When I entered the house, I didn't see Wumeike's figure. The bedroom door was tightly closed, and I could hear the sound of crying coming from inside, presumably Wumeike was crying alone over there.
Lin Sanshui was outside, drinking alone. When he saw me, he greeted me, "Xiaofan, come and sit over here. That gentleman will definitely come tomorrow. He's busy today."
I nodded, put down the drink, and said with a smile, "Well, Uncle, since that's the case, I'll go back first."
"Don't go, come here and have a drink with your uncle." Lin Sanshui said, then called Lin Xiaoyao, "You keep mentioning your brother Xiaofan every day. When he comes, you don't even invite him to sit down? Go, cook a few dishes. I'll have a drink with your brother Xiaofan for a while." Lin Xiaoyao, with red eyes, went to the kitchen. I said that there was something to do in the ancestral hall, but Lin Sanshui insisted, saying that if I didn't have a drink with him, I wouldn't give him face. Helpless, I could only sit down.
Lin Sanshui was different from Er Dangzi. He was known in the whole village for his poor alcohol tolerance. When he used to go to the town for business, he had to bring Er Dangzi, claiming to be hiring a secretary, but in reality, it was to have Er Dangzi drink for him.
At this moment, it seemed that his mood was not very good. He kept clinking glasses with me, and before Lin Xiaoyao's dishes had even been served, Lin Sanshui's tongue had already become heavy after drinking.
"Xiaofan, Uncle has always seen that you have a promising future since you were young. This is not just for the sake of flattery. Indeed, you are the first college student in our village. Uncle has nothing in common with others. Some things, only you can talk to me about. Now, tell me, what kind of a mess is Uncle in now? How many people are laughing at Uncle behind his back, saying that Uncle is a hopeless case?" he said.
"Uncle, don't think like that. I haven't heard anyone say anything about you." I knew that what currently affected Lin Sanshui the most was this.
I actually wanted to persuade him, saying that having a daughter is also carrying on the future generations and so on. But I didn't say the words about wanting the mole on Lin Xiaoyao's face.
If I said it, Lin Sanshui might think I was making fun of him.
"Don't persuade me. What kind of people are in the village, can Uncle not know? Sometimes Uncle also says to himself, it's just a group of illiterate idiots. Why should I care how they look at me behind my back? But this person, understanding the reason is one thing, everyone knows it, but if something happens, people will gossip. When your grandmother was alive, she nagged at me every day, saying that my family couldn't continue from me, I didn't care, but over the years, I have been feeling wronged too. You say, I've tried so hard on your aunt, but why can't she get pregnant? I don't even want a son necessarily, but at least give me a decent daughter, right?" Lin Sanshui seemed really drunk.
At this moment, Lin Xiaoyao happened to come to the door with a plate of scrambled eggs with chili. She heard this sentence, came over, angrily threw the plate on the table, and ran away. I wanted to stop her, but in the end, I didn't.
I was her only playmate in her childhood, and I knew her feelings for me over the years, but could I reciprocate?
Lin Sanshui also saw this scene and sighed, "Xiaofan, Uncle has never blamed Xiaoyao for anything. When she was born, your grandparents wanted to get rid of her. Could I bear it? Isn't a daughter also flesh and blood?"
"Uncle, don't worry too much. Now, there is plastic surgery in the outside world, it's not a big deal. When there's time, I'll accompany you to the provincial capital. With one surgery, Xiaoyao will be a pretty girl." I comforted him.
"Forget it, I've asked, what about the money? Let's not talk about Xiaoyao's matters, although her face has become like this, in my heart, she is still a beautiful daughter. But this person, when getting older, wants a son, who doesn't? I'm just a commoner." He took a big gulp of wine and said.
I didn't know how to respond for a moment. Maybe, I hadn't reached that age and couldn't understand his feelings. But in my opinion, Lin Sanshui wasn't a good person, but he definitely couldn't be counted as a bad person either.
