Father's Land Mother's River

Chapter 44 Origin
When Liu Xiaonan returned home, Liu Zhixin and Jiang Changling were still awake.Jiang Changling was worried that her son would be reprimanded by Guan Deyu, and Liu Zhixin had something to say to her son.

Liu Zhixin was still holding the publication in his hand, and the description of Mr. Guan by his son was not comprehensive.If I had known that my son had the ability in this area, it would be better to tell my son what my mother said about the relationship between my parents and Mr. Guan.

Liu Xiaonan sat on the kang and told her parents about her conversation with Guan Deyu.Liu Zhixin told his son about an old story, and the father and son chatted until late at night before they lay down to sleep.

Liu Xiaonan slept alone on the kang in the back room. The kang was very hot, but the indoor air was very cold, and a layer of hoarfrost hung on the north gable.With the lights off, he tossed and turned in the dark, and the stories his father told him made him endlessly memorable and deeply regretful.

In the face of life itself, any literary work is pale and powerless, less than a ten-thousandth of its essence.If he had known this story earlier and written it into "The Teacher", perhaps Mr. Zhao Guangzhi would not have said that the character of Mr. Guan was a bit distorted.

In her mind, Liu Xiaonan clearly outlined the pictures of the past based on the stories told by her father.

Amidst the noisy and festive suona, a sedan chair carried grandma from Fuzhou City to Liuzi Street.Grandma sat in the trembling sedan chair, covered with a red hijab, without sadness or joy, as calm as water.

The family rejected the poor scholar's marriage proposal, and the elopement was discovered by the family, and the grandmother accepted her fate.

After worshiping and getting married, grandma became a member of the Liu family.The red candles flickered, and the guests gradually dispersed. Grandma sat cross-legged on the kang alone, waiting anxiously.

The Liu family is a wealthy family. In addition to farming the land, they also run a store and an oil workshop. The four brothers form a big family, each with a division of labor.Grandma was going to marry the fourth child of the Liu family, who was in charge of farming the land.

The Liu family has business contacts with her mother's family. Grandma has met the eldest of the Liu family, but not the fourth child who is about to marry.Liu's parents only apply according to their seniority, the eldest is out for business, the second is in charge of the family, and the third is in charge of the accounts.

It is said that the fourth child is honest and honest, and has no business acumen, so he is responsible for all the farm work in the family.These are not important, the key is whether he can tolerate that he has eloped before, if he has a small belly, he will be soaked in bitter water for the rest of his life.

The door opened, and a man walked in with steady steps. With a gust of wind, the flame of the red candle flickered.

Grandma sat up straight, peeping at the man's every move through the red hijab.

The man took off the groom's coat, glanced at her, and turned around on the ground, looking hesitant.Does he dislike me?Grandma's legs were numb, but she still didn't dare to move.

The man came in with a basin of water, washed his face and feet, and the sound was very loud.Grandma's heart trembled with the sound of his washing.

The man poured out the dirty water, brought in another basin of clean water, put it on the edge of the kang, and said, "Do you want to wash it?"

The voice is humming and full of breath.Being able to wash a woman's face shows that the Liu family's family tradition is not that men are superior to women, and that they have the minimum respect for women.

Before she got married, grandma knew a little about the Liu family.The future mother-in-law is also from a wealthy family, and she is well educated and courteous. Although she has filled the house and has not given birth, she can treat her ex-wife and daughter as her own, and treat her daughter-in-law with equal kindness.The mother is kind and the son is filial, the brothers are of the same heart, and the sisters-in-law are harmonious, thus establishing the family tradition of the Liu family.

The man took the initiative to call for face wash, and grandma was somewhat moved.She wanted to wash it very much, especially because the foot-binding cloth was tightly bound, and the blood was not flowing through the bound feet, and she was about to lose consciousness.How comfortable it would be to let go of the foot wrap and soak in hot water.

However, the red hijab has not been taken off, so how can they move around?

The man spoke again: "You are the eldest lady of the Lin family in the city. It is a bit wronged to marry into the country. However, life is made by people, trust me."

