He immediately raised his head and looked at me with sharp eyes and a cold expression,
Like a beast with murderous intent and ready to go.
In the morning, when the first rays of sunlight passed through the tops of the staghorn trees, hit my bedroom window, and hit my face through the gap in the curtains, I woke up from my dream.
In order to keep cool, the windows were not closed at night, and the cool sea breeze made the curtains flutter. The familiar smell of the sea came into my nose lightly with the morning breeze, making me close my eyes tightly, shrink my head into the pillow, and try to sleep for a while, while subconsciously thinking "stay in bed for a while before getting up , you can eat seafood porridge made by grandpa again.” As soon as the idea came up, another picture appeared in my mind. My father, my brother and I were wearing black clothes and white silk, standing on the bow of the boat, scattering grandpa's ashes into the sea, and the white waves were chasing closely. Behind the boat, there are waves and waves that keep churning, much like the wreaths and soul banners in the mourning hall.
After a moment of panic, I clearly knew which was a dream and which was reality. Although I really hope that I will not wake up in the dream that my grandfather is still there, but the so-called reality is that you have to open your eyes to face it. .
Thinking that my stepmother is not familiar with the kitchen, and would never feel sorry for grandpa's old pots and bowls, I immediately opened my eyes and sat up. Glancing at the alarm clock on the table, it was not yet six o'clock, and the house was quiet, obviously other people were still sleeping soundly.
The funeral for grandpa these days, everyone is exhausted, father and stepmother are typical city people, they are used to going to bed late and getting up late, so they probably won't wake up until nine o'clock today.
After I washed up, I went downstairs lightly. I went to the kitchen to cook the porridge first. I didn’t have the energy to toss it. I just put a little scallops in the pot. It can be regarded as seafood porridge.
Walking out of the kitchen, I stood in the courtyard and unconsciously looked for my grandfather among the lush flowers and trees. In the past, after my grandfather got up in the morning, the first thing he did was to take care of his flowers and plants.
The courtyard wall is surrounded by dragon boat flowers that bloom continuously all year round. The small crimson flowers are gathered together, bright and moving, just like the hydrangea in the bride's hand; the bougainvillea climbing on the bluestone wall, the pink flowers are brilliant In the morning sun, clusters are pressing on the mottled old stone wall, adding a bit of color to the cool morning; the cardinal coral and lyre coral under the living room window are blooming in full swing; the dragon spit beads and mulberry incense are abundant outside the study window The white flowers, piled up with clouds and snow, are really beautiful; the Gongsun orange plant at the corner of the kitchen is full of green, and the little orange is shyly hiding among the branches and leaves.
All the flowers and trees are common plants on the island, and they are not rare species. Almost every household will plant some, but the flowers and trees that grandpa takes care of always grow better than others.
The past few days have been busy, and no one has taken care of them. The fallen flowers and leaves have been piled up on the ground, looking a bit decadent. I wiped my sore eyes, picked up the broom and started sweeping the yard.
After sweeping the yard, I planned to sweep the door as well, and opened the gate. In a blink of an eye, I felt a black thing falling towards me. I was startled, and subconsciously retreated to dodge. I didn't know what tripped me, and fell to the ground.
"Who put the things?" I took a closer look, my mouth was half open, the sound was gone, and it turned out to be a person who fell in the yard of my house.
A strangely dressed, unconscious man, with messy hair half covering his face, his face could not be seen clearly, only his skin looked dull and malnourished. It's not surprising that he wore a sailor's black uniform on his upper body, but he didn't wear anything underneath. He was wearing an autumn and winter double-breasted uniform like a shirt. floral shorts, look down his legs, barefoot
I stared blankly at him for a while, and finally came back to my senses, poked him cautiously, "Hey"
There was no reaction, but the tentacles were soft, because I had just sent my grandfather away, and I still remembered the body that had lost its life, so I immediately judged that this person was still alive. But his body temperature was so low, it was abnormally low. I don't know if he was ill or if I misjudged, but he was dead.
