innocent year

The green leather train whined and puffed thick smoke for a whole day and night, and finally on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month in 1987, when tigers and rabbits alternated, Zhou Yingying and Qiushi were sent to Beijing from the snow-covered Mishan Mountain in Heilongjiang.

Zhou Yingying said that it was called "return", but Qiushi thought it was called "go", going to a completely unfamiliar place that he knew nothing about.The mother read the strong anxiety in her son's eyes, so she reassured him that Beijing is very good and modern.

In order to further visualize this "goodness", she deliberately used a lively tone to describe high-rise buildings, crispy and sweet candied haws, fried cakes with bean paste with crispy crusts, and a kind of "subway" that can travel freely underground. "s things.Kneading these symbolic things together is like putting a carrot on the head of a little donkey, and Qiushi gradually develops a beautiful imagination of the future.

When it was just dark, the mother and son walked out of Beijing Railway Station with the crowd, and then got on a blue and white tram with two horns.Before Qiushi had time to take a closer look at the "very nice and modern" Beijing, he nestled next to his mother and fell asleep.Until Zhou Yingying's voice sounded in my ear, saying that we are almost home.

Qiushi woke up, rubbed his eyes and turned to look out the window.The dark blue sky messed up by electric wires, the turbulent crowd riding bicycles, and a towering white tower not far away were his first impressions of Beijing.

They got off the car at the mouth of a small alley running east-west.Zhou Yingying clutched Qiu Shi's frail little hand, and the two of them walked in on the residual snow on the dirt road.Now is the time for every family to cook dinner, the air is filled with the unique aroma of steamed buns just out of the pan, and the white smoke from the roof lingers on the bare branches, everything looks stable and peaceful.

Finally, Zhou Yingying stopped in front of a yard with gray walls and tiles.The courtyard door in front of them looked imposing at first glance, but unfortunately it was dark in color and loose in shape, giving it the smell of a hero's end.

The wooden door was creaked open, and a narrow corridor flashed inside.Going further inside is the yard, which is not very spacious. Chinese cabbage is neatly stacked at the door of every house, and briquettes are piled under the linoleum shed.Several half-new and old bicycles were scattered all over the place, and the middle position was taken up by an old and tall tree, which made it even more cramped.There is a cement pool under the tree, and there is a water pipe wrapped in layers of thick cloth.

At this time, a buzzing sound suddenly came from far to near, which was very pleasant.Qiushi looked up subconsciously, and caught a flock of pigeons flying in the air.

Zhou Yingying saw her son concentrate on chasing the pigeon, so she let go of his hand.But when she took the lead in walking to a house in the southwest corner, she found that there were people living there.

There are long braids of garlic hanging on the wall, grilles on the windows, and smoke from the chimney.This made the key in Zhou Yingying's hand useless all of a sudden.She reached out to knock on the door, but she didn't want to call Jiebier's people out.

"Auntie, who are you looking for?" It was a boy who spoke, and he looked quite smart.

"Kid, do you know who lives here?"

"I know, Xu Minghai lives here."

"What about others?"

"Here!" He raised his chin and straightened his chest, with a dimple on his face, "I have a room by myself!"

Before he could finish showing off, the thick cotton curtain was lifted to reveal a scorched head.She met Zhou Yingying's eyes, and she was shocked immediately: "Why are you?!" Immediately, she immediately turned cold and asked, "Why are you back?"

Seeing her old friend again after so many years, Zhou Yingying was filled with emotions, and she didn't care about the ambiguity in the other party's tone.

"Sister Yandong, the procedures for my return to the city have finally been completed..."

What the adults were talking about sounded boring to Xu Minghai, all his attention was already attracted by the uninvited guest standing under the tree and looking up at the sky.So Xu Minghai ran to Qiu Shi's side in a few steps, and then looked down at the child with his height advantage.I saw that he was tightly wrapped by the scarf hat, only revealing a clean porcelain white face.

Xu Minghai couldn't tell the other party's gender through these delicate and beautiful eyes, so he raised his eyebrows arrogantly and asked, "Hey, who are you? Male or female?"

Qiushi didn't want to talk to strangers at all, so he ran towards Zhou Yingying.Xu Minghai, on the other hand, grabbed the opponent's arm like an eagle catching a chick.

There is no child who grew up with Xu Minghai in this yard.The old lumps of Uncle Zhang's family in the East House have already attended vocational high schools, and usually live in school, even if they come back, they basically don't regard Xu Minghai as a human being.And the other children in this small alley were too young, Xu Minghai basically didn't regard them as human beings.It's winter vacation now, and Li Yandong doesn't let him go out to play with his classmates, which makes Xu Minghai grow white hair every day at home. Now a "person" has finally come, and he can't let him go no matter what.

While the two were arguing, Xu Minghai determined the other's gender.It is impossible for a woman to have such great energy.He was very excited, and felt that he had something to do.But at this time, intermittent, euphemistic and sad libretto came to my ears.

"Master Chitose does not go to the Han Palace, because he is afraid that after ten years of cold windows, nine years of traveling, August examinations, and seven articles, he will end up as a minister of the military department. I am afraid that there will be no end..."

A figure flashed out from the house on the east side of the yard.Qiu Shi followed the sound and found that it was a thin old man.He took a fiery red persimmon on the window sill, and then suddenly turned his head and smiled at them.

"Don't look at his eyes!" Xu Minghai hastily put his hot paws on Qiushi's cold eyes, and then put his mouth next to his ear and said, "Guan Jiuye is half-crazy. My mother said, who can look at the eyes of a lunatic?" Crazy too!"

