Chapter 3: Borrowing Rice（1 / 1）

In truth, how could such a lare orchard be unuarded?

也就是呀，这么大的果园怎么可能没有人看守呢？

The abundance of fruit on the branches near the ede indicated that passersby couldn''''t easily pick the

如果路人那么好采摘的话，果园外那些树枝上面的果实累累，又怎么解释呢？

Soone had been watchin all alon, hidden, waitin for an unsuspectin individual to fall into the trap.

原来这里一直是有人守着，人家在暗处守着，正等着鱼儿上钩呢。

My father was that unfortunate person. The New Year was upon us, and he had failed to borrow rice. He had intended to pick a few apples to brin ho for the children, but he didn''''t et the apples, and instead, he faced a fine and additional debt.

我的父亲就是这条不幸的鱼，过年了，米没有借到，本想摘几个苹果回去给孩子吃，可是苹果也没有摘到，反而罚了款，欠了债。

For our faly, it felt like addin insult to injury. The ioverished are often dealt further sfortune with ease. Is it the era that is ioverished?

对于我们这个家庭真的是雪上加霜呀！苦的人家也真的太容易雪上加霜了，是这个年代穷吗？

No, so of relatives are well-off. It is only faly that strules. My parents are both poor, and when two ioverished individuals have children, their poverty only ltiplies.

不，我有些亲戚也富有，只是我家穷而已，我父亲穷，我母亲穷，穷人遇到穷人，生了孩子更是穷上加穷。

We''''ve done the st exhaustin, bitter, and unprofitable labor froa youn ae, yet we still have to survive and raise our children.

从小到大做的是最累最苦最不赚钱的活，可是我们还是要活下去，还是要生儿育女。

The poorer people are, the re children they tend to have, as they are the faly''''s only hope, their only chance for a better future.

越穷的人越喜欢多生孩子，因为孩子是这个家唯一的希望，唯一的希望呀！

We believe that fate can''''t be so cruel to us indefinitely. Perhaps one of these children ht alter their destiny? If just one of the four breaks the cycle of poverty, it would an a way out for the entire faly. We would follow hi never lookin back.

我们总相信上天不会对我们这么残忍，总有一个孩子也许能改变自己的命运呢？如果这四个孩子中有一个孩子跳出了穷人家的门，那就代表了他为我们这个家打开了一条出路，我们跟着他后面走就可以了，走出去，再不回头。

Thouh our childhood was challenin, no, our entire faly''''s life was incredibly difficult. The children represented the only hope for the faly.

孩子虽然苦，不，是这整个家都非常的苦，可是孩子是这个家唯一的希望。

At that ti, I resented that relative, for if they had lent father rice, this situation ht have been avoided.

当时的我很怨那个亲戚，如果当时他借了米给我父亲，就不会出现这样的事情了。

It was indeed by sheer luck that we naed to row up.

我们能够长大，真的是靠运气。

Perhaps we were fortunate that all four siblins reached adulthood unscathed. As I rew older, I bean sellin ite and doin sll businesses to support the faly.

可能真的是很幸运，我们都长大了，我们四兄妹都平安地长大了，后来我年龄大了点，就开始了卖东西，做点小生意养家糊口。

At ae twelve, I started sellin candied hawthorns and traveled froplace to place, peddlin the

十二岁的时候我就贩卖糖葫芦，四处去卖。

Eventually, our faly was able to put enouh food on the table.

家里终于开始可以吃饱饭了。

In this nner, reardless of whether it was sprin, suer, autu, or winter, I sold various foods and went frohouse to house to do business.

就这样，不管春夏秋冬我都贩卖着各种食品，到各家各户去吆喝着，做着买卖。

I would wake up at four or five in the rnin and leave, only returnin ho when darkness fell.

每天四五点钟起床就要出发，天很黑了才能回家。