When Zhou He returned to the house, it was already more than four o'clock in the afternoon, Xu Yuanning was originally going to send her back, but she refused the trouble of running around with his children.

The yard was different from the depression and desolation she had imagined, the flowers and plants were well kept, and the house was also clean and spotless, still the same as before leaving. As soon as you look at it, you can see that people often come to clean it.

Back in this courtyard, nothing seems to have changed. It seems that there is also the figure of Aunt Qi and her gentle and gentle voice.

Zhou He stood in a trance, and after a long time, he slowly went upstairs. People who can clean like that, don't have to think about it to know that it must be Shu painting. Zhou He originally wanted to call her, but knew that if she knew that she was coming back, he would definitely come over immediately. I didn't fight, and I plan to go over to see her tomorrow.

Maybe because he didn't come back for a long time, lying in the bed where he had slept for many years, Zhou He actually lost sleep. I got up in the middle of the night and went downstairs to stay quietly in the room where Aunt Qi used to sleep.

The next day it started raining outside, and as soon as she got up early, the doorbell rang outside. She walked out quickly to open the door, and it was Xu Yuanning standing outside. He didn't have any more children today.

Zhou He was surprised to see him, and asked while letting him into the house, "Senior brother, why are you here?"

Xu Yuanning smiled slightly and said, "I'm still resting today, and my aunt is back." Aren't you going to visit the grave? It's inconvenient to be far away, so I'll send you there. ”

He was as gentle and considerate as ever.

Zhou He didn't want to go, and just as he was about to say something, Xu Yuanning took the first step to change the topic and said, "You haven't eaten breakfast yet, right? ”

Zhou He had just come back, and the refrigerator was still empty.

She swallowed her words, said hello, took her coat and went out with Xu Yuanning.

She hasn't been back for more than three years, and Aunt Qi's tomb is not as desolate as she imagined. There are also traces of burned wax paper candles on the side. Qi Jingran should have been here.

Zhou He placed the fruit cakes that Aunt Qi liked before her death, looked at Aunt Qi's gentle smiling face on the tombstone, and said softly: "Aunt Qi, I came to see you." Are you okay over there?"

Depressed in her heart, she squatted down, took the incense wax paper candle and burned it silently. A drizzle of rain fell from the air, drenching her hair.

She burned the incense wax paper candle and stayed in front of the tombstone for a long time before going down the mountain.

Knowing that it was rare for her to come back, she must have a lot to say to Aunt Qi, but Xu Yuanning did not accompany her up. Instead, he waited for her in the car.

He didn't sit in the car when Zhou went down, but leaned on the car and smoked. His movements were so familiar that Zhou He didn't even know when he started smoking.

He was still the same familiar him, but at the same time he was so strange. He is no longer the sunny and cheerful big boy.

Zhou He's heart was full of mixed feelings, his footsteps paused, and he stood for a few minutes before he walked down.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, Xu Yuanning quickly extinguished the cigarette butt and turned his head and said, "I'm back." Get in the car, it's raining, don't get wet and catch a cold. ”

His voice was deep, and everywhere it showed that he was no longer the young boy.

Zhou He squeezed out a smile and nodded in response.

She also planned to go to the old grandmother's cemetery, but she didn't want to trouble Xu Yuanning in the end. The two returned to the city.

On the way, Zhou He asked about Professor Xu, and Zhou He knew that he was Xu Yuanning's uncle. But for some reason, there is little contact with home. I rarely go back to Kyoto.

Zhou He didn't think about this at all, and when he thought of Professor Xu's care for her, he realized that Xu Yuanning must have the credit for it. She didn't know what it was like to feel in her heart for a while.

Xu Yuanning thought that she was angry because he was hiding it from her, and explained: "Uncle doesn't want others to know that I have a relationship with him, so I don't." He paused here and asked, "Uncle asked you some time ago, do you want to go and see him?"

He said and looked at the time, and made an appointment with Senior Brother Qiu for the afternoon, and there were still a few hours.

Zhou He nodded in agreement, passed by the mall to buy a gift, and then went to Professor Xu's house.

When he came out of Professor Xu's house, it was already more than four o'clock in the afternoon, and the child called Xu Yuanning in a milky voice and asked him when he would go back. Xu Yuanning went back to pick him up, and then rushed to the restaurant he had booked.

The child was already familiar with Zhou He today, sitting on the safety seat and looking at Zhou He curiously, Zhou He giggled when he teased him.

Xu Yuanning looked at the two people, one big and one small, from the rearview mirror, with a smile on his face.

When they arrived, Senior Brother Qiu had already arrived, and with him came Shu Hua. When they entered, the two of them were talking, and they were quite intimate.

