The winter in Nancheng is not as cold as Rongcheng, the blue sky is high, the sun is warm, and the air is warm and mellow.

After all, after nine years of absence, the scenery outside the bus window is strange, and it is not until the community where my aunt Dai Man lives that I find some familiarity. The seven-storey residential building that was renovated from the old factory dormitory seemed to have been forgotten in the renovation of the whole city.

The old-fashioned stairwell, the handrails are rusty, the steps are full of garbage, the morning sun has not yet fully come out, and the light is a little dim. Most of the glass in the corridor on the fourth floor was shattered, and it was randomly sealed with transparent plastic sheeting with adhesive tape.

Dai Zhi stood in front of his aunt's house, and without waiting for the doorbell to be rang, the people inside happened to open the door and prepare to come out.

The woman who greeted her was thin as a bone, with a dull complexion, and short ear-length hair mixed with silver threads, but in fact she was not yet fifty, but she was deprived of her youth by life early.

"Auntie......" Dai Bei's eyes turned red in an instant, and he had mixed feelings for a while.

The stunned Dai Man didn't recognize the person until Dai Bei called out this sentence, and his lips trembled: "Xiao Zhi? ”

A few minutes later, Dai Zhi sat on the sofa, looked at Dai Man in the kitchen, and couldn't help but say, "Auntie, you don't have to be busy, I'm not a guest." ”

Dai Man ignored her words, and walked out with the cut fruit, looking a little cramped: "There is nothing at home, you eat some apples first, and I will go out to buy them later." ”

Dai Cheng hurriedly pulled Dai Man down and sat beside him: "Auntie, if you are so polite, I will leave immediately, and I will not accompany you for the New Year." ”

"You're going to stay here for the New Year?" Dai Man was surprised, "Why-"

"Auntie." Dai waited to interrupt Dai Man's confusion, affectionately put his arm around her, and leaned on her shoulder as he had done in the past, "You should first scold me for having no conscience and not contacting you for so many years." ”

Dai Man also touched her head as before: "It's right not to contact. ”

There is a dislike between her aunt and her father, and she doesn't know the specific reason, but since she can remember, Dai Naiqian seems to have no sister, and Dai Man also lives in Nancheng to live his own small life, and basically has nothing to do with the Dai family.

So after returning to Rongcheng after the college entrance examination, it was actually Dai Man who deliberately avoided her, not that she did not contact Dai Man.

Because of this, Dai Cheng expected that Dai Man did not know about the "death" she had "died" during this period.

"It's not like you're angry with your mother again and running away from home, right?" Dai Man gently tugged at Dai Bei's hair.

Hearing this, Dai Zhi felt a little compassion in his heart.

In the summer vacation after graduating from junior high school, she and Daisha clashed again, and her mother Lin Yinlan still favored the younger one. She impulsively ran away from home with a little money in her pocket. At that time, she didn't know where to go, but when she bought a ticket, she caught a glimpse of Nancheng, and vaguely remembered that she had an aunt, so she got on the bus as soon as her mind was hot.

As a result, when she arrived in Nancheng, she knew neither the road nor Dai Man's phone, and almost lost it. Later, Dai Naiqian reported to the police and found her whereabouts, so he rarely called Dai Man and asked Dai Man to pick her up first. That time, she was angry for a long time, and she was reluctant to return to Rongcheng, so she stayed at Dai Man's house.

If it weren't for that runaway, she might not have met Gu Qian, let alone relied on her aunt's house for three years for Gu Qian......

Dai waited for a long time and didn't speak, Dai Man only regarded her as a default, and sighed helplessly: "Okay, then stay here for the New Year." I went out grocery shopping. Today's Chinese New Year's Eve, since you are here, you can't be deserted. ”

Dai Zhi hurriedly stood up, "Auntie, I'll go with you!" ”

*

After going out, every few steps, I met the residents nearby, whether it was a child playing or a neighbor returning from grocery shopping, and when I saw Dai Man, I politely shouted "Teacher Dai". When I arrived at the vegetable market, some parents pulled Dai Man to talk about their children, and the familiar vendors also sent some food and meat.

