When Sheng Minou and I were young, I forgot how small I was. Anyway, I should not have gone to school at that time. One day, on a whim, I suddenly asked my dad what my name meant.
My dad thought about it, carried me downstairs, pointed to a maple tree in the flower bed and said, "That's your name, Feng, the maple of the maple tree."
It was summer, and the maple trees were so green that they were not much different from other trees. In other words, pretty unremarkable.
"Why is it a tree?" I was a little dissatisfied, feeling that my dad didn't pay much attention to naming me, "It's not pretty!"
My dad smiled honestly and explained to me: "A tree is beautiful in the forest, and the wind will destroy it. In the forest, a tree that is too tall will be blown down by the wind. The wind is the terrible enemy of the tree. No matter how huge the tree is, , can't withstand the storm. But look at this word, there is "wind" and "wood", coexistence and coexistence, how harmonious. I hope you will not be discouraged even if there are storms on the road of life in the future. We live in this world. Maybe life will be smooth and easy, but you have to learn to have fun in the bitterness."
My dad is such a person, with a good temper and a slow temper. He sits in a rocking chair on weekends, enjoys a cup of tea and a newspaper, and can savor it all afternoon. My mother is the complete opposite of him. She is quick-tempered, has a sharp mouth, and does things in a hurry. What can be done today will never be postponed until tomorrow.
What's the wind and wood, I can't even write my name, so what's the use of telling me what's there or what's not? I was taken aback when I heard it, and felt that my dad said so much, it should be a pretty powerful name.
"What does that brother's name mean?"
At that time, I thought, my brother’s name is one word longer than mine, why should he be more powerful
My dad carried me upstairs, thought carefully for a moment, and said, "My brother's name also has meaning, but the conditions here are limited and there are no real objects. Dad will take you to find it on the weekend."
I seemed to understand and nodded, but I didn't pay much attention to it. As a result, on the weekend, my dad picked Sheng Mingou and me out of bed early in the morning, and actually wanted to take us out.
Urging us to brush our teeth and wash our faces well, and stuff a meat bun into each of us, my dad pushed us outside.
"Old Lu, where are you going?" My mother hurriedly asked after chasing to the stairs.
My dad was probably afraid of being scolded, so he picked me up, walked down the stairs quickly, and shouted back: "Beach!"
"Sea... the seaside?" My mother repeated it incredulously, her voice suddenly soared, "You are sick, why go to the seaside? It's so sunny! Old Lu? Lu Guangrong!!"
Under my mother's roar of the Hedong lion, my father even hugged me and Sheng Minou, and they had long since fled without a trace.
The natural landscape of the sea has always been far away from the bustling city and hidden in an inaccessible place on the outskirts.
My dad took us down three or four buses, shaking until the bones fell apart, and finally saw the appearance of the sea.
Walking from the station to the beach, I was hot and tired. I thought I wasted a good weekend just to watch the muddy "Dajiang". Reluctance arose in my heart, I wanted to go home, and I wanted to eat the braised pork made by my mother.
But my dad had already run down the tidal flat regardless, and Sa Yazi ran wildly against the sea breeze on the low tide beach. Wherever he ran, snow-white gulls would startle.
"Come down and walk!" My dad opened his arms and waved towards us from a distance.
I naturally held the hand of the young boy beside me, and looked up at him: "Brother, Dad is calling us."
"Do you want to go there?"
The sun peeked out a dazzling halo from the back of Sheng Min'ou's head, making his expression fall into darkness.
I squinted and nodded heavily. The next second, the person holding me walked slowly towards the beach.
I am young, and the sandy ground is not easy to walk, and I would trip over within a few steps. Sheng Minou might feel that it was too difficult to lead me, so he simply picked me up and walked towards my dad.
"Son, have you seen these birds? These are seagulls, the 'gulls' of Sheng Minou." My dad was sweating from running, and panting, he pointed out to Sheng Minou and me those seabirds scattered leisurely by the beach in twos and threes .
I put my arms around Sheng Minou's neck and leaned my face on his shoulder: "Many brothers."
There was a short chuckle next to my ear, and when I looked up, I couldn't find any traces on Sheng Minou's face.
"Little boy, is there anything else I want to ask?" My dad took me from Sheng Minou's arms and asked me, nodding at the tip of my nose.
"Is my brother a bird? Why is it different from me?" I frowned, and hated my name again, "I want to be like my brother."
"Gull is a bird, but Min means pure white and beautiful jade." My dad didn't care if I, a child, could understand or not, he said it to himself, "Strictly speaking, your brother is a gull bird as white as beautiful jade." .”
He hugged me with one hand, and rubbed Sheng Minou's head with the other hand: "The person who named you must hope that you will be free and not be stained by the filth of the world."
Sheng Minou didn't have much surprise on his face, staring at the lazy seagulls, he said calmly, "Then why don't you want me?"
My dad paused when he heard this, bent down and put me on the ground, then supported his knees, looked at Sheng Minou and said, "Why do you think they don't want you? Maybe they really can't keep you, right? "
Thinking about it now, my optimism, my personality that can be revived quickly with full blood no matter how hard it hits, is completely inherited from my father.
Sheng Minou was stunned for a moment, and didn't speak any more.
