Father's Land Mother's River

Chapter 137 "Flying Sand and Walking Stones" - Eight Development Zones
Before Shi Xiuxiu came to the police station, Shazhou had learned about the general situation from the police handling the case.He was annoyed that he had caused a catastrophe when he just arrived in a strange city. If someone misled him, life for him and his mother would be even more difficult.

Knowing that it was his biological father who was hurt by him, he couldn't believe it was true even though he was shocked.

From his mother's description and his own imagination, the image of his father is still more than ten years ago: wearing an old military uniform, wearing a black turban, herding a large flock of sheep, no matter how hard or tired he is, he will carry him on his back when he returns home. On the shoulders, he ran and bumped with a smile.

He couldn't match up with that middle-aged man who was slightly hunchbacked and bullying the younger with a straight face.

But at that time, it was difficult for him to control his anger and resistance.Those prefabricated houses were temporary residences for him and his mother. It was so difficult to set up a temporary home, and they were easily destroyed for no reason.

Without the protection of his father, he can only rely on himself. The young blood urges him to stand up to defend his dignity and take on the responsibility of protecting his mother.

How could that arrogant and unreasonable person be his own father?

The arrival of his mother confirmed that he was his biological father, and Shazhou covered his face and wept like a child who had suffered a great deal.Fortunately, his father's injuries were not serious.

The police also had a windfall.After questioning, Shi Xiuxiu explained that she and her son were not abducted, and this case of missing persons more than ten years ago can be closed.

The mother and son walked out of the police station to the hospital. Shi Xiuxiu sat on a bench in the hospital lobby and asked Shazhou to go up to recognize his father.

Shazhou ran upstairs quickly, ran up two flights of stairs and slowed down.When I found my biological father, I found my way home, and I no longer had to wander about. A young manic and anxious heart gradually calmed down.

He walked into the ward nervously, and stood in front of Sha Wanli timidly and speechlessly.

Sha Wanli tightly held the hand that pulled across the sandbar, his lips trembled, and his eyes widened as he searched his son's body and face, looking for the shadow of his son's childhood.

When my son was three years old, he left Shalitun and all his relatives. What has he experienced in the past ten years?More suffering or more happiness?Only blame yourself for being incompetent and not creating a good living environment, which forced Shi Xiuxiu to flee from her with her son in her arms.

Fortunately, the son grew up and became a man.He smiled in relief: "The meeting gift you gave Dad is really extraordinary."

Shazhou smiled embarrassingly.

Sha Liu looked Shazhou up and down, and sighed repeatedly: "Like, so similar, exactly the same as your dad when he was young. It's not easy, your dad is going crazy thinking about you."

Sha Wanli told Sha Zhou that she was her aunt.Shazhou called Auntie.For Sha Wanli, Sha Liu also asked for herself: "Did your mother live all these years alone, or did she have another family?"

Shazhou replied in a low voice: "That man died last year."

Sha Liu and Sha Wanli looked at each other.Sha Liu's eyes sink and her heart relaxes, it turns out that she was married to a man; Sha Wanli's eyes sink and her heart tightens, the poor woman is also asked for by herself.

He asked Shazhou: "Do you work on the construction site?"

Shazhou said yes, and then said: "Those prefabricated houses are my mother's snack bar, are you still letting me build them?"

Sha Wanli said: "There is an open space at the head of the house, and it was built there. There used to be grape seedlings in the field."

Shazhou said: "There are many things on the construction site, and my mother's snack bar has to be built quickly."

Sha Wanli let go of his son's hand: "Go ahead, quit your job first, and then tell your mother that if you escape the first day of the junior high school, you will not be able to escape the fifteenth day."

Shazhou looked at his father suspiciously, and walked out of the ward a little uneasy.

Sha Wanli increased the speed of the infusion, and Sha Liu adjusted it: "The nurse said that the infusion is too fast to irritate the stomach, and my son has come to recognize you. Don't worry about it for a while."

After lunch, after the infusion, Sha Wanli refused to be hospitalized and insisted on going home. Sha Liu asked which home to go back to?Savanli said it was as if I had ten or eight families.Sha Liu said that ten or eight did not, and the two families were still sure.

Sha Wanli shut up quickly, and if he continued talking, it would only be endless, causing unnecessary suspicion and trouble.

After leaving the hospital and returning to the old house, a prefabricated house was built horizontally on the east side of the house, forming a T-shape with the old house.The words "big plate" and "high quality and low price" are pasted on the wall, and Shi Xiuxiu is busy inside.

Sha Wanli stopped and watched from a distance, and Sha Liu pulled him home: "You have an injury on your head, so you can't catch the wind."

Sha Liu went into the room and packed up her own and her daughter's clothes, muttering: "You are quite predictable, you drove us back upstairs early in the morning."

Sha Wanli said: "Look at Zhuanghai and then at Shazhou. How can there be any future if you don't study? My daughter's study really can't be delayed."

Sha Wanli drove Sha Liu back to the building, found the canvas travel bag that Shi Xiuxiu had used back then, picked it up and rushed downstairs.

Sha Liu watched Sha Wanli walk out of the house without saying a word, and sat down heavily on the bed. Is this to relive old dreams or reunite?
Even though Sha Wanli seldom mentioned the past while laughing and joking, she knew that Shi Xiuxiu was always on his mind.He is a person who values ​​love and righteousness, and it may not be a good thing right now.Even if Shi Xiuxiu really ran away with someone, he wouldn't hold grudges too much, just like he wouldn't hold grudges for throwing him in the desert.

Sha Liu was upset and fidgeting, she thought about calling Zhuang Hai and telling her son about her concerns.

Zhuang Hai advised her: "You should believe that uncle will handle this matter properly. It is best not to interfere and not express opinions indiscriminately. You should believe in the relationship you have had for so many years, and just stay at home and take good care of your sister."

