Father's Land Mother's River

Chapter 139
On Saturday afternoon, Liu Xiaonan took Meng Xiangxiang and took a long-distance bus back to Liuzi Street.Along the way, he still didn't have much to say, as if he had said all he needed to say during the four years of college.I simply closed my eyes and conceived the plot behind "That Trombone" on my own.

Meng Xiangxiang looked embarrassed.While the car was driving, there was a gust of cool wind in the cabin, and she didn't feel hot, but her hands were sweating constantly.

She secretly observed Liu Xiaonan's expression, under his calm appearance, she didn't know what was going on in his heart, she was afraid of this kind of calm.A few strands of long hair were blown up by the wind and fell on his face. He frowned, and she quickly tied the hair behind her head with a rubber band.

She tried to hold his hand, but his arms were folded across her chest.She wanted to get closer to him, but she could clearly feel his indifference and resistance from within, so she could only stay away from him and keep a certain distance from him.

In the past four years, she has always been free and unrestrained in front of the elder brother, wanting to talk and laugh.Even if the elder brother brought her to Liuzi Street for the first time, she was never as nervous as she is now.

In the past few days, she sorted out two manuscripts for him, and he just read them and put them away without saying a word of praise that she expected.

She felt that it was ridiculous that she became a teacher herself, and she expected him to praise her just like a student expects the teacher's praise.He used to boast a lot about himself, how did he become so stingy now?

She looked out of the car window, and by the way, she also brought his appearance into her field of vision and into the object of observation. The more she looked, the more she felt that she didn't know him.This journey is really exhausting, and it is related to her life direction and happiness. She hopes to see her aunt soon and wait for her stance.

When I got off at the station, Liu Xiaonan, who hadn't spoken all the way, said, "Xiao Meng, I'm going to see your aunt soon, are you nervous?"

Meng Xiangxiang was very guilty, but his mouth was still firm: "I'm going to see my aunt, what's there to be nervous about?"

Liu Xiaonan had a smile on her face: "If your aunt doesn't agree with you being her daughter-in-law, what should you do?"

Meng Xiangxiang raised his head: "My aunt is still my aunt, and my elder brother is still my elder brother."

Liu Xiaonan then asked, "What if your aunt agrees?"

Meng Xiangxiang passed Liu Xiaonan, walked forward by himself, and replied, "Aunt is still an aunt, and senior brother is not senior senior brother."

Liu Xiaonan followed behind and asked, "If it's not senior brother, what is it?"

Meng Xiangxiang was walking on the ridge in the middle of the rice field, shaking his head and jumping up and down, scaring the frogs on the edge of the ridge into the rice field one after another, with a continuous thumping sound."Toad," she said aloud.

"That's not a toad, it's a frog." Liu Xiaonan corrected and reminded, "The ridge is wet and slippery, be careful not to slip."

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly realized that he might have fallen into the trap of the little girl, and she cleverly retaliated against him.However, he wasn't angry at all.

It is very rare for Meng Xiangxiang to face the big exam of life, just like facing many exams in daily life, always maintain an optimistic and peaceful attitude, and look down on utilitarianism.

Seeing her son and Meng Xiangxiang coming home together, Jiang Changling was excited to make hand-rolled noodles. She went to the vegetable garden to pick beans, and asked Meng Xiangxiang to knead the noodles and cut noodles at home.The noodles are out of the pot, and the family sits at the high table in the main room to have dinner.

The front and back doors were open, and the draft was cool.

Jiang Changling and Meng Xiangxiang chatted while eating, and Jiang Changling was very happy to learn that Meng Xiangxiang stayed in Bincheng as a teacher, and insisted on giving Meng Xiangxiang 200 yuan to buy clothes.

Meng Xiangxiang was willing to ask for it, and repeatedly emphasized that he had already earned wages and could no longer take money from his aunt.

Seeing that Meng Xiangxiang never got to the point, Liu Xiaonan gave her a push: "Mom, Xiaomeng has something important to discuss with you."

Jiang Changling said to Meng Xiangxiang: "Think about it, if you have something to say, just say it. If my aunt can do it, I will definitely promise you."

Liu Xiaonan said: "Mom, this matter is not trivial, so don't talk big about it first."

Meng Xiangxiang was caught off guard, and he didn't think about how to tell his aunt all the way, but now he was suddenly put on the table by the elder brother, so he had to say it.She looked at Liu Xiaonan in panic, but Liu Xiaonan ate his noodles with his head down and didn't look at her.

She put down the bowls and chopsticks, carefully, trying not to scare the aunt, and said softly and slowly: "Auntie, I...I want to be your daughter-in-law, look. Do you and uncle agree?"

Liu Zhixin and Jiang Changling were stunned at the same time, looking at their son together, not knowing what happened in the middle.

Liu Xiaonan explained plainly: "Yue Xuelian is not coming back, and married an American."

Liu Zhixin patted the table: "This Yue Zifan"

Seeing that Meng Xiangxiang was present, he didn't say anything ugly.

