Soon, the ox cart slowly pulled us to the entrance of a small village with many willow trees planted in front of the door.
There is a small dim street lamp hanging on a tree in front of the entrance of the small village.
The street lights were very dim, and looking at the style, I guessed that when it was born, I hadn't even swam into my mother's womb.
Under the street lamp, there is a wooden sign hanging, with two words engraved crookedly on it: Willow Village...
"We're here." Lao Zhang said to me.
I nodded and saw Lao Zhangtou skillfully pulling the bullock cart in. After a while, I heard a slight dog barking from the village.
"The villages here are like this, almost everyone is asleep at midnight." Lao Zhangtou said to me.
I nodded to express my understanding. Indeed, in the poorer mountain villages, it is not like where we live in the evening.
Compared with the irritable city, Liucun is obviously more peaceful.
Lao Zhangtou continued to me: "I know an old friend in this village. Xiao Rui and I will sleep there tonight. Why don't you come with us?"
"Oh. Do you still know the people here?"
"Hehe, I only know him."
"Okay, just take me tonight. By the way, Uncle Zhang, do you know there are people called butchers and drunkards in this village?"
"Butcher and drunkard?"
Lao Zhang thought for a moment, shook his head and said he didn't know him.
Well, I have no choice but to suppress my curiosity for the time being, spend the night here first, and then ask more questions in detail when it gets bright tomorrow.
Lao Zhangtou drove the bullock cart and continued walking towards the village. After a while, we came to an obviously dilapidated thatched house.
As Lao Zhangtou got off the oxcart, he told me that the owner of this thatched hut was an old bachelor. I met him in the town when we were young. He had come here several times a long time ago, but he rarely came here after his grandson was born.
.
Lao Zhangtou walked to the thatched house and knocked on the door several times.
After a while, I heard a sound coming from the thatched house.
"Who?"
"Old man, it's me, your Brother Zhang!"
As soon as Lao Zhang finished speaking, the door of the thatched house opened with a creak.
An old man with white hair who looked about the same age as Lao Zhangtou appeared in the door.
"Brother Zhang, is it really you?"
The old man exclaimed, then smiled and cursed: "It's been a few years, and I thought I might not be able to see you when I'm buried! Come in, why are you here so late?"
The old man was also very enthusiastic and quickly welcomed a few of us in.
The old man lit an oil lamp in the room, which gave me a little more light.
"Is this your grandson? He's already so old. Is this your son? Why does he feel smaller?"
My old face turned red. Damn it, uncle, I'm not even nineteen years old this year, and you actually said that I was Lao Zhangtou's son. Are you kidding me?
Old Zhangtou on the side quickly explained, saying that I was not his son, but little Zhang Rui on the side was his grandson...
"Hey, you've grown so big. I guess you had it in **. At that time, you said that you didn't have time to come over after your grandson was born. I didn't expect to see you again tonight..."
"Hey, old man, there's nothing I can do about it."
The two old friends, who have known each other for many years, felt somewhat sympathetic to each other, and I felt a little itchy watching from the sidelines.
Sir, you don’t need to have many friends in your life, just one or two close friends are enough!
"Xiao Rui, call Grandpa Er quickly." Lao Zhangtou shouted.
Little Zhang Rui nodded obediently and called "Second Grandpa", which made the old man beam with joy.
"Old man, I didn't want to trouble you tonight, but I just happened to pick up a job in the town and send this young man to your village, so I just happened to come to your place to rest for a night, and then go back to the town tomorrow morning."
"What are you talking about? What's the trouble with you coming to my place? I welcome you to stay for a few days!"
"Haha, old man, you are still interesting..."
After the two old guys exchanged pleasantries, they quickly arranged their accommodation for the night.
The two of them quickly made a temporary wooden bed, saying that it was for me to sleep alone.
I took a look at their other small wooden bed, and took the initiative to ask Zhang Rui to come with me, so that they wouldn't have to squeeze the three of them together.
Unable to defeat me, the two old guys had no choice but to agree to my offer.
I put the backpack away and took out the last remaining food from it to eat, and the few of them ate together with boiled water.
After eating, I looked at my phone and saw that it was almost ten o'clock. After a day of traveling, I felt sleepy and immediately fell asleep with little Zhang Rui...
