There are two flowers, one on each branch. Just when Lu Chunyi and Hong Daxuan were squandering the increasingly depleted opportunity resources, Cen Xinrui, who had been struggling in the countryside, ushered in a turn of fate.

After the second class that day, the commune veteran called him and said that the Qingjiang Tractor Factory had sent a notice that he had passed the political examination and physical examination, and that he should report to the labor department of the factory department at the end of the month, so he should rush to the commune as soon as possible to go through the relevant procedures.

Upon hearing the news, the colleagues in the commune middle school were all happy for Cen Xinrui. The teacher who taught Chinese even quoted Du Fu's poem "Wen Guanjun Collects Henan and Hebei", joking that his scene at the moment is "the sword suddenly spread to collect the north of the thistle, and the first time I heard it, tears were full of clothes", so "you must indulge in wine when you sing during the day, and return to your hometown with youth".

However, to their surprise, although Cen Xinrui thanked everyone for their congratulations, he did not show the excitement and excitement they imagined, and the "ecstasy of comic poems and books" that many people thought they could see did not appear.

Why is this happening? Everyone thought about it and finally came to the conclusion that after staying for a long time, the head has become numb, and no matter how big the happy event is, it will be like that.

To say, the thoughts of colleagues do have a reason. Since I left Lichuan No. 1 Middle School, it has been six and a half years since I came to Baling Lake. During this period, Cen Xinrui almost sent all his companions to Baling Lake, and waited for his return to the city.

It's just that when he thought that this opportunity was caused by the eldest sister's effort, and this was actually the back door that he had always hated, he felt very uncomfortable. Ben too, thinking about it day and night, thinking about returning to the city, but really waiting for this day, there is not much excitement, on the contrary, there is only some kind of regret or even loss, isn't this too incomprehensible?

However, no matter how it feels, it will eventually be gone. Therefore, in the congratulations of his colleagues in the middle school, Cen Xinrui returned to the collective household to clean up the things he left there, and by the way, he said goodbye to his companions who had not yet been recruited. It's just that he didn't expect that just when he was packing up the things left in the collective household, Wen Yiqing came.

"I learned the news that you are leaving in the brigade," looking at Cen Xinrui, who was not without surprise, Wen Yiqing explained, "I think you will definitely come back in the next few days." ”

"Master Wen has been here for the past few days. Wen Lijuan said on the side. Although she was still calm, the depression and sorrow in her heart were still more or less written on her face.

Looking at her like this, Cen Xinrui didn't know what to say. Fortunately, Wen Yiqing opened his mouth at this time: "The luggage is all collected?"

"Put it away. Cen Xinrui looked back at the room where he had lived for many years. He didn't want to give the leaders and teachers of Balinghu Middle School the impression that they didn't care about anything as long as they walked away, so he cleaned it up.

"That's all?" Wen Yiqing asked as he walked into the living room from the hall and looked at his bag that he had already bundled.

"What else?" Cen Xinrui put down the broom in his hand and asked rhetorically.

Originally, Baling Lake is a rather poor place, and the labor value of many production teams is only one or two cents per working day, and it would be good for young intellectuals to be sent here to support themselves, and what savings can they have to buy a little more things?

"Yes. Wen Yiqing nodded, and then asked, "Is there anything else in the afternoon?"

"There should be nothing," Cen Xinrui thought for a moment, "Director Zhu said to give me a farewell party, but it was in the evening. ”

"Alright, now come with me. Wen Yiqing patted him on the shoulder.

"Where are you going?" Cen Xinrui asked.

"Go to my house. Wen Yiqing said.

"Go to your house?" Cen Xinrui couldn't believe it. He knew that the other party rarely took the initiative to invite people to his house.

"Yes, someone wants to see you. Wen Yiqing explained.

"Who is it?" Hearing him say this, Cen Xinrui was a little curious.

"You'll know when you go," Wen Yiqing smiled rather mysteriously, "but I can tell you that she is definitely an acquaintance of yours." ”

Who could it be? Hearing Wen Yiqing say this, Cen Xinrui became even more curious. But since the other party refuses to say it explicitly, then he can only talk about it later.

It's just that what he didn't expect was that when he walked out of the school with Wen Yiqing, walked through the fields of his own team, walked across the small bridge leading to the neighboring team, and finally walked into the low thatched hut of the other party, he could be said to be surprised, because it was Aunt Ma who stood up from the chair to greet him and was Aunt Ma, who originally lived in the same compound as his family.

