Two pots of water

Jiang Chu didn't intend to eavesdrop, he returned home quite aboveboard.

But when he heard Tan Zui's "don't be afraid", his reflexes, which he had already put down before, became even lighter.

He remembered the gauze he saw on the back of Liang Xiaojia's head that day.

After another five or six minutes, Tan Zui's phone call ended.

He closed the window, turned around and called Jiang Chu: "Are you back?"

"I thought you didn't hear." Jiang Chu came out of the kitchen with a glass of water.

"I'm not deaf." Tan Zui smiled, lowered his head and pressed his phone a few more times, and probably sent another message to Liang Xiaojia, "I saw your car entering the community."

"Liang Xiaojia's phone number?" Jiang Chu sat down on the sofa.

"Yeah." Tan Zui took a cigarette from the coffee table and bit it, and sat down beside Jiang Chu in a half-lying position, his legs dragged so long, he turned his wrist and rubbed the center of his brow, looking upset and helpless .

"What happened to his family?" Jiang Chu asked.

"He was beaten by his father." Tan Zui said.

"Very serious?" Jiang Chu still had Qin Zui's words "Xiao Jia, don't be afraid" ringing in Jiang Chu's ears.

Qin most patiently answered Liang Xiaojia's phone calls, including talking to Liang Xiaojia face to face, and he was not as patient as today.

Also too gentle.

"The left eardrum was torn, and four stitches were stitched here." Tan Zui pointed to his right brow bone, "I hit the wall when I was slapped."

Jiang Chu was taken aback.

"It can grow well." Qin Zui said, "The doctor said that the small hole can be closed by itself."

"It's not a matter of growing up well." Jiang Chu frowned, "Why did his father beat him like this?"

"Ask his father what he should do if he didn't pass the exam?" Tan Zui looked at him.

"You're about the same." Jiang Chu pointed at him with a smile.

Tan Zui also smiled, looking at Zhou Teng's cat tail dangling on the coffee table, compared to the tone of comforting Liang Xiaojia just now, his tone at the moment is very calm, even a little numb as usual: "His dad beats you!" He just doesn’t have a reason, and he doesn’t fight every day, he’s usually normal, and he still jokes with him, but it’s not serious after drinking.”

"What about his mother?" Jiang Chu asked.

"Fucking can't stop it." Tan Zui said.

"The last time he came, was his dad also hitting the back of the head?" Jiang Chu asked again.

Tan Zui said "Yes": "In fact, he has long been used to being beaten by his father. This time, he suddenly looked bloody and frightened."

"Then what do you want to do?" Jiang Chu thought for a while, wondering if they had discussed something on the phone.

Go back and see Liang Xiaojia?

Or does he want to come to Tan Zui to stay for a few more days?

It's the Chinese New Year, can he go out at home?

"I can't do anything." Tan said most calmly, leaning over to crush the cigarette butt into the ashtray.

"I can't help him, he can only take the exam by himself." Tan Zui glanced at his phone, and Liang Xiaojia's message to him has calmed down, "He's just used to being beaten, so come and tell me, it's fine when he's done venting." .”

Jiang Chu frowned and looked at Tan Zui for a while, but didn't speak for a while.

Every time he heard this kind of conflict in other people's families, he didn't know what to say.

People are different, and families are different. Everyone has their own helplessness, and similar groups of people will always be involved together, so that every family has its own unsatisfactory.

On the news, it’s just a passing story. Listening to real cases from people around you will only give you a very abstract sense of emptiness.

"Where is your father, does he often beat you too?" Compared to Liang Xiaojia, who was invisible and intangible, Jiang Chu couldn't help but focus on Tan Zui.

"He doesn't hit people." Tan looked at Jiang Chu the most. This person has the ability to soften his heart. He slapped Jiang Chu's hand on his lap, "Smash things."

Jiang Chu flicked his fingers: "That's okay."

"What's the matter." Tan Zui tugged at the corner of his mouth, "When I was young, I heard him smashing endlessly, and I always felt that the next one would fall on my head."

"I was thinking, every time Liang Xiaojia gets beaten up, she can find you anyway, who can you find." Jiang Chu shook his head.

Qin looked at him the most.

