nine year itch

Youqing remembers when he was in university in Urumqi, the journey from Xi’an Railway Station to Urumqi Railway Station was so long, he had to sit in a hard sleeper car for two nights and one day every time to get there.He lay on the hard sleeper on the train for two days. Although his body was already on the flat ground when he got off the train, his head seemed to be still dangling in the train.

Going back now, Youqing chose to buy a cheap discounted ticket.Now November is the low season for travel.

On the plane, he watched the rolling snow-capped mountains gradually disappear, and the hidden green Qinling Mountains gradually appear.Youqing knew that he set foot on this hometown again.

But this time he was just a short-term visitor in Xi'an. The school assigned him to study and communicate here for half a year, and then he will return to Burqin to continue teaching in his old base.

The plane arrived at Xixian International Airport at [-]:[-] p.m., Youqing was carrying a small suitcase, carrying a backpack, wearing a white coat and blue jeans, looking like a college student returning home from winter vacation.

As soon as he got out of the airport hall, he took a taxi.After nine years, when he returned to Xi'an, he was also unfamiliar with the place.Besides, the school will reimburse all travel expenses, so he doesn't need to save too much.

After about an hour, the taxi arrived at the destination, Taoli Middle School in Xi'an.Although November in Xi'an was also very cold, the temperature was higher than that in Burqin in the extreme northwest. He was sweating a little on the way wearing fleece underwear, a sweater, and a thick down jacket.

"It's Youqing, Teacher You." A woman in her 40s, wearing a pink thin down jacket, walked towards Youqing with a smile.

As soon as Youqing walked to the school gate with her luggage, she saw Teacher Hu who had called before, waiting outside for a long time.This is the life teacher of Taoli Middle School. He doesn't teach classes, but takes care of some school miscellaneous things on a daily basis, mostly about the lives of teachers and classmates.

"Hi, Teacher Hu." Youqing also nodded politely.

"Mr. You, this is the key to the teacher's apartment. You have to take it. I have already greeted the gatekeeper in advance. You can go in by yourself later."

Teacher Hu pointed to the old house in the 80s on the right side of the school, and handed Youqing a rusty key.

"Mr. You, my child's piano class will be over soon, and I have to pick him up. You can go up by yourself."

Today is Sunday, and Teacher Hu wants to deal with her own family affairs more. Besides, this Youqing is just a foreign teacher who came to the school for exchange, so it is not worthy of her to entertain her very thoughtfully.

"It's okay, Mr. Hu, go get busy, I can find it by myself." Youqing replied very readily.

Youqing is not a person who likes to bother others, and he is already grateful that Mr. Hu can personally send him the key.

Besides, as sensitive as he is, he also knows what Teacher Hu is thinking. He is just a short-haired teacher from outside.

After Teacher Hu left, Youqing came to the old dormitory building with his luggage.The teacher's dormitory is a six-story slab building, and the whole building looks old and bulky.The gray cement plastered on the facade has been exposed to the wind and sun for decades, and the wall surface is mottled and uneven.

Youqing carried the luggage and went up to the fourth floor, poking with the rusty key for a long time before opening the heavy metal door.The room is a ten-square-meter single room. Once you enter the door, there is a very small bathroom. Standing at the door, you can see the room at a glance.

Someone should have lived here before. Although the room is dilapidated and messy, the sheets and bedding are still available.Youqing took out the sheets and quilts given to her by the supervisor downstairs from the suitcase, and replaced the bedding with new leather.

Youqing tidied up the room briefly, then sat on a chair and stared out the window in a daze.

Xi'an in November is at the end of autumn.The sky was cloudy, and the leaves of the trees downstairs in the dormitory were all golden.The cold wind blows, and the leaves fall to the ground one by one, rendering the golden color of the earth.

When Youqing came back to her senses, it was already past eight o'clock in the evening, and the canteen of the school next door was closed.Youqing left the dormitory building to go to a restaurant outside for dinner.

Youqing found an authentic Shaanxi noodle restaurant in a nearby alley. The shop is not big, but the environment is relatively clean and hygienic.

At the end of November, Xi'an has already turned on the heating. It is very cold outside but warm inside.Youqing ordered a bowl of steaming noodles and chose a place near the radiator.

Halfway through eating the noodles, a few more customers came to the store, and the small store suddenly became crowded.The seat next to Youqing was also taken by someone. The man was tall and bulging in a down jacket, pushing Youqing to the edge of the wall.Youqing lowered his head and didn't say anything, holding his own bowl and moving it inward, quickly inhaling the remaining noodles into his stomach.

After eating, Mian Youqing stood up and was about to pay the bill, when a person at the opposite table suddenly walked towards him.

"Youqing, is that you?" the visitor asked.

