My Girlfriend Catherine (novel) Zhang Baotong 2016.3.21

10. Before you leave home

After dinner, my parents sat in the hall with Catherine and watched TV. This was the first time our family sat together and watched TV. The TV is a replay of the Spring Festival Gala. But we don't have a closed-circuit antenna installed in our house, and the image effect is very poor.

Actually, we didn't want to watch TV, but we wanted to sit together and talk about something, because Catherine and I will leave home early tomorrow morning and go back to Xi'an. However, everyone didn't know what to say for a while, so they sat and watched TV together.

After a while, my mom asked Catherine, "Your mom is coming to Xi'an next week?"

Catherine said, "Yes, she wanted to meet Xu Bin. ”

My mom said, "What do you need us to do?"

Catherine said, "No, she just came to see Xu Bin, and she only stayed in Xi'an for two days before she went back." ”

My mom asked, "She's not going to your wedding?"

Catherine said, "No, because we're going to get married on May Day." ”

My mom asked, "How is the wedding done?"

Catherine said, "We are all very busy and don't have time to do it, so I discussed with Xu Bin and prepared to travel to Zhangjiajie for three or two days, even if we got married." ”

My mom said, "You've done this for a lifetime?"

Catherine said, "It's not about the wedding, it's about the two of us who really love each other. ”

My dad chimed in and said, "That's good, don't make people take off a few layers of skin because you get married." ”

After a conversation, my mother said, "Tomorrow morning at six o'clock for dinner, and your cousin will drive to pick you up at seven o'clock." Are your things ready?"

I said, "It's almost ready." ”

My mom said to my dad, "Catherine likes smoked fish and smoked duck, so I took two smoked fish and two smoked ducks from his cousin's house, and you wrapped them in plastic bags and put them in cardboard boxes for them to take away." ”

I said, "I don't bring these things, it's so heavy and troublesome." ”

My mom said, "What's the trouble? Your cousin dropped you off at the station, and you got on the train and found a place to put it, and you didn't want to carry it on your back." ”

At this time, my dad and my mom started loading things for us. I took Catherine to the river to see the night view.

There were still thin snowflakes in the sky, very soft, very slow, wet and cool on the face. The ground was covered with a layer of snow, like fine salt. As far as the eye could see, there was a white light.

There was no more firecrackers, and the soft snowflakes made the night even more lonely. We held each other and walked in the night of the river embankment, and from this kind and cool snowy night, we could feel the taste of parting more clearly. Almost every time I leave my hometown, I have this faint sadness, which makes me feel that every minute at home is so precious.

We walked a long way up the embankment until the lights in the village were a little blurred, and we started walking back.

Suddenly, Catherine asked me, "Do you know why I like China?"

This question has been said many times, of course I know, I said, "because the Chinese are honest and kind." ”

She said, "What else?"

I said, "I don't know." "Because that's all I know.

She said, "There are also many Chinese, and people will not be scared wherever they go." ”

I have never heard of this, but I said, "The Tao is that people see crowding as a disaster." ”

"My family lives on the edge of a small river on the outskirts of Los Angeles, and there is a tree-lined street by the river, and there are very few people on the road. Especially at night, when you walk alone on the road, the surroundings are frighteningly quiet. So, I've always liked crowded places since I was a kid. A crowded place is not only lively, but also makes people feel safe. ”

I joked, "Then you can give us a few more children, and then our family will be lively." ”

Catherine nodded coquettishly and said, "I will." ”

When we got home, my parents were still sitting in the hall waiting for us.

I said, "You're not sleeping yet?"

Mom said, "Don't sleep." ”

I said, "But you're going to cook tomorrow morning, and you're going to have to get up early." ”

My mom said, "We're old and we don't sleep much, so you should go to bed early." ”

Catherine and I went into our house, and the things we were going to bring for tomorrow were already packed and placed by the door. In order to prevent omission, I opened the little notebook and checked the items that Catherine and I were going to bring with us, one by one. Then, setting the clock on his phone to six in the morning, he said to Catherine, "Shall we sleep?"

But Catherine shook her head, and said, "Tomorrow is the departure, and I want to say something more to my mother." ”

I said, "Okay, I'll go warm the quilt first." You come right here. Then he stripped and went to bed.

Originally, I thought Catherine would come over soon, but after an hour, I didn't see her coming. I wondered why they had so much to say. So, I shouted out the door, "Mom, don't talk about it, you have to get up early tomorrow to cook." ”

When my mother heard my shout, she urged Catherine to come to bed.

When Catherine got into the covers, I hugged her to keep her warm. That's when I noticed tears in her eyes. I asked, "What have you all said, and how have you been talking for so long?"

Catherine wiped her tears and said, "Mom said that you can only read since you were a child, and you have never been in the field, cooked, or washed clothes. Ask me to teach you slowly. I said you can do all these things, and you do them better than I do. She also said that you fell from the house when you were a child, and you were scared when you got to a high place. We are asked not to buy too high floors when we buy a house in the future. Mom also said that your heart is very kind and soft, and you will cry when you see others pitiful on TV. ”

I sighed and said, "Yes, I forgot all these things, but Mom still remembers." ”

Catherine said, "I will love you like a mother." ”

I hugged Catherine tightly, with tears in my eyes, and said, "Baby, I will love you as much as I love my mother." ”

The next morning, before the mobile phone clock rang, I got up, called my cousin, asked him if he was up, and asked him to come over for dinner immediately.

By the time Catherine and I got up, my mother had already cooked the meal. We asked Dad to eat with us, but Dad didn't eat, just sat on a small stool in the hall and smoked silently. Mom didn't seem to be in a good mood and didn't eat, so she just sat by and watched us eat. As soon as we had eaten, my cousin came, and my mother brought him food and let him eat.

When we had finished eating, it was only half past six o'clock, and my mother let us get into the car, but my cousin said it was still early, so we sat together in the hall and waited for the time.

My mom asked, "Is the ticket ready?"

I said, "It's loaded." ”

My dad asked, "Did you bring your ID card?"

I said, "Bring it." ”

After sitting in the room for a while, I felt that the atmosphere was depressing, so I said to my cousin, "Let's go." ”

My cousin saw what I was thinking and said, "Okay. "Just go to the car door.

Mom and Dad took our things out the door and put them in the trunk of the car.

I said, "Mom and Dad, we're leaving." ”

Catherine hugged her mom and shook hands with her dad.

Mom and Dad said to us, "I'll be back on vacation." ”

Catherine said, "We will." ”

So, we got in the car. And the car started.

The snow was still falling, fluttering and sprinkling, neither big nor small, but after a whole night, the snow on the ground had covered the entire ground, making the mountains and rivers in front of me covered in mercury and white light.

The car drove on the country road, and the scenery of my hometown was vivid, and every time I saw it, it made me think about it and feel more intimate. I think the reason why we love this hot land is because there are our parents and villagers, who cherish our childhood memories. At the same time, it also contains our hope and future.

At this time, Catherine took my hand, leaned her face on my shoulder, and sighed in a tone, "Your home is so nice. Tears moistened her eyes as she said this.

I was also holding her hand tightly and saying warmly, "It's because you're good that you can feel good about our family." ”

The car pulled off the country road and onto the highway. As the speed increases, we get farther and farther away from home, but our hearts stay at home.

2016.3.31 The second draft was held in Xi'an