When the two of them came out of the old lady's house, it was already evening, and small snowflakes fell on the low houses on both sides. The orange light from the dilapidated windows was the only warmth of the winter night.

Cheng Wei lit a cigarette after he came out. The old man has limited mobility, and the old lady is old. He couldn't do a lot of menial work at home, so after lunch, he worked as a coolie, helping the old lady chop firewood, repairing the dripping pipe, and climbing to the house to repair the waterlogged roof.

The back of his right hand was covered with a long blood streak at some point, and he didn't care about it himself.

When he came out, he was not as relaxed as he was when he was at the old lady's house, and he did not speak. When he got into the car, he didn't start the car immediately, but just looked outside.

Zhou He also sat silently.

Cheng Wei smoked another cigarette, and then said lightly: "The old man's son is a policeman who died in the performance of official duties. The old man passed out on the ground during the funeral and never got up again. In the same year, the daughter-in-law overturned into the river when she went out with her grandson, and she had already lost her breath after she fished it out. The little girl, whose father was an addict, accidentally killed her mother in a fight. After a period of exile, she was sold to traffickers after a drug addiction attacked. There was a time when she would hold her head and huddle together when she saw people. ”

He paused at this point, dusted the ashes from his hand, and continued: "There are many unfortunate people in this world. In life, there will always be people who are close and can't leave one after another. And those who stay, only if they live well, can they be worthy of them. ”

His eyes drifted out the window, looking at the half-grown children squatting on the side of the road in the alley and making a fire, half of his face blurred in the smoke. The voice said indifferently: "In this world, many people are surviving in painful struggles. ”

That's probably what he's bringing her here for.

Zhou He's eyes were astringent, and he sat motionless.

Cheng Wei quickly snuffed out the cigarette butt in his hand and started the car.

Zhou He didn't play games that night, and he didn't drink again. Just lay on the bed with his eyes open. I didn't close my eyes until dawn.

When I woke up the next morning, Cheng Wei was nowhere to be seen. It was the part-time worker who came over and was serving the steaming buns. Seeing Zhou He, he said, "Mr. Cheng's company went out early because of something." You can eat casually first, and tell me what you want to eat at noon. ”

Zhou He nodded, washed up and sat down at the dining table.

The aunt brought her another phone number and said, "Mr. Cheng said that the New Year is rarely lively, if you want to go out for a walk, call the driver and ask him to send you." The weather is cold, and it is inconvenient to take a car with many people. ”

Zhou He nodded and said yes.

She had no intention of going out, but after breakfast, she changed her mind and changed into clothes.

She was a walking dead the day before yesterday, and now that she really went out, Auntie was a little worried, and asked, "Where are you going?" Do you want me to accompany you?"

Zhou He said no.

The aunt was still not relieved, but she didn't say anything, told her to be careful on the road, sent her into the elevator, and then went back to the house.

Cheng Wei's driver turned out to be here all along, probably because his aunt had called, and when Zhou He went out, he had already driven the car to the door. Seeing her, he respectfully opened the car door and said, "I'll send you." ”

Zhou He originally wanted to say no, but when the words came to his mouth, he swallowed them back and asked him to go to school.

At this time, there was almost no one in the school, but Shu Hua's flower shop had not yet closed. Zhou He asked the driver to go back first, and then bought two fruits and carried them over.

The students were on vacation, and the business of the flower shop was deserted. But because it's the New Year, there are still people from time to time. Shu Hua plans to close tomorrow afternoon.

She was worried and thoughtful, and tried her best to avoid topics that would remind her of Aunt Qi, and asked her to go to her home to celebrate the New Year together.

Zhou He squeezed out a smile and shook his head and said no, changed the topic, and asked about the profitability of the Shu painting shop.

Although he doesn't earn a lot every month, after all, it has only been a few months since it opened, and Shu Hua is very satisfied. said that if the business is better in the future, she will rent the shop next door together, and the flowers can be put on more.

