Chapter 38: Rural Absurd Past Events Chapter 38: Shangou Village 38

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

When Li Xiulan returned from feeding the pigs, she discovered Wang Dashan was already nowhere to be found, but the exercise book placed on the table already had all the answers written in it.

She checked it through and found they were all correct; a relieved smile involuntarily appeared on her face.

"This child, all he knows is play!"

As long as he could finish his homework, Li Xiulan didn't want to meddle too much.

And even if she wanted to, she couldn't manage it all; after all, there were three children, so many of them.

She only hoped these three children would hurry up and grow up, so they could let her worry a little less.

Ordinary days passed one by one; Wang Dashan had already adapted to school life. Although his studies were a complete mess and he couldn't listen to the teacher's lectures, he had made friends at school, and so he no longer resisted school life so much.

In the blink of an eye, the Mid-Autumn Festival was fast approaching.

Although Wang Zhanggen had told Li Xiulan in advance that he wouldn't be coming back for the Mid-Autumn Festival this year, Li Xiulan still felt this festival should have a bit more sense of ceremony.

Not for herself, but for the three children.

So she planned to go to the town on market day to buy some festival supplies and bring them back.

This morning, after Wang Dashan went to school, she took Wang Erhai and Wang Xiaohua and rode a small four-wheeler heading for the town.

Back then, minivans weren't yet popular in the village; passenger vehicles were either small four-wheelers or tractors.

A small four-wheeler is actually a kind of small freight truck; the front cab has four seats, the back is a small cargo box, modified with two long bench seats and a rain canopy, able to carry over a dozen or twenty people at once.

Driver Lao Lu was very friendly; seeing Li Xiulan bringing two small children, he let her sit in front, so the kids wouldn't be too mischievous running and jumping around in the back cargo box and cause trouble.

From Shangou Village to Jizhen, the road still passed through quite a few villages.

Lao Lu's small four-wheeler, on the still-unpaved yellow mud road, went stopping and starting all the way; whenever he saw someone waving by the highway, he stopped to give them a ride.

The passengers on the vehicle became more and more numerous.

Some were going to the market to buy things, some were bringing things to the market to sell.

"Squeeze in, squeeze in, Xiulan, you hold the child, we can fit one more!"

Lao Lu called for passengers to board, a kindly smile on his face.

Li Xiulan held Wang Xiaohua in her arms, while Wang Erhai was placed between her knees in front.

This small four-wheeler was already severely overloaded; the four seats in the cab were crammed with seven or eight people.

The small cargo box in the back was even more packed with people like stacked firewood.

But no one had any complaints; after all, there weren't many vehicles going to the market town, and everyone needed to arrive before the morning market dispersed, so squeeze a little, squeeze a little, anyway they'd reach the town very soon.

Wang Xiaohua in Li Xiulan's arms, his little head full of curiosity toward this world, because this was the first time in his memory he had ridden such a vehicle.

His gaze from time to time looked at the fellow villagers in the vehicle; the fellow villagers all wore amiable smiles, from time to time praising him for being cute.

The small four-wheeler rolled up faint yellow dust on the bumpy road; in the sky were patches of pure white clouds; by the roadside trees, cicadas still shrieked — a final struggle against fate before autumn's arrival.

After half an hour of bumping along, the coughing small four-wheeler finally arrived at the town.

But Lao Lu did not drive the vehicle into the market; usually he would take passengers all the way to the market, but this time, just as they reached the town's street entrance, a fellow small-four-wheeler driver passed by and told him traffic police were impounding vehicles at the market entrance.

"Don't drive in; Lao Liang's vehicle got seized, he'll probably have to pay several hundred to get it back!"

The fellow driver kindly reminded him.

Everyone was very simple and honest.

They didn't badmouth or scheme against each other just because they were competitors.

In their eyes, they were all just drivers serving the fellow villagers; there was no such thing as competitors.

"Okay, okay, Lao Liang, many thanks!"

Lao Lu stopped the vehicle, then had the passengers get off.

And collected money one by one.

"One yuan each, children free, everyone hurry up, there are traffic police today, afraid they'll come over this way!"

Lao Lu collected money while urging them.

"Wasn't it fifty cents before?"

An old man took out a wrinkled one-yuan note and handed it to Lao Lu.

Lao Lu smiled and accepted it:

"Fellow villager, the price went up over two months ago, everyone raised prices, fuel is expensive now, at fifty cents I can't even earn back fuel costs, please understand!"

The old man said nothing; after giving the money, he walked to the market leaning on his cane.

Li Xiulan gave Lao Lu two yuan.

Although Lao Lu said children were free, Li Xiulan still insisted on giving him an extra yuan; after all, two small children sitting there occupied at least one adult's seat, she felt she ought to pay.

Lao Lu smiled broadly, couldn't out-stubborn Li Xiulan, finally took the money, and after all passengers had gotten off, he hurriedly drove the vehicle away.

And while driving he watched all directions, sneaking along, trembling with fear, just afraid traffic police would suddenly jump out.

You have to know, he didn't have a driver's license, and this vehicle wasn't registered either; it was a beat-up secondhand car he'd bought with money saved over several years; if the traffic police caught him, the trouble would be serious.

Li Xiulan led Wang Erhai and Wang Xiaohua toward the market; because today was the last market day before the Mid-Autumn Festival, today's market was especially lively.

Before even reaching the market entrance, it was already people pressing against people.

By the roadside were many vendors: some selling mooncakes, some selling pomelos, some selling grapes, some selling lanterns...

Wang Xiaohua's small hand grasped Li Xiulan's big hand; he looked left and right, the noisy clamor in his ears buzzing, he was curious about everything.

Wang Erhai had been to the market before, so he wasn't that strongly curious, but his goal was very clear; as soon as he saw a little red lantern, he pulled Li Xiulan and said:

"Mom, I want a lantern!"

Li Xiulan went over to ask, and it actually cost two yuan each — expensive as hell.

So she said to Wang Erhai:

"I'll make you one when we get back, it's too expensive here!"

Wang Erhai could only leave reluctantly.

Because he knew, if he dared make a fuss, Li Xiulan would absolutely hit him.

Li Xiulan walked a full round at the market, asked the price of every item she wanted to buy, compared three shops, then on the second round chose what to purchase.

Her memory was excellent; how much each shop charged, which was more affordable — once she asked, she remembered it all clearly.

In the end she bought two boxes of Five-Kernel Mooncake, two large Pomelo, two strings of Grape, and a big bag of Apple, then also bought one large Grass Carp, several jin of Pork; as for Snack and such, she didn't buy them here, because she and Niu Chunsheng had opened a Convenience Store at the Village Entrance, which already had quite a few Snack — when the time came she could just take some at selling price from their own store.

At this market, Li Xiulan also ran into Dashaoben who cuts hair.

Dashaoben's business was booming; a broken Chair set up in some corner of the market, lots of old men and women queuing up for haircuts, he was too busy to keep up, even quite a few Young People came to him for haircuts — his skill was good, he spoke little, prices affordable, everyone liked him.

"Xiu Xiu Xiu Xiulan, Market Day ah!"

Dashaoben grinned foolishly and greeted Li Xiulan.

Li Xiulan smiled and replied:

"Yeah, business good today!"

"Still still still, still okay!"

"You're busy, we're leaving, gotta go back!"

A few simple sentences, two Same Village old acquaintances parted ways, each busy with their own, yet there was a simple, honest bond between them.

Li Xiulan carrying big bags and small bags, arrived outside the market, looking for the Small Four-Wheeler back to the village.

But at this moment, she caught sight of a familiar figure flashing past.

"Changgen?..."