…
Zhao Lanxiang got into the car to the airport, and she took out a handkerchief and wiped off the marks on her face.
The familiar scenery regressed all the way, until it became a scenery unfamiliar to even her.
Jiang Jianjun handed a pot of water to Zhao Lanxiang, but Zhao Lanxiang did not take it.
He lowered his face, raised his stern eyebrows slightly, and said, "If you continue like this, I don't guarantee that you won't trouble him in the future."
She lowered her head and looked out of the car window, when suddenly the car passed a corner, and a rapid bell rang.
The car stopped unexpectedly, and the strong inertia caused the passengers in the car to hit their bodies to varying degrees, and the car was full of complaints.
"What are you doing!"
"Master, can you have a good eye for driving, what if the child falls and touches it?"
"that is… "
Zhao Lanxiang inadvertently cast her eyes outside the car, she was shocked, and her whole body sat up straight. She saw the gray figure outside the car, the man who dropped the bicycle and walked by the side of the car. Under her gaze, he knocked hard on the door.
The driver scolded a lunatic, but also opened the door for him.
He strode into the car and walked in front of her, his eyes sank like a black vortex, full of haze.
He Songbai asked her word by word, "Why?"
The voice was thick and hoarse, with the panting sound after intense exercise, and his eyes were red like this, staring at her like a child who had suffered all the grievances.
This is the man she loves the most, and the person she doesn't want to see wronged the most.
Zhao Lanxiang's heart seemed to be tightly clenched, and before she could speak, He Songbai forcefully pulled her off.
"Go home with me," he said.
He walked faster and faster, squeezing her wrist with the palm of his hand, as if to smash her bones.
When they got out of the car, He Songbai pursed his lips silently, his thin lips pursed into a thin line. He kept wiping the billowing sweat seeping from his forehead with his sleeve, but he couldn't finish it.
Only then did Zhao Lanxiang notice the blood soaked in his trousers, and her heart suddenly ached, "If you don't come, you come."
He Songbai took out the wrinkled flower in his arms and handed it to her.
"This is the first flower I saw on my way to the pig farm."
The flower in his hand was actually scarred, and it was so crumpled that it could no longer be seen as it was, as if it had suffered a severe blow from the wind and frost.
Zhao Lanxiang touched it and tore off its most complete petal.
He squeezed out a smile, and his calm tone seemed to be good morning to her every ordinary morning.
"I haven't sent you flowers yet this year... I'm going to send you flowers."
"You like it so much."
…
Gu Huaijin also came back from the city. After he returned to the cowshed, he began to pack his things. After all, he would not stay here for long. Because soon the hat on his head will be taken off, and he will leave here after clearing his grievances.
leave forever.
He was very happy, as if strength had been injected into his body, making him several years younger. But he looked at the belongings he had added bit by bit in the bullpen and was reluctant to part with it.
For many days and nights, he fell asleep here with the sound of the frog, and got up early in the morning to cut grass and go up the mountain to cut grass.
Every plant and tree here is so familiar that he can describe it with his eyes closed. There is also Zhao Zhiqing's three meals a day. The delicious food is accompanied by the beautiful scenery, which adds interest to his time in the countryside. Before he left, people began to miss it.
He wanted to go to Zhao Zhiqing to ask for a bowl of porridge to drink. In spring, this girl likes to simmer fragrant and soft porridge to nourish his body.
Over the past year or so, although he has endured a lot of hardships, he has also tasted the blessings that he has never tasted in the first half of his life.
He knocked on Zhao Zhiqing's door, but no one answered, but the door was unlocked, and the door that had been knocked twice opened with a creak.
In the afternoon, the afterglow of the setting sun gradually converged and spread into the house. The objects in the room are cut into two levels of yin and yang, and the place illuminated by the afterglow is covered with golden light; the other side is shrouded in deep shadows.
And He Songbai was the one who fell into this shadow. He leaned against the desk with a dejected look.
Gu Huaijin asked, "Where's the girl?"
