Know what I mean

The yellow rice cake was cut into small pieces and served on a plate. There were two wine cups, one was filled with white wine, and the other was strictly half-filled.The grandparents and grandchildren sat at the dining table, but they were very satisfied with the simple dinner.

Shen Duoyi picked up a piece of rice cake, dipped it in some sugar, put it in Old Shen's bowl, and said, "Grandpa, try it, don't stick your dentures off."

Mr. Shen picked up his chopsticks and started to eat: "Well, it's sweet. The red dates are also fragrant. I'll eat a few more pieces."

It was agreed that he could only eat two mouthfuls, but Shen Duoyi didn't make a sound to stop him. He picked it up silently, dipped it in sugar, and handed it to Mr. Shen without saying a word, and he didn't bother to eat it himself.

"Sorry," Old Shen muttered and called him, "Has Xiao Qi's problem been solved?"

Shen Duoyi replied: "It's resolved, he is fine, we are both fine, don't worry about it."

"Who cares about you? I'm just asking casually." Old Shen put down his chopsticks and patted his slightly swollen abdomen through his clothes, "You're full, eat."

Shen Duoyi lowered his head, picked up the rice cake without sugar, and stuffed it into his mouth.Immediately afterwards, he stuffed the second and third pieces. His cheeks were bulging, and he ate hard with his head down. When he swallowed, tears welled up, so embarrassing.

The rice cake had already been swallowed, but his tears didn't stop, they either flowed down his face, or fell straight down.

Old Shen looked at him: "Don't cry, how old are you?"

Shen Duoyi stubbornly opened her eyes wide: "I didn't cry, I choked."

"Oh, you're tormenting me."

Old Shen sighed, and his speaking speed became slower and slower: "When your parents left, you hid in bed and cried all night, thinking I didn't know. Actually, I know. When you fall asleep, I will Bring a towel into the house and wipe your face clean."

In the past, he was worried that if he left, who would wipe his good grandson's face clean.

But now he is relieved, he knows that Qi Shi'an will be that person.

Old Shen picked up the wine cup, which was only half full, but spilled a few drops between his trembling fingers.He tremblingly raised it to his lips: "Duoyi, let's have a drink with grandpa."

Shen Duoyi's eyes were red and his shoulders shrugged. He picked up the cup in front of him and leaned over to clink glasses with Elder Shen.He drank it all in one gulp, and the hot white wine passed through his intestines, setting off the bitterness and pain along the way.

Just after eight o'clock, Mr. Shen was extremely sleepy after washing and washing. He went to bed and lay down on the quilt, ready to resume that good dream.Shen Duoyi was sweating from taking a bath for the old man, so he rushed out and stood by the bed after washing himself.

He tucked the quilt for Old Shen, and then lay down on one side.The sound of snoring, holding his breath, even the sound of the wind outside the tall building, any slight movement could wake him up from his sleep.

Old Shen's cheeks turned red after drinking, not as withered and yellow as before.The small light was turned off, he lay down peacefully, and fell into a dream as if his wish had come true.

The weather was fine, and Mr. Shen was standing on the steps at the gate of the courtyard. He was wearing a pair of new cloth shoes, and he found them to be very light when walking around.After stepping down the steps, I realized that I was very healthy and didn't need crutches at all.

The long alley was swept clean, and his tricycle was parked beside the steps, scrubbed clean.Elder Shen looked at the time, it was not yet time to pick up Shen Duoyi from school.

He simply sat on the threshold and basked in the sun, chanting a few words about storytelling to entertain himself.

"No. 90 Nine Chapters, Yu Chigong whipped Shan Xiongxin, Luo Shaobao admired Li Shimin!" Old Shen recited the words sonorously, imitating Shan Tianfang's tone.

Just as he was thinking about the specific content of this time, a vague cry suddenly came from a distance.

"dad."

There was a male voice and a female voice. Elder Shen stopped and listened intently, feeling that these two voices were so familiar.He stood up, staggered down the steps, almost fell.

The shouting didn't stop, the voice came from the entrance of the alley, Elder Shen turned around and stood still, and saw a man and a woman standing at the entrance of the alley and waving at him.It was Shen Yunsheng and Xue Jiayu, Shen Duoyi's parents.

He lost his son and daughter-in-law in the accident.

Elder Shen seemed to be in disbelief, step by step as if stepping on cotton, limp and unable to exert force.Walking halfway with one foot deep and one foot shallow, he looked at the two people seven or eight meters away, still not sure whether it was real or an illusion.

Shen Yunsheng was dragging the suitcase issued by the Railway Bureau. It seemed that he had just returned from a sports car. He waved: "Dad, why did you stop? Come here."

