chaotic world

On New Year's Eve, the Zhou family compound was quieter than usual, and many servants went back to their hometowns in the countryside to celebrate the New Year, and Zhang Ma was the only one staying.

Including the aunt, the third aunt, the dumb uncle and Shumei, and Du Yunhai who is on winter vacation, there are only seven people in the family, so it is convenient to make a table for dinner.

Except for the dumb uncle and Zhou Lan who don't talk very much, the dinner table is quite lively. After the eldest wife believed in Buddhism, she became a lot more charitable. She greeted everyone to eat this and that, and Shumei dexterously served everyone with food The dishes were served well. The dishes in front of Zhou Lan were all his favorites. He knew in his heart that Shumei prepared them. He didn't say anything, just pretending not to know.

Yun Hai is a half-year-old student, just at the age when he is lively and talkative. Zhou Lan treats him like a little brother, opens a bottle of red wine prepared before the year, and drinks with him. Yun Hai will talk more after a few sips of wine Yes, they are all childish words, which added laughter to everyone.

When there is a sea of ​​clouds, Yunfeng will naturally be mentioned. The third aunt asked why her godson Yunfeng didn't go home for the New Year. Zhou Lan shied away and couldn't make it clear, and he couldn't get in touch.

Yun Hai put down his job and echoed, "I haven't heard from my brother for three or four months. I heard that it's not peaceful because there are ghosts outside the pass. I'm quite worried."

Zhou Lan hesitated for a moment, her face remained calm, and she asked casually, "Did he always write letters before?"

Yun Haina was wiping his mouth with a towel, reeking of alcohol, his face flushed like an apple: "I used to write a letter a month, or call the school, but this time I seem to know that I won't receive letters for a long time, give me a letter." A lot of money, brother Mu An, what kind of business is my brother doing?"

The others also turned their gazes to Zhou Lan, who was drinking the last sip of red wine in his glass and licking his lips: "This is a risky business, but he was fine when I left." Then he put the wine glass away. On the table: "Mom, why don't you go outside the pass to see Yunfeng, the sea of ​​clouds is too small, just this brother, I don't care about it and no one cares about it."

"Then you take Shumei with you." The third aunt only had this thing in her mind now. When her son grew up, she should give him a grandson.

"Mother, the soldiers outside the pass are all Japanese soldiers. They are not polite when they see a beautiful girl. I take Shumei with me. She is dangerous and I am not safe." She, that's like bringing a mobile prison.

What the son said made sense. The third aunt missed her grandson very much, but she was not foolish. She promised to let him leave after the next year. Yunhai was blushing and arguing to go together. Everyone thought he was young and felt inappropriate.Zhou Lan had finished eating, stood by the table, reached out to touch the top of the little brother's forehead, and said that you forgot that your brother asked you to study hard.

Seeing that Zhou Lan disagreed, Yun Hai stopped insisting, and just raised his head and smiled at him—his eyes sparkled when he smiled, and Zhou Lan even wanted to go up and kiss him, but it was inappropriate to do so, he kept his mouth shut .

On New Year’s Eve, there are firecrackers outside, and the Huajie is in ruins. Looking at several foreign concessions, huge fireworks are rising into the sky. Row upon row of them are taller than each other. Rich people are rich everywhere. When Huajie is good Live in the Chinese Concession, and move to the Concession when the concession is good. In this world, only money is omnipotent.

Yunhai and Mute Uncle lit the whips in the yard, crackling and blasting the whole yard echoing, and in the warm atmosphere of reunion, everyone paid New Year's greetings to the eldest wife and the third concubine respectively. Zhou Lan took the lead and knelt down. Knocking his head to the ground, it was the same as when he was a child, and he took a red envelope. He is almost 19 years old.

In the middle of the night, after eating Chinese New Year dumplings, everyone dispersed.

Because Yunhai came to live at home, Zhou Lan wanted to have a good chat with Yunhai, so she went to the guest room with Yunhai.The bed is a Chinese-style canopy bed, enough for two people to live in. Each changed into pajamas and got into his own bed. The two chatted one by one, and Yunhai talked about things in the country when he was a child. particularly interested.

