Gambling (People's Story)

Bing Huat has three sons and two daughters. Except for the youngest son, although the other two sons and two daughters have no big income, they can all start a family independently, they can build a new house and have children, they can all manage their own one-acre and three-point land, and they can try their best to find work and earn more money. Five years ago, my wife had an illness and left first; Three years ago, I had another stroke and was hospitalized for two months, but my legs and feet were very inflexible, especially my right foot, and I could barely walk a few steps in the yard with crutches. Seeing that he couldn't take care of himself, his two sons and two daughters took the initiative to take turns to take care of him, so that life could continue. This is the reward of having children.

　　However, the youngest son Baocai broke Bingfa's heart.

　　Baocai was very smart and clever when he was a child, from elementary school to junior high school, the score on the report card was much higher than that of his brother and sister, and he was also among the best in the grade group. At that time, life was difficult, and the five siblings had to go to school and could not afford it, so Bing took the initiative to let his elder brother and sister go to the field to earn work after graduating from primary school, and he was the only one who could study until he graduated from high school. The family has good food and clothing, and they all let him, hoping that he will study hard. At that time, there had been no college students in the village, and Bingfa's goal was very clear, that is, to train him to become the first college student in the village. Who knew that when I got to high school, my grades slipped and I took the college entrance examination for three consecutive years, but I couldn't get into college. As an adult, he worked in farming, working, and business, but he did the same thing and failed. In the early years, Bingfa and his wife contributed money, and his elder sister helped him build a new house, and also helped him buy a woman from Guizhou to come back as a wife and give birth to a son. But when his son was two years old, his wife ran away with another man, and he simply sold his own son to a barren couple in a foreign country as a son. Later, he lived back in Bingfa's old house and gave the new house to others. Now, he is over fifty years old, does not farm, does not work, does not do business, has no proper occupation, spends all year round in gambling occasions, and lives a life of gnawing at the old age - his brother and sister are filial to his father's pension money, and his father and mother will "honor" him. Because of this, some people called him Taigong, he pushed the boat along the river, and regarded himself as Taigong.

　　After all, he was spoiled when he was a child, Bingfa sighed heavily, there is no regret medicine in the world to eat!

　　Just as Bingfa sighed, Baocai came home drunk with the smell of wine in his mouth. After Baocai lost money in gambling, he was used to borrowing alcohol to kill his sorrows, Bingfa guessed that he had lost a lot of money this time, and he reached out to ask for money, and he was so annoyed that he closed his eyes. Bao Cai came to Bingfa and called Daddy. Bingfa didn't respond, turned the wheel, turned the wheelchair in a different direction, and turned his back to Baocai. For many years, the father and son, who live under the same roof, have basically no verbal communication except for Baocai opening his mouth to ask Bingfa for money.

　　Bao Cai saw that his father ignored him, so he went to the kitchen. There is ginseng soup simmering on the kitchen stove, and it is lukewarm. This is Bingfa's eldest son simmering, because this month it is the eldest son's turn to take care of his father, and he has to come every day, wash and scrub, help his father get out of the wheelchair and practice walking in the yard, talk to his father, and go back to his own home when he is fine. Baocai scooped a small bowl and brought it to Bingfa: "Dad, this is ginseng soup, nourishing yin and replenishing yang, clearing fire and reducing inflammation, it is very good for your body to recover, drink more." ”

　　"Baocai-" Bingfa couldn't stand Baocai's flattery, so he had to speak, and once he spoke, he seemed to have a thousand words, and he didn't know where to start, "Baocai, mixed with those people who don't mess around, which year and month is the head?" Collect your heart, it's still too late to collect your heart! ”

　　"Dad," seeing that Bingfa didn't take the ginseng soup, Baocai put the bowl aside, "Dad, I lost a little money today, and I want to take care of it, and I won't gamble in the future." Only this time, you will give me another 5,000 yuan to help me get through this hurdle. Dad, you've always hurt me the most, and you can't see me in trouble, right? ”

　　"Dad's savings have long been tossed by you. As soon as your mother leaves, your father will be sick for three years, and the little pension money given by your brother and sister will be spent on medical treatment, what other money is there? ”

