all the way

Zeng Guangtong started his life like a hermit in Liujialing. Apart from strolling by the Fengxi River every day, he spent most of his time painting.

Liu Changqing and the others have seen the flowers, plants, birds and animals he drew with pencils and pens before, and they are really lifelike.

This is the first time I see him painting on rice paper. At first it seems to be daubed randomly, but in the end it is a vivid picture of "a group of children making persimmons".

Zeng Huaichen had the experience of jumping in the queue, and he heard Zeng Guangtong talk a lot about Liu's family, so he didn't treat them with the arrogance of city people. He even offered to help Liu Kui with some farm work, but of course Liu Kui refused.

After a few days of contact, Liu Kui knew that Zeng Huaichen also took the college entrance examination this year, but the years when he was in middle school were the time when the suspension of classes and the revolution caused the worst, and he did not study middle school courses systematically at all. I gave him a lot of middle school liberal arts courses, but Zeng Guangtong couldn't do anything about science.

Liu Kui said: "The little work in the field is enough for me alone. How about this? If you feel that looking at the scenery every day is boring, don't you still have to take the college entrance examination next year? Let Xiaoling help you review mathematics, physics and chemistry, and we will do everything else. You can’t compare with Uncle Zeng, but these subjects may be better than yours, if you can go to university, you don’t need Uncle Zeng to ask grandpa to tell grandma to find someone to treat your illness and retire.”

In this way, Zeng Huaichen started his one-month student life in this ravine, practicing brush calligraphy for three newspapers every day like Liu Wei and Liu Rui, and learning from Liu Ling most of the rest of the time.

He asked Liu Kui a question on the second day after he arrived at Liu's house: "Uncle Liu always said that he saved my father because my great-grandfather was kind to him, but when I asked him what the matter was, Uncle Liu didn't agree. Ken said, I thought, is there no kindness from my great-grandfather at all? Is that just an excuse made up by Uncle Liu to let my father enjoy his protection with peace of mind? "

Liu Kui smiled: "No, your ancestors were indeed kind to my family.

My uncle went to Kaesong as an apprentice with my third grandfather when I was nine years old. At that time, my place was poorer than now, and I didn’t have enough food all year round.

My uncle and the third great-grandfather come back every year during the Chinese New Year, and go out again around the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. When they leave Wangning, they have to pass the street in front of your old house. Is your great-grandfather or Zeng great-grandfather?I have never been able to figure it out, he gives porridge to the poor every year from the [-]th to the [-]th of the first lunar month. In order to save a bowl of rice for the family, my uncle and the third grandfather leave home on these three days every year to drink the porridge served by your grandfather Hurry up later. "

Zeng Huaichen couldn't believe it: "Uncle Liu risked his life to save my father just because he had eaten a few bowls of gruel from my great-grandfather? Those bowls of gruel were my great-grandfather's great favor to Uncle Liu?"

Liu Kui looked at him strangely: "Don't say it's just a few bowls of porridge, it's just a dry steamed egg. It was also made by your family. It was eaten by us for no reason. What is that? You have to I know that when a person is dying of thirst, a sip of water is life. You can say that because a sip of water is worthless, or how many tanks of water they have, they give you a bowl, and their life-saving grace is not worth much. Yet?

In fact, there is another important point. My uncle met your grandfather and said that what he was wearing was not silk or satin, but the same coarse cotton padded clothes, but it was cleaner than the others on Wangning Street, without patches.

My uncle said that people who buy land with their own efforts and can help the poor every year are not vicious people like Huang Shiren, and the descendants taught by such a kind old man cannot be bad people. "

In the evening, Zeng Huaichen taught Zeng Guangtong what he had heard from Liu Kui.

Zeng Guangtong lay on the kang, he was silent for a long time before he stroked his forehead and smiled: "Hehe, my grandfather, whom I don't remember very much, actually saved my life... But Huai Chen, your great-grandfather Zeng puts porridge, three days a year, How many people have eaten the porridge he made for most of their lives?