"People outside say that Uncle has a girl outside, isn't that true? Xiaofan, I don't consider you an outsider, I've told you everything. Your wife is shy and doesn't want to go to the hospital for an examination. When I went, the result was that there's no problem with me, the problem lies with your wife. A few days ago when I went to town, I met a woman who helped me to conceive a child. Just once, and she got pregnant. Uncle wants a child, but to discuss divorcing your wife, I can't bear it! Xiaofan, you are an educated person, tell me, what should I do?" Lin Sanshui asked me.
"I don't know, Uncle." Hearing others' secrets, and even Wumeike now in the bedroom can clearly hear our conversation, made me very nervous.
"Uncle, you're drunk. Rest early, I have to go to the ancestral hall, really busy." I stood up to leave. The current situation was not suitable for me to stay longer, otherwise, I would feel awkward when I met Wumeike in the future.
"Don't go, it's fine, Uncle won't make things difficult for you, let's talk about something else. In the past, I really didn't believe in all these superstitious things, not just because I'm a party member, but mainly because I hadn't seen them. I've never encountered such things my whole life, who would believe it? But recently, I believed. One is your grandfather's matter, I witnessed it, let's not talk about your uncle. Maybe it's a coincidence. Another thing is that the woman who helped me conceive a child in town, the child is gone!" Lin Sanshui said, with tears welling up in his eyes.
"Uncle, please don't joke about this matter." I was instantly dumbfounded.
"For such a big thing, do you think Uncle would joke with you? It's true. Although I can't be with you, I asked Gu guo to go there (Lin Sanshui's sister, who married to another village). I'm telling you, when she was pregnant with a good baby, that girl went to the toilet and just pulled it out, and it was a stillbirth." Lin Sanshui was crying and sniffling.
"Uncle, this matter..." I had no way to continue the conversation, nor could I console him. Even if we were good friends, I was just an unmarried young man.
"Ten years ago, when your grandma was alive, she found a geomancer, thinking that the Feng Shui of my family's ancestors' graves was not good, that's why she couldn't get pregnant. That gentleman said, your aunt has the doomed fate of 'White Tiger Extinction', doomed to be barren, Uncle didn't believe it. I can't help but believe it now! This is destiny, it's destined that I will be barren." Lin Sanshui said, and then fell asleep.
At this time, Wumeike, who heard the last sentence from Lin Sanshui, opened the door. Her eyes were as red as a rabbit's.
She walked over, wanting to scold Lin Sanshui, but she hesitated when she saw Lin Sanshui's tear-streaked sleeping face, and eventually didn't scold him.
"Aunt, I..." I stood up, feeling extremely embarrassed.
"It's okay, sit down. Never mind Xiaofan, come over here." Wumeike stood at the door of the bedroom and called me in. At that moment, she, with flushed cheeks, looked like a ripe fruit, dripping with beauty.
"Aunt, I..." I swallowed hard, trembling all over, Wumeike called me into the bedroom at this moment, what did she want to do? Should I go, or not?
"Are you coming in or not?" Wumeike looked at me, tears about to fall again.
I glanced at Lin Sanshui, who was now sleeping as if in a daze. I picked up the bottle on the table and finished off the remaining half bottle in one gulp, at least 150 grams, and afterwards, I felt my whole body burning.
I didn't dare to look at Wumeike, and went into the bedroom.
As soon as I went in, Wumeike closed the door.
I even heard a click.
That was the sound of the door locking.
I admit, my buddy paid his respects.
During my four years at university, I had a girlfriend, but the most intimate we got was hugging and kissing. Even when I first touched her full chest, my whole body was trembling, but everything stopped there.
Now, facing someone I had remembered firmly since I was eleven years old, what choice should I make?
She came over, also trembling all over.
Pulling me, we walked to the side of the bed, her voice trembling, "Xiaofan, sit down."
I felt like a puppet, being pulled to the side of the bed by her. From the beginning until now, I didn't dare to look at her.