don't go near that tree

Chapter 16

After returning from Shili Mountain, Wu Chun didn't fall asleep immediately. He opened the cabinet door and took out the newspapers from the village chief's house that day and the landslide five years ago.

Wu Chun sat on the bed with his back against the wall, leaving only a weak lamp by the bed.

The news here is too closed.

Wu Chun read several newspapers, and only one newspaper gave a more detailed description of the landslide that year, but it was only a few words: due to a rare rainstorm and the lack of vegetation protection on the mountain , leading to the disaster.

Wu Chun looked at the newspapers at hand and couldn't help but fell into deep thought.

How to start?

Even if he could persuade the village chief to help him, Wu Chun didn't know much about it.

"Why isn't Chun Chun still asleep?"

Wu Chun shook his hand, and when he turned his head, he saw his grandfather leaning against the door frame with a palm leaf fan in his hand.

"Is it hot?"

Wu Chun shook his head.

"Your physique is really strange. During the day, your mother called me to tell me not to worry about the electricity bill, but looking at you, you didn't sweat in such a hot day." Grandpa said, pushing the mosquito net inside, Sit down on the side of the bed.

Wu Chun lightly touched his chest with his hand, feeling the constant coolness there, the corners of his mouth could not help but rise slightly.

"Grandpa, why aren't you asleep?"

"Seeing that your lights are still on, come over and take a look. What are you looking for?"

"Oh, the newspaper, the newspaper about the landslide that year." Wu Chun knew that his grandfather was illiterate, so he told him in detail, "I want to know more about it."

"It's useless to read the newspaper."

"Huh?" Wu Chun looked puzzled.

Unexpectedly, Grandpa laughed, "Chun Chun, Chun Chun, those who wrote these newspapers have never personally experienced what happened back then, and those of us who have experienced it have the right to speak. Squat down and study the newspaper."

This is also...

Wu Chun scratched the back of his head embarrassingly. Because of Xu Shiyao, Wu Chun always thought that it would be best not to let his grandfather get involved, so no matter what happened, Wu Chun always avoided his grandfather subconsciously.

"Grandpa, what do you think of that landslide?"

"Natural and man-made disasters."

"anything else?"

"Nothing."

Wu Chun was at a loss for words for a while, how should I put it, this is the answer he expected and did not expect, "Haven't you guys explored the reason?"

"Natural disaster." Grandpa said, gently shaking the cattail fan in his hand, sighed slowly, and when he spoke again, his tone was a little helpless, "Chunchun, the people living here are different from yours. People who have never seen what the outside of the mountain looks like for several generations, and they can’t read a few words, let alone educated. After the disaster happened that year, everyone attributed the disaster to natural disasters. They always felt that if they were destined to There is no escape from this disaster, as you said before, maybe they will think that the landslide is caused by the lack of vegetation protection on the mountain, but the "fate" in his heart will make him think, If it is fated, it will happen even if there are trees."

Wu Chun looked at his grandfather with complicated eyes, his lips moved, but he didn't say anything.

"Some people have only seen such a storm for several generations. Most people still take chances, thinking maybe it won't happen? They also want to put down their axes, but they also have to eat."

"There are not only trees on the hills in the village?" Wu Chun said hastily.

This has puzzled Wu Chun for a long time. What Shili Village lacks most is not trees. Almost every household has one or two trees in front of the door, but only the trees on Shili Mountain will be damaged. It is useless to ban it explicitly.

"Silly boy, it's true that there are trees in other places, but there are only trees in Shili Mountain, which don't belong to anyone in this village. It's late, go to sleep."

……

Wu Chun almost stayed up all night. After his grandfather left, Wu Chun turned off the lamp beside his pillow, rested his head on his arm, and fell into deep thought.

The trees on Shili Mountain do not belong to anyone here.

The trees on the mountain are planted with money from above, so they don't feel bad when they are destroyed.

There are always people who have this kind of thinking. After the tree is cut down, they will come to plant it, but their own is different. The tree planted by themselves must be carefully cultivated from the saplings. No one is willing to destroy it before it grows to a certain level.

Wu Chun remembered that when he came here one winter, he saw some trees on the side of the road wrapped in straw.

At night, Wu Chun sighed deeply.

At dawn the next day, Wu Chun arrived at the village chief's house, but he didn't expect to see a woman who looked familiar.