Zhou He nodded, and said that the store could be re-decorated at that time. You can also do some activities to make small profits and quick turnover, and you can also beat the popularity of the store.

While the two were talking, a guest came in, and Shu Hua got up and went to get busy. Because there were guests coming from time to time, Shu Hua didn't let Zhou He help, and left after saying goodbye to her for a short time.

She couldn't find a place to go for a while, and she didn't call the driver, but after staying for a while, she went back to the house. It was snowing and the weather was cold, and no workers came. There was a pile of green bricks outside the yard.

Zhou He was originally going to take the key out to open the door, but he reached out and touched the door, and the door opened directly, and there was no lock. She froze for a moment, then pushed the door open and entered the courtyard.

The door inside was still hidden, she pushed the door open and went in, and saw Qi Jingran tidying up things in the living room. Hearing the sound of the door opening, she raised her head and saw Zhou He, she was slightly stunned. Then he whispered, "I'll come back and get something." ”

There was already a large suitcase in the living room, containing her personal belongings. Zhou He couldn't find anything to say and nodded. Qi Jingran didn't speak again, lowered his head and continued to tidy up.

The living room was quiet for a while.

Zhou He stood for a moment and went upstairs.

Qi Jingran didn't know when she packed up her things and left, and when she went downstairs again, she was gone. The living room was empty.

Zhou He stood in the living room before sitting down on the sofa after a long time. I stayed there until the evening. It wasn't until her phone rang that she came to her senses.

It was already dark outside, and the call was from my aunt, who picked it up and said that she would come back immediately. The aunt asked her where she was, saying that she was stuck in traffic and asked the driver to pick her up.

Zhou He said no, he would take a taxi back.

She originally thought that Cheng Wei had gone back, but she didn't. There was only one aunt in the apartment. A steaming meal was already on the table.

Zhou He washed his hands and sat on the edge of the table, and then asked, "Didn't Mr. Cheng come back?"

The aunt served her a bowl of soup and said with a smile: "Mr. Cheng called and said that he would not come back for dinner tonight, let you eat first." Don't wait for him. ”

Zhou He nodded and began to eat.

When I finished eating, I saw that my aunt kept talking and stopped saying something. Zhou He asked, "Is there something wrong with you?"

The aunt rubbed her hands on the apron and said, "That's Miss Zhou, my daughter wants me to go back for the New Year." She'll come over tonight and pick it up. I was going to talk to Mr. Cheng again tonight, but Mr. Cheng never came back......"

She was a little embarrassed. Cheng Wei came to her and had a good salary, but he didn't say whether he could rest during the New Year.

"It's okay, you can go back. I can do it all. Zhou He said without waiting for her to finish.

The aunt was delighted, and quickly said: "I have prepared all the dishes for the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner in the refrigerator, you only need to prepare some small dishes tomorrow." ”

Zhou He smiled and said, "If you are busy, let's leave quickly, don't worry." ”

The aunt thanked her again and again, took off her apron, took her things and left quickly.

The living room was quiet, Zhou He went into the kitchen, cleaned up the kitchen, looked at the time, turned on the TV and watched.

Cheng Wei didn't know what to do for entertainment or never came back. It wasn't until the wee hours of the morning that there was a slight sound of the door opening.

Zhou He hadn't slept before, and turned on the light when he heard the sound of the door opening. Cheng Wei was cold, and he didn't drink. He was not surprised to see that Zhou He didn't sleep, and said, "Why haven't you slept yet?"

His voice was slightly hoarse.

"Immediately fell asleep. Zhou He said. After a slight pause, he poured a cup of hot water and handed it to Cheng Wei.

Cheng Wei said thank you, drank half a glass of water, and then said, "Go to sleep." ”

Zhou He nodded, but didn't move, and said, "Auntie told me tonight that she was going back for the New Year, and I asked her to go back." ”

Cheng Wei nodded and walked to the bathroom.

Zhou Ji didn't stay in the living room long and went back to the room. In the past few days, she has slept in the master bedroom, and Cheng Wei has slept in the study.

