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

Chapter 9 Grass House (7)
Erye Qiu looked dumbfounded, leaning on the temporary bunk that Sangsang's house had set up for him and Erma Qiu.The property of the Qiu family is probably not worth a few pennies after being soaked in this big water for a few days.

Xima, who shared the bed with Sangsang, seemed to be in a heavy mood suddenly, and kept turning over, which made Sangsang not sleep well all night.

The next day, when it was bright, Erye Qiu and Erma Qiu climbed up to the dam to see their house.Immediately, Erma Qiu sat slumped on the embankment and began to cry.

Sangsang's mother and Sangsang's father both came to see, and saw that most of Qiu Erye's house was submerged in the water.

The fine horse also climbed onto the dam.He squatted there, silently watching a water bird with wet feathers standing on the ridge above the water and on the chimney.

In Qiu's second mother's eyes, the fine horse and the fine horse's father came for it, and they really answered a word: it's ruined.

four

It took almost a month for the flood to recede completely.

The rice seedlings in the field have all died.It was rotten everywhere, and after a few days of sunshine, there was a rotten smell in the air.

The foundation of Qiu Erye's house has been loosened by water, and the walls have also been soaked in water. It has been tilted, and it must be demolished.Now I can barely live.The furniture in the house, nine out of ten, has been soaked.The most valuable set of mahogany furniture handed down by generations of the Qiu family was salvaged by Qiu Erye, Xima and Sangsang the next day, and put in the classroom of Yau Ma Tei Primary School.However, due to soaking in water, the tenons became loose and deformed.

These few days, Sangsang tried to stay with Xi Ma as much as possible.Because, he knew that as soon as the road opened, the fine horse would leave immediately.

Qiu Erye didn't want to keep the pony for a longer time, so he said to Qiu Erma: "Clean it up for him."

Qiu's second mother said: "I packed it up early. You should send him back early."

On this day, early in the morning, Xima came to Sangsang's house to bid farewell.

Sancho put his hand on the shoulder of the fine horse for a long time: "Don't forget Yau Ma Tei."

Sangsang's mother said: "Come back and see the second master and second mother when you have time."

Sangsang didn't know what to say, and just stood there stupidly.

The fine horse is on the road.

Everyone come see you off.

Qiu's second mother just sent the fine horse to the road and went back.Sangsang's mother saw it, and said to Xi Ma, "Go all the way", and turned to look at Qiu's second mother.Qiu's second mother was crying in the room, when she saw Sangsang's mother, she said, "Let's go..." Tears rolled down her obviously old face.

After the fine horse left, Sangsang looked lonely all day long.

Qiu Erye sent Xima to the county seat, bought a long-distance bus ticket for Xima, and bought some food on the road.Qiu Erye really wanted to send the fine horse home.But he was a little ashamed to meet Xi Ma's father.Furthermore, the fine horse is already big, so there is no need for him to carry it all the way to the end.

It was still early to get on the bus, and the two sat in the waiting room of the coach station, both silent.

After getting into the car, Xi turned his face to look at Qiu Erye.He saw Qiu Erye standing in the autumn wind with wet eyes, looking tired and old.Xima also found that Erye Qiu's back had never been so hunched, his shoulder blades had never been so thin, and his face had never been as dry and dark as it is today--as dry and black as the parasol trees fluttering in the autumn wind at the moment old leaves.

The fine horse turned her face away and cried.

After the car moved, the fine horse turned its face again.He saw a pair of miserable eyes...

In the evening, Second Master Qiu came back.That night, he and Qiu Erma felt a bottomless emptiness and loneliness.The old couple stayed up all night.The light moonlight came in from the window, and also cast the shadow of a bamboo plant outside the window, directly onto their faces.When the autumn wind blows and the bamboo shakes, those shadows sway unreally.

For one night, they were almost speechless.It's just that Qiu's second mother asked: "Where did the child go?" Qiu Erye replied: "I can't tell."

