Hunger for a hundred years

Chapter 10 (10)
Lijiagou heard the news early, Yang Guangwu panicked, and went to ask for help from the door-to-door.This is a major matter related to property and human life, and asking for help requires a big ceremony. Every time Yang Guangwu came to a family, no matter how old he was or how old he was, he would kneel down under the threshold with a bang, and kowtow a few times. Only then did he explain his purpose with a guilty conscience.Although these people hated Yang Guangwu's indifference and cruelty to Xu Lian's mother and son when he was the head of the armor, how could they see him being bullied by outsiders?They all agreed quickly.

Therefore, when the more than [-] people from the lower reaches of the Qingxi River arrived at Lijiagou, Lijiagou had already been prepared.

They placed the battlefield in an ancestral hall, and fifteen tables of the Eight Immortals were neatly placed on the earth dam outside the ancestral hall. On each table, sat a person. These people were called "" The "host" is designed to deal with all kinds of difficulties from the woman's natal family. Those who can sit at the table can speak well and are generally respected in the local area.Among the fifteen hosts, there is a general leader, usually in the middle.Women, children, and the elderly gathered around the table, while young and strong men hid nearby. In case of emergency, they immediately rushed out with machetes, hoes, iron rakes, wooden sticks and other weapons.

When Xu Lian's natal family came to the ancestral hall, it was dusk, and there was a horse lantern on each table, and a few more were hanging on the surrounding branches.The ancestral hall is bright.As soon as the Xu family came under the shadow of the lamp, the leader of the Li family stood up and said loudly: "Today is a happy day for our Lijiagou. There are so many relatives and friends. It is rare to get together here. They are here. We want to Let them eat well, drink well, and play well!" After the general leader said, the women, children and old people around immediately came up to offer cigarettes and tea.According to the rules, no matter whether it is a child or a woman, visitors must offer cigarettes.At this juncture, the "host" should step out of the killing team, sit around one by one, and have a debate with the man's "host".How much the woman "hosts" depends on how many tables the man has set up.

Unexpectedly, the Xu family was not ready at all. Only Xu Lian's four brother-in-laws came out and sat down at four tables, and there were eleven other tables. play.This made the Lijiagou people look down on them first, and it also doomed the Xu family's defeat.Xu Lian's eldest brother-in-law is a well-known "second-rusher". He slapped the table and said, "We don't need that many people. We only need four. Let's see how many of you come! Don't say fifteen. Even 25 Lao Tzus will accompany you!" As soon as these words came out, the people at the eleven tables surrounded four tables.The four members of the Xu family are lacking in experience and knowledge, how can they resist the Li family's rhetoric and arrows?After just a few bags of cigarettes, the four members of the Xu family twisted their tongues, causing the Li family to sneer.Especially when people from Lijiagou brought up the fact that Xu Lian came to Yang's house for a long time without pregnancy, and attributed the reason why Yang Guangwu beat her violently to this, the four brothers-in-law were even more speechless.Not to mention, even the people they brought whispered, saying that Xu Lian was too brave. She went to work in the paddy fields before giving birth to He Er, and her menstrual blood was cut off, so she couldn't conceive a child. No wonder Yang Guangwu beat her. . "A woman," the woman brought by Xu's family chatted in a low voice, "If you don't have a baby at a young age, how can Yang Guangwu think about it? You never gave birth, but what did you have before?" Da He Er, when you arrive at the Yang family, you will suddenly stop giving birth, so what do they want you to do?"
Yang Guangwu had already prepared a meal. Usually, after the first round of the battle, the meal was served, but at this time, the people of Lijiagou didn't want to invite Xu's family to dinner at all!The hundreds of people brought by the Xu family had an empty stomach and wanted to have a full meal, but after a long time, the Lijiagou people did not intend to let them eat.Afterwards, the four members of the Xu family scolded, and the boss said: "Mommy, you are trying to overwhelm us by taking advantage of the large number of people, the ball! If you talk too much, the men will have more hair, and the women will have more lice. How many? I pull it out if I want to, pinch it if I want to pinch it!" Those young and strong men who were hiding looked down on this group of useless people, and when they heard the scolding, they rushed out with murder weapons and shouted in unison: "Get out of here! !"
That battle had frightened the troops brought by the Xu family, they slipped into the darkness one by one, and returned along the way they came.

