The crackling sound of the campfire burst in the night, breaking the tranquility of the water, and then dissipated silently into the thick night, but became more and more quiet. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

There was a faint sadness and powerlessness in Finley's voice. Lu Li cast a concerned gaze, but did not directly pierce the layer of window paper, but said in a roundabout way, "Isn't life always like this? Sometimes, we are just holding on to a meaningless war, and the end is always death, but sometimes, we are holding on to a battle between ourselves and ourselves, not for the meaning of the end, just for ourselves." ”

Finley was stunned, and couldn't help but be distracted.

It was a long moment before Finley spoke again, "I have an older brother, Brad. He and Justin have been good friends since childhood, and the two have known each other since middle school, going to high school together, applying for enlistment together, training together, and then being sent to Iraq together. ”

Lu Li couldn't help but be stunned, he didn't expect that Justin had actually joined the army and came back from the battlefield in Iraq. But when you think about it, there seems to be nothing surprising about it.

"I didn't have much contact with Justin before, and I have the impression that he was my brother's fox friend and dog, and he smelled of stinky men's sweat. Finley's disgusting words made Lu Li laugh heartily, he had no brothers and sisters, and he couldn't understand this emotion, but Finley's playful words couldn't be more vivid.

Later, Justin returned, but Brad was not able to come back. Suddenly, Finley said this sentence so lightly, but the simple language revealed a powerful power, making people really feel the sadness hidden behind the words.

Lu Li has been in New York for four years, and he has not personally experienced the "911 incident", but he has visited the current situation of veterans. To be honest, the United States has spent more than ten years in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the situation of veterans after leaving the army is very bad, even if there is no physical injury, but the mental damage has deeply affected these people, in addition to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), there are many veterans who are still unable to adapt to life after leaving the battlefield.

This group of fighters gave their lives for the country, but politicians and elites crossed the river and demolished bridges, no longer caring about their lives or deaths. Interests, everything is only about interests.

The families of these soldiers are suffering in all sorts of ways, and like Finley, the family will never be whole, not only her parents, but also herself, and their friends around them, will be the victims of this war.

When Lu Li wrote the news about veterans, he really felt an indescribable touch. It's just that he didn't expect to meet such a friend in real life - to be honest, most of the soldiers are from the central region, and the developed areas on the east and west coasts are relatively few.

Finley turned his head and smiled at Lu Li, "This is the last message he gave us, after four years away from home, he will never come back." "There was a grief and loss in those eyes, but there was a tenacity in it," he told Justin, and if he could come back, he would take good care of me. ”

Lu Li couldn't help but wonder, such a plot is really too much like a movie, but if you think about it carefully, it is too real. Because Justin is the only person Brad can rely on on on the battlefield, they have given their lives for the country, but the country will not take care of the broken family for them.

"He thought he was writing romance novels, which was really vulgar. Finley sneered, but the teasing smile quickly dissipated like smoke and was replaced by loneliness, "I guess I'm also a vulgar person, that's why Brad chose such a vulgar way." ”

Finley's gaze fell on Justin once more, a thin mist of water under his eyes, reflecting the flickering firelight.

Even if Finley doesn't go on to explain, he knows the rest of the story: Finley is in love with Justin, but Justin can't love her.

Because she is Brad's sister, that is, his sister, because he is burdened with Brad's entrustment, he should take care of her, not fall in love with her, and there is a Brad between them, who will never return.

Lu Li has not had much contact with Justin, but he can really feel that maybe Justin is a silent man, but he is unswervingly guarding his promise, and is even willing to protect it with his life. Lu Li didn't know what Justin and Brad had experienced on the battlefield, but he understood that Justin was guarding Finley with the weight of two men. Therefore, Justin did not dare and could not take a step beyond the thunder pool.

At this moment, Lu Li finally understood the meaning of Finley's words just now, and she didn't know if it made sense for her to continue to persevere, or if she was waiting for a fruitless ending.

Justin seemed to notice Finley's sad eyes, he raised his head, and his gaze fell on Finley, the calm gaze didn't seem to fluctuate, but it only stayed for a moment, and then turned to Lu Li, slightly retracted his jaw, and said hello.

