At dusk, accompanied by a light veil-like sunset, the smell of food spreads in the streets and alleys, as long as you smell this smell, it will make people feel like an arrow, this is not only the taste of food, but also the taste of "home", which makes people feel nostalgic and feel kind and warm.

In the small courtyard at the end of the alley, the smell of rice was bursting, and when I smelled it from afar, I knew that the family had fish to eat tonight. In the dilapidated kitchen, a woman was carefully turning a grass carp in the pot with a spatula, she used the spatula to fill some soup, put it to her lips, carefully tasted the taste, put some soy sauce down, covered the pot, and continued to cut the vegetables on the cutting board.

Behind her, at the small table under the kitchen window, sat a little boy of three or four years old, sitting on a bamboo stool, lying on a small wooden table scribbling on paper, his two little legs swinging in the air.

The courtyard door was pushed open, and a tall young man walked in, dressed in a neat Mao suit, carrying a schoolbag on his shoulder, and a cloth bag in his hand. ”

Before the woman could react, the little boy had jumped off the bamboo bench, ran out of the kitchen, and jumped towards the young man, the young man held him in his arms, and the little boy hugged his neck and shouted affectionately: "Dad~"

When the woman heard this, she hurriedly ran out, hugged the little boy from the young man's body, and rebuked him solemnly: "Nian'an, what's the matter with you, why did you call it wrong again, hurry up and change your mouth and call your uncle." ”

The little boy's dark eyes were as if he was unhappy, pouted, lowered his head and shouted, "Uncle......"

The young man smiled heartily and said, "Oh, he's still young, he can shout as much as he wants, I don't mind." ”

The woman glanced at him and said, "It's okay else, how can my parents shout nonsense, and ...... besides" She almost whispered: "You don't mind, I don't mind." ”

The woman pushed a wisp of hair from her ear to the back of her head, and said softly: "Go wash your hands, I'll go and fry the vegetables, and you can eat." ”

The young man smiled, took the little boy's hand, walked to the side of the water tank, scooped a basin of water, and the two of them played while washing.

Mei Ruojun shook her head lightly, every time Nian An called Meng Shuzhi "Dad", her heart would be like a needle prick, this seems to be human nature, when she reaches a certain age, she will always want to have her own father, if not, she will look for other alternatives, I remember two years ago, when Nian An first started to learn to speak, as long as there was a man who teased him and treated him well, he would call someone "Dad", which made Ruojun very sad and distressed, and could only hold him silently and cry at night.

Back in the kitchen, the fragrant braised fish was served out and brought to the dining room, Meng Shuzhi took the rice pot, Nian An held three pairs of chopsticks, and the two of them also walked in with a smile.

The three of them sat around under the lamp to eat, and they were also happy.

"Sister Ruojun, what you make is so delicious." Meng Shuzhi smiled and took a bite of food.

Ruojun smiled slightly: "Then eat more, you study hard." As he spoke, he took a piece of fish belly and put it in his bowl.

Meng Shuzhi said with a smile: "The fish belly has no bones, give it to Nian'an." I just eat fish head and tail. As he spoke, he sandwiched the fish belly into Nian'an's small bowl.

Xiao Nian'an's eyes bent, and he said loudly, "Thank you, uncle." "I'm happy to eat by myself.

Ruojun looked at his son's cute little face, shook his head helplessly, and then sandwiched the fish meat to Meng Shuzhi and said, "You caught the fish, eat more." But don't go down the river next time, you know? It's too dangerous. ”

"It's not dangerous, I'm good at water, and the water isn't deep."

Ruojun nodded: "How is it at school?" Are you used to it? ”

As soon as he talked about the school, Meng Shuzhi's eyes lit up: "Hey, sister, you don't know, the campus of Peking University is so beautiful, it's like a park, there are all kinds of books in the library, and I don't want to come out as soon as I go in." There is also a basketball court inside, after reading a book, playing basketball again, sweating all over, it's so cool. The unnamed lake is really worthy of its name: 'The willow silk dances with the wind like smoke, and the shadow of the tower is like a dream. ’

Sister, do you know, ten years ago, when I stepped into Peking University for the first time, I thought that I must study here in the future, and now my dream has come true, I am really happy. Sister, next time I'll take you and Nian'an in for a walk. ”

"Sister is also happy for you, in such a difficult environment, it is really not easy for you to be admitted to university by your own efforts." Mei Ruojun gave him some vegetables and said, "However, Shu Zhi, you can't be too tired, don't do the work of watching the warehouse at night." My sister has found a job cooking for others, and she will go to work tomorrow, and the salary is not bad......"

"Don't go!" Shu Zhi interrupted her sharply, Ruojun was stunned, Shu Zhi slammed the bowl on the table and said: "How many times have I told you, I am a man, you are a woman, earning money to support the family is our man's business, you can take care of the children at home and do housework." ”

"But, but, what about your tuition?" Ruojun said worriedly: "Nian'an and I can't eat rice at home, my sister can do a lot of things......"

