Half a month after Lu Xiao left, it had entered the winter moon, and the sky was getting colder, and there were snowflakes flying from time to time. Lu Cong, who stayed alone in Changshuxuan, also became more difficult, in addition to studying with Li Xinting every day, in addition to washing dishes, he also had to wash clothes, clean private schools, and sweep the yard. But my cousin Zhou Shu also began to be more and more harsh, as long as she met Lu Cong, she would say a few ugly words to him, although the small Lu Cong was young, she could also understand the meaning of Zhou Shu's words, and gradually Zhou Shu became a devil-like existence in Lu Cong's heart.

It's like Lu Cong is trying to go out to play, and Zhou Shu will say when he meets him: "What are you going out to play? Do you have the ability to go out to play, don't you know how to finish the work here first?"

Lu Cong said timidly: "I'm done... ”

When Zhou Shu heard this, she became even more angry, walked in front of Lu Cong, stretched out her finger and pinched the root of Lu Cong's tender thigh, and saw that Lu Cong didn't dare to move before she continued: "Are you done? What are you done? You see that this water tank is not full, go and fill the water tank for me!"

Lu Cong had tears in his eyes and didn't dare to fall, and suddenly a tear fell, and Zhou Shu said in a strange manner: "Yo! still crying, crying what! Do you still cry for such a thing? Even if you cry, you have to fill the water tank for me today." ”

Lu Cong whimpered, his eyes were red and he looked at Zhou Shu and said intermittently: "I... I can't pick up the water. ”

When Zhou Shu heard this, she snorted coldly, took out a wooden basin from the kitchen and threw it in front of Lu Cong, and said, "Take this! If you don't fill the water tank, you won't be allowed to eat today!" After speaking, he walked out with the burden in his hand proudly, and thought that he would go to the clothing store first to let the shopkeeper Zhang take a look at the clothes, and then stop by to see if there were any new arrivals in the rouge shop.

After Zhou Shu left, Lu Cong had no choice but to rub the piece of meat at the root of his thigh, and he trembled in pain as soon as he touched it, thinking that it must have been bruised, pinching this place, outsiders can't see it, only he knows the pain.

Lu Cong wiped his tears, turned his head and looked at the private school where there was no one around, he was like a captive sheep. Especially after Lu Xiao left, there was no one who could help him, and he felt uncomfortable thinking of this Lu Cong.

Lu Cong, who was aggrieved, picked up the wooden basin and dragged it behind him, and walked towards a well outside the private school, fortunately, the well was not far from the street, and it was twenty steps away from the private school. There is a small bucket hanging from hemp rope at the side of the well, which is specially used to draw water from the well. However, when Lu Cong grabbed the hemp rope that he could only hold with his two hands and put the bucket into the well, the bucket was always floating on the well water, and it couldn't sink down.

Just when Lu Cong was hungry without anything to do, a hand suddenly took the hemp rope in Lu Cong's hand, shook it hard, and the wooden barrel on the water surface also turned on its side, piercing the mouth of the barrel against the water. Lu Cong took a closer look, and the person in front of him was Liu Mang, a person he liked more in this town. Liu Mang helped Lu Cong fill the wooden basin with water, and said to Lu Cong: "Xiao Cong! Do you know how to shake this bucket skillfully? Don't shake it around, do it against it, follow its direction, see the right time, and do it in one step! This bucket will plunge into the water by itself!"

Lu Cong nodded with a green snot and showed a bright smile at Liu Mang.

Liu Mang, who had a smile on his face, touched Lu Cong's head and suddenly asked: "By the way, have you received the things that your father asked me to give you? There are a lot of snacks in the city! There are also brand-new warm clothes that your father bought for you, what a big bag of things! I can't buy these in Xiadi Town! I handed them over to your cousin the day before yesterday, how about it? You must be very happy!"

Lu Cong blinked and thought, "What is it? my cousin never mentioned it!"

Lu Cong was silent, just said goodbye to Liu Mang, and then used his strength to pick up the basin and walked towards the private school step by step.

At night, Zhou Shu came back, saw that there were water stains in the courtyard of the private school, and saw Lu Cong coming out of the kitchen, so he asked, "Is the water tank full?"

Lu Cong twisted his soaked sleeves and nodded, and said in a low voice, "It's full!"

Zhou Shu raised her eyebrows, and said, "Timman, hurry up and dry the water in this courtyard and go get a broom to sweep." ”

Lu Cong turned around and was about to get a broom, but suddenly stood on his feet again, turned to look at Zhou Shu and asked, "Aunt cousin, did my father bring me something?"

