The Pearl of the North, the beautiful Ice City, a dilapidated courtyard, a row of faded red brick houses, and a skinny old man half lying on a centuries-old earthen bed.
The old man's name was Jin Guihua, a housewife, and his wife's name was Tie Gensheng, an eighth-level welder at a heavy machinery factory. He died suddenly in 1991 while working overtime.
The old man gave birth to seven sons and five sons in his lifetime, three boys and two girls.
The eldest son, Tie Jun, has a master's degree and works in the Procuratorate; the second son, Tielin, is a staff officer of the Lanzhou Military Region; the youngest son, Tie Hammer, also known as Da Zhuang, has been in jail and is a community security guard.
The eldest daughter Tiehua, nicknamed Daya, committed suicide by drowning herself in the river in 1991; the second daughter Tiemei, nicknamed Erya, was a female worker in a heavy machinery factory.
The old man had a rough life. He lost his husband and gave away his daughter in middle age. He was tired from traveling all his life and eventually became sick from overwork. He lived alone in misery in his later years.
Now, the old man is dying, and only his eldest son, Tie Jun, is at his side. Looking at his eldest son, who is also over fifty years old, the old man has tears in his eyes.
"Boss! Mom knows that you have been wronged. As a person, it is enough to live up to your own conscience. Remember Mom's words, accumulate blessings for one life, and warm three lives of children!
We have a lot of children in our family, so Mom can’t afford to love you, and your dad can just walk away. Many times, Mom can’t help it either...
Alas! Mom is leaving. She has to close her eyes and make a decision once and for all, leaving our old house to you. Don’t be afraid. Mom found someone to write a will, and they won’t be able to do anything about it!
Listen to me, you deserve this, cough cough cough...
After mom leaves, don’t burn paper for mom. Mom has been frugal all her life and won’t spend too much money, haha! Don’t put mom in that little box either, mom won’t be able to breathe..."
Before she finished speaking, my mother's withered hands dropped down. Tie Jun sighed and slowly closed his mother's eyes.
After his mother left, Tie Jun set up twenty tables, booked a large hotel, and sent his mother on her way in great splendor. His younger brothers and sisters all came and were busy gathering members.
Three days later, Tie Jun carried his mother's urn on his back and boarded the train to Tianjin. My mother's heart was as big as the sea in her life, and Tie Jun wanted to send her into the sea.
After renting a speedboat, Tie Jun scattered his mother's ashes at the estuary. The vastness in front of him was like waves, and Tie Jun even swallowed his voice.
"Mom! Have a good trip. You don't let us buy a cemetery or burn paper for you. I know you don't want to cause us any trouble!
Mom! Let me tell you something. Don’t blame me. The day you left, I sold the old house. It felt... sad to see it.
I divided the money among my younger brothers and sisters. You are right, having too much money is of no benefit. It really bites people. It’s fine this time. No one has to worry about it..."
"careful!"
The speedboat jumped up high, Tie Jun's foot slipped, and he fell into the water holding his mother's ashes.
"Gudongdong..."
.....................
"Army, army, wake up! Army..."
Tie Jun opened his eyes and saw that his mother was wiping her tears. She was wearing a flowered gown and was very young. Tie Jun was startled.
"Mom! You entrusted me with the dream. Is there anything else you haven't explained clearly?"
"This child is confused because of the fever. He is dreaming or not. What the hell, are you dreaming?"
"It's not...that...don't scare me, you are a human being..."
Tie Jun was completely confused and his brain was shut down.
"Keep talking nonsense and I'll slap you!"
The man wearing denim work clothes next to him cursed.
Tie Jun tilted his head and sat up with a "flutter". His eyes were straight, his scalp was numb, and he almost peed out of fear. How could Lao Tie come back to life?
"Dad? God, what's going on?"
"What's going on? If you talk nonsense again, I'll slap you!"
"You... try slapping me!"
Tie Jun plucked up the courage to call out to Lao Tie.
"Snapped!"
So loud!
It hurts!
What a blessing!
Tie Jun covered his burning face and smiled, tears falling down. This was real, not a dream.
"Old man, are you crazy? The child has been burning all night and is already uncomfortable. You beat him? Army, don't cry!"
After pushing the old man, the mother touched her son's red face distressedly.
"Mom, it's okay, I'm... happy!"
