beginning

Third, the final exams of the first semester are approaching. The boys and girls, who are usually overwhelmed, have lost their smiles on their faces. The proportion of only children is getting bigger and bigger, and parents who hope that their sons will become dragons and their daughters will become phoenixes are growing sharply with each other. The smoke of future career competition has advanced the college entrance examination battle early, and almost all parents of students regard their children's admission to key high schools as the key shortlist battle for whether they can enter the university. Because of the children's achievements and the reputation and efficiency of the school, it was all up to the teachers and parents to the children like a final, and all families had lost their loving fathers and mothers in those days. Boys and girls who are under the dual control of school and family are like being imprisoned in a concentration camp, living in the dark.

The intelligent and studious Ah Ni never needs the discipline and supervision of her parents in her homework. As early as when Ah Ni was young, Lao Wu and Shui Hong cultivated her conscious curiosity and self-motivation. In the past, Ah Ni was relaxed and lively, and she had the confidence and confidence to win any exam. But before the end of the semester, she felt a lot of pressure for the first time. She faces a much tougher and heavier goal than the rest of her classmates.

These days, Ah Ni is on her own: preparing for exams, drawing, and painful unrequited love. In the final exam, she was able to calmly cope with the battle with her smart and strong memory and the inertia of being the first in the class for two consecutive years. As for painting, it is difficult for her to complete the progress she has set for herself before. The art team of the Children's Palace has long been crowded, and the students in the third year of junior high school have abandoned their paintings and disembarked to concentrate on the key projects of the entrance examination. Once on a plaster head sketch, she was the only one in the group. Affected by the collapse of the whole army, her interest in painting also fell greatly. However, she still insisted on immersing herself in painting, and painted several exercises that surprised even her teachers. The only motivation that supports her painting is because she regards painting as her last hope to be admitted to Beijing to meet her big brother. It was a steep and rickety single-plank bridge, and she had no choice. Once the art teacher made an exception and gave her the highest score, she ran to the post office crying, and couldn't wait to send this precious report card to Beijing.

Despite this, the "homework" that she had set for herself to create freely every day was falling short day by day. After a hard day's work, the clock was pointing to midnight, and her mind was full of numbers, formulas, and foreign languages, and she really didn't have the strength or time to draw on time. The picture book given to her by her eldest brother, she had already written the date on each page, guaranteed one a day, and over the course of a few months, she had overcompleted dozens of paintings. But during the preparation period, the targets she exceeded were gradually diverted to fill the shortfall. In the last week or so, her picture book has been running a deficit in a row. Ah Ni, who is anxious, has already written a sentence on the last page of the picture book: Big brother, I have completed the plan on schedule, I will send it to you today, you look at the painting, you will know that I am with you every day. But now she can't send the album out. Ah Ni anxiously flipped through the blank pages and cried again and again.

Ah Ni really wants to squeeze out a little time from the review of the culture class to make up for the shortfall in painting. But she knew that if she wanted to be admitted to Beijing, she would not be able to get a high score in the cultural class, and she would pull down the total score, and she would also not be admitted to the High School Affiliated to the Academy of Fine Arts. Ah Ni thought about her homework, painting, and big brother over and over again, and she couldn't sleep at night. One night, she got up in the middle of the night and drew a picture under the lamp. She painted herself as a big girl with three heads and three bodies: the first one was doing her homework; the second head and two bodies are painting; The third head and three bodies are dancing with the big brother. The three bodies are made up of three colors: red, yellow, and blue. She gave the dark blue color to Ah Ni, who was reviewing her homework; gave the golden and bright color to Ah Ni, who was painting; And gave the red and festive color to Ah Ni, who was happily dancing with her big brother. She painted the red Ani the most vividly, vividly, and happily. The flickering red light almost obscured and drowned out the blue and yellow Ani.

In the world of painting, Ah Ni is no longer satisfied with imitation, but begins to exert his own feelings and imagination in imitation. She has learned to use contrasting colors, exaggerated distortions, and fill the paper with all kinds of colors she likes. She also seems to have learned to compose a picture with her own dreams, and combine her multiple thoughts into one picture; She conceives quickly, but paints with care. Before going to bed the next night, she quietly dialed the alarm clock, hid in the quilt, and when the bell rang in the middle of the night, she got up and drew another picture. She painted herself as a beautiful girl with the long legs of a crane and flapping the wings of a swan, tiptoeing, stretching her neck, and spreading her wings to take off towards the north. This time she used the colors that her big brother liked: red, white, and black. The dress of the big girl is still bright red, the wings are white, and the long legs are black. By the time she finished the last stroke, she was so sleepy that she couldn't open her eyes.

