Rebirth: My 80s

Chapter 1139 Xiaomei
Ana's mother was carefully removing the gauze layer by layer. Her withered fingers slid across the black, silky hair, reminding Ana of herself forty years ago.

When she was young, she had long hair that reached her ankles. When she tied her hair into a pigtail, the hair was so thick and long that it made many young men in the surrounding area envious.

In the end, the old man got a good deal.

Thanks to his father's good alcohol tolerance, he drank fruit wine against his own father and won half a bowl, so the marriage was settled.

Now thinking about it, I was so careless. I didn't even have any rebellious thoughts at that time.

You know, before the wedding day, she had not seen the dead old man three times in total.

Fortunately, the old man was diligent and family-oriented, so she never went hungry in her life. He raised his three daughters and two sons.

With this thought in mind, a smile appeared on the corners of Ana's wrinkled mouth.

"Ha! Master Qiguai's herbal medicine really worked. Look, it's all healed. There shouldn't be any scars left."

Ana's mother gently touched a blood scab on the girl's smooth forehead with her finger.

The girl smiled. I couldn't understand a word she said. I could only guess the general meaning from her expression and behavior:
"Thank you."

Ana's mother could understand her Mandarin, which was the same as that of a broadcaster. In the past, when the commune was a collective, the important instructions and labor songs broadcast on the loudspeakers were all in Mandarin. Besides, life has become better now, and the village office often organizes movie watching. Whenever there is a movie, it is very lively, and people from every household rush over with small stools.

"You are just being polite, girl. What's the big deal? Master Qiguai didn't charge for the herbs. It's just a matter of having more beds, quilts and bowls at home. It's a new era now. It won't be a problem for our family to support three or two more people."

Ana's mother said proudly, and suddenly remembered something. Ana's mother gestured to her little head in the air:
"Did you remember anything?"

A hint of sadness appeared in the girl's star-like eyes, and she shook her head gently.

Where is she from?
What are you doing here?
Who is she?
These three questions have been tormenting her.

She couldn't even remember her own name. Someone in the village who could speak some Mandarin gave her a temporary name, "Xiaomei".

The only thing that can be confirmed at the moment is that she is a foreigner.

Because she couldn't speak Lahu, people in the village said she didn't look like a local.

This makes it even more difficult to figure out her identity.

"So what are your plans next?" Ana's mother made a gesture of pushing her hands forward.

The girl shook her head again.

What plans can a person who doesn't even know who he is make?

"Is there any news from the village office?" the girl asked.

Ana Niang gestured and sighed, "We don't know what sin we have committed to make God so angry. Lancang and Gengma are almost gone. There are missing people everywhere, and people are looking for people everywhere."

She raised her head and glanced at the girl:
"At least they can give a name, but you..."

The girl also knew that it was a bit unreasonable to ask such a request. She couldn't provide any information, so how could anyone help her find her home?

Home……

The girl suddenly looked in pain and held her head with her hands.

Ana's mother said distressedly, "Stop it, stop it. If you continue like this, your brain will explode.

“In fact, how to live is not living.

"If you are willing, I will treat you as my own daughter and raise you..."

Although she couldn't understand what Ana's mother said, the girl could feel her kindness and warmth emanating from her mother's radiance. Her little head, which was splitting with pain, slowly fell into her arms.

Ana's mother hugged her, her withered hands gently stroking her long black hair, and she hummed the lullaby her grandmother had taught her when she was a child:
"Oh, my dear, sleep well. Mommy is going down to the river to catch small fish while daddy is going up the mountain to fight the enemy. Don't be afraid, dear..."

The girl's long eyelashes trembled a few times, and her big eyes, as innocent as a baby's, slowly closed, and she fell asleep.

In the small courtyard outside the green-tiled earthen house.

A little old man wearing a light-colored right-front cross-collared robe and trousers was sitting on a small stool, mending a net skillfully. Two men wearing the same clothes were sitting next to him.

One older and one younger.

The older man looked to be over 40 years old and was the eldest brother of the Hu family.

The younger man looked to be in his twenties and was the youngest son of the Hu family.

