beautiful friend

Chapter 21

Duroy imitated the tone of middle school students reading, and said intermittently: "Well, I will rely on you. I hope you can teach more solidly...just take twenty classes...the first ten basic classes... Including reading and grammar... In the last ten chapters, let's talk about how to further improve and rhetoric... I'm not very clear either."

Madeleine was amused by him and laughed: "You are so stupid!"

Duroy went on to say: "Since you have already called me 'you' instead of 'you', can I also learn to address me as 'you'? My dear, I want to tell you that I The love for you is getting stronger and stronger, every second will never stop. Damn, why hasn't Rouen arrived yet?"

Duroy's actor-like accent and funny facial expressions made this young woman, who was used to seeing literati's posturing and unrestrained behavior, can't help laughing heartily.

Madeleine looked at Duroy sideways and found him so charming and lovely.At this moment, Duroy is like a tempting fruit in her eyes, she can't wait to bite him into her mouth.But reason told her that she had to wait until "after the meal" before eating "dessert".

This sudden thought made her blush, and said quickly, "Young man, trust me. There is no point in doing this kind of thing in the carriage, it will only make people feel disgusted."

As soon as she finished speaking, her face turned redder; so she said softly: "This kind of thing must not be rushed."

Of course Duroy could hear the implication of this sentence.With a smirk, he crossed himself with interest; then he murmured as if in prayer.Finally, he said aloud: "I have just taken refuge in St. Anthony, the angel of temptation. Now I am calm and will not be moved by any temptation."

It was getting late.The transparent night is like a veil covering the vast fields to the right of the train.The train moves slowly along the Seine.The newlyweds looked out of the window, and the river in the distance stretched forward like a giant metal belt along the train tracks.After the sun went down, patches of purple and fiery red remained on the sky.The spots reflected on the river, forming a red reflection.The reflections intertwined with each other, the color became darker and darker, and finally disappeared without a trace.The surrounding fields were submerged in the vast night with an ominous and deathly trembling.Every time the sun goes down, there will always be such a terrible scene in the vast land.

The desolation of the night deeply infected the couple through the open car window.They were so cheerful not long ago, but now they became very quiet.

They cuddled together and watched the sunny day in May disappear before them.

When the train arrived at Mount, a small oil lamp was lit in the carriage.The flickering flame cast a layer of dim yellow light on the gray cushion.

Duroy put his arms around his wife's slender waist and hugged her tightly; the strong desire just now turned into tenderness.He wanted to be comforted and loved by his wife, just as people treat babies.

He whispered: "My little Maddow, how I love you."

Hearing these lingering words of love, the young wife couldn't help being shaken, and a thrill of excitement quickly spread throughout her body.Duroy's cheek was pressed against her warm chest.Madeleine leaned over and brought her lips together.

What a long and passionate kiss it was!At this moment, none of them spoke.Suddenly, the two straightened their bodies abruptly, embraced each other frantically, and warmed up panting.It didn't take long for them to complete this violent and awkward union.After the event, the two lay in each other's arms, feeling a little tired and lost, and still felt that the fun was unfinished; until the siren blew, announcing that the train was about to arrive at the next station.

Madeleine straightened her messy hair at the temples with her fingertips, and said:

"It's ridiculous. We're like ignorant children."

But Duroy kept kissing her hands and saying, "I love you, my little Mademoiselle!"

They clung to each other like this before the train reached Rouen, cheek to cheek, eyes looking out the window.In the distance, the lights of several farmhouses flickered.Feeling so close to each other, they can't help but start to dream, more and more desperately longing for a more intimate, unrestrained embrace.

After getting off the bus, the newlyweds stayed in a hotel with windows facing the river bank.The two ate some supper casually and went to bed.

The next morning, just after eight o'clock, the hotel maid woke them up.

After drinking the tea on the bedside table, Duroy looked at his wife beside him, hugged her in his arms, and said excitedly: "My little Mad, I love you so much...so...so much Ah!" The excited look was like discovering a pile of jewels.

Madeleine smiled contentedly, kissed her husband, and said: "I'm afraid ... I am the same."

Duroy was always apprehensive about visiting his parents.He had reminded his wife several times and was ready to have a good talk with her.Now he felt it was time to bring up the old story.

"You know, my parents were farmers, real rednecks. They weren't the farmers people play in some comedy."

Madeleine smiled disapprovingly: "Of course I know, haven't you already said it several times? Okay, okay, get up quickly so that I can get up too."

Duroy jumped out of bed and began to put on socks: "My house is very simple and there is no bed. I only have a straw mattress in my room that I don't know how many years I have used. In Cantler, no one has seen the real one. bed."

Madeleine seemed to be more interested: "Isn't that better? Even if you don't sleep comfortably, you are beside you... besides, you can hear the rooster crowing."

