Father's Land Mother's River

Chapter 141
Back at Liu Xiaonan's dormitory, the two of them began to sort out the things they would bring for tomorrow's departure.Liu Xiaonan put the family tree that his father had given him in a large plastic folder and put it in the middle of the backpack to prevent it from being lost or damaged during the journey.

This trip across the sea is of great significance. He will follow in the footsteps of his ancestors to fulfill the long-cherished wish of the father and son.

After tidying up, Meng Xiangxiang sat beside Liu Xiaonan's bed, put the watch on the table that was afraid of being scratched when tidying up, and put it on her wrist again, even though Liu Xiaonan told her not to be so noble and careful.

All her possessions are not worth as much as this watch. She really likes it, but feels it is too extravagant.

She admired the shiny watch with joy, and said to Liu Xiaonan: "Don't buy me such expensive things in the future, and save money to buy nutrition for my aunt."

Thinking of the upcoming visit to his ancestral home, Liu Xiaonan felt quite uneasy, and was squatting on the ground with a brush to write.He could understand Meng Xiangxiang's behavior at this time. Back then, he spent 40 yuan to buy an ordinary domestic watch. Wasn't he excited for many days?

He raised his head and said, "You should forget its price and pay attention to its use value. Let me correct your concept again, money is not saved, that is the last generation's idea. Small money depends on saving, big money depends on Earning, of course, can’t be extravagant, nor is it the ultimate goal of life, but it can do a lot of things. This is the experience I have summed up in the past few years, and I will share it with my fiancee today.”

"You told me that in your sophomore year." Meng Xiangxiang smiled: "I didn't have any personal experience before, but I will have the opportunity to practice and practice in the future when I will be in charge of family finances."

"Did I say that?" Liu Xiaonan couldn't remember, and he said, "Your first practice is to return the more than 300 yuan you owe me, and use your salary. This is a contract that must be fulfilled." .The contract cannot be canceled automatically because of a change in the relationship, so as to give up the responsibility that you should bear.”

"I will definitely fulfill my responsibility." Meng Xiangxiang answered seriously.You can't take his seriousness and rigidity as a joke, there are still many things about him that you don't understand.

She raised her arm, put the watch to her ear, tilted her head and listened carefully to the faint and crisp clicking sound coming from inside, and said obsessively: "It sounds so good, as if I heard the footsteps of time, four years of college life That’s how it came tick-tock-tock.”

Liu Xiaonan stopped the brush in her hand, and said with emotion: "Yes, I find it unbelievable that the simple and rustic yellow-haired girl back then is about to start a family and start a business. However, I still feel sorry for you when you gave up the opportunity to study in graduate school."

Meng Xiangxiang put down his arms and said, "I don't feel overly sorry for what I lost and what I gained, and you don't have to worry about it. If I have a chance in the future, I think you will support me to take the postgraduate entrance examination again."

Liu Xiaonan said: "I will fully support you, but I'm afraid you don't have that much time and energy."

"As long as you want to go to graduate school, there will always be time." Mengmeng wanted to stand up, and looked down at Liu Xiaonan's calligraphy written with water. She said, "This is the content on that stone tablet. It seems that your heart has already flown." Arrived at Lijiazhuang."

"There's also Mengjiazhuang." Liu Xiaonan looked up at Meng Xiangxiang: "I'm still very excited to see my future father-in-law and mother-in-law for the first time."

Meng Xiangxiang said: "My house is low and dilapidated, and the living conditions and sanitation are not satisfactory. There are some practical situations that you need to overcome."

"Don't worry too much about this." The brush in Liu Xiaonan's hand paused: "You have also seen my old house. We are all poor children who came from a poor family in the countryside. We don't have so much poverty. Tell you Mom and Dad, I will eat whatever is in the house, no special care is needed."

Meng Xiangxiang relaxed: "Is it enough to have sweet potatoes and dried sweet potatoes?"

While talking, Meng Duoduo walked in with her head poking around. She knew that her sister and brother-in-law would return to their hometown tomorrow, so she ran upstairs after work.

Meng Xiangxiang picked up a paper bag and gave it to her sister: "This is the dress your brother-in-law bought for you."

Meng Duoduo took out the skirt and measured it on his body, and said sweetly: "Thank you brother-in-law."

Liu Xiaonan didn't even raise her head: "I want to thank you, thank you sister, without your sister, who would I know you to be?"

Meng Duoduo waved his fist above Liu Xiaonan's head, made a strange face, and wanted to say something, but was pulled aside by Meng Xiangxiang, and only then did she notice that there was an extra watch on her sister's wrist.

She grabbed her sister's wrist and exclaimed in surprise: "Imported watches, I saw them in the Friendship Mall, they are very expensive, brother-in-law is really willing to spend money."

Liu Xiaonan stood up, shook off the water in the brush, put the cap on the pen and put it in the bamboo pen holder on the table, and smiled meaningfully at Meng Xiangxiang.Meng Xiangxiang said to Meng Duoduo: "Duo Duo, don't run around when you have time, read more and enrich yourself."

