Father's Land Mother's River
Chapter 134 "Flying Sand and Walking Stones"-5 Shalitun
Chapter 134 "Flying Sand and Walking Stones" - Wushalitun
Slowly hot air rises from the surface, like air but not air, like fog but not fog.The scenery in the distance is in the hot air, like a fantasy.
Salix spits out thin yellow leaves, and the dry dark red branches become soft and green.Under the nourishment of snow water, the grass roots that have been dormant for the winter impatiently render patches of light green.
The old river loop is filled with clear snow water, like a real small river surrounding Shalitun.The wilderness, which had been covered by ice and snow for more than four months, seemed to have regained its vigor and vitality overnight.
The sheep spread their hooves on the wasteland, and there was a pungent smell of mutton in the flock.With a pair of thick, curved horns on its head and a long beard on its chin, the breeding sheep is chasing the long-awaited smell in the flock, and brutally trying to conquer the smelling ewe.Reluctantly, a piece of leather was hung under the belly by the owner, so he could only do useless work, and the ewe jumped impatiently and fled.
In restlessness and excitement, the flock moved forward to the depths of the wilderness.
Savanli, wearing a camouflage uniform and a black turban, walked in front of the flock, temporarily acting as the leader.
From winter to spring, the flock will give birth to more than [-] lambs, which will add a new wealth to the family and also mean the arrival of a new round of breeding season.He wants to travel far away with the flock, find an unrelated breeding sheep, and continue to optimize and expand the flock.
Shi Xiuxiu followed behind the flock, looking after the twenty or so snow-white fluffy lambs.She imitated Sha Wanli's appearance, wearing a pink thread scarf and an old faded tracksuit. She was fat, long and ill-fitting.Clearly not her own clothes.
Early in the morning, his parents drove a donkey cart to deliver dung to the field, and Sha Wanli wanted to take her to herd the sheep.She took off the new clothes she bought a few years ago and put on her old clothes, only to find that all the clothes and pants were a lot shorter, and her shirt and underpants were thinner and stretched tightly on her body.
She stood blankly on the kang in the back room, suddenly realized that she might have grown taller and gained weight, and screamed excitedly into the yard: "Wan Li, come in quickly."
Sha Wanli, who was waiting for Shi Xiuxiu and was about to leave, entered the room and asked, "What's wrong?"
Shi Xiuxiu said: "My clothes used to be too small. Look, I can't wear them anymore."
Sha Wanli looked at Shi Xiuxiu in a little surprise.After taking off the tightly covered winter coat, he found that Shi Xiuxiu's body had undergone obvious changes: her hair had turned black, her face was ruddy, her arms and legs were round and fleshy, although not as plump as Salix, At least she has the appearance of a girl.
He said with a smile: "You say you are a child and you still don't admit it, how can an adult grow up?"
Shi Xiuxiu said pleasantly: "Really? You hug me and see if I've really grown up."
Sha Wanli stood on the edge of the kang, put his arms around Shi Xiuxiu's legs, picked her up and weighed her, she was indeed much heavier than before.Putting down Shi Xiuxiu, he rummaged through the box and found out his old sportswear from middle school for her to wear: "You make do with it first, I'll take you to buy new clothes when I have time."
Shi Xiuxiu jumped down barefoot to compare her height with Sha Wanli, the top of her head reached Sha Wanli's chin, at least half a head taller.
Sha Wanli rubbed her head habitually, and said affirmatively, "You have really grown taller and fatter."
Shi Xiuxiu shook her head dissatisfied: "You still treat me like a child?"
Sha Wanli deliberately avoided similar topics, he said: "It's getting late, pack up and leave quickly."
Shi Xiuxiu pursed her lips, murmured, and followed Sha Wanli to drive the flock out of the house.Although she is very happy to grow her body, Sha Wanli still refuses to accept her emotions, which is also a big and small trouble.
In just a few months, she has naturally integrated into this family.From the first day she walked into this house, she followed Sha Wanli to call her father and mother, and the two old people happily accepted.
On the day I returned home last year, my father killed a sheep, and the tempting smell of meat wafted from inside and outside the house.She had never seen so much meat, let alone a whole plate of meat served.
In the past, the family was short of food, and everyone couldn't eat enough. How could there be spare food to raise pigs? Occasionally, I bought a little meat, but it all fell into my brother's mouth.For the protein that her body urgently needs, she went up the mountain to catch grasshoppers and roast them. If she could catch a big mountain mouse, it would undoubtedly be like Chinese New Year.
Now it is the first time to serve someone else's rice bowl, facing a large table of mutton and mutton soup, she tried her best to control her appetite and gluttony.The mother next to her kept putting meat into her bowl, and she kept saying that enough was enough.
Sha Wanli, who was sitting opposite, smiled and said to her, "Why are you being polite even though you're here? Uncle PLA knows how much you eat."
She smiled happily, it was more delicious than eating meat.
After eating mutton and drinking mutton soup, my body is warm.At night, Mother took out a new quilt for her and slept with her in the back room.With her mother's company, she ate well and slept soundly.She learned how to shear sheep and comb cashmere with her mother, take care of the lambs, and compete to do the work that she knows how to do. She also told her about her experiences and sufferings in her heart.
After hearing this, Mother hugged her and wept: "Poor child."
She also cried to her mother.The rediscovered affection made her believe that this was her own mother, and this place was her home.
After the Spring Festival, the weather gradually became warmer. One day, my mother asked her mysteriously and solemnly: "In the future, mother will not sleep with you. Mother will find you a companion, okay?"
She understood what mother meant, and couldn't help blushing.
But Sha Wanli would rather sleep with his parents on the same kang than move to the back room to sleep with her.
Parents slept on the top of the kang in the outer room, Sha Wanli slept on the top of the kang in the outer room, and she slept on the top of the kang in the inner room.The ground and the inside of the house are connected with each other, except for a thin wall on the kang.There is a wall between them, but it is like a big mountain, which cannot be climbed over.
After sleeping alone for a few nights, she began to play tricks, scratching the walls like a mouse scratching a door.
Sha Wanli leaned halfway from the outer room and said, "Since when did you become a rat spirit?"
She leaned back and repeated the old trick: "I'm scared, I can't sleep."
Sha Wanli reached out and pushed her down on the pillow: "Don't make trouble, sleep well."
Always treating her like a child made her very angry.
Like Shi Xiuxiu, the twenty or so little lambs walked into the vast desert for the first time.Facing the empty and vast strange world, he was excited and curious, running and jumping along the way.
Shi Xiuxiu also ran around, chasing back the lamb that was trying to escape from the flock.
Sha Wanli turned back and said to her: "The little lamb will follow up by itself, you just have to watch out and don't get lost. If you run around like this, it won't take half a day for you to be too tired to walk."
Shi Xiuxiu said, "If you can't walk, I'll let you carry it on your back."
Sha Wanli said: "If you can't walk, go with the wolf."
Shi Xiuxiu shouted: "You dare, mother will never forgive you."
Savannah smiled knowingly.
It should be said that Shi Xiuxiu took the risk to come to Shalitun with him at the instigation of his comrades in arms. He was also forced to accept this fact from the perspective of sympathy.Never thought that she and mother would be inseparable.
On the day of returning home, Mother avoided Shi Xiuxiu and asked him with a smile: "You bring me back a child bride, how many more years will I have to raise?"
He said to his mother: "Mother, you can treat her as anyone, even your own daughter, don't treat her as your daughter-in-law."
Niang asked, "Are you still thinking about Salix?"
He said, "No, what do I want her to do?"
The mother didn't believe it: "Don't think about the silly son, everyone has a personal fate."
He didn't want to mention Sha Liu to anyone anymore, so he changed the subject and simply told his mother about Shi Xiuxiu's misfortune.He said: "She has no relatives, so I can't leave her alone, can I?"
Mother said: "You did the right thing, Mother knows it well."
He hugged his mother's shoulder and said, "Don't worry about it, just let nature take its course."
His main thoughts are not on this.In the past few years away from home, my father and mother have obviously aged a lot. My father's back is a little hunched, and my mother's hair is more than half gray. It is time for me to take on the burden of the family.
During the meal, he took out the white wine he bought for his father, and drank with his father on an equal footing for the first time.In this way, he declared that he had taken over the burden on his father's shoulders.
He went to the Township Armed Forces Department to go through the relevant procedures, received the resettlement fee for veterans, and rushed to the county seat without stopping. In the evening, he returned home with a black and white TV set.
Although only three or four stations can be received, and the picture is not too clear, it is enough to bring joy to the whole Shalitun.
As night fell, the kang at home was full of people, staring at the TV, amazed to see goodbye from the news broadcast, the scene was no less than holding a village meeting.
Dad seemed particularly excited, busily serving tea and water, chatting and laughing with everyone contentedly.The hearts of Shalitun were scattered, and several families were moved away. A TV can bring everyone together again and understand the world outside of Shalitun. He, the village chief who doesn’t have many villagers under his command, has somewhat regained his position as village chief. a feeling of.
Dad also praised him for this: "You have done a very meaningful thing."
Shi Xiuxiu had never watched TV either. In front of many strangers, she hugged her tabby cat and snuggled up to her mother like a kitten, but her eyes followed Sha Wanli around.