She couldn't sleep in bed, and Cheng Wei outside didn't sleep. From time to time, there was the sound of phone calls outside.

Zhou He had insomnia all the time, and he fell asleep when it was almost dawn.

When she got up in the morning, Cheng Wei had already left, and left her a note, saying that she would come back in the afternoon. And let her call him if she needs to bring anything.

It's the New Year, and it's still early in the morning, and it's already lively outside. The community is lit up with red lanterns.

Under such a bustle, Zhou He felt like he was in another world, and stood on the balcony for a long time, and then went to the living room to get something to eat.

The Chinese New Year's Eve dinner is sumptuous, and it has to be made in advance. When she finished eating, she opened the refrigerator, which was already full, both finished and semi-finished.

She looked at it, took out the chicken that had been killed, cleaned it up, and stewed it.

Auntie prepared too many dishes, and she was busy alone, and she was idle in the afternoon. Cheng Wei said that he would come back in the afternoon, but he still didn't come back at five o'clock. Zhou He called him, but his phone was already off.

Zhou He looked at the time, and still prepared the dishes.

When Cheng Wei came back, it was already past seven o'clock, and the sons, daughters-in-law, and grandsons of the aunt's family on the opposite side had all come over, and the laughter could still be heard through the door.

Zhou He came back after saying a word, brought the last soup to the table, and said, "Wash your hands and eat immediately." ”

Cheng Wei responded with a good word, and after washing his hands, he took out a bottle of red wine. He poured it for Zhou He first, raised his wine glass, and said, "Happy New Year." ”

He took a sip of his wine.

Zhou He also said Happy New Year and drank the wine in the cup.

Cheng Wei was a little lazy, put down the cup and ate the food slowly. Zhou He steamed the hairy crab, and after eating a few bites of food, he put down his chopsticks, wiped his hands, and peeled the crab.

His movements were swift, and it didn't take long to peel the crab meat and crab roe into a small plate and push it in front of Zhou He.

Zhou He's movements paused and said, "I'll peel it myself." ”

Cheng Wei didn't speak, picked up the shrimp and peeled it again. After peeling five or six in a row, he stopped, took a wet towel and wiped his hands. asked, "When you come back, it's very lively outside, do you want to go out to celebrate the New Year?"

"No, it's a little cold. Just at home. Zhou He said.

Cheng Wei stopped talking and began to eat.

This meal was eaten for a long time, and Cheng Wei drank most of the bottle of red wine alone. After eating, Zhou He cleaned up the kitchen, and he lazily nestled on the sofa and watched the gala.

said that he was watching the party, but he was careless and didn't know what he was thinking.

It was quiet in the apartment for a while, only the sound of the TV.

The two sat quietly until more than eleven o'clock, Cheng Wei suddenly got up, picked up his coat, and said, "Put on your clothes and go out to have a look." ”

He didn't wait for Zhou He's answer as he spoke, and walked directly to the entrance.

Zhou He had to stand up too, put on his coat and follow him outside. originally thought that Cheng Wei was going to take her outside, but he didn't. He took her into the elevator and up to the roof.

The roof of the building was not locked, and the door was hidden. Cheng Wei opened the door. Zhou He followed him in, only to find that there was a row of fireworks on the roof of the building.

Cheng Wei looked at the time, took out his mobile phone, and said, "There are still two minutes to order." ”

This is obviously something he had been preparing for a long time ago.

Zhou He couldn't help but be stunned.

Cheng Wei didn't speak anymore and kept looking at the time. When there were only ten seconds left, he asked Zhou He to step back and walked over to light the fireworks.