Meng Duoduo couldn't listen: "I don't like reading, you two are enough scholars. I run around is also a kind of learning, I have my own ideas." Then he said to Liu Xiaonan: "Brother-in-law, I would like to ask you thing."

Liu Xiaonan said: "If you want me to transfer jobs for you, you don't have to ask. Which group of teachers like Wang Aiqing and the others in the factory have not been working in shifts for more than ten or twenty years? Which ones have asked for job transfers? You are the only one working. After a few days, I started to think about crooked ways. If you are up to the task, weave [-] meters of flawless cloth and show me and your sister as an advanced producer."

Meng Duoduo was discouraged but not convinced: "If I don't help, I won't say anything. It doesn't matter if you are a brother-in-law or not. What kind of bureaucratic talk is there with me?"

Meng Xiangxiang persuaded his sister: "Duo Duo, we must not forget where we came from."

Liu Xiaonan said: "Meng Duoduo, I'm really not talking bureaucratically with you. I have heard about your usual work, and it is worthy of recognition and praise. This is the correct attitude to put yourself in."

"I really can't stand you two." Meng Duoduo took his skirt and left angrily.

Because he bought a boat ticket for tomorrow morning, Liu Xiaonan asked Meng Xiang to sleep in his own dormitory, and he temporarily stayed in another dormitory for one night.

When the rising sun jumped over the sea level, dyeing the sea surface into a throbbing golden yellow, Liu Xiaonan and Meng Xiangxiang had already boarded the passenger ship and sailed on the sea.

Liu Xiaonan bought a ticket for the second-class cabin above the deck, and he could enjoy the view of the sea while sitting in the cabin, but he has been standing outside the cabin, holding on to the railing and looking in the direction of the bow.

He seemed to see head-on that more than 200 years ago, his ancestors were crowded on a dilapidated wooden sailboat, drifting in the wind and waves for days and nights, risking their lives with hopeless hopes, to find fertile land, Look for a silver lining.

The waves wet their shabby clothes, the sea wind wrinkled their dark faces, the night made them fear, and the sun gave them hope.Burning in their hearts is a simple and simple belief that as long as they land alive, they can let life take root in a strange land.

Meng Xiangxiang stayed by Liu Xiaonan's side all the time, holding his arm but not disturbing him, quietly feeling the feelings in his heart, she knew that his heart must be turbulent and magnificent.

In the past four years, she has sailed on this route more than a dozen times, and each time she was alone. How much she longed for her senior brother to be by her side, so that she would no longer be lonely or helpless.

It's good to have dreams, dreams can come true, and today her heart finally settled down.He walked into her life and was about to become her life partner.

The wind blew up on the sea, setting off layers of big waves, and the passenger ship bumped and swayed.Liu Xiaonan held the railing with one hand and Meng Xiangxiang's shoulder with the other, hugging her tightly by his side.

Meng Xiangxiang leaned against Liu Xiaonan's chest, listened to his heartbeat, felt his strength and warmth, and accepted his caress.

This was the most affectionate gesture he had ever made to her for the first time.Maybe it was out of subconscious protection, but it was enough to make her cry secretly.He finally took the most critical step to adapt to the new role.

The wind and waves were getting bigger and bigger, and the passengers returned to the cabins one after another.Liu Xiaonan said to Meng Xiangxiang, "Go back to the cabin first, and I'll stand there for a while."

Meng Xiangxiang raised his face and said, "Ever since you showed me that stele, I have often wondered, in that harsh environment, the ancestors relied on simple boats to cross the sea to find their dreams. It takes a lot of courage. Every time I sail on the sea, in the dark, I can get an invisible power."

Liu Xiaonan stroked Meng Xiangxiang's long hair that was blown messily by the sea breeze, and said against the wind: "More than 200 years later, a little girl from the same place also traveled across the ocean to pursue her dream. One of our descendants meets and knows each other. Whether it is God's will or coincidence, or just a coincidence, they will start a new journey of life."

A long siren rang through the rough sea.Liu Xiaonan and Meng Xiangxiang hugged each other tightly, standing proudly on top of the storm.

The passenger ship docked in the afternoon.After taking a long-distance bus and walking on a mountain road for more than ten miles, Meng Xiangxiang brought Liu Xiaonan to the village entrance of Mengjiazhuang before evening.

Dozens of families are concentrated in a relatively flat place in the ravine.Surrounded by rolling hills, like giants holding arms, encircling this small village.

Meng Xiangxiang softly said to Liu Xiaonan who was looking around, "Brother, we're here, this is the Mengjiazhuang. Along the mountain ridge to the west, and then walk on the mountain road for more than [-] miles, it's the place where your ancestors lived— — Lijiazhuang."

Liu Xiaonan withdrew her gaze, and stretched out her hand to comb Meng Xiangxiang's long hair: "Stop calling me brother. Calling me brother always reminds me of the little sister who still needs my protection. I can't get closer to you. Call me by name." , equal status, I can treat you as my fiancée."

