Out of place

When it was time to get into the elevator, Xiang Xi was a little worried, so he opened the backpack and handed it to Cheng Boyan: "Look, is there anything missing?"

"What else is missing? You brought water and food, and Band-Aids, so we will go to the suburbs, not a long-distance trip," Cheng Boyan smiled, but still looked at the contents of the bag seriously , "Everything is really complete, there is no shortage."

"I haven't gone out to play before, so I have no experience." Xiang Xi laughed a few times and entered the elevator.

In fact, it’s okay to not bring anything, it’s just in the outskirts of the city, and it’s not in the wilderness, you can just buy what you need, but Xiang Xi thinks that you have to bring it yourself, it’s more interesting, and it’s like an outing.

The more stuff you bring, the more enjoyable it is.

Cheng Boyan could almost guess what he was thinking. After getting into the car, Xiang Xi didn't put down his bag. He took out his precious camera and put it away alone, and kept holding the bag to study the things he brought out.

When passing by a small supermarket, Cheng Boyan stopped the car, took Xiang Xi and went in for a couple of circles, and bought a lot of food, such as ham sausage and bread.

"Is it okay to have a picnic?" Xiang Xi carried the bag in satisfaction.

"Well, if you want to eat farmhouse music, you can also just have a fish or a chicken, and we bring other dishes by ourselves," Cheng Boyan said with a smile. said."

"I guess I can't last enough to eat." Xiang Xi took out a small corn sausage and started to chew, "It's the most fun to eat all the way."

The road to the western suburbs was being repaired, and Cheng Boyan found out that he had to make a detour, and he had to make a big detour.

"Go around, it's okay." Xiang Xi's mood was not affected at all, and he said while eating, "In fact, just sitting in the car like this, I'll be fine all day, it's fun."

"I'm going to die after driving for a day." Cheng Boyan turned the car around.

"I'll hire a driver for you when I have money," Xiang Xi said.

"For a car worth 20 yuan, you need a driver, so you have a personality." Cheng Boyan said with a smile.

"Stupid, you must change the car when you can hire the driver," Xiang Xi clapped his hands, "Change...change..."

What kind of awesome car to change? Xiangxi thought for a long time but couldn't figure it out. His knowledge of cars was limited to Uncle Ping's van, and there was no need to learn about it. Just the van, including the fact that he was thrown into the car and pulled into the field and was almost beaten. When I died, I didn't sit a few times in total.

After going north for about an hour, they turned back to the road to the western suburbs from a potholed road. This road has been around for a long time, and there are root carvings on both sides. It's so rotten that it's like having smallpox, and you can slap your face when you drink saliva in the car.

When he returned to the flat road, Xiang Xi couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief: "It's so bumpy that I can't feel my tongue..."

"Is it fun?" Cheng Boyan asked.

"Fun." Xiang Xi replied with a smile.

The road in the western suburbs has just been repaired. It is not too wide, but it is very flat. There are many newly built communities on both sides, but there are few shops.

After the car passed through the town next to the western suburbs, the road was still good, but gradually the houses became less and some farmland began to appear, and some small villages could be seen in the distance.

The scenery is beautiful and the air is obviously much cleaner.

But after passing through the town, Xiang Xi's words stopped, and he ate very slowly. Now he was biting a French fries for 2 minutes and still holding it in his mouth, staring out the window in a daze.

"Is it necessary to move forward?" Cheng Boyan opened the skylight and asked.

"Well, turn right at the third intersection, I counted it, and I just passed an intersection," Xiang Xi said, and finally ate the French fries in his mouth at this moment, "What do you think Uncle Ping is here for?" ?”

"I don't know, you've been with him for so many years, doesn't he usually come here?" Cheng Boyan asked.

"He doesn't go out very much, and he stays on his own territory when he goes out. If he runs far away, he is easily squatted by others," Xiang Xi said, "But he used to do vegetable wholesale, so should he come here?"

"It's possible," Cheng Boyan pointed backwards, "The town we passed just now has a sign. It is the vegetable base of our city, and there is a demonstration base for peaches or plums further on."

"Shall we go eat?" Xiang Xi asked.

"The demonstration base does not retail, I want to eat it and buy it for you." Cheng Boyan said.

"Then when we go back, should we buy vegetables in the town, isn't it a vegetable base?" Xiang Xi asked again.

"...Buy it if you want, it's fresh." Hearing Xiang Xi's off-topic words, Cheng Boyan reached out and squeezed his shoulder, and he could hear that Xiang Xi was getting nervous.

