After four years, Jiang Xueming returned to this place.
His heart was full of mixed emotions, which are difficult to describe in words.
It was a bitter taste that was sad and sad, and also a little nostalgic.
My hometown has not changed much, and time seems to leave no more traces on these roads and houses.
The yellow mud road in the countryside, the small ditch on the roadside, the big lotus leaves in the ditch, and the wild red berries farther away from the big lotus leaves.
Nothing has changed, except that Jiang Xueming is no longer a child.
He took his seventh brother to find a small hotel in the county town. The two handed in their ID cards and booked a room.
When checking in, Brother Qi was very nervous because there was only one room with two beds.
Jiang Xueming seemed to have guessed the little Jiujiu in Brother Qi's heart. When he arrived at the double room of the hotel, he said frankly and calmly: "I feel uneasy living apart from you."
Then he threw the clothes he bought outside Pingyang University Town on the bed, walked out and closed the door, "You change your clothes and be more agile."
Xiao Qi sat on the edge of the bed and pursed her lips. She waited for Jiang Xueming to go out before she came back to her senses, looking lost. She grabbed the skirt of the red dress with both hands, as if she had been thinking about it for a long time. She held her hair with one hand and mouthed
Biting nails.
When dealing with this kind of thing, she seemed to be no longer so brave, no longer had the courage to really break the window paper. When she was in the same room with Jiang Xueming, she didn't even dare to say anything.
Jiang Xueming's knock sounded outside the door.
"Brother Qi, are you okay? I saw you changed clothes very quickly before."
"Oh oh oh oh! Right now!"
Xiaoqi neatly changed into casual clothes, took off her fishtail skirt, took off her makeup, was fascinated by her beautiful legs for a while, and happily put on jeans and a T-shirt.
She smoothed her hair, tied it into a neat ponytail, and passed it through the buckle of her peaked cap.
She took care of her clothes, but felt that it was not enough. She turned around in front of the mirror and added a few strokes to her eyebrows before she was satisfied. She finally managed her expression to her satisfaction.
As soon as Xiaoqi opened the door, she saw Jiang Xueming had already changed her clothes.
Xueming took another look at Brother Qi, then nodded without saying a word, and threw the old clothes in his hands into the dirty clothes basket.
"You just..." Brother Qi fiddled with his fingers, a little confused: "You changed clothes in the aisle?"
Jiang Xueming took off the door card, put on the brocade box and backpack, and closed the door.
He replied casually: "Otherwise? Can I be honest with you?"
"Huh huh huh..." Seventh Brother secretly laughed, then changed his words: "No, no, you are not afraid of others seeing it?"
Jiang Xueming didn't care about other people's eyes and skipped the question: "Let's go."
Xiao Qi followed Mr. Xueming, asking without question, "Are you in such a hurry?"
"We'll make it in time. Let's go home for a meal. We'll come back as soon as we finish things." Jiang Xueming walked quickly and asked for two cigarettes and a bottle of wine at the front desk to take home.
At this moment, Brother Qi suddenly became frightened: "To be honest, I'm a little nervous... This is my first time going to a boy's home. Is it too fast?"
"I'm asking you to act in a play. Don't take it too seriously. If you don't want to act, I can handle it by myself." Xueming walked out of the hotel and stepped onto the cement road from the county town to the countryside. "I just want to trouble you to watch outside the room."
Just take a few glances and do your job well."
Xiao Qi hurriedly caught up: "Oh no no no! Director, that's not what I meant. Just pretend I didn't say it. I'll act!"
Jiang Xueming suddenly said: "Thank you, 9527."
Xiao Qi was stunned for a moment when he heard this solemn thank you by name.
She and Xueming walked side by side, with the lively sound of crickets coming from the fields on both sides. The moonlight shone on their shoulders, and the sound of frogs in the fields contrasted with the clear and transparent stars in the sky. The smoke from the farmhouses in the distance rose.
