It seemed faint and vague, and I heard Chen Yi's voice that was very unstable, but at this moment she had undoubtedly exhausted all her strength, and she said angrily to those who squeezed us into little space: "You fools...... Jiang Qiao, he grew up in this alley, what kind of life he has been living, don't you know? …… What connections does he have to deal with those exposed media people, and where does he go to find those who understand architecture to demolish the developer's platform? …… Please keep your eyes open and look at me, this matter was done by me Chen Yi from beginning to end, and any resentment you have is directed at me......"

The crowd squeezed us out of space, and everyone pointed at Chen Yi, but I don't want to hate anyone at this moment, because except for Chen Yi, we are just a group of ordinary people, we will be busy and degenerate; can think, can be impulsive; will pursue and give up; Will believe and doubt......

But, in addition to this, I also have a little sincere fantasy that there is a sunflower that will never stop growing, and that a place should be white in the filth, and I really need this place, but I must say goodbye to my little yard forever, because I cannot fight the will of the people. It's a pity that I've never grown sunflowers in my yard, but alas, the age of innocence goes too fast......

I gritted my teeth and didn't let myself fall completely, and then the police rescued me and Chen Yi from the predicament, and I was taken to a nearby hospital.

I was stitched and asked to stay in the hospital for observation, because there were signs of a slight concussion, and Chen Yi was with me all the time, from morning to afternoon, my mood did not fluctuate, but I hated the smell of the hospital a little.

However, when the first rays of sunset fell on the curtains at dusk, my mood became inexplicably irritable, and I remembered the flowers in the yard that should have been delicate in the twilight, but now they have become trampled under the feet of others, and if they had life, they would have been sad, and who would respect them and take care of their right to live?

Chen Yi looked at me who was distracted, and asked with some concern, "What are you thinking?" ”

I looked back at her, and suddenly missed Zhao Chu who passed away like those flowers, and I said to Chen Yi: "I want to go and see Zhao Chu, can you send me there?" ”

Chen Yi unexpectedly refused: "You can take a taxi yourself, I'll go home first and get some things, and I'll accompany you in the hospital tonight." ”

I nodded, and Chen Yi helped me up from the bed, and then we parted at the entrance of the hospital, and she said that she would go there to find me after taking her things.

……

I didn't go to the cemetery right away, but went back to Tulip Road first. The moment I pushed the door open, the mess inside irritated my already fragile feelings, and I bent down to pick up the crumbling rubble into the garbage basket, and then used a shovel to clean the paint from the door, hoping that it would always be clean and beautiful.

Locking the door, I prepared to go to the cemetery, but everyone in the alley lost their former enthusiasm, and their indifferent resentment made me feel a kind of pain of isolation.

When I arrived at the entrance of the alley, a Buick GL8 happened to stop, and then I saw Zhao Mu in a suit and a group of assistants walking out of the car, I didn't have time to meet him, a group of neighbors in the old alley came out of the open space, they surrounded Zhao Mu as a hero, in stark contrast to my situation in the morning.

I should have left, but I stopped.

After a while, Zhao Mu finally replied to everyone: "Neighbors, listen to me, it is indeed me who proposed to the group to develop our alley into a science and technology eco-city, and I am also responsible for this project, but now there is a little unexpected situation, so I need everyone's strength very much." I hope you will sign this demolition proposal, and I promise that as long as the project continues, all the neighbors who sign this proposal will receive an additional parking space in the demolition compensation......"

Before Zhao Mu's words were finished, someone in the crowd immediately responded: "I was the first to sign, in good conscience, our alley is much more remote than other places, although it has been shouted for demolition for many years, but there has been no movement." If it weren't for Zhao Mu, I don't know if I would have to wait until the Year of the Monkey and the Horse Moon, and we must know how to be grateful, so when this project encounters resistance, we must make a contribution, and we must resolutely advocate to the government, all the old neighborhoods in this alley are hoping to be demolished. ”

Zhao Mu nodded and smiled, and then applauded again, waiting for others to express their positions, and the people who hoped to be demolished, as if they saw the hope of being demolished again, rushed to sign their names on the proposal, for fear that they would fall behind and not get the extra parking space promised by Zhao Mu. Later, they asked Zhao Mu what kind of demolition compensation they could get after their house was demolished, and Zhao Mu responded patiently one by one...... And I also understand that Zhao Mu's strategy is to use public opinion to increase the determination of relevant departments to demolish here, I believe that in addition to the so-called public opinion, Jinding Real Estate also has deeper public relations means, and Chen Yi, a small individual, may not be their opponent.

It seemed that it was just an instant, my gaze and Zhao Mu finally met in the gap of the crowd, and I felt very uncomfortable in my heart, so I turned away from him and walked towards the side of the road with a slightly aggressive gaze.

……

When the taxi was driving towards the cemetery, I received a call from Xiao Ai from Moscow, and her tone was very nervous, and she asked me: "I just heard Yu Xin say that today you had a conflict with the neighbors in the old alley, and someone hit you on the head with a flower pot, are you okay?" ”

I didn't want her to worry, so I smiled, and then replied lightly, "Surely it's okay, can't I still answer your call?" ”

"You have always been sincere to the neighbors in the alley, and your popularity is also very good, how can there be such a strict conflict?"

I was a little panicked, but when things got to this point, there was no need to hide it, so after a moment of silence, I said to her, "It's for the demolition...... Jinding Real Estate wanted to develop an ecological science and technology city here, but I was unwilling to demolish it, so I had a conflict with them. ”

Xiao Ai's silence showed her surprise and shock, and it took a long time before she said: "Even if it is demolished, it will not be like this......

I didn't want to tell her the details, so I emphasized that I didn't have anything to do, and asked her not to be distracted and show her best. But Xiao Ai on the other end of the phone was silent for a while, and then said to me as if he was determined: "I'll book a ticket back now, and I can get to Nanjing tomorrow morning......"

