The war with the Japanese became more and more stale, Zhou Ruikang was busy with all kinds of defenses and the planning and construction of air-raid shelters inside and outside the city every day, devoting all his energy to the war, temporarily putting away all kinds of personal affairs of his children, and even not returning home, sometimes sleeping in private houses, sometimes sleeping in temporary tents, and sometimes sleeping in the office of the General Staff.

Compared with the chaos and misery in the city, the deep mountains are as quiet as a grave, and in the cabin, Ding Xiaohui held back tears, trembled his hands slightly, held a medicine bowl, and held a spoon in one hand, feeding her mouth.

She opened her mouth mechanically and closed her mouth, swallowing the potion, her eyes fixed on the front, but her face was like a rapidly withering flower, which faded again, and she coughed again, the situation was worse than before, and he saw that her condition had deteriorated again, and he was helpless.

He now understands that all miracles are not because of the warm climate, magical hot springs, or the herbs carefully developed by herself, but because of the expectation and persistence of Zhou Ruikang in her heart.

He threw the medicine bowl on the table in frustration, letting the medicine spill on the table, he knew that any mortal medicine was useless, her illness was in her heart, and he could not do anything about it.

He sat on the edge of the bed and watched her silently, his beautiful vision completely vanished, he knew that whether she lived or died, she would not belong to him.

After a violent cough, she focused her eyes on his face, they looked at each other quietly, but each had their own thoughts, she smiled at him, and said weakly, "I'm sorry, Xiaohui, I can't be your bride anymore." ”

He lowered his head and shook his head painfully: "You didn't want to be my bride in the first place. It's my own passion. ”

"Don't say that, I owe you so much. I should have paid it with my life, but ...... I don't think I'm going to have that blessing anymore. She took his hand.

He also held her tightly and said with a smile: "He is very handsome, I am ashamed of myself, if I were a woman, I would never forget him." ”

"You're humble, you know you're not inferior." She smiled faintly, "You'll find a good girl." You're going to be happy. She gasped for breath and couldn't breathe, he pulled her up and ran her back down, she leaned limply into his shoulder socket and breathed violently, although she was not afraid of death, but her body was still struggling.

In a trance, her mind began to be confused, she hugged Ding Xiaohui's waist with all her might, and called in a groggy voice: "Ruikang, Ruikang...... Hold me, Ruikang, I'm so cold......" She began to talk nonsense: "...... I still remember the way you rode a horse, and Wakari said she was in love with you...... I'm jealous because I'm in love with you too...... But I can't love you...... I'm not worthy of you...... I...... I'm scared...... I'm scared...... But I rejoiced...... Because you love me too...... My mother scolded me and beat me...... I know I'm not good...... I...... I want to be with you...... Let's go away together...... Stay away from the distractions of the world, okay? ”

She was talking about the messy past in a daze, and suddenly her throat was sweet, she vomited a mouthful of blood, and fainted.

His heart was intensely sour, her body temperature was dropping, she was on the verge of death, what else could he do for her, maybe there was one more thing he could do.

He frowned, put her down, covered the covers, got up, and rushed out of the cabin.

//

Zhou Ruikang frowned, looked at the city defense map, and talked with the people around him: "The air-raid shelter in the west of the city should be repaired as soon as possible, and people should be sent to pay attention to it, and be careful of the destruction of traitors." ”

"There must be an air-raid shelter in the southeast, south, and northwest to store grain, and grain prices must be stabilized. And you see, after the last bombing, two hospitals were blown up, and you have to protect the medical staff and medicines, and you have to move quickly......"

"Report!" A guard walked in and saluted: "There is a man surnamed Ding outside, who wants to see Lieutenant Colonel Zhou." ”

Ruikang frowned and was lying on the table looking at the map, but he didn't react at all, and said irritably: "No, didn't you see that I'm busy?" ”

"Yes." As soon as the guard turned around, he turned back and said, "Oh, he has a note for you." ”

Ruikang was all about the city defense map, impatiently took the note, and waved his hand to let the guards out.

When he opened the note, there was only one word on the square paper: "Mei", but this one word alone was enough to shock his heart.

"Mei", "Ding", Zhou Ruikang suddenly trembled, threw down the pen in his hand, rushed out, and saw that the guards were sending the man, so he hurriedly opened his mouth to stop: "Wait! ”

Zhou Ruikang finally met Ding Xiaohui face to face, and he asked, "Are you?" ”

"Ding Xiaohui!" He replied simply.

