Leopard Tooth

Li Jianrui took several buses and finally came to a small town near the water.This is already the edge of NJ City, there are several small lakes, and there will always be wild ducks looking for food here in autumn.

At this time in previous years, Li Jianrui would come here to hunt with a shotgun, and exchange some money to subsidize his family.

Li Jianrui's home is in a bungalow on the edge of the town.About seven or eight years ago, for the convenience of Li Jianrui's study, his mother Li Ping took him down from a nearby hill.After graduating from high school, although Li Jianrui was admitted to a university in NJ, but his family couldn't afford it, so Li Jianrui gave up.

Li Ping would go up the mountain before dawn to collect herbs with a basket on her back, and start to go down the mountain at noon, and in the afternoon she would sell the herbs at the town's market for some money.Everyone in the town knew her well.

Years passed like this, Li Ping gradually became Aunt Li from Xiao Li in everyone's mouth, and now Aunt Li, maybe one day in the future, she will become Grandma Li, and finally returned to her name : Li Ping was engraved on the tombstone.

People in the town don't remember when Li Ping settled down in the town, but the old people all know that she is not a native.If you insist on pursuing it, Li Ping took Li Jianrui to settle near the small town shortly after Li Jianrui was born, and then moved to the mountains, where he lived by gathering herbs all day long.

So the young and middle-aged people in the town thought that Li Ping was born and raised in the town.Of course, about where she came from?No one will pursue this issue.

It was only at the beginning, when she arrived, that other people felt that she looked gentle and looked like a scholar, so someone asked her why she didn't go to the town's elementary school to find a job as a teacher.She just smiled lightly and didn't explain anything.

This question is no longer asked.As Li Ping sells herbal medicines in the town all year round, everyone will habitually buy some at her stall and make some herbal tea when they go home.This is also the method that people who went to work in GD brought back after the reform and opening up.

Li Jianrui also asked: "Mom, since you know how to read, are you better than our teacher?" At that time, she also smiled lightly and said nothing.

In fact Li Jianrui once asked his mother many questions.For example:

"Mom, how do you know Chinese medicine?"

"Mom, how can you shoot a gun?"

"Mom, what does my dad look like?"

"Mom, what's my dad's name?"

...

Most of the questions are unanswered.

Li Ping once said: "Your father, like me, has the same surname Li, so you are also surnamed Li. As for his appearance, it has been too long, and I don't remember it."

Then he thought for a moment, and added: "It's quite tall."

Li Jianrui got off the bus.So I couldn't help but feel like returning to my heart, and ran to my home desperately.

Some townspeople on the road recognized him: "Isn't that Li Jianrui?"

"I heard that he's going to be a soldier. Look at his military uniform."

"Come back to see his mother on vacation."

"It's a pity. We haven't had fresh game to eat since he went to the army."

...

When he passed through the market, ran across the alley, and came to the end of the alley, he stopped in front of a bungalow.

Li Jianrui looked at the open door.reach out.Xiyao pushed open the door.When his fingers touched the door panel, he trembled slightly and retracted.

He tidied up his clothes.Stretching out his hand again, he gently pushed the door open.

Sitting inside was a woman with gray hair, wrinkled face, and slightly hunched back.

Sitting on a small bench, sorting herbs on the ground.

When the door opened, she raised her head and looked at the young man standing at the door.With an unbelievable look on his face, he stared at it for a while.It seems to want to distinguish whether the person at the door is real or a dream.

A familiar voice tremblingly shouted, "Mom, I'm back!"

Li Ping dropped the herbs, stood up from the small wooden stool, and ran quickly to the door.

Li Jianrui stretched out his arms to hug her and said again: "Mom, I'm back!"

Hearing his son's familiar voice, Li Ping hugged him tightly and murmured, "It's good to be back, it's good to be back."

Li Jianrui looked at the layout of the house while hugging his mother.Seems to have added quite a bit since he left.

I still remember that when he left, there was only one table and two chairs here.

In the past, when he was studying, he used it for homework, and when he was eating, it was the dining table.At night, the table is put away again.Make room for a folding bed, which is Li Jianrui's bedroom.

During the day, if the weather is fine, Li Ping will string the herbs up and hang them in the room to dry.

The room inside is Li Ping's bedroom, except for a bed.A wardrobe and nothing else.

In addition to the tables and chairs in the hall, a wall-mounted TV has been added to the wall.

There is a large shelf next to the wall, with a total of four floors.Probably because of Li Ping's height, Li Ping can reach the top floor with her hand.

On the shelves were dried herbs, plastic rice buckets, cooking oil, and even two packs of melon seeds and one pack of peanuts.

The two separated.Li Ping took Li Jianrui's arm and looked him up and down, saying, "You're getting fat." At the same time, she reached out and touched his face, as if trying to see if she had gained weight.

Li Jianrui took Li Ping's hand and said, "Mom, the food in the army is very good. I eat a lot every meal. Don't worry."

Li Ping nodded: "That's good, I don't worry. The training is hard, I think you are dark." After speaking, she stroked Li Jianrui's face again, as if she wanted to try to see how dark she was.

"Well, I'm running under the sun every day, and I'm dark. There are many people who are darker than me!" Li Jianrui scratched the back of his head and smiled foolishly.

When Li Ping heard what he said, she laughed, and she could vaguely see her beautiful face before.

Li Jianrui was also looking at his mother, her complexion seemed to be much better than before, the tiredness in her eyes was gone, and she was full of energy when she spoke.Although the back is still slightly hunched, it is the sequelae of walking in the mountains carrying herbs for more than ten years.It probably won't come back in the future.But Li Jianrui felt that as long as it didn't intensify, it would be luck.

But looking down at the herbs on the ground, he asked puzzledly, "Mom, are you picking herbs again?"

Li Ping smiled, took his hand, found a chair to sit down, and said slowly: "After you left, the leader of your army arranged for a girl to take care of me. But I have hands and feet. Why do you need someone to take care of you. But that girl is also stubborn and moves everything home."

As he spoke, he pointed around the room with his finger.

"You see, she asked someone to move these here. Later, she said that she came here at your request, and I agreed. But we have discussed that we don't have to come every day, maybe one a week. Two or three times, to help out or something."

Li Jianrui took Li Ping's hand and patted it lightly: "I asked for it, and it was an exchange. Our leader promised to take care of you, so I can stay in the army with peace of mind."

Li Ping looked at him and smiled faintly, as she had done for many years.