Old things in the south of the city: The weather has become much warmer... excerpt

The weather is much warmer, so I have long taken off my cotton-padded jacket. When it gets cold in the morning and evening, I put on a thin cotton vest, which is light and soft. The new cloth shoes I wore had a piece of black leather on the front. Lao Wang’s mother, Xiuzhen’s mother, saw my new shoes and said:

“These shoes are so strong that they broke the threshold of our house. Even your shoes can't be broken!"

I am already familiar with the Hui'an Hall. The door of the hall is always open, so I can sneak in at any time. I said sneaking in, because I always sneaked in behind my family's back. They only knew that I often went to Jingwozi with Song Ma to buy groceries and look for girls. When I saw Song Ma entering the Youyan Store, I Just turn around and come to Hui'an Pavilion.

I entered the Hui'an Pavilion today, but Xiuzhen was not in the room. There is a large glass tank on the Kang table, with several small goldfish swimming around in it. I asked Wang Ma:

"Where is Xiuzhen?"

"Across the courtyard!"

"I'll go find her." I said.

"Don't worry, she will come. You wait here and look at the goldfish!"

I put my nose against the goldfish bowl and looked in, and the goldfish opened its mouth as it swam. They were drinking water one by one, and my mouth couldn't help but imitate the fish drinking water one by one. Sometimes a goldfish swims in front of me, and through a layer of glass, the fish and I are nose-to-nose! I just watched like this, my legs were numb as I knelt on the edge of the kang, but Xiuzhen still didn't come.

I turned my legs over and sat on the edge of the kang. After waiting for a while, I didn’t see Xiuzhen coming. I became anxious and slipped out of the house to look for her in the courtyard. The courtyard seems to have always been closed, and I have never seen anyone go there. I gently opened the door across the courtyard and went in. There was an unknown tree in the small courtyard, which had already grown small green leaves. There were dry fallen leaves on the ground in the corner of the courtyard, some of them rotten. Xiuzhen was probably cleaning, but when I came in, I saw her leaning against the tree trunk with a broom in one hand, and lifting her clothes with the other hand to wipe her eyes. I quietly walked up to her and looked up at her. She may have seen me, but she ignored me. She suddenly turned her back, leaned against the tree trunk and started crying. She said:

"Xiao Guizi, Xiao Guizi, why don't you want to be a mother anymore?" < /p>

That voice is so aggrieved and pitiful! She cried again and said:

"If I didn't take you, how would you know the way? It's far away!"

I remembered that my mother said that we came from far, far away. I came from my hometown, which is an island surrounded by water. We took a big ship and a big train to get to Beijing. I once asked my mother when she would go back. She said it would be early. It would not be easy to come here and I would like to stay for a few more years. So is the far place Xiuzhen mentioned as far away as our island? How could Xiao Guizi run away alone? I felt sad for Xiuzhen, and I also missed Xiao Guizi, whom I didn’t know, and my tears fell. In the blur of tears, I seemed to see the fat baby riding a big goldfish, but he was wearing nothing!

With tears in my eyes, I took a deep breath. In order to prevent myself from crying, I grabbed Xiuzhen’s trouser legs and called her:

“Xiuzhen! Xiuzhen! !”

She stopped crying, squatted down with tears on her face, hugged me, buried her head in my chest and wiped it dry with my jacket and soft vest. I shed her tears, then she looked up at me and smiled. I stretched out my hand to straighten her messy bangs, and couldn't help but say:

"I like you, Xiuzhen." < /p>

Xiu Zhen said nothing, sniffed and stood up. The weather has gotten warmer, so she no longer wears leggings, and now wears a pair of loose-legged pants. Are her legs thin? Why do those pants look so swaying when the wind blows? She was very thin all over. When she squatted down on my chest just now, I saw that her back was flat.

Xiuzhen took my hand and said: "Go inside and help me clean up."

There are only two small rooms in the small courtyard, and the door creaks when opened. A series of sharp sounds from the ugly mouth. The sound was unpleasant, as if there was a thorn piercing the heart. It feels strangely cold to walk into this dark room from the sun. In the outer room, there were neatly arranged desks, chairs, and bookshelves, which were covered with dust. I thought to myself, I should ask our Mother Song to come and dust them, so that the whole house would be covered with dust. Dad often said to Mom, why doesn’t Song’s mother wipe it with a wet cloth? After a while, wouldn’t the dust fall back to its original place? But my mother always asked my father not to talk too much. She said it was a rule in Beijing.

Going into the back room, the room is smaller, with only a bed and a coffee table. There was a suitcase on the bed. Xiuzhen opened the suitcase and took out a large cotton robe. My father also had one, and it belonged to a man. Xiuzhen hugged the big cotton robe to her chest and said to herself: "It's time to add some cotton."

