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[wenzili]

The time was flying, unconsciously, I spent half a month in Tongcun village. With sufficient food for 3 meals a day, I�d forgotten all of the famine at home.
Since a new term was going to start, my friends and I decided to go back for registration.
It was a clear day, when my cousin got up much earlier to see me off. With heavy panting, she was busy at preparing two gifts for me, one bag of rise, another bag of lotus seeds, which was partially picked up by myself and mostly by my brother-in-law later on.
As bending, she wept to me:� My little brother, do come here and see me more often, your cousin never lack of foodstuff, but certainly is short of life......� as talking, she was bursting a loud cry.
My tears streaming down on my face, I could say nothing but sob and wave to show my heard broken parting to her.
To save my strength, she asked my brother-in-law to help me for a boat hitchhiking beforehand.
The sail was going to set out in Old Residence Ferry of Dashahu. It would be my first trip on board. I forgot all the grief and immediately went into raptures.
�Ai��Ya��Lai���a long and loud shouting sounded on the stern, it�s the boatman�s working song.
�Ok, the boat is setting off now.� My friend knew it well and told me happily.
Sure enough, with the sail rising, the boat was slowly moving. I couldn�t help but standing up to say good-bye to our dear Dashahu!
About 20 minutes later, the boat slowly passed by the dike of New Residence.
Suddenly, an astonishing scene came to my eyes. I found all my cousin�s family members were presenting on the bank. They all were looking after me with frequent hand waving.
�Wenzili, do��come��and��see��me!� a guest of wind brought me my cousin�s week and discontinuous voice.
��
However, I failed to fulfill my commitment for thousands reasons.
Until 8 years later, when I came back home for my summer vacation. I said to my Mum that I want to visit my cousin again.
To my surprise, she told me a sad story with tears:
3 year�s ago, an occasional heavy-duty work deteriorated cousin�s bronchitis and caused subsequent Emphysema(lung infection and swelling).
With a borrowed pedal cab, my brother in law intended to send her to hospital in town at a wet night.
Unfortunately, they knocked into a truck. Both of them miserably became the victims of this traffic accident.
By the end of the story, both my mum and I were so sad that we were wailing and hugging to each other for a long time.
Ever since, once I recalled the past, my cousin�s voice, her family members� waving on the dike are always shock my soul and cause an everlasting pain in my heart .��

Written on Jan. 6, 2009 in Guangdong

Note: * In Chinese lunar calendar, every year is symbolized by a related animal (such as mouse, cow, tiger, rabbit, etc.), 12 in total. Therefore, the cycle of the year symbol is 12 years. In the mean time, every people has his own fate-symbol animal. That is the same as the birth year�s. It has been said people come to the age of multiple 12 (such as 24,36,48 etc., known as Benmingnian--your own year) will meet constant misfortune.
In this case, bending a red belt is a favorite advice from senior people.
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Practice made every effort perfect

[Lorikeet]

Thank you so much for your story, Wenzili. I enjoyed reading all of the parts, even though some of them were sad.

[wenzili]