Yeah, there's a girl rustling, what's there to worry about?At the beginning, my aunt had a long-term vision.

Sha Wanli drove back to the old house, parked the car at the gate of the courtyard, and walked into the prefabricated house with a canvas travel bag.The longing and pain that have been preserved for so many years, together with the intact clothes, should be returned to the original owner.

Shi Xiuxiu was washing vegetables in the kitchen, when she heard the sound of the door, she poked her head in and saw Sha Wanli, she was terrified, and hurriedly retracted her head silently.

Sha Wanli sat down at a table, put his travel bag on the stool next to him, and called out, "Madam Boss."

There was only the sound of rushing water in the kitchen, and no one answered or came out.Sha Wanli shouted, "Shi Xiuxiu."

Shi Xiuxiu walked out with lowered eyebrows, her two dripping hands were repeatedly wiping the apron around her waist.Like an angry little daughter-in-law, she stood in front of Sha Wanli tremblingly.

Sha Wanli felt ridiculous and pitiful, staring at Shi Xiuxiu's eyes from the bottom up and said: "Shouldn't the restaurant owners take the initiative to entertain guests?"

Shi Xiuxiu raised her head and said stubbornly, "You don't need to be sarcastic if you want to beat me up."

Sha Wanli sneered: "Did you be beaten away by me or scolded by me?" He slapped the travel bag beside him heavily, and raised his voice an octave: "The clothes you wore before, the things you used, I am Keep it for so many years, just to beat you and scold you?"

Shi Xiuxiu burst into tears, didn't wipe or speak, just shed tears.

Sha Wanli hated seeing her cry the most, before and now, he couldn't help sighing in his heart, what am I doing?Is it to ask the teacher to inquire about the crime or to ask for an explanation?
Shilazi, the little girl who was alone and helpless in the rainstorm; the little girl who ventured into the desert with him and cried bitterly because of missing her relatives; finally slept with him on the kang, and hid happily in the quilt The sobbing little girl, she has shed enough tears in her life.

Every time he shed tears, he was heartbroken, why bother to let her continue to cry?He controlled his anger and said calmly, "I'm hungry, here's a plate of shredded potatoes and scrambled eggs."

Every spring is green and yellow. In addition to pickles, Shalitun people eat potatoes, and scrambled eggs with shredded potatoes are the rarest delicacy on the dinner table.

Shi Xiuxiu's knife skills are good, the potato shreds are thin and evenly cut, and a few eggs are beaten, stir-fried with lard, and it is crispy and fragrant.

At that time, he often praised her for the delicious cooking, which was better than mother's cooking. Every time he praised her, she was like a primary school student who was praised by the teacher, and would work harder to do everything well.

For some reason, he suddenly remembered this dish that he hadn't eaten for a long time.

Shi Xiuxiu wiped her tears and walked into the kitchen, Sha Wanli got up and followed.

The kitchen is crude and small.A stove made of welded iron pipes, two rusty liquefied gas tanks, three large white plastic barrels filled with water, and a ventilation fan installed on the wall, covered with oil.

Shi Xiuxiu washed two potatoes and cut them one at a time. Her hands were shaking, and the shredded potatoes were uneven in thickness.

Sha Wanli stood beside her and looked at her for a while, knowing that she was nervous, and saw a small door opened on the other side of the kitchen, so he opened the door and went in.

A room about the size of a kitchen with only one small window.Standing against the wall is a double-layer iron bed covered with straw mats, and there are two luggage bags that have not been opened yet. There are several cardboard boxes and wooden boxes full of sundries on the ground, which should be the place where her mother and son live.

There is no trace of heat, and the air is so cold that it is so cold during the day, and it can be imagined at night.What kind of hard life did the mother and son live these years, and they insisted on grinding a little woman into omnipotent?

Sha Wanli looked around to capture the traces and breath of the mother and son's life, and his heart was already half cold.

Shi Xiuxiu came in with a plate of shredded potatoes and scrambled eggs. Sha Wanli took a bite and nodded in appreciation: "It's still the same taste as before, it hasn't changed at all."

Shi Xiuxiu handed over a steamed bun and said, "I haven't fried this dish for a long time."

Sha Wanli took it and ate it, it seems that she has not completely forgotten the past.

Shi Xiuxiu looked at Sha Wanli's wolfish eating without blinking, and her heart was filled with long-lasting satisfaction. She plucked up her courage and asked, "Where are father and mother?"

Sha Wanli looked up at her, buried his head and continued to eat: "My parents are still in Shalitun."

Shi Xiuxiu said, "I want to see my parents."

Although I had suspicions in my heart, I didn't dare to ask more questions.

Sha Wanli handed her the empty plate and said flatly, "Let's talk about it later."

In the room outside, someone called Shi Xiuxiu.Shi Xiuxiu agreed, and whispered to Sha Wanli very proudly: "This man is Tian Dashan, the boss of Shazhou, and he might marry us."

Tian Dashan learned that Shazhou had found his biological father and was about to quit his job on the construction site, so he came to Shi Xiuxiu to ask about the situation.Seeing Shi Xiuxiu and a man coming out of the back room together, he was taken aback for a moment, and then he understood something, and reached out his hand to Sha Wanli: "If I'm not wrong, you are Sha Zhou's father."

Sha Wanli held each other's hand and said, "Thank you, Boss Tian, ​​for taking care of their mother and son."

Tian Dashan laughed: "What kind of boss am I? I also carry shoes and work for others to earn a living."

Sha Wanli turned around and told Shi Xiuxiu: "Fry some dishes, and let us have a drink."

After taking his seat, Tian Dashan went straight to the point: "Shazhou has done a good job following me. I want to hear what better arrangements you have."

Sha Wanli could see that this man was used to being arbitrary, but he could not allow others to intervene in the future of his son who had been separated for more than ten years. He said: "It is the best if you want to continue studying and take the university entrance exam. Let's talk about it in a year."