"You don't come out soon, what's the point of staying in the girl's house?"
He would soon become He Songbai's teacher. Gu Huaijin, who was a teacher, felt that he should discipline this boy properly, so he put on a serious look.
He Songbai opened his eyes and said slowly, "She's gone and won't come back."
"what?"
He repeated lightly, "She's gone and won't be coming back."
As he said that, he rolled up a piece of letter paper and threw it away.
"Why did she leave... Hey, colleges and universities across the country are now open, and it's time for her to leave now. You are also ready. After the trial of Wu Yong's case, I will go to City B with you."
"Wait...you..." Gu Huaijin stared at the young man's red eyes and swallowed all the words in his mouth.
He seemed to have come to understand. Judging from the life experience he had accumulated for most of his life, most of this kid had lost his love.
Gu Huaijin bent down silently and sat next to He Songbai.
He said, "Where do you young people get so many troubles, looking at your dejected face, isn't it because she's not coming back?"
"You don't have long legs, so you won't find her by yourself?"
He Songbai heard the words, the man's words kept flashing in his mind.
"You don't deserve her."
He finally shook his head.
"She has a better future, I can't give her."
Gu Huaijin became anxious and slapped him: "Don't you have a better future with you?"
This time, Gu Huaijin responded with complete silence. The young man sitting beside him seemed to merge with the gradually darkening night. Silent, decadent and depressed.
Day after day, the days passed by in the blink of an eye.
Gu Huaijin looked at this decadent young man, and became more and more silent. In the morning, he would go to the mountain to see a bunch of camellias and bring them back in a vase. In the evening, he would watch the sunset on the hill.
Neither to work nor to find his object.
His love has yet to bear fruit smoothly, and has suffered a severe blow from the wind and frost.
Ten days later, Gu Huaijin dug up the drunken young man from the hill and said to him, "Wu Yong's case is open, do you want to hear it?"
He Songbai opened his drunken eyes, and he responded, "I'm going."
The sun was very clear that day, the sharp cold wind completely withdrew from the earth, and the world was full of spring.
He Songbai wore clean clothes and shaved off his stubble beard. He was in good spirits for the first time in so many days. He went to the trial with Gu Huaijin, his sister, brother-in-law, and a few people related to the case.
"The court in N City, Province X, made the following judgment: Wu Yong decided to execute the death penalty and be deprived of his political rights for life."
After He Songbai heard the verdict knocked down in the first instance, his eyes turned to Wu Yong.
I saw that he was wearing prison clothes, his eyes were sunken and thin, and he looked like he was standing upright. The moment he heard the verdict, his calm face turned hideous for a moment.
When he was leaving the court, He Songbai passed by Wu Yong, and he suddenly remembered what Gu Gong had mentioned to him as a joke, and Wu Yong handed him to him through Prophet Hu.
"All the bitterness poured into my heart."
It's a pity that Prophet Hu was inaccurate, and Gu Gong forgot about it after listening to the scolding. This bitterness is actually the cynical words that Wu Yong put down because of his self-righteous arrogance. If He Songbai could hear it at that time, he would have heard Wu Yong's voiceover when he was madly reading popular publications at X-da.
He Songbai thought of this, and said lightly: "Although noble is often not a pass for noble people."
"But despicable is most likely the epitaph of the despicable."
Wu Yong lowered his head, without arguing, he was turned into a car by the police who escorted him calmly. At the moment when he heard the verdict, He Songbai didn't know whether he regretted it or not.
But when He Songbai saw Wu Yong's family who was about to faint from crying after chasing him, he felt that this was all it was.
There is a price to be paid for doing bad things.
Facing the bright sun above his head, he narrowed his eyes slightly to look at the white clouds in the sky. The sun seemed to shine on him, and it also shone on hers.
All the haze will pass, and a new life will begin.
…
Suddenly, a rumor spread in Hezitun. A member of the commune witnessed the most beautiful female educated youth in the village taking the initiative to kiss He Erliuzi, as if they had been with someone.
