After saying goodbye to the old man, Lu Yiwei entered another village. This time, he went straight to a farmer's house.
He followed the bluestone path into the small courtyard. The courtyard wasn't big, but it was neatly arranged. Traces of time could be seen in the four ancient main rooms, with four beams and eight pillars, flying eaves and arches, and exquisite carvings. The window frame was painted dark green, and the glass was pasted with a big red "Happy" character. It should be a happy event. Walnuts and beans were drying on the windowsill, and the diamond-shaped curtain made of colorful cloth looked very friendly. Red peppers and corn were hung in the attic, and there were four corn poles on the side of the courtyard wall. The orange color was especially warm in the winter.
On the right side of the courtyard were three newly built west rooms, which formed a sharp contrast with the old house. On the other side was a pigsty. Fat pigs were grunting, and an old yellow dog was lying lazily on the ground. It didn't even bark when it saw them, and continued to sleep.
Seeing this scene, Lu Yiwei's eyes were a little wet, and he couldn't help but think of his home. He hadn't been back for a long time, and he didn't know what his hometown was like. A lot of things could be forgotten, but nostalgia couldn't be forgotten. As the year approached, the longing became stronger, and the scenes of the past came to his mind.
His mother was steaming buns around the kang, and his father was roasting a pig's head outside the door. He and his sister were so cold that they curled up on the kang, holding their chins with their hands, watching the steam rising, and smacking their lips, waiting for the white and fragrant buns to come out of the pot. There was sugar in the buns, and when they took a bite, the brown sugar water instantly flowed down to their hands. It was so hot, but it couldn't stop them from eating the buns. They probably wouldn't forget that taste for the rest of their lives.
At this time, an old woman wearing an apron walked out. Seeing the two of them standing there in a daze, she asked after a long time, "Who are you looking for?"
Lu Yiwei smiled and said, "Not looking for anyone, just coming in to take a look."
The old woman stared at Lu Yiwei for a long time, and then her eyes widened, and she stammered, "Are you the new Secretary Lu?"
Not expecting that she would recognize him, Lu Yiwei smiled and nodded.
"Oh!"
The old woman was so excited that she didn't know what to do. She quickly lifted the curtain and said, "Secretary Lu, come in quickly."
Lu Yiwei walked in without hesitation. The house was filled with smoke, and the glass was covered with water droplets that flowed down. The fire on the stove in front of the kang bed was burning brightly, and crackling noises could be heard coming from the chamber of the stove. The pot on the stove was boiling merrily, emitting the fragrance of wheat flour and a unique smell.
The old woman wiped the edge of the kang bed with her sleeve. She still couldn't believe her eyes. She kept saying, "Secretary Lu, please sit down. The house is dirty, I hope you don't mind. "
Lu Yiwei sat down and smiled. "You know me?"
"Yes, I've seen you on TV. You're even younger and more handsome than on TV, haha."
The old woman was a cheerful person, and her laughter was very infectious. Lu Yiwei and Xu Changyuan also laughed along with her.
"Secretary Lu, why don't you take off your shoes and get on the kang bed? It's warm there. I'll steam some buns and they'll be out of the pot soon. I'll let you have a taste of my cooking. "
When he heard it was buns, it immediately brought back memories. Lu Yiwei readily took off his shoes and sat cross-legged at the head of the warm kang bed. That feeling was indescribably wonderful. The old woman poured a cup of brown sugar water for him, and then rummaged through the cabinet for a cigarette. She said embarrassedly, "This isn't good. I'll ask my husband to buy a pack of good cigarettes later."
Lu Yiwei didn't care about these things. He took the cigarette and lit it up. He asked with interest, "Auntie, how old are you? What's your name?"
The old woman said happily, "I'm Wang Cuizhen. I'll be 64 years old after this year. I'm getting older, and I'm almost an old woman."
She was about the same age as his mother, but her mentality was very good. It was obvious that she was very happy. "How many people are there in your family?"
"Five. Next year it will be six. I'm a man. My eldest is a daughter who works in Shanghai. My second son is a son. He just got married this year, and she's pregnant. Next year, I'll have a grandson. Hahaha. "
"Oh, what's your son doing?"
Wang Cuizhen continued, "He works in the town government. He's in charge of civil affairs. My daughter-in-law is a university student and a village official. She also works in the town government."
"Are they all in Ten Thousand Dragon Town?"
"Yes. Both of them didn't come back last night. They said that the town arranged for them to go to the countryside to clear the snow."
"Overnight?"
"I think so. My son just came back last night. He answered a phone call and left. I asked him about it, and he said that Mayor Huang told him to be on duty and prepare for the disaster relief work. As a matter of fact, the snow didn't stop falling. A few houses in the neighboring village collapsed, and more than ten sheep ran away. Also, in our village, the new shed built last year was crushed. Mayor Huang came to see it this morning. "
Hearing this, Lu Yiwei frowned. "Is this a common situation?"
Wang Cuizhen said, "Not really. Thanks to Mayor Huang's timely prediction, he went to every household before the snow fell. He also moved the villagers from the back of the mountain to the school. Mayor Huang also said that there will be a snowstorm in two days. "
"Is Mayor Huang that good?"
"Of course. It's not that I'm bragging, but Mayor Huang has been to almost everyone's house. He often eats at my house. He's indeed a good leader. Unfortunately, he hasn't married yet. It's hard to live alone. Sigh! "
Lu Yiwei's heart skipped a beat. He asked, "Why hasn't he married?"
"It's because he has to take care of his mother. Things keep getting delayed. Also, his family is poor and owes a lot of debt. Everyone knows about his family's situation. If a girl is willing to marry him, she will pay the debt. Many people have introduced him, but he's very slow. I'm worried to death. Other leaders have bought houses in the county, but he definitely doesn't. He lives in the town government all year round. "
Looking at Wang Cuizhen's expression, Lu Yiwei couldn't laugh. Such a good leader was treated like this. He asked, "Is there no one else in his family?"
"I think he has a younger sister. She's working outside. His father died early. He might have passed away when he was a teenager. The family depends on him. If not, it would have collapsed a long time ago. "
Lu Yiwei had never seen him until now. He had only seen photos of him without a hat. In the photos, he looked especially thin. His cheeks were deeply sunken. His eyes were small but full of spirit. His thick eyebrows were very distinctive. After being praised by two villagers, it seemed that there was no need to check his work. With such a capable person, there would definitely be no problem. But he really wanted to meet him in person. He wanted to see what kind of person he was.
At this time, Wang Cuizhen opened the lid of the pot. Steamed buns the size of a fist came out. She picked one up with her bare hands and handed it over. It was so hot that her hand almost fell. She urged, "Secretary Lu, eat it while it's hot. There's sugar in it. It's delicious."
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