The holidays passed day by day, and soon, the sound of firecrackers for the Spring Festival crackled and rumbled in the sky. Jiang Yang is getting closer and closer to the day he is looking forward to. The Chinese New Year is a very pleasant thing, but he is not interested in the first day of the new year this year, but he cares more about the seventh day of the new year. After the Spring Festival, it is a busy day for families to visit. In fact, he has very few relatives, and before Gu Ling said that she had many relatives who wanted to visit her during the New Year, and he replied: Me too. This sentence is just to resonate with her. His family is going to visit only one of his grandmother and his grandfather who lives far away all the year round.

After returning from his grandfather's house to pay his respects, he went to the house to rest for a while, and then went out directly and walked into Chen Yue's house. Jiang Yang didn't knock on the door first, and strode to the door of the living room. "Chen Yue?" He shouted softly into the room.

"Hey, it's Jiangyang." Mother walked out of the room, and then Chen Yue also opened the door of the room and came out to greet her, only the father, who was fascinated by the show on TV and did not want to be distracted.

"Happy New Year, Auntie!"

"Happy New Year! It's already four or five o'clock in the afternoon, so don't go out, let's play at home. Mother said kindly to Jiang Yang.

"Uh-huh." Jiang Yang nodded in agreement and entered the room with Chen Yue.

"What? Do you still have homework? When Jiang Yang saw the exercise book on Chen Yue's desk, he asked in surprise.

"Yes, Chinese and math."

"Okay, I'll go home and see if I can still find an assignment."

"You don't even have a winter break without homework."

"Yes, yes," Jiang Yang replied with a smile, "I'm not in a hurry." ”

Chen Yue sat back on the desk, but did not enter the homework state.

"I remember this book..."Jiang Yang saw a familiar title on his desk.

"I asked my dad to buy it for me."

"When I read this book, I was reminded of junior high school." Jiang Yang held the book "How Steel is Made" on the table in the palm of his hand and turned it over absentmindedly.

"yes."

Jiang Yang opened the book and looked at it patiently. Chen Yue bowed her head and worked. So, they talked while doing their own thing.

"Jiang Yang, let's go out shopping together one day." Chen Yue didn't look up and said.

"Yes, you can name the day."

"How's tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" Jiang Yang raised his head and asked, "What time is tomorrow?" He was asking completely knowingly. Chen Yue got up from her chair and walked to the living room to look at the calendar, "The fifth day of the new year." Back in the room, he replied.

Jiang Yang shook his head slightly, put down the book completely, and after thinking for a while, he said, "How about you think we go out to play on the seventh day of the first month?" ”

"It's tomorrow - the day after tomorrow, the day after tomorrow!"

"Hmm."

"Okay, we'll go by bike."

"Yes, that's what I thought too."

At this time, Jiang Yang still had time to make a correction, but he didn't do it. He weighed up meeting Gu Ling alone, if he also came, would it cause interference. But in the midst of an ideological struggle just now, he changed his mind. He trusted Chen Yue's character very much, and thought about it for a while, keeping him by his side would not affect the relationship between him and Gu Ling. It had been a long time since he had seen his old tablemate, and this was an opportunity, and besides, he was so eager to hang out with him, he couldn't refuse.

"Have you gone out to pay New Year's greetings these days?" Jiang Yang asked suddenly.

"Nope."

"No New Year's greetings?"

"No relatives."

"Not a single one?"

"Yes." Chen Yue replied and continued: "There is an aunt who used to go every year, but since they came to my house to play the year before last, they brought a child, and a few people chatted about family life at the big table in the living room. However, it didn't take long for the two of us to have a conflict. As a result of this conflict, my aunt's family never came, and my family never went. ”

"Sounds weird."

"When the conflict first appeared, my parents discussed it together, saying whether it was too much money to pay for the New Year."

"It's very likely that they are—" Jiang Yang answered seriously, "I look down on your family if I have less money." ”

"Why do you say that?"

"Why? Just because people need money. ”

After listening to Jiang Yang's words, Chen Yue nodded solemnly.

On the morning of the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, Jiang Yang was already sleepy at five o'clock and got up from the bed. Before the family woke up, he quietly pushed open the door and the door of the living room, went to the kitchen to wash his face and brush his teeth, and then returned to his room. He stood in the room for a moment, looking out the window at the distant view, "Ah! What's going on this year? Why hasn't it snowed yet? He walked over to the desk and sat down, resting his arms on the table, holding his head in his hands and closing his eyes into a deep meditation. Later, he noticed that it was a little cold, so he took a padded jacket from the back of the chair and put it on. Not long after, he took off his clothes and got into the bed. He didn't sleep, he sat at the head of the bed, leaning back against the base of the bed behind him, looking out the window and returning to what he had just thought.

