At the end of the bluestone road in the town, as the twilight gradually shrouded, Li Daqiang, the old Li head, sat alone on the bench at the head of the bridge, looking at the winding river, with the vicissitudes and memories of the years hidden in his eyes. It was a kind of profundity that only at his age would be understood. The afterglow of summer shines on his face, reminding him of the secret of his aunt next door in the cornfield 34 years ago, on that hot summer day, a past that still thrills him today.
"Daqiang, what do you want to eat at night?" his wife's voice interrupted Li Daqiang's musings. It was a warm and familiar call, a taste of home.
"Let's eat something light, let's have some tofu stew. Li Daqiang replied, but his eyes remained in the direction of the cornfield.
He remembered that it was the day of the town market, and almost all the men and women of the village went to the market, leaving only children and a few adults. At just 12 years old, he and his siblings were chasing and fighting on the ridges when they accidentally ran into the lush cornfield behind the Li family.
"Da Qiang, why are you running so fast!Be careful of falling!", his brother Li Erqiang shouted behind him.
And at this moment, suddenly, the sharp and rapid whisper of Aunt Wang next door pierced the silence of the cornfield, making the always naughty children instantly hold their breath. "Don't make a noise, this matter can be big or small, you have to hold it down. Aunt Wang whispered, with a subtle hint of anxiety in her voice.
"Knowing it, you can rest assured. The strange man's voice was low and a little depressed.
At that time, Li Daqiang didn't care too much, but he was curious, so he quietly tiptoed closer. Through the verdant corn, he could vaguely see Aunt Wang wearing a floral skirt often worn by country women, talking to a man wearing a straw hat with a strange back.
They didn't notice the little ears hiding behind the corn leaves, and continued to whisper: "Don't worry, I brought you the golden voice, our ......"
Before the voice fell, Erqiang's shout interrupted the secret, "Daqiang, where are you hiding? Don't cheat, come out quickly!" Li Daqiang was taken aback, and hurriedly stepped back, thinking in his heart what he heard, why did Aunt Wang meet a strange man here?
Li Daqiang knew in his heart that the conversation he heard would sooner or later spell out the whole picture, but he chose to remain silent about the secret of that summer, and he didn't even tell his brother. Aunt Wang's mysterious conversation is like a seed buried in the bottom of her heart, slowly sprouting and taking root with the passage of time.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, Li Daqiang has also grown from that curious child to a young talent in the village. The conversation that I overheard was always with us, like a grain of sand falling in the deepest part of the heart lake, silently but undulatingly. As Li Daqiang grew up, the daily quarrels at home and the strife in the village reminded him of the conversation that day, and it seemed that there was a deeper meaning hidden in the meantime.
One night, the quarrel at home seemed to be getting more intense than usual. Father Li was half drunk, with a heavy sigh in his words.
"Honestly, why are you always sullen these days?" the mother asked Li Laoshi with concern.
"Hey, it's the ancestral land in the village, and it's time to distribute it again this year. Li honestly shook his head, frowning.
"Wasn't that piece of land divided a long time ago?, and why is there another dispute?" asked the mother, puzzled.
"Alas, you don't know, the Wang family next door has come up with something new, saying that it is not fair to say that the land division agreement of the year is not fair. Li honestly felt that things did not seem to be simple.
This conversation shocked Li Daqiang's heart, he remembered the agreement that Aunt Wang mentioned with the strange man back then, could it also be related to the distribution of land? He began to secretly think in his heart.
"Daqiang, you go and have a good talk with the second aunt of the Wang family and see if you can learn anything from her. Father said to him.
The next day, Li Daqiang came to Wang's house and met Aunt Wang's second aunt.
"Second aunt, do you still have the agreement you mentioned with your father back then?" asked Li Daqiang tentatively.
Second Aunt Wang's face changed: "How do you know about this?"
"What I overheard, Second Aunt, what happened back then is now affecting everyone, do you want to open the skylight and say something?" Li Daqiang looked at her seriously.
"This ......" Second Aunt Wang paused and hesitated.
"Second aunt, if there is really anything difficult that cannot be said, I will help you keep it a secret. Li Daqiang said softly.