After your grandfather went out to do business and prospered, among those who are still related to us by blood, how many people have received more help from our family than a pot of porridge or even a hundred pots of porridge?

But the only one who is willing to reach out to help me is you, Uncle Liu.

...Liu Changqing's saving me actually had nothing to do with those bowls of porridge. "

There was a lot of rain this year. Liu Xia couldn't go home because of the rain in the first week, and he was already very irritable. When the sleet fell on the second Friday afternoon, he almost jumped up and cursed God. : Mao'er celebrates his birthday next Monday, Mao'er must feel that his uncle lied to him again.

The sleet fell in the middle of the night without any haste, and on Saturday afternoon, all the students from other places left school and went home, only Liu Hai and Liu Xia could not leave.

Liu Hai came over to sleep together with Liu Xia at night. When there were many people in the room, the smell was suffocating. When it was just the two of them, it was very cold and humid. The two of them slept until almost ten o'clock the next day before putting on their clothes. get up.

The water pipes in the yard were frozen, and he couldn't wash his face and brush his teeth. Liu Xia felt his mouth tasted bad, and wanted to open his mouth to breathe hard, but the corners of his mouth cracked and bleed.

Liu Hai used the back of his hand to smear the blood from the corner of Liu Xia's mouth, and the two went to the street together to eat a bowl of meatball soup and a side of biscuits.

The school cafeteria is closed on Sundays. If you eat on the street, the cheapest and most cost-effective is meatball soup. A bowl of seven cents, ten meatballs, and soup can be used to make steamed buns, which cost three cents each.

Both of them had large and small ulcerated noodles in their mouths. If the buns were eaten without soaking them, the dregs of the buns would be very painful.

Both of them felt that Rongze's products were a bit too expensive, and Wangning's meatballs cost only five cents a bowl.

After eating, the body warmed up, and the two of them were extremely bored and decided to walk around the street.

The streets in Rongze Old Town are not wide, but they are clean. There is an asphalt road in the middle, and sewers and sidewalks paved with bluestone slabs on both sides.

After walking for a few minutes, I saw the sign of the county hospital.

The two of them have been suffering from mouth pain recently, so they want to go in and have a look.

The doctor who treated them was a male gentleman in his 30s. The gentleman only asked Liu Hai to take a look at his lips, and then began to write the prescription: "There is inflammation, and there is a lack of vitamins. To eliminate the inflammation, add some vitamins. Usually Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, which are high in vitamin content."

Liu Hai showed Liu Xia the priced prescription, and the two of them grinned at the same time, and ran out of the hospital.

Liu Xia threw Fang Zituan bar far away: "Ball, what vitamins are worth more than [-] cents? Fresh fruits? The persimmons on our tree are fresher than any other fruit. Eat a few more when you go home, as many vitamins are enough Already!"

So, after returning home in the third week, the first thing Liu Xia did was to sit on the persimmon tree with the cat on his back and drink persimmons.

Liu Hai also went up the tree with Liu Rui on his back, and the four of them sat on two adjacent persimmon trees, holding the persimmons very heroically and drinking each other.

Sun Chang'e yelled at them and said that persimmons are old and solid, and they should not be eaten too much, especially persimmons that have been frozen, and their stomach hurts if they eat too much.

Liu Xia and Liu Hai's mouth hurts badly, and they are comfortable eating cold and soft persimmons, so are they willing to listen to those?

Mao'er has always been good in everything Liu Xia does, and he must do exactly the same.

Liu Rui was young, and he was very happy to see that his uncles were back, so he made a fuss about it, but the persimmon was really delicious, and the four of them ate a full belly before they came down.

In the middle of the night, Liu Rui vomited out the persimmon and dinner.

Mao'er lay in Liu Xia's arms, stroking his stomach and said, "Uncle, your stomach is not beautiful."

Liu Hai and Liu Xia also felt uncomfortable, they couldn't vomit, but they asked for it, so they couldn't talk.

Liu Xia sat up and put on the padded jacket, and let the cat sit in his arms to dress him: "Go for a few laps in the yard with my uncle, and you'll be fine after running."

