Republic of China small businessman

The winter in Qinghe County is extremely cold this year. As soon as the twelfth lunar month entered, there were several heavy snowfalls in succession. Especially at the beginning of the month, the goose feather snow fell all night, and the nearby mountains were also covered in a vast expanse of white.

The pier on the east side of the city also rested for two days - the snow was so heavy that even a plow could not run across the river.

Fortunately, the snow fell quietly, there was no howling wind, and the old houses were not damaged.

Grandma Kou's sewing money was delivered, and the family bought some sorghum and corn. Thinking that Xie Jing was going to go out to work, grandma specially bought him a small bag of white rice, and thought of a way to cook him something delicious.

Xie Jing likes to eat the rice cakes made by grandma the most. They are sticky and glutinous. They are very delicious. They are not expensive, but they are troublesome to make. They are busy making a living on weekdays and rarely have time to make them.Usually during the Chinese New Year, Grandma Kou would steam a pot of rice cakes for him to eat. Although it was not the New Year’s Day, Xie Jing was going to be an apprentice soon. Bring him some.

Xie Jing ate a whole bowl of rice cakes at night, and when she gave them to Grandma Kou, the old lady shook her head and said that she was too old to digest, so she just asked him to eat more.

In the old house, an oil lamp was dimly lit, and firewood crackled in the stove. Xie Jing buried her head in eating warm rice cakes. Grandma Kou was doing needlework with the light on the side. She compared clothes with Xie Jing while sewing. quantity.

"Jing'er is a little taller this year. Fortunately, I pulled a little more fabric. You can try it after you sew it up. If it doesn't fit, grandma will change it."

Xie Jing nodded, sweating from the tip of his nose.

Grandma Kou wiped it for him, and couldn't help laughing: "Eat slowly, there is still half a plate outside."

Xie Jing was full after eating that bowl. He tried on the clothes, which were the most common burlap material, the kind of gray coarse cloth woven by himself, which was strong and wear-resistant. , There is also a small word "Jing" embroidered on the collar.

Grandma Kou dragged him around in a circle, she was satisfied with what she saw.

Xie Jing only tried it, then took it off and folded it beside the pillow, "I'll wear it when I go out."

Grandma Kou knew that he felt sorry for her sewing, so she nodded with a smile.

Lamp oil was running out, and the old and the young lay down early.

The rustle of snow falling outside can be heard through the thick window paper. The winter night is extremely quiet, and it is so cold that even the dog refuses to bark.

Xie Jing secretly stretched out a hand from under her quilt, squeezed the quilt tightly for Grandma Kou, and then closed her eyes with peace of mind.

Probably because of the cold weather, Xie Jing dreamed of another heavy snowfall.

That was when he was still with Bai Jiuye. They went to Heihe together. It was also in such a cold weather. They stomped their feet as if their toes were about to fall off, and their scalp was numb from the cold.

Xie Jing's body is so hot and angry that he can't bear it any longer. Bai Jiuye is afraid of the cold, so cold that his breath doesn't have much heat at the moment. His face is as white and transparent as jade, and his eyes are dark and half deep. Staring at him with raised eyelids, she called him "Xiao Jing'er" by his baby name.

Xie Jing stomped her feet in the cold, jumped two steps over, and said tremblingly, "Master?"

Bai Rongjiu opened a small gap in the thick leather cloak on his body and let him in. Xie Jing hesitated, but slipped in anyway.

"Master, I'm also cold... I'm afraid, I'm afraid I'll freeze you..."

The person holding him seemed to be in a better mood, chuckled softly, his chest trembled slightly, Xie Jing tried hard to listen, but couldn't hear what he said clearly.The leather cloak that wrapped him was getting heavier and heavier, Xie Jing took a deep breath, and when he opened his eyes again, he saw the dimly lit window, and it was dawn.

Xie Jing stared blankly at the window, he hadn't dreamed of that person for a long time, probably because it was cold, and he was still missed in his heart.

Someone knocked on the door outside, "Dong Dong" rang twice, first called Grandma Kou's name, and then shouted impatiently: "Xie Jing? Is Xie Jing there?"

Grandma Kou moved slowly, opened the door and saw the standing one, but her expression was not very good.

At the door was a slightly hunchbacked man holding a cigarette pouch. When he saw Grandma Kou, he was stunned for a moment, then quickly smiled and said, "Hi old lady, how are you? It's been snowing a lot these days, and everything at home is fine." Right?" He asked around, but Grandma Kou only answered lightly, did not let him in, and even opened the door a crack.

The man was not annoyed, and continued to ask: "Old lady, Xie Jing begged to come to my side a few days ago, but the troupe didn't open well that day, and I didn't have a big son at hand. To tell you the truth, since this child left, I have This is very uncomfortable, I have not borrowed it for two days, and raised 20 silver dollars, thinking to help..."

Grandma Kou didn't wait for him to finish, her face turned cold: "No, I'm old, but I'm not dead yet, so there's absolutely no reason to sell a child!"

"Hey, what you said, old lady, I didn't mean that. Isn't this a help from the folks in the village!"

"You don't need your help!"

"You look down on singing, don't you?"

……

Grandma Kou simply refused and closed the door.

The troupe's head yelled a few words outside, but in the end he couldn't open the door, so he cursed and left.

Grandma Kou was also very angry. People from this troupe lived in their old housing area, and the voices of beating and scolding children were often heard inside, and it was said that they beat people to death. That's it, but the class leader somehow saw Xie Jing a few times, so he came to recognize Xie Jing as his apprentice-the black and white words written on the deed, no matter if he was beaten to death.

The hunchback leader grinned his yellow teeth and said that he would give ten silver dollars.

Grandma Kou was furious at the time, and since then she has protected Xie Jing even more tightly, and she didn't have a good face when she saw the troupe.

Grandma Kou closed the door and looked up to see Xie Jing standing at the door of the back room. She was only wearing an old padded jacket, but her face was still white and handsome. Wolf cub, with a bit of stubbornness and no timidity.

"Grandma?"

"It's okay, it's from the troupe again, Jing'er, remember, those people are not good people. After seeing them, they were very careful. I heard that many children in the troupe were bought from Ren Yazi. What a crime!"

Xie Jing raised his eyes and glanced at the door, he knew the hunchback leader.The man's surname was Cheng, and his nickname was Cheng Luoguo'er. At about this time, he was given 20 silver dollars after the snowy night to help him bury his last relative, and he joined an opera troupe to learn martial arts.

It was also two years later that he went to the provincial government with the troupe, where he met Lord Jiu.

It's just that at this moment, Bai Jiuye is still in the provincial capital, or he may have gone to Heihe... Xie Jing frowned slightly. He met Jiuye two years later, and he knew a little about the situation in the provincial capital, but Qinghe The county is really unclear.

It's too small here, and there are too painful memories, Xie Jing subconsciously doesn't want to think about it.

Grandma Kou went to fry rice cakes, rubbed oil in a small iron pan and fried them until golden and crispy on both sides, Xie Jing's brows could not help but relax slowly in the smell of fried rice cakes.He helped his grandma light the fire, holding the fire stick and looking up at the old man who was busy cooking. The original memory was completely covered by the familiar smell of food, driving away the last trace of chill in his heart.

There are still two years left, don't worry, if he can save his grandma, he will be able to save Master Jiu.