the longest dream

Chapter 220
"Qingzi!"

When it was getting dark at night, Li Qiang just came back from the county, and when he saw Zhang Qing, he gave him a hug.

Zhang Qing looked at him and said with a smile: "I thought I would come back smelling of alcohol."

Li Qiang shook his head and said: "From the beginning, I said I don't drink, but I just don't drink. It's also because of your honor. Now that you are famous, others give me three points of face."

Zhang Qing looked at this high school classmate carefully, and said with a smile, "Yes, I feel much calmer than before."

Li Qiang laughed and said: "You deal with a group of old men every day, and you can be calm. Qingzi, you still say me, look at you, how many times have you been on the news network? Last month I called the boss and them , Good guy, everyone is almost remorseful, if they knew you could make it to this point, they didn't go to college, and they came directly to you."

Zhang Qing said with a smile: "Listen to them. How are you doing? The battlefield has not started working since winter. How do you spend your free time?"

Li Qiang said with a smile: "Are you afraid that I will waste time fooling around? Impossible! You are running so fast ahead, and if I don't hurry up and work hard, what will I do in the future? I signed up for the night school in the capital and will leave tomorrow. The battlefield will be at least until the end of April Work can only start in early May, and I will go to school for a while before returning.”

Zhang Qing said happily: "Okay! But you are considered to be a public school student, and your salary will be paid during the period, and the tuition fee will also come from the battlefield."

Li Qiang said with a smile: "I won't be polite to you anymore, you are a rich man now. But I don't want to take yours for nothing, I will help you after I learn something systematically."

Zhang Qing patted him on the shoulder and said, "Come on! There is a real shortage of manpower on my side. Don't fall behind in English. I remember that your other subjects are not very good, only English is good. You must go abroad in the future. , you grab it."

Li Qiang smiled and said: "English...it was when I was in the first year of junior high school that year, the English teacher was really good at it, and he praised me for a standard pronunciation, so I started to learn it to death. I can go to the inner high class , It’s all about English. It’s okay, it’s not difficult to catch it again. It’s okay, you just come back today, go to bed early, I’ll go back first, it’s not early, go to bed early.”

Zhang Qing nodded, and after sending Li Qiang out, he glanced at the sunset glow in the sky. It was so beautiful, just like the youth in front of him.

……

The next morning.

Walking out of the room, the outside of the house is like a fairy tale world.

There is frost on the windows, and the branches are also covered with fine and dense white "fluff".

A kennel was built on the south side of the side room, Xiao Hui was not afraid of the cold, standing in front of the kennel and watching Zhang Qing wagging his tail.

Whenever he saw Xiao Hui, Zhang Qing could recall the half urea bag of lamb leg that Xiao Hui brought back from the outside when his family was in a difficult situation when he was young.

Although it is called Xiaohui, this dog is not young anymore...

Zhang Qing walked up to him, Xiao Hui turned around his leg, sniffed it with his nose, then raised his head to look at him.

Zhang Qing leaned over and patted its head.

"The dog is living very well now. Your father can bring back beef bones, sheep intestines, and pig offal every day to feed."

Sun Yuehe came out of the kitchen, saw her son standing in front of the kennel, and said with a smile.

At this time, Zhang Lan and Zhou Yanyan also washed up. Zhang Lan was still young, but Zhou Yanyan was like a lotus in clear water. Although she didn't have any cosmetics added, she became more and more beautiful and charming, which added a little bit to the winter snow here. Very gorgeous.

"It's not too cold to wear a down jacket at home, you have to wear a cotton padded jacket, big cotton trousers, and black shoes."

Zhang Qing suggested.

Not to mention Zhou Yanyan, Zhang Lan, Sun Yuehe is not satisfied: "How can Yanyan wear these? You are talking nonsense!" Then said: "I asked your father to buy some burnt paper at the entrance of the village, and after breakfast, I asked Fusheng to drive a tractor to deliver You go to Jiefang Village and put a grave for Yanyan's mother... Let your mother see how well you are doing now, and let her feel at ease."

Zhou Yanyan nodded, and Zhang Qing said: "Then you still have to wear a sheepskin jacket, otherwise it's so cold in the graveyard, it won't look good if your mouth is crooked."

"Auntie, look at him!"

Zhou Yanyan acted like a baby to Sun Yuehe, Sun Yuehe made a gesture to beat Zhang Qing, Zhang Qing laughed and turned to leave.

……

The sky was cloudy, covering the sky and the sun.

There is a vast expanse of whiteness between the sky and the earth, and it is hard to tell which is the sky and which is the earth.

On the Shaliangzi, there is a solitary grave.

If it wasn't for Zhou Yanyan who could touch it with her eyes closed, under the heavy snow, most people would really not be able to find it.

Zhang Qing swept away the snow with the wooden shovel and achnatherum broom, and cleared away the frozen weeds.

Zhang Lan took the iron basin and handed over burning paper and matches.

Zhou Yanyan kept laughing without opening her mouth.

Zhang Qingwen said softly: "How about me and Xiaolan go away first?"

Zhou Yanyan shook her head, looked at Zhang Qing and said with a smile: "I don't know what to say. I thought I could talk a lot, but when I see my mother here, I feel that there is nothing to say. She has seen it all, so she must be happy." , that’s enough.”

Zhang Qing nodded and said, "That's fine, let's burn the paper."

Zhou Yanyan said: "You also burn for me, there are so many, I have to burn for a long time."

Zhang Qing smiled and said, "Okay."

Zhang Lan thought that he could see Zhou Yanyan crying miserably, but she didn't expect that she would not cry, she was still cheerful and a little disappointed.

But I think it's okay, it's already the twelfth lunar month, and it's not good to cry any more.