As soon as the day dawned, Jiang Yang pushed the bicycle into the yard to prepare, and it was only 8 o'clock in the morning. In order not to alarm his sister, he waited for his sister to get up in the room, carefully pushed the bicycle to the gravel road outside the door, avoided the eyes of the courtyard gate, and stood behind the wall. When everything was arranged, he went to one of the windows of his neighbor's house and knocked on the windowpane. Chen Yue's face soon appeared on the other side of the window, "So early?" He asked.

"Yes, come out." Jiang Yang replied. Then, he heard Chen Yue greet his family, and it seemed that he had finally gotten permission to let him take his bicycle and go out. Chen Yue pushed the cart out and parked the cart where Jiang Yang had placed.

"Wait, I forgot I hadn't said hello yet." Jiang Yang said and walked home.

When he entered the bedroom, he first saw that his sister was still sleeping comfortably, and then he walked inside and saw that his parents were also sleeping in the bed and did not get up. Well, they're all sleeping. "Mom, I'm out playing." He leaned his head into his mother's ear and whispered.

Mother slowly opened her eyes and moved the mattress next to her mouth, "What time is it going to go out?" ”

"It's 8 o'clock."

"Stay safe."

With his mother's permission, he left. However, as he gently tiptoed to leave the bedroom, his sister suddenly jumped up from the head of the bed and frightened him. "Oh!"

"Brother, you wait for me, I'm going too, take me one." Xiao Ai hurriedly threw away the sheets and quickly put clothes on her body. In fact, she had already woken up, but she just didn't want to get up. She also heard movement outside the house, which further aroused her to be with her brother.

"Oh! No, no, no, dear sister, you better sleep more. Jiang Yang dissuaded, but his sister had already finished dressing at an astonishing speed, and the shoes below were left unworn.

The younger sister ignored him, silently walked out of the room, put on her sneakers in the living room, and then ran into the kitchen to wash. Wherever she went, Jiang Yang followed behind and kept persuading, "Good sister, why are you getting up now?" I'll start with you, I'm not going to take you out. What the? Alas, I mean really, it's so cold outside. I'm just going out for a walk, what are you going to do with it? But no matter what he said, it didn't work, and my sister still went her own way, continued to do her own thing, and prepared for the door.

Jiang Yang chased his sister to the bathroom. My sister curled up her hair and tied her braids with both hands, only to hear her say: "Brother, don't press me with your winter vacation homework, I've already finished writing, besides, I haven't been on the street since the holiday, so I can't show mercy to your dear sister, really." After speaking, Xiao Ai stared at his brother in the mirror and pouted.

"But... I really can't take you out this time. ”

"Why not this time?"

Jiang Yang paused for a moment and thought for a while, "I just can't!" ”

"Humph!" Xiao Ai finally dipped her index finger in hand cream and wiped it on her hands and face. When she was ready, she ran out merrily.

"Haha, Chen Yuezao." She ran out of the door and greeted Chen Yue.

"Morning, you're hanging out with us, too?"

"Yes."

"N-no." Jiang Yang immediately ran over and interjected dissatisfiedly, "Go home." ”

"No!"

"Go home."

"No, no!"

"Good sister, go back."

"Not really!" Xiao Ai said resolutely, stubbornly sat down on the back seat of his brother's bicycle, and ignored him.

"Alas, what a nuisance."

"If you don't want Jiangyang, take Xiao Ai with you."

Listening to Chen Yue's suggestion, Jiang Yang grabbed his arm with one hand, pulled him aside a few steps, and put his mouth to his ear, as if deliberately not letting his sister hear, "I'm going to call Gu Ling today." Jiang Yang said.

Chen Yue was a little surprised when he said this, but he didn't understand, and asked strangely: "Why can't you bring Xiao Ai out to play when you call her out to play?" ”

The younger sister turned around and stared at them with narrow eyes, very upset to see them muttering quietly.

"Don't you know my sister's personality?" Jiang Yang asked Chen Yue angrily.

Although Jiang Yang didn't say it directly, Chen Yue still understood something from his tone, so he stopped talking. Jiang Yang walked in front of Xiao Ai again, "Sister, you better go home and close the door." He said calmly.

Xiao Ai didn't answer, didn't make any moves, and turned her face to the corner.

