The children of the Qiao family

Chapter 1

Qiao Yicheng and his brothers and sisters grew up struggling.

1
When Qiao Yicheng was 12 years old, he had a little brother.

But, no mother.

That was [-].

In fact, the one-child policy had already started to be implemented at that time, and the neighbors joked that Qiao Yicheng's mother was an old clam.

In fact, my mother was only 35 years old that year.Although the man is not up to date, does not care about his family, has a lot of children, and does not have any brighter clothes, but, faintly, there is always a bit of beauty.

People from the street family planning office also came to publicize the policy and told her to get rid of the child.The aunts and sisters-in-law of the neighbors all advised her not to have this child, not to mention that it violated the national policy, and she added an extra mouth. In the future, she would spend money on food and clothing, go to school and start a family.Now it's not like in the past, just add a ladle of water to the rice cooker to feed one person.

My mother also hesitated, and secretly ran to the maternity hospital twice, but she didn't dare to have an operation.Qiao Yicheng's father found out, slapped the table and the bench, scolded her, and even the street officials and aunts and grandmothers ate a bad word with guns and sticks.

Qiao Yicheng's father's name is Qiao Zuwang, and he doesn't have any special heart for children.He just felt that this little thing in his stomach was his seed, who would dare to kill his seed?
The aunts and sisters-in-law of the neighbors gathered under the old locust tree at the street corner to enjoy the shade, holding the soles of their shoes, talking and laughing, and said leisurely: His seed?Oh, he thought it was his seed!

This was overheard by the young boy Qiao Yicheng. He didn't really understand it, but instinctively felt that it was not a good word.So he stared at the gossiper with hatred.I can't wait for sparks to fly out of my eyes and burn a hole in the bodies of those three aunts and six women.

Qiao Yicheng can't listen to others talking badly about his mother, but in fact, the one who can't accept his mother's pregnancy the most is himself.

He loves his mother so much.That kind of love was stuck in his heart, stuffed in his throat, and he couldn't express it.

Qiao Yicheng is three years stronger than his elder brother Qiao Er.From birth to the age of three, he was extremely close to his mother, who gave him all her attention and love.During that time, my mother only worked the morning shift and received very little salary, and carried him on her back to do housework when she came back.The memory has long been blurred, only the warm feeling is still in Qiao Yicheng's heart.It's like after sunbathing, the sun goes down, but the warmth of the body is still there.

Later, with younger brothers and sisters one after another, the mother's energy was scattered, and she could no longer only work half a day.But the mother always has some differences with the eldest son. Before going to school, Qiao Yicheng is often dragged by his mother to the small kitchen built with linoleum against the wall, hiding in the narrow space behind the sundries, eating He watched a soft-boiled egg that his mother made for him alone, it was boiling hot, but in order not to let his younger siblings and father find out, he ate it so fast that he couldn't breathe. This was a secret he and his mother kept together.

Qiao Yicheng already has a younger brother and two younger sisters. Of course, this is not the first time he has seen his mother pregnant.But in the early years, he was too young, and only knew that his mother's belly swelled up and then deflated again, and then he had a younger brother or younger sister.

But this time is different.

The mother's pregnancy gave Qiao Yicheng, a 12-year-old boy who already had a deep sense of gender, a distinct sense of shame. His stern, thin face stretched out longer, and he began to refuse visits from classmates and neighbor children. He no longer lets students in a study group go to his home to do homework, but uses the power of the group leader to arrange the study group at the home of a little boy in the same group for a long time, and he will rush away from his house like a chicken All the neighborhood kids.

The mother's face was a little swollen, and there were large light brown butterfly spots on her cheeks. Her hair was withered, yellow and frizzy, and it was a bit messy when tied up. It was no longer as thick and soft as Qiao Yicheng remembered.With a big belly, she came and went in the narrow home, as bloated and clumsy as a goose, when she lowered her head to do things, her mouth would stick out unconsciously, making her look like someone she didn’t know, or An irrelevant person.All of this made Qiao Yicheng uncomfortable and unhappy, and he couldn't speak out, making him feel very uncomfortable.

