1970s: Farming and Supporting Yourself

61-65

Chapter 061 Tired of playing.

On the day of the second grade of junior high school, the weather was fine and the sun was shining brightly. Ye Xin and Shen Zhuo went out to visit the temple fair.

They were going to a place called Jishan Temple, seven or eight kilometers away from Liangshuitang. Because it is on a mountain, and the road ahead is a very narrow mountain road with twists and turns, with mountains on one side and paddy fields on the other. It is not easy to ride a bicycle, so you have to walk there.

If you walk faster, you can get there in more than an hour, and if you walk slower, you can get there in two hours.

Ye Xin was a little tired when she heard that she had to leave for so long, but then she thought about it, isn't this the case when going out for fun? Even in modern times, it takes several hours to visit a scenic spot.

What's more, this is a mountainous area, and transportation is not convenient. A journey of more than an hour is already close, so let's go!

Now that she is healthy and energetic, she can walk on mountain trails for several hours, so she has no objections.

They were planning to go out for a whole day. Before going out, they had to bring enough food and drink: of course, they would eat all kinds of fried goods, pancakes, and dumplings made by themselves, which were packed in Shen Zhuo's lunch box. A full box; what you drink is the respective thermos cups filled with hot tea, which can be kept warm for a day without any problem.

In addition, just in case he came back late, Ye Xin also asked Shen Zhuo to bring a flashlight.

These things were packed in cloth bags and slung heavily on Shen Zhuo's shoulders.

As for Ye Xin, she just needs to go out easily!

After everything was packed, Shen Zhuo wanted to give her the hat and scarf. Although the sun was shining brightly today, the temperature was still low.

Ye Xin didn't feel cold, but felt that the sun was warming her whole body.

Shen Zhuo advised: "Be careful, the mountain wind is cold."

Ye Xin shook her head, "I don't want it, you used it."

Shen Zhuo was a little embarrassed, but he also knew that she always liked to be clean, so he explained: " I washed it... I washed it on the day after the training class ended. It was just dried and it hasn't been used during the New Year."

Ye Xin took the scarf. The black scarf of thick wool was long and wide, soft and comfortable to the touch. She grabbed the scarf with both hands, first put it to the tip of her nose and smelled it.

Shen Zhuo looked at her little animal-like movements. He felt cute at first, and then blushed, because he thought that this scarf was wrapped around his neck before, and his neck turned red for a moment.

Ye Xin confirmed that the scarf was fresh and had no odor, and then she wrapped it around her, covering half of her face and hair. She revealed a pair of big bright eyes and walked out of the courtyard first, "Let's go!"

Shen Zhuo was glad that she didn't look back at him. He quickly rubbed his face, adjusted his expression, and stepped to follow.

After locking the courtyard door, they walked down the slope.

It was about nine o'clock now, and the village was very lively.

Because today is the second day of the Lunar New Year, the first day of visiting relatives, usually visiting the closest relatives. For example, a married daughter goes back to her parents' home and follows her wife to visit her father-in-law and mother-in-law. Some families have many daughters. If several families come together and have more than a dozen children, it will be extremely lively.

Liangshuitang is still a big village, with more people and laughter at the beginning and end of the village.

When Ye Xin and Shen Zhuo walked through the village, they could see some familiar adults and children who came to visit relatives from other villages. The other party will also look at them both curiously.

On this day, most people were busy visiting relatives, so there were fewer people going to the temple fair, so Ye Xin planned her travel date well. But she also ignored a group of people who had no relatives like them.

Not far from Liangshuitang, they met the educated youth team.

Jiang Jingyu, Zhang Kangming, Sun Weiqiang, Liu Hongxia, Zhao Zhonghua, and Wang Xiaowei. Not a single one of them went home to visit relatives, they were all there.

Some of them were carrying water, some were carrying small baskets, and some were carrying bamboo baskets. They all looked like they were going out to play with their own food.

Hearing the footsteps, they turned around and found the two of them.