Xue Jiayu stood aside and smiled, "Dad, Yun Sheng called you."

Elder Shen continued to take steps, and he gradually walked to the door, and then to his son and daughter-in-law. "Yunsheng, Xiaoyu." He raised his arms to embrace Shen Duoyi's parents, tears streaming down his face, he couldn't even speak clearly.

"Dad, you should be happy, aren't we all here?" Shen Yunsheng wiped away tears for Mr. Shen, "Xiao Yu and I are here, let's go and go home."

Elder Shen looked back into the alley, and asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Shen Yunsheng said: "I'm too interested to play, let's go."

The sun was just right, and Mr. Shen seemed no longer old. He stood between Shen Yunsheng and Xue Jiayu, and took brisk steps.But just after he took two steps, he seemed to hear Shen Duoyi calling him.

"grandfather."

"Grandpa? Grandpa!" When Shen Duoyi woke up, he could only hear the stifled grunt of Old Shen. He quickly got out of bed to get the medicine, but found that Old Shen's mouth was tightly closed, as if all the breathing organs had been blocked. .

"Grandpa! Grandpa, wake up!" Shen Duoyi yelled brokenly. He squatted beside the bed and quickly dialed the emergency number, hysterically asking the medical staff to come for rescue.

The moment he finished speaking, he heard Elder Shen exhale, let go of his fingers, and the phone rolled to the floor. "Grandpa! Grandpa!" He threw himself on the bedside and shouted with all his might, intending to awaken Old Shen's drowsy consciousness.

"Uh...uh..."

Old Shen's eyes were slightly opened, and there was no light in the cloudy eyeballs, as if they were covered with a thick layer of shadow.The wrinkled neck is stretched hard, and the blood vessels and veins are struggling for the last time under the dry skin.The dilapidated bellows rang again, and listening carefully was the sound of the old man's panting when he was on the verge of death.

He escaped: "Yunsheng, Xiaoyu, you finally came to pick me up."

Shen Duoyi's ears were ringing, and he had already heard the bell of death.

Myocardial infarction, from the throat down, the trachea, arteries, cardiovascular system, and dripping heart, are all tightly strangled. The sharp needles and rough threads quickly penetrate the sutures, and all the breathable The place was all wrapped up in circles until it evacuated people into a vacuum.

In just a few seconds, all the first aid medicine had no time to melt and swallow, Shen Duoyi couldn't do anything, he could only stand by the bed and watch.When the horn of the ambulance came, it seemed to tell him that Mr. Shen had lost his voice.

In a daze, Shen Duoyi returned to the year when he was seven years old. When he ran outside the family building, there were only ruins left.Surrounded by a cordon, there were cries and sighs all around, and the bodies of his parents were nowhere to be found.

At this moment, facing the body of Old Shen who was gradually getting colder, he didn't know whether to kneel down and cry, or throw himself on him for a final hug.

Old Shen said that when this day really came, he couldn't cry.Shen Duoyi leaned on the side of the bed, holding Old Shen's stiff palm, he turned his head in a daze, and looked at the dark night sky.

The sun will come out again, but he has no relatives anymore.

Outside the intensive care unit, Qi Shi'an sat on the sofa and worked overtime on the project Zhang Yiming was in charge of. He didn't often deal with clients, so every phone call took a long time to chat.

A few social dinners and gatherings are confirmed, one or two meetings that need to be adjusted, and the ever-compressed sleep and rest time.Zhang Yiming didn't know when he would wake up and recover, and Qi Shi'an knew that he was facing a long and protracted battle.

He doesn't care about those, at this moment he only wants his friend to be safe.

You Zhe pushed the door open and entered, holding two cups of hot tea.They each occupied one side of the sofa and started working overtime together.Qi Shi'an yawned, rubbed the center of his brows and said, "Usually we always have to compete, but now it's all right, let's go together."

You Zhe smiled helplessly: "This brother-in-law doesn't know when he will wake up, at worst, I will let some of you clients in the future."

While replying to the email, Qi Shi'an said, "This is my brother-in-law. You are so anxious to marry You Si. I'm already 35, and I'm still alone."

You Zhe took the credit: "If I had hired Supervisor Shen, you might be alone now."

It's okay if you don't mention it, but you will inevitably think about it, not to mention that Qi Shi'an is going through a very difficult time in his life.He just clicked "Send", and couldn't help but find out the emails between him and Shen Duoyi.

Shen Duo wanted to ask him a question. He was feeding the birds at Marienplatz in Munich, so he stood there and replied stupidly, and even took a photo of a roasted chestnut stand and sent it to the other party.

