After rubbing the medicine for several days, the injury on Lu Qiang's back turned red, which looked glaring, but the pain eased. Only the injury on the shoulder was slightly serious, and it was still red and swollen.
He didn't take it seriously, and later stopped taking the medicine and let it heal naturally.
After a week's shift, Lu Qiang started to work the night shift and had free time during the day. He took a minibus to Xiaoshanghe.
Last month, I received a meeting notice from Old Deng. It happened to be today. He stopped by to buy a bag of food, knee pads and thermal underwear. There were too many of them. It's useless, there is a limit on the amount of consumption.
It takes half an hour for a minibus to visit the prison. The opportunity is precious and only once a month. People outside look forward to this day and night. .
No one has visited Lu Qiang in the past six years since he went in. Mr. Qiu spent some money to take care of things inside and out, but he was too late to protect him. Genzi remitted the money a few times, fearing that people would suspect him. Later, Lu Qiang refused to let him go. . Food and clothing are all in the prison, and I basically eat steamed buns, pickled vegetables and cabbage soup every day, and occasionally eat meat. What he committed was a criminal offense, where the treatment was the lowest, and the labor he was engaged in was also the most low-level and the most tiring. He had done everything from farmland farming to mining coal mining. .
The rice fields outside the window are boundless, and they have turned yellow with the seasons. The harvesters are busy, and it is the day of autumn harvest. Lu Qiang sat in the last row, took a look outside, and lit a cigarette.
He put his arm on the car window. Although the sun was shining brightly, the wind had brought a dry and cold breath.
A woman sitting next to her smelled the smoke and coughed uncomfortably. In the corner of Lu Qiang's vision, a hand was stirring beside her. He turned his head and met a pair of eyes with distaste and disdain. His eyes swept down, and the woman was pregnant.
Lu Qiang didn't care, hooked his lips, looked out of the window again, raised his hand, and the half-stuffed cigarette butt also floated into the wind.
Prison visit procedures are complicated, especially for him.
Lu Qiang waited twice as long, and handed over the things to the prison guards. Afterwards, he had to go through a series of strict inspections, and after completing a series of procedures, he was taken to the visiting room. The long hall is divided into two, the special glass is impenetrable even to bullets, the high windows only bring in a narrow strip of daylight, and the lighting is all by a few incandescent lamps overhead.
Lu Qiang sat on the chair and glanced at the closed iron door opposite. He used to be inside, but now he is sitting outside, feeling mixed feelings for a while.
Not long after, the iron door inside was slowly opened, the glass silenced the sound, and the heavy clashing sound of steel could not be heard at all. Old Deng was a felon, and he was wearing handcuffs and shackles, and his movements were clumsy and slow.
He glanced at the young man sitting outside, leaning lazily on the back of the chair, raising one eyebrow slightly, with a dull and casual arc hanging on the corner of his lips, his face was filled with a wild but calm expression. Among the visitors, he is a calm and introverted ordinary person who has been hiding for a long time.
From the first time he met Lu Qiang, he knew that this young man was not simple.
Lao Deng sat down on the stool, and the prison guards uncuffed him, and then stood beside him with his hands behind his back.
He picked up the receiver in front of him and put it to his ear. Seeing him move, Lu Qiang straightened himself up and came over to pick up the receiver.
Old Deng said, "Hair has grown."
"… you lost weight."
After a moment of silence, the two looked at each other and smiled silently.
They lived in the clinic for six years in prison. Lao Deng saved his life and gave him a lot of help and guidance from the standpoint of the old man. During the period when he was most sad and collapsed, Lao Deng and him depended on each other for life.
Lu Qiang knew that although he had killed people, he was a good man.
Lao Deng smiled and said, "Your hair style is pretty cool." In fact, it is the most common cropped cut, but with the dark red scar on his forehead, no one is more suitable than him.
Lu Qiang's eyes became clearer, "Separate people."
"Virtue." Old Deng nodded at him.
Lu Qiang asked: "So much thinner?"
"Thin?"
"Someone bullied you?"
"I am honest and responsible, who can bully me," Lao Deng said: "The weather has changed recently, and I have been soaking in water all day when I go to work, and when I go to bed, my joints hurt like hell, and I can't eat."
Lu Qiang raised his forehead: "Report to the doctor and ask the doctor to prescribe some medicine."
