It was already twenty-nine years since Lu Yin arrived in Qianyuan. The moment he got off the car, a moist breath hit his face, and he sniffed it unconsciously. Lu Yin curled his lips, feeling a long-lost intimacy.
When I got out of the platform, I saw Lu You looking around on tiptoes from a distance. He was wearing a gray coat and coarse trousers. The trousers were rolled up, revealing a section of black cotton socks.
Lu Yin's nose had pantothenic acid for no reason, so she quickly waved at him.
Seeing Lu Youzheng, he smiled honestly and strode over here.
He took Lu Yin's luggage, "Are you tired?"
"Not tired, just slept together." Lu Yin asked, "Where's auntie?"
"She is at home, and the two children are on vacation, so they are very noisy."
Lu Yin was overjoyed, and grabbed his luggage with him: "I'll do it."
"I'll come, I'll come," he dodged, and took a few steps forward: "The car is at the door."
Dodging the crowd, Lu Youzheng's tricycle parked in the back alley, he unlocked it, put the box beside her, and helped her pull the car door.
Lu Yin looked up and saw that it was the same car from a few years ago. The body was full of rust, the tires were covered with dirt, and the color of the sunshade cloth on the roof could no longer be seen.
She stepped up, just as Lu You was locking the car door, kicked up and rode away nimbly.
Crossing the crowded train station, he picked up speed.
Lu Yin sat at the back, looking at his swaying back, "Uncle," the voice was covered by the noise, she said loudly, "You are already twenty-nine, do you still come out to do work?"
Lu Youzheng tilted his head halfway: "Staying is also waiting, I will pick you up by the way."
The small town is not very big, a street leads straight to the end, and both sides of the road are full of sellers of New Year's goods, which is full of joy and peace.
They lived in an old alley, and the house was old and left by Grandma Lu Yin.
After entering the door, two children were fighting, both girls, Da Ke and Xiao Ke, the older one just entered college this year, and the younger one was only 11, born the year Lu Yin left home.
Seeing her standing at the door, he could recognize her, smiled and called sister.
Xiao Ke admits his life, hiding behind Dake and watching her secretly. Lu Yin smiled kindly, walked over and pinched her cheek, there happened to be a piece of chocolate left in her pocket, so she took it out and handed it to her.
Lu Youzheng yelled towards the kitchen. Not long after, a middle-aged woman poked her head out and smiled, "Yinyin is back."
"Yes, aunt." Lu Yin put down her backpack, "Do you need help?"
She looked her up and down, "Forget it, just wait for the meal to start, don't follow along."
Lu Yin was taken aback, and quickly took off her coat: "It's okay, it's not clean after rolling in the car anyway."
They were busy in the kitchen for a while, chatting with each other, Lu Yin herself was not good at words, and the relationship was not close enough to talk about everything, only the sound of dishes clashing in the cold.
There were four dishes and one soup for dinner. When it was served, Lu You was proposing to clink glasses, but the person on the other side did not move for a long time.
He called out, "Li Lan, raise your glass."
Li Lan looked up at him for a few seconds, picked up the chopsticks, and smiled: "Take Yinyin as an outsider. After all, she has lived here for several years, and she eats and wears the same clothes as her own. What do you want?"
Lu Yin paused, her arms raised a little stiffly.
Lu Youzheng hurriedly said: "Let's come, Yinyin, leave your aunt alone."
She smiled and touched him slightly.
They are all ordinary dishes, including shredded bamboo shoots and wild rice stems from the south, and the soup is bean curd soup with vermicelli.
Xiao Ke picked the plates one by one, pouted and said: "It's all vegetables, I want to eat the roast chicken at the door."
Li Lan glared at her angrily: "I thought I was the daughter of a rich family. I can eat whatever I want. Roast chicken doesn't cost money?" Put two slices of wild rice in her bowl: "Hurry up and eat."
Xiao Ke put down his chopsticks and snorted.
