between clouds and mud

Chapter 10 Parting Homeland
Several people looked at each other in blank dismay, and daddy in the group spoke first: "Xiao Liu, you have to go to school tomorrow, go back to your room and rest."

Xiao Liu nodded, feeling that the eyes of the strange man and woman were still following her, and went back to the room without taking the English book.

Father was very hospitable, he motioned to come in, and a group of four people also took their seats in the main room.During the conversation, the men and women looked up for a long time at the dimly lit main room, the walls were full of honorary awards, some were fresh and brand new, some were old and faded, and their eyes were moistened.

Xiao Liu looked at the faint light in the room over there, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.There was another knock on the window, Xiao Liu opened the window, and Jun Zimao was under the window of her house, beckoning to follow him with his eyes.Xiao Liu nodded, she left a note for Dad on the table, then turned out the window, Zhang Zhijun caught her with ease.Brother Daxiang, Fang Nier, and Hong Nier were also there.

At this time, the think tank that should be there is far away in the county, and Zhang Chengnian is the backbone of the small partners.At this moment, everyone wants to see him the most, because Brother Cheng has the smartest mind, and no matter what happens, he seems to be able to solve it easily.

Several people ran to drive the cows together. They ran this night, as if they had returned to their childhood.It's the end of spring, but fortunately it hasn't rained these days, and the grass is still dry, so I can lie down with confidence.

Everyone lay their heads on their pillows and cursed at first, but after venting, they turned to ask, "Xiao Liu, what do you think?"

"Will you leave us?" Zhang Zhijun asked her.

Xiao Liu was still confused, she shook her head, and couldn't even remember what happened just now.Her only worry: "My dad"

But she couldn't go on.

Zhang Fang said: "Your father will definitely not agree, he is only you, Nier, you have to support him until the end of his life."

Zhang Hong's thoughts drifted away: "How pitiful Xiao Liu was when he first came here."

Zhang Zhijun nodded: "If you dare to come next time, you'll ask Heizi to bite them."

At night, Xiao Liu sleeps with Zhang Fang.Zhang Fang was worried that she was in a bad mood: "Xiao Liu, you can rest assured and prepare for the high school entrance examination. If they really cared about you, they would definitely not come looking for you at this time."

"You have to study hard, don't let your father down." Zhang Fang continued to comfort her: "Sleep, I'll bring your schoolbag for you tomorrow morning."

Xiao Liu nodded, Zhang Fang held her in his arms, and slowly patted her on the back.

This matter passed so smoothly.Xiao Liu scanned through the house, but his parents did not accept those gifts.She didn't know what Father had talked with those two people that night, this matter suddenly appeared, and suddenly disappeared.

Xiaoliu didn't have time to distract himself from thinking about these things, because the senior high school entrance examination was coming up.After three years of hard work, she can't let her mother down, she can't let her father down, let alone herself.

This time, Zhang Chengnian was in the examination room of the college entrance examination, she was in the examination room of the high school entrance examination, and she fought side by side with him.

Xiaoliu has a stressful personality, and she is extremely resistant to stress.Of course, Zhang Chengnian contributed a lot. He helped her with tutoring after the college entrance examination, and he didn't relax for a moment. The moment Xiao Liu walked out of the examination room, the sky looked blue.

Both father and mother came to the town to accompany the exam, seeing Xiao Liu's hair was wet with sweat, father said to buy Xiao Liu a mung bean popsicle, it was rare to pamper her so much.

Xiao Liu is not ashamed to say that she has eaten many mung bean popsicles, but it is a secret.

When the family passed by the store, they saw the MP3 in the store. The sixth child said: At that time, Xiao Liu wanted an MP3, but he was not willing to buy it.

Xiao Liu licked the popsicle and laughed: If it weren't for the learning machine, I would definitely not be able to improve in my studies. It's better for Dad to choose.

Mother stroked her hair: "It was so beautiful when I was a child. I can't keep it back now. It shouldn't be sold at that time. I should spend some money to find a barber shop to cut it."