The two of them were sweating holding hands in the yard, and went for a few baths together before dawn. When they got up early in the morning, all their illnesses disappeared, they drank milk porridge and ate pancakes, and everything was done without delay.

Liu Hai coveted the heat of the bed at night and refused to get up and run, and his stomach was still uncomfortable in the morning, so he only dared to drink some porridge.

Liu Rui was ordered to eat on an empty stomach and was not allowed to eat anything except hot water.

After dinner, Xiumei cleaned up the stove, and Liu Kui asked the brothers to come and stand in front of the kang.

Liu Changqing, Sun Chang'e, Zeng Guangtong, and Liu Changchun sat on the kang and watched them.

When Liu Xia saw this situation, he thought it was Liu Rui who ate too much persimmon yesterday and wanted to fix him. He was a little frightened. When he heard that Liu Changqing actually asked them to choose whether to go to Kyoto with Zeng Guangtong to go to high school, he reacted a little not come.

But Liu Xia only hesitated for a few seconds before speaking very simply, "I won't go."

Zeng Guangtong asked: "Why? Afraid that Uncle Zeng will treat you badly in the capital?"

Liu Xia shook his head and pinched the sweet potato scum off the cat's face: "I have to watch the cat at home. If I go to Kyoto, no one will play with the cat. If I go for three years, the cat won't know me when I come back. I'm wrong, so I won't hit it!"

Zeng Guangtong looked at him for a while, but without speaking, he turned to Liu Hai: "Will Xiao Hai go with Uncle?"

Liu Hai looked around, and finally his eyes fell on Liu Xia, shaking his head: "If I go, Yao'er will have to go to Rongze to go to school by himself, he is still young, he can't wash clothes by himself, and he can't get up early in the morning water, you can’t even wash your face, and I’m worried about Yao’er walking back from Luogezhuang alone.”

Zeng Guangtong nodded slowly, and looked at Liu Changqing: "You decide, Xiaoling agreed to recruit soldiers, and he didn't want to break his promise; Yao'er wants to take care of Xiao Maoer, and Xiao Hai wants to take care of Yao'er.

But the children have to come with me, their chances of being admitted to university in Rongze are too slim, we can't let the children die here. "

He turned to Liu Ling: "I came back this time to take you away first, but I was busy with family affairs two years ago, and I ignored the fact that our middle school here is only two years old. But Xiao Ling, you are only seventeen, and you went to the capital It’s still too late for you to start studying in the third year of junior high school. Think about it again. It’s good to be a soldier, but if you can’t go to the military academy, you’ll have to come back here eventually. Uncle doesn’t want you to be buried in this place. With your good handwriting, it is too wrong for you to stay here;

Our school here will change to a three-year system from next year. Xiaohai and Yaoer still have a chance. If not, after you pass the exam, your uncle will pick them up and let's continue the exam.

Now I have just returned to work in the college, and there are still many things at home that I have to deal with. There are so many people that I can't take care of them all at once, or I will take you all over. "

Liu Ling insisted: "People specially gave me a quota, so I can't say nothing."

In fact, Liu Xia was almost unbelievably happy when he first heard the news, but when the cat rubbed gently in his arms, he regained his senses. He couldn't possibly leave the cat behind. The cat is nice, but that's different, it's him that the cat can't live without.

Liu Changqing looked at Liu Xia for a long time, then looked at Mao'er who was relieved and happy because Liu Xia came back, and finally made up his mind: "Xiao Hai, come here."

Liu Hai walked up to Liu Changqing: "Uncle."

Liu Changqing patted his head: "I can't wait to ask all of you to go to the capital with your uncle, even if you can't get into the university, it's good to see what's going on outside, but I don't want you to leave, a family, no matter how poor Wealth or richness, being together well, peace and security is good.

But I know, I can't tie you all by my side just because I don't want to. You are still young and can't guard Liujialing for a lifetime. Your mother and I can think about it, even if a little chick grows up, it also wants to Fly to the top of the wall to see what's outside the wall, let alone people?

Now is the time for you to fly, no matter how reluctant your mother and I are, I have to let you fly...