Now I couldn't avoid it, so I had to say hello. Fortunately, there was someone familiar. Ye Xin smiled and spoke first: "Sister Xiaowei, are you going to visit the temple fair too?"

Wang Xiaowei was originally worried that they had a conflict yesterday, but now seeing them affectionately going out together, she knew it was okay, and she was relieved. Then he smiled and said: "Yes, it's okay to be idle. Let's go to the Jishan Temple Fair now."

Ye Xin pretended to say: "I thought you went there yesterday."

Wang Xiaowei also agreed and smiled He explained: "I didn't go yesterday because I thought there were too many people. They did go, but they went to the Shajiang Temple Fair farther away, which is bigger and more lively. There are several temple fairs around here, and they have been held in the past few days. , it's okay to go and watch it if you have nothing to do. There are all relatives in the team today, but those of us who have no relatives here are deserted, so we can only go together to join in the fun."

Ye Xin said: "We. We are also going to the Jishan Temple Fair."

Wang Xiaowei knew that she probably didn't want to go with them, so she took the initiative to say: "We are walking slowly, you should go to the front first."

Ye Xin suddenly felt that this elder sister was really considerate. As expected, several friendly exchanges were in vain. Just as he was about to say yes, Liu Hongxia spoke first.

Liu Hongxia said: "Let's go together. We are in the same team anyway, and the destination is the same, so there is no need to separate!"

Sun Weiqiang also said: "It's just that we are so separated, it seems that we are not united."

The remaining few are not there . Talking, just looking at them, as if they think it's okay to go together or not.

Ye Xin didn't want to go with them, so she said, "I didn't go out yesterday and haven't seen it yet. I'm in a hurry to find a good place! I'm afraid you can't walk as fast as us!"

As he said that, he quickly passed them. Shen Zhuo naturally followed closely.

Liu Hongxia said unconvincedly from behind: "How fast can you go! Our physical fitness is much better than yours. If you rush now, won't you have to slow down later?"

Ye Xin ignored her and pretended not to hear. I successfully distanced myself by walking quickly. At this time, I was also thankful that the mountain road had eighteen bends. I immediately turned a corner and completely separated from them.

Shen Zhuo was of course happy that she was not with the educated youths, and happily followed her footsteps.

By the time the next few turned the corner, they had long disappeared. Liu Hongxia couldn't help shouting: "Damn it, how did they go so fast?"

Sun Weiqiang frowned and said: "It's the first day of the Lunar New Year, don't say anything unlucky. But it's true that Ye Xin can't avoid us like this. , Do you think we are a scourge? "

...

Both of them are in good health, their steps are light, and they don't feel tired even when they walk fast.

After walking some distance, I gradually saw other people going to the temple fair. They were chatting while walking, and the road became lively.

In mountainous areas, as long as there is a large area of ​​flat land at the foot of the mountain, there will basically be a village of different sizes. So when they walk for a while, they can see a village and there will be a few more people on the road.

The further we walked, the more people there were. Many villages near Jishan Temple are named after ponds, such as Liangshuitang, Heishuitang, Hetang, and Litang. This means that the water system here is rich and there are many ponds. You can see large open ponds everywhere, and most of them are filled with ponds. It's fish farming. There are also lotus roots, but the lotus leaves and flowers have withered this season.

Ye Xin's pace also slowed down now, and she felt a little more relaxed about going out for fun. While walking, she turned her head and looked at the surrounding scenery. This is a different mountain road than going to town. It's the first time to walk on it, so it's a bit fresh.

Seventy or eighty minutes later, they arrived at the foot of Thorny Mountain.

There are more people here, and it is very lively and crowded. The grass at the foot of the mountain is full of traces of people trampling on it. It can be seen that there were many people here yesterday and today.

Jishan Mountain is not high, so it does not take much effort to walk up to the temple fair halfway up the mountain. At this time, the main thing is to guard against crowds.

Shen Zhuo frowned for a while, then simply stretched out his hand to hold her, and explained seriously: "So that I won't be squeezed out and can't find you."

Ye Xin turned her head and glanced at him, but didn't look away, and continued to watch with interest. Looking at the temple fair scene here.

