Father's Land Mother's River

Chapter 16 The Soul of the River

After the college entrance examination, Liu Xiaonan returned home with her luggage on her back, feeling that her student career was over.

During his two years in high school, Guan Xiaoyun learned tailoring skills, and has already set up a tailoring booth at home, earning money from work.Liu Qishun became stronger and stronger, and he was very skillful in driving ox carts and carriages, with a high-spirited air.

In Liu Xiaonan's life course, there were only three things that had nothing to do with study in the two years of high school, which remained in his memory forever.

The first thing is that because the playground is too small to accommodate physical education classes in junior and senior high schools at the same time, the physical education teacher took his class to run on the road.When the physical education teacher shouted the command "one, two, three, four, one two three four", a carriage happened to pass by.

Dozens of students shouted the teacher's password repeatedly in unison, and suddenly the two horses pulling the cart were startled, and they ran wildly.

The owner of the carriage yelled and waved his whip but failed to subdue the horses. The carriage bounced violently and drove away amidst the laughter of the students.

I don't know whether it was the horses that stopped after running tired, or the carts turned on their backs.

The second thing is that in the spring of this year, the ninth and [-]th grade groups collectively planted trees on the mountain.The foot of the mountain is gentle, the top of the mountain is steep, and there are faint patches of bright red between the rocky cliffs, like red clouds scattered in the sky, attracting the attention of the students.

During the lunch break, Liu Xiaonan and several male classmates climbed up the cliff and found an unknown low bush.Although the leaves have not yet grown, there are petite red flowers like silk flowers in full bloom.

They could pull out the roots of that kind of shrub with their hands and transplant it in the flower bed in front of the classroom door, but they didn't expect it to die within a few days.They never understood why that kind of shrub could grow and bloom on the barren cliffs, but could not survive in the fertile soil.

The third thing is box jumping in physical education class. Everyone can pass the vertical jump, but the horizontal jump is more difficult.The first time she tried to jump, Liu Xiaonan didn't have much confidence in her heart, and her take-off was weak, so her knee hit the jumping box.

Encouraged by his teachers and classmates, he ran up and took off again. Out of fear, he fell straight down from the jump box and his nose bled, and he never dared to jump from the box again.

After a while, he happened to pass by the playground and saw the jumping box still there, seeming to be laughing at him.

There was no one around, and his unwillingness to admit defeat made him stop.If you don't have the courage to overcome such a simple obstacle, how should you face the setbacks in life?He ruthlessly ran up and jumped, but he jumped over.

I jumped several times in succession, relaxed and confident.He stared blankly at the five-storey jumping box, and realized that many things were not impossible, but that he was afraid before doing them, which led to fear, and he lost confidence and stopped.

After a heavy rain, Liu Xiaonan, who had nothing to do, walked out of the house and wandered aimlessly.Walking and walking, I somehow came to the door of the production team.

Mountains and rivers flowed through the gutter, and groups of small fish swung their heads and tails upstream.A few children stood barefoot in the water, clattering back and forth to catch fish. The excitement was so lively that it was eye-catching.

Standing on the small bridge, he watched the children chasing and playing with great interest.The children yelled every time they caught a small fish, splashed water and mud on their bodies and ignored it, swaying their carefree nature at will.

He also had a childhood like this, everyone has it, but time will not turn back, and it is impossible to obtain this simple happiness.Just like answering a question in the college entrance examination, after writing the answer and submitting the answer sheet, everything is a foregone conclusion, and there is no possibility of changing or starting over.

He looked up at the compound of the production team.On the front are more than [-] livestock pens, where cattle, horses, donkeys and mules are raised, and horse-drawn carts, carts and plows are parked outside; on the west side is a row of pig pens, where pigs are raised every year, but members of the commune can’t even see a pig’s tail; On the side are several tall warehouses and office locations, where members gather every day to distribute the production tasks of the day; in the middle of the yard is a large manure field, which occupies nearly half of the yard.

As recorded in the stone tablet inscribed by Mr. Guan, 80.00% of the members of this production team are descendants of those three ancestors.Do I want to be one of them, working from sunrise to sunset, working hard for a year, and only earning a pitiful few tens of dollars?

Liu Xiaonan was stepping on that stone tablet.The stele was washed clean by the heavy rain, and the handwriting was clear and flying, revealing its original features with unique charm.He knelt down and pondered seriously, how many years has it been since he visited this stele?

Mr. Guan's guidance and grandma's urging have passed away. What made me give up my initial interest?Previous Chinese teachers have said that his handwriting is unique, but lacks verve.A good handwriting is a person's face, and the charm is the spiritual connotation behind the handwriting. How is the charm formed?

After the college entrance examination, many students went to the bookstore to buy pen copybooks, but he didn't need to buy them, he had ready-made copybooks.

In the past, he just drew gourds from gourds, but now through the simple words on the stone tablet, he seems to be able to see another scene: the three Liu brothers, carrying simple belongings in their burdens, bid farewell to their relatives and hometown, and traveled across the sea to enter the Guandong .