He was stunned for a moment, looked at him, except for his depressed and gloomy expression, the man in front of him was definitely a fierce opponent.

"What are you looking for me?"

The corners of Ding Xiaohui's mouth hooked up a sneer: "Heh, what's the matter?" I ran from Peking to Chongqing when I was full. ”

Seeing Zhou Ruikang standing heroically in front of him, he was suddenly very jealous of Zhou Ruikang, and when he saw the wedding ring on his ring finger, he wondered if it made sense for him to come to him? He suddenly didn't want to tell him about Mei Ruojun, he had a prosperous official fortune and a happy marriage, how could he care about the little Mei Ruojun who was haggard? He stopped talking, turned and walked away.

Zhou Ruikang couldn't understand the changing expression on his face, nor could he understand his words, so he hurriedly rushed up and asked, "Mr. Ding, do you know Ruojun?" Please tell me, where is she? How is she? ”

Ding Xiaohui just walked forward in silence, Zhou Ruikang was in a hurry, rushed up, blocked his way, and asked urgently: "Jiawei wrote to tell me that you and Ruojun are going to get married...... How ......" He paused, and the wide-eyed boss looked at him: "Ah! It's you, oh no, it's her, two weeks ago, on Jinyun Mountain...... It's you! He didn't look at Ding Xiaohui carefully at the time, but now he suddenly remembered the scene at that time, and he stammered even more in shock: "On the mountain that day, it was you...... And...... Ruojun! God, she came to Chongqing? What's going on, tell me quickly! He grabbed Ding Xiaohui's arm and asked hurriedly.

Ding Xiaohui shook off his hand, but Zhou Ruikang did not let him go.

Ding Xiaohui tilted his head sideways, squinted at him, and said coldly: "You care? ”

God, his heart was about to jump out, Ding Xiaohui was still asking him such a stupid question, couldn't he see his eagerness and surprise?

"Of course, do you know what my days are? She was in my heart, in my mind, every minute and every second I was thinking about her, but no one told me, everyone was silent about me, and I had no idea how she was doing. ”

"Hehe, Zhou Ruikang, for more than four years, you haven't written a word to her, and you dare to say that you care about her and miss her?"

"I'm not lying, you don't know the story between me and Ruojun, you don't know how bitter my love with her is."

"Bitter? Ruojun and I have seen you and your beautiful wife with our own eyes, happy and loving. Bitter? I can't see it. He mocked him.

Zhou Ruikang was silent, shook his head, sighed and said, "I don't know how to explain it to you, but things are not what you see." Now, please take me to her first. She's right in Chongqing? Where is she? Take me and I'll be grateful to you for the rest of my life. His eyes were pleading, shocked and agitated, and the tip of his nose was sour and his eyes were red.

Ding Xiaohui saw his sadness, his helplessness, and his eagerness, and finally restrained his jealousy and anger, frowned, and said sadly: "Okay, I'll take you there, but you have to be a little mentally prepared, she ...... It's almost gone. ”

"What!" Ruikang exclaimed, opened his mouth, only to feel a thunderbolt from the sky, completely unable to believe it, and took a few steps backwards again and again.

"Let's go, I hope you'll see her one last time. also counted one of her wishes. ”

Ruikang had lost his seven souls by the frightened three souls, and followed Ding Xiaohui forward in a daze, while feeling that the sky was dark, she was about to die? The last side? How so? Ruojun, Ruojun, are going to die? No! No! No!

The two took a rickshaw, arrived at the foot of the mountain, and hurriedly climbed up the mountain road, and finally arrived at the cabin and entered the house, but there was no figure of Mei Ruojun. Both gasped.

"Where's she?" Ruikang asked urgently

"I don't know, she was sleeping when I left."

Ruikang rushed to the side of the bed and touched the quilt, it was cold, and his heart was cold. On the quilt is his familiar fragrance, it is the unique fragrance on her body, the breath that makes his soul linger, oh my God, it's really her. He grabbed the quilt tightly for a while, no longer cared about Ding Xiaohui, rushed out of the house, and shouted loudly at the vast mountain: "Ruojun! Where are you? ”

He searched around the house like crazy, in the bamboo forest, on the rocks, why was she gone? Why? She came after herself for thousands of years, why did she avoid him? O gods, where is she? Where is she? Why are there always so many obstacles between them?

Ding Xiaohui is also looking for it, just like that, two big men who love Mei Ruojun deeply are in the mountains, frantically looking for her.