Tian Dashan waved his hands disdainfully: "Then you might as well follow me."

Sha Wanli said patiently: "This kid is too wild and has no roots in his heart. Dealing with the land has sharpened his temper, and his feet will take root in the soil. People who have no roots in their hearts will not be at ease in doing anything."

"A young man deserves to be called a young man if he is not wild?" Tian Dashan looked at Sha Wanli in surprise.

He doesn't quite believe that this set of words is from the heart of an old farmer, hasn't he suffered enough from the land?Although he had to admit that there was some truth in these words, he still said angrily: "Those of us who travel all over the world to make our homes, if we are not tied to the land of our hometown, we will be free and free." , What did the land bring us? It is poverty, fatigue, ignorance, backwardness and inferiority. It is hopeless and looking forward to it year after year. After a lifetime of hard work, it is finally buried in the soil. As you said, this time it is at ease."

Tian Dashan's anger came from his failure in Tianjiaao.At first, the engineering team did a good job. Although the scale was small, it still had a bright future. However, by accident, the engineering team was disbanded, and they ran back to Tianjiaao to run for the village head and open a coal mine, and their reputation was ruined.

Sha Wanli said: "People grow up eating soil. My mother said that when I was a child, I ate soil from the wall of the Kang, and dug several holes in the wall of the Kang. When the sandbar was crawling, I also dug the wall of the Kang, pinching the dirt with my fingers and pouring it into my mouth. Lisong, he didn’t eat dirt until he was one and a half years old.”

Tian Dashan mocked: "No wonder you northerners are tall and mighty, so you grew up eating soil. We don't have earth kang in the south, and we can't live well if we can't eat the soil on the wall of the kang?"

Sha Wanli didn't care: "Which of the things we eat in our mouths doesn't grow from the soil? In other words, isn't it just eating soil?"

He was born as a farmer but he didn't talk about it. His painstaking efforts were in vain. Tian Dashan seemed extremely disappointed and impatient: "You are Shazhou's father. It is your right to arrange it. Why do I worry about it as an outsider?"

Just when Shazhou came in, he grabbed Shazhou and asked angrily, "Are you farming with your father or continue to follow me?"

Sha Wanli also followed closely: "Aren't you planning to continue studying?"

Shazhou still didn't know that this was arguing for him, so he said according to his own intention: "The books have been thrown away for a long time, and it's good to work with Uncle Tian."

She dropped out of school halfway, and Tian Xiaoxia also left the school to work in a supermarket in the county seat.What would she do if she returned to school here?
Feeling relieved, Tian Dashan spread his arms and said to Sha Wanli, "Look, this is your son's own choice."

Shi Xiuxiu put two dishes on the table, asked Shazhou to get the wine, and blinked at Sha Wanli with Tian Dashan behind his back.Sha Wanli understood that this was another special identity that reminded him to consider Tian Dashan.

In order to take into account his son's feelings, he calmly said: "Then respect the child's own opinion."

After a few glasses of wine, the two hit it off.Taking advantage of Shazhou to go to the kitchen to help no one around, Tian Dashan told Sha Wanli about Shi Xiuxiu's mother and son's living conditions in Tianjiaao more objectively, and finally emphasized: "This is a special situation. You can't resent Shi Xiuxiu and shift the responsibility." to her alone."

Sha Wanli was silent for a long time, and then said calmly: "I don't hate anyone."

Tian Dashan held up his wine glass and touched Sha Wanli: "This is a manly man. We brothers have a temper, and I will not interfere with the affairs of our children."

After Tian Dashan left, migrant workers came in one after another to eat.All of them were unkempt and bearded, their old clothes were covered with mortar and dust, and their food was very simple, with one meal and one dish, and at most a bottle of beer.

Sha Wanli modestly serves food and water, entertains these old and young men who are of the same root as himself, and occasionally tells a joke to make everyone laugh.

Shi Xiuxiu and Shazhou were busy in the kitchen, Sha Wanli's thick laughter and words made the mother and son feel extremely at ease and peaceful.

After working until [-] o'clock in the evening, the number of people eating gradually decreased. Sha Wanli said to Shazhou, "I'll go back to burn the kang first, and you and your mother can go home after work."

Sha Wanli picked up Shi Xiuxiu's canvas travel bag, walked out of the snack bar, and walked home along the courtyard wall.The starry sky is cold and far away. Rows of street lamps are like sparse red sorghum planted in a single row on the edge of a field, clearly dividing the city into fields of different shapes.

Those with bright and complex lights are like fields of sesame seeds that are blooming and jointing, while those with few lights are like barren mountains with only a few shacks.

My own small courtyard and vineyard are a small piece of flat land among the mountains, so quiet that I can hear the creaking and creaking of the grapevines buried in the soil.

The warm wind flows silently in the dark night, and the air is erratic with the mild smell of dead grass and fallen leaves mixed with the slightly smelly and fragrant smell of rotting soil, mixed with a trace of the cool and fishy smell of the river water.

Sha Wanli took a few deep breaths, savoring the subtle taste brewed together by the sun, soil and water, his internal organs were clear and translucent.He entered the house and put the canvas travel bag on the kang, filled half a pot of water and squatted in front of the stove to make a fire. The strong flames from the vines quickly raised the temperature in the room.

Shazhou walked into the house and said to Sha Wanli in embarrassment: "My mother won't come."

Sha Wanli mixed two pots of hot water, washed a plate of apples, turned on the TV and said to Sha Zhou: "You wash your hair, iron your feet first, and I'll call your mother."

Savanli returned to the snack bar.Shi Xiuxiu was clearing the table, she knew Sha Wanli's reason for coming, she lowered her head and said, "I won't go."

Sha Wanli stretched out his hand with a smile, hesitated halfway, and finally landed on the little head, and rubbed it gently, feeling a little strange and stiff.