"Good sister, get up." Jiang Yang said as he pulled Xiao Ai up with both hands.

"What? Nope! No! Xiao Ai was in a hurry and almost screamed.

"Don't be stubborn, you get up for me." The elder brother is also merciless.

Seeing the brother and sister talking to this point, Chen Yue felt that she had to say something fair, "Forget it, Jiang Yang, just take her with you, it's okay." ”

"Okay." Jiang Yang suddenly let go of his hand, "Okay, my eldest sister-sister-sister-big sister." ”

Jiang Yang locked the door of his house, and the three of them sat on their bicycles and set off.

"Chen Yue, this way." On the side of the road leading to the city, Jiang Yang shouted at Chen Yue, then looked back and rode across the road.

"Where are you going?" Chen Yue caught up and asked.

"You'll know when you get there."

Chen Yue pondered with interest, and after a while, he figured it out: he must be going to her house. However, Xiao Ai, who was sitting in the back seat of Jiangyang, didn't understand the situation at all, and after turning a detour, she shouted dissatisfiedly: "Brother, where are you going?" Look at the rotten road. ”

"Oh—tell you not to come out with me, you want to come along, and now you can't complain about this or that."

"Whatever, I'll come with me, but I want to see where you go."

Both bicycles stopped at the same time and stopped on the side of the road in the village. "Why?" Xiao Ai then asked.

"Wait."

"Wait?"

Then, Jiang Yang waited. Xiao Ai blinked blankly, she hadn't gotten an answer yet, and looked at Chen Yue again, seeing him sitting silently on the cushion in a daze. She was puzzled, as if he knew what his brother was waiting for. She couldn't stand the confusion, got out of the car and walked up to Chen Yue, and asked him, "Chen Yue, do you know what my brother is waiting for?" ”

"Wait for someone."

"Oh? Who? ”

"I used to know a classmate in junior high school."

Xiao Ai nodded in understanding, and then followed his brother's gaze and also looked at a large iron door painted with red paint not far away. They waited for an unknown amount of time, but the door did not move. Jiang Yang felt very impatient, took a few steps closer to the door, and walked back impatiently. In this way, under the sometimes cold wind, he really couldn't wait.

"Why are you going?" Seeing his brother walking towards a grassy path, Xiao Ai asked.

"I'll take a look in the backyard." As he spoke, Jiang Yang turned around a wall and disappeared.

"Hey!" Xiao Ai shouted and shook his head helplessly. Then, she turned back to Chen Yue and asked, "What time do we come out?" ”

"Eight o'clock."

"Hurry up, brother, really, if you come out to play, you have to call others, so let's just go to the street to play." Xiao Ai complained and followed the path she was walking towards Jiang Yang, but when she heard Chen Yue's next words, she immediately stopped and returned to the same place.

"I think he'd rather take her out to play than you." Chen Yue said with a smile.

"Really?" Xiao Ai looked at Chen Yue's smile, and then asked, "Is the classmate you are waiting for a boy or a girl?" ”

"Girls."

"Oh-oh-oh, hehe..."After listening, Xiao Ai smiled and quipped: "It turns out... Haha, no wonder. I know it all. Xiao Ai smiled even more vigorously, "Chen Yue, let's go and have a look, how about it?" She grinned and suggested.

Regarding Xiao Ai's proposal, Chen Yue was a little interested and agreed. The two followed and walked to Jiang Yang's side. On one side is a wall of gray and red bricks, and on the other side is a rice field with no end in sight. Jiang Yang stood by the wall, tilting his head and looking effortlessly into the wall, but he could only see the bare beams inside. He immediately looked around, looking for something. Seeing the large and small bricks on the side of the road, he had an idea, "Hey, come over here and help me move it." Chen Yue immediately bent down and picked up the bricks. Jiang Yang looked up at his sister who was standing still, and saw that his sister was not wearing gloves, so he didn't ask her again. They lay the bricks on the stone piers and lay them down, then put them one by one. "Okay, that's all, that's it." Jiang Yang said, and Chen Yue threw away the half of the brick he had just picked up.

"Xiao Ai, come."

"Why?"

"You hold on, I'll step on it."

Jiang Yang climbed onto the stone pier and gently stepped on top of the piled up stone bricks. Chen Yue handed out a glove to Xiao Ai, Xiao Ai took the glove, thought about it or gave it back to him. She looked up, "Brother, bring your gloves." ”

"What are you doing?"

"Bring it, the stone is freezing to death." Jiang Yang took off his gloves and threw them down.