Grandma was angry and funny. It turned out that he thought he was wronged and refused to accept his kindness, so he had to say clearly: "If you don't take off the red hijab, how can I wash it?"

The man laughed and said to himself: "I've never been married, I forgot about it."

The man got on the kang, carefully lifted the red hijab covering his grandma, stared blankly at his grandma for a long time, and suddenly burst out laughing.

Grandma was so terrified by the laughter that she didn't dare to look directly into the man's eyes. She turned her head to look out of the dark window and said, "I eloped before, so you should divorce me."

"It's hard to get married and come home, why should I divorce you?" The man finally stopped laughing and said: "I thought you were a pungent shrew, that's why you had the audacity to run away with others, but you turned out to be a delicate young lady."

Grandma lowered her head shyly and asked, "Do you believe in my innocence?"

The man said unequivocally: "Of course I do. To be honest, I heard about your elopement from my elder brother. I admire you from the bottom of my heart, so I begged my parents to propose marriage to your family. I have to thank that poor scholar , Without him, how could I marry you? You wash your face and feet, I will go out first, call me when you are done, and I will pour water for you to wash your feet."

When grandma told her father about the past, it was only about two years before her death, and there was still a smile on her wrinkled and miserable face.

Grandma told her father that grandpa was not as refined and learned as Mr. Guan, but her grandpa's boldness and love still moved her.From that moment on, grandma believed that grandpa was the man of her life.

Not long after getting married, the grandfather went home and mysteriously told the grandmother that a new teacher named Guan had arrived in the village school. Would you like to meet him?Grandma's face changed at that time, and she looked at grandpa suspiciously and timidly.

Grandpa admired: "He came here for you, but he is a kind and righteous person."

Grandma begged Grandpa: "The head of the family, you find a way to drive him away."

Grandpa said: "Since I believe that you and him were innocent before, of course I also believe that you and him will not do anything in the future. According to my guess, he is just worried about your life, but he just wants to see you often. You, the children in the village have a good teacher, why not do it? Why drive him away?"

Grandma said: "He is a learned man, and he shouldn't be buried in a small village just for one person."

Grandpa said: "Students like him are all stones in the cesspit—stinky and hard. I can't help it unless you personally persuade me."

Accompanied by grandpa, grandma went to the village school to meet Mr. Guan.

Mr. Guan was wearing an old cloth shirt, but the braids on the back of his head were smooth and smooth, as if he had never known grandma, with a cold expression on his face: "You don't seem to be here to send your children to school."

Grandma said, "Why are you doing this?"

Mr. Guan said: "Teaching children to read and write every day, why is it so hard?"

Grandma said: "You have to make me sleepless?"

Mr. Guan said: "Going to the countryside to teach is purely my personal motivation, what has it to do with you?"

No matter how much grandma tried to persuade her, even shed tears, Mr. Guan remained indifferent.In order to show his purpose and determination, Mr. Guan married a virtuous peasant girl shortly afterwards, and simply settled down in Liuzi Street.

After the parents-in-law passed away one after another, under the auspices of the uncle, the four brothers separated.Losing the shackles of the big family, grandpa got into the bad habit of gambling.Grandma tried hard to persuade her many times, but grandpa ignored it completely, and only said that it was a small gamble during the slack time, so that he would not lose his fortune.

On this day, grandma cooked the meal with a big belly, and grandpa didn't come back after noon, knowing that grandpa was playing money again.It was raining lightly outside, and grandma picked up her two-year-old aunt, held up an oil-paper umbrella, and went to find grandpa home for dinner.

Liu Zhifu's house in the back street is a gambling den, and grandma went there directly with her aunt in her arms.The room was filled with smoke, and a dozen or so men gathered around the table, betting and drinking.

Grandma sent Grandpa home for lunch.Grandpa lost his money and was angry, so he told grandma to go back first in a rough voice, and he didn't have to wait for him to eat, he would play a few more games.

In order to save grandpa's face, grandma didn't say a word, walked out of the house with her aunt in her arms, and stood under the eaves by the door to wait for grandpa.

The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and grandma's lower body was soaked, and she was shivering with cold.She held her aunt tightly in her arms, warmed her daughter with her own body temperature, and kept comforting the crying daughter who was about to go home.