Zhou Shu sneered, and a "hum!" erupted from her two nostrils, twisting her waist and walking towards the back, she said to Lu Cong with the back of her head: "You quickly clean up the water on the ground, I'll go and bring you what your father brought you." ”

Lu Cong smiled lightly, with anticipation in his heart, and quickly ran to sweep away the water in the courtyard with a broom, and it was dry after a while.

After Lu Cong finished sweeping the water, he played with a few stones and a small piece of bamboo in the courtyard, this was the only way for him to play after Lu Xiao left, these stones and bamboos were his partners, and in the eyes of others, it was just a child playing with himself in the courtyard.

Lu Cong looked inside many times, and he was shivering from the cold, so he waited for Zhou Shu.

I saw Zhou Shu beckoning Lu Cong over, and then spread out a piece of brown paper, with half a piece of peach cake on it, accompanied by a lot of debris, Zhou Shu swallowed her saliva and said to Lu Cong: "Lu Cong, this is the snack that your father brought you from the city, but it seems that this paper bag was broken halfway, and now there are all these left, I brought them, you can try it!"

Lu Cong chuckled in his heart, looking like he didn't know what expression to make, and gradually there were tears in his eyes, seeing that the scum on the corner of his cousin's aunt's mouth had not been wiped clean, Lu Cong lowered his head and thought about it and took the half of the peach cake, and then looked at it and closed the open kraft paper, wanting to keep some first.

Seeing this, Zhou Shu took out an old jacket from behind her and handed it to Lu Cong, and said: "This is also what your father bought for you, see if it fits?" If it doesn't fit, I'll take it to the clothes store and change it for you." ”

Lu Cong was a little lost, he didn't speak, he held a brown paper bag in one hand and an old jacket in the other, and went to the firewood room.

Zhou Shu also shouted: "Hurry up!"

Lu Cong, who returned to the firewood room, couldn't hold back any longer, hugged the bag of peach crisp and whimpered softly, and the tears in the whole firewood room were warm. After crying for a long time, Zhou Shu suddenly knocked on the door vigorously, and pushed Lu Cong behind the door to the ground, and Lu Cong was so frightened that he immediately wiped away his tears.

Zhou Shu asked impatiently, "Did you try?"

Lu Cong nodded.

"Does it fit?"

Lu Cong nodded again.

Zhou Shu snorted coldly and said with some anger: "It's really impossible to hit a fart with one shot!"

Zhou Shu, who was about to leave, suddenly turned around and said to Lu Cong: "I won't cook tonight, there are steamed buns in the kitchen, so you can eat them!" After speaking, Zhou Shu left directly.

Lu Cong, whose stomach was growling, got up and patted his buttocks, and closed the door of the firewood room without a latch again. By the moonlight, he looked at several small wooden figures of different shapes beside the bed, which Lu Xiao did with him. When the two play together, they will choose one of them as their respective roles, and then talk about the stories that suddenly come to mind in their minds, sometimes they are heroes, sometimes scholars, sometimes young masters, and add to this little wooden man, just like the villain in this hand is himself, with a rich and brilliant life, but under normal circumstances, they are talking, and the two brothers fell asleep together.

At this moment, Lu Cong quietly took off the wet and cold clothes on his body, took a small wooden figure and got into the quilt, pressed the quilt all around him, leaving no gaps, and gradually warmed himself, just like he carefully cared for the hope in his heart that he could continue to live here, and then fell asleep with a smile.

In the next month, Zhou Shu still "took care" of Lu Cong as usual, and Li Xinting, who didn't dare to ask, could only care about Lu Cong's study from time to time, so Lu Cong was still happy in his heart. But Lu Cong had more things in his heart! Because it was already Layue, his father Lu Zhongyin was about to come to pick him up. Even if Lu Cong saw that his cousin Zhou Shu secretly threw away a lot of papers that looked the same as the kraft paper wrapped in peach cakes, Lu Cong only kept it in his heart and didn't let himself think about it.

This day passed quietly, although Lu Cong was happy when he was alone, and he looked like a happy child, but as soon as Zhou Shu appeared, Lu Cong immediately stopped his voice, for fear that Zhou Shu would be unhappy again, and rushed forward to pinch the root of his thigh.

In this way, Lu Cong, who is cautiously like crossing the river by touching the stones, is looking forward to it day by day, looking forward to the fact that when the New Year is approaching, a majestic figure will suddenly appear on the other side of the river and pick himself up, and then take himself to live happily together and leave this oppressive clutches.