Chapter 16: Flowers Fade and Red Apricots (Part I)

"Mom, I'm back!"

As usual, Wang Jinglu entered the door, put down the key, changed his slippers, and then walked into the living room.

Wang Jinglu's mother was busy with dinner in the kitchen, and when she heard this, she glanced out and said, "Are you back?"

Wang Jinglu agreed, put the satchel on the coffee table in the living room, jumped into the kitchen, put it next to her mother's shoulder, and said, "Mom, I'm hungry...... What is delicious today. ”

Mom looked at her dotingly, "I know you're hungry, it's almost over! If your dad doesn't come back today, let's just the two of us, but Mom steamed your favorite meatballs......

"Wow!" Wang Jinglu looked greedy.

At this time, her mother pushed her and said, "Okay, okay, go out, go watch TV, or practice, just wait a while, don't make trouble for your mother here!"

With an "oh", Wang Jinglu withdrew from the kitchen.

Still bouncing, she took her satchel to the bedroom, then came back and sat down at the piano, ready to practice for a while.

When the lid of the piano is opened, the fingers drop lightly, and a light melody slowly flows out.

If you want to learn this when you were a child, it was really to let her sister walk into this door without necessity, but later, she gradually fell in love with the feeling of letting the notes flow through her fingertips.

Those joyful, sad, bright, and holy notes can make her completely forget everything around her, let her completely immerse herself in it, and get the purest happiness that music gives!

Of course...... Not today.

Yesterday, today, tomorrow, and perhaps many days to come, her heart could not tolerate anything else, and the scenes that flashed in her heart were only the day he and her passed together.

Love?

She didn't know.

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.

She only knew that the day she was with him, she was very happy.

Even though they had only watched a few movies that day that seemed a bit boring to her.

I still remember when I was a child, because the two families lived opposite the door, there was always some movement, maybe the relationship between the two families may not be so close, but children don't know that, the little boy and the little girl of average age got to know each other, and then played hide and seek together, watched cartoons together, went crazy together, ran together, he made himself cry, he made himself laugh......

Adults must think that the children themselves will not remember the scenes in a few years, but she knows that she has always remembered them, they are very quiet in the bottom of their hearts, not moving, but as long as they think about it, those pictures will still be as vivid as yesterday.

It's just that later, when the little boy and the little girl grow up and go to school, their parents will teach: You are a girl, you have to be well-behaved, you have to be honest, don't always play with boys, especially the kid in our door, you see him crazy day by day, dirty, if you always play with him, parents, sisters, teachers, classmates, will not like you, you know?

She knows, she knows, although she is not as sensible as her sister, but she has also been sensible since she was very young, and she knows that her parents are indeed reluctant to let herself continue to play with that little boy.

So unconsciously, they began to slowly distance themselves from each other.

Of course, just distancing.

Everyone lives in the opposite door, the same age, the same school, and it is difficult not to see each other. Moreover, we have known each other for a long time, and it seems that we have lived in each other's lives since I first remembered, even if we don't usually speak, and we don't even say hello when we meet, but a smile and a look are enough to keep each other's hearts indescribably familiar.

It seems that whoever takes the initiative to hook their fingers first, and everyone will immediately go back to that crazy childhood.

Then, the two went to the same elementary school, the same junior high school, and the same high school.

Should be...... After the high school entrance examination, I remember that day the weather was gloomy, it seemed to rain but just couldn't hold back, the weather was very hot and stuffy, he played basketball and came back, holding the ball in his arms, sweating and riding a bicycle back, she also happened to go to Daming Lake with a few classmates to stay home for a day, everyone almost rode into the community with the front and back feet, and came to the front of the corridor with the front and back feet, he locked the car, she also locked the car, he went upstairs, she also went upstairs.

He's in front, she's behind.

She seemed to be able to smell the strong smell of sweat coming from him.

He suddenly said, "Where are you going to go to high school?"

"Thirteen, my dad said. She said.

He let out an "um" and didn't speak. After a few moments, she asked, "What about you?"

"I'm also thirteenth, and that's what my dad said. He replied.

She let out an "oh".

This time, he said, "We haven't played together in a long time, haven't we?"

She nodded first, remembering that she was standing behind him, and he couldn't see it when she nodded, so she let out a low "um".

Then, they arrived at each other's doorsteps.

The third floor is really too short.

However, when they really arrived at the door of the house, the two of them stood together.

He turned back, and she turned back, and they looked at each other briefly, and she quickly looked away.

At this time, he said: "It's really hot, it is said that it is 35 degrees today, I don't think it's cool under the fan, but it's not as good as the roof, as long as there is wind, it will be very cool." ”

She let out an "oh".

He stopped talking, and neither did she.

The two stood still for a moment, and then he spoke first, "Then, I'll go home first." ”

She nodded, "Well, I'm home too, goodbye." ”

"Goodbye. He said.

