Against the current Hengdao

In Huima Town, adjacent to the provincial border, there is a Christ Church that does not match the rural atmosphere of the outer suburbs, and it is a well-preserved old church with simple and thick stone walls and a protruding clock tower. .

The exterior wall of the church has been repaired and there are still faint traces of smoke and fire, telling the story of the catastrophe that this place has experienced.After several times of anti-foreign religion and revolutionary cultural movements in the past hundred years, it is not easy to stand up to now, and it has finally gained a firm position as a provincial cultural heritage building in the new society, and it has also become a place where ordinary people in towns and villages from far and near usually pray for God. The main purpose is to engage in a Fengshui holy place for spiritual sustenance.

There are many cars parked at the gate, competing with the three-wheeled motorcycles, e-donkeys and vegetable stalls. The middle-aged women nearby put away the gongs, drums and red silk that had just finished dancing Yangko in the square, and lined up in twos and threes to enter. The scenery of the sanctuary presents a mix of Chinese and Western elements, a mix of local and foreign elements.

The Church of Christ on Sunday is an activity day for believers, and you can only enter after checking your ID.

Ling He didn't expect that a certain boss really had a certificate.When the gatekeeper asked Ling He for his documents, Yan Xiaodao opportunistically said, "He is my relative."

When Ling He leaned on crutches with one hand and was supported by Boss Yan, he curled his lips casually: "Boss Yan, I'm your relative? Have you sent me your family's monthly bill and pocket money?"

Yan Xiaodao sneered and said, "Do you still have to ask the parents for red envelopes, kid?"

Ling He replied: "The year has already passed, I promise you to owe it first this year."

Yan Xiaodao said: "I will definitely make up for you, young master, during the Chinese New Year next year."

...and next year?

Such a time is counted as a day.

What kind of life status and relationship is this, no one can say clearly.At least, in Yan Xiaodao's report to Qi Baoshan, Linghe should be locked up in the basement of his villa at this time, not in the master bedroom.

Yan Xiaodao brought this person out to play, not afraid that Ling He would rebel and find a chance to run away.

In his subconscious mind, he has given Ling He countless opportunities to "run away".

If Ling He ran away knowingly and knowingly, don't stay with him, it would be a relief and the easiest situation for him to solve.In that way, if he was questioned, he could kneel down in front of Qi Baoshan to plead guilty, and let his godfather directly slash him twice to vent his anger, instead of letting those knives cut on Ling He...

But this person didn't show any intention of running away, so he was quite calm?

In the grand and solemn church, the pastor in black had a kind face, speaking on the stage of this week's sermon.The brothers and sisters of the church filled the seats in black, with a quiet and pious demeanor.Some devout men and women put their elbows on the back of the chairs in the front row in a kneeling position and prayed with their eyes closed.

The two young people quietly found a seat at the back, and Ling He also noticed that Mr. Yan was not very interested in listening to the gospel and prayers, but both of them kept a respectful posture in a respectful manner, with their backs straight.

Ling He couldn't help asking in a low voice: "Where is your mother sitting?"

Yan Xiaodao closed his eyes: "The third seat from the left in the second row in the middle, she always sits in that seat."

Ling He vaguely saw the back of a lady kneeling and praying devoutly. Yan Xiaodao should come to accompany her often.

He leaned his head slightly again and asked, "You don't believe it?"

Yan Xiaodao shook his head with the slightest movement, and then explained in a low voice: "Her old man didn't force me to believe it, just do what I want, but I won't pretend to say that I don't believe it in front of her.

"'Filial piety', the word, in the final analysis, is 'shun', just make her feel comfortable and happy."

Yan Xiaodao explained his "Book of Filial Piety" casually, causing Ling He to look at him several times out of the corner of his eye. Every day, he could learn something new from Mr. Yan that taught him...

After the hymn and the Amen hymn were all over, the congregants stood up and filed forward, accepting the pastor's blessing of peace by dipping a few drops of holy water on their foreheads and hands, and then lined up to clear the hall from the aisle.The good son, Mr. Yan, stood upright at the entrance of the aisle, staring at the woman with loving eyes, who had been covering him from a long distance since she turned around, stepped forward, and the two hugged each other thickly. With an infectious temperature.