Even with such a simple action, Lu Li could feel the unusual atmosphere. Justin seems to have been avoiding Finley's eyes, he doesn't know what the reason is, and he can't be sure about it, Justin also has feelings for Finley, but at least it can be seen that the bond between Justin and Finley is not so simple.

"You know, New Yorkers like to say that it's wisdom to give up, and that only a tenacious fool would bury his head and sprint forward. Lu Li's words made Finley stunned, and then couldn't help but chuckle, "But, here's the problem, New Yorkers are too smart." ”

"Isn't it a good thing to be smart?" asked Finley, curiously as he retracted his attention.

Lu Li shrugged, "Yes, of course." But if they are too smart, they are too shrewd, and every decision, they will carefully calculate, calculate how much they should give, and how much they should gain, so the relationship between people becomes more and more clear, and every penny can be calculated with numbers. Maybe it's a bad thing, maybe it's a good thing. ”

Finley didn't speak, just listened intently.

"It's like a sports game, if you calculate the gains and losses accurately, then the weak are doomed to defeat from the beginning, so why start? Perseverance until the last moment of the game makes a big comeback possible, isn't it? Of course, the outcome is important, but in many cases, the process is also important. ”

Lu Li's words made Finley chuckle, "So, New Yorkers don't like sports. ”

"It's a fact. Lu Li shrugged his shoulders, "Although the attendance rate of every game at Madison Square Garden is very good, but now the garden is more used as a concert venue, isn't it?" The playful ridicule made Finley smile even brighter, "I think, sometimes, it may be better or worse to insist on it, but in the end, it depends on the individual, doesn't it?"

Lu Li knows too little about the story of Finley and Justin, even if he knows more, emotional matters are not simply "one plus one equals two", he can't make a judgment, and he can't give an accurate opinion. At the end of the day, it's up to the parties to make the decision. However, Lu Li always believes that persistence is not necessarily a bad thing, just like his dream.

Although he is not able to become a journalist now, he has found a different opportunity in journalism in a different way.

Finley didn't speak, savoring the meaning contained in Lu Li's words, and couldn't help but speak, "So...... Should I keep going, even if I don't see any results or even get any response?"

Lu Li chuckled, "I thought the answer was already in your mind, all you needed was my support, didn't you?"

Stunned, Finley immediately laughed dumbly, and his mood couldn't help but lighten, "Then can I say that, you have already given the answer I want?"

Lu Li spread his hands and had an innocent expression on his face, which made Finley laugh heartily.

There was silence between the two of them again, watching the bonfire crackle and crackle, and the laughter and laughter around them broke through the shackles and poured in, so that the irritability and noise just now suddenly settled, and the raging night wind slid through the fingertips like flowing water.

Suddenly, Finley opened his mouth to break the silence, "So, what the hell was going on?"

A return to the horse gun, Lu Li didn't expect it at all, looking at the playful smile on the corner of Finley's mouth, Lu Li laughed dumbly, shook his head slightly, and didn't answer. Finley didn't go any further.

The party lasted until more than eleven o'clock, saying that it was over, but in fact it was just the elders leaving, Lily and Ronald, Li Huainan and Liu Xiaoyan left one after another, Lu Huaijin and Song Lingyi were also tired, they originally planned to go to the camping area to experience the tent, but after late at night, they still felt the decline in physical strength, and the fatigue of the long journey finally came up, and the two of them simply bathed one after another, and then went back to rest.

However, the others seemed to be still unsatisfied, and still lingered by the campfire, unwilling to leave for a long time.

Lu Li sat by the bonfire with everyone, playing games, drinking beer, singing and laughing, and having fun. Since coming to Yunding Ranch, Lu Li has almost gone to bed early, but tonight he rarely passed midnight, but he still didn't feel tired, and he really experienced the ease and comfort of a young man, and completely relaxed and plunged into the carnival.

That's the real party.

As the night deepened, Lu Li not only did not feel sleepy, but became more and more excited, and a group of young people frolicked towards the camping area, ready to start the second wave of carnival of tonight's party!