In the morning, Ah Xiu and Lao Wu knocked on Ah Ni's door on time to tell her to get up, and it took more than ten minutes for Ah Ni to respond vaguely, and Ah Xiu and Lao Wu were scared into a cold sweat. Ah Xiu carried Ah Ni to the bathroom and washed her face with cold water to wake her up completely. Lao Wu looked at her and looked exhausted, and distressed asked her to take a day off to rest and rest, but Ah Ni just shook her head. After breakfast, Ah Ni went back to her cottage to get her schoolbag, and saw that the painting she had painted in the middle of the night had filled in the blank for two days, and she was suddenly full of energy. She decided to get up in the middle of the night every other day and paint a painting, so that she would not delay her "homework" in painting.

After so many days, Ah Ni felt that she was really sleepy and tired. It was as if I was dozing off when I walked. As soon as the bell rang, she fell asleep on her desk. I also prepared a wet towel to wipe my face during class to keep myself awake. Ah Xiu was so anxious that he shouted every day that Ah Ni had lost weight, and he bought soft-shelled turtle and black-bone chicken, and added angelica ginseng and ham, and stewed soup for Ah Ni to replenish his body. Ah Ni also understands that if you want your body to grow taller and grow faster, you must increase nutrition. She took her meals as medicine, and forced herself to stuff nourishment into her stomach at regular intervals.

In the days when she was so nervous that she couldn't even breathe, Ah Ni still didn't forget what her big brother said. The eldest brother said that painting oil painting is heavy physical work, and it needs to be strengthened to exercise the body. If you don't have a good body, you can't carry an oil painting box, you can't make a giant mural, and even sketching is affected. The words of the eldest brother are all classic textbooks, and she will do what the eldest brother says at all times. Every day after school, she threw off her heavy school bag, took off her coat, turned on the stereo, and writhed and jumped wildly to the beat of the music. Her dances, like her paintings, are free and free. No one has ever taught her to dance, but she can express her inner feelings fluently, strongly and clearly in her own dance language. But no matter how she jumps, her eyes are always lost to her big brother on the wall, and the oil paintings that she has seen a thousand times. She danced gracefully and skillfully, beads of sweat gradually forming on her forehead. Sometimes even Ah Xiu can't help but clapping hands with her and jumping.

The exam finally came, and Ah Ni actually passed the test smoothly. Like those young athletes who vowed to break records in the competition, she used her body, sweat and tears to compete for the gold medal of her dreams. Unlike those tenacious and cute little girls, they achieved good results under the strict training of the coach, but Ah Ni worked her own. Lao Wu looked at his baby daughter and couldn't help but have mixed feelings. He feels that people not only greatly underestimate the obsession and fanaticism of contemporary star-chasing girls, but also greatly underestimate their perseverance, willpower and endurance. It is a ** full of loving energy, and once it is launched, the consequences may be unimaginable.

"Dad, I'm very tired, let me sleep for a while, and then call me for dinner later......" Ah Ni said with her eyes closed. It was noon on the day of the last course, and as soon as Ah Ni entered the door, she curled up on the sofa, and before she finished speaking, she was already asleep.

The upcoming winter vacation, for Lao Wu, is like a once-in-a-century cold snap, which chills him to the bone marrow. As soon as he finished the exam, Ah Ni sent two letters and a telegram to Zhou You in a row, urging him to come to Suzhou for a vacation as soon as possible. She said that her eldest brother missed the appointment during the summer vacation, and if he didn't come again during the winter vacation, he would be a bad brother who didn't keep his promises. If he really doesn't come, she must ask her father to take her to Beijing to find him, and she has many, many paintings to show him.

A week later, Zhou You replied. The letter said that he could not come to Suzhou during the winter vacation. The company wants to send him to the southwest region to sketch and paint, and after the work is over, he may be able to make a detour to Suzhou for a few days, so Ah Ni must not come to Beijing first, so as not to fall short. In the summer of next year, she will be really relaxed, Suzhou is so hot, just to the north to escape the summer, he will take her to Beidaihe to swim. But the winter vacation must not be wasted, this is the last complete time to be admitted to the high school attached to the Academy of Fine Arts, as long as she works hard, she will definitely be able to be admitted. He also sent some pictures of his previous works.

Ah Ni read the letter over and over again. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. It would be great if the eldest brother really came to Suzhou to see her. She must take him to the small island of Taihu Lake to sketch. If she doesn't hurry up this winter vacation and can't be admitted to the High School Affiliated to the Central Academy of Fine Arts, how can she have the face to go to Beijing during the summer vacation. But the eldest brother's letter is too vague, when will he come to Suzhou? She couldn't wait even a day.

Ah Ni thought about it and didn't know what to do. At dinner in the evening, she asked her father to give her ideas. Lao Wu frowned and said, I want to see her test scores.