She took the big cotton robe out of the yard to dry it, and I followed her. go. She came in and I followed. She asked her and me to carry the box to the yard to dry in the sun. Inside there were only a pair of gloves, a felt hat and some old underwear. She carefully spread out these pieces of clothing, and picked up a striped patterned gown and said to me:

"I think this gown can only be used as a lining for Xiao Guizi's coat. "

"No," I opened my jacket and showed it to Xiuzhen: "These are also made from my father's old clothes.

”

“You also use your father’s?” How do you know this dress belongs to Xiao Guizi's father? "Xiuzhen asked me with a smile and glare. She looked very happy like that. I was happy when she was happy, but how did I know that this was Xiao Guizi's father's? She asked me a question that I couldn't answer. I tilted my head and smiled. She He teased my chin and asked:

“Say it! "

We were squatting next to the box at this time. I looked at her face very clearly. Her bangs were blown to one side by the wind. She looked like someone, but I couldn't figure it out. I She answered:

“I guessed. "So," I asked her in a low voice, "What do I call Xiao Guizi's father?" "

"Call me uncle! ”

“I already have an uncle. ”

“Isn’t that too much, uncle?” Let's call him Uncle Sikang. He ranks third. You can also call him Uncle San. "Uncle Si Kang," I muttered, "What time will he come home?" "

"It's him," Xiuzhen suddenly stood up, frowning and tilting her head in thought. She thought for a while before saying, "It's almost time." It's been a month since I left. "

As she said that, she walked into the house again, and I followed her in again, doing things here and there, and then followed her out, moving here and there. I was so busy following in and out in this way. Xiuzhen's face looked like this Her face was very pink, and there was dirt on both sides of her nose. There were small beads of sweat on the tip of her nose and on her lips. Her face looked so pretty.

Xiu Zhen wiped her nose with her sleeve. With sweat on his face, he said to me: "Yingzi, will you bring me a basin of water?" The house needs to be wiped clean.

I quickly said: "Yes, yes." ”

The house across the courtyard and the concierge were originally on the same side. There is just one more door across the courtyard. The water tank and basin are placed under the eaves of the concierge. I opened the lid of the water tank and took a spoonful As I was pouring water into the basin, I heard someone in the room talking to Xiuzhen's mother:

"Is this going better, girl?" "

" Alas! Don't mention it, things are going on again. Every year when spring comes, there will be some trouble. These two days are just about crying and laughing, but how good it is! It’s really...”

“The problem with this road is that spring is very bad. "

I brought a basin of water, swayed it repeatedly, and splashed water all over myself. When I got to the house across the courtyard, there was not much left. I put the basin on the chair, and suddenly water floated out of nowhere. The aroma of cooking vegetables reminded me of something, so I said to Xiuzhen:

“I’m going home. ”

Xiu Zhen didn’t hear it and just rummaged through the drawer.

I remembered that after going home after dinner, I had to go to Henghutong to wait for the girl. We had a date yesterday. .

The cold and wet pants stuck to my legs. As soon as I walked in, my mother scolded:

"Just playing in Jingwozi all morning? I thought you fell into the well? Look at all this water! While my mother was changing my clothes, she added, "I want to know which primary school in Beijing is good. It's time to send me to school. I heard that the primary school attached to the Normal University in Changdian is pretty good." "

When my mother said this, I saw that my father had also come back. I got all wet, afraid that my father would beat me and scold me. He was very powerful. I shrank my head and looked at my father, preparing to be beaten. Fortunately, he didn't pay attention. He was smoking a cigarette and reading the newspaper, and said casually: "It's still early, why are you in a hurry. "

"If she is not sent to school, she will run all over the streets and I can't stand her. ”

“I’ll beat you if you don’t obey me!” "Dad's tone seemed to be very fierce, but then he turned around and smiled at me. It turned out that he was scaring me! He then said, "I'll tell her uncle about Yingzi's schooling when he comes. Let him take care of it." ! "

After dinner, I went to Henghutong to pick up Niu'er. The weather was not cold anymore. Niu'er and I went to play in the spare west wing, where there were piles of dismantled stoves and chimneys. Unused tables, chairs and beds. In a broken rattan box, there were several newly hatched chicks that I bought recently. The soft yellow fluff was so fun. Niuer and I squatted and played with the chickens in the box. A little chicken. Watching the chicken peck at the rice, always eating, always eating, why can't it stop!