Later, Sha Wanli discovered that Shi Xiuxiu had a particularly strong ability to adapt to the environment.Winter has come in a blink of an eye, and there have been several heavy snowfalls one after another. The thick snow has covered the desert, and no matter how strong the wind blows, it will not be able to lift up the sand and dust, and it will also bring enough snow water for next spring.
Niang said to Shi Xiuxiu: "It's strange, there hasn't been such a heavy snow in many years, did you bring it?"
Shi Xiuxiu was very happy, and followed him to sweep the snow from the roof, yard and street, and then sent it to the field with a donkey cart.In Sallitton, rain and snow cannot be easily wasted.
After finishing the work, Shi Xiuxiu's head was steaming.Back home, she cut off thick ice cubes from the wall of the water tank with a kitchen knife, put them in her mouth and bit them with relish, which made him shiver.
Niang took it away when she saw it, handed over a cup of hot water and said, "Women can't eat things that are too cold."
As the lambs came down one after another, the house was also busy with business. At night, they were afraid of freezing to death and carried them to the spare west room to light the stove.Shi Xiuxiu and her mother took turns to watch the night, and every lamb survived the harsh winter safely, growing strong and lively.
Therefore, Niang asserted: "Our family will definitely have a happy event this year."
Before the Spring Festival, Mother took Shi Xiuxiu to the market in her father's donkey cart, changed Shi Xiuxiu into new clothes from the inside out, and cared more about anyone and everything.
That night, when Mother returned to the outhouse with her quilt in her arms, he asked her, "Where should I sleep?"
Niang blinked and said, "Wherever you like to sleep, I don't care if you sleep in the sheepfold."
He spread his quilt on the top of the kang, undressed and lay down.Mother called from a broom bump: "Don't sleep on my kang."
He put the quilt over his head and didn't move.He understood what mother meant, but he was still not sure whether Shi Xiuxiu would live in Shalitun for a long time.How about Sha Liu, who has such a deep relationship with him, won't he go away in the end and never return?
Sha Wanli brought Shi Xiuxiu out today mainly to let her get acquainted with the surrounding environment and give her a comprehensive understanding of the life she will face in the future.It's not that Shi Xiuxiu is cute. Her arrival brought a lot of joy to the family, relieved many of the burdens on her parents, and she was devoted to him.
He just couldn't get over the hurdle in his heart: the environment can change people.
Near noon, they encountered another flock of sheep.Sha Wanli talked with the other party, and after checking each other's breeding sheep were satisfied, they temporarily exchanged the breeding sheep.
After the piece of skin hanging under the belly was untied, it was like a breeding sheep that had been released from the shackles, and began to unscrupulously exercise the original power among the flock, and wild cheers echoed in the wilderness.
Sha Wanli suddenly realized that he had made a mistake: Shi Xiuxiu should not have seen such a rough scene.
He stood in front of Shi Xiuxiu and turned her around: "You've been walking all morning, find a place to rest."
Shi Xiuxiu turned around and said, "I'm not tired."
Sha Wanli said: "If you're not tired, hide aside, there's nothing to see."
Shi Xiuxiu said dissatisfiedly: "I prefer to watch it, so I just watch it. Some people are not as sensible as that ram."
Sha Wanli covered Shi Xiuxiu's small mouth with his big hand. Shi Xiuxiu shook her head and tried to break free, but she bit Sha Wanli's palm with her teeth if she couldn't.
Sha Wanli pushed her behind a clump of willows, made her sit down, and ordered: "Be obedient, or I won't take you out in the future."
The breeding sheep completed their mission, and the flock calmed down, gnawing on the hay leisurely.Sha Wanli returned to Shi Xiuxiu's side, sat on the sand, ate dry food, and took a rest.
There are a few lazy white clouds suspended in the dark blue sky, clean without a trace of dust, and the warm wind flows silently through the vast wasteland, which is as calm as a sensible child without any noise.
Shi Xiuxiu fell into Sha Wanli's arms and closed his eyes slightly. Sha Wanli put his arm around Shi Xiuxiu's shoulders, looking at this child-like face, as if in a dream.
The tenderness in my heart is like the wilderness at noon, and the temperature has risen to its peak.He bent down and took the little hungry mouth in his own.
All of a sudden, it was a matter of course, and for a moment, there was silence between the world and the earth, only a trickle flowing in the heart.The long-awaited call echoed, tears flowed into sweet springs; in the rolling wasteland, the eyes no longer just stay for one scenery.
Sha Wanli remembered that he once asked Sha Liu: "What's it like to kiss?" Sha Liu failed to give him an answer.Now he knew what it was like to kiss: to spit out his own heart and suck the other person's heart into his chest.
Shi Xiuxiu slowly let go of her mouth, with tears on her face, she raised her face and asked softly, "Sleep together at night?"
Sha Wanli rubbed his little head affectionately, his eyes were calm: "Sleep together."
In the spring of the second year, Shi Xiuxiu gave birth to a boy.Sha Fujiu personally went to the township government to register his grandson's household registration, and named his grandson Shazhou on his own initiative, which means an oasis in the desert.
The birth of Shazhou means that Shalitun has successors.There are only a few families left in Shalitun, and people have completely lost confidence in Shalitun.The government invested in the construction of shelter forests, leaving Shalitun out of the shelterbelts and completely abandoned Shalitun.
Shafu was not reconciled for a long time, and went to the village again and again to apply for funds. The answer was: special funds for special purposes, and key funds should be used for key projects.
Not reconciled for a long time, Sha Fu bought the saplings out of his own pocket.Every spring, I take my family to plant grass and trees in Laohetao, hoping to save Shalitun by myself.
When Shazhou was three years old, there was a severe drought. There was no heavy rain for a whole year. There was not a drop of water in the old river loop. The grassland degraded and the young trees died, and there was no harvest in autumn.
After a long, cold, dry and lonely winter, the arrival of spring did not bring much hope.There is no snow in winter and no rain in spring, and the drought has further expanded. Strong winds are raging and raising sand and dust, blowing during the day and at night.
The old river loop is almost filled with sand, and the willow bushes are swaying with dry and stiff branches, showing no signs of turning green.
The pressure of survival forced people to move away one after another. In the huge Shalitun, only Sha Fujiu's family remained.
Sha Fujiu stood alone and helpless on the sandy hills of Laohetao, the wind and sand beat his hopeless face, and his eyes covered with dust were cloudy and dazed.God wants to destroy Shalitun, and no one can stop it—this is what Sha Fuyuan said to him before he left.
That day was also in Laohetao. He was patrolling his grassland with great ambition. Sha Fuyuan found him and followed him silently.He stopped, looked at Shalitun and said, "If you have something to say, just say it."
Sha Fuyuan said: "I misunderstood you in the early years. The words I scolded you these years were not completely aimed at you. I have seen everything you have done for Shalitun. I am not blind. I admire it from the bottom of my heart.”
"I just want to have a clear conscience," he said.
Sha Fuyuan said: "There is no hope for Shalitun. You and I know what Shalitun was like before and what it is like now. Don't be too stubborn. Make plans early and think about it."
He said: "Shalitun was left by my ancestors. As long as I have a breath, I will not give up Shalitun. Shalitun still exists as an administrative village."
Sha Fuyuan seemed to have a lot to say. He squatted on the ground and took out a grass stalk, put it in his mouth and chewed it slowly, and finally said only one sentence: "I'm moving away, I can't help you anymore."
Even if there is still a glimmer of hope for survival, who is willing to leave their hometown?He understands Sha Fu Yuan, understands all the people who moved out of Sha Li Dun.But he couldn't leave, and he still had a breath in his heart: No matter how ruthless God is, I can't admit defeat.
Sha Fujiu returned home covered in dust, discussed with his wife, and said wearily to Sha Wanli and Shi Xiuxiu: "You guys move out, your mother and I will stay."
Shi Xiuxiu said to her mother, "It would be nice to move away together."
Niang said, "I've lived here for a lifetime, and I can't bear it."
Savanli said, "We won't leave either."
When sleeping at night, Shi Xiuxiu said to Sha Wanli: "You have to find a way to let parents move away with us."
Sha Wanli said helplessly: "If you don't know Dad, he won't move away."
"We really don't want to move?"
"You can't just leave your parents in Shalitun and ignore them, right? Besides, where will you move them?"
"I can move anywhere, can Shalitun still live? In the past few years, how much did our family buy saplings and throw in, and how many trees survived? Aren't they all blind for nothing? If you don't think about me, you should For the sake of Shazhou, what will you do when you go to school in the future? You just have the heart to let Shazhou grow up in this environment?"
"Don't bother me, can you?"
"I didn't bother you, but I got annoyed first. If you don't go, I will take the sandbar."
The two had an argument for the first time, which alarmed their parents.Mother stood outside the door and said: "Stop arguing, you move away, your father and I don't need you to worry about it."
Shi Xiuxiu was angry and slept with her arms around Shazhou, leaving Sha Wanli aside.
Early the next morning, Sha Wanli set off with the sheep as before.Shi Xiuxiu prepared water and dry food for Sha Wanli and sent him out. He went into the room and called Sha Zhou to get up to eat, but found that Sha Zhou was hot all over, his little face was flushed, and he was coughing continuously.
