Encounter the Ice Age

The rain in autumn and winter is pattering, and time is repeating as usual, but it is not monotonous.

Zhaoqing has just left her teaching assistant and became a trainee teacher, so she is very busy every day.Fortunately, Mrs. Connor's health is getting worse, and he is at home as long as he can be at home recently.

The college also understood Zhaoqing's need to take care of patients, and moved his class to the morning and allowed him to work at home in the afternoon, giving him a lot of space.

For the elders, the more they are in their last days, the more they want to see their children able to live a strong life on their own. For this reason, Zhaoqing has worked very hard.

When Mrs. Connor was not admitted to the hospital, he read the lesson plans in the living room, so that he could accompany Mrs. Connor who was knitting.They're all compressing their time together, wanting each moment to be full and full.

The constant companionship and proper care still couldn't relieve Mrs. Connor's increasingly pale complexion.

His life was going to ruin, and Zhaoqing had no choice but to persuade Mrs. Connor to try the operation again, but was blocked by Mrs. Connor's actual actions early on.

Mrs. Connor calmly explained the funeral to Zhaoqing, telling Zhaoqing that she had decided to be buried with Mr. Connor and did not need to choose another cemetery. She ordered the flowers for her funeral. The church where the funeral was held was the same as that of Mr. Connor. The church where Sister Wen lives.

Mrs. Connor explained one by one, but Zhao Qing was forced to cry with her soft words.

This selfless love weighs on Zhaoqing's body, people are not grass and trees.Zhaoqing is not really a teenager, but he can't ignore the relationship of more than 20 years of companionship, and his heart is sore and numb.

Zhaoqing always felt that she had not repaid the Connor couple well, and Mrs. Connor just held Zhaoqing's head and told him: things are changing, but there is a way back.

Mrs. Connor was also reluctant to part with Zhaoqing, but she missed her husband who was one step ahead.Death is not the way back, and what is nostalgic is not life.

They are all making preparations for the upcoming farewell.

After making a lot of preparations, he was still caught off guard. Zhaoqing was in class that day, and teachers from other offices rushed over and knocked on the door, interrupting his explanation of a certain law.Generally, if there is no urgent matter, few people will interrupt the progress of the class, and he felt a thump in his heart.

William walked over quickly, stood on the edge of the podium and said, "Qing, I'll take your next class, you go home first."

Zhao Qing started working as a teaching assistant in this school when she was a Ph.D student, and became a trainee teacher after her Ph.D.Most of the students were around his age and knew about him. He hurriedly nodded and apologized and ran out of the classroom. William would help him explain the rest.

Zhaoqing ran back to the office, picked up the phone and saw that it was a missed call from the hospital nurse station.

Mrs. Connor has checked her body here all the year round, and all the phone numbers of Zhaoqing have been saved, and he has already hurried out of the teaching building when the call was made.

After running out, I found that it was raining again, and the raindrops hit my body very cold, but Zhaoqing was not in the mood to go back to get an umbrella and coat, and was wearing a woolen vest knitted by Mrs. Connor over a shirt.

It was not easy to drive in light rain, so Zhaoqing hurried around. The hospital was a long way from his school, and it was a waste of time to run there.

A car parked beside Zhaoqing, with Chen Yang under the window.

"Get in the car, Qing."

"Why are you here?" Zhaoqing said as he got into the car and repeatedly dialed the number, poking the screen with wet fingers several times but there was no response.

After getting through, no one answered the number and repeatedly redialed. During the interval, Zhaoqing said, "Go to the central hospital."

"I know," Chen Yang stepped over to fasten Zhao Qing's seat belt, started the car and went to the hospital.

I don't know whether it's clammy or restless, Zhaoqing's face has faded, there are still some water stains on her fingers that are even more white, and the crescent arcs of her nails are even slightly blue.

Chen Yang glanced sideways at Zhaoqing, reached out his hand to catch a drop of raindrops dripping from Zhaoqing's temple, and said, "Don't be nervous."