"It's an old problem, it's useless to look at it... I can stand it."
Lu Qiang said: "I brought you knee pads, and they will give them to you later." He paused: "Swap them with your previous pair."
The previous pair was bought by his ex-wife Liang Yarong, and she has been carrying them for two years. Counting the days, he went in for twenty-five and a half years, and his ex-wife did not see him more than five times. A long time ago, the husband and wife were both high-level intellectuals. They worked in the Zhangzhou Chemical Industry Research Institute. At that time, there were many obstacles to scientific research. The results obtained by Lao Deng, who forgot to sleep and eat, were stolen by his colleagues and applied for patents. He impulsively stabbed each other several times. Dao was sentenced to life imprisonment for intentional homicide. At that time, Liang Yarong was just pregnant, and the arranged marriage did not have much emotional basis. She divorced Lao Deng before the child was born, and then married a male classmate who had always had a crush on her.
There is nothing Lao Deng can do if he can't see it. Liang Yarong will not be a widow for him for the rest of his life. It is the utmost benevolence to come to see him occasionally. When the child was born, she told him it was a daughter and asked her name. Liang Yarong hesitated and said it was Deng Qiong. She only brought him a photo of the full moon. Twenty-five years later, the child never came to see him in prison.
Old Deng thought, if he died, maybe this would be his only regret.
"Thanks," Old Deng smiled wryly, not wanting to think about these things, and asked him, "How was your trip?"
"good."
His tone was flat, but he subconsciously raised his eyebrows. Lao Deng caught it and smiled: "Looking at your expression, you should be doing well."
Lu Qiang was noncommittal.
"The work is going well? Did you make a lot of money?"
He didn't speak, and Lao Deng continued to ask: "Eat well and sleep well? Or is the outside world so exciting that friends and relatives have seen it?"
After a pause, Lu Qiang turned his head sideways to see a magpie flying by the fence of the high window, bouncing around, chirping, and looking inside curiously.
After a while, Lu Qiang smiled: "Meet a girl."
Old Deng was slightly startled, not quite convinced: "Seriously?"
Lu Qiang gave him a sideways look, which was not a good one.
Old Deng smiled and said sadly, "Good thing, good thing."
The two chatted for a while, and the time passed before they knew it. The prison guard handcuffed Lao Deng, and Lu Qiang stood up, "I'll see you next time."
Lao Deng stood, raised the receiver with both hands, "Don't come here," he lowered his head: "This is not a good place, you see someone who goes out and runs back."
Lu Qiang felt uncomfortable.
The prison guard reminded Lao Deng to leave.
He took one last look at Lu Qiang before he hesitated to speak.
Lu Qiang: "Say."
"If you want to work hard, just help me see how they are doing."
Lu Qiang knew who the 'they' were referring to, so he asked directly, "The address."
"Room 502, Unit 1, Jinzhou Road Chemical Family Building, Shinan District."
A string of addresses is memorized fluently, but in fact it has been repeated countless times in my heart. In the past thirty years, I don’t know if they have moved. Maybe they have a rich and happy life, and they have completely forgotten who he is, but his daughter is his only concern. No, I also want to hear a few words about her.
...
Lu Qiang came home after three o'clock in the afternoon, feeling a little gloomy. He lay on the bed with his arms pillowed on his head, and wanted to close his eyes and sleep for half an hour. The events of the year when he first came in always appeared in front of his eyes. It was the first time he regretted going the wrong way, but no one gave him a chance to be born again.
There was an old-fashioned writing desk next to it, which was more than half a meter higher than the bed. Lu Qiang raised his eyelids and saw the courier bag on the corner of the desk. It contained a check and scraps of paper. It had been thrown on the desk for several months and had not been picked up. He raised his hand to cover it, pointing his index finger slowly.
When he was addicted to cigarettes, he propped his arms half against the wall, folded his legs, and lit a cigarette from his trouser pocket. The single bed that Lu Qiang slept on was next to a window. He lived on the first floor. There were children playing outside the window, and vegetable farmers were loading their trucks to go to the market.
The soot had been frozen for a while, and he turned his gaze back and flicked it directly on the express paper bag.
After smoking a cigarette, Lu Qiang finally fell asleep.
After an unknown amount of time, the phone vibrated in his lower back, and at a certain moment, he suddenly jumped up from the bed, his head covered in cold sweat.