It's cold, so it's suitable to eat a pack of warm candied chestnuts.

Qi Shi'an picked up the phone, and the other party should have fallen asleep by this time, so he sent a message: "I'll bring you fried chestnuts with sugar at work tomorrow, remember to ask me on the [-]th floor."

After sending, he closed the computer and prepared to go inside for a while.

The screen went on and off, and no one noticed the movement of the mobile phone on the bed. The courtyards in Qiuye Hutong were brightly lit, and neighbors came in and out to help arrange the funeral.

Mr. Shen had instructed before his death that he wanted to walk through the alley during the funeral and ask the neighbors to see him off.Shen Duoyi brought him here, as if returning home.

White paper was pasted on the gate of the yard, and a white filial cloth was hung on the door. The body of Shen Lao was placed in the living room, and portraits and tributes were placed on the table.Lin Yuzhu's eyes were already red from crying, and Fei De'an helped Mr. Shen put on the shroud and shroud shoes, and was also silently wiping away his tears.

Shen Duoyi was dressed in white clothes and trousers, with white cloth tied on his forehead, arms and waist. After everything was settled, he put on a white filial robe and sat next to Elder Shen to keep watch.

Neighbors came one by one, but no one was willing to leave. They all gathered in the yard.Uncle Hu cried the loudest, holding Shen Duoyi and wailing for half the night.

"Duoyi, drink some water." Lin Yuzhu reached out to wipe away the tears hanging from Shen Duoyi's face. She cried again and went into the bathroom to wash her face.Shen Duoyi was holding the glass of water, but he didn't make a sound, didn't cry, tears were streaming down, and he didn't pay attention.

Contact the funeral home, order wreaths, and confirm the burial time with the cemetery. He has to take care of everything.The night was so deep, he waited for dawn to break, and then cried for old Shen.

At four or five o'clock, everyone scattered to rest for a while, waiting for the funeral in the daytime.Shen Duoyi got up from the chair, then knelt down beside Shen Lao.He combed Shen Lao's hair with his hands, and when he touched Shen Lao's sunken cheek, he only felt the cold flesh.

"Grandpa, the Martial Saint of Bixia Palace asks right and wrong, Yunrui in Qianyuan Cave sees Master, you haven't finished listening to "Heroes with White Eyebrows" yet." Go fishing."

Shen Duoyi's eyes were blurred, and his voice trembled violently: "Grandpa, don't go, stay for another two years, stay with me for another two years..."

"Duoyi, don't be like this." Fei Yuan rushed back after receiving Lin Yuzhu's notice. He pulled Shen Duoyi up, "Shouling means that Grandpa's soul is still wandering around the house. How can he walk safely like this?"

Shen Duoyi couldn't stand at all, and knelt on the ground as soon as his legs softened. He didn't dare to touch Old Shen's hand, so he tightly pinched Old Shen's sleeve. "Grandpa..." He cried in a low voice, and his tears formed a puddle on the floor.

The funeral home's car had already arrived, and it was parked at the entrance of the alley to wait for the funeral in the daytime. The neighbors who helped out also got up one after another, and came early to express their condolences.Fei De'an handed out a bag of black armbands to everyone, and Lin Yuzhu and Fei Yuan made breakfast together.

Shen Duoyi washed his face, then put on the white filial piety hat, he pinched himself severely, intending to let the pain of flesh outweigh the grief in his heart.

There were a few grandmas in the bedroom who were folding ingots, they all got up to comfort him when he came in, he nodded his thanks and said in a hoarse voice that he could hold on.The phone was thrown by the bed all night, and he was about to ask the company for a few days off, when he just clicked on it and saw the unread text message.

Qi Shi'an said to buy him fried chestnuts.

Shen Duoyi hid in the bathroom, he pressed the dial button, listened to the sound of the machine turning on, and told himself to keep calm later, so as not to worry the other party.

"Hey?"

The phone was connected, and Qi Shi'an's voice came from inside.All of Shen Duoyi's strength collapsed in an instant, he couldn't stop shaking while holding the phone: "I'm in Qiuye Hutong, I won't go to work today."

Qi Shi'an just arrived at the office, and asked anxiously: "What's wrong? Why is the voice like this?"

Shen Duoyi opened his mouth: "Last night, my grandpa left."

The busy tone on the phone became a reminder, and the hot fried chestnuts in sugar fell to the ground and rolled everywhere. Qi Shi'an took a deep breath in shock and grief to keep himself calm.

He opened the phone album and found the photo of Shen Duoyi and Shen Lao.Import it into the computer, quickly print it into a photo, take the car keys and get up to leave. When I walked out of the office, I saw Anne who had just come to work.

