Years ago, Song Qinxiang spent almost every afternoon soaking in the mahjong stall at the end of Hongyan Road.
It was civilian, the smell of fireworks was strong, and the seat fee cost only two dollars in an afternoon.
As soon as it was time for dinner, Qin Xiang went straight to the fly restaurant across the road and ordered a bowl of steaming braised noodles.
Blow a slit in the soup full of milky white sheep fat and green onion wreaths, and you can eat it with a snort.
Such a calm day is broken on the sixth day of the first lunar month.
On that day, there was a heavy snowfall in the cold, and the vermilion cannon chips were buried deep in the snow, lightening the festive atmosphere.
Song Qinxiang answered the phone and got an order from her son Dadong.
"Mom, you're holding your grandchildren, the full moon of June at the beginning of next month, come on!"
Qin Xiang's first reaction was not joy, but palpitations.
She snapped her fingers and counted, over and over again, and the time couldn't match.
I want to ask Daito in my heart, "Is the child born prematurely?" But I was afraid of extinguishing my son's enthusiasm, and I couldn't say the words in front of my throat.
After hanging up the phone, it was already dark, and it was dinner time again, and Qin Xiang bought a peppery soup roast cake to take home.
Along the way, her heart was empty, and she stumbled on a brick without noticing it, only to see a small pocket of peppery soup in her hand fly out and fall to the ground like a drunken spit out of the filth.
Qin Xiang stood in the cold wind and was messy, unable to wake up for half a day.
2
For her daughter-in-law Qiu Nannan, Qin Xiang always felt strange and distant, with hidden doubts.
Her and Dadong's progress was too fast, out of the understanding of a person who came over, Qin Xiang could not accept a flash marriage in love for a week, and quickly became pregnant, and did not decide to kiss, did not hold a banquet, and did not even ask for a bride price.
In the countryside, all this is unusual, or incomprehensible to "old people" like Qin Xiang, although she often urges marriage in the open and in the dark.
Today, Sun Tzu Xubao has been born prematurely for more than twenty days according to the time when they determined the relationship, but Dadong has not given any explanation.
Was It that Dadong was careless and simply did not think of this layer, or was It that Qiu Nannan's slippery tongue and sweet words fooled him?
Qin Xiang is unknown.
It's just that the doubts of the past are suppressed, and they are accumulated little by little unconsciously, as if they can gush out when they encounter the trigger opportunity.
3
Just a week after Qin Xiang came, Qiu Nannan secretly complained to Dadong, saying that the mother-in-law looked at her strangely, and the look in the child's eyes was even more outrageous, as if picking clothes at the supermarket, holding the child and looking carefully one by one.
Qiu Nannan said: "She is uncomfortable at home, think of a way to let her go!" ”
Dadong began to analyze the pros and cons with his wife, saying that it would be awkward to see the old woman as a free nanny, there would be no such a good nanny in the world, and it hurt to take the child as a grandson...
As she spoke, her wife's brow gradually stretched.
Most of the time, Dadong does not coax people, nor is he willing to coax people.
In his cognition, women are not good at coaxing, especially mothers and wives.
Women who have been rubbed by life, which is unrealistic, their eyes are all pros and cons, and saying useless and beautiful words are all the work of young people, and the symptoms are not cured.
Even if it is coaxed, women will find another reason to get angry, so they must talk about the pros and cons, talk about their psychological balance, and the contradictions will naturally disappear.
4
Qin Xiang lived in his son's house, and half a year had passed.
Sun Tzu's triangular eyes and nose and Chinese character face made Qin Xiang more and more uneasy, and this appearance had nothing to do with the two of dadong and his wife.
It was becoming increasingly difficult for her to hide her doubts.
At the beginning, the grandson was obviously premature, but he returned home just two days after birth, and his weight of seven pounds and six pounds and his white and fat body did not look like premature birth at all.
But every time Qin Xiang knocked on the side and asked Qiu Nannan about the delivery period, she always recognized it at a glance and quickly changed the topic, which was even more suspicious.
At night, she always complained to Dadong, saying that Qinxiang was clumsy and clumsy, and that her living habits were conflicting, which made Dadong also disappointed in Qinxiang, and Qinxiang felt that she could not stay in this home.