The young man was very excited after drinking a little wine, and he danced and danced. He was so excited that he took Zhou Lan's hand and gestured. He suddenly said, "Brother Mu'an, your hands are really cold."

Zhou Lan was not a hot person at first, but recently because he was up all day and night, he became colder when he lost weight, but he didn't care much about it.

Du Yunhai lifted his own quilt, and in the middle of the night pouted his buttocks and pressed his own quilt onto Zhou Lan's quilt. Zhou Lan watched him toss and asked calmly, "Yunhai, what are you doing?"

Du Yunhai had already pressed the quilt, and then crawled into Zhou Lan's bed like a small fish: "We sleep together, so we won't be cold."

As he said that, before Zhou Lan agreed, Du Yunhai hung on Zhou Lan like a little monkey climbing a tree.

Knowing that Du Yunhai was young and didn't understand nonsense, Zhou Lan simply didn't bother him, and spared an arm for him to sleep on, allowing him to continue talking about the country.

The protagonist of the country affairs is Du Yunfeng. In Yunhai's vivid description, Zhou Lan seems to have seen the young man running in the field, leading a group of mud monkeys to fight in groups, sitting on a rock and letting the "defeated generals" kowtow to him. Put worms in the teacher's teacup, carry firewood to the mother by the stove...

In the darkness, Yunhai's eyes were shining, and he was talking vigorously. Zhou Lan looked at him quietly, and suddenly reached out and gently covered his mouth, saying that it was too late, go to sleep, and continue to tell me tomorrow.

After finishing speaking, he bowed his head and kissed Yunhai's beautiful eyes, then hugged Du Yunhai who was a head shorter than him, and carefully tucked in the quilt.

He closed his eyes, put his arms around Du Yunhai, and thought about Du Yunfeng: What are you doing on New Year's Eve?

Hundreds of miles away, Du Yunfeng opened his eyes, and in front of him was a moonless starry sky.He knew that today was the New Year's Eve, but his New Year's was not good. In the barren mountains and wild mountains, he huddled in a ravine sheltered from the wind, extremely embarrassed.

Did Xiao Muan go abroad to celebrate the New Year? Does he have enough money? Will he remember me?Thinking of a series of questions, he wrapped himself in a padded jacket, and some blood oozes from the wound on his shoulder, throbbing with pain, and he couldn't sleep.

Staying at home until the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Zhou Lan couldn't bear it any longer. Ever since he said on New Year's Eve that he would go outside the customs, this kind of seed had taken root in his heart. After a few days of frantic blooming, his heart couldn't take it anymore. Set off to see the result, this small tree is afraid that it will grow endlessly and rip him to pieces.

Zhou Lan, who was as thin as a stick, was on the road with a suitcase in his hand and a gun around his waist.

He was in the seat by the window, and the dumb uncle with eyes full of concern and half-sized son Yunhai came to see him off. The dumb uncle made gestures to tell Zhou Lan to be careful, and he would come back safely and bring Yunfeng back. Zhou Lan lay on the side of the train window , to reassure him that everything is at ease, and he will try his best to handle it well.Yun Hai is young and doesn't know what's going on outside the pass, so he just tiptoes and waves his hands, calling Brother Mu An to come back early and ask him to write to me, I also want to go to see him outside the pass.

With the high-pitched whistle, the train started slowly in the white mist. Zhou Lan waved his hand through the glass. down.

One stone is moved down, another stone is moved up.

Even though he was already on the speeding train, Zhou Lan still couldn't explain why he was going outside the customs. Du Yunfeng had already broken up with him. He didn't know what the purpose of this journey was.

Could it be that Yunhai is worried about you, so I came to see you for him?Or maybe I can't stay in prison at home anymore, so I come to you for refuge again?

Thinking of this, he felt heavy and angry.

He had a sore throat when he got angry, and he didn't remember when he got this problem.

Zhou Lan raised one hand, pressed his thumb on the center of his brow, felt a faint pain in his throat, his heart was twisted, his body was sore and numb, and there was no place for him to feel comfortable. He took off his top hat and put it on his face, and leaned back on the seat On the road, he concentrated his efforts to resist the bouts of sadness—his heart beating, he might be addicted to opium.

