The Little Widower (farming)

2

Chen Qing's mind was empty. He only had one thought now, which was to support his mother. Her mother was a very face-conscious person, and she definitely didn't want others to see her hysterical and rolling side.

He forced himself to calm down and held Aunt Sun's hand tightly: "Mom, Mom, please calm down. Let's ask about the situation first. Ask about the situation first."

Aunt Sun squeezed Chen Qing's hand tightly, and the two of them walked together. He walked up to the person who brought the message and looked like a manager.

Chen Qing is usually taciturn in the village. He has a dull temper and won't talk to anyone if he can. But like this today, his mother's mood is already on the verge of collapse, and he can only speak on his own.

"Excuse me, what's going on with Meng Tao in Luohe Village?" Chen Qing's voice was a little shaky, as if he was shaking.

"Oh, I'm looking for you." The steward held a page of booklet in his hand, made a mark on it, and then read: "Meng Tao of Luohe Village died in the battle of Gupingguan in the 12th year of Zhaohua. The imperial court A pension of ten taels is granted, which one of you will make a fingerprint?"

The steward had already taken out a money bag from his arms, and there was a silver corner in it, which was exactly ten taels. Both Chen Qing and Aunt Sun were in front of them. I don't want to pick up the money.

"Hurry up, I'm still busy." Seeing that they didn't come to pick him up, the person in charge wanted to drag Chen Qing to make handprints. Just when he was about to put his hand on Chen Qing's arm, he was stopped by a person. Come down.

"I'll take care of it." Zhou Yuan looked at the two people who were stunned and sighed.

The steward was so happy that someone took over the mess. He cursed a few words and ran away to drink tea. Zhou Yuan held out the ten taels of silver that weighed as much as a thousand catties and stretched forward.

"Sorry."

Chen Qing didn't want to pick it up. When he looked up and saw the man, he immediately lowered his head. Aunt Sun on the side looked at the money bag that her son had exchanged for his life. She couldn't hold it anymore and fainted. past.

Chen Qing supported Aunt Sun with one hand and took the money bag tremblingly with the other hand. He carried Aunt Sun on his back and followed Zhou Yuan's guidance, pressing his own button on the notebook. of handprints.

With ten taels of silver in their arms and the overly sad Aunt Sun on her back, they were surrounded by the sounds of tears of joy at their reunion. They were the only two of them, and they were incompatible with all the excitement.

Zhou Yuan looked at their backs, with such a thin body supporting his mother, and he didn't know how sad their future life would be.

Then they walked to the people from the government who came with them. The master happened to be looking for him. After seeing him, he quickly took him to the head of Luohe Village.

"Village chief, this is Zhou Yuan. He has made meritorious deeds on the battlefield. There is no one in his hometown. The court arranged for him to settle in the village and gave him a homestead and five acres of fertile land."

The village chief had known this for a long time . This happened, so it was not unexpected. I had chosen the location of Zhou Yuan's homestead before, and had taken care of the vacant farmland, waiting for him to come.

Zhou Yuan thanked the village chief. He didn't want to stay in such an atmosphere for a long time. He told the master that he was going to the town to find a craftsman. After all, he was still living in the inn in the town. It was right to repair the house first. thing.

The excitement in the village was incompatible with Chen Qing's family. Of the dozen or so people who went together, only Meng Tao did not come back.

Chen Qing put his mother on the bed with the ten taels of pension in his arms. Chen Qing felt that it was not only ten taels of silver, but also his mother's hope for the rest of her life.

Chen Qing looked to see if she would wake up soon, put the money bag on her pillow, and went to work outside again. In fact, he had already finished the work in the yard. He was just repeating it, which was meaningless. Action to fill the emptiness in your heart.

His impression of Meng Tao only existed in other people's mouths. Just today, he thought Meng Tao was going to materialize, but he didn't expect that he had recognized the wrong person.

Thinking of what he had done today, Chen Qing was so ashamed that he wanted to bury himself. When his mother was so uncomfortable, he was actually... in...