"Fengfeng, take my brother to tread water." My dad pushed me, pushing me towards Sheng Minou.
"Brother, hurry up." After receiving the order, I grabbed Sheng Minou's hand without saying a word, and led him to run towards the waves.
Sheng Min'ou was dragged into the water half-forced by me, and then my dad splashed water on his face, and his face sank instantly.
Since I was a child, I was afraid that Sheng Minou would be angry. Seeing him like this, I reflexively splashed a handful of water on my dad. Quick and accurate, he choked his nose, which was "revenge" for Sheng Minou.
"Don't bully brother!"
My dad was going to chase me, I screamed and hid behind Sheng Minou. Sheng Min'ou picked me up and ran to the shore. When he looked back, the smile on his face was extraordinarily bright.
I have thought many times that this should be the most carefree moment in my twenty-odd years of life. It would be great if I could stay in that day forever, even if I would be bombarded by my mother's nagging ears after returning home dripping wet.
When I woke up early in the morning, I went to the pawn shop to meet Shen Xiaoshi, the two stayed up until noon and finished eating, then went to Sheng Minou's law firm without stopping, and waited in the reception room early.
"Brother Feng, I really trouble you this time." Shen Xiaoshi lowered his head, his complexion looked better than the previous two days, but his spirit was still a little listless.
I teased him, pinched his cheek and said: "It's a shame to say this, what do I have to do with you, why are you being so polite?" I tickled his chin.
And at this moment, the door of the reception room was pushed open, and I glanced at it, and saw Sheng Minou and Wu Yi standing outside the door, their eyes focused on my...hand.
Very well, after being seen embracing Mo Qiu in the street, I was caught by Sheng Minou molesting a little boy in his company.
Wu Yi doesn't look like a strict-spoken person either. I have a hunch that after today, my image in the minds of these lawyers will change from "the boss' brother" to "the relationship between men and men is chaotic".
Withdrawing my hand quickly, I tried to hide it and put a long distance away from Shen Xiaoshi.
It is impossible to know the inner drama, at least on the surface Sheng Minou is quite calm, Wu Yi is almost there, and his smile is a little awkward.
"Hi, hello, I'm Wu Yi from Jinshang Firm, and this is lawyer Sheng Min Ousheng. You should have contacted him before, so I won't introduce any more, just... let's get started."
After Wu Yi shook hands with Shen Xiaoshi, he saw that Sheng Minou had already sat down on the sofa, and he didn't show any intention of giving face to the other party, and the expression on his face was even more subtle.
After everyone sat down, I patted Shen Xiaoshi on the shoulder and said softly: "Come on, tell them slowly, don't worry."
Shen Xiaoshi was in a state of looking at everything normal, but in fact, he had been in a state of confusion for a long time. He said "um" softly, put his elbows on his knees, and clasped his hands. He lowered his head and began to talk about the cause and effect.
Sheng Minou crossed his hands and crossed his chest, leaning back on the sofa, with an expression of impatience that he didn't want to endure but had to endure. Although he seemed to be distracted all the time, I knew he was listening carefully. Once he decides to do something, he will definitely do it well, even if he is not willing to do it. Double-faced and three-handed is not his style.
Shen Xiaoshi repeated everything he said to me that day, and no one interrupted him. After he finished, he held hands tightly, looked up at Sheng Minou nervously, and asked, "Will my mother... be sentenced to death?"
"No." Sheng Minou said bluntly, "Long-term domestic violence and surrender, will not be sentenced to death. If you plead guilty, the sentence will not exceed twenty years."
Shen Xiaoshi was stunned: "Twenty years... Guilty? No, it's too long, my mother... she just killed a scum. Sentenced for twenty years, she will be seventy when she comes out, and she will spend the rest of her life in prison What's the difference here?"
Sheng Minou was unmoved, and said coldly: "There is no legal provision that stipulates that scum deserves to die. Do you know why laws exist?"
Captured by his momentum, Shen Xiaoshi shook his head weakly.
"In order to maintain social order. Human beings have evolved to this day and have formed our own rules. Those who do not abide by the rules must accept legal sanctions."
Wu Yi saw that the atmosphere was not right, and wanted to save the scene: "Actually..."
"A good man and a bad man. If a good man doesn't kill a bad man, the good man will be beaten to death by the bad man. If a good man kills a bad man, the good man will be severely punished by the law. Tell me the rules? If... if..." Shen Xiaoshi turned his eyes red suddenly He glanced at me, "If that good man is your close relative, brother Feng, can you say such sarcastic remarks?"
I stared at him, stunned.
Little bastard, I wonder if he knows something, otherwise why is this question so tricky
Every single word seems to be... an allusion to what happened back then.
I couldn't help but go to see Sheng Minou, wanting to hear what he had to say. As a result, Sheng Minou also happened to look over, and looked at me at the same level.
His eyes were the same as before, deep and incomprehensible, I couldn't tell whether I saw "sadness" in his eyes for a moment, but soon, they were filled with ridicule towards Shen Xiaoshi again.
"Then what do you think we should do?" He looked away and asked Shen Xiaoshi.
Shen Xiaoshi clenched his fists and said loudly: "Of course I tried to exonerate him/her. It's true that he/she killed someone, but that's not a crime, it's just self-help!"