"Mr. Qi—"

"I have something to go out, and I'm not at the company today. All work arrangements will be postponed or temporarily canceled for me." Qi Shi'an didn't stop walking, and he had already entered the elevator after giving the order.He went to the consulting department, ignored the staff's greetings when he entered the door, looked around, and saw Director Tang at the door of the tea room, and team leader Qi who had just arrived.

Qi Shi'an went straight over: "Director Shen has something to do at home, so he won't be here for a few days. You can share the projects and clients he is with." You both owe him."

After saying that, he turned and left, ignoring any gazes.Along the way, I rushed to Qiuye Hutong at the fastest speed.The van of the funeral parlor was parked at the entrance of the alley, Qi Shi'an felt suffocated, and powerlessly turned off the engine.

He took off his cufflinks and watch, his coat, his tie, and everything before he got out of the car.Walking to the entrance of the alley, the long alleyway is piled up with yellowing fallen leaves, and one can see the white cloth fluttering on the courtyard door of the innermost house at a glance.

Qi Shi'an strode in, and when he reached the gate, he heard the crying inside.Stepping up the steps in twos and twos, he raised his legs and stepped up. Before he crossed the threshold, his eyes were reddened by the scene in front of him.

The door of the house was wide open, and Shen Lao's body was placed inside, and the people in the house and courtyard were all mournful.What saddened Qi Shi'an the most was that at the funeral, the host would wear hemp and filial piety, and the guests would wear armbands.

Looking around, there is only Shen Duoyi who is full of filial piety, and he is the only one.

Qi Shi'an raised his hand and grabbed the white cloth hanging on the door, tore it with his hand, and tore off a long strip with a "stab".This movement shocked all the neighbors to look up, he raised his legs and stepped into the gate, and tied the filial cloth on his forehead.

Shen Duoyi is not alone, from now on, he is Shen Duoyi's family.

Going straight to the living room, I saw Shen Duoyi kneeling beside Shen Lao's body, facing the direction of the guests.Qi Shi'an approached, knelt down, and kowtowed straight.

The guests expressed their condolences, and the host bowed in return, but Shen Duoyi was unable to support him anymore, so he had to kneel on the ground and bow his head to express his thanks.He didn't pay attention to the person coming, his vision was blurred and he knew that the other person was kowtowing to his grandfather, so he kowtowed in return himself.

His forehead was about to touch the ground, but it was supported by a warm and dry palm. He raised his eyes and saw Qi Shian kneeling in front of him wearing a filial cloth.

Shen Duoyi choked with sobs: "You're here."

Qi Shi'an wiped away the tears on Shen Duoyi's face with his fingertips, but he couldn't wipe it away. He nodded: "Let's see grandpa off together."

It was time for the funeral, and everyone gathered around to close the coffin. Shen Duoyi staggered to his feet, and wept beside the coffin. Qi Shian hugged him and took out the photo from his pocket.

"Excessive, put the photo in, don't let grandpa miss you."

Shen Duoyi took it, and tears wet the photo.He and Mr. Shen were next to each other up there, they were all smiling, and they celebrated their birthday together. "Grandpa, take a look if you miss me." He gently placed the photo on Elder Shen's chest, crying as if he was about to collapse, "Grandpa, we're leaving."

Outside the gate, a dozen or so neighbors gathered around the coffin to help carry it. Qi Shi'an stood at the front and also put on a filial robe.Both sides of the alley were full of neighbors, all of whom came to see Mr. Shen off.

Shen Duoyi stood in front of him as if his eyes were out of focus, holding the portrait of Elder Shen in his arms.

Lin Yuzhu handed him a porcelain bowl, and said, "Be kind, please use the bowl."

Shen Duoyi took it, raised the porcelain bowl above his head, bit his lips and threw it on the ground forcefully.With a crisp and loud sound, the tiles splashed all over the place, and the surroundings were filled with sorrow and joy.

The cries of the neighbors, the babbling of mourning and music, the coffin is lifted up and the car goes to the funeral parlor after walking the road to the funeral.

Shen Duoyi hugged the portrait of Elder Shen and walked forward. He couldn't cry, and couldn't shed any tears. He only knew to walk forward step by step.

When he was seven years old, he did the same, walking forward with the portraits of Shen Yunsheng and Xue Jiayu in his arms.At that time, there were ruins and no bones left, now Mr. Shen is lying in the coffin behind him, but the result is the same, they have all left him.

The mourning was loud, Shen Duoyi's lips moved slightly, it was time to say goodbye.

He murmured, "Grandpa, let's go."