This rubbing brought out Shi Xiuxiu's tears, which splashed down on the table in clusters.The big hand on top of her head made her tremble unceasingly, she wanted to lie in his arms, cry heartily, and vent the longing and regret accumulated in her chest.

But that broad and warm embrace no longer belonged to her, so she could only wipe the table fiercely.

Sha Wanli's heart was sour, and many complicated emotions came to her heart. She took the rag from her hand and said, "No matter what you have experienced in these years, I will not let you suffer any more."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her home without any further explanation, just like how he took her hand into Shalitun back then, and he let go only after entering the house, leaving her no room for resistance.

In front of his son, Sha Wanli brought shampoo for Shi Xiuxiu to wash off the smell of oily smoke on his head; water for feet to wash Shi Xiuxiu's feet to relieve fatigue; poured water and handed towels, persuaded Shi Xiuxiu to sit down on the kang and handed apples , Take out two quilts and put them on the kang to warm them up.

After finishing all this work, I found the old photo frame that I took away from Shalitun back then, pointed to the photo and told Shazhou, this is your grandpa and this is your grandma, and this is your family portrait when you were one year old.

Sha Zhou suddenly asked, "Why don't you bring your grandparents?"

He learned from his mother that his grandfather and grandmother were still in Shalitun.

Sha Wanli took a look at Shi Xiuxiu, seeing that her eyes were wide open and also looking forward to it, so he had to tell the truth: "Your grandparents have passed away and are buried in Shalitun."

"Mother!" Shi Xiuxiu yelled, turned her back to the window, covered her face with her hands and sobbed, suppressing the grief in her heart.

Sha Wanli patted her on the back and said: "Before leaving, Mother told me to find you two, and Mother will be happy if she finds out."

Shi Xiuxiu turned around and held the old photo frame, looking at the remains of her father and mother with tears in her eyes.There was a burst of grief in my heart, and no one loved me as much as my own daughter anymore.

Sha Wanli looked at the time, and it was past 22:[-]. Thinking that there would be more trouble waiting for him at home, he got up and said, "I'll go back first, you two should go to bed early, and I will arrange your future life."

Back at Huiqianlou's home, Sha Liu was still awake, lying in bed watching TV, and didn't speak when he came back.

Sha Wanli found something to say by himself: "Is my daughter asleep?"

Sha Liu said: "I'm asleep. She wanted to meet her brother, but I didn't let her. The three of you have finally reunited. What kind of fun is she going to do?" She couldn't help laughing again: "This time our house is very lively. .”

Sha Wanli took off his clothes and got into bed, leaning against the head of the bed and sighed a long time.He didn't sigh easily, he purposely sighed to make Sha Liu feel that he was very worried and annoyed, so as to arouse her sympathy and not let her thoughts go wild.

Sure enough, Sha Liu got up and said, "What are you worried about? I have already thought about it for you. There is a house whose lease term is coming up, and I will leave it to Shazhou when the time comes. In fact, it is just for her Shi Xiuxiu to live in? It is cheaper for her."

Sha Wanli hugged Sha Liu into his arms, and his hands moved: "I thank you for Shazhou, it is bright enough."

Sha Liu pressed his hand, obviously not thinking about it: "Anyway, I am Shazhou's aunt, and I can be regarded as a half-mother. There are only two sons, and the burden for us is heavy. You said that Zhuang Hai's house is not worth it. Will you buy it for him?"

Sha Wanli immediately understood that Sha Liu's heart knot was here, and said seriously: "You can treat Shazhou as your own, but I can't treat Zhuang Hai as my own? We have been peeing and playing with mud since we were young, and now we sleep under the same quilt. Don't know me or I don't know you?"

Sha Liu felt relieved, smiled at herself for being narrow-minded, and smiled playfully: "Of course I understand you, the two women are reluctant to slap you, are you really excited now? Or I will be your sister again, and your family of three will be reunited ?”

Sha Wanli said: "You first ask my daughter if she agrees."

Sha Liu said: "Fortunately, there is still a daughter. You didn't ask her, why did you run away holding the sandbar?"

Sha Wanli told him what Tian Dashan told him, about Shi Xiuxiu and Tian Erbao.Sha Liu thought about throwing Sha Wanli into the desert cruelly with herself, the situation was different after all, she couldn't help sighing: "If you had come here earlier to look for me, how could these messy things happen later?"

The past was revisited by the two of them. There were so many possibilities and so many impossibilities.Time has changed Shalitun and Wulongdi, as well as everyone's life trajectory.

Knowing that his uncle had found his biological son, Zhuang Hai rushed home on weekends to congratulate him.Sha Liu showed the vigor of a woman in charge, and asked Sha Wanli to bring Shi Xiuxiu and Shazhou to have a reunion dinner together.

Shi Xiuxiu didn't want to go and didn't want to go, Sha Wanli coaxed and persuaded her.Shazhou also said: "You are my mother, you can go wherever I can go."

It's coming, seeing the three children chatting and laughing around Sha Wanli, and she was a complete outsider, Shi Xiuxiu's expression on her face was very dull, and she felt uncomfortable.

On this occasion, Sha Liu showed her hearty side, and invited Shi Xiuxiu into the kitchen: "You help me, and let the four of them make trouble."

The women are busy in the kitchen and can always find a common topic.From cooking and cooking to talking about their respective sons, Shi Xiuxiu lost some restraint and said frankly: "I brought up my son and returned it to his father. I don't want to do anything else."

Sha Liu felt comfortable, thinking about it, she felt sorry for the poor, and became enthusiastic again: "You don't have to worry about your son, we have a ready-made house. You are still young, and you will have a suitable one to start a family again. I have also been a widow, and I know how to be a widow Life is hard, and I will touch it for you in the future."