Shi Xiuxiu was frightened. This was exactly the same as the symptoms of pneumonia that she had burned that year, so she hurriedly asked her father to put Shazhou on a donkey cart and take it to the township hospital.
The doctor injected Shazhou with antipyretic and anti-inflammatory injections, but he was not sure whether it would be effective: "The child is too young and the illness came on suddenly. Our facilities are not good here. It is best to go to the county hospital for a diagnosis."
Shazhou must not be allowed to suffer the same pain as herself, so Shi Xiuxiu decided to go to the county hospital immediately.Sha Fujiu was afraid that Shi Xiuxiu would not bring enough money, so he went to the township government to find an acquaintance to borrow 2000 yuan for her, but he was still not at ease: "Can you do it alone?"
Shi Xiuxiu hugged Shazhou and said, "Don't worry dad, I can do it."
I got in a car and rushed to the county seat. The doctor at the county hospital diagnosed a high fever caused by a respiratory tract infection and was hospitalized for treatment.After the infusion, Shazhou broke out in sweat, and his body temperature quickly returned to normal.
The doctor said that I have to observe it for one night, and I can be discharged from the hospital as long as I don't repeat it tomorrow morning.Shi Xiuxiu felt relieved.
After a peaceful night, Shi Xiuxiu took the oral medicine prescribed by the doctor and led Shazhou out of the hospital gate.Next to the hospital is a bathing pool. Seeing the word bathing pool, Shi Xiuxiu felt her skin tight and her body itchy.
Throughout the winter, people and animals had difficulty drinking water. Except for washing their faces and feet, they never got a drop of water on their bodies, and they were covered with rust-like dirt.Everyone in the whole family has an unpleasant smell.
During the diagnosis, the doctor wore a mask and frowned, and said to Shi Xiuxiu very implicitly: "You must pay attention to personal hygiene to avoid getting sick."
Shi Xiuxiu's face was hot.
Shi Xiuxiu led Shazhou into the bath, soaking and scrubbing, and it took more than two hours to wash off the dirt accumulated all winter.She came to the bus station relaxed and ready to go home, but the oncoming train station made Shi Xiuxiu temporarily change her mind.
The train station aroused her homesickness, and Shazhou's illness also strengthened her determination to leave Shalitun.If parents don't leave Shalitun, and Shawanli won't leave either, they and their children will suffer accordingly.
Shilazi still had three rooms, and took Shazhou back to his hometown to live for a while, forcing Sha Wanli to leave Shalitun.Thinking like this, I walked into the train station without hesitation.
Shazhou asked her, "Mother, where are we going?"
Shi Xiuxiu said: "Mother will take you to a fun place with mountains and water, okay?"
Shazhou clapped his little hands and said happily, "Okay."
When Shi Xiuxiu was holding the sandbar and boarding the train, Sha Wanli was looking for her around the county.He was very worried about Shazhou's illness. He came to the county seat by car early in the morning, and went to the county hospital to inquire. The doctor said that the child was well and was discharged early in the morning.
Sha Wanli went to the bus station first, and then to the shopping mall.The small county town is such a small place, and after searching a few times, it was almost noon and there was no shadow of Shi Xiuxiu and Shazhou. It was estimated that Shi Xiuxiu must have taken the early bus home with the child in her arms.
He ate something unhurriedly, bought some daily necessities, and then drove home.When I got home and saw that Shi Xiuxiu hadn't come back, my heart sank.
Mother hurriedly said: "Where can Xiuxiu go alone with the baby in her arms?"
Sha Wanli said: "Last night, she had a few words with me. She said she would take Shazhou away. Not surprisingly, she took advantage of Shazhou's illness to go back to her hometown."
The mother complained: "You are too, you don't know that although she has become a mother, she still has a child's temper? Why are you arguing with her?"
Sha Wanli comforted her mother: "Maybe she really misses her hometown, and she will come back by herself after living for a while."
But I was very anxious in my heart, and the thing I had been secretly worried about happened: Shi Xiuxiu finally couldn't bear the desert environment and ran away from home.
After a month, Shi Xiuxiu hadn't come back, so my mother couldn't sit still, and forced Sha Wanli to fetch her and her mother back.
Savanli stood hesitantly in the ticket office of the railway station.It can be seen from the fact that Shi Xiuxiu came to Shalitun with her recklessly at the beginning, Shi Xiuxiu is a person who thinks about it and does it regardless of the consequences.If she wanted to come back, she would come back without looking for her. If she was determined not to go back to Shalitun, she would not come back even if she picked her up in a sedan chair.
Sha Wanli wandered in distress and helplessly.
"I may not be back yet."
What Sha Liu said back then still rings in my ears.Shalitun forced away two of his beloved women, would they never look back?What kind of life is Shaliu living now?
After seven or eight years of separation, I have always missed her in my heart, but I didn't have the right opportunity to see her.Why not take this opportunity to take a walk, after all, they are siblings who grew up together, and others can't say anything.
Once the idea came up, he couldn't control it anymore, took the train to the ancient town in southern Liaoning, and found Wulongdi Village according to the address in the letter Sha Liu gave him.
It is also the beginning of spring, spring plowing has begun here, the trees have become forests, the land is flat and fertile, people are driving cattle in the fields and plowing the fields leisurely, and the fragrance of moist soil is wafting in the air.
The houses in the village are patchwork, all red bricks and blue tiles, and it can be seen at a glance that it is a rich place.The military overcoat I wore from Shalitun could no longer be worn, so I took it off and put it on my arm, my forehead was still slightly sweaty, and the warm climate made people feel comfortable physically and mentally.
Under the guidance of others, Sha Wanli stopped outside a four-room tile-roofed house and a person-high wall made of bluestone.A row of tall poplar trees were planted outside the wall, already spit out bright yellow leaves.Two big oxen and three calves were tied under the tree. Outside the gatehouse made of red bricks, a six or seven-year-old boy was playing with sand.
Sha Wanli asked: "Little friend, does Sha Liu live in this house?"
The little boy looked up at Sha Wanli, turned around and ran into the yard, shouting: "Mom, someone is looking for you."
Sha Wanli followed closely into the yard, and saw Sha Liu coming out of the house head-on: "Who is it?"
Looking at each other, both of them stopped and stood in place, looking at each other.
Sha Liu cut her thick and long braids, with wavy shawl hair, her face was much fairer and more delicate than before, she stood there in surprise, her hands tightly clutching the apron around her waist.
Sha Wanli's throat tightened, but he still called out: "Sister, I'll come and see you."
This is the first time he called Sha Liu that way without outsiders.As soon as the word sister was uttered, everything was put down.
Sha Liu took a few steps and came to the front, slapped Sha Wanli's shoulder heavily, with tears in his eyes: "Do you still know that I am your sister? It's been so many years since I thought of seeing my sister"
Sha Wanli felt sore in his heart, and didn't know what to say for a moment.The little boy asked Sha Liu: "Mom, who is he?"
"He's your uncle." Sha Liu lifted up the apron on her waist, wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and said to the little boy, "Zhuang Hai, go to the greenhouse and call your father back, and just say there are guests at home."
Zhuang Hai ran out quickly.Sha Liu let Sha Wanli into the house, washed a few apples and handed them to Sha Wanli without thinking about talking, and said proudly: "Try it, these are apples from my sister's own home, and I keep three to four hundred catties every year. Eat it yourself. Where have we seen this in Shalitun?"
Sha Wanli ate an apple, looked around at the home furnishings and said, "Brother-in-law must be very capable."
Sha Liu thought to herself, in this environment, you would be more capable, and said with a smile: "Your sister can't do it?"
Without much effort, Zhuang Daming returned home, and Sha Liu made an introduction.The two men shook hands, Zhuang Daming said honestly: "You don't know, your sister often talks about you, saying that there is a cousin in my hometown, I don't know if he is married, I don't know what he does and how he lives."
Sha Liu said, "What are you talking about, really."
Zhuang Daming stopped talking and helped Sha Liu to cook.
A round wooden table was placed on the Kang, and eight dishes were placed on it. Zhuang Daming and Sha Wanli sat facing each other and drank.
Sha Liu sat beside Sha Wanli and kept picking up vegetables for him: "Eat more, these cucumbers, tomatoes, and celery are all grown in my sister's greenhouse. I know we can't eat these vegetables in our hometown now, God forbid." Potatoes and pickles make you sick to your stomach."
Sha Wanli said sincerely: "This place is a hundred times better than our hometown."
Sha Liu couldn't help but asked: "Don't hide it from my sister, you came here suddenly this time, is there something else going on?"
Sha Wanli didn't hide anything, and told about his ins and outs with Shi Xiuxiu.He made it clear that he didn't want to go to Shi Xiuxiu, and wanted to hide at her house for a few days before lying to the old man when he went back.
After hearing this, Sha Liu put down her chopsticks and said, "You are confused. Even if she doesn't want to come back, you still have to get the child back. The child belongs to our old Sha's family, why should she take it away?"