Zhao Qing frowned and hummed as if nothing, the phone was connected just now, and he reported his mother's name and the nurse on the other end of the phone briefly explained Mrs. Connor's situation.

Chen Yang watched Zhaoqing's lips slowly purse into a line, and Zhaoqing's expression became more and more serious.

The rain was slippery, and it took more than 20 minutes for the traffic jam to reach the hospital entrance. Before Chen Yang could stop the car, Zhaoqing unbuckled his seat belt, opened the door and ran out.

There is no such dramatic thing as a patient waking up from a coma in the presence of a loved one.

Zhaoqing stood outside the sterile ward and watched Mrs. Connor lying in the intensive care unit with a breathing tube through the window. Mrs. Connor looked like a small ball, as if she could sink from the white hospital bed.

Zhaoqing came here in a hurry, but after seeing Mrs. Connor, she could only stand outside the glass window in a daze.

Just now the doctor told Zhaoqing that Mrs. Connor had suffered from pulmonary congestion and pitting edema of both lower limbs. It should be two days since we parted, and he was asked to be mentally prepared.

Regarding life and death, no one can see through.No one wants to experience parting, and no one can make good psychological preparations, but no one can escape the last moment.

It took Chen Yang more than ten minutes to find a place to park before he came to Zhaoqing's side, and put a piece of clothing on Zhaoqing.

Zhaoqing's bangs were wet from the drizzle and drooped on his forehead, and there were mud spots on the legs of off-white trousers.Such Zhao Qing looked very lonely in Chen Yang's eyes, and his whole body exuded the kind of embarrassment that could make Chen Yang feel distressed.

Zhaoqing stared at the heart rate monitor inside the glass window, and Mrs. Connor's heartbeat merged into an unstable band.He casually asked Chen Yang: "You don't have to go to work today?" But he was wondering why this rhythm couldn't last for a while, why couldn't human beings be stronger?

"I'm not on duty today." Chen Yang lied that it was his shift today, but when he heard that Zhao Qing was busy, even his colleagues took the initiative to be on duty and let him go first.

Chen Yang stretched out his hand: "Drink this."

Zhaoqing raised his hand in a daze and didn't touch it, then turned his eyes and held the paper cup in his hand, and he took a sip of the fragrant hot chocolate drink.Some are sweet and some are bitter, very warm and some are cold.

Zhaoqing: "Thank you."

Chen Yang didn't say anything, he took Zhaoqing's shoulder and shook it vigorously. He had seen too many life and death matters.His life was extremely turbulent, and it took him several years to return to the system. This status was only in response to his brother's plan, and he had to accept the arrangement under strong pressure. The only luck is that he met Zhaoqing.

All night they just waited.

If Chen Yang hadn't reminded Zhaoqing to sit on the bench next to him, Zhaoqing might have stood in front of the glass window until dawn. He couldn't sleep but was not energetic, and his mind was full of overlapping and chaotic memories of two lifetimes.

The rain stopped in the early morning of the next day, and the rare sunshine shyly poked its head out of the cloudy clouds to give the street some warmth.

Zhao Qing: "Chen Yang, can you help me buy a bunch of flowers? Pink roses."

"Okay," Chen Yang replied, he also stayed up all night and heard what Zhaoqing said, stood up, put on his coat and ran out.

Mrs. Connor woke up and was pushed out of the intensive care unit and returned to the general ward. At the end of the day, there was no other more effective treatment.

"Xiao Xiao, come here." Mrs. Connor's voice was weak, low and short of breath.

Zhaoqing took the small stool by the bed and sat forward again, holding Mrs. Connor's swollen hand gently, and there were blood spots in the nail cap.

Zhaoqing wiped it twice with his thumb, and then twice.But how can this be wiped clean?He was very sad.

Mrs. Connor's face was still so kind, but her conjunctiva was already swollen. She smiled and said, "Xiao Xiao, we agreed..."

