Worldly

01

In [-], early winter.

Snowflakes fell to the ground one after another, covering every street corner in the city, and the whole city was covered with a thin layer of tulle overnight. The snowflakes fluttered like a lion in high spirits, shaking its whole body Snow-white fluff.

Chen Xiaohui lowered his head, hunched his shoulders, and turned into the street corner with hasty steps.

He is a current student majoring in English. A few days ago, he contacted a senior high school student to provide him with one-on-one tutoring. Today happened to be the day they agreed to have a class, but they caught up with the heavy snow.

Tutoring students not only improves his abilities, but also allows him to earn extra money, the best of both worlds.

Suddenly, there was a shout in the alley.

"Sugar-coated haws!"

He raised his head and heard the sound, and saw a young man shouting while standing in the howling wind.According to common sense, most of the hawkers on street corners are middle-aged, forced to make ends meet, they shuttle around the streets and alleys where people come and go, for a meager income of a few cents.But it is also done for young people in their 20s, which makes Chen Xiaohui interested in this young man.

He stopped, stood at the corner of the street, looked at the young man in the distance, thought for a while, but still couldn't think of a suitable reason.Then, he continued to lower his head and walked towards the student's house.

The student's family lived in the southwest corner of the city. The place was deserted and remote, and it was an old city, and the bus line didn't even pass through it.

Chen Xiaohui followed the address on the message, turned the corner of the street, and walked through two alleys before arriving at his destination.He wanted to confirm the house number, but due to the age of this urban area, not only did it not have a house number, even the wall skin began to fall off, and the red bricks and tiles were scattered all over the place.

Chen Xiaohui stood at the door, rubbed his hands that were red from the cold, and then knocked on the door.

Before Chen Xiaohui saw the person in front of him clearly, he heard a middle-aged woman say: "Mr. Chen, you are here!"

Before Chen Xiaohui could respond, she continued, "I'm Gao Ming's mother! I called you before!"

The middle-aged woman held Chen Xiaohui's hand excitedly, shaking it up and down.

Gao Ming heard the sound of the door, and walked slowly from the back room.The boy in front of him was a little dull, with big eyes and thick eyebrows, a straight nose, and fair skin.He just wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses, which made his eyes look smaller.

When the middle-aged woman saw Gao Ming coming out, she let go of Chen Xiaohui's hand, pulled Gao Ming over, and said, "Quickly say hello! This is your Teacher Chen!"

Chen Xiaohui stood at the door awkwardly, it was clearly the first time they met, but it seemed like they had known each other for a long time.

"Hello!" Chen Xiaohui said with an embarrassed smile.

The middle-aged woman’s name is Wang Fenghua. He and her husband Gao Sanwu used to be workers in state-owned enterprises. But in the 90s, with the reform of state-owned enterprises, both of them became laid-off workers.Later, Gao Sanwu relied on his driving skills to run long-distance trucks in other places for a living, while Wang Fenghua took care of the young Gao Ming alone, and at the same time supported a small store, earning some [-] cents for food, rice, oil and salt.Although life is difficult, whenever they see Gao Ming happily running around the house, they feel that life is not so difficult.They firmly believe that as long as they are full of hope for life, the future must be bright.

"Mingming! Hurry up and enter the room with Teacher Chen! Go to class!" Wang Fenghua broke the embarrassing situation, and Chen Xiaohui followed Gao Ming into the room.

The decoration style of the room still maintains the style of the 90s, but it is very clean and tidy.

02

Most of the shantytowns are caused by the lack of planning in the city. It is precisely this old city that accommodates the few shantytowns in the city, so the whole area looks disorganized.Wang Fenghua's small shop is located in the shantytown. Apart from taking care of Gao Ming's daily life, she is busy working in the small shop in the rest of the time, providing the neighbors with some daily necessities, such as salt and soy sauce.

Chen Xiaohui quickly got to the point and started teaching.After this class, Gu Ze breathed a sigh of relief. Chen Xiaohui was not so strict or rigid, with a touch of humor in his handsome appearance, and his teaching method was more pleasing.

After class, Chen Xiaohui assigned Gao Ming homework, said goodbye to him, and made an appointment for tomorrow's class time.

Chen Xiaohui pushed the door open and saw Wang Fenghua sitting on the old-fashioned sofa waiting for him to come out.

"Mr. Chen, are you finished?" Wang Fenghua got up and asked.

