ferry

The end of the new year is approaching, after drinking Laba porridge, presenting it to the Kitchen God, tying a feather duster to a bamboo pole, and dusting the beams, corners, and furniture, it is time to go to the New Year market to buy new year goods.Ye Ran ran after his parents for a few days at the Nian Market in the town, where he bought incense candles, paper horses and other offerings to worship ancestors, as well as various candies, dried fruits, candied fruit and tea, and stuffed peanuts in his mouth every day Snacks such as candy, persimmon cakes, and peach cakes are waiting for the Spring Festival with satisfaction.

As soon as New Year's Eve is over and the first day of the first lunar month, every household begins to celebrate the New Year.The custom of Yejia Village is to pay New Year’s greetings to the uncle’s family first in the morning of the first day of the lunar new year. There is a saying that “three generations will not leave the uncle’s family”, but Du Jieying’s hometown is in Huzhou, and she is a daughter-in-law married from another place. This rule cannot be counted. up.

After breakfast that day, Ye Weixin brought pastries, fruit, cigarettes and wine, and brought his wife and children to send New Year greetings to his elders and brothers-in-law.The hosts will also take out the tea boxes that have been prepared to entertain them. These tea boxes are mostly exquisite lacquer boxes, with several pieces inside, even divided into layers, and put some pastries, peanuts, melon seeds, happy balls and so on. , as well as persimmons with icing sugar and Daifuku orange, which means "everything is auspicious".Ye Ran likes to drink the "tea brew" made only during the Chinese New Year, which contains dried fruits such as pine nuts and walnut kernels, and is brewed with boiling water.

The adults are either basking in the warm winter sun in the yard, chatting with their parents while eating melon seeds, or playing mahjong at a table; money), ran to the small shop on the ridge of the field to buy firecrackers, marbles, and wow haha.

In a blink of an eye, the calendar turned to the tenth day of the first lunar month. On this day in previous years, the Flower God Temple in the town would hold a three-day temple fair. "Material exchange" conference to improve people's livelihood.Therefore, in the temple fairs in recent years, there are not only a dazzling array of prosperous lanterns, but also small vendors selling all kinds of ordinary and hard-to-buy items, as well as entertainment such as lantern riddles, open-air movies, and stage performances.Therefore, in the past few days, the lights in the town are like stars and rain, tourists are like knitting, folk artists dance dragon lanterns, walk on stilts, it is extremely lively.

After three years, Ye Weixin went on a business trip to Sichuan to discuss business, and he could not return home until the end of the first lunar month.On this day, Ye Ran followed Du Jieying, mother and son to the temple fair.It was still early, and the sun was misty, as if covered with a layer of tulle, inlaid on the blue sky, soft and lacking momentum.The air in the spring has already had catkins floating around, Ye Ran couldn't help but sneezed several times.He saw a small stall selling masks. The masks were painted and carved wood, with blue, red, white, black, yellow, etc. backgrounds, and the styles were very unique.Seeing Du Jieying picking up a silk scarf in front of another booth, Ye Ran picked up a crimson full-face mask and looked it over carefully.When he was concentrating, someone patted his shoulder unexpectedly. When Ye Ran turned his head, a crimson fierce face with bared teeth and staring eyes suddenly appeared in front of him. He was so shocked that he pushed forward with both hands. The other party didn't pay attention, and he was pushed away. After staggering a few steps.

"Hahahahaha" There was a burst of laughter from under the mask. Although the laughter was muffled, it was very familiar.

"Zhou Si! If you don't want to be a good person, you have to pretend to be a fierce god to scare me!" Ye Ran's face turned pale.

Zhou Si took off the mask, covered her belly and laughed, and stared at Ye Ran presumptuously while laughing.

"Little brother, my mask is made of Nuo noodles in southern Jiangsu. I only use poplar wood, willow wood, camphor wood, and birch wood. Look at the quality and workmanship. You won't be able to find another one if you go to the temple fair." The stall owner looked at Zhou. Si dressed up and knew that he was the young master of a rich family, so he put on a kind smile.

Zhou Si nodded and said with a smile: "Look at how scared my friend was, your mask is so well made, it's so artistic!"

Ever since the winter vacation, Ye Ran had no news from Zhou Si. He still wanted to miss him so much, but after being teased by him, those strange and sticky emotions immediately scattered to nine days away, and he was only angry. There was no sound.

Over there, Zhou Si propped his chin, looked at the mask hanging on the shed, and didn't know what he was thinking.Ye Ran just wanted to move forward to leave the stall, but was held back by Zhou Si, who put a plastic-smelling mask on his face.

Zhou Si turned Ye Ran's body, smiled and said to the stall owner: "Is this pretty?"

The stall owner rubbed his hands and said with an apologetic smile: "Good-looking is good-looking, but it is not as strong as made of wood. Little brother, why don't you pick another one from Grandpa Guan, which is very prestigious. You are the first business that my family opened today. I asked Grandpa Guan. The girl doll mask on your friend's face will be given to you, for good luck."

Zhou Si smiled and said, "I want the one he wears on his face. How embarrassing to give it away as a gift."

