1988: Back to the human world for a few years

Chapter 246 Hope (1)

There is a folk proverb in Qi and Lu that goes: When autumn comes, everything comes to an end; when winter comes, everything is empty.

In this era when agricultural technology is not very developed, entering November means that the work at hand for the year is basically over. Apart from turning the soil and finishing the work, there is nothing else to do.

In the eyes of later generations, this is the most comfortable thing. After all, after entering the society, who doesn’t want to have two or three months of idle time every year like a primary school student?
Isn’t it nice for the cat to take a nap in the house?
But in fact, in this era, the men in the countryside probably worried most about the long and difficult slack season... at least that was the case in the northern rural areas in the late 1980s.

…………

Pingyi County, Baotai Town, Sanguanmiao Village.

Old man Zhao, who was sweating profusely, stopped using the shovel in his hand, looked at the field that had been half turned over, and nodded with satisfaction.

As a member of the Yimeng old area, although Baotai Town did not yet have the reputation of "Pingyi Potato Hometown" at that time, there were indeed many farmers who made a living from potatoes... and Old Man Zhao was one of them.

The "living on potatoes" here does not mean making money by becoming a big potato farmer, but it simply means the literal meaning...the people here mainly rely on potatoes to fill their stomachs.

Breakfast was boiled potatoes in water, lunch was steamed potatoes, dinner was fried potatoes with corn porridge, and even at night when I was too hungry to sleep, I would get up and roast two potatoes on the fire.

There is no way. Who made half of Baotai Town in the mountainous area? Who made Sanguanmiao Village poor?

If we don’t eat this worst, cheapest, and highest-yield stuff, what should we eat?
It’s just that potatoes have a high yield, but if you plant them too diligently, the soil’s fertility will be consumed quickly.

In this age when no one is willing to use chemical fertilizers, if you want to have a decent harvest next year, you can only use the most ancient method - deep plowing the soil.

Fortunately, although Baotai Town is also considered a mountainous area, unlike the mountainous areas with karst landforms, the soil here is undoubtedly more fertile. As long as it is turned deep enough, not only can the severe winter cold effectively kill the insect eggs and pathogens in the soil, but some excess nutrients can also be turned out from underground to provide for next year's potatoes... Although planting a single crop is a taboo in agriculture, and only planting crops like potatoes that consume fertilizer quickly is obviously not a long-term solution, there is no other way. Apart from a limited number of crops, planting other crops will not be enough to support a family.

A somewhat famous public figure in later generations once said this on a social platform: He has traveled almost half of China, and as far as his observation is concerned, among the areas he has been to, life is probably the most difficult in some rural areas of Henan and Hebei. The degree of plight is even worse than those impoverished mountainous areas in Guizhou that need key support.

To be fair, there is nothing wrong with this statement.

But in fact, if it was in the 2010s, s, or even before , this sentence would have to include the old Yimeng area of ​​Qilu.

Looking at the somewhat foggy sky, Old Man Zhao wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed helplessly.

In previous years, during the slack season, they would go out and look around to see if they could work as wheat pickers or do some odd jobs to supplement their family income, but this year...

Old Man Zhao frowned as he recalled how he had been squatting at the town market for almost two weeks before he got a job this year.

This year is difficult!
A clanging sound came from not far away. Turning around, I saw a small, dirty figure, staggering along the path beside the ridge of the field, carrying a pair of metal buckets that were almost as tall as him. The clanging sound was the sound of the metal buckets coming into contact with the uneven ground.

Behind this tiny figure, there was an even smaller bean sprout following like a tail, and behind the bean sprout, there was a bundle of dead firewood that looked very small to an adult, but to the victim, it was more than half the body of the victim.

Looking at the water splashing out of the tin bucket from time to time and the staggering little figure, Old Man Zhao sighed, threw away the hoe in his hand, and walked towards the other party: "Shi Wa, why did you bring your sister out to work in such a cold weather... Where's your father? Is he lying in bed again?"

Seeing Old Man Zhao reaching out his hand with some distress, the little boy, who was only about eight or nine years old, glanced at the two half-filled iron buckets on the pole, shook his head quickly, and then shrank back: "Dad, it's okay, I can carry it."

