I always look forward to your return, but the gate is always empty. - Ma Jiujun

Fifty-three years later, in a dilapidated little blue house next to Ganyuan in the Andes, Ma Jiujun wiped the sweat from his forehead, held his breath, held the Phillips screwdriver in his left hand, and carefully tightened the last screw.

The slanting sun shone on the workbench in front of the window, and the blueprints on the table were blown away by the evening wind, but he ignored it, breathed a sigh of relief, and continued the next process in an orderly manner.

There were two barbs hanging on the ceiling, he jumped down, buckled the two mechanical arms, turned the steering wheel at his feet, pulled the iron chain upward, and hung the monkey-shaped machinery with a height of one meter four or five meters. He put on his rubber gloves and mask, picked up the spray gun, flicked the switch, and the paint bucket gurgled and gurgled.

Ma Jiujun likes mechanical gadgets, dozens of lifelike mechanical birds are placed on the iron frame behind him, and other shapes are kept in the storage room next door. From living here, the machine, has been with him for twelve years, chatting to comfort the loneliness in his heart. A quarter of an hour passed, he turned off the switch and collapsed to the ground, his shoulders and arms aching after a day of not closing his eyes, and now he just wanted to make up for it.

The sound of the cold wind outside the window sounded in my ears, although it was July, but the weather was very bad recently. Reaching for the inflatable pillow under his head, he turned his back to the window and was about to fall asleep when the floor sounded like a tower. A dark shadow flashed through the crack of the door, and he frowned, wondering in his heart, could it be that there was someone outside the door? But he is the only one in the little blue room, isn't it...... He got up softly, picked up the silver iron rod hanging from the wall, and hid behind the door. The moment the doorknob was twisted open, he snorted, picked up the silver rod and knocked it down.

The girl wearing denim suspenders and black short sleeves held a big cake in both hands, and said with a ribbon in her mouth: "Raw ......" has not finished spitting out, she was frightened by the oncoming silver rod and froze in place, her eyes widened, and it was too late to avoid it!

A gruff voice sounded behind her: "Stop! The silver rod was grabbed by a thick and powerful hand, and a big face poked out behind the door: "Jiujun!" Do you see who we are? I am confused again, I have long advised you not to be bored in the room all day, to walk more, and to walk more and be in good spirits! ”

Ma Jiujun raised his head and saw that there were two familiar faces, smiled happily, the tiredness and distress on his face were swept away, and he hurriedly hung the silver rod back on the wall: "Qiao Yuan, Jiang Yifan, why are you here?" Don't even tell me, I'll go pick you up!" ”

"Isn't that going to surprise you?" Qiao Fei took a breath and blew away the ribbon, while Jiang Yifan picked up the salute that fell to the ground, the salute erupted from the barrel, and the two celebrated in unison: "Happy eighteenth birthday!" ”

The flowers fell on Ma Jiujun's short black curly hair, to be honest, he didn't remember his birthday at all, every year, as long as someone celebrates the day for him, sooner or later, it is his birthday. Closing his hands, he closed his eyes and acquiesced in his heart: Bright, borrow your one-hundredth-hundredthousandth of the light to dispel the darkness of the world and protect the safety of Qiao Yuan, Jiang Yifan, aunt and uncle. He lowered his head and blew out the candles, and Qiao Yuan coke: "Let's go, there's something delicious outside!" ”

The originally deserted living room was decorated with wildflowers and candles, and the delicacies placed on the dining table, Jiang Yifan patted his chest, and Qiao Yuan gave a thumbs up, the two of them looked strangely cute. Ma Jiujun sat on the chair, his stomach rumbling rudely, and he forgot to eat today. Qiao Fei stroked his curly hair, pursed her mouth and said, "What did you say last time you left?" ”

Ma Jiujun smiled, she was verbose about health issues, and after a few words, she was curious about the green uniform Jiang Yifan was wearing, but he didn't see it when there was no light in the corridor, the candle flame illuminated the sign on his chest, and the two black swords staggered against a round of octagonal sun, as if defending the light: "Yifan, what is your dress?" ”

Jiang Yifan drank wine with a big wine glass, his face began to turn red, and he said proudly: "I joined the army!" ”

Ma Jiujun leaned over excitedly: "Really? "The army is an army that punishes the wicked and upholds justice all over the world, and joining the army is Jiang Yifan's greatest wish.

"Of course it's true! Before I officially enlist in the army, I will come to see my good brother for the last time, or I will carry out the task in the future, maybe I will ......" Jiang Yifan was halfway through his words, Qiao Yuan squinted and stretched out her hand to cover his mouth, prevaricating and said: "Jiujun, Yifan has drunk too much, it's all nonsense, you don't pay attention to him!" ”

"I don't care, it's a good thing, the army is such a distant existence, but now Yifan is also one of them, how great! The outside world is chaotic and dangerous, and one day in the future, he can use his power to destroy those evils, how wonderful! There is no need to come to this ruin often, and besides, I am surprised, happy, and satisfied that you are back this time! Ma Jiujun sat back in his chair and rubbed his itchy right eye.