One night passed, he didn't drink a drop of water, and fell asleep all the way while shaking. When he woke up again, the car was stopped in Jin County to add water, and the steam surrounded the train. Powerless, the gaze that shot out had no penetrating power, was scattered and unfocused, and from the reflection of the glass window, he also saw that his face was blue, his eye sockets were sunken, and his lips were chapped and white—no nice guy.

The few people sitting around and sitting across from him were honest countrymen. Seeing his sickly appearance, they held the child in their hands away from him for fear that he would catch an infectious disease.

Zhou Lan didn't look at them, but leaned against the glass and looked out aimlessly.

Most of the people who got on and off the bus were businessmen who tossed goods, and ordinary people who left their relatives after the year. They were dressed in heavy clothes, and those who carried poles and baskets carried a lot of goods with them. The small platform seemed Messy and overcrowded.

In the chaotic crowd, a familiar face suddenly flashed by, Zhou Lan caught it, he opened his mouth to scream, hoarse voice did not make a sound, so he stretched out his white and bloodless hand and patted the window to attract that person's attention.

The man was carrying a piece of luggage and looked at him. He was startled for a moment, and then recognized Zhou Lan immediately. He strode through the crowd and boarded the train from the door closest to Zhou Lan's compartment, with the suitcase held high above his head. Squeezed through the crowd and stopped beside Zhou Lan.

"Brother Tang" Zhou Lan opened his mouth and shouted, only a hoarse voice, due to too much force, his dry lips were cracked, and a little blood coagulated.

Squeezing and moving, the people next to them saw that they knew each other, so they squeezed out a small space. Tang Junquan, a mighty man, put half of his butt on the seat and squeezed beside Zhou Lan. In order to save space, he had to sideways Leaning back, with one arm behind Zhou Lan, he hesitated for a moment and put it on the other's shoulder: "Brother Zhou, are you sick? Are you going to Fengtian too?"

He could hardly connect the sickly young man in front of him with the radiant and beautiful young man from last year. They met unexpectedly and could hardly recognize each other.He untied the water bottle he was carrying, put his arms around Zhou Lan, unscrewed the lid with both hands, the water inside was still hot, and sent it directly to the other party's mouth.

Taking advantage of the heat, Zhou Lan reached out to take the kettle and took a sip, the hot and bitter taste in his throat eased.

He returned the kettle, smiled weakly, his eyes were tired, he opened his mouth to speak again, his voice was still hoarse, he grabbed the collar and cleared his throat vigorously.Tang Junquan saw him like this, so he lowered his head and leaned over, put his ear close to his mouth, and heard a voice like a rag stuffed in his throat: "Brother Tang, I'm not sick, I just have a sore throat."

No matter how Tang Junquan saw him, he looked thin and did not look healthy, but he couldn't ask further questions.

The train started again, and while it was rumbling, Tang Junquan turned sideways to him, with his back turned to others, and the two started talking.

Zhou Lan has a bad voice, mainly because Tang Junquan was talking about it, to the effect that he recently had a mission and went to Rehe, and now he is going back to Fengtian. Open your mouth to ask, just listen to him quietly.

The train swayed, and Zhou Lan was addicted to cigarettes and always cried and yawned. Tang Junquan thought that he came from Tianjin, the journey was too long, and he was too tired, so he clasped his shoulders tightly with one hand, and used the back of the seat and his body to surround him firmly. It's a half hug, half hug pose.

Rarely comfortable, Zhou Lan fell asleep in a daze.

This hug lasted all afternoon, as the train swayed, Tang Junquan's chin touched Zhou Lan's forehead from time to time, dripping with cold sweat.

Zhou Lan knew in her heart that this discomfort would not be fatal, so she endured it in a daze. Tang Junquan was tall, about the same size as Du Yunfeng, with the thickness of a grown man, and there was a faint smell of smoke on his body. Zhou Lan smelled it all the way, It smells good.

It was already evening when they arrived in Fengtian, Tang Junquan insisted on helping Zhou Lan carry the suitcase, and the two got off the train one after the other.

On a street where restaurants and accommodations gather, Tang Junquan dragged Zhou Lan into a house with bright and clean windows. In his eyes, Zhou Lan was his savior and a congenial child. Now that he was cold and hungry, he should treat him to a good meal .