However, people living in the mountains live a rough life, and their age cannot necessarily be determined from their facial features.

"Dad, you can take this idea!"

The old man glanced at his youngest son and said, "I can't take it."

Hu Zahu said confidently: "You pulled her out of the river and saved her life. How can I repay you for saving her life? Besides, she doesn't remember anything now. She has no one to rely on. She lives in our house and eats your food and uses your things. Why can't you make a decision?"

Ah Hu's father paused and looked at his youngest son: "What if she is the daughter-in-law of a certain family, and has a husband and children?"

"impossible!"

Hu Zahu opened his eyes wide and said, "All the grandmothers in the village said that she must be a virgin. I also asked my mother, and she also said that she looked like one."

He added, "Even if it's like you said, I want it! Anyway, she doesn't remember it and can't go back."

This is certainly not the main reason.

God knows that on the day his father carried Xiaomei back, all the young men in the village, including him, were shocked.

Isn’t this a fairy that fell from the sky?
Not to mention these young men, even the grandmas and grandfathers in their seventies and eighties said that they had never seen such a beautiful girl in their lives.

It looks like it came out of a New Year picture.

After Xiaomei woke up slowly, her unrealistically beautiful face was full of confusion. Hu Zhahu knew then that the Bodhisattva was very kind to him and had asked his father to pick up a fairy and bring her back for him to marry!
Xiaomei occupied his room, so he moved to the house of his eldest brother in the same village to stay temporarily.

Whenever he thought of this and Xiaomei, Hu Zahu was so happy that he couldn't close his mouth and couldn't sleep at night...

As long as he could marry Xiaomei, he felt that he no longer needed to think about anything else in his life and he would be content.

And this needs to happen quickly.

He is not the only guy of his age in the village who misses Xiaomei.

Especially the youngest son of the village chief, who always comes here every day for no reason, and always uses his father's name, so it's hard to drive him away. What if the village chief asks to take Xiaomei to their home? Who can say it's wrong to show the style of cadres?
The village chief's family conditions were much better than his, and Shi Zhalong was stronger than him.

In this way, Xiaomei might become his wife.

Hu Zahu was quite worried and wished he could marry Xiaomei today.

Ah Hu's father paused what he was doing, shook his head and said, "There's no rush for this. If Xiao Mei really can't find her family and is willing to live in our village, we can talk about it later."

"When will it be? Brother!"

Hu Zahu hung one of his eldest brother's arms, wanting him to speak for him.

The eldest brother of the Hu family was honest and simple. He looked at his younger brother and said, "What Dad said makes sense."

"..."

Hu Zahu's face flushed red and he said angrily, "You nag me every day to get married soon, but now I've met a girl I want to marry and you won't let me! You say one thing and do another!"

The eldest brother of the Hu family touched the tip of his nose and smiled awkwardly.

Ah Hu's father clenched his teeth and said, "It's not the same thing. Besides, you want to marry Xiaomei. Do you know whether she likes you and is willing to marry you?"

"Isn't it just a matter of a word from you, Dad?"

"Bullshit! What era is this? The loudspeakers are shouting 'no arranged marriages' every day. This is my own daughter. How can I do such a thing as forcing a cow to drink water?"

Hu Zahu didn't know whether to say it to others or to himself, so he clenched his fists and said, "Xiaomei will definitely be willing to marry me. She always smiles when she sees me."

"She smiled when she saw your elder brother." Ah Hu's father said, "This girl must be well-educated and well-mannered."

"..."

Hu Zahu had no way to deal with his stubborn father, so he looked at his honest and simple elder brother again: "Brother, as long as Xiaomei and I marry, I promise to learn well, and I will farm those acres of land in Sandaofan! I will learn the fruit-growing technology from my uncle! I will also learn my father's fishing skills!"

The eldest brother of the Hu family stared at his younger brother in surprise, and actually saw the determination in his eyes, which was different from before.

I was tempted for a moment.

As for his younger brother, as the youngest in the family, he was born in the late 1960s. He had never been hungry and had never suffered hardship, so he developed a habit of being lazy and gluttonous. He usually hung out with some young people from the nearby village, and he would go to his house to beg for money when he had nothing to do.

