One, road encounter

The fiery red sun brings warmth to the cold earth, and also makes the clean farmyard more beautiful.

The magpies were chirping on the tree, indicating that a happy event was coming. A pair of flower magpies were jumping on the jujube tree in the yard, chirping. Li Baiwang was holding the firewood and looking at the magpies on the tree, grinning from ear to ear with joy.

He said to himself: Magpie, you have been late in reporting the good news.

At daybreak, Li Baiwang got up from the kang, swept the yard, and then went to the kitchen to cut meat, wash vegetables, and boil water. At this time, he took a kitchen knife and a large porcelain bowl to the yard and put them down, then walked to the chicken

He opened the door of the chicken coop and grabbed an old hen from inside. The old hen flapped its wings violently in his hand and screamed, while its legs struggled desperately. Several other chickens came out of the nest.

They screamed and ran around, some flew to the top of the wall, and some ran out of the door screaming. Li Baiwang carried the struggling old hen to the big porcelain bowl, held the chicken's neck, grabbed the kitchen knife, and cut it

He hit the chicken's throat and said "I'm sorry". The words stopped and the old hen's blood flowed into the porcelain bowl like an open water pipe. The chicken's blood slowly turned from a rapid flow into a drip, dripping down drop by drop.

There was dripping in the porcelain bowl. Li Baiwang waited for the blood to drain out, then threw the chicken on the ground. The old hen turned its wings several times and then became silent.

Although Li Baiwang is not yet sixty years old, his temples are already frosty, his thin face is covered with wrinkles, and his hands with exposed veins are covered with calluses. He is a hard-working and family-oriented man.

Li Baiwang poured the boiled water into a large aluminum basin, carried it to the yard and put it down, then went into the kitchen and took out a small bench, put the old hen into the large aluminum basin, sat down and carefully removed the feathers from the chicken, and said

His wife Song Xiuqin walked out of the house and said, "I've washed the meat and vegetables. You can just cut them up and fry them later." Then she shouted into the house: "Yingzi! Yingzi!" There was no reply from the house.

Song Xiuqin picked up the porcelain bowl filled with chicken blood and said with a smile: "Please keep your voice down, the child is not awake yet."

Li Baiwang muttered: "Lazy girl, the sun is shining on your butt, so you can't afford it."

"Who can be like you? You can't sleep because you are pretentious, and you can't hold your breath as if you were steaming dry food in a broken basket."

Li Baiwang's shouting had woken up Li Xiaoying. She rubbed her eyes and came out of the room: "Dad, what's going on?"

"You go to the canteen and buy a bottle of wine."

"Can people open the door so early?"

"Do you think others are like you? Sleeping in."

"What brand should I buy?"

"Jinan Daqu!" Li Baiwang said simply.

The chopping board clinked on the floor, the pots and spoons clattered on the floor, and the fragrant smell of cooking overflowed from the kitchen to the yard, and then spread from the yard to the street. Li Baiwang, who has always been calculating and thrifty, why is he so busy today?

Li Xiaoying, who went to the street to buy wine, revealed the inside story - her brother arrived home today.

A large car is running on the Dexing Highway in the North China Plain. Looking forward through the driver's cab, the road is like a long trapezoidal belt, with its two sides quickly unfolding in front of people's eyes. The tall and straight

Poplar trees stood on both sides of the road, greeting the passengers on the car like a guard of honor. In the warm carriage, sat a young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, wearing a green military uniform, with a dark face.

Smiling. I saw him wiping the glass windows that were not very transparent due to the high temperature and dense air in the carriage with his palms, and looking at everything outside the window. The chatter and laughter in the carriage, as well as the bumps of the car, did not affect his concentration at all.

He is Li Xiaoying's brother, Li Minqiang, a company commander of a certain unit of the People's Liberation Army.

The big car stopped at Mingyang Town Bus Station. Li Minqiang walked out of the car and saw a cyclist approaching. He recognized it and shouted happily: "Uncle Datian!"

Dong Datian was stunned by the sudden shout. He stopped his bicycle and took a look, and said happily: "Oh, it's Qiangzi!" He pushed the bicycle a few steps and held Li Minqiang's hand, looking at Li Minqiang happily.

Said: "You are fatter and stronger than when you left. If you don't call me, I won't dare to recognize you."

Li Minqiang said happily: "I haven't seen you for a few years, but you are still the same, unchanged."

Dong Datian chuckled and said, "Nothing has changed. There are more and more wrinkles on my face. It's past noon after forty days, and I'm already forty-one. I've been here for half my life. Can you come back and stay longer?"

"I won't leave when I come back this time."

"What?" Dong Datian asked with wide eyes and confusion.

"I changed my job."

"Oh! Wow! The place also needs talents like you!"

"Uncle Da Tian, ​​where are you going?"

"The town government asked me to come to a meeting and said it would send people to repair the reservoir."

"Then go quickly, don't be late."

"Okay, I'll see you at home later." Dong Datian rode away.

"Uncle, ride slower!"

"okay!"

Li Minqiang watched Dong Datian leave, then took off his feet and hurried towards his hometown - Shagang Village.

