After the Shuangsheng Township People's Congress, it was busy for more than two days and had a holiday at noon on 24 January. Most of the people who work in the township don't bother to eat lunch, so they immediately pour out of the government compound and run to their homes, or directly embark on the road of shopping for New Year's goods. In fact, in the past two weeks, many people have gone out to purchase many times on the grounds of office work, and some people have occasionally sneaked away for a while. As long as it is not too excessive, the township leaders will turn a blind eye, and almost every unit is like this, long live understanding.

Unlike most people, Li Xiaohe did not leave the township immediately, but returned to the county seat the next morning. After eating at a street restaurant and then going home, it was already noon on the thirtieth day of the Chinese New Year's Eve.

When I opened the door, I was greeted by a heat wave with a strange smell. Li Xiaohe hurriedly entered the house, put down the bag in his hand, and opened a few windows in the balcony, bedroom, and kitchen. A cool breeze blew into the house, and the temperature immediately dropped and the air was much better.

In fact, the heating temperature of the district is not very high, usually it is twenty-one or two degrees, and sometimes it is lower. Now it is the Chinese New Year, the heating company does not dare to slack off, and the outdoor temperature has risen slightly in recent days, and the indoor temperature seems to be hotter again, about 24 degrees. Li Xiaohe's house is going to be hotter again, there has been no one at home for more than 20 days, the doors and windows have been closed, and it is strange that it is not hot.

Looking at the empty room, Li Xiaohe was in a somewhat depressed mood, so he lit a cigarette and smoked it. Looking at the wisps of green smoke rising up, I couldn't help but feel melancholy in my heart. When someone else's family celebrates the holiday, it is a family reunion, but he is alone in the empty room.

After smoking a cigarette and seeing that the time was just over twelve o'clock, Li Xiaohe closed the window and prepared to go out to buy some things. It's a festival anyway, and you have to live it alone.

"Ding Bang", the mobile phone rang at the right time.

Glancing at the caller ID, Li Xiaohe pressed the answer button and said, "Hey": "Lao Xu." ”

In the mobile phone was Xu Jianjun's voice: "Lao Li, are you going home?" What for? ”

"Just got home, ready to go out and buy something." Li Xiaohe said and picked up the car keys.

"Don't buy it, I'll get it in the afternoon." Xu Jianjun's voice came, "I only went out to buy at this time, and many stores are about to close." ”

Li Xiaohe said: "No, for the New Year, you can work at home, don't come over." I'll go out and buy some casually, after all, it's the New Year. ”

"Do you really know that the New Year, you don't even post the sub-couplet, how can you have the New Year? The morning of the Chinese New Year's Eve is not posted, when will you wait, next year? Xu Jianjun teased, "You don't cook all year round, you don't even go home, you don't know what to buy, and you may not recognize many things." I've prepared it for you, and I'm definitely better prepared than you, so you don't have to buy anything. By the way, the couplet has also been posted for you. ”

Li Xiaohe smiled "haha": "Lao Xu, you said that the New Year is going to be a big one, and I still trouble you......"

"Alright, don't worry, I'm still working here." At this point, the other party's voice stopped abruptly.

"Sneer" and shook his head slightly, Li Xiaohe sat back on the sofa, with a trace of warmth and melancholy in his heart.

Before a cigarette is finished, the phone rings again. Seeing the words that appeared on the screen, Li Xiaohe hurriedly snuffed out the cigarette roll and connected the phone: "Mom." ”

The mother's voice rang in the mobile phone: "Xiaohe, are you on vacation?" What did you buy for the New Year? For the New Year, change into new clothes, don't be sloppy and sloppy. Buy some cannons and set them off, the vibration is shaking, and one person in the province is lifeless. How many days are you going to spend the New Year? If there is a woman with the right eye, you should ...... too"

Li Yesterdayhe interrupted his mother: "Mom, you asked so much at once, how can I remember?" Listen to me slowly. I had a seven-day holiday and am now at home. There is no need to buy New Year's goods, Jianjun said that he has bought them all and will send them over in a while. I have new clothes, and I haven't worn one yet, so I'll change them this time for the Chinese New Year. How are you and Dad? ”

"We are in good health, your dad basically doesn't hold his breath anymore, and my blood pressure is quite normal. It's just that your dad is disobedient, he doesn't let him smoke, he still smokes, and he never changes. The mother's tone was complaining, "When I was young, I was like that, it was much stronger than this, and if I had listened to it at the beginning, I wouldn't have fallen into this problem." Now he has changed his strategy against me, just like you, he has a good attitude and resolutely does not change. You two guys, let me say what? You're not a big boss, you're always so ......."

"Mom, listen to your hilarious, it's Yuhang jumping at home, right? Xiaomiao's family is okay? Li Xiaohe didn't wait for his mother to finish speaking, and threw out another topic.

