"Seventh Uncle and Me" author: Ji Chun

My father has seven brothers, the fifth is my father, and the seventh uncle is the youngest.

The seventh uncle is Dake, a middle school Chinese teacher who also teaches art. I have been teaching in a middle school in a town for my whole life and have not been transferred. I have been retired for more than ten years.

? Visit by the second doctor

The last time I saw him was on August 21. He was in the elderly ward of the second doctor in Jingmen. He was hooked up to an intravenous drip and an oxygen tube, and his face was pale. , looking haggard. I called out "Uncle Qi" softly, and he opened his eyes hard.

"...Why are you here...Zhong'er is not at home...I don't even have to eat..." He looked apologetic, as if he was blaming himself for his inability to entertain, or feeling guilty. .

"I was admitted to the hospital on August 2nd. I still have the same old problem - emphysema. I have difficulty breathing. I can't eat or sleep. This disease is too torturous..." Qi Ma was standing aside. said angrily.

"Didn't I tell Guangsi (cousin) not to come and see you all..." Uncle Qi took a breath, saw the fruits we brought, and said with difficulty, "... There's not even a place to sit, why do you want to buy these things..."

Uncle Qi tried to sit up, and I hurriedly approached him and motioned for him to lie down. I know that this kind of disease makes people unable to move. The more excited they are, the less energetic they will be. I gently squeezed his left hand, and there were a few protruding veins. It was still a little cold on a hot day, but only skin and bones were left, limp.

"Shujie...didn't you go to the United States? Why...are you back..." Uncle Qi asked my daughter softly in a hoarse voice.

"The one-month exchange study has ended, and I came here specifically to see you today." My daughter rarely sees such scenes, and her voice is choked up, as if she is about to cry.

The elderly should not be agitated, otherwise it will affect their rest and treatment. In this case, they only need to rest. Staying too much or asking for help will be harmful.

"The lungs and heart are damaged, and it is very difficult to breathe. We are completely dependent on oxygen." Qi Ma looked helpless after finishing speaking.

I looked at Uncle Qi’s face again. He was thin and pale, his eyes were sunken, and there were oxygen tubes inserted into his nostrils. His hair was a little messy and long. It had obviously not been cut for a long time!

I signaled my parents and second brother who were traveling with me to go out, and told Uncle Qi to have a good rest and come see him again later. Qi Ma sent us to the elevator, and we didn’t know what to say.

? Connected by blood

My father is the fifth child, named Datong. He is over eighty years old and has been a farmer all his life. Apart from being deaf and unable to hear, I haven't found any major problems. I can eat, drink, play mahjong, do some farm work in the garden, and catch lobsters and eels with baskets in ditches and ponds.

My father lives in an adobe house with tiles, which has always leaked in the past few years. Last winter, the roof was replaced with large tiles. There are three small rooms in a row, and the two old people are quite comfortable living there. . When you enter the house, you can see a portrait hanging on the wall - it was painted by Uncle Qi for our grandfather when he was forty years old. It took about half a year to complete by hand. This is the only impression left by my grandfather to his descendants: wearing a black cloth round-neck shirt, with a long and thin face, high cheekbones, piercing eyes, and short and fine hair.

My father’s seven brothers and my grandfather all have the same appearance, as if they were printed from the same mold. My father is on the short side, and my seventh uncle and my grandfather look exactly the same, and they are both teachers. People say that my grandfather and I look alike. In fact, my uncle and I look alike and we are both teachers, so we are more favored.

I heard that my grandfather was a famous private school teacher in the Xinheji area before liberation. Children only had to carry a bag of rice to worship their teacher. Many children from poor families came here because of his reputation. Perhaps it was influenced by the family environment. Before the liberation, my uncle and his third uncle served as township chiefs and clerks in the Yaoji area of ??Maliang. I heard that he could kill people with a pen and write good articles. Ten years. Uncle Qi and I have both inherited the tradition of our ancestors. There are now 15 teachers in this family. They can be regarded as scholarly disciples, and they have some influence on future generations.

Uncle Qi has been teaching Chinese all his life, and he has taught many students all over the world. He has made great achievements for countless students, and is deeply loved by them. Students come to see him during every year and festival. In fact, painting is what he deserves to be more gratified and proud of. In order to meet the superior inspection, Pujiu once painted all the streets and alleys in the town, inside and outside the school, column posters, etc.