Zhuang Daming, who has been silent all the time, said: "I don't think the matter is that serious, but I have an idea. You and your siblings can see if it works. In our place, five ridges are one mu, so it is called five ridges." Land. There are few people and a lot of land, and it is close to the city. Many people rent out their land and go to the city for business. It is difficult for the elderly to leave their homeland. You and your younger siblings can come here first. You can rent a house or buy a house. Rent some land to plant, and build a few greenhouses in winter , After working well for a year, there will be a lot of income. After the life is stable, the old man will be taken over."
Sha Liu said to Sha Wanli: "Your brother-in-law's idea is good, I think it will work."
Sha Wanli said: "It's a good idea, I'm afraid it will cause you a lot of trouble in the future."
Zhuang Daming said: "If there is any trouble for my relatives, don't bother, and it will save your sister from talking about you all the time."
Sha Liu slapped Zhuang Daming affectionately, and said to Sha Wanli: "It's not too late, sister won't let you stay at home, you can leave after lunch, and quickly bring her mother back."
Sha Wanli, who was very entangled at first, didn't expect things to turn so well suddenly, his mood suddenly relaxed, and he ate his meal with gusto.
The quarrel between him and Shi Xiuxiu wasn't because he didn't want to move out of Shalitun. He moved around and was still on the edge of the desert without substantial changes.If you can move to Wulongdi, it will be completely different.
After lunch, Sha Liu personally sent Sha Wanli to the train station.After buying the train ticket, Sha Wanli said to Sha Liu, "You were right to leave Shalitun."
Sha Liu sighed: "You don't hate me?"
Sha Wanli said: "I don't hate you. If I want to hate you, I can only hate that we were born in the wrong place."
Sha Liu said: "I thought you would hate me forever, and I would never see you again."
Sha Wanli said: "Brother-in-law is a nice person. Seeing the life you are living now makes me envious."
Only then did Sha Liu smile: "I can see that you and your siblings have a deep relationship, and it was all caused by Shalitun. When we meet, talk about our situation here, and bring us here and let's live a good life."
The two brothers and sisters usually speak heart-warming words.
After reversing the car a few times, Sha Wanli came to Shilazi three days later.The three stone houses I built with my own hands back then showed no sign of people living in them, and the doors were locked.
When I found the old village head and asked about it, the old village head said: "Xiuxiu took the child back and stayed for a few days before leaving."
Sha Wanli thought it was wrong. According to the time calculation, Shi Xiuxiu should have returned to Shalitun, so he couldn't help feeling nervous and worried.
The old village chief said: "Xiuxiu said that her in-laws treat her like a daughter, and the man loves her too. She is just homesick and comes back to visit. She has many relatives here, and she has to go all the way when she finally comes back. Before leaving, she gave me the keys of the house for safekeeping. If she comes back again, I will let her go back immediately. Don't worry, she will go back. "
Hearing what the old village chief said, Sha Wanli was not worried anymore, and went back to the old army for two days to catch up with his former comrades-in-arms.Before leaving, I went back to Shilazi again, bought a few bottles of wine for the old village head, and made him worry about it, and then set foot on the journey home.
After running around on the road for many days, I was exhausted, but when I thought of new hope in my life, my heart was still quite bright.On the way back to Shalitun, my footsteps became brisk and powerful.
She thought that it was time for Shi Xiuxiu to take the child home, and when she heard that she was leaving Shalitun to live in Wulongdi, she would be very happy, and her parents would be happy too.
When approaching the entrance of the village, I saw my mother with disheveled white hair, standing under the old walnut tree looking into the distance, and ran straight over.
As soon as she saw Sha Wanli, the mother sat down on the ground and cried, "Son, why did you come back? Go and find your father."
Sha Wanli's head buzzed, and he quickly helped his mother up: "What's wrong, Dad?"
Hearing his mother's cries, Sha Wanli helped her back home and plunged into the desert by himself.Shi Xiuxiu didn't go home, and he couldn't care less, he just wanted to find his father as soon as possible.
Not long after he left Shaliton, a strong wind blew up one night.Sha Fujiu was worried that the newly planted saplings would be uprooted by the strong wind, so he went to Laohetao early in the morning.
Unexpectedly, that morning, a more powerful storm suddenly blew up, and the storm swirled across the desert, flying sand and rocks for a while, and the sky was dark.The storm lasted all day, and Sha Fujiu disappeared. The village sent people to search for it for several days, but finally gave up.
According to statistics from the Meteorological Department, it was a once-in-50-year desert storm, and the dust drifted thousands of kilometers away.When a person disappears in the desert, there is no possibility of survival.
Sha Wanli is also very clear about his father's final destination, but at least his body should be recovered.
The storm changed all the landforms. Due to the blockage of salix bushes, high sand dunes rose up in the area of Laohetao, and Laohetao no longer existed.Without those willow bushes, I am afraid that Shalitun will also be buried by sand dunes.
Sha Wanli walked into the hinterland of the desert continuously along different directions.Pain and sorrow bit his heart, and hatred gradually rose in his heart: Shi Xiuxiu caused all this, if he was at home, how could he let his father disappear?
When Mother asked about Shi Xiuxiu, he replied harshly: "I don't know where he died, and he will have nothing to do with me in the future."
Mother was even more sad: "Why did I raise a white-eyed wolf?"
As a result, more than half of his mental head fell.
It has become a fact that Shalitun is not suitable for living, so how could Shawanli give up the search so easily, even though the hope of finding his father is extremely slim.From spring to autumn, the days were spent day by day in torment, each day was long and hopeless, Sha Wanli finally decided to leave Shalitun with his mother.
Mother's body was getting worse day by day, and she was shrinking day by day without seeing any ailments. He knew that Mother was suffering from heart disease.Gu Sheng was desperate to change his environment, maybe his mother would get better, otherwise, he might not be able to survive the coming winter.
When this decision was made, Sha Wanli was standing on the sand dunes of Laohetao, looking in the direction of Shalitun.The sand dunes are approaching Shalitun, and Shalitun is silent and lifeless. The uninhabited dilapidated houses are like tombs. Only the old walnut tree at the entrance of the village is still bearing fruit tenaciously.
Before long, everything will be buried in this nascent desert.He looked beyond Shalitun to the distant Wulongdi Village.
Sha Wanli drove the flock back home, and when he entered the courtyard, he shouted as usual: "Mother, I'm back."
Mother didn't open the door to welcome her out as usual, Sha Wanli hurried into the house.
Mother lay on the kang, tremblingly said: "Mother can't get up, I can't cook for you."
Sha Wanli wanted to send his mother to the hospital, but his mother shook her hands weakly and said, "Mother is leaving, so I can't go to the hospital. She died in the hospital and was burnt to ashes. She has no soul and can't go back to Shalitun. Tone, let me tell you a few words. You must find Xiuxiu and Shazhou, don't hate Xiuxiu, this is your father's destiny, you can't blame others."
Sha Wanli held his mother's hands, held back tears and nodded in agreement.Mother panted and said, "After mother dies, bury mother at the entrance of the village, and mother will wait for your father to come back."
In the last consciousness of her life, she went back decades.She buried her parents who died of starvation, and left her hometown alone to flee famine.Begging for food and walking north for several months, she fainted from hunger on the side of the road, and a man pulled her back to the village in a donkey cart.
The villagers objected to accepting her to settle down. How could they take in outsiders if everyone couldn't have enough to eat?The man said, if I marry her as my wife, she is not an outsider.She has never been separated from that man in her life.
That night, Niang passed away with longing for her family.Following his mother's last words, Sha Wanli found some clothes that his father usually wore, and buried them with his mother under the old walnut tree at the entrance of the village.
Another autumn, Sha Wanli, carrying Shi Xiuxiu's canvas travel bag, knelt for a long time under the old walnut tree at the entrance of the village, saying goodbye to his parents and Shalitun.
For a year, every morning when he drove the sheep out of the house, he would tell his mother when he walked to the village entrance: "Mother, I'm going out to find my father."
When he walked into the wilderness, he would say to his father again: "Dad, your new home is quite big, no one can compare to it, but you can't leave mother alone, you'd better come back."
When I return to Shalitun in the evening, I will chat with the old walnut tree when I pass the village entrance: "You are about to grow up, tell me, when will Xiuxiu come back?"
Lying on the kang at night, when you close your eyes, you will see Shazhou running towards you again. After such a long time apart, will you still remember your father?
After a long search and waiting, he failed in the end.He burned the anniversary for his parents, sold everything in the family, and decided never to return to Shalitun.
He did not demolish the house like other people did, and the courtyard of the house remained as it was.Lock the door and put the key under the stone slab next to the door, as if all the family members have traveled far away.
He kowtowed three times to Shalitun, stood up and patted the old walnut tree and said, "You won't be able to leave, just leave it to your fate."
The old walnut tree silently watched the familiar figure drift away, and it will become the last watchman of Shalitun.
(End of this chapter)
Slowly hot air rises from the surface, like air but not air, like fog but not fog.The scenery in the distance is in the hot air, like a fantasy.
Salix spits out thin yellow leaves, and the dry dark red branches become soft and green.Under the nourishment of snow water, the grass roots that have been dormant for the winter impatiently render patches of light green.
The old river loop is filled with clear snow water, like a real small river surrounding Shalitun.The wilderness, which had been covered by ice and snow for more than four months, seemed to have regained its vigor and vitality overnight.