Fortunately, Dadong is not biased towards anyone on the surface, the two ends are comforted, and there is only a small fight between their mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and there is no big conflict.
Qin Xiang sometimes felt sad that his son was like a mediator, hiding his joys and sorrows, making difficulties at both ends, and forbearing on both sides.
5
One day when he came home from work, Dadong had just parked the car when he saw his wife hiding in the corner of Building Two talking on the phone.
She was sneaky and a little anxious, Dadong pricked up his ears and listened carefully, only to hear "What to do, what to do, my mother-in-law has been staring at Xu bao a lot in recent days." ”
He glanced at the lawn at his wife's feet, the snow had not yet melted, but the green and tender buds were sharpening, and he shouted from a distance, "Nannan." ”
Qiu Nannan was frightened and hurriedly hung up the phone.
Roughly guessed a few points.
"Who are you talking to on the phone?" Dadong walked in a row with Qiu Nannan, carrying a briefcase and smiling.
"No, my mother wants to see my granddaughter, so I'll talk to her."
Dadong smiled and nodded, pretending that nothing had happened and not asking any more questions.
After some days, Qiu Nannan more frequently led the side attack, suggesting that the mother-in-law leave quickly.
She even grasped the fact that Qin Xiang did not like to close the toilet lid, and vigorously exaggerated that she was different from her mother-in-law's living habits, and it was difficult to live together everywhere.
At night, he cried with Dadong again, and discussed asking a nanny to watch the children, so that the mother-in-law could go back to her hometown to enjoy the blessings.
Although Dadong also wanted to persuade his mother to go back, after all, it was not good to talk too directly, as if driving people away.
It was his mother, who had raised herself for decades on her own, and Dadong told Qiu Nannan that he could not be a person without conscience.
Qiu Nannan was angry, but in the end, Dadong did not express his position, and she had nothing to do as a wife.
Later, the two simply did not even do face work, and the contradiction became more and more fierce, and they went online again and again.
Qin Xiang thought that it was the age of happiness, and she was willing to help her daughter-in-law take care of her children, and she should be grateful, but she did not even live a clean life, and the more she thought about it, the more angry she became.
Once, when Qin Xiang was angry, she scolded Qiu Nannan a few words, and Qiu Nannan recorded it and sent it to the circle of friends, causing her friends to have a heated discussion about this evil mother-in-law in the countryside, and Qin Xiang was so angry that she smashed her mobile phone.
In the end, Qin Xiang was defeated and returned to his hometown for a few days.
6
But she was not idle, all day looking for someone to chat, contact friends, and finally learned that an appraisal can do paternity testing, and the person in charge of the Li surname also has a little friendship with Qin Xiang's younger sister.
But when people reach middle age, they live by their faces.
She did not dare to say that the appraiser was her son's daughter-in-law and grandson, and only told Mr. Li that the fellow wanted to identify and could not pull down her face, so she came to ask her.
The other party showed a meaningful smile, as if he was used to hearing this and ignored it.
Only when Qin Xiang took out the red envelope did he ask whether to provide blood marks, hair, or toothbrushes.
Qin Xiang instinctively said the hair, but the other party said that the hair must have hair follicles, Xiang Qin did not go through the open channel after all, and it is not very easy to extract, it is recommended to use a toothbrush.
Then explain to Qin Xiang how to ensure that the toothbrush has an oral mucosa, what precautions, etc., Qin Xiang's brain is rotating, which is to write down what the other party said.
The big problem that plagued Qin Xiang finally had an exit, and Qin Xiang cried with joy, and could not care about the result, and told the other party that there would be heavy thanks after the matter was completed.
When she got home, she called her son again and said that she would go to him for a while, in fact, for samples.
A few days later, Qin Xiang was pushing his grandson for a walk in the park.
In the park, the sun is about to set, the sun is shining, the trees are flowing gold, and the orange garden on the low slope in the distance is like an ancient oil painting.
Then the laboratory called and asked her to come tomorrow.
Qin Xiang couldn't care about the people next to him, only asked him what the situation was, and the other party grinded and chirped for half a day, saying that he had to say it in person.
Qin Xiang was furious: "What can I do if I don't face it in person, I don't know sooner or later." ”
The other party still insisted that it needed to go to the laboratory office to inform.
