After driving on the asphalt road, we turned onto Provincial Highway 230. It was a two-lane concrete road. The small-leaved aspen on both sides of the provincial road grows very vigorously. In the rice field, the ears of rice are yellow and heavy.

The sky was always overcast. It was very windy. I rolled the window glass up a bit.

"Let's talk about it." I turned my head and smiled at Hao Junqi, "Talk to the mountain." Talking to the East Gate Reservoir. Let the mountains let the reservoir know that Zheng Qihang's marriage was a last resort. is a stopgap measure. Tell Dashan to tell the reservoir that Zheng Qihang will not stop looking. ”

"After graduating from university, I came to work in Yangjiang against Mr. Zheng's wishes, just to find it, right?" Hao Junqi smiled in response.

"Yes."

"At that time, I was already in Yangjiang."

"yes. The world is like this, sometimes it's small, sometimes it's very big, it's close at hand, but it's like it's far away. Coming down from the mountain, I went to find Zhu Jinshan, and I instructed him to inform me as soon as he had any news of you. ”

"I never go to the East Gate, where does he hear from me?" Hao Junqi laughed.

"Yes, who would have thought that you wouldn't go to the East Gate for five or six years when you returned to Yangjiang? Speaking of my marriage, Junqi, I remember one thing. Did you win the National Day Lottery one year? I asked.

"I won the prize once. Because that year, the venue was set up on the beach of the Hexi River, and it was near, so I went to join in the fun. I also want to take Jiajia to see it. What's wrong? ”

"It was the time when the prize venue was set on the beach of the Hexi River. And it is organized by the Education Bureau. ”

"Not bad. In the future, whether it is organized by the Education Bureau or organized by our Civil Affairs Bureau, it will be held in the square. I remember that time I won a lottery and I won laundry detergent or something. ”

"That's right. It seems that Zhu Jinshan really did not misremember your voice. Do you know? Zhu Jinshan was nearby when you received the award, and he heard your voice and ran to the People's Hospital to call me. ”

"Aren't you in the People's Hospital?" Hao Junqi asked.

"I'm not here. I'm back in Hua'an. Because that day was the day I got married. I said.

"Ah, what a coincidence?"

"As soon as I received a call from Zhu Jinshan, I took the shuttle bus back to Yangjiang, and all the weddings and wedding banquets were thrown aside. Zhu Jinshan and I searched everywhere in the crowd because we thought you would touch the prize again after you won the lottery. But we searched for half an afternoon, but we couldn't see you. ”

"I hit it and took Jiajia home. Didn't come in the afternoon. ”

"No wonder. So, everything is predestined. I sighed.

"Wouldn't it be better if I didn't show up? Brother can go back and get married with peace of mind. Hao Junqi said.

I shook my head, "How could it be better, Junqi?" Now that we all know each other's pasts, we don't know where our emotions will end up? "My steering wheel is a little shaky," my brother really can't stand it. If my brother survives, he will become a sinner for the ages, because my father's heart is likely to burst. If you had known how much distress and pain my marriage to Xu Mo had brought me, you wouldn't have spoken like that. ”

"Junqi is talking angrily."

"You know what? It was nearly seven o'clock when I rushed back to Hua'an that day. All the guests dispersed. The hotel was deserted. The end was heralded before the beginning had even begun between me and Xu Mo. I've told you all of this. "I'm a little sentimental.

The sky was getting overcast. The leaves of the small-leaved aspen flutter in the wind and make a rattling sound. I rolled the window glass up a little more.

"It looks like it's going to rain soon." After a moment of silence, Hao Junqi said.

"It's already here anyway. If you want to go down, let it go. I said.

The car continued moving. About 40 minutes later, the car deviated from Provincial Highway 230 and turned onto an asphalt road. Because of the perennial disrepair, the asphalt road surface is seriously damaged and potholes. The old road trees on both sides remind us that this is the old road leading to the county seat eighteen years ago.

The speed of the vehicle slows down. Everything seems to be getting more and more familiar. hills, hills, trees, streams, rice fields......

"Brother, slow down, drive slower again." Hao Junqi suddenly shook down the window pane on her right and said.

"What's wrong?" I slowed down further.

"Isn't that where I saw you off when you left that year?" Hao Junqi pointed to her right front.

"Really? Ah, yes, it's already at the entrance of Wangwu's village. I lowered my speed again, "I will turn in the direction of Yongtai fifty meters ahead." ”

"Shall we get out of the car and take a walk?" Hao Junqi suggested.

"Okay." I pulled over.

The wind outside the car is relatively strong. Hao Junqi's long shawl hair fluttered in the wind.

Wangwu Village has changed a lot. The rice paddies on both sides of the gravel road have now been turned into houses, and the roadside steamed bun shop covered with green tiles, the little girl with a ponytail in the bun shop, and the ridge beans with thick dust on the paddy field ridges are gone.

Only the bronze tree remains.

Hao Junqi walked to the bronze tree.

"Brother, here it is, the place where I will take you to the car is here. I'm not mistaken, Luke was widened, but the bronze tree was still there. I'm right here waving to you. As the car carrying you farther and farther away, my tears flowed down like rainlines. Hao Junqi raised her head. Her eyes were filled with tears.

"Junqi."