At the third intersection, Cheng Boyan's car turned right onto a small road leading to every village. There was a rather big village in front of it, and many small buildings could be seen from a distance.

The village looks good, and the life of the villagers should be good.

So drop the kid here?

But why not just put it in the city?

Hospitals, orphanages, residential buildings, many places can...

Or is it the nearby villagers?

Cheng Boyan looked at Xiang Xi's profile, and he really didn't look like a child in the village or town.

Maybe it's because people here are more simple and treat a boy kindly?

When Cheng Boyan was thinking about it, the road ahead narrowed and it was not easy for the car to pass, so he parked the car on the side of the road and turned off the engine.

"Get out of the car?" He asked Xiang Xi.

"Well," Xiang Xi opened the car door and jumped out of the car. He didn't notice the French fries in his hand, "It should be here."

"Then ask." Cheng Boyan ignored the French fries and got out of the car.

The parking location is at the entrance of the village. There is a big tree surrounded by concrete piers. There is a set of stone tables and chairs under the tree. There are also a lot of cement blocks in a mess next to it. It is probably the place where the villagers usually chat.

It was morning, and at a glance, there was no one around.

"I don't know which wall I was placed under," Xiang Xi said, walking slowly along the path to the village, "it shouldn't go too far."

"I'll ask." Cheng Boyan walked quickly to a small courtyard at the entrance of the village.

The courtyard door was not closed, so he pushed it open. Following a burst of dog barking, he saw a black dog and an old lady picking vegetables in the courtyard.

"Hello," Cheng Boyan smiled politely at the old lady, "Have you lived here all this time?"

The old lady first yelled something to the dog, and the dog stopped barking, then she turned her head and said something to them, but Cheng Boyan didn't understand a word.

"What about your news interview? Let me ask," Xiang Xi said as he squeezed into the courtyard from Cheng Boyan, walked directly to the old lady and squatted down, took out the root vegetables and asked while picking them, "Grandma, you are not from the local area." ?”

Cheng Boyan still couldn't understand the old lady's words, but what surprised him was that Xiang Xi could understand.

"Did you grow this vegetable yourself?" Xiang Xi said again, "It's much better than what we usually buy in the market. It's better for you to live."

The old lady laughed and said a few more words.

"Tired? Well, that's a bit tired," Xiang Xi nodded, "Is there anyone else in your family? Going out to work?"

Cheng Boyan didn't enter the courtyard, and stood at the gate of the courtyard listening to Xiang Xi chatting with the old lady, and the chat was quite natural.

The dog in the courtyard stretched, walked slowly to the door, and stared at Cheng Boyan silently. This dog is not a native dog, but looks like a Labrador. Its ears are not standing up, so it doesn’t look like a native dog either. So afraid of people.

Cheng Boyan took a step back subconsciously, giving way to the dog.

The dog didn't go away, but followed him and took a step to this side, stretched out its nose and smelled his leg.

He quickly retracted his legs and took another step back.

The dog pressed forward again.

He had to retreat again.

After retreating about ten steps, he was almost back to the entrance of the village. The dog was still looking at him with great interest. He sighed and took two steps away from the dog to go back to the gate of the yard.

The moment he passed by, the dog suddenly raised its head and licked his hand.

"Hey!" Cheng Boyan withdrew his hand abruptly, the cold wetness on his hand made him suddenly have the urge to hit the wall.

"What's wrong?" Xiang Xi heard his voice, ran out and was stunned, "You were bitten by a dog?"

"No," Cheng Boyan raised his hand, "It licks me."

As soon as Xiang Xi leaned against the courtyard door, he began to laugh, and then the old lady in the courtyard said something, and he waved: "There is well water in the courtyard, come and wash your hands."

Cheng Boyan originally wanted to say that I would go back to the car to get the disinfectant, but considering that he was inquiring about important matters, he went into the yard anyway.

There is a pressure well in the courtyard, Xiang Xi pressed the water to make him wash his hands, and wet his pants and shoes by the way...

"Have you got the question yet?" Cheng Boyan shook the water off his hand.

"The old lady said she has an impression," Xiang Xi rubbed his nose, the smile on his face disappeared, replaced by a frowning expression with some anxiety, "but I can't remember clearly, so I just said that there seems to be such a thing, but it must be If you're not at her house, let's go to the side and ask."

"Then ask." Cheng Boyan said.

After thanking the old lady, they left the yard and walked to the house next door.