If my parents quarrel now, it's all because of him.

It also caused his wife to complain and caused disharmony in the family.

Even Ah Hu's father looked up and down at his youngest son in surprise when he heard this.

Hu Zhahu's eyes were filled with longing, and he grinned, "Because I want to raise Xiaomei, I want to raise her to be plump and fair, and also our child, I have to work hard!"

Ahu Dad and his eldest son looked at each other.

The latter pushed his brother and asked him to go away first.

After Hu Zhahu slipped into the house and went to see Xiaomei, the eldest brother of the Hu family talked with his father for a long time.

In the room, after Xiaomei fell asleep, Ana's mother helped her sleep on the wooden bed and covered her with a quilt. She also allowed her youngest son to come in and watch her by the bed, but she didn't allow him to touch her.

Girls want a reputation, no matter which girl they are.

Hu Zahu moved a stool and sat beside the bed, looking at Xiaomei's slightly pale face in her sleep, fascinated. He could look at her like this for the rest of his life.

In the courtyard, Ahu's father and his eldest son discussed the result.

When Hu Zahu heard the call, he whirled out like the wind. The eldest brother of the Hu family motioned him to sit back next to him and said solemnly: "Dad also said that he agrees to this marriage, but there is one thing."

What a little?
Ten thousand points is fine!

Hu Zahu showed ecstasy: "You say."

"Xiaomei has to nod as well."

"Dad agreed?" Hu Zhahu looked at his father.

Ah Hudie continued to mend the net without even raising his head, which was considered as his agreement.

"What's the problem?" Hu Zahu was overjoyed.

Although some of the words may not be appropriate to say, the fact is that Xiaomei is like a child now. She doesn't remember anything about the past. She will be nice to whoever treats her well. She is especially respectful to her father who saved her life, and even has some attachment to her mother who has always taken care of her.

If Dad agrees.

Aunt, please do some more work.

Xiaomei doesn't hate him. He shows more love to her and gives her some delicious and fun things. Oh, yes, flowers! Last time he picked a bunch of wild flowers and gave them to her. Xiaomei smiled happily.

half a month.

No, at most ten days!

Hu Zhahu thought, he would definitely get it.

Pretty!

……

……

Beijing.

Small snowflakes were floating in the air.

The black Crown sedan stopped outside the Li residence in Niangniangmiao Hutong.

The driver He Dongzhu got out of the car quickly, holding up a black umbrella. Li Yunshang pushed open the door and walked out from the back seat, saying with a smile that it was not necessary.

squeak-

The courtyard door opens.

Li Yunmeng helped Mrs. Yuying out, who complained, "I told you not to come. There are two people at home to take care of. How is Lin Yun?"

"There are servants."

Li Yunshang smiled, but could not hide the tiredness between her brows.

Her blind mother-in-law has always been in poor health. Her husband Lin Yun caught a bad cold in the beginning of the fall, which also affected his lungs. He saw a doctor and took medicine, but the doctor said he had to take care of himself. Now there are two sick people in the family.

"How is Jiankun?"

Li Yunmeng shrugged helplessly and said, "It's just like what I told you on the phone, like you've lost your soul."

Li Yunshang walked up the steps and asked quietly, "Is Miss Huang still here?"

"He just left yesterday, but he will definitely appear again within three days." Li Yunmeng said.

Mrs. Yuying sighed: "Actually, they are all good girls."

"I'm going to go see Jiankun."

Without even having time to drink a sip of water, Li Yunshang entered the house, took off her slightly wet black wool coat, and rushed straight to her brother's room.

On the bed, Li Jiankun, with an unshaven beard, lay quietly, his hair a mess, his face pale and thin, his eyes dull, staring at the ceiling without blinking, as if there was an endless book on it.

Seeing her brother become so thin that he looked unrecognizable, Li Yunshang covered her mouth and burst into tears instantly.

Hearing the noise, Li Jiankun tilted his head slightly, a glimmer of light appeared in his empty eyes, and he said in a hoarse voice: "Sister."