Feeling the warm warmth from his mother's hand, Tie Jun grinned. It's great that both parents are alive!
"This kid is really burned out. How can he be happy after being slapped?"
"Mom, tell me quickly, what year is it now?"
Tie Jun asked while looking around, earthen kang, writing table, sewing machine, wooden box, quilt stack, small kang table... Where is the calendar card?
"90 years!"
"ah?"
Tie Jun was stunned. His son kept mumbling that it would be great if he could be reborn. How could it come true for him?
"Mom, what month is it?"
"What month is it? Oh, what month is it now? August!"
Tie Jun's brain was spinning rapidly, and his memory stopped on his grandma's kind face, and he immediately asked: "My grandma passed away?"
"Alas! Your mother is holding her breath and is just waiting to see you. This old lady is still so domineering when she leaves. I've seen you here, so why do you still think about taking you away with her?"
"Mom, I really want to leave with my grandma, haha, but it's a pity that the Lord of Hell won't accept me. By the way, where's Da Ya?"
"I helped your aunt out early in the morning. Your aunt promised to give her five yuan a day. She fell in love with this... kick..."
"Kick him. The day I saw her bring him back, I broke a wooden board and dug a hole, saying it was more than a hundred yuan. If you don't learn to waste money, you will learn how to waste money!"
Lao Tie added, sighed, pulled the iron box and began to roll the toad head.
"That's right, I have to find her. If it's too late, it'll be too late!"
Tie Jun lifted up the flower quilt and got off the bed, his head feeling confused.
Hold on, for the sake of Da Ya, you must hold on!
"Dajun, please wait a moment and take the medicine before leaving..."
My mother shouted from behind, and Tie Jun almost missed stepping on the big rooster. The big rooster was so frightened that it jumped onto the bowl shelf and screamed at Tie Jun.
"Cluck..."
"Mom! The chicken has entered the outhouse..."
The sound of jingling bells came from the yard, and the Tiejun rode on Lao Tie's broken 28-inch bar and rushed out.
"This kid, he has a fever and his brain is burned out, right? Why is he so crazy?"
"It's good if it's burned out. It saves you from being like a boring gourd all day, unable to say more than two sentences a day."
The old couple chased him out together, looked at Tie Jun's back and said.
In her previous life, Da Ya was the "lark" of the factory's literary and art propaganda team. She loved to sing and dance. She was the prodigal son of Lao Tie and the "big beauty" that the boys in the factory had a crush on.
The cultural center opposite the factory set up a guitar crash course. The registration fee was fifty, and Da Ya secretly signed up.
Unexpectedly, Chang Mao, who played the guitar very well, was a liar. He took money and ran away before the class started. What's terrible was that he kidnapped Da Ya.
"Clang!"
"I'm in a hurry to reincarnate! My eyes have grown to my butt!"
There was a piece of white cloth hanging under the big willow tree on the side of the road, which read, "Get a haircut for two yuan and get a free shave." As soon as Lao Wangtou, who was wearing a white coat, took a plate of warm water, he was knocked away by the iron army, and Lao Wangtou cursed loudly.
"Hey, you have eyes in your butt!"
Tie Jun didn't dare to look back. He was the boldest when he muttered a few words behind his back. The newly reborn Tie Jun hadn't come around yet.
It was around eight o'clock, and everyone at work was indoors, and students on summer vacation were all sleeping in. The road was deserted, with few cars and few people.
It was past ten o'clock when my aunt left the stall! Da Ya was obviously lying, alas! I am so easy to lie, I didn't even think about it.
What should you do if you see that long hair that's flowing out of you?
beat him?
Don't dare.
Call the police?
No evidence.
Where have Daya and this kid gone?
I just remember that in my last life, I came back crying, and I had a big belly at that time. Oh, how embarrassing!
Thinking wildly, Tie Jun arrived at the train station and locked the tree on the 28th pole. Lao Tie's lifeline had to be arranged properly no matter how urgent it was.
"Ugh...pants, pants, pants..."
No, it’s time to drive!
Tie Jun was anxious, and there was wind under his feet. The speed of the marathon champion around the city was unmatched. In less than a minute, he reached the ticket gate.
[Author's digression]: Dear readers, please feel free to say something! At least you are somewhat popular, and the eagle will not be lonely even if he stays up late, haha!