"No, you don't! In short, I won't let you mother and son go hungry and freeze! I'm not going to let you go out and show your face. Saying that, Meng Shuzhi frowned and quickly ate the rice in the bowl, looked at the sky and said, "I should go." He pointed to the cloth bag on the table and said, "I bought two apples, one for you and Nian'an, you know?" ”

As he spoke, he stood up, picked up his schoolbag again, and touched Nian'an's head, Nian'an opened his round eyes, stretched out his little hand, and moved five silkworm-like little fingers and said, "Goodbye, uncle." ”

Shu Zhi looked at Ruojun and said with a smile: "Don't worry, I'm fine, the warehouse is quiet, and there are electric lights, I can just read a book, and I can sleep when I'm tired." I'm leaving. ”

After that, he turned around and walked out of the hall, walked towards the gate, and was about to open the courtyard door, when Ruojun behind him called out to him: "Wait, Shu Zhi." ”

Shu Zhi turned around and saw Ruojun trotting up, holding a red and clear apple in his hand and stuffing it into his hand: "Eat when you're hungry at night." If you push it again, then I will go to work tomorrow. ”

Shu Zhi no longer shirked, grinned, showed his white teeth, nodded, took the apple and went out.

Ruojun looked at his distant back and shook her head, she still has to work, because they need money, Shu Zhi not only has to go to school, but also has two jobs, she feels sorry for him.

……

It wasn't until early in the morning, when it was dawn, that Meng Shuzhi dragged his tired body, returned home, and fell asleep. If you want to think about it, only embroidery and making clothes can be done at home by yourself, and then you can take it out and sell it. In this way, on the one hand, time can be controlled by yourself, and on the other hand, it is not easy to be discovered by Shu Zhi.

So, she made a lot of beautiful embroidery and clothes and shoes at home, and when Shu Zhi went back to school, she carried a bamboo basket on her back, pulled Nian'an, and went to the market to sell her works.

"Handmade embroidered shoes, tiger head hats, embroidered handkerchiefs, cloth shoes, come and see~~~~" Ruojun shouted in the alley.

Xiao Nian'an also babbled and shouted: "Embroidered shoes~~~~ Come and see ~~~~~"

Ruojun looked at him sadly, that handsome face was really good-looking, the thick eyebrows, the dark and shining eyes, the long eyelashes, the straight nose bridge, and the ruddy lips, the round face, and the fair skin, set all the advantages of Ruikang and himself.

In fact, she became more and more afraid of looking at his face, and as he grew up, he had more and more Ruikang's shadows, and every time he saw that shadow, Ruojun would be heartbroken.

"Mother, I'm tired...... Can we sit for a while? Xiao Nian'an tilted her head to look at her mother, slapped her little hand on her calf twice, and asked softly.

Ruojun nodded sadly, pulled him to sit on the stone steps on the side of the street, hugged him tightly in his arms, kissed his little face, and tears kept dripping. Nian An didn't understand why her mother was crying, and stretched out her little hand to wipe the tears on her face.

Ruojun put his hand on his lips and kissed it, smiled and asked, "Is it okay for my mother to buy candy for Nian'an?" ”

After all, it was a child, and as soon as he heard that there was candy to eat, Nian An immediately clapped his little hands and nodded his head in applause.

In front of the candy man's stall were a bunch of children, each with curious, loving, and greedy eyes, watching intently, watching the candy man's master hold a spoon full of hot syrup, on the white oiled paper, freely fiddling and pulling the sugar silk, and in a short time, the syrup turned into a crystal clear butterfly.

The children exclaimed, "Wow! The exclamation. Xiao Nian'an also clapped her hands happily, smiled and kept pulling Ruojun excitedly and said, "Mother, look at it, look at it!" After a while, the sugar man master painted a dragon that has always been bigger, and it is even more beautiful and exquisite.

Ruojun asked, "Master, how do you sell your candy?" ”

"Big dragon, phoenix five copper plates, others, three copper plates for the big one, two ears of copper plates in the middle, and one copper plate for the small one." The master pointed with his fingers.

Ruojun asked Nian'an with a smile: "Nian'an, which one do you want?" ”

Nian An's eyes have been staring at the big dragon, children, always want the biggest, the best, the most beautiful, he stared for a while, Ruojun smiled and asked, "Do you want a big dragon?" ”

Nian An looked up at his mother, then looked back at those beautiful sugar people, thought for a long time, shook his head, pointed to the smallest small gourd on the very edge, looked at his mother sadly, and whispered, "Is it okay if I want this?" ”

How ironic fate is, at this time, Zhou Ruikang was already rich and rivaled the country, and was spending a delicate and elegant life in another country, sipping red wine, eating steak, surrounded by a bunch of servants, he never dreamed that his son was in front of the sugar man stall in Beiping City, and chose the smallest and most inconspicuous sugar man in order to save a few copper plates for his mother.