Shagang Village is under the jurisdiction of Jinan County, located in the northeastern corner of the county's jurisdiction. The villages to the east of Shagang Village are under the jurisdiction of Zaolin County, and the villages to the north are under the jurisdiction of Jibei County, and the distance between the villages is only

About one kilometer, so there is also the saying of "Three Cock-crow Counties". There are more than 250 households and a population of more than 1,000 in the village. It is a village composed of many surnames. The south, east and north of the village are surrounded by sand dunes

Surrounded by it, according to the old man, there used to be strong winds here in the spring, and the yellow sand flew all over the sky, making it difficult to open your eyes. In order to fix the sand and prevent wind, the predecessors planted all kinds of trees on the dunes, the most common ones were pear trees, apricot trees, and peach trees.

and jujube trees, and apple trees were planted in the past few years. These fruit trees form an orchard with some poplar trees in the middle. Under the sand dunes to the east of the village are relics left over from history.

The Dasha River in a county (historical books call it the Tuluo River) has always been a river that only flows but does not store water. It rains a lot in summer and floods with water in spring. A patch of willows and willows are planted on the bank of the Dasha River.

The poplar trees have now become timber. Most of the village's cultivated land is concentrated in the west and south of the village, with only a small part in the north of the village. A not-so-wide country road in the west of the village leads directly to Mingyang Town, where the town government is located. Plants are planted on both sides of the road.

The sky-high poplar trees have grown taller, and the entire highway is like a large green corridor with no end in sight.

Li Minqiang was walking hurriedly when a cyclist caught up with him. When the cyclist turned around, Li Minqiang recognized him as Li Minshun from the same village and shouted happily: "Shunzi!"

Li Minshun stopped his bicycle and took a look, and said happily: "Oh, it's you!"

Li Minqiang stepped forward and held Li Minshun's hand, smiling and saying, "I'm so happy to see you."

Li Minshun chuckled and said, "You've been away for so many years and haven't come back yet. It's so easy to come back. Do you want to stay a little longer?"

"I'm not leaving, I'm changing my job."

Li Minshun said happily: "Great! We can be together more often again! Hey, put your things in the car and let's walk together and chat while walking. I miss you very much."

"I miss you too." Li Minqiang said while putting his backpack on the back seat of his bicycle.

Li Minqiang and Li Minshun are the same age. According to their birth months, Li Minqiang is only two months older than Li Minshun. They grew up naked together. When he joined the army, Li Minshun also signed up, but due to physical reasons, he did not realize his dream of becoming a soldier.

.

"Where have you been?"

"I bought a little piglet at the market a few days ago. I didn't have enough money, so I borrowed ten yuan from my classmate Feng Delu and gave it to him."

"Delu is pretty good, right?"

"He lived a good life. He became a primary school teacher, and his wife opened a children's clothing store in the town. Last year, he got another big fat baby."

Li Minqiang said happily: "Really? Shunzi, are you a father too?"

"I'll be your father! Just dream. There won't be a single hair on the duster!" Li Minshun shook his head and said with a smile.

"Are you the same as me?"

"How can I be like you! You are an officer, and the beautiful girls in the city are waiting for you."

Li Minqiang said with a smile: "It's just a matter of not having a single horoscope. We haven't met yet. You're not young anymore, so you have to find one quickly!"

Li Minshun sighed, shook his head helplessly and said, "Why don't you want to find her? But which girl is willing to follow me?"

"What?"

"It's not just me. The hail in our village has hit the cotton trees, and all the bachelors have been wiped out!"

"Why?"

"Why, be poor! Our village is so poor, which girl is willing to come to our village and suffer poverty."

Li Minqiang thought for a moment and said, "Don't worry, our village will get better gradually."

"hope so."

They talked all the way to the orchard beside the road. Li Minqiang said: "Shunzi, you go home first, I will go to the orchard to have a look."

"Okay, let's talk when we go home."

Li Minqiang took the backpack from his bicycle, and Li Minshun said, "How about I give you the backpack and take it home."

"No need, it's not heavy."

Li Minqiang put on his backpack and said to Li Minshun, "See you back in the village" and walked towards the orchard.

Li Minshun waved his hand, got on his bicycle and left.

Li Minqiang walked into the orchard and stood on the high sand dunes. Looking at the village surrounded by fruit trees, he was filled with emotion. Every plant and tree here was full of nostalgia. He was excited and excited. Shagang Village, you

My son is back! While admiring the rows of fruit trees, I walked forward and found an old man at the foot of Shagang Slope. He was dressed in a black cotton-padded coat, with a white towel wrapped around his head. He held a small whip in his hand and leaned against his back.

He stood with his head bowed against a big poplar tree, with a few sheep eating dry weeds and fallen dry leaves beside him. Li Minqiang took a closer look and recognized it as the poplar forest in his village.

Yang Shulin is the second eldest son in the family, and Li Minqiang should be called the second uncle according to seniority. He admires the old man in front of him very much. He was a village cadre in the village for several years when China was just liberated. Because he was fair in dealing with things, he was very popular in the village.

Very prestigious. Li Minqiang hurried over and shouted: "Second Master!"

Yang Shulin raised his head and just looked at him without saying a word.

"Second Master, you don't recognize me anymore, I am Minqiang!"
To be continued...