"A thousand brand fish head pot, I haven't eaten it for a long time!" Father Xia rolled up the sleeves of his caftan and took the black clay pot from Grandma Qian, his face full of elation. Grandma Ah Qian smiled and picked up her apron to wipe her hands, and said, "The fish here are not as big as those in our hometown, and it is not easy to meet a good fish head!" After speaking, he waved his hand to indicate that the dishes were ready, and then turned around to quit.

Grandpa Xia's yellow and white hair was combed back neatly, and a pair of tortoiseshell reading glasses were put on his face, and a satin coat with dark blue and dark flowers was covered. He stopped Grandma Qian, glanced at Father Xia, and said, "Ah Qian, is it my birthday, you are the elder of our family, you must eat together." Father Xia quickly added a seat, and Grandma Qian seemed to have been waiting for this for a long time, and was busy: "I'm never polite, wait for me to take off my apron." After saying that, he walked out with a smile.

This is a real homely meal, and there are only four people from the Xia family, Grandma A Qian and Shi Jiaojiao on the table, a total of six people. After Grandpa Xia said "open dinner", everyone, under the leadership of Father Xia, first toasted to the old birthday star and wished him a happy 73rd birthday. Grandpa Xia took a sip of the white porcelain wine cup and said, "Thank you!" Hey, six children, you are with me every year. ”

When Mother Xia heard this, she hurriedly smiled and received: "Uncles and aunts all have the ability, those who can work hard, they are too busy!" Wouldn't you be glad you received a gift from them? Besides, the Dragon Boat Festival aunt's family is going to see you again. Have a happy birthday! After hearing this, the old man nodded and laughed, and said, "Yes, after all, we still have Lei Lei and Jiaojiao to celebrate my birthday." ”

The two girls looked at each other and laughed, Xia Lei picked up the drink and said, "Grandpa, I wish you a good year and a good day." I'm still young now, and I'll drink old wine with you in the future! The old man coaxed him to say yes. Shi Jiaojiao originally felt a little embarrassed, and when she wanted to say a congratulatory message alone, she blushed first, and said: "Grandpa Xia is as blessed as the East China Sea, and his longevity is better than Nanshan." The old man replied: "Oh, we Lei Lei have so many good friends since she was a child, she is the best with you, and no one has ever let her talk about it for three days." Shi Jiaojiao glanced at Xia Lei and smiled shyly.

A table of people eats and drinks and gossips about homely things. "In the future, when Lei Lei goes abroad, I'm afraid the two of them will hug each other and cry!" Grandma Ah Qian looked at the two girls, picked up a napkin and neatly wiped the juice off the edge of a plate of vegetables and bowls, and said, "Which transfer school is not a handful of snot and tears." ”

Shi Jiaojiao just brought a boiled cabbage heart to her mouth, put it back in the bowl when she heard the words, and asked Xia Lei: "Are you going abroad?" Xia Lei looked back at her, shook her head and said, "Not necessarily." At this time, Xia's mother interjected and asked, "What did she say when I met your mother this time?" When the others heard this, they also stopped what they were doing and looked at Xia Lei. Xia Lei put down her chopsticks and replied noncommittally: "I didn't say much." ”

Father Xia pulled his wife, and Mother Xia pulled out her arm, continued to look at Xia Lei and said, "Lei Lei, Mom...... My advice is that you have such good grades that there is no need to consider going abroad at this time. When the college entrance examination is over, it is best to go to further study after being admitted to a good university in China; If you don't play well, it's not too late to apply to schools. In short, I don't approve of you giving up the college entrance examination. ”

Xia Lei lowered her eyes, muffled and muffled into a cow tendon that couldn't be chewed, so it was best to swallow it whole. She took a sip of her drink and asked, "Oh, what do you think, Dad?" Father Xia also lowered his eyes and said lightly: "I'll do whatever you want." Xia Lei snorted coldly and continued to clip a piece of beef tendon. Seeing that the other party didn't answer her words, Xia's mother sighed helplessly, put down her chopsticks and rubbed her temples silently.

