I wrote about my uncle and aunt before, and I also wrote about his second cousin. Why didn't you just write Gangzi at that time? I forgot!
By the way, let me introduce you first. Gangzi is the eldest son of my great uncle, about ten years older than me. It is estimated that he is about sixty years old now.
What can such a fellow villager write? Hey! Don't tell me, I combed it carefully for a few minutes before going to bed last night, and felt that there was really something to write, although what I knew was fragmentary and incomplete. ...
In my memory of my childhood voice, there is an indelible call: "Gangzi, go home for dinner!" " Gangzi, go home for dinner! "By the way, this is my aunt's soprano, which often rings when the smoke is curling! My aunt's loud voice didn't become a famous national singer, but she was born in the wrong era! At that time, there were no talent shows and talent scouts, otherwise she would have been famous!
The northeast countryside where I lived was in a ditch between two low mountains. My aunt's house is almost in the middle of the village, and her voice is "Gangzi! Eat! " You can hear it in almost every corner of the village!
When I was five years old, I thought, is this gangzi too wild? Do I have to shout it back before every meal?
Perhaps, my memory of Gangzi is not his simple appearance, but before menstruation cried.
In fact, when I went to elementary school and got a more comprehensive understanding of Gangzi, I began to call him Big Brother politely. Why? More selfish, I am looking for a kind of protection!
I don't have a brother, only a sister who is three years younger than me. My father married my grandfather's village for historical reasons. Therefore, only my father, my sister and I are surnamed Zhao in this village, with Gao, Li, Xu and Wang as the main surnames. And when my grandfather was alive, maybe everyone in the village called the head of this family by his name. At that time, I was young and didn't have any research, but I guess so!
My grandfather has no son. He must get "mail" from his four daughters!
Where's my dad? He is a middle school teacher! Be a teacher and demonstrate all your life. Quite respected by local people, they naturally won't "protect" me.
Do you think how wronged my childhood should be in that isolated and remote village? In addition, when I was a child, I was inexplicably anorexia. I am thin and small. I said I was a sick cat, and I should be a hungry mouse. Little boys older than me always bully me, either kicking me or pulling me and giving me nicknames! That nickname that made me feel insulted almost accompanied my whole childhood, which made me feel extremely angry and helpless! Even the girls in my primary school class bully me and often smile and watch me on duty. Or, he chased me with a broom.
Why am I writing this? Nothing but bad memories. I don't forget that there will be shadows besides sadness. Even so, there is hope! Later, when I asked my mother, I realized that she and my great uncle belonged to the same grandfather! In other words, Brother Gangzi and I have one sixteenth of the same blood in our bodies. My mother and my aunt kindly called me "brother" at that time. So, I also think my uncle is a relative in my memory. Then, of course, Gangzi is the "big brother".
Later, another child bullied me, and I would say loudly, Gangzi is my big brother!
Don't say that sometimes, it really works! Maybe some children don't know which one is Gangzi. However, almost every day before dinner, my aunt would say, "Gangzi, go home for dinner!" " "Like a bolt from the blue. Now it's like some kind of TV commercial. It explodes in your ear every day. From that high note, you naturally feel that Gangzi is a tall and powerful person!
In fact, Gangzi himself is really not short. Mainly because he is strong. Broad shoulders, huge head, Daniel's yellow eyes and a big mouth like a catfish. Familiarity is not terrible, but others look at it coldly and are really a little scared.
Brother Gangzi has a little stubborn temper. I guess he seems to belong to an ox. Ten horses can't pull back what he is sure of. However, he usually doesn't lose his temper.
I really wanted to play around him when I was a child. However, he didn't take me seriously at that time! Perhaps, no one dares to bully him, a strong young man. He won't understand my timid mood!
So I sneaked around not far from him. He should do whatever he wants and maybe ignore my existence. However, in me, more is peace of mind and security.
Brother Gangzi has great strength and does not hesitate to work. People are also real. Everyone in the village is required to do any rough and hard work. He never refuses, as if he were not born to refuse.
I often see him alone, carrying a big sack of 200 kg of corn on his shoulders with two arms, and then carrying it to the mill a mile away in one breath. He went to love sweating as soon as he got to work. I can always see his tattered shirt sticking to his body, revealing his strong back.
At that time, all my family did was heavy manual labor, digging wells, building walls, supporting billets, transporting coal, or harvesting potatoes in autumn, bagging them and carrying them home from the ground, and so on. My mother asked me to find brother Gangzi. Yes, every time he loses his job, he will come to my house to help.