That night, Qin Xiang turned over and over and couldn't sleep, and she began to wonder about the phone call, why did she need to say it in person?
Is the result not good, is it true that it is not biological? Thinking about the middle of the night is also fruitless.
At one o'clock in the night, Qin Xiang had a headache, did not dare to drink sleeping pills, closed his eyes and slept hard, confused, half asleep and half awake, and did not know how many hours he really fell asleep.
7
The next morning Qin Xiang came to the laboratory, she did not expect that the laboratory was still quite grand, and there were actually security guards.
But she was so anxious that she didn't have time to sigh, just wanted to know the result as soon as possible. Mr. Lee told her to control her emotions, one, two, three, and the result was "exclusion."
Not biological.
After Hearing the result, Qin Xiang's pupils were very large, her mouth was closed hard, her face instantly swelled into a winter melon color, and shock, fear, and anger appeared on her face almost at the same time.
The female psychological counselor on the side pulled her aside, afraid that she would do something stupid, and in the instant of extreme collapse, the only thing Qin Xiang was sober about was her identity - she was helping her friends identify.
Yes, there should be no overreaction.
She took the report and said thank you To Mr. Li, so calmly that the psychological counselors on the side could not help but look at her a few more times, afraid that she would leave the laboratory before she began to erupt.
Qin Xiang left, like a lifeless tram, mechanically walking on the street, a strong wind blew the appraisal certificate onto the grass on the side of the road, she seemed to be stung, and her eyes were foggy, the whole person shook a few times, her shoulders twitched, and then she cried loudly against an acacia tree, until she cried short of breath and struggled to speak.
At ten o'clock in the morning, the weak Qin Xiang washed his face and decided to question Qiu Nannan.
Back at home, there was only Dadong in the living room, Qin Xiang herself seemed to have been tortured, the first reaction was not to comfort her son, she only said softly: "Dadong, you look at this piece of paper!" ”
Dadong took it indifferently, and his eyes widened in shock after watching it.
"Mom, what are you?" Dadong's whole body was smaller, and the unshaven beard revealed pity.
"Son, you were deceived by Qiu Nannan, do you know?" Mom is really sorry for you, Mom should have told you to guard against her."
"Mom." Dadong's tone collapsed softly, his long eyelashes also fell, and the blue blood vessels beating on his forehead seemed to tell unspeakable pain.
Qin Xiang felt that she should leave, and she looked at Dadong, a little confused.
The son's young rounded little face slowly became slender and sharp, and he suddenly grew up in an instant, becoming a man, a fragile and lost poor man.
She felt sorry for him.
But in the face of her son's silence, she had no choice but to be silent, what to say?
It seems that nothing can be said, and people always face human tragedies with silence.
8
Ten minutes later, Qiu Nannan pushed the door in: "Xu Bao let my mother there." Everyone come and eat the mangoes that my little sister brought from Taiwan, but it is sweet. ”
Qiu Nannan showed off ignorantly, excitedly, like a dove hiding in the snow under a basket trap to eat happily, without noticing the danger coming.
Qin Xiang threw the mango bag to the ground.
"Sick!" Qiu Nannan reflexively roared.
Qin Xiang's anger was ignited by this roar.
She asked, "Whoever is sick, come and have a good look." ”
Qin Xiang picked up the appraisal report and threw it on Qiu Nannan's arm: What happened to this child, other people's pots dare to buckle on my son's head? ”
"What?"
Qiu Nannan took a look at the A4 paper on the ground and knew that the big thing was not good, but countless words floated in his mind, but they were fleeting and could not be grasped.
She had long expected today, but she didn't expect it to be today.
Xu Bao is the product of her failure in the last love, she is weak, do not dare to fight, her mother let her quickly find someone to take over, she only talked for a week to marry Dadong, afraid that Dadong would regret it and did not dare to ask for a bride price.
In the face of her mother-in-law's questioning, she denied it again and again, and finally admitted it, because she was not vigilant enough, and some time ago, her mother-in-law left, and she thought that she would no longer suspect anything.
Now, she was wrong, and the price of the mistake was in front of her, and she couldn't bear it.
Qiu Nannan almost slid to her knees in front of Dadong, and like the men in the laboratory who were driven crazy by the appraisal report, she was reckless, extreme, and undignified, and she began to explain, cry, confess, and beg.
useless.
