Father's Land Mother's River

Chapter 143 Chapter 140 The Fourth Ancestral Home
The next morning, Liu Xiaonan and Meng Xiangxiang woke up almost at the same time, smiling at each other with a distance of more than a foot between the two mattresses.

After breakfast, Meng Xiangxiang took Liu Xiaonan for a walk along the mountain ridge and around the village.Standing on the highest mountain ridge overlooking the four fields, the mountain ridge is connected with the mountain ridge, and the ups and downs are mighty.Shrubs and miscellaneous trees grow on the top of the mountain, crops and fruit trees are planted on the slopes, and the land is scattered and mostly barren.

Meng Xiangxiang told Liu Xiaonan that the village has a large population and little land, coupled with inconvenient transportation, most families are not rich, and Lijiazhuang is not much better.The reason why the family has two cows is because the two elder brothers go out to work, and her father has to farm for the two sons.

Liu Xiaonan observed the surrounding scenery, and the scene of a war unfolded in his mind.He said to Meng Xiangxiang: "Don't tell me, what Meng Duoduo described to me is very accurate, capturing the main features of the mountain beams and mountain villages. There is no need to make major revisions to the previously completed parts."

Meng Xiangxiang said: "No wonder I read your manuscript, the small mountain village in it seemed familiar, so you used our place as the background of the novel."

"After I got the writing materials, I thought of you at the first time, and I was afraid that your description would be subjective and limit my imagination, so I found Meng Duoduo. Meng Duoduo's description was simple and rough, which gave me a lot. room for imagination."

"I'm sorry, I don't have a deep understanding of literature, so I can't give you substantial help like Teacher Yue."

Liu Xiaonan hugged Meng Xiangxiang's shoulder and said: "Meng Xiangxiang, in my eyes, you are unique, just like this piece of mountains and rivers, simple and pure. I seem to see a little girl jumping on these mountain ridges Bounce and grow up day by day, growing dreams in this vast mountains and rivers, and crossing the ocean with dreams, and finally came to my side, what else can I ask of you?"

On Meng Xiangxiang's face, there was a little less liveliness and a little more tranquility, and the colorful colors of the mountains and fields shone in his eyes.She stood side by side with Liu Xiaonan, letting the mountain wind blow her long hair, letting her thoughts dance among the mountain ridges.

Liu Xiaonan brought a camera from the Propaganda Department and took a few photos of Meng Xiangxiang in village girls' attire on the mountain ridge.Naturally, Meng Xiangxiang had never used a camera before. After learning how to use it, the camera was hung around her neck.

A day later, Meng Xiangxiang took Liu Xiaonan to Li's Village.Meng Xiangxiang originally wanted to borrow a bicycle, but Liu Xiaonan insisted on walking. He wanted to walk along the path Meng Xiangxiang took when he was in high school, to experience the hardships of that little girl studying alone.

Walking out of the west end of the village of Mengjiazhuang, a rugged mountain road stretches between two mountain beams growing with shrubs and weeds.The road surface is covered with blue stones, mixed with sheep dung and eggs, and the two ruts are bumpy, bright and hard.

Two people stepped on a rut and walked side by side.

Liu Xiaonan was wearing a pair of hard-soled leather shoes, and her feet still felt painful when she walked on them. It can be seen that Meng Xiangxiang used to wear a pair of cloth shoes for more than [-] miles a day. How many pairs of cloth shoes.The little girl's courage and perseverance are indeed extraordinary.

Meng Xiangxiang was wearing a pair of red and white pull-back sneakers, briskly keeping pace with Liu Xiaonan, she said: "I can't imagine, this is a road I've walked for three years, how can I do it in three years?" Came here."

Liu Xiaonan observed the surrounding scenery, he said: "A newborn calf is not afraid of tigers, now let you walk for another three years, you may not be able to walk down."

Meng Xiangxiang made a trumpet shape with his hands, and shouted at the mountain ridges on both sides: "I am not afraid of the dangerous road, and I can walk down the long road, because there is an extra man by my side, his name is Liu Xiaonan."

The echo of Meng Xiangxiang's shout echoed among the mountain ridges, arousing her childlike innocence, calling Liu Xiaonan's name over and over again.

Liu Xiaonan listened attentively to the echoes in the valley, as if he heard the voices of "Ru Meng, where are you?" "Ru Chi, where are you?"

There was an uphill road ahead, Liu Xiaonan didn't say hello, and ran with both legs, listening to the sound of footsteps following her while running.The sound of Meng Xiangxiang's footsteps echoed in his ears all the time. He quickened his pace and ran up the hill in one breath before stopping.

Meng Xiangxiang was wearing a skirt, which might affect his speed, and he rushed over a few steps later, panting slightly: "You are so bad, you made a surprise attack. You can't get rid of me, do you want to continue running?"

Liu Xiaonan took out a bottle of soda from his backpack and handed it to Meng Xiangxiang, and said with a smile, "I won't run anymore, I have witnessed the strength of a little girl who is used to walking on mountain roads."