"Excuse me, are you full?" After leaving the house and hearing the sound of Grandma A Qian closing the door, Xia Lei asked Shi Jiaojiao in a curtled manner. Shi Jiaojiao nodded hurriedly and said, "Isn't this meal usually just a bowl of wonton noodles!" Xia Lei smiled reluctantly, "That's good, alas, I don't know why it's like this." My grandfather must have been embarrassed too. Shi Jiaojiao patted Xia Lei's shoulder, "I don't feel embarrassed, you are a family, grandpa will not be good." ”

Seeing that Xia Lei didn't speak, Shi Jiaojiao said "wow" and called happily: "This new house has been built?" It's beautiful. Xia Lei took a look, this place was very close to her home, and it was originally part of the house. In the past, it was a Chinese style of blue bricks and tiles, but in summer, the white walls on the south side will be covered with lush creepers, and the red moon season blooming from the flower beds below is a beautiful scenery. Now it has been changed to a beautiful three-story bungalow in Shi Jiaojiao's mouth, with white exterior decoration and nondescript stainless steel guardrails, "Hmph." Xia Lei sneered unconsciously.

"Jiaojiao, what do you think of what she said?" Xia Lei stood under a small elm tree on the side of the road and suddenly asked. Shi Jiaojiao didn't react for a while, and asked "who". "My mom now." "What did you say about studying abroad?" Xia Lei nodded, Shi Jiaojiao pursed her lips, and said, "You know that this kind of thing is too far away from me, I don't understand it at all, and I really won't evaluate it." However, I feel like she is genuinely good for you. ”

Xia Lei laughed when she heard this, but there was no smile in her eyes, and she said, "Actually, I think so myself." I used to think that she really loved me, even if my own mother came to me later, I still believe that this woman who grew up with me is also my mother......" Shi Jiaojiao was shocked, and when she raised her eyes to look at Xia Lei, she was already in tears, and she was still muttering: "After so many years, she is still so young, and she has not had her own children with her father, I have always believed in her ......"

Shi Jiaojiao felt that Xia Lei was going to have a good time, she took her hand and said softly, "Let's go sit there." He pulled Xia Lei to the newly built residents' activity facility and found a bench to sit down. Xia Lei let out a long sigh, and sure enough, she began to pour out from the beginning.

Xia Lei's father and her biological mother separated when she was six years old, and this parting is particularly clear in Xia Lei's memory, "They all thought I was too young to remember anything, but in fact, I remember that they separated very peacefully." About me, my dad wants me, my mom doesn't want me, so there is no quarrel. Then she didn't hear anything. Four years later, my new mom moved in, and my mom showed up very quickly. She secretly saw me in elementary school, and the first thing she said to me was, 'Son, Mom is back, Mom can't support you at that time, so she can only throw you to your Dad', and she asked me not to blame her. ”

The wind dried the girl's eyes, and her narrative was calm and simple, "Of course I don't blame her, she's my mother!" Even though she never asked my dad to get back to me, I still wanted to be close to her. However, my new mother treated me very well and never forced me to change her mind. Once an adult teased me that your father and new mother will definitely add a little brother or little sister to you, and then she won't love you! ”

Xia Lei showed a faint smile on her face, and there was a hint of warmth in her words, and she said, "I was really scared when I heard it, and I didn't want me anymore!" I almost cried. The new mother rushed out, she ignored the person, hugged me and said, 'Oh boy, there's no such thing, if someone says that in the future, you tell them that you are the only child in the family.'" That's when I put my arms around her neck and called her 'Mommy'. ”

"As you can see, I'm really the only kid they've ever had." Xia Lei turned her head to look at Shi Jiaojiao, and the smile on the corner of her mouth turned out to be a little cold. Shi Jiaojiao frowned and said, "Then why don't you seem to believe her anymore?" Xia Lei shook her head painfully, called Shi Jiaojiao, and then said, "I...... I'm just so confused that I don't know who to trust. ”

"You went to your biological mother on May Day, did she tell you something?" Shi Jiaojiao asked softly, Xia Lei took a breath and looked at Shi Jiaojiao straight like this. Shi Jiaojiao nodded and said, "If you don't want to say it, don't say it." Xia Lei wanted to speak and lowered her head, Shi Jiaojiao touched her back, and said: "Since you also want to take the college entrance examination, then you don't have to make a choice now, there is still time to judge and think, there must be many people who think with you when you are willing." Shi Jiaojiao coughed and continued: "You know that my family is too different from what you have experienced, so I can't come up with a good idea. Xia Lei shook her head again and again when she heard this.

Shi Jiaojiao smiled, looked at a wild peach tree in front of her that was falling flowers, and said, "But one thing I can probably say is right, no matter what the people around me say, no matter what the choice is to do, the final road is to go by yourself." Therefore, the way that I will not regret it is probably to follow my own thoughts......" Shi Jiaojiao's gaze flew away with a petal blown by the wind, Xia Lei raised her eyes to look at Shi Jiaojiao's side face, and bit her lip silently.