Zhaoqing responded softly: "I remember...I remember," he would call the bell of heaven ahead of time if the sound was too loud.

Mrs. Connor: "Xiao Xiao, you must eat breakfast."

Zhaoqing choked up her voice: "Okay..."

Mrs. Connor: "Xiao Xiao, everything in the house belongs to you. I'm sorry I didn't leave you more wealth." The old lady made many decisions behind Zhaoqing's back, and the money was still spent more and more.

"No, it won't be enough. Really, I am very grateful, I have received the best care and parents..." I can't say anything other than thank Zhao Qing.He is so grateful for his life again, En once met these two kind-hearted old people, and is grateful for their upbringing.

"Little, I don't object to you being an old pedant living alone. You have to choose your own comfortable way in life. But I still hope that you... see more of this world and feel more. Don't be afraid all the time, you are a very Good boy, no one will be willing to hurt you. You can live a good life alone, but as an elder, I don’t want to.” Mrs. Connor touched Zhaoqing’s head, she was not afraid of death but she was reluctant to keep Zhaoqing.

Mrs. Connor: "Xiao Xiao, you always have a lot of things on your mind. I understand that you may be burdened with talents that others don't have, which makes you more afraid of the world. But you must know how to trust the people around you, or trust someone. Chen... I can't see through this young man, but I think he is someone you can try dating. He cares about you and respects you, I can see that."

Zhaoqing twitched the corners of her mouth, half crying and laughing.It wasn't because Mrs. Connor mentioned Chen Yang, but because he didn't have any power to save Mrs. Connor's lost life.

Zhaoqing: "Mother, don't worry, I will try."

Mrs. Connor laughed and said, "Don't make meaningless promises for my peace of mind, my child, you can't fool me about that."

Zhaoqing snorted, but didn't know what to respond.

Mrs. Connor's complexion seemed to be a little rosy, and she said: "You have been working hard to live, and you have never been worrying about this, but I need you to promise me one thing."

"Tell me, mother."

"The first month I died, you don't live alone at home. You live with people, whether it's your friends, colleagues, or whatever. Yes. If you really can't find someone you trust, you can go on a trip." During the conversation, the nurse came to help Mrs. Connor pull out the last bottle of drip, and the medicine no longer entered her blood vessels.

The biggest booster of bereavement is loneliness, and sadness is always magnified when alone.

"I had a lover when your brother left, and I had you when my lover left, so I'm not alone, do you understand, little?" Mrs. Connor held Zhaoqing's hand back and asked, "Will you agree?" me?"

Zhaoqing nodded heavily: "I promise you, I can do it."

Mrs. Connor smiled heartily, looked behind Zhaoqing, and said, "Very beautiful rose, did you buy it for me?"

Chen Yang came back for a long time and stood behind Zhaoqing. Zhaoqing wiped his face indiscriminately when he heard Mrs. Connor's words, stood up and tripped over a chair, and quickly stabilized his figure.

Chen Yang withdrew his empty hand and handed the flowers to Zhao Qing.

Zhaoqing: "Yes, my father asked me to buy it for you."

Mrs. Connor was very happy and asked Zhaoqing to put the flowers next to the pillow.

Chen Yang: "I'm sorry, Mrs. Connor. There are not many pink roses left. I decided to add a few lilies and a hydrangea for you. I hope you like it."

"I also like lilies and hydrangeas, thank you, they are very fragrant." Mrs. Connor seemed to recall something from the past, smiling like a girl.

Time is still passing by, and everyone has experienced the same birth, thousands of lives, and the same death.

After this conversation, Mrs. Connor persisted for another two days. She was unconscious but walked away very peacefully.

At the first funeral here, the sky was overcast with light snow, and Zhaoqing accompanied a small old lady to bury a father.

At the second funeral here, a rare strong wind blew away the dark clouds of the past two months. He buried his mother and father together. Their biological children were not far away. The family used another way to reunite.