In fact, when I was in junior high school, through the words and deeds of Uncle Qi, I also knew a little about art. I especially liked writing artistic calligraphy. I often came up with creative artistic calligraphy in my free time. Later, I went to normal school, and in art class, I was one of the best at drawing, which was witnessed by my lover and classmate. Back then, there were all kinds of pictures posted on the wall of my bedroom in my hometown, such as rabbits eating grass, Sun Wukong doing somersaults, and pictures of a shepherd boy returning late... I remember my second brother asked me to draw a picture of a rabbit poster. , posted on the street.

It’s a pity that I didn’t persist in art. My daughter Shu Jie is also good at painting. Now she is in college, but she has not persisted either. It was the second brother's son, Langlang, who passed on the painting skills. He first studied at South China Agricultural University, and later studied for graduate school and then stayed at the school to work. At that time, his art major scores were enough for the Central Academy of Fine Arts and Hubei University. Teachers inside and outside the school often asked him to take classes and work part-time at the Wuhan Art Training Institution.

? Survival from desperate situations

There are five brothers and sisters in our family, and I am the youngest. Although I was one of the best in the class when I was studying at Huayuan Primary School, when I arrived at Masu Primary School, I could only be ranked in the middle, and my best ranking would not be among the top ten.

At that time, rural children only expected to "jump out of the farm gate", which was a very realistic goal of studying - to be admitted to a technical secondary school, and then they would be an "iron rice bowl" and eat commercial grain. At that time, Maji High School could only take one or two exams each year, and sometimes none at all. For a middle-level student like me, there is little hope of realizing my dream!

What’s even more frightening is that there were fights between students, fights between students and teachers, gangsters going to the dormitories to steal things, and gangsters robbing people on the way... This is a portrayal of rural social life in the mid-1980s. One night my pants were stolen while I was sleeping. The next morning I was curled up under the quilt and couldn't go to class. I borrowed a pair of pants from a classmate at noon before going home. Once after school, I passed by "Luziping Bridge" and a gangster snatched them away. My belt was stolen, and a gangster took away my beloved new travel shoes...

I have to walk more than ten miles to go to school or home every day. On sunny days, I have to walk under the stars and the moon, and on rainy days, I have to trek through mountains and rivers. Sometimes there is no lunch, so I have to go hungry; sometimes I either bring a cucumber or a sweet potato, or buy a 5-cent pancake at the canteen on the way to school...

But this is also There is no beginning, no one knows when the end will be! The grades cannot be improved, and there is no hope of "jumping into farming". The eldest brother is very worried about this matter. There must be a scholar in a big family, and they can't all farm! The eldest brother went to Uncle Qi and mentioned this matter. Unexpectedly, Uncle Qi kept it in his heart.

"Ji Chun, your letter!" The Chinese teacher held a letter and shook it in the air before going to class.

I was very surprised and didn't know who would write to me. After taking it and looking at it, I realized that it was from Uncle Qi. There were not many words, but they were all words of encouragement. Moreover, there is a special surprise and a deep love inside - a 10 yuan note. I was flattered but uneasy, so I could only repay Uncle Qi by studying hard.

"Study seriously and be a down-to-earth person!" This is what Uncle Qi wrote on the postcard he sent me on New Year's Day that year. I have always kept it deeply in mind as the motto of my life.

Although I tried my best in the final exam that year, my average score was only over 70 points. Everyone in my family sighed, and my eldest brother went to see Uncle Qi again and decided to help me transfer to Uncle Qi’s school, Zengzhong School.

This is a key middle school in the town, and more than ten people are admitted to technical secondary schools every year. This was a turning point in my life, and it rekindled my confidence and hope in "jumping out of farming."

? Deep love between uncle and nephew

I went to the new school when school started on September 1st. Uncle Qi arranged the best class for me, and the head teacher Li Yanjin arranged it for me. Got the best seats. Every time I went to the cafeteria to eat with Uncle Qi, he would always say to everyone he met, "This is my little son!"

I was immediately treated well, as if I had gone from hell to heaven. The teachers all care about me, and the classmates envy me. I ate at the teacher's window with Uncle Qi, slept with Uncle Qi in the staff dormitory, and walked together on the country road back to Fandian's hometown after school.

