The Wind Blows Fallen Leaves Chapter 37

flower girl

The barking of dogs was heard constantly, sometimes mixed with the crowing of cocks. The whole village was shrouded in smoke and disappeared. Shen Luo guarded the empty red iron gate. Hua Niang passed by the door again and saw the deserted yard. She pushed the door and went in. Shen Luo was sitting at the door of the hall like a child, with a yellow dog lying at his feet. Before Hua Niang entered the door, Gongyou had already prepared a fighting posture, and only relaxed a little after seeing the person coming.

“Xiaolu, are you there?”

Sometimes Hua Niang speaks with an accent, but sometimes her words are standard and outrageous. Shen Luo raised his head from his legs, and it took him a long time to see who was coming.

“Hua Niang, do you know why my grandpa hasn’t come back yet?”

Hua Niang shook her head and said, “I’m not honest. Don’t sue you. How would I know?”

“Then I’ll wait.”

Hua Niang looked around. The dead leaves in the yard were covered with blankets, and all the doors were closed. It was obvious that no one had been there for a few days. She couldn’t bear it, so she took his arm and said, “It’s no use waiting. Don’t eat it. I’ve made it at home. Let’s eat it first.”

“No, no,” Shen Luo was pulled out of the door by him, his stomach growled unsatisfactorily, and Hua Niang smiled heartily.

“Hahaha, you’re welcome. Just like at home, I’m on my own.”

Shen Luo sat at the dining table under the dim light. It was a deserted place with only traces of one person’s life. Even the bed had only one place left for one person. There were neatly folded quilts on the inside. The walls were covered with yellowed newspapers and pictures from the early years. The door to the main room was misaligned like an old woman’s teeth.

There were two pots on the stove, one big and one small. The corners were piled with wheat straw to light the fire. Even the iron tongs were pitted with burns. The legs were crossed and stood aside coolly. The top of the pot holes had already been dark and shiny by the flames. The ash chamber had been cleaned cleanly. There were still used matches falling next to the twenty-centimeter-high stool.

The two of them sat at the door of the kitchen to eat, and the smoke inside slowly dissipated, leaving only the smell of rice. When they raised their eyes, Gongyou also smelled the smell and followed him. Hua Niang added rice to his bowl and sat at Shen Luo’s feet to enjoy the meal.

“Hua Niang, are you looking for sugar to use as salt again? I told you to put the sugar somewhere else, do you hear me?”

The flower girl took another big bite of the egg. It was really sweet, and the sugar particles hadn’t melted yet. She smiled sheepishly and moved the egg away from him.Hua Niang is the only one in the house. Sometimes she just picks up the cold steamed buns and makes up for the meal. Today I specially fried two vegetables, both of which were freshly picked from the vegetable garden. Unexpectedly, no salt was added.

“Okay, okay, put it away when you’re done eating, or I’ll fry one for you.”

Hua Niang put down her bowls and chopsticks, but her apron was still on. Shen Luo grabbed her apron string, forced her to stop, and said, “No, no, I’m just reminding you that I haven’t eaten anything sweet yet. I’ll give it a try this time.”

The two families usually chatted and ate. Shen Luo wanted to help her clean the pots and wash the dishes, but she kicked her out of the kitchen and rushed to the main room. The main room was clean but a bit messy. Shen Luo rolled up his sleeves and pulled the oilcloth paper piled up in the corner into the courtyard. There was also a table made of wooden boards in the west room. Although it was not pretty, it was practical and tight. There were so many things on it that he couldn’t finish it in a while. Just as he was about to start, he heard a call from the door.

“Xiao Luo, what are you doing? These are all useful to me, but you threw them away. What should I use to cover them when it rains?”

Shen Luo walked out in three steps and two steps. When he was nervous, Hua Niang’s words became fluent and her accent was gone. She only clung to her oilcloth paper.

“Flower Girl, I want to pull it out for you to cool down. It just rained a few days ago and there was still water in it when you collected it.”

As soon as Hua Niang picked it up, water leaked directly from the interlayer. If Hua Niang hadn’t moved quickly, it would have turned into a yin and yang foot.

“I misunderstood you. I really didn’t know if you didn’t tell me. If you want to watch TV, the remote control is in the drawer.”

Shen Luo took advantage of the light and looked at the time. It was already eight o’clock. Leaving the designated area was like being covered with a black cloth, and even his teeth could not be seen clearly.

Shen Luo helped Hua Niang fill up the bottomed water tank. The pressure well had been out of use for a long time, so he got started in a few moments. Hua Niang wanted to send him back, so he persuaded her to put her mind at ease. The potholes on the road were full of water, and the soil was soaked and loose. If you step on it accidentally, you will definitely fall.

Even after being out for such a long time, the door was still closed when he returned home. Shen Luo had no choice but to take out his phone and dial. His heart was beating loudly and the phone was beating a drum. No one answered the first time, and he was picked up when he was about to hang up the second time.

“Xiao Luo, is there anything wrong with calling so late?”

Shen Yixiang’s voice was slow and hoarse, and one could tell that he had just woken up.

Shen Luo said: “When I went back to our house, there was no one there. Where did you go?”

This sentence made Shen Yixiang feel more energetic. Looking at the hospital, which was still brightly lit in the middle of the night, his heart suddenly felt sour. He covered the speaker and whispered: “Xiao Luo, your grandma and I…we went out to play for a few days and will go back soon. Don’t worry, you can have a good rest at home and we will bring you delicious food when we get back.”

Shen Luo trusted Shen Yixiang the most. He believed no matter how outrageous the excuse was. He felt relieved when he heard that they were fine.

“Then you guys have fun, don’t be in a hurry to come back. I have nothing to do. I just want to go home and stay for a few days. I will leave in two days. The next time we see each other will be at the end of the year.”

“Okay, there is food in the refrigerator. If you don’t want to do it, go to the market to eat something. There is a pocket sealed under the cloth covering the TV. There is money in it, so you can eat something good. Now that you are home, you should have a good rest. It is too tight.”

“No, I can take care of myself, then you can rest.”

After hanging up the phone, Shen Luo always felt that something was wrong, but couldn’t explain it. He tossed and turned until late at night before falling asleep lightly.