mountain sleep

After leaving Xu Zihang's home the next day, Yao Ge took a taxi to his father's place.

"Coming?" Xiaoqin looked very happy to see him, and put his exclusive pair of slippers in front of him, "Your dad has been looking forward to you since yesterday, and said that he would cook you something delicious today."

Yao Ge lowered his head, the shoes were too small.He and Xiaoqin stood in the hallway and stared at each other.

"Oh, look at me," Xiaoqin smiled awkwardly, "I forgot, you've grown up so much, you need to change your shoes. Come on, you wear ordinary clothes."

Seeing that she was going to get shoes again, Yao Ge held her back: "No need. It's okay if I don't wear shoes, it's too hot."

Xiaoqin stroked her hair, and smiled: "Okay, then sit on the sofa for a while and eat something. Your dad has gone shopping and will be right back."

Yao Ge controlled his gaze so that he would not look at her belly; he sat on the sofa in good order, and Xiaoqin asked him if he wanted an apple, but he shook his head and said no, telling her not to work.

"Okay, I'll boil some water." Xiaoqin turned on the TV and put the remote control in front of him.

Yao Ge reached out to pick up the framed photo on the small table next to the sofa. On it were his father, Aunt Xiaoqin and his son Zhou Fan.It was taken while playing at the beach, a harmonious family of three.

Yao Ge couldn't help but speculate in the dark place, maybe it was placed here on purpose because he was coming.

"Mom—your TV in the morning—" Zhou Fan opened the door of the room with his head on the chicken nest, and met Yao Ge's eyes sleepily, "Oh, Yao Ge."

While taking the kettle, Xiaoqin urged him: "Hurry up and get up! My younger brother is here, play with him for a while. Hurry up."

Yao Ge slightly curled his lips, without showing his dimples, he was used to this kind of performance once or twice a year.

After Zhou Fan finished washing, he sat on the sofa carelessly, posing like a brother: "Do you have to make up lessons in the second year of junior high school? Isn't it difficult to take the exam in Naicheng? Can you get into high school?"

"It's okay." Yao Ge took a sip from the water glass, and watched the Olympic advertisement on TV seriously, "I won the second prize in the Mathematical Olympiad, and I should be fine in high school, and I don't need to spend money to buy it."

Yao Zhencheng bought Zhou Fan's high school at the time. Hearing Yao Ge's words, Xiaoqin felt uncomfortable, but she still smoothed things over: "Your brother's grades are good, you don't learn much from him."

"Isn't this the second prize, then there's still the first prize." Zhou Fan said to his mother, "I don't have such a chance."

Yao Ge didn't even move his eyes, and chuckled lightly.

Xiaoqin secretly patted his son, Zhou Fan curled his lips and paused for a while.It just so happened that the door opened at this time, before Yao Zhencheng came in, the voice came first: "Little Ge? Are you here?"

"dad."

As soon as Yao Ge got up to greet his father, a louder "Dad!" came out from behind him. His back was stiff for a while, and he walked over to help his father carry things.

Over there, Xiaoqin secretly grabbed Zhou Fan's arm, and scolded him in a low voice: "Didn't you just say that, you really don't think it's a big deal!"

Xiaoqin knows how much Yao Zhencheng cares about Yao Ge's thoughts. Last night, they quarreled over whether to put away the group photo on the table, until she cried and went online and said, "It's been so long, does he still want to admit their mothers?" Yao Zhencheng gave up.

Yao Zhencheng was very happy: "I'm making your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs today, have you ever eaten daddy's?"

"Ah."

"You go and sit down. Dad will show you something today." Yao Zhencheng waved his hand and pushed him out of the kitchen, "Have you eaten the jelly on the coffee table? I bought it specially for your favorite strawberry flavor when you were young."

Yao Ge sat back down again, stretched out his hand to take a piece of jelly from the fruit plate, and twirled it in his hand for a while.He has long since disliked jelly.

Zhou Fan reminded him next to him: "Be careful when eating, this is Dad's new sofa, it's not easy to wash if it's dirty."

Yao Ge glanced at him, sat up straight, tore open the door of the jelly, and pushed the door down onto the sofa with his backhand.

"Hey you—" Zhou Fan jumped up, "What are you doing—?"

"What's the matter?" Xiaoqin was talking to Yao Zhencheng when she heard the movement in the living room and poked her head out from the kitchen.

"I left the jelly on the sofa." Yao Ge stood up and smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry."

"Hey, what a big deal." Xiaoqin waved her hand, turned her head and changed her tone to Zhou Fan, "Fanfan, hurry up and find a cloth to clean it up. What do you call such a trivial matter?"

Zhou Fan held his breath in his heart. According to the past, he would definitely have to kick the coffee table to vent his anger, but this coffee table is also newly bought, and he cherishes it.

During the meal, Yao Zhencheng poured some wine and was very happy: "I heard that you won the second prize in some Olympiad?"

"Well, try it in the first year, and continue next year." Yao Ge ate his father's cooking for the first time, tasted it, and it tasted really good, "Dad, your cooking is not bad now."