At dusk the next day, when Sangsang was about to help drive Qiu Erye's sheep that were grazing on the river slope back to Qiu Erye's house, she accidentally looked up and saw a pack-carrying sheep passing by on the road. children come.He almost jumped up in surprise: Isn't that a fine horse?But he didn't believe it, so he rubbed his eyes, walked forward involuntarily with his feet, and looked carefully: fine horse!It is a fine horse!He threw away the branch with which he was driving the sheep, climbed over the embankment, and ran all the way to Qiu Erye's house, shouting as he ran: "The fine horse is back! The fine horse is back!..."

Sancho was standing at the school gate and asked, "Who did you say came back?"

Sangsang kept walking: "Xinma! It's the Xima back!" He ran to Qiu Erye's house in one breath, and said to Qiu Erye and Qiu Erma: "Second Master, Second Mom, Xima...Xinma ... the fine horse...he is back..."

Qiu Erye and Qiu Erma stood there motionless, as if in a dream.

"The fine horse is back!" Sangsang pointed at the road in the dusk, and then ran towards the fine horse.

Qiu Erye and Qiu Erma hurried to the door, and vaguely saw that on the road, there was really a child walking towards here with a burden on his back.

When Qiu Erye and Qiu Erma ran to the intersection, Sangsang had already walked up to them with a bundle and a pony on her back...

五

The fine horse got out of the car an hour after the car drove out.

When the car was on the road, the eyes of the fine horse were always Qiu Erye's eyes.Everything about Yau Ma Tei kept flashing in his mind.He finally yelled: "It's not good, I left my things at the station!" After the driver stopped the car, he got out of the car with his bag, sat on the road, and stopped another car that turned back , and returned to the county seat.

That night, apart from crying and laughing, the family didn't know what else to say when Erma Qiu said from time to time: "Why are you back? Why are you back?"

The next day, Erma Qiu looked at the house that might collapse at any moment, and said to Erye Qiu, "Let him go back?"

The fine horse heard this, took a branch, and drove the sheep into the field.

A few days later, Erye Qiu's house was completely demolished.A good family, in the blink of an eye, there are only a pile of ruins left.Seeing that the weather was getting cooler day by day, I temporarily built a low house.The whole family didn't think anything of it, and they lived a normal and happy life.Erma Qiu is still spotless, cooks at home, grows vegetables, and herds sheep on fine horses. When Erye Qiu has a market, he goes to the market to be his broker, and when there is no market, he goes to the fields to do some farm work.Whenever they are free, the family of three always walk across the bridge and come to Sangsang's house to play.Sometimes, Xima came over at night and stayed with Sangsang. He felt that he hadn't enjoyed his stay, so he stood by the river and shouted: "I won't go back to sleep!" and fell asleep on Sangsang's bed.

One day, Sangsang ran back and said to her mother, "Xin Ma is no longer called Second Master and Second Mother, but Mom and Dad."

When Xima came back at night, Sangsang's mother asked, "I heard that Xima is no longer called Erpa and Erma, but Mom and Dad."

Xima blushed slightly, walked aside, and played with Sangsang.

There is another ordinary and self-sufficient family in Yau Ma Tei.

But in the winter of this year, Qiu Erye fell ill.In fact, Qiu Erye had signs of illness as early as summer: he was always choked up when eating, or he vomited out after a while.At the end of autumn, he gradually lost weight, and soon he could not eat a bowl of porridge for several days in a row.But Qiu Erye persisted, and still went to the market as a broker when there was a market.He just wants to make more money.He must leave a decent house for Xima.One day after the beginning of winter, he fainted in the market, his face was smashed on the brick, and he bled a lot.Others helped him back home.The next day, Erma Qiu wanted someone to escort Erye Qiu to the city to see a doctor.Qiu Erye resolutely refused: "Don't waste that money, I know what disease I have." At night, he said to Qiu Erma: "I have a terminal illness. His grandfather Xima had this disease. It is a fundamental cure. It's not good." But Erma Qiu didn't listen to him, and went everywhere to seek medical advice.Later, when I heard that a person cured his disease by taking traditional Chinese medicine, he asked for the prescription and went to the town to grab dozens of Chinese medicines.At this time, it is the twelfth lunar month.

This morning, the fine horse didn't herd the sheep, but took a pick and a bamboo basket and left the house.