Brother Gangzi is my dad's student besides calling him "fourth uncle". Although he may not have studied in junior high school, he must have been afraid of my father when he was a student. When he was studying, my father's junior high school and primary school were not separated. My father is very strict with his relatives' children, which is known to all my relatives. Even my second aunt's naughty third brother drew a big tree behind the paper during the physics exam, and he always hid or pretended to squint when he saw my father.
Father said more than once that Gangzi is not the material to learn! Maybe, the so-called destiny takes a hand, that's all? You can't force what you can't do. Perhaps, there is always something suitable for you to do.
Brother Gangzi's strength is playing a role! I can say without exaggeration that no one in our village is more capable than him-I mean doing farm work!
Why don't you do farm work? Won't cultivators fail to do farm work well? -This is what I often hear from Brother Gangzi.
So, he positioned himself as a good cultivator! This is what he asked of himself!
I wrote a novel "Second Brother", which was about his second brother. It seems that his second brother and he were not brought up in the same family. His second brother is lazy, greedy and loves gambling. This makes brother Gangzi very angry. For this reason, the second brother that my uncle couldn't control was cleaned up by Brother Gangzi before getting married. Beat and scold, but it always grinds people. It was not until later that she got married late and twice that the woman was polite and smooth! That's another story.
Brother Gangzi has always wanted to change the fate of his family through his own efforts. In fact, to put it bluntly, it means working harder and making more money!
Big JIU has three sons and a daughter, and she was hard up in her early years! I remember my aunt shouting poverty every day. His family can't change new clothes for their children during the Spring Festival. On New Year's Day, when I visited my aunt, I saw that I had put on new clothes. My aunt said sadly, my child can't afford to change!
My mother told my aunt more than once, sister-in-law, don't cry poverty every day, your good luck is gone!
However, my aunt is always sighing, and the wrinkles on her face have been like earthworm parties since I can remember.
Perhaps, it is such a poor family that makes Brother Gangzi sensible too early. He dropped out of school early. Help the family.
Farm work is annoying to me! However, for brother Gangzi, that's really not a thing! He mastered everything at a young age. From the spring breeze to the snow in winter, there is nothing he can't or can't do! Especially in the hard and dirty work, the more energetic he is!
In this respect, my father gave him a high evaluation and often taught me to take out my eldest brother's hard work and use it in my study. Why can't you pass the college entrance examination? !
I secretly said to myself, hum! Look at his stupidity! I work nonstop every day, dirty as a donkey!
However, what's wrong with being stupid? Maybe someone likes that he can work!
That's the truth. Brother Gangzi got married before he was twenty! Although it is well known that the economic conditions of the uncle's family are poor! However, the cleverest girl in Shiliba Village still has a crush on Gangzi.
Later, I asked my sister-in-law: How can a smart person like me?
Sister-in-law said openly that she took a fancy to your eldest brother's practicality and ability, and he had no bad habits! Did you see his ugliness?
Ha ha! This eldest sister-in-law is a smart person! She knows that she will be the queen of the family in the future, and she can drive her eldest brother to do the most capable coolie! As long as you are willing to work, is there any reason not to be rich? !
Sure enough, they separated soon after they got married! At first, they lived in the uncle's west room with three mud houses. Brother Gangzi works at home when he is busy with farming, and works in a winery in his spare time.
On the first day of that year, when Brother Gangzi paid a New Year call to my mother, he said that he was the most tired in the winery, turning over distiller's grains. I don't know what kind of labor it is. Just now, I heard from Brother Gangzi that this job is too heavy for ordinary people to handle! He was too tired to stand up, so he went to pick up the wine to drink. It is said that the degree is very high! He said, that's when I drink!
Later, when the winery was poorly managed, he went to work in a brick factory. Brick factories don't have brisk jobs, but can you still dare not make money?
Once, he accidentally knocked over the wheelbarrow pushing bricks and hurt his calf. He must rest. However, he can't stay until he recovers. Go to the county town one hundred miles away to resell the twist.
Yes! There weren't so many grocery stores in the village at that time. He rode a bicycle and tied two big flower baskets on the shelf. Early in the morning, before dawn, I started from home, rode for more than three hours, bought 200 twists in the county town, sold them at a price of 20 cents 15 1 each, and then walked all the way back around the village. It was basically sold out when I got home at dark.