"Really? Since your Auntie Qin..." Yao Zhencheng stopped himself as soon as the words came out, "If you like to eat, eat more."

"Yeah, since my mother was pregnant, it's my father who cooks," Zhou Fan boasted shyly, regardless of his mother stepping on his feet, "Dad, it's really delicious!"

Holding the chopsticks firmly in his hand, Yao Ge sneered in his heart, but didn't answer.I don't want to spoil his father's happiness.

After a while, Yao Ge took the initiative to bring up the topic they had been avoiding: "When is the birth?"

Yao Zhencheng and Xiaoqin glanced at each other, then smiled and gave him a piece of ribs: "Soon, you can come back to see your little sister or brother during the winter vacation. Come, make some soup."

For a meal, everyone at the table has their own thoughts.No matter how much Yao Ge eats, he can eat as much as he needs. He is no longer the child who just swallowed his food in one mouthful when he was angry.

After eating and sitting for a while, Xiaoqin asked them if they wanted to take a lunch break: "Xiao Ge, do you want to go to Fanfan's room to sleep for a while?"

"No need, I'll go back first." Yao Ge stood up, it's not his home, the longer he stays, the more uncomfortable he gets.

"Ah? Leave so fast?" Yao Zhencheng was taken aback by him, "Let's go after dinner."

"that is......"

"No need, I just came to see you. I have to go back and do my homework." Yao Ge smiled politely, "It's rare for me to see my grandpa and grandma."

"That's fine, I'll see you off."

Yao Zhencheng wanted to go out with him, and put on his shoes quickly: "I'm going downstairs to drive, and the air conditioner will be turned on first."

Yao Ge nodded and went to the entrance to put on his shoes.Xiaoqin followed, stood at the door and was still talking about staying, asking Yao Ge to come again next time.

Zhou Fan leaned on the shoe cabinet, watched Yao Ge kneel down to put on his shoes, and couldn't hide the envy in his voice: "Wow, Yao Ge, you are wearing such good shoes at such a young age."

Yao Ge kept tying his shoelaces. He stood up slowly, then nodded casually and grinned: "Yes, I don't need to ask for it, someone will deliver it to me."

One sentence turned Xiaoqin and Zhou Fan's faces green with anger, but Yao Ge politely thanked Xiaoqin, and she could only continue with a smile.

Sitting in his father's car, with Yao Ge's hands on the window, his father kept looking for topics to chat with him, and he was speechless after a few replies.

"Little Ge, are you still angry with Dad?"

"No." Yao Ge looked at the front with no emotion in his heart, "But Dad, next time you want to see me, you should come out and see me. I don't want to go to your house." He pronounced the words 'your house' very embarrassingly. Heavy.

Yao Zhencheng was silent for a moment and said hello.

"Put me down at the intersection ahead, and I'll go to my classmate's house to get things."

"Ah? Why don't Dad wait for you here, the sun is so big..."

"No need." Yao Ge quickly interrupted him, and then softened his tone, "Go back and take a lunch break. I'll find a friend to play with."

"......Row."

After getting off the car, Yao Ge randomly found an apartment building and went in, stayed there for a while, and came out only after his father left.

On a midsummer afternoon, the oncoming heat wave is unavoidable.Walking on the street, Yao Ge felt as if he was being stewed in a steamer, but he felt that this was very comfortable, and there must be a way for him to vent, tears would not flow, and sweat would do.

I'm not as generous as I thought I was.Yao Ge thought.

Obviously I could figure it out some time ago, and I was telling Xu Zihang yesterday that everyone has their own life, but now I suddenly can't figure it out.

Why does everyone have a life of their own?His father has it, his mother has it, and Xu Zihang has it too.

Only he doesn't.

Yao Ge didn't know where he was going. There were no children on the street during the summer vacation, and Malatang closed the door.When he reached the intersection, he saw a familiar person in the corner.

"What's your name?" Yao Ge knelt down and looked at the man sitting in the shadow of the arch bridge in front of him. He still had the same crew cut, and even the dull eyes were exactly the same as a few years ago.

"Yang Guo." Yang Guo hugged his leg neatly, his mouth was slightly open, and he could see saliva like spider silk lying between his lips.

"how old are you?"

"My baby is 3 years old, and my sister is 5 years old." While talking, he gestured 3 and 5, with pug-like eyes, as if his saliva would flow down the next moment.

Yao Ge laughed, revealing his beautiful dimples, and the sweat dripped into his eyes, which hurt a little.

"Are... are you really like this because the girl you like abandoned you?"

"What's so good about falling in love? People all over the world are talking about it?"

"I've never eaten my dad's food. But he made it for others. He also let people call him daddy."

"Maybe my mother will be someone else's mother soon."

Yao Ge squatted on the side of the road, the grievances and boredom that he couldn't cry or vomit many times before, all evaporated under the scorching sun this afternoon.He kept talking to a fool, until his throat became hoarse, and he was exhausted.

The fool sat there, day after day, appearing in different corners of the city, generations of children who taunted, laughed at and played with him grew up, and he still sat there, answering repeated answers.

"Only you haven't changed."