Shi Xiuxiu could see that Sha Liu could treat her as a sister, but she couldn't allow her to be a little bit of sand.This is what Wan Li said about arranging her future life?It turned out that the couple had already colluded with each other a long time ago, so it was good, everyone was relieved, smiled unnaturally, and continued to wash the vegetables.

Sha Liu touched Shi Xiuxiu with her body: "Show me your attitude, so I can help you."

Shi Xiuxiu said: "Let's talk about it after Shazhou gets married."

Sha Liu asked: "Shazhou has a date?"

Shi Xiuxiu said: "With it, I don't read the book for the object."

Sha Liu blurted out: "Like his father, love."

As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I immediately regretted it. She is the original partner. Now that I say this, I don't know how many associations it will arouse Shi Xiuxiu.She looked at the flickering expression on Shi Xiuxiu's face, and quickly changed the topic: "You are so blessed, my son, who insists on waiting until after work to get married, I am so anxious to death."

The two put on their aprons and prepared to cook. Sha Wanli walked into the kitchen and asked if he could help.Shi Xiuxiu glanced at him, then quickly lowered her head.

Sha Liu stared at Sha Wanli, thinking that I could still eat her?He waved his hand and said, "You don't need to make trouble."

Sha Wanli inspected the faces of the two of them, then walked out with a straight back.

At the dinner table, Sha Wanli poured his two sons to and fro, and stood up unsteadily to pour wine for the two women. He grinned without speaking, which was unbearable to refuse.

The daughter didn't let the rustling sound go, forcing her to drink a glass of beer.At this time, only Rushaxiang dared to say a few words to Sha Wanli: "Dad is very abnormal today, blushing like an old hen in a nest."

Sha Wanli patted his daughter nonchalantly, and what he said was true, it felt like a hug.

Drunken and hazy, he seemed to have returned to Shalitun again.Walking on the rolling sand dunes, waving a cowhide whip, throwing out a bang.The flock of sheep is like a slowly sailing boat, floating on the yellow sea.

The old river is full of turbid water, and groups of fish jump out of the water. On the dense willows and poplars on both sides, birds nest in green shade.There are large tracts of vineyards planted in Shalitun, and fruit trees are planted, and the melons and fruits are fragrant all year round.

Father and mother sat under the old walnut tree, playing chess and poker with a group of old men and women. He didn't know that he was silently shedding turbid tears in front of women and children, flowing along the sides of his nose like water Slowly pour into dry furrows.

There is still an obsessive smile on his face, crying and laughing and speechless, making people feel distressed and heartbroken.

Sha Liu and Shi Xiuxiu had red eyes, and together they helped Sha Wanli to lie down on the bed. He was dazed but muttered clearly: "Tomorrow, the grapes will be on the shelves."

Then fell into a deep sleep.

The sun lazily climbed up from the roof of the building, and the small courtyard and vineyard were bright and warm. The flower buds on the apricot trees in the courtyard were already blooming red, and several ridges of leeks also broke through the soil layer, protruding purple-red curved buds.

Dozens of sparrows landed on the bamboo poles connected to the concrete piles in the vineyard, standing quietly in a row, shaking their feathers in anticipation, as if they had a premonition that someone would turn the soil today, and they would soon be able to eat small bugs.

Sha Wanli took his family back to the old house, changed into working clothes, and restored the true character of an old farmer who arranged farm work according to the solar terms and seasons, and arranged them in an orderly manner.

He asked Shi Xiuxiu to go to the stove to prepare the family's lunch, asked Shazhou to take two days off to help the family with farm work, and Zhuang Hai and Shashaxiang also had to put down their books and work for a day.

He and Salix stood along one side of the grape ridge, and used a flat iron rake to scrape off the thick layer of soil that had accumulated on the vines last year. The three children were responsible for lifting the exposed vines to the trellis and fixing them with ropes. good.

This is a slow job, time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Rushaxiang was very dissatisfied with his father's arrangement, and quietly complained to his two elder brothers: "What a superb father, he didn't forget to do this bad job when he was drunk like that last night. It would be nice to take us out for fun, but why? Let us accept labor reform."

Shazhou is impatient and unwilling to do this kind of slow-moving farm work. He said to Sha Wanli, "Dad, I'll go to the construction site and call some idlers over, and the work will be done in a while."

Sha Wanli lowered his face, and lost his temper with his son for the first time since we met: "I need you to find someone to do it? Your aunt can do it at such an age, but can't you? Your brother, a college student, can do it, but can't you?" "

Shazhou didn't dare to say anything, he hadn't figured out his father's temper yet.Sha Liu persuaded from the side: "The child is afraid that you will be tired, and it is also kind. Why are you yelling?"

Zhuang Hai put his arms around Shazhou's shoulders, and gave advice to his brother who had no blood relationship with him face to face: "Our father, other things are easy to discuss, except for farm work, everyone has to obey him."

Zhuang Hai was not at all surprised that he called out his father.Not only did his uncle raise him up for him to study, but he also taught him the most important lesson in life.

When he was in elementary school, he was often beaten and bullied. Once he ran home crying with a nosebleed. His mother wanted someone to settle the score, but his uncle said I should do it.He followed his uncle out of the house, and he believed that his uncle would vent his anger on him. His uncle had always been the backer of him and his mother.

Uncle took him to the grove by the river and told him about the confrontation with the wolf.My uncle said that if his calves were weak and his face showed even a little bit of fear, the wolf would tear him to pieces. A wolf is more ruthless than a wolf.

Uncle pointed to a small tree and said, this is a wolf, it wants to eat you, no one can help you, what should you do?
He rushed over and punched and kicked the little tree until his hands and feet were swollen and he fell to the ground exhausted.

Uncle didn't teach him how to fight, but taught him how to face everything bravely.But what he couldn't understand was why his uncle didn't have the courage to abandon the traditional way of life and always miss that one-acre three-point land?

