Cao Wenxuan's Novels Reading and Appreciation: The Grass House

Chapter 8 Grass House (6)
The teacher of Yau Ma Tei Primary School told the students in each class: Don't mess with small horses.

But the bald crane still went to mess with the fine horse.As a result, the two fought on the road.The bald crane couldn't beat the fine horse, and was ridden by the fine horse for an hour.The fine horse just refused to let him go.Someone went to call Jiang Yuanlun.Jiang came over in a round, talked and dragged, and finally got rid of the fine horse.The bald crane was bleeding from his nose, and ran away crying.

In the evening, Sancho went to Qiu Erye and Qiu Erma and talked about the fine horse.

In the evening, Qiu Erma scolded the fine horse.When the fine horse was being scolded, he used a sickle for mowing grass and chopped the tip of the knife on the tallow tree, cutting off many eyes on the tallow tree.Qiu Erma came over, took the sickle, threw it into the vegetable garden, and yelled at Qiu Erye: "Who asked you to bring him back!"

Qiu Erye came over and slapped the horse on the back of the head: "Go eat!"

The fine horse didn't eat and didn't take off its shoes. It got into its own bed and wept with the quilt over its head.Crying and crying, fell asleep.

Qiu's second mother felt from the very beginning that Xi Ma was not an ordinary child.She could see from his eyes that this was already a scheming child.When she thinks this way, the fine horse is no longer a child in her eyes, but an adult.Now this grown-up came suddenly for a piece of their family property.Qiu's second mother was against fine horses from the very beginning.

One day in May, Qiu Erma finally called out to Xi Ma: "Go back, you will go back to your house tomorrow!"

What happened was related to Sangsang.

It was a Sunday, and the fine horse was grazing the sheep, and Sangsang came over.Now, Sangsang is almost Xima's only friend.When Sangsang and Xima were playing in the field, Sangsang said, "Shall we go to the town to play?"

Xi Ma said, "Go."

Sangsang and Xima left the flock of sheep and went to the town.The two bought a biscuit each in the town, and ate it while shopping. It was time for lunch, but they didn't want to go home yet.After wandering around for a while, and just about to go home, Sangsang saw a group of pigeons landed on the roof of a house in the sky.When Sangsang saw the pigeons, she couldn't move her legs, so she pulled the horse and went to the house to see the pigeons.That is to look at the pigeons, but Sangsang can forget himself just by looking at them.The fine horse is fierce to everyone, but it is very obedient to Sangsang.He just squatted under the wall, accompanying Sangsang.The owner's family saw two children looking at their pigeons for an hour or two, so they became suspicious and came over to look at them.The fine horse touched Sangsang's arm.Sangsang saw a pair of suspicious eyes, and then hurried out of the town with Xima to go home.

During the time when the fine horse was away from the flock, the sheep ate half of the bean sprouts from the ridge of the field.

Qiu's second mother apologized to others and drove the sheep back to the sheep pen.

The fine horse is back.He was very hungry, so he went straight to the kitchen, lifted the lid of the pot, filled a large bowl full of rice, and was about to sit on the threshold to cook the rice, when Erma Qiu came: "Are you still embarrassed to eat?"

The fine horse held the bowl, not knowing whether to eat it or not.

"You can eat quite well. You are only one person, and you can eat two bowls of rice in one meal! But it will be difficult for you to do some work! Where did you put the sheep? Let me tell you, we can't raise them." Miss you!" Qiu Erma finished speaking and went to Sangsang's house.

The fine horse was holding the bowl, and the tears flowed down, and the teardrops fell into the rice bowl with a "click".He turned around suddenly, put the rice bowl on the pot, walked out of the kitchen, and came to the back of the house.

Behind the house is the private land of Qiu Erye's family.The wheat in a field has just been harvested, and the bundles of wheat are still in the field and have not been carried back to the yard.

The fine horse went down to the ground, carried a bundle of wheat, and walked into the yard.He carried bundle after bundle without stopping for a moment.