At that time, Uncle Qi’s hometown still had grain fields, vegetable gardens, and a small fish pond. Both daughters work in Shayang, and the son is studying in Shayang High School. The family also needs a helper. There is nothing that children who grow up in rural areas do not know how to do, especially during the busy farming season, they are very busy picking vegetables, cutting vegetables, carrying water, cutting and holding grains, drying grains and driving chickens to load grains... they are all very busy!

The most leisurely thing is to herd cattle. Riding on the back of the cattle and waving the cattle rope, like a general galloping on the battlefield; lying on the back of the cattle and looking at the blue sky and white clouds, letting the cattle be free I eat grass on the ground and let my mind fly; I wander at the Daya Bay Pumping Station of Sigan Canal and let the cows moo on the slopes. I watch ants catching dragonflies in the green grassland of the pine forest, and I do somersaults to practice carp kicking. The fun is endless!

I no longer have to run around every day, no one will bully me anymore, I have food and shelter, and I can go for a walk on the playground after school, buy things on the street, and play table tennis... But These are all occasional. I know that my central task is to study, and there is no room for laziness or relaxation.

I often study in the middle of the night, still working hard on the questions in the dead of night; I get up on time at 5:30 every morning, and read and memorize the key points of each subject in the order of the materials; in my free time, I look through the materials in Qi Shu's dormitory Miscellaneous books, as well as Uncle Qi’s notes, the fonts are neat and powerful, and the contents are still fresh in my memory...

"Where there is a will, things come true, even if the cauldron sinks the boat, a hundred and two Qin passes will eventually belong to Chu; hard work will pay off to man and nature. , Lie on the firewood and taste the courage, three thousand Yue armor can swallow Wu."

"The sound of wind and rain can be heard, and the sound of reading is heard, and the family affairs, state affairs, and everything in the world are concerned."

"Read seriously. , Be a down-to-earth person!”…

I don’t know how much impact these things have had on my life, whether it is studying or being a person, after all, it has been thirty years, what else can make me What about the one that you will never forget?

I have no reason not to study hard. Any slackness is a sin. I read loudly in class, listen carefully and speak actively. After class, I continued to study, think independently, and ask questions if I didn’t understand. After half a year of hard work, I finally got to the top of the class and got full marks in algebra and geometry. This was the reward for my hard work.

Later, the school built a new dormitory building and all the teachers moved in. Uncle Qi was on the first floor. It was short and easy to get in and out. There was also a small yard at the back where you could grow vegetables and raise chickens and ducks. Rabbit or something. Maybe Qi Ma thought so at the time, but there were worries on the first floor and problems on the first floor soon came.

There were people throwing things down from upstairs, pouring dirty water, spitting... What was even more disgusting was that one evening the sewer pipe in the bathroom was blocked, and the whole room was filled with dirty water and feces. The stench was so bad that the three of us cleaned it up for several hours until late at night. While cleaning up, Qi Ma scolded the people upstairs, and scolded Uncle Qi non-stop. She also threw things in the room to vent her anger, which made me tremble and frightened. I was so scared that I hid under the quilt and dared not let out my breath.

Studying in the second semester of the third year of junior high school became even more intense. Sometimes I didn’t even go back to my hometown on the weekends. I simply stayed in school to review, and I only went out to eat noodles at a small shop. Because once when I was riding to school in the morning, there was a sudden heavy snowfall, and I was forced to stay in a farmer's cowshed. When the snow stopped, the snow on the ground was already a foot deep. I had no choice but to push and carry it. When I got to school, it was already the last class at three o'clock in the afternoon. Later, the family had to ask the second brother and second sister to help deliver rice. Every time the family went back, the seventh uncle would go to the crossroads in the town, buy some fruits to take back, and ask about everyone in the family.

I don’t know anyone who treats us better than Uncle Qi. This kind of love is selfless, a kind of family affection that dissolves in blood, and a feeling of gratitude arises spontaneously!

? Dreams come true

The high school entrance examination ended that year, and my results were quite satisfactory. I could go to a technical secondary school, but it was still a little short of Shayang Normal University. Since I was not satisfied with other technical secondary school majors, I chose to study in high school to prepare for college entrance exams.

But sometimes luck cannot be stopped. During the summer vacation of that year, my eldest brother helped his cousin Zuo Keyu, who worked in the Municipal Education Bureau, build a house. He heard that Shayang Normal University had expanded its enrollment, and there was hope for him to attend Shayang Normal University. The eldest brother hurriedly moved around. At the beginning of the school year, the long-awaited notice from Shayang Normal University finally arrived. I immediately jumped out of the "farm gate", and our family finally had someone who ate commercial grain!