"I seem to remember you sticking your head out the window and waving at me. I imagined myself as a butterfly, parked in the car that was gradually moving away, and followed you to Hua'an. But grandpa pulled me back to reality. Brother, tell me, where did those years go, where did those years go, and why can't you come back? Why can't you come back? And Grandpa, Grandpa who pushed me back on a wheelbarrow, and Dad who delivered your luggage, where did you go? ”

"Junqi." My throat was choked.

"Brother—"

"Everything is gone. If you die, you can't come back. Life is irreversible. I said weakly.

"But why is that little jade pendant still there? Doesn't it hang nicely around your neck? Didn't I stuff it for you at that time? It's still there, why are those years gone? It's still there, why aren't grandpa and dad gone anymore? Hao Junqi had trouble controlling her emotions.

I went to the car to draw paper.

I felt like my heart was broken.

I didn't hand the paper to Hao Junqi, but wiped the tears from Junqi's face. Hao Junqi lay in my arms, and I reached out to hug her.

We just stood on the side of the road for a while. After Hao Junqi's mood stabilized, we continued on the road.

We turned onto the path of Yongtai. It is a concrete road about four meters wide. Also due to perennial disrepair, some sections of the road are potholed.

The small hills on both sides of the road are no longer as barren as they were then, and some have been planted with apricot trees, one after the other to form apricot groves. Some planted cedar trees, one by one to form fir forests, but judging by the size of the cedar trees, these fir trees have been cut down in batches.

The highest ridge where we sat down had been lowered considerably, and I increased the throttle a little and the car rushed up.

Descending the slope, a golden rice field unfolded in front of us. The low hill on the right side of the road was reclaimed by farmers to grow vegetables, and there is a kind of vine called sweet potato that spreads all over the ground.

On the left side of the road, near the paddy fields, there are small patches of land, all of which have been reclaimed by farmers and planted with vegetables. The uncultivated lot is overgrown with weeds and some bushes.

"Brother, look at that pavilion, it's still there." Hao Junqi pointed to the left front of the car.

Not far from the left front, at the foot of the small hill opposite, an octagonal pavilion stands in a triangular clearing on the edge of a paddy field.

We are approaching. I kept the speed to the minimum.

I noticed that the octagonal pavilion was quite dilapidated. The corner that was rolled up to the southwest was broken. The pavilion runs from east to west, and due north there is a large hole in the wall closed by old bricks, through which the pavilion can be seen to be overgrown with weeds.

"Do you want to stop for a moment?" I asked.

"No, just take a look. I don't want to shatter my emotions again. This was the first place where my father and I stopped when we fled. At that time, the pavilion was intact, and there was a horizontal log on each side of it, so it was really convenient to sit on it and rest your feet when you were tired of walking. Brother, do you know? Less than 10 meters in front of the pavilion, there is a spring water, which is sweet and sweet, and it is better than the mineral water we drink. My father told me that no matter how dry the season is, the spring will never dry up. Dad also washed the sweet potatoes I brought out of the house in this spring. ”

"I forgot, when do sweet potatoes usually ripen?"

"It's going to be a frost. Sweet potatoes will only turn sweet after the frost. It's the same as the little cane. However, I started eating sweet potatoes before the frost fell. ”

After passing the Octagonal Pavilion, a few minutes later, we entered Yongtai Village. The road passes through Yongtai and extends towards Furnace Bay. I parked my car on the flat ground in front of the stage.

said that it was a stage, but in fact, it was no longer possible to act. The big pillar on the right collapsed, and the stage collapsed in half. Debris and debris are still piling up in the corners.

"Shall we go to Zhu Jinshan's house first or go to the East Gate first, Junqi?" When I got out of the car, I discussed with Hao Junqi and put my phone and wallet in her satchel.

"Let's go to the East Gate first. Let's go back and visit Uncle Zhu again, lest they prepare a meal for us. Didn't we bring a lot of food? Also, I'm the richest now. Hao Junqi patted her satchel and said.

"We're already the richest in the world when we meet again," I said, following Hao Junqi's topic, "then listen to the richest man in the world, and go to the east gate first, but it looks like the rain is about to fall." ”

I noticed that the cumulonimbus clouds in the sky were getting thicker and thicker, and the day was like dusk. But I don't know why the rain never falls.

"Did you bring rain gear?" Hao Junqi asked.

"I deliberately picked a bigger umbrella." I took out the umbrella that Xu Xiaorou specially prepared for me from the car.

We walked down the bluestone road with our food. Most of the yellow mud walls in the village have been replaced with houses built with lime and mortar. One dog barked at us, and then the others followed us.

"Aren't you afraid?" I asked.

"Don't be afraid. A dog that barks loudly does not bite. Hao Junqi said.

We made a right-angled turn.

"Junqi, you know what? Zhu Jinshan moved from the east gate, and the house was next to our elementary school. I reminded Hao Junqi.

"Is it the green vegetable patch from elementary school?" In our impression, the vegetable field next to Yongtai Primary School is always green.

"It's not. It's a field that comes up a little bit more. It should be one meter higher than our school. Soon we will pass by his door. I said.

"How many families have moved from the village?"

"Not much, only six or seven, their houses are all in one place. There are also those who moved to Luwan, Shangsong, and Hengshandun. Look, that's Zhu Jinshan's house. The first room. "I pointed to our front right.

In front of us on the right, there are six bungalows side by side, with green tiles, cedar pillars, and walls made of mud and mortar, and the outer layer is whitewashed with white lime.

Walking through this row of houses, Yongtai Primary School appeared in front of us.