He felt unbearable even thinking about it now, so he froze I pinched myself, let go of the broom in my hand, and sat weakly at the door. The sun was rising and gradually setting in the west. Aunt Sun in the room had no intention of waking up. The rice prepared by Chen Qing was cold. Hot, hot and cold again.

When it was completely dark, Chen Qing walked to Aunt Sun's room with an oil lamp.

"Mom."

There was no movement from the person on the bed. She looked the same as she did at noon, and she still looks the same now.

"Mom, get up, let's have something to eat."

Chen Qing put the oil lamp on the bedside, brought in the porridge he had cooked during the day, and looked at Aunt Sun on the bed.

Aunt Sun remained motionless.

"Mom, life has to go on." Chen Qing sat beside the bed. "From now on, we will be just like before..."

Before he could finish his words, Aunt Sun sat up and opened the bowl brought by Chen Qing. , the porridge inside was spread all over the floor.

Chen Qing knew that she was feeling uncomfortable, and there was no light in her eyes. Chen Qing held her hand and said, "Mom, we still have to live our lives."

Aunt Sun couldn't help it anymore and burst into tears: " Why is it that everyone has come back, but Taozi has not come back?"

"Why is God so cruel! I lost my husband in middle age, and now I have to give birth to a man with gray hair!"

"I have no hope now, nothing. No more!"

She no longer looked as calm as before. She went hysterical and smashed everything in the house. However, she couldn't let go of the anger she was holding in her heart, leaving the house in a mess. , she started crying again.

Chen Qing stood in the room and accompanied her quietly.

After a while, Aunt Sun stood up and smoothed her hair on her forehead. She saw the purse on the bed. She stood up, opened the purse, and took Chen Qing's hand: "You are married to the family, Tao." You have never seen my face, and I have suffered for the past five years."

She took out all the money from her purse and said, "You are a good boy, and you are still young." Chen Qing was only sixteen years old when he came here. Five years have passed and he is still only twenty-one.

"I've delayed you for five years. I don't have much money, but with these ten taels of silver, you should be able to find a good place, whether it's remarrying or starting your own business..."

Chen Qing returned the money to her: "Mom, what are you talking about? I have married into the Meng family. Are you going to kick me out of the house now?"

Aunt Sun seemed to have aged ten years overnight: "You have never met Tao Zi. After a while, this marriage does not count."

Chen Qing shook his head: "No, mother, we are married, and we have a marriage certificate."

His words reminded Aunt Sun: "Yes, there is a marriage certificate. I have to go to the village chief's house to cancel the marriage contract for you..."

As she said that, she wanted to go out, but Chen Qing held her tightly. Aunt Sun was in an abnormal mood now. What she said and did was exactly after the confession. Well, she is still thinking about settling down Chen Qing.

After struggling, Aunt Sun lost her strength. She cried, and so did Chen Qing.

Weeping about their sad past and their unseen future.

Seeing that Aunt Sun's mood had stabilized a bit, Chen Qing finished cleaning the mess in the house, made a simple noodle soup, took out an egg, and steamed egg custard for Aunt Sun.

Chen Qing stared at Aunt Sun earnestly. Under the dim light of the oil lamp, he watched her eat the porridge and egg custard, and then he felt truly relieved.

Chen Qing did not dare to go back to the house to sleep at night. He stood guard at Aunt Sun's door and dozed off time and time again, fearing that Aunt Sun would do something stupid when he was fast asleep.

Early the next morning, Aunt Sun got up from bed, opened the door, and looked at Chen Qing, who was curled up and sleeping at the door. She felt sour in her heart, and squatted down to look at Chen Qing's still childish face.

She remembered that day in the town, she happened to meet Ren Yazi. The first thing she saw was Chen Qing. He had a tender little face. When people were watching, his head almost dropped to the ground. People around him said Chen Qing was not worth three taels of silver, but she still took Chen Qing home.