The exam results have finally been announced. Ah Ni's grades in all subjects still maintain the first place in the class, but compared with the second place, the score is no longer as obvious as before. Ah Ni seemed to be happy and unhappy, without talking or laughing, and locked herself in the upstairs cabin for a whole afternoon. Lao Wu thinks that Ah Ni's achievements are not easy, which can be said to be a miracle, which has been a big surprise to him. Hurry up and ask Ah Xiu to cook a few of her favorite side dishes for Ah Ni as a reward. Ah Xiu cooked the meal and shouted downstairs a few times, Ah Ni just ignored it, and asked Lao Wu to call, and when Lao Wu easily took the listless Ah Ni downstairs, Ah Ni still pouted.

"Not bad, not bad." Lao Wu comforted Ah Ni. "Next semester, just work hard."

"You said I did well in the exam, just reward me with these dishes?"

"What do you want? Just say, Dad will promise you. ”

"I'm going to Beijing to meet my big brother." Ah Ni seems to have made up her mind, and she can't say anything. "I'll go right away, if I don't go, my big brother will be on a business trip, the winter vacation is very important, I want my big brother to help me with surprise tutoring."

"Didn't Zhou You say in the letter that he would come to Suzhou?"

“…… But what if he doesn't come? ”

Lao Wu said: "But my father is too busy, and there are still many critically ill patients waiting for my father to undergo surgery." I really can't leave, and the hospital leaders won't allow me to leave. ”

"Then let Ah Xiu take me there. She doesn't have much to do at home anyway. Isn't the restaurant already hiring a new waiter, take care of the accounts, and it doesn't matter if Uncle Li takes care of it for her for a few days......"

"Ah Xiu can't go with you." Old Wu Zhengse said. "She's never been far away, and I don't feel at ease when you two girls go to a strange place."

"What does it matter," said Neon, shaking her father's arm. "All you have to do is put the two of us on the train and send a telegram for the big brother to pick us up. When I get to Beijing, with the protection of my big brother, there will be no danger......"

"Ah Ni, you don't know, Ah Xiu really can't go out, she's not feeling well."

"What's uncomfortable, I think she's gained a lot of weight lately."

"I'll tell you better," Wu said helplessly. "Ah Ni, you're going to be a sister."

Ah Ni exclaimed: "Wow, Ah Xiu, why didn't you tell me?" Am I going to have a little brother? Ah Xiu, you are so great! With that, she went to look at Ah Xiu's stomach and reached out to touch it.

"Ah Ni," Ah Xiu blushed and smiled, "Your little brother is still young, only the size of a little mouse, and it will be more than half a year before you can see him." ”

"So slow?"

"Ah Ni, I gave birth to a little brother for you, what do you call me?"

"Of course I remember, when I see my little brother, I'll definitely call you Mommy, really!"

Lao Wu said: "Ah Ni, you know, the most important thing in our family now is to take care of Ah Xiu, so that she can't be angry, and she can't be tired or sick." ”

"Okay, I won't let Ah Xiu accompany me to Beijing." Ah Ni happily agreed. "Ah Xiu, I won't let you stand as a model for me in the future, you just sit on the sofa and I'll draw my headshot, okay?"

"Ah Ni, you are so sensible, I know that you like little brother, you will be a good sister."

"Daddy," Ah Ni's eyes widened suddenly, and she pleaded, "Then you can let me go to Beijing alone." You put me on the train, and then let the big brother come to the station to pick me up, the insurance is fine. When I came back, you asked my big brother to take me to the station, and you came to pick me up......"

"No way!" Lao Wu categorically rejected Ah Ni's request. "Now car bandits and road rage are rampant, and there are so many bad people who abduct and sell girls, they can snatch and sell female graduate students and female cadres, how can you deal with a junior high school student? They have a lot of methods, such as giving you a drink with anesthetics, or knocking you unconscious while you are unprepared, and when you wake up, people will already sell you to a deep ravine, lock you up like a prisoner, and force you to be their wives. How can I explain it to your mother......"

Ah Ni has indeed seen many reports of abducted and trafficked girls in the newspapers and on television, and in schools, teachers have repeatedly preached the safety and defense of female students. She knew that her father was not scaring herself, so she was a little scared and speechless for a while.

Lao Wu said: "Also, your eldest brother is about to go out, and if you go, he won't have time to teach you to draw, so it's a waste of time to go back and forth." I think, this winter vacation, you might as well paint in the Children's Palace and at home, and simply wait for the summer vacation to go to Beijing, do you think it's okay? ”

Ah Ni turned her head, ran into her room angrily, closed the door, and sat in a daze, no matter how old Wu shouted at her, she would not come out again.