Madeleine is wearing a dressing gown.It was a loose white flannel dressing gown.Duroy recognized it at a glance, it was the clothes she had worn before.It made him feel very uncomfortable.Why?Duroy knew that Madeleine used to own a dozen dressing gowns.Had it never occurred to her to throw away these old clothes and buy new ones?In any case, he didn't want to see his wife continue to use the dressing gowns, pajamas, and underwear she used to live with her ex-husband.He felt that there must be traces of Forestier's touch on these soft and warm fabrics. Duroy lit a cigarette and walked towards the window.

Outside the window, the wide river is full of thin-masted boats and small ships; some rotating machines are rumbling to unload the cargo on the ship to the shore.Although Duroy was used to such situations, he still couldn't help feeling a lot of emotions at this time.He shouted:

"My God, this view is so beautiful!"

Madeleine also ran over, put her hands on her husband's shoulders, and nestled lazily by his side, still so excited and excited.She repeatedly praised: "Yes! It's so beautiful! It's so beautiful! I didn't expect that there would be so many boats here!"

An hour later, they set off.A few days ago, they wrote a letter to tell the two old people that they would rush home for dinner.A dilapidated carriage took the couple staggeringly on the road.The carriage first struggled along a long, potholed road; then, it passed through the grassland through which the river ran; finally, it began to climb a steep hillside.

Under the sunlight, the tired Madeleine felt warm all over.She began to drowsy, enjoying the extremely comfortable sunbathing from the country fields.

Duroy woke her up and said, "Look!"

At this time, the carriage stopped at two-thirds of the hillside.This is the best place to enjoy the scenery, and it is also a must-see for every tourist.

Looking down from here, it is a huge canyon with a vast area and stretches for thousands of miles.A choppy river runs through the canyon.There are many small islands on the surface of the river, and the river rushes here from the other end of the canyon, making a detour and flowing along the city of Rouen to the distance.The city of Rouen, located on the right bank of the river, was shrouded in a hazy morning mist.The morning sun shone on the eaves, shining brightly.Thousands of bell towers, either pointed or thick, are all small and delicate, carefully crafted, and look like huge jewels from a distance.And the towers, square or round, seemed to wear a crown of splendor.In addition, there are countless small bell towers of various kinds.Above many churches with Gothic architectural style, the towering spire of the main church, which is known as "the tallest in the world", is the most eye-catching.The spiers are rough and peculiar in shape and vary in size, which is breathtaking.

Across the river is the sprawling suburb of Saint-Several.There stood long, thin factory smoke pipes, round and thick at the top.These brick circular buildings, which seemed to outnumber the bell-towers, stretched down to the very depths of the vast plain; now and again they belched black clouds of soot into the blue sky.

The tallest of these is the chimney of the Fuddell factory.Its height is almost close to the second tallest man-made structure in the world, the Keopos Pyramid in Egypt; and it is comparable to the pointed stone above the church.Just as the spire of the main church overlooks many bell towers, the chimneys of the Fuddell factory are also condescending and look like a king.

Behind this industrial city lies a forest.The Seine River runs between the two cities.The mountains along the coast are undulating, the trees are lush, and exposed rocky cliffs can be seen from time to time.Then, the river took a long, nearly 360-degree bend and disappeared into the distant horizon.The boats came and went on the river, and the steamboats in front of them were belching so much smoke that they looked like flies.Scattered islands lined up: either end to end, or far apart, like a string of green rosary beads of different sizes.

While the Duroys were intoxicated by the magnificent landscape in front of them, the coachman had been waiting quietly.From experience, he knows how long each visitor spends here.

When the carriage was on the road again, Duroy suddenly caught a glimpse of two old men walking towards them a few hundred meters ahead.He quickly jumped out of the car and shouted, "It's them, I recognize them!"

Two old men dressed as peasants, a man and a woman, were stumbling over.The two staggered, bumping into each other's shoulders from time to time.The man is short and stocky, with a ruddy complexion, and his abdomen is slightly protruding forward. He looks tough despite his age.The woman was tall but shriveled, with a hunched back and a melancholy expression. She was obviously an authentic rural woman who had worked hard all her life.She probably never laughed, but her husband could still have a few drinks with the tavern guests and have fun.

Madeleine followed from the carriage.Seeing the poverty-stricken appearance of the two old people, she couldn't help feeling anxious and desolate.All this was unexpected to her.Duroy's parents never recognized that the well-dressed gentleman in front of them was their son, and they would never have guessed that the beautiful woman in this gorgeous dress was their daughter-in-law.

They passed the waiting young men without saying a word.They did not even look straight at the two townspeople standing in front of the carriage.

Seeing that the two old men were about to leave, Duroy called out with a smile: "Hello, Father Duroy!"

The old man stopped abruptly, was taken aback for a moment, and then looked at them in surprise.In the end, it was the old woman who came to her senses first. She stood there and asked anxiously, "Oh, is that you, son?"

The young man replied: "Yes, it is me. Madam Duroy!" He stepped forward to hug her, and kissed her hard on both cheeks.Then, he kissed his father again.By this time the old farmer had taken off his hat.The large black silk hat, typical of Rouen, with a high brim, looks like what beef sellers usually wear. "This is your daughter-in-law," said Duroy.The two old men looked at Madeleine in unison.They looked at her carefully, with a certain uneasiness, as if they were looking at something strange.Duroy's father seemed very satisfied with this daughter-in-law; while his mother was full of hostility towards Madeleine with an inexplicable jealousy.

