21 days before marriage

In the dark, the phone flickered on the coffee table.

Shen Tuo opened it to take a look, there were more than a dozen missed calls and text messages.

Shen Tuo sighed and called Chu Yuan.

"Shen Tuo, what are you doing? You won't answer your phone calls!"

"I forgot my phone at home."

"Where did you go?! Didn't you agree to have dinner with my classmate?...You know how embarrassed I am!"

"Sorry, I have something to do temporarily."

"You did it on purpose! Tonight's party was agreed with you last week. What do you mean by changing your mind temporarily?!"

"I really have something to do." Shen Tuo felt very tired, "I'm sorry...where are you, or should I come over now?"

"Everyone is gone, don't even check what time it is!"

"Then let's make an appointment again, and I will personally apologize to your classmate?" Shen Tuo still felt a little guilty.

"With your virtue, it's useless to make another appointment!" Chu Yuan hung up the phone angrily.

Shen Tuo lay on the sofa, the living room was dark.

The next day, Shen Tuo made a special trip to Liu Jianguo's place, and a man in his 60s bent his back and let him into the house.

Shen Tuo took out a mobile phone, "Uncle, Xiao Zhan asked me to bring this to you. You don't have a fixed phone here, so it's inconvenient to find someone if you have something to do."

Liu Jianguo hesitated a little, and took it nonsense.Having been isolated from the world for more than 20 years, and the technology has been updated, it is no wonder that the old man is afraid.Shen Tuo thought of this, so he deliberately didn't buy a smartphone, and only had the most basic call function.

Shen Tuo taught him how to use it again, and he said: "Uncle, I will leave you my mobile phone number. Xiao Zhan is usually busy with work, if you can't reach him for a while, just call me. Hundreds of dollars have already been charged into this mobile phone, so you just play it hard. Use it more and you will get familiar with it.”

Liu Jianguo even said thank you, and hurriedly poured him a cup of hot tea. Shen Tuo was embarrassed, "Uncle, don't worry, I'm leaving soon."

"Oh..." Liu Jianguo was a little disappointed.

"Uncle, I actually have something I want to discuss with you today." Shen Tuo said, "The company I work for, I want to hire a porter for the parking garage recently. The money is not too much, but it is not hard to go to work , just sit in the small room and patrol around. I think you are usually bored at home, I wonder if you are interested in doing it?"

"Really?" Liu Jianguo really became interested when he heard it, but his eyes dimmed immediately, "But I... have that bad background, can people want me?"

"Uncle, don't worry, the person in charge over there is my buddy, I have already said hello." Shen Tuo said sincerely, "As long as you have that intention, it's fine."

Liu Jianguo stood up gratefully and thanked Shen Tuo a thousand times. How could Shen Tuo bear this, so he quickly pulled him back.

"Uncle, don't be like this...Xiao Zhan and I have been friends since childhood. Don't worry about such trivial matters."

"Xiao Zhan... how have you been these few years?" Liu Jianguo asked hesitantly.

"Alright!" Shen Tuo smiled.When it comes to Liu Zizhan, he always has a sense of pride developed by his own children. "He, he has been good at school since he was a child. I can't pass him in every exam. Now that he is a lawyer, he has the most business in the whole firm."

Liu Jianguo's eyes were a little watery, "I'm sorry for their mother and son...Xiao Zhan has been very smart and obedient since he was a child. I used to have a bad temper and often beat him. But now he is so successful."

Shen Tuo was also a little emotional.I remember seeing the scar on Liu Zizhan's back when we were playing basketball together.When asked how he got here, Liu Zizhan always looked nonchalant, saying that his father picked him up with a belt.

"This attack is too ruthless!" Shen Tuo tsk tsk.

"I asked for it myself." Liu Zizhan said flatly.

Thinking about it now, Liu Zizhan's childhood was really difficult... Shen Tuo lowered his head and drank a sip of tea, noncommittal to Liu Jianguo's words, with a slight hatred in his heart.

"Xiao Zhan's mother..." Liu Jianguo asked cautiously, as if he was afraid that Shen Tuo would overhear. "Is she all right?"

Shen Tuo paused --- what should come still came.

He put down the teacup in his hand and sat upright.

"Auntie...Xiao Zhan passed away the year she graduated from university."

When Shen Tuo left, Liu Jianguo was covering his face and sobbing.A tall man suddenly crouched on the ground like a child, crying so much.

Shen Tuo was quite conflicted.This is a matter of the Liu family, Liu Zizhan doesn't say anything, why should he meddle in his own business?But Shen Tuo always felt that Liu Jianguo should know.

Know how much trauma his wife and son suffered outside when he was in prison.Last night Liu Zizhan cried so hard that he couldn't breathe out of his chest for a long time.Seeing Liu Jianguo in pain, Shen Tuo was finally relieved.

This is what he deserves, Shen Tuo thought.

He still remembered Liu Zizhan kneeling in the mourning hall at that time.Dressed in linen and mourning, she was so thin that Shen Tuo could hardly recognize her.

"Liu Zizhan..." Shen Tuo called softly.

Liu Zizhan raised his head, his eyes were bloodshot, but unexpectedly there were no tears, "Are you here?" He said with a smile.

Shen Tuo's eyes became hot, and he felt something rushing out.He immediately hugged Liu Zizhan, "Yes, I'm here...you can cry if you want to, Liu Zizhan."

"The ones who should cry have already cried, and they can't cry anymore." Liu Zizhan said a little weakly.

Shen Tuo burst into tears.So Liu Zizhan patted the back to comfort Shen Tuo, who lost control of his emotions. Those who didn't know thought that Shen Tuo died of his mother.

Liu Zizhan's family doesn't have many relatives, and because of his father's imprisonment, the only few families gradually cut off contact with his wife and mother.The funeral ceremony was very deserted and sad, only a few of Liu Zizhan's classmates and friends came to mourn.

Shen Tuo stayed by Liu Zizhan's side all the time, watching him bow to the visitor like a wooden man to thank him.

The ceremony is over and the cremation is about to be sent.Liu Zizhan suddenly trembled uncontrollably all over.Shen Tuo hugged him tightly, pressing his head on his shoulder, "Liu Zizhan, just stay here, don't go in."

Liu Zizhan struggled desperately, "Let me go, I'm going!"

In the end, he still couldn't hold him back. The moment the coffin was pushed into the cremation furnace, Liu Zizhan finally broke down and cried bitterly.Shen Tuo hugged him, and whispered in his ear with tears flowing, "Liu Zizhan, don't cry...you still have me..."

The author has something to say: two days off on weekends