As he said this, he straightened his back stubbornly and took two steps forward: "My father's legs hurt again and he can't get out of bed. There's no firewood left at home. Anyway, it hasn't rained today, so I asked my sister to come out and help collect some dry firewood."

Old man Zhao glanced at the timid girl behind Shi Wa, frowning deeply. He ignored the boy's stubbornness, stretched out his fingers to help him pinch off the two green and yellow snot on his nose, and shouted angrily: "Why are you trying so hard? You are carrying water half a bucket at a time. It will take you four or five trips to fill the water tank at home. It's not summer now. You come out to work with your bare bottom. What if you get sick?"

Seeing Old Man Zhao moving his gaze to his bare legs, Shi Wa uncomfortably closed his legs, lowered his head, and said in a muffled voice: "But there is no firewood at home, and it's cold at night. What can I do if I don't let my sister come out with me?"

Upon hearing this, Old Man Zhao sighed heavily, and without saying much, he put his hand on Shiwa's shoulder, exerted force, and snatched the carrying pole from him. Then, without saying anything else, he walked forward.

Such a strange scene, such a nonsensical conversation, city people probably don’t understand the cause and effect at all, but in the countryside of that era, it is an ordinary and easy to understand event.

Like most farmers, Shiwa's father, who only had two and a half acres of mountain fields at home, would find various odd jobs to supplement the family income in his spare time besides taking care of the crops. And with his considerable strength, Zhao the stonemason in the village would often ask him for help in carrying stones from the mountain. Therefore, although life at home was still hard, they could finally get by.

Unfortunately, God was blind. Four years ago, Shiwa's father accidentally broke his leg while carrying stones in the mountains. He became a cripple and their life became difficult all of a sudden... Two years later, Shiwa's mother could not bear the burden and ran away with outsiders. The family's situation became even worse.

So there was no other way. Even though he was only six years old at the time, as the only male in the family with all his limbs intact, Shiwa could only use his weak little body to help his father who had difficulty in moving to support the family.

Digging the ground, carrying manure, carrying water, cutting grass for pigs, harvesting potatoes, grinding cornmeal...

All the work that required the use of legs fell on the little child who should have been sitting at the child's knees, while his father, who was less than 40 years old, could only help with the help of a cane and do some not-too-heavy work.

However, since there was no money to treat the leg at the time, although Shiwa's father's life was saved, he was left with many sequelae, one of which was that he could not get out of bed due to the pain when it rained or was cold.

Therefore, this is why Shiwa's five-year-old sister had to come out to collect firewood today;

There's no way. Without the help of adults, maintaining the basic operation of a family is beyond the ability of a child who is only eight and a half years old. Except for his younger sister, he has no reliable helper... Although it is a very common thing for children from poor families in rural areas to become independent early, this sentence is definitely not a compliment.

As for why he came out to work with his butt naked...

I'm sorry, in the countryside at that time, it was not uncommon for a family to share a pair of cotton trousers. After all, Shiwa was the older brother, so the worn-out cotton trousers with half of the cotton wool gone were put on his sister's legs today.

Well, to be precise, it was tied to his sister's belly with a straw rope.

As for why Old Man Zhao dropped his work and helped Shi Wa fetch water despite opposition...

It's not entirely due to the old idea of ​​favoring boys over girls.

Although Sanguanmiao Village is poor, people still have conscience, and the friendship between neighbors is not as cold as outsiders think... In fact, in the past few years, the villagers from top to bottom have helped Shiwa's family a lot, but as Shiwa's self-esteem grew stronger, it was difficult for everyone to help too obviously.

But the problem is, it is already the beginning of November and the beginning of winter is coming soon. In this kind of horrible weather, if you let an eight-year-old child run around outside naked for a whole day, what if he catches a cold?
Do you really think that children have strong yang energy and can rely on the heat generated by their labor to withstand the outdoor temperature of less than ten degrees?

………………

Forty minutes later.

"Wow~!"

As the last bucket was poured out, the half-man-high stone urn was finally filled with well water.

Looking at Old Man Zhao who stood up and straightened his waist, Shiwa, who had been forced to wrap himself in a circle of straw, lowered his head. After a while, he said in a muffled voice: "Uncle Zhao, when I grow up, I will definitely treat you well!" Old Man Zhao is over 50 years old. Although he is still well-off, carrying water is still a big burden for a man of his age... What's more, after sending Shiwa home, he helped carry water twice more.