Xu Lian's brothers-in-law were so frightened that their joints were weak, but the beaks of dead ducks were hard. Seeing that their team had dispersed, they also withdrew from the table, swearing and running away in despair.

The Lijiagou people did not chase after them.They said, these bastards are not worth chasing!
After returning, neither Xu Lian's sister nor brother-in-law dared to report the truth to Xu's mother, and Xu's mother didn't seem to care about the success or failure of the beating.She might have already guessed it.She just asked her daughters if they had seen their grandson He Da who was still alive, but they all said they hadn't, and Xu's mother was so angry that one of the daughters slapped her face, "You can't do anything else, you may not give He Da to me." Take it back." Before he finished speaking, he passed out.

Soon, Xu's mother passed away in grief and indignation.

Xu Lian's sisters and brothers-in-law had no intention of snatching He Da back at the beginning; even if they had such a plan, it would be useless. Yang Guangwu guessed that the Xu family was going to snatch the child, so he sent He Da thirty miles away early. relatives hid.To be on the safe side, Yang Guangwu took He Da back a month later.

Three people were missing from Yang Guangwu's family, and it was as deserted as a tomb.Yang Guangwu was thinner than before, his chin as sharp as a knife.The sadism he cultivated on Xu Lian vented on He Da. No matter whether it was justified or not, as soon as the illness occurred, he would grab whatever it was and just hit He Da.If there is still some anger in the Yang family's house, it is the crying and howling that He Da burst out from time to time.The cry was unheard of in Lijiagou. In fact, it was not crying, but an instinctive scream after fear of impending death.A few well-meaning people couldn't stand it, so they came to Yang Guangwu's house for an appointment. When they saw He Da, they couldn't help feeling chills.He Da is as thin as a ghost (this is an extreme metaphor for skinny people in the countryside), and there is no good meat on his body, especially on his buttocks, where the dense, red and white rotten meat is turned out-all for Yang Guangwu's use The bong was hot.

Because of this, He Da couldn't sit. If he wanted to sit, he had to kneel down. When his knee was also damaged, he couldn't walk upright anymore. He could only crawl on all fours, like a dog.The hardships in childhood doomed my father He Da not to be tall, and he grew to 1.5 meters nine later, which is simply thanks to the blessings of his ancestors.Several kind-hearted people held He Da in their arms and said to Yang Guangwu seriously: "It doesn't matter whether this baby is your flesh and blood or not, he is the only one who will accompany you. When you are old, you still rely on him to bring tea and water, and when you die, you still rely on him." Put him in the coffin and bury him, you make him like this, not to mention the loss of virtue, you will also record a bad debt with the King of Hades! Now that you have killed him, no one will collect your bones after death ;I can’t kill you, he’s already a child of how old, he knows how to remember your evil, it’ll be strange if he doesn’t kick you into the cesspit when he has the strength! If I knew your outfit, when Xu’s family came to kill you We shouldn’t be helping you to talk about it, he also has a life!”
I don't know if these words frightened Yang Guangwu, or if he really had the intention to abandon evil and do good. Since then, he has treated He Da much better. Old wounds healed.What is even more surprising is that Yang Guangwu quit smoking!According to my father, although the opium at that time was not as refined as the white powder of today, it was not easy to quit.During the days when he quit smoking, the old man Yang Guangwu, the neighbors and eight villages could hear his screams. When they come out, their mouths are often full of blood.At this time, He Da squatted in the corner of the room, trembling all over.Although it was so difficult, Yang Guangwu actually quit, which shows the hard side of this man.