Grandpa didn't know how long he was going to play, but grandma was determined to wait forever.A woman with small feet cannot stand for a long time, let alone pregnant, holding her daughter in one hand and holding an oil-paper umbrella in the other on a rainy day.

There was no place to sit, and grandma's legs were trembling, but she kept holding on.Nine times out of ten bets, no matter how wealthy the family is, it will be ruined. She wants to influence grandpa in this way.

Mr. Guan came home from school wearing a coir raincoat and a straw hat. When he passed by Liu Zhifu's house, he caught a glimpse of his grandmother holding his aunt standing under the eaves, drenched in the rain.He walked into the yard and asked grandma why.

Grandma almost shed tears, the head of the house was playing cards inside, and she was waiting for the head of the house to go home for dinner.

After hearing this, Mr. Guan was furious, rushed into the room without saying a word, overturned the gambling table, pointed at his grandfather and cursed: "You are not worthy of being a man. You are here to play with your paws, and let a woman with small feet hug her with a big belly." Waiting for you to go home to eat while your child is drenched in the rain, how amazing are you! Did your ancestors do this? Did they teach you this way? They won’t forgive you even if they see it in the sky.”

Grandpa slipped down to the ground, pulled on his shoes and ran outside the door. Sure enough, he saw grandma standing in the rain with her daughter in his arms. He hurriedly hugged her daughter and said to grandma, "Didn't I tell your mother to go back to eat first, so you don't have to wait for me?"

Grandma trembled and said: "If you don't go home, our mother and I will not eat well."

Mr. Guan was relentless towards his grandfather, and his little braid pouted: "Marrying a good woman doesn't know how to cherish it, and she has learned how to play with money, humiliating the ancestors! Do you still want to have all kinds of poisons?"

"My own woman, I will take care of myself. There is no need for you, Mr. Guan, to be a lover here." Grandpa was enraged, and in front of those gamblers who watched the excitement, he stretched out two rough and strong hands honed from long-term farm work. He said angrily, "If you see me still playing with money, you will chop off my two hands."

Mr. Guan sneered: "I want your two gambling claws, what's the use of it, why don't you give me two chicken claws, it still tastes good."

"Don't come here, you think I don't know why you come to Liuzi Street."

"It's best if you know it. I owe her my whole life, and I have to pay it back with my whole life. I care about someone who not only teaches children to read and write, but also teaches some people how to behave."

Grandma stood aside, watching the two men stretch their necks like roosters in a fight without saying a word.On the surface, she looked weak and unruly, trembling under the roar of the two men, but in fact, she didn't know how proud and happy she was.

The eldest aunt in grandpa's arms began to cry, and grandma quickly hugged her to her chest.The two men stopped arguing, and the grandfather picked up the aunt again, helped the grandmother to walk home, and turned around and said a harsh word to Mr. Guan: "You remember Mr. Guan, I can't let you look down on me."

Grandpa really gave up gambling, worked from sunrise to sunset, and unexpectedly became good friends with Mr. Guan.When my father was four years old, my grandfather brought my father to Mr. Guan and said sincerely: "I entrusted my son to you, and trained him to be like you."

In this way, my father became Mr. Guan's student.

When my father was 13 years old, the world changed drastically.Mr. Guan came home and discussed with his grandparents: "Zhixin is a material for studying and should not stay in the country. In my opinion, he should be sent to a regular school in the city to continue his studies."

Grandpa was downcast: "Is reading still useful? It's better to do farm work honestly."

Mr. Guan said: "Short-sighted, there is no shortage of scholars in any dynasty."

In the end, it was my grandma who made the decision and sent my father to the No. [-] Middle School of Fuzhou City to continue his studies.

Liu Xiaonan remembered some things and words from his grandmother when he was a child, and then he understood why after Mr. Guan passed away, his grandmother was crying like a little girl who had lost his support, and why her grandmother kept urging him to copy the stele written by Mr. Guan.

Where else can such deep and pure love be found?Liu Xiaonan fell asleep with this question in mind.

(End of this chapter)