The atmosphere was a bit awkward, Lu Zhengyou smiled softly: "This child... Dad gives you money, go buy it."
Before taking it out, Li Lan put down her chopsticks heavily: "Are you rich again? The little you earn every day is not enough to buy food, and the children's expenses for the next semester will be settled? What about the two children... What can you do here?" .”
Lu Zhengyou's old face was flushed red from her embarrassment, and he couldn't move up and down with one hand in his pocket.
Lu Yin couldn't swallow the food in her mouth, her throat seemed to be stuck in a cork, which was uncomfortably blocked. She twitched her mouth: "Auntie, don't worry about the tuition fee, I will pay it when the time comes."
As soon as these words came out, Li Lan's face immediately turned cloudy: "Oh, that's not what my aunt meant..."
"It's okay," Lu Yin smiled, and took out a hundred yuan from her wallet, "Xiao Ke, hurry up and buy."
Xiao Ke's eyes lit up, he took the money and ran out.
Li Lan hurriedly said: "Look at you, you depend on her for everything, and the children are spoiled. I'm afraid you won't be used to the greasy ones. I know you are all afraid of being fat at your age... Does it fit your mouth? Auntie will make a good meal tomorrow." .”
Lu Yin: "No, it's fine."
The meal was tasteless, and it was past eight o'clock after the end. She opened the suitcase, which was mostly Zhangzhou specialties, and the two children were making a fuss, rushing back and forth in the small hut.
I live in an old two-room apartment, with only one bedroom, and a bunk bed next to the living room, where the big and small can sleep. When Lu Yin came back, there was no room for her to sleep, the size could be squeezed on top, and Lu Yin slept on the bottom.
The small town is not as lively as Zhangzhou, let alone any nightlife, so Lu Yin went to wash up early.
When she came out, seeing Da Ke and Xiao Ke looking through her suitcase, Lu Yin frowned secretly, but did not stop immediately.
It can be seen that she came out, holding the skin care products in her hand, her eyes sparkling: "Sister, you have a whole set! We use this brand in our dormitory, and they say it's very good when it's used up...Can I try it?"
While wiping her hair, Lu Yin said with a smile: "Actually, your age is not suitable for this brand. I'll give it to you when I go back..."
Before she could speak, Li Lan reprimanded: "Hurry up and put it back, did you see that your sister is angry?"
Lu Yin was taken aback, and hurriedly said: "No, if you like it, use it, I'll buy it when I go back to Zhangzhou."
Da Ke cheered, took out the bottles and ran to the bathroom, Li Lan went to pull Xiao Ke up, wanted to put the suitcase on, hesitated for a moment: "Yo! Yinyin, is this your clothes?"
As he spoke, he picked up a brown cashmere bottoming shirt, looked back and forth, "The style is good," and glanced at her: "How do young people choose such a color?"
Lu Yin said: "In order to resist the cold, I didn't choose the color specially."
Li Lan touched the fabric: "It's quite warm."
Lu Yin said: "If you don't mind my aunt, you can wear it. I've been naked a few times."
"How about that?"
"It's okay." Lu Yin smiled.
In the end, she was asked to pick two more items, and Lu Yin basically had nothing left, and when she made a fuss, the hour hand passed nine o'clock.
Lu Zhengyou came out of the house and told him to turn off the lights and go to sleep.
Until the room was completely dark, Lu Yin still felt unreal. This place is full of strange eyes, but she has never integrated into it.
You don't call home when you go home, you call home when you leave here.
He fell asleep in a daze and didn't know what time it was, and was awakened by the vibration of the mobile phone. In fact, it was just after ten o'clock. At this time, Lu Qiang was still lying on the sofa and watching TV.
Lu Yin put on her coat and quietly went to the balcony to talk on the phone.
The weather in Qianyuan is much higher than that in Zhangzhou, there is no snow or dead branches, the moonlight is gentle, and even the wind is humid.