After quitting smoking, Yang Guangwu seemed to be a different person, often calling He Da "my son, my son", holding He Da in his arms, and talking about He Da's mother Xu Lian tearfully.After his mother died, although He Da felt heartbroken, he never dared to express it. Only now did he dare to say "I miss my mother".Yang Guangwu carried He Da to Xu Lian's grave, and said to him, "Kowtow to Mom." He Da knelt down, raised his buttocks, and his thin and thin body was shaking convulsively in front of his mother's grave.
Half a year later, Yang Guangwu and He Da became a father and son in need. They slept in the same bed, worked together in the mountains, and went to the market together. They never left each other.They went to Luowen Town, which is under the jurisdiction of Wanyuan County. Compared with Yongle's Dongbachang, Luowen Town is much smaller, and unlike Dongbachang, there are two roads accessible by water and land, so the personnel are not complicated. Come here Most of the sellers are honest and friendly mountain people, and the folk customs are extremely simple.Even so, Yang Guangwu had to hold He Da's hand from time to time as soon as he played, for fear of losing it.

If it goes on like this, He Da will not have any difficulties in the future, but Yang Guangwu can't bear the loneliness of the long night after all, so he asks people to matchmaker everywhere, planning to continue the string again.As Yang Guangwu reformed, his tone gradually improved in the four townships.Therefore, his business was quickly settled.

Mrs. Liu, who was forty years old, entered his house.

Prior to this, Mrs. Liu had been married three times. Two men died and one left.During the thirteen or fourteen years, the Liu family did not even leave a seed for three husbands. It was very difficult to remarry, so she gave up her heart and planned to be a widow for the rest of her life.

Those who received Yang Guangwu's gift money in advance to be his matchmaker, found out that there was Mrs. Liu, and they didn't hesitate to go to the door to make love again and again, just to say Yang Guangwu's benefits.Finally Liu was moved, and the matchmaker took her to Lijiagou.

There was no need for any formalities, she directly slept in Yang Guangwu's bed.

It was night when Mrs. Liu entered Yang's house, and He Da was already asleep.The next morning, He Da woke up and did not see Yang Guangwu. He thought he had gone to the slope early. He called "Dad" and got out of bed.Meanwhile, he heard voices in the ear room.The ear room used to be the place where jackals lived, and it was not very bright at that time, so He Da dared not go in, because he felt that the ghost of jackals was still there, and he would be beaten if he went in.So he hid by the door, looking for a crack to look inside.It was dark in the room.He Da was about to leave when he heard a loud cough.That was clearly Yang Guangwu's cough.He Da pushed the door, rushed in, lifted the mosquito net, and saw Yang Guangwu with his butt bare, riding on a strange woman.He Da couldn't see the woman's butt, but saw her deflated tits.

Neither Yang Guangwu nor the woman panicked.The woman even smiled.Yang Guangwu got off the woman, covered her naked body with a quilt, and while putting on his clothes and trousers, he said, "This is my son." Then he said to He Da, who was standing there blankly, "This is your mother. mom."
He Da was stunned for a moment, then rushed out of the room crying and went uphill alone.

That day, he didn't go home until dark.

He thought that the woman had already left after dark, but he didn't expect that when he stepped into the house, the woman was cooking on the stove.Seeing He Da, the woman said, "Where did you hide? Your father searched around a dozen times, but there was no sign of your ghost!" The woman's tone was extremely severe, as if she was the owner of the house.Before the woman came, Yang Guangwu was the big master of the family, and He Da was the little master. Now, he can no longer be the master.An unspeakable loneliness and sadness welled up in He Da's heart.

