Out of place

Since Xiang Xi started working in casserole rice, the little nurse in the inpatient department would order food at his house almost every day. After Cheng Boyan ate there twice, the little nurse didn't ask when ordering food. As long as he was there, he ordered it directly.

And every time the dishes are the same, Cheng Boyan didn't say anything, although for him, the dishes are too salty and oily, and the monosodium glutamate is probably put in a spoon, and he will be thirsty all afternoon after eating, but it is just to support Xiang Xi It's work, let's talk about it after eating these two days.

It was almost noon when nothing happened, so he went to the toilet and went to the garden behind the inpatient department to get some air.

There are many patients in the garden, and they come out when the weather is warm, and occasionally a patient he knows will say hello to him.

After walking along the small gravel road for a while, it is estimated that Xiang Xi is about to come to deliver food, and he is going back to the office.

As soon as he turned around, someone next to him called him: "Doctor Cheng."

"Well," he responded first, then turned around and saw an uncle sitting on a bench next to him, looking familiar, "You are..."

"It was you who saw me in the outpatient clinic last week." The uncle wanted to stand up, but the young man beside him hurried over to help him, and he patted his thigh. "It was said that day that I had to change my joints."

"I remember, you sit and sit," Cheng Boyan nodded. He told his uncle that day that if he was worried, he would come to see the director again. "Are you here to see the director today?"

"It's late," the uncle said, "The director is off work."

"It's okay to come back tomorrow morning." Cheng Boyan said.

"Doctor Cheng, tell me, if I don't change this joint, will I have to wait to die?" The uncle asked with a frown.

"Not at all," Cheng Boyan smiled, "This undead man's movements are affected, and it will hurt, which is more uncomfortable."

"Then is it okay for my dad to take medicine in this situation?" the young man asked.

"There is no cure for this." Cheng Boyan could see that the uncle's family's financial situation is not very good, and both father and son are dressed in shabby clothes. "The medicines for promoting blood circulation and removing stasis and pain relief that I took before can be taken, but that is only temporary. Relax, the main reason is that the uncle is getting older and the situation is more serious. I told him in the film that day that the collapse was serious and the gap was almost gone, so I considered changing the joint.”

The young man was silent for a while before he said, "The cheapest ones cost less than [-] yuan."

"Come early tomorrow. Director Liang has been here all morning. Let him have a look. He has rich experience." Cheng Boyan said.

Cheng Boyan chatted with them a few more words, but there was no comfort. When he left, the father and son were still sitting on the bench, frowning.

This helplessness reminded him of Xiang Xi.

In those corners that ordinary people can't see, there are many people guarding their difficulties and helplessness alone.

And whether someone sees it or no one sees it, there is often nothing that can be done.

This is why Cheng Boyan felt a little uncomfortable in the photos taken by the photographer that Xiang Xi said. These contents are presented in front of his eyes. Apart from surprise, emotion, sympathy, or anger and contempt, he feels more helpless.

So the meaning of those things, in many cases, may just tear some people's wounds, make others hurt, and then return to peace.

Back in the inpatient department, at the end of the corridor, I saw Xiang Xi running up the stairs from the other side, carrying two bags of lunch boxes in his hand.

Turning to see Cheng Boyan, Xiang Xi smiled.

Cheng Boyan felt that there was something wrong with Xiang Xi in the past two days, and he couldn't tell exactly what was wrong. He could still laugh and play tricks, but he couldn't feel the kind of joy that came out of his heart.

Xiang Xi took the meal into his office, with a large bottle of yogurt in his hand, and put it on his desk: "It's iced, drink it quickly."

"You bought it?" Cheng Boyan was stunned.

"Well, I don't remember the day, did you say you wanted to drink yogurt," Xiang Xi said, "Today, the delivery person asked me to buy beer for you, so I'll buy you yogurt by the way."

"You should drink some too." Cheng Boyan touched the bottle, it was quite cold, so he took a paper cup and poured it for him, "Your face is sweaty."

"This doesn't quench your thirst," Xiang Xi said, took two sips of yogurt and drank it all, then wiped the sweat off his face, glanced at Cheng Boyan, took two tissues from his desk, Wiped his face again, "I'm leaving, do you have anything else you want to eat? I'll go and buy it for you."