Before Yan Xiaodao could open his mouth, Yan first wiped the remaining moisture from his fingers onto his forehead: "I'll dip you in some holy water, you're lucky!"

Yan Xiaodao smiled handsomely, and pulled out a purple coat from behind: "Mom, I bought it for you a few days ago."

Yan's mother took a look: "Hey - it's so gorgeous, I'm too embarrassed to wear it, let others wear it..."

Yan Xiaodao smiled and said, "There are no other ladies to send."

Yan's mother suddenly asked: "Are you thin?"

"No! I went to the South to get tanned and look thinner!" Yan Xiaodao said relaxedly in front of an insider behind him, "I went to the South Island for a business trip last week, so I didn't come to accompany you that weekend. Come back. This is a friend of mine, come with me to see you."

Mr. Yan, the "trophy" he won at the gambling table during his business trip, said politely: "Hello, Auntie, my name is Ling He."

……

The people in small places live a simple and plain life and the neighbors are familiar with each other.Greetings and greetings are often heard from outside the car window, just like the bursts of loess raised behind the wheels.Mr. Yan had to stop twice on the way home by car, so that acquaintances on the side of the road had the opportunity to chat with his mother through the car window for a few rounds. Homemade pure organic loofah pulp for cleaning pots and brooms... All these make Yan Xiaodao and Ling He feel as if the life before them and the intertwined memories are a world apart, and they can't imagine how they got there on their business trip last week .

These are two parallel but not intersecting worlds.

And the world is originally composed of these many layers of barriers. There are beautiful human worlds, and there are dark and cramped ghost ways and demon worlds. Everyone hides in their own corners, occasionally intersects, and each has its own destiny.

Yan Xiaodao didn't forget to distribute a few packs of cigarettes and two bottles of wine to those brothers who had been left behind, and let them go to the billiard hall and restaurant at the entrance of the village for their own entertainment.

From the moment he got in the car to go home, Mr. Ling has enjoyed the little thoughts of Mr. Yan, Mrs. Yan's mother.

"Who is this, Xiao Ling, our remote village is indeed too far, too far away from the city, thank you for coming all the way to see..."

"Xiao Ling, the road is not easy to walk. The main reason is that the road is not good and the bumps are uncomfortable. I'm so sorry..."

"Son, are you working in his company? Or... have you graduated from college?"

Ling He's smile grew stronger: "Auntie, I will take the college entrance examination this year."

Yan Xiaodao couldn't bear it anymore: "Mom, don't listen to him, there isn't a single truth!"

Mr. Ling is indeed "lack of appearance", Yan's mother is dubious, and really thinks it is very reasonable for this handsome guy to take the college entrance examination this year.

Ling He comprehended quite comprehensibly the other party's unspeakable concern.Ever since he walked out of the church gate and walked in the sun, Yan saw his lower body that needed crutches to move slowly, and kept silent, but seemed to feel pity and regret from the bottom of his heart. He wanted to care, but he didn't know Unconsciously want to exude the brilliance of maternal love.

This warm feeling of maternal love enveloping the whole family and the radiance above the head lasted until noon of the day, and finally turned into a table full of stewed fish, roast duck, pork knuckle, scrambled eggs with Chinese toon, dried marinated Malan head, and corn paste pancakes , big steamed buns with vegetables and meat, and fried chestnuts with sweet sugar that were peeled for Linghe alone.Mr. Yan went to the table and took a look with his chopsticks: "Hey, Mom, you actually peeled chestnuts for him!"

Yan's mother took it for granted: "I think Xiao Ling's hands are quite thin, don't hurt your hands, are your hands hard... Eh? I'll peel them off for you if you want."

Yan Xiaodao quickly waved his chopsticks: "Don't use them, I like to chew shells directly."

Yan's mother asked again: "What kind of business is there, your, that godfather, sent you there?"