There were many interesting things along the way. Liu Xiaonan took many photos for Meng Xiangxiang, and Meng Xiangxiang also told a lot about some of her experiences back then.After walking for two hours without knowing it, I turned over a mountain ridge again, and a larger village and town consisting of several villages appeared in the valley in front of me.

Meng Xiangxiang pointed to one of the villages and said to Liu Xiaonan, "That is Lijiazhuang, where you are going."

There are about sixty or seventy families in Lijiazhuang, scattered under a mountain ridge, built according to the slope, with most bungalows and few tile houses.Liu Xiaonan watched from a high position, not as excited as expected, on the contrary, very calm and calm.

200 years ago, the three brothers of the Liu family used a pair of sticks to pick up all their belongings, bid farewell to the land where they were born, and the elders in their hometown, and set off from this small village in the depression every step of the way.

After walking for several days and nights to the beach, I boarded a fishing boat and landed in southern Liaoning, and settled in Chaotou Village to multiply.After several generations, it has become a big family and is eligible to change the name of the village to Liuzi Street.

200 years later, a descendant of the Liu family in Liuzi Street returned to visit their ancestral home along the footsteps of their ancestors, that's all.

My own emotion for my ancestral home comes from the stele left by Mr. Guan; my father's emotion for my ancestral home comes from witnessing the ups and downs of the family's fate.The vicissitudes of life and the changes in the world, the so-called visits to find roots are just a ritual.

Every generation has its way of life and pursuit.The three brothers crossed the ocean because of life's pressure, their father escaped from Liuzi Street in the cold night because of the situation, and he and hundreds of farmers rotated into the city to get rid of the bondage of the land. In order to fulfill my dream of a university, escape and struggle are all to achieve a completely different self.

Meng Xiangxiang pulled Liu Xiaonan: "Let's go, I've been here and seen it, I have roots in my heart, and I, your relative far away, deserves my name."

Liu Xiaonan looked at Meng Xiangxiang: "I have roots in my heart, and you also have roots in your heart, you ghost girl."

Meng Xiangxiang smiled happily, and led Liu Xiaonan down the mountain ridge to her uncle's house.

My grandparents have passed away, and my uncle is also in his 70s.After the meeting, he explained his purpose of coming here, and the uncle said that he was the eldest son and grandson of the eldest son, and the family tree was also kept in his hands.Taking it out and comparing it over and over again, Liu Xiaonan couldn't find the source of the Liuzi Street family tree.

Uncle said it shouldn't be. Everyone knows that there was a group of people who settled in southern Liaoning in the early years. How could the family tree not record the parents, siblings and siblings of the three brothers?
The facts that were admitted verbally were not recorded in the genealogy.Liu Xiaonan guessed that there was only one possibility. As his father said, the people in Liuzi Street were indifferent to the people from his hometown. The old family might get angry and erase the traces of the three brothers' ancestors.

If this is the case, it is an embarrassing thing, and it can only be regarded as a secret.

In the afternoon, Liu Xiaonan and Meng Xiangxiang went to the small town to buy fish, meat, wine, and vegetables. They planned to entertain the elders of the family at their uncle's house. They also visited the high school Meng Xiangxiang had attended.

Like many ordinary middle schools in rural areas, there are rows of low tile-roofed houses, dirt playgrounds, and even basketball courts, but there is dust from the balls and muddy water when it rains.There is nothing to visit, but it is just a kind of nostalgia, nostalgia for the youth and fierceness of the past. The two took a group photo at the school gate and left.

After buying food and drinks, Meng Xiangxiang and a few cousins ​​prepared a banquet for the evening, and his uncle took Liu Xiaonan to visit from house to house.

The Liu family in Lijiazhuang is not a big family, but there are only twenty or so households. All the elders and prestigious peers were invited, and exactly five tables were set up.The Liu clan, which had lost contact for 200 years, reunited in a grand and lively atmosphere.

With the consent of all the elders, Liu Xiaonan re-copied a family tree and appended it behind the family tree of the ancestral home, which can be regarded as recognizing the ancestors.

Liu Xiaonan took pictures of the two family trees as a souvenir, and then handed the camera to Meng Xiangxiang, asking her to take a few group photos of him and people from his hometown.

During the banquet, Liu Xiaonan toasted with a wine glass and said: "The descendants of the Liu family of the three brothers in Liuzi Street have not forgotten their ancestral home. There are records in the family tree and stele, so that future generations can know where we come from. Today we set foot on the The place where the ancestors lived is not only to complete a ceremony, but also to return the soul. It should be our common sentiment not to shame the ancestors."

The response was enthusiastic, toast and drink.There are elders and peers present here, including many cadres, workers and teachers. Liu Xiaonan left her mailing address and agreed to notify him if there are any important family activities.

He called Meng Xiangxiang to his side and announced loudly: "As the descendant of those three brothers, I will soon marry my niece in my hometown. This can be regarded as a kind of fate bestowed by my ancestors."

Someone told Liu Xiaonan: "Our niece is not simple, she is the only undergraduate student in their class."

