Old things in the south

Chapter 15 The Donkey Rolls (1)
The changer of the green basin tapped the big green basin glazed on both sides with the handle of his blue cloth duster and said:

"Listen! Listen! What's the sound! Where are you going to find this green basin? Sai Jiangxi Porcelain! You can add more!"

Mom used a pile of newspapers, three old leather shoes, and two broken iron pots to exchange for his four small benches and a washing board; Song's mother also spared a small green pot for mixing cucumbers.

As for me, I hold a small bench and don't let go.The one who changed the green pot yelled for my mother to add more things.An old padded jacket and two stacks of torn books were added, and he also said:

"Tim, you."

Mom said: "I won't change it!" and asked Song's mother to move the things in.I was anxious that the business could not be concluded, and I wanted to return the stool to him, but the person who changed the green pot shouted loudly:
"Take it! It's changed!" He waved his hands and said dejectedly, "Alas! Why didn't it open today!"

Four small benches were placed under the shade of a big tree at the opposite door. Mama Song took the four of us—me, Zhuzhu, younger brother, and Yanyan—to sit on the new benches and tell stories.Yanyan was small, huddled next to Mama Song, half sitting and half leaning, playing with her fingers.

"How old is your little embolus?" I asked.

"As old as you, nine years old!"

Xiao Shuanzi is Song Ma's son.In the past two days, she is telling us the story of her hometown: the ears of wheat are growing in the field, the grass on the hillside is taller, and Xiao Shuanzi has picked the dog’s tail flowers and tied them on the horns of the ox.In her hand, she also held a thick shoe sole tightly packed with thick hemp twine, which was made for Xiao Shuanzi.

"So he's in third grade too?" I asked.

"Country people have such a good life as you? He's an adult worth showing cows!" She stopped what she was doing, raised the awl and stroked her hair a few times, and said to herself: "This year Well, I have to go home and take a look, I'm always out of order." After she finished speaking, she was in a daze, not knowing what she was thinking.

"And what about your girl?"

In fact, I already knew the story of the girl, and Mama Song told it several times.Like her younger brother, Mama Song's girl is also four years old this year.She came to the city to be a nanny after she gave birth to a girl, and immediately came to our house and became my brother's nanny.Her milk is good, and my brother eats white and fat.As for her girl, after she came to our house to try out her job, she was taken back by her husband to be nursed by others.I ask once, she speaks once, and I don't get tired of listening to it.

"Girl, she spent money to give milk to others!" Song Ma said.

"Will it belong to you in the future?"

"My girl doesn't belong to me? Do you belong to your mother?" She asked me back.

"Then why don't you breastfeed yourself? Why come to my house as a nanny? Why do you give the money you earn to others?"

"Why? The reason is—you don't understand what I've said, but life in the countryside is miserable! Little Shuanzi's father is worthless, he beats me every time he wants to, and I'll come out and become a nanny to make money for myself!"

I still remember the day she first came, it was winter, she was wearing a red padded jacket with a white cloth lining, it was shiny and dirty.She stuffed the nipple into his younger brother's mouth, and the younger brother sucked and sucked. After a big meal, he fell asleep immediately, and he woke up after a long time without crying.So leave her as a nurse.

Three days later, her husband came and took a donkey and tied it to a tree trunk in front of the door.He has a long face and yellow teeth, why is he so ugly!My mother was off work, and the booklet said: four yuan a month, two pairs of silver jewelry, four seasons clothes, a new bedding, and it took a year and four months before she was allowed to go home.

Song Ma, who was wearing a red padded jacket, wrapped her child in an old flowered quilt and gave it to her husband.When she sent her husband and child out, she cried. She turned her back and lifted her skirt to wipe her tears, unable to lift her head for a long time.Old Zhang from the matchmaker's shop advised Song's mother:

"Don't cry, hold back the milk carefully."

Only then did Song's mother stop crying. She counted the money to Lao Zhang and gave the rest to her husband.She charged her husband many things, and he said:

"Do not worry."

He hugged the child and led the donkey and walked away.

At the fourth month of the year, Huang Banerya came again, and he wanted to take Song Ma back home, but Song Ma couldn't bear to part with her younger brother, and the mother wanted to have a baby again, so he left her again.Mama Song counted a large stack of foreign money and handed it to her husband. He put the money in a blue cloth bag, rattled, and led the donkey away again.

