There were people living in this courtyard before, and they were a young couple. Her husband graduated from Lanzhou University with a major in archaeology and stayed in Dunhuang to become an archaeologist. The wife is hardworking and kind, cleaning the house every day, making their home simple and comfortable, and the yard is planted with all kinds of seasonal vegetables, as well as a plum tree, like Jianglai's mother. They also have a child named Li Xiaohu, and the couple hopes that Li Xiaohu can follow Jiang Lai to learn repair.

"Why don't you go in and have a look?" Fan Siwen said with a smile as he stood beside Jiang Lai.

"What about them?" Jiang Lai asked, "The last time I came, there were people living in this courtyard. ”

"I knew you were going to ask this. Fan Siwen walked to the door of a small courtyard next door and knocked on the door, and after a while, the courtyard door opened, and a woman walked out with a doll. The woman is the woman Jiang Lai knows, and the child is Li Xiaohu that Jiang Lai knows. Now Li Xiaohu is less than two years old, and he can already walk crookedly. The last time he came over, Li Xiaohu could only crawl on the ground and eat the rice dropped by adults.

When the woman saw Jiang Lai at the door, she greeted her affectionately and said, "Teacher Jiang, are you back?"

"Why did you move next door?" Jiang Lai asked in surprise.

"I discussed with Wan Yu that we should return the house to you. The woman said loudly, Wan Yu was her husband: "In the past, when you were repairing Cave 431 in the training institute, you would come to our house to sit and sit when you were fine, and every night when you walked by the gate of the small courtyard, you would stop at the gate of the courtyard for a while....... I and Wanyu have seen all this. We both know that you have a deep, deep affection for this yard......."

"For our family, it was just a place to eat and sleep. But for you, this is the root, the soul. The woman and her husband both graduated from the same university, and they were very knowledgeable in their conversations: "Besides, this is your house in the first place, and we should give it back to you." So, Wan Yu went to Dean Fan and told us what we thought. ”

The woman looked at Fan Siwen and said with a smile on her face: "Dean Fan immediately agreed, and for the sake of convenience, he handed over the small courtyard next to him to live in ......."

Fan Siwen looked at Jiang Lai and said, "You also know the owner of the courtyard next to you, Li Sanzhi's family....... Li Sanzhi has been out for many years, changed his nationality, and probably will not come back in this life. ”

Dunhuang is bitter, and many capable people leave after making money.

However, many more have chosen to come back. For example, Wan Yu, he could obviously study abroad and have a better place to go, but he still returned to Dunhuang with his wife and children, and devoted himself to archaeological research, showing a more beautiful and colorful Dunhuang in front of the world.......

These people can truly be called "masters".

Jiang Lai nodded and said, "I shouldn't be coming back." Let's give the yard to those who really need it. ”

"In the afternoon, I saw that everyone in the work group was discussing your return to Dunhuang, so I immediately asked people to help clean up this courtyard, and also asked people to prepare bedding and toiletries....... Fan Siwen smiled and appeased Jiang Lai, worried that Jiang Lai still didn't dare to accept their good intentions, and said loudly: "This small courtyard is yours, and we just kept it for a period of time and then returned it to its original owner." This is also the kindness of the comrades of the entire training institute, and they all hope that you will come home often. ”

Jiang Lai was no longer hypocritical, and said, "Okay, when we come back in the future, we will live here." ”

"Great. Fan Siwen said with a smile: "I arranged Wanyu and the two of you next door, so I can take care of everything....... By the way, Chen Ling is a good cook. ”

"I've eaten. Jiang said, "I used to go to their house to eat. ”

"Then go on. Fan Siwen said bewildermently.

The staff sent Jiang Lai and Lin Chuyi's suitcases, and also refunded the 300 yuan deposit they paid in the guest house. If they don't live in that room, they don't have to pay for it.

"Let's go in and have a look. Fan Siwen said aloud: "Look at what is missing." I was in such a hurry that I didn't have time to prepare a lot of things. ”

"Good. Jiang Lai agreed, walked to the door, stretched out his hands and pushed open the courtyard door.

Just like when I was a kid.

At that time, every time he came back from going out to play, he would push the courtyard door open with both hands like this. Because of the force, the door will make a creaking and shaking sound, as if it will fall apart at any time.

When he heard the sound in the courtyard, his father would poke his head out of the study and say with a smile: "You have no place to work, don't you? As soon as you go out, you don't know that you will come back, so come and practice basic skills for me." ”

The mother would come out of the room, make a basin of well water, press Jiang Lai's head into it and wash it, washing away the sweat on his face......

