My grandma’s house still looks like what I remember, with high red brick walls that are much higher than the walls in their yard.
The door is still made of wood and has turned black, which is due to the erosion of time.
A large open space was created outside the wall. My grandfather used to feed cattle here and use it as a simple cattle pen. However, the old couple are now older and cannot move anymore. The cattle have been sold, and this place has become a new place.
was leveled.
It was quite cheap, so Xia Zekai put it in his car.
After Xia Zejiang got off the car from the back, he immediately ran towards home, shouting: "Grandma, I'm here."
"This bastard, you don't know how to bring something with you to go to school." Xia Zekai couldn't help but complain about his brother. Ever since he heard the words coming out of his brother's mouth, he always disliked this guy.
Luo Xiyun threw him a hygienic eye: "You can do it, there are only a few bags in total, you can't carry it, right?"
Father Xia Weicheng had already opened the trunk and started taking things out.
The mother held Tongtong in her arms and headed home with her daughter-in-law.
Xia Zekai and his father followed behind carrying things. Seeing his grandma's face that was still fair and chubby, and seeing his grandpa still as thin as a ponytail with skin that had been tanned by the sun all year round, he felt a sense of time and space intertwined.
a feeling of.
His mother was the fourth eldest child in the family. Xia Zekai also had an aunt, two uncles, and two aunts. However, the youngest aunt didn't know who had thrown it at the door of the house, so his grandmother picked it up.
In those days, no one checked the household registration, and there was no need to write a certificate for adoption.
It would be good if he could have a bite of food, and he could be kind enough to raise another child who was not his own. His grandmother's character was praised by everyone in the village.
It's a pity that his aunt and uncle are both gone.
"Akai, what are you doing standing at the door? Come quickly and let me take a look." Grandma shouted, waving to him.
Xia Zekai suppressed the excitement in his heart, walked over, put down the things, and took his grandma's hand: "Grandma, are you okay?"
This belated greeting made Xia Zekai extremely happy. Apart from anything else, his grandma and grandpa were still alive and well.
"You bastard, I'm just kidding, are you smoking now?" Grandma took out a cigarette from her pocket.
She smokes, the kind she has smoked all her life, and is in good health.
Xia Zekai waved his hand: "Grandma, I don't smoke anymore, but I brought you two good cigarettes. You smoke them slowly. When you finish smoking, I will buy them for you."
"You are the only one who understands me!" Grandma said with a smile.
My uncle's two cousins, one is an official in the county and the other has gone to the capital to work.
Since the eldest uncle is gone, the second uncle has been staying at home and has never traveled far. He has to be responsible for taking care of the second uncle.
When he heard that the second sister was coming, Zhou Shuren rushed over on a bicycle.
He was also wearing an old 'security' uniform, which he had received a few years ago when he was working as a security guard at the county China Unicom Company. In the countryside, they were not so particular about it, and he still wears it to this day.
"Second sister, you said you were coming, but you didn't call me in advance so I could prepare some dishes in advance." Second uncle Zhou Shuren said.
He turned to look at Xia Weicheng and said, "Brother-in-law, you do the same. Make some more dishes so that we can have something to drink at noon."
Xia Weicheng curled his lips: "Brother, I can drink two kilograms of peanuts."
"What are you talking about? Okay, you guys stay at home for now. I'll go to the supermarket and buy some ready-made vegetables." Second uncle Zhou Shuren hurried away again.
Sisters Yatou and Tongtong were called to their grandma by their mother Luo Xiyun to play with the old man.
"Girl, please call me grandma."
Before the girl could shout, Tongtong immediately shouted: "It's too noisy."
"?"
Xia Zekai heard it from the side, and a big question mark rose on his forehead, what was his daughter shouting?
Luo Xiyun was amused and corrected her several times. Only then did Tongtong shout correctly, and the girl also shouted.
After they got acquainted with each other, they felt that Grandma Tai was so kind and even brought them biscuits to eat.
My younger brother Xia Zejiang had nothing to do and went to watch TV alone in the house.
After Xia Zekai saw it, he followed him in: "Zejiang, come here, let's talk."
The TV is on, but the picture is not clear, and snowflakes appear from time to time. This is because the signal is unstable.
"Brother, are you okay?" Xia Zejiang sat down on the sofa obediently.
"Aren't you graduating next year? Have you decided to continue taking the postgraduate entrance examination, or do you have other ideas?" Xia Zekai asked him.
He still remembered what his brother said, saying he didn't care, but that was a lie.
Xia Zejiang's eyes were a little confused, but he regained his clarity after a while: "Brother, I still plan to take the postgraduate entrance examination."
"Why do you think so?" Xia Zekai was quite curious.
"Brother, you don't know, I have a senior brother who went out to look for a job some time ago. How much do you think he paid?"
How much more can be given? Even for undergraduates, most factories will give them an extra three to four hundred on the basis of the average salary.
"Is there two thousand?" Xia Zekai asked back.
Looking at his brother's thumbs up, Xia Zekai knew he had guessed correctly.
"Brother, tell me about an undergraduate who is looking for a job but can't get 2,000 yuan. Why am I so anxious to graduate? I won't wait for two or three years. I will work harder." After Xia Zejiang said this, he became more determined.
.
He said: "It will be different for graduate students. The starting point is higher than that of undergraduates. I know several seniors and seniors. After graduation, they will be in management positions in the company. The level is different."
Xia Zekai raised his hand and patted his brother on the shoulder: "Okay, I'm very happy if you can understand this."
"If you are short of money, don't ask for it from our parents. They are old and have to spend money on grandpa's medical treatment. They don't have much money. You can call me when the time comes." Xia Zekai said to him.
.
After Xia Zejiang heard this, he took a quick glance outside and saw that his sister-in-law was not nearby.
He asked: "Brother, can my sister-in-law agree?"
"Snapped!"
Xia Zekai slapped his brother on the back and stared at him: "If you talk nonsense again, I'll beat you up!"
"If you don't tell me, don't tell me. But I won't ask you for money. I go out to work during the winter and summer vacations, plus the money I save from being a tutor, it's enough for tuition and living expenses." Xia Zejiang said forcefully.
There were no outsiders at noon, and the family had lunch chatting and laughing.
The second uncle kept saying that Zekai and Zejiang were back, and grandma and grandpa ate more than usual.
In the afternoon, he originally planned to take his wife and children to the Yellow River, but looking at his grandmother's reluctant eyes, Xia Zekai didn't even bring up the idea of 'leaving'.
After waiting and waiting, it was already past five o'clock, and the sun had already set. My second uncle Zhou Shuren took the initiative and said, "Yinghong, it's getting late, and it won't be convenient to drive later. You'd better go back early."
"Oh!" Mother Zhou Yinghong responded reluctantly, without mentioning 'leave'.
Grandma called Xia Zekai over and evasively took out a white handkerchief edged with blue thread from her pocket. She took out two fifty-fifty pieces and whispered: "Akai, this is to buy clothes for the girl and Tongtong."
And snacks, please put them away quickly."
"Grandma, I can't take this money!"
"Why don't you want this child? Grandma gave it to them, not to you. Besides, your grandpa and I are old and don't have money to spend. You should hurry up and keep it for them."
"Akai, when you grow up, you won't listen to grandma anymore, right..."