Qiao Yuan snatched the wine glass from Jiang Yifan's hand and put it back on the table, signaling him to stop drinking, all of which were ruining the atmosphere, and he didn't even look at the occasion to speak. Suddenly, she saw Ma Jiujun get up and leave, and walked towards the storage room, saying that she was taking something, and came back in five minutes, and put a one-foot-long black knife in front of Jiang Yifan: "This is left by my uncle when he left, you take it, maybe it can come in handy in the future, leave me this is idle, it's a waste!" ”

"This thing is too valuable, I don't ......" Jiang Yifan was just about to refuse, there was a labor pain on the soles of his feet, he gritted his teeth in pain, turned his head Qiao Yuan was looking at him angrily, he hurriedly changed his words: "If you don't accept it, it's a waste...... Jiujun, you can rest assured that this black knife will kill the wicked on the battlefield in the future and defend the peace of the world! ”

"That's good!" Ma Jiujun breathed a sigh of relief, he hoped that it would be enough for the black knife to protect him, and it didn't matter if he went to the battlefield or not, "By the way, Fei'er, have you also joined the army?" ”

"No, I'm not that good! But ......" Qiao Yuan's words were stuck in her throat, and she was going to say it when she left, but since he had asked, she simply said: "Jiujun, do you know the 'white fox'?" Ma Jiujun shook his head, he hadn't heard of it. …… In fact, it is similar to the existence of the army, but it is spontaneously organized by the people, and I can take you to know it when I have the opportunity! Of course, rest assured, the area where they operate is in the Andes, and I will be back as soon as I am free! ”

Jiang Yifan said while eating the barbecue on the table: "Look at what you said, what? Is there anything wrong with Jiujun living here alone? All want to come back to see him? ”

“…… That's not what I mean, don't I care about him? What are you talking nonsense here? Qiao Fei angrily quarreled with Yifan. Ma Jiujun held his chin and watched, he didn't mean to stop it, the scene of the two quarreling was the same as when they were separated four years ago. The small blue house was very noisy inside, but the hills outside were desolate and deserted, and someone walked slowly towards it with a white bag in one hand and a pink box in the other.

"No more noise! Let's eat! Today is Jiujun's birthday, he didn't eat it, but you ate a lot! Qiao Yuan entered the kitchen and opened the cabinet on the far left of the upper row, ready to find a kitchen knife to cut a piece of cake for Ma Jiujun, but she didn't know where the knife was received, she asked Jiang Yifan: "The kitchen knife is going to be put back here, don't you remember?" If Steward Zhu sees it, he will definitely teach us a lesson again! ”

Jiang Yifan didn't care: "Put it together with the dishes and chopsticks, it's in the cabinet below!" What are you afraid of, he's not here anyway! ”

The housekeeper Zhu mentioned by the two of them, named Zhu Zhe, is the only two people who live in this small blue house, and is mainly responsible for taking care of Ma Jiujun's daily life on weekdays. He's a weirdo who is strict with others, but whoever enters the house has to follow his puzzling rules, one of which is that kitchen knives must be placed on top, not below.

Ma Jiujun looked up at the hanging bell on the wall, it was six o'clock in the evening, and the housekeeper would prepare the ingredients and come back to cook: "Look at the time, he should come to ask for it!" As soon as he finished speaking, he heard three knocks on the door in the hallway. Jiang Yifan said that the door was locked by him when he came in, "Knock on the door three times, come on, it's Steward Zhu!" Pack up your kitchen knives and I'll open the door!" Ma Jiujun walked to the back of the door, and as soon as the door opened, the cold wind hit his face, and a man in a black tuxedo stood outside the door.

Zhu Zheyi frowned and looked around: "Lock the door?" Has the beast ever been here? Or a wandering ronin? ”

"Neither, good news for you...... Who's coming? Ma Jiujun turned sideways and motioned for him to look into the living room, wanting to see his surprised expression, but he didn't expect Zhu Zhe to keep staring at him with a gloomy face, which made him feel uneasy.

Zhu Zhe said lightly: "There is no one inside!" ”

Ma Jiujun gasped, turned his head, the living room was pitch black, and it looked extremely deserted, and Fang Cai's food, candlelight, cakes, Qiao Fei, and Jiang Yifan all disappeared, making him unbelievable, while muttering to himself: "How can this be? ”

Closing the door, Zhu Zhe turned on the switch on the side of the entrance, and after the light was turned on, the living room warmed up. He handed the pink box in his hand to Ma Jiujun, and touched the back of his head: "Go pour a glass of water to drink, I'll prepare dinner!" ”

Ma Jiujun's eyes were swollen and greasy, and his face was pale, perhaps because of the rush to work on the monkey-shaped machinery, which caused his mental state to be poor, he put away the black knife on the table and sat back in his chair.

Burning the stove, Zhu Zhe opened the cabinet in the upper row and took out the kitchen knife, he said while chopping vegetables: "I guess it's your uncle?" ”

Ma Jiujun shook his head: "It's Qiao Yuan and Jiang Yifan, they look like they're eighteen or nineteen years old, give it to me...... I naturally blended in with the food, and I didn't think it was strange! ”