Remembering the surprise that Xu Yuanning said yesterday, Zhou He still didn't understand anything, and after greeting each other, Zhou He pretended to be angry and snorted and said, "Okay, Senior Brother Qiu, you actually hide it from me." ”

Senior Brother Qiu hurriedly raised his hand in surrender, and said with a smile: "You can't blame me for this, I want to tell you, but you Sister Shuhua refuses." ”

As he spoke, he held Shu Hua's hand, Shu Hua's face turned red, and he wanted to break away from Senior Brother Qiu, but he held it tightly.

Xu Yuanning coughed a few times and said, "Old Qiu, pay attention to the impact." My son is still there. ”

The little one sat in the children's chair and smiled when he saw everyone laughing.

Xu Yuanning did not book a private room, and several people were in the hall. After greeting each other, the dishes came up one after another. Xu Yuanning and the children almost didn't use chopsticks, and almost fed the children.

After Zhou He ate some, he let him eat, took the bowl and spoon in his hand and fed the child.

The child was very excited, and his mouth opened wide without Zhou He's screaming. Zhou He couldn't help but smile and gently touched the little guy's cheek.

Halfway through the meal, the group walked in from outside. Some of them knew Xu Yuanning and came over to say hello to Xu Yuanning.

Zhou He raised his head and saw Cheng Wei in the crowd at a glance. He also looked over, and his face was cold.

The person he knew might have wanted to curry favor with Xu Yuanning, so he smiled and asked about Zhou He and Senior Brother Shu Huaqiu. Xu Yuanning had to introduce them one by one. The man stepped forward and shook hands one by one. Then he introduced them to a few people who came with him and Cheng Weilai.

Cheng Wei's face was still cold, and when the man began to introduce him, he said lightly: "I know everything." As he spoke, he called Xu Gongzi lightly.

Everyone greeted and ignored the little guy, and the little guy grabbed Zhou He's sleeve and shouted in a milky voice: "Mom......"

Cheng Wei's gaze swept over Zhou He coldly, and then fell on the glutinous little man. didn't say hello again, and said coldly: "Unaccompanied." ”

Ignoring everyone, he took the lead and walked to the private room upstairs.

After the group left, Xu Yuanning reached out and gently touched the little guy's head, and said, "Call Auntie." ”

The little guy didn't look at him, he looked at Zhou He with a blank eye, and still shouted in a milky voice: "Mom." ”

He was only half a year old when Shen Yue left, and he had little memory of his mother. He was curious when he saw the children in the community calling their mothers, and they would follow suit. The aunt who took him told him that his mother hadn't returned from a business trip yet. The little guy seems to understand whether he understands or not, and he probably saw Zhou He for two days in a row, so he mistakenly thought she was his mother.

Xu Yuanning was a little helpless, and said: "The baby is good, it's right to call your aunt." ”

The little guy ignored him now, grabbed Zhou He with both hands and asked her to hug him. Zhou He picked him up, and he obediently snuggled into her arms.

Several people hadn't seen each other for too long, and Xu Yuanning and Senior Brother Qiu both drank. In the end, Zhou He called Xu Yuanning a substitute driver and sent him and the child back, and then went downstairs to take a taxi back to the house.

Because of the rain, the car was not easy to fight. She stood on the side of the road for a long time, looking up at the dim yellow light overhead, and suddenly remembered that she had stood in such a light for many, many nights before.

But after a while, he came back to his senses and saw a taxi coming, and stepped forward to stop the car. After getting in the car, I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep, thinking about going to the old grandmother's tomb tomorrow, and then booked a ticket to go back.

Cheng Wei socialized until more than one o'clock in the morning the first night, and woke up the next morning at nine o'clock. He sat up from the head of the bed and was about to pull out a cigarette to smoke when his phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID, picked up the phone, and fed him.

The person on the other end of the phone was respectful and said, "Mr. Cheng, today the old house said that a young lady sent you something early, and they have already sent it to you, will you send it now?"

Cheng Wei didn't know why he hadn't moved, and after a while, he said lightly: "Send it up." ”

He hung up the phone, lit his cigarette and smoked.

Before he finished his cigarette, there was a knock at the door. He extinguished the cigarette butt and got up to open the door.

The person outside the door was carrying a small duffel bag, and called Mr. Cheng respectfully, and then said: "This is sent by a young lady early in the morning, saying that it must be handed over to you." ”

Cheng Wei saw that the duffel bag didn't move, and when the man called Mr. Cheng again, he said, "Leave here, go down." ”

He didn't pick it up, but went inside.

The man respectfully agreed, put his duffel bag aside, closed the door and went out.

Cheng Wei didn't open the duffel bag immediately, but took another cigarette and stood in front of the window and smoked it. After smoking several cigarettes in a row, he went over and opened the duffel bag.

As he expected, there was a pile of RMB in his bag, neatly arranged.