Lu Yin lay on the guardrail and talked to him for a while, fearing that the sound would disturb them, so she hastily closed the line.
She tiptoed back, trying not to make a sound.
The door of the bedroom was not closed tightly, and at this moment a ray of light came out from inside, accompanied by suppressed arguments.
Lu Yin's footsteps faltered, she squeezed the corner of her clothes tightly, and after a while, she lay back on the bed again.
After that, she opened her eyes, and the night was extremely quiet.
The uncle inside said: "Calm down, don't wake them up."
"So what if you hear it? Am I right? She can't get married now, and she still takes the money from the old lady. Don't you feel sorry for us two girls sharing the same bed?"
After a while, Lu Zhengyou said: "Don't think about the dowry money my mother left for Yinyin. We live in the house, what else do you want?"
"It's also called a house. It's not as big as other people's toilets, so you're fine. If you don't think about me, you should think about them too."
"What are you thinking? It's not your son."
"What do you mean?" Li Lan said emotionally, "Is it because I didn't give birth to a son for your old Lu family?"
"I didn't mean that..."
Lu Yin turned over and forced herself to close her eyes. After a while, she unconsciously opened them again, staring at the light in the darkness.
The living room was extremely quiet, and the sound from inside was a bit empty.
Li Lan said: "I heard that the man's family returned the money to buy the house. Tell her, even if we borrow it first, we will change to a bigger one."
Lu Zhengyou didn't say a word, she repeated: "What about talking to you?"
He was forced to hurry, and said in a low voice: "I won't go."
There was a mournful sob from inside, and for a while: "My life is too hard, my parents are not around, and it is impossible to marry a man, and the tuition fees of the two children are a problem..."
"Since Yinyin is working, how many years will she not pay Dake's tuition? Is the money sent to you still not enough? You can't be unconscionable."
"It doesn't count when she eats and lives with me?"
"Then these years should be over."
***
The next day is New Year's Eve.
Lu Yin didn't sleep much in the second half of the night, and her eyes were a little swollen when she got up early.
She washed up and went to the bank. In the past few years, Qianyuan has changed. The economy is more developed than before. There are several shopping malls and restaurants. The middle school she attended has been demolished, and now it is a convenience hotel.
Lu Yin stopped, turned around, and opened a room inside.
Back home just in time for lunch.
Li Lan came out with a plate, looked at her with a smile, and said, "Yinyin, you went out to play early in the morning? Xiaoke has been hungry all the time, I'll let you eat together when you come back."
After changing her shoes, Lu Yin held her backpack in her hand: "Auntie, I have a few words to tell you."
"Say what?" She wiped her hands on her apron.
Lu Yin took out a few dozen dollars: "There are 30,000 here. I'm far away, and I can't take care of them all the time. You can use as much as you want." She paused: "I'll just give... grandma to keep the money for going to school. I have been saving it all the time, I can’t move this money, and when I get married in the future, I will have to have some in my hand to stand upright.”
Li Lan was a little embarrassed, knowing that she heard everything she said last night, but after thinking about it, she didn't give any money, and she didn't feel sorry for it, so she simply let go of the conversation.
"That's a long way off, I think, first..."
"It's not far away," Lu Yin cut her off, "It's only been a year or two."
Li Lan was stunned, "Another person? When did it happen?"
Lu Yin answered ambiguously. Li Lan couldn't ask any questions, so she tried her best to persuade her, fully considering her, fearing that she would choose the wrong person and meet a scumbag like Liu Zecheng.
Lu Yin nodded and said yes.
In the end, the money didn't come out, and her face was a little cold.
Lu Yin said by the way: "It's not convenient for big and small to be crowded together. I've had dinner tonight, so let's go to a hotel."
Holding the money, Li Lan paused, "Is the bed at home uncomfortable?" Lu Yin opened her mouth, and before waiting for an answer, she heard her say again: "Indeed, this broken bed should be replaced, my back hurts even when I sleep. After dinner, let your uncle see you off."