With a thudding sound, fireworks burst into the air. Cheng Wei's voice rang in his ears, "New Year's Coke." ”

Zhou He's hair flew in the air, blowing his eyes. She blinked vigorously and whispered, "Happy New Year." ”

The fireworks continued to bloom for a long time before they stopped, and before Zhou He could recover from his emotions, Cheng Wei grabbed her hand and said, "Let's go." It's time for security to come up. ”

He was right, and as soon as the lover reached the second floor by taking the stairs, several security guards came out of the elevator and rushed to the roof. The corners of Cheng Wei's mouth hooked, and only then did he press down the elevator again.

It's like being a thief, Zhou He didn't breathe a sigh of relief until he entered the house and closed the door. But in fact, the matter did not end like this, and later the security guards knocked on the door without sleeping.

Zhou He was nervous, but Cheng Wei was calm. said that he had been watching TV in the house just now and had not gone out. And said that if he really went upstairs, I am afraid that the lights would have been turned off at this time. Where will they wait to catch a present.

The security guard was skeptical, saying that a warning had been posted last year to prohibit fireworks from being set off upstairs.

Cheng Wei nodded to show that he understood, and the security guard took the walkie-talkie and left.

Zhou He breathed a long sigh of relief, and now he was relieved.

Cheng Wei didn't have anything to do, walked in from the entrance with a box, handed it to Zhou He, and said, "New Year's gift." ”

Zhou He shook his head, and just wanted to excuse himself, Cheng Wei raised his eyebrows and said, "I've already bought it, so I can't take it and return it, right?"

She took it and said thank you.

The box was heavy, and Zhou He opened it, and inside was a box of chocolates and a few books she hadn't bought what she needed. It's the first time I've seen someone give a gift or a book.

The corners of Cheng Wei's lips hooked and said, "In the new year, study hard." ”

He went to the bathroom to take a shower like a child.

Cheng Wei quickly went back to the room to sleep, Zhou He lay up on the bed, listening to the sound of fireworks banging from time to time outside, and his heart was empty and painful. remembered the scene of Aunt Qi's New Year.

Aunt Qi has always slept late, and the stove is burning vigorously. After twelve o'clock, a bowl of wine-stuffed balls will be cooked, which means reunion.

Firecrackers are set off in the early hours of the morning on the other side of the house, and she sets them off almost every year. The crackling night will be filled with the sound of firecrackers. Chase away the chill of the night.

Her eyes were so astringent that she lay motionless.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the two of them ate rice balls, and the rice balls were also prepared by the aunt and put in the refrigerator, and Zhou He only needed to cook them in the pot.

The filling of the rice balls was a little sweet, and Cheng Wei only ate two and put down the chopsticks. I warmed myself a glass of milk.

On the morning of the first day of the new year, the tomb had to be swept, and the east and west Cheng Wei had already been prepared and put in the trunk.

Although they went early, it should have been Qi Jingran. In front of the tomb, incense wax paper candles were burned, and a small bouquet of white chrysanthemums was placed.

Obviously he was a living person not long ago, but now all that remains is a cold tombstone. When he really faced it, he still couldn't accept it, and standing on the tombstone seemed to be just a dream now. When I woke up, everything was still fine.

But Aunt Qi's gentle smile on the tombstone told her that this was true, and from now on, she would never smile at her gently, never nag again.

Zhou He's eyes quickly became wet, and he knelt in front of the tombstone tearing up the paper money page by page.

Cheng Wei didn't urge her, just stood silently on the side.

After the paper money he brought was burned, Zhou He stood in front of the tombstone for a long time before he said, "Let's go." ”

Her voice was hoarse. Cheng Wei nodded, looked back at the tombstone, and went down the mountain.

The last time I went to worship the old grandmother, I met Cheng Wei sweeping the tomb, but he didn't mention it today. After descending the mountain, I drove directly back to the city.

Zhou He was in a depressed mood and wanted to ask him if he wanted to go to the tomb, but in the end he didn't ask.

Cheng Wei did not go to visit the grave, and stayed in the apartment all day. From time to time, there would be New Year's text messages on his mobile phone, but he didn't look at them.

Probably because he was afraid that Zhou He would be cranky when he stayed, he invited Shu to come over in the evening. He answered the phone and went out.