This time Cheng Boyan didn't ask again, he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to understand anything, so Xiang Xi knocked on the door and asked, this time it was a middle-aged woman, and her accent was not strong.

Cheng Boyan understood.

"Child? There was one, I remember. I just got married at that time, and it was the winter of the year I married," the woman came out and pointed to the other side, "the Hu's over there, by the wall of his house .”

When Cheng Boyan heard this, his heart was suddenly excited, and Xiang Xi probably was the same. He saw Xiang Xi turn around sharply in the direction of the woman's finger.

There was no one in the Hu family, and the master went out to visit relatives, but the woman remembered this very clearly, so they sat down in the yard of the woman's house.

"What do you two do?" the woman asked, "Why do you ask this?"

"That kid," Xiang Xi pointed to himself, "it's me."

"Ah?" The woman's eyes widened, and she was surprised for a long time before she said, "God..."

"Auntie," Xiang Xi said, "can you talk to me again?"

"Let me think about it," the woman stared at Xiang Xi up and down, "Are you not sick? Are you in good health?"

"Very good," Xiang Xi was taken aback by her question, "how?"

"When I woke up in the morning, the child was put there," the woman pointed to the Hu family over there, "by the wall of his yard, he didn't cry or make noise, his face was pale...someone pulled the quilt to look, It’s a boy, and there are people in our village who want a boy, but whoever dares to pick up a boy like this is afraid that it’s a sick child who won’t even cry.”

Xiang Xi didn't speak, but squeezed his hands tightly together.

"Then what happened afterwards?" Cheng Boyan asked.

"No one dared to pick it up later. At that time, our village was still poor, and life was not as good as it is now. It's okay if someone is not sick, but I'm afraid that if he is sick, he will not be able to take care of him." The woman sighed and looked at it again. Xiang Xi, "It's really you? It looks fine..."

"Who picked it up later?" Cheng Boyan asked.

"They say that people like this have to be sent to the orphanage. Where did we get the orphanage here!" The woman said, "Around noon, someone in the town heard about this, and a man came and took him away. .”

Cheng Boyan and Xiang Xi looked at each other, but Xiang Xi still didn't speak.

A man came to the town and took him away. It should be Uncle Ping.

Uncle Ping is telling the truth...

"Then..." Cheng Boyan thought for a while, "Who brought the child here? Did anyone see it?"

"No one saw it, but," the woman suppressed her voice, "someone saw a woman she didn't know go out from our village early in the morning, got into a car, and they all said she was rich. There is money to drive."

"Is it the child she carried?" Cheng Boyan asked.

"Then I don't know, no one has seen it," the woman said, "but there are nine out of ten chances."

"How old are you?" Cheng Boyan continued to ask.

"That's not clear. I'm 40 or [-] years old. I didn't look at it, I just heard it." The woman said.

"Then..." Cheng Boyan wanted to ask more, but Xiang Xi who was next to him suddenly stood up.

"Let's go," Xiang Xi said, and smiled at the woman again, "Thank you, auntie."

"Really you?" The woman looked at him, "Really you?"

Xiang Xi didn't make another sound, turned around and walked out of the yard.

"Thank you." Cheng Boyan said, and quickly chased him out.

Xiang Xi walked out of the village in silence and returned to the car.

Cheng Boyan unlocked the car, he opened the door, and when he was about to get in the car, he saw the french fries that he had sprinkled on the car seat, hesitated for a moment, reached out to pick up the french fries, held them in his hand, and got into the car.

"Xiang Xi, are you okay?" Cheng Boyan didn't get in the car, but stood by the passenger door and looked at him with some concern.

"A little...depressed," Xiang Xi lowered his head and ate the french fries one by one, "Uncle Ping hasn't spoken the truth for so many years, yet this matter is not a lie, it's... amazing."

"How about we ask again?" Cheng Boyan said.

"No need," Xiang Xi stuffed all the French fries into his mouth, and leaned back on the car seat after eating, "That's all for asking, and knowing these is enough."

Cheng Boyan paused, walked around the front of the car and got on the car.

"Actually, I'm okay, I don't feel much about it," Xiang Xi said, "The blood collection comparison may not have any results there. If it was really thrown away, who would go to the blood collection to look for it?"

20 years ago, three 40-year-old women.

The person who brings the child is not necessarily the biological mother.

But Cheng Boyan didn't say this guess. Firstly, it doesn't matter whether he is the biological mother or not. We can only see the result of the final comparison. Secondly, he really doesn't want to give Xiang Xi any hope anymore. He said he came here this time to verify Looking at the situation in the past to find clues, this guess can't be said again.