What kind of a hard way of life is that?I get up before dawn, go home to eat when it is dark, and the sun is not visible at both ends. I have no free time except for rain and snow all year round.

For more than ten years, he has witnessed his uncle's tireless work and the aging process of a man.

I always thought that it was the small farmers’ thoughts that were at work, but last night when I saw my uncle drunk, and thinking of his tortuous experience, he suddenly understood the pain that had been hidden in his heart for a long time, it was a kind of love that surpassed the love between men and women More serious pain.

Today, he is willing to follow his uncle to do farm work, perhaps this is the best reward for his uncle.

Zhuang Hai replaced his mother and raked the soil face to face with his uncle. After a while, his arms were exhausted and he was out of breath, hot sweat dripping down his face.But my uncle has always been unhurried, his breathing is steady, his arms are cheerful and strong, and there is not a single drop of sweat on his face.

He couldn't keep up with his uncle's rhythm, so he had to stop to take a breath, smiled at his uncle ashamedly, and said what he always wanted to say in his heart: "Dad, I have always admired you."

Sha Wanli straightened his back, accepted the brand-new title with satisfaction, nodded and said, "You are a college student, and an old farmer who worships me is worthless."

Zhuang Hai said: "When I go to the sky, I am also a native rural child."

Sha Wanli smiled and said: "Get married early, your mother and I are waiting to have a grandson."

Shazhou replaces Zhuang Hai and secretly competes with his father.His face was hot and sweaty and he wiped it with his sleeves, his arms were sore and weak and he gritted his teeth to bear it. He didn't want to be looked down upon by his father.

In the past few days of knowing each other, he has seen a strong paternal love from his father's eyes, but he always feels that he is very strange to his father.This is not only because of the broken kinship connection of more than ten years, but because there are many incomprehensible things about the father.

For example, just now, he intended to make it easier for everyone, but it caused his father to get angry for no reason.

He estimated the amount of labor. The land is about ten acres. According to the current method of work, the family would have to work for three or four days.

When these vines were taken off the shelf, they were neatly arranged in one direction on the ridge, covered with a layer of antifreeze clinker cloth, and then dug from both sides to cultivate them. The labor load was even greater than now.

It has already been demolished, money, money, house, house, and a taxi. Is there any treasure in this land?
When I was in junior high school, the school put up a slogan: Sharpen a knife, don't mistakenly chop firewood, and work after finishing junior high school.The children in the mountains wanted to leave the land earlier and go to the outside world, so the school had to make such a bad move.

He and Tian Xiaoxia made an appointment to finish high school together, regardless of whether they were admitted to university or not, they had to go out of the mountains and stay away from the backcountry.What is there to miss about the land?He does not believe that his father's land is more valuable than other lands.

Sha Wanli really likes Shazhou's stubbornness and unwillingness to admit defeat. After all, he is his own flesh and blood, and he is a descendant of Sha Litun after all.He took the initiative to stop and let his son breathe for a while. He leaned on the rake and asked, "Do you want to learn to drive? I will teach you when I have time."

Who doesn’t like to drive among young people? Shazhou wiped the sweat from his face and said, “I’ve never even ridden a motorcycle. Of course I’d like to learn how to drive.”

Sha Wanli asked in a low voice, "Your partner is pretty good?"

Shazhou blushed slightly: "Very good."

Sha Wanli said: "If she wants to, let her come here. Our family has a place to live. It's not a problem if we are far away."

Shazhou nodded in agreement, thanking his father for thinking of everything in his heart, took a short rest and worked hard again.

An Audi car was parked at the gate of the courtyard, and the two lazy men walked into the vineyard in shiny suits, ties, and leather shoes, and greeted everyone with a smile.

Came to Shazhou's side, took a look around, patted Shazhou on the shoulder and said, "It's my father and father, your father doesn't love you, the second eldest loves you, and the second eldest will do it for you."

He took the iron rake in Shazhou's hand, bent down and started to work.

Sha Liu came over and said, "Hey, we can't afford to hire such a big boss to do this kind of rough work."

The second lazy man said to Sha Liu: "In front of the children, don't call the big boss, who doesn't know who?" Then he said to Sha Wanli: "Is it weird? I used to have a headache when I saw farm work. Today Driving by here, seeing your family busy in the field makes your hands itchy. Are people very cheap? Seriously, I hope your vineyard can be preserved for a long time, and everyone has a place to stay."

Sha Wanli smiled and said, "According to what you said, anyone who works with me will have to pay a fee in the future, or should I start with you?"

The second lazy man took off his suit and let Sha Liu hold it, and said unambiguously: "No problem, just tell me the number."

Near noon, the two lazy men left with sweat all over their body, and the family also finished work for lunch.The group of sparrows who had been waiting for a long time swooped down with hula la, jumping and jumping in search of food on the newly turned soil.

After lunch, more than a dozen old neighbors from the former Wulongdi Village came to the small courtyard one after another, greeted each other and walked into the vineyard with tools.Sha Wanli and Sha Liu knew in their hearts that everyone came to help in the afternoon because they didn't want them to take care of the meal, it was out of friendship and interest.

Everyone said that there is no need for children to intervene with so many people, let the children play.After his parents agreed, Zhuang Hai took his younger siblings to fish in the river.

This small river used to be Zhuang Hai's childhood paradise. He learned to swim by fishing and catching shrimps in the river, and played hide-and-seek and war games with his friends in the willow bushes.

He once spent an afternoon in a deep crab hole under the root of a willow tree by the river, constantly diving and digging mud with both hands, and caught a big river crab weighing one catty; He caught a big old soft-shelled turtle as big as the bottom of a bucket.

At that time, people didn't know that wild soft-shelled turtles were a tonic, and they had been kept at home.Later, it was bought by a man who went around looking for turtles to dispense medicine for six yuan, and it is worth two to three thousand yuan now.

