Chapter 6

The rainy season is over, it is already autumn, and the weather is getting better

When the Yushu Bay was sunburned, it looked a little stuffy. The children who had not been in the river for many days started to soak in the open space in front of every house in the river all day long. The newly collected millet was dried. It was golden. Several old men sat in front of the door, sucking grass cigarettes, while waving their hands to drive away the birds.

At noon, the sun was getting strong, and Li Xiaozhu was lying in the house to sleep. The harvest of crops these days made him tired. The autumn cicadas in the village were chirping happily. Xiaozhu lay down for a while and couldn't sleep. He felt hot and was confused when he heard his mother talking to someone outside. He sat up, and was conscious, and then got out of bed and went out.

Liu Yumei was sitting under the tree in the yard talking to Du Erhu. When she saw Xiaozhu get up, Liu Yumei said: Why don’t you sleep much? It’s still early!

Not sleeping anymore! Hot! Xiaozhu said, looking at Liu Yumei, her hair was wet, as if she had just taken a shower

Du Erhu next to him hurriedly said: Hot? Brother Xiaozhu doesn’t go down the river to take a shower? I just came back from taking a shower!

Liu Yumei glanced at Xiaozhu and said: Just go to the river and wash those clothes by the way. It’s time for such a big person to learn how to wash it yourself!

Xiaozhu glanced at Du Erhu, and Du Erhu hurriedly smiled with a flattering face. This guy is the youngest son of Aunt Jinfeng next door. He is two years younger than Xiaozhu. He has always looked down upon him. He only wrote his name when he was in the third grade of elementary school. When he was in junior high school, he still had two snots on his nose all day long. He was known as Big Nose Dragon. Before he graduated from junior high school, he went home to help his father, Lao Du. Now he is dressed cleanly and looks like a dog.

Xiaozhu also felt that it was time to take a shower. He was sweating heavily these days and felt uncomfortable. He nodded and asked Erhu: Let's go, accompany me down the river!

Erhu waved his hand quickly and said: Brother Xiaozhu, it's not that I won't go, but that I can't go. My mother went to the market in the town and told me to watch the corn, don't let the bird peck at me. My father stayed in the river every day. If I saw that I didn't look at the corn, I would have to make me beat me up. I just washed it and came back.

Xiaozhu thought about it, so he didn't force it. He turned around and took the soap, and went out. Liu Yumei shouted from behind: Don't swim deeper! After washing, he drove back the two sheep. There are many people stealing sheep these days!

Xiaozhu hummed a song and left the village, passed through a tea forest, and then went down the slope to the riverside. Lao Du's business was just right in the distance. Today, he went to the market. Everyone in the village crossed the river and went to the town. The ferry crossing was lively. Xiaozhu found a quiet place and got down the river and swam away.

After taking a shower, Xiaozhu washed his clothes again. Seeing that the ferry was quiet, he ran over to talk to Lao Du. Lao Du asked him to listen to a song he had just learned. Xiaozhu said: Why are you playing like a dog barking? Lao Du smiled and scolded him: Dog god, you can't appreciate it! Then the old and young sat on the bow of the boat and smoked in a daze. The mountains in the distance were silent, and cicadas cries came from the woods. Several children swam by the water with firewood on their backs.

Li Xiaozhu drove the sheep back to the village. The village was very quiet and didn't meet a few people. When he got home, the millet was still drying on the ground. A few birds were pecking. Xiaozhu hurriedly ran away and shouted: Mom, no one responded. Xiaozhu put down his clothes quietly in the yard, went into the house and looked for it again. Liu Yumei was not at home, where did he go? Xiaozhu sighed and sat out under the shade of the tree. Seeing that his mother's needlework was still there! Xiaozhu didn't think much about it, and then took out a cigarette and sucked happily.

After waiting for a while, he saw Liu Yumei coming out of Aunt Jinfeng's house next door, tidying up her clothes while walking. Seeing that Xiaozhu had already returned, Liu Yumei was stunned and came back to her senses and asked Xiaozhu: Why don't you call me when you are back? Xiaozhu smiled and was about to answer, but he saw that Liu Yumei's face was a little unnatural, a little red, wet, and her hair was a little messy, not as neat as she had just taken a shower.

Seeing his son staring at him, Liu Yumei's face turned redder and she hurriedly said: It's okay just now, I went to your Aunt Jinfeng's house to watch TV! What about the last two episodes of the Flying Fox of the Snow Mountain, which is great! I forgot to watch Guzi. Fortunately, you are back first!

At this time, Du Erhu ran out of his house, tied his trousers while running, and shouted: Aunt, look, don't let Guzi peck! When he looked up and saw Xiaozhu, he was startled and dared not move anymore.

Liu Yumei hurriedly scolded him: It’s all your puppy, you must take your aunt to watch some TV. Look, the corn has really made me peck a lot!

Xiaozhu only felt the blood pouring on his head, and finally squeezed out a smile and said: What kind of TV is so good? You have to ask me to watch it too!

Erhu hurriedly ran over and said: Isn’t Brother Xiaozhu not a fan of watching TV? Next time I asked you, come and smoke a cigarette! I lit a cigarette for Xiaozhu, and Xiaozhu accompanied him for a while before turning around and entering the house.

As soon as I entered the room, Xiaozhu lay on the bed and couldn't move. He felt his body weakening. Xiaozhu let out a long breath and closed his eyes.

On that autumn afternoon, the young Li Xiaozhu lay in a quiet village and fell into angry thoughts.

At dusk, Li Xiaozhu came to the small hillside outside the village and sat on the grass and smoked. Birds flew out from the broken cave from time to time. Many faces appeared in front of the boy's eyes, just like the river of the past. Finally, the boy's face smiled.

On the river at the foot of the mountain in the distance, Lao Du’s business was just right. People who returned from the market gathered there to chat and laugh, waiting, and further away, the sunset was like blood!