I held my breath, put my hand under his nose, felt the breath, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Probably because things were too weird, and my reaction was not normal. After confirming that the door of my house was not a "scene of throwing corpses", my first reaction was not to think about what to do, but to run to the door of the courtyard strangely, and looked around. , sure, definitely no shoes were left outside the door.
He's really barefoot
I looked at the old, potholed stone road outside the courtyard, and at his feet. Black stains and dark red bloodstains were mixed together. I couldn't see where the injury was, but I was sure that he must It was a hard walk.
I squatted beside him, took out my mobile phone to make a call, and shook him vigorously. This is not a big city, and I cannot expect an ambulance to be on call, let alone this old street, even if an ambulance can arrive at this point When I arrived, I couldn't drive it, so I still had to ask someone for help.
The phone was connected, and I just said hello to "Doctor Jiang", and I felt my hand was tightly grasped.
"No doctor." The man who passed out in my yard said this weakly, and slowly opened his eyes.
I raised my eyes to look at him in amazement, a gust of wind happened to blow away the messy hair covering his eyes, and my eyes met his eyes squarely.
What kind of a pair of shocking eyes are there, black with indigo blue, deep, calm, and vast, like the sea on a summer night when the wind is calm and the sky is full of stars, the entire bright starry sky is swallowed by it, and the secrets of the entire universe are hidden in it. In the meantime, people can't help staring and exploring.
I stared at him blankly, and he sat up propped up, and said clearly again: "No doctor."
Looking at it now, although his eyes are considered good-looking, they are not as stunning as before. It should be just because of the magic of the sunlight at the right angle.
I hesitated and didn't say anything, he said, "I'm just short of water, just drink some water and it will be fine."
He is definitely not a local, and his accent is very strange. It is very difficult for me to listen, but his tone is neither humble nor overbearing, convincing. More importantly, I still have a lot of things to deal with. After all, my compassion for a stranger is limited. One less thing.
"Doctor Jiang, I'm fine. I accidentally dialed the wrong number. I'm still busy. I'll talk about it later."
I hung up the phone and helped him up. The moment he stood up, I realized how tall he was. I was 1.73 meters tall and had a wild personality since I was a child.
I helped him walk to the corner of the yard, and sat on the rattan chair that my grandfather usually sat on, "Wait for me."
I walked into the kitchen, poured him a glass of warm water, thought about it, and took two spoonfuls of honey.
I brought him the honey water, and he took a sip first, probably sensing a peculiar smell, and paused vigilantly.
I said, "You passed out at my door. If you were not sick, you probably had hypoglycemia. I added some honey to you." While I was explaining, he had already drank the water in one gulp. Obviously before I explained, he Already figured out what I put in.
"Do you still want"
He didn't speak, just nodded slightly.
I ran into the kitchen again and poured him water.
Back and forth, he drank six glasses of water in a row, and it was only after the seventh glass that he slowed down.
He lowered his eyes, holding the slender glass, except for the first sentence of "do not want a doctor", he has not said a word, not even a "thank you", and he does not know what he is thinking.
A ray of sunlight that sifted through the gaps between the vine leaves happened to shine on the glass, reflecting his white, clean, slender and powerful fingers, like the hands of the most elegant pianist, and his scarred and stained feet, forming a strange Strong contrast.
Intellectually, I knew that a stranger should not be allowed to stay at home, but because of some inexplicable touch and soft heart, I really couldn't bear to drive him away like this.
I walked into the kitchen, lifted the lid of the pot and looked, and found that the scallop porridge was almost done.
I served a bowl of porridge with a plate of cold seaweed sprouts and two halves of salted duck eggs, and served him on a tray.
I said tactfully: "Eat something, and leave after your strength recovers."