Cheng Wei only glanced at it and then closed the zipper, and threw the entire duffel bag aside. Expressionlessly, I went to the bathroom to wash up.

Zhou He has not been here for a few years, and the small county town where the old grandma's cemetery is located has changed very much. Originally, the vicinity of the cemetery was desolate, but now houses have been built. The whole town has changed from a few years ago.

Zhou He had nothing to do when he returned to Yucheng, and he didn't go back after sweeping the tomb, but planned to stay in the small city for one night. The town has been touristy, and the streets have been remodeled and replaced with a retro style. There are many tourists, and there are more vendors selling things, and it is no longer deserted.

Zhou He found a hotel that looked cleaner and opened a room, and then followed the tourists up the street. I took a lot of photos and planned to send them to my senior sister later.

During the day, it drizzled, and at night the temperature dropped suddenly, and fine snowflakes were raised. Zhou He was drenched in the rain yesterday and had some nasal congestion, so she went to the pharmacy in the hotel to buy a cold powder, and after eating, she drank it and lay down.

When I came back, I felt like I had a lot of things in my head, and it seemed empty.

When she was about to go to sleep, Li Peiyuan called her, saying that he had come back and asked her where she was.

Zhou He told him that he was sweeping the grave in the small city and would not go back until tomorrow.

Knowing that she had rested, Li Peiyuan asked her to call him when she went back, so she hung up the phone. Zhou He also fell asleep in a daze.

I don't know if it's because I haven't rested well during this time or what, the little nasal congestion developed into a fever in the second half of the night. She felt chills all over her body, and her whole body was dazed, only knowing that she had pulled the quilt and wrapped herself tightly.

originally planned to return to Yucheng the next day, but Zhou He really didn't have the strength, so he continued the room. Under the guidance of the proprietress, I went to the small clinic to get the medicine, and after eating it, I continued to sleep in the dark.

When I woke up, it was late afternoon, and the snow was falling even harder outside. She hadn't eaten all day, her body was weak, and after a little relief, she got up and washed, intending to go down to find something to eat.

Open the door and go out, and the door to the opposite room opens at the same time. A familiar figure stepped out of it.

Cheng Wei took a cigarette in his mouth and paused slightly when he saw Zhou He's footsteps.

Zhou He didn't expect it to be so coincidental at all, but it was impossible not to say hello face-to-face. She politely called Mr. Cheng.

Cheng Wei nodded coldly as if he was a stranger, and went downstairs.

Zhou He went downstairs after a while to hear the proprietress chatting with two other residents, and realized that the local tourism industry was developed by Cheng Wei's company. It is said that a large amusement park and ski resort will be built in the area, and this time I came to visit the area.

In the past few years, what Cheng Wei has touched is no longer just the original foreign trade.

He has always been ambitious, and Zhou Ji is not surprised. Somehow, when she was lying in bed at night, she suddenly remembered Miss Han.

It used to be a piercing pain, but now it is incredibly calm. She closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.

Although the cold was not cured, he returned to Yucheng the next day. I went back by bus, the air conditioner of the car was broken, she shivered all the way from the cold, and when she went back, she started a fever again.

Li Peiyuan called, heard that her voice was wrong, and brought the doctor over. gave her an infusion, went to the supermarket to buy it herself, and boiled porridge in the kitchen.

Zhou He nestled listlessly on the sofa and listened to Li Peiyuan talking from time to time. After a few years, she thought that Li Peiyuan would be transferred back to Kyoto soon, but she didn't expect him to stay in Yucheng consistently. The development here is not as good as Kyoto, and when Zhou He drank porridge, he asked, "Uncle, aren't you going to go back to Kyoto?"

Li Peiyuan's movements paused slightly, and said, "I won't go back for the time being." ”

He wanted to go back when the old lady was there, but now he's the same everywhere.

Zhou He nodded and didn't speak again. Li Peiyuan asked when she would go back. After hearing that she planned to go back soon, she said: "Wait until the cold is cured before leaving, and when the time comes, you will be tired from a long journey, don't go back and fall ill again." I have a friend who seems to be going to visit his sister, and I ask him when he's gone, and how much you can take care of him with him. ”

He still treated her as a child.

Zhou He was a little helpless and said, "Don't bother, I will take care of myself." ”

"Then why did you catch a cold?" Li Peiyuan glanced at her and said lightly.

"Isn't it normal to be sick?" Zhou He muttered quietly.

Li Peiyuan had already decided, ignored her, and said: "It's so decided, when he buys the ticket, let her buy it for you." ”

Zhou He had no choice but to respond.

Zhou He's brain was groggy, and he fell asleep on the sofa while taking the medicine. Li Peiyuan went to get a blanket to cover her and sat down on the side.