From then on, he would come here twice a year, calling the donkey and tying it to the corner of the wall in the yard, making donkey dung balls all over the ground. Fortunately, he was allowed to leave for just one day.Rolling down from the donkey's back was a big sack, which contained either big peanuts or drunk dates, which he gave to the master and wife—my father and mother.There are plenty in the countryside.

I just can't imagine what will happen to our family if Mama Song really goes back to her hometown?Who will get me up early to braid my hair and go to school?Who feeds Yanyan?Who will protect the younger brother when his father beats him?Who will wipe Zhuzhu's shit?We can't live without her!

But she often wants to talk about going home. Recently, she asked us several times: "Is it okay for me to go back to our hometown?"

"No!" Except for Yanyan, who couldn't speak, we objected in unison.

In spring, my younger brother got measles and made a fuss. He shut his mouth tightly and refused to drink the reed root soup.Mom said:
"Okay, if you don't take the medicine, tell your nanny to go back! Go back! Mother Song! Give all your clothes and things to you, little Shuanzi and little girl!"

Mama Song pretended to go out and said:

"Let's go! Go home! Go home and find our little Shuanzi and the little girl!"

"I'll drink! I'll drink! Don't go!" The younger brother opened his hand pitifully to take the bowl of reed root soup in his mother's hand, and drank most of the bowl in one go.Song's mother was so distressed, she immediately hugged her younger brother, leaned her head against his hot, rotten face and said:

"Don't go! I won't go! I still want our brother, not Xiao Shuanzi, not a little girl!" After that, her eye circles turned red, and her brother gradually fell asleep under her patting.

A few days ago, a young man who called Song Ma's mother came here. He came to stay for two days and wanted to find a job.He would use wire to weave lampshades for the electric lights at the gate to prevent the bulbs from being stolen by thieves.Mama Song asked him:

"When you came to Beijing, you saw our little Shuanzi, okay?"

"Huh?" He seemed taken aback, his eyes widened, "I didn't see it, I came from my uncle in Liu Village!"

"Oh." Mother Song paused thoughtfully for a moment, then asked again: "You came here from your uncle, then, our girl nursed Jin Zi from Liu Village, did you hear that the child is strong?"

"Oh?" He was surprised again, "No—I haven't heard of it. You must be right, don't worry!"

After a pause he continued:
"Auntie, if you can go home and have a look, you haven't been back for three or four years!"

After the young man left, Mama Song told her mother that she hesitated after hearing what her nephew said, and was very worried.

Mom reassured her and said:

"I think your nephew is not serious. Listen, he will come to your house and his uncle's house sometimes. His own words don't match. How can he know about your child!"

Mama Song was still worried, she said:

"From the beginning of this year, my heart is always out of order, and I have had several dreams!"

She called a fortune teller to interpret the dream.On Sunday, she asked me to write a letter for her.I have already memorized the place name of her hometown: Feng Village, Niulanshan, Shunyi County, delivered a letter from Feng Daming, my husband, to a safe home.

"It's great to study, you can write letters at the age of nine, and you can't lose them when you go out!"

"What did the letter say?" I took a pen, laid out a piece of letter paper, and tried my best.

"You just write, is the family safe? Little Shuanzi, be careful when grazing cattle in the wild, and don't go out of your way to play in the water. I've prepared two pairs of shoes and a set of trousers. Girl, don't forget that when the time comes Send money! It’s too much to talk to people. The money I got back was almost 200 yuan, and the second part of the land on the back slope should be redeemed, so as to save the old people’s land. Also, my place is safe, just thinking about it My child, when I come next month, I can feel relieved to bring the embolus to me. Also,..."

"This letter is too long!" I stopped her endlessly, "Let Dad write it!"

The letter her father wrote to her was sent, and Mama Song was very happy these days.Now, she asked her brother:
"If Xiao Shuanzi comes, will you let him sit on your new bench?"

"Here!" said the younger brother and immediately stood up.

"I'll give it too." Zhuzhu said.

"Wait for Xiao Shuanzi to come, can you go to the school with me?" I said.

"That's fine, as long as your mother agrees to let him live here."

"I'll talk! My mother listens to me very much."