In the past five years, the two of them have been dependent on each other, and she has long regarded Chen Qing as her own child.

Are you sleeping here and keeping watch, are you afraid that she will do something stupid at night? What a stupid kid. If he really died, what would Chen Qing do? He is not from this village, and now he is a widower. How will he live without himself?

Aunt Sun gently touched Chen Qing's head. Chen Qing suddenly woke up. He was still in shock and saw Aunt Sun squatting next to him.

Chen Qing got up immediately, but his legs had been bent all night, and now he was completely unconscious.

Aunt Sun supported him: "Go and rest, I'll make breakfast."

"Mom..." Chen Qing looked at her, not daring to let her leave his sight.

Aunt Sun patted his hand. She was still choked when she spoke: "Don't worry about me, you go and have a sleep. Tomorrow we will go to the neighboring village to find a banquet maker. We have to make Tao Zi live in glory." Buried."

Chen Qing nodded and returned to his room, holding on to the wall.

He couldn't sleep at all. He looked around this room. It was the place where Meng Tao lived in the past. After Chen Qing came, a lot of things were added.

He made the bamboo curtains by himself. The original fresh green bamboo has now turned a dry yellow. The bed is as clean and tidy as new, with not a single wrinkle on the sheets. You can see the hard work of the owner.

There is a large camphor wood wardrobe on the right side of the room, divided into two compartments. The inner compartment and a large part of the outside are filled with Meng Tao's clothes and other things, leaving only a little open space. There were some Chen Qing's underwear and some winter coats.

There is a box on the partition above the bed, which Aunt Sun packed for them when they got married. There are some clothes that Chen Qing will wear in the near future, as well as some needlework. In the winter, when Chen Qing does not have to plant crops, Chen Qing also I can embroider some handkerchiefs and go to town to exchange for pocket money.

Chen Qing rubbed his numb legs and watched Aunt Sun lift the bamboo curtain and come in and cook him a poached egg.

Chen Qing looked at the poached eggs in the bowl and widened his eyes: "Mom, what are you doing?"

Aunt Sun pulled her lips and smiled: "We orphans and widowed mothers don't need to be so frugal anymore. We can live a good life." Days are more important than anything else."

Chen Qing ate the poached eggs under Aunt Sun's loving eyes. Aunt Sun collected the bowl and said, "Did you choose the seeds yesterday?"

Chen Qing nodded.

"I'll go up the mountain and plant the seeds in a while." Aunt Sun said, "You have a nap at home first, and come back when you wake up."

Chen Qing was a little unresponsive for a while, and he didn't expect his mother to be so fast. He just got over the pain of losing his son. He didn't dare to let his mother go out alone: ​​"Then let's go now?"

Aunt Sun couldn't persuade him, so she had to go with him in the end. They still carried their backpacks and buckets and headed up the mountain.

When passing by the homes of several families in the village, they could still hear the lively voices inside. It was the people who had returned from the battlefield talking to their families about the dangers and sufferings.

Chen Qing turned back to look at Aunt Sun, who just lowered her head and walked faster.

The two of them worked very neatly, and within a short time they had planted all the seeds in the land. Because it was a mountainous area, there had been no rain in the past few days, so Chen Qing and Aunt Sun carried water from the Luo River. I went up the mountain and watered all the seeds I planted.

The people on the mountain are working hard, but the people at the foot of the mountain are beaming with joy.

Zhou Yuan found a craftsman to help him draw the house plan and planned to start repairing the house in the near future. The village chief hesitated in front of him. Zhou Yuan naturally knew what he meant. He only said that he could find someone in the village to help. Guan Yi A meal and a daily reward of 20 cents.

After discussing these matters, Zhou Yuan was preparing to return to the town from the village. From a distance, he saw the mother-in-law from yesterday carrying water and heading up the mountain.

The husband, so small, was able to walk steadily on the winding path while carrying water.

He watched for a while, until he could no longer see the figure, and then left the village without looking back.