The sheep spread their hooves on the wasteland, and there was a pungent smell of mutton in the flock.With a pair of thick, curved horns on its head and a long beard on its chin, the breeding sheep is chasing the long-awaited smell in the flock, and brutally trying to conquer the smelling ewe.Reluctantly, a piece of leather was hung under the belly by the owner, so he could only do useless work, and the ewe jumped impatiently and fled.
In restlessness and excitement, the flock moved forward to the depths of the wilderness.
Savanli, wearing a camouflage uniform and a black turban, walked in front of the flock, temporarily acting as the leader.
From winter to spring, the flock will give birth to more than [-] lambs, which will add a new wealth to the family and also mean the arrival of a new round of breeding season.He wants to travel far away with the flock, find an unrelated breeding sheep, and continue to optimize and expand the flock.
Shi Xiuxiu followed behind the flock, looking after the twenty or so snow-white fluffy lambs.She imitated Sha Wanli's appearance, wearing a pink thread scarf and an old faded tracksuit. She was fat, long and ill-fitting.Clearly not her own clothes.
Early in the morning, his parents drove a donkey cart to deliver dung to the field, and Sha Wanli wanted to take her to herd the sheep.She took off the new clothes she bought a few years ago and put on her old clothes, only to find that all the clothes and pants were a lot shorter, and her shirt and underpants were thinner and stretched tightly on her body.
She stood blankly on the kang in the back room, suddenly realized that she might have grown taller and gained weight, and screamed excitedly into the yard: "Wan Li, come in quickly."
Sha Wanli, who was waiting for Shi Xiuxiu and was about to leave, entered the room and asked, "What's wrong?"
Shi Xiuxiu said: "My clothes used to be too small. Look, I can't wear them anymore."
Sha Wanli looked at Shi Xiuxiu in a little surprise.After taking off the tightly covered winter coat, he found that Shi Xiuxiu's body had undergone obvious changes: her hair had turned black, her face was ruddy, her arms and legs were round and fleshy, although not as plump as Salix, At least she has the appearance of a girl.
He said with a smile: "You say you are a child and you still don't admit it, how can an adult grow up?"
Shi Xiuxiu said pleasantly: "Really? You hug me and see if I've really grown up."
Sha Wanli stood on the edge of the kang, put his arms around Shi Xiuxiu's legs, picked her up and weighed her, she was indeed much heavier than before.Putting down Shi Xiuxiu, he rummaged through the box and found out his old sportswear from middle school for her to wear: "You make do with it first, I'll take you to buy new clothes when I have time."
Shi Xiuxiu jumped down barefoot to compare her height with Sha Wanli, the top of her head reached Sha Wanli's chin, at least half a head taller.
Sha Wanli rubbed her head habitually, and said affirmatively, "You have really grown taller and fatter."
Shi Xiuxiu shook her head dissatisfied: "You still treat me like a child?"
Sha Wanli deliberately avoided similar topics, he said: "It's getting late, pack up and leave quickly."
Shi Xiuxiu pursed her lips, murmured, and followed Sha Wanli to drive the flock out of the house.Although she is very happy to grow her body, Sha Wanli still refuses to accept her emotions, which is also a big and small trouble.
In just a few months, she has naturally integrated into this family.From the first day she walked into this house, she followed Sha Wanli to call her father and mother, and the two old people happily accepted.
On the day I returned home last year, my father killed a sheep, and the tempting smell of meat wafted from inside and outside the house.She had never seen so much meat, let alone a whole plate of meat served.
In the past, the family was short of food, and everyone couldn't eat enough. How could there be spare food to raise pigs? Occasionally, I bought a little meat, but it all fell into my brother's mouth.For the protein that her body urgently needs, she went up the mountain to catch grasshoppers and roast them. If she could catch a big mountain mouse, it would undoubtedly be like Chinese New Year.
Now it is the first time to serve someone else's rice bowl, facing a large table of mutton and mutton soup, she tried her best to control her appetite and gluttony.The mother next to her kept putting meat into her bowl, and she kept saying that enough was enough.
Sha Wanli, who was sitting opposite, smiled and said to her, "Why are you being polite even though you're here? Uncle PLA knows how much you eat."
She smiled happily, it was more delicious than eating meat.
After eating mutton and drinking mutton soup, my body is warm.At night, Mother took out a new quilt for her and slept with her in the back room.With her mother's company, she ate well and slept soundly.She learned how to shear sheep and comb cashmere with her mother, take care of the lambs, and compete to do the work that she knows how to do. She also told her about her experiences and sufferings in her heart.
After hearing this, Mother hugged her and wept: "Poor child."
She also cried to her mother.The rediscovered affection made her believe that this was her own mother, and this place was her home.
After the Spring Festival, the weather gradually became warmer. One day, my mother asked her mysteriously and solemnly: "In the future, mother will not sleep with you. Mother will find you a companion, okay?"
She understood what mother meant, and couldn't help blushing.
But Sha Wanli would rather sleep with his parents on the same kang than move to the back room to sleep with her.
Parents slept on the top of the kang in the outer room, Sha Wanli slept on the top of the kang in the outer room, and she slept on the top of the kang in the inner room.The ground and the inside of the house are connected with each other, except for a thin wall on the kang.There is a wall between them, but it is like a big mountain, which cannot be climbed over.
After sleeping alone for a few nights, she began to play tricks, scratching the walls like a mouse scratching a door.
Sha Wanli leaned halfway from the outer room and said, "Since when did you become a rat spirit?"
She leaned back and repeated the old trick: "I'm scared, I can't sleep."
Sha Wanli reached out and pushed her down on the pillow: "Don't make trouble, sleep well."
Always treating her like a child made her very angry.
Like Shi Xiuxiu, the twenty or so little lambs walked into the vast desert for the first time.Facing the empty and vast strange world, he was excited and curious, running and jumping along the way.
Shi Xiuxiu also ran around, chasing back the lamb that was trying to escape from the flock.
Sha Wanli turned back and said to her: "The little lamb will follow up by itself, you just have to watch out and don't get lost. If you run around like this, it won't take half a day for you to be too tired to walk."
Shi Xiuxiu said, "If you can't walk, I'll let you carry it on your back."
Sha Wanli said: "If you can't walk, go with the wolf."
Shi Xiuxiu shouted: "You dare, mother will never forgive you."
Savannah smiled knowingly.
It should be said that Shi Xiuxiu took the risk to come to Shalitun with him at the instigation of his comrades in arms. He was also forced to accept this fact from the perspective of sympathy.Never thought that she and mother would be inseparable.
On the day of returning home, Mother avoided Shi Xiuxiu and asked him with a smile: "You bring me back a child bride, how many more years will I have to raise?"
He said to his mother: "Mother, you can treat her as anyone, even your own daughter, don't treat her as your daughter-in-law."
Niang asked, "Are you still thinking about Salix?"
He said, "No, what do I want her to do?"
The mother didn't believe it: "Don't think about the silly son, everyone has a personal fate."
He didn't want to mention Sha Liu to anyone anymore, so he changed the subject and simply told his mother about Shi Xiuxiu's misfortune.He said: "She has no relatives, so I can't leave her alone, can I?"
Mother said: "You did the right thing, Mother knows it well."
He hugged his mother's shoulder and said, "Don't worry about it, just let nature take its course."
His main thoughts are not on this.In the past few years away from home, my father and mother have obviously aged a lot. My father's back is a little hunched, and my mother's hair is more than half gray. It is time for me to take on the burden of the family.
During the meal, he took out the white wine he bought for his father, and drank with his father on an equal footing for the first time.In this way, he declared that he had taken over the burden on his father's shoulders.
He went to the Township Armed Forces Department to go through the relevant procedures, received the resettlement fee for veterans, and rushed to the county seat without stopping. In the evening, he returned home with a black and white TV set.
Although only three or four stations can be received, and the picture is not too clear, it is enough to bring joy to the whole Shalitun.
As night fell, the kang at home was full of people, staring at the TV, amazed to see goodbye from the news broadcast, the scene was no less than holding a village meeting.
Dad seemed particularly excited, busily serving tea and water, chatting and laughing with everyone contentedly.The hearts of Shalitun were scattered, and several families were moved away. A TV can bring everyone together again and understand the world outside of Shalitun. He, the village chief who doesn’t have many villagers under his command, has somewhat regained his position as village chief. a feeling of.
Dad also praised him for this: "You have done a very meaningful thing."
Shi Xiuxiu had never watched TV either. In front of many strangers, she hugged her tabby cat and snuggled up to her mother like a kitten, but her eyes followed Sha Wanli around.
Later, Sha Wanli discovered that Shi Xiuxiu had a particularly strong ability to adapt to the environment.Winter has come in a blink of an eye, and there have been several heavy snowfalls one after another. The thick snow has covered the desert, and no matter how strong the wind blows, it will not be able to lift up the sand and dust, and it will also bring enough snow water for next spring.
Niang said to Shi Xiuxiu: "It's strange, there hasn't been such a heavy snow in many years, did you bring it?"
Shi Xiuxiu was very happy, and followed him to sweep the snow from the roof, yard and street, and then sent it to the field with a donkey cart.In Sallitton, rain and snow cannot be easily wasted.