"Let's drive," Xiang Xi fastened his seat belt, "Aren't you talking about an outing?"

"Well," Cheng Boyan started the car, "Look at the sign before, there is an ecological farm a little further ahead, go and see?"

"Okay." Xiang Xi's eyes lit up, "What is the ecological farm for?"

"Probably plant some pollution-free vegetables for customers to pick themselves, as well as fruits and so on, maybe orchard chicken?" Cheng Boyan said.

"Then go," Xiang Xi sat up straight, "I don't know if I can fish, I really want to fish."

To be honest, Cheng Boyan couldn't tell whether Xiang Xi's current state was pretended or real, but he didn't ask any more questions, and drove away from the small road in the village, returning to the main road before and driving slowly.

A few minutes later, Xiang Xi leaned against the window and said, "Don't worry about me, I'm really fine."

"Huh?" Cheng Boyan looked at him.

"I think I have tried my best. I have tried everything I can do, think about, and ask," Xiang Xi said in a calm voice. "Whether it is because they don't want me or for other reasons, I have No matter how hard you try, if you find it or you can’t find it, it’s actually just a thought, an obsession.”

"Really." Cheng Boyan smiled and reached out to touch his face.

"As you said, after all, I still have to move forward. I can't always be dragged by the past." Xiang Xi quickly turned his head and kissed him in the palm of his hand, "I thought about it when I came, this time Once the ID card is completed and the household registration is settled, no matter what the result of the final comparison is, I will not think about it anymore, the current life is enough."

"You really think so?" Cheng Boyan asked.

"Really, it's impossible for a person to be perfect in a lifetime. I'm pretty perfect now," Xiang Xi nodded, "Really, that's enough."

"Then shall we go on an outing now?" Cheng Boyan patted the steering wheel.

"Outing!" Xiang Xi took the camera, "Stop for a moment."

Cheng Boyan stopped the car: "What?"

Xiang Xi got out of the car with the camera. On the other side of the large wheat field, the small village before could be seen in the distance. He raised the camera and took a few pictures.

Cheng Boyan asked him to take a look at the camera. The photos taken by Xiang Xi have improved a lot. Looking at these few photos makes people feel that only himself is left in the world.

"What's the name of this photo?" He asked with a smile.

"It's called...by chance," Xiang Xi closed the car door, "one by chance, one by chance, one by chance, many by chance, if we miss any one, we can't stay here like this now, what a wonderful world."

Today is not a weekend, nor is it a tourist season. There are almost no people in the ecological farm, and there are only three or four cars parked outside the farm.

"It can be regarded as a private room, right?" Cheng Boyan got out of the car and looked around.

The sun is very good, there are mountains next to it, and a canal passes by the farm, and the sound of rushing water can be heard, which makes people relax and a little lazy.

"Is there anything else to pick right now?" Xiang Xi ran to the side of the ditch and lay down on his stomach, reached out to touch the water, "The water is so clear, come and see!"

"It's okay if you don't pick anything," Cheng Boyan walked to him, "Look at the sign behind."

Xiang Xi turned his head and saw a wooden sign standing behind several cars, with words written crookedly on it.

"Catch by yourself, chicken in the orchard, fish pond... start fishing," Xiang Xi smiled, "This word is really good enough, I can even laugh at it."

"Let's go, you can go fishing." Cheng Boyan patted him.

"I want to catch chickens." Xiang Xi got up and walked to the farm with him.

"Let's go fishing," Cheng Boyan said, "Haven't you never caught a fish before and want to catch it?"

"I've never caught chickens before, I want to catch chickens now," Xiang Xi insisted, and then looked at the mountain next to him, "Look! There are nets on the mountain, so that's where the chickens are kept!"

"Can't you go fishing?" Cheng Boyan sighed.

"You want to fish? Let's catch the chicken first and then go fishing." Xiang Xi looked at him, paused for a moment, then suddenly became happy, and pointed at him, "I see!"

"Know what." Cheng Boyan gave him a sideways glance.

Xiang Xi laughed happily for a while before patting him on the shoulder: "Dad! You think catching chickens would be dirty!"

"...It was originally," Cheng Boyan clicked his tongue, "It's dirt and hairy."

"You were licked by a dog and haven't been sterilized yet?" Xiang Xi couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah!" Cheng Boyan suddenly remembered this, and immediately pulled the bag behind Xiang Xi, "Where's the disinfectant?"