"Don't do that, what about your show?"

Xiao Ai's tone was full of unquestionable strictness, and she said, "What is the performance compared to you...... Okay, I'll not talk about it yet, it's quite far from the airport, and I'm afraid I won't be able to catch the evening flight. ”

After Xiao Ai said this, she didn't give me a chance to speak again, she quickly hung up the phone, and the taxi I took had already arrived at the cemetery.

In this place that is even more suburban than the suburbs, a qiē is calm, even the wind is blowing quietly, the cars that occasionally pass by do not pursue speed, even the whistle rarely sounds, and everything that moves is moving in an orderly direction in the direction of its pursuit.

I put on my hat and sunglasses, and walked towards the cemetery with heavy steps. This time I came in a hurry, except for the only pack of cigarettes on my body, I didn't bring wine, and I didn't bring a bouquet of flowers, which made Zhao Chu's tombstone seem a little lively.

……

Standing in front of the tombstone, I was facing Zhao Chu's posthumous photo, and I felt sad for a while. I lit a cigarette and stuck it on the floor, then lit another one for myself, choking before I could speak.

"My class brother, I came to see you again, but this time it was not good news for you...... Our old alley is about to be demolished, and the project was initiated by Zhao Mu...... I don't know what kind of judgment you will have if you live in these rights and wrongs, but I really don't want to stand on the opposite side of Zhao Mu, if I have to make a choice, the house and Zhao Mu's brotherhood for so many years, I will still reluctantly choose the latter, after all, no matter how deep the feelings for the house are, it is just an object, but our brother's relationship for so many years cannot be bought by a daughter...... So don't worry, I will persuade Chen Yi not to go against Zhao Mu...... No, it's my slip of the tongue, Chen Yi doesn't want to go against Zhao Mu, but he really can't bear to ...... in this old alley."

Speaking of which, I think back to when I was a child, we laughed loudly in this alley, and the pictures of our childhood time overflowing; And we stood at the mouth of the alley, vowing to go to a distant place. In my heart, this is a place where I can bury a sorrow......

I finally smiled, then took a deep puff of my cigarette and said, "But when even the stones are weathered, why should we be so obsessed with this beautiful thing in the past...... So I'm not going to be upset, and I really won't be too sad to figure it out...... Hehe, how can you be sad? ”

I lowered my head, gradually lost the ** that spoke, and then silently smoked the cigarette in my hand, but there was a tear that fell at my feet, betraying my nostalgic feelings.

……

As time passed, the sun gradually lost its strength, a gust of evening wind blew, and the whole world was shrouded in the coolness of early summer, and Chen Yi came to me in this best time.

She looked at Zhao Chu's posthumous photo with a complicated expression......

The sad mood made the corners of her eyes moisten, and she choked up and said, "...... We who grew up together in this alley have the most bumpy fate and the most heart-wrenching ending...... But a lot of things are meant to be like this, and we can't change them. After so many years, I have come to see you very rarely, not because I don't want to come, but because I am afraid of coming to this place that makes Jiang Qiao the most sad, guilty and helpless...... Jiang Qiao is too kind, and Zhao Mu is too shrewd, because of your relationship, he will give Zhao Mu everything without reservation, including his own house...... But Zhao Chu, do you think this is really good? …… Jiang Qiao, he is also a person, he has the right to live in his own position and desire. In hope, if Zhao Mu really understood this, he would not have led the project of the Eco-Science and Technology City to the old alleys...... After all, Nanjing is so big, after all, there is Huashen Avenue next door to Tulip Road, and the investment value there is not necessarily worse than Tulip Road...... So, I don't know what Zhao Mu thinks. Or, is it really me who lives his gentleman's belly with the heart of a villain, and he just wants to give the old neighbors a chance to get rich by demolition......"

It was impossible for Zhao Chu to give Chen Yi any response, so there was a silence before the night came, as if it was blown by the wind from afar.

I finally said to Chen Yi: "It's not what I want to see when things get to this point...... Therefore, I hope you can give Zhao Mu a way to go, and the demolition will come to an end here. ”

Chen Yi looked at me......

I smoke.

After a long time, she whispered to me, "Are you really tired?" …… Want to give up here? ”

"Yes."

Chen Yi nodded, her tears just fell, she choked up and said to me, "Jiang Qiao, do you know? As I recall about this alley, the first image was never a mood coffee, not the old street lamps and the bluestone pavement that we had stepped on countless times...... What I am reminded of is our unforgettable past and what you have done for me silently...... I'll admit that I made a lot of wrong choices before this, and I don't know if it's too late to talk about them...... However, when you fall in my arms today, I am really afraid of losing you, and it hurts like my own heart has been taken off...... I've been deceiving myself for a long time, but I still can't forget you, and I can't forget the little moments you put together...... So, let's get married...... I am rational, so let Zhao Chu do the verification for us. ”

Chen Yi said, his fingertips trembled a little and took out a household registration book from his bag that I had been longing for for many years, but even so, I couldn't believe that I could really go to the palace of marriage with the woman in front of me, and it seemed that it was too late.

I was a little suffocated, and the countless images were moving faster and faster in my mind like movie clips, and I wanted to grasp them, but my body dominated me to look farther away.

I finally looked at Chen Yi......

She looked at me with tears in her eyes, waiting for me to take the household registration book from her hand, and the reason why she had to go home before she came was to get it.

I really want to take it, because I've loved madly. However, another force was tearing at me, making it impossible for me to stretch out my hands, and I thought of Xiao Ai, who might have arrived at the airport at this moment.

Can I really use a marriage to repay her enthusiasm and anticipation for returning to Nanjing from Taipei?