He didn't speak, and stared at the bowls and chopsticks in front of him for a while before picking up the chopsticks, probably because he just woke up from a coma, his hands were unstable, and he held the chopsticks several times before he could hold them properly.
"I still have to do housework, you eat slowly, and call me if you need something." I was afraid that standing aside would make him feel uncomfortable, so I found a reason to leave.
I went into the living room, rummaged through the shoe cabinet, and found a pair of old men's slippers. Unlike other shoes, which must be the right size to wear, slippers can be worn no matter how big or small your feet are.
I took my slippers and went to the faucet in the yard, rinsed the clean looking shoes again, and stood them in the sun to dry them.
Estimating that it would take him a while to finish eating, I picked up the rag, and while wiping the dust from the corners of the yard, I checked him from time to time.
When grandpa was still there, rattan tables and rattan chairs were usually placed under the eaves of the main house or in the middle of the courtyard, enjoying the coolness, drinking tea, enjoying the scenery and taking a rest. After grandpa became bedridden, no one had this kind of leisure time anymore. The rattan table and rattan chair were moved to a corner next to the courtyard wall, where two dragon spit beads and a few mulberry trees were planted, both of which had grown for more than ten years. Now, Jiulixiang is as tall as a person, and the thick and leafy vines clinging to it just cover his figure.
I couldn't see him clearly, but through the shadow of Fushu Huaying, I can confirm that he has been sitting there in an orderly manner, without restless movements.
I feel relieved, although the people on the island are simple and honest, not to mention rape and murder, even chicken crowing and dog robbery rarely happen. Grandpa has always proudly said that his hometown is the Peach Blossom Land, and he would rather live in the old house alone than move to the city to live with Dad, but I have lived in a big city for a long time, and occasionally there will be a little pity, but always be wary. Much more.
I was thinking wildly when my stepmother's voice came faintly, and I immediately put down the rag.
Shen Yanghui ran out of the room excitedly, yelling, "Shen Luo, why did you get up so early?"
Shen Yanghui is my half-brother. He has a typical only-child personality and has no evil intentions. However, a fourteen-year-old boy is at the peak of his "Second Childhood Disease" and is absolutely unattractive.
Before I could answer him, my father's voice floated out from the bathroom on the second floor, "Shen Yanghui, how many times have I called my sister?"
Shen Yanghui made a grimace, and muttered nonchalantly: "Shen Luo doesn't call me mom, why should I call her sister, Shen Luo?"
The stepmother came out and greeted me with a smile, "Xiaoluo, good morning"
I also smiled, "Aunt Yang, good morning." My stepmother's surname is Yang. When she married my father, I was already ten years old. Children in divorced families are precocious, and I basically understand everything I need to know. From the very beginning, I knew she didn't intend to be my stepmother. I would rather be scolded by my father than call her mother. I just called her Aunt Yang, which she readily accepted.
Aunt Yang patted Shen Yanghui on the back, urged: "Go brush your teeth and wash your face." Then she raised her voice and called: "Haisheng, watch your son brush his teeth, or he will fool others again."
I couldn't help but shook my head with a smile. So many years have passed, I am already twenty-five years old, I am no longer that ten-year-old little girl, but my stepmother is still the same, always likes to remind me from time to time, between her and my father, I am not a family member, but an outsider , but I forgot that this is not the two-bedroom home in Shanghai where she and her father had only two bedrooms. This is my grandfather's home, where I grew up, and she is the outsider.
The country people are not so particular, and the spacious kitchen is also the dining room. After Dad and the others finished washing, I had already prepared breakfast.
Aunt Yang said politely, "I'm really bothering Xiaoluo."
I said lightly: "You're welcome, I've already eaten, you can do whatever you want."
Dad wanted to say something embarrassingly, but Shen Yanghui had already picked up the bowl and started to eat, so he could only say, "Eat it."
While having breakfast, there was a knock on the door.