I don't know what he said to Shu Hua, Shu Hua didn't ask anything. Watching TV, I talked about daily chores.

It was already past twelve o'clock in the evening when Shu Hua went back, and Cheng Wei's driver sent her back. But he didn't know what to do and went and didn't come back.

Cheng Wei not only didn't come back on the night of the first day of the Lunar New Year, but also didn't come back on the second day of the new year. However, my aunt came back after the first day of junior high school and brought some family specialties.

Cheng Wei left without any news, and Zhou He called his mobile phone several times, but he couldn't get through for the time being. I don't know what to do for this Chinese New Year.

Shu Hua came to make an appointment with Zhou He to go shopping again, saying that it was a New Year's promotion. You can buy some clothes for the New Year, and you can stock up on winter clothes to wear the next winter. You can also buy some affordable daily necessities for everyday use.

Zhou He went shopping with her.

There have been no workers at the house for the past few days, and Zhou He originally wanted to go back. But because Cheng Wei didn't come back, he was delayed. On the evening of the third year of junior high school, Cheng Wei still didn't come back, and the phone couldn't get through, so Zhou He went to the noodle shop to find Lao Cao.

The noodle shop is not closed, but business is a little cold during the New Year. Lao Cao was not in the store, saying that he would come later in time. Zhou He waited until it was almost noon, and then he came over.

Zhou Ji didn't call him, and he was surprised to see her. asked, "Miss Zhou, why are you here?"

Zhou He pursed his lips slightly, and said hesitantly: "I have been staying with Mr. Cheng for the past few days, and he has not come back since he left on the first night of the new year, and the phone cannot be reached......

Lao Cao was a little uncomfortable, and said vaguely: "He is running errands outside these days, maybe he forgot to tell you." ”

If it weren't for something very important, I wouldn't have gone out at this time. Zhou He nodded, hesitated, and still asked, "Is something wrong with the company?"

Lao Cao was stunned for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "No." It's something else, he's out of town now, and he'll be back when it's done. ”

He said vaguely, and refused to tell Zhou Hecheng what he was doing. It's just that his phone can't get through, it should be that the signal over there is not very good, someone went with him, and he will try to see if the phone can get through later.

Zhou He nodded, said goodbye to Lao Cao, and walked out of the store.

She went out but didn't leave, but went to the convenience store next door to buy something. Keep an eye on the noodle shop.

Lao Cao came out after a short time and hurriedly started the car parked on the side.

Zhou He walked out of the convenience store, flagged down a taxi on the side of the road, and said, "Keep up with the car in front." ”

Seeing that she was a young girl, the driver was gossipy. said, "Okay, you sit down." There's nothing I'm not familiar with here, so I promise I won't lose it. ”

Zhou He thanked him politely and kept looking at the car in front of him.

Lao Cao didn't notice that he was being followed, and the car didn't run around the city anymore, and went out of the city directly.

The driver was a little hesitant at this time, looked at Zhou He, and asked, "Are you still with me?"

Zhou He nodded and followed. Afraid that the driver would be worried, he looked at the watch and gave him a part of the front first.

The driver probably saw that she was easy to talk to, and asked tentatively, "Little sister, who are you in front?"

Zhou He naturally couldn't tell the truth, lowered his head, stretched out his hand and rubbed his eyes, and said, "It's not anyone." ”

The driver regretted asking when he saw her like this, and hurriedly said, "You let me follow, don't cry." ”

It's bad luck to cry in the car in the first month.

For the rest of the day, the driver didn't ask anything more. It's just that Lao Cao's car is driving farther and farther, and he doesn't seem to have any intention of stopping.

The driver looked at the watch and said, "Little sister, are you sure you want to go down?" If you go back at this time, I won't take your money back." ”

Zhou He looked up at the road sign, lowered his head, and said, "It's all here, let's follow." ”

Lao Cao drove the car directly here, and Cheng Wei must be here. It's just that it's remote here, and he's here......