New Year's Day has arrived, plus two days off, a total of three days off.

Li Xiaohe put down his work and took a bus to Maozhong City, where he did not use the unit's modern car, but took a bus. Do your own personal affairs, and it is not appropriate to occupy the driver's rest time, which not only takes care of others, but also makes it convenient for yourself.

took the earliest shuttle bus to Siyuan County, and immediately took the shuttle bus to the city, after reversing such a toss, when Li Xiaohe arrived in Maozhong City, it was already more than one o'clock in the afternoon.

The shuttle bus stopped at Maozhong Bus Station, Li Xiaohe picked up his bag and got off quickly, walked quickly to the exit of the station, and met Chen Yujie, who had just arrived from the entrance of the station.

Chen Yujie, who was already a little thin, seemed to have lost weight again, but now he was full of smiles and grabbed Li Xiaohe's arm: "Director Li, you are here." ”

"The shuttle bus stops and goes, just at this speed." Li Xiaohe said, "You've been waiting for a long time, right?" ”

"Not much older." Chen Yujie took the other party's bag, "Let's go, Sister You is still waiting to eat." ”

Li Xiaohe was stunned: "Still waiting?" Walk. ”

Came to the side of the road, took a taxi, and Li and Chen went straight to the familiar community. After driving for about half an hour on the road, the taxi was stopped outside the door by the automatic transmission pole in the "Gardener's Garden" community in the city. After paying the fare, taking the things, the two walked into the community.

Hearing the noise of children in his ears, Li Xiaohe stopped and turned his head to look, in the southeast corner, there was a flat field, several sets of fitness equipment were placed on the field, and there were seven or eight children chasing and playing there. The site seems familiar, but I have been to the community a few times, and each time I took a car directly downstairs, and I have not been there directly.

Suddenly, Li Xiaohe's eyes stopped on the upper limb traction and rotation trainer, and at the same time, a photo flashed in his mind. In the photo, the sky is blue, the clouds are white, the flowers are blooming in the flower garden, and a man in gray sportswear is exercising on the trainer. And now, the flower garden is bare, the whole sky is gray, and there is no man in sportswear, only the gym equipment standing in the cold wind.

"Let's go." Chen Yujie's voice was low. Apparently I saw the scene, I thought of the place where the picture had appeared, and I thought of the elder who had been gone for seventy-three days.

Replying with the word "go" heavily, Li Xiaohe withdrew his gaze from the fitness equipment, turned his head, and took a step.

Walking from the entrance of the community, I passed through nine rows of buildings and arrived at the bottom of the building marked with a familiar number. Along the way, Li Xiaohe and Chen Yujie didn't say a word, they didn't know what to say, they were all thinking about the same person.

I don't know if it's because of the mood, or if it's true, as soon as he entered the community just now, Li Xiaohe felt that all the scenes in his sight were much darker, and so was the unit door in front of him. The last time I came here, because I was still immersed in the situation of just sending off, Li Xiaohe didn't notice this security door. The last time, it was the beginning of October, and it was only three months from now, and at that time, the door was still pasted with the red bucket square of "Celebrating the National Day", which looked particularly festive, and the door looked very new. The same iron door, only a hundred days, the paint has fallen off a lot, mottled, through the vicissitudes and dilapidation.

Chen Yujie took the first step, opened the security door, and spoke: "Director Li, you go first." ”

Li Xiaohe found out that this anti-theft door now only bears an empty reputation of "anti-theft", but it is just an iron sheet that can block the wind, and the door lock and intercom access control are no longer working. With a secret sigh in his heart, Li Xiaohe held on to the door: "You go first, you hold something." ”

Chen Yujie hesitated slightly, said "yes", and stepped into the door.

Li Xiaohe then entered, and reflexively closed the iron sheet that had long been broken by the door closer.

"Knock knock", stepping on heavy steps, Li Xiaohe climbed the steps, and just arrived at the platform on the second floor, he couldn't help but recall the past. It was also three months ago that I was waiting upstairs for the leader, and when I heard that the leader had returned from entertainment, I hurried downstairs to greet him. Seeing the leader wearing a black windbreaker upstairs, the left sleeve and placket of the windbreaker were full of dust, at that time Li Xiaohe was still very puzzled about how the leader could be like this, usually the leader pays attention to his appearance. As a result, the leader handed the carton in his hand to himself, saying that it was the herb he had just taken from the basement, and it was sent to the leader by a friend, and the leader asked him to bring it to his father.

"Director Li, let's go." Chen Yujie reflexively reminded, "I'll be home soon." As he spoke, he squeezed out a smile.

Seeing the other party's smile, Li Xiaohe understood, and he also had a smile on his face. Although she was in a heavy mood, she couldn't bring her sorrow to Sister You, lest that kind woman burst into tears again, she was already much more uncomfortable than herself.

Coming to the third floor, Chen Yujie rang the doorbell.

Before the sound of "Ding Dong" was over, the door slowly opened from the inside, and it was obvious that someone was already waiting at the door.

As Chen Yujie flashed to the side, the woman in the room appeared in front of Li Xiaohe.

Thin, thin and out of phase. The last time we met, the other party was more sad and sad, but today is extremely haggard.