While I was sleeping, I heard little Zhang Rui next to me babbling a few words in my sleep in the middle of the night.
"Dad, Xiaorui misses you."
"Mom, where have you been..."
I was sleepy, and at the same time I heard little Zhang Rui's babbling in his sleep, it seemed that there was also a sporadic sound of wind coming from outside the house.
The sound of the wind was a bit resentful, but soon, I fell asleep again.
…………
When I opened my eyes again, it was already bright!
As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw little Zhang Rui's face in front of me.
Early in the morning, little Zhang Rui was lying on the bed, concentrating on writing something.
"Little brat, you woke up so early?" I said.
"School starts today, and I haven't finished my homework yet." Xiao Zhang Rui made a face at me, and then carefully wrote on the yellowed homework book one stroke at a time.
I took a glance and saw that the homework book was already filled with dense words. I could see that this little Zhang Rui was still a bully in elementary school...
"Young man, are you awake? Xiao Rui, did you wake up big brother?" At this time, Lao Zhangtou came in holding a large bowl of steaming porridge.
"No, I woke up on my own." I said.
I looked at the time. It was only six o'clock, and it was already so bright in the mountain village.
I stretched, took out the toothpaste and toothbrush from my backpack and went outside to brush my teeth and wash my face...
When I came in again, old Zhangtou, his old man, and little Zhang Rui were already sitting at the stripped dining table waiting for me.
"Little brother, there's nothing to entertain you here. Just have some porridge in the morning." The white-haired old man grinned at me.
I waved my hand and said, "It's okay. Drinking porridge in the morning is good for your health."
The breakfast in this mountain village is also very simple, a pot of light white porridge with a few steamed sweet potatoes on top, one bite of sweet potato and one mouthful of white porridge. Although this breakfast is light, it is still delicious.
After breakfast, Lao Zhangtou took Xiao Zhang Rui and told me that we were going back to town.
When I saw this, I quickly took out the money from my backpack. No matter how much Lao Zhangtou objected, I just stuffed him with several more Mao Zedong cards.
"I didn't bring much with me when I came out. I'll get you some next time," I said.
"That's enough, that's enough. We agreed that it would only be twice the fare. What you gave me is enough for me to run a few times..." Lao Zhangtou held the money in his hands and looked at me with a moved face.
I waved my hand and said that money is just a small matter, as long as little Zhang Rui can study hard.
"Xiao Rui, quickly say thank you to brother." Lao Zhangtou said.
Xiao Zhang Rui rolled his dark eyes, stuck out his tongue at me, and said, "Thank you, uncle."
I couldn't help but laugh out loud. This kid is just so funny. He told you to call him brother, but you insisted on calling him uncle.
"By the way, Uncle Zhang, what do you call this guy of yours?" I asked.
"Just call me Lao Liutou, haha."
"Then I don't dare. I always have to respect the old and care for the young. Uncle Liu, I may have to live with you temporarily for a while. This is my last money. I will treat it as paying your rent and food expenses. You think it's okay?
No?" I asked the owner of the house, Uncle Liu.
After Uncle Liu and Lao Zhangtou looked at each other, they shook their heads and said, "It's just a shabby thatched hut. What's the rent? Lao Zhangtou is my old buddy. You can live here as long as you want. I'm here
There’s nothing to greet you here, just don’t dislike it..."
I have to say that the old people in this mountain village are very simple. They are not like some old people in the city who will get into trouble if they disagree with you and will not let you pay a hundred and eighty thousand yuan.
But since I'm here, I can't take advantage of others. After my persuasion, Uncle Liu reluctantly took the money and said that he would go to town with Lao Zhangtou and the others later and treat it as buying it for me.
Some money for daily necessities and food...
Soon, Uncle Liu and Lao Zhangtou led their respective old scalpers and donkeys and slowly walked towards the entrance of the village.
At this moment, a childish voice sounded.
"Uncle, can I see you again?"
I looked up and saw little Zhang Rui sitting on the bullock cart shouting to me.
A smile appeared on my lips and I said, "Of course you can, but you have to call me brother."
When I finished speaking, I saw little Zhang Rui making a face at me, and then he shouted to me with some reluctance: "Brother, goodbye..."
[Author's digression]: Thank you for your tips! There will be another update later, so let's continue coding!