Ye Ran pulled off the mask, it turned out to be an apple-faced girl doll, he was so angry that he threw the mask into Zhou Si's hand, and walked forward with wind on his feet.

"Whoever wants this thing, you can wear it yourself."

Zhou Si scratched his head, said "sorry" to the stall owner, and hurried after him.

The number of tourists gradually increased, so Zhou Si simply grabbed Ye Ran's hand, found some topics that the other party was interested in, and chatted wave after wave.Ye Ran was aroused by him, and he also began to respond. Seeing that Zhou Si was talking about key points, he deliberately shook Zhou Si's shoulders and arms, telling him not to be tricky.But Zhou Si suddenly lowered his head and said:

"I won't study here when school starts."

Ye Ran, who was still immersed in the story of Blizzard Mountain Villa, didn't realize it for a while, and instinctively said: "Mr. Yang seems to have said that you only study here for one year. Are you going to S City?"

"Go to N city. My father was transferred to N city a while ago."

Seeing Ye Chuanmu's appearance, there was no reaction, Zhou Si couldn't help but said: "You don't have anything to say to me, leave a message or something."

"Leave someday, I'll see you off."

"After the Lantern Festival, we will leave early on the eighteenth day of the first lunar month."

Ye Ran counted with his fingers: "But school starts at sixteen, so I probably can't see you off."

Zhou Si's complexion suddenly turned dark, Ye Ran felt that if he didn't send Zhou Si off, he didn't seem to be very righteous, at least he was a classmate, although Zhou Si was not forgiving and often hurt himself, he was sincere in his actions. Be a good buddy.

"Go to the port ferry?"

Zhou Si nodded.

"I'll go to my father later to see if I can take a leave of absence from Teacher Yang."

In Zhou Si's eyes, two clusters of small flames ignited "shua".

Since ancient times, the parting of Baqiao has been just the chilling cicadas and the first break of the shower. It is not known whether the poet has artistically processed and exaggerated it, but when parting, it is always a cloudy day with some cold rain, which is more suitable for this sadness.

Zhou Si threw away the "Golden Pavilion Temple" in his hand, the book hit the leather seat, and the pages made a rattling sound.He rolled down the car window a little more, looking at the sunny sky, his heart became more and more irritable, as if a drumstick was "thumping" in his chest.

"Uncle Zhang, what time is it?"

"It's a quarter past ten. It's coming soon, and the ferry will arrive in another 10 minutes. The traffic is very convenient now." Two years ago, entrepreneurs in W county paid for the repair of the ferry in Huogang and bought a large ferry. The ferry made this ferry, which was originally only docked with small fishing boats and steamboats, become one of the important transportation ports in W County.

Zhou Si opened the car door, stepped out of the car with long legs, and slammed it hard.

"Dead Ye Ran, didn't you say that you asked for leave to see me off, it's already at this point, why don't you come here?" Zhou Si was so anxious that he spun around in circles, and simply ran to the field ridge at the ferry, stretching his neck to walk back and forth Zhang Wang, every time a car came by, he would stare at the car door, thinking about how to make Ye Ran apologize to himself if Ye Ran got off.

Those who got out of the car included men in suits and leather shoes, toddlers led by their mothers, and women with wavy skirts, but there was no Ye Ran.

Time passed bit by bit, and Zhou Si's anxious and joyful heart gradually darkened.

"Xiao Yuan—the ferry is coming, get on the bus!" Uncle Zhang at the other end was already urging him.

In the distance, a motorcycle rumbled towards the field ridge, galloping all the way, the rear of the car raised dust all over the sky.Zhou Si looked back at the ferry boat that had already berthed, and secretly said disheartenedly: Wait for the last time and see if Ye Ran is on it.

Before the car came to a complete stop, a boy in a yellow jacket jumped out of the back seat and ran towards Zhou Si in a hurry while waving his hands.

"Zhou Si—wait for me—"

Ye Ran arrived in front of Zhou Si, panting heavily, and spread out his palm, on which was a folded piece of paper: "My address, I don't have a phone at home, you can write to me when you arrive in N City."

"I don't know when we will meet again," Ye Ran said with a smile, "I will remember you as a good brother for ten or twenty years."

Zhou Si was holding the note in his hand, and suddenly his eyes turned red.Originally, he was used to parting. When he was a child, because of his father's work transfer or other reasons, he traveled to many cities. He often just managed to call out the names of his new classmates. After the holidays, he would transfer to another school. School.At the beginning, he was still a little melancholy, but as time passed, he simply didn't even bother to remember the names of his new classmates.

No one will remember another childhood friend who has only been together for a year for ten or twenty years, Zhou Si thought dejectedly.Ye Ran will take the senior high school entrance examination, go to high school, maybe fall in love with the most beautiful girl in the school, throw himself out of the sky, maybe even forget his name.Unable to participate in Ye Ran's life in the next few decades, Zhou Si felt unwilling but powerless.He was immersed in depression and sadness, but he didn't realize how unusual these strange emotions were to himself who had already regarded parting as a habit.