, the domestic dog wolfdog in front of the door was barking in a low voice.
A little bit of human fireworks and a little bit of silence and peace.
All this made her feel extremely romantic.
"Mr. Xueming..." Xiao Qi lowered his head, not daring to look at the faces of the people around him: "Have you ever thought... that the two of us can walk like this forever. I mean every afternoon or evening,
Let's all walk together, I won't say anything, and you won't say anything either, just walk side by side for a while."
Xueming didn't know what Xiao Qi meant: "Do you have to leave every day?"
Xiao Qi changed her words in panic: "It doesn't have to be every day, just choose a time you like."
Jiang Xueming replied casually: "No problem."
Xiao Qi jumped up happily: "Okay! It's agreed!"
Xiao Qi was so excited that no matter how wooden Jiang Xueming was, he understood the meaning behind it.
For Jiang Xueming, there were so many mysteries about the woman 9527 that he did not dare to let down his guard at all.
In his impression——
——Xiao Qi only has a code name, his age is unknown, his life experience is unknown, and there is even a question mark as to whether he is a human being.
According to the description in the log, the waiter is very important to the passengers. However, it does not clearly state the necessity for the passengers to maintain a friendship relationship with the waiter, or even a super-friendship relationship.
Every time he thinks of Brother Qi's strange and strange smile, Jiang Xueming has trouble sleeping and eating. That smile is his knowledge blind spot.
Jiang Xueming would usually stay away from things he didn't understand. However, he would agree to the request of "walking together".
The two walked along the narrow concrete path, stepped on the gravel path next to the small fish pond, and trekked all the way to Xueming's old house.
Dried radishes were drying on a wooden frame on the mud flat at the door, and next to the two-story self-built building was a pigsty that had been abandoned for more than ten years.
Since the firewood room was connected to natural gas, it has also become a shack for the guard dog. The puppy has now grown up and is covered in black fur. When he sees a stranger, he immediately rushes out and barks.
Jiang Xueming just raised his hand and said something.
The big black dog seemed to have seen a nemesis, and its tail immediately started to wag, like an electric fan, its ears were also put behind its head, and its eyes became watery.
It jumped and whined all the way, putting its paws on Xueming's thigh, sticking its head out and breathing loudly.
"I'm back, I'm back." Xueming scratched the big black dog's head and neck.
Xiaoqi's hands were itchy but she didn't dare to touch it. She asked curiously: "What is it called? Does it have a name? If I call it its name, does it recognize me?"
"There is no name." Jiang Xueming replied: "My parents are from the countryside and don't know a few words. They said they would name me and Bai Lu, and they also spent a lot of money to hire a fortune teller to approve the names, so we just called it."
Dog', without a name."
"Dog!" Xiao Qi flexed his body and yelled with all his strength: "Dog! Dog!"
When she shouted, the big black dog barked.
She squatted down happily and followed Xueming's hand to scratch the black dog's neck. The big black dog also climbed down and nodded at her.
Xiaoqi's voice was very bright, like a melodious violin, and spread far and wide in the countryside and mountains.
The movement outside the door quickly invited the owner of the old house to come out.
Old Man Jiang walked to the door on a cane. His beard was gray and his eyes were not looking good. He didn't have much hair on his head, so he still had to have a chic hairstyle.
When the old man saw clearly Jiang Xueming in the mud, and his son who had run away from home for more than four years.
Jiang Xueming just said hello.
"Dad, I'm back."
Xiaoqi whispered: "It seems that the old man's legs and feet are not in good condition..."
Old Man Jiang's eyes became more and more strange, and his expression changed from indifferent and innocent to angry.
He picked up his walking stick and rushed to Jiang Xueming, shouting and cursing: "You little beast! How dare you! I'll beat you to death today!"
Xueming quickly grabbed the dragon-headed stick and held it firmly in his hand.