A table of hot dishes was quickly set up, some stewed, some fried, even two gentlemen with great appetites couldn't finish them all, just after the new year, the weather is still bone-chillingly cold, Tang Junquan asked for a bottle of Daquanyuan, poured it into the jug, and sat in the hot water, thinking about warming up.

It's a pity that Zhou Lan, who was supposed to be like a wolf like a tiger, couldn't raise his spirits in front of a large table of dishes. He also felt that his stomach was empty, and his chest was pressed against his back, but he was not hungry.Not wanting to disappoint Captain Tang's kindness, he picked up a piece of roasted eggplant.

"Don't be in a hurry to eat the vegetables, drink the soup first, it will be cold." Tang Junquan filled a big bowl of bone soup, handed it to him, and stuffed the spoon into his hand involuntarily.

The soup was hot, and when I swallowed it in my mouth, it warmed me up a lot.

Tang Junquan took care of him all the way, and Zhou Lan felt sorry for him, so he cheered up and said in a hoarse voice, "Brother Tang, you can eat too."

The two ate around a table of wine and food.

After finishing the soup, Zhou Lan took two mouthfuls of hot food without any taste, and poured the hot wine into the two wine cups: "Brother Tang, thank you for taking care of me."

"Brother Zhou, what are you talking about? Where are you going at night? Why didn't you see Brother Du who was with you?" Tang Junquan drank the wine in one gulp.

Zhou Lan drank it with his neck up, and the spicy food entered his stomach. It was exciting, and he covered up his hesitation perfectly. He took a bite of the food and said, "I'll find a hotel in the city later. Xiao Du has business matters recently and is not with me."

Tang Junquan felt that the taste of the food was not bad, so he continued to eat, and at the same time tore off a chicken wing and put it in the other party's bowl: "Eat more, seeing how skinny you are, by the way, if you don't mind, you can live with me. My friend’s house is quite spacious and has extra rooms.”

Zhou Lan didn't touch the chicken wings, he just drank wine, he thought Tang Junquan's proposal was good, but he still went to find Du Yunfeng, and it's best not to let outsiders know Du Yunfeng's identity as a locker, living together, Tang Junquan It is inevitable that he will notice, besides, he is screaming from every pore of his body to go to the smokehouse to have a smoke, it is more convenient for him to live by himself, so he declined.

Tang Junquan didn't force him, turned around and took out a notebook and a pen from the luggage, quickly wrote a few words on the notebook, tore off the piece of paper, and handed it to Zhou Lan: "I see you alone, if there is something Just give me a call, don't be shy."

Zhou Lan put down the wine glass, took the paper and looked at it, and saw that it was a four-digit phone number and address, and the font was square, correct and powerful.After reading it, he folded it carefully and put it in the pocket of his coat.

After a meal, Zhou Lan didn't eat much. Tang Junquan brought him a lot of dishes, most of which were left there without moving, but he drank a lot of wine. Zhou Lan didn't drink a bottle of Daquanyuan. He was polite, and he drank seventy-eight out of ten. Tang Junquan was afraid that he would be drunk, so he advised him a few words. Later, he saw that his face was slightly pale, but he was healthier, and there was no sign of drunkenness. Just let him go, and when he checked out and walked out of the restaurant, Zhou Lan walked steadily. Tang Junquan thought to himself that this little brother could hold a lot of alcohol.

Tang Junquan carried the suitcase and sent him to the entrance of Huachang Hotel. He was still hoarse, but his face was ruddy.The suitcase was handed over to the waiter. Zhou Lan turned around and shook hands with Tang Junquan to say goodbye. The road at the door was wide and it was the busiest time of night. Tang Junquan held Zhou Lan's hand and patted him on the shoulder with the other Pat: "Take care, little brother, remember to call me if you need something." Then he let go, picked up his luggage, and walked to the street. After walking a few steps, he heard a hoarse voice behind him shout: "Brother Tang!"

Tang Junquan stood in the middle of the street and looked back at him.

Zhou Lan stood under the gorgeous neon lights of the hotel. His coat didn't fit well and was a little empty. He looked like a young man who had stolen the clothes of a strong man. He opened his mouth and asked, "What brand of cigarettes do you smoke?"