　　"Dad, it's not authentic for you to say such things." Baocai's face sank, and he completely lost the respect just now, "You have money, a lot of money, and there are two passbooks in the credit union, think I don't know?" ”

　　"That's all the money your brother and sister gave to your father's medical treatment, and you haven't given your father a penny. Dad wants to return the extra money to your brother and sister. Dad is a waste man who wants to go into the coffin, so you can spare your father! ”

　　"You-" Bao Cai no longer addressed his father, and "you" was changed to "you", "You have saved so much money, can you still bring it into the coffin?" Asking you for money is giving you face, and it seems that you are giving shame. Today, you have to give it, and you have to give it if you don't give it! ”

　　"Why do you talk to Daddy like that? What if you don't give money? ”

　　"That's kind enough. Are you my dad? I'm still your father-in-law! Don't give money, do you? I'll light a fire and burn this broken house and burn you to death, believe it or not? As he spoke, Bao Caizhen took out his lighter, snapped, and a small flame sprang up, jumping and swaying in front of Bingfa.

　　"Rebel! Evil seed! Brute! See if Daddy doesn't kill you! Bingfa was so angry that he trembled all over, and he picked up his crutch and slashed at Baocai. However, he was in a wheelchair, he couldn't exert his strength, split into the air, and yelled helplessly, "If you have a kind, just light a fire, Dad doesn't want to live for a long time, burn, burn, burn Daddy, you don't want to get a penny, Dad won't let you go!" ”

　　Seeing that Bingfa was not bluffed, Bao Cai blew out the flame and smiled contemptuously: "Old man, don't get excited, I'm playing with you." He put away the lighter and said, "You owe me a great debt." You think about it, and when you figure it out, you think it's right to give me some money to spend. ”

　　Bingfa tried his best to control his emotions: "Speak with your conscience. Dad and mother are reluctant to eat or wear, and they do death and work for you to study. Your brother and sister have just graduated from elementary school, and their father won't let them go to school, isn't it to let you go to school for a few more years and have a good future? You get up from the house, you ask for a wife, which one doesn't rely on your father and mother to help? But Daddy owes you a debt? It's a big deal! If you say something like this, if your father doesn't beat you, Lei Gong will also chop you to death! ”

　　"Am I wrong? I think back then, I was one of the top students in the school, not to mention being admitted to Tsinghua University and Peking University, and being admitted to key universities such as Zhejiang University and Fudan University, I was always sure. When you come out of a famous university, you can't say that you are an expert or scholar in a certain field, not a scientist or an entrepreneur, but you can always be a county magistrate or mayor. Where is my future? ”

　　"You can't make it yourself, can you blame Dad? If you don't repay your father's parenting grace, it doesn't matter, but you still have to gamble with your father's pension money, isn't this your father's life? ”

　　"You're a laid-back dog who doesn't pay your debts?!"

　　"You...... You ......" Bing was so angry that he couldn't speak, and once again raised his crutch in the air, making a gesture of fighting.

　　Seeing that Bingfa still looked like a gourd was not open, Bao Cai pulled away the crutch on the top of his head, pointed his finger at Bingfa's head, and reminded: "Thirty-eight years ago, that night, the cowpen house at the entrance of the village ......"

　　"What? What the? Cowpen house at the entrance of the village? Let my father think about it, thirty-eight years ago, that night...... Bingfa put down the crutch and searched deeply. This search really reminds me of a past incident. Thirty-eight years ago, there was a deficit in the construction of this mud-tiled house at home, and Bao Cainiang was hospitalized and had to pay a lot of money, and her hand was very tight. It happened that two gamblers from other places opened a gambling den in the abandoned cattle pen house at the entrance of the village under the cover of purchasing mountain goods, and he started the idea of "borrowing" some money from the two gamblers to meet the emergency. He has never gambled, but he knows that the dealer is used to casting a long line to catch big fish, and will let first-time gamblers win some money as bait. Having to eat the bait and unhook it safely is a riskier gamble, a gamble within a gamble. He came up with a plan that needed someone to deal with from the outside. Baocai was in the third year of junior high school at that time, and he was the most suitable candidate. He called Baocai, who came home from school, to confess, and then resolutely went to gamble. That night, a group of gamblers was in the middle of a fierce battle, and Baocai suddenly pushed the door in and shouted: Dad, why are you here, let me find it. The two gamblers from other places were dumbfounded: even children could find this place, which means that they had lost the news, and hurriedly closed their stalls and fled from the village. He won the gamble in this gamble. Now that thirty-eight years have passed, if it weren't for Bao Cai's mention, he would never have remembered it. After pondering for a while, he felt that something was wrong, "Baocai, you tell your father the truth, when you were in high school, didn't you go to school well and secretly went to watch other people gamble?" ”