Jiang Changling also restrained herself, didn't utter any bad words, and accused angrily: "Looking at the gentle and beautiful, you can change your mind as soon as you say it. Isn't this a lie? Parents are intellectuals, how do they educate their children?"

Liu Xiaonan said flatly: "Dad, Mom, I can't blame Teacher Yue and Aunt Lin for this matter. They don't know about it at all. Yue Xuelian also has difficulties. She wants to use the settlement in the United States to change the environment and make her parents get back together. Aunt Lin I have already flown to the United States to reunite with Teacher Yue and Yue Xuelian. I can understand Yue Xuelian. I really don’t blame her, and you don’t blame her. This matter is over. What you should consider now is whether Meng Xiangxiang can Be your daughter-in-law. Xiaomeng is waiting for your reply, and I will follow your advice."

Liu Zhixin asked: "You mean to say that your marriage will be decided by me and your mother?"

"That's right." Liu Xiaonan looked at Meng Xiangxiang: "Xiao Meng said she likes me. I am allergic to this kind of thing now, and I am heartbroken. I don't know how to answer her. You and my mother decide, I completely listen to you Views."

Jiang Changling asked Meng Xiangxiang: "Think about it, do you really want to be your aunt's daughter-in-law?"

Meng Xiangxiang nodded hurriedly: "Over the years, I have been secretly liking senior brother, my aunt, and this family."

Jiang Changling asked Liu Xiaonan again: "Son, do you mean what you say? You won't kick your ass anymore?"

"Look at what you said." Liu Xiaonan made her mother laugh: "It seems that your son kicks his child at every turn. This time, what I said must count. If I kick my child, wouldn't I be lying? Your son knows that he has been hurt. Taste, how can I hurt others again, I don't want to be scolded by you."

Jiang Changling stood up, turned around and entered the room, took out 2000 yuan, handed it to Meng Xiangxiang, and stroked her head: "Think about it, my aunt has always regarded you as my own daughter, this is what my aunt gave you." Engagement ceremony. If you accept it, it proves that you agree to this marriage, and it can be regarded as a formal engagement between you two. "

"Thank you, Auntie!" Meng Xiangxiang smiled and accepted it bluntly.

Liu Zhixin said to Liu Xiaonan: "You have been wandering outside these years, and your mother and I can't help you or control you. But we always take your marriage into consideration. We can't talk about other people, we can only say that you don't care. Uncertainty, lack of foresight, and you have never found the most suitable person for you. I am afraid that your mother and I know better than you what kind of child Xiaomeng is. Since you let me and your mother decide, today we will make a decision for you. Come down, Xiaomeng is the most favorite daughter-in-law in my and your mother's minds."

Liu Xiaonan and Meng Xiangxiang listened quietly, and the clear and clear statement made them both feel at ease.

The more Liu Zhixin said, the more excited she became: "You are not young anymore. After going through this series of things, you should understand who is the most suitable for you and what kind of marriage you need most. Xiao Meng is an honest child. I hope you If you can treat Xiaomeng kindly, if you do something wrong to Xiaomeng in the future, I will break your dog legs."

The last sentence was almost roared out.

Liu Xiaonan was taken aback.Since he joined the work, his father has never lost his temper with him, and he is even proud of him.Today, for the important matter of his marriage, after a few years, he got angry again and taught him a lesson, which surprised him and made him feel very useful.

Liu Xiaonan looked at Meng Xiangxiang, whose eyes were wide open, who was equally astonished, and said with a smile, "Dad, I used to fight against you. If you say east, I want to go west. That's because I'm not sensible. But today you These words, I remember in my heart."

Liu Zhixin asked: "Can you please come down for a long vacation?"

Liu Xiaonan replied: "No problem for a week."

Liu Zhixin ignored his son, turned his head and said to Meng Xiangxiang with a pleasant face: "Xiao Meng, logically speaking, I should come to the door in person and propose marriage to your parents. You know the situation at home, I can't get away, and the journey is long. I want Xiaonan to go back to your hometown with you, meet your parents, and ask your parents for their opinions. If your parents have no objection, and you have no objection, I want you to get married on National Day this year. What do you think?"

Without waiting for Meng Xiangxiang to express his opinion, Liu Xiaonan said first: "Dad, this is too hasty, can you wait a little longer?"

Liu Zhixin stared at his son: "Didn't you let me and your mother decide? Don't admit it after a lot of work?"

Liu Xiaonan said: "I'm not denying it, I mean I don't have a house for the time being, can we postpone the date of marriage for a while?"

Liu Zhixin said decisively: "What's the delay? It's settled. You and Xiaomeng have known each other for four years, and Xiaomeng has always been a member of our family. What are you waiting for if you don't get married? Get over it first if you don't have a house, and live separately. Each dormitory, go home every Sunday for a reunion. The journey is not too far, at most you need to spend a little more travel expenses, and I will pay for the travel expenses. Your mother and I have been separated for more than 30 years, and you have come here too?"

No one can stop my father from being assertive.Liu Xiaonan said, "Okay, I'll follow your arrangement. Is this okay? As long as Xiaomeng has no objections."

