Xin Zhai

Since the exam week, Tong Yan has been running between school and home.The old lady fell down the stairs these days.He was startled when he got the call.People over the age of 60 are afraid of falling over.A somersault could lead to a fall for a few years.He hurried home and sent him to the hospital. Fortunately, there was nothing wrong with his mind, but his hip bone was broken and he was allowed to rest.The housework of the Tong Yan family is usually done by the mother, who takes care of the father and son in every possible way.As a result, his father didn't know much about cooking, let alone Tong Yan himself.

Now the old lady can't move, and ordered takeaway a few times, and the old couple are not used to it, saying that the cooks outside seem to know how to cook if they don't put chili.So Tong Yan was on vacation and moved back home for an unprecedented time.Under the command of the old lady, make some popular home-cooked dishes such as vinegar potato shreds.

Staying at home until the fifth day, the old lady finally couldn't bear it anymore and asked him: "That Xiao Cheng, have you seen each other recently?"

Tong Yan changed TV channels boredly. He hadn't watched TV for several years, only to realize that there was no one to watch.More than half of all TV programs are for his parents' age, and the other half are for his students and younger children.People like myself are definitely not the audience for TV shows.

"It's gone," he said.

"What's the matter?" The old lady tentatively asked, "When it comes to festivals, such as Dragon Boat Festival and Double Ninth Festival, he still sends me text messages."

"It's not appropriate." Tong Yan spoke, changed the channel to Central Five, and reluctantly started watching a recorded La Liga match.

"He knew that I fell that day, and he wanted to come to see me at home, but I didn't let him come."

Tong Yan frowned, Cheng Mingming hadn't looked for him for a long time.I don't know which one he is acting in.

"What do you plan to do in the future?" Seeing that he didn't speak, the old lady said again, "Don't be annoying to me, there are not many times when you can talk to me steadily. I have figured it out in the past few years. When I grow up, I will leave. Isn’t the one who can accompany me still the person who eats and sleeps together every day? So it’s okay to have no children, but you can’t be without companions.”

Tong Yan knew that his mother's thinking was considered to be the best among her peers. Many people at this age would still compare each other, and compare their children with their grandchildren.

As for whether he needs a "companion", he can't figure it out.At the age of 60, it is not clear whether he is so afraid of loneliness, anyway, he always feels that he can do it alone.He sat on the sofa and changed his posture. During this rare and boring time in his life, Tong Yan had some imagination for the first time in his life.

If the person he likes is really willing to follow him, he's not sure about anything else, but at least he's definitely going to lose his mind.

Thinking of this, he said, "Yeah."

The old lady was very surprised. Although it was only a word "um", it had a different meaning. Usually when talking about this topic, his son would ask her to "stop worrying about it".

As a result, Tong Yan said again: "Hey, it also depends on fate."

When school started, the WeChat group of their class was full of chatter about where to attend classes, who would sign in for whom, homework, and activities.It's a holiday, but the group is lively.Every day, there are all kinds of photos and jokes in the group, travel photos, pet photos, game screenshots, all kinds of gossip, very lively.Tong Yan is usually just watching the fun, the age difference is twelve or thirteen years old, the generation gap is too deep.He usually only works, and knows too little about other aspects. Sometimes he really can't understand the students' chat records, and he doesn't know where the joke is.If you ask a question, everyone's attention will be on him, and he feels that it disturbs the students' original chat rhythm.

In this respect, Ye Li is quite similar to him.He is also basically the type that he looks at when his classmates chat.When I went back from vacation, I was a tutor from [-]:[-] am to [-]:[-] pm, so I didn't talk in the group at all.

There was only one time during this period when Ye Li sent a few photos, and it was his family's Clivia and Milan blooming.Tong Yan could tell that he was really happy, and took several pictures from various angles.Except Pu Liang and Su Xiaoqian in the group, no one responded.It's no wonder that his mobile phone really needs to be replaced, and the photos he took don't look good at all.Besides, how many children of this age like to grow flowers?

Tong Yan wanted to reply, but he felt that he had never spoken before, and it was so strange to pop up now.

He wants to buy him a mobile phone.If he is not his student, he must buy him the best.But with Ye Li's family situation, he has applied for special subsidies, so it seems inappropriate to use a high-end mobile phone.

The 28th of the new year happened to be the day when the old lady went to the hospital for a review.Tong Yan didn't think so before, but now he finds it better to have a car, it's much more convenient.The way of life chosen by the vast majority of people in this world is the result of weighing, and it may really be the most worry-free way of living.If you want to be independent, you will indeed suffer.

He took a taxi, left his father at home, and took his mother out alone.The chassis of the taxi is low, and it is quite difficult for the old lady to get in.Tong Yan thought that if he bought a car in the future, he would also have to buy an SUV.In the car, he accidentally received a message from Cheng Mingming, asking if his aunt was going to the hospital today.He asked his mother why she told Cheng Mingming.The old lady said: "It was just a few days after the fall. He asked me how I was doing, and I said I had a fall, so I just said a few words."

Tong Yan held the phone and hesitated whether to call him back.Cheng Mingming sent another message: "Is it xx Hospital? I'm nearby now, so go and have a look if it's convenient."