"I'll bring it to you, ouch," Xiang Xibian Le opened the bag, took out the disinfectant for him, and watched him rub his hands, "That dog likes you, doesn't it?"

"It's probably because I made way for it and almost returned to the city, thank you." Cheng Boyan frowned.

This farm is said to be a farm, but in fact it is the farmers who have enclosed the land to build some houses, grow some fruits and raise some chickens and fish. The houses are the common ones in rural areas.

After walking inside for a while, I met an uncle who looked like a farmer, holding a handful of grass in his hand, looked at them and shouted: "Is the boss eating?"

"Eat," Cheng Boyan said, "where to eat?"

"In the house, it's comfortable by the water. There are also houses on the side of the mountain. You can choose a mountain view room or a water view room." The uncle said with a hearty smile.

"Can I catch the chicken myself?" Xiang Xi asked.

"Yes, if you want to eat chicken, I will take you to catch it, but it is more expensive to catch it yourself, I am afraid that you will not catch it and hurt other chickens." The uncle said.

"What about fishing? Is there a fishing rod?" Seeing the unpredictable and indescribable expression on Cheng Boyan's face, Xiang Xi asked about fishing again with a smile.

"Yes! It has everything! I have been running this farm for many years, and I have everything. I guarantee you will have fun," the uncle waved, "Come on, first look at the menu and choose a box."

The menu is very simple, that is, chicken, duck, goose, fish, and some mountain products.

Cheng Boyan ordered a chicken, dried bamboo shoots and farm bacon, and Xiang Xi ordered a fried grasshopper that the boss strongly recommended, saying that he would not regret eating it and would still want to eat it.

"Stir... what?" Cheng Boyan asked.

"Grasshopper," Xiang Xi said, looking at Cheng Boyan's shocked face, he added, "Grasshopper, it's just a locust, the kind that hops up and down."

"I know what a grasshopper is," Cheng Boyan looked at him, "You want to eat this?"

"Try it, it's delicious. When I was a child, I ate roasted grasshopper legs." Xiang Xi looked at the boss with interest, "Do you raise them yourself or catch them?"

"It's raised, I can't catch so many now," the boss said with a smile, "but the taste is guaranteed to be good! And this thing is nutritious, rich in egg whites."

"Roasted grasshopper legs? How to roast them?" Cheng Boyan was still struggling with Xiang Xi's previous words.

"Yeah," Xiang Xibi stroked, "Matches, lighters, grab them and roast them before eating them. You can't eat your body if it's not cooked."

"You...why eat this?" Cheng Boyan couldn't describe his feeling.

"Greedy," Xiang Xi turned and walked out, "Boss, bring me two fishing rods, let's go fishing first."

Cheng Boyan hadn't recovered from Xiang Xi giving birth to roasted grasshopper legs and they would eat fried grasshoppers later, Xiang Xi had already taken the fishing rod and bait given by the boss, and dragged him to the fish pond.

"How do you fish?" By the time Cheng Boyan realized it, the two of them had already stepped on the mud beside the fish pond.

"Sit there, there are small stools." Xiang Xi pointed to the muddy ground by the water, where there were a few small wooden stools for guests to fish, which seemed to be handmade, not too particular.

"I don't..." Cheng Boyan was stunned, and looked down at the mud on the edge of his shoes, "I'll just watch you fish here."

"It's going to die." Xiang Xi was so happy that he stepped on the mud and jumped twice, "It's actually quite dry, and it's not mud..."

Before Cheng Boyan could speak, he had already ran to the edge of the water and sat down. He turned around and looked at Cheng Boyan again: "Fishing with me, Dad."

"...Here we come." Cheng Boyan gritted his teeth, walked over and sat down beside him.

"How to fish?" Xiang Xi shook the fishing rod.

"Let's hang the bait first, the fish in the fish pond should be easy to catch," Cheng Boyan used his fingers to pull open the bait box given by the boss, and turned his head when he saw the inside, "Hey."

"Squeeze a little on the hook, shall we?" Xiang Xi stretched out his hand and squeezed a lump of bait from the box, "It's like shit."

"Shut up." Cheng Boyan said.

"Let me hang it for you," Xiang Xi said, "You can just fish."

"No," Cheng Boyan turned around and squeezed out a lump, "I'll help you, I'll take my son out to play, so I have to come."

"Aren't you uncomfortable?" Xiang Xi smiled.

"It's not uncomfortable," Cheng Boyan said, "I can bear it."