When he came to the boy in the gray cloth coat, Gu Xiaomai said in a friendly manner: "Is your mother at home?"
"At home." The boy was stunned for a moment, then saw Gumai limping towards the alley, and then ran ahead.
"Mom, I'm back!" The boy ran into the yard with quick legs and feet.
A woman in her thirties, Black Pearl, was drying clothes in the yard.
Seeing her son running in sweating profusely, the woman said warmly: "Look at you, your face is sweaty. It would be great if you could study with such concentration."
"Mom, I don't like reading."
"Silly boy, how can you do anything if you don't study? If you don't study, there will be no way out in the future."
"What is a way out?"
"The way out is to make money to support my family. When I get old in the future, I will have to rely on you to support me."
The boy muttered: "When I grow up, I want to be a soldier. I can also make money..."
Black Pearl's face turned cold: "Say it again!"
The boy didn't dare to say anything anymore, he lowered his head and twirled his fingers.
Black Pearl looked at her son for a while, then softened her tone and said with a sigh: "Well, when my mother was a child, her family had no money and couldn't afford to study. She often hid outside the private school window and eavesdropped on her husband's lectures. Now she can study for free.
You don’t know how to cherish this opportunity..."
The boy suddenly remembered the purpose of his return and said, "Mother, a guest is here."
"Guest?" Black Pearl turned around and looked at the door of the courtyard in confusion.
Gu Xiaomai walked slowly, and the two women chatted in the yard for a long time before he moved to the alley, stepped into the yard, and called out affectionately: "Sister-in-law."
After all, they haven’t seen each other for five or six years. Gu Xiaomai’s appearance has changed greatly from a boy to a young man. Black Pearl hesitated and said: "You are..."
Gu Maizi said: "You don't recognize me? I am Maizi. I used to come to see you with the boss often."
Black Pearl looked at it for a while and said with a little surprise: "Mai Zi, it's really you... You, why are you here?"
Gu Maimai turned around and took a look, then whispered: "Sister-in-law, it's not convenient to talk here, why don't you go into the house and talk?"
Black Pearl suddenly realized that as Gu Xiaomai, she really had to guard against others, so she quickly walked over and locked the courtyard door.
Entering the house, Gumai looked around and said with emotion: "It's been so long, but the house is still the same. Sister-in-law, you are now..."
"Don't call me sister-in-law!" Black Pearl said with a cold face.
Gumai sighed: "Don't blame the boss. Wanted posters are posted everywhere. He doesn't dare to enter the city. Besides..."
Black Pearl sneered: "Don't dare to enter the city? Has he never entered the city in five or six years? Back then, wanted notices were posted everywhere, and he entered the city at least twice a month. You know this
Yes, why wasn't he afraid at that time?"
"Sister-in-law, you may also know that we are now following the Communist Party. There is discipline in the army, and there is nothing the boss can do about it."
"Yes, he is now a captain, and he may become a senior official in the future. Of course he can't do anything about me, a ruined man."
"Look what you said...Sister-in-law, I heard that you are married, right?"
"How can you live without getting married? You are such a heartless man, I hate him so much!"
"Where is your husband?"
"He's dead. He got typhoid last year and the family didn't have money to treat him..." Black Pearl lowered her head and stretched out her hand to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes.
The boy stood next to Black Pearl, looking at Gumai without blinking.
Gu Maimai lowered his body and said kindly: "What's your name?"
"Safety."
"Good name, safe and sound."
Black Pearl calmed down at this time, glanced at Gu Maizi's cane, and said, "Maizi, what are you doing in the city?"
Gumai smiled bitterly and said: "My leg was broken and there was no doctor in the village, so I had to go to the city."
He glanced at Ping An and said, "Sister-in-law, is this child the boss of the family..."
Black Pearl's face turned red: "What nonsense are you talking about? Ping An is my husband's child."
Gumai didn't ask any more questions. He took out the large roll of banknotes from his pocket, put it gently on the table, and said, "Put this money away."
He had been poor for too long, and when he suddenly saw so much money, Black Pearl couldn't help but feel a little excited and said, "Maizi, what does this mean?"
Gu Xiaomai said: "The boss knows that you are living a hard life. He said that he will send someone to send you money every month from now on. Sister-in-law, the boss often talks about you..."
Looking at the banknotes on the table, Black Pearl was silent for a moment, tears quietly slipped down her cheeks, and she choked and said: "Maizi, is he...is he okay?"
"Well, if it weren't for the strict control of the political commissar, he would have come to the city to see you."
"You go back and tell him that there is no need to give me money. I don't make much now, and we won't starve to death. Ask him to pay more attention to his health, and..."
"Sister-in-law, how can I remember so many words... How about you write a letter to the boss?"
"Write a letter? Can he read?"
"Over the years, the political commissar has taught him how to read newspapers without any problem."
Black Pearl has a lot of things in her heart that she wants to tell Cao Yunfei, including the ups and downs she has experienced, the ups and downs, the bitterness, the sweetness, and the ups and downs. Some private contents cannot be known to outsiders.
She stood up and said, "Maizi, please sit down for a while and I'll write a letter."
"Okay." Gumai agreed.
Black Pearl entered the back room, and Ping An also ran in and said, "Mom, there is a pencil in my schoolbag!"
About half an hour later, Black Pearl came out with tears on her face, holding a homemade envelope, and said, "Maizi, are you in a hurry?"
Gumai said with a smile: "Don't worry, you can write slowly, I have nothing to do anyway."
"It's written. Maizi, you must hand this letter over to him personally." Black Pearl instructed worriedly.
"Don't worry, I'll let the boss open this letter with his own hands."
"That's best."
"Sister-in-law, when I come here, the boss said, can I take a photo of you back?"
"Why do you want a photo?"
"He said that even if we don't see each other again, we can still miss him."
"I can't believe that a normally careless man could have such thoughts..."
It is impossible for ordinary people to have the luxury to take photos frequently. Black Pearl only went to the photo studio to take a few photos when she got married and when her child was one year old.
These photos were mounted in frames. Gumai saw it as soon as he entered the door. He stood up and pointed at one of the photos of mother and son and said, "Just this one. Knowing that you have a child, the boss will be happy for you."
Black Pearl thought for a while, reached out and took off the frame from the wall, took out the photo, and said: "This is a photo taken at Meihua Photo Studio when Ping An was one year old. Alas, Ping An's father was still alive at that time...