Just help to bring a lot of paper money wrapped in a green turban, as well as Ming coins.

Looking at the numbers reflected on it, Zhang Lan giggled and said, "It would be great if they were all true."

Zhang Qing reprimanded: "Don't talk nonsense, this is for underground people."

Burning paper at graves has been burning for thousands of years. Some experts say that this is a bad habit, a superstition, and it will pollute the environment.

In fact, who doesn't know in his heart that this is fake?When you see paper burnt in other people's homes, you know it's fake, but when you burn it in your own home, you believe it's true.

It is nothing more than expressing grief and hoping that the ancestors can live well. It is the continuation of filial piety, and respect is good.

Why bother to highlight yourself as a great understanding...

The three of them finished burning the burnt paper and paper money together, wading through the snow and returning to the main road, Sun Fusheng and Bart were talking.

Seeing them coming back, Sun Fusheng hurriedly said, "Are you back? You're going home, isn't it fun to catch a cold?"

Zhang Qing nodded, and a group of people got into the pockets of the tractor, sat on the wolf fur mattress, covered with a big quilt, and after the tractor started, they walked back with black smoke beeping.

Zhou Yanyan looked at the solitary grave that was drifting away, and tightly pursed her lips, perhaps her eyes were a little moist because of the wind and snow...

……

The days that followed were warm and peaceful.

Apart from reading and writing, Zhang Qing spends his days wandering around.

I also ski, play sledges, feed cattle and sheep, and clean snow when it snows.

Li Tie and Bart are busier than him. Except for one of them who must go out with Zhang Qing every day, the other one is on the phone, calling almost from morning to night.

In these years, not many people have a good life.

To have such a livelihood is very rare for those veterans.

Of course, not everyone has the courage to give up a job that can barely make ends meet, but can always guarantee income in droughts and floods, unless the employer is in a downturn.

Unfortunately, most state-run units are not doing well right now.

Recruiting was much smoother than expected...

If it really takes three to five years, it will be difficult to recruit people like this.

The two of them are solely responsible for these matters.

Zhang Qing talked with his mother for a while every day, chatted with relatives, and went to the battlefield with his father.

On the [-]rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the cadres in charge of propaganda outlets in the county came and went, carrying cameras, and walked around the scene.

Twenty-four cadres in charge of the economy also came, hoping to make some investment to support the development and construction of their hometown.

The news that Zhang Qing earned [-] million yuan, even the parents in his hometown heard about it.

Fortunately, I have heard a lot. I know that Zhang Qing is really prosperous outside. He is not an ordinary student businessman. He was dismissed by Zhang Qing on the grounds that he was not on time, and he did not dare to force...

Until the [-]th day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhang Guozhong asked Zhang Qing to accompany him back to Jiefang Village to visit the graves of his grandparents.

To be honest, it is difficult for Zhang Qing to have any feelings for his grandparents whom he has never even met.

But I also know that my father, Zhang Guozhong, is a very filial person, otherwise, he would not have raised his two younger brothers into the spoils of a poor family...

Seeing his father squatting down in front of the two old graves, burning paper money little by little, Zhang Qing could feel the pain in his father's heart, and he knew where his father's heart knot was, but he had no intention of compromise.

Maybe when he is fifty or sixty years old, he will soften his heart when he looks at his gray-haired father, but not now.

Zhang Qing squatted aside, helping to burn the paper, while persuading: "The two of them live less than the top and have more than the bottom. They will definitely not starve to death. Seeing our family become rich and prosperous, most of the grandpa's family is also getting up. The feeling in their hearts must be tormenting people. At this time, you must not talk to them. You have to suffer them until they tear their faces, roll, hang up and cry. As long as you don't let go, they will have nothing to do.

When they fully realize that the past path will definitely not work, they will take another path.At that time, if someone dials a few words, maybe they will be on the right path.If you are soft-hearted now, or secretly helping others to send money, just wait until you raise two litters of wolves. "

Looking at the tombstones of his parents and listening to his son's words, Zhang Guozhong had mixed feelings in his heart, and said, "Don't worry, I won't help them secretly again. No matter how close brothers are, can they still kiss their children? When I was sick, they treated me that way." You, I'm chilled. It's just... afraid of dreaming about your grandparents and asking about them."

Zhang Qing smiled and said: "There's nothing wrong with that, just tell your grandparents that although the two of them left early, you and Mom still stretched those two and covered them with bricks and tiles." house, married a daughter-in-law, and the two live with a son and a daughter. Why, do they have to give another golden mountain to protect their prosperity and wealth for several generations?
Dad, let me put it bluntly, every penny in the family is earned by me.I am willing to use it for you and Mom, and I wish you could use it more.

I am also willing to make envoys to Xiaolan, and to grandpa and the others who never expected our family to pay back the money, but still spent all their money to help our relatives, but I don't want to waste a penny on those two families.

Every penny given to them is just sprinkling salt on my rotten back that has been exposed to the sun over the years, and it is feeding maggots in my heart, making me unhappy!
Dad, on such a hot day, I asked them for a sip of water and they refused to give it, and even laughed at me like a beggar, my dear uncle..."

"call!"

Zhang Guozhong suddenly let out a long breath, patted Zhang Qing on the shoulder, and said: "Don't worry, son, I don't expect them to change in this life. I won't give them a penny, not a penny .”

Zhang Qing said with a smile: "After the New Year, go to Pingjing with me and Xiaolan? Get up early and go for a walk by the Forbidden City, buy breakfast, and watch the old people play chess and cards. Your body should also be checked, and so is Mom." .Stay for two months, and come back when the battlefield here is about to start.”

Zhang Guozhong thought for a while and said, "That's fine."

……

(End of this chapter)