Then, about twenty minutes later, he went up to the rooftop of the building.

After another ten minutes, she also went up to the rooftop platform.

It was strange between them, and there didn't seem to be much to talk about, so everyone was silent. Occasionally he tries to bring up a topic, and often he says a few words, and she says "um" or "oh".

It was really hot and there was no wind on the roof.

But as it turned out, he wasn't lying.

There is only wind on the roof, which is indeed much cooler and more comfortable than a fan.

Of course, after the gale, there is lightning and thunder, and it is a downpour.

The two of them first spread their arms against the wind, smiled wantonly, and then hid back in the corridor in a panic.

It's just that from that day on, they became more and more tacit.

In other words, it is to restore that tacit understanding.

Every once in a while, two people will go to the top of the building to stay for a while, sometimes he goes, she doesn't, sometimes he doesn't, she goes, but it doesn't matter, even if two people are at the same time, they don't talk much, it seems that all the words are said and said in the crazy running and laughing of the years when they were children, and they don't need to say it anymore.

So, just lie on the protective wall and blow the wind quietly for a while, and that's fine.

Then, when everyone has a mobile phone, it will be more convenient.

He wanted to see her, so he texted her.

She wanted to see him, so she texted too.

His text messages are simple, often just two words: rooftop.

Her text messages are simpler, just a space.

At that time, they would occasionally chat a few words, but never talk about school, study, etc., he would talk about how good it was to read a martial arts novel recently, and she would say that she bought a dress today, so beautiful and beautiful, I like it so much.

And he said, "Okay, I'll go to school tomorrow and I'll show you the novel."

And she said yes.

Then the conversation stretches a bit.

His mom and dad, and her mom and dad, and her sister.

Later, there was her little mother.

Later, the young couple who just got married on the fifth floor opposite would quarrel and fight, and the dog raised by the old lady on the first floor was called Beibei, and so on...... Her sister finally released an album, although it was with the other four girls, and these male teachers liked to stare at Teacher Qi...... Etcetera.

More often than not, of course, there is silence.

There were even many times when he, or she came up first, and then the other came up.

They didn't say a word of greeting to each other, they just lay on the protective wall and looked into the distance in a daze, and no one said a word.

Maybe 10 minutes, maybe 20 minutes, maybe 30 minutes, when one of them suddenly comes to his senses, he will say, "I'm going down first, I'm going to go to bed early today," or "I'm leaving, my mom will look for me later," or something like that, and when the other one nodded, the other one would go downstairs first.

There was not even the slightest communication from beginning to end.

But the two of them just felt very comfortable like this, so they enjoyed it.

She didn't know if he was going to think of something else, like...... After the two of them, she thought that he should have thought about it, because she knew that she had thought about it.

But the two never said it.

It's very familiar, but it's very unfamiliar.

All the way up to ...... That day.

She didn't know if she was stimulated or what, her sister had to let her go to Beijing to study in her third year of high school, her parents obviously intended to match herself and that Zhao Yumin, or something, anyway, she suddenly felt a little panicked.

So she thought: I can't go on like this.

Thinking about it, the future is already in sight!

So, she said: you can't leave it alone!

So, the first time, he said he wanted to go to the movies, so she had to go.

For the first time, each of them had a headset and listened to the same sound from the same Walkman.

For the first time, they sat side by side in a movie theater and watched the same image from the same movie on the screen.

For the first time, no, it should be said that for the first time after the resumption of communication, they actually talked so much in one day, and moreover, they actually stayed together for a whole day!

Didn't say like, didn't say love, didn't kiss, didn't even ...... There was no holding hands.

Several times, she had deliberately swung her arms away from her body, looking forward to the moment of body temperature after the two hands collided, while forcing herself to suppress the thumping sound in her heart.

It was a suffocating feeling.

Sometimes, it was her hand that touched his.

Sometimes, it was his hand that touched hers.

She didn't know if he meant to, but she knew for sure that she was.

No one said anything, no one even showed anything, but it was ...... So happy.

In the movie theater, she held the popcorn bucket he bought, occasionally stuffed a handful into her mouth, and then touched him with her arm, and he also reached out and grabbed a few and stuffed them into his mouth.

His eyes were always fixed on the curtain, his eyes bright and sharp, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, as if he was thinking about something serious and important.

She just watched the movie for a while, watched him for a while.

When she came back, she even thought that if nothing else bothered her, that day alone would be enough for her to reminisce for a long, long time. ――Maybe it should be the same for him?

Thinking of this, a sweet smile appeared on her face again.

…………

In the kitchen, Wang Jinglu's mother listened to the completely messy piano sound in the living room, and although she was very busy, she couldn't help but turn around and look here.

Then, she saw the sweet smile on her daughter's face, and suddenly remembered when she first met the father of the two sisters. Then, she couldn't help but sigh.

"Lu, you're ready to eat!" she shouted.