When Xiaoming was born, the whole family was very happy. He already has three sisters. Xiao Ming's father, who was looking forward to his son's longing, finally raised his eyebrows at the moment when the child landed. He is always stingy, killing the only pig, the only sheep and the only chicken in the family and inviting the whole village to dinner. After so many years, the old people in the village will still chat about this meal. It was not the richness of the food that kept them fresh in their memory, but the meal became a joke.
This joke happened a few years later and lasted for Xiao Ming's life. Xiaoming didn't cry when he was born, only laughed. The midwife said that the child will definitely have a good future. Xiaoming's father is naturally happy to hear that. He doesn't expect the child to have any great future. As long as he can carry on his family line, he will be satisfied. It is no exaggeration to say that Xiaoming's father smelled the coffin when Xiaoming was born and couldn't wait to report his brilliant achievements to his ancestors immediately. By the time Xiao Ming was three years old, his father found that the child was a fool, and his full hope turned into disappointment. Xiaoming went directly from the baby of the whole family to an insignificant waste.
Everyone in the village immediately became a wonderful doctor. Everyone said that Xiao Ming found something wrong with his child as soon as he was born. Ironically, his father had to entertain the whole village. We went to eat his dinner just to see this joke, and completely forgot that our mouths were full of oil when we ate. Xiaoming and his family have become fools, and even Xiaoming's name has changed from "tomorrow" to "don't understand". In order to show that he is not a fool, Xiao Ming's family is more mean to Xiao Ming. In front of the whole village, they call Xiao Ming "Qiao Xiaoming", which is a dialect, not pleasant to hear but stupid. So Xiao Ming became the "Qiao Xiaoming", and the villagers who had been hesitant followed suit and gave generously. Shout, Xiao Ming's family is smart and Xiao Ming is more handsome.
I heard this story from my grandmother. Xiaoming is about the same age as my father, but he is my grandfather. Grandparents are kind-hearted. Our grandchildren are not allowed to call him Qiao Xiaoming, but only Xiao Ming. As for the suffix of seniority, grandparents won't let us add it. The name "Grandpa Xiaoming" is not allowed. Even if we don't know manners, people in Shili village say that we are good families.
By rights, children should be afraid of people like Xiao Ming. In children's mouths, there are always legends like this and that, as scary as Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio. But we are not afraid of Xiaoming, because he is our best playmate.
Xiao Ming is always timid in front of adults and always lively and lovely in front of children. He likes playing hide-and-seek with us best. He counted with his hands covered, and he couldn't figure out how to count from one to ten. He only turns to us when he feels similar. He is very accurate in finding people. Whether you hide behind a firewood pile or a big tree, he can always find them in the first place. We who are angry and scold him for hitting his children are never annoyed. He always smiles at you, as if to say, "Look, am I handsome?"
Xiaoming wore clean clothes, which was rare in the countryside at that time. No one in his family will help him wash clothes. In their eyes, Xiao Ming's failure to starve to death is the greatest gift of his family. Xiaoming often goes to the river to wash clothes by himself. In summer, he will take off his clothes first. His clothes will take an hour or two to wash. He won't dry them after washing. He will wear it directly on his body when he is wet. The villagers teased him: "Xiao Ming is on fire again?" Xiao Ming replied cheerfully: "fire, fire, cold." Then the two sides went their separate ways with a smile. In winter, Xiao Ming is worried about washing clothes. The river was frozen, so he dug an ice hole first and then washed it. No one knows how he dug the hole, except that his hands will be frostbitten in winter, and sometimes there is strong water flowing through them. At this time, Xiaoming is the most annoying. Even the children who play with him at ordinary times find him disgusting. Nobody paid attention to him.
Xiaoming likes to go to our home. Grandma has a can of badger oil, which is Xiaoming's favorite. Whenever his hand aches and itches unbearable, he will come uninvited. Grandma will paint badger oil on his hands, feet and arms, and scold him while painting: "Can't you not wash clothes?" Xiao Ming didn't speak, just smiled and said, "It doesn't hurt, it's very comfortable, very comfortable." Everyone in the village is disgusted. Whoever has old clothes will give them to Xiao Ming, and they will tell him, "Don't put wet clothes on your body in cold weather, you know, Qiao Xiaoming?" From time to time, Xiao Ming will bow with his hands clenched like a pug. He didn't dare to laugh, and the frostbite on his face would hurt when he laughed. Xiao Ming took his old clothes home and gave them to his family, and the rest was chosen by his family. The villagers cursed again: "Even if everyone in the family wears clothes, they will compete with the barbarians." In fact, his family is not as evil as outsiders seem. I once saw his married sister secretly give him money. His father killed pigs in the New Year and left them with pig's trotters. His brother-in-law laughed at him and bought him a mixed sugar cake from the county seat. Only when everyone was chatting in the sun in the corner, his family still called him the loudest, and rhubarb dog, who was dozing off, was awakened by his loud voice.
The indulgence of childhood was interrupted by the sound of Lang Lang reading. After school, I seldom go back to my hometown, and the story about Xiaoming's sameness no longer appeals to me. Occasionally, when I meet him, Xiao Ming will still call me: "Hide and seek, hide and seek." I smiled, noncommittally. Xiao Ming smiled and remained naive.