Shen Zhuo made up his mind and held her hand firmly.

In front of the temple, many people brought bamboo and straw knickknacks, or some home-made snacks to sell. Taking advantage of the crowds and good business, they could make some money. Many children were attracted by these things and could not walk, so they spent the red envelope money they had just received.

When Shen Zhuo saw her looking at the maltose stall a few more times, he paid for it and bought it for her. These things are not expensive either.

Ye Xin ate a piece out of curiosity, but found it not very tasty and sticky to the teeth, so she gave it to him again.

Shen Zhuo didn't like to eat it either, so he had no choice but to put it in the bag.

Just passing by the stall outside, what attracted Ye Xin the most was the social opera being performed on the high stage inside.

She originally thought that this folk art form would be banned in this era, but she didn't expect it to be lively and lively.

Several performers were singing on the stage, with loud voices and ups and downs of tunes, and the bamboo boards in their hands were clapping from time to time to accompany them. Their faces were painted white, and they also wore thick blush. Their clothes were more ordinary and not considered costumes, but they wore bright cloth scarves on their heads and waists, which distinguished them from the theatergoers.

There were many people around the stage, all coming to watch the show. They watched the show carefully, and those who spoke consciously kept their voices low. It was not as noisy as outside.

The two of them were already late. The place in front of them was all occupied and they couldn't squeeze in. Ye Xin didn't want to squeeze in, so she found a place outside where she could see the stage. With her current eyesight and hearing, she could clearly see every movement of the actors on the stage and hear the a cappella voice, but she couldn't understand it. .

She shook her hand and asked Shen Zhuo, "What are they singing?"

Shen Zhuo held her hand, lowered his head to her ear, and whispered to her.

These social operas were sung by locals in local dialects, so of course she couldn't understand them. Shen Zhuo has watched it several times since he was a child. They are all old plays, and they are nothing more than stories about overthrowing the landlords and liberating the people.

There was a young man in front of him. He turned his head unintentionally and saw Shen Zhuo's figure. First, his eyes lit up and he wanted to come over to say hello. Then he saw him bending his head and saying something in a girl's ear. The two were intimate, and then they paused. Stopped.

After singing a song on the stage, everyone below applauded and cheered loudly, and the scene became excited.

The young man also took advantage of this moment to squeeze through the crowd and patted Shen Zhuo on the shoulder: "Are you here to watch the social opera too?"

Shen Zhuo turned around and saw that it was Huang Zhihao, and was a little surprised: "Why are you here too? "I have no relatives and want to leave, but Huang Zhihao has no reason not to leave."

Huang Zhihao laughed and said: "I'm so old, but I still go to my grandma's house to receive red envelopes. I'm really embarrassed, so I won't go this year. It's not far from my home, so I came over to join in the fun."

As he said that, his curious eyes could no longer be tolerated . He couldn't help but look at the girl next to Shen Zhuo.

Judging from the intimate gesture of the two whispering to each other just now and holding hands now, this must be Shen Zhuo's fiancée.

When he was in the training class, Huang Zhihao was extremely curious about Shen Zhuo's fiancée. He really wanted to see with his own eyes the "caring, smart, beautiful, and educated youth" fiancée that Shen Zhuo said. Now we meet by chance, how could we not know each other?

At that moment, Huang Zhihao asked excitedly: "Shen Zhuo, who is this? Don't you want to introduce me?"

Shen Zhuo didn't want to introduce him. He really didn't want Ye Xin to be seen by him, but since he met him, he had to say firmly: "This is my fiancée."

She turned to Ye Xin and said softly: "This is my deskmate in the training class, Huang Zhihao."

Ye Xin pulled down her scarf to reveal her face, looking at this short, stocky, face-faced The honest Huang Zhihao smiled and said: "Hello, my name is Ye Xin. Thank you for your help in buying bricks and tiles. Shen Zhuo also often mentioned you and said that you took good care of him."

Huang Zhihao finally saw Shen Zhuo, his fiancée The real face of Lushan, my eyes suddenly lit up and I was so amazed, so beautiful!