After finishing the work, Shi Xiuxiu's head was steaming.Back home, she cut off thick ice cubes from the wall of the water tank with a kitchen knife, put them in her mouth and bit them with relish, which made him shiver.
Niang took it away when she saw it, handed over a cup of hot water and said, "Women can't eat things that are too cold."
As the lambs came down one after another, the house was also busy with business. At night, they were afraid of freezing to death and carried them to the spare west room to light the stove.Shi Xiuxiu and her mother took turns to watch the night, and every lamb survived the harsh winter safely, growing strong and lively.
Therefore, Niang asserted: "Our family will definitely have a happy event this year."
Before the Spring Festival, Mother took Shi Xiuxiu to the market in her father's donkey cart, changed Shi Xiuxiu into new clothes from the inside out, and cared more about anyone and everything.
That night, when Mother returned to the outhouse with her quilt in her arms, he asked her, "Where should I sleep?"
Niang blinked and said, "Wherever you like to sleep, I don't care if you sleep in the sheepfold."
He spread his quilt on the top of the kang, undressed and lay down.Mother called from a broom bump: "Don't sleep on my kang."
He put the quilt over his head and didn't move.He understood what mother meant, but he was still not sure whether Shi Xiuxiu would live in Shalitun for a long time.How about Sha Liu, who has such a deep relationship with him, won't he go away in the end and never return?
Sha Wanli brought Shi Xiuxiu out today mainly to let her get acquainted with the surrounding environment and give her a comprehensive understanding of the life she will face in the future.It's not that Shi Xiuxiu is cute. Her arrival brought a lot of joy to the family, relieved many of the burdens on her parents, and she was devoted to him.
He just couldn't get over the hurdle in his heart: the environment can change people.
Near noon, they encountered another flock of sheep.Sha Wanli talked with the other party, and after checking each other's breeding sheep were satisfied, they temporarily exchanged the breeding sheep.
After the piece of skin hanging under the belly was untied, it was like a breeding sheep that had been released from the shackles, and began to unscrupulously exercise the original power among the flock, and wild cheers echoed in the wilderness.
Sha Wanli suddenly realized that he had made a mistake: Shi Xiuxiu should not have seen such a rough scene.
He stood in front of Shi Xiuxiu and turned her around: "You've been walking all morning, find a place to rest."
Shi Xiuxiu turned around and said, "I'm not tired."
Sha Wanli said: "If you're not tired, hide aside, there's nothing to see."
Shi Xiuxiu said dissatisfiedly: "I prefer to watch it, so I just watch it. Some people are not as sensible as that ram."
Sha Wanli covered Shi Xiuxiu's small mouth with his big hand. Shi Xiuxiu shook her head and tried to break free, but she bit Sha Wanli's palm with her teeth if she couldn't.
Sha Wanli pushed her behind a clump of willows, made her sit down, and ordered: "Be obedient, or I won't take you out in the future."
The breeding sheep completed their mission, and the flock calmed down, gnawing on the hay leisurely.Sha Wanli returned to Shi Xiuxiu's side, sat on the sand, ate dry food, and took a rest.
There are a few lazy white clouds suspended in the dark blue sky, clean without a trace of dust, and the warm wind flows silently through the vast wasteland, which is as calm as a sensible child without any noise.
Shi Xiuxiu fell into Sha Wanli's arms and closed his eyes slightly. Sha Wanli put his arm around Shi Xiuxiu's shoulders, looking at this child-like face, as if in a dream.
The tenderness in my heart is like the wilderness at noon, and the temperature has risen to its peak.He bent down and took the little hungry mouth in his own.
All of a sudden, it was a matter of course, and for a moment, there was silence between the world and the earth, only a trickle flowing in the heart.The long-awaited call echoed, tears flowed into sweet springs; in the rolling wasteland, the eyes no longer just stay for one scenery.
Sha Wanli remembered that he once asked Sha Liu: "What's it like to kiss?" Sha Liu failed to give him an answer.Now he knew what it was like to kiss: to spit out his own heart and suck the other person's heart into his chest.
Shi Xiuxiu slowly let go of her mouth, with tears on her face, she raised her face and asked softly, "Sleep together at night?"
Sha Wanli rubbed his little head affectionately, his eyes were calm: "Sleep together."
In the spring of the second year, Shi Xiuxiu gave birth to a boy.Sha Fujiu personally went to the township government to register his grandson's household registration, and named his grandson Shazhou on his own initiative, which means an oasis in the desert.
The birth of Shazhou means that Shalitun has successors.There are only a few families left in Shalitun, and people have completely lost confidence in Shalitun.The government invested in the construction of shelter forests, leaving Shalitun out of the shelterbelts and completely abandoned Shalitun.
Shafu was not reconciled for a long time, and went to the village again and again to apply for funds. The answer was: special funds for special purposes, and key funds should be used for key projects.
Not reconciled for a long time, Sha Fu bought the saplings out of his own pocket.Every spring, I take my family to plant grass and trees in Laohetao, hoping to save Shalitun by myself.
When Shazhou was three years old, there was a severe drought. There was no heavy rain for a whole year. There was not a drop of water in the old river loop. The grassland degraded and the young trees died, and there was no harvest in autumn.
After a long, cold, dry and lonely winter, the arrival of spring did not bring much hope.There is no snow in winter and no rain in spring, and the drought has further expanded. Strong winds are raging and raising sand and dust, blowing during the day and at night.
The old river loop is almost filled with sand, and the willow bushes are swaying with dry and stiff branches, showing no signs of turning green.
The pressure of survival forced people to move away one after another. In the huge Shalitun, only Sha Fujiu's family remained.
Sha Fujiu stood alone and helpless on the sandy hills of Laohetao, the wind and sand beat his hopeless face, and his eyes covered with dust were cloudy and dazed.God wants to destroy Shalitun, and no one can stop it—this is what Sha Fuyuan said to him before he left.
That day was also in Laohetao. He was patrolling his grassland with great ambition. Sha Fuyuan found him and followed him silently.He stopped, looked at Shalitun and said, "If you have something to say, just say it."
Sha Fuyuan said: "I misunderstood you in the early years. The words I scolded you these years were not completely aimed at you. I have seen everything you have done for Shalitun. I am not blind. I admire it from the bottom of my heart.”
"I just want to have a clear conscience," he said.
Sha Fuyuan said: "There is no hope for Shalitun. You and I know what Shalitun was like before and what it is like now. Don't be too stubborn. Make plans early and think about it."
He said: "Shalitun was left by my ancestors. As long as I have a breath, I will not give up Shalitun. Shalitun still exists as an administrative village."
Sha Fuyuan seemed to have a lot to say. He squatted on the ground and took out a grass stalk, put it in his mouth and chewed it slowly, and finally said only one sentence: "I'm moving away, I can't help you anymore."
Even if there is still a glimmer of hope for survival, who is willing to leave their hometown?He understands Sha Fu Yuan, understands all the people who moved out of Sha Li Dun.But he couldn't leave, and he still had a breath in his heart: No matter how ruthless God is, I can't admit defeat.
Sha Fujiu returned home covered in dust, discussed with his wife, and said wearily to Sha Wanli and Shi Xiuxiu: "You guys move out, your mother and I will stay."
Shi Xiuxiu said to her mother, "It would be nice to move away together."
Niang said, "I've lived here for a lifetime, and I can't bear it."
Savanli said, "We won't leave either."
When sleeping at night, Shi Xiuxiu said to Sha Wanli: "You have to find a way to let parents move away with us."
Sha Wanli said helplessly: "If you don't know Dad, he won't move away."
"We really don't want to move?"
"You can't just leave your parents in Shalitun and ignore them, right? Besides, where will you move them?"
"I can move anywhere, can Shalitun still live? In the past few years, how much did our family buy saplings and throw in, and how many trees survived? Aren't they all blind for nothing? If you don't think about me, you should For the sake of Shazhou, what will you do when you go to school in the future? You just have the heart to let Shazhou grow up in this environment?"
"Don't bother me, can you?"
"I didn't bother you, but I got annoyed first. If you don't go, I will take the sandbar."
The two had an argument for the first time, which alarmed their parents.Mother stood outside the door and said: "Stop arguing, you move away, your father and I don't need you to worry about it."
Shi Xiuxiu was angry and slept with her arms around Shazhou, leaving Sha Wanli aside.
Early the next morning, Sha Wanli set off with the sheep as before.Shi Xiuxiu prepared water and dry food for Sha Wanli and sent him out. He went into the room and called Sha Zhou to get up to eat, but found that Sha Zhou was hot all over, his little face was flushed, and he was coughing continuously.
Shi Xiuxiu was frightened. This was exactly the same as the symptoms of pneumonia that she had burned that year, so she hurriedly asked her father to put Shazhou on a donkey cart and take it to the township hospital.
The doctor injected Shazhou with antipyretic and anti-inflammatory injections, but he was not sure whether it would be effective: "The child is too young and the illness came on suddenly. Our facilities are not good here. It is best to go to the county hospital for a diagnosis."