Changed!

"Jiang Lai ......" Lin Chuyi saw Jiang Lai pushing open the courtyard door and standing on the threshold without moving, so he stepped forward to remind him. "Please come in and sit down. ”

Jiang Lai reacted at this time, looked at Fan Siwen and said, "Go in and sit down?" I know that you are busy with work, and if you don't have time, you don't have to force yourself. ”

"There is time. Fan Siwen obviously didn't hear the "refusal" in Jiang Lai's words, and said arrogantly: "Our main job today is to accompany you, a wanderer who has come home from afar. ”

"Family...... Don't be so polite. Jiang Lai said helplessly. He just wants to lie quietly for a while, or lie quietly with Lin Chuyi for a while, and so many of you will rush in...... I'm tired.

We don't know each other that well, do we have so many things in common?

Soon, Jiang Lai found that his worries were unnecessary.

Lin Chuyi has already assumed the role of "hostess", and invited everyone to sit with Chen Ling. Lin Chuyi boiled boiling water to make tea for everyone, and Chen Ling went back to get some melon seeds and fruits for everyone to enjoy.

Everyone sat in the small courtyard and drank tea while talking about the parents' shortcomings and interesting stories about the training institute. It's just like when the neighbors in the yard would gather together to chat and laugh after dinner.

Jiang Lai didn't say anything, didn't do anything, just sat there in a daze.

Think about the past, look at the present, and find that the trajectory of life has turned in a big circle and returned to the original point in a circle.

It was late at night, and Fan Siwen led people away.

This small courtyard finally returned to quiet, and there were only two people, Jiang Lai and Lin Chu.

Jiang looked at the dark courtyard and the desolate Gobi in the distance, and asked, "Are you afraid?"

"What are you afraid of?" Lin Chuyi said with a smile: "This is your home." ”

"yes. Jiang Lai looked at the courtyard and said with a smile: "This is our home." ”

Lin Chuyi didn't answer his words, and said, "Tired, aren't you? ”

"You go wash first. Jiang said, "I want to sit a little longer." ”

Lin Chuyi stepped forward to hug Jiang Lai and said, "It's cold at night, wear more clothes, be careful of catching a cold." ”

"I'll take notice. Jiang said. He looked up at the sky and said, "It's going to snow." ”

It snowed the next morning.

Dunhuang is hot and dry all year round, especially in the morning and afternoon, and it is easy to sunburn people if you are not careful. But after winter, the temperature difference between morning and evening is even greater. In the morning, I saw that the sun was hanging high tomorrow, and in the afternoon it was cloudy, and at night, the cold wind was blowing, and the cold air seemed to come out of the cracks in the ground, which made it difficult to resist.

Last night, I said that I would visit the tomb of Jiang Lai's parents today, and the snow made the trip more difficult. The hard stone road was paved with a light layer of white, and when you stepped on it, you would leave a clear footprint, and when two people walked over, two long rows of footprints were left on the ground.

The graves of Jiang Lai's parents were behind the old dean's tombstone, and Jiang Lai placed the prepared flowers and crepes in front of the grave.

Jiang Lai's father didn't drink alcohol and liked to drink tea. Jiang Lai's love of drinking tea is also inherited from his father's habit. However, when Jiang Xingzhou drinks tea, he likes to eat a kind of pancake that is a specialty of Dunhuang. A sip of tea and a sip of thin ice, in his words, is "not to change a god".

Jiang Lai's mother had never received a bouquet of flowers from her father in her life, but she liked flowers very much. In the past, she planted her own moon season, planting red and yellow chrysanthemums of various colors. Chrysanthemums are hardy, and they can thrive in an extremely harsh natural environment like Dunhuang. In the summer, she also likes to pick some wildflowers outside and insert them in the bottles and cans at home, which is also very wild.

Jiang Lai stood at the head of the grave, looking at the two stone tablets for a long time in silence.

There are no photographs on the stele, only names and extremely rudimentary biographies. Their lives are so simple, so simple that they can be summed up in just two sentences.

After Lin Chuyi bowed, he took out a towel from his pocket and squatted down to wipe the dust on the stele.

The wind and sand in Dunhuang are large, and the Gobi wind and sand where the tombs are located are even greater. A gust of wind came, obscuring the sky and the sun. The stele was covered with dust, and even the handwriting on it was indecipherable.