"Well. Gao Ming's foundation is not bad. If you study hard, you will be fine in the college entrance examination."

"Oh, you don't know, this child is not smart since he was a child, but he is very good at learning. His father and I just hope that this stinky boy will have a future! Sigh! It's nothing for parents to sacrifice for their children."

"By the way, his father runs a long-distance truck, do you know?" From then on, Wang Fenghua's chatterbox was completely opened up, and he asked Chen Xiaohui to sit down and listen to her. Chen Xiaohui had no choice but to sit down and listen to her Talking about the parents.

Wang Fenghua chatted from Gao Ming's aunt's house to his uncle's house, going around in circles and detours. In fact, he wanted to reduce some class fees in the final analysis. Perhaps the enthusiasm when he first entered the school was also because of this!

Of course, Chen Xiaohui didn't want to reduce the class fee, he told Wang Fenghua the whole story, but she didn't stop there, but continued to talk about the family's troubles, Chen Xiaohui had no choice but to compromise.

Sometimes no one wants to do this, but the way of survival has to be like this, as the saying goes: "In the adult world, there is no like or dislike, only should or should not."

After the negotiation was settled, Chen Xiaohui wrapped himself up tightly and went out.

03

After Chen Xiaohui went out, the wind and snow outside had stopped, but compared to a few hours ago, he felt colder!Since the snowflakes fell, the bulldozers began to work overtime, leaving only the bitter cold wind that ruined this long and cold winter day.

When he passed the corner of the street, the young man was still standing in the wind and snow, selling "candied haws!" Chen Xiaohui walked closer, the young man was wrapped in a thick cotton coat, with his hands in the square mouth around his waist. pocket.Under the thick black eyebrows, there is a pair of piercing eyes, and the hot breath formed many ice crystals on the long eyelashes.

"Would you like candied haws?"

Chen Xiaohui was fascinated by the sight, but was startled by the sudden voice.

To tell you the truth, Chen Xiaohui's parents are both people's teachers, a very decent job.Parents educated him and said: "You have to study hard, you have to work hard

A decent job! "Father played a black face, mother played a white face, you said a word, and the long-term depressive environment caused Chen Xiaohui's personality to change, from lively to silent, from healthy to taciturn, from naive to precocious, and even sexual orientation changed There was a bend. Later, Chen Xiaohui was always troubled by the words of his parents. What kind of job is the so-called decent job in the eyes of his parents. In the end, he chose the same occupation as his parents, the people's teacher. He thought, this may be a decent job in the eyes of his parents. .

After Chen Xiaohui regained his composure, he pointed to the candied haws and said, "How much is it?"

What puzzled him even more was that the only kind of candied haws in the glass window was hawthorn.Chen Xiaohui used to see that the tricycles of vendors selling candied haws were all colorful and dazzling, and he responded to the saying "everything can be candied haws", but this one in front of him is good, he only sells this kind. "Three yuan for a string, five yuan for a pair."

"Let's have a bunch." After speaking, Chen Xiaohui unloaded his schoolbag from behind, took out the money and handed it to the young man.

Then, the young man began to wrap candied haws for Chen Xiaohui.Wrap two layers of glutinous rice paper first, then put on a paper bag.During this period, Chen Xiaohui spoke up: "It's rare to see such a young man selling candied haws!"

"I don't make money from it, I just sell it as a craft." After the young man handed the candied haws to Chen Xiaohui's hands, he added, "Grandpa taught it."

This young man was named Gu Ze. His parents passed away. He grew up with his grandfather. He worked as a clerk in a convenience store. He graduated from high school and never went to college.There is a younger sister named Gu Lan who is in Zhengmin high school.

"It's rare to see people who only sell handicrafts!" Chen Xiaohui took the candied haws and said.

Chen Xiaohui took the candied haws that the young man had wrapped tightly for him, and stood under the bus stop sign, waiting for the last few buses.He is very afraid of the cold, no matter whether it is cold outside, as long as it is winter, he always likes to wrap himself up tightly, only showing a pair of eyes.

In winter, it gets dark quickly, and the streets are lit up with dim yellow street lights. In such a cold winter day, they give people too much warmth.

While waiting for the bus, a scene often appeared in Chen Xiaohui's mind. In the distance of the ice and snow, there stood a black figure selling candied haws. Coupled with those few chats, Chen Xiaohui became interested in him and wanted to know more about him. s story.