"I have to coax and give in every day here, but it turns out that I am his youngest brother in my hometown." Jiang Chu smiled and "tsk".

"Are you at a disadvantage?" Tan Zui continued to look at him.

"What a loss." Jiang Chu raised his eyebrows.

Before the end of the words fell to the ground, Tan Zui suddenly raised his arms and fished them up, put his arms around Jiang Chu's head and put it into his arms, then lowered his head and sucked on the root of his ear.

It's really the kind that takes a sip, with a "ber" sound.

"Then change it, you call the most brother every day, and I will coax you." He whispered into Jiang Chu's ear.

Jiang Chu was still out of the situation and didn't react, but was almost blown away by the numbness that hit his brain from behind his ears.

He shivered, and the back of his head slammed into Tan Zui's chin.

"Hey." Tan Zui raised his neck, let go and rubbed him.

"What the hell are you doing!" Jiang Chu kicked him, rubbed his ears twice, and then went to break Tan Zui's hand, "Did you hit it?"

"Doesn't your head hurt?" Tan Zui rubbed his chin and looked at him with a smile in his eyes.

"Don't worry about yourself!" Jiang Chu had nothing to say, there was still some numbness behind his ears, and he rubbed it for a long time before it stopped.

On the morning of the 29th, my mother called Jiang Chu and asked him when he would go home for the New Year.

Jiang Chu was planning to go out with Qin Zui to buy some new year's goods, but the house didn't even have the word "Fu" posted on the door.

Taking a look at Tan Zui who was making breakfast in the kitchen, he went to the study with his mobile phone.

"Otherwise, I'll go tomorrow at noon and come back after having a meal with you and Uncle Fang." He discussed with his mother.

"Come back after lunch?" My mother is probably doing sanitation. She is busy all year round. Years ago, she insisted on cleaning the house. In the middle of her speech, she asked Fang Zhou to change her basin of water.

"I have to go to your aunt's house to visit your grandma on the first day of junior high school, and I thought you wouldn't go to your father's house this year. I'll come over today and spend the night at home. Tomorrow will be thirty years old." Mom quickly calculated, "Tomorrow noon... what about night? If you don't come home at night, Uncle Fang and I don't have to wait for the first day of junior high school. We will go there after lunch at noon tomorrow."

"I can't let Tan Zuo spend the New Year's Eve alone." Jiang Chu casually flipped through the books on the table, "He's still here with me."

"He won't celebrate the New Year with his mother?" Mom was a little surprised.

"I get angry when I go, and the two of them feel uncomfortable." Jiang Chu said.

"Well, yes, it's most comfortable to put it where you are." Mom sneered.

Jiang Chu also smiled and said "Hey".

In fact, he thought about whether he could take Qin Zui to his mother's house for dinner.

It doesn't matter usually, tomorrow is Chinese New Year after all, even if it's just a lunch at noon, he still feels distressed when he thinks that everyone else's family reunion, Tan can only make noodles at home.

But he was embarrassed to take the initiative to mention it. After chatting with his mother for a while, she didn't seem to mean it.

"Let's do that for now. I'll go there early tomorrow, and I won't be able to do it today." Jiang Chu didn't say much to his mother on the phone, "Is there anything you want me to bring?"

"It's fine when you come. Whenever I need you, buy me something." My mother said quickly, "It's okay."

She said no need to bring it, Jiang Chu should buy it or have to buy it.

Not only Mom and Fang Zhou's side, Jiang Liantian and Tan Shuman's side also had to prepare a copy of tobacco, alcohol and tea, as well as the four elderly people.

He bought these things directly from Huazi, and bought them for the parents' New Year's goods, and the two of them went to buy food and drink for themselves.

There were a lot of people in the supermarket, red lanterns were hung everywhere, and "Congratulations on getting rich" was repeated over and over again as a fixed track. Jiang Chu felt the atmosphere was up as soon as he heard the background music, so he dragged a small cart and pushed it to Qin Zui.

"It's the first time I went out to buy things for the Chinese New Year." Tan most unhurriedly pushed the cart forward.

Buying things during the Chinese New Year is just to create an atmosphere. Jiang Chu usually doesn’t eat potato chips or drink soda.