During my four years in normal school, I studied hard, exercised hard, chewed books eagerly, and comprehensively improved my self-quality. I want to cherish this hard-won opportunity and I want to get ahead. Visiting the library, hanging out in the music building, playing on the basketball court; learning seal carving, practicing calligraphy, doing exercises... I was everywhere. After selection and self-recommendation, I also ran for the position of deputy captain and captain of the school health department, responsible for school security patrols, responsible for the order of the school theater, responsible for raising and lowering the national flag every week, responsible for standing guard to see off important leaders during inspections, and responsible for various activities of the internship team ...

I wrote all my performance in the letter and told Uncle Qi all my growth and progress. I wanted to make Uncle Qi happy and feel at ease. Including the best female classmate at the time, who is now my wife, I told Uncle Qi. I want Uncle Qi to know that I will not be a white-eyed wolf, I want to bring glory to Uncle Qi and bring glory to the family.

All of this is inseparable from family affection and the power of gratitude. Uncle Qi is always worthy of my trust. I also strive to be a real man and be responsible for my own actions and my life.

Forge ahead

After graduation, I was assigned to Ma Liang Middle School, where I stayed for nine years. During these nine years, I studied hard, worked hard, and cherished all hard-won opportunities. He studied independently and obtained a junior college degree in 1996 and 1999. He got married in 1995 and had a child in 1998. He began writing and publishing in 1996, and by 2002, he had written more than 30 award-winning tutoring works. During the nine years at Ma Liang Middle School, I served as a class teacher for 9 years, a grade leader for 6 years, and a Chinese teaching and research leader for 2 years. I achieved remarkable teaching results and excellent class management.

When my wings are strong, I always yearn for the mountains farther away and look forward to the broader sea. The world outside is so big and I always want to go for a walk. During the summer vacation of 2002, I went to Uncle Qi’s residence in the courtyard of the Jingmen Municipal Party Committee and discussed my thoughts. At that time, Uncle Qi’s attitude was negative. It was hard to find a job, and it would be a pity to lose it. Besides, I still have a pension when I get old, so my salary will rise sooner or later. In fact, Uncle Qi still treats me as a child, and for my own sake, I deeply understand Uncle Qi’s good intentions, and I deeply believe in myself. After completing the procedures for suspension of salary and employment, I set foot on my journey south. The road to work.

"The outside world is very exciting, but it is also very helpless." During the nine years of private junior high school, I was like a bird in the sea, flying and flying without finding a branch to rest on. Due to the incompatibility of Guangdong's hot and humid climate and the excessive pressure of life, I suffered from chronic gastric problems and had to undergo two gastroscopy examinations. My body was exhausted. In addition, the public security in Puning was chaotic at that time. I was robbed twice by knife-wielding gunmen, which made me panic all day long. In Chinese language of the two classes, he also serves as the class teacher, class leader, and grade officer. When he was tired, Uncle Qi said, come back then. The work is still there anyway, and the burden of having a child is not heavy! ?

To be honest, I really don’t want to go back to my hometown in the office. It’s not that the business failed and I was forced to do nothing, I will never be a coward.

People are sometimes forced out. Only in desperate situations can people come back to life and find a way out.

Go home often

In the autumn of 2011, I was transferred back to my hometown to work at the school in the town. My parents are old, so I have to go back to my hometown every once in a while. When you were young, you gave birth to children and worked hard to support your family. Your body was already exhausted, and there was no old man who didn't suffer from some problems.

"Uncle Seven returned to live in his old house in the countryside. He said it was inconvenient to live in the city." My mother said to me with a smile, and there seemed to be a trace of hope in her eyes.

"Oh, are they staying here for a long time or a short time? Let's take some time to see them." I looked up and asked my mother.

"Yun'er (Qiye's grandson) has gone to college and doesn't need anyone to take care of him anymore... He should be here for a long time when he comes back." My mother supported her waist and said to me with certainty.

I understood what my mother meant and decided to go see Seventh Uncle and Seventh Mom.

"If you go, you have to call first. I'm old and don't like people to disturb me..."

"Uncle Qi just came to see your dad two days ago and said that you I didn't take good care of it when I was studying, and I always feel guilty..."

"Uncle Qi said that his health is not good, he has difficulty breathing and walking, and he doesn't know how long he will live..."