The two of them slowly squatted down, holding the bricks at Jiang Yang's feet with both hands. Although the bricks would still shake slightly, Jiang Yang's arms were tightly clinging to the wall, and there was no danger of falling.

In Jiang Yang's sight, everything that could be seen in the courtyard could be seen. There are two windows open at the back of the house, one side of which is tightly closed as a security door in the backyard. On the steps in front of the door, there is a bottle of water and a pair of black leather boots. At the bottom of the steps is a fertile black earth, planted with a loquat tree that has already exposed the top of the wall.

"Gu... Spirit—" he shouted softly and intermittently. He seemed to be shouting for air, and there was no movement in the yard. It was Xiao Ai, who let go of a hand holding a brick, covered his mouth and laughed sneeringly. When she heard her brother call out the girl's name again, she couldn't help laughing.

"Gu Ling, hehe..."Xiao Ai leaned his face closer to Chen Yue, "Gu Ling—I remember this name, I seem to have heard it somewhere." She laughs.

"It's my table mate in junior high school." Chen Yue answered.

"Ah, that's a coincidence." Xiao Ai brought her face closer, "Does she look good?" She asked in a whisper.

Chen Yue looked at Xiao Ai's eyes in a daze in surprise, "It's good-looking." He replied.

"Isn't it beautiful?"

"Pretty."

Immediately, Xiao Ai burst into laughter again. After the laughter stopped, she asked Chen Yue again, "What is my brother's relationship with her?" ”

"This..."Chen Yue looked up at Jiang Yang, his head was turning over the wall, it was obvious that he hadn't heard Xiao Ai's words.

"Say, say it quickly."

"I can't tell." Chen Yue replied casually. Although their topic was aimed at Jiang Yang, Chen Yue blushed with shame at the sensitive topic, and Xiao Ai was very close to him, and a unique fragrance wafted around him, flowing into his red nose.

"Tell me," Xiao Ai urged.

"It's—maybe—" He slurped, glancing upwards again.

"Ahh Sure enough. Xiao Ai stood up suddenly and jumped on the stone pier excitedly, "Brother, you are in love!" She raised her hand and tugged at her brother's arm, exclaiming happily.

"Oh! Is it good to be quiet? Jiang Yang immediately patted Xiao Ai's head gently, "Go down and hold it down." He commanded her. When my sister received the order, she didn't get angry, and she looked even more pleasant, "Haha, I really want to see this Gu Ling today, haha." She bent down excitedly and leaned back on the stone bricks, "What will my brother's crush look like, I really want to know." ”

Jiang Yang couldn't count how many times he shouted, and the security door in the courtyard was still closed. There was also no room for sight from the two windows. He couldn't bear it anymore, "Gu-Xin." He suddenly let go and shouted loudly. Then quickly bend your legs and hide your face behind the wall.

In the living room of Gu Ling's house, the two old wives were chatting happily, and a voice came from outside the house, "Huh? Who is this? When the mother's curiosity asked the companion.

"I don't know, it sounds like it's calling our precious daughter."

"Ling'er? - Ling'er. She shouted into her daughter's room, "Is someone calling you outside?" ”

The sound outside the house, Gu Ling had already reacted, and she heard the voice: it must be him. Her instincts told her that the sound was coming from the backyard, and she went to the window and looked at the backyard, but there was no one in sight. However, she was sure that the voice just now was absolutely real and existent. Mom was calling out to her, and she walked out of the room. "Mom?"

"Someone called you?"

"Did Mom and Dad hear that, too?"

"Yes, it's not a small sound."

"I'll go out and have a look." Gu Ling opened the door in the backyard, and then closed the door again.

"What? In the backyard? Mother asked. The husband pursed his lips, "It's the first time a guest has come to the door from the backyard." ”

"Would you like to check it out?"

The companion didn't answer, and turned the conversation to his previous work in the company, which seemed to concern his wife, so he didn't pay attention to his daughter's actions, and didn't go to the backyard to see what was going on. This also relieved Gu Ling behind the door. She walked to the highest point of the black earth, looked out at the jungle and rice fields in the distance, carefully searched for each of the confused paths, but found not even a figure, and then she felt that the voice just now should not have come from so far away, but more like- it was shouted from this courtyard.

"Oh my God!"

Jiang Yang's head slowly stretched out, which surprised Gu Ling and startled her, "Jiang Yang-you-what are you doing lying on the wall?" ”

"So you're at home, I'm worried that you're not at home, and I won't be able to wait for you." Jiang Yang finally saw her, a real her right in front of him. "Are your parents home?" He asked in a whisper.