"Why are you?" Looking at Aunt Ma, who he hadn't seen for seven or eight years, Cen Xinrui couldn't believe his eyes. He grabbed Aunt Ma's elbow and didn't let go for a long time.

"Didn't expect that, right?" Wen Yiqing said with a smile as he watched the dramatic scene from the side.

"You are—" Cen Xinrui pointed at Wen Yiqing, and then at Aunt Ma.

"Yes, I'm her son, she's my mom. Wen Yiqing confirmed.

"Xinrui, sit down, sit down and say. Looking at Cen Xinrui, who was almost unrecognizable in front of her, Aunt Ma was very happy. Although seven or eight years have passed, she is much older, but she is still in good spirits.

"Okay," Cen Xinrui sat down on the bench with Aunt Ma and asked Wen Yiqing: "I've been here for more than seven years at Baling Lake, and I've known you for five or six years, why don't you tell me?"

"I want him not to tell you. Aunt Ma explained, "You are an educated youth, you are going to recruit workers, if there is someone with bad intentions who knows that we originally lived in a compound, and the relationship is good, maybe there will be some kind of demon moth, which will affect your future." After a pause, he said, "Now that you're leaving, it's too late for someone to say anything." ”

"It's better for you to be kind!" Hearing Aunt Ma say this, Cen Xinrui sighed sincerely. But soon he realized a problem: "Brother Yiqing, how did you end up here?"

"Well, that's easy to say. Wen Yiqing glanced at his mother and replied: "When I was serving my sentence, the prison warden suffered from a strange disease that could not be cured. Lucky for me, although I didn't cure the root cause, it greatly alleviated his symptoms, and he had a good impression of me. He carefully reviewed my materials and saw that I was doing well, so he reduced my sentence twice. After my early release, in view of the fact that Lichuan County was not easy to settle down and that staying in prison for employment was not the best choice, I was assigned to Balinghu Commune. He told me that Baling Lake is his hometown, although he is poor, but the emperor is far away, and the county whip chief is beyond his reach, and in our brigade, his family is powerful, and what branch secretary, brigade accountant, militia battalion commander, either his brother or his nephew, can cover me. Of course, he also has requirements for me, that is, to give full play to my expertise in studying medicine and do something practical to alleviate the lack of medical care and medicine for the people here. ”

Hearing Wen Yiqing say this, Cen Xinrui understood why he lived very freely here, and was far less unlucky than Li Xiaobai and Meng Huanren, who were sent back to Yahou Street during the Fourth Qing Dynasty.

Back in May 1966, an old man surnamed Dong who was amnestied moved to Yahou Street, but before a year old, he committed suicide by jumping into a well. In such a comparison, Wen Yiqing should be said to be lucky.

"What are you thinking?" Seeing Cen Xinrui's distracted appearance, Wen Yiqing asked.

"Oh, nothing. Cen Xinrui came back to his senses and said.

"Just eat lunch here, my mother specially prepared it for you. Wen Yiqing said.

"Okay. Cen Xinrui readily agreed. But at this moment, he was a little surprised, because he clearly found that in the low and gloomy kitchen of the Wen family, a young woman was busy, and on the small bench next to the woman, there was a little girl who looked like four or five years old.

Who is she? Wen Yiqing invited herself to dinner, how could she be here? A series of questions surfaced in Cen Xinrui's heart.

Looking at Cen Xinrui's puzzled expression, Wen Yiqing didn't explain, only a subtle smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

When the woman moved the table with her mother, took the dishes and chopsticks, stopped everything, and sat at the dining table a little stiffly in Wen Yiqing's stack of greetings, Fang introduced to Cen Xinrui: "This is my good friend, called Du Rong, you can call her Sister Du and Sister-in-law Yiqing." As he spoke, he took the little girl past her: "This is her child, and of course, my child." ”

"You're married?"

"Nope. Wen Yiqing said very simply.

"That-" Hearing him say this, Cen Xinrui was even more confused by the second monk.

"Ah, that's right," Wen Yiqing knew what he was thinking, and then explained: "Du Rong's uncle is the prison warden I told you about, she heard his uncle talk about my situation a long time ago, maybe it's okay, plus her husband died of illness when I came, so we came together." ”

Seeing that Du Rong has a good face, good health, and treats people very decently, especially her little girl is very affectionate with Aunt Ma and Wen Yiqing, Cen Xinrui feels that Wen Yiqing living with her is not a bad choice. It's just that he still feels that his questions have not been fully answered by Wen Yiqing, and he just doesn't want to continue to ask questions in front of Du Rong.

