C5 (1/2)

The village conditions were not good, and the food used was not any better than in the city. As I sat at the table and watched the table full of food on this old round table, I knew that they had brought out the best they could for my father and me. There was nothing else but a bowl of chicken stewed with mushrooms and a few steamed buns on the table.

Because I hadn't eaten in the morning, and because it was late afternoon, my stomach was already rumbling with hunger, but there were two empty seats at the head of the table, and my aunts and uncles were discussing some family matters with my father, and my own children's school problems for the next few years, so I just stared at the only chicken on the table and imagined how tender its meat was and how delicious its taste was.

Suddenly, a tall shadow blocked the light at the door. I looked up and saw a big fellow with a full beard. His eyebrows were thick and his eyes were as big as bells.

My father stood up to greet him, and my uncles and aunts followed suit. I stood up at the same time, knowing without even thinking that this was a highly respected elder in the village.

When the man came in, I saw that he was followed by a stooped old man in a straw hat. The old man had gray hair and very long eyebrows, and he looked a lot more amiable than the big man in front of him. They came in one after the other and sat down at the table. I could clearly feel that when they sat down, they both intentionally or unintentionally glanced at me a few times.

”Xiaochu greets his two uncles.”

When my father had finished, I bowed respectfully to both of them.

Uncle? I feel like this is enough to be my grandfather!

Although he thought this in his heart, the rules still couldn't be ambiguous. They obediently called him uncle, and the adults exchanged some pleasantries before starting to eat. Needless to say, the stewed mushrooms stewed in the big iron pot in the countryside was indeed quite a different taste, much more delicious than the stewed mushrooms in the city.

I didn't hear anything about the cemetery during the meal, so I grilled the food out of the bowl as I went along.

After dinner, the sun had already set over the mountains, and the night had already begun to descend. The sunset glow covered the entire sky. Perhaps before, I would have lamented that the setting sun was only close to dusk, but now, I only felt that it was the color of blood, and I could feel goosebumps all over my body, and it was extremely horrifying.

The aunts and uncles all returned to their own homes, leaving only the two elders, my father and me, and my grandmother, who, because she was already old, went back to her room early to sleep.

At this point, I sat still and listened to my father tell them about my dream.

After the thick-browed man heard his father's words, he looked at the long-browed elder and said, ”She's dreaming of a perverted marriage!”

I listened, wondering if I should tell her about the dream I'd had on the way here.

While I was thinking, I heard my father talking about how I had gone to the eastern cemetery in the village when I was a child. As he said this, my uncles' faces turned serious.

I didn't hear what happened after that because my father told me to leave and let me look after my grandmother.

I went back to my grandmother's room and looked for the light rope for a long time. Finally, when I saw the candle on the bed, I had to light it up, but my grandmother didn't say a word. Finally, I found the old man asleep on the kang.