The next day, Yuan Yuan's plane was eleven o'clock.
Chen Donglan got up early and cooked porridge for him. Yuan Yuan saw that he hadn't left for work at eight o'clock, and asked suspiciously, "You won't take a leave to take me to the airport, will you?"
Chen Donglan almost dropped the pot. Just guessing, can he read minds
"Yu Lin promised to send me, so don't waste your vacation."
Now that the Chinese New Year is about to come, it is the last few days before the Spring Festival holiday. It should be the time when Chen Donglan can't get away from it the most. If you ask for leave, you must make it up during the Spring Festival holiday. Most people will not do such an uneconomical business. Chen Donglan's Spring Festival holiday is three days in total, from the 30th to the 2nd day of the new year, and it will be a loss on any day.
Without getting a reply, Yuan Yuan couldn't drink the porridge: "Did you invite me?"
Chen Donglan shook his head: "...No."
Yuan Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.
A little bit of time went to 9:30, Chen Donglan could only bite the bullet and pack up and go out to work.
Yuan Yuan was collecting things, and when he saw Chen Donglan putting on his shoes at the door, he stopped him: "Wait, I'll take you there."
Chen Donglan was taken aback: "No, the subway station is very close."
Yuan Yuan thought about it carefully. Years ago, there were a lot of cars on the road, and the traffic jams were severe every day. Driving is not necessarily faster than taking the subway, so he changed his words: "Then I will take you to the subway station."
Such a big person, how can I send it to work? It was time to refuse, but Chen Donglan couldn't.
It's rare to see the sun outside today, it's a good weather. It is obviously a hurried way to work with head down every time, but today I feel better than ever.
Chen Donglan's steps were getting slower and slower.
Yuan Yuan glanced at his watch: "If you don't hurry up, you will be late."
Chen Donglan also glanced at the time. It was 9:40, even if he could catch the subway as soon as he entered the station, it was too late.
There was helplessness in Yuan Yuan's eyes: "You..." He paused, "Can you take care of yourself?"
There is only Chen Donglan in the world who can make him ask such an adult man.
Chen Donglan was taken aback by his question, and he nodded after a long time.
"I'll check when I come back," Yuan Yuan said. "If you eat a piece of biscuit, or a bite of convenience food, just..."
He stopped, not thinking of a good punishment for a moment. Chen Donglan, no matter how he punishes him, is not good at all. If he is punished heavily, he is afraid that he will be serious and then be sad. If he is punished lightly, it will not work at all.
Chen Donglan said solemnly, "I'll move out after eating."
"No, change it." Yuan Yuan's brain hurt when he heard the words "move out", and he instantly thought of Chen Donglan who walked out of his car without a word that night.
Is it Chen Donglan who is tired of moving out? Anyway, after moving out and moving back, he is always the porter in charge of picking up and dropping off.
Chen Donglan took Yuan Yuan's pulse and asked tentatively, "Then punish me for washing the dishes every day."
Yuan Yuan: …
"...Sleep on the sofa every, every day?"
Yuan Yuan's face darkened. Fortunately, the subway station was right in front of him. He stopped in place and waved his hand: "Don't talk about it, I'll be like a foreman who squeezes you, go ahead."
Chen Donglan suddenly felt anxious: "I will be fine." He said, "I will eat well every day, don't worry."
Yuan Yuanfang softened his brows and hummed.
Listening to his voice, Chen Donglan only felt that the sun was so good that he was dizzy.
He almost reached out and grabbed Yuan Yuan.
Almost said out loud, I'm going with you. Take a plane together and go to City A together. It's almost like, I won't disturb you when you are with your family, just wait and let me stay by your side.
In Chen Donglan's life, there were too many impulses that he resisted for life and turned into almost.
"I'm leaving," he said. "You'll be careful on the road for a while. It's colder in city A than here, so you have to put on extra clothes."
Yuan Yuan laughed at his long-windedness: "I see."
Chen Donglan also bent the corners of his lips and turned to leave.
He spends a day wandering around the city, consuming the loneliness in his body, fully prepared, and returning to his room alone.
Yuan Yuan's parents are both workaholics. They prefer to take care of their own occupations rather than taking care of their children, and they have passed on this characteristic to Yuan Yuan.
When Yuan Yuan got home, his parents were still at work. He got the key to the house from Grandma Wang next door. As soon as he put down his luggage, he picked up his mobile phone and chatted with his colleagues who were working overtime in the office.
When Yuan's father and Yuan's mother came home, it was seven o'clock in the night. Yuan Yuan hung up the phone, his throat was almost smoking, and he drank a glass of water before saying hello to his parents.
Mother Yuan looked at it for a while, and showed disappointment: "Didn't you bring your girlfriend home?"
Yuan Yuan heard it funny: "I've let you down."
Mother Yuan frowned: "It's as useless as your father."
Yuan's father did not express dissatisfaction with her remarks, and washed his hands and went into the kitchen to cook.
Yuan Yuan also followed: "Dad, I'll help you."
Father Yuan looked at him like a biochemical weapon: "Farewell," he said, looking at Mother Yuan who was following curiously, "Take him out quickly."
Yuan Yuan said dissatisfiedly: "I still know how to fight."
Yuan's father was still unhappy, but Yuan's mother trusted him: "Where did you learn it?"
Yuan Yuan rubbed the potatoes skillfully: "My friend who lives with me cooks for me at home every day, he taught me."
Mother Yuan looked surprised: "Why don't you bring it home to see? There are not many girls who can cook these days."
Yuan Yuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Yuan's mother didn't care about him, and adopted a free-range parenting method since childhood. He has never been interested in his love life. In the past few years, a colleague became a grandmother, and she became enthusiastic about it.
