Heart fire

The memorial service is scheduled for eight o'clock in the morning and will last for an hour and a half.

The identity of the first deceased was rather special. The civil affairs department had sent someone to contact the funeral home three days ago to request special care and to bear all the funeral expenses.Therefore, the staff at the scene placed the remains and placed the wreaths almost carefully, and did their best in every detail without slacking off in the slightest.

The pattering spring rain last night has not yet stopped.Raindrops slipped from the eaves, strung together into a water curtain that seemed to exist but not to exist.While walking in a hurry, everyone was silent at the same time. When they were immersed in their work, they had to be careful of the slippery ground and couldn't help taking the time to look at the family members who were alone.

He looked unusually sensible and calm, and seemed to be familiar with the whole process, but whether it was a decent suit or the indifference in his gestures, they clearly had nothing to do with that childish young face. People can't help but pick up their hearts and sigh for him.

Perhaps five years was enough to erase memory, perhaps the turnover of the undertaker staff was too great, or perhaps his appearance and stature had changed so that no one recognized him.

At the end, someone came up to talk to him, and told him to control his emotions and progress as usual, and not exceed the time, because there are still many corpses waiting in line to say goodbye.

Everything was ready, Zhou Tong raised his wrist and looked at his watch, it was about to start in half an hour.

The guests arrived one after another in the last half hour, tidied up their appearances and put away their umbrellas, stepped in in twos and threes, brushed off the rainwater from their shoulders, put on sad expressions, came to Zhou Tong, or stretched out their hands to him, or patted him. Patting him on the shoulder, some people hesitated to speak, some wept and regretted, and they said to be strong and mourn, so as to express their comfort.

So Zhou Tong nodded, bowed, and thanked him, repeating it over and over again.Just like five years ago, like seven years ago, everything seems to go back in time, and yesterday reappears.

The sound of rain was intertwined with sorrow and joy, and the heat generated by walking and breathing covered the portrait with mist.A gust of drafts blew up the elegiac couplets on the wreath, and the black leather shoes turned away. Zhou Tong straightened up and collided with Yao Hongwei who was behind.

This was probably the only look at each other without pity and sympathy in the past few days, which made people feel relieved, but Zhou Tong could only purse his lips restrainedly, exchanged a tacit look with him, and whispered: "Uncle Yao, you're here."

Looking at the police rank on his shoulder, it seems that it is different from before.Zhou Tong was ready to shake hands, but Yao Hongwei suddenly opened his arms and gave him a firm hug.

"Good boy." A slightly hoarse voice choked in his ear, "You really look like Brother Zhou, and you've grown taller again!"

Zhou Tong smiled inwardly, and hugged him calmly and briefly.The hard texture of the military uniform in the palm has been absent for a long time and is unfamiliar, instantly evoking countless memories.

The memorial service was very simple, and like all ordinary people with ordinary political backgrounds, there were no eulogy speeches from relatives and friends, and no representative speeches.Everyone silently lined up around the coffin, put down a white or yellow chrysanthemum, and took a last look at the old man in the coffin.

An ordinary life stops here.On the lackluster white paper, the only highlight is the glorious sacrifice of the children. The experience of sending a white-haired man to a black-haired man several times made this honest, illiterate woman a heroic mother and a martyr's family. Only when you arrive can you walk in such a colorful and decent way.

One and a half hours is not short, but there is still plenty to spare.After the memorial service was over, Zhou Tong bid farewell to her grandmother under the eyes of everyone, watched her body go into the cremation room, saw off the guests, and went to the back of the auditorium to find a stove to burn the relics alone, waiting to collect the ashes.

The crowd receded and gathered again like a tide, and the next memorial service has already started against the clock.Standing in the cold wind of early spring with the urn in his arms, Zhou Tong exhaled heavily.

The rain stopped, the clouds receded, and the sun suddenly appeared.

...

Zhou Tong stored the ashes of his grandma with those of his adoptive father and elder brother.Walking out of the gate of the funeral home, looking back at the two roads leading to the auditorium, the length is almost endless.In the middle of the road stood short stone monuments not far away, and the bushes on both sides were lush and lush, and after the spring rain, they became more and more alive, as if winter had never passed.

A black Audi with a special license plate was parked at the gate.Yao Hongwei was smoking in the car, and when Zhou Tong came out, he extinguished the cigarette butt, and beckoned him to get in the car.

"Are you hungry? It's the beginning of spring, let me take you to eat spring rolls?"

"Okay, but let's say yes first, I invite you." Zhou Tong replied with a smile, then opened the car door and got into the back seat.

