Father's Land Mother's River

Chapter 128 The Suffering Couple
Liu Xiaonan took the train all night, and at dawn, she returned to Bincheng with a lot of rewards.

This pen meeting was organized by the Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles, which gathered novel writers, critics and editors in the province to gather and write in a place called Qipanshan.Yue Xuelian's senior sister, as a representative of the publishing house, also participated in it.

Liu Xiaonan told her senior sister about her conception and writing plan. The senior sister was very interested in the story he narrated, so she ordered his novel in advance.

Qipan Mountain is a typical mountainous area, surrounded by mountains on all sides and a large reservoir in the middle.A small village of farmers, scattered like chess pieces.

The peach blossoms in April are blooming one after another, dyeing the hillsides red.The guest house where I live is located under the hillside on the side of the reservoir dam, with an elegant and secluded environment.

Liu Xiaonan had ready-made materials, and the opening part of the novel tentatively titled "That Sound of the Trombone" had already been completed. He didn't need to pick up stories, and he wrote quietly in the guest house every day.

Away from the hustle and bustle of the stock market and the chattering Guyu, he concentrated his energy and was not disturbed by the outside world. He wrote smoothly.

The senior sister is concerned about his writing progress. He said that without the assistance of his right-hand man, the progress is not as good as before.At this time, he really realized that Yue Xuelian's finishing, polishing and revising drafts for him often had the effect of getting twice the result with half the effort.

When he was tired from writing, he lay on the boulder on the hillside, bathed in the sun, recalling Yue Xuelian's voice and smile and the scene of co-creation.

He was a little regretful that when he arrived, because of the rush of time, he even forgot to bring Yue Xuelian's photo with him.

When the fragrant flowers are gone and the peach trees on the hillside are covered with green leaves and full of peaches the size of fingernails, the PEN will end.Liu Xiaonan returned to Bincheng with half of the draft of "That Trombone".

Walking into the collective dormitory of the textile factory, as soon as he entered the gate, the dormitory aunt called him to stop and handed him a letter.

As soon as he saw the familiar characters on the envelope, his heart tightened involuntarily and jumped violently.When I saw that the sender's address was Aunt Lin's home address, I couldn't help feeling suspicious again.

Could it be that Yue Xuelian came back?I don't know where I have been, and I have to return to the United States because of the urgent schedule. I missed the chance to meet, so I have to write this letter?

If this is the case, it is called passing by.He couldn't wait to go back to his dormitory to read the letter again. He tore open the envelope, pulled out the letter paper, and stepped up the stairs twice, striding up the stairs while reading the letter.

His footsteps became slower and slower, his face became more and more gloomy, and finally he leaned feebly on the handrail of the stairs, dumbfounded and confused.

Yue Xuelian wrote in the letter:

Xiaonan: Long time no see.

By the time you read this letter, I have been back and flew back to the United States.I leave you this letter with tears in my eyes, the only and last letter in this life.

It doesn't matter if I don't see you, but in front of you, I'm afraid I don't have the courage to tell the truth.A month ago, I got married, and I married an American for an American green card.The romantic agreement between you and me finally lost to reality and became a laughing stock, an irony, and a tragedy.

My mother scolded me, saying that I am not worthy to talk about love anymore, so I will not talk about it, I will just state the facts.

You know, I have always wanted a complete family. For this reason, I also asked your father whether it is possible for my parents to reconcile.At that time, your father did not give a clear answer, but said that there was no rush.

The implication is that it is not easy to wait for the opportunity.

When my mother wrote to tell me that the old man had passed away and she was moving back into her own home, I knew my opportunity had come.As long as I get a US green card and settle in the US, it is impossible for my father to abandon me and return to China alone, and it is impossible for my mother to stay in China alone, even though they will scold me for my heartlessness.

Being in a foreign country, it is possible for my parents to put aside their previous suspicions and live together.In this way, I have the opportunity to rebuild a complete family.

I am not anyone who can marry casually.My husband is the youngest professor of literature in the university where I am studying. He has a benevolent heart and he is the one who has been pursuing me.

It is undeniable that I have always had a good impression of him, but I never agreed to him, nor did I do anything immoral or betrayal until I learned of the old man's death.

I don't want to find excuses for my betrayal. In a word, I have adapted to the American life, and I want to stay in the United States.

What you promised, give me an unforgettable wedding, and I will keep it in my heart as a real existence.But my wedding in reality is so deserted and careless, sneaky and shady, even though it is in a holy church.

Without the participation and blessings of my parents and relatives, I would not feel the existence of God, nor would I feel happiness.

This is the cruel fact, I cannot escape, and you can only accept it passively.

Please don't hate and blame my father, he is still your Teacher Yue, telling me all the time to cherish the relationship between us.It's me who has been hiding it from him, including the marriage, including returning to China this time.

If I let him know the truth of the matter, I don't know what will happen.I can only wait until my mother also comes to the United States, and my mother will tell him the truth.