"Xiao Shuanzi is here, don't laugh at him, Yingzi, you can laugh at people! He is a countryman, but he is a native!" Song Ma said as if Xiao Shuanzi would arrive soon.She looked at me again and said:
"Yingzi, he must be taller than you. It's been four years, how tall he must be!"

Song Ma was so happy that she picked up Yanyan and put her on her lap.Knees bouncing, she sang her song:
"Eggs and eggshells, inside sits an elder brother, who comes out to sell vegetables, inside sits a grandma, who comes out to burn incense, inside sits a girl, who comes out to light a lamp, and burns her nose and eyes!"

She sang, holding Yanyan's little finger with her hand, pointing to her nose and eyes, Yanyan giggled.

Song Ma sang the allegro again:

"Locust tree locust tree, locust tree locust tree, a stage is set up under the locust tree, and all the girls have arrived, but the girl who sent me hasn't come yet; as soon as I talked, I came, riding a donkey, holding an umbrella, naked buttocks Wearing a bun..."

The sun slanted over, and the golden light came through the cracks in the leaves, shining in my eyes. I followed Mama Song's singing, and tilted my head to avoid the dazzling sun. with.I raised my hand to cover the sun and took a closer look. It was really a little donkey walking over.The half of the blue cloth jacket of the donkey driver was covered with a layer of loess.Yo!Isn't that yellow teeth?I call Mama Song:

"Look, someone really came riding a donkey!"

Song Ma stopped singing and turned her head to stare blankly.

Huang Ban'er gritted: "Wo-oh!" The little donkey stopped in front of us.

Mama Song didn't speak, she didn't stand up, the smile she had just now was gone, she looked straight at her husband with a sullen face, as if she was waiting for something.

Huang Ban'er didn't say a word, just brushed off his clothes, causing the loess to fly up.I despise him!Cover your nose with your hand.He took off his straw hat again and fanned it, not knowing who to tell:
"It's so hot!"

Song's mother seemed to be unable to bear it anymore, and asked:
"What about the child?"

"Go-to his aunt's house." He lifted his foot to brush off his shoes again, without looking at Song Ma.His white socks turned yellow, which was also made by Song Ma.His socks are like shoes, with several layers of soles made of fine needles and dense threads.

I looked at the big sack on the donkey's back and wondered what was in it this time.Huang Banerya took off the pocket and untied it, and took out a large handful of roasted dried hanging dates for me from the inside. It was crispy to the bite, and the taste was spicy and fragrant.

"Yingzi, take Zhuzhushangxiaohong to their house to play, and hang Luozao'er to get some more to share with others," Song's mother said.

I took Zhuzhu and left. Looking back, Mama Song packed up four new benches with one hand, and hugged Yanyan with the other. My younger brother was holding her by the hem of her clothes. They were walking home.Huang Banerya led the little donkey and walked into my house. He must stay another night.His donkey is rolling all over the ground, and the flowers and plants planted by his father will be ruined again.

When we came back from Xiaohong's house, it was almost dark, and I hadn't eaten a few hanging dates, so Xiaohong tied them all up with strings and hung them around my neck.

When I entered the door, I saw Mama Song and her husband in the doorway.Huang Ban'erya sat on our new bench in a daze, while Song's mother covered her face and cried, not daring to make a sound.

There is already food in the house.Mother was feeding Yanyan, frowning, pursing her mouth, shaking her head and sighing, her expression was quite wrong.

"Mom," I called softly, "Mother Song is crying!"

My mother waved gently to me and forbade me to speak.What is so important?

"Song Mama's little Shuanzi is dead." Mom said to me in a hoarse voice, and she turned to Dad again: "Oh! It's been dead for a year or two, and I didn't say it until now, no wonder Song Mama has always been worried If you are uneasy, you must call her husband to ask. The time her nephew came, there was something interesting in the words. How can people suffer when two things happen at the same time!"

Dad also shook his head and sighed, having nothing to say.

I was also very sad when I heard that. I didn't know what the other thing was, and I didn't dare to ask.

My mother told me to call Song's mother. I also felt that it was a serious matter. When I entered the doorway, I didn't dare to yell at her like every time. I called softly:

"Mom Song, Mom is calling you!"

Song's mother stopped her sobbing and crying with difficulty, and came into the house.Ma said to her:
"Go home with him tomorrow and have a look. You haven't been home for several years."

(End of this chapter)