"He's an old classmate of mine and a bachelor."
Mother Yuan looked disappointed, turned and left the kitchen.
Father Yuan looked at his wife's back and couldn't help laughing: "Don't think your mother is vulgar, she doesn't want to hug her grandson, just because you are old and have been alone outside, worried that you are lonely."
Yuan Yuan helped Father Yuan wash the chopping board and handed it over: "Of course I know it's all for my own good, I will consider it."
Father Yuan didn't take it to heart. He knew very well how much his own son would speak politely and make superficial tricks.
"You..." His voice was sad, "I don't know when someone will talk to you."
Yuan Yuan smiled lightly and comforted his father: "It's always been there, don't worry."
Father Yuan also smiled and stopped chatting with him.
The days at home are too busy, and this year there are two more days than in previous years, which makes Yuan Yuan feel uncomfortable and wants to find something to do.
Mother Yuan has been observing him silently, and on the morning of the New Year's Eve, she whispered to him, "Are you bored at home?"
Yuan Yuan nodded.
Mother Yuan smiled: "Will my mother arrange a blind date for you?"
Yuan Yuan got goosebumps from her fright. Yuan's mother has always been cold and hard, except when Yuan Yuan was young, she never called herself "mother" with a smile.
"No need, you can put aside your chores for the new year and have a good rest." Yuan Yuan categorically refused.
Yuan mother herself was a little uncomfortable, coughed, and recovered her cold face: "Do you think it's me who is in a hurry? Don't worry if you are not in a hurry."
Yuan Yuan smiled and sent her away.
After a few minutes, Yuan's mother came back again: "Yuan Yuan..."
Yuan Yuan put down his mobile phone and listened attentively: "You say it."
"Tell me about the friend who cooks for you." Mother Yuan looked at Yuan Yuan, her eyes full of "I don't believe it's a boy".
Yuan Yuan had no choice. He said, "Wait for me." Then he rummaged through the cabinet where he kept his old things. If I remember correctly, the junior high school graduation photo was at the very bottom of the cabinet.
"Look at it." The old photos are not very clear from the current perspective, and because they have been pressed in the cabinet for a long time, the appearance is gray.
Among the green faces, Yuan Yuan took a while to find Chen Donglan.
He was stunned.
changed…
Chen Donglan and before have changed a lot.
"That's it?" Yuan's mother came over and said euphemistically, "Is he unhappy when taking pictures?"
Chen Donglan, whose face was still immature, stood among the brightly smiling middle school students. Although he was top-notch, he was inconspicuous. He didn't smile and looked at the camera, because his eyes were indifferent and his eyes were empty.
He carefully recalled Chen Donglan in middle school, and only found vague fragments. Chen Donglan was sitting in the center of the classroom, like sitting in the corner, with his head down, not knowing what he was thinking.
The first time he saw Chen Donglan in college was on the first day of a freshman on the school's debate team.
Chen Donglan stood up, his back was straight, his tone was light, and his voice was not loud, but he gave the impression of being organized and full of confidence.
"What's in a daze?" Yuan's mother said, "I saw it, and then what?"
Yuan Yuan came back to his senses: "His name is Chen Donglan. We are junior high school classmates, high school alumni, and college alumni. We are all working in T city now."
"That's quite fate." Yuan mother took the photo in her hand and took a closer look. The old photos also brought up her memories. At that time, she was busy with work, and Yuan's father was also busy with work, so he seldom cared about Yuan Yuan, and even often kept him at his sister-in-law's house for a month. But he didn't get hurt because of it, which made her very happy.
"Your classmate, his family may not treat him well." Yuan mother said.
Yuan Yuan was surprised: "Why do you say that?"
"It's just intuition. How fun it is to take a graduation photo, but the child doesn't even laugh. It must be serious at home." Yuan's mother is not a person who likes to gossip about other people's homes, so this evaluation is just sentimental.
Is that right
Yuan Yuan took the photo back, but couldn't look at it any longer.
No matter which episode he recalled, Chen Donglan never smiled. During his most carefree, noisy and joyful junior high school years, Chen Donglan never felt happy.
What was he like back then
Until the New Year's Eve dinner in the evening, he still had this matter in his mind.
There were only the three of them at Yuan Yuan's family's New Year's Eve dinner, and it was very lively with few people. Father Yuan's superb cooking skills were tempered by Mother Yuan's cunning taste for decades. Every year, he sets a large table and never runs out of food.
The family started busy with the meal at noon, and didn't eat until late at night, chatting while eating, and the atmosphere was indescribably warm.
After the meal, Yuan Yuan consciously went to wash the dishes, but after a while, Yuan's mother also came in.
She asked, "Why are you absent-minded?"
Yuan Yuan smiled: "Did you see it?"
Yuan's mother snorted: "Don't change the subject, what are you thinking about? If it's a working mother, I won't ask. I still want to know emotionally."
Yuan Yuan looked at the white foam on the back of his hands, and squeezed them together with his hands: "It's not something I'm worried about, I'm just worried about my friends who live with me."
"Chen Donglan?" Yuan's mother has a good memory. If she has the heart to memorize it, she will never forget the name she said once.
Yuan Yuan nodded.
"He's an adult, what are you worried about?" Mother Yuan was puzzled.
Yuan Yuan wanted to sigh, but he endured it in front of his mother. There are many things that Chen Donglan can worry about, such as eating, sleeping, going to work, which are all worrying.
Yuan Yuan understood his decision at this moment, he said, "Mom, I plan to go back to T City ahead of schedule."