Shazhou must not be allowed to suffer the same pain as herself, so Shi Xiuxiu decided to go to the county hospital immediately.Sha Fujiu was afraid that Shi Xiuxiu would not bring enough money, so he went to the township government to find an acquaintance to borrow 2000 yuan for her, but he was still not at ease: "Can you do it alone?"
Shi Xiuxiu hugged Shazhou and said, "Don't worry dad, I can do it."
I got in a car and rushed to the county seat. The doctor at the county hospital diagnosed a high fever caused by a respiratory tract infection and was hospitalized for treatment.After the infusion, Shazhou broke out in sweat, and his body temperature quickly returned to normal.
The doctor said that I have to observe it for one night, and I can be discharged from the hospital as long as I don't repeat it tomorrow morning.Shi Xiuxiu felt relieved.
After a peaceful night, Shi Xiuxiu took the oral medicine prescribed by the doctor and led Shazhou out of the hospital gate.Next to the hospital is a bathing pool. Seeing the word bathing pool, Shi Xiuxiu felt her skin tight and her body itchy.
Throughout the winter, people and animals had difficulty drinking water. Except for washing their faces and feet, they never got a drop of water on their bodies, and they were covered with rust-like dirt.Everyone in the whole family has an unpleasant smell.
During the diagnosis, the doctor wore a mask and frowned, and said to Shi Xiuxiu very implicitly: "You must pay attention to personal hygiene to avoid getting sick."
Shi Xiuxiu's face was hot.
Shi Xiuxiu led Shazhou into the bath, soaking and scrubbing, and it took more than two hours to wash off the dirt accumulated all winter.She came to the bus station relaxed and ready to go home, but the oncoming train station made Shi Xiuxiu temporarily change her mind.
The train station aroused her homesickness, and Shazhou's illness also strengthened her determination to leave Shalitun.If parents don't leave Shalitun, and Shawanli won't leave either, they and their children will suffer accordingly.
Shilazi still had three rooms, and took Shazhou back to his hometown to live for a while, forcing Sha Wanli to leave Shalitun.Thinking like this, I walked into the train station without hesitation.
Shazhou asked her, "Mother, where are we going?"
Shi Xiuxiu said: "Mother will take you to a fun place with mountains and water, okay?"
Shazhou clapped his little hands and said happily, "Okay."
When Shi Xiuxiu was holding the sandbar and boarding the train, Sha Wanli was looking for her around the county.He was very worried about Shazhou's illness. He came to the county seat by car early in the morning, and went to the county hospital to inquire. The doctor said that the child was well and was discharged early in the morning.
Sha Wanli went to the bus station first, and then to the shopping mall.The small county town is such a small place, and after searching a few times, it was almost noon and there was no shadow of Shi Xiuxiu and Shazhou. It was estimated that Shi Xiuxiu must have taken the early bus home with the child in her arms.
He ate something unhurriedly, bought some daily necessities, and then drove home.When I got home and saw that Shi Xiuxiu hadn't come back, my heart sank.
Mother hurriedly said: "Where can Xiuxiu go alone with the baby in her arms?"
Sha Wanli said: "Last night, she had a few words with me. She said she would take Shazhou away. Not surprisingly, she took advantage of Shazhou's illness to go back to her hometown."
The mother complained: "You are too, you don't know that although she has become a mother, she still has a child's temper? Why are you arguing with her?"
Sha Wanli comforted her mother: "Maybe she really misses her hometown, and she will come back by herself after living for a while."
But I was very anxious in my heart, and the thing I had been secretly worried about happened: Shi Xiuxiu finally couldn't bear the desert environment and ran away from home.
After a month, Shi Xiuxiu hadn't come back, so my mother couldn't sit still, and forced Sha Wanli to fetch her and her mother back.
Savanli stood hesitantly in the ticket office of the railway station.It can be seen from the fact that Shi Xiuxiu came to Shalitun with her recklessly at the beginning, Shi Xiuxiu is a person who thinks about it and does it regardless of the consequences.If she wanted to come back, she would come back without looking for her. If she was determined not to go back to Shalitun, she would not come back even if she picked her up in a sedan chair.
Sha Wanli wandered in distress and helplessly.
"I may not be back yet."
What Sha Liu said back then still rings in my ears.Shalitun forced away two of his beloved women, would they never look back?What kind of life is Shaliu living now?
After seven or eight years of separation, I have always missed her in my heart, but I didn't have the right opportunity to see her.Why not take this opportunity to take a walk, after all, they are siblings who grew up together, and others can't say anything.
Once the idea came up, he couldn't control it anymore, took the train to the ancient town in southern Liaoning, and found Wulongdi Village according to the address in the letter Sha Liu gave him.
It is also the beginning of spring, spring plowing has begun here, the trees have become forests, the land is flat and fertile, people are driving cattle in the fields and plowing the fields leisurely, and the fragrance of moist soil is wafting in the air.
The houses in the village are patchwork, all red bricks and blue tiles, and it can be seen at a glance that it is a rich place.The military overcoat I wore from Shalitun could no longer be worn, so I took it off and put it on my arm, my forehead was still slightly sweaty, and the warm climate made people feel comfortable physically and mentally.
Under the guidance of others, Sha Wanli stopped outside a four-room tile-roofed house and a person-high wall made of bluestone.A row of tall poplar trees were planted outside the wall, already spit out bright yellow leaves.Two big oxen and three calves were tied under the tree. Outside the gatehouse made of red bricks, a six or seven-year-old boy was playing with sand.
Sha Wanli asked: "Little friend, does Sha Liu live in this house?"
The little boy looked up at Sha Wanli, turned around and ran into the yard, shouting: "Mom, someone is looking for you."
Sha Wanli followed closely into the yard, and saw Sha Liu coming out of the house head-on: "Who is it?"
Looking at each other, both of them stopped and stood in place, looking at each other.
Sha Liu cut her thick and long braids, with wavy shawl hair, her face was much fairer and more delicate than before, she stood there in surprise, her hands tightly clutching the apron around her waist.
Sha Wanli's throat tightened, but he still called out: "Sister, I'll come and see you."
This is the first time he called Sha Liu that way without outsiders.As soon as the word sister was uttered, everything was put down.
Sha Liu took a few steps and came to the front, slapped Sha Wanli's shoulder heavily, with tears in his eyes: "Do you still know that I am your sister? It's been so many years since I thought of seeing my sister"
Sha Wanli felt sore in his heart, and didn't know what to say for a moment.The little boy asked Sha Liu: "Mom, who is he?"
"He's your uncle." Sha Liu lifted up the apron on her waist, wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and said to the little boy, "Zhuang Hai, go to the greenhouse and call your father back, and just say there are guests at home."
Zhuang Hai ran out quickly.Sha Liu let Sha Wanli into the house, washed a few apples and handed them to Sha Wanli without thinking about talking, and said proudly: "Try it, these are apples from my sister's own home, and I keep three to four hundred catties every year. Eat it yourself. Where have we seen this in Shalitun?"
Sha Wanli ate an apple, looked around at the home furnishings and said, "Brother-in-law must be very capable."
Sha Liu thought to herself, in this environment, you would be more capable, and said with a smile: "Your sister can't do it?"
Without much effort, Zhuang Daming returned home, and Sha Liu made an introduction.The two men shook hands, Zhuang Daming said honestly: "You don't know, your sister often talks about you, saying that there is a cousin in my hometown, I don't know if he is married, I don't know what he does and how he lives."
Sha Liu said, "What are you talking about, really."
Zhuang Daming stopped talking and helped Sha Liu to cook.
A round wooden table was placed on the Kang, and eight dishes were placed on it. Zhuang Daming and Sha Wanli sat facing each other and drank.
Sha Liu sat beside Sha Wanli and kept picking up vegetables for him: "Eat more, these cucumbers, tomatoes, and celery are all grown in my sister's greenhouse. I know we can't eat these vegetables in our hometown now, God forbid." Potatoes and pickles make you sick to your stomach."
Sha Wanli said sincerely: "This place is a hundred times better than our hometown."
Sha Liu couldn't help but asked: "Don't hide it from my sister, you came here suddenly this time, is there something else going on?"
Sha Wanli didn't hide anything, and told about his ins and outs with Shi Xiuxiu.He made it clear that he didn't want to go to Shi Xiuxiu, and wanted to hide at her house for a few days before lying to the old man when he went back.
After hearing this, Sha Liu put down her chopsticks and said, "You are confused. Even if she doesn't want to come back, you still have to get the child back. The child belongs to our old Sha's family, why should she take it away?"
Zhuang Daming, who has been silent all the time, said: "I don't think the matter is that serious, but I have an idea. You and your siblings can see if it works. In our place, five ridges are one mu, so it is called five ridges." Land. There are few people and a lot of land, and it is close to the city. Many people rent out their land and go to the city for business. It is difficult for the elderly to leave their homeland. You and your younger siblings can come here first. You can rent a house or buy a house. Rent some land to plant, and build a few greenhouses in winter , After working well for a year, there will be a lot of income. After the life is stable, the old man will be taken over."
Sha Liu said to Sha Wanli: "Your brother-in-law's idea is good, I think it will work."
Sha Wanli said: "It's a good idea, I'm afraid it will cause you a lot of trouble in the future."