"No more, stop running around," Cheng Boyan opened the lunch box, "Remember to discuss with the boss about getting the steel nails, you don't have to worry about the surgery fee, I'll pay for it first."

"I'm really afraid that I won't make it. How much is this? It must be twenty or thirty thousand?" Xiang Xi sighed.

"It's okay," Cheng Boyan said unhurriedly, "It's okay if it's not up yet..."

"Don't don't don't don't sell my pendant," Xiang Xi hurriedly waved his hand, "I'm sure I can return it."

Cheng Boyan looked at him and smiled: "Come on."

When he walked out of the hospital, Xiang Xi looked back, he didn't like the hospital before, he was born, aged, sick and died, this place gathered the lives of countless people.

Good people die and bad people live.

But now the hospital has a different meaning to him, a new page, and Cheng Boyan.

It's just that he's in a bad mood today, strictly speaking bad.

In the past two nights, I have been unable to sleep well, thinking repeatedly about the glances that Dajian glanced at his face. In fact, although he has been looking for reasons for himself, he still has to muster up the courage to face what he is least willing to face. that reality.

Even if he covered Dajian with a mask, he would probably be able to recognize it after a few glances.

When he got up to wash his face in the morning, he always wiped it a few times and then left. Today he was a little confused, and he looked in the mirror twice, so he was sure that Dajian recognized him.

Working in the shop was very tiring, and he was always sweating. He didn't put on a Band-Aid when he was working, but when he looked in the mirror, the mark under the corner of his eye, which was obviously lighter than the skin next to it, made him almost out of breath.

That day his mask was tightly covered, but...he covered half of his face with a towel, and more than half of the light-colored skin was still exposed.

Dajian recognized him.

Damn it, now that Da Jian has learned to keep his face in the late stage of brain damage, he has made rapid progress, he should be given a rocket progress award.

Xiang Xi felt quite weak, and leaned against the wall of the toilet for a long time without recovering.

Although this is the answer that has always been in his heart and he just can't believe it, it still makes him a little unacceptable when he actually faces it.

Uncle Ping knew where he was, he hadn't moved in the past two days, maybe he was just observing him in secret.

I know that he works in this store, and I know that he will deliver food to two places at noon every day.

But not necessarily where he lives.

Every night after he finished packing and closed the store, he would go through the back door, because the small alley at the back door can take a shortcut to the bus stop.

He has been thinking about these things all morning, what to do.

He didn't tell Fang Yin that he wasn't sure whether such a thing would help Fang Yin or make him more excited, and he didn't tell Cheng Boyan either.

He really didn't want to be a little gangster who would always be in trouble in Cheng Boyan's eyes.

He didn't even want to tell his boss to quit. With the last sliver of fantasy, he hoped to stay and work here. Even if it was such a hot, tiring and dirty job, he didn't want to give up.

Back to the store from the hospital, he nervously observed his surroundings all the way, whether anyone was following him, and what to do next.

When he turned into the old street of casserole rice, his cell phone rang.

Xiang Xi hesitated for a moment, put the small battery to the side of the road and stopped, took out the phone and saw that the displayed name was 4, this was Fang Yin's phone, he couldn't understand the name when he saved the phone, except for Cheng Boyan, the boss and Fang Yin Yin's phone calls are all numbers instead of names.

As soon as the phone was picked up, Fang Yin's voice, which he didn't know whether it was excitement or nervousness, was heard: "Xiao Zhan, where are you?"

"Still on the way." Xiang Xi gave an uncertain answer.

"See if you don't want to come back," Fang Yin said, "Two people came to the store. You came here just after you left for a while, and now you haven't left after dinner. It looks... not like a good person. The temperament of the kiln, did you come to find you?"

Xiang Xi didn't know what kind of ghost this Zhaojiayao temperament was, but at this moment he still thanked Fang Yin for calling him.

"Is there anyone else?" Xiang Xi asked.

"I didn't see it, I'm sitting in the milk tea shop across the street," Fang Yin said, "Where are you? I'll go find you?"

"Don't come to me," Xiang Xi knew that whoever was with him at such a time would suffer together, "you can go if you have nothing to do."

"That's fine," Fang Yin thought for a while, "Be careful, I'll take some more pictures."

"Stupid," Xiang Xi said, "Uncle Ping's people know you and your cannon barrel."