Just as I was about to open the door, Shen Yanghui jumped out like a rabbit and opened the courtyard door. Dad was worried, put down the bowls and chopsticks, and walked out, "Yang Hui, how many times have I told you that you must ask clearly before opening the door, only people you know can open the door."
Standing outside the door was a well-dressed man with glasses, a light blue striped shirt and straight black trousers. He was smart under his gentleness. He was obviously not a native of the island. Dad's words of reprimanding Shen Yanghui were temporarily interrupted.
He looked at the visitor suspiciously, "Who are you looking for?"
With a professional smile, the other party took out his business card and introduced himself: "I am lawyer Zhou Buwen, entrusted by Mr. Shen to execute his will. Are you Mr. Shen? We talked on the phone a few days ago and made an appointment today. Meet."
Dad hurriedly welcomed the other party into the house warmly, "Yes, yes, I didn't expect you to arrive so early. I thought you would arrive at noon." The boat from the mainland to the island departs twice a day, one at 7:30 in the morning and 11:30 in the morning To the island, the other class arrives at 12:00 noon and 4:00 pm.
Lawyer Zhou smiled and said, "To be on the safe side, I came here on the boat at noon yesterday."
The stepmother couldn't care less about eating anymore, she came out in a hurry, then quickly steadied herself, and said to me in a disguised way: "Xiaoluo, let's go and listen together, it has something to do with you too."
Dad politely invited Lawyer Zhou to sit in the living room, and my stepmother poured hot tea graciously. I didn't know what to do for a while, so I could only stand silently by the door.
Father and Lawyer Zhou exchanged a few words, Lawyer Zhou put down the teacup, father and stepmother knew that Lawyer Zhou was going to get down to business, and they were a little nervous. The stepmother pulled Shen Yanghui to her side and hugged her tightly, as if she could rely on her more.
Lawyer Zhou said: "Mr. Shen's property is very simple and clear, so our inheritance procedures will be very simple and clear. Mr. Shen's property has two parts, one part is fixed property, which is this house, and the total area of the homestead is"
Following the lawyer's words, the stepmother looked up at the old house. Although the house is an old house, it has a reasonable layout, a spacious courtyard, and lush vegetation. Even a picky person like her likes it very much. Unfortunately, this house is not in Shanghai, but on an island with inconvenient transportation. Although these years, due to the arrival of tourists, the value of the houses here has increased a little, but after all, they are not real tourist destinations such as Sanya and Qingdao.
After explaining the current situation of the old house in detail, Lawyer Zhou added: "Although the house is privately owned, this house is not a commercial house. The state stipulates that buying and selling of homesteads is not allowed, so if this house is not for self-occupation, it can only be rented out. It cannot be traded publicly.”
The stepmother couldn't help saying: "Those old houses near the sea can be rented out and turned into inns. This house is on the mountain, not near the sea, and the transportation is not convenient. If it can't be sold, who will it be rented to?"
Lawyer Zhou smiled politely, and did not answer the stepmother's question, but continued: "Except for this house, the rest of Mr. Shen's property is in cash, because Mr. Shen doesn't know how to manage money, and all the cash is in regular Deposits, a total of 1.1 million, are stored in China Construction Bank and Agricultural Bank of China."
Dad and stepmother were overjoyed, couldn't help but smiled and looked at each other, and immediately controlled it, but Shen Yanghui couldn't hide his thoughts, and shouted happily, "Mom, Mom, you are right, grandpa really hid the money. Forget, you promised me, after paying off the mortgage, the rest of the money can buy a car, and you can send me to school"
The stepmother glanced at me and said pointedly: "Don't mess around, the money is not necessarily for you. Although you are the only grandson of the Shen family, who knows that you won't please grandpa? However, a grandson is a grandson." , if the distribution is unfair, your father will not agree."
The stepmother bumped Dad with an elbow, and Dad pretended to be majestic and said: "Continue to listen to what Lawyer Zhou said, Dad will make a bowl of water level."