I don't know when the river crabs and soft-shelled turtles became extinct, and they were no longer seen in the small river. Some people say that it has something to do with the extensive use of pesticides and fertilizers.

In the tense days before the college entrance examination, he would bring his books to the grove by the river every morning. Accompanied by the gurgling of the river and the chirping of birds, he read in the morning sun and morning dew.

He often lies on the grass in the tall and straight poplar forest, closes his eyes and relaxes his body, blending into this quiet world.

Today's river is no longer the river of childhood.The new high-rise buildings on both sides of the river have replaced the poplar forest and willow grove, and the ornamental trees planted on the artificially transformed embankment can't block the wind or rain; As cheerful as before.

Zhuang Hai found a fairly clean water area and threw his pole into the ditch.He told Shazhou and Rushaxiang that there used to be many kinds of fish in the river, including crucian carp, carp, grass carp, silver carp and catfish.

At that time, he was most afraid of catching big fish, because the fishing rod and ordinary fishing line made of cotton locust sticks could not withstand the weight and struggling strength of the big fish.With the kind of fishing rod and fishing line used now, even a big fish weighing [-] to [-] catties should not escape.

After fishing for half an afternoon, I only caught a few skinny crucian carp and white stripes. I had no interest in it, so I threw the fish away and went home.

The three brothers and sisters returned to the vineyard. The work was done and the people dispersed.The taupe vines twisted their waists and climbed neatly on the shelves in a natural arc, row by row and row by row, forming a square formation like soldiers holding halberds.

Their father stood motionless in the middle of the vineyard with his hands behind his back, and stood like a sculpture under the slanting sunlight.They believe that it will not be long before the vineyards will be luxuriant and fruitful.

They didn't know that when all the vines were on the shelf, Tian Dashan came to tell their father that according to reliable news, the third phase of the project would definitely start this year, and the exact time was unclear.

A few days later, on the day before Qingming, Sha Wanli drove his family back home.Originally, he planned to bring only Shazhou back to worship the ancestors and comfort the spirits of his parents in heaven.After Shi Xiuxiu heard about it, she asked Shazhou to ask Sha Wanli for her if he would take her back.

Sha Wanli told Shi Xiuxiu himself that if he wants to go back, he can go back and have a look, and tell him directly if there is anything in the future, and there is no need for Shazhou to pass messages back and forth.

Sha Liu heard that Shi Xiuxiu was going with her, and she would go too. She has been away from her hometown for so many years, and she really wants to go back and have a look.There was no one to take care of the rustling sound, so I simply took a few days off with the teacher, and went back together to see what her hometown was like.

The Santana taxi was speeding on the highway, and Savanli was holding the steering wheel with a calm expression and a dignified heart.He knew that returning home this time was not destined to be an easy journey.

The old Loop definitely doesn’t exist anymore, can we still see a piece of grass?Is the old walnut tree still alive?The house in my hometown will not be destroyed and buried by the wind and sand, right?Is the key still found under the stone slab next to the door?Dad and mother met in another world, right?What will the two children think of and evaluate their hometown?

Sha Liu was sitting on the co-pilot's seat, chatting and laughing heartlessly, she had just applied for an annual card for a beauty salon, and after a few experiences, it gave her a feeling of being reborn.

In the past, she seldom worried about her age, and she never deliberately dressed herself up. Years of heavy labor made her rough skin and thick waist and legs.She has to thank Shi Xiuxiu, who made her realize that she is 46 years old and approaching the [-]th mark.Youth is spent in the fields, and the vitality and charm of women will be gone forever like old corn after autumn.

The more I think about it, the more desolate I become, and the more I think about it, the more I dare not think about it. The only thing I can do is to change my current way of life.Sha Liu no longer worries about the remaining vineyard. She goes shopping, loses weight, learns to dance in the square, and wants to learn to drive. She wants to make up for everything that has been scattered in the soil with sweat.

Along the way, she observed Sha Wanli's driving movements, kept asking about the essentials of driving, and had already started thinking about buying a private car like Erlao.

Shi Xiuxiu sat behind Sha Liu, her eyes kept looking out of the window, the scenery outside the car window whizzed by, leaving no trace in her eyes.At this moment, she was struggling to make a decision in her heart: After going back to Shalitun to pay homage to her parents, she would leave quietly.

These days, after collecting the car every evening, Sha Wanli would stand motionless in the vineyard.Shi Xiuxiu couldn't see his expression and didn't know what he was thinking.With more than ten years of strangers in between, there is no doubt that she has been unable to enter his inner world.

Sha Wanli was still helping her with meals in the snack bar, and she was so busy that she didn't go back until very late after the kang was finished. This made her always in a state of tension and panic, often lost and lost.

She clearly knew that she shouldn't have those unrealistic thoughts, but she still couldn't help thinking about them.Lying on the kang that Sha Wanli had made for her at night, thinking that this was the comfort zone that Sha Wanli had prepared for her and her son, and that she should have lived in a different state, she felt extremely painful and regretted.

Shi Xiuxiu would not accept Sha Liu's suggestion. She knew that in this world, there would be no man who loved her more than Sha Wanli. Could Sha Wanli split her heart in two?

When she followed Sha Wanli into Shalitun, she was more dependent than love. At that time, she didn't know what love was.Now, from the faded canvas travel bag she used, she understands the meaning of love and the connotation of love.

Staying away from Sha Wanli and giving him a peaceful life is the only thing she can do for him, and he will take care of his son more calmly.

She was moved by her decision, and a slight smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.She believes this is the best decision she has ever made in her life.

Shazhou sits behind his father, people go north, and their hearts fly south.His father told him that he and his mother would be able to live in the building in a few days.

He called Tian Xiaoxia to tell the news, and asked her if she would like to come here to work and live.Tian Xiaoxia said that I will follow you wherever you are.He said that I will go back to pick you up in a few days, and he wants to take this opportunity to go back to Tianjiaao to see the silly uncle, and to see the grandparents of the Tian family.