Tang Junquan was stunned for a moment, and then replied: "Hadmen, what's the matter?"

Zhou Lan smiled: "It's okay, just ask." Then he waved his hand to signal him to go, Tang Junquan turned his head and continued walking, and when he crossed the street and turned back, Zhou Lan had already entered the brightly lit hotel lobby.

After opening the room on the fifth floor, which is a single-person suite, Zhou Lan yawned and waved to the waiter to signal him to send the suitcase upstairs first. He turned up the lapel of the coat with both hands and walked out of the rotating glass in the lobby He opened the door and went out again against the cold wind.

He is not familiar with Fengtian, but when he came with Du Yunfeng before, he has seen a street with many smoke dens, and it is near here, but even if it is a few steps away, he is too lazy to go, so he gets into a rickshaw and urges the driver to hurry to the smoke den. Running, after two turns, before the rickshaw stopped, he jumped off in a panic.

"Boss, there is ice on the ground, please slow down." The rickshaw driver with a big cotton hat turned around and helped the guest.

Zhou grabbed the wallet from his pocket, took out the banknotes, and handed them to the coachman without looking at them, his eyes turned away from the door of the den.

"You don't need to look for it." He ran in three steps and two steps.

The couch was hot, and Zhou Lan lay down on the couch without taking off his coat. The maid next to her skillfully lit the dream lamp, picked out the gray and black smoke cream and started to burn the smoke bubbles. The air was filled with fragrance, and Zhou Lan Lan stared at the bong and went straight to slander, and waited until he really took a puff in his mouth to stop thinking about it for the past two days.

The dazed body felt comfortable, and for a moment he wondered why he got infected with this. The past few months in Tianjin have been so chaotic, he didn't do any serious things, and he did a lot of unscrupulous things for no reason.

But the smell of this smoke cream is really sweet. Fortunately, it’s just opium, not white flour. People who smoke opium live to be in their seventies and eighties, what to worry about?Have a little more fun.

It was already midnight, and the noodle stall passing by the street was about to be closed. Zhou Lan happened to order a bowl of Sanxian Xiaochao, and he ate half of it and left the other half.

After taking a shower and lying on the bed, I can finally have a good night's sleep. It's been a long time since I slept soundly. I'll go to Black Eagle Mountain tomorrow.

After a sleepless night, Zhou Lan opened his eyes and it was daylight. He washed his face, brushed his teeth and shaved his beard, and looked at himself in the mirror. He was indeed thinner, but his complexion recovered a bit, and his body was not as weak as yesterday.

Going downstairs to the restaurant for dinner, the dining table is a small round table, with a blue and white checkered tablecloth, and a tulip in a delicate vase, there are not many people in the restaurant, Zhou Lan seldom has an appetite, so she sits alone in the window seat, I ate two slices of bread, a fried egg, and two cups of warm and moderate milk.He still has a sore throat, but it doesn't matter, anyway, whether in Tianjin or Fengtian, he doesn't want to talk to anyone, so let it hurt.

After silently eating breakfast, he picked up his coat and went downstairs.

The weather outside the customs was cold, so Zhou Lan went to the department store and bought himself a thick woolen scarf, one side was blue-gray and the other side was jade-white. After wearing it around his neck, he put on a woolen coat with a large lapel. With the cold wind in, people are much warmer. I took a look in the mirror, and the style is very good.

In fact, this style would look better on Du Yunfeng, but he just thought about it in his heart.It should be that he came back after meeting and explaining a few words, and it is impossible to give him a gift.

Black Eagle Mountain is about a day's journey away. In order to prevent himself from becoming addicted, Zhou Lan smoked a few puffs in the smoking hall before leaving, then hurriedly got on the car bound for the suburbs, and bought a horse in the suburbs. The horse is a good horse. , the whole body is snow-white, and the price is good, but the road to Black Eagle Mountain is difficult, and the money is not enough.

When he got on the horse, he remembered that when he came down from Black Eagle Mountain, Du Yunfeng refused to leave him even a horse.

"Maybe I shouldn't see him." Zhou Lan muttered to himself, hesitated for a moment, but still set out on the road with the horse's belly between his legs.