At this moment, the taxi was only one intersection away, and Tong Yan quickly replied: "No need to come, if you have something to say, call back."

The old lady can walk a relatively short distance, but it will hurt after a long time.He got out of the car and hurried to the outpatient building, pushed a wheelchair over, and pushed her into the building.

There are not many patients on this day, but there are also few staff members, resulting in a long queue at the entrance of the photo shop.Tong Yan pushed the old lady aside and sat on the stool to wait.

While he was waiting, the phone rang, and it turned out to be Ye Li calling.He took the phone and walked to a place where no one was at the entrance of the corridor, and connected the phone.

"Hello?" This was the first time I called Ye Li since the holiday, and Tong Yan looked around, "What are you doing?"

"It's okay, I'm at home."

"You just finished teaching today?"

"Ah."

Tong Yan said with a smile: "Sooner or later, you will have more students than mine."

The two of them didn't know what to say, and were stunned for a few seconds.Ye Li asked, "Where are you?"

"In the hospital. My mother fell a few days ago, and she is here for a review today."

"is it serious?"

"Fortunately, I just kept it." Tong Yan said, "I've been at home all this time."

"Oh," Ye Li muttered, "I didn't hear you either."

"Why are you telling me this? You are busier than me."

Another moment of silence.

"Is it cold over there?" Tong Yan asked.

"Cold." It's really cold at home, and the homemade heating doesn't work.Every night Ye Li was so cold that she covered herself with two layers of quilts, and she especially didn't want to get up in the morning.

Tong Yan wanted to say: "Then come back early." But when he came back, he would just live in the dormitory, and it was meaningless to be alone.

If he hadn't been his student... he might be able to let him live in his house temporarily now.Now Ye Li can't explain to his family, it's far from time to explain...

Tong Yan has made this assumption countless times recently. Every time he encounters something, he has certain ideas, but in the end it doesn't work.

The two of them have come to the present like a dream, and their relationship has not risen to the level of passionate love, but it's like being tied by a rope, and they can't do anything.

"Brother!"

Tong Yan was thinking wildly on the phone when he saw Cheng Mingming calling him a few steps away.

He was very surprised, subconsciously covered the phone with his hand, and said to Cheng Mingming: "My mother is inside."

Cheng Mingming glanced at his hand covering the phone, mouthed silently: "Okay." Then he walked into the corridor.

Tong Yan wasn't sure if Ye Li heard the "senior brother", but he felt that even if he did, it would be easy to explain.

He waited for the sound of footsteps to disappear before taking his hand away and saying, "Hello?"

"Does he know about your family?" Ye Li still heard it.

"It's not what I said, it's my mother who has been in touch with him occasionally, and he found out, so he came here today." Tong Yan hurriedly explained the ins and outs, and added, "I... this is the first time in the past few months. See him once."

"Oh."

The two were speechless again.With Tong Yan's ability to fall in love, it is not enough to distinguish whether the current silence is the same as the short silence when he spoke just now.He waited for Ye Li to continue asking, but Ye Li said, "Go and do your work."

Tong Yan hung up the phone, turned around and went upstairs, and saw Cheng Mingming chatting with his mother.Cheng Mingming's years of sales were not for nothing, he coaxed the old lady into a smile.Tong Yan felt that her mother hadn't been this happy talking to her for a long time.

"Oh, Tong Yan, look at Xiao Cheng. It's been a long time since I've seen you, and he's refreshed again. He always looks so good in clothes, and he speaks nicely. Hehe."

Tong Yan sullenly said, "It's almost here, go in first."

Cheng Mingming rushed to push the old lady into an X-ray room opposite.After going in and helping her to bed, Cheng Mingming closed the door and walked out.

Tong Yan went up to meet him: "Come out and say."

The two came out.Tong Yan looked down and saw that Cheng Mingming was wearing a pair of high-top leather boots, which looked much brighter than passers-by.Tong Yan thought, he looks good and can talk, and it's only a matter of time before he finds a new boyfriend.

"Obviously, this is the last time I will tell you this. You came to school before and caused me a lot of trouble. The two of us are completely different people. We will not be comfortable if we force ourselves to be together in the future. "

Cheng Mingming heard him say "two people are not suitable" for the first time, and he always thought that Tong Yan didn't forgive him for cheating.He thought they were a good fit, at least in bed, and nothing else seemed to matter.Over the years he has worked, he has met many successful men.But after getting acquainted with it, I found that compared with Tong Yan, there is something missing.

Tong Yan has something that he admires, and this may have been slowly rooted in his heart during his school days and nights.

He remembered that Tong Yan instinctively covered the phone when he saw him just now, so he raised his head and asked, "Senior Brother, do you like someone else?"

Tong Yan's eyes flicked on his face, and then he went to the distance.

Cheng Mingming felt a pain in his heart, and asked slowly: "Brother, what kind of person do you like?"

Hearing this sentence, the expression on Tong Yan's face changed slightly.He moved his mouth, and then the lines on his mouth became less severe.

"I think...I'm not bad...Senior brother, I want to ask you, if, without that, would you still like him?"

Tong Yan raised his head, smiled and said, "I don't know."