"Huh?" He picked up another carton of milk, "How do you and your dad celebrate the New Year?"

"Cook two more dishes and put a hanging whip." Tan Zui said, taking out unnecessary things behind Jiang Chu.

"Where are your grandparents?" Jiang Chu asked.

"I've never seen it before." Tan Zui took a barrel of oil to look at, and put it in the car.

Jiang Chu turned his head to look at him, let alone asking about grandparents, Tan Shuman couldn't even see her, let alone her natal family.

"Then enjoy it quickly." He threw two large boxes of nut gift bags into the car, "Take whatever you want, I'll buy it for you."

Qin Zui smiled and picked out another bag for him.

"The Spring Festival and Valentine's Day are stacked together, and this year there are chocolates everywhere." Jiang Chu passed by a whole row of chocolate towers, and was about to ask Tan which one he bought the most, when someone patted him.

"Hey, Brother Chu, it's really you." Chen Linguo stood behind him with a smile.

"What a coincidence." Jiang Chu smiled.

"I should say it's a coincidence. This shopping mall is closer to my house. Why are you here? By yourself?" Chen Linguo turned her head to look around, and Tan Zui happened to come over, and she called "brother" again.

"I happened to be shopping nearby, so I came in by the way." Jiang Chu said, "What about you?"

"My sister and I are here to buy snacks. Tomorrow, a bunch of kids are coming to our house." Chen Linguo searched twice but couldn't find her sister, and suddenly said "Ah" and said, "That's right!"

"Tomorrow is your birthday, Brother Chu. I was thinking of telling you about the New Year together when I watch the Spring Festival Gala tomorrow." Chen Linguo took a bucket of chocolates from his car basket and put them in the small car that Tan Zui was pushing, "Just right , This is a birthday present."

Tan Zui was listening to them casually, but when the word "birthday" popped out, his eyes paused, he quickly glanced at Jiang Chu, and then settled on the bucket of chocolates in the car.

"That's interesting, I'll pay for it when you put it in." Jiang Chu smiled, and took Chen Linguo's chocolate back.

"Hey, yes." Just as Chen Linguo realized it, she covered her mouth in embarrassment and said happily, "I always thought it was mine if I put it in my car...Then I'll give it to you after paying the bill?"

"Thank you, I'm so touched. Let's take it home and give it to the children. I don't eat this either." Jiang Chu didn't talk to her any more.

It happened that Chen Linguo's sister came back from grabbing the passion fruit and said hello to each other. He hurried to the vegetable area on the other side with Tan Zui.

"When there are many people, it is easy to meet acquaintances." Jiang Chu said.

"Chen Linguo looks a lot like her sister," Jiang Chu said.

"I originally wanted to get some chocolates, but I came here suddenly, which made me feel embarrassed to carry them again." Jiang Chu said.

Jiang Chu said three sentences in a row, but Tan Zui didn't hear a single sentence.

He turned his head to see that Tan Zui was loading a bright green broccoli.

"Let's go back and buy it later." Jiang Chu followed and picked up one in the bag.

Tan Zui rolled his flower out.

"I bought one and you threw away one." Jiang Chu flicked his hand away, forcing the broccoli he picked back into the bag.

"Your birthday is tomorrow?" Tan Zui had no choice but to open the bag and let him put it.

"Ah." Jiang Chu responded.

He didn't even have to guess how Chen Linguo knew, Baoli could tell her where he lived before, and it wouldn't be unusual to know more about his birthday.

"Isn't it not?" Tan Zui asked again.

"Yes, but it happened that she knew about it, so she stepped on the day and mentioned it." Jiang Chu said.

Tan Zui nodded, and turned around to weigh the broccoli before saying, "I thought you wouldn't tell anyone you asked."

This is inexplicable.

Jiang Chu glanced at Tan Zui's back, and felt that he seemed a little unhappy, but there was nothing unhappy about it.

Don't like Chen Linguo?

Are you unhappy seeing Chen Linguo wanting to give him chocolates?

Then the unhappy content is too...subtle.

After a while, Tan Zui walked from the broccoli stand to the yogurt cabinet, and Jiang Chu suddenly remembered that Qin Zui had asked about his birthday before, but he was evaded by a few words.