This is incredible, it's like a pot has exploded, and people are talking about it all day long.
"Hey! I remember it. No wonder Mr. He went to work for the female educated youth after finishing his work at that time. Do you still remember the incident when he fought with a few people the year before? It's really pitiful for Wang Lei..."
"He was right then!"
"Tsk tsk tsk, I didn't expect, ah, I didn't expect that second child He would have such a blessing, hey... I saw that the female educated youth just felt that she couldn't climb high, and she panicked when she said a word."
"So what if you've dealt with someone, didn't you dump him when you got into college? Toad wants to eat swan meat..."
In any case, this peach-colored rumor made the people in the village start to look at He Songbai squarely. They felt that he was very capable, and he was able to break this cold flower of wealth.
Most of the women in the village who looked down on him at first also began to inquire about his marriage.
Prospective college students, this is amazing. Although the ingredients are a little worse, after graduation, you will definitely be distributed. It is better to be a worker in the city than to dig soil in the countryside.
Now is a new era, laugh at the poor but not at the prostitute. If He Songbai can earn a lot of money, let their whole family be fed and clothed, and have extra meat during the festivals, it will be very good! It's not that they can't stand the landlord component of He Lao Er.
So when He Songbai packed up and headed north, Granny Li welcomed the first matchmaker who took the initiative to come to the door.
After listening to the matchmaker's words, Grandma Li listened to how she praised the woman for her steadfastness and hard work, but did not speak.
She waited silently for the person to finish speaking, then sighed and said, "The conditions are all good, but he has to see it himself."
"What else is there to look down on? I didn't say this girl, it's not up to you, Brother Bo, if you want to leave it, and you don't think about the composition of your family..."
Granny Li had a cold face and told her son-in-law to drive the matchmaker out of the house.
From then on, he never paid any attention to the matchmaker who came to the door to say he was close. Her brother-in-law is hardworking and kind, but it's not such a waste.
In March, He Songbai followed Gu Huaijin north to study with a huge luggage.
They slept in crowded and noisy workshops, the trains filled with smells and crowds. There are shirtless men, white-haired old women, women swearing at their waists, and children jumping and running everywhere, mixed with strong accents from the north and south of the river.
He Songbai, who was in the midst of the noise, was in a calm mood. He was reading with a book in his hand.
Gu Huaijin unscrewed the kettle, took a sip, and said, "Hey, that's right."
"Turn grief and anger into motivation, study hard, and you will stand out in the future."
"You are very smart, you know what to do when. I didn't tell you. I also asked Shuo Ming about that child. That child is really good. Even my proud son who grew up may not be as good as me. Get him. Good girls always have suitors..."
"I will try my best to teach you everything I know, and you will study hard, okay?"
He Songbai nodded emphatically. He put the book aside, lying on the sleeper and staring at the scenery outside the window. The whistling train passed the gurgling streams, rivers and hills in the south, came to the majestic and majestic mountains in the north, passed the Qinling Huaihe River on the map, and crossed the magnificent Yangtze and Yellow Rivers. Most of the north-south scenery of China is here. Almost all on one train. He Songbai stared at the scenery along the way.
He couldn't help but see the scene when he and Zhao Lanxiang took the train to S City that year. The scenery was never tired of seeing the scenery. The mood at that time was like the bright sunshine. People feel that birds and flowers are everywhere, and every scene is unique and impressive.
But now he silently looked away and closed the book.
…
In 1978, the first year of He Songbai's university studies, national leader Comrade D delivered a northern talk when he visited the three northeastern provinces, Tangshan, Tianjin and other places. The talk mentioned that the focus of the work of the party and the country should be shifted to the economy. He proposed a reform idea to break egalitarianism and let some people get rich first.
Comrade D once said during the inspection: "The country is so big and so poor, how can we live without trying to develop productive forces. Our people's life is so difficult, how can we reflect the superiority of socialism?"
