During Tao Huainan's junior year, he made several new friends. They are blind students in the special education college of other schools, and they all study music.
They formed a small band, and Tao Huainan also joined. He doesn't play the guitar that well, and he needs to practice a song for many days before he can play the wrong notes. The small band is just playing together, adding something interesting to their lives.
They sometimes go out to perform, all for public welfare, to welfare homes for the elderly, to the disabled people's federation, and sometimes to primary, middle, and high schools. The Disabled Persons' Federation and the Blind People's Association ask them to play or sing all day long, and let them make a positive image. Tao Huainan is fine, but there is a hot-tempered younger brother in the band, who sometimes gets impatient and says in the group: "I'm not a singer! I don't give money, let me play here and there every day, play a ball show !"
There are a total of ten people in the group, except for this younger brother, they are all good-tempered. Every time he got angry, people in the group tried to persuade him patiently and peacefully. Basically, he made a half-minute voice irritably, talking and scolding, and the group started to play short voices of a few seconds one after another.
"Oh, don't be angry."
"Forget it, forget it."
"Haha Brother Ji is angry again."
"Brother Ji gets angry every day, if I don't listen to him getting angry, I feel that something is missing."
"If you don't want to go, don't go, don't be angry."
The last one was sent by Tao Huainan, it was warm and moist. This group was drawn by Jiang Ji. They met at the piano shop in front of the school. Jiang Ji and the couple boss are friends.
Tao Huainan likes to hear him sing very much. Every time they go out to perform, they sing songs that are suitable for others to listen to, or they just play and don't sing, but Jiang Ji likes to sing English songs in private. Tao Huainan likes to hear him yell, because when he yells hoarsely, there is a little splitting sound, which sounds like a slow gallop sometimes.
"Perform, perform, perform! As soon as you send me a message all day long! The gang from the Blind People's Association can make a living, and the big brother playing the erhu even said that he would join us. Damn it has to be closed at the end of the year! I never heard that the performance has to be closed at the end of the year, and when he ties it for me, the grass on my grave will be able to grow trees!"
"Hahaha, don't be angry."
"Forget it."
"Forget it."
"Control your emotions and don't let your irritability go."
Jiang Ji: "Get the hell out of here!"
Tao Huainan laughed for a long time, finished his meal slowly in the cafeteria, and took the good things to Dr. Qi's. The school bus does not go there directly, so you need to reverse the bus. I don't let him take the bus or the subway, and I only let him take a taxi no matter where he goes.
Brother said that there is no need for him to save the toll, so don't waste time.
Tao Huainan retorted: "Isn't this advocating green travel?"
"We are not green, whoever loves green will be green, brother will help you green." Tao Xiaodong said, "If you take a taxi, it is also a green trip, and if you don't take it, it will run empty. Besides, if it is green, if you don't take a taxi, all the drivers will be laid off. , people still have to support their families.”
Tao Huainan couldn't explain his fallacies, so he could only find Brother Tang.
Brother Tang, with his shirt rolled up to his sleeves, was changing the water in the fish tank. Tao Huainan stood against the wall and listened to him change the water. Tang Suoyan said to him, "Your brother said that he will help you travel green. Tomorrow, supervise him not to drive at work."
"That won't work, I have to see you off," Tao Xiaodong said, "If we drive the same car, it's also green?"
With his hands behind his back, Tao Huainan listened to their chat with a smile.
Doctor Qi said that Tao Huainan had changed a lot, and Tao Huainan said, "Really? That's good."
To say that there have been changes, for example, in the past, Tao Huainan would not have been able to join any band or even go out to perform. Everyone standing in front looked at them, and all they thought were: These blind people play really well, live really hard, and are so optimistic even when they are blind.
Even the applause to them is filled with sincere encouragement.
In the past, Tao Huainan would feel uncomfortable like this, and he didn't want such sympathy and encouragement that much. It doesn't matter now, anyway, they are really optimistic and hardworking. It's okay for others to see it, no shame.
However, the optimistic child had a little accident this year, and was hit by a car while crossing a small intersection. The car flew past him quickly and scratched his blind stick. Tao Huainan was thrown out by the force and slid several meters on the ground.
