Lan Lan had just come back from school, silent, carrying the university admission letter in her schoolbag, and her face was sad, like an eggplant in autumn frost - wilted.
According to common sense, Xin Xin students are looking forward to the title of the gold list after ten years of cold windows, not to mention that Lan Lan was admitted to the ideal university she dreamed of. At this time, she should be full of ambition and full of joy, just like Meng Jiao's "After Dengke": "The spring breeze is proud, and you can see all the Chang'an flowers in one day." But Lan Lan stayed at home all day long, staying at home.
On the day of the unveiling of the college entrance examination, when the students saw the test results, some jumped up with excitement, some screamed, some hugged each other and cried, and they cheered; Some of the parents were in tears, some were smiling, and they rushed to tell each other. In the past few days, whether it is the streets and alleys of the city or the fields of the countryside, the college entrance examination has become a hot topic for the people in their leisure time and after tea and dinner.
Lan Lan's parents died early, and she has an older brother and sister-in-law, and a nephew who is in junior high school, a family of four. It was her brother and sister-in-law who single-handedly pulled her up for her to go to school.
Brother is honest, he has no ability, the croppers, and he is guarding a few acres of land. Although people are not bad, there are many problems, people are lazy and not diligent, one is good at smoking, and the other is good at playing mahjong, these two are his favorites, so family life is poor, and life is tight.
Although my sister-in-law is a woman, her body is thin and she looks weak, but she is the backbone of the family. A good hand inside and out, not only can she farm, but the family's laundry and cooking, sewing and mending, and planting vegetables all fall on her. In her thin body, there was so much energy from nowhere.
Brother is good, he is used to being idle, he never reaches out to help his sister-in-law with some housework, and he doesn't know that he feels sorry for his woman. Men are afraid of getting into the wrong business, and women are afraid of marrying the wrong man. Marrying a wretched man, life is miserable!
Every day after dinner, my sister-in-law quickly washed the dishes and chopsticks, and after cleaning up, she rushed to a restaurant in the village to help people wash dishes, wash dishes, and clean up. When there are many customers and business is good, they have to be busy until midnight before returning home. Earns more than 1,000 yuan a month to subsidize the family. I often hear my sister-in-law complaining of back pain.
Wang Dali, who is next door, set up a rice factory in the village, saying that he uses his free time and evening time to help people machine rice, and the business is booming. Due to the shortage of manpower, he came to the house to invite his brother to come over to help. But my brother ignored it and made people unhappy and left. I often hear my sister-in-law say to my brother at home: "My son is about to enter high school, and it costs money to eat and stay. There are more places to spend money, and the expenses are getting bigger and bigger, so you go to the rice factory to help, earn more money and save for emergency in the future. ”
My brother seems to be used to listening to his sister-in-law's nagging, and he should bear "uh-huh" on his mouth, but he doesn't see action - thunder alone does not rain, and he looks like a bear that "dead pigs are not afraid of boiling water", and his sister-in-law has nothing to do with him.
He didn't smoke for a day, yawning one after another, as if he had lost his soul. The mouth was open, revealing a row of yellow teeth, like a few dried corns, still moldy and black. When I bought a pack of cigarettes, my brother's eyes were bright, he quickly opened the cigarette box, popped one out and inserted it into his mouth, took out a lighter from his pocket and lit it, and then took a few puffs, squinting and spitting fog as if he was enjoying it, fluttering like a fairy, everything was satisfied. I haven't played mahjong for three days, my hands are itchy and shelled, my heart is as uncomfortable as a cat scratching, and I don't know what to do at home. I heard someone shouting: "Three missing one, are you going?" "Brother came to God and immediately rushed to the mahjong parlor. His luck is poor, his card skills are bad, and he loses nine out of ten bets. When I lost the money, I went home and slept with my head covered, and I didn't care when the sky fell. My sister-in-law is distressed about money, and she has to be careful in her life at home, diligent and thrifty. After many persuasions, a handful of snot and tears in the emotional place, my brother is still Huang Lu taking the old road - as usual.
Time is like an arrow, the sun and the moon are like a shuttle. The day of school is approaching. For the same students in the college entrance examination, the banquets are arranged in high-end hotels. One after another, the banquet was held ceremoniously, and the teachers, relatives and friends, and people from the neighborhood came to congratulate and gather together. During this time, the hotel business was extremely hot.