Xiao Qi watched with horror and was amazed: "Aren't our dad's legs and feet very nimble... He has a strong body. Why is he using crutches?"
Jiang Xueming restrained his father's tendency to beat and scold him harshly and took the time to answer Xiao Qi.
"He is pretentious and likes to put on airs. He feels like a noble person even when he is on crutches."
"What are you talking about! You little beast!?" Old Man Jiang's eyes were wide and scary. The arteries in his neck were beating together with the blood vessels in his temples. He pulled the crutch violently, but he couldn't pull it out.
The depressing atmosphere made Xiao Qi feel suffocated.
It's like two wild beasts wrestling over territory, with neither one yielding to the other.
It's been a long, long time, a long, long time.
Old Man Jiang was like a defeated rooster, and he began to beg for mercy again, "Let me go! Let go... let go of the walking stick... I am your father!"
Jiang Xueming responded to the force and slowly let go of his hand.
But as soon as he let go, Old Man Jiang suddenly picked up the stick and whipped him.
So the situation scored twice and it was back to the first round.
There are still familiar yelling sounds.
"I'll beat you to death, you little beast!"
Jiang Xueming had nothing to say.
He just grabbed the mahogany stick, lifted the cigarettes and drinks with one hand, and said in a good voice: "Dad, I'm back. I brought you things, and I also brought my wife back."
"How many times do you want me to hit you!" Old Man Jiang said reluctantly: "Don't embarrass me in front of outsiders! How many times do you want me to hit you!"
Xueming covered her forehead: "She is not an outsider."
Xiao Qi smiled happily: "I am his wife."
Old Man Jiang looked at Xiao Qi with suspicion in his eyes, and his expression became ghostly. His eye sockets were sunken, and the stench of rotten teeth from years of drinking and smoking could be smelled from the mouthpiece, lips and teeth.
"Don't lie to me, I won't hit you anymore. Let go of my precious dragon head staff!"
Jiang Xueming let go again.
Xiaoqi is also preparing to introduce herself seriously.
As a result, not a single word came out of my mouth.
Hear a sharp shout.
"I'll beat you to death, you little beast!" Old Man Jiang raised his stick and struck again.
The father and son successfully completed a hat trick.
One was fighting and the other was parrying in the same posture as when they first met.
Xiao Qi touched Xueming's side and cooed softly.
"Why is your dad so stubborn...Does he have Alzheimer's disease? Dementia?"
Xueming put the cigarettes and alcohol in his hands on the ground, asked Xiaoqi to take out cash from his backpack, and explained in a low voice.
"Understand, he is born in the 1940s and does not want to watch Saint Seiya Lost."
While Xiao Qi was taking out the money, he asked in confusion: "What do you mean?"
"The same trick can only be used once for the Saint Seiya." Xueming whispered to Brother Qi. He placed the money bag in front of Old Man Jiang and shook it a few times.
"Oh! My son!" Old Man Jiang changed his face like he was flipping through a book, and a few tears fell from his deep eye sockets. He immediately loosened his crutches, his legs softened, like a lame disabled person, and he wanted to hug Xueming.
.
"My son, my son is back! My son is back!"
Xueming just handed the money bag out and inadvertently caught a glimpse of her old mother who was watching a play on the balcony on the second floor.
The old mother was lying on the balcony eating melon seeds, with resentment in her eyes.
The moment he made eye contact with Xueming, he became kind and showed no intention of moving down to greet her.
I shouted a few words from a distance, which meant something to me.
"Just come back...just come back!"
I heard the hoarse scolding sound coming from the old mother's throat.
"Old man! Why are you beating our baby? If you call him a little beast, then aren't you and I both old beasts?!"
Xiao Qi and Xueming whispered: "Director, I understand you. Your family is really chaotic. Where did you find the national treasure-level actors? I can't do this movie. I have to pay more."
Jiang Xueming approached Xiao Qi and whispered softly: "What kind of addition?"