Youqing turned his head and took a closer look. The man in front of him was wearing a brown leather jacket and glasses with a black frame. He was about 27 or 30, but he looked like a philistine and shrewd. He looked like he was in his [-]s.

This person is none other than the monitor of Youqing High School, Liu Yu.

"It's really you. You looked familiar as soon as you entered the door, but you kept your head down, and I was sure it was you when you stood up." Liu Yu said enthusiastically to Youqing.

"Squad leader, long time no see." Youqing greeted Liu Yu's enthusiasm a little awkwardly.

When I was in high school, I didn't have much contact with this monitor.Although Youqing has good grades, at best, he is just an unknown ordinary student, not a key partner for a person like the monitor.

The only time when there was some overlap was when the secret between him and Gu Ze was exposed. After he became the target of public criticism, the monitor took him to find a psychological counselor.

Although the two reunited after a long absence, they had very little contact in their student days, and the reason for the only encounter was still so embarrassing.Thinking of this, it is really difficult for Youqing to express the joy of reunion after a long absence like Liu Yu.

"It's been a long time. We haven't seen each other for ten years. In this way, let's stop sitting here, let's find a place to talk." Liu Yu put his arm around Youqing's shoulders, and said to the people who were eating together Saying goodbye, the two walked out of the restaurant together.

After going out, Youqing moved her body away somewhat awkwardly.He doesn't like to have such intimate physical contact with others, especially with the same sex, although Liu Yu in front of him is a straight man through and through.

Seeing his dodging, Liu Yu recalled what happened in high school before, he just smiled knowingly and didn't say anything, and led Youqing all the way to a cheap coffee shop called Fashion Mocha.

"Youqing, where did you go after graduation? I haven't heard from you since the college entrance examination." Liu Yu was also full of doubts about this old classmate who hadn't seen him for nine years and whose whereabouts were a mystery.

"I, I went to Xinjiang to be a teacher." Youqing lowered her eyes and said uncomfortably.

"It's so far away, no wonder no one can contact you. But it's good to be a teacher, a teacher is an iron rice bowl." Liu Yu picked up the coffee and took a sip. The coffee was bitter and astringent, which made him frown.

"Well, it's just that the salary is not high." Youqing said something to the other party and answered it himself.

"Oh, these days, it's not easy to do anything. The company works overtime every day, and the salary is not that high. It's really hard for people like us who have no family background and background to get along in society." Talking about work , Liu Yu also seemed to have a stomach full of bitterness and wanted to pour it out.

"By the way, do you still have contact with Gu Ze?" Liu Yu put down his coffee cup and asked casually.

Hearing Gu Ze's name, Youqing's heart trembled.

"No, no." You Qing shook his head.

"You don't know, he is now very successful and has opened a big company in Shenzhen. Hey, but it's no wonder that his family was one of the best in the school when he was in school, and his family has a superior background. After studying abroad, he won I ran to Guangdong to start a business with the money, doing real estate development.”

There was a hint of sourness in Liu Yu's envious tone, as if if the money was given to him, he would be able to build a bigger country.

"Well, it's pretty good." Hearing this, Youqing didn't know what to think.

After all, to him, Gu Ze had long been someone who would never be able to meet again in his life.Whether he is good or bad, to Youqing, it is just another time and space in the parallel space.

"By the way, Youqing, I haven't asked you what you are doing in Xi'an this time." Liu Yu asked again.

"I studied and exchanged at the nearby Taoli Middle School for half a year." Youqing replied honestly.

"Oh, that's great. We're going to organize a high school reunion before our class, and it just so happens that you come to attend." Liu Yu invited eagerly.

"Okay, let's see my schedule when the time comes." Youqing said lightly and perfunctorily.

"Oh, Youqing, don't look at it when the time comes. You must come. We held several class reunions, but you didn't show up once. It's hard to come to Xi'an, this time you must come." Listening to Liu Yu's tone, it seems that Youqing is some important person in the class, it seems that without Youqing, this class reunion will not be able to go on.

After finishing speaking, Liu Yu smiled slyly and blinked, "This year's class reunion, Gu Ze will also come, it's fine when you two are in school."

"Gu Ze, isn't he in Shenzhen?" You Qing looked at Liu Yu and asked in a daze.

"He came back to Xi'an at the beginning of this year to expand the Northwest market, and opened a real estate company here."

After Liu Yu finished speaking, he raised his hand and looked at his watch, "Why don't we stop here today, it's already 09:30, I have to go home, or my wife will scold me." Liu Yu hurried Put on your coat, get up and get ready to go home.

"Youqing, you must come. I will send you a text message when the time and address are fixed." Before leaving, Liu Yu turned around and added loudly.

After Liu Yu left, Youqing was left alone sitting on the booth in a daze. He fell into deep thought while looking at the untouched cup of coffee in front of him.