"Xiaohe, you're here." The emaciated man smiled and made a hoarse voice.

"Sister You......" As soon as he shouted three words, Li Xiaohe felt that his throat was blocked, and he couldn't say the words later.

"Xiaohe." Sister You's forced smile immediately dissipated, and tears flowed down her face.

Li Xiaohe's nose was sour, he quickly turned around and raised his head, and forcibly caught the water droplets in his eyes.

"Director Li entered the house, the dishes made by Sister You are really fragrant." Chen Yujie's voice was still hoarse, but he still tried to keep a smile.

"Enter the house, Xiaohe, look at my ......" Turning around, Sister You raised her hand and wiped the corners of her eyes and cheeks on her face.

"It's so fragrant, I'm hungry too." Li Xiaohe also changed his tone to be as relaxed as possible and walked into the room.

"Xiaohe, Yujie, go wash your hands, let's start dinner immediately." With that, Sister You entered the kitchen.

Li Xiaohe washed his hands and washed his face again, feeling a little refreshed on his face.

"Xiaohe, braised pork is your favorite food, it's already done, it's a little early, it's a little too bad." Putting the dishes on the table, Sister You beckoned, "I'll go and fry the spicy chicken immediately, the mushroom rape, Yujie's favorite two, and Xiaohe's favorite fried shrimp with lilies." ”

Li Xiaohe came to the table: "Eldest sister, it's all your own family, you don't have to be so ......"

Sister You immediately said: "You just wait, I know you love shrimp, and you are usually reluctant to buy it, so today I bought fresh shrimp for you." ”

"Eldest sister, I've bothered you." After saying it sincerely, Li Xiaohe asked, "Didn't Jiaojiao come back from vacation?" ”

"I've called, I won't go home this time, I've worked two tutors, I can't leave, and I have to come back at the end of the winter vacation." Speaking of this, Sister You sighed, "It's hard for my family to be arrogant." ”

Li Xiaohe couldn't help but sigh: "Jiaojiao is really sensible. ”

"Yes, it's distressing to be sensible." Speaking of this, Sister You's eyes turned red again.

Seeing Sister You's appearance, Li Xiaohe hurriedly diverted the topic: "Sister, I'll help you cook." ”

"No, I don't. I've cut them all up, and I'll have to fry them all as soon as I fry them, and you don't need any help with either of you, just wait, and if you're tired, lie down in bed for a while. After speaking, Sister You turned around and went into the kitchen.

After a pause, he stood up, and Li Xiaohe walked into the study. When he used to come, although Sister You let him be casual, just like at home, he generally liked to go into the study and read books in it. Of course, the first time, the owner of the study also specially allowed him to enter.

The study room is furnished as before, with books neatly arranged in the library, a spotless writing desk, old aphorisms and aphorisms under glass panels, and beige cloth covers on computers and keyboards. But one thing has changed, and there is one more thing on the desk – a photograph.

The photo is housed in a glass frame, placed on the right side of the computer monitor, and the content of the photo is very familiar. The location is the area in the southeast corner of the entrance of the community, with the blue sky and white clouds and various small flowers in the background. This photo is the picture that appeared in Li Xiaohe's mind just now, and it is the big-screen photo that appeared at the farewell ceremony of the county magistrate that day.

In the photo, the county magistrate is smiling brightly and full of confidence, less majestic and more cordial than the county magistrate at work. It looks more realistic and vivid, as if you are about to speak at any moment.

Staring at the people in the photo, the past is like a movie, and it is vivid again, as if it just happened yesterday. Li Xiaohe had mixed feelings, and couldn't help shouting: "Kuai ......" and then hurriedly stopped, subconsciously looked back, and then sighed lightly.

"The dishes are ready, hurry up and take their places." Sister You called out.

"Here we are." Li Xiaohe answered and came to the restaurant.

The three of them sat around the table, but there were four pairs of chopsticks, and there was also a wine glass in the empty space.

Sister You took out a bottle of liquor from the wine cabinet and said, "Xiaohe, Yujie, drink some wine, this bottle of wine is at least more than ten years old, Yulin was reluctant to drink it before, so you two can enjoy it today." ”

"Sister, I'll come." Chen Yujie took the bottle. After unscrewing the cap, he poured the empty wine glass first, then filled it for Li Xiaohe, and finally poured it for himself.

Sister You raised the teacup in her hand and looked at the vacant seat: "Yulin, Xiaohe and Yujie see that you are here, you can have a drink." At this point, tears rolled down again.

Li Xiaohe answered: "County Magistrate, I should have come to see you a long time ago, but the last 'Shan Qi' didn't come to pass, I'm ashamed ......."

Sister You cried and waved her hand: "Don't say that, Xiaohe, you and Yujie have Yulin in their hearts, and they have been thinking about and taking care of our family, which is already very rare." It's so far away, you made a special trip to visit him this time, Yulin has a spirit in the sky, and you will be happy. Here, cheers, Yulin watched. ”

"." The four cups clinked together, and the three of them drank the liquid mixed with teardrops.

These liquids are not only wine and water, but also a deep longing for Kuai Yulin.