It is not the first time that Dai Man, who is so respected and loved, has seen Dai Cheng. Every now and then, she could spot a smile on Dai Man's face as gentle as a lilac blooming.

On the way, Dai Man couldn't help but poke Dai Zhi's head: "Why are you always staring at me stupidly?" ”

"It's nothing," Dai laughed twice, "I just think that my aunt must have been salivating behind her when she was young." ”

Dai Man gave her a disgusted look, which led the topic to her: "What about you? People who are almost thirty years old can be mothers of their children. ”

An unintentional sentence suddenly hit Dai Zhi's heart.

Dai Man immediately noticed that something was wrong with Dai Zhi, and asked hesitantly: "Xiao Zhi, you and the young man back then ...... you"

Unexpectedly, Dai Man still remembered Gu Qian, and Dai Zhi's expression was a little more unnatural. The next second, she grinned: "Auntie, I've changed boyfriends several times, why are you still staying in the house where I played in high school." ”

Dai Man's expression flickered slightly, and he said regretfully: "I thought you would get married." ”

Dai Zhi pursed his lips: "Auntie, I want to be like you and live alone for the rest of my life." ”

Dai Man stared at Dai for a moment, sighing wordlessly.

After returning from grocery shopping, Dai Man went to the cram school to give the child the last lesson before the year, while Dai Dai took advantage of the time to go to the High School Affiliated to NTU. I wanted to visit my high school alma mater, but when I arrived, I found that the gate of the attached middle school was closed and I couldn't enter.

Helplessly, she took out her mobile phone, took a photo of the school gate, and then clicked on WeChat.

The Nancheng road sign posted in the circle of friends last night, Xiang Yang really replied at the bottom: "You really went back to Nancheng?!! ”

Dai Zhi hooked his lips slightly, did not respond, opened the album, put the attached middle school he had just photographed, thought for a while, and entered a sentence "I don't regret my dream of returning, I just hate it too much".

After sending it, I was about to quit, but I didn't expect Xiang Yang to reply in seconds.

"But when the sorrow goes, it's hard to leave."

Dai was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and chuckled lightly-when will Xiang Yang be able to write a couplet?

Putting away her mobile phone, she continued to walk around the periphery of the attached middle school, and after a while, the gate of Nancheng University appeared in front of her.

As one of the top 10 universities in the country, Nancheng University used to be her goal. This goal came about only because Gu said that as long as she could go to the same university as him, he would agree to her becoming his girlfriend.

Although he acquiesced in advance under her trickery, she still did not forget this agreement, just to get his approval with her strength. At that time, everyone thought that it was more than enough to go to Nancheng University with Gu Qian's grades, but unexpectedly, he actually missed the college entrance examination that year. For this reason, she filled in Rongcheng University, where Gu Zhi is located, with the score of being able to go to Nancheng University.

The memory flickered a little flickering, and by the time Dai came back to his senses, he had already walked to the student street connected by the back door.

It's another place full of memories......

The high school is close to NTU, which is convenient for everyone to come to this student street to hang out. A long street, after nightfall, the shops are lined up on both sides, and there are all kinds of dark food stalls to help, and all kinds of snacks from all over the world are cheap and delicious.

However, after nine years of not coming, the student street seems to have been reorganized, clean and tidy, no garbage, and even the storefronts seem to be uniformly planned. At the end of the year and during the day, most of the shops are closed, and it looks very deserted. I don't know if it's as lively as it used to be, but it inevitably changes.

People are not. Neither is it.

Dai waited to stop and no longer move forward.

On the one hand, there is no need to go any further. On the other hand...... She was inexplicably a little scared.

If you indulge in memories for too long, it's easy to mess with your heart......

Thinking about it, Dai waited to leave.

The moment I turned around, I accidentally caught a glimpse of the signboard of a store at hand. She was stunned, turned her head to take a closer look, her face changed slightly, and immediately browsed all the storefronts along the street one by one, and finally the whole person was like being pointed, unable to move.

In his mind, Xiang Yang's words kept echoing.

"How many years have you not been back to Southtown?"

"I think you need to go back and have a look."

At the intersection not far away, a Bentley stopped for a long time.