Sangsang asked, "Where are you going? What are you going to do?"

Xi Ma said: "In the traditional Chinese medicine, you have to put willow beard. I will go to the river to dig willow beard."

Sangsang's mother just came over and said, "Sangsang, go help the fine horse dig."

The winter this year was a bit unusually cold.The river was frozen so thick that it was impossible to draw water.Therefore, early in the morning, the sound of hammers hitting ice and holes was heard everywhere.The whole world is frozen hard.It was as if the sun in the sky had been frozen.The wind is not strong, but the air is full of chill.

Xima and Sangsang found a willow tree by the river.

The fine horse smashed down with a pickaxe, but the frozen soil was not broken, leaving only a white mark.The fine horse spat on its hand, gritted its teeth, and smashed the pick with greater force.This time, the tip of the pick got stuck in the frozen ground.The fine horse shook the pick for a long time before pulling it out.

After a while, Sangsang saw that the thin horse's hand, which had a crack in the first place, was bleeding because of the continuous violent vibration.Blood stained the handle of the pickaxe red.Sangsang threw the bamboo basket on the ground, took the pick from the fine horse, and replaced the fine horse.But Sangsang was not as strong as a small horse, and progressed very slowly.The fine horse said, "Let me do it." Then he snatched the pickaxe again.

The roots of this willow tree seem to have no beards. After digging such a big hole, a large part of the roots are exposed, but no beards have been seen yet.Sangsang was puzzled: Can I get willow beard?But Xi Ma didn't doubt it, and just kept digging, his head was sweating, he threw his hat on the ground, his head was in the cold air, and the misty heat was wafting.He also took off his cotton jacket.

Finally saw Willow Beard.Pinch by pinch, like an old man's beard.

Sangsang said, "The beard of this willow tree is enough."

The fine horse said: "Not enough." Because the fine horse is very harsh in picking these willow whiskers.He only wants white and tender beards like thin white worms, black or red, he doesn't want them at all.For a willow tree, he only chooses ten or twenty.

The fine horse put on the padded jacket and hat, carried the pickaxe, and went to look for the second willow tree.

Sangsang said several times: "Enough, enough."

But the fine horse always said: "Not enough, not enough."

Sangsang was helpless, so she had to accompany Xi Ma in the cold wind.

By noon, there were more than half of the basket of willow whiskers in the bamboo basket.Nasuko is really beautiful in this icy and snowy winter where all life seems to be frozen.So white, so tender, each one seems to be alive, as if they will crawl out of the bamboo basket if you don't pay attention.As soon as the sun shines, it seems to be filled with half a bamboo basket of thin silver threads.

When Qiu's second mother saw most of the bamboo basket and willow tree whiskers, her eyes were red.

However, Qiu Erye passed away before the arrival of spring.When he was about to leave, he looked at Xima with only guilt and deep regret in his eyes, because he finally failed to leave a good house for Xima.

After seeing off Second Master Qiu, Second Mother Qiu didn't cry, as if her grief was over and there was nothing left.She just kept silent all day long, doing what she should do: cooking for the horse, washing the clothes for the horse, covering the quilt for the horse when it was kicked over by the horse at night, and serving a wooden basin to heat the horse at night. The water came to let the fine horse put his feet in, and then she squatted down to give him a good scrub...

After being in a trance for more than ten days, Qiu Erma came to Sangsang's house early this morning, stood at the door and asked Sangsang's mother: "Master, have you seen the second master?"

Sangsang's mother quickly grabbed Qiu Erma's hand and said, "Second Mom, come in and sit for a while."

"No, I'm looking for the second master. Where does this person go?" Qiu's second mother saw Sangsang again, "Sangsang, have you seen your second master?"

Sangsang was a little scared, she stared and shook her head.

"I'm going to find him, I'm going to find him..." Erma Qiu said, and left.

Sangsang's mother kept looking at Erma Qiu's back until she disappeared around the corner of a thatched house.She came into the room and said to Sancho: "What can I do? Qiu Erma's brain is out of order."

Sancho didn't seem particularly surprised: "I heard that her mother is about the same age, and her brain has gone wrong."