My mother is waiting for you to come back at home, she has something to explain to you, please don't resent my mother.My mother would rather be wronged by herself, and hope that I can return to you. It is I who cruelly made her wish come true.

If you don't see her, she will wait forever.

Goodbye, Xiaonan.Perhaps, I am the cold-blooded poisonous snake you joked about, and I am not worth keeping by your side.

Yue Xuelian

April [-], [-]
Several people came down the stairs one after another and greeted Liu Xiaonan one after another. He turned a blind eye and didn't hear it, as if stepping on a pile of cotton to climb upstairs.Walking to the door of his own dormitory, without opening the door, he slowly tore the envelope with both hands.

He just tore a hole, stopped suddenly, ran downstairs with his hand in his hand.

More than an hour later, Liu Xiaonan stood on the cliff of Longwangtang, looking at the boundless sea level.

The weather was fine, the sea was calm, the tide was receding, the reef was exposed, and the moving reef that he was lifted high by the waves and fell heavily on it could be clearly seen.

Everything that happened here was so thrilling and extraordinary, but now it has turned into a mirage and disappeared between the distant and ethereal sea and sky.

"Rumeng, where are you?"

There was no echo, only the waves beating feebly against the rocks, like moaning.

He tore the letter in his hand into pieces, and threw it into the sea and into the air with all his strength.Confetti flew and circled in the air, and fell to the sea below the cliff with the wind.

Whatever was born in the same year, the same month and the same day, what is like a dream, what is a romantic agreement, what is the only and last letter in this life, all of them should be buried in the sea.

What was once a romantic place has turned into a sad place, which is no longer worthy of nostalgia.After completing such a ritual of self-salvation, I seemed to feel better.He walked back the way he had come through the pine forest, determined to forget everything as soon as possible.

There is a faint scent of flowers. Could it be that the apple tree is blooming?Could it be that Shawanli Salix and his wife are still planting apple trees at the end of the bay?
He walked down the cliff along the path on the side of the bay, and walked along the gravel road to the end of the bay.He couldn't explain why, but in the midst of grief and indignation, he especially wanted to talk to the couple who seemed to be living in seclusion.

The floral fragrance of apples gradually becomes stronger, and the small hillside can already be seen from a distance, with pink and white apple blossoms blooming all over the hillside.Going forward for a certain distance, turning around the foot of the mountain, he saw cooking smoke floating on the three earthen houses. It must be that Mrs. Shaliu was cooking lunch.

He bypassed the earthen house and continued to walk forward, searching among the apple trees on the hillside, and finally found the strong figure hidden in the bushes, bending over to weed.

Liu Xiaonan walked towards Shawanli along the narrow path next to the terraced fields.When Sha Wanli heard someone coming, he straightened his waist and saw that it was Liu Xiaonan, and strode down the hillside with a hoe, shouting, "Brother, is that you?"

"It's me." Liu Xiaonan replied loudly: "Brother Sha, I found it by smelling the fragrance of flowers. Brother Sha, this place is like a paradise on earth, which makes people linger and forget to return."

The two meet in the middle of the path.Sha Wanli was still wearing a faded camouflage uniform, holding Liu Xiaonan's hand tightly with his big rough hands, and asked happily: "Brother, did you come here specially to play, or is there something else?"

"Sea burial!" Liu Xiaonan blurted out, seeing Sha Wanli looking at him in astonishment, he added: "I buried a relationship at the seaside, so I'll come and see my elder brother and sister-in-law."

Sha Wanli didn't quite understand the deep meaning in Liu Xiaonan's words, but he could also see that Liu Xiaonan was in the dust, his brows were tightly furrowed, his complexion was dark as if covered with a layer of dust, his eyes were full of anger, and his eyes seemed to be on fire.

He judged that the brother had encountered something difficult, looked up at the position of the sun and said, "It's almost noon, if you don't dislike the simple tea and light food at the elder brother's house, why don't you go to the elder brother's house for a drink?"

"I was just about to chat with my eldest brother and sister-in-law, but I didn't bring any gifts."

"Brother is an outsider. It stands to reason that our brothers have not met a few times in the past few years, but two or three times, let alone a deep friendship, but we have the right way and the right temper. No one comes here all the year round, only you brother. Remember me, I also remember you, this is fate."

Liu Xiaonan followed Sha Wanli, talking and laughing, and walked into this small farmhouse that lived alone deep in the bay.The small yard is not big, but it is crowded with chickens, ducks, two pigs and a flock of sheep. The furnishings in the room are simple, and a [-]-inch black and white TV is the most valuable item.

Sha Liu had already set the dining table and set up the bowls and chopsticks, waiting for the man to come home.The food on the table is nothing more than a few pieces of corn tortillas, a pot of shredded potato soup, a plate of eggs fried with leeks, a large bowl of wild vegetables, and a small bowl of bean paste.

Seeing Liu Xiaonan as a guest, Sha Liu felt shabby and wanted to cook another dish, but Sha Wanli stopped her.This brother is not an outsider and will not challenge.