"I'll hide for a while... It's really Uncle Ping's people who are looking for you..." Before Fang Yin could say anything, Xiang Xi hung up the phone.

The sun is very good today, the noon sun already has the vibe of summer, Xiang Xi was so sunburned that his whole body was on fire, but after hanging up the phone, he felt cool all of a sudden.

There was a chill as the wind blew past his skin.

He quickly looked around, but he didn't see anyone approaching him, and no one even took a second look at him.

He sat in the car, stared at the front and thought for several minutes, finally turned the car around and drove towards the small alley behind the shop.

He should run, the situation Fang Yin said, it is almost certain that Uncle Ping's people came over, and there must be more than two, there should be others around the store.

But after thinking about it for a long time, he decided to quietly go back to the store to check the situation. Not only did he not give up, but he also wanted to make a final confirmation, and he was also a little worried about the boss and his wife.

He parked the small bottle car about ten meters away from the back door of the hotel, turned his head and rushed to the entrance of the alley.

Almost all the houses in the hutong are rented out as the back door of the restaurant, and a few houses are the front door of their own homes.

Xiang Xi took out a dismantled old window frame from the trash can outside the door of a family, and took it in his hand, and walked slowly towards the back door of the casserole.

Before he took two steps, his phone rang again.

He was startled, and he took out his phone without caring who it was, and pressed the mute button first.

The call was from the boss, but Xiang Xi didn't dare to answer it. He didn't have the courage to answer the boss's call again. He caused trouble for this nice couple.

After the phone hung up, Xiang Xi also touched the door of the back kitchen.

A loud voice was heard from over there.

"How would I know! He's already back at this time!" The boss yelled, "What are you doing, get out!"

"We're looking for someone." A man was talking, and then there was the sound of a chair being kicked to the ground.

Xiang Xi was unfamiliar with this man's voice, he had never heard it before, maybe it was Uncle Ping or Er Pan's new younger brother, but the few people didn't talk much but made the room clang and rattle, and they were determined to find trouble.

After the sound of a stack of casserole being overturned came, the proprietress shouted: "What are you doing! He's just working here! We don't know anything else!"

"He lives here!" said the man before, there was a messy sound in the room, mixed with the yelling of the boss and the boss's wife, the man kicked something unknown, "When the door is closed at night, no one goes out Is the luggage there too! Look for it!"

"If you don't leave, I'll call the police!" The boss shouted.

"Call the police? Report it," the man said, "I'll see if the police can come every day!"

"He doesn't live in the store!" The proprietress shouted angrily and helplessly, "He moved out two days ago! This house has a back door! Everyone goes through the back door!"

Xiang Xi didn't listen any more, turned around and ran a few steps, stepped on the small battery and rushed out of the alley.

After turning a corner, he took out his mobile phone and dialed Fang Yin while driving: "Call the police."

"What?" Fang Yin didn't seem to understand.

"Call the police! You have to watch them smash the shop!" Xiang Xi roared.

"Smash the store?" Fang Yin was stunned, "I'm on the opposite side, I can't see you, want to smash the store? Then I'll call the police."

"Hurry up!" Xiang Xi hung up the phone and drove away without caring about the direction.

He rushed until the battery was almost dead, and the moat was in front of him. Then he slowed down, drove half a street, found a car repair shop, and put the car in to charge.

"Let's help to see what's loose or broken, let's fix it." Xiang Xi squatted at the door of the store and said.

"Okay, let me take a look." The car repairer replied.

Xiang Xi opened the bag and took out a pack of cigarettes from the bottom. He kept the cigarettes in the bag all the time. Cheng Boyan said he couldn't smoke, so he never smoked.

"Do you need to change the front gear? It's all broken." The master asked.

"Change, but you can pick me a cheap one." Xiang Xi said, took out a cigarette, lit it and held it in his mouth.

"There are cheap ones, but the colors don't match." The master said.

"It's okay." Xiang Xi took a puff of cigarette, took out his mobile phone and dialed Fang Yin's number.

"I called the police," Fang Yin said as soon as he answered the phone, "The police have arrived, but no one was caught. I went in and took a look, and there was no big loss..."

"Is the lady boss injured?" Xiang Xi interrupted him and asked.

"No, the casserole was broken all over the place," Fang Yin said, "Where are you?"

