middle of the road

Cheng Yang parked his bicycle at the gate of the No. [-] Attached Primary School. He finished school later than Cheng Ying and the others, so usually at this time, both of them were already waiting at the school gate, but today Cheng Ying was the only one.

"Where's brother?" Cheng Yang asked.

"On duty." Cheng Ying coughed softly as she spoke, and Cheng Yang casually threw the car against the wall to shield her from the wind, took off the scarf and wrapped it around her again.

The little girl just had a fever two nights ago, and it was not completely cured. Cheng Yang was worried that she would be alone at home, so he packed the medicine and asked her to bring it to school. Maybe it was because he woke up too early in the morning, and her cough was obviously worse than the previous two days. God is serious.

"On duty today?" Cheng Yang frowned, "Isn't it Wednesday?"

Cheng Ying shook her head.

Cheng Yang led her, said hello to the doorman, and went in. On the way, he happened to meet a few girls in her class who were not going to publish the blackboard newspaper, so he let her go to play with them, and went to the next classroom by himself.

In the classroom, all the chairs had been turned upside down, and a layer of dust from the sweep was floating in the air. In the open space at the end, several little boys gathered together to play with a spinning top.

Between the legs of a chair that is taller than a person, a person can be vaguely seen, bending over and holding a broom, sweeping from front to back the garbage that has been piled up near the feet. There is a lot of garbage, and it is a bit difficult to move forward. , In such a cold day, the person who didn't wear a coat was actually sweating a lot.

Cheng Yang "hush" to Cheng Le who turned around and saw him, motioning him to stop talking, he walked to the duty form posted on the edge of the blackboard at the back, and suddenly started to say his name, "Chen Yuxuan, who is it? "

The young boys who were playing vigorously at the back stopped when they heard the sound, and looked towards him in unison.

"Wang Zihan, Li Junjie, Lu Haoran." Cheng Yang read one by one, paused after reading, and looked at them, "Is it you?"

"Who are you?" One of the chubby guys stood up holding the top, "Why are you calling us?"

"Answer my question." Cheng Yang put down a chair and sat on the table, "What day is it today?"

"Monday." Fatty said, "Don't you even know the day of the week? I recognize your school uniform. You are from No. [-] Middle School."

"Of course I know." Cheng Yang glanced at the paper again, "I'm afraid you'd forget." As he spoke, he stretched his legs, hooked the door with force, the door frame swung twice and then closed, the front door It was already closed, but this kick is equivalent to sealing off the exit of this classroom.

Except for Xiaopang who stood at the front, the others behind were all crowded together because of his action. Probably because Cheng Yang's cold face was really scary at this moment, I saw his chin pointing in the corner broom, "Take it, and do what you have to do on Monday."

Several little boys didn't know whether they were frightened or they were really repulsed by sweeping the floor. They didn't listen to him. Instead, they grabbed their school bags and ran towards the front door in a swarm.

Cheng Yang watched them run, and when they passed the podium, he picked up the chair he had put on the ground, and suddenly slammed it hard, from the back to the front, the chair hit the wall next to the door, thunder With an ear-popping sound, the few people who were about to run to the door were frightened and stopped in place, and the timid ones burst into tears.

Cheng Le hurriedly called out, "Brother!"

Cheng Yang picked up another chair and weighed it in his hand, "Be obedient, line up to get the broom, or I will beat you."

"I want to tell the teacher!" The little fat man named Chen Yuxuan finally cried out with an "ow".

"I'll lead you there after you've finished sweeping the floor." Cheng Yang said, "I'll count to three, and if I don't move, I promise I won't be polite to your heads."

From the eyes of the elementary school students, probably Cheng Yang's current appearance would not give up until he smashed their heads and made them bloom. After a moment of stunned, they put down their schoolbags one by one, obediently went to the back to get the broom, and pretended to sweep up.

Only Xiaopang still howled rather than surrender: "I still have to tell my father, he is outside!"

"Then cry louder and see if he can hear you." Cheng Yang asked Cheng Le to go to the front and pick up the broken chair, "You can carry it later and leave."

Cheng Le didn't move.

"Why, I still want to stay with them." Cheng Yang stood on the steps and looked at him.

Cheng Le moved his chair to the back, got dressed, and called him.

"What do you want to say?" Cheng Yang turned his head, with anger still on his face, Cheng Le didn't dare to speak, dragged a chair step by step, and followed him out of the school gate.

On the way back, Cheng Yang asked Cheng Ying to sit in the back seat, leaving Cheng Le to sit on the front bar. Apart from Cheng Ying coughing from time to time, he was silent all the way. When he was almost home, Cheng Le asked him timidly, "Brother, are you angry?" gone?"

Cheng Yang gave Cheng Ying 20 yuan and asked her to go downstairs to buy some roasted meat with venetian leaves and cold salad. There is no time to cook today, and he has to go out later.

He found a few nails and hammers from the drawer under the chest of drawers in the living room, and fixed the chair between his legs. During this period, Cheng Le chased after him like a follower. He was a little impatient, "Find a place to stay." go."

Cheng Le took two steps back, stood next to the refrigerator, and lowered his head as if he had done something wrong.

Cheng Yang sighed, he was angry, but more distressed, he had only been in school for less than half a semester, and something like today must have happened more than once, if it wasn't for being bumped into by him by chance, Cheng Le He probably would never tell him about his character, but when he thought about it, he turned around, "I ask you, do you have any friends at school?"

Cheng Le looked at him.

"Do you have a friend like Cheng Ying who eats together and dances together?"

