Quancai's waste recycling station is located on the Weihe River, less than 500 meters from my home. There are four people in their family, one son and one daughter, and the wife is a fool.

In the summer when I was a child, I would say hello to some buddies to buy some popsicles, sit under a big tree near my home and enjoy a quiet afternoon. The pungent smell of garbage always spoils the fun of a group of us. So I have been hostile to this "broken stall" since I was a child.

Every noon, Cai goes home to take a nap, leaving only his silly wife and four-year-old daughter Kiki to watch the stall.

That day, my partner and I chatted while eating popsicles. His wife walked straight up to me and said stiffly, "Give my daughter an popsicle."

I'm a little overwhelmed. This is the first time I have seen an adult ask a child for something. Then he twisted his face and said angrily, "No, I want to eat and buy it myself."

"She can't eat much. If she buys it, she will spoil it and eat yours! "

Kiki began to cry under the dispute between me and "250", and tears ran down her cheeks. I broke off half a popsicle and left it for her. After receiving the popsicle, Kiki smiled through tears and said happily, "Mom, look, look, popsicle."

She didn't even say thank you. I had no face, so I ran home and told my mother how to say "250" and bullied me.

My mother didn't respond as I expected: "250" is so cheap that I don't want to spend this little money. She just said faintly while washing vegetables: "Forget it, it's worthless, and their family has a hard time."

At that time, I didn't understand what my mother meant by "difficult".

two

In the evening, a group of children get together and throw sandbags.

Far away, I saw Quan Cai naked, with a red nylon rope tied around his waist and a leaking plastic bag in his hand.

He waved to me in the dim night. I hesitated and walked towards him. "Uncle Quan, did you call me?"

Quancai touched my face with his dirty and calloused hands and said with a smile, "Uncle Quan, I'll treat you to a popsicle today. Don't eat it all by yourself. Go and share it with those children. " Pass me the plastic bag.

I realized that the bag was full of popsicles. I swept away my previous unhappiness and replied with a smile: "I see, thank you, Uncle Quan."

When I turned my head to leave, Quancai stopped me again, even a little stiff. He said slowly, "I'm sorry, your aunt is like that." Don't be as knowledgeable as her, hehe, go and play. "

With that, Quan Cai scratched his bald head, tugged at the broken slippers he picked up from the junk pile, and went back to the shabby stall to work.

Many years later, I realized that it was a middle-aged man who apologized to an inexperienced child instead of his wife.

three

Living on campus when I was in middle school, I can finally get rid of the strange smell of waste stations all year round.

I go home once a week, and every time I talk to my mother, she always mentions Yi's family. What she often says is: the prodigal son who has made all the money has become an asshole again, and he is not worried about his family at all. Quan Cai is worried to death all day.

I remember every time I used to sit at the door with a small bench and read a fairy tale book, Quancai would say, "Take a good look and study hard, but don't be like your brother Zhiqiang."

Zhiqiang in Quan Caikou is his son. In the eyes of all the villagers, Cai Zhiqiang is a real tramp.

He is the first person in our county to go to middle school. I vaguely remember that every time he came back from vacation, a group of pupils like me asked him, "Is the school in the city fun?" Is the county big? "

Many people don't understand why Quancai has to spend money and effort to send his son to school in the county-anyway, he just went out to work after reading a book.

Once upon a time, in the face of these people's questions, Quan Cai, who has always hunched his back, straightened his back and said loudly, "I dare not delay my children. I don't want him to collect junk like me in the future. "

It happened that Cai Zhiqiang didn't like studying. Even if he is studying in a middle school in the county, the teacher will call Quan Cai to the school regularly, saying that his son doesn't listen to the class and skips class every day to fool around in the Internet cafe.

Every time I go, Quan Cai's face will turn gray and his back will bend 10%.

I have seen Quan Cai hang his son on an iron shelf collected from waste several times and beat him with a shepherd's whip. Beat and scold: "who am I working so hard to earn money for?" Can you save me some face? "

"Dad, I dare not next time. Stop fighting! " Cai Zhiqiang begged for mercy every time.