　　"Nothing. I go to school every day, and I only think about getting lucky and getting into a key university. ”

　　Bao Cai did not tell a lie, because since the two gamblers from other places fled the village overnight, there have been no gambling dens in this village for several years, and no one gambles, not to mention that the cattle pen house will be demolished soon, and there is no place to learn other people's gambling. Bingfa asked again: "Have you become addicted to gambling when you become an adult?" ”

　　"Not in the early years. A part-time job is a part-time job, doing business is doing business, I just want to earn more money to support my family, and I see people playing cards and mahjong, and it's too late for me to avoid it. It is true that there have been a few times to burn incense and worship the Buddha, because I always feel that luck is more important than hard work, and I worship the Bodhisattva, hoping to meet good luck. ”

　　Baocai's words are credible, because in the early years, Bingfa and his wife were not very relieved that San'er went out to work and do business, and they have been paying close attention, and they have not found any signs of gambling on him. Bingfa asked again: "Then in recent years, why have you gambled on Shangbo?" ”

　　"Alas, I can't say a word or two! From a student baby to a wage earner to a small boss, I have always wanted to try my luck, but I have never encountered good luck, and I ended up with a broken family, only to know that I can't try my luck when I am so old. Let's start again, it's already fifty people, it's too late, just break the jar and break it, let's mix. Bao Cai paused, and said indignantly, "It's because you told me to go to the cowpen house......"

　　"Dad just let you go to the door to stir up the situation, didn't let you go in to gamble, and before you go, you already said that you are involved in gambling occasions only this time, and neither you and I are allowed to have a second time. Dad did what he said, and never gambled again. Why did you fall into it? ”

　　"Isn't it enough to get to the door? Isn't one time enough? ”

　　Baocai is right, although he only arrived at the door, although only once, he has sown the poisonous seed of "everything does not rely on hard work and luck" in Baocai's young heart. Poisonous seeds take root and sprout in the heart, even if they are not directly involved in gambling, the harm is not inferior to gambling, and they will not succeed in doing anything. It's no wonder that I haven't been admitted to the university for three years, and it's no wonder that I have achieved nothing in farming, part-time work, and business. When he woke up, Shao Hua had passed away, and there was no chance to change. Bingfa finally understood what Bao Cai meant by owing him a large debt; finally understood that Bao Cai came to gnaw at the old, to make noise, to urge life, that is, to collect debts; I finally understood that in the gambling 38 years ago, I lost the gamble, and it was a big loss! Bingfa's forehead was dripping with sweat, and the muscles on his face spasmed, wanting to cry and laugh. He covered his face with his hands and muttered: "Daddy pays off his debts, Dad pays off his debts, the banknotes and passbooks are in the pillow, the banknotes are 6,000 yuan, and there are 40,000 yuan in the two passbooks, and the insufficient part is offset by life......"

　　Bao Cai found the cash and passbook from Bingfa's pillowcase, and shook it in front of Bingfa: "How good it would be to take it out earlier, it caused Ben Taigong to make a big bend, damn old dog!" With that, he walked away.

　　That night, Bingfa died. The first to find out that he was dead was his eldest son, who came early in the morning to prepare breakfast for his father, and as soon as he came, he saw: Bingfa was paralyzed in a wheelchair, his eyes wide open, foaming at the mouth, and there was not a trace of breath; On the ground at his feet, a pesticide bottle was dumped, and the pesticide flowed out of the mouth of the bottle with the lid open, impregnating the ground.

Author: Qu Sihai