Sha Wanli pulled Liu Xiaonan to sit on the kang, took out a bottle of local liquor and two glasses, poured half a glass of wine each, and said, "Brother, I don't know how much you drink, and I won't drink you too much. Drink well." until."

Sha Liu sat on the side and picked egg dishes for Liu Xiaonan, and asked, "Where's your beautiful partner? Are you married?"

Sha Wanli glared at Sha Liu and said, "What are you asking about?"

It's rare that Sister-in-law Sha Liu still remembers Yue Xuelian who she only met once.Liu Xiaonan took a bite of the wild vegetable dipping sauce, the bitter taste of the wild vegetable was very to his liking.He said: "She went to study abroad, married an American, and didn't come back."

Both Sha Wanli and Sha Liu were stunned.Sha Wanli put down his chopsticks heavily, scolded Sha Liu, and said, "I'm like a bear to you. You left me in the desert before you went abroad, and went to find a comfortable nest by yourself like a rabbit."

Sha Liu laughed and said, "How big is it, is it worth your grudges for the rest of your life? If you don't still miss your kindness, do you think that I am willing to accompany you here to suffer and suffer?"

Laughing and cursing are all true temperament, and there is a story as expected.Liu Xiaonan kept looking at the two couples, and the quarrel was so interesting that he couldn't understand it more and more.

Sha Wanli picked up his wine glass and said, "Brother, I'm a rough man and I can't speak nice words. As a man, I will experience everything, and I have to be able to afford and let go of everything."

Sha Liu snatched the wine glass from Sha Wanli's hand, took a sip and said, "Brother, it's not easy for women. It's not because of that, who wants to leave the person he likes and refuses to marry? People poking the spine?"

Liu Xiaonan clinked glasses with Sha Wanli, took a big gulp and said, "Brother, can you really forget everything in the past?"

"I can't forget it!" Sha Wanli looked at Liu Xiaonan, took a sip cautiously, put down his glass and said to Sha Liu, "Tell me about it."

Sha Liu straightened her back and swayed her body slightly, the expression on her face suddenly became solemn, as if the story she was about to tell affected all the nerves in her body.

She said: "Your elder brother and I are from the same village. We grew up together and became very close when we grew up. The two adults also agreed. I have an aunt in Longwangtang. That year my cousin got married, and I came to see her off. , I fell in love with this place all of a sudden. There are mountains and water, no worries about eating and drinking, the weather is good, and there is no wind and sand, so I decided to marry here at that time."

Sha Wanli interjected: "Look, brother, women can change their minds for a better place to live."

Sha Liu said, "You say it or I say it?"

Savanli said, "Say what you say."

Sha Liu went on to say: "Our original village was on the edge of the desert. There was a lot of wind and water shortage, nothing grew, and there was no grassland for raising sheep. Life was very difficult. I found my husband's family here and took you The eldest brother was thrown in the desert. Later he became a soldier and brought back a daughter-in-law from the mountains. After a few years, the woman couldn’t bear the desert environment and ran away secretly with her son. She couldn’t find her after several years of searching. Find me here, when I just died a man, he stayed to take care of me and my son. I left my son at his grandma's house in the town to go to school, and followed him into this bay."

There are many similarities in the tragedies in the world.Liu Xiaonan said: "Brother and sister-in-law, if you want to, tell me more about your affairs. Maybe I can write down your stories."

Sha Liu asked in surprise: "Are you a writer?"

"I'm a writer." Liu Xiaonan said, "Brother and sister-in-law have always called me brother, but never asked my name. My name is Liu Xiaonan, and to put it mildly, I'm well-known in Bincheng. , you can find me, and I will do my best.”

"No wonder." Sha Wanli rubbed his big hands, and proudly said to Sha Liu, "I always thought Brother Xiaonan was different from ordinary people. I never thought that our family could also welcome distinguished guests."

For a whole afternoon, Sha Wanli and his wife stopped working and sat on the kang and told Liu Xiaonan about their hometown and their respective situations.

Liu Xiaonan listened intently.Facing the invisible pressure imposed by the natural environment and the injustice and teasing of fate, the couple readily accepted it and resolved it with an optimistic attitude and a broad mind.

In the face of greater and broader pain and misery, emotional frustration seems insignificant and moaning without illness.

Towards evening, Liu Xiaonan bid farewell to Sha Wanli, Sha Liu, the poor couple, and returned to Bincheng.

The first thing I did when I walked into my dormitory was to put the small framed photo of Yue Xuelian on the American campus in the middle of the desk into the drawer.

He took out the manuscript paper and wrote down the four characters "flying sand and rolling stones" on the front page.Feelings of grief and indignation prompted him to put "That Trombone" aside for the time being, and first finished this novel, which he listened to and conceived maturely this afternoon.

After writing a few lines, perhaps out of habit, he opened the drawer and rearranged the small photo frame on the desk.

(End of this chapter)