Qiu Shi was taken aback by these words, so he was taken aback for a while before being dragged to the side of the window.

"How old are you?" Xu Minghai persisted.

Qiu Shi still didn't speak, his mouth was tightly shut, like a little hero of the War of Resistance who was ready to die at any time.

Xu Minghai then started fishing: "Look at your small appearance, you are only 6 years old at the top of your head."

"I'll be 8 years old after the second day of the Lunar New Year!" Qiushi was unprepared, and bit the hook with his mouth.

"I'm already 10 years old!" Xu Minghai was proud of his obvious advantage in age. He said, "Brother!"

Qiushi didn't call him, his black and white eyes were only glued to his mother.

Seeing that the other party didn't show any intention of giving in, Xu Minghai had no choice but to change the subject: "Why are you running to my territory? Hey, I'm asking you something." He slapped his hand and poked the child's puffy tender face.

Qiu Shi pushed Xu Minghai's hand away: "I'm going home."

"Family?" Xu Minghai looked at him suspiciously, "There are only a few people in this yard. Uncle Zhang, Aunt Zhang, Godfather, Master Guan Jiu and our family. Whose family do you belong to?"

Just as he was talking, Xu Minghai heard his mother Li Yandong's voice continue to rise, and it gradually became resounding - this is a precursor to going crazy.

"This house has been vacant for more than ten years. There is no place for living people to live in. I can't keep it for you. Now you come back as soon as you say, without even saying hello in advance. It will be Chinese New Year soon. Where can I go?" Are you going to vacate your room?"

"Sister Yandong, this is the house my mother left me," Zhou Yingying said with tears in her eyes, trying to reason with the other party, "It's only natural for me to go back to my own home."

At this time, Xu Minghai's father also got out. He gently pulled the flour-stained sleeve on his wife's arm, and persuaded in a low voice: "What's inside, talk about it. It's someone else's house. Let's occupy it." It's really inappropriate."

"Where are you from? Seeing a woman's bones will be crisp?" Li Yandong was so angry that he shook off his hand, glared at Xu Yong and cursed, "If it wasn't because you have been mixed up until now Going to the room, am I worthy of spitting on her, Zhou Yingyingfei? You treat her like I love to talk to her, and you just look like a pitiful little cabbage field, but in fact, your heart is no worse than anyone else?!"

These words fell into Qiushi's ears at the same time. Seeing his mother's wronged appearance, he was about to run over immediately, but he didn't want to be held tightly in his arms.

"Don't go there!" Xu Minghai looked very old-fashioned, "Their women are unreasonable. You tell her about Qianmen Louzi, and she tells you about hip bones. From my mother to our teacher, one counts as another, you go Go for nothing!"

At this moment, Li Yandong took a step forward, facing Zhou Yingying and pointing to that room: "I tell you, I won't be able to vacate this room for you for a while! After the fifteenth day, I promise to return it to you as it is. "

"Where do you want me to go this New Year's Eve?" Zhou Yingying's lips trembled, begging, "Sister, I still have a child with me."

"I like you, miss you, and there are no people who want to take pictures of you. Where can't they go? Anyway, you want to live in now, and there is no way!" Li Yandong refused to budge.

Speaking of this, there is no room for negotiation.Zhou Yingying simply wiped her face with her hands, and let out a long breath.After the white mist cleared, she asked, "There's no way, is there?"

"Yes!" Li Yandong answered resoundingly, "No! No way!"

"Okay, then I'll open the door today!" Zhou Yingying suddenly seemed to be a different person. She threw the luggage she had carried all the way from her shoulders to the ground, and then raised her leg and kicked at the door.

"I think you dare?!" Li Yandong rushed forward, reaching out to grab the opponent's hair.

"Hey! Aunts and grandmas, calm down! Let's talk if you have something to say! Don't do anything!" At this festival, Xu Yong had no choice but to use himself as a wall to separate the two red-eyed women as much as possible.

The scene in front of him, mixed with those horrific images in his memory, hit him like a wave, making Qiu Shi tremble all over.He tried his best to rush forward, but he couldn't break free from the restraint of the people behind him.So Qiushi made a decisive decision, lowered his head and slapped the hand that covered his eyes just now.In the next second, the unique rusty smell of blood filled Qiushi's mouth, which was no stranger to him.

Xu Minghai yelled in pain, let go of him all of a sudden, and then watched Qiushi fly out like an arrow from the string, and hit Li Yandong with his head firmly and accurately.Li Yandong didn't expect a small one to come out halfway, so he was caught off guard and directly fell back and fell a solid buttock.

Now Xu Minghai didn't do it anymore, he twisted his body and joined the melee.

For a moment, the setting sun was like blood over the courtyard, and the people in the courtyard turned on their backs.Uncle Zhang and Aunt Zhang who lived in the mouth did not dare to go forward, but stretched their necks and leaned against the door to watch the battle, while Guan Jiuye continued to babble loudly in the room by himself.

"Princess Xian, don't kneel down, don't cry, listen to what I told you in detail. You made a thousand mistakes and your father made a mistake. He shouldn't have single-mindedly plotted to seize the mountains and rivers. He killed hundreds of Han family officials. Nor do dogs remain—”

"One counts as one! Fuck it all down for me!" A sudden roar of Piercing Cloud and Cracking Stone, like a immobilizing spell, immediately silenced everyone in the yard, big and small, old and young.

At this moment, Qiu Shi was being pinned down by Xu Minghai.He looked sideways with his face close to the ground, only to see a middle-aged man standing in the aisle.He was wearing a dark green military cloak, standing upright, his face sinking like water.