"Yes." Gu Ling glanced back.

"Huh? Can you come out now? Jiang Yang put his face on the stone bricks at the head of the wall, a little lost.

"I'll go talk to my parents."

"yes, okay."

"Don't go away."

"Don't worry, it won't."

Gu Ling reluctantly walked back to the living room. Jiang Yang immediately put his head down.

"Mom and Dad." Gu Ling walked up to his parents.

"See who it is?" Seeing her daughter return, the mother stopped her current conversation with her husband and asked.

"Nope."

"No one?"

"Hmm."

"Ling'er." At this time, the father said, "It may be that our father and daughter misheard, and your mother said that the voice came from the front door." ”

"Dad, no one should call me."

"No, I don't know exactly where the voice is going, but I'm sure it's definitely calling your name."

After listening to her father's words, Gu Ling felt completely hopeless, so she could only admit it, but when she thought of Jiang Yang who was waiting for her outside, she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable in her heart. So, I plucked up the courage to ask my father, "Dad, I want to go out for a walk, okay?" ”

"Can't wait? Don't go out! The mother immediately and firmly refused. However, the father stretched out his palm to the companion, "Where are you going?" He asked his daughter.

"Go out into the streets."

"You're alone?" Apparently, the father was still suspicious of the male voice that had just come from him, and he asked inquiringly. But the mother didn't understand what her husband meant, and interjected, "Oh! Even if she goes out to play alone, is it difficult to bring Chen'er (Gu Xin's younger brother)? ”

The father raised his hand again and asked her to stop talking, "Are you alone? He asked his daughter again.

Gu Ling could see from his father's majestic and alert eyes that he must have doubted this. Although she didn't say it, she could always guess what was going on in her father's mind, and this time was no exception. She didn't want to hide it from her father, but after thinking about it, she had to hide it, "Well, if my brother doesn't come, then I'll be the one." She said worriedly as she looked her father in the eye.

"Alone—that's too lonely, isn't it, not dating any classmates, friends, or anything? Just ...".

Gu Qi really couldn't go on, but she still said cheekily: "No, it's good to be free on the street alone." ”

"Freedom! Well, that's good. The father stood up, opened the door of the backyard, and probed carefully above the fence of the backyard. At this time, Gu Ling's heart couldn't help beating wildly, "Don't come out... Don't come out—" she prayed nervously.

Soon after, my father came back and closed the back door. Gu Ling hurriedly looked at his father's face, wanting to draw an answer from his expression in advance, and in the end, the stone in his heart fell to the ground. But instead of sitting down at the big table again, my father opened the front door of the living room, walked through the concrete floor outside the hallway, and opened the courtyard door. My father looked left and right at both ends of the road, but he didn't see anything noticeable, except for two obstructive red and green bicycles on the side of the road not far away.

"Ling'er, okay, you can go out for a while, but remember, don't buy snacks and spend money on the street. Be sure to get home before lunch. Father said as he walked back.

Gu Ling was surprised when he heard the news. She nodded again and again, and walked quickly into her room to pack up. When she was ready, she walked out of the room and into the backyard, and in order not to make her father suspect her again, she pushed the door open and muttered to herself, "I need to go to the toilet before I go to the street." He closed the door and stood on top of the black earth again. Jiang Yang was not on the wall, she stood on tiptoe and looked carefully, and suddenly, she saw a pair of hands attached to the wall.

"Jiang Yang—" she whispered.

"Listen, get up, she's coming." Xiao Ai raised his hand and patted his brother's thigh.

Jiang Yang also heard the shout, and slowly straightened his legs, "How is it?" After seeing Gu Ling, he asked.

"It's okay, it's okay." Gu Ling nodded excitedly.

"Then we'll wait for you outside the door."

"Good. Ay... Wait, it's better to walk away a little bit first to avoid being seen by my parents. ”

"Well, got it. Waiting for you right on the road in front of the school. ”

"Uh-huh." Gu Ling nodded in agreement.

Seeing Gu Ling leaving, Jiang Yang lowered his head and waved his hand, "Let's let go," he carefully stepped down from the stone bricks, "Let's go." ”

Chen Yue and Xiao Ai walked out of the narrow path together after him. "How about it, brother, is she willing to come out?" Xiao Ai stood shoulder to shoulder with his brother and asked him. Jiang Yang replied without looking back: "Yes, my beloved sister, you will be able to see it soon." ”