The tombstone is surrounded by pink roses and beautiful daisies. I don’t know if Mrs. Connor will talk to her children who have lived there for a long time when she arrives in heaven, and there is another brother who has no blood relationship who is struggling in the world.

Maybe it will be mentioned.It must be mentioned.

Zhaoqing took a week off to deal with Mrs. Connor's funeral and adjust her state.Everything about the funeral was going on in an orderly manner, and he had three days left after Mrs. Connor was buried.

The Conners' house is located inland from Seattle, between Volunteer Park and Japanese Park.The urban divisions of this world are slightly different from the world Zhaoqing once lived in. The country structure and geological features are similar.

Zhaoqing has never been abroad in his "previous life", and he doesn't know the United States.He discovered this because the city he lived in in his "previous life" had changed its name. In his memory, it was called Tianjin, but now it is called Jinmen on the map.

It is also for this reason that Zhaoqing once doubted whether the world he was born in again and the world he lived in in his "previous life" were the same after all.Other places are similar to his memory, only the city where he lived deeply has changed its name.

Connuff's house is not much different from other European and American small houses. It is a two-and-a-half-story building.The rooms in the attic and basement are distributed reasonably. The living room is not too big but there is a large open kitchen.

In order to let Mrs. Connor get out of the grief of losing her child as soon as possible, Mr. Connor rebuilt the house to make it strong and beautiful.

Mr. Connor found someone to make a large traditional fireplace that Mrs. Connor liked, and it was lit in the winter when Zhaoqing was a child. He also found his own Christmas present under the Christmas tree by the fireplace.

Due to the temperature changes in the past two years, the temperature of Seattle, a coastal city, dropped sharply in winter. The government decided to centralize heating a few years ago.So the chimney was sealed off in their house, and the fireplace was placed for a long time as a beautiful decoration.

Chen Yang looked at Zhao Qing who was standing in front of the fireplace in a daze and asked, "Are you up?"

Chen Yang heard what Mrs. Connor and Zhao Qing said in the hospital bed at that time. Although it was not good to think so, it was a godsend opportunity for Chen Yang.He thought about Zhaoqing for a long time, he didn't know why he was so patient this time, he seemed like a different person, as if he could spend his whole life trying to impress Zhaoqing.

How could Chen Yang let go of such an opportunity, by using the so-called "obedience to mother's words" to prevent Zhaoqing from being alone, he took the initiative to help Zhaoqing take care of Mrs. Connor's funeral and moved into Zhaoqing's house again.

Chen Yang stepped into the room and found a guest room to live in. He got up every morning to warm milk for Zhaoqing, cut up the baguettes and served them on the table without even knowing how to bake them.He doesn't know how to cook at all, but fortunately, after a few days of practice, the fried eggs look a little better.

Zhao Qinghu nodded her head, walked slowly to the table and sat down.He is still not used to the kitchen which is usually dominated by a short old lady. Now there is a tall man standing in the kitchen, it seems that even the kitchen seems crowded.

Chen Yang brought the plate of fried eggs with charred edges to the dining table, and said, "I'm going to work later, and you still have two days before returning to society after your vacation. Don't forget. Shave your beard."

Chen Yang spoke normally and fluently as if they had been living together, which made Zhaoqing's heart skip a beat.

In the past few days, Zhaoqing was always immersed in the grief of Mrs. Connor's death. Only in the past few days has he had some other space in his mind, and when there is space, someone will take the opportunity for granted and try to get in.

Zhao Qing maintained his expressionless face, but suddenly stood up and went to the toilet as if fleeing.Chen Yang looked at Zhaoqing's back and smiled, it seemed that he was about to get his wish.

Zhao Qing stood in front of the mirror at the sink and stared blankly at himself in the mirror, he had obviously shaved.

Zhaoqing touched her clean chin, realized that Chen Yang was teasing him, and couldn't help but feel hot when thinking about it.