His father never accused his mother, never said a word about his mother's past, and cared for and cared for his mother as always, which had a profound impact on him.

I grew up under the pampering of my silly uncle and Tian's grandparents, even though my family was separated, even though it implied selfishness and cruelty.But this kind of nurturing grace should not be forgotten, and it is impossible to completely forget it. He plans to return to Tianjiaao every year in the future.

As for the destination of the trip, Shalitun, he has no memory of it, and he doesn't have much emotion.

The rustling sound is the most relaxing. The little girl holds the new mobile phone her father bought for her brother in her hand, and concentrates on playing the game on it.For her, this trip is just a pleasant trip.

Before dark, the family finally arrived at the small county town where Shalitun belonged.The small county has expanded a lot, and several high-rise buildings have been newly built. There are decent street lights, but the trees are still scarce.

He hurriedly found a hotel to stay, and was too tired to think about it.When they set off again early the next morning, their moods fluctuated differently.

Here, Sha Wanli sent Shaliu to the train; here, Sha Wanli led Shi Xiuxiu into Shalitun; here, Shi Xiuxiu fled Shalitun holding the sandbar; here, Shawanli left his hometown behind.

Returning together today, how much emotion and sadness are all in words.

The gravel road leading to Shalitun has been paved with asphalt, and the wilderness is still vast and desolate. It takes a long time to drive to occasionally see a small number of sheep.The shepherd is still wearing a black turban, walking alone in the desert in the cold wind.

The three adults were silent all the time, rustling but very excited. They leaned over and looked around and praised: "It's so spectacular. I saw the Gobi Desert with my own eyes. I am No.1 in our school."

Shazhou said, "How can people survive in this environment?"

Rustle said: "Brother, it's fortunate that you left Shalitun when you were three years old, otherwise you would have to tie a black cloth to herd sheep."

Sha Liu turned around and gave her daughter a hard look, the rustling sound was unclear, so she said, "What did I say wrong?"

Sha Wanli looked at Shi Xiuxiu's reaction worriedly from the rearview mirror. Seeing that she was looking out of the car window, she didn't seem to care too much, so he said vaguely: "You and your mother grew up in different environments. Big one, so you don't understand why your mother stares at you."

Shazhou looked out of the car window and said: "This much sand is enough to build tall buildings thousands of years and tens of thousands of years old in the whole world."

Rusha leaned back hard and said, "You people who came out of Shalitun are weird."

This sentence made everyone laugh.

Shawanli stopped at a fork in the road, and there was a tall green sign at the intersection, with the words "Shalitun Desert Tourism Development Zone" written on it.

He got out of the car to check the terrain. Yes, it was the gravel road leading to Shalitun.

Dad drove a donkey cart here all year round, he and Sha Liu rode bicycles back and forth here, and he walked here holding Shi Xiuxiu's hand, his calm heart beating wildly along the way.

When did Shalitun become a tourism development zone?So Shalitun still exists, and the old walnut tree is still alive?

Shalitun, your unworthy descendant has returned.He suppressed his excitement and urgency, and drove slowly on the road home.

Several off-road vehicles with foreign license plates overtook them from behind, kicking up dust all the way.Sha Wanli stared straight ahead, Sha Liu looked left and right as if looking for something, Shi Xiuxiu put her hands together in front of her chest, and the two children fell silent in a dignified atmosphere.

After crossing a sand dune, Sha Wanli stopped the car.According to the itinerary, he had already arrived in Shalitun, but the landscape in front of him did not match what he remembered. Where is the old walnut tree?The terrain has changed, but the old walnut tree will not change. Could it be that there is a memory problem?
There are a few cars parked under another sand dune in front, and people who come to the desert are crawling on the sand dune like ants.

Sha Wanli drove the car over and stopped, took his family up the sand dunes, and searched in the direction he remembered.

The sky was clear, and the orange sunlight was absorbed by the sand sea, reflecting a dazzling yellow light.Among the rolling sand dunes, there are no buildings, or what can be called buildings.

Where did the old walnut tree go?Where did Shalitun go?

With sharp eyes, the child rustled and pointed to another small dune under the sand dune and said, "What is that?"

Looking around, it was a dead tree.Most of the tree body was buried by sand dunes, and the dry and crooked branches pointed to the sky like a bunch of dying arms.

Sha Wanli stumbled down the dune to the dead tree, and carefully identified it around the dead tree.

The dead tree was buried no more than one meter above the ground, and the bark had been stripped away by the wind and sand, facing the ruthless world naked. On the trunk dotted with dark yellow pits, the words "come here for a visit" were engraved.

He gently stroked the branches of the dead tree.The wind and sand took the life of the tree, but it couldn't change the shape of the tree. Those details in his memory were resurrected.

He once rode on these branches to avoid the scorching heat and picked walnuts. It was the old walnut tree at the entrance of the Shalitun village.And under the flat sand in front of you is Shalitun.

Sha Wanli took a few steps back, and said to Sha Liu and Shi Xiuxiu who came after him, "Mother is buried under the old walnut tree."

After speaking, he knelt down on the ground for a long time, kowtowed his head, and pressed his face tightly on the sand.

Shi Xiuxiu knelt beside Sha Wanli, and said with a loud voice, "Father, mother! I came back to see you."

A shrill and mournful call echoed in the sky above Shalitun.

Sha Liu knelt on the other side of Sha Wanli and wept silently, her passionate girlhood was buried here.

Rushaxiang wanted to help his father up, but when he couldn't, he went to help his mother, but was hugged tightly by his mother, and wept together with his mother.

Shazhou knelt behind his father, straightened his body and stared blankly at the desert without any signs of life: Is this Shalitun, my birthplace?
(End of this chapter)