Liu Xiaonan was quite emotional: "There will be many coincidences in a person's life. Me and Meng Xiangxiang met in college. It was the most incredible coincidence and a great blessing in my life. This land raised our ancestors. , 200 years later, a little girl was sent to me. The elders present here and the brothers and sisters of the same clan will testify, is Meng Xiangxiang being the daughter-in-law of our Liu family a match made in heaven?"

"Of course it is." Meng Xiangxiang's cousins ​​and cousins ​​followed suit: "It is your blessing to marry her."

Meng Xiangxiang also picked up his glass and said, "Uncles, uncles, cousins, since the day we met in college, Liu Xiaonan has always regarded me as a relative far away, and the uncles and aunts in Liuzi Street have also regarded me as theirs. As the niece of the Liu family, I am honored to attend such a special gathering; as the future daughter-in-law of the Liu family, I am still very honored to be a member of this family."

The gathering lasted until late at night, and the blood of the same family in two distant places gathered together, awakening the memory of 200 years, and the rise and fall of honor and disgrace during this period is embarrassing.

In the morning of the next day, my uncle took Liu Xiaonan on a tour of the mountains and land around the village, letting him walk through the land where his ancestors lived.Most of the land is barren, half stone and half soil. Hardworking people still make this land glow with vitality, and the crops grow vigorously and variously.

Liu Xiaonan packed a bag of soil and two bottles of mountain spring water in soda bottles. He will give these two extremely precious things to his father.

In the afternoon, Liu Xiaonan and Meng Xiangxiang returned to Mengjiazhuang along the original road after being reluctantly sent off by relatives in their hometown, completing a historic visit.

Liu Xiaonan's vacation was running out, so she stayed at Meng's house for another day, and decided to return to Bincheng alone, so that Meng Xiangxiang could stay at home and spend more time with her parents.

Meng Xiangxiang insisted on returning to Bincheng with him. There were still many drafts of his novels that had not been sorted out, which could basically be completed in one summer vacation.Mother Meng doesn't keep her daughter at home either. Her daughter is about to be a daughter-in-law, so she should go back to her mother-in-law's house and help her in-laws do more things.

Early in the morning, Meng's father and Meng's mother sent Liu Xiaonan and Meng Xiangxiang to the entrance of the village.Mother Meng took Liu Xiaonan's hand and said, "Duo Duo in my family is not as sensible as her sister. Her father and I can't control her when we are at home, and you will have to take care of her in the future."

Liu Xiaonan said: "Don't worry, aunt. Meng Duoduo is still very strong, work hard and make progress, I will treat her as my own sister."

Waving goodbye, Liu Xiaonan and Meng Xiangxiang walked through the mountain road for more than ten miles, took a long-distance bus, boarded a passenger ship, and returned to Bincheng before evening with a different mood from when they came.

The first thing to do when you return to Bincheng is to take a shower and change clothes.

The next morning, Meng Xiangxiang returned to the High School Affiliated to the Provincial Normal School where he was about to teach, wrote a letter of marriage introduction, and immediately returned to the textile factory to meet Liu Xiaonan.

It is better to hit the sun than to choose a date. Today happens to be July No. 16 and June 28 in the lunar calendar, an even-numbered auspicious day. The two came to the civil affairs department to get a marriage certificate and apply for a household registration booklet.

In the afternoon, Liu Xiaonan went into the factory with her marriage certificate to find the head of the welfare section, and submitted a housing application.

The head of the welfare section said embarrassingly: "You know the actual situation in the factory. I'm afraid it will be difficult to solve it within a year or two. We can only wait. How about this? Let me have your dormitory re-planned. Marriage is still possible." .”

Liu Xiaonan completely understood.After coming out of the Welfare Section, he went directly to Gu Yu's office, slapped the marriage certificate in front of Gu Yu and said, "Dude is getting married too, so I won't hang around in front of you anymore, making you look like an eyesore. How do you express it? You can figure it out. "

Gu Yu took a look at the marriage certificate and said, "Isn't it great to be married? Just wait, I will give you a big surprise, a big surprise, and let you know if I am sincere. Treat you like a younger brother."

That night, Liu Xiaonan asked Meng Xiangxiang to call Meng Duoduo, and took the two sisters to a restaurant to have a big meal to celebrate the arrival of this sacred moment.Coming back after dinner, Meng Xiangxiang followed Meng Duoduo to her dormitory early to sleep because she was too tired after running all day.

However, Liu Xiaonan couldn't fall asleep for a long time, thinking over and over whether to write to Teacher Yue and Aunt Lin who were far away in the United States.

He didn't know how Yue Xuelian would arrange for Aunt Lin to meet Teacher Yue after she arrived in the United States, and whether the old couple could reconcile.If Mr. Yue still doesn't know that Yue Xuelian is married, his letter will undoubtedly embarrass Mr. Yue extremely.

After much deliberation, I decided to ruthlessly cut off all contact with that side. People are gone, fate is over, why bother to be nostalgic?

Times are changing, people are also changing, and everyone will live along their own inherent trajectory.Since the trajectories can't overlap, why bother to stay close?
(End of this chapter)