Like a puppet, he looked at the woman who had taken his place.The woman's hair was disheveled, her cheeks were long and narrow, and when she spoke, she showed a few crooked teeth—how could she look like his beautiful mother!
Seeing He Da looking at her, the woman came over with a kind smile, and held He Da's face in her muddy hands. At first, she gently stroked it. He Da smelled the sweet and sour smell of fermented face mud from her hands. Sweet and sour taste.But this smell will disappear soon, because the woman's hands are getting heavier and heavier.He Da's cheeks were about to be crushed.Tears welled up in his eyes, but he endured it.Seeing that he didn't cry, the woman was quite annoyed. She twisted the thumb and index finger of her right hand, and dragged him into her arms, and He Da's face was dragged to the ear door.He Da's tears finally slipped down like dewdrops on a grass stalk being hit by a stick.

At this moment, there was a sound outside the house.Hearing the sound, the woman squatted down hurriedly, hugged He Da, kissed him hard on the face, and said while kissing: "My son is so good!" Her disheveled hair had already sucked the tears from He Da's face.Without two kisses, a hen jumped onto the threshold.It turned out that the sound was made by the hen, and Yang Guangwu did not come back.The woman thought it was Yang Guangwu who was back!She was furious, and pinched He Da's face vigorously, and whispered in his ear: "If you dare not listen to me, I will strangle you to death!"
As soon as the words fell, Yang Guangwu really came back. He raised his voice behind the house and asked, "Is my son back?" Liu immediately replied cheerfully, "I'm back." Big tears welled up again.When Yang Guangwu entered the room, Mrs. Liu said, "This baby is really cute." Yang Guangwu smiled, picked up He Da and asked, "Is there a mother?" How can you call 'Mom' as soon as you enter the house?"
Yang Guangwu was more happy to see Liu Shi being so considerate.

The matchmaker told Yang Guangwu earlier that Mrs. Liu was married to three men and couldn't fill her stomach, which shows that she is a "widowed mother and child" (a woman who is not pregnant).Yang Guangwu said it doesn't matter, he already has a son.Of course he hoped that Mrs. Liu would also like He Da.

After that, Yang Guangwu's heart became more peaceful, so he treated He Da better. He often said in front of Mrs. Liu that there are not many descendants, and the key is to be filial to adults. It's better not to have one person in charge.He said, look at Li Guangming and his wife at the east end of the village, they have four sons, what's the matter, they both died in the pigsty, and they don't know when they die!His words have two meanings, one is to comfort Liu Shi, and the other is to hope that Liu Shi will always treat He Da well.Mrs. Liu didn't hear the first meaning, but heard the second meaning. After Yang Guangwu said this again, she finally crossed her eyes and said, "What do you think I do to He Da?" Yang Guangwu hastily expressed his opinion. "It's hard to find a stepmother who loves your baby as much as you do!" Yang Guangwu said from the bottom of his heart. On the surface, Mrs. Liu is really kind to He Da. It's better than being with your own.

Yang Guangwu never noticed that when Mrs. Liu went to kiss He Da, there was always extreme panic in He Da's eyes.

But no matter what, with Yang Guangwu's protection, if there are no extra troubles, they can still live on. Unexpectedly, after a few months, Mrs. Liu will become pregnant!

My father insisted on telling me that the son conceived by Mrs. Liu took the souls of him and his younger brother He Er. My father said: One night, he had a dream. In the dream, he and He Er were in the same tree. Suddenly, the tree gave off blue and blue smoke, which disappeared with the wind one by one. The two thought it was fun, so they stood down and watched.But soon, He Er exclaimed, and He Er said: "Brother, that smoke came out of your head!" He Da looked at his younger brother's head, and said the same thing to him.The two were surprised when they saw that the tree turned into a dwarf, and the dwarf crawled at their feet and called them "brother".

When she got up the next morning, Liu said she was pregnant.

He Da was very happy to hear that his stepmother was pregnant. After He Er disappeared, no one of the same age group played with him. Although there were many children in Lijiagou, they all looked down on him, saying that he had no parents. wild species.Now, he will have a younger brother or younger sister again, and he feels very warm in his heart.

(End of this chapter)