"It's Yuhang and a few of his classmates who are playing, saying that they are playing games, it looks like a fight, and they don't know what they are saying, anyway, I don't understand. Now this kid will be different from us, and different from when you were a child. Anyway, now that the conditions are better, the children are much smarter than before, and it is possible to get a mobile phone, computer or something. Xiaomiao and her family are very good, the two of them are not angry and fighting, and they don't have to say anything to me and your father, especially Da Liang is more concerned about us. It's just that there is one bad thing, both of them are too busy, and they can't see them a few times a month, and even less when they come back. Speaking of this, the voice on the phone lowered, "What if the two of you don't see each other all the time?" I asked Xiaomiao quietly, and she said that they usually meet in the unit, and there is a house for them. I'm relieved to do this, but I can't rest assured that you can't ...... you."

The sound of "tuk tuk" suddenly sounded, and Li Xiaohe said into the phone: "Mom, let's not talk about it first, someone knocked on the door." ”

"Okay, let's not talk about it, I'll talk about it when I have time." The voice on the phone was full of regret, and then there was no movement.

Putting down the phone, Li Xiaohe smiled "poof" and scolded himself for "lack of morality". The "tuk tuk" sound just now was made by knocking on the coffee table by himself, mainly because he didn't want his mother to bring up that topic. Thinking of that topic, he felt a little troubled in his heart, so he stood up, paced to the window, and looked out into the courtyard.

Due to the blockage of buildings, it is not too far to see, but you can still see vehicles and pedestrians coming and going on the roads of the community. Most of the pedestrians were carrying large and small bags, and there were men and women, old and young in each group, apparently the whole family was out for the last round of shopping of the year. Various types of vehicles are parked in front of the building on the right, and the adults and children who get off the car are wearing brand new clothes, and take out exquisite boxes and bags from the trunk.

Looking at these people, Li Xiaohe couldn't help but think of himself, especially his parents who were far away in the south. My parents are now at my sister's place, cooking for my sister's elementary school children. The conditions of his sister's family are very good, and he is also very good to his parents, he is not worried, but the mother-son connection, the nature of father and son, he is still concerned about his parents, and his parents must be more worried about themselves.

In previous years, during the Spring Festival, my parents would come back to spend time with me, but this year there was a special situation. Originally, my sister had bought a ticket to the capital for her parents, it was yesterday morning's flight, and Li Xiaohe was also going to the airport to pick it up. But the night before yesterday, my sister called, it had been raining in the area, the fog was very heavy, many flights were canceled or delayed, and my parents' flight was also among the delays. Considering safety considerations, the brother and sister reached a consensus to let their parents stay there and not return to Siyuan County this year.

Li Xiaohe also had plans to rush there to reunite with his parents, but the train tickets were all sold out, and there were only a few sky-high seats left on the flight. Although they miss their son, the old couple still can't bear to let their son spend 8,000 yuan on a round-trip ticket. In fact, Li Xiaohe is not reluctant, it is better to buy some food and clothing for his parents with this money.

With a lot of thought in his heart, Li Xiaohe retracted his gaze and left the window.

The sound of "tuk tuk" sounded, this time it was not the sound made by Li Xiaohe, it was really someone knocking on the door.

When I opened the door, it was the driver Cheng Jianfeng who came. Cheng Jianfeng was holding several exquisite gift boxes and paper bags in his hands, which was a "gift" for the township chief.

Although the Chinese people have respected etiquette since ancient times, although the things that Cheng Jianfeng took were not expensive, about 300 yuan, but Li Xiaohe did not accept them, he had no habit of receiving gifts, and he has always adhered to this principle. He clearly knows that many people have gradually developed from this inadvertent "small meaning" again and again, resulting in the final ruin, and he does not want to follow in the footsteps of those people.

But Cheng Jianfeng really came to show a kind of courtesy, and it was also to thank Li Xiaohe for reusing himself, and he had to look at the township chief.

Seeing Cheng Jianfeng's anxious face, he turned red, and it seemed that if he didn't give things away, he wouldn't have a good year. Li Xiaohe had no choice but to be accommodating, leaving these gifts, and when the other party left, he forced a bag containing two cigarettes to the other party.

……

At about two o'clock in the afternoon, the doorbell rang again.

Opening the door, Xu Jianjun walked in, followed by Zhang Wenwu, the president of the court's case filing division.

Looking at the big bags and small wraps carried by the two, Li Xiaohe said with a smile: "It's really rare, people usually talk to political and legal officials, and today the police uncle and the judge personally came to the door to condole, I am deeply honored and grateful." ”

"The Spring Festival is here, come and pat the township elders on the back." As he spoke, Xu Jianjun put down the things in his hand.

Zhang Wenwu said while putting things down: "The old and festive holidays are all condolences to the old, weak, sick and disabled, widows and loneliness, you are full of brains, and you don't meet the conditions at all." ”

"Why not? He took up several words. Xu Jianjun smiled "hehe".

"It's really a pot that can't be opened." Li Xiaohe was also embarrassed.

"Which pot are you opening?" Xu Jianjun continued to tease, "Speaking of details, our condolences today are not very formal, if you dress neatly, you will be respectful enough to Lao Li." ”

Li Xiaohe continued: "If you send a pair of silver bracelets directly, it will be more formal." ”

Xu Jianjun said seriously: "Lao Li, you must have no problem economically, you will definitely not be able to enjoy this treatment, and your life style will not be maintained." ”

"Hahaha......" There was a burst of laughter in the room.