While talking, Xiao Liu realized that something was wrong, and the popsicle in his hand became a bit dull.

Zhang Chengnian, the first prospective college student in the village, has got his grades. I heard that his scores are not bad. He is struggling with which school to apply for.

Xiao Liu doesn't need to worry about this, she will definitely be admitted to Zhang Chengnian's high school, and she is quite confident in this exam.Moreover, there is no need to fill in the volunteers for the senior high school entrance examination, and they are all operated by the school uniformly.

The past two days were the school entrance banquet of Zhang Chengnian's family. At that time, the banquet was not very ostentatious, and even the meat was pitifully small, but there was a little in every dish.

There were ten tables set up at the running water mat, not only from Dengxinqiao Township, but also from several nearby villages, and there were also many people from Wutong Village.

Father had prepared a big red envelope early on, and the amount was much thicker than that of ordinary people.It's not that Xiaoliu is narrow-minded, but she is worried that her father will spend all the family money, what will happen to her tuition fees?

"Father, you didn't make a mistake, did you?" Xiao Liu shook the red envelope.

The sixth child took back the red envelope and knocked her on the head: "Your brother Cheng has taken care of you since you were a child, and taught you homework for so many years, why can't you see that you are a little white-eyed wolf?"

During this period of time, Xiao Liu always felt that something was wrong in her heart. She didn't feel relieved until she saw the big red envelopes made by other people.

Every copy is heavy, and everyone who came to the banquet was generous, and some even didn't even leave their names on the gift book.

Standing in the bustling crowd, Zhang Chengnian knelt down with a straight figure, and kowtowed three times to his fellow villagers.

Boy, this is the place you once wanted to fly out of.

But this landscape has cultivated the most sincere and simple kindness. In this life, what should you give in return for this kindness and this land?

The admission notice for the senior high school entrance examination was earlier than that for high school, and many students in the class had already received it, except for Primary Six who hadn't received the notice yet.

Didn't she pass the exam?
She knew it was impossible.

It's only been a month since the summer vacation, and Father and Mother have already started to pack her bags, Xiao Liu looked at her coldly, and she asked, "What are you doing?"

It took a long time for my father to turn around, with the usual smile on his face: "Our little six is ​​going to go to school in Changsha."

"Who said I'm going to Changsha to go to school? I'm obviously taking the exam in the county seat." She realized something was wrong, and Xiao Liu murmured, "That's why I couldn't receive the notification."

She looked at her father and mother, her parents' originally forbearing faces were full of tears.This couple, who are over [-] years old, once had the choice to raise a son, but they didn't want to shame their conscience.Now the only daughter under her knees, she is willing to let go to fulfill her future.

The love of the parents is far-reaching.

"Why?" Xiao Liu cried, screaming with all her strength.

"Xiao Liu, my Xiao Liu" the mother staggered and cried out, pulling her into her arms.

Father was already speechless, the man who had guided her entire life since then could only sit paralyzed by the bed, choked up for a long time but could not make a sound.

Please forgive me for not being able to say it out loud, but Xiaoliu, watching you slowly learn to laugh, leading you to learn to walk, you are already my biological daughter.How can it make you suffer so much?How can you give up?
Xiaoliu, your future is still long.

Dad patted her on the shoulder: "Xiao Liu, come back after school, then Dad will enjoy your blessings. Dad wants to watch you go to high school and college. Dad wants to see you have a future."

Everyone couldn't understand, Xiao Liu couldn't figure it out, Brother Daxiang couldn't figure it out, Hong Nier couldn't figure it out, Junzi couldn't figure it out, Fan Nier couldn't figure it out.
Standing on the top of Linxi Mountain again, overlooking the mountains.

At this time, there is no sea of ​​clouds in front of my eyes, and there is only a clear sky blown by the wind.

Zhang Chengnian said calmly: "Leave, Xiaoliu, you will only feel more sad if you leave uncle and aunt. You know your parents, and they will feel guilty for this for the rest of their lives."