Exhausted from wandering all the way, when they reached Chaotou Village, they couldn't help but stop migrating.

A big river lay in front of him, and the slowly flowing river met and collided with the raging tide here.The water was tumbling and turbulent, making a low roar, and there were endless waves.

Stepping on the soft, fertile and flat land under your feet, there are few people in the extreme, there are many birds and animals, and the trees are lush. You can beat roe deer with sticks and ladle fish, and pheasants can fly into the rice pot.

The three brothers looked at each other, put down the burden on their shoulders, started to build a grass shed by the river, and sowed seeds in the ground.

Day after day, year after year, the Fuzhou River flows day and night, and the hardships and hopes of the ancestors are buried in the land where the drought and floods are guaranteed.Chaotou Village has evolved into the current Liuzijie Village through the sweat of generations.
He stretched out his fingers as he did when he was a child, and copied along the strokes.There are less than a hundred characters in the area, and I have already mastered it by heart. Why can't I write the charm and charm on the stone tablet?It can be seen from this that I have only learned a little superficially. Don't I still lack the mind and character of Mr. Guan?

A pair of hands covered Liu Xiaonan's eyes from behind. It felt like a pair of female hands, and it could not be anyone else except Guan Xiaoyun.He said, "Niece and daughter-in-law, I'll count one, two, three, if you don't let go, I'll throw you into the ditch."

"Who is your nephew and daughter-in-law?" Guan Xiaoyun angrily pushed Liu Xiaonan hard, almost pushing him down on the stone tablet: "Do you believe other people's rumors?"

Liu Xiaonan smiled and stood up, dodging Guan Xiaoyun's punches and kicks: "Who in the village doesn't know that Liu Qishun has taken a fancy to you? My second sister-in-law is also obsessed with wanting you to be her daughter-in-law."

"I don't care what other people think. Don't you know that I hated him since I was a child?"

Guan Xiaoyun blushed with anger, turned around and left.No one praised her for being quick-witted, diligent, and capable. Based on the principle of attacking first and then attacking, Magus would take Liu Qishun to her home to sit around and talk nonsense about her tailoring skills. .

She stepped on the sewing machine, and responded to Maggs' sweet words like clouds and mist.Liu Qishun rolled up his sleeves from time to time, shaking the watch on his wrist in front of her.

That watch was bought for tens of dollars, which was beyond the reach of most people, but he chose the wrong person to show off to.

A few days later, Guan Xiaoyun bought a Kun watch worth more than 100 yuan with the money he had saved, and deliberately wound it in front of Ma Gesi and Liu Qishun.This made Liu Qishun feel discouraged all of a sudden, and he had nothing to worry about.

This is amazing, Ma Gesi wanted to marry Guan Xiaoyun into the family more and more, and privately entangled Guan Xiaoyun's parents endlessly, looking for a breakthrough.Guan Deyu doesn't care much. Guan Xiaoyun's mother is an elementary school teacher, and she is more open-minded about her children's marriage, and she should consult her children's opinions in advance.

Guan Xiaoyun said without hesitation that she does not want to talk about marriage before the age of 20, and Liu Qishun is not her favorite object.

What is exasperating is that Magus spread the story around, and everyone in the village knew about it.She wanted to use the rumors to turn an unknown matter into an established fact.

Seeing that Guan Xiaoyun was really angry, Liu Xiaonan felt that the joke had gone too far. He called Guan Xiaoyun: "Why are you selling popsicles again instead of being a tailor?"

Guan Xiaoyun put his hand on the handlebar of the bicycle, and said angrily: "There are few people making clothes in summer, so I take time to sell popsicles to earn some pocket money. Who is as leisurely as you, squatting here and watching children fish for fish."

Liu Xiaonan argued, "I was thinking about your grandfather's calligraphy."

Guan Xiaoyun glanced at the stele and said: "Didn't you criticize me, my grandfather is the filial son of Kong Laoer, isn't there anything else to think about?"

Liu Xiaonan said: "Kong Laoer has been rehabilitated, and now he is the sage Kong. Your grandfather is the filial son and grandson of the sage. I don't mean to tarnish Mr. Guan's reputation by saying this. Your grandfather is my father and I. It's a pity that I I only received instructions from your grandfather for less than half a day. I was young and ignorant at that time, and I couldn't fully remember your grandfather's teachings, so I had to recall and look for your grandfather's spirit from the words on this stone tablet."

I can't even remember my grandfather's voice and smile. Guan Xiaoyun's heart felt hot, but he felt a sense of loss for no reason. He lowered his eyes and said, "When you are admitted to university, I will give you a good pen."

Liu Xiaonan shook her head and said, "I didn't do well in the exam. I'm afraid I don't have much hope. You can save the money you paid for the pen."