The sky outside the window fell into darkness, he flipped his phone from under his body, and Lao Li called, it was almost six o'clock, and he had been waiting for him for almost an hour.
It's so close, Lu Qiang can arrive there in ten minutes, Lao Li complained a bit: "Why did you come here?"
"Overslept."
"Boy, why do you sleep in broad daylight." Lao Li changed his clothes, "I'm leaving."
"Slow down."
Lao Li said "Hey", lifted his pedals and hurried home.
Lu Qiang turned around and heard someone greet Lao Li: "Master Li, you haven't left work yet."
Lao Li looked at the other party for a while, and said in surprise: "Yo! Isn't this Xiao Liu? Good days are gone... Come back today, come to find Xiao Lu?"
Lu Qiang froze in his footsteps, and turned around abruptly. Standing in front of Lao Li was a young man with a fresh face. His hair was a little long and his forehead was well placed. His eyes were piercing under thick eyebrows. He was wearing a black business suit, which looked a bit thin.
The man lowered his head: "She...should be at home."
"Yes, yes..." Lao Li was stunned for a moment, "I saw her back just now."
"Thanks."
The man smiled unnaturally at him, raised his legs and walked inside. Passing by Lu Qiang, he obviously felt an invisible crushing feeling, instinctively looked in that direction, and unexpectedly met a set of cold and hard eyes.
He nodded friendlyly at him, Lu Qiang remained expressionless.
Waiting for people to walk away, Lao Li still looked in that direction, Lu Qiang went over and said, "Who is that man?"
Lao Li said: "That's the one, the man before Xiao Lu," fearing that Lu Qiang wouldn't understand, "I didn't make that one."
He asked "Lu Yin?"
"That's right, Xiao Lu."
Lu Qiang clenched his fists by his side: "Stay for me a little longer."
Before Lao Li could react, he had already strode into the community.
***
When the door knocked, Lu Yin was cooking in the kitchen. The sound lasted for a while. She turned down the gas and ran to open the door.
During this time period, there should be no one else.
Lu Yin opened the door directly and was about to run back: "We are cooking..."
The words stopped, and the footsteps stopped, Lu Yin turned around mechanically, still holding the spatula in his hand.
Standing at the door was Liu Zecheng, dressed in a stiff suit and carrying a briefcase, eagerly staring at her figure in the room. She was wearing a loose woolen sweater with a wide neckline and a slender neck revealing her straight and slender collarbone. She wore a water blue lace apron with a row of funny and cute wild ducks printed on her chest.
Stepping on her slippers barefoot, she turned around inch by inch, "It's you."
Liu Zecheng's gaze followed her, and she grabbed her hair casually, coiled it high behind her head, a very thin strand fell down her cheek, and the end of her hair slipped into the corner of her lips.
He looked at the spatula in her hand, his nose was full of the aroma of home cooking, a long-lost warmth overflowed his chest, the woman in front of him stood under the light, her face was gentle and soft.
Ever since I met her that day, the warm times of the past have flooded into my mind again. Only after comparison can I know how good she is.
After work today, he was aimless, he didn't want to go home and face endless housework, he didn't want to serve people, he didn't want to eat takeaway, and he began to hate that beautiful and young face.
Liu Zecheng suppressed the urge to hug her, and said in an excited voice, "Yinyin."
Lu Yin lowered her hands and asked coldly, "You have something to do with me."
"...It's okay," he took a small step forward: "I just want to come and see you."
Lu Yin put the corners of her lips and hair behind her ears, and smiled: "I have something to look at, there's no need for that."
There was a moment of silence, "Can I go in and sit down?"
As he said that, he was about to walk in, but Lu Yin blocked it with one step: "I can't."
"Yinyin!" His eyes flickered: "... I regret it."
Lu Yin's heart went numb, she didn't look at him, and didn't make a sound.
Liu Zecheng choked up a bit: "These days, I always think of the time when we fell in love at school... I still remember one time when you had a stomachache, and I bought medicine and delivered it to your window in the middle of the night... At that time you lived on the first floor, and we sometimes talked through the window... "
"do you remember?"
"forget."
She sneered, and the extreme joy in her heart grew bigger and bigger. Listening to him now, she didn't feel much except nausea.
Not wanting to continue entanglement, Lu Yin leaned over to close the door with a sullen face.
In a moment of impatience, Liu Zecheng grabbed the door frame and with a little effort, she was brought out.