Her skin is white, her cheeks are rosy, her big eyes are exceptionally clear and bright, her hair is black and smooth, her voice is a little delicate, and her whole person exudes a refreshing energy.

She is very different from ordinary farm girls. She looks like she grew up in the city. She is indeed an educated youth!

He is still small. Standing next to the tall and thin Shen Zhuo, he looks petite and cute, which is particularly lovable.

After Huang Zhihao was surprised, he couldn't help but be envious.

I used to think that Shen Zhuo's beauty was in the eyes of lovers, and he somewhat exaggerated the goodness of his fiancée. Now that I saw it, it was really no exaggeration. No wonder he was so proud when he talked about his fiancée. If he had such a fiancée, he would be so happy every day!

Then he was a little flattered, "Haha, right? In fact, I didn't help much, but Shen Zhuo always brought delicious food to share with me, and it was also thanks to you. Haha, I want to thank you. Where are you!"

Ye Xin couldn't help but lowered her head and smiled, feeling that this Huang Zhihao was really a bit naive.

When Huang Zhihao saw her lowering her head and smiling like this, she looked even more charming and cute, and couldn't help but look at her a few more times. At the same time, he couldn't help but think of his brother. No wonder his brother fell in love with him after just one look. Who wouldn't like such a beautiful girl?

Shen Zhuo frowned secretly and took a step to the side to block Ye Xin from Huang Zhihao. , said: "We are going to eat something, let's go first."

Huang Zhihao finally came back to his senses: "Oh, okay. I'm also hungry and ready to eat some solid food. Do you want to watch this afternoon? Let's go together. Me and a few people in the village We have a good seat in front, so you can come too."

Shen Zhuo refused directly: "No, we are afraid of being crowded, so we will just look outside."

Huang Zhihao felt it was a pity and had to say goodbye and go back. As he walked back, he was thinking to himself, luckily his brother and his parents went to his grandma's house today. Otherwise, wouldn't it be sad to see a man and a woman so intimate with each other? Tsk...

After Huang Zhihao left, Ye Xin reached out to slap Shen Zhuo and glared at him angrily.

Shen Zhuo quickly stepped back and stopped blocking her, but he did not explain. He reached out and touched the heavy bulging cloth bag on his body, and said casually: "Are you hungry? Let's eat some pancakes first. The social opera just happened to be singing. "It's morning, it's lunch time."

Ye Xin didn't bother with him, nodded and said, "I'm hungry." I

had eaten a lot in the morning, walked on the mountain road for more than an hour, and listened to more than one show, and now I'm twelve. It's time for lunch.

In order to continue listening to the opera in the afternoon, many fellow villagers were reluctant to leave and brought their own food and water.

The two of them didn't occupy a good position, so they could just walk away. Shen Zhuo found a place where no one was around, pulled Ye Xin to sit down, took out food and drink from the cloth bag, and ate leisurely.

During this period, Ye Xin noticed the figure of the educated youth team, but pretended not to see it.

At one o'clock in the afternoon, the social opera started again, and Ye Xin took Shen Zhuo to listen with great interest.

Although I don't understand it, the art of this era and local characteristics is really interesting, and it is much more interesting than the monotonous visit to tourist attractions. If she had to listen twice more, she wouldn't have gone so far in vain.

Shen Zhuo stood next to her again, lowering his head and talking to her.

In addition to dramas that resist oppression, such as defeating landlords and warlords, there are also some that praise the heroic spirit of the Red Army and showcase the hard work of farmers. The tunes range from melancholy to light and humorous. In fact, it is quite rich. No wonder so many people come to see it and enjoy it.

It was around four o'clock, and I was planning to go back, but suddenly I heard that there was a movie playing in the town square at six o'clock in the evening, and it was not far from the town. It only took an hour to walk there, so Ye Xin said that she wanted to go to the movie.

Shen Zhuo was a little hesitant: "It started at six o'clock, and it was already eight o'clock when we finished watching. We didn't ride a bike today, and we walked back very late."