"Why are you doing this?"

Li Yunshang came to sit on the edge of the bed, leaned over to him, and rubbed her face against his: "We are all very sad about Hongyi's matter, but it's not your fault. You can't torture yourself like this."

Li Jiankun raised his weak hands and gently wiped away her tears:

"I'm not torturing myself, I'm just... I can't let it go."

When he said this, tears welled up in his eyes.

Li Yunshang felt her heart was broken. Her brother had always been competitive since he was young. When had she ever seen him cry?
The brother and sister wiped each other's tears, but the more they wiped, the more tears came...

Li Yunshang didn't know what she could do. Among her four brothers and sisters, she was the one who cried the least. She could only take over some of Chuncao's work and cook delicious food in different ways for every meal, the hometown flavors that her brother had grown up with, and then try every means to get her brother to eat them.

In the morning, the snow stopped and the morning sun shone into the courtyard, shining through the glass and half-drawn curtains, casting a golden silhouette in the bedroom.

"Here come the steaming hot dumplings!"

Li Yunshang pushed open the door and walked in, holding a plate of freshly-cooked celery and pork dumplings.

When a dumpling was fed to his mouth, Li Jiankun was stunned and asked: "What day is today?"

"It's New Year's Eve. Tomorrow is New Year's Day."

Suddenly, Li Jiankun raised his head and swallowed the dumplings on his chopsticks in one gulp. Then, in front of Li Yunshang's surprised look, he lifted the quilt, climbed out of the bed, started to put on his clothes and shave his beard.

Li Yunshang asked cautiously: "What are you...doing?"

"Something happened."

"What's the matter?"

"Keep your appointment."

……

……

Hu Zahu noticed something strange these days.

There is a perpetual calendar nailed to the wall of the main room. Every day before breakfast, his father would tear off a page. It has become a habit over the years.

The man in red would always look over subconsciously, and a look of anxiety would appear on his face.

When asked what was wrong, she said she didn't know.

Then when she had nothing to do, she would come to the main room, sit quietly by the wall, and stare at the calendar for a long time.

When asked what she was looking at, she said she didn't know.

Look, it’s right in front of you.

In the main room, Hu Zhahu drooled wildly as he looked at the girl's back leaning against the wall. She was only wearing her sister-in-law's baggy old clothes. He couldn't imagine how good and charming her figure would be if she wore fitted and fashionable clothes.

"Lake..." the girl suddenly said in a dreamy voice.

As a young man of the new era, Hu Zhahu can speak poor Mandarin. Moreover, he has been studying hard recently. Mr. Shi, who works at Sanyo, said that if he had studied as hard as he did when he was studying, he would have been admitted to university.

"what?"

"lake!"

The girl turned back suddenly: "Zha Hu, I'm going to a lake."

Hu Zahu was confused and his heart skipped a beat: "What lake?"

"do not know."

what!
"Don't know how to get there?"

"I want to go. I must go. There is something very important..."

The girl held her head with both hands. The huge pain in her head caused her facial features to be distorted. She turned her head and continued to stare at the perpetual calendar of 1988, which had only a few pages left on the wall. Her expression became more and more anxious.

"Look, I told you not to think about it. Your headache is coming back again."

Hu Zahu walked up to comfort her and tried to help her go back to her room to rest, but the girl waved her hand to refuse, staring at the calendar with her big eyes. As she had not closed her eyes for a long time, her eye sockets were bloodshot and tears kept flowing down.

“This lake is in…a school.

“It seems to be the school where I study.

“I’m going to meet someone.

"my sweetheart."

Karma!
Hu Zahu's face turned pale in an instant.

"Stop looking, stop looking! Look at you, your eyes are blind!" He suddenly roared and pulled the girl into the bedroom.

"No, no, let me think about it again. I still can't remember where the school is."

Hu Zahu ignored the girl's resistance, picked her up, went to the bedroom and threw her on the bed.

I looked out the window and saw that my mother had been called away by the neighbor and had not returned yet.

click!
Hu Zhahu's eyes showed determination. He closed the door and locked it...

(End of this chapter)