Once, he told my mother that one day, he worked late the day before and left in a hurry in the morning, forgetting to bring his lunch box. By noon, I'm starving! However, in order to save money, he was reluctant to take out a twist to eat. When he was on the hillside of the second horse rack, he was a little hungry and fainted. He actually rode his bike from the left and planted it from the right.
Brother Gangzi said, in this way, he didn't eat a twist of 15 cents, drank saliva, sat for 20 minutes, and hit the road again!
My mother taught him a lesson at that time. Later, when I relayed it to you, I lamented that your eldest brother really hated his family and gave up his life for money!
Many years later, I heard with my own ears that when he was living a good life, he once let go of his belly and ate a twist, but he ate twelve at a time! It seems to be revenge for throwing a bicycle.
Now think about it, when I was young, Brother Gangzi was a little silly and cute, right?
It is because of that momentum and energy that there is still a little bit of tiger spirit and stupidity. Sister-in-law bet right! In the early 1990s, Brother Gangzi bought the old house in my aunt's east yard, tore it down and renovated it, and built four big brick houses. At that time, the floor was paved with tiles, the windows were made of plastic steel, and the design of separating the kitchen from the bedroom was the most advanced!
We are all happy for him! Especially when I see aunt's rare smiling face.
When I first entered junior high school, my eldest son was born, which was a big deal. Because it is my uncle's eldest grandson, it is equivalent to adding another generation. Relatives and friends congratulated him, as if they were more enthusiastic than when he got married.
If I remember correctly, my mother named my eldest son. After all, my mother is very respected among my grandfather's relatives! The child's name is "Wen Bin". Maybe what my mother means is that she wants her children to be both literate and talented!
But the fact is a little beyond my mother's expectation, and the children don't know how to educate my brother and his wife, which is not ideal anyway.
Of course, now I am also the parent of a senior three student. Every family has a model of educating their children. There is no fixed standard. We are all parents for the first time. Are groping for an educational method suitable for their children.
Here, I don't mean to criticize brother Gangzi, I just tell his facts.
Speaking of which, I want to have an episode first. Even Brother Lian Gang has a third brother, one year younger than me. I also call him third brother. We grew up together as children. Although he is obviously taller than me and does not call me brother, he is still greatly influenced by me.
Besides the influence of my parents being teachers, my second aunt's eldest cousin also gave me great guidance. He told us from an early age that we should have ideals, go out of the ravine and see the outside world. So, at that time, we planted seeds in young hearts to get rid of the black land and go further. I also began to look for different books and materials, began to get to know pen pals in the south, and began to learn to write poems and contribute.
Of course, culture classes are also forced or forced to study hard.
Originally, my uncle and aunt didn't want their four children to change their fate through study. However, after I went to junior high school, I became closer to my third brother and went to school with me almost every morning. There are eight miles on the road, and I will tell him some of the great truths I have learned, as well as the contents of my communication with a pen pal in Shenzhen who was admitted to Xiamen University later, which indirectly inspired and enlightened his thoughts. In fact, my third brother is not very bright-headed, dull and taciturn. The written statement is that his IQ is not high. You're welcome to say, influenced by me, I think I'm going to take a different road from his brother, so I really study hard. My aunt said that the third child didn't take off his clothes at night and didn't read until twelve o'clock! At that time, in order to save electricity or candles, our country got dark early in winter and went to bed after five o'clock. Third brother, tired, washed his face with cold water, and then studied hard. Provoked my great-uncle to scold him. Of course, I have also heard Brother Gangzi's complaint: What can I read when reading?
Later, the third brother worked hard, but he still didn't get into the secondary school. The nearest one is only lower than the admission line 1.5 points. That's a real pity. At that time, he didn't take the senior high school entrance examination, because my uncle didn't agree with him and said it would cost money! If he goes to high school like me, he will also enter the university! Maybe it's another life!
Later, he learned to be a chef, went to the provincial capital to work, broadened his horizons, started a cosmetics business after marriage, made a fortune, and gave back great filial piety to his aunt and uncle. His children were admitted to a good university last year, that's another story.
Back to the last article, brother Gangzi visited his third brother and studied hard. He was very angry that he didn't get into the technical secondary school. He said that it is impossible to resume classes year after year, but don't delay weeding and fertilization!
Therefore, after he had his own child Wen Bin, he really didn't urge his children to study, say, eat and play! Grow a good physique and help, why not make money!