Strangely, Xiao Ming seems to only play with our children. When we grow up, he will never play with children younger than us in the village again. Not only that, he also learned to smoke and drink. Xiaoming has no financial resources, and his family can't satisfy his growing addiction to cigarettes and alcohol. As a result, Xiao Ming frequently appeared at weddings and funerals, doing some work that others didn't want to do, and mixed with some alcohol, tobacco and food.
When Xiao Ming became a "professional household" for weddings and funerals, he naturally became the keeper of the villagers. Xiao Mingcan didn't do any important work when he went to help Hongbai. What he can do is exquisite works. What is a high-paying job? For example, when white things are going on, the vigil will continue to be fragrant and guns will be fired; For example, during the Red Incident, beggars were sent to the Beggars' Gang. Whenever part-time beggars heard that someone was happy and rushed in with a tractor, Xiaoming was the best shield. No one can explain the truth to him, and no one can convince him. Therefore, the host family will save a lot of money.
As I seldom participate in the red and white affairs of the villagers, I have never seen Xiaoming's demeanor as a villager. When I saw him, it was a sad moment for my grandfather to die. Grandpa died suddenly in a winter autumn. When we came back, Peng Ling had been built. Rural people are generally frugal, but funerals should not be underestimated. Running seats, choirs, suona craftsmen and so on must be available. Filial sons and grandchildren mourn and kneel during mourning. At night, they must parade in the street with funeral sticks. When the villagers make a fire at the door, the team must stop and watch the suona craftsman perform the unique skill of "pulling three pieces" until the fire goes out. Tossing and turning, it was already midnight when I got home, and the incense in front of the coffin could not be broken at night. A half-dead family has never experienced another night. At this time, Xiao Ming will appear, and he will sit in the coffin shed with a stool. The task is simple and important. Keep burning incense.
On the winter night outside the Great Wall, the cold wind stung my face. Peng Ling can only guarantee wind protection, but it can't guarantee cold protection. I don't know how Xiao Ming spent this cold night, except that the incense was still burning the next morning. Xiaoming sat on a stool and threw his cigarette butt all over the floor. Grandma told him to go in and get warm, but if he didn't go in, he dragged his stool and limped away. At this point, Xiao Ming's clothes are not clean and his eyes are no longer clear. At noon, everyone knelt down and began to eat. Xiao Ming will come quietly with a stool, not on the table, squatting in the corner with a bottle of white wine. In front of him, he will put two sea bowls: one bowl is filled with all kinds of vegetables and meat, and the other bowl is filled with fried cakes. After a while, he will finish eating, light a cigarette and leave silently.
A few days after the funeral, the family lost their sense of sadness. Crying spirit turned into dry crying, and kneeling spirit played a joke on her son-in-law. As a grandson, I can't leave a tear. The tears in my eyes are suppressed by great grief, which makes me uncomfortable, but I can't show them. Whenever this happens, it is time for the villagers watching the scene to show off their filial piety. "Look, the grandson doesn't cry. His grandfather hurt him for no reason. " "Look, this kneeling posture is very rude. Young people nowadays are not like us. They can't get up when they kneel. " ..... The louder the voice, the more presumptuous it is, and the dutiful son and grandson can't refute it, because it is a test that must be withstood. Suddenly, Xiao Ming's hoarse voice sounded: "It's unfilial to live, and it's only when you die." After a word, the audience was silent, and the powerful girl kannika nimtragol wanted to refute it. Before the spell was uttered, she met Xiaoming's eyes. That kind of eyes have never appeared on Xiao Ming, calm, calm, calm. The sharp long tongue was cut off instantly, and no one could complain any more.
After the white matter is over, according to the old rule, you should reward your relatives and friends who have helped you. The gift is not heavy, two bottles of wine and one cigarette per person. When it was Xiao Ming's turn, he was addicted to alcohol and tobacco and refused to take it anyway. Everyone was puzzled and tried their best to persuade him, so he had to ask his grandmother out. Xiao Ming still refused, pushing and saying, "Badger, Badger, it's not pretty, it's not pretty." Memories of my childhood flooded into my mind instantly, and my dry eyes were rough. Xiao Ming still remembers, he remembers the memory that all of us have dissipated in the wind for a long time, he remembers badger oil for relieving itching and pain in the cold winter, and he remembers that his grandparents wouldn't let us call him Qiao Xiaoming. Grandma no longer insisted, rubbing her eyes and telling us to send you grandpa Xiao Ming.
When Xiao Ming left, he suddenly said to his grandmother, "I'll help you keep vigil when you die." No one blames him for being a deadlock breaker. Grandma said to him, "OK, OK." Xiaoming picked up the stool and turned away. I looked at his back and found that Xiaoming was old and hunched.
From then on, when Xiao Ming helped the village organize weddings, funerals and weddings, he only ate and didn't take them. Nobody knows why. Fortunately, people in the surrounding villages have heard that as long as there are red and white things, Xiao Ming will be invited to come over. Be sure to bring him two bottles of wine and two cigarettes when you leave, and Xiao Ming will not shirk it. Xiaoming became a real village official. When people in the village talked about him again, they all said, "Xiao Ming is actually not beautiful. He has us in his heart. "
A few years later, Xiao Ming passed out in the snow and died on his way home from a foreign village. He died in the dark night, and his relatives and friends were buried in a hurry, as if he had never been here before.
The villages in my hometown are gradually abandoned in the changes of the times, leaving only the elderly who are unwilling to leave and stubborn to produce cigarettes. When people often talk about when the village couldn't keep young people and began to decline, the old people all say it seems that Xiaoming left in the winter.