The night is getting darker and there are hundreds of lights.
There is a different scene behind each bright window of the red brick building.
The old man and the old lady on the third floor had a quarrel. They sat on the sofa one foot apart, and neither wanted to talk to the other.
Uncle Xu on the sixth floor was watching his two daughters playing, with a smile on his face but also a bit of sadness. Only those who have raised children know that this thing is a real gold-eating beast.
Uncle Sun's family didn't cook a sumptuous meal today. While eating, the couple occasionally looked at the pot of clivia in bloom on the windowsill, always thinking it was a good sign.
But at Chen Zui's house, Chen's mother was gallantly carrying her old and faded slippers and kicked them on the big TV set covered with snowflakes on the screen.
Buzz, sizzle, sizzle....
'CCTV, CCTV.'
"A small tree will not grow until it is repaired, and a child will not grow until it is beaten... Oh, how did you say the second part of the sentence?"
Although it was commonplace, Chen Zui still had to say: "Mom, don't stretch your arms."
Chen's mother didn't care about this. After sitting down, she said, "Why don't you change it? Haven't you spent all the money you earned at the night market?"
The reason for this is because Chen Zui did not ask for food expenses from his family when he went to college. He said that he had money in his pocket and could not compete, so he threw it all away.
Chen Zui shook his head: "No, did you start a business before going to college? Now you are making a lot of money."
Since Chen Zui paid back 20,000 yuan to his family when he went out to the night market, which relieved a lot of pressure, his statement that he made a lot of money is still credible.
Chen’s mother guessed: “Selling women’s T-shirts in college and squatting at the door of the women’s dormitory?”
Chen Zui shook his head quickly: "Isn't it perverted inside? It's definitely not the case. I set up a small shop and then passed..."
He said something briefly, and Chen's mother didn't quite understand it, but she could understand that Chen was the most profitable.
When Chen Zui took a breath and took a few more mouthfuls of rice, he heard Chen Zui whisper softly: "Chen Zui, you have to save it when you make money. Mom doesn't want it from you, so you don't have to spend it on mom."
"You don't need to replace the things in your home. They are all old items that have been used with affection."
"Also, after going to college, you have no virgin girlfriends everywhere?"
"I heard from your dad that your classmate who gave you tutoring lessons in high school even went out to the night market with you?"
"Oh, by the way, how are you and Boss Zhao doing now?"
Chen Zui said, ‘Cough, cough.’ Choking on the rice, he stood up and went to the kitchen to get water.
When he comes back, he says: "Mom, finish eating, I'll clean it up!"
Chen Ma said: "Sit down."
Chen Zui: "..."
…
That night Chen Zui talked a lot with his mother again.
Talking about hot pot restaurants, talking about small shops, talking about a fool named Zhao Xiaokai who is so emotional that he actually cried when the instructor left. There is a roommate named Wang Donghe, who can be called a full-level nanny. He doesn’t leave the dormitory every day.
Even though the cleaning was spotless, I felt itchy all over.
In addition to avoiding his own emotional issues, he knows everything and talks about it.
Seeing that he didn't want to talk about relationship issues, Chen's mother didn't ask anything about it.
The most frequent and intense interruptions were when Chen was talking about hotpot restaurants.
"Then they are investing, why should you take 30%?"
"What is an angel investor?"
"Son, you're just doing this with nothing. You can't do this as a human being."
When Chen Zui made it clear that he wanted to have twenty branches and that if the bet was unsuccessful, he would not pay a penny, Chen's mother's expression softened slightly.
But after thinking for a while, she still didn't understand: "That's not right. If it doesn't succeed, you won't get a penny, but you won't participate in the loss. You are still a wolf with nothing. Did Boss Zhao let you cheat?
Chen Zui, you can’t..."
"No mom, angel investment is also venture capital. Isn't it normal that venture capital has risks..."
After finally getting around this topic, when talking about other things, Chen Ma also tried her best to remind Chen Zui of her own requirements for life and work.
"Your roommates are quite interesting. You have to make good friends with them. People, many friends lead to many paths. What's more, you are classmates. You will live together for four years. You will have each other in your memories for the rest of your life. If you have any unpleasantness, just smile.
The past has passed, and you must not hide it in your heart."
"As for the poor students in the small shop, you can't lose money to others. It's not easy. Our family has been poor in the past two years. You know how we got here. It's even harder for them, you know?"
Of course Chen Zui nodded repeatedly when he heard this.
Even as he was talking later, he didn't notice that Chen Ma's somewhat cloudy eyes looked at him, and there was a little loss that couldn't be hidden in her soft and watery eyes.
Mother Chen was gentle because she felt that her son had grown up and sounded very powerful and capable. She wanted to buy a TV for her. It seemed that she had indeed made a lot of money. She was proud of her son.
What's disappointing is that my son seems to have grown up before I've taken enough care of him. Of course, the most important thing is that he doesn't seem to need me anymore...
After talking for a while, Chen finally finished telling his story.
Mother Chen glanced at the time and stood up: "Wash your feet, it's time to go to bed."
So, mother and son sat in the living room, which was as narrow as a hallway, soaked their feet and watched soap operas on TV.
Maybe it was too comfortable. After a few minutes, Chen's mother's eyelids started to tremble. Chen Zui bent down, lifted her mother's feet out of the basin, wiped them with a towel, and then said: "Mom, go back to the house."
.”
Mother Chen opened her eyes in a daze, and then she couldn't resist the sleepiness and stood up: "I don't care about you, I don't care about you, I'm going to bed."
Chen Zui said: "Yeah." He watched his mother go back to the bedroom and covered her with the quilt.
After squeezing his feet until they turned white, he turned off the TV, poured foot water and returned to his half-room room.
Just lying in bed unable to sleep, he took out a pen and paper and chatted with the barrage people.
The best time to chat is late at night.
The night outside the window has turned dark, and it is quiet except for the occasional sound of cats and dogs barking. It is not loud, but it is somehow distant.
And in this quiet environment, the sound of footsteps is particularly harsh.
Especially the old red brick building, the sound insulation is not very good. If someone goes upstairs in the middle of the night, you can hear clearly.
A clanging sound sounded.
Looking at the time, Chen most thought it might be his father.
So he turned over, pushed half of the door open, and stuck his head out.
The footsteps are getting closer.
Then there was the sound of a key opening the lock, and then the door was pushed open.
The room was dark, and Chen Zui, who had been out in the car for a day, did not notice Chen Zui.
As usual, he turned on the small light in the narrow living room and took off his shoes. When he was about to take off his coat, he heard Chen Zui's words:
"Dad, you're back."
Father Chen, who was tired of work, turned his head and saw his son. His tired back straightened up. The fatigue written on his cheeks was instantly melted away. His nasolabial folds deepened with a smile that he wanted to hold back but couldn't hold back.
.
He replied:
"Well, I'm back."
"Have you got a meal yet?"
"Nope."
"Then I'll warm it up for you."
With that said, Chen Zui walked out of the room and got into the kitchen.
Father Chen didn't stop him and went into the bathroom to wash up.
When he came out, Chen Zui had already heated up the food.
So in the middle of the night, the father and son sat on opposite sides of the folding table that never folded.
Chen's father moved his chopsticks, but when he saw that Chen didn't move at all, he said, "Eat."
When Chen Zui heard this, he picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of green vegetables. He was not actually hungry, but just wanted to sit across from his father and look at him.