Giving birth to a child is not long, and time is the most ruthless.
I don't think his child Wen Bin grew up in the countryside for several years.
After work, when I go back to the old village every year, it will be the Spring Festival.
We will also meet in the afternoon of New Year's Eve to go to the grave. My grandfather's father and Gangzi's grandfather's father are the same person, and we will sigh the passage of time and the vicissitudes of time in the same cemetery.
His eldest son has grown into a big boy half a head taller than him! I said, brother Gangzi, you have achieved so much. The eldest son can go to the grave instead of you. You can stop coming in the future.
He smiled happily and said, Dabin is a child, and I will go to grandpa's grave at any time.
Dabin's children are like descendants of royalty, white, fat and tender. Of course, as you think, if you don't study well, you won't learn early. However, he is not as capable as my brother Gangzi. Brother Gangzi and sister-in-law have finished their work, leaving only a lazy fat son!
Wen Bin wanders around the village every day, worse than his second uncle!
However, God is really fair. My sister Wen Ruo is two years younger than Wen Bin. She likes studying. Brother Gangzi always shouts to his daughter who is doing homework on the edge of the kang: You feed the chickens for me, and the pigs will go into the circle to sweep the yard.
Wen Ruo obedient slip away, she returned to the study. Brother Gangzi asked her to make soy sauce, pick green beans, cook porridge and peel garlic. ...
Wen Ruo went on working and came back to read. Brother Gangzi said: A girl movie, what to learn! Why don't you learn to sew pants from your mother?
Wen Ruo doesn't talk most of the time. When he is really anxious, he will say: Fourth Aunt wants me to study hard!
When she said Gu Si milk, she meant my mother. Brother Gangzi stopped talking! Sighed and said, didn't your uncle learn that and not go out? Hum!
Wen Ruo always studies well! In the senior high school entrance examination, I was admitted to County No.1 Middle School. It is said that my brother just disapproved of her going to high school at first, and then my mother reluctantly agreed to "confess."
If Wen is a very sensible child, he is a teacher-centered student in University 8. Can be free of tuition! After graduation, I stayed at school and became a sign language teacher.
One summer vacation, my cousin Guo Xin and I visited Wen Ruo at Gangzi's brother's house. The girl is graceful and the water is as beautiful as a lotus. Shyness reveals the simplicity of peasant children without losing the vitality and wisdom of college students. I asked: Is your dad happy enough to soak? She smiled and said with a little pride, how happy my father is not to see him because he prefers boys to girls! However, you two uncles were my role models when I was a child!
That time, I didn't meet Brother Gangzi at home. I heard that he went to the city to be a fireman. Otherwise, I must ask him face to face: Why not train my daughter to go to a better university?
However, that day, I met my eldest sister-in-law, and she asked us to pick the reddest tomatoes and the tenderest cucumbers in the garden. My sister-in-law is obviously old, with her hair pulled back, a bit like my period. I think she is still smoking a thick leaf cigarette, and her front teeth are blackened. I remember when I was at school, I always came to my house to tear up my finished exercise books and make cigarette paper. I asked, sister-in-law: You are qualified now! Living in a big house, two big men in the family can make money! My daughter is going to work soon. Why do you still smoke this kind of cigarette?
Sister-in-law gave a wry smile and said with a sigh, don't you know how expensive it is to marry a daughter-in-law in the countryside now? Do you think that when I got married, your aunt didn't take out a few "eldest sons"? Not now, even the bride price will cost hundreds of thousands! Not counting furniture or anything. Your brother and I have not been allowed to tighten our belts for years.
At that time, a neighbor passed by and just listened, joking with her sister-in-law, when did you get married? At that time, everyone was poor and didn't call you "mom" without giving you a bride price?
It's a pity. Sister-in-law is really good and filial, and she has helped her uncle's family a lot. But I just don't know why. On the wedding day, I just didn't change my name and called my aunt "Mom". As a result, I can't call it out in the future, because it has become the laughing stock of the village neighbors.
Sister-in-law may be used to it, and she's not bothered. Instead, throw a big persimmon and say, shut the fuck up!
Later, I asked my mother about it, and my mother said that their family was traditional, and your aunt didn't care if my fifth aunt (my uncle's mother) called me mom! Your aunt's daughter doesn't care whether her mother-in-law calls her mother or not. Later, Dabin got married, and his daughter-in-law didn't care if your sister-in-law called mom! Hey! This is a stalk!