Dadong on the side was like a lost soul, expressionless, as if he was not shocked at all, and as if he was too shocked, he could not show any reaction.
Ten minutes later, Dadong stood up and took Qin Xiang away, leaving Qiu Nannan crying bitterly in the room.
"What are you doing, I'm going to interrogate Qiu Nannan!"
Qin Xiang was dragged along, looking unconvinced.
She seemed to have forgotten that the saddest thing at the moment was her son, and she was full of thoughts about venting her anger and making this bitch public.
After a long time, when he arrived at a no-man's land, Dadong began to speak: "Mom, I can't have children." ”
The noisy Qin Xiang finally quieted down.
Dadong's face was dark, as if he had a terminal illness.
"Didn't I talk about a girlfriend in college?" It's Levin. Remember? When she graduated, her family wanted a dowry of 200,000 yuan, and I knew that our family had a down payment for a house at most, and I didn't want to break up, so I wanted to get her pregnant, so that the next thing would be easy to say. It dragged on for eight months, she wasn't pregnant yet, and I checked..."
"How?"
"My question. Is azoospermia, chromosomal problems, alas... Anyway, I told you you didn't understand. ”
"Can't cure?"
"It can also be cured, the probability of cure is very low, it is better not to cure, friends and colleagues know that things are more heavy." I just knew at the beginning that Nan Nan was pregnant, I thought for a long time, just I couldn't give birth, just she brought a child, I don't mind this, just look for a second marriage, be a stepfather. ”
Qin Xiang was silent for half a moment, his heart suddenly jumped, how could this be, his son had been healthy and healthy for so many years. How suddenly...
According to Qiu Nannan's temperament, knowing that this matter divorce is a trivial matter, it will definitely make everyone know, and when the time comes, Dadong will still find a wife? Can the old family still look up to them?
"Today this matter is rotten in her heart, we must not let Qiu Nannan know, she also said that Xu Bao would have a second child when she was three years old..."
Qin Xiang said firmly, like what spirit inspired the assembly. Looking up, I saw my son's darkening face.
"Rest assured, Mom will help you."
That night, the mother and son spent the night in the hotel and only returned the next day.
9
Qiu Nannan had obviously not slept all night, and his eyes were swollen into light bulbs.
She had a hunch that no man would accept her cheating and was bound to divorce, sitting on the couch crying quietly, begging for final forgiveness.
"Daito... I really can't live without you now. ”
Dadong revealed a good-natured smile and said, "It's okay, it's not your fault, as long as you have me in your heart, we will still live like this." ”
Qiu Nannan was touched by the tears, seeing that Dadong radiated like a savior, and was eager to kneel down and prostrate himself again.
Qin Xiang also came over to get a bargain, saying that Qiu Nannan would collect her temper in the future and could not live up to Dadong's tolerance for her.
Qiu Nannan was grateful to her mother-in-law again, and she swore fiercely that she would take good care of this family in the future, listen to her husband and mother-in-law's words, make up for her sins, and then hide the thunder and thunder from the sky.
Qin Xiang smiled, a lofty posture, relaxed and tired.
She set her eyes on the wedding photo of her son and daughter-in-law, and her tone of voice became weak again.
Perhaps one day, the son's secret will be exposed, and the daughter-in-law in front of him will be high, and the fish meat to be manipulated will be his day himself.
Now, who is the real easy person, Qiu Nannan said her secret, no longer have to be burdened by concealment, but she has more handles in Qin Xiang's hands, is she relaxed?
The son hides his azoospermia, enjoys the gratitude and love of his wife, but always worries about the truth leaking, is he relaxed?
Qin Xiang couldn't get an answer, and desperately shook his head to shake off these associations.
In the evening, Qiu Nannan took the initiative to make dinner, and Qin Xiang directed it, telling Qiu Nannan when to add oil and vinegar and when to put the pot on the plate. The family is happy and harmonious, and Qiu Nannan also said that in the future, he should take more time to improve his cooking skills.
Inside the house, the family is busy with each other, and the atmosphere is more harmonious than ever.
Outside the window, the last rays of the setting sun are changing from brilliant to indifferent, from colorful to vast.
All the secrets are hidden in the night, and everything becomes the audience, watching their silent performances.