When Chen Xiaohui returned to the dormitory, all his roommates were there.

"What did you do?" It was Li Donglin who spoke, a slightly fat boy.

"Class!" Chen Xiaohui said firmly.

Li Donglin slowly got up from the bed, squinted his small eyes, and said with a smile: "Did you misunderstand my son?"

Chen Xiaohui ignored him. After changing his shoes, he casually threw the wrapped candied haws aside.

"What delicious food did you buy?" Li Donglin likes to eat, but he has always maintained a slightly fat body. If his eyes were bigger, he could be called "the male god of the fat world", but it's a pity that there is no such thing!

"Candied haws by the roadside." Chen Xiaohui replied impatiently.Then put the heavy cotton clothes on the back of the chair, and then changed into light home clothes.

After that, Chen Xiaohui sat on a chair and began to untie the paper bag.

Under the reflection of the light, the sugar-coated hawthorn is particularly salivating. After the entrance, it is sweet and sour.

"Would you like to taste it? It's sour and sweet." Chen Xiaohui was confused by the taste, and he handed the candied haws to Li Donglin.

Li Donglin was even more amazed after eating.

"Chen Xiaohui! Buy me two more skewers tomorrow!"

Just like that, Chen Xiaohui and Li Donglin devoured the bunch of candied haws.In fact, it's not that the candied haws are so delicious, and this thing is not Xianlu Qiongye, it's just that the two of them haven't eaten it for a long time.

04

In winter in the north, not only does it get dark early, but it also gets bright late.

When Chen Xiaohui woke up, it was already noon the next day, and only he and Li Donglin were left in the dormitory.

After he had a 'brunch', he went out to prepare for class.

Zhu Lin's house is very remote, and there is no direct bus. Even if the bus is reversed twice, it can only stop near Zhu Lin's house, and there is still a distance to walk.

Before reaching the intersection of yesterday's street, Chen Xiaohui began to look around, for fear of missing Gu Ze's tricycle and the delicious candied haws.

Fortunately, he saw Gu Ze's tricycle from a long distance away.He was still wrapped in a heavy cotton coat, standing on the street corner selling "candied haws!" Chen Xiaohui quickened his pace, three steps became two steps, and walked towards Gu Ze's side.

"It's a good thing you're still here!" Chen Xiaohui said excitedly.

"what?"

"Oh, it's okay." Chen Xiaohui restrained his excitement and said calmly.

"Do you need candied haws?" Gu Ze raised his eyebrows and said with a smile.

"Are you still there?" Chen Xiaohui asked after a pause.He wanted to bring Li Donglin, but he didn't want to bring candied haws to class.

"Should be there, my family lives near here."

"That's fine. Remember to wait for me at the same place!" After getting the answer, he was still worried and asked again.

After that, Chen Xiaohui rushed to Gao Ming's house according to yesterday's route.But it was not Wang Fenghua who opened the door, but Gao Ming.From Zhu Lin's mouth, he learned that Wang Fenghua was taking care of the small shop downstairs, leaving only Gao Ming upstairs.

After class, Chen Xiaohui hurried out the door, afraid that Gu Ze would leave.

"Give me two strings!" At this time, Gu Ze was in a daze, but was brought back to reality by this familiar voice.

"it is good."

"Why do you only sell hawthorn candied haws!"

While busy wrapping the candied haws, Gu Ze explained: "My grandfather said that only the candied haws made from hawthorn have the best taste, sweet first and then sour."

"Then you and grandpa must be very close, right?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Ze said silently, "He has passed away."

Gu Ze's parents are both farmers. Except for winter, they are busy in the fields in spring, summer and autumn. They grew up with their grandfather since childhood.In the fall of that year, little Gu Ze was crying and looking for his mother, so his grandfather began to teach him how to make candied haws, but that day was not winter, and the prepared candied haws were not delicious.

"Feel sorry."

When Chen Xiaohui saw the person in front of him hesitate for a moment, he knew that he had asked the wrong question.

"Here you are!" Gu Ze handed the candied haws to Chen Xiaohui, and then began to tidy up the booth.

"Thank you for waiting for me!"

After that, he hurried towards the bus station.After walking for a while, he couldn't help but turned around and looked towards Gu Ze, only to see Gu Ze was pushing a tricycle, walking deep into the alley.