It was four o'clock in the afternoon, and the metal-like sunlight was still shining strongly on the plain.The fine horse was carrying the sheaf of wheat dripping with sweat, and his face was flushed from the sun.A few thick sweat marks hung on his face.He took off his gown, revealing his bare back.The sun, the pricks of the wheat awns, and the pickling of sweat made him feel very uncomfortable, but the fine horse kept carrying the wheat sheaves without saying a word.

When Sangsang's mother saw it, she came over and said, "Small horse, don't carry it on your back."

Xi Ma didn't answer, and continued to recite.

Sangsang's mother came to pull the fine horse, but the fine horse broke free.She looked at the fine horse's back and said, "You child, you are really stubborn!"

Qiu's second mother came over and said, "Master, don't worry about him, let him go."

Sangsang is here.His mother slapped him: "It's your fault."

Sangsang also went down to the ground. He wanted to help the fine horse and also carried the sheaves of wheat.

Sangsang's mother came home busy for a while, and when she came out, she saw that the horse was still carrying sheaves of wheat, so she came over and called the horse again: "Small horse, listen to me, don't carry it."

Sangsang also came over: "Small horse, don't carry it on your back."

Xi Ma wiped off his sweat and shook his head.

Sangsang's mother grabbed him.Sangsang also came to help her mother pull him.The fine horse struggled desperately to go to the ground, two lines of tears flowed from its eyes, and it whimpered in its throat.The three of them were entangled on the ground.

Qiu's second mother shouted: "Go back, you will go back to your house tomorrow!"

Sangsang's mother turned around: "Second Mom, don't be angry, don't say anything."

At this time, Second Master Qiu came back from the outside, and after hearing some information from Sangsang's mother, he said, "I still don't listen to Master's advice!"

The fine horse is still like a calf, trying to get out of the hands of Sangsang and his mother.

Then comes Sancho.He didn't make a move: "You let him go. Xima, is my words useful?"

The fine horse, which was loosened by Sangsang and his mother, stood there, wiping away tears with the back of his hand.

Sancho then came over and took Xi Ma's hand: "Come on, come to my house first, let's talk."

Qiu Erye said: "Listen to Principal Sang and follow Principal Sang."

The fine horse was pulled away by Sancho.

Here, Erma Qiu began to cry: "Master, my life is miserable..."

Sangsang's mother advised her to go back and not stand on the ground.

Qiu's second mother leaned on a tree on the ground, crying and said: "He is only a little older, so I can't say a word. When he grows up, can we still count on him?"

Sangsang's mother persuaded Qiu's second mother for a long time before she persuaded her to go home.

That night, Xima stayed at Sangsang's house.

three

Xi Ma is indeed a very thoughtful boy.He has already moved secretly, preparing to leave Yau Ma Tei and return to his hometown in the south of the Yangtze River.He went to the place where the household registration was done, and wanted to move out his own household registration first.But people laughed at him: "A little kid, he also came to change his household registration." They ignored him at all.He was just there to grind hard and soft.Seeing that he didn't leave, the person in charge of the household registration said, "I'm going to find your master." He was afraid that Erye Qiu would know his plan, so he hurried away.He also planned to ignore his household registration and just leave, but he had no way to pay for the trip.Now, he has started to save travel expenses.He secretly hid all the money from selling the fish he caught or the snails he touched while herding sheep, and the money that Qiu Erye bought him candy cubes into a small earthen pot under the bed.