Maybe it was the heat, and a dense fine sweat broke out on Zhou He's forehead. He looked at her quiet sleeping face, originally wanted to wipe her sweat with a tissue, but in the end he didn't, and he didn't care about the cold outside, so he went outside to smoke.

Because of the infusion, Zhouhe's cold got better. Li Peiyuan had something to do, so he made her breakfast the next day and left. He had just left, and Xu Yuanning actually came over with the little guy.

Zhou He was afraid that his cold would be transmitted to the little guy, so he found a mask and put it on. And stay away from the little guy, the little guy is aggrieved, after Xu Yuanning explained a few times that Zhou He was sick and he finally stopped sticking, handed her his bottle, and let her drink water.

Zhou He praised the little guy for being well-behaved and wanted to find some snacks for him, but there was nothing at home.

Later, when the two chatted, they talked about Li Peiyuan, he was not young, but he didn't know why he didn't get married.

Talking about this, it was impossible to get around Miss Han, who was preparing to get married, and Zhou He learned that Miss Han went abroad three years ago. I heard that I broke off relations with the Han family.

Xu Yuanning didn't say much about this matter, and brought it over lightly.

Zhou He's cold slowly improved, and when she was about to buy a ticket to go back, the company's personnel department called her. Tell her she's been fired.

Zhou He was at Xu Yuanning's house when he called, which was completely a disaster. She froze when she heard it. After hanging up the phone, he immediately borrowed Xu Yuanning's computer and sent an email to his boss. Only then did I know that she was not the only one who was fired. Her company is large, and the factional battle in the company is hot. The manager her boss was transferred, and the people under them suffered.

The company is now in a big turnover, and most of the people have been replaced by another manager. However, everyone was compensated.

At this point, we can only accept it. Zhou He loves this job very much and has never stood in line. Just because the boss suffered an unwarranted disaster, he was discouraged, and he was depressed for a while.

On the contrary, Xu Yuanning comforted her that this kind of thing is very common in the workplace, the workplace is like a battlefield, and many times it is involuntary.

There are still two months to go before the New Year, and he proposed to let Zhou He stay for the New Year and then go back. It's rare to come back once.

Zhou He was still immersed in the blow of losing her job, and listlessly said that she would think about it.

It's just that before she could think about it, Xu Yuanning had to go on a business trip because of urgency. And the son of the aunt's family was going to get married, and he had to go back for a few days, so he asked her to help take care of the children.

Zhou He teased the children and never brought them. This can only be a hard-headed response. Fortunately, Aunt Xu Yuanning left the day after she was late, so she could have a day to teach her.

The child is actually easier to carry than she thought, he does not cry, he is not a picky eater, he just needs to be coaxed when he sleeps.

Zhou He was nervous at first, but after taking it for a long time, he was not nervous. Playing with the child, getting something for him to eat, the day is more fulfilling than her.

Li Peiyuan probably heard the news of her dismissal from Xu Yuanning, and came to find her. said that she was too lonely abroad alone, and asked her to ask the senior sister to pack up and send her things back, and not to go back.

And let her go back to Kyoto, where the development space will be better than Yucheng. At the same time, he also gave her the information of several companies, all of which are very famous, and asked her to apply for a try.

Zhou Ji didn't agree, but just said to take a look first.

Li Peiyuan was not reluctant, let her think about it first.

Coaxing the little guy to sleep at night, Zhou He chatted with the senior sister online. Perhaps because of the end of the year, many companies made layoffs during the time she returned. The senior sister is also hesitating whether to return to China. And suggested to Zhou He that if there is a suitable company in China, it is better to stay in China.

It is said that next year's employment will be even tighter.

Zhou He was even more panicked at this time, and only turned off the computer after talking to the senior sister a few more words. She didn't feel sleepy at all, and went out to the balcony, opened the window and blew a cold breeze.

Zhou He barely slept that night, and Xu Yuanning, who returned from a business trip the next day, looked listless when he saw her. He was very sorry and asked her if she had been tossed miserably by the little one.

Zhou He shook his head again and again and said no, hesitated for a moment, and still said everything that the senior sister said last night.

Xu Yuanning paid attention to the news, and after a while, he also suggested that she stay in China.

Zhou He was depressed and said that she would think about it again.

Even though she thinks about it, she is already wavering. She doesn't have a strong network, and if it's really as the senior sister said, it will be difficult for her to find a job when she goes back.

She began to pay attention to recruitment.

She was always an idle person, and after December she went to Kyoto at the suggestion of Li Peiyuan. Begin to prepare for the interview. Because the old lady left her a property, she didn't have to rent a house after she passed. It's also a lot less stressful.

After settling down, she began to run through the major talent markets and submit resumes. I also went to the companies that Li Peiyuan gave the information, but there was no shortage of people at the end of the year, and there was no suitable position for her.