Look at! This family put on the "school wine", and it was full of table mountain delicacies, what flew in the sky, climbed on the ground, and swam in the sea, everything. Seven big plates and eight big bowls, dazzling delicacies, although not as good as "Buddha jumping over the wall", "Manchu and Han full feast" and other delicacies, can also be called a gluttonous feast, not to mention tasting, look at it all make people salivate, it is difficult to resist the temptation. At the banquet, "come and not be rude", everyone respects me, I respect you, push the glass and change the lamp, staggered, happy and happy. It is so enviable.
The students on the top list are in a hurry to relax before the start of school, and the beauty of nature is the best stress releaser. They made an appointment with three or five friends to travel together, to enjoy the mountains and rivers everywhere, or to enjoy the vast smoke and waves of the city lakes, or to observe the exquisite grace of the Jiangnan gardens, or to feel the natural atmosphere of the mountains and rivers, and to appreciate the great rivers and mountains of the motherland from multiple angles, and to interpret the romantic and gentle summer to the fullest. There are also some students who go to the school in advance to inspect the school they are admitted, accompanied by their parents.
Lan Lan's house, as usual, was cold, no one cared, and there was no sound. How dare she hope to hold a family dinner, worrying about where the cost of admission will come from. My sister-in-law is not a mother after all, and it is not easy to train myself from primary school to high school, how can I think about it? During this time, her world was gloomy, and she felt that time was flowing too slowly, which was even more torturous than the time when she was waiting for the results after the college entrance examination. The people in the village thought that Lan Lan had failed the college entrance examination and lost her name to Sun Shan, and in a sigh, they felt sorry for her.
In the past month, Lan Lan noticed that her sister-in-law came home later at night, and she was often tired until one or two o'clock in the morning before hearing the sound of the door opening. Even though my sister-in-law tiptoed every time, she still woke her up from her dream. Several times Lan Lan wanted to tell her sister-in-law about being admitted to college, but she saw her tired face, her two eyes were dark, her eyes were full of bloodshots, and she couldn't say anything to her mouth. My sister-in-law did housework several times, couldn't straighten her waist, almost fell to the ground, held her waist with her hands, and kept shouting that her back hurts.
Lan Lan couldn't help but run to the hotel to inquire, and the owner of the store said with a blank face: "Your sister-in-law has two jobs, and she doesn't know how to make money desperately, is your family in a hurry to use the money?" When Lan Lan heard this, her suspicions were secretly born, and she felt puzzled in her heart.
Finally got through to the start of school. The night before, while she was having dinner, Lan Lan's face turned red, her nervous heart was pounding, and she muttered, "Sister-in-law, I'm ...... I", but at a glance, I saw my sister-in-law's two pandas' eyes full of bloodshots, and shook the words that had just come to my mouth again, like a fish in my throat. The sister-in-law seemed to see something, "Lan Lan, if you have something to say, just say it, don't spit out." ”
Lan Lan was stunned for a moment, and then plucked up the courage to say, "Sister-in-law, I was admitted to university!" School starts tomorrow, and I want to borrow some money from you to study first, and I will definitely pay it back twice in the future. When the sister-in-law heard this, her eyes lit up, her face was glowing, her face was happy, and there was a long-lost smile on her face. She glanced at her brother, and immediately became cloudy, and said with a calm face: "Your brother knows how to guard a few acres of land all year round, and he doesn't go to odd jobs in his free time, and he also smokes and plays mahjong, and he can't even support himself." I'm desperately trying to earn a few dollars for you and your children to study, how difficult it is, where is the money to borrow from you? Lan Lan was anxious, and pleaded with courage: "Sister-in-law, I will definitely pay you back." When my sister-in-law heard the fire, her eyes widened like copper bells, and she shouted at the top of her voice: "What to pay back, I have no money, so I will borrow it from your brother." ”
The brother who was eating at the table couldn't hold back his face, and his face was blue, "Lan Lan is my own concubine, how can you be so unsympathetic, crying out of pigs, what's wrong with borrowing her a little money?" The sister-in-law was angry and shouted hysterically: "At this time, I remembered your sister-in-law, what do you usually do, and you don't pee to take care of yourself, you know how to smoke and play cards, and get rid of a "mud - can't stick on the wall" cowardice." The roof buzzed with a roar.