Of course, Xima often hesitated when carrying out this plan secretly.Because, he has felt more and more that Qiu Erye likes him, and he likes him more and more.He can't swim, and there are rivers everywhere.Erye Qiu was afraid that if he fell into the river—this kind of opportunity is too much for people living here—he would teach him how to swim.Standing in the water, Erye Qiu first supported his belly with both hands, making him splash in the water, and then supported his chin with only one hand, leading him to swim forward slowly.For several days, Qiu Erye taught him so patiently.Qiu Erye has a good temper.The fine horse was finally able to get rid of Qiu Erye's hand and swim forward. Although it was still clumsy and struggling, it could only swim about ten feet away.That day, Erye Qiu was sitting by the river, watching him swim, then he remembered something and told the fine horse not to swim far, so he went back temporarily.Xi Ma suddenly thought of being naughty with Qiu Erye, looking at Qiu Erye's back, he quietly hid in the reeds by the water.Erye Qiu was thinking about the fine horses in the water, and returned quickly. Seeing that there were no fine horses on the water, he was shocked: "Small horses! Fine horses!..." Seeing that no one answered, and there was only a silent surface of water in front of him, Erye Qiu came back again. He yelled "Small Horse" and jumped into the water.He frantically scratched and fumbled in the water.I couldn't hold back under the water anymore, so I came out of the water: "Small horse! Thin horse!..." He cried out in a panic, his voice was crying.The fine horse got out of the reeds, and smiled at Qiu Erye, who emerged from the bottom of the water again, showing his front teeth.Qiu Erye was trembling all over.He came over, grabbed the fine horse by the ear, dragged him to the bank, then took a stick and hit the fine horse's buttocks.This was the first time Erye Qiu beat Xi Ma after he came to Yau Ma Tei—the first time he beat him so hard.Xima started to cry, and Qiu Erye let go.Xima saw that Erye Qiu seemed to be crying too.In the middle of the night, Xi Ma felt that someone had come to his bedside.He half opened his eyes, and saw Erye Qiu holding a small oil lamp, looking down at his butt that was hit by a stick.Qiu Erye left.He watched Qiu Erye's back disappear into the door under the dim light, and then closed his eyes.After a while, tears were squeezed out from the slits of the eyes.Xima recalled that Erye Qiu went to Jiangnan to ask his father for a child, and when his father decided to let Erye Qiu take him away, Erye Qiu didn't think he was too young, but happily took the child away. A big rough hand was placed on his head, as if he was what he wanted this time.And when he heard his father say that he would give him to his second uncle, he didn't feel anything, as if it was something that had been discussed long ago.Standing under that big hand, he felt that that big hand was warm...

Xima doesn't even hate Qiu's second mother in his heart.Apart from estrangement and indifference from him, Erma Qiu actually seemed very gentle and kind to everyone.If someone's house is short of rice, she will say: "Come to my house and measure a few liters of rice first." If someone has borrowed rice but has not yet returned it, she will be ashamed to come.She would measure three or five liters of rice, and take the initiative to deliver it to someone's door: "Return the rice after harvesting." Sangsang's mother wanted to pay the soles of the family's shoes, and Qiu's second mother would tell Sangsang's mother : "Let me help you get two pairs." The soles she bought had dense and tight threads, and the soles were as solid as iron.The soles of the shoes on Sangsang's feet are almost all made by Qiu Erma...

But Xi Ma still planned to go.

After the summer passed, Xima and Qiu's second mother had another fierce conflict.Qiu Erma cried to Qiu Erye: "You must send him away immediately!"

Qiu Erye is an honest man.After Qiu Erye and Qiu Erma got married, they usually listened to Qiu Erma.In their family, Qiu's second mother is in charge, and Qiu's second master just echoes.He thought that Xima was not living happily in Yau Ma Tei, so he didn't want to embarrass Xima anymore, so he said to Xima: "If you want to go back, go back." He went to move Xima's household registration out.

For several days after that, Second Mother Qiu never spoke.Because, when she finally knew that Xi Ma was really going to leave soon, she had another inexplicable feeling in her heart.She even felt that she didn't dislike fine horses so much.When she was packing things for the fine horse, she would stop suddenly and stare blankly at those things while she was packing them up.

It is agreed that I will send the fine horse away on this day.But in the first two days before sending him away, the weather suddenly changed drastically.The violent wind and rain all day and night immediately cast a shadow of waterlogging on the plain.I thought the weather would get better after a day or two, but then it rained continuously for seven or eight days.Or it was pouring rain, or the "tick-tick" floor drain kept going. For seven or eight days, the sun did not come out for a minute.The river is rising day by day, and now it is overflowing the bank.The rice fields have been submerged, and there is a vast expanse of whiteness everywhere.In the higher rice fields, only a few rice leaves can be seen swaying helplessly on the water.

