They went back to their hometown that afternoon. Tao Xiaodong went to the store to talk about something, and then drove them away. Brother Tang can't leave. He has a consultation and an operation tomorrow, so only the three of them will go back.
Autumn is the season when the leaves begin to fall, and the half-yellow leaves flutter down and cover the ground.
When they took this road, they didn't even have a high-speed road, so they had to take the provincial road. Now it is a newly built expressway, and even the white lines on the road are still very new.
Grandma Chicheng is going to be gone.
Tao Xiaodong's call was made by his uncle in his hometown, and Chi Cheng's call was made by Chi Zhide.
Chi Zhide didn't know when he came back, he had been in the south all these years, and Chi Cheng had no contact with him. Chi Zhide has a new home and a new child. I don’t know if he can beat people after he’s drunk. Fortunately, it’s warm in the south, and no matter how much the child runs outside in winter, he won’t freeze like a dead dog. .
Chi Cheng hasn't been back since he broke up with Chi Zhide that year. At the beginning, he would call grandma a few times a year, but grandma really resented the family. When she gets old, she is always stubborn. It was hard to hide the boredom, and then he didn't even answer the phone.
Tao Xiaodong has been entrusting his uncle in his hometown to take care of him, and he is not short of money and things. The old man has always been in good health, but this time his sudden failure was really unexpected.
Tao Huainan held Chi Cheng's hand in the car, and slowly lay down on his stomach, pillowing his leg.
Chi Cheng then brushed his hair unconsciously.
He didn't say anything until the car drove across the river and into the country road, and the low houses and old walls that brought back memories gradually came into sight. Chi Cheng patted Tao Huainan's face, and said to him: "It's almost there, don't sleep."
"I didn't sleep." Tao Huainan sat up, his voice didn't sound sleepy at all.
Tao Xiaodong has not been back for a long time, the small village has not changed much, and the small brick road at the entrance of the village is still as difficult as before.
Both he and Chi Cheng were born here, but Chi Cheng's feelings for this place are not as deep as Tao Xiaodong's.
Chi Cheng has no feelings for this place at all. There are no good memories left for him here, only pain and cold.
"Are you back?" Chi Zhide was standing at the door smoking a cigarette, when he saw the three of them coming in, he exhaled and greeted calmly.
Chi Cheng didn't speak, Tao Xiaodong asked, "How's it going?"
"Waiting to die, unconscious." Chi Zhide has changed a lot over the years, his temple hair has turned gray, and his face looks very old. Wearing a beige jacket and old jeans.
People may change, he looks a little different now than before.
Chi Cheng went in to see the old man, Tao Huainan followed him. Tao Xiaodong also went in to take a look. The old man was lying on the bed, his old face was dull and stiff in lethargy, his mouth was open, showing his old appearance.
When Tao Xiaodong came out again, Chi Zhide was still smoking, so he also handed one to Tao Xiaodong.
Tao Xiaodong took it, and lit Chi Zhide's lighter.
They stood at the door and smoked a cigarette in silence. Completely different people live different lives. Even though they once grew up rolling in this land together, they can't say a word while standing here together.
There was an old rotten smell in the house, Tao Huainan stood behind Chi Cheng, silently.
This is where Chi Cheng lived when he was a child, and where he was beaten. Tao Huainan couldn't see it, and didn't want to touch it. He is not curious about this place at all, Chicheng does not belong here.
When Chi Zhide walked in, Tao Huainan moved closer to Chi Cheng's body. Even though he knew that Chi Zhide would not do anything, he still subconsciously wanted to protect Chi Cheng.
"Are you in high school?" Chi Zhide asked Chi Cheng casually. It seemed like he was looking for something to say, and he seemed a little dazed looking at them.
Chi Cheng didn't reply to his words, as if he didn't hear him.
Chi Zhide didn't really want to ask, Chi Cheng didn't answer his questions, so he sat at the table by himself, playing online mahjong with his mobile phone. Human voices came out from the mobile phone, "three", "five barrels", "listening to cards" and "self-touching". Chi Cheng frowned slightly and looked back at him, Chi Zhide felt his gaze, raised his eyes and the two looked at each other, Chi Cheng turned back impatiently. Chi Zhide didn't turn off the sound of the phone, and continued to "play chicken".
Grandma Chi Cheng fell like this, she suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. I don't know if the blood vessel ruptured first and then fell into a coma, or if the fall first caused the coma. It was several hours later when Chi Zhide found out, it was too late.
I went to the county hospital and had a brain CT scan, and the doctor sent me back to prepare for the funeral.
Chi Zhide directly pulled the old lady back, it was better at home than in the hospital. This hut is the place where the old lady has lived for most of her life, and shed tears here for half of her life. Even so, it is still a home, and it is more popular than the gray hospital ward.
The neighbors came to see her one after another, and the uncle from the hometown also came. All these years, Tao Xiaodong's land and house have been used by his uncle, and Tao Xiaodong didn't ask for the money he paid for the land every year, and his uncle has been helping Tao Xiaodong to take care of the old lady of Chi's family.
"It's been too long, I'm confused." The old uncle whispered to Tao Xiaodong, "Seeing who scolds everyone, I feel a little out of spirit."
Tao Xiaodong asked: "Why did Chi Zhide come back?"
"Let's just come back and have a look," the old uncle sighed, "Mother and child are connected after all, so he came back after giving birth and caught up."
Tao Xiaodong didn't say anything else, he took off his coat and put it on Chi Cheng. Chi Cheng was only wearing a T-shirt, and when the wind blew the clothes stuck to his body, he looked thin and frail.
