"Uncle, here you go." As soon as he arrived in front of the vegetable farmer, Yang Liufang couldn't wait to take out a piece of soap and a pencil from his handbag and handed them over.
"I can't do it, I can't do it..." The vegetable farmer tried his best to push it away with his rough hands. He stood helplessly in the middle of the eggplant plants, fearing that he would step on the branches of the eggplants and did not dare to move. He accepted it after several attempts to push it away.
"Uncle, I still need some of this." Yang Liufang took out the plastic inner bag for fertilizer that his uncle gave him last time, and pointed to the tomatoes next to him.
"Hey, I'll pick them for you." The vegetable farmer carefully walked out of the field full of eggplants to pick tomatoes for Liu Fang. People can always exchange sincerity for sincerity. As the saying goes, where sincerity reaches, gold and stone will open.
The vegetable farmer uncle walked nimbly in the tomato fields, picking large and bright red tomatoes and picking more than a dozen, until Liu Fang shouted: "Uncle, that's enough, that's enough, there are too many, I can't lift them!", the uncle said. Then he stopped and went to the melon patch to pick two large melons before he stopped.
Yang Liufang took it and felt it was heavy, so he put it on the ground, took out 2 cents and gave it to the vegetable farmer. This time, the vegetable farmer said he didn't want anything. When he gave in, he looked sulky and said something in Xizhou dialect like "You can't ask for money." Yang Liufang had no choice but to put them away, pick up the plastic bag containing many tomatoes and two melons, stand up and say goodbye to his uncle. But when he reached the end of the field, he opened the net curtain and put the money on the maza bed where he had slept before leaving. Then I followed my uncle's example and stopped the car on the highway.
Although it was only the second time, Yang Liufang was already familiar with the road. He hoped that he could directly stop the tractor going to the unknown three-way intersection that almost trapped him. Of course, in order to reach the three-way intersection earlier, if there was any going Oil field trucks can take you along the way, which is also a good choice.
Yang Liufang walked to the roadside and saw a military truck approaching from a distance. As soon as he stood still and before he could reach out his hand, he heard a familiar voice amidst the roar of the truck: " Hey, little brother selling needlework, where are you waiting for the bus?"
"Ah! Brother, it's you." Yang Liufang was also very surprised when he saw that it was Brother Bing's car that the vegetable farmer helped him stop last time. "Yes, I still go to the mountain village."
"Come up." Before Liu Fang could agree, the enthusiastic Brother Bing had already opened the door on the other side.
"Thank you, brother." Liu Fang walked around the front of the truck, climbed up and sat down, while Brother Bing started the truck.
"How far did you travel last time? How did your needlework sell?"
"Brother, I didn't count the distance. I picked up a tractor pulling coal, then walked for more than ten kilometers, and got on a donkey cart pulling water, and then I arrived at a place called Shitou Village very far away. The village leader With the help of me, the goods sold very well. Now that I have to buy more goods, Yang Liufang raised his handbag."
"Oh, that's hard work, but it's good to be able to make money and help the villagers. By the way, I haven't asked your name yet? You don't look old?"
"Brother, my name is Yang Liufang. I am 17 years old."
"You're from the south, right? You started doing business at the age of 17?"
"Yes. Alas! My family is poor and there is nothing we can do."
"You are three years younger than me. Don't worry, brother Yang. Now that we are reforming and opening up, the policies are good. If you work hard, everyone's life will be better." Brother Bing held the steering wheel and looked into the distance, his voice full of confidence. .
"Brother, what's your name?"
"My name is Qin Jiajun, and I have been a car soldier for two years. By the way, I usually pass by Yantan around two o'clock in the afternoon. If you need to take a ride in the future, we can meet you at this time."
"That's great, thank you brother."
Maybe people like to travel together so that they don’t feel lonely. The two of them chatted together in the car, and unknowingly arrived at the oil field. In the vast oil field, rows of "kowtow machines" work hard on the vast Loess Plateau. The ups and downs are really spectacular.
Yang Liufang thanked him and gratefully left a big melon for his brother Qin Jiajun. Then he tied the full handbag and the plastic bag containing tomatoes and melons together to form a "bundle" and put it on his shoulders, and walked towards the loess road leading to the three-way intersection.
With this first experience, Yang Liufang knew that the tractor pulling coal would definitely come, so he was not in a hurry. When you are tired, stop and take a rest. When you are thirsty, eat tomatoes to quench your thirst. It was only when the sun was setting in the west that the sound of a tractor came out. As the sound got closer and closer, looking around, I saw a walking tractor jumping in the ravine in the distance with the ups and downs of the loess road. It drove over, and white smoke came out of the chimney. The dust kicked up by the wheels submerged the lower part. The driver sat on the seat like a cloud and mist, and soon he arrived in front of Liu Fang. He was wearing a beige straw hat. Under the shadow of the straw hat, there was a bronze face unique to men on the Loess Plateau. It was the same as the northwest men he had seen, such as the vegetable farmer uncle and the head of Shitou Village. You can't tell your age at all.
"Hello, uncle, can I give you a lift? Or can you tell me how much it will cost?" Yang Liufang said to the driver in a loud voice, thinking that out of respect, someone who is older will always leave a mark on others. good impression.
"Mu Ma Da (no problem), come on up. I'll give you a ride on the way. It's free of charge." The master patted the seat next to him and asked Liu Fang to sit over. After Liu Fang got up and sat down, he quickly took out a tomato from the plastic bag, wiped it with the hem of his vest, and handed it to the master before the car started.
"Uncle, eat this to quench your thirst."
"Hey, okay, okay."
"Which onion (village) are you going to?" the master asked after swallowing a mouthful of tomatoes and preparing to release the clutch and start the walking tractor.
"Shiyi Village, uncle."
"No (that) Cong (village) is not close, you have to walk a while."
"Yes, uncle, are you over there at the three-way intersection?"
"Huh", the master nodded and answered affirmatively while eating tomatoes in his mouth.
"That's fine, just put me there."
"Okay, sit tight."
Yang Liufang sat down obediently, with one hand holding the armrest next to the seat, and the other hand holding the loaded tote bag and tomato bag tightly in his arms. It wasn't until dark that the car reached the three-way intersection. Through the dim light of the car lights, Yang Liufang saw the place where he almost "died." I thanked the master, got out of the car and walked towards the well in Shitou Village.
The long night was long, and Yang Liufang walked and walked. When he arrived under the low wall by the well, he didn't know what time it was. I could just vaguely see something like a white plastic sheet. Yang Liufang touched it and felt it was soft. When he pressed it hard, it made a whirring sound. There was something like straw or wheat straw underneath. Yang Liufang suddenly understood that this should be the straw mat left by Village Chief Shitou because he was worried that it would be night when he rushed back and he would be cold when sleeping. Thinking of this, Yang Liufang felt warm in his heart.
