and helpless, like a mother goose singing for the little goose.

But the little goose father couldn't hear this, and he didn't want to hear it, so he stuck his fingers deep into the soil, covered his ears with his arms, and just lay down and lay down all night······