There were scrapes to the shoulders, arms and legs, but nothing major.
The car hit the person and ran away. Tao Huainan stood up by himself, not knowing where the blind stick was. He limped to the side of the road and sat on the ground to call his brother.
Until someone around noticed him and helped him pick up the blind stick in the distance.
Tao Xiaodong went crazy that time. He monitored the intersection and surrounding stores, and he called out everything that could be adjusted. In the end, he found the car.
Tao Huainan didn't know how to deal with it later, and my brother didn't tell him.
This incident cast a psychological shadow on Tao Xiaodong, and he dared not let Tao Huainan go out alone again. On the contrary, Tao Huainan was not afraid at all, and waved the broken arm: "Oh, you can make a fuss, I'm leaving."
Tao Xiaodong caught him: "Wait a minute, I'll see you off."
"I don't need you to send it." Tao Huainan carried his schoolbag and picked up his blind stick, "Goodbye."
Tao Huainan has long been used to walking alone. Although there are always obstacles on the road for the blind, and they are often impassable, Tao Huainan can always find the right direction by himself, and he can ask passers-by if he really can't tell the difference.
Compared with the past, it is certainly not decent now, and it is not as blind as before, but gradually learned how to live like a blind person.
In October of that year, on Tao Huainan's birthday, Brother Xia Yuan got Tao Huainan a Labrador.
She is a certified guide dog and very well behaved. The previous owner was about to have a baby, so he abandoned it and gave it away.
The first time it saw Tao Huainan, it stuck to his leg, biting its own leash and sending it to Tao Huainan's hand. Tao Huainan squatted down to touch it in surprise, and the Labrador pressed his nose into his palm, and looked at him wheezingly with his mouth slightly open.
Tao Huainan played with it for a while, but in the end he didn't stay.
"Keep it, I can take you with me when I walk." Brother Xia Yuan stroked the labrador's head, and said to Tao Huainan, "It's so convenient, it saves you from being confused sometimes."
Tao Huainan still shook his head: "I don't need it, Brother Xia Yuan."
The guide dog rubbed against his leg, Tao Huainan squatted down again to pet it, and said to it, "Thank you, little angel, you will have a good master."
Tao Huainan did not keep it in the end.
That winter, Tao Xiaodong often went on business trips, and he was busy and busy every day.
For Chicheng's birthday in early December, Tao Xiaodong booked a flight to Beijing early in the morning. Tao Huainan didn't know that he was helping another blind consultant in Dr. Qi's hospital to take notes, and after finishing, he called his brother.
When Tao Xiaodong picked it up, there was a commotion on his side. Tao Huainan asked, "What are you doing? Xiaodong."
Tao Xiaodong said, "It's okay, tell me what's wrong."
"Don't forget to call," Tao Huainan reminded him, "Brother Ku's birthday."
Tao Xiaodong said with a smile on the phone, "I've already arrived in Beijing."
Tao Huainan heard him say to the people next to him, "Remind me that it's your birthday today, don't you be so cowardly."
Tao Huainan's breathing quickened immediately, and he licked his lips.
Tao Xiaodong asked him, "Do you have anything else to say?"
Tao Huainan rubbed his phone and said, "Just have a happy birthday, be healthy and safe."
"I heard that," Tao Xiaodong said heartlessly on the other end of the phone, "I've turned on the speakerphone."
Xiaodong's stomach is full of intentions, and he clearly did it on purpose. After Tao Huainan hung up the phone, he picked up his mobile phone and stayed where he was for a long time.
Chi Cheng never came back.
Tao Huainan could hear about him from many places, from his elder brother and from his former classmates.
This winter, the students who went out to school all went home and waited for the New Year.
They are already in their senior year, and some have already started internships. The small group from the first year of high school is still there, and they still talk frequently. Tao Huainan is still in the group, but he has never made a sound since he graduated from high school. It seems that there is no such person in the group.
With Ji Nan making a fuss, they will definitely get together during the holidays.
