In July, in the small town of Provence in the south of France, it is already a sea of purple, the sun is just right, the lavender blooms in the wind, the rich colors decorate the verdant valley, and the slight spicy fragrance is mixed with the scent of the sunburned grass.

Behind a large, old, vicissitudes of stone house, lavender covered the farmland like a purple carpet.

A middle-aged man is wearing a straw hat and suspender overalls, squatting on the ridge of the field, with a large basket beside him, he is wearing gloves, bending over, holding large scissors and cutting lavender there.

“Monsieur，Monsieur…… (Sir, sir)" A chubby French maid hurried from the front yard to the backyard, found the middle-aged man, and called him in French.

“Oui？ Comment?(Huh?) What's wrong? ）”

“Vosfils…… (Your sons...... The maid panted a little as she spoke, pointing to the gate in the front yard.

Zhou Ruikang stood up, with a bright smile on his face, took off his gloves, walked quickly through the big house, and came to the front yard, a black car stopped at the gate, the servants opened the door, and from inside walked a young man with clear eyebrows and a slender and straight figure, his proud son, Zhou Nian'an.

Nian An has a pair of bright eyes and a charming smile, just like Ruikang, the corners of his mouth will be slightly tilted to the side when he smiles, and a beautiful dimple will be faintly exposed.

Ruikang opened his arms and held him tightly in his arms.

"Daddy!" Nian An threw himself into his father's arms, and the father and son hugged each other tightly.

"Daddy, I've brought my brother with me."

Nian An turned around and took the ten-year-old Dingguo hand and walked up the steps.

"Dad!" Dingguo shouted Ruikang.

Ruikang happily hugged the shoulders of the two sons, one kissed them, and the three of them walked to the big house together.

"Daddy, you look good. What were the results of last week's check-up? Nian An asked.

"I'm fine, you don't have to worry. Daddy is so happy to have come this summer. Be sure to take you all for a good time. Zhou Ruikang was very interested.

"Don't get tired!" Nian An said with concern, his gentle expression was very similar to Mei Ruojun, Ruikang looked at him and felt very comforted in his heart, and he would also think of the sweet time in the cabin on Jinyun Mountain.

"Okay, how are you doing?"

"Don't worry, my brother and I both did well."

"Really? Dingguo, if you have any difficulties, just tell your father. ”

Dingguo smiled shyly, nodded, and said slowly: "There is no difficulty, my mother treats me well, I like my mother." ”

Dingguo has always called Mei Ruojun his mother, no matter how others explain it, how he just doesn't change this title, and later Ruojun also recognized this son, Dingguo has been the most attached to Ruojun since he was a child, and it is also an unexplainable fate.

Ruikang smiled and nodded, remembering that Ruojun risked his life to save Dingguo's life, Ruikang was very grateful in his heart.

After a sumptuous dinner, the father and son took a walk in the garden, Nian An and Ruikang were the same as when they were young, lively and cheerful, talking a lot, talking a lot about various anecdotes about the school, Dingguo would occasionally interject, and the three of them enjoyed the joy of family.

"My brother has a girlfriend...... Dingguo suddenly naughtily told a secret of Nian'an, covering his mouth and snickering.

Zhou Ruikang looked at Nian An in surprise and looked at him carefully, sixteen or seventeen years old, he was already a Yushu Linfeng, handsome and beautiful, even Ruikang was ashamed of himself.

"Hey, you kid, don't talk nonsense." Nian An's face turned red, and he pushed Dingguo shyly and embarrassedly.

"Is it true?"

Nian An shook his head and said, "No, it's just a few female classmates who wrote love letters and gave me gifts." I don't like them, where did I get my girlfriend? ”

Ruikang laughed: "You're better than Daddy." ”

"I don't want to think about this now, I want to study hard now, and in the future, I want to find someone as beautiful and virtuous as my mother. And you have to be filial to your father and mother, and there are those who like Dingguo's younger brother. Nian An said seriously.

Ruikang put his arm around his son's shoulders and smiled, "Good boy, you will find it." ”

"But, Daddy, I'm really a little afraid of love, why can't you and your mother get together?" Nian An lowered his head a little lonely.

Ruikang looked up at the sunset and let out a long sigh: "Isn't it good to be like this now?" He turned his head and patted his son and said, "Don't be afraid, my father and your mother are because of the constraints of the times, feudal etiquette, war, politics, and misunderstanding...... Overlapping, you won't encounter these problems, and your road to love will be smooth. ”

"By the way, how is your mother? Are you back together with your dad? And your little sister, how are they? Ruikang asked with a smile.

Nian An shook her head: "My mother seems to have changed as a person, and now she is devoting herself to the small restaurant." Strong, capable, efficient, and sometimes a little spicy. ”

"Spicy?" Ruikang was a little surprised, this word should never be associated with the supple Mei Ruojun.

"That's right, last time a supplier sent fish that wasn't fresh enough, I was sternly told by my mother. The other party's money was also deducted. Nian An said, Ruikang imagined, but he couldn't imagine that if the monarch had to fight, after thinking for a long time, the father and son could only laugh at each other.

Nian An continued: "Dad will come to the store to help after work. I think my father wants to get back together, but my mother is just unmoved. ”

"Oh......" Ruikang raised his head again and looked at the sunset, his memory flew to many years ago, in the Zhou family compound, he was also pestering her in the sunset, scaring her into a panic, and the corners of his mouth hooked up a smile.

