The branches are red and prosperous the kapok avenue of the old city.

Countless large trucks and small cars drove past the kapok trees.

Jiang Xiaomian leaned against the car window and passed by the Kapok Avenue in Changnan again, and time has flown by for twenty years.

While the vehicles were waiting for the traffic lights, Jiang Xiaomian stared at the parked vehicles that were about to move, like marathon runners preparing for the race. As the green light flashed, the cars that were slowly moving forward gradually blurred, leaving a circle of light in the sunlight. Much like us when we were young. We have traveled together for a long time, and then at the fork in the road, we have each headed for a long and thousands of miles of life. In time, we are getting farther and farther away, leaving behind the footprints of the feelings that we once persisted in.

Passing by the road full of kapok, you can also find evidence of the existence of feelings.

Jiang Xiaomian wore a yellow-white knitted sweater today, with a kapok embroidered on her left shoulder, which is undoubtedly the logo of the MISSKAPOK brand clothing.

She quietly watched the flowering kapok trees retreat from her sight, thinking that the kapok would be connected to the next one after another, but it was always the turn of the next kapok tree after a long distance in the middle.

To be exact, that section is not an empty distance, but Jiang Xiaomian's line of sight is relatively high, so there is a lot of luxuriant red in the middle of the branches.

She lowered her gaze, and several ordinary green trees, which were only half as short as the kapok tree, filled the void. The lush greenery, pretending to be green leaves lined with safflowers, is redundant and unsightly for kapok.

"It's a pity, I didn't expect the kapok trees in Changnan to become scarce, and the kapok trees on this road used to be next to each other. When it comes to the flowering season of kapok, enjoy it all the way, and there is no gap between the branches. ”

Jiang Xiaomian sighed, and the air was quiet for dozens of seconds. No one answered. She realized that she was the only passenger in the taxi. Oh, talk to yourself.

After a string of words, there was no sound, and the scene was very embarrassing. The young driver in the driver's seat also felt that it was empty, at first he thought that Jiang Xiaomian was on the phone, but after hearing the sound, he saw that it was not the same thing in the mirror, so he thought that she was waiting for his answer, and said with a smile:

"This lady, you must have been to Changnan when you were young. As early as ten years ago, urban greening began to reduce the planting of kapok trees, and the vacant part was replaced by small trees. ”

The car drove further, and Jiang Xiaomian saw that the new greening tree was supported and fixed by a triangular wooden frame, and it could be seen that it was an arbor that had been transplanted recently. In the past, there was a row of tall ceiba trees that didn't need a wooden frame to support it.

As the driver said, the kapok tree was replaced.

"Oh? It was unexpected. But why do you do that? Is it because of the heavy snow in the winter in Changnan? Jiang Xiaomian said as he searched elsewhere for red.

The driver waved his hand, "Oh, that's not true." In my image, Changnan has only snowed once, and it was when I was a child. ”

"And what's the reason?"

The driver said: "The air in Changnan is affected every season when the cotton wool falls, and my girlfriend is a doctor, and patients with some respiratory diseases are usually affected by the culprit of cotton wool." This was nothing originally, after all, the kapok tree had been planted for so many years. A few years ago, a garden swept up the pile of kapok wool was ignited by a residual cigarette, which caused a garden fire, and the relevant departments attached great importance to it and reduced the number of kapok trees. ”

Jiang Xiaomian didn't speak after listening, and stared at a kapok tree that had appeared outside the window for a long time. The driver remembered something again, and added: "Although there is less kapok in the city center, there is a cotton-seeking villa in the south of the city, where the kapok is planted all over the mountain, but it is a pity that it is a private villa, and the owner never lets tourists go in to enjoy the flowers." I once passed by that road when I was carrying passengers, it happened to be spring, yo yo, people who want to see flowers can only see a red patch from a distance, and people who love photography can't take more close-up photos of flowers. ”

The driver spoke with great interest, as if he also loved kapok. Jiang Xiaomian unconsciously heard that her tears were moist, and the teardrops rolled on her clothes inexplicably, and she didn't react until the driver said that the destination had arrived.

Red Square Gallery, a gallery that carries many memories, and after many years of wind and rain, it still stands here waiting for the deceased to come and find it.

Jiang Xiaomian suddenly realized that as soon as he returned to Changnan, the first place he wanted to come to was here. I thought so and did it.

The moment she pushed the door in, the whole gallery had changed dramatically, without the classical charm of the past, it was already a magnificent high-end painting, the light of the tiles was as dazzling as gold, and it was full of the smell of money.