These words seemed to move Aunt Wang, and she sighed, "Yes, this matter is also a stone in my heart, and it is not a way to hide it like this." ”
Second Aunt Wang took out an old yellowed document from the dark compartment of the cabinet and unfolded it with a trembling hand to show it to Li Daqiang. "This is ......" Li Daqiang looked at the document carefully, and the content recorded on it coincided with Aunt Wang's conversation back then.
A new fact slowly became clear in Li Daqiang's mind, but it also brought new entanglements and challenges, and he began to realize that this would not only involve his own family, but also may uncover a secret buried by the village chief.
Determined to dig deeper, and he needed more clues to connect them all, Li Daqiang began to inquire around to find the truth behind the secret conversation in the cornfield 34 years ago. Li Daqiang's investigation is like setting off an undercurrent under the water, and the old document not only leads to a huge inheritance related to the entire family, but also involves the hidden past of the elders. Controversies and doubts are like a mess, waiting to be unraveled. Finally, all the contradictions and secrets reach a climax at a family reunion.
The long family table was filled with dishes, but the heavy family atmosphere was almost suffocating, and the atmosphere was more tense than any other gathering in previous years. Li Daqiang took a deep breath and mustered up his courage.
"Actually, there's one thing I've always wanted to talk about, about what happened in the cornfields back then. Li Daqiang broke the silence, and everyone's eyes were focused on him.
"Da Qiang, what do you mean by that?" Uncle Li Laoyuan asked eagerly.
"When I was young, I overheard a conversation between Aunt Wang and a man, and I found this inheritance document left by my grandfather...... Li Daqiang said, handing out the old document.
The air in the audience seemed to freeze. The expression on Aunt Wang's face turned from shock to pale, and she raised her head, her gaze wandering.
"Daqiang, is this true?" began to whisper among the relatives.
"I ......" Aunt Wang's voice trembled, "I ...... back then"
"What the hell is wrong with you?" someone asked.
Aunt Wang took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, "I did go to see someone that year, and he was ...... A distant relative you don't know, he told me a secret ......" She uncovered the conversation she had with a strange man.
The whole restaurant suddenly boiled, and the originally hidden secret finally saw the light of day. That inheritance was originally to be distributed equally among all those who were related by blood, but because of some private activities, it was managed by the Li family for many years.
"This ...... Why has this become the Wang family's business?" Li Laoyuan was a little confused, he didn't expect that other families would be involved. Others also had expressions of shock or displeasure on their faces.
"Because...... Because...... There are a lot of misunderstandings, and we should sit down and talk about it. Li Daqiang tried his best to calm his voice, hoping to ease the tense atmosphere.
Such a deep secret has caused a lot of turmoil in the family, and the original simple inheritance issue has become complicated. However, in the midst of this chaos, Li Daqiang's discovery became the key to unraveling the disputes in the village over the years. He learned that understanding and communication are the first steps to solving problems, and that courage and honesty are the only way to move into the future. After that family reunion, the secrets of the Li family and the Wang family were revealed, and the issue of inheritance gradually moved towards reconciliation. In the atmosphere of respecting the old and loving the young in the village, Li Daqiang realized that the emotional connection between families is far more important than money. He began to work to bring about reconciliation and forgiveness between his families.
Late one night a few months later, Li Daqiang and his father Li Laoshi were in the courtyard in the shade, discussing the future of the family.
"Dad, you see, if we could communicate more back then, there might not be so many suspicions and misunderstandings. Li Daqiang said with emotion.
"yes, Daqiang. For so many years, we have stubbornly clinged to our little secrets, who knew that they could hold up such a big misunderstanding. Li honestly smiled bitterly.
"I hope we can be more tolerant and less caring in the future. Li Daqiang said softly, he understood that it all took time to heal.
"Daqiang, you did the right thing this time. Family, what can't be honest with each other?" Li honestly agreed with his son's approach from the bottom of his heart.
As the days passed, the story of that summer gradually became no longer a secret, but a precious experience for the town to educate its younger generations. Li Daqiang's children grew up beside cornfields, listening to stories about their father's courage to reveal the truth, and learning to understand and respect.
"Dad, today grandma told me the story of the cornfield again, saying that you were really brave when you were a child!" Xiao Daqiang excitedly pulled Li Daqiang's hand.
Li Daqiang touched his son's head, smiled, and sighed with emotion. That summer really became a warm story of the town.
"Yes, son. You say, if I had chosen to remain silent that summer, what would we be like today?" Li Daqiang looked at the stars in the night sky and asked his son beside him.