At dawn, my mother packed up, accompanied by my grandfather, followed my uncle, and walked sixteen miles to the station, taking the train and reversing the car. The mother in a hurry clutched a scarlet mirror platform, which was her dowry, the only dowry, and the grandmother's thoughts for the distant bridesmaids.
In the evening, the wind and dust and the party came to the two earthen houses in the field, and my father was already waiting in front of the door. This is my mother's new home, and it is here that my mother began her married life.
It was New Year's Day in 1968, when my father was 26 and my mother was under 20.
The father's family has a small population, grandfather, grandmother, father, uncle, plus the mother who has just passed through the door, a family of five. Grandpa worked outside all year round, and only returned on holidays, and the two mud houses did not seem too crowded.
When they got engaged, Grandma gave her 40 yuan for a dress. By the time they were officially married, there was only one single and one cotton, and nothing else. There's nothing to say about it, you know it's a condition before you get married. The mother was introduced by her cousin, whose mother-in-law was grandma's fourth sister. They are all relatives who know the roots, and of course they know the details of each family. They are all black five categories, and no one should dislike anyone.
Grandma is very good at everyone, and she has a board and an eye for doing things. My mother was always cautious, afraid of making a mistake and being reprimanded. Grandpa rarely came home, his mother was not impressed with him, and he remembered a small, humble man.
The days passed in peace. Grandma is responsible for taking care of the family, parents and uncles go to work in the fields, and when they return home, their mother helps Grandma clean up the housework, wash and cook. It is also common to attend classes and receive an education occasionally.
The calendar flipped halfway through to may in the lunar calendar. The weather slowly warmed up, and the early out of the know had begun to chirp.
Grandpa had to leave home after the vacation, and specially asked his mother to measure the size of the kang mat and said that he would bring it back next time.
Without any warning, Grandpa is gone!
The unit notifies the commune, and the commune notifies the village.
Mom got the news, did not dare to tell Grandma directly, only said that the unit came to inform, said that Grandpa was sick.
Grandma was busy going to the field to call the two sons who were planting seedlings, and the green eyes were full of Grandma had no time to look, her head was buzzing, and she could only hear the wind in her ears.
In front of his father, his mother told the bad news, and grandma collapsed on the spot, and my father was terrified.
The uncle went to Grandpa's unit, and Grandpa had turned into a pile of ashes.
In the early morning, someone found Grandpa's school bag by the river. In addition to the school bag, there are also many cigarette butts scattered, and no one knows how Grandpa was reluctant in the last moments of his life.
The people in the unit said that Grandpa commuted to work normally every day and found nothing abnormal. Probably attended two study classes and did not know much about the mass movement.
Grandpa was 53 years old, and the pendulum of life was forever fixed on june 8, 1968. Grandma was 47 years old that year.
The days without grandpa also continued as usual, except for the family's sadness and joy, which did not affect the work and rest of others.
In 1968, the state reduced the supply of cotton cloth to 9 feet per person.
At the beginning of the year, the mother's grain relationship was transferred out of the grandmother's side, and the transfer certificate was pressed in the village revolutionary committee for a whole year.
Time is passing slowly, without hunger or hunger, without sorrow or joy.
On the eighteenth day of the waxing moon of this year, accompanied by loud cries, my brother came to this slightly cold world.
Grandma hugged her eldest grandson and cried with joy...
This day is February 4, 1969 in the solar calendar, and the solar terms are lichun.
The year 1968 has become history and is deeply engraved in the memories of parents. From time to time, my father nagged about it, but selectively erased this paragraph. At that time, the family of five, three people have gone away in advance, and now only his mother accompanies him to reminisce about the past.
Many times, the mother is busy in the kitchen, and the father lies on the bed in the living room, immersed in the memories of the old days. He didn't care if his mother was listening, as if he was just saying it to himself, to himself in time...