Looking at the child's serious expression, Old Man Zhao laughed out loud. When Shi Wa showed some resistance, he touched his little head with starchy hair but didn't say much... Although the child was precocious, he was still young after all. He didn't understand some things and didn't know that he was actually not the only one in the village who treated him well.

Thinking of this, Old Man Zhao turned his head to look at the small courtyard covered with stains and dust, and his gaze moved to the corner under the eaves, where an irregular small stone slab made of roughly polished bluestone was leaning.

With an admiring look, he looked at the rather abstract line drawings on the slate and the crooked words beside them. Then, he looked around for the red bricks that served as chalk and frowned, "Where are the textbooks that your uncle Li gave you?"

Hearing the words "your Uncle Li", Shi Wa pursed his lips tightly, and after a long while, he finally squeezed out a few words: "I sold it... Last month, someone came to the village to collect waste, and I sold the wooden windows at home together."

Old Man Zhao was furious when he heard this, and subconsciously raised his right hand: "That's the textbook your uncle Li specially asked for from the town for you, and you just sold it as waste!?"

Unlike other places, people in Qilu have an innate awe and respect for books and knowledge. Even the most basic first-grade textbooks are considered invaluable treasures in the eyes of old-school Qilu people like Old Man Zhao… It was already too much that this child treated these textbooks as ordinary objects and piled them outside before, but now he is actually selling them as waste paper. If it were his own grandson, Old Man Zhao would have beaten him half to death.

But when he thought of the "grudge" between Dr. Li and Shiwa's father, and looked at the little face in front of him that had already been weathered, Old Man Zhao's hand stopped in mid-air and did not fall down for a long time.

Doctor Li is Shiwa’s “Uncle Li”. He used to be a barefoot doctor in the village, but the country underwent reforms in the past few years, and he changed from a barefoot doctor to an ordinary farmer again.

The feud between Dr. Li and Shiwa's family actually seems ridiculous to outsiders. When Shiwa's father's leg was injured, he had no money to go to the county for treatment, so he could only be sent to Dr. Li's house and beg him for help with the treatment... Although Dr. Li has become a farmer again, anyone in the village who has a headache or fever will still come to him, so he has not given up his skills.

In response to the twenty yuan and two chickens offered by Shiwa's mother, even though the injury was serious, Doctor Li gritted his teeth and agreed to the deal after Shiwa's mother knelt on the ground and begged desperately.

In this era, if a former barefoot doctor with no equipment or medicine was asked to treat a leg broken by more than 200 kilograms of stone, the outcome could be imagined.

As expected, although Shiwa's father's life was saved, his right leg was completely broken and he was left with a lot of sequelae.

In fact, the matter should have ended here. After all, it was you who knelt down and begged others to save you... A poor person should have the awareness of a poor person. It was you who had no money to send you to the county for rescue. It's good enough that they can save your life.

But Shiwa's father didn't think so.

Perhaps it was because the aftereffects of his leg injury were too torturous, or perhaps it was because his wife ran off with a stranger that really shook him, or perhaps it was because he felt extremely helpless as a grown man who could only lie in bed most of the time and be supported by his seven or eight-year-old son;

In short, from some point on, Shiwa's father began to attribute all his misfortunes to Dr. Li, complaining all day long that if Dr. Li's skills had not been so poor, he would not have lost a leg, and the 20 yuan and two chickens their family had given him would have been wasted. If his legs could still be used, he would have definitely fought Dr. Li to the death.

To outsiders, these words are nothing more than nonsense said by a man who is complaining about his fate, and no one would take them seriously.

But Shiwa, who knew nothing, heard so much that he really believed that his father's leg was caused by Doctor Li at the village entrance. So the child, who had felt the hardships of life at an early age, began to bear a grudge against Doctor Li... Even when Doctor Li later learned about the situation and voluntarily returned the 20 yuan and the two chickens, and gave Shiwa the slate and textbook, it did not extinguish his hatred in the slightest.

………………

Seeing that Old Man Zhao's slap was suspended in mid-air, Shi Wa lowered his head, his slightly yellow hair looking extremely dazzling: "Dad, I don't want to sell it either. I don't want to sell that wooden window, and I don't want to sell those textbooks, but... my dad can't afford the medicine anymore!"