"Don't come to my place to look for me these two days." Xiang Xi didn't answer his question.

"All right, I won't go," Fang Yin thought for a while, "Are you afraid that someone will follow me? Why are they still looking for you?"

"Be careful yourself, don't come to me if you're going to be beaten." Xiang Xi glanced at the sun-whitened berms on both sides of the moat, "If people know where I live, I'll kill you .”

"I'm not that kind of person," Fang Yin sighed, "This is a big deal, so please pay attention to your own safety. I'll wait for you to contact me."

"Yes." Xiang Xi hung up the phone.

There were several missed calls on the phone, all of which were the boss's number, Xiang Xi looked very uncomfortable.

Lost the job and got the boss in trouble.

He suddenly felt irritable and stuffy. Something was pressing in his heart and stuck in his throat, and he couldn't get it down or spit it out.

He squatted for a while, then stood up and kicked hard at the tree by the roadside.

The tree didn't even shake.

He rushed over and gave it a hard push, then roared and kicked at the side of the tree, and finally picked up a piece of broken plastic shell at the door of the repair shop and swung it at the tree with a roar.

It wasn't until the plastic shell was completely shattered that he sat down on the ground with his face facing the tree. The plastic shell cut a hole in his hand, and blood slowly seeped out.

anger.

Wronged.

Emotions with nowhere to vent.

Seeing the blood on his hands, he slowly calmed down.

Turning around, the car mechanic in the shop was looking at him with a wrench in one hand.

"Can you wash your hands here?" Xiang Xi sat cross-legged on the ground and asked.

"There is a hand pump at the back." The master pointed to him.

"Oh." Xiang Xi replied, sitting on the ground without moving.

"Go and wash," the master said again, "your hands are bloody."

"Tired," Xiang Xi looked down at his hands, "I'll take a break."

Sitting on the ground in a daze for a while, Xiang Xi got up and went to the back to wash his hands. The gash was not big, but a lot of blood flowed out, probably because he was in a good mood recently and his blood was strong.

"There is a small pharmacy in front, and they sell Band-Aids." The master looked at his hand.

"I have." Xiang Xi sat on the stool in the store, took out his own cartoon band-aids from his bag, pasted four on his hands one by one, and then took another one and pasted it on the corner of his left eye Down.

It cost more than 200 yuan to repair the car, but Xiang Xi thought it was okay, and it was much more comfortable to drive than before.

He drove the car back to Old Street and parked at the back door of Sha Guofan.

An old-fashioned padlock was used on the back door. Xiang Xi had a key, but after looking at the lock, he threw the key he had already got on the ground, and the boss had already changed the lock.

He took the car lock and carefully locked the car on the railing of the rear door, then turned and left.

Xiang Xi suddenly didn't come to deliver the food, Cheng Boyan looked at the young man who came to deliver the food today, he was a little surprised, he still had something to say when Xiang Xi came over.

A few nurses who were familiar with Xiang Xi asked about it, but the young man didn't know anything about it.

Cheng Boyan took out his phone and dialed Xiang Xi's number.

"Hello?" Xiang Xi answered the phone with a tired voice.

"Did you not work at the casserole rice?" Cheng Boyan asked directly.

"Ah?" Xiang Xi's voice suddenly became clear, "Ah, yes! It's over!"

"Didn't you do a good job? Suddenly quit?" Cheng Boyan frowned, "Did something happen?"

"How can it be!" Xiang Xi clicked his tongue and suddenly lowered his voice, "I'll tell you quietly..."

"What?" Cheng Boyan was baffled by his movement.

"I quit." Xiang Xi whispered.

"Jump for what? Job hopping?" Cheng Boyan almost couldn't react, "Where did you jump?"

"The Shaxian snack across the street is here," Xiang Xi sniffed, his voice tinged with pride, "I was poached here, and my salary was increased by one hundred."

Cheng Boyan was amused: "You're so awesome, have you jumped into the trough, or were you poached?"

"Well," Xiang Xi said, "If you want to eat Shaxian, I'll bring you steamed dumplings? Noodles? Xiaolongbao?"

"That's enough, don't count," Cheng Boyan smiled, "I have something to tell you."

"What's the matter?" Xiang Xi asked.

"I would like to treat you to dinner on Saturday," Cheng Boyan said, "There are a few friends of mine, do you have time?"