Meng Xiangxiang bargained: "You have to call me a different name, Xiaomeng Xiaomeng, as if you are much older than me."

Liu Xiaonan thought for a while and said, "I'll call you Meng Xiang, a name that belongs to me alone."

"Xiaonan!" Meng wanted to take Liu Xiaonan's hand: "Go, Meng wants to take you to meet your aunt and uncle who are far away."

In front of the courtyard gate of a three-room house, an old man was tying two cows to a stump beside the gate, and an old lady brought two buckets of water and poured them into the bluestone cow trough to drink the cows.

Meng Xiangxiang called out "Father and Mother", and the two old people turned their heads at the same time, with happy smiles on their old faces.

Walking closer, Liu Xiaonan bowed to the two old people and called out, "Hello, aunt and uncle."

Meng Xiangxiang introduced from the side: "Father, mother, he is the one I have often mentioned to you, your distant nephew, Liu Xiaonan."

Meng's father and mother are nearly [-] years old. Like most of the rural elderly, their hard work all year round has made their faces much older than they actually are.

Meng's father was reticent, he only said "good, good", and shook Liu Xiaonan's hand with his big rough hand.

Mother Meng was enthusiastic and talkative, she took Liu Xiaonan's other hand and asked, "Son, think about it, your aunt is also called Liu Zhifang, she has the same name as me, isn't it?"

Meng's father and mother's local accent is relatively strong, and most of them can understand, so there is no need for Meng Xiangxiang to be an interpreter.

Liu Xiaonan said to Meng's mother: "Yes. My father's generation is Fanzhi, my generation is Fanyun, my grandpa's generation is Fanlian, and my children and grandchildren are reunited. According to the family tree, our ancestors came from Lijiazhuang in Qixia County."

"It's all right." Meng's mother was so happy that the wrinkles on her face stretched out, and she pulled Liu Xiaonan into the house: "Son, my natal family is in Lijiazhuang, and there is no difference in seniority. You are my nephew from afar."

The three old bungalows are probably about the same age as my old house.The stove and kang belong to the same shape, and the furnishings in the home are simple and old.

Therefore, Liu Xiaonan felt no strangeness, and sat on the edge of the kang chatting with the two elderly people.He could see that Meng Xiangxiang's appearance was inherited from his father, and his personality was inherited from his mother's.

While talking, Meng Xiangxiang had already changed into the clothes she wore at home, a floral gown, blue trousers and black cloth shoes, a blue scarf around her head, and a village girl's attire.With the assistance of her mother, she personally cooked a dinner with local characteristics-steamed sweet potatoes, pancakes with green onions.

When the food was put on the table, Mother Meng said to Liu Xiaonan: "Nephew, I want to kill a chicken, but if you think about it, you will be wronged by the simple food."

"I'm not wronged." Liu Xiaonan said: "They are all rural children, and they all grew up eating whole grains."

Meng Xiangxiang sat beside Liu Xiaonan and rolled a pancake for him: "There is no wine at home, and I was tired along the way, eat more of my cooking."

Liu Xiaonan smiled mysteriously at Meng Xiangxiang: "Bring me my backpack."

Liu Xiaonan's backpack was placed on the stool, Meng Xiangxiang gave it to Liu Xiaonan, and asked, "What are you packing, it's so heavy."

Liu Xiaonan didn't answer, but opened the backpack, took out four bottles of hardcover liquor, and asked Father Meng who was sitting across from him, "Let's have a drink?"

Father Meng licked his lips and said, "You can have a drink, think about it, and bring me a cup."

Meng Xiangxiang brought two glasses, and Liu Xiaonan poured a glass of wine for Meng's father: "I don't usually drink alcohol, I only drink a little on special occasions. Let's drink slowly." Turning around, he asked Meng Xiangxiang: " This is all good wine, you haven't drunk it before, would you like some?"

Meng Xiangxiang naturally knew that Liu Xiaonan was remembering the scene where she got drunk at his house.She smiled and snatched the wine bottle from Liu Xiaonan's hand, poured him a glass of wine, put the bottle away and said, "My father doesn't drink much, and this is just right for you. Don't drink too much, don't forget you still have important things to drink." thing."

Liu Xiaonan picked up the wine glass to clink with Meng's father, put down the glass and said, "Auntie and Uncle, I came back with Xiao Meng this time to propose a marriage on behalf of my parents. If the second elder has any specific requirements, you can also ask me."

Father Meng took a sip of the wine himself and said, "There's nothing to say, it's her luck."

Meng's mother lifted the apron around her waist and wiped her tears: "Nephew, you helped my two daughters go out. I haven't seen you before, and I know how good you are. When we meet today, I feel very close. Like my own nephew. Thinking about marrying you, we can rest assured from the bottom of our hearts. "

Liu Xiaonan glanced at Meng Xiangxiang and said, "Xiao Meng is also my parents' favorite daughter-in-law. The two elderly people have no objections. After returning, my parents and I will prepare for the wedding immediately."

(End of this chapter)