Since he drank a few sips of cider before going out, the cheerful Father Duroy boldly asked, "May I kiss her?"

"Of course!" replied the son.Although Madeleine felt a little uncomfortable, she still moved her face closer and let her father-in-law leave two loud kisses on it.After the kiss, the old man wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

When it was the old peasant woman's turn, she lightly touched her daughter-in-law's face in an unfriendly manner.No!Madeleine was not at all ideal for her.Her daughter-in-law was supposed to be a country girl, round as a stallion, with cheeks fresh and rosy as apples.However, the gorgeously dressed and perfumed woman in front of her seemed to be living an extremely extravagant life.Because in the eyes of the old woman, all the spices are made of expensive musk. The four of them followed the carriage carrying the luggage of the newlyweds and walked back slowly.

The father took his son's arm, pulled him to the back, and asked with concern, "Are you all right?" "Well, everything is fine."

"Really? That's good! I said, is your wife a rich man?"

"She has a dowry of forty thousand francs," replied the son.

Father Duroy whistled softly.Facing such a huge number, he was so excited that he couldn't speak other than to exclaim.When he came back to his senses for a while, he said in an unquestionable tone: "To be honest, your wife is indeed a beauty." Old man Duroy felt that Madeleine was very suitable for him.Back then, he was still an expert in appreciating women.

Madeleine and her mother-in-law walked side by side, neither of them spoke.At this time Duroy and his father caught up.

The village is finally here.This small village is distributed on both sides of the road, with a dozen families living on each side; there are dilapidated houses everywhere: brick houses, mud houses, thatched huts piled up with straw, and some stone slabs piled up with rocks Room.The "Scenery Hotel" of Duroy's family is actually a simple hut located on the left side of the village entrance, consisting of the ground floor and a small granary.A pine branch is inserted on the door of the hotel, according to the ancient tradition, it means that those passers-by who are thirsty can come in and drink a few glasses of wine to quench their thirst.There are two tables side by side in the hotel, two towels are spread on them, and all the tableware has been set.A sister-in-law next door is helping in the store.When she saw a radiant lady appearing in front of her eyes, she couldn't help saluting.Then she recognized Duroy, and exclaimed: "My God, is that you, little George?"

Duroy replied cheerfully: "That's right, it's me, Aunt Breland丨"

He walked over and kissed her like he kissed his parents just now.

Then, turning to his wife, he said, "Come, go into our room, and take off your hat."

Duroy led Madeleine through a door on the right and into a room with square tiles.The room is cold, and the surrounding walls are painted with lime, which looks very white.Inside were a bed with cotton draperies, a holy water vat with a crucifix bearing an image of Jesus on it, and two watercolors: one of Paul and Virginie under palm trees; Napoleon I on a yellow horse.Although the house is clean and tidy, there is almost nothing except the above-mentioned furnishings.

Duroy hugged Madeleine and said, "Hello, Madeleine. I am so happy to see the two old people today! I usually don't think much about them in Paris. Who knows that I am still so excited when I meet today. .”

At this moment, Father Duroy knocked on the wall and shouted, "Come on, come on, the meal is ready!"

It's time to eat.

This country lunch lasted a long time.Dishes came one after the other, in no particular order; first the braised lamb shank, then sausages, then scrambled eggs.Papa Duroy's spirits increased after he took a few sips of cider and wine.He began to rattle off the dirty, debauched jokes that he usually only shows off at big festivals.According to him, these stories are the personal experiences of his friends.Although Duroy has heard it countless times, there is still a burst of laughter from time to time.At this moment, every plant and tree around him made him intoxicated, and his nostalgia for his hometown was suddenly awakened.He thought of the places he used to go when he was a child, and many long-lost memories and emotions came back to his mind, even though it might be so trivial to others: the knife carving on the door, the quarrel caused by unsteady standing Joke's chairs, the smell of earth, the thick turpentine smell from the nearby forest and the fresh scent of trees, houses, creeks and even manure heaps.

Duroy's mother was silent and worried, and she glanced at her daughter-in-law from time to time.This old country woman with thick fingers and out-of-shape figure due to years of hard work, always holds a grudge against Madeleine.She felt that these noble ladies in the city were all pampered and full of sin.Between meals, Mama Duroy sometimes got up to serve the dishes, and sometimes poured a yellow sour drink or frothy orange-red sweet cider into everyone's glasses.Whenever she opened the bottle, the cork popped out with a "pop", just like when people open soda.

Madeleine ate very little, didn't talk much, and looked lonely.Although the usual smile is still on his lips, it is full of frustration and helplessness.She was very sad and disappointed.why?She obviously wanted to come by herself!She knew that what she was going to meet was a countryman, and a countryman with little knowledge.How could someone like her, who doesn't like to dream, have fantasies about them?

(End of this chapter)