The old lady lost consciousness at all, only breathing slowly. She hadn't opened her eyes yet, the clothes on her body were changed by a courageous aunt from the neighbor's house, and Chi Cheng helped her.
In Chi Cheng's impression, she should be taller than she is now. Putting on a wide and large shroud, the old man was lying there with only a short piece, his shriveled body like a dead branch.
In the evening, everyone dispersed, but the old man still kept his breath and didn't swallow it.
Only the three Tao brothers and Chi Zhide were left standing in the room. Chi Zhide was a heavy smoker, and the room was filled with the smell of smoke. Chi Cheng looked up at him and said, "Go out and smoke."
Chi Zhide didn't get angry or curse, but the cigarette he was smoking hadn't been extinguished, and he didn't respond.
Tao Huainan couldn't bear the choking, he was very sensitive to smell. Chi Zhide took a puff of smoke, Tao Huainan couldn't help coughing twice, Chi Cheng turned to look at him, and said, "Brother, take him to sleep."
Tao Huainan immediately grabbed his hand and said, "I have to accompany you."
"I don't need you to accompany me," Chi Cheng said, scratching the back of his hand, "you and brother go to sleep."
"I don't," Tao Huainan shook his head, "You don't have to worry about me."
Tao Huainan is rarely stubborn, he hasn't said much to Chi Cheng for more than a year. Tao Huainan didn't go anywhere that day, and stayed with Chi Cheng all the time. There was an old man who was about to die in the room, Tao Huainan might be afraid in other places. But Chi Cheng is here, except for Chi Zhide who is hardly a human being, this is Chi Cheng's last relative in the world.
After sending her away, Chi Cheng was completely left with Tao Huainan and his elder brother.
Tao Xiaodong didn't leave either, he went out to get some food for Chi Cheng, and Chi Cheng ate a few bites.
In fact, there wasn't much grief on Chi Cheng's face, he was more numb. He really doesn't have much affection for this place and the people here. In recent years, grandma hated Chi's family and hated him, but when he was young, grandma also protected him and stopped Chi Zhide when he was about to beat him to death. In the hospital, grandma knelt down and entrusted Chi Cheng to Tao Xiaodong. Whether it was out of saving the child's life or wanting to get rid of it, it changed Chi Cheng's life.
Chi Cheng looked at the old man who was asleep with his eyes closed, and remembered many things from his childhood.
At night, Chi Zhide snored while lying on the kang in the back room, and told Chi Cheng to call him when he died.
Chi Cheng didn't say a word to him, he pulled a plastic stool and sat in front of the bed, silently.
Tao Xiaodong was sitting in the yard outside, the village was always very dark at night. He asked his uncle in his hometown to find a local Mr. Yin Yang, and he brought all the things he needed in the future. There was a funeral supply store he often cooperates with, and he sent them all by car. yard.
Tao Huainan's chair was sitting next to Chi Cheng's back, he leaned on Chi Cheng's body, with his arms around his waist, and his whole body was pressed against Chi Cheng's back. The warm body and breath surrounded Chi Cheng all the time, and the two leaned on each other. Later, Tao Huainan fell asleep with his face pressed against Chi Cheng's shoulder.
The old lady left at dawn, panting for a while, and finally swallowed her breath.
When her breathing became more and more difficult, Chi Cheng had already carried Tao Huainan out regardless of Tao Huainan's wishes. Mr. Yin Yang said in advance that when the old man leaves, don't let the blind child in front of him, for fear of being directed at him.
In fact, they didn't believe this, but Chi Cheng got Tao Huainan out ahead of time. Tao Huainan hugged him and did not let go, Chi Cheng coaxed him softly, "Be good."
Tao Huainan touched his face and shook his head: "I'm not afraid of those, I'll accompany you."
"I don't need to accompany you, don't go in," Chi Cheng pressed his cheek against him, "You are obedient."
The temperature dropped at night, and the faces of both of them were cold. Tao Huainan frowned and said, "Don't push me away."
"Don't push you away, you are here with me, I know you are here." Chi Cheng kissed him on the mouth, "You are the most obedient, aren't you?"
Tao Huainan couldn't stand him coaxing him to speak in such a low voice.
His eyes were red, and he wanted to say something more, but he didn't want to distract Chi Cheng anymore. He nodded, embraced Chi Cheng's neck, kissed his face, and said, "I listen to you most."
With Mr. Yin Yang around, everything goes according to plan. Chi Cheng was instructed to do this and that, to kowtow as he was told, and to do whatever he was asked to do.
He mechanically followed Mr. Yin Yang's instructions, and followed Chi Zhide to complete many steps.
Tao Huainan was locked in the car by Chi Cheng and he was not allowed to go out, and his brother did not open the door for him. He sat upright, listening to the noise outside, imagining Chi Cheng's demeanor over there.
Tao Huainan went back to his hometown twice, once when his parents were buried, and once when Chi Cheng's grandma passed away.
Back then, the ashes of his parents were put in a coffin and placed in the yard, Chi Cheng was chased naked by his father and fled into their house in a panic. At that time, he was still called Chiku, and he couldn't say a word.
Now he is Tao Huainan's Chi Cheng, and he is very tall. I heard that he is handsome now, not ugly anymore.
Tao Huainan wanted to hug him, the little boy who was frozen and snatched his milk back then, but he was locked in the car and couldn't get out. The boy in the house lost the last of his relatives, and since then he has only one home.