Guan Xiaoyun raised his head and blurted out: "If you can't get into college, I'll make you a new set of clothes."

"Really? What is this for?"

"Why do you have so many things? I never need a reason to do things, and I can do whatever I want."

Guan Xiaoyun got on the bicycle, hummed a song and went away, leaving Liu Xiaonan staring at her swaying back in a daze.

The river suddenly rose, blocking a group of young people on the south bank of the river.There is no bridge nearby, but there is an underwater road from the village entrance to Henan (people used to call the south bank of the river Henan).It was created by the passage of people and vehicles over countless years. The bottom of the river is hard, but only about two meters wide, connecting the two banks with twists and turns.

When crossing the river in the evening, the water was not knee-deep, so I rolled up my trouser legs and waded across the river.No one thought that the water would rise in the middle of the night, and now they would have to take off their clothes and cross the river.

They came to Henan to watch a movie.During this period, the movie "Shaolin Temple" was screened in turns in various villages and towns. Young people followed in the footsteps of the screening team and didn't feel satisfied even watching a few shows.

The fighting scenes, the hazy and sweet love scenes, and the impassioned and beautiful lyrical songs all attracted their eyes to another world.

No, someone got inaccurate news, and they crossed the river together to try their luck.Although they saw the movie as they wished, the river water caused them a lot of trouble.

The fourth brother Jia took the lead and took off his clothes and went down into the river, and the young people followed suit one after another. Under the dim starlight, the river suddenly became noisy.There was only Guan Xiaoyun, a girl, and Liu Xiaonan hid behind her with her.

Liu Qishun asked Guan Xiaoyun what to do, Guan Xiaoyun said you go your way, I don't care about it.Liu Qishun was also unambiguous, turned his head and left.

Only Liu Xiaonan and Guan Xiaoyun were left on the river bank.Liu Xiaonan turned on the flashlight and shone it on the river, only to see a naked buttocked figure in the river, the river water was submerged below the buttocks, and the clothes were held up in a ball above the head.

Someone laughed and cursed, Liu Xiaonan quickly turned off the flashlight, and said to Guan Xiaoyun, "Let's take a detour and take the bridge."

Guan Xiaoyun said: "Then you can't get home until dawn? Wait and see."

The river was quiet, and there was no sound on the other side.Guan Xiaoyun said: "Let's cross the river, you are in front and I am in the back. Give me the flashlight, and you are not allowed to turn back."

Liu Xiaonan said, "Forget it, I'll carry you across the river."

He handed the light to Guan Xiaoyun, took off his trousers, tied them around his neck, and squatted down.

wish for it.Guan Xiaoyun rolled up his trouser legs, secretly pursed his lips and smiled, lying on Liu Xiaonan's back, with his arms tightly around his neck.

The river water in the dark night seemed to be solidified, so dark that no flow could be seen, and a little bit of starlight was reflected.Liu Xiaonan went down to the river with Guan Xiaoyun on her back, crushed the sparkling waves and spread them in ripples.

Guan Xiaoyun lay quietly on Liu Xiaonan's back, a few strands of hair brushed against his cheeks and neck, disturbing his mind.

Walking to the middle of the river, Guan Xiaoyun turned his face sideways and asked, "Why don't you speak?"

Liu Xiaonan said, "You've tied my neck tightly, and it's hard to breathe. How can I speak?"

Guan Xiaoyun loosened his arms, and said dissatisfiedly: "You don't want to talk to me, what excuses are you looking for. I really don't know what you are thinking all day like a bored gourd."

Liu Xiaonan said: "I was thinking, those people who wrote and written movie scripts are really amazing. They used words and pictures to construct wonderful worlds. They knew it was fake and fictitious, but they still strongly shocked people. The soul, let people linger in words and pictures.”

As soon as these words came out, it was like lightning and thunder suddenly piercing through the thick black curtain.A strong light instantly illuminates the soul that has been wandering in the dark for a long time, unable to find a home.

The drowned ghost in this river almost snatched his soul away. Although he was rescued by the fourth brother and his mother beat the river surface with a bamboo pole to call back his soul, he always felt that half of his soul was still there. Discarded in river water.

He didn't know what he had discarded, he just felt vaguely that a necessary element was missing in his life.Now that he has found it, it is the courage and guts that he has always lacked.

He was frightened to stop by the sudden thought in his heart, and stood upright in the middle of the river in shock: no matter what career he will pursue in the future, no matter whether it is smooth or rough, no matter success or failure, why don't he dare to regard writing as his whole life? dream?

The seeds planted by Gu Yu began to germinate, and the body trembled slightly from excitement rather than exhaustion.

Close to Liu Xiaonan's face, Guan Xiaoyun asked with concern: "Are you unable to carry me anymore? If I come down, it's summer's right to take a bath."

"I can move my back." Liu Xiaonan used both arms to support Guan Xiaoyun upwards, and walked again through the river: "Xiaoyun, you live brighter than me."

(End of this chapter)