The car quickly left the remote suburbs and merged into the crowded traffic.Yao Hongwei has already been transferred from Jiangzhou, but he still remembers every road here.Back then in the Jiangzhou City Fire Special Service Brigade, Zhou Jian and he would come out every week to familiarize themselves with roads big and small.At that time, there was no advanced navigation equipment, and the police relied on the map in their heads. The two of them rode bicycles for a day, and they knew the roads well, and they were also familiar with the small shops on the roadside.

The owner of the snack bar was very excited to see Yao Hongwei.This shop has been open in Jiangzhou for nearly 20 years. The store is not big. It sells spring rolls with bean skin, bean paste and duck meat, as well as other authentic snacks. There is always a long queue at the door whenever you come.The small shop was in a fire that year, and Yao Hongwei recited the owner's youngest daughter. She has since become a benefactor. As long as he and Zhou Jian come, there will be a seat.

"How is the school? Are you used to the climate in the north?" Yao Hongwei pushed the freshly fried spring rolls in front of Zhou Tong, signaling him to eat them while they are hot.

Since going to Beilin to go to school, Zhou Tong's appetite has increased dramatically.This trip back has been busy dealing with grandma’s funeral, and he hasn’t had time to eat some food from his hometown. The spring rolls in the south are small in size, and he ate five or six of them in one go. Pass him tea and tell him to slow down.

Zhou Tong took a sip of tea: "Very good, there is heating in winter, more comfortable than Jiangzhou, but nosebleeds all the time. There is a roommate who is a fellow townsman, and we get along well, and the teacher treats me very well."

"Young man is hot, please pay more attention to yourself." Yao Hongwei knew that Zhou Tong was recommended to the university, so he was not worried about his study at all, and asked again: "Are there any difficulties in life? If you have any, you must tell me .Your aunt often talks about you, and it will be more convenient to go to my house during the holidays than to go back to Jiangzhou."

Zhou Tong smiled and nodded, accepting his kindness.There are scholarships for studying, and the pensions of Zhou Jian and Zhou Yi are enough for him to live a life without worrying about food and clothing, but he has never touched that money, and he is currently living well on work-study programs.Grandma passed away, and Jiangzhou has no relatives anymore. I don't know when I will leave this time, and I will come back again.

"Auntie and Sister Lulu are you okay? How are you?" Zhou Tong asked back.He is 19 years old and has the ability to treat Yao Hongwei to dinner. At the same time, he does not forget to talk to him on an equal footing like an adult, caring about his work and life, just like in the years after Zhou Jian passed away, he has always replaced his father The character cares about himself as much as his brother.

"They're all fine, and so am I."

Yao Hongwei was obviously amused by his serious and mature appearance, but in the past 13 years, Zhou Tong was no longer led to the gate of the Secret Service Brigade by Zhou Yi, kneeling on the ground and crying that he was hungry and wanted to eat cakes child.Zhou Jian devoted his whole life to the country, the people and the cause of firefighting, while Zhou Yi was like his shadow. The father and son shuttled back and forth in the fire scene all day long, living a day-to-day life with their lives hanging by a thread. Zhou Tong protected him very well and tried his best to pave a completely different path for him, hoping that he could live the ordinary life he dreamed of for himself.

Ordinary, healthy, earn enough money, like most ordinary people, have frustrations and expectations, hurdles that cannot be overcome, and tomorrow.

"The army is facing restructuring, and firefighting needs to be fully professionalized. In a year or two, I should take off my military uniform and police rank and turn it in, and become a civil servant." Yao Hongwei didn't know whether Zhou Tong could understand these words or not. Whether he wants to hear it or not, he seems to have returned to many years ago in a trance, the same scene, the same table, and the dead brothers and comrades sitting opposite him.They were still very young at that time, and they also lived a life where one person was full and the whole family was not hungry. After drinking a bottle of beer, they could talk about life, death, and ideals fearlessly. It's a passion like fire.

Zhou Tong's half-understanding eyes brought Yao Hongwei back to reality.He smiled and continued to explain: "China's firefighting force has always been a two-pronged approach of public security and armed police. The recruits are generally young, and they often go to the battlefield not long after they leave the company. Although they have good physical fitness and understand obedience, they lack professionalism and systems. knowledge and training can easily be sacrificed prematurely, as in..."

Speaking of this, Yao Hongwei suddenly felt inappropriate, and wanted to save him but couldn't find a turning point for a while.Unexpectedly, Zhou Tong accepted the words easily, and thoughtfully said: "It's like my brother. If the firefighters had become professional earlier, maybe he would not have faced an unprepared battle, and maybe he could have made more accurate decisions at that time. judgment."

"Hmm..." Facing his calmness, Yao Hongwei, who was over forty years old, didn't know what to say in embarrassment. "Maybe."

"It's a good thing." Zhou Tong sighed softly as if someone had been there.

"When will you return to Beilin?" Yao Hongwei tried to draw his attention away from the topic just now.