Lu Yin exclaimed, the slipper tripped on the door frame, and her body rushed over.
Liu Zecheng stretched out his hand to hug her, but before he could touch her, a force pulled him away. Liu Zecheng staggered, and in the blink of an eye, Lu Yin fell into the arms of a strange man.
The man's voice was not good: "What are you doing? Charging electricity bills, water bills, or gas bills?" Turning to Lu Yin, the voice was equally aggressive: "I asked you to say hello and then open the door. Can't you understand?"
Lu Yin twisted a little, and Lu Qiang hugged her even tighter, taking her in a possessive posture, holding her under his arms.
Liu Zecheng stabilized his body and rubbed his wrists: "Who are you?"
After he finished asking, he couldn't help but look at the man across from him. He was ten centimeters taller than him, and he was unusually strong. He could almost fit half of himself in. The lights in the room were covered by him, so he couldn't see his face clearly for a while.
Lu Qiang said, "She's a man."
Liu Zecheng looked at Lu Yin, she was obediently in his arms, her figure was too small.
He couldn't laugh or cry, and wanted to drag Lu Yin, but Lu Qiang grabbed his wrist and slammed him aside. That small body couldn't withstand his brute force, and hit the wall next to it with a 'bump'.
Lu Yin took a breath and subconsciously took a small step forward.
Lu Qiang frowned, dissatisfied with her nervous reaction, and stared at her fiercely.
Liu Zecheng hissed, and it took him a long time to stand up straight, the sleeves of his suit brushed against the white wall, the buttons were undone, and his tie was crooked, looking a bit embarrassed.
The person at the door moved his direction, and a little light came through. He saw his appearance and clothes clearly, and recalled seeing him at the door a few minutes ago, which was a bit unbelievable. Liu Zecheng didn't step forward again, and turned to Lu Yin: "What did he say is true?"
Lu Yin pursed her lips and remained silent.
Equivalent to acquiescing, Liu Zecheng slowly shook his head and pointed at him: "He? Looking for a security guard?"
Lu Qiang sneered, let go of Lu Yin, and took a step forward. Liu Zecheng retreated subconsciously, but was not as long as his arm, and was grabbed by the neck.
"What do you want to do?"
The muscles on Lu Qiang's arms swelled, and Liu Zecheng's heels lifted off the ground: "Not only as a security guard, I have also been in prison, killed people, set fires, and everything." He paused every word, and asked viciously: " Are you afraid?"
"Crazy," his voice trembled, "I'm calling someone!... Yinyin, tell him to let go."
Lu Qiang punched him on the left side of the face, "Yinyin's mother is also your name?"
Liu Zecheng tilted his head and remained silent. In fact, it didn't take much effort, just to scare him. Lu Yin was frightened, fearing that things would get worse, she hurried forward to hold Lu Qiang's hand: "Don't hit me, I'll tell him."
Lu Qiang glanced at her and shrugged him back.
Liu Zecheng covered his face and took two steps back.
Lu Yin said: "No matter what the reason is, I hope you don't come next time. I'm living a good life now. I don't want to talk about the past, let alone see you."
"I just want to ask you, what's your relationship with him?"
"It's okay," she blurted out, but when she realized she was wrong, she quickly added: "This is none of your business."
Lu Qiang suddenly looked at her, but she lowered her eyes and did not respond. For a moment, he squinted his eyes, his expression was unreadable, after all, the word 'injured' was a bit inconsistent for him, and only he knew what it was like.
"You will regret this."
"It's up to me whether I regret it later, you can go."
Lu Yin grabbed Lu Qiang, turned around and closed the door, the light pouring into the room turned into a narrow strip, and finally disappeared.
...
The door was closed tightly, only to smell a burning smell. Lu Yin was startled with a shovel in her hand, and ran to the kitchen to turn off the gas. The pot was dark, and the dishes could not be distinguished, and there was a pungent smell .
She put the pot under the faucet to rinse, staring at the water column, not knowing what to think. After a while, she turned around, stepped back a few steps, and rested her butt on the chopping board.
Lu Yin twitched the corners of her mouth: "The vegetables are burnt, I can't eat them."
Lu Qiang didn't know when he came over, and stood in front of him: "Are you thinking the same as him?"
"No." She replied subconsciously.
Lu Qiang narrowed his eyes, "Do you know what I'm asking?"
