The Xiao family spent the past two days in depression and anxiety. The family talked less and did not dare to touch on the third girl and Haizi going into the mountains. However, everyone could see that the third girl did not fully agree with Grandpa Xiao's arrangement.
Of course, Grandpa Xiao also noticed that the third girl seemed to be very reluctant, so on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Grandpa Xiao called the third girl out alone and found a quiet place to persuade and enlighten her alone.
After most of the morning, Grandpa Xiao came back with the third girl. He didn't know what they were talking about. After they came back, they both seemed very happy. It seemed that they had reached an agreement, and the whole family became happy.
This day is another happy day for farmers to celebrate the New Year. After the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the New Year is over. During dinner, Aunt Xiao San poured some wine for the adults and respectfully expressed her thoughts.
"Father, mother, sister, and brother-in-law, you all need to drink more. I have thought about my affairs. I will follow father's arrangement and go into the mountains to hide with Haizi.
I think the beards are looking for me and have nothing to do with anyone. As long as they still have hope of finding me, they won't go too far towards the family.
Before I left, I asked Haizi to write a letter for me and ask someone to deliver it to the Beards, telling them that I had gone into the mountains and would go to them after I had earned enough money in the fall and stabilize them first.
When the time comes, we will think of a way. If it doesn't work, just say that I will die after arriving in the mountains. This will interrupt their thoughts and our family will be safe. "
The whole family felt that what Xiao Sanyi said made sense. Although things would not be as simple as she thought, and the beards were not so easy to fool, after all, Xiao Sanyi agreed to Grandpa Xiao's arrangement and came up with a way. , seeing hope, let’s treat the dead horse as a living horse doctor.
The family is still very happy. The depression of so many days has been broken, and the joyful atmosphere of the festival has returned to the Xiao family. Although this happiness is only superficial, after all, there is hope, and the whole family has temporarily put aside their sorrow.
After dinner, Grandpa Xiao and Uncle Haizi prepared a few small oil lamps, saying they were going to the ancestral gravesites to deliver lamps. This is also a necessary etiquette for farmers during the New Year, and every family does this. Fortunately, each family's cemetery is not too far from the village, so it is very convenient to send lights.
Grandma Xiao carefully filled up each small oil lamp with oil and carefully adjusted the wicks. Grandpa Xiao and Uncle Tian left before it was completely dark, and they would probably be back soon.
Aunt Xiao San led the children to remove a pot of stove ashes, sprinkled it with oil, and prepared to sprinkle lamps in the yard.
The big pillar also held several cattail sticks dipped in oil, ready to be used to light lamps. Haizi could now go to the ground, and of course he would join them in activities, but his mood was still very low.
As soon as it got dark, Aunt Xiao San lit the lanterns in the yard and on the gate. She also found three small paper lanterns, lit them, and gave them to the three children to play with.
Then Xiao Sanyi found the firecrackers and fireworks left over from the New Year and set off big pillars in the yard.
At this time, every household began to set off firecrackers and fireworks, and the whole village was boiling again, pushing the farmers' New Year flavor to a climax again.
Snowflakes are floating in the sky, clouds cover the moon on August 15th, and snow lights up the lights on the 15th day of the first lunar month. This is true at all.
Aunt Xiao San led the children to sprinkle small piles of oiled stove ashes from the front of the house to a place far outside the gate, and then lit the piles.
Several children ran behind and stirred the small fire with sticks, hoping to keep it burning longer.
Every household also spreads such small fires from their own yards to the streets. Children run, play, and shout loudly, and a happy and peaceful atmosphere hangs over the village.
After lighting up the house, Dazhu took his sister and brother to the street to play with lanterns and lit cattail sticks. The adults returned to the house one after another. Haizi was the last one to enter the house, and the noise on the street made Huzi fall into melancholy again.
After Grandpa Xiao and his uncle came back from delivering the lanterns, they worked with Grandma Xiao and their aunt to prepare food and supplies for the third girl and Haizi to leave tomorrow. They all wrapped them in bags and put them together. Grandpa Xiao saw that it was getting late, so he asked the third girl to call the children back to go to bed early.
Dazhu, who had not yet fully enjoyed himself, brought his younger brother and younger sister back, and his face was all blackened by the lamp smoke.
Tiedan wiped his face and said boastfully: "I also made faces for them, and all the lamp smoke I took was gone."
"Stop wiping it, the more you wiping it, the darker it will become. Let's all wash up and go to bed after washing."
After Aunt Xiao washed the children's faces, the family went to bed.
The lights were not blown out for the whole night. The fifteenth day of the first lunar month was the Festival of Lights, and every family had to light the lights all night long. The whole village was praying for bright lights, wishing that life would be brighter this year.
Early the next morning, the Xiao family members bid farewell to the third girl and Haizi with tears. Of course, the scene still seemed very desolate. It was really hard to predict what the ending would be like. I could only pray silently in my heart!
"Be obedient when you get there. Something will happen. Don't follow your temper. You have to change your temper. Get along well with your Uncle Chen. Ask him for help. If there is a suitable one, find a husband."
Grandma Xiao fumbled with the third girl's clothes, and her voice was trembling, revealing the sadness of parting. Fate can really harm people. Although it is not a life-or-death separation, it is almost the same. No one can predict the future path.
"Sanxue, and Haizi, if nothing happens in winter, you can come back. It's too cold in the mountains in winter. When we come back, we can celebrate the New Year together as a family."
The aunt put the baggage prepared for the third girl and Haizi in the car, and kept giving instructions, but her tears had already flowed down. Although she didn't cry loudly, the tears she held back were hard to control. Can't stop being sad.
Dazhu, Yingzi and Tiedan also ran forward: "Third Aunt, when can you come back? We miss you, and we also miss Brother Haizi, and we want to listen to his lectures." Tiedan still insisted on letting Third Aunt hug him again. After a while, she sobbed and used her little hands to help third aunt wipe away her tears.
Aunt Xiao San's tears couldn't stop flowing down her face. She told everyone something one by one, and after telling the adults, she told the children, saying everything she could think of.
Especially when Xiao Sanyi said goodbye to Grandma Xiao, the mother and daughter hugged each other tightly, not speaking but just crying.
Grandpa Xiao stood aside and said nothing, but tears had already flowed down. Everyone who saw that scene was heartbroken.
Haizi sat on the carriage driven by his uncle, watching all this with blank eyes, and his heart was even more intense.
Looking at Grandpa Xiao's house where he has lived for nearly two months, thinking about how good Grandpa Xiao's family has been to him, and thinking about what happened in the past few months. He couldn't even reunite with his family during the New Year, and now he doesn't know where he is living. It was very sad, and tears could not help but blur my eyes.
The carriage slowly left the Xiao family yard. With the concern of Grandpa Xiao and his family, and the vague wish to pray for peace, the third aunt and Haizi said goodbye to their family together.
As soon as Uncle Haizi came out of the hospital, he hit his horse and ran quickly. Of course, he was also in a sad mood, but he just held back his tears.