Jiang Lai saw Lin Chuyi's actions and persuaded loudly: "Don't wipe it, it will be dirty again soon." ”

"It doesn't matter. Lin Chu said out loud: "At least at this moment, they look decent and clean." ”

Jiang Lai's heart was moved, how could such a girl not be pitied?

Jiang Lai also squatted down, took a towel from Lin Chuyi's hand to wipe the stone tablet, and said, "Dad, Mom, I'm back to see you." ”

"The first day of junior high is also here. Lin Chuyi........ The last time you saw it. Such a beautiful little girl, you will never forget. ”

"She was so proud, I proposed to her twenty-one times, and she didn't agree...... But don't worry, give me some more time, and she'll agree. ”

"What do you say...... Lin Chuyi slapped Jiang Lai and said in a low voice.

"I talk to them. Jiang Lai said loudly: "When I was a child, my mother was always worried that I would not be able to find my daughter-in-law when I grew up......"

"Is it because you were ugly when you were a child? Don't care, in the eyes of every mother, her children are the loveliest. The reason why your mother said this is just a pampering joke...... Lin Qiu was so good-looking when he was a child, and my mother always likes to say that you are so ugly, what will you do when you grow up. ”

"I'm not ugly. Jiang said, "My mother is worried that I can't speak and don't like girls........"

"When you were a kid....... Is it already that outstanding?"

"Of course. Jiang Lai said proudly: "The children in the yard can't say that they can't talk about me, so they want to beat me." ”

“......”

"Fortunately, Shi Daochen helped me call back. Don't look at Shi Dao now dressed like a Sven beast in a suit and leather shoes, he used to fight ruthlessly, everyone called him "wolf cub"......"

“.......”

"It would be nice if Shi Daochen could come together. Jiang said. He misses Shi Dao, the two of them used to be together no matter where they went.

“.......”

"It's a pity that Shi Daochen doesn't like Dunhuang. Jiang said, "Maybe this reminds him of something he doesn't want to face." ”

"Jiang Lai ........"

"What?" Jiang looked at Lin Chuyi and asked out loud.

"I know why your mother is so worried. ”

"What are you worried about?"

"I'm worried that you won't find your daughter-in-law. Lin Chuyi said.

“.......”

-------

Three o'clock in the morning.

When Lin Chuyi was sleeping soundly, he was suddenly woken up by a rapid knock on the door.

"Lin Chuyi!"

"Lin Chuyi!"

"Lin Chuyi!"

Lin Chuyi sat up abruptly and asked nervously, "Who?"

"Lin Chuyi. Open the door. Jiang Lai's voice came from the door.

Lin Chu was completely sleepy, so he quickly jumped out of bed, ran over to open the door barefoot, and asked, "What's wrong?"

It was so late, Jiang Lai suddenly knocked on the door urgently, something terrible must have happened.......

"I had a dream. Jiang Lai said loudly.

“.......”

Lin Chuyi was stunned for a long time, and decided to appease Jiang Lai, saying, "It's okay, everyone dreams....... Nothing that happened in the dream was real. ”

"I dreamed of my mom. Jiang said.

"My grandmother said that she saw her relatives who had left in her dreams, and it was because she missed you so much and wanted to come back to see you......"

"My mom told me she liked you very much and wanted to give you a gift and let me tie this around your wrist. Jiang Lai held a jade pendant in his hand, looked into Lin Chuyi's eyes and said.

As soon as Lin Chu knew the jade plate, when she first met Jiang Lai, she saw him wearing this jade on his wrist.

When the two of them were swimming together in Xuexiang Yunwei Pavilion, because the leather band on his head was broken, he untied the small jade on his wrist and used the red rope to tie a ponytail for himself.

Later, he didn't return his red rope, and he never put the jade pendant on his hand again.

Lin Chuyi's eyes were as bright as stars, and he looked at Jiang Lai's eyes without blinking.

She knew in her heart that she accepted this jade pendant and let Jiang Lai tie it to her wrist........ What does this mean.

Jiang Lai was also looking at Lin Chuyi, with shyness, expectation, and more worry about the unknown in his eyes.

Accept, or reject?

He's waiting for a result.

After being silent for a long time, Lin Chuyi suddenly smiled, and the smile made the dark and cold night bright and warm.

She stretched out her hand, revealing her wrist as white as jade, and said in a crisp voice: "The elder gives, don't dare to resign." ”

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