"Are you trying to say why don't we get a marriage certificate?" Wen Yiqing was a kind of person, and he could see at a glance what Cen Xinrui was worried about.

Cen Xinrui was hey.

"She wanted to take it, but I was still hesitating. ”

"Why?"

"The way I look, getting a marriage certificate won't hurt her and the child?"

"I don't care. Du Rong spoke.

"But I care. Wen Yiqing glanced back at her.

"Then you're going to live like this?" Cen Xinrui still felt a little inappropriate.

"Of course not," Wen Yiqing looked at his mother, "I believe that there will always be a time when my own affairs will come to light, and that day will be the day when Du Rong and I get the certificate." ”

Cen Xinrui couldn't say anything more. At this moment, he can only feel relieved that Wen Yiqing has found someone who loves him, and he also feels that Du Rong, an ordinary rural woman, is amazing. Therefore, he thought that if he also suffered such a tribulation as Wen Yiqing, it was difficult to say that he could be as lucky as Wen Yiqing emotionally.

"Let's eat, don't talk patronizingly. Seeing that Cen Xinrui seemed to be thinking about something, Aunt Ma, who hadn't spoken for a long time, opened her mouth and took the opportunity to sandwich a large piece of leek scrambled eggs into Cen Xinrui's bowl.

"Grandma, I want it too. Seeing this, the little girl cried out to the side.

"Okay, get a chunk of it for our chicks too. Listening to the child's cry, Aunt Ma smiled kindly and put a large piece on it.

Wen Yiqing looked at the scene in front of him with a smile. But at this moment, he suddenly asked Cen Xinrui, "Do you know why I only invited you and didn't invite Ma Ping and them to come to me?"

"It's because we lived in the same compound earlier, and the two families have a good relationship. Cen Xinrui thinks this is very understandable.

"There are reasons for this, but not all. Wen Yiqing nodded, but shook his head again.

"Then what else?" Cen Xinrui was a little curious.

"And because of you. Wen Yiqing looked at him and said seriously.

"Me?" Cen Xinrui was a little puzzled.

"That's right!" Wen Yiqing looked into his eyes and said, "Compared with those educated youths who have been delegated together, you are not only the most stable in dealing with people, but also the most thoughtful about life. To be honest, every time I am in a collective household, I see them playing cards and fishing, and some even steal chickens and dogs, and you are the only one reading and studying, I feel that you are not all the way with them. If there is any difference between work and life in the future, the earliest fork in the road is here. ”

"Did you speak too well of me? Listening to Wen Yiqing's words, Cen Xinrui was a little embarrassed.

"Don't say it, you are a collective household, I am optimistic about you alone. Wen Yiqing insisted on his point of view.

"When you say that, I'm under a lot of pressure. Seeing that he still said this, Cen Xinrui replied half-jokingly and half-seriously.

"That's not necessary, just keep going like this. Wen Yiqing smiled, but then said: "Don't say it, even though they live in the same place, people's behavior is very different. Some are loyal, some are treacherous, some are motivated, some are decadent. They always give a different impression to others. When people look at a place, a lot of it looks at the people in that place, and how they behave. ”

"One mother raises nine sons, nine sons and nine likes, everywhere is like this. Hearing her son say this, Aunt Ma, who hadn't spoken for a long time, interjected.

"Then why do you say they are like this," Hearing this, Du Rong, who had not squeaked all the time, also opened her mouth, "Isn't it good to be like Xiao Cen?"

"Why? I think it's all about the way they live, or whether they only think about themselves or how much they can think of others. If you think only of yourself, you can do any bad thing, and if you can think of others, you will not act with a clear conscience and do things by unscrupulous means. Wen Yiqing said without thinking.

Indeed, hearing this, Cen Xinrui felt that it made sense, but immediately felt that Wen Yiqing's statement seemed to have other meanings, that is, it was a feeling, but he didn't know what it meant.

"Xinrui, why don't you eat vegetables?" Seeing Cen Xinrui just talking to his son, the chopsticks in his hand didn't move for a long time, and Aunt Ma on the side spoke, "Don't you think it's not to your taste?"

"Auntie, don't say it, it's much better than our collective household. ”

"If you think it's good, eat more. Du Rong interjected on the side.

"Yes, yes. Hearing her say this, Cen Xinrui smiled: Obviously, she was in charge of this meal.