My brother was scolded so much that his head spurted blood, his face was swept away, and he was ashamed. Annoyed, he slammed the bowl and said angrily, "You ruthless and unrighteous dead woman! Then he slammed the door and walked away. Lan Lan was also scolded and cried, she had nowhere to tell her grievances, she didn't expect her sister-in-law to be so ruthless, there was nothing for her to be nostalgic for in this family, and she said angrily while sobbing: "I will definitely think of a way, I don't want to enter this house again." That night, Lan Lan carried a lockbox full of clothes and took the train to school overnight.
On the train, Lan Lan did not rush to the university campus with excitement and nervousness, but felt lonely and helpless like never before. The more I thought about it, the more sad I became, and I felt like an abandoned and homeless child. She misses her father, how good it would be if her father and mother were alive, no wonder they all said: "Only mothers are good in the world, and children without mothers are like grass." Her heart seemed to have overturned the five-flavor bottle, and the bitterness and bitterness came to her heart at once, and she couldn't help shedding sad tears, and she began to cry with a whimper. The people next to him didn't know what was going on, so they all persuaded one after another: "Girl, if you want to open up in case of trouble, you must learn to be strong, there is no hurdle in this world that you can't overcome!" In the midst of persuasion, Lan Lan gradually fell asleep.
After the quarrel, my brother broke out of the door in a fit of rage, came to the edge of the field that was guarded by a few acres, and sat on the ridge of the field in a daze. In the middle of summer night, there was not a trace of cool breeze, the leaves did not move, the air was so stuffy that it was difficult to breathe, the heat was uncomfortable, and his heart burned like fire. Cigarette after cigarette, he inhaled hard, and suddenly a violent cough choked him.
In the grass in the wild, mosquitoes buzzed, so many that he could hold them up when he stretched out his hand, and he was covered in red and swollen bags when he bit them, but he didn't know it at all. He pondered bitterly: his wife has always been reasonable and understanding, but tonight she has become like a person, and she has become quite unreasonable and unreasonable, which makes him feel strange and terrible; Lan Lan is alone and pitiful, how can she study without money, and she hardly asks her when she is a brother; My son is about to enter high school, and the burden on the family is even heavier......
The moon climbed into the sky, bright and bright. The small animals in the wild are holding concerts: frogs are clapping drums "quack", crickets are playing the piano, "chirping, chirping", singing softly and gracefully, and from time to time there is a trilling song in the grass, which is the "summer nocturne" sung by the textile girl, and I don't know when the fireflies also fly out to join in the fun, flashing in the trees, like sparks blown up by the breeze in the dark night, erratic...... The sound of nature is melodious. A cool breeze blew in my face, and I suddenly felt refreshed. He let out a long sullen breath, and suddenly felt that the burden on his shoulders had become heavier, and he could no longer act like a hanger, and he could no longer live in a state of confusion. He was in a much lighter mood, straightened up and hurried home.
In the afternoon of the next day, Lan Lan came to the school she had been longing for for a long time. The moment she opened the lockbox, she saw a brand new pair of mille-feuille shoes, and a light green sweater was neatly placed on them, which was her favorite color. There was a letter pressed under the sweater, "Lan Lan, in fact, my sister-in-law came to the school more than a month ago to inquire, and I know that you were admitted to the ideal university, and my sister-in-law is really happy for you." You have given the whole family a long face, and you are the pride of your sister-in-law. You don't have to worry about everything at home, and reading the book well is the greatest reward for your sister-in-law. There are 20,000 yuan under the box for you to use first, if it is not enough, I will send you money one after another. You can't save, you have to eat enough, it's time for you to grow up. Forgive me for not telling you this beforehand, I want to use this incident to sting your brother, so that he can sober up and cheer up, get rid of the stinky problems on his body, and support this family. Finally, I wish you progress in your studies and progress every day! ”
Lan Lan held her sister-in-law's letter in both hands, trembling, and tears of excitement, she suddenly realized that she understood everything. The sister-in-law's good intentions are to wake up his brother, to ask him to take on family responsibilities, and to work hard to make money for his own schooling. My sister-in-law is usually kind to herself, and the scenes appear in front of me. It is said that the eldest sister-in-law is like a mother, yes! She is soft on the inside and strong on the outside, and she loves me and loves me like a mother.