Xiao Qi gestured to her scissor hands: "Twice a week, eat with me."
Jiang Xueming stuck a finger back: "Once a week, I will eat with you."
Xiaoqi stretched out his hand: "Deal."
Xueming shook hands: "Deal."
After discussing it in private, Xueming raised her head with a fake smile on her face and responded loudly: "Hey! Mom!"
The same is true for Xiao Qi, with a bright smile: "Hey! Mom!"
The old mother on the second floor has a wrinkled face and an old look, but her hair is dyed purple. It seems that she is also a powerful and fierce character in the county's elderly dance troupe.
She looked down at the two of them, her eyes like X-rays, scanning every inch of Xiao Qi's body, as if she wanted to see the girl's skin, flesh and bones clearly.
"Who is this woman? Baby Xueming? She said just now that she is your wife? Have you told us about this? Have we agreed?"
The old mother's series of deep questions made Brother Qi's scalp numb.
"Where did you take Bai Lu? She still has an unfinished marriage? You made us lose face in Pingyang County and cannot hold our heads up. Do you know?"
Jiang Xueming immediately replied, with a calm tone and explosive content.
"Mom, are your ears hard to use because you are old? She is my wife. Do you want me to say it a few more times? I will go back to the county to buy a speaker, and I will give it to you every day like a recording of repairing leather shoes, sharpening scissors, and selling breakfast.
How about the carousel? How about I go to the hospital to call you now? Go to the best hospital in Hengyin City! My brother Ye knows the doctor and can definitely cure it."
"I didn't ask for your consent? Did I say that I needed your consent for my marriage? Do I need to tell you?"
"I took my sister out. She didn't want to get married when she was fourteen, and she doesn't want to get married now. Have you asked her if she agrees? Have you asked me if I agree?"
"How embarrassing you are in Pingyang County. I don't know, I don't know, I don't understand. I'm very sorry. Why don't I go get a billboard tomorrow? It says that the historical sinner Jiang Xueming has made the Jiang family lose face. I will hold it up."
The brand was paraded through the market, and then the story was divided into five volumes and sixty-four chapters and sent to the storyteller under the overpass, and then sent to the teahouse arch pavilion for the tea teacher to review it carefully for the neighbors?
"I love you, my dear parents."
This string of firecracker-like responses made the old mother on the second floor change her expression.
The old father on the first floor was about to pick up his stick and do a big four to end the game.
"I'll beat you to death, you little beast..."
Before he finished speaking, Xueming grabbed the money bag with his hands and prepared to walk out to the main road.
The old mother smiled and said, "No more, no more... Let's have a meal. I want to see you. Mom misses you so much."
The old father then took back the walking stick with a sullen look on his face.
Xueming had no expression from beginning to end. Apart from a fake smile, he was as cold as a piece of ice.
Xiao Qi felt very uncomfortable when she saw this. It was hard for her to imagine how Mr. Xueming spent his childhood.
They crossed the foot-high threshold and finally entered the home.
Brother Qi grabbed Xueming's hand as soon as he entered the door. She felt her heart beating wildly, which was more exciting than at the underground station.
She whispered, her face flushed: "So you've always been so tough?"
Xueming didn't hold back anything, so she grabbed Xiao Qi's hand and walked towards the main room.
He replied in a low voice, with a normal expression on his face: "So you don't understand me all the time?"
Xiaoqi muttered: "I used to just think you were good-looking...so I liked you."
Xueming frowned, always wary of her parents' movements to avoid the dragon-headed stick striking again, and asked casually: "Does it feel bad now?"
Xiao Qi's voice was as thin as a mosquito or fly, almost inaudible.
"It's not good, it's not good, I like it even more now."
The whole family sat down neatly in the main room.
The soup was still being cooked in the kitchen, but apart from the whistling of natural gas and the rustling of the pressure cooker, no one spoke first.
Only the big black dog didn't know what was going on - squatting at the door, wagging its tail happily.