Yan Xiaodao lowered his head and gnawed at the cake and nodded: "Well, I came back after visiting a company in other places for inspection, travel at public expense, and various dinners."

It is indeed a "tourism" at public expense, all kinds of high-end dinners and eating, drinking, prostitution and gambling, it is not a lie to the mother.

Yan's mother asked: "Why did he send you again? He didn't send anyone else?...It went well? Nothing happened this time?"

Yan Xiaodao looked calm: "It's okay, I'm fine anytime!"

Yan's mother watched the two of them eating intently, and she forgot to move her chopsticks. Of course, she mainly watched her son.Ling He believes that those eyes are always mixed with many indescribable emotions, such as worry, worry, reluctance, helplessness, and even years of accumulated guilt.

Yan's mother brought the pancake sticking pan back to the kitchen, and when she walked lightly behind Yan Xiaodao, the expression in her eyes changed, clearly revealing a strong sense of scrutiny anxiety, she just held back her words and dared not speak.After so many years of silent indulgence and connivance, what do you say now works?

In the end, she still hugged Xiaodao's shoulders, pinched it from shoulder to waist very considerately, thumped it, and patted it hard again, as if she was reluctant to let go...

"Mom... Shall I beat it for you later?" Yan Xiaodao didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and frowned quietly.

"Auntie, the Yong Tau Foo in your kitchen steamer seems to be cooked. I want to serve it for you but I can't. Auntie will trouble you to do the work." Ling He quickly relieved Yan Xiaodao.He could see that the kind mother accidentally pinched someone's right arm a few times, and the force of that hand forced a layer of cold sweat on Yan Xiaodao's forehead through the suit.

"If you can't go on a business trip, don't go, it's so far away... I will ask your godfather for mercy, let him give me a favor, let's not go again..." Yan Ma occasionally avoided her eyes, as if talking to herself Soliloquy.

Yan Xiaodao calmly said: "Mom, I work for others, and I have to get paid for the work, otherwise the company will support me as an idler for nothing?"

"That's right, they can't 'raise' us for nothing." Yan's mother's expression darkened suddenly, and the corners of her brows and eyes revealed strong regret and self-blame, "It's also my fault that I have dragged you down all these years. My family has no money, no land, and no relatives to help. I have no skills, either. I didn't find a man who could support the family, and I couldn't live a good life for you. The whole family became your burden in the end, and at the beginning... I could only accept that."

Yan Xiaodao said seriously, "Mom, what are you talking about?"

Yan's mother was still peeling the chestnuts, her slightly slanted mouth trembled bitterly, and said to herself in a low voice: "I just hope you are safe now, you were beautiful when you were young, and you are prettier than now, I guess your mother should be beautiful and expensive." The angry person must be a lady from a famous family, she must be much better than a shabby one like ours! If I didn't take good care of you, Heavenly Father wouldn't forgive me..."

Yan Xiaodao was at a loss for words, so he didn't even bother to persuade and comfort him, so he quickly glanced at Ling He with a guilty conscience.

It just so happened that Ling He also took a quick glance at him, his eyes were clearly unaware and surprised, but the light flowing in those light green pupils was unusually smooth and calm.Mr. Ling's face does not change color and his momentum is like a rainbow in the shark tank. Why can't this little scene hold up?He ate a pot of stewed fish in front of him, showing a handsome smile that was invincible and invincible: "Really, auntie, Mr. Yan was very beautiful when he was young? Can he be more handsome than now? You must find a photo for me to see."

Yan's mother pursed her lips and smiled: "Hey, not as beautiful as you! You are really handsome, young man. I have never seen someone as handsome as you in all the places in the world!"

Ling He pointed to a bundle of black handmade cloth shoes on the cabinet to change the subject: "I asked Mr. Yan where to get such easy-to-wear home cloth shoes and wear them to show us off. You can't buy them outside. I can ask for them." Auntie, will you make me a pair too?"

"It's done, I haven't done it for anyone else, you're so rare, I'll make it for you!" Yan's mother rejoiced, her smiling face still had the charm of her youth, her eyebrows and eyeliner were well drawn, and her eyes were full of smiles. She looks like a neat woman.