Although he was very young, Shiwa's tone, which was neither sad nor happy, was filled with an indescribable desolation. His little hands, covered with calluses and blisters, left blue marks in the invisible corners.

Old man Zhao was heartbroken and glared at him with pity: "Your father has no money to buy medicine, but he doesn't know how to ask me, Aunt Zhao, or your Uncle Zhang for help... At the very least, go to the village committee and tell them!"

Shi Wa shook his head: "My father said that our family owes too much to everyone, and we don't have the face to ask for more... If we continue to borrow, my father and I will be too embarrassed to go out."

Seeing the indescribable grievance and stubbornness in the child's eyes, Old Man Zhao moved his lips, but in the end said nothing. After a heavy sigh, he patted his head again and said, "My child, our ancestors have been living in this valley, digging for food from the yellow earth. Only by studying hard can we have hope of getting out."

"Everyone knows your family's situation, but it is precisely because of this that you must seize the opportunity to learn to read and study hard... Only by studying well and going out can you make a lot of money to treat your father's illness and find a good husband for your sister... Just relying on the less than two acres of mountain land, even if you work yourself to death, what kind of life can you achieve?"

Seeing Shiwa's expression soften, Old Man Zhao sighed again: "Whether you should hate your Uncle Li or not, you shouldn't have sold those textbooks... You are old enough to go to school. Although you can't go to school now because your sister is still young, it's good for you to learn a few more words in advance. We can't afford to run a school or hire a teacher here, so your foundation is naturally weaker. Spend two more years preparing so that you won't fall too far behind when you go to school in town."

As he spoke, Old Man Zhao turned his head to look at the crooked characters on the slate and smiled: "Don't you like writing and drawing? When you really go to school, I guarantee you will have a bright future!"

Old Man Zhao's meaning was very clear. When your sister is two years older, she can take care of the housework for you and take care of your lame father, and you can go to school in town.

Upon hearing this, Shi Wa shook his head and said, "Dad, forget it... I have decided not to go to school anymore."

Old Man Zhao's expression changed drastically. Just as he was about to say something, Shi Wa's face flashed with sadness: "I heard from Aunt Li that I have to pay more than 40 yuan in tuition and miscellaneous fees for school, and I have to pay it every year... My family is poor and can't afford so much money."

As he spoke, the eight-year-old child lowered his head again, with a tone of confusion that did not belong to his age: "My father also said that studying and learning knowledge is something that only rich people are qualified to do... For a family like ours, we should just dig the land honestly."

Looking at the young man in front of him who could only use straw to cover his naked butt, Old Man Zhao was suddenly choked. He wanted to refute, but he didn't know where to start.

Yes, studying is an extremely luxurious thing for farmers nowadays. Just for primary school education, the annual book fee is nearly 50 yuan, not to mention the paper and pen supplies... In places like theirs, a family works hard all year round, and the best they can earn is only 300 or 400 yuan. After deducting the necessary living expenses, they may not even be able to afford the money for minor medical treatment, let alone support a child to go to school.

In fact, even Old Man Zhao himself is worried about his grandson's book expenses for next year... Savings in rural areas are calculated on an annual basis. If there is not much work this year, it will directly affect various expenses next year.

Hey ~
If only I hadn’t given those chickens away!

For some reason, Old Man Zhao suddenly felt a little regretful for his impulsive behavior half a month ago.

Just as he sucked his teeth and tried to persuade the child who seemed to have lost most of his vitality, the anxious voice of the village director suddenly came from outside the door: "Zhao Laonian, Zhao Laonian! Are you in there?"

Hearing this, Old Man Zhao turned his head and shouted, "Director, I'm here. What's the matter?!"

Hearing Old Man Zhao's response, the people outside breathed a sigh of relief: "Come out quickly! There's someone outside, looking for you by name!"

Outsider?
And you're looking for me by name?

Old man Zhao was stunned for a moment, then stood up in confusion, then glared at Shi Wa fiercely: "Wait, go lie down on the bed obediently, I will come and make dinner for you after I am done with my work... It's cold, don't catch a cold!"

After saying that, he gently kicked the precocious kid, then walked out with doubtful steps, pushed the door open...

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PS: Chapter 241 was put into the black room and couldn't be published even after the revisions. I don't know what's so taboo about such a small thing that is well known to everyone.

(End of this chapter)