Lan Lan looked into the distance and called affectionately: "Sister-in-law, sister-in-law!" ”
In college, Lan Lan turned her sister-in-law's love into motivation for learning, reading voraciously and swimming in the ocean of knowledge. In class, she listened attentively, staring at the teacher writing on the blackboard, for fear of letting go of a word, sometimes showing a knowing smile, sometimes showing a look of surprise, sometimes opening her eyes in doubt, sometimes locking her eyebrows, holding her cheeks in contemplation. In the middle of the night, she still struggles under the lamp, or concentrates on reading and reveling in it; Or the spring of thought, the pen of flowers. On Saturdays and Sundays, she immersed herself in the library, researched materials, took notes carefully, and worked diligently. The grades in each subject are among the best in the same grade in the school, and he has won scholarships from the school every year.
Lan Lan actively demanded progress, served brilliantly as a class cadre in the class, and joined the party with honor. I often talk to my sister-in-law on the phone, no, yesterday my sister-in-law told Lan Lan with relief on the other end of the phone: "Your brother is a prodigal son who turned back - Jin does not change, now he has quit smoking and gambling, he is also very diligent, knows how to feel sorry for people, often helps me with housework, and often works in Wang Dali's rice factory until late before returning home." "I can hear my sister-in-law's excitement on the phone, and I'm really happy for her.
Time flies, like a white horse passing through a gap. In the blink of an eye, after graduating from college in four years, Lan Lan was admitted to the civil service with excellent grades and arranged to work in a municipal finance bureau. On the evening of a late autumn weekend, Lan Lan came back from the unit, carrying a large bag and buying it for her sister-in-law, which was the first time she went home since she went to college. As soon as I entered the house, I couldn't wait to find my sister-in-law. Brother asked, "What are you looking for her?" Lan Lan took out a bank card from her backpack, "There is more than 50,000 yuan in the card, I gave it to my sister-in-law." When the brother heard this, he was not happy, and said with a straight face: "She is so mean to you, you give her money?" Lan Lan smiled playfully and secretly, "Brother, you are so confused, my sister-in-law is very good to me, she gave me 20,000 yuan when she reported to the university, knitted sweaters, made cloth shoes, bought mobile phones, and sent me money to send food every now and then......"
In the sky hanging high at dusk, a round of sunset is held up in the clouds, quiet and beautiful, the luster is brilliant but not hot, such as the steel that has been quenched with flames, and the surrounding clouds are magnificent, woven into a colorful painting screen, when focusing on the painting screen, the sunset will clearly fall on the painting screen, like a Zen practitioner who meditates peacefully.
The setting sun weaves a glittering path with golden silk, and the sunset dresses her in colorful clothes. While talking, the sister-in-law wore a straw hat, pulled up her trouser legs, carried a hoe, and held a towel to wipe her sweat in her hand, and came back from the field. Lan Lan ran up quickly, hugged her sister-in-law tightly, like a child who hadn't seen her mother for a long time, looked carefully, took her hand with tears in her eyes and said, "Sister-in-law has lost weight!" For four years, I often dreamed of you in my sleep, and I missed my sister-in-law so much! The sister-in-law smiled, "I miss you so much, I have long regarded you as my own child!" ”
Lan Lan handed over the bank card, "This is my filial piety to my sister-in-law!" After the sister-in-law asked about the situation, she was stunned for a moment, "Where did you get so much money?" Lan Lan replied: "I haven't been home in the past few years, I have used holidays to work, worked as a tutor, worked as a restaurant waiter, and went to work in a factory. ”
The sister-in-law was very happy to put the card into Lan Lan's backpack, "Sister-in-law can't ask for your money, you are not small, the eldest girl who is almost 23 years old, find a good family to live a good life, this money is even the dowry given to you by your sister-in-law!" ”
The bewildered brother, at this time, felt like he was "fooled", he couldn't hold back his emotions anymore, burst into tears, ran over and hugged his wife, hugged him tightly, and said angrily: "Dare to love your aunt and sister-in-law to bullied me!" The sister-in-law smiled knowingly, so sweetly, so brightly.