It was late at night, and the waiting room of a small building in the family courtyard of the Provincial Geological Bureau was still lit.

"Lao Chen, come and see, which of these girls is better?" asked Chen Jiahe, who was sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper. There were seven or eight photos on the table in front of her, all of them young girls, handsome.

"Old woman, you don't have to worry about it. That kid can only be in the middle of it, what do I think it's for?" Chen Jiahe took off his reading glasses from his face and took a sip from his water glass.

"Look at you, you said you wanted to find a girlfriend for Xiao Xiangzi. Look at it, I think this one is good. The old lady said and pinched a photo and stretched it out in front of Chen Jiahe.

"Well, that's good. Isn't this the daughter of Mayor Guo's family?" Chen Jiahe looked at the old woman suspiciously.

The old lady nodded mysteriously.

"Will Lao Guo ask his baby daughter to marry an orphan?" Chen Jiahe glanced at him disdainfully.

"Who said it was an orphan? I can tell Mrs. Guo, this is my youngest son. The old lady argued with a glance at him.

Chen Jiahe looked him up and down, "Little son, this is a fraud!" He put on his glasses again, spread out the newspaper again, and muttered, "It's only going to give birth to girls, so you can tell the little son when you see the cubs." If you can give me such a son, I will bring you tea and water. ”

"Lao Chen, are you finished? My daughter is not a child, and I am not satisfied with giving birth to you at once?" said the old lady, got up stupidly, sat back at the table, and said while studying the photos on the case: "Besides, I will recognize Xiangzi as a son when he comes back, you wait to bring me tea and pour water." ”

Suddenly, the phone rings. The old lady muttered as she got up, "Who's calling so late?" ”

Deputy Director Wang's voice came from the other end of the phone, "Sister-in-law, is Lao Chen asleep?"

"Not yet, you wait. Then he turned his head and shouted at Chen Jiahe, "Lao Wang's call, come and answer it." ”

"The old man next door! hates people, and makes harassing phone calls in the middle of the night. Chen Jiahe laughed and scolded as he got up, causing the old lady to glance at him.

"Chen Ju, there's something wrong over there. As soon as Chen Jiahe raised the phone, Director Wang said hurriedly.

Chen Jiahe shuddered, "What's wrong?"

"Six comrades were sacrificed. Director Wang replied in a low voice.

"What, what did you say? Six?" Chen Jiahe was taken aback. He had been to that snowy area more than a decade ago and knew it was dangerous. But this time, it is said that the second team only went a few hundred kilometers deep, far from the distance they entered at the beginning, and it is still a safe area. The people who were sent later only cooperated with the rescue, why did such a big thing happen?

After a short silence, Chen Jiahe asked, "What about Xiangzi?"

There was silence again, and after a long time, Director Wang's voice came again, "Sacrificed." ”

"Mom, what did I say at the beginning? You have to let him go, can you do this to train young people? You sent Ma Ruilin from the second team, and Tian Xiang from the sixth team was also tossed by you. My comrade-in-arms' daughter is still lying on the bed waiting for him to come back, your mother ......" Chen Jiahe scolded.

"Chen Ju, Chen Ju, you dissipate your anger, we don't want to ......" Director Wang didn't know how to explain on the phone.

Chen Jiahe hung up the phone with a "poof", his eyes were full of tears, and his body trembled slightly.

"What's wrong?" the old lady hurriedly came over to help him sit back on the sofa.

Chen Jiahe leaned back on the sofa cushion and was silent for a long time, "Something happened to Xiangzi." ”

The old lady was taken aback, stared at him and asked, "What happened?"

Chen Jiahe met her gaze and replied with a little choked up: "Sacrificed." ”

"What are you talking about?" he couldn't help but look at the pictures on the table, and sat down on the couch with a pop. After a long time, he slowly got up, walked to the table, and silently put away the photo, "This child is so pitiful." After a pause, he said in a trembling voice: "The girl from the old Xue family is really pitiful, she has advanced leukemia, and she is waiting for him to come back to see her for the last time, but now she ......" She choked up and couldn't speak.