You are reluctant to part with Yaoer, your mother knows that, but Yaoer is thirteen or fourteen, he will take care of himself; Hai, after the new year, you go to Kyoto, Uncle Zeng will find you a good school, you study hard, When the time comes back, try to be admitted to a university. "

Liu Xia said: "Sixth brother, I'm fine. I know everything. I'm just lazy. If you wash my clothes and get water for me, I'll just count on you. Don't worry, you won't go until after the new year." , we can study together for two more months!"

However, Liu Hai seemed to see Liu Xia walking alone on the winter mountain road after he left, and his eyes turned red immediately: "You are short, you can't even grab the food, how do you eat when I leave?"

Liu Ling took the words from the side: "Xiao Hai, no matter how reluctant you are to part with Yao'er, you have to go with Uncle Zeng, there are only a few months left, and with our background in Wangning, you won't be able to get into college.

I was able to serve as a soldier this time purely by accident, Xiao Hai, if you don't get into college, I'm afraid you won't even have the chance to serve as a soldier.

You want to be like Liu Miao and others, working all day and all the time, but after a year of busy work, you can't even take care of your own family. Would you like to live like this for the rest of your life? "

Liu Hai shook his head: "I don't want to, but I just don't want to part with our family and Yao'er."

It was decided that Liu Haihou would go to Kyoto.

Zeng Guangtong lived in Liu's house for another week, painted a few paintings, took one away, and left the rest in Liu's house: "Don't feel bad, maybe someday you can sell it for two dollars?" He smiled at Liu Changqing explain.

Liu Changqing doesn't know much about painting, but he had seen some traditional Chinese paintings in Kaesong back then, and he liked them a lot: "What do you hate? When I build a few more spacious tile-roofed houses, they will be framed and hung up. Now It can’t be seen clearly in the hanging kiln, it’s ruined.”

On the second Sunday, Zeng Guang and his son arrived in Rongze by car with Liu Hai and Liu Xia, and then went to Yuancheng by themselves to take the train back to Kyoto.

Before he left, he said to Liu Hai and Liu Xia: "Xiao Hai, you can't slack off just because you are going to the capital, you have to work hard, and you have to come back to take the exam when the time comes. not easy.

Listen, Yaoer, if you fail to pass the college entrance examination in three years, you will have to follow me, and then you will not be able to help yourself, even if you don’t want to part with Kitty, I swore myself that I will train two College student, I can't break my promise;

Yaoer, read more books. You must read the novels I gave you before the college entrance examination. As long as you read every word carefully, I guarantee that your composition score will not be lower than two-thirds of the full score in the college entrance examination. "

Liu Hai started a nearly crazy study life. Except for sleeping, eating, and going to the bathroom, he was doing questions or memorizing the rest of the time. When Liu Xia was eating with him, he kept asking him about English words.

English is the worst subject for these children from the mountains. They only heard about it after they arrived in Rongze. Six years ago, most schools in Rongze and Gucun started English classes in the fourth grade of elementary school. The teachers were all in Rongze. Only a few communes in the south have been trained by Ze Teacher, and English is only taught in junior high school.

Language is such a thing that there is no other way than to speak it often and memorize it by rote. With no one around them who can speak English, they are left with the last and most stupid way.

Liu Xia often reminded Liu Hai not to make my eyes short-sighted. My elder brother said that he would beat anyone who made my eyes short-sighted. They knew that my elder brother would not beat them, but they had to work hard not to disappoint my elder brother.

In addition to studying, Liu Hai also took care of Liu Xia more attentively. Although Liu Xia's wild child didn't need any careful care at all, Liu Hai just felt that he was going to leave Yao'er alone, and he couldn't do it with guilt.

In mid-December, Liu Ling boarded the northbound train at Rongze Railway Station. At the last moment of getting on the train, he hugged Liu Hai and Liu Xia, who had asked for leave and rushed to see him off, and said, "Boy, you two have to be good." Study; Yaoer, remember, if you want our cat to live a good life, you must be admitted to university."