Zhuang Daming said: "If there is any trouble for my relatives, don't bother, and it will save your sister from talking about you all the time."
Sha Liu slapped Zhuang Daming affectionately, and said to Sha Wanli: "It's not too late, sister won't let you stay at home, you can leave after lunch, and quickly bring her mother back."
Sha Wanli, who was very entangled at first, didn't expect things to turn so well suddenly, his mood suddenly relaxed, and he ate his meal with gusto.
The quarrel between him and Shi Xiuxiu wasn't because he didn't want to move out of Shalitun. He moved around and was still on the edge of the desert without substantial changes.If you can move to Wulongdi, it will be completely different.
After lunch, Sha Liu personally sent Sha Wanli to the train station.After buying the train ticket, Sha Wanli said to Sha Liu, "You were right to leave Shalitun."
Sha Liu sighed: "You don't hate me?"
Sha Wanli said: "I don't hate you. If I want to hate you, I can only hate that we were born in the wrong place."
Sha Liu said: "I thought you would hate me forever, and I would never see you again."
Sha Wanli said: "Brother-in-law is a nice person. Seeing the life you are living now makes me envious."
Only then did Sha Liu smile: "I can see that you and your siblings have a deep relationship, and it was all caused by Shalitun. When we meet, talk about our situation here, and bring us here and let's live a good life."
The two brothers and sisters usually speak heart-warming words.
After reversing the car a few times, Sha Wanli came to Shilazi three days later.The three stone houses I built with my own hands back then showed no sign of people living in them, and the doors were locked.
When I found the old village head and asked about it, the old village head said: "Xiuxiu took the child back and stayed for a few days before leaving."
Sha Wanli thought it was wrong. According to the time calculation, Shi Xiuxiu should have returned to Shalitun, so he couldn't help feeling nervous and worried.
The old village chief said: "Xiuxiu said that her in-laws treat her like a daughter, and the man loves her too. She is just homesick and comes back to visit. She has many relatives here, and she has to go all the way when she finally comes back. Before leaving, she gave me the keys of the house for safekeeping. If she comes back again, I will let her go back immediately. Don't worry, she will go back. "
Hearing what the old village chief said, Sha Wanli was not worried anymore, and went back to the old army for two days to catch up with his former comrades-in-arms.Before leaving, I went back to Shilazi again, bought a few bottles of wine for the old village head, and made him worry about it, and then set foot on the journey home.
After running around on the road for many days, I was exhausted, but when I thought of new hope in my life, my heart was still quite bright.On the way back to Shalitun, my footsteps became brisk and powerful.
She thought that it was time for Shi Xiuxiu to take the child home, and when she heard that she was leaving Shalitun to live in Wulongdi, she would be very happy, and her parents would be happy too.
When approaching the entrance of the village, I saw my mother with disheveled white hair, standing under the old walnut tree looking into the distance, and ran straight over.
As soon as she saw Sha Wanli, the mother sat down on the ground and cried, "Son, why did you come back? Go and find your father."
Sha Wanli's head buzzed, and he quickly helped his mother up: "What's wrong, Dad?"
Hearing his mother's cries, Sha Wanli helped her back home and plunged into the desert by himself.Shi Xiuxiu didn't go home, and he couldn't care less, he just wanted to find his father as soon as possible.
Not long after he left Shaliton, a strong wind blew up one night.Sha Fujiu was worried that the newly planted saplings would be uprooted by the strong wind, so he went to Laohetao early in the morning.
Unexpectedly, that morning, a more powerful storm suddenly blew up, and the storm swirled across the desert, flying sand and rocks for a while, and the sky was dark.The storm lasted all day, and Sha Fujiu disappeared. The village sent people to search for it for several days, but finally gave up.
According to statistics from the Meteorological Department, it was a once-in-50-year desert storm, and the dust drifted thousands of kilometers away.When a person disappears in the desert, there is no possibility of survival.
Sha Wanli is also very clear about his father's final destination, but at least his body should be recovered.
The storm changed all the landforms. Due to the blockage of salix bushes, high sand dunes rose up in the area of Laohetao, and Laohetao no longer existed.Without those willow bushes, I am afraid that Shalitun will also be buried by sand dunes.
Sha Wanli walked into the hinterland of the desert continuously along different directions.Pain and sorrow bit his heart, and hatred gradually rose in his heart: Shi Xiuxiu caused all this, if he was at home, how could he let his father disappear?
When Mother asked about Shi Xiuxiu, he replied harshly: "I don't know where he died, and he will have nothing to do with me in the future."
Mother was even more sad: "Why did I raise a white-eyed wolf?"
As a result, more than half of his mental head fell.
It has become a fact that Shalitun is not suitable for living, so how could Shawanli give up the search so easily, even though the hope of finding his father is extremely slim.From spring to autumn, the days were spent day by day in torment, each day was long and hopeless, Sha Wanli finally decided to leave Shalitun with his mother.
Mother's body was getting worse day by day, and she was shrinking day by day without seeing any ailments. He knew that Mother was suffering from heart disease.Gu Sheng was desperate to change his environment, maybe his mother would get better, otherwise, he might not be able to survive the coming winter.
When this decision was made, Sha Wanli was standing on the sand dunes of Laohetao, looking in the direction of Shalitun.The sand dunes are approaching Shalitun, and Shalitun is silent and lifeless. The uninhabited dilapidated houses are like tombs. Only the old walnut tree at the entrance of the village is still bearing fruit tenaciously.
Before long, everything will be buried in this nascent desert.He looked beyond Shalitun to the distant Wulongdi Village.
Sha Wanli drove the flock back home, and when he entered the courtyard, he shouted as usual: "Mother, I'm back."
Mother didn't open the door to welcome her out as usual, Sha Wanli hurried into the house.
Mother lay on the kang, tremblingly said: "Mother can't get up, I can't cook for you."
Sha Wanli wanted to send his mother to the hospital, but his mother shook her hands weakly and said, "Mother is leaving, so I can't go to the hospital. She died in the hospital and was burnt to ashes. She has no soul and can't go back to Shalitun. Tone, let me tell you a few words. You must find Xiuxiu and Shazhou, don't hate Xiuxiu, this is your father's destiny, you can't blame others."
Sha Wanli held his mother's hands, held back tears and nodded in agreement.Mother panted and said, "After mother dies, bury mother at the entrance of the village, and mother will wait for your father to come back."
In the last consciousness of her life, she went back decades.She buried her parents who died of starvation, and left her hometown alone to flee famine.Begging for food and walking north for several months, she fainted from hunger on the side of the road, and a man pulled her back to the village in a donkey cart.
The villagers objected to accepting her to settle down. How could they take in outsiders if everyone couldn't have enough to eat?The man said, if I marry her as my wife, she is not an outsider.She has never been separated from that man in her life.
That night, Niang passed away with longing for her family.Following his mother's last words, Sha Wanli found some clothes that his father usually wore, and buried them with his mother under the old walnut tree at the entrance of the village.
Another autumn, Sha Wanli, carrying Shi Xiuxiu's canvas travel bag, knelt for a long time under the old walnut tree at the entrance of the village, saying goodbye to his parents and Shalitun.
For a year, every morning when he drove the sheep out of the house, he would tell his mother when he walked to the village entrance: "Mother, I'm going out to find my father."
When he walked into the wilderness, he would say to his father again: "Dad, your new home is quite big, no one can compare to it, but you can't leave mother alone, you'd better come back."
When I return to Shalitun in the evening, I will chat with the old walnut tree when I pass the village entrance: "You are about to grow up, tell me, when will Xiuxiu come back?"
Lying on the kang at night, when you close your eyes, you will see Shazhou running towards you again. After such a long time apart, will you still remember your father?
After a long search and waiting, he failed in the end.He burned the anniversary for his parents, sold everything in the family, and decided never to return to Shalitun.
He did not demolish the house like other people did, and the courtyard of the house remained as it was.Lock the door and put the key under the stone slab next to the door, as if all the family members have traveled far away.
He kowtowed three times to Shalitun, stood up and patted the old walnut tree and said, "You won't be able to leave, just leave it to your fate."
The old walnut tree silently watched the familiar figure drift away, and it will become the last watchman of Shalitun.
(End of this chapter)
Tap the screen to use advanced tools
Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.
You'll Also Like
-
Reborn and Married to Uncle, Husband and Wife Teamed Up to Abuse Scum
Chapter 357 59 minute ago -
Datang: My Pokémon was discovered by Li Shimin
Chapter 427 1 days ago -
Do you think I have poor talent? Don't cry when I become a super saiyan!
Chapter 223 1 days ago -
Before graduation, the pure school beauty was pregnant with twins for me
Chapter 412 1 days ago -
Honghuang: The underworld is in a tyrant state, and Hou Tu is going crazy!
Chapter 208 1 days ago -
Elf: Flying Man
Chapter 504 1 days ago -
Violators of the Doomsday Game
Chapter 303 1 days ago -
Longevity Through the Path of Survival: Starting with Playing the Suona, Funeral Cultivation Begins
Chapter 1202 1 days ago -
Back in the 1990s, she became rich through scientific research
Chapter 1799 1 days ago -
Despite Having God-Level Talent, I Ended Up Living Off My Partner.
Chapter 424 2 days ago