Ye Xin was in high spirits, "It doesn't matter, we brought flashlights anyway. Just walk back, there are so many fellow villagers on the road, don't be afraid! It's just for fun during the New Year, it won't hurt if you go back late!"

Shen Zhuo had no choice but to obey her.

So the two of them followed the huge crowd and headed towards the town.

When we arrived in town, it was already dark. Fortunately, the lights in the square are bright, so just follow the light. A white curtain has been erected there, and there are already a crowd of one or two hundred people in front of it, eagerly waiting for the movie to start. Some are chatting, some are eating melon seeds, and there are many People brought their own benches.

I also met an acquaintance here, Dr. Xu, his wife and a pair of children.

After delivering food to each other for half a year last year, the two families have become familiar with each other. Dr. Xu's wife Wu Xiaojie pulled Ye Xin and smiled and said: "Lao Xu brought a lot of food back to eat before. He said that it was delivered by you and it was better than what is sold on the street." Much better. At that time, I thought, what a clever girl to grow such a good vegetable! I have always wanted to meet you and thank you in person, but unfortunately I didn't have the chance to see you now. It really surprised me. Not only is she clever. , and you are so handsome! I have never seen a girl as handsome as you in all the years I have been in this town. Shen Zhuo is so lucky!"

Although Ye Xin's communication skills are usually good, she is still in front of unfamiliar people. A little restrained, the other party praised her so much that she blushed, "You are exaggerating. Auntie just likes to eat those vegetables. Doctor Xu is always in trouble, so thank you very much."

Wu Xiaojie said: "Oh, isn't it? Do you want to put the bicycle away? What's the trouble? You just put it away and don't give me any food. I've already eaten so much for you. How can I be embarrassed?"

Ye Xin was a little overwhelmed by this enthusiastic attitude, and he was unfamiliar with it. She didn't know what to talk about.

Fortunately, the movie started soon after and the pleasantries stopped. Wu Xiaojie also said that they did not have stools and asked the children to go home and get two. The two people quickly refused, saying that they could just look outside and not be able to squeeze in, so they didn't need to sit down.

The movie started, it was the famous "Railway Guerrilla", a classic of the 1950s.

Ye Xin has heard the name of this movie in later generations, but she hasn't actually seen it yet, and she is watching it with gusto now.

After watching the movie, the show ended happily.

The two said goodbye to Dr. Xu's family and walked back.

Sure enough, there were many fellow villagers along the way, some carrying kerosene lamps and some with flashlights. People were still chatting and laughing in groups, and the mountain road at night was no longer scary.

Ye Xin had a lot of fun during the day and was excited for most of the day. Now she was mentally exhausted and couldn't help but yawn while walking on the road.

Shen Zhuo's voice sounded next to him: "Are you sleepy?"

Ye Xin nodded.

Shen Zhuo held her in one hand and held a flashlight in the other. He turned his head and looked before and after, suddenly stopped, knelt down in front of her and said, "Come up, I'll carry you."

Ye Xin was stunned for a moment, then sobered up: "Then you're very tired, there's still a long way to go."

Shen Zhuo said, "I'm not tired, I can carry it."

Ye Xin was moved. She also looked before and after, and when no one was paying attention, she lay on his back, hugged his neck, and said happily: "You have to carry this on my back, not me who is squeezing you!"

Shen Zhuohen With a groan, he slowly stood up with his hands on her legs, feeling that she was light and soft and not heavy at all.

Ye Xin felt a little guilty at first. She glanced at others and found that there were also children who were tired from playing and were carried on their parents' backs. Shen Zhuo walked with his head down and didn't talk to anyone, so maybe no one would notice. I feel relieved.

Shen Zhuo looked thin, but his back was quite strong and he walked steadily. Ye Xin felt solid on his back, and she was really tired from playing, so she gradually fell asleep.

Shen Zhuo heard her steady breathing and knew that she was asleep, and a smile couldn't help but appear on his lips.

Somehow, a feeling of pity and satisfaction arose in my heart. I carried her on my back and walked home step by step on the night road.