The chicken is not eating enough, but we have seen enough, so we cover the rattan box and stand. Get up and play something else. Put two coins on a thin rope and hold them in your hands. We play kicking coins. Every time we kick, the two coins hit the upper of the shoe and make a "click" sound. Her waist was twisting and turning, making her look so delicate. We had so much fun this afternoon. If it hadn’t been for Niu’er to start croaking again, we don’t know how long we would have played.

Dad bought it today. A new pen and ink, and a stack of red writing paper. At night, under the kerosene lamp, he taught me to draw and read the words on it first: "Two or three miles away, there are four or five houses in Yancun and six or seven pavilions." , eighty or ninety flowers.

Dad said: "You have to draw one picture a day, and then you can pass the exam when you enter elementary school after the summer vacation." "

In the morning I went to the Hui'an Pavilion to look for Xiuzhen. In the afternoon, Niuer came to see me in the west wing. In the evening, I traced the red letters. This is how I spent these days. Short hairs grew on the yellow hair of the little oil chicken. The short wings arrived. Niuer and I fed the chickens with rice, water and vegetables. Song’s mother said not to burst the belly of the chickens, and she was afraid of being eaten by wild cats, so she used a big stone to press the lid of the rattan box. We are not allowed to open it casually.

When Niuer was playing with me, she would often hum and moan. When she was happy that day, she actually started to twist. She twisted and twisted, singing: "... ...Kai Ai opened the door and met Zhang Xiucai Ai Ai..."

"What are you singing? Is this a bad thing?" I asked

"I sing Huagu. ." Niu'er said.

She was in a good mood and just kept singing and twisting softly, while I looked on dumbfounded. She suddenly said to me: "Come! Follow me and I will teach you." "I can also sing a certain kind of song." Somehow, I thought I should also show my ability. Suddenly I remembered my father once It was a song I sang while chatting with guests. Later, my father taught it to me. My mother also said that it was really not that big or small that my father taught me such a song!

"Then you sing, then you sing." Niuer pushed me, but I was embarrassed to sing. She insisted on me singing, so I had to stutter and sing in Hakka:

"I miss my dear ones, and my dear ones are anxious about them! I miss my dear ones, and my dear ones are my dear ones..."

I haven't finished counting yet, girl. I laughed so much that I burst into tears, and I also started laughing. Those words were really mouth-watering.

"Who taught you this? What does the heart think of the heart, and the heart wants the heart, hahaha! Which country's song is this?" The two of us hugged each other and laughed, talking nonsense about the heart. Yes, I can’t figure out what it means.

We were so happy, talking nonsense, singing nonsense, and playing nonsense. The west wing was our happy nest. I even dreamed about it. Every time Niu'er had enough fun, she would look out the window and suddenly shout: "We have to go back!" After saying that, she ran away, too anxious to say "goodbye".

Suddenly for several days, I couldn’t pick up girls in Henghutong. I was so disappointed and stood there waiting and waiting. I slowly walked towards the well, hoping to meet her, but it was no use. Jingwozi is not so lively in the afternoon, because the water delivery trucks always come in the morning. At this time, only the nearby people push small carts filled with lead buckets to buy water.

I saw Lao Wang, the supervisor, also pushing the cart. He had been here several times. Seeing me standing there, he asked me strangely: "Xiao Yingzi, are you posting here?" What's so stupid?"

I didn't say anything, I know what's in my heart. I said:

"Where is Xiuzhen?" I thought that if I couldn't wait for Niuer, I would go find Xiuzhen, and the courtyard would be tidy. But Lao Wang ignored me. He filled two buckets of water and pushed them away.

When I was hesitating about what to do, suddenly a familiar shadow turned from the entrance of Xicaochang. That was Niuer. How happy I was! I ran up to meet her and shouted: "Niu'er! Niu'er!" She ignored me, as if she didn't recognize me and didn't seem to hear anyone calling her. I was very surprised and followed her, but she gently pushed me away with her hands, frowned and blinked, telling me to go away. I didn’t know what was going on, but there was a tall man a few steps behind her, wearing a blue cloth coat and holding a long dirty cloth bag. The top of the bag was exposed and I saw it was Hu Qin. I think this must be Niuer's father. Niu'er often said things like "I'm afraid of my dad beating me" and "I'm afraid of my dad scolding me." When I saw that, I knew I couldn't talk to Niu'er anymore, so I turned around and walked home, feeling so uncomfortable. I have a fossil in my pocket that can be used to write white characters on bricks. When I take it out, I can't help but draw it along other people's walls, and then draw it on the wall of my house. I thought to myself how boring it would be if I didn’t have a girl to play with!

I was about to call the door when I suddenly heard the sound of someone running in the alley. It turned out to be Niuer's asthma.