Meng Xiangxiang made a timely statement: "Uncle and Aunt, I have no objection, it's up to the elders to decide."

Liu Zhixin calmed down and said to his son: "I asked you to go back with Xiaomeng, and I have another purpose. I also have a family tree in my hand. You can take it to our hometown, trace the roots and see if you can continue with the ancestral home. , look at the places where our ancestors lived."

Liu Xiaonan also had a similar idea. This point coincides with the father and son, and it is imperative to go back to his hometown in Shandong.After dinner, Liu Zhixin found out the family tree, handed it to Liu Xiaonan, and told him how to continue writing.Liu Xiaonan wrote down one by one.

After discussing all the details, Liu Xiaonan went back to her room and spread out the manuscript paper to write his "That Trombone".

The important matter of marriage was handed over to the parents, and it turned out to be so simple.He didn't bother to worry about it anymore, and left it to his parents and Meng Xiangxiang to take care of it, as long as they were happy.

It was dark, and there was a sound of frogs outside the west window.Tired of writing, Liu Xiaonan stood up and looked out the window at a dark green rice field in the twilight.

Meng Xiangxiang walked in and stood beside him quietly. He had a lot to say, but he didn't know what to say for a while.

Liu Xiaonan turned around and looked at Meng Xiangxiang.The little girl suppressed her sense of happiness, staring at him a little anxiously, nervously and longingly.He was burned by the heat in her eyes, and he was terrified by her stare.

He felt a kind of strangeness, the Meng Xiangxiang in front of him was no longer the previous Meng Xiangxiang.In other words, he could no longer look at the current Meng Xiangxiang with the same eyes as before.He concealed his embarrassment and asked, "You really keep a diary?"

In Meng Xiangxiang's words, there was a little lack of confidence: "If you can marry me, I will keep writing."

"Looking at what you said, it seems that I will regret my marriage. Didn't you hear? I'm afraid my dad will interrupt my dog ​​legs. Write it, keep writing it, and when you are old, it will be a kind of Memories. Or, keep it for your children."

Meng Xiangxiang wanted to laugh out loud, but she couldn't, so she turned her head to the side and said, "I didn't think so far."

Liu Xiaonan really wanted to hear Meng Xiangxiang's happy and carefree laughter before, he said, "There is one more thing, you should keep it well."

Seeing Meng Xiangxiang looking at himself again, he held back a smile and said, "I remember the first time I saw you, you were wearing a flowered floral gown on your upper body, blue flared pants on your lower body, and a pair of homemade black pants on your feet." The cloth shoes are unique and impressive. When your child goes to college, you take them out and tell him (her), these are the clothes your mother wore when she was in college, isn’t it very fashionable?”

Meng Xiangxiang couldn't hold back any longer, and laughed crisply: "Eldest senior brother, so you always remember me at that time."

Liu Xiaonan said, "I definitely didn't mean to laugh at it. You wouldn't throw it all away, would you?"

Meng Xiangxiang said, "I also have that idea, and I keep it."

"In the future, don't call him Senior Brother. Instead, call him Toad."

"We're even. I'll call you brother from now on, okay?"

"You can call me whatever you like."

"Brother, is this Teacher Yue's book?"

Meng Xiangxiang picked up the few books left by Yue Xuelian that were placed on the table, and flipped through them.

Liu Xiaonan snatched it away and said, "Go find a bag and pack all the things Yue Xuelian left behind. These two houses will belong to you in the future, and you can't keep other people's things."

Meng Xiangxiang asked, "Do you want to throw it away? Is it bad?"

Liu Xiaonan said, "I'll store it in another place for Yue Xuelian."

Meng wanted to find a small travel bag.Liu Xiaonan personally packed all the clothes, books and toiletries that Yue Xuelian left here.

Looking at the bulging travel bag on the side, Liu Xiaonan panted heavily, feeling very tired.Afraid of leaving something behind, he checked the room and bathroom several times, but did not find anything belonging to Yue Xuelian.

But he always felt that something of Yue Xuelian was left in these two rooms.

Liu Xiaonan sat down and asked Meng Xiangxiang to sit beside her.He said: "You move here tonight, you sleep on the bed, I sleep on the kang. Or you sleep on the kang, I sleep on the bed, you choose first. You don't have to go out at night, you can use the bathroom in the house, you can also take a shower, The purpose is to let you get used to your new home. In the future, you will also bring some clothes back, so it is convenient for you to change and wash."

Meng Xiangxiang looked at Liu Xiaonan shyly, and silently nodded in agreement.

Liu Xiaonan said: "I know you are not at ease in your heart, don't worry, since my parents have made the decision to get married, I will take corresponding responsibilities. At least, you are still my relatives far away. I have always treated you as my younger sister before, you Give me some time and let me adapt to the new role slowly."

Meng Xiangxiang said, "I've always called you Big Brother, and I need time to adapt to the new role."

Liu Xiaonan said: "Now, at this time, I have a very strange feeling. It seems that I did not sponsor you to go to college at that time, but rather that I cultivated a wife for myself."

(End of this chapter)