"We're so rare!" Ling He put down his chopsticks, "I'll also help President Yan pack a bag of these potstickers and take them away, so that he won't eat cold buns for supper."

Mama Yan, who was surrounded by a halo of maternal love, kept looking at Mr. Xiaoling up and down, and almost asked again, this cute little handsome guy, do you still need clothes, pants, hats and scarves? Do you like sesame pretzels, candied dates cakes and donkeys? Is the meat on fire?

Yan Xiaodao found that when Ling He was trying to be sensible, polite, and humane, he was very sensible, polite, and humane, which made his old heart soften It became that soft and sweet chestnut flesh.

Going out for a snack after dinner, Yan Xiaodao shook his windbreaker behind him when he went out, with a smile on his lips, making his figure appear taller and handsome.

The uncle sitting at the door next door greeted him with a smile: "Hey, Boss Xiao Yan, come back to see your mother? Your mother is so lucky, come over to have a meal at noon." Yan Xiaodao agreed, still childlike, taking off his windbreaker to accompany him A few children next door were playing hopscotch.

He jumped on one leg with a group of children in high spirits, and he was in a really good mood...

Yan's family lives in the newest and most stylish two-story white-walled small building in the village, with a single family.Needless to say, it was paid for by her nimble and capable son.In addition, the asphalt road leading to the city from this village and the newly replaced irrigation canal were also repaired by Mr. Yan six years ago and hired a construction team.

Yan Xiaodao drove Linghe for a ride in the countryside, stopped at a corner of the wilderness, and pointed to the coal mountain in the distance: "When I was a child, there was a small coal mine illegally mined by private individuals, and it is still an illegal coal mine now."

Meishan has a shocking and spectacular metallic luster under the sun, and the surrounding factory buildings spray brown smoke into the sky, and the smoke column is like the billowing waves of the river estuary.Under the majestic scenery, I don't know how many anonymous people's humble skin and bones and unknown past events are buried.

"I used to dig coal in that mountain when I was young," said Yan Xiaodao.

Ling He thought that this person was making fun of him, and sneered: "Digging coal can dig out Mr. Yan's ability and good looks. If I had known that I shouldn't have gone to study abroad and become a fake foreign devil when I was young, I would have followed you here to dig wells." coal!"

Yan Xiaodao said frankly: "I'm serious."

Ling He stared at the knife in astonishment, and was speechless for a while, recalling Yan Ma's heart-pounding self-talk at the dinner table just now, that she failed to give you a good life and took good care of you, and she was even more speechless.

On the contrary, Yan Xiaodao was very excited, and asked again: "Have you ever been on an excavator?"

It is rare in Ling He's life that he encounters an unexpected change. What is the excavator?He has never read about Lan Xiang, and he has never played with an excavator.Next to the coal mountain was a huge monster that was taking a lunch break in the workshop, with a long iron hook stretched out, holding the claws that could easily dig a big hole in the ground.Yan Xiaodao went over to stuff the driver with a pack of cigarettes, and dragged Ling He over without any explanation.

Ling He finally understood: "Mr. Yan, you have also driven this thing before."

The driving position of the excavator was very high, Yan Xiaodao almost knelt and pushed Ling He in, let Ling He sit in the driver's seat against the back of the chair, and then tried to squeeze himself in front of Ling He, how could he drive this excavator with one hand? Excavator.

This seat seemed too narrow and cramped. As soon as Yan Xiaodao sat down, the person behind him snorted uncomfortably. He had endured to the limit and did not vent his anger, but there was something in his words: "Mr. Yan, you really treat me as a minor. Haven't graduated high school yet? I'm not that 'little' anymore..."

Yan Xiaodao is also very cramped. He has a very presentable figure, and his front crotch has reached the steering wheel.

Yan Xiaodao turned his head back, frowning: "Stay back."

Ling He: "I have no land, you go forward."

Yan Xiaodao: "I don't have any land, you go further!"

Ling He: "You sit on my lap."

Yan Xiaodao thought about it seriously: "I'm too heavy, I'm afraid I'll break your legs."