Ha ha! This thing, a name, has also infected three generations! It is also rare!
Later, when my parents came to the city, I went back to the old village less often.
The last time I went back to my hometown was the summer before last, and the topic was a bit heavy. Old three called me and said your uncle was "old"! I'm humping my head! Tell him: I must go back to see my uncle off for the last time.
I drove back alone and didn't tell my mother, for fear that she wouldn't be able to accept it for a while and would be very sad! Infiltrate with her slowly in the future!
It's not far to go back to China, 100 kilometers, and all I think about along the way are the stories of my childhood.
That night, I gave my uncle a vigil, burned paper money and cried. I suddenly feel that this man who is grandpa with my mother has always been so close in my heart! Fragments of life from small to large floated in my mind like movies. ...
The next day, I went to the cemetery with my coffin and all my blind date. Big JIU didn't go back to grandpa's ancestral grave, but was buried in the cornfield in the west hill of Gangzi's home.
Because it rained the day before yesterday, the roads in the village were very muddy. It's more than a kilometer to Xishan. The original plan to use 24 or 32 people to carry the coffin can only fail. The third hired a big hook machine and drove the coffin to the cemetery. I saw brother Gangzi unusually lonely and his eyes were red.
I went to comfort him, and he held back his tears and said to me, Brother! I'm so sad! Do you know that?/You know what? Do you know that?/You know what? As far as all the old people who died in our village are concerned, there is not one who was not buried by me! I made most of the lever heads. I'm just thinking that one day, your uncle is "old". When I shout, the most people will help me lift Shoumu. However, the sky is not what people want! It's too difficult for people to carry this road! But I really don't want to use the hook machine.
Brother Gangzi can't go on. He didn't look away. I saw his shoulders shaking! At that moment, I suddenly felt that his back was not as wide and thick as before!
This shocked me very much! Suddenly I feel that a clown's heart is actually soft and deep!
I haven't been back to the countryside for more than a year. However, when I was chatting with my mother, I talked about Gangzi many times. Let me summarize the information my mother got from her relatives in her hometown on the phone. The following story goes like this-
After several years of marriage, Dabin divorced because he couldn't save money by working in the city. Because he worked during the day, drank and gambled at night, and went to the game hall, he often went home in debt during the Spring Festival! Brother Gangzi and sister-in-law secretly give him money to plug the hole every year.
However, the young daughter-in-law will not do it! Looking at the unrepentant and irresponsible Dabin, he filed a lawsuit for divorce. A handsome boy left it to his eldest sister-in-law In my mother's words, your big brother and his wife! It is equal to another child!
It's nice to have only one daughter! Married a good civil servant in another city four years ago! A small family is called happiness! But two years ago, just after giving birth to a child less than one year old, Wen Ruo's husband suddenly got a serious illness. Died in less than half a year!
What a blow!
No way, brother Gangzi and sister-in-law can only take Dabin's children to Wen Ruo. Sister-in-law is responsible for taking care of Wen Ruo's children, and brother Gangzi is responsible for sending his grandson to and from school.
Every time I talk about the recent situation of brother Gangzi, my mother sighs. The latest news is that Wen Ruo's mother-in-law seems to be interested in evicting Wen Re and her daughter from other people's houses.
Mom said, how can this be done?
How? Every family has difficult songs to sing, and life is still going on. Take your time!
I chatted with my aunt on the phone the day before yesterday, and we had a lively chat. My aunt said that your brother just came!
Their two families have already lived in the east and west courtyards. I said, let me answer the phone.
I want to pay a New Year call to him! Brother Gangzi giggled and said, Give my fourth aunt a Happy New Year, too!
I asked him how he was doing. He said it was good! Now I want to open it! Can live!
Later, my aunt told me: Your brother and sister-in-law have been through so much, and they really know how to live. In the past, they could earn a dime! Especially when I was just a brother, I had to eat bean buns on the second day of the Lunar New Year, saying that I only had a full stomach of coarse grains, so I couldn't stand eating meat buns!
Now, Brother Gangzi drinks two or two liquors every meal. My cheeks are red every day! Sister-in-law also smokes thin cigarettes, so she doesn't feel that she has no spirit! Also joined the village yangko team! Said it was twisted. It's good!
Ha ha! I laughed at my aunt's words. But there always seems to be a thread hanging in my heart, and I don't know why.
Why?