Before Xima's future, Qiu's second mother and Qiu's second master have always depended on each other for life, and have been a good couple for decades.Sangsang's mother always remembered that when Second Master Qiu went to the market to be a broker, Second Mother Qiu would stand at the intersection and wait for Second Master Qiu to come back at about the same time.And when Qiu Erye came back, he either brought her back the things she liked to eat, or the things she liked to use.In contrast, Qiu Erye looked much older than Qiu Erma.But Erye Qiu likes that Erma Qiu is younger than him.Second Master Qiu likes that Second Mother Qiu always combs her hair and arranges her clothes.He likes to go to Sangsang's house with the well-dressed Qiu Erma, and move a stool to the threshing field to watch movies or small plays... Qiu Erye can't do without Qiu Erma, and Qiu Erma may be more Can't do without Qiu Erye.Now Erye Qiu actually left her and left.

Qiu Erma must find Qiu Erye.She asked all the way: "Have you seen my second master?"

One day, Xi Ma came back from herding sheep and saw that Qiu Erma was not at home, so she went to Sangsang's house, met Sangsang, and asked, "Is my mother at your house?"

Sangsang shook her head: "Not at my house."

The fine horse called all the way down.At that time, it was already dark, and everyone had already lit their lamps and was having dinner.The night in the countryside is exceptionally quiet.Everyone heard the call of the fine horse.

Sangsang and her mother followed the sound of the fine horse, found the fine horse, and told him to go home: "Your mother will come back by herself." They persuaded him to come back.Then, Sangsang and her younger sister brought dinner to Xi Ma.The fine horse refused to eat and kept the food on the table.

After Sangsang and her mother left, Xi Ma sat at the intersection, looking at the road under the moonlight.

Early the next morning, Xi Ma came to Sangsang's house and gave the key to Sangsang's mother: "Master, please help look after the house, I will go find my mother."

Sangsang's parents disagreed.But Xi Ma said: "I will go home after looking for it, and I will not go far." Before leaving, he said to Sangsang: "Sangsang, help me look after the sheep." Then he left.

It takes seven days for a fine horse to walk.

Sangsang drove the sheep to the grassy slope every morning, and took good care of the flock of sheep like a fine horse.But that night, when he drove the sheep back to the sheepfold, and saw that Xima's house was still locked, he went home and cried, "Why hasn't Xima come back?"

Another two days later, at dusk, Sangsang was about to drive the sheep home from the grassy slope, when she saw Xima and Erma Qiu walking towards the west under the rosy light.

Hearing Sangsang's cry, countless people came to the intersection to watch.

Qiu's second mother walked back with the help of a fine horse.

All the people who watched just looked at them quietly, and no one spoke.

The fine horse is covered with dust.The shoes on the feet have been trampled on, and the toes are exposed.The eyes are thinner because of the thinness, and the front teeth are bigger.Surprisingly, Second Ma Qiu still looked clean and her hair was not messed up.People saw that the green jade on the hairpin turned into a bright orange-red star in the sunlight, which made people feel warm.

六

Xima sold all the sheep, and with the help of Sangsang's family, sent Erma Qiu to the county hospital.After about two months, Qiu Erma's illness was cured.

On this day, Xima came to Sancho: "Principal Sang, is your school still short of desks?"

Sancho said: "No."

Xi Ma said, "Want to buy a tree?"

"You want to sell the tree?"

"I want to sell the tree."

"How much is a tree?"

"It depends on the size." Sancho laughed.He felt that the fine horse in front of him had the tone of an adult, but the appearance of a child.

"If you want to buy, go and have a look. They are all straight neem trees. There are sixteen in total."

"What are you selling tree trunks for?"

"I am useful."

"Have you discussed it with your mother?"

"You don't need to discuss it with her." He looked like the head of the family.

"Okay. After a while, I'll go and have a look."

"Then I'll sell it to you, not to anyone else."

Sancho watched the fine horse walk across the bridge, and then said to Sansang's mother with great emotion: "This child has grown up."

Sangsang's mother lightly kicked Sangsang who was playing: "Our family, Sangsang, only knows how to play with pigeons."

(End of this chapter)