"Wu Chun." The village chief said with a smile when he saw him, "This is Granny Wang's daughter-in-law."

Xu Shiyao's mother?

Wu Chun was stunned for a moment. The woman standing opposite him looked about 40 years old. Her eyes were somewhat similar to Xu Shiyao's, but there were also certain differences.

Wu Chun stared at the woman, and the woman also looked at Wu Chun with an inquiring expression.

"Hello, Auntie." Wu Chun took the lead to break through this range.

It's just that she didn't expect that the woman would have such a big reaction. She looked at Wu Chun suddenly as if she suddenly remembered something.

"Are you Qianqian's son? You've grown up so much! Come here and let auntie see."

Qianqian, the baby name of Wu Chun's mother.

When the woman pulled him over, Wu Chun hadn't realized what was going on.

"That's great. The young man is very talented. I guess you don't remember me. These years, your mother and I have been together less and more. We are eighteen this year?"

Wu Chun nodded, and responded obediently, "Yes, Auntie."

"That's great." The woman said and straightened Wu Chun's collar, "When your mother was pregnant with you, my son was only five years old. At that time, she joked that if it was a girl, he would make a date with my Yaoyao." Baby dear, it just so happens that you are also a boy, before you were three years old, every time you recalled that your grandfather Yaoyao would come to play with you, at that time you two brothers would be on good terms, if my family Yaoyao..."

The woman's eyes suddenly turned red, and after a while, she forced a smile on her face, "Is your grandfather okay."

"My grandfather is fine." Wu Chun said politely.

"That's good." The woman said as she stroked the back of Wu Chun's head lovingly, "That's good."

Wu Chun left the village chief's house almost in a fleeing manner. When the village chief sent him to the door, Wu Chun took the opportunity to mention his thoughts.

The village head didn't express his opinion immediately, he really said to let Wu Chun come over again tonight.

After leaving the village chief's house for some distance, Wu Chun felt that his heartbeat hadn't calmed down, and he didn't know why. After knowing that the other party was Xu Shiyao's mother, Wu Chun didn't know how to react for a while.

Wu Chun didn't dare to say a word, and didn't dare to look into the woman's passionate eyes, especially when the other party mentioned Xu Shiyao, Wu Chun almost couldn't hold back and said "Xu Shiyao is still there".

It is an established fact that Xu Shiyao is dead.

Even if Wu Chun still knew the existence of the other party.

It's just that Wu Chun didn't expect that he and Xu Shiyao really had some relationship. Fortunately, he is a boy, otherwise he would have been betrothed before he was born.

But Wu Chun thought about it carefully, and it seemed that it would not be a bad idea to have a baby kiss with someone like Xu Shiyao. After all, he is not only good, but also so handsome, Wu Chun couldn't help laughing out loud thinking about it this way.

"Why am I having so much fun." Wu Chun came to his senses, tapped the back of his head with his right hand, and accused himself, "I know I'm thinking nonsense."

……

It seems to be Wu Chun's habit to fetch a bucket of water for Grandma Wang every day, even though Xu Shiyao's mother is here today.

When Wu Chun pushed open the wooden door of Granny Wang's house, he saw Xu Shiyao's mother talking to Granny Wang in the yard. Seeing Wu Chun, Granny Wang stood up from her seat excitedly, pointed at Wu Chun and said, "Still lying to me, Yaoyao isn't here."

Wu Chun stood at the door in embarrassment, not knowing what to say for a moment.

"Yaoyao, come here." Grandma Wang pointed at Wu Chunchao.

As soon as Wu Chun walked over, he was dragged to his side by the old man.

"Your mother also said that you didn't come today."

Wu Chun couldn't find the words to describe how awkward the atmosphere was. Seeing the shock and doubt in Xu Shiyao's mother's eyes, Wu Chun pursed his lips, but still didn't know what to say.

"Grandma, I'll fetch water for you."

After Wu Chun finished speaking, he ran out with the bucket in hand, avoiding that embarrassing place for now.

Every time Wu Chun draws water from the well in front of the village, Wu Chun does not know how to use a pole, so he can only tie a rope to the handle of the bucket, throw the bucket into the well, fill the bucket half full, and pull Pull the bucket out with the rope.

It's just that this time when Wu Chun was about to bring out the bucket, one pair of hands took the rope from Wu Chun's hand.