"Your mother and I can't bear to eat or wear your sister. You fucking use my money to surf the Internet? How can you do such a heartless thing? "

Fiona Fang is full of cries and curses of Quancai, the howling of his son, the crying of his wife and daughter, and the wind howling like raindrops.

In the end, Brother Zhiqiang failed to get his diploma and went to work in the south with a relative.

Someone jokingly teased Quan Cai, "Why doesn't your college student go to school?" Quan Cai was not angry and said with a wry smile, "Not this material, dog."

four

Brother Zhiqiang went out for several years and didn't come back.

One year, I came back for the Spring Festival for the first time and brought back a pregnant girl from other places. The girl's skin is delicate, white and red, and her eye shadow is thick, shining golden in the sun. She speaks an incomprehensible southern dialect.

People are in awe of Zhiqiang: This Zhiqiang is really capable of finding such a good wife.

However, Quan Cai doesn't think so. He said he would beat this shameless little man to death, saying that his one-and-a-half-year-old child got a girl pregnant. After several days of quarreling, Cai's family gradually calmed down.

Only from time to time can I hear Quan Cai sigh: "No way, cowardice is my own child."

Cai Zhiqiang's daughter-in-law came back, stayed at home all day and gave birth to a child. The front door is closed and the second door is closed. It is said that Quan Cai specially installed an air conditioner in their precarious hut in order to take care of his daughter-in-law.

At that age, their family became one of the few air-conditioned ones in our family.

In the third year of high school, the course was tight, and I basically went home only once every two months.

Tomb-Sweeping Day went home that day. As soon as he got off the bus, he saw Quancai busy in his recycle bin from a distance.

I passed him and shouted "Uncle Quan". He looked up and gave me a smiling face from his busy expression. "Hey, college students are back."

I waved and bowed to him. I accidentally took a look at Quan Cai and found that he was much older.

The unkempt and rough beard has obviously not been shaved for a while, and it is full of white slag; The top of my head is bald, and now there are few hairs, and my clothes are still dirty.

When I wanted to talk to him more, my mother came to the door and called me back. Quan Cai said happily, "Go home quickly and let your mother cook two good dishes for you and entertain us college students."

His calluses and dirty hands tried to approach me like a child, touching my face, but stopped in the air and put it down awkwardly.

When I got home, I asked my mother, "Why has Uncle Quan been busy? What about auntie? "

"She has to take care of the children. She is too young to leave people for a moment. "

"Zhiqiang's brother-in-law was born?"

"I was born and ran away after birth."

From my mother's mouth, I learned that Zhiqiang's daughter-in-law gave birth to a child a month and a half ago and ran back to her mother's house before confinement. She dislikes Zhiqiang's collection of waste products, and Zhiqiang can't keep her even if she cries for help.

The day after the woman left, Zhiqiang also clamored to leave, saying that he would go to the city to earn a lot of money and get his daughter-in-law back.

Quan Cai was so angry that he turned purple and scolded, "You don't care about your son?"

"I zha tube? Do what you like, or shall we sell it? "

"Son of a bitch, what was struck by lightning!"

Quan Cai drove his son out of the house.

five

I studied at school for a whole day before the entrance exam. When I had a routine conversation with my mother at the weekend, my mother told me a little sadly, "Your uncle's house had an accident again. Alas, it never rains but it pours. "

Uncle Quan was really busy, so he hired a woman in her fifties to help in the recycling station. The vicious sun in early summer is staggering. In the afternoon, the woman said that the headache caused by the sun made the taste sour.

Uncle Quan told her to go home and rest first. After a night, the woman did not wake up. I don't know why, but everyone has left.

Her family invited relatives from all walks of life, trapped in the only broken stall in Quancai, and asked him to pay compensation anyway.

Adult rectification and the declining waste market, Quancai has not made any money in recent years. Now I have a little granddaughter who is as rich as money. Apart from this messy garbage dump, all wealth can really be described as poverty.

In his own words, "this is to force our family to death!"

On the same day, a large family of the deceased was blocked at the gate of the waste station, and there was a lot of noise. Quan Cai didn't say anything, just smoking inferior Hongtashan one by one, frowning and his face almost sticking to the ground.

Suddenly, he stood up and smashed his cigarette butt to the ground.