Almost the whole mountain was turned over and still no trace of her was found, she disappeared between the mountains and green screens like a fairy in a mythical story. The two of them waited until nightfall before returning to the cabin in despair.

Zhou Ruikang sat on Ruojun's bed, holding his head in pain, he was sure that she was nearby, he was sure that she had heard himself shouting, she deliberately did not come out to see him, he smashed his fist on the bed board, how long did this damn Mei Ruojun want to torture herself.

Ding Xiaohui looked at him, as if he saw his own heart, poured a glass of water for himself and Zhou Ruikang, sighed and said, "I think she guessed that I would go to you, so she hid." ”

Zhou Ruikang looked at him with red eyes, took the water cup, took two sips and said, "I don't understand, she came to me from thousands of mountains and rivers, why didn't she see me?" ”

Ding Xiaohui laughed bitterly, shook his head and sighed: "What about seeing you? What would you do if you two met? ”

Zhou Ruikang was stunned for a moment, looking at Ding Xiaohui in a daze, he hadn't thought about this question, what would happen to him? What will happen? He would hug her tightly, kiss her, and then what? And then what? His brow furrowed in pain, and the muscles in his face sank.

Ding Xiaohui shook his head and said, "What can you give her?" In the past, you were uncles and sisters-in-law, but now you have a family. ”

He was silent...... He wanted to say that he could divorce, but he couldn't say it, although Ruojun was his love, but Jiaqi was deeply grateful to him, and they lived and died together in the rain of bullets and bullets, she was seriously injured for him, and she couldn't have children for life, how could she leave it behind? If he files for divorce from Jiaqi, then he is simply a beast.

He lowered his head in pain, Ding Xiaohui sat opposite him, looked at him fixedly for a while, and sighed softly: "Go back, she won't see you." If you sit here for ten years, she won't see you. She just wants to see you before she dies. She's seen you, and I think she's got it. “

"Oh, yes, her wish has been granted, what about me? What about my heart's desire? I don't know if the Japanese* will up to thousands of pieces tomorrow, and I want to see her before I die...... Damn, she's always like that. She always thought about herself and never cared about me. ”

"If she didn't care about you, you'd be ruined. Whether your eldest brother is alive or not, she is your sister-in-law in this life, even if she wants to remarry, she can only marry someone other than the Zhou family, don't you understand? ”

"Nope! I don't understand! Ruikang got angry and stood up: "Someone other than the Zhou family? Who? You? “

"That's right! If it weren't for your haunting pestle in the middle, Ruojun would definitely marry me! Ding Xiaohui also shouted.

"Hehe, she said she loved you? Did she say she was going to marry you? Ruikang shouted: "I guess she must not have it, because the person she loves is me, it's me, it's me!" ”

"Really? So what have you done for her? Ding Xiaohui grabbed the clothes on Zhou Ruikang's chest, he was enraged, because Ruikang said the sore spot in his heart, Mei Ruojun didn't love him, he just took advantage of her submissiveness and fear to make her accept herself, he also shouted with red eyes: "More than four years, almost five years, what have you done for her?" Where were you when she lost your eldest brother? Where were you when she lost her child? Where were you when she was destitute? Where were you when she stayed up late embroidering to make money? Where were you when she was sick and dying? Great love saint! He gritted his teeth and said fiercely, pushing him away with all his might.

Ruikang was dumbfounded by his series of questions, he couldn't defend himself, but what could he do? He once loved her with all his might, tried his best to take her away, and even turned against his family at all costs, carrying the condemnation of conscience, and wanted to love her, but she chose her eldest brother, and she left out of despair.

For more than four years, he has spent every day in torment, and he has never forgotten her for a moment, he can only escape, escape from their embarrassing identity, escape from their hopeless love, and escape everything in Beiping City.

Ruikang was silent in frustration, he was speechless, and he didn't know how to explain the contradictions in his heart, Ding Xiaohui was right, even if they met? He couldn't leave Jiaqi behind, then he really wouldn't even be able to call him a human being.

Ding Xiaohui calmed down the anger in his heart and said: "You go, she will only appear if you leave, otherwise I am afraid that she will suffer from the cold in the mountains and will not be able to survive tonight." Don't worry, I'll take care of her. Accompany her on the last journey. ”

Zhou Ruikang sat unwillingly for a while, finally nodded, stood up, he left, helplessly, and left with a long sigh.