Qiao Yicheng's parents and grandparents have been born and raised in Nanjing for three generations.

This city is extremely cold in winter and extremely hot in summer, and the outsiders are full of complaints, but the locals are blindly enduring and enjoying it in patience, almost peacefully.Therefore, their lives, whether happy or unfortunate, all carry a little bit of tragic meaning.The people here seem to have no great ambitions or ambitions, and live with peace of mind without haste.

At that time, in the corners of this city, there were still many alleys as thin as sheep intestines. Only one person could pass through the narrowest part, and fat people could only pass sideways.These alleys connect patches of old courtyards and houses. In these courtyards and beside the houses, there are even more dilapidated small sheds built with linoleum and broken bricks for cooking or storing sundries.If you look down from the air, these places are probably like the scars on the city's body or the patches on the clothes, which are the sudden and mottled scars of the city.

Qiao Yicheng's home is on such a scar or patch.

This is an old courtyard. It is said that it used to be the house of a well-to-do family. There are about ten families living in it.Qiao Yicheng and his family are in the second entrance. Two old-fashioned houses are connected by a dark main room. One is the bedroom of his father and mother. stained wooden windows.

The courtyard is a pitted bluestone brick floor, and after a long time, water will accumulate in puddles in rainy days.

On this day, just after the rain, Liu Fang, the classmate Qiao Yicheng secretly liked, walked to his house stepping on the puddles of water.

The little girl was wearing a white shirt and a flowery skirt, showing her thin white legs. There were very thin lace trims on the collar and the hem of the skirt, and some mud splashed on the black leather shoes with loops.

Liu Fang's family lived on the street across from Qiao Yicheng's house, separated by a narrow road.Before liberation, the road was a stinky river ditch, but after liberation, it was filled up and became a road. In the past two years, a flower garden was built and roses were planted, which are the most common varieties.When the flowers bloom, people pick them from the street and sell them to pharmacies, which can be regarded as an income.

Liu Fang's house is a rare tall gate in this area. It is made of stone and has two entrances. It is only Liu Fang's family who live in it. The property was just returned to their family after the "Cultural Revolution".Her grandfather was a returned overseas Chinese. There was a piano at home. Although it was old, it was still shiny and the keys were black and white.

At that time, having a piano at home was almost equivalent to having a villa in the eastern suburbs, right next to the Meiling Palace.

What's even more unusual is that Liu Fang is an only child.This is even more special among the classmates in the class. Most of the classmates have brothers and sisters. It is not uncommon for Qiao Yicheng to have four or five children in his family.

Liu Fang is the envy of all the girls in the class.

Liu Fang and Qiao Yicheng belonged to the same study group. She was ill these two days, and now she came to ask Qiao Yicheng about her homework.

Qiao Yicheng hid in the house, unwilling to go out.

The more he liked her to death in his heart, the more he didn't want her to come to his home.

Unexpectedly, the mother went out to welcome her, with such a big belly, she called Liu Fang to come in and sit for a while, then took out two biscuits that were almost as hard as rocks from the biscuit bucket and insisted on stuffing them into Liu Fang's hands.

Qiao Yicheng rushed out from the back room and threw the little notebook with his homework to Liu Fang, almost viciously.He thought, who told her to come?Who asked her mother to pull her in?Anyway, he will never talk to this girl named Liu Fang again.

Tears welled up in the little girl's eyes, she took the notebook and left.

The mother came over and asked Qiao Yicheng: What's the matter with you?
After asking three or four times, Qiao Yicheng didn't answer, didn't raise his eyes to look at his mother, and walked to the table sullenly.

At night, Qiao Yicheng couldn't sleep no matter what, he tossed and turned on the bed, and the little bed creaked.The second brother, Qiao Erqiang, kicked him on the nose, and he pushed it away resentfully.