After the New Year's Eve dinner, Lu Yin packed up her things and went out.
Lu Zhengyou carried the luggage and followed behind in silence. Lu Zhengyou was the only one left in the Lu family. He didn't read much, and he dropped out of school early to work as a coolie.
Most of the time, I can only swallow my anger and barely survive.
Seeing that he was not in a good mood, Lu Yin pretended to be relaxed and chatted with him all the way, and finally gave him a few thousand dollars.
Lu Zhengyou repeatedly evaded, waving his hands and refusing to accept.
Lu Yin insisted: "Don't be so tired during Chinese New Year, buy a dress for my aunt, and some big or small pocket money... You take it, just let me feel at ease."
He finally accepted the money, his old eyes gleamed, and he buried his head deeply: "Come back for dinner tomorrow morning."
Lu Yin watched Lu Zhengyou leave, and waited for the figure to disappear into the darkness before turning around and entering.
Thousands of families reunite on New Year's Eve, the hotel is too deserted, not half of the residents are seen, the girl at the front desk has handed over the keys, so I can't help but look at her more.
Lu Yin felt uncomfortable. People are not lonely, only when there is comparison, there will be loneliness. When you are lonely, you will miss someone.
She turned on the TV, and every channel was broadcasting the Spring Festival Gala. Outside, firecrackers blared, and fireworks dyed half the sky red.
But still didn't feel much fun.
There are only a few minutes until the Spring Festival.
She took the phone and called Lu Qiang, and when she got through, she heard his voice. She was taken aback, and at that moment she made a decision, planning to go to the station tomorrow morning.
She was in a good mood suddenly, she smiled: "Wait for my call?"
The other end was too quiet, he hummed: "I just wanted to call you."
Lu Yin lay on her back on the bed, thinking that the hotel bed was more comfortable than her uncle's, she asked, "What about smoking?"
Through the current, she could hear a soft exhalation.
Lu Qiang: "Yes."
"You've been smoking a bit aggressively lately."
"There's nothing to do."
"Smoking all the time is bad for your health."
Lu Qiang said: "If you want children, quit."
Lu Yin bit her lip, smirked secretly for a while, and deliberately changed the subject and asked, "Have you eaten yet?"
"have eaten."
"With Genzi?"
Lu Qiang paused: "It's next to me."
He didn't talk much, and after chatting a few words, Lu Yin could tell that his tone was wrong. Amid the sound of firecrackers resounding all over the world, his side was surprisingly quiet.
Lu Yin turned over, pinned the bed sheet lightly with her index finger, and asked in a low voice: "...what are you doing?"
After two seconds: "on the road."
Lu Yin stopped her fingers and pressed her palms on the bed sheet instead: "Are you still outside so late?"
Taking a puff from the other end, he seemed to open the window of the car, and the whistling wind came to her ears.
Lu Qiang threw away the cigarette butt: "Maybe I won't be able to pick you up on the fourth day of the lunar new year. I'm on the road with Genzi, and I'll go back to my hometown." Lu Yin waited with bated breath, her heart beating half a beat faster, and Lu Qiang said, "There's something wrong with my old lady. thing."
She sat up abruptly from the bed: "Is it serious?"
"Going to repair tiles on the roof, I broke my leg."
Lu Yin's heart twitched, "Don't worry too much, when will you be there?"
"Tomorrow morning."
She hummed lightly.
There was no other words for a while, but no one hung up.
Lu Yin couldn't help recalling the address written on the courier slip...
Suddenly, several fireworks exploded outside the window, colorful and colorful, rendering the entire sky.
She turned her head to look out the window, and the sound of firecrackers was deafening, reaching its peak fiercely. On the TV, the hosts all appeared on the stage, counting down with joy on their faces...
In the hustle and bustle of the world, I whispered in my ear: "Happy New Year,"
"Yinyin..."