"A...Auntie." Wu Chun looked at the people standing beside him in surprise.

"Come on, you rarely do this kind of work after all."

After finishing speaking, Wu Chun saw that the other party's bucket was thrown into the well twice again. When the bucket was brought out, it was already full of water.

"The old man regards you as a grandson again, don't mind, she is just such a grandson."

"Auntie, you didn't..."

"His father and I are very busy. These years, I dare not let myself be idle, and I dare not have a second child. Every time I see other people's children, I feel uncomfortable in my heart. I dare not want a second child."

Wu Chun looked at the other party's already moist eyes, and what the other party said just now, panicked for a while.

"That... Auntie." Wu Chun faltered for a long time, but didn't say anything substantive, and finally said something ambiguous, "Auntie, you have to be good, he definitely doesn't want to see you like this."

"Auntie lost her temper." Xu Shiyao's mother said hastily wiped her tears, "Actually, I don't blame the old man for admitting his mistake. You and Yaoyao obviously don't look like Yaoyao at all, but well, when I saw you today, I always felt I can see Yaoyao's shadow on you, and I feel like he's back."

torture.

This kind of relationship and dialogue is really torture for Wu Chun!

Wu Chun glanced at Shili Mountain not far from here. Suddenly, he grabbed Xu Shiyao's mother's wrist and said, "Auntie, follow me." He dragged Xu Shiyao's mother and ran towards Shili Mountain.

When he ran down the mountain, Wu Chun realized that he was really impulsive this time.

Pulling people over recklessly, so what.

"What happened to the child?"

Wu Chun frowned, and racked his brains to finally come up with an excuse.

"I planted some vegetables on the mountain, can auntie help me to have a look?"

As soon as this excuse was said, Wu Chun wanted to slap himself twice.

Fortunately, Xu Shiyao's mother didn't feel that there was anything wrong, and said with a smile, "Okay." She took the lead in climbing up the mountain.

But when he was halfway up the mountain, Wu Chun saw the person in front of him stop suddenly, and then, Wu Chun heard two words, "Who are you?"

Wu Chun's heart skipped a beat, could it be...

Wu Chun stepped forward, and saw a strange man standing in front of the pine tree, with a big belly and a bald spot on the top of his head, especially the man whose hands had been touching the pine tree all the time, and who was still in his mouth. Keep saying, "Okay, okay, okay."

Suddenly, Wu Chun felt disgusted.

"Let go!"

Wu Chun roared, but Xu Shiyao's mother jumped down.

The man also turned his head to look at himself.

"Don't get close to that tree." Wu Chun took a step forward, pulled the man aside, and said domineeringly, "This tree belongs to me."

As he spoke, Wu Chun stretched out his hands to protect the pine tree behind him.

"Boy..."

"Are you going or not?" Wu Chun didn't give him a chance to speak, and just drove him away, "This tree has always been a treasure in this village, if you touch it, you will be finished."

Seeing Wu Chun like this, the man didn't want to be bored, turned around and left this place.

"What's the matter?" Xu Shiyao's mother came over with a smile, "Why did you get into an argument with someone because of a tree?"

"Auntie, come here." Wu Chun stepped aside and said excitedly, "Auntie, look at this tree, doesn't it look very beautiful? I feel uncomfortable when that person touches me."

"You can't judge people by their cover."

Wu Chun curled his lips, saying yes, but he couldn't help but refute in his heart.

At this moment, Wu Chun was really standing beside Xu Shiyao's mother like a well-behaved son, watching the other person's facial expression from being indifferent at the beginning to finally being attracted by this tree.

"This tree..."

"Is it very special?" Wu Chun asked.

"It's very special. It looks very unique. Why didn't I find it before."

"Auntie, give it a try, it feels very special." Wu Chun said cautiously, and carefully observed the expression on the other party's face.

After Wu Chun finished saying this, the other party hardly hesitated, and lightly stroked the smooth tree trunk with his hand, his eyes were like looking at his own child again.

When the other party carefully hugged the pine tree, Wu Chun's tears burst out of his eyes almost at the same time.

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One edamame:

Packing up tomorrow, graduation ceremony the day after tomorrow, and going home the day after tomorrow, so these three days may not be updated. I would like to apologize to everyone in advance. When I finish my work, I will resume the previous update routine, and update at [-]:[-] the next day.