After Zhou Tong finished eating the last spring roll, he took out his wallet and put it on the table, and took out a tissue to wipe his mouth. "The day after tomorrow, tomorrow we have to deal with the matter of the old house. What about you?"

His tone and actions made Yao Hongwei give up the idea of ​​rushing to pay the bill. "I'm leaving tonight."

When Zhou Tong took out the money, Yao Hongwei caught a glimpse of a picture of a girl in his wallet, so before going out, like all elders, he couldn't avoid asking: "Did you have a girlfriend in college?"

Zhou Tong smiled shyly: "Well...it is possible."

"Oh?" Yao Hongwei looked him up and down. "It seems that IQ and EQ have developed in an all-round way. It's good. Don't be like Brother Zhou in this regard. Bring it back for me to meet?"

"Let's talk." Zhou Tong leaned slightly, got out of the narrow shop door, and said goodbye to Yao Hongwei standing on the side of the road. "Don't send me off, I want to walk by myself."

"Uncle Yao, take care and see you later."

Zhou Tong waved away, Yao Hongwei took out his cigarette and lit it, stood there watching him trot across the road, and then disappeared at the corner of the street.

...

The old house near the river has been affected by damp for many years, and the wall skin is always peeling off in large pieces, and the roof is prone to leaking when it rains.Last year, the street reported to the higher-ups that a family member of a military martyr needed to be resettled, and quickly applied for a set of affordable housing in the city.But the old lady guarded her dilapidated house and refused to move, even Zhou Tong came back to persuade her to no avail.

Zhou Tong was under six years old when he was adopted.Since then, he and Zhou Yi have moved into the three-bedroom apartment in this Tongzilou. They have lived there for 13 years, and they have long forgotten their original names.

In the past six months of going to Beilin to study, the hoarding in the house has increased a lot. There are piles of bottles, cans and scrap copper and iron everywhere, and it is difficult to get out of the house after entering the house.Only his and Zhou Yi's rooms still maintain their original appearance. A high and low bed is covered with identical sheets, two desks are placed side by side in front of the window, one is empty and dusty, and the other is neatly stacked. Looking at his physics competition booklet and trophy, as well as the table tennis racket Zhou Yi bought for him.

It was cold and damp in the room, and all the textiles were heavy as if they had been soaked in water.The natural gas at home was cut off, so Zhou Tong washed his face in cold water, took off his suit and packed it in a moisture-proof bag, and solemnly hung it with Zhou Yi's military uniform. After closing the wardrobe door, he couldn't help opening it again, stretching He took out a hand and gently stroked the army green sleeve, the touch was the same as Yao Hongwei's.

The suit next to him also belonged to Zhou Yi.That year when he returned to Jiangzhou to visit relatives, he wanted to buy a suit out of nowhere. Zhou Tong thought that he had a girlfriend and wanted to meet his parents, or that he had an important occasion to attend, so he helped him choose a suit for a long time.

When he just entered junior high school that year, he was still very thin, and he was envious of Zhou Yi's muscles trained in the army, and he looked good in a suit.He was adoring and covetous, and clamored to try it, but his shoulders were not wide enough and his buttocks were not high enough, and he looked like a clown when he put it on, which made Zhou Yi and the shop assistant laugh for a long time.

Now, the clothes look a little small on him, and at the age of 19, he is taller than the 19-year-old Zhou Yi.Zhou Yi never had the chance to wear this suit, and Zhou Tong wore it for him at his funeral.That day grandma lost her mind, took his hand and kept calling "Xiao Yi, Xiao Yi", and asked him where Tong Tong had gone, and told him to call Tong Tong back to eat braised pork.

He hadn't worn his brother's military uniform yet, and never thought of wearing it.Since Zhou Yi died, this uniform was sent back together with other relics, and it hung in the closet for five years.The mothballs and moisture-proof bags didn't work, and now I found mold spots on the hem and cuffs.

Zhou Tong took out the clothes carefully, planning to send them outside for dry cleaning later.

Although he knew there was no possibility of anything, he habitually checked the inside and outside pockets.The uniform style of junior non-commissioned officers is different from that of officers only in the fabric, and there are not many pockets. Zhou Tong fumbled around, and suddenly felt something strange on the inside, like a wet tissue. He took it out and took a closer look. The letter was folded into a letter less than the size of a palm.

The envelope and the letter paper were damp, and a corner was accidentally rotted when it was opened.Most of the ink on the paper has smudged, but it can still be seen that the handwriting is very delicate, and every stroke is full of sincerity and prudence.

The light in the room is not good.Zhou Tong was puzzled, frowned, and took the letter to the window to read it carefully.

On the front of the white envelope, there is the word "Suicide Note" written in a line. The content inside is not long, and it begins with the words: "My love is like seeing a letter."