The roads are gone.The fine horse can't walk for a while.The fine horse didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave.Looking at the unstoppable rain, he didn't look anxious.

These few days, Sangsang is always with Xi Ma.They seem to like the weather very much.Each of them took a wooden stick, explored the flooded road in the water, and walked forward step by step, which was very interesting.If the two were not careful, they would walk outside the road and slip into a gap or pond that was much lower than the roadbed, and they would get wet all over.When Xima came home, Second Mother Qiu asked him to change into dry clothes.The fine horse changed into dry clothes, couldn't resist Sangsang's call from outside, took a wooden stick to test it, and went out the door.At this time, Erma Qiu lit a fire at home, and dried the clothes that Xima had just changed on the wire, and slowly baked them.At that time, Erma Qiu thought in her heart: Soon, the fine horse will come back wet again.

The rain has no intention of stopping.The sky hangs low, as if the last sun has drifted away forever, and from then on, the sky and the earth will fall into endless darkness.When it rains heavily, it seems like the Milky Way is leaking to the bottom, and the thick rain curtain blocks everything: trees, villages... only this bottomless rain curtain is left.If the wind blows, the rain will flutter like a giant waterfall.The air is tense day by day.Dams and dikes are being built everywhere.There are dams within dams, and dikes within dikes, as if preparing to retreat at any time.Sangsang and Xima went to see the dam in a small boat.They saw at least twenty pump boats sent from above, laying water pipes on the dam and pumping water.The drainage pipes were like cannons, together with the roar of the machine and the sound of water, it made Sangsang and Xima excited for a long time.At any moment the gong of the alarm is heard.When people heard the sound of the gong, they said, "The dam has broken again somewhere."

Yau Ma Tei Primary School naturally belongs to the key protection unit in this place, and it has already been surrounded by a dam together with a group of residents.There are more dams outside this dam.

Qiu Erye's house is only in the dam.

Sangsang's mother said to Qiu's second mother: "If something happens to the dam, you will live in my house." Facing the rising water, people panic.

But the kids never get nervous.This water world makes them feel endless fun.They either use wooden basins for bathing, or simply take off the door panels, sit on them, and row out as small boats.They have never seen the sea, but in their imagination, the sea is like this: white, white, boundless.Many people's houses have been flooded with water, and they have heard about carp jumping onto the cooking pot.

Sangsang and Xima took a harpoon each.They came to a slightly shallower place, looking for carp washed up from the river.As they walked, a big fish might be alarmed at any time, and it shot out like an arrow, leaving a long water mark.The two often shouted in the water with surprise and explosion.

The fine horse is leaving soon.He didn't expect that when he was about to leave, he would encounter such a torrent of water that excited him so much.He and Sangsang played in the water all day long, and they were really happy.Xi Ma wants to seize his last time in Yau Ma Tei and play happily.

Qiu's second mother stood at the door of Sangsang's house, and sighed to Sangsang's mother: "These two little ones have been playing together for a day."

That night, Sangsang was in a deep sleep, and dimly heard the sound of gongs and shouts everywhere.Mother lit the lamp and came over, pushing Sangsang: "Wake up, wake up, something seems to be wrong." Just as they were talking, there was a hasty knock on the door: "Principal, mistress, open the door!"

As soon as the door opened, Erye Qiu, Erma Qiu, and Xi Ma stood there dripping wet.

Qiu Erye said: "I'm afraid the dam will burst."

Qiu's second mother cried: "Master, our family is over."

Sancho got up too, and asked, "How deep is the water?"

"It's almost up to the neck, and it's still rising." Qiu Erye said.

Mother told them to hurry into the house.

Under the oil lamp, everyone looked terrified.Sangsang's mother always asked Sancho: "Can a dam in here hold up?" Sancho said no, so he took a flashlight and walked out.The two children also followed out.Sancho said, "Just go."

After walking for a while, the three of them reached the dam. When they looked outside, the water was about to cross the dam.There are many people on the dam, and there are twinkling lights everywhere.

That night, Qiu's second mother hardly closed her eyes and was always crying, saying that her life was really miserable.

(End of this chapter)