He heard a slight movement at the door of the bedroom. After a while, his mother came in, walked to the bed, and bent down to see him.

The soft moonlight coming in through the window filtered the puffiness on my mother's face, making her look young and clean. There was a faint light from the moonlight in her hair, and her bloated body was hidden in the darkness, making it hard to see clearly. .This was what Qiao Yicheng remembered as his mother. Qiao Yicheng was so happy that he suddenly had the urge to cry.His mother patted him, and he snorted coquettishly.

He didn't expect that this was the last time he got close to his mother.

The mother's labor pains began the next day.She tidied up and told Qiao Yicheng to take good care of her brothers and sisters. Mom has gone to the hospital.

Originally, she planned to take the bus, but when she got to the intersection, the pain eased a bit, so she thought, walking a few stops would not cost much, and it would save a dime, which is a day's food money.So she went to the hospital.

Before arriving at the hospital, she asked a neighbor to bring a message to her younger sister. Her younger sister rushed over when she heard that she was going to give birth.

At this time, Qiao Yicheng's father was still sitting on the mahjong table.

Of course he was gambling secretly, the windows of the room were drawn with thick curtains, and the mahjong table was covered with thick and worn-out coarse felt.

Qiao Yicheng's second aunt came and announced the good news to her brother-in-law, saying that her sister had given birth to a son in the hospital. He weighed six catties, not big, but healthy.

Hearing that a son was born, Qiao Zuwang hummed twice, but the poker players at the table congratulated him in unison and asked him to treat him.Qiao Zuwang didn't stop in his hands, he opened his mouth and said, "No problem, no problem, I'll ask someone to buy some steamed buns from Tongwanglou!"
Everyone laughed together and said: What a hemorrhage, Tongwanglou!
Seeing that he would continue to fight fiercely, the second aunt hurried forward to pull him: You also move, go and see my sister, and give the child a name!
Qiao Zuwang looked impatient: what's so interesting, which woman doesn't have children?It's not the first time for her to give birth, so why is she so precious this time?What name do you want?This year in [-], let's just call it Qiqi.

Originally, the names of the four children were lined up, Qiao Yicheng, Qiao Erqiang, Qiao Sanli, and Qiao Simei.This one is called Qiao Qiqi.

The second aunt stomped her feet angrily and said: Are you going or not?

Several people at the table repeatedly persuaded: Go for a while.Take it easy.

Qiao Zuwang pushed the cards in front of him: Go, go, go!Stand up: in which hospital?

The second aunt said the name of the hospital.

Qiao Zuwang said: so far?

The second aunt said angrily: Gulou Hospital is near, I can't afford it!
Qiao Zuwang said: Call a tricycle.

The second aunt was even more angry: My sister is going to give birth and she is still walking, but you should call a tricycle!Walking and walking will not kill people!
The two quarreled all the way to the hospital.

Qiao Yicheng waited at home with his younger siblings.In the evening, he soaked the leftover meal at noon in boiling water, and ate it with side dishes with his siblings.After eating, he cleaned up the dishes and sat on the threshold of the main room.

He looked at the blue roof, with grass protruding from between the corrugations, and it was a mess, mixed with blue and yellow.The orange-red sunset in early summer hangs over the eaves, as if it is fake, as if you can reach it with your hands.

When the bad news came, there was no warning at all, but there was an unusual tranquility.Tranquility makes misfortune all the more unexpected.

The second aunt rushed in suddenly, stumbled all the way, panting and said to Qiao Yicheng: "Where are your younger brothers and sisters?"Hurry up, lock the door and follow me!hurry up!
After growing up, Qiao Yicheng often thought of this evening sunset.

He would still think that at that time, he was young and his hands were small, so he couldn't grasp happiness.

But misfortune is handed over by fate to your palm, and you can't do without it.

(End of this chapter)