The air was a little stagnant, Lu Yin lowered her shoulders, and pushed him: "You are in a bad mood today."
Lu Qiang didn't move, pinched her cheek and forced her to look at him: "Do you feel ashamed?"
"without."
"Are we okay?" This is always what he cares most about.
Lu Yin said nothing.
He got closer, and said in a very gentle but gloomy tone, "You should make it clear."
"... just don't think it's necessary."
"Why is it necessary? Keep alive, waiting to continue the front line."
Lu Yin endured it, and slapped his hand off: "Let's talk about it when you are in a better mood, let me go."
Lu Qiang sneered: "I'm in a bad mood, and I'm angry with you couple."
"You..." Lu Yin said, "Why are you crazy?"
"Going crazy? Then you don't see what it looks like when I go crazy," he took off her waist and hips, put her on the chopping board, bent her knees to push her legs apart, put one hand on her waist, and one hand on her shoulder. Lu Yin was startled and struggled, the sweater fell down, revealing the black shoulder straps, and the round shoulders fell into his hands.
Lu Yin was pinched in pain, she retreated, and stretched out her hand to pinch his waist. Seeing her intention, Lu Qiang grabbed those hands and pressed them together behind her back. Lu Yin's palms were wet and greasy, pressing down on the chopped tomatoes, and the juice flowed down, soaking the light-colored sweater immediately.
He put his mouth close and kissed her exposed skin.
This gesture is embarrassing and frivolous, and there is no respect at all. She thought of his past, his injuries, and his occasional sharp eyes. She didn't know anything about him, relying on liking and needing alone, she couldn't get half a sense of security, she would only use her fists when things happened, and if she couldn't get angry, she would be tough on her.
Under the excitement and anger, all his good things turned into bad things, all his care and love turned into plots, and the indecision hidden in his heart finally broke out.
This relationship is like a dilapidated building, the foundation is not solid, and the slightest disturbance will destroy the city building.
Lu Yin's nose was sore, and tears flowed down her cheeks.
When Lu Qiang touched her face, his movements froze slightly.
Lu Yin said without hesitation: "I want to break up."
All movements stopped, Lu Qiang swallowed, and the quiet space was filled with the sound of her sniffling. After a long time, Lu Qiang pulled up his clothes, pulled her into his arms, and pressed her forehead against her forehead.
Only after she calmed down did she realize that she might be frightened. The big palm caressed her back: "Okay... don't do this next time."
She pushed him: "Go away."
"I'm so jealous, I can't see you staying with your old friend."
Lu Yin struggled: "... I don't want to hear what you say."
Lu Qiang hugged him tightly, and let out a long and slow breath: "I am uneducated, but I have enough money to spend your whole life... It's all yours. If you want to buy a famous brand, a diamond car or a house, it's up to you."
"I do not want."
"I'm mad at you for not explaining it to him."
Lu Yin felt a pain in her heart: "We are a couple, we will hook up together in the future."
Lu Qiang smiled wryly: "Don't be angry."
"It's not angry words, it's not him and it won't be you, get out." Lu Yin was not very calm: "I want to separate..."
The smile at the corner of Lu Qiang's mouth froze, she said: "I don't know anything about you, we were a mistake, we don't know each other, we are not the same way," she sniffed: "Today is just right, let me explain it once..."
Lu Yin's mind was in a mess, and her thinking could no longer keep up with what she blurted out.
Pulling a distance in front of her, he squeezed her shoulders: "I'm nothing to you?"
"no."
"You don't have feelings for me?"
"… No."
"Are we a mistake?"
"… right."
Lu Qiang's Adam's apple rolled, and after a few seconds: "Aren't you getting along with me?"
"..." Lu Yin bit her lips tightly: "... yes."
A pair of deep eyes with bloodshot eyes stared at her closely. Lu Qiang thought that a few days ago, she also mentioned breaking up with him, but that time he pretended she hadn't said it, and this was the second time, but he couldn't.
After an unknown amount of time, Lu Qiang sneered and pressed his ear against her:
"You're just an unfamiliar white-eyed wolf."
Lu Yin pursed her lips tightly.
"I'm not playing anymore."
After a long time, Lu Yin was still sitting on the chopping board, hearing the echo of the door closing. She finally regained her sense of reason and wanted to explain something, but the front was empty and there was no sign of him.