Mei Ruojun looked at her son's choice, stunned, her heart hurt more than being stabbed, this is something that a mother can't bear, Ruojun shook his head, took out three copper plates from his pocket, pointed to the beautiful big butterfly, and said to the sugar man master: "We want this." ”

"Okay, here, here you go!" The sugar man master accepted the copper plate with a smile and handed the crystal clear butterfly into Xiao Nian'an's hand.

Xiao Nian'an stared at the beautiful big butterfly with big eyes and delighted.

"Do you like it?" Ruojun asked his son.

"Wow! I like it, I like it very much, thank you! Nian An nodded happily, held his mother's hand tightly, stretched out his tongue and licked it on the big butterfly, and the sweet taste made him smile contentedly.

Ruojun was about to leave with him, when suddenly a child shouted:

"Cuiliu, I want that big dragon!"

"Mother, I want that Monkey King!"

"Good, good! Master, how much is Dalong and Sun Wukong? ”

"Oh, eight copper plates in total."

"Come, Young Master Dingbang, this is yours, prosper and be your Monkey King."

Young Master Dingbang? Prosperous? Cuiliu? …… Ruojun was stunned, and suddenly looked up, sure enough, it was Cuiliu pulling the two children, and Cuiliu also happened to raise her eyelids to look at her, and suddenly shouted in shock: "Grandma!" ”

Ruojun hurriedly pulled Nian'an to turn around and leave, and Cuiliu pulled the two children to chase after him.

Ruojun walked faster and faster, Cuiliu chased after her, and kept shouting behind her: "Grandma, grandma!" You wait! ”

Finally around a corner, Cuiliu grabbed the bamboo basket on Ruojun's back and stopped Ruojun out of breath.

"Grandma, you wait, I'm ...... I...... A few words to say to you. ”

Ruojun stopped, turned to look at her, and said helplessly: "I am no longer the eldest and youngest grandmother of the Zhou family, I remarried Ding Xiaohui a few years ago." ”

Cuiliu was a little embarrassed, and nodded again and again and said: "Oh, oh, so that's the case, Mr. Ding is a good person, that's a good thing, but, but when did you go back to Beiping, why don't we know at all?" ”

I don't know? They didn't know, it was just because Cheng Jiaqi made up a lie, Jiaqi told the Zhou family that Meng Shuzhi had moved to the school, and the Mei family's courtyard had been locked, so since then, no one from the Zhou Cheng family has ever been to the Mei family's courtyard.

Ruojun smiled faintly, she knew that Jiaqi was hiding everyone from the fact that the two of them had met in Beiping, but she didn't care anymore, no matter what, it was natural for Cheng Jiaqi to hate her, how many women could accept a lover who loved her husband?

Cuiliu took her hand and burst into tears of excitement: "Zhou Fu and I thought that you and Mr. Ding died on the way to Chongqing, it turns out that you are all alive, great, so ...... That...... Have you seen the second young master? See? ”

Ruojun looked at her, she really didn't know how to recount the ups and downs of the past few years, just shook her head gently, Cuiliu lowered her head and looked at Nian'an who was eating candy and looked at Cuiliu's with wide eyes, Cuiliu squatted down and looked at Nian'an carefully, and suddenly laughed: "You have seen the second young master, you have seen the second young master!" That's great. This child belongs to the second young master. ”

"No...... No......" Ruojun hurriedly denied it, pulling Nian An behind him.

"Hehe, eldest young grandmother, you don't have to deny it, you don't have to be nervous, I have served the eldest young master, the second young master for so many years, how can I not recognize who this child looks like, and besides, it's too late for me to be happy, I have been watching your feelings all the way."

Cuiliu took Ruojun's hand, looked her up and down, shook her head and said repeatedly: "How can this be, how can this be?" ”

"What?"

"Grandma, are you not financially well-off and short of money?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Ahem, how can this be, do you know that the second young master is now in the UK and has become a rich man."

"What?!" Ruojun looked at her in surprise: "Britain? Is he in the UK? ”

Cuiliu nodded: "I don't know the specific situation, it's just that the second young master is now in the UK and is very rich." Looking down at the little Nian'an and Ruojun in coarse cloth clothes, Cuiliu couldn't tell what it was like in her heart, she couldn't figure out how fate could play such a trick on this pair of lovers.

And Ruojun is full of "Britain", where is Britain? She often hears people talk about the UK, in advertisements, magazines, newspapers, there are often British companies, but where is the UK? She didn't know, she just felt that he was far away from her, as far away as the edge of the sky.

She struggled outside for two years before deciding to return to Beiping, hoping that he would come back to her, no one expected him to go to England, a country on the edge of the sky.