He drove the car to pick up Tao Huainan himself. Tao Huainan was reviewing with Pan Xiaozhuo at that time. The two children went to the cafe every day to study and prepare for the postgraduate entrance examination. Ji Nan took the two of them away in one car, delaying the revision of the two good students.
This time, all the people came, and only a few people in the small group did not come back.
Ji Nan studied in the south, and is expected to go abroad next year. Shi Kai is also studying in Beijing, and he and Chi Cheng can see each other occasionally.
In three and a half years, this group of young masters who were carefree and ignorant of the heights of the sky and the earth have all become adults in the true sense, and they are slowly entering the society.
Pan Xiaozhuo was sitting next to Tao Huainan, eating all the time.
At the beginning, the boys rushed to eat like a hungry tiger, but now the table is full of dishes, but only Pan Xiaozhuo is eating. He put a bowl of soup by Tao Huainan's hand, and the two murmured in low voices, saying it was not good.
"Little Glasses, you owed me four thousand, when will you pay it?" Ji Nan suddenly choked and coughed Pan Xiaozhuo who was drinking soup.
Pan Xiaozhuo's face flushed red from coughing, Tao Huainan patted his back, and heard Pan Xiaozhuo ask: "...you don't want it?"
"I want it again, bring it." Ji Nan said with a smile.
The nonchalant rich second generation is always dishonest. Of course Pan Xiaozhuo now knew that Ji Nan was joking, glanced at Shi Kai, and said in a weak voice, "It's not all yours."
"Just give me brother Kai's." Ji Nan was still talking.
"I don't want it, I'm a complete embarrassment to you." Shi Kai said with disgust.
Pan Xiaozhuo also said: "I don't give it, I have no money."
Tao Huainan said, "You eat what you eat, don't bother with him."
"Yo, is little Huainan so violent now?" Ji Nan was separated from Tao Huainan, he leaned over and flicked Tao Huainan on the head, "No one is going to clean up now, right?"
Tao Huainan smiled and said, "Ah."
It is obvious that there are only a few people missing in the small group.
The big boys drank, so they would inevitably mention those few. Ji Nan asked Tao Huainan: "What's wrong with your little brother? Are you still not coming back this year?"
Tao Huainan was a little overwhelmed by the question directly on his head, and was not mentally prepared in advance.
Shi Kai said "hmm": "Brother Chi is at work."
"Damn, he really won't come back. I haven't seen him in these years." Like a fool, the topic kept slipping on Chi Cheng.
Tao Huainan couldn't catch a word.
Later, Ji Nan asked again: "Is there any conflict between you two?"
Tao Huainan just smiled and didn't answer anything. Shi Kai had gone to the bathroom, but when he came back, he heard Ji Nan ask this, kicked him on the stool and said, "If you want him, you call him, and you keep talking about him when he's not here."
Tao Huainan drank a lot of wine that day, and everyone at this table drank too much.
The first time we drank together that year was in a hotel on the mountain. At that time, except for a few strong men, the rest were thin teenagers. Now he is not thin anymore, and he is not a teenager anymore.
Tao Huainan didn't talk much after drinking, he leaned back in his chair and listened to other people chatting.
At some point, the topic went around and around, and it turned to Chi Cheng again.
Tao Huainan heard Ji Nan say not far away in a daze: "I think Brother Chi just cares about his partner and won't go home anymore, and the brothers don't want to see each other either."
Shi Kai told him not to talk nonsense.
Ji Nan said, "That's what it is."
Tao Huainan felt very hot, the air conditioner and heater in the room were turned on too much, and his head was swollen. He took off the second shirt in silence, leaving only the T-shirt inside.
Seeing him, Ji Nan said "Hey" and said, "Isn't this Chi's clothes? I remember this one. We have the same one."
Tao Huainan felt as if he had been hearing these two words all night. He really didn't know what he was wearing, he couldn't see, he just picked it up from the closet in the morning.
Tao Huainan's eyes were red from drinking, he shook his head at this moment, and said softly with a smile, "Brother Chi, Brother Chi, you are too good at talking about Brother Chi...Your heart is broken."