"Daddy, what's wrong with you?" Nian interrupted his thoughts.

Ruikang smiled and shook his head.

"Seriously, I don't think my mother will go back to be with my father, Daddy, why don't you try?" Nian An asked instigatingly.

"Silly boy, your mother doesn't love me for a long time, what should I try?"

"How do you know that your mother doesn't love you anymore, you haven't even asked her? Let me tell you, there are several foreigners pursuing her mother right now. ”

Ruikang was stunned for a moment, but only for a moment, and then shook his head and said, "Alas, don't talk about this, you will understand in a few years." ”

The scent of lavender filled the air, and Ruikang suddenly thought how complete it would be if Ruojun was here.

//

I don't know when, in the city of London, there is a small, beautiful Chinese restaurant, two strings of small red lanterns hanging at the door, wooden lattice glass door, as soon as you enter the door, there is a cluster of green bamboo, and a big "butterfly love flower" on the wall, which Ruojun specially invited someone to imitate Ryan's composition painting, although the charm and emotion are greatly inferior to Ryan's paintings, but it has been very expressive.

Walking through the entrance and entering the restaurant, the area of the store is not large, but it is very neat and clean, and eight tables are neatly arranged. Ruojun used the color of white snow and red plum, with red and white as the main color of the store, on the white base cloth, the red tablecloth, festive and elegant, on the red tablecloth, and put a crystal white porcelain vase, which is inserted with beautiful red plum silk flowers, the curtains are also watercolor plum trees, elegant and elegant, full of Chinese style, and put a few Chinese flower stands made of bamboo on the wall, put all kinds of Chinese gadgets, what embroidery, handicrafts, clay, and all kinds of flowers and plants, potted plants. Chinese calligraphy and paintings are hung on the walls, as well as various Chinese musical instruments.

She gave full play to her imagination of beauty, and the whole restaurant was full of Chinese style, attracting a large number of Chinese and foreign diners, and it was full every day.

If you cook by yourself, you will also come out to say a few words to the diners.

She is becoming more and more confident and beautiful, Shu Zhi will come to report on time after work, and help back and forth, but after being rejected many times, he doesn't dare to confess recklessly.

The name of her restaurant is only one word: "Mei", simple, clear, strong, arrogant, and tenacious, all contained in this "Mei" character.

In the days without love, Mei Ruojun's life has become simple and beautiful, she is like an old plum, after experiencing wind and frost, she blooms with a beautiful and charming demeanor. She is alive and well, and although there is an endless stream of suitors, the door to her heart has been closed...... Forty-year-old Mei Ruojun began to learn to break away from love, get rid of men, and be herself.

//

All the grievances and hatreds in this world will gradually fade over time, as long as you are happy, your former lover and former enemy can sit down and have a drink, right?

Two years later, in order to celebrate Nian An's admission to a well-known university, everyone got together again.

Ruikang also returned to the UK, and Nian An personally drove him to pick him up.

That night, everyone gathered in Ruojun's small restaurant.

Nian Anla opened the door and shouted happily: "Mother! Daddy is here! Mother! ”

"Hey, here we are." Ruojun responded loudly, took off his apron, and walked out quickly.

They hadn't seen each other for three years, and a sense of alienation was inevitable.

Zhou Ruikang looked at Mei Ruojun who had been reborn in surprise, she was confident, beautiful, radiant, talking and laughing freely, no longer frowning, no longer pitiful, her whole body was full of confidence, gentle and strong, charming and proud.

Mei Ruojun looked at Zhou Ruikang in surprise, he was noble, elegant, mature, beautiful, still demeanor, no longer frizzy and impulsive, no longer in a hurry, his whole body was full of breathtaking charm, elegant and calm, gentlemanly and exquisite.

There's a lot in their eyes...... It's just that when people reach middle age, they can't say a lot of things, and even if they want to say it, they don't know where to start.

Mei Ruojun came to her senses, and a somewhat standardized and formatted smile appeared on her face: "Come on, please come in, please come in." ”

Nian An threw himself into his mother's arms, at this time Nian An was already a head taller than Ruojun, Ruojun hugged him tightly, this baby son really lived up to expectations, and he was very angry.

Ruikang took off his hat and saluted Ruojun slightly, and Ruojun smiled at him.

Ruikang has always known that she has incomparable power in her bones, and now, she has finally released that power and achieved herself. She has let go of the past, all the pain, all the grievances, all the love and hate, she has let go, she no longer lives in the past, she lives in the present, lives in the future, just like a red plum blooming in the cold winter, withstanding the test of wind and snow, but telling all the people in the world - spring! Coming soon!

Song Yuanyang's family came, Cheng Jiaqi's family came, plus Shu Zhi, Nian'an, Simei, Dingguo, Ruikang, and Ruojun, more than a dozen people gathered around the big table in the store, enjoying the food cooked by Ruojun himself.

A table full of delicacies, crystal meat, crispy fragrant pig, shredded duck with lotus leaves, fried shredded pork in sauce, pan-fried fresh fish, hibiscus shrimp, etc., Ruojun put a plate of "Xiangshan Xiaocui" in front of Ruikang and said softly: "This is for you." ”

Ruikang looked up and smiled and nodded, "Thank you."

Everyone talked and laughed, talking about all kinds of news and strange things, which was really incomparably joyful and harmonious.