1 "plop", kneeling in front of everyone.

Say slowly: "I will definitely give this money."

Afterwards, Quancai disposed of all the stocks piled up in the scrap yard at a low price, and even sold the rusty iron frame that once tied his son.

In a word, I gave the family a sum of money. This matter has finally come to an end.

six

The summer vacation after the college entrance examination is very relaxing. I stay at home all day watching TV and eating watermelon. Sometimes when I am tired of sleeping at home in the afternoon, I go out for a stroll and occasionally meet my uncle.

After the compensation incident, the garbage dump could no longer feed their whole family, so Uncle Quan pulled his face down and went to the village committee to ask for a job as a cleaner.

The cleaner's job is to clean up the rubbish in the trash cans scattered all over the village. He is still dealing with garbage, only it stinks worse than before. Especially in summer, the trash can is full of mosquitoes and flies, and the stench is so strong that people can't get close.

Once I saw him on the road, he still squeezed out a smiling face and coughed and said, "College student, I was admitted to college." Uncle Quan, I'll drink your wedding banquet in a few days. "

Uncle Quan, wearing a mask yellowed by garbage is not as good as before. When pushing the garbage truck forward, my legs are not focused and my steps are faltering.

My college entrance examination results have just come out. Although it is not ideal, my parents have always insisted on holding a school banquet and inviting the villagers to celebrate together.

The night near the day is very busy. I am busy building a shed and taking care of the pots and pans in the kitchen. In the evening, as soon as I cast a shadow, I saw Quan Cai standing behind a camphor tree in front of my house and waving to me.

I shouted to him, "Why, Uncle Quan, I'm busy."

Uncle Quan whispered, "Uncle, come here."

As I approached, Cai Quanzheng slowly took out a crumpled red ticket from his pocket and said, "Uncle doesn't have much money either. Take this money to buy some books for the school. " The money is stained with oil, so it should have been in his pocket for a long time.

I froze for a few seconds and quickly shirked, "Uncle Quan, I can't take this money. I have to buy milk powder for my little niece."

Uncle wan deliberately showed displeasure. "Come, uncle wan still has money to feed your little niece. You are happy to go to college. "

After several prevarications, I had to accept it. When Uncle Quan saw that I had taken the money, he nodded with satisfaction, quickly turned around and walked towards his house, whispering as he walked, "It's better to go to school."

I called him behind my back: "Uncle Quan, don't forget to come and drink tomorrow!" He didn't answer.

The next day, Uncle Quan didn't come.

seven

The first time I went home after graduating from college, the first news I heard was: Quan Cai died.

There is a big tumor in the brain. For many years, Quan Cai has been insisting, and he really can't stay in the hospital. He died on the third day after being diagnosed in the hospital.

The doctor's analysis is directly related to his dealing with garbage and waste all the year round.

The news of Cai Zhiqiang didn't come back at last, and no one jokingly called him a college student.

Before the funeral, a large group of members of the Chua family were dressed up. Taking advantage of the night, Zhiqiang, who was held in front with an evocation stick, looked solemn and hurried, and finally arrived at the cornfield in front of the ancestral grave before twelve o'clock.

The person in charge coughed his throat and whispered, "kneel down." Zhiqiang plopped down on his knees.

The person in charge said it again, "Shout". Cai Zhiqiang screamed, crying into tears. "My dad, go easy ... my dad, go ..."

Unburned paper money is still floating in the wind, and the dark clouds in the night sky are suffocating.

I stood at the intersection, watching the Cai family everywhere, walking out of the house in the cold wind. After a walk, I returned to the waste recycling station next to Cai's house.

I stood for a long time, and my mind flashed that Quancai was busy in and out of the door, diligent.

It is said that the land of this waste recycling station will be sold to a southern boss next spring. There will be a fan factory.

There is nothing left in the recycle bin except the piece of wood hanging on half a red brick. The light at the door is on alone, and the piece of wood says: Quancai Waste Recycling Station.

After years of exposure to the sun and wind, my handwriting is a little blurred.

It suddenly occurred to me that Quan Cai borrowed the ink for writing wooden boards from me when I was in the third grade.

Author Zhang Kan, a college student.