< p> While picking vegetables, my mother was nagging me. As she listened, my nose felt sore, as if I wanted to cry.

I can’t wait to visit Uncle Qi, who lives in the old house where Grandpa Jiabang once lived.

Turn right on the way uphill to Guoji Bridge a few hundred meters away. Next to it is the ruins of an old grain station left over from the Anti-Japanese War. The one-meter-high moisture-proof concrete foundation shows how solid the infrastructure was at that time. The ingenuity of the people in my hometown.

The old house is next to the northwest corner of Laoliang Station. A country road runs east-west from the ashram. The bamboo forest in front and behind is lush and green. Several cypress trees tower into the sky, and several jujube trees are laden with fruits. , and the narrow wing room has long been dilapidated, and weeds seem to have blocked the door into the house...

This is what I saw when I returned to the old house last fall. It was from Yaoji On the way back from my parents' home, I went to see Uncle Qi.

"Uncle Qi...Uncle Qi..." I called several times.

Uncle Qi was resting in the side room. Hearing my cry, he stood up immediately. Wearing a gray and white shirt that has long since faded, the buttons are still unbuttoned.

"Why are you here?..." While picking up the chair, he asked Qi Ma to pour water and make smoke.

I signaled to Uncle Qi that you’re welcome. At this time, Uncle Qi was no longer walking very steadily, but his energy was still there. He was just grinning and panting, with a happy face.

I gave Qi Ma a bag of fruit and gave Qi Ma some fish from the Yaoji Han River in the trunk, but Qi Shu continued to blame me.

"Why are you asking me to buy things? Shujie (my daughter) is using money... I heard that wages have increased now. Have you increased it... Have you gone back to your hometown to see your parents? They How is your health now..." Uncle Qi had difficulty speaking. He heard that there was something wrong with his lungs and heart.

"We just returned to our hometown and heard from our parents about your situation, so we came to see you.

How is your health now? Are you still used to living in the countryside? "

"There's nothing I'm not used to. This is my root. The air here is good and the environment is good. Living here is more convenient. There's also a vegetable garden... Hey, I'm just afraid of this old habit coming back!" "Uncle Qi grinned and breathed heavily.

"I can't walk anymore. I have to take a few breaths when I go up a hill... You are all very busy, so don't come to see me... I can't eat or drink. No, I'm letting you waste your money again! "Uncle Qi seemed a little helpless in his reproach.

This was a meeting with Uncle Qi in the old house. I already felt that he was beyond his capabilities.

About two months later , Uncle Qi called me and asked me to wait for him at the Oriental Department Store in Shenji Town. He said that he needed my help with something. When I went there, Uncle Qi was already waiting at the door and forced me to give me a red envelope, saying that his daughter had passed the exam. The university did not go to congratulate her, but she asked me to pass it on to her to congratulate his daughter Shujie on his behalf and wish his daughter Shujie success in her studies.

? Learn to be grateful

Recalling me The scenes while reading reminded me of every bit of Uncle Qi’s sacrifice for us. He constantly spurred us, encouraged us, gave us strength, and gave us confidence with his selfless love! Even now, he is still educating them in this way and encouraging them - "Study seriously and be a down-to-earth person!" ”

This is love, this is family affection, this is family legacy!

What can be deeper and more sincere than Uncle Qi’s love for me? What else can be more profound and sincere than Uncle Qi’s love for me? What is the longer-lasting and far-reaching influence of Uncle Qi on me? I have no reason to be irresponsible in my life. I still need to educate my children well and respect my parents. This is what Uncle Qi taught me!

Don’t waste your time and choose comfort when you should be struggling; don’t choose excuses and indifference when you should be grateful; the tree wants to be quiet but the wind doesn’t stop, and the child wants to be raised but cannot be loved. What we should do doesn’t have to be grand, but it must be real!

It is a responsibility and a spirit that everyone needs.

< p> "Study seriously and be a down-to-earth person! "This is what Uncle Qi taught me. I have never forgotten it and I will never forget it. I also hope that everyone in our family will not forget it.

He has a thin face, sharp eyes, slightly short hair, a loud laugh, often opens his mouth when talking, often purses his lips when thinking, and walks extremely steadily... This is Uncle Qi!

In those years, Uncle Qi and I were together!

My uncle is my father, and my father’s love is like a mountain, which I will never forget!