Jiang Xiaomian almost didn't dare to step in, for fear that he was in the wrong place.

However, it is not surprising that after all, 20 years have passed, the times are changing with each passing day, and the owner's insight pattern is different, how can the gallery still maintain the appearance of Mr. Yu in the world.

"Hello ma'am, is there anything I need to do for you?" A young staff member was respectful to Jiang Xiaomian, not as cordial as the old staff he knew back then, who came up and called "Hey, Xiaomian". Of course, no one will call her by this young title anymore.

Even after Chi Yanghe became a father, he didn't often call the name "Xiaomian". In private, he will be called "Companion", and in front of people, he will be called "my wife", and he will call his full name when he really needs to be called.

When it comes to the name, Jiang Xiaomian thinks it's funny. For the elderly people who call "Xiao Mian", and passers-by listen to "Xiao Mian", they look back at the aunt who is called "Xiao Xiao", and they must laugh so much that their teeth fall out on the street.

Jiang Xiaomian smiled at the staff, "You don't need to serve me, I'll just appreciate it myself." ”

"Okay, please call me when you need it."

Jiang Xiaomian nodded and walked forward, stepping on the bright floor has been cautious, the floor has been dragged as neat as a mirror just now, if she steps on it and falls, it is not good that she will suffer from elderly waist pain in advance!

As soon as she entered the main hall of the gallery, she looked up and saw two paintings depicting youth. As people grow older, their memories will gradually wither like flowers and plants. Digging out the stumps of memory, some images are never forgotten, but they are hard to remember when they are set aside.

Jiang Xiaomian knows that there are two colored pencil paintings in the memory of this life.

"Looking for Cotton" was returned by herself when she was leaving Changnan; The other is a portrait of himself, on a bench under a kapok tree in a high school school.

The two paintings are attached to each other, and they have walked through such a long time side by side. It seems that this can make up for a certain defect in youth...

Jiang Xiaomian looked casually for a while, only to find that the gallery no longer has a hall for students to display their works. What bothered her later was the call.

"Dad, Mommy, I'm back!"

Jiang Xiaomian followed the call and looked, a boy about the age of a junior high school student, as soon as he put down his schoolbag, he threw himself into the arms of a couple not far in front of him, Jiang Xiaomian looked at them and smiled, their happy appearance of a family of three was very similar to his own family.

The mother who the boy hugged also recognized Jiang Xiaomian, looked at her and smiled, and casually walked over and patted Xiaomian on the shoulder, "Ha, I can still recognize you, Designer Jiang, how can you have time to return to Changnan from the UK!" ”

As soon as they approached, Jiang Xiaomian had to raise his gaze, "Yu Mo, Wen Chu, congratulations!" But I'm still sorry that you didn't come back for a glass of wine when you got married. ”

"Hey, for the sake of being across the seven continents and eight oceans, I forgive you, but you're too embarrassed, and you won't tell us when you get married! If I hadn't seen you accidentally post a Weibo photo of your daughter, I might not have known about it! After Yu Wenmo finished speaking, he put his hand on Jiang Xiaomian's shoulder, a little unexpected, it should be in line with the actions of youth.

Jiang Xiaomian smiled apologetically, she really didn't know what to say, "The wedding is in a hurry, I'm afraid that calling in the middle of the night will disturb you." ”

Yu Mo pulled his son over and introduced to Xiaomian, "This is my son Wen Xuan, who just came back from the interest class." After speaking, he turned to Wen Yao, "This is Aunt Jiang." ”

The boy named Wen Qian called out very politely: "Aunt Jiang." After speaking, he took out the camera from his bag and fiddled with it.

Aunt Jiang.

Jiang Xiaomian suddenly felt that Wen was calling another person, who had lived in London for many years, and no one had ever called her with a Chinese title. With such a strange and apt call, Jiang Xiaomian no longer rounded up his age, and mentally calculated what is the exact difference between the year of this year and the year of birth?

Forty-three is the difference.

Haha, people are old, and young mental minds are not ready to accept actual age. I don't know what it's like to be called grandma in the future, and I don't know how it will feel when my grandmother is old! Must have been forced to survive for a century.

Yu Mo asked: "Your daughter should be as old as my family, when will you bring her over to show us how much Peugeot looks?"

"It looks like she is two years older than Wen Xi, she should go to high school after this semester, and she will come to her grandfather's house as soon as she has winter vacation, no, I will pick her up back to the UK this time." Jiang Xiaomian pursed her lips and said with a smile, and when she saw Wen Qian asking his father for a certain function of the camera, he added: "My daughter's name is Mianmian, and she also likes photography, so you will give us a meal when the time comes!"