Ling He rolled his eyes at him disdainfully: "Am I made of porcelain? It's only your weight, sit down!"

When Yan Xiaodao sat on Ling He's lap, he felt that he could hear Ling He's heartbeat with the back of his heart, and the other party's heartbeat was faster than his, and he couldn't suppress the intentionally diluted expectation hidden in the abyss. happy.That heartbeat stopped suddenly in front of him, he used to fight against fate and pressed that chest frantically, now that heart sounds extremely lively, as if pouring out the joy buried deep in his heart to him...

In this world, they have been living in the world for a short time, and every breath makes people want to hold on.

At night, the two of them lay side by side on a bed on the second floor of Yan's white house, and they happened to be able to see the sky full of stars from the window.When the smog was blown away by the wind, a bright and moving galaxy appeared in the night sky.

Neither of them felt sleepy, and they were very satisfied with covering up a quilt and chatting.With the brilliant starry sky spinning in Ling He's eyes, he said in a gentle voice: "My mother passed away when I was six years old and in the first grade of elementary school."

Yan Xiaodao turned his face and looked calmly at the people around him, his heart was surging.He understood why Ling He brought up this topic.Ling He didn't take the initiative to inquire about the unknown story between the Yan family's mother and son, but chose to retreat and talk about his own family affairs.

"My father loves my mother very much. They were childhood sweethearts when they were in a noble private school. The impression may not be clear, but I remember that my mother is very beautiful. The tip hangs down on her chest, like a fairy. She holds a book and tells me stories in English every night. In my memory, the voice is as melodious as a nightingale. I still often dream of the voice of nature who tells stories. It’s just that she died later No, she was ill for two years, and none of the achievements of advanced modern medicine could save her, probably because of hereditary fatal immune system disorder and blood disease, she died of illness."

"My father never... never married again, and he only loved my mother all his life until he died."

Ling He closed his eyes, and seemed to be caught in a long memory, he didn't know which part of the past was touched, and at this moment, he was immersed in a kind of sadness that was difficult to control and extricate himself from.Grief was suppressed with all his strength because of this person's extremely powerful and stable mind, and no strong emotions erupted, only short choked sobs and convulsions in his throat and chest.

Yan Xiaodao was very considerate and kept silent at the right time, waiting for those sighs to finally calm down without a trace.

A man who fell in love and never remarried?

Is this that old coffin bastard with a bad reputation in the business circle?Is this Ling Huang who Ling He once claimed to be "heinous, guilty, and unspeakable" and even "climbed out of the coffin and dragged his rotten flesh to explain" and was disgusted by his son?At that time, Yan Xiaodao also had a trace of inexplicable wonder and bewilderment.The role of "father" in Ling Hekou is self-contradictory, and I don't know which set of descriptions is the true expression of this person.

Ling He naturally turned his gaze to Yan Xiaodao, it's your turn.

The story is too long. Yan Xiaodao wondered where to start, but there is nothing worth concealing: "My mother said that she was on the way to the provincial capital hospital on a flatbed truck. Her husband took her, their disabled son with congenital defects, and her first ex-husband who was completely paralyzed, and they met me on the side of the road. It is said that I might have been wandering there for three months After three months, the leftovers were chased by dogs and the children who were about to starve to death. Then, she, her husband, and her first man, the three of them parked the cart on the side of the road, discussing or arguing For an hour, because the extra food for one more person in the family is gone, and if you come in, you have to draw lots to choose which one will drown the paralyzed one on the bed first... She ignored the unanimous objections of her two men, and finally dragged me into the bed flatbed truck."

Even Mr. Ling, who is extremely talented, was deeply stunned by these two sentences, which were huge in information but deeply grasped the key points of life, and it took time to digest them.

Ling He stared at Yan Xiaodao, but the frenzied thinking consciousness in his head had penetrated the clothes and body of the person in front of him, and passed through the barriers of more than 20 years of time, whistling past the many old things, and then whistling to come up again Between his brows, at that moment, he seemed to understand the origin of everything...