The autumn rain is dashing, accompanied by a breeze hitting the glass, leaving a faint fine mark. In a ward on the fourth floor of the hospital, Xue Yuxin, who was hung with oxygen, lay quietly on the hospital bed, staring out the window with a dull gaze. The black hair is gone, the haggard and pale face has thin teardrops, the acacia stone is gently rubbed in his hand, and the beautiful past flashes in his mind. "I only hope that the sky is free of frost and snow, and I will always accompany you in this life. She read silently, her heart shattered.

At the head of the bed sat the middle-aged couple, looking at their beloved daughter sadly and quietly wiping away tears.

"Mom!" Xue Yuxin called softly.

The middle-aged woman hurriedly approached, "Xin, what's wrong?"

Xue Yuxin shook her head gently, "My daughter is not filial. After speaking, tears were like strings, gently sliding down his face.

"No, no, don't be cranky, kid, you'll be fine. The middle-aged man was relieved.

After a brief silence, Xue Yuxin said, "I want to hear Tian Xiang's voice. ”

"Silly boy, there is no signal in the snowy region, didn't Uncle Chen say it earlier. The middle-aged woman replied sadly.

"I wonder when he will come back?" Xue Yuxin seemed to be muttering to herself.

"After so many days, it should be soon, as soon as you get home, your Uncle Chen will arrange for him to come over. Xin, I'll call again. After speaking, the middle-aged man took out his mobile phone and walked out of the ward, feeling miserable in his heart.

As soon as he came out of the ward, he looked up and saw Chen Jiahe sitting on the bench outside the door with his head drooping, sighing.

"Lao Chen, when did you come?" Xue Yuxin's father asked in a low voice.

"It's been a long time. Chen Jiahe glanced up at him, and subconsciously took out a cigarette from his pocket and stuffed it into his mouth. He was fumbling for a lighter when a nurse came up to him and shouted, "You can't smoke in the hospital!" Chen Jiahe impatiently pulled down the cigarette in his mouth and threw it into the trash can not far away.

Xue Yuxin's father saw that his expression was wrong, and he was secretly shocked in his heart, "What's wrong......?

Chen Jiahe nodded heavily, silently confirming his comrades' guesses.

Xue Yuxin's father's brief shock was followed by endless sadness, with tears in his eyes, and scolded angrily: "God is unfair to my family Yuxin!"

Chen Jiahe hurriedly got up, pulled him aside, and motioned for his voice to be lower. Xue Yuxin's father touched his tears, left the ward side by side with Chen Jiahe, and on the stone bench downstairs in the hospital, the two men lit cigarettes and were silent.

After a long time, Xue Yuxin's father asked, "Is the news confirmed?"

"Sure!" Chen Jiahe took a deep breath as he bit the cigarette butt hard, "Eleven comrades have been sent and six have been sacrificed. The five comrades who remained behind are recuperating in the local area and will return in a few days. A report was made on the phone, and Tian Xiang's sacrifice was seen with their own eyes. ”

"My Yuxin is still waiting for him!" Xue Yuxin's father said in despair.

"Because of this, I don't know how to be a good ......" Chen Jiahe felt extremely guilty.

Xue Yuxin's father extinguished the cigarette butt that was about to burn out, and lit it again, "My Yuxin is so pitiful. He sobbed as he spoke.

"Old Xue, don't ...... like this" Chen Jiahe wanted to comfort him, but he couldn't find the right wording, and sighed, "The two children are pitiful." ”

"What now?" Xue Yuxin's father was extremely helpless, "The child's last wish will not come true." ”

Chen Jiahe sighed, and after a long time, he said: "It's better not to let the children know first, you can hide it from one day at a time." ”

Xue Yuxin's father looked at him for a long time, "Lao Chen, I really shouldn't have asked you to recruit that kid into the Geological Bureau, what the hell is going on? There are so many idlers in the bureau, why don't you send this kid to the snowy region?"

Lao Chen drooped his head and took a hard puff of his cigarette, "I don't feel good either, your sister-in-law also said that he would wait for him to come back and recognize him as a son." Just now, the old lady scolded me, and I ......"

"Yes!" Xue Yuxin's father got up and walked to the inpatient building without looking back.