Wen Chu and Yu Mo agreed at the same time: "Definitely..."

……

Jiang Xiaomian stayed at the Red Square Gallery for a short time and chatted about some family things. After the conversation, they said goodbye to Wen Chu and his wife, and the two came to the kapok garden in Nancheng alone.

She came very simply, not entangled in any thoughts at all, and the scene she saw when she got out of the car was far wider than she imagined.

The building of the cottage is exactly the same as the blueprint originally planned, with the flowering kapok undulating like a hill, the perfect red color enveloping the villa, and the trees surrounded by railings. From the angle of the roadside, you can hardly see the trunk of the kapok tree, only see clusters of kapok red extending from the top, as if you are unwilling to let the beautiful scenery hide privately, and sneak out with the owner.

Jiang Xiaomian approached the door of the villa, and the door wall was engraved with the four big characters of "Xunmian Villa", and below was a sign indicating that outsiders were not allowed to enter the village.

Her heart trembled slightly, and the white and flawless memory thumped like a living pearl in her brain.

He did it, he said that he would plant kapok that belonged only to her, and he really did it.

We all remember the promises we made when we were young, but we didn't dare to accept them.

Because the promise of youth is still a good promise,

It's a pity that we are not the same young us anymore.

Fate is so cruel and regrettable.

When Jiang Xiaomian looked around, he saw the woman on the chair on the top of the villa basking in the sun and admiring the flowers, even if she couldn't see her face clearly, Jiang Xiaomian could guess who she was.

A few seconds later, Jiang Xiaomian saw her turn in her direction and knew that she was looking at herself. The woman didn't get up, didn't speak, nothing happened. But Jiang Xiaomian couldn't see the smug smile on the corner of her mouth.

Jiang Xiaomian thought, it's really good to have someone to replace him to enjoy the flowers and replace himself as the hostess of the villa.

Jiang Xiaomian smiled and turned around and was about to leave, looking at the footprints of a few steps under his feet, looking up and walking forward, the two youthful faces met unexpectedly in a long and condensed posture.

Jiang Xiaomian's eyes rested on his clothes, he was wearing the debut work of Miansi that had been thinned by time over and over again, and it looked very old on the tall and thin figure.

The thick cotton clothes have aged into a thin shirt or jacket.

Jiang Xiaomian didn't dodge, straightened her body upright, the trademark pattern on her clothes was not crepe or old, and the sunlight reflected the light on the logo, which was even more eye-catching.

It's all the promises and memories they once built together.

Xiang Dongyang blinked, because his eyes were stabbed by some small bright spot just now. He looked at the light source and saw that she was wearing a ring on her hand, not the one he had worn for her. Although the diamonds on her hands are not as big as they were back then, they are all just as dazzling.

He hid his bare hand, which he had nowhere to put it.

When we meet again many years later, we find that everyone is aging in the company of others. Peaceful and clear eyes, looking directly at the old appearance of the other party, laughed inexplicably. But he smiled politely, like a stranger he had just met and didn't dare to have any transgressions because he didn't know each other well.

The opening line couldn't be simpler. Each other is used to having nothing to say.

Jiang Xiaomian grinned, "Oh, what a coincidence, you are also here." ”

Xiang Dongyang didn't say anything, and answered the question with a smile again, and the retina reflected the kapok all over the mountain.

He silently looked forward to a wish that could not be fulfilled, a wish to turn back time.

Memories go back to the school of acquaintance and transition to the time spent together.

Those pictures are like layers of petals spread on the kapok bones, blooming a memory called "Kapok Robe Jun Xiu Chang".

There is a road called "youth" in life, and when we embark on this road, we all hope to move forward forever without any scruples, and fantasize about being able to reach the end smoothly. But we ignore the growing thorns on the road, and it just so happens that we are not good at growth, so we stumble on this journey. Who's atrium passed by swaying, and quietly went away, and was stabbed with blood by thorns, and stinged tears.

When looking back, it is not a big deal to laugh at those bloody tears.

Everyone says that the person you love the most often won't be with you to the end.

When you mature, we both go our separate ways.

When he was young, Jiang Xiaomian didn't believe this. When this sentence is verified, there is no sadness or annoyance. I think that there is something else to gain, and he can't accompany the last person, he gave himself the best nostalgia. Looking back after many years, the memory will not be boring.

They separated from each other from the vast sea of people, and approached and met from thousands of mountains and rivers.

Let's go back together and meet with a smile.

No one blames the other party for why they don't hold their hands tightly, only lucky that there is a loved you in my youth commemorative book.

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