"...Yes." Cheng Le muttered, and it took a long time before he said it.

Cheng Yang knocked down the nail, "Who, the Chen Yuxuan you told me about before?"

"Chen Yuxuan didn't bully me." Cheng Le defended softly, "He sometimes brings me biscuits made by his mother..."

"What about other times." Seeing his lack of confidence, Cheng Yang interrupted him a little irritably, "Other times he is like today, leaving all the work to you and playing by himself?"

"It's not like this every time." Cheng Le couldn't think of what to say, so he could only mutter aggrievedly.

Seeing him like this, Cheng Yang's heart softened for the most part. Because he was a boy, he also knew that he didn't take care of Cheng Le as much as Cheng Ying, and the sensibleness he always showed made him gradually lose his mind. Then treat him as a child of the same age group. If today's matter is to be pursued, at least part of his reasons are at least part of it.

He pulled Cheng Le over, wiped a little dust on his forehead due to sweat, calmed down and said softly: "Tomorrow if he really dares to bring his dad here, or tell the teacher, you tell me, you know Well, don't be cowardly like a chicken."

"I'm not cowardly." Cheng Le said immediately.

"Okay, don't be cowardly." Cheng Yang smiled because of his suddenly serious face, and patted him on the shoulder, "Go and pick up my sister, I'll heat up the dinner, and finish my homework early."

Cheng Le was probably still a little upset because Cheng Yang said that he was cowardly, so he walked to the door and turned around again, "Brother, do you have any friends?"

Cheng Yang was taken aback for a moment, and then said, "Don't compare yourself to me."

"why?"

"I do not need."

"Why not?"

"..." Cheng Yang looked up at him, "Are you serious?"

"Yes." Cheng Le nodded sincerely.

"Okay." Cheng Yang took off the nail he was biting into his mouth, sat up straight, and said, "I am different from you, because I have grown up and can be independent, and I don't need to use friends to communicate with this society anymore." Make connections beyond your loved ones."

Cheng Le looked at him blankly.

Cheng Yang smiled, "So you may not understand, just remember that you need it because you are young and you haven't grown up yet."

Seeing that Cheng Le seemed to understand, he said again: "But it's not like Chen Yuxuan, nor is it like today's Haoran or Junjie."

"What was that like?"

"I won't let you be bullied, if not, at least find someone who won't bully you, understand?"

Cheng Le nodded half understanding, "Does that mean that when I grow up to be your age, I won't need friends anymore?"

"..." Cheng Yang didn't know how to answer him, because there is no causal relationship here, and he needs it when he grows up, so why didn't he?Because he doesn't want it, he doesn't have the time for it, he has too much to do, and the comfort a friend can bring him has no place in a world where every second counts.

In fact, he also knew that Cheng Le wasn't cowardly, he just didn't know how to respond to his kindness because he ate his mother's biscuits.

But he didn't have time to explain to him, so he replied rudely, "Yeah."

Cheng Le continued to stand by the door, "But Uncle Tao said that you are underage."

Cheng Yang: "..."

Cheng Yang: "Do I eat more than you every day?"

Cheng Le: "Yes."

Cheng Yang: "I eat four meals a day, so is it okay to be an adult early?"

Cheng Le: "...Oh."

Cheng Yang didn't look at him, but waved his hand, "Go."

After Cheng Baiwan went downstairs, Cheng Yang quickly finished repairing the chair, put it next to the bicycle, and reminded himself not to forget to bring it there tomorrow.

Then he went into the back room to see Cheng Guangde. He gave a retired aunt on the third floor 500 yuan a month, and asked her to come over at noon every day to cook a meal for Cheng Guangde. Other things like changing diapers and wiping his body have to wait until he comes back at night.

The TV was on, but there was no sound, and Cheng Guangde was lying on his back. He didn’t know whether he was asleep or awake. The fish soup on the bedside was still untouched. It was already the third day. Call him, everyone still responds.

Cheng Yang brought a basin of hot water to wipe him, turned him over according to Cheng Guangde's instructions, and then he took out the fish soup and poured it out. Ever since he found out that Cheng Guangde would spit on his untouched food, Cheng Yang Yang never put his leftovers on the table again.

Before going out, he asked Cheng Le to call Cheng Yunsheng when the time came and told him to come over tomorrow.

"What if Uncle asks me?" Cheng Le asked.

"You don't need to say anything, he will come." Cheng Yang said.

Cheng Yang didn't ride a bicycle this time, but wrapped his clothes tightly and took a car one kilometer away from the community. There were no street lights in this area at night. Since he came back last time, he accidentally fell and sprained his foot and couldn't go to work for a few days , he now spends four yuan to take the bus back and forth.

There are a bit too many people in the store today, all the boxes are full, and there are not enough people in the front. The manager asked him to pass the dishes in the lobby instead of going to the back kitchen. This is relatively easy, but not much easier, especially when there are many people Sometimes, your feet barely touch the ground overnight.

Maybe it’s close to the end of the new year, and it’s been like this for a while. Today’s dinner is left over from yesterday, and it’s a little hard to freeze in the refrigerator. After eating, the diaphragm is very uncomfortable in the stomach, and it will feel stuffy and empty, and I don't know if it is nausea or hunger.

The boss is here today, as soon as he saw him, he came over with a smile and patted him on the shoulder, telling him to work hard and give him a raise in the next year. Cheng Yang has worked here for two years. The boss is true, and every year after the year, he will be raised a little. It's hard to say how much, it's definitely not as strong as his hands on his shoulders.