The blue and white waves beat against the ferry one after another, the misty river stretches as far as the eye can see, and on the other side is a wider world that is completely different from Yejia Village.

"I remember when I didn't know you well, once you came to my house to play and said that the school was not good and few people could get into college."

"You should be happy that you can go to a good school in N City."

Zhou Si was just about to say something, but he heard the driver, Master Zhang, yelling at the side of the ferry, "Xiao Zhou, hurry up, or the boat will leave—"

"Hey, I'll be here soon—"

Ye Ran hurriedly urged: "Go quickly, don't miss it—"

Before he finished his words, he was suddenly hugged tightly by a clean embrace.Zhou Si, who was eleven years old, was still very thin, but the strength of his arms around his best friend was frighteningly large.

"Ah Ran, there will be a period later."

In the middle of the night on August 2002, 8, Ye Ran lay on the mat and tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep, so he got up secretly, took a small wooden bench, and sat in the yard in a daze.The clouds in the night sky of this day are clear, drifting slowly to the further distance, only a few or two stars are dotted.Ye Ran had already walked the field ridge once during the day, and met a team praying for rain at the West Bridge.Uncle Li, the strongest in the village, carried a load of river water and walked in the front. His arms were muscular, and they were a solid bronze color polished by farmers all year round.There are adults and children in the rain-seeking team, or they are wearing coir raincoats or holding umbrellas. After all, they have to act like they are walking on a rainy day.

Ye Ran turned a corner and went to Song Feixiang's house, wanting to say goodbye to him.One of the wooden doors of the Song family was closed and the other was open. The main room was not well lit and a little dark. Song Feixiang's mother was squatting on the ground weaving straw mats.Her back is bent, her hair is already half white, she looks like a little old lady, she is not yet 40 years old, she looks very thin and old.

Ye Ran said hello, and Song's mother said: "Fei Xiang, he went to the river to touch the snails. He wants to sell them in the town tomorrow for some money." Seeing Ye Ran's appearance, she was obviously disappointed, so she asked him if he had any questions. What's up.Ye Ran said: "I'm moving tomorrow, and I want to say goodbye to him."

After hearing this, Song's mother turned around and went to the room to get a small iron box, handed it to Ye Ran and said, "It was quite warm earlier this year, and I picked this tea before the spring equinox. That's all, I originally wanted to save Feixiang's father to come back to drink at the end of the year. Knowing that Feixiang likes you as a classmate the most, I will give you the tea, so I will keep it in mind."

This kind of Fenqian tea is much more expensive than Mingqian tea in the market, Ye Ran thought it was too expensive, so he shook his head not to.Song's mother stuffed the box into the pocket of Ye Ran's trousers, almost tearing off his trousers, and said, "Ah Ran is good at studying, and Dad is good at business, and he will definitely be admitted to university in the future. My Feixiang is in the same class as you." Not luck!"

As Mother Song spoke, tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.She wiped it with her hands, and said with a sob: "Fei Xiang's dad works in the shoe factory workshop. He was always dizzy and vomited a while ago. The old Zhang from the health center asked us to go to the city for investigation. He said it was not very good, it might be leukemia. " She pointed to the west wing room, "I also quit my job, and I'm lying at home these days. If it's really leukemia, I can't help weaving straw mats by myself until I lose my eyesight. I'm afraid I won't be able to go to school if I fly, I have to go out Work done."

Ye Ran didn't know what to say, so he patted Mother Song on the shoulder, only feeling panicked, and said: "It will get better, it will get better." Will it get better?Ye Ran looked at Mother Song's silver hair and the neat but dilapidated Song family, feeling unsure in her heart.

After leaving Song's house, Ye Ran walked to Heqiaotou behind the village.The Qingzhou River flows through Yejia Village, and women in the village wash clothes or wash rice and vegetables at the head of the river bridge.On summer evenings like this, boys often jump into the water to touch some snails and pick out some eels.From a distance, Ye Ran saw the lean Song Feixiang who was only wearing shorts.Looking closely, the ribs on his body can be clearly seen.

Song Feixiang tossed his hair, which made Ye Ran wet all over.Ye Ran laughed and scolded: "What are you doing?"

"Everyone in the village says that your family will move out tomorrow. Why don't I pick up some good things for you to take away. I heard that these things are quite expensive in the city."

Ye Ran smiled and said: "It's so hot, I can't take it with me, it won't stink when I arrive in N City. Keep it for yourself and enjoy it slowly." Song Feixiang hummed, and slapped Ye Ran's face with muddy hands Going up, he said: "Good intentions are treated like a donkey's liver and lungs, don't forget us when you come to N City, kid."

After finishing speaking, he looked up at the sky and said, "I've never been out here before, and I don't know what it looks like outside. But my mother said that I will let me go out next year. It's great, I can make money when I go out, I can buy good food and clothes for my parents, but studying all day is boring."

The sky is very high and far away, the rays of the sun are shimmering, stretching for thousands of miles, like a fantasy only in a dream.

The story of Ye Family Village seems to have come to an end here, but what about Ye Ran's story?It will probably begin.