The exam was over, and Ah Ni had a lot of time, but for a few days, she didn't have the heart to draw anymore. She was restless, the tea and rice were not fragrant, and she looked at the portrait of her big brother every day, and the more she looked at it, the more she wanted to see her big brother. She felt that if she didn't see her big brother again this time, she wouldn't be able to draw well during the whole winter vacation. If you can't get it, the whole winter vacation will be wasted. She still has to find a way to meet her big brother. But the eldest brother never left her a phone number in Beijing, and the letters she sent to him were all sent to the home of the eldest brother's parents, who then forwarded them to the eldest brother. How can she get in touch with her big brother? For a moment, she really didn't know what to do.

One night, she opened the drawer and found that her small box for her pocket money and passbook was missing. She thought about it and realized that she must have been taken away by her father. Why did Dad take her pocket money? Could it be that Dad was afraid that she would buy the train ticket herself? A flash of lightning suddenly appeared in front of Ah Ni's eyes - yes, why couldn't she go and buy the train ticket herself? Her heart pounded, and a good idea popped out of her head. She frantically rummaged through her clutter, and wow, fortunately, in the fold of a plastic-covered notebook, she found two new hundred-dollar bills. This is the New Year's money given to her by her grandparents during the Chinese New Year. She pinched the two big tickets, and her palms were sweating. If she really wants to go out alone, can she make up her mind? But why don't you take a risk? If you wear old clothes, a hat, and a scarf like your mother did, won't you be able to hide people's eyes? It seems that the most difficult thing now is to try to get a train ticket to Beijing.

That night, Ni saw a news report on TV about the crackdown on ticket sellers. The host violently criticized the current phenomenon of ticket sellers repeatedly banning. Ah Ni looked at the screen in a daze, she thought that in this way, the ticket seller could still be found at the station. If she can buy a high-priced ticket, she is willing to take out all her 200 yuan.

The next morning was the activity day of the art group of the Children's Palace, she slipped out of the Children's Palace in advance, put on a big mask, and took the train to the train station. The Spring Festival is about to begin, and the station is crowded with people inside and out, full of passengers anxiously waiting for refunds. She wandered around the crowd for a long time, but she didn't see a single ticket seller, and she didn't dare to ask anyone, so she had to go home in a huff. The next day, she told Ah Xiu that she was going to go to the movies with her classmates, and went to the station again. She was afraid of dirty migrant workers, and always whispered in the crowd of people queuing at the ticket office to ask if there was a refund, but she knew in her heart that even if someone refunded the ticket, she would not be able to snatch those strong adults. It was almost noon, and she still hadn't met a ticket seller. She was afraid that going home late would arouse Ah Xiu's suspicions, so she had to leave the waiting hall in disappointment. As she walked to a kiosk near the station square, a thick Beijing accent suddenly jumped out of the noisy human voices. A cadre-looking man was asking the person next to him in Beijing if he wanted a ticket to Beijing. Ah Ni didn't even think about it, grabbed the sleeve of the man's shirt, and said in a loud voice. Then pull him into the corner of the back and can't wait for him to show her the ticket. The man said that he had a ticket to Beijing the next day, and he had to return the ticket because he couldn't leave after the business in Suzhou was done. He didn't seem to want to go into the crowd either, and was happy to sell the ticket to the little girl. Ah Ni took out the two big tickets and gave them to him, but the man didn't ask her for more money, and still sold the tickets to Ah Ni at the original price. Ah Ni's face flushed, and she didn't know how to thank him. Then I looked at the ticket again and again, a little uneasy, and turned back to the waiting hall and asked a station staff to identify it. When the uncle told her that there was nothing wrong with the ticket, she was so happy that she almost fainted. She wrapped the ticket with a handkerchief, congratulated herself on her luck today, and rushed home with a jump.

The next day, she secretly packed up her change of clothes, took the picture book, found a small suitcase that her father used on a business trip, and quietly slipped out of the house and went straight to the train station while Ah Xiu went out to buy vegetables. Before entering the station, she sent an urgent telegram to her eldest brother, telling him that she would take 110 direct flights to Beijing and ask him to pick her up at the station. I won't say anything else, let's have a good time when we meet.

Another trouble before Ah Ni left was that she also knew that she would say goodbye like this, and when her father and Ah Xiu came home and found that she was gone, they would definitely die in a hurry. But how did she inform them? What if she left a note at home telling them where she had gone? No, no, they'll chase her to the station right away. Then wait for her to get to Beijing and call them, but this interval is too long, and they will definitely look for her all over the world, and they will not be at peace tonight, she can't bear it. After thinking about it, she called a female classmate and asked her to inform her father tonight, that is, when the train had crossed the Yellow River, and no one wanted to "rob" her back to Suzhou halfway. In this case, her trip to Beijing will be foolproof.

Ah Ni, who was less than fifteen years old, finally left Suzhou alone. She squeezed into the crowded carriage and rushed to Beijing in a daze to find her obsessive big brother.