All this was recorded truthfully by the newspaper. The people of City B walked around on the spot, and the students of University T read the newspaper and discussed it almost like crazy. The cafeteria was full of young people who were full of high-spirited spirit and pointed the country. speech. After reading the newspaper, He Songbai silently sent a telegram to Li Zhong in the countryside, asking him to come to City B as soon as possible, and also ask his brother-in-law to send him a sum of money.
After He Songbai came to B City to study, he asked Li Dali to help take care of the business of the pig farm. Fortunately, after an emergency transfer on the pig farm, everything was on the right track, and it was not difficult for Li Dali to keep an eye on it.
After Li Zhong received the telegram from his partner He Songbai, he quickly came to City B with almost all of his savings. He walked out of the train station out of breath. He Songbai picked up Li Zhong's luggage and opened a hotel room for him. By the way, he invited him to the Beijing Hotel for a meal and ordered their signature dishes. .
Li Zhong was sitting in a dignified restaurant in the big capital, feeling a little uneasy.
He hehe took a few bites of the meal, tsk tsk admiration: "As expected of the B city, the style is bright and bright, I didn't dare to breathe just now."
"Burning so much money for one meal, Boss He is so arrogant!" Li Zhong couldn't help teasing.
He Songbai's eyes narrowed slightly, the corners of his lips raised involuntarily, revealing his white teeth.
He didn't mention to Li Zhong that he only spent about seventy yuan for food in the previous semester, ten to twenty yuan a month, and a few cents per meal was enough for food and clothing. He can't wear a few new clothes every year, and all the clothes he wears are made by the country eldest sister.
A male classmate from a relatively wealthy family in the same department as He Songbai just happened to meet He Songbai who ordered an extra dish at the Beijing Hotel. When he saw He Songbai's eyelids, he ordered the most expensive red wine, and he almost didn't drop his glasses. After staring for a long time, he dared to go up to recognize He Songbai.
"Isn't this classmate He?"
After He Songbai had chatted with his classmates, he returned to the box to continue chatting with Li Zhong.
After this classmate of He Songbai left, he thought silently in his heart: "I'm afraid many people will be shocked. It turns out that this classmate He is the real rich man."
When He Songbai first arrived, he was carrying a roll of tattered bedding, dressed in shabby and shabby clothes. He usually eats frugally and simply. It was hard for people to believe that he was a rich man. Whether he does experiments or writes papers, he has suffered a lot of doubts and blows because of the ingredients.
In the box, Li Zhong finished drinking the red wine, and said, "This is not enough for our Erguotou, it's soft like a woman."
He Songbai smiled and said, "I'll open a bottle of Erguotou for you."
Li Zhong happily drank the famous wine from the hotel. The clear wine was contained in a smooth and white porcelain cup, and the soft light reflected the soft light. The mellow wine was sweet and lingering. This boy Zhu brought it here."
"Who knows that he won't come, it's too far. Let me tell you, the woman Tie Zhu begged last year gave him a big fat boy this year, and he is only a month away from your nephew Tie Tou."
He Songbai said calmly, "No wonder he doesn't want to come to City B. His younger siblings must scold me when they come."
Li Zhong said, "Although he didn't come to City B, he said he was going to City G! Remember the person you talked to before?"
"Most of this kid went to Zhao Zhiqing. He heard that he wanted to do business with her. He used to like to help Zhao Zhiqing's business, and he thought that her dessert Luwei was very popular in our county."
He Songbai heard the three words "Zhao Zhiqing" and silently drank a large bowl of wine.
"She... You must have heard it wrong. She will live a good life now, and she will not have to worry about food and clothing. She doesn't need to get involved in such dirty things like before to earn her life-saving money. "
Although Li Zhong was a little drunk, he knew he had hit He Songbai's scar, so he quickly changed the subject with a haha.
"You asked me to come this time, what are you going to do?"
He Songbai approached Li Zhong and whispered something.
Li Zhong listened, his eyes lit up, eager to try.
He said: "If you dare to do it, I will dare to follow!"