"What are you talking about?" Zhang Zhijun slapped him and retorted angrily, "Uncle Sixth is just such a daughter, you are really calm."

After hearing Zhang Chengnian's words, Zhang Fang said slowly: "Xiao Liu, your parents love you, they love you so much, Brother Cheng is right, just listen to them."

No one thought that Zhang Fang would say such a thing, but she was indeed shocked.

Zhang Fang recalled that in the year after graduating from elementary school, she followed Daliu to farm at home.At that time, only Zhang Chengnian was in junior high school, and he was the only child who went to the town to attend junior high school.Brother Cheng's family conditions are among the worst in the village. His father was idle outside in the early years, and the grandfather and grandson have depended on each other since childhood, so Brother Cheng has been more sensible than the children in the village since he was a child.

But the road from the village to the town was farther. In those years, his family didn’t have a bicycle, and he traveled [-] miles to and from it every day. He often ran around with the stars and the moon, and there were wolves howling at night, which sounded very scary.

Once she opened Zhang Chengnian's schoolbag, in addition to a few well-thumbed textbooks, there was also a small half of sesame seed cakes, which had already smelled a little rancid.

The old sixth uncle in Tianlong next door looked at the pancakes she took out from her schoolbag: "This child can accomplish great things."

But Old Sixth Uncle, how could he be willing to let Xiaoliu suffer this hardship? Although Zhang Chengnian never complained, it would only be more difficult to go to high school in the county.

"Xiao Liu, if it weren't for your father, I wouldn't have been able to go to junior high school." Zhang Fang said slowly: "When I graduated from elementary school, I would often chat with Uncle Liu while waving a hoe on the field. World, he also said that there are beautiful female teachers in the city, so we women can also be teachers? But look, I am not right now?"

"Our old sixth uncle's spirit is high. Your father sees that you are promising, and his life is worth it."

"Xiao Liu, go and see for me whether what Uncle Liu said is true."

"What does a twenty-meter-wide road look like?"

"Is it true that the classroom is bright without turning on the lights?"

"Your father said that Xiao Liu doesn't believe what he said, but I don't believe it either."

"Xiao Liu, you won't lose anyone, it's just that there are more people who love you from now on."

Zhang Fang's words were rippling with the wind in the valley, caressing the meadows all over the mountains, and shuttling between the clouds and mud.

Xiao Liu raised her head, but her tears couldn't come back to her eyes.

On the day Xiao Liu was leaving, no friend came to see her off.Everyone seemed to be ignoring this matter deliberately, and her parents also sent her to the Dim Wick Bridge to bid farewell, and her dad joked: If the bridge hadn’t been submerged in the flood, he would have sent Xiaoliu away. Spiritual water is also spiritual.

Walking through the lamp wick bridge, the figures of parents waved goodbye to her under the big banyan tree.Xiao Liu raised a brisk smile and beckoned, but the moment he turned around, tears flowed down his face.

This is her hometown, her childhood, every step under her feet is as heavy as a thousand pieces of gold.

Standing at the other end of the bridge, Zhang Chengnian's figure appeared in front of him.Xiao Liu looked at him, and held back his tears in surprise again: "Why did you come to see me off?"

"Your father told me." Zhang Chengnian took Xiao Liu's bamboo strip box skillfully, and the two walked forward side by side.

At this time, the cicadas and birds were singing, and the two looked at each other speechlessly.

Until seeing the shadow of the car, Zhang Chengnian said to her word by word: "Xiao Liu, I'm not here to see you off."

"You are waiting for me in Changsha." Zhang Chengnian smiled slowly at her: "Brother Shucheng will take care of you in the future."

"Have you received the admission notice?" Xiao Liu was surprised. This guy was still as thoughtful as he was when he was a child. He always liked to make her cry, and then make her happy again.

Xiao Liu smiled through tears, and couldn't help but spread his arms and hugged him: "Okay, I'll wait for you to come to me."

After embracing each other for a long time, his chest was wet.

(End of this chapter)