Aoba Office

Chen Xiaoqiu has something to say.

I could only send up a wry smile.

I also hope to get an answer.

I don’t know if it was because of this idea, but I lay down on the bed after lunch. Almost as soon as I lay on the bed, I fell into a dream.

It was dark at first, or rather, there was no scenery.

I heard a voice, a little vague, like a thought, or like someone was reciting something silently.

"...Xiaobao is so smart! Xiaobao did so well in this exam, what reward do you want? Grandpa will promise you."

…

"...If you want to study, just sign up and grandpa will pay for the tuition."

…

"...Here you go, go play with your classmates. Don't tell your parents. Keep the rest of the money yourself."

…

"...The tuition fees for college are so high. It's okay, I still have savings."

…

"...Don't save money in college. Eat better, go out with classmates, and don't save money. Your mother gives you pocket money, and I will give you five hundred yuan every month."

…

I gradually recognized that the voice belonged to Xu Guangzong. This should be what Xu Guangzong said to Xu Guangming.

Is the object of the dream Xu Guangzong?

Just as I was thinking this, after a long silence, I saw Xu Guangzong.

Xu Guangzong is younger than when I met him. The black hair is mixed with white hair, and the age spots and wrinkles on his face are not so obvious.

Rough hands touched the top of my head.

Xu Guangzong's expression was kind and gentle.

This picture soon fell into pieces.

The quarrel between Xu Tie and his wife replaced it.

"You trash! You and I have been crowded together at your parents' place for a lifetime, and you still want our son to be crowded like this for a lifetime? Children all have their own rooms with so many things. Look at your son! Starting elementary school I sleep on the balcony! I can only do my homework on the dining table! Books issued by the school and books bought by myself can only be piled in the box!”

"What do you think I think? When you started the business, you didn't recruit your relatives to supply goods, but you sent a bunch of expired products. Will the store close? Are you still blaming me?"

"Xu Tie, just tell me, you want our son to sleep on the balcony for the rest of his life? That bed was an iron bed from many years ago! Don't you feel bad! Are you a human being?"

His eyes moved slightly, moving away from the first bedroom door and towards the other bedroom next door.

The quarrel continued.

"What do you mean by your dad, do you think I don't know? Your brother is going to take them over to enjoy the blessing, but he just won't go! He just wants to stare at us, he just doesn't like you, and wants to drive you away! He doesn’t want to drive you away, but wants you to serve him like a cow and a horse for the rest of your life!”

The sharp female voice pierced the eardrums.

My vision was still fixed on the door of the other bedroom.

In the bedroom, Xu Guangzong was sitting on the bed, with his back to the door.

There was only a small desk lamp turned on in the room, and Xu Guangzong's shadow extended from the bed to the floor, dragging very long, making his whole person look thin.

He suddenly turned his head and looked at the door of the room, opened his eyes slightly, then showed a smile and opened his mouth to say something.

My eyes have moved along with my body, heading towards the balcony separated by curtains.

There is a camp bed on the balcony. There is a small lamp beside the bed. The fan is placed at the end of the bed. The remaining space on the balcony contains a washing machine and a utility cabinet. Above the balcony, there are clothes hanging, belonging to men, women, and the elderly...

I lay on the bed and turned over.

The room door did not block out the quarrels in the bedroom, and neither could a curtain.

The moonlight from outside came in, and the clothes above cast shadows on the curtains. The hem of the clothes swayed with the breeze, and the shadow swayed with it, like a ghost.

"... Xiaobao and I will change rooms. He will live in my room and I will sleep on the balcony."

Xu Guangzong's voice appeared again.

I was no longer lying on the cot, but standing in the living room.

The bedding on the camp bed was changed.

As if a slide show was playing, more and more things were placed under the camp bed and on the level against the wall. These slides included scenes of Xu Guangzong entering the bedroom to get something.

I heard voices coming from my body: "You came in and knocked on the door!", "Why did you come in again? What do you want to take again?", "Just move what you want to use."...

Indifference, boredom, rejection...

Old furniture, old-fashioned decoration, the smell of old people...

And this terrible family.

The picture changes.

I saw Xu Gang’s family of three.

Father and son, brothers, cousins, sisters-in-law... If you don't know, it may be difficult for outsiders to connect the two families.

Exquisitely packaged skin care products are placed on the coffee table, as well as a beautiful fruit basket and a box of imported milk. This is not like a visit between close blood relatives, but a casual guest.

As soon as he raised his eyes, he could see Xu Gang's son, and his knowledge of him instantly emerged in his mind: he studied abroad in high school, graduated from a prestigious foreign university, has a schoolgirl girlfriend who is studying abroad, and he is currently traveling across the country. Corporate work…

In contrast, I graduated from an ordinary domestic college, failed the postgraduate entrance examination, failed the public examination, and was squeezed out of a small private company with more than 20 people.

No, not myself. It's Xu Guangming.

Xu Gang's family came and went, leaving many things behind.

Xu Tie and his wife were aggrieved, but quickly opened the fruit baskets and milk.

Xu Guangzong said: "Just give the milk to Xiaobao. He has worked hard. Can Xiaobao take this health product?"

"This is food for the elderly. It costs more than a thousand yuan to buy it outside." Xu Tie replied.

His wife immediately answered: "We can sell it for seven or eight hundred."

The two naturally carried the things to their room.

After that, within two days, the box of health products disappeared.

Xu Guangzong grabbed Xu Guangming, holding more than 3,000 yuan in his other hand, and stuffed it directly into Xu Guangming's pocket.

"You work hard, don't skip lunch. When you see a nice girl, chase them, give them gifts, and treat them to meals."

"I know." A rough voice interrupted Xu Guangzong's words.

Some realizations also came to my mind.

Xu Guangming has become accustomed to this. Every time Xu Gang came, he would bring something and give Xu Guangzong money.

Xu Guangming didn't know how much Xu Gang gave Xu Guangzong, but in his opinion, it must be more than three thousand. While he was angry that Xu Guangzong hid the money secretly, he was also ashamed and angry that he had taken his uncle's money through Xu Guangzong. He needs the money. His salary is not enough for his expenses. Clothes cost money, eating costs money, drinking money costs money, and entertainment consumption costs even more. He can only live comfortably if he gets these thousands of dollars from Xu Guangzong.

As soon as these realizations passed by, I saw a girl.