The pace of reform is getting bigger and bigger. Shortly after the end of the northern talk, the whole country ushered in the first thunder of spring in December, which banged open the land of China that had been sealed for ten years. There are many contents of the meeting. What He Songbai is most concerned about is that it tries to make adjustments and changes to the existing planned economy, trying to shift from a planned economy to a market economy.
In addition to state-owned enterprises and collective industries, the state has begun to encourage the development of non-public ownership, which is completely crazy!
Li Zhong bought the newspaper of the day, bought a hundred copies in one go, ran to T University, and threw it in front of He Songbai.
He excitedly said to He Songbai: "In the future, we will not call it speculation, but a private enterprise!"
"Hurry up and study, how to apply for registration!"
He Songbai pulled out the newspaper that he had already memorized by heart. His heart was overwhelmed, he felt like a groundhog lurking in the dark field, and for the first time he came out to breathe the fresh air.
He no longer has to experience the feeling of being strangled all the time.
Soon he sent a telegram and asked his brother-in-law in the countryside to quickly go through the formal procedures for the pig farm and register the trademark. Immediately afterwards, he and Li Zhong set up a humble building materials factory.
The Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee included content related to urban construction. He Songbai, who was in the Department of Architecture, saw a business opportunity. He and Li Zhong took out their savings to build a factory in the suburbs, attracting a large number of people from City B. floating population. In other words, I have tasted the sweetness of the policy, and the local government has given a lot of encouragement and help.
He Songbai successfully registered the trademark "Xiangbai".
When Li Zhong saw it, he silently shook his head and sighed, "Why?"
In the spring of 1979, the central government issued a decision on the "removal of hats" by landlords and rich peasants. That day was a special day for He Songbai. He felt as if all the good luck in his life was spent in college. One after another, the good news is exciting and delightful.
But this is undoubtedly one of the happiest happy events he has heard in recent years. It made He Songbai feel relieved and like a spring breeze.
This hat used to be so heavy that he was overwhelmed by the weight of a mountain, and he was a man with his tail clipped. He was low-key and cautious even when he was studying in a university, and never had bad relations with others, lest he miss the opportunity to study. This reminded him of his self-abasement and self-abasement when he first talked to his partner, and he couldn't help but smile.
Soon he sent a telegram to tell the old grandmother in the country, and he hardly had to think about it. The old man was in tears when he received the telegram.
However, He Songbai's expectations must have been in vain, because Aunt Li had already heard the news of the "hat removal" from the Red Star radio. When she received the telegram from her grandson, Granny Li was being carried by her son-in-law, and the family erected a tombstone for her deceased husband and beloved son and repaired the tomb.
On the hillside behind the He's house, there are two bulging bags, but there is never a tombstone. Every Qingming Festival, a few pieces of white paper will be pressed on the earth bags. This year, the tombstones were finally erected, clearly engraving the names of the owners. Their epitaphs were written by the grandmother for two nights.
…
In the winter of 1980, He Songbai was busy running around. He took the school leave to expand his business in S City.
After He Songbai finished talking about the business, he took out coins and tickets to take the bus. He leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes to relieve his alcoholism.
The bus arrived at the terminal unknowingly, and he was blasted off the bus by the conductor. He Songbai, who got out of the car, walked aimlessly when a gust of cold wind blew the alcohol away from his body. He unknowingly walked into the familiar alley.
He turned his head and ran towards the bus stop in the alley where he used to knock on doors for debt collection. After going around, he came to the door of a photo studio.
A girl took her mother's hand and chatted as if she was discussing something. She turned her head and saw He Songbai and asked innocently, "Look, isn't this big brother the one in the photo?"
He Songbai raised his eyes and saw the photo of him and Zhao Lanxiang. They only took one picture at the time, which was obviously taken by the cameraman secretly. In the photo, he is young and serious, while the woman in the photo is sniffing the fragrant flowers and smiling quietly. This photo seemed to pass through his memory, and it made He Songbai feel uncomfortable at once.
He approached the store manager and asked, "Can this photo be sold to me?"