"Teacher Zhou wants to know that you are not feeling well and come out, so you have to scold you. When the time comes, I will have to be affected by you, she can't cure you, and she can't cure me? I wanted to joke with Mu Zheng, but suddenly felt that the sentence "I can't cure you" shouldn't be said. I subconsciously covered my mouth and looked cautiously at him sitting by the other window.

"Well, doesn't she know yet? Something happened, I carried it alone. He smiled at me.

"Are you sure you're okay now?"

"No problem. After eating and resting for a while, I felt a lot better. ”

The taxi crossed the bridge in silence. We are driving to the north of the river, and now it is more than seven o'clock, the bridge is brightly lit, but the fog on the river is churning, and the two banks cannot be seen clearly, only the faint lights remain. It may rain later, and we're heading to the most cloudy spots.

"Right, young man, you're right?" The driver asked again.

"That's right, master. Thank you. He replied politely.

"Is there anybody? I heard that it has been emptied in the past few years. It used to be really lively, and business was easy to do. Not now. ”

"There are always a few, after all, the factory and the building are all there. I asked very clearly this time, and told my friend that I would definitely be there tonight. ”

The master didn't say anything more. I wanted to know, so I asked him who he was looking for. So, in the midst of the shadows inside the car and the lights outside the car, he told me a story.

During the days when he was hospitalized, Mu Zheng met a sister in the next bed, she was 28 years old and a teacher. He remembered the name on her bed, Li Wan, although he didn't know how to pronounce the second word at the time. Same disease, only she was more severe. When she is in good spirits, she will patiently teach how to play his little guitar well. How necessary it is to tune the strings, it is not enough to make a big difference. If you don't grasp the beat well, no matter how clearly you remember the score, you won't be able to play the desired effect. Rigorous yet light, she is a musical initiator who has progressed from making noise to making sounds that people can hear. Xuexue likes music so much, in addition to Mr. Huang's intentional or unintentional influence on him, the sister he met in the ward played a key role. She introduced them to what it takes to be in a band, and in turn countless famous people in the music scene. When the friends were still in music class, Xuexue and Mu Zheng were listening to and feeling the works that had become art repeatedly. Time has proven the taste of this sister. After a few years of sleeping underground, a piece of music she had hummed for her two children sounded again in Mu Zheng's small room. At that time, the singer who composed the piece won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Hearing the news, the two of them silently leaned together, reminiscing about the past and seeing the leaves fall in the October rain. The people who accompanied them in those dark days, her life has been scattered in the wind. Learning to pluck the guitar strings, Mu Zheng seemed to hear a distant whimper.

Li Wan has a younger brother, about the same age as us, almost twenty years younger than her, and often comes to visit my sister with my father. Her father was a short, middle-aged man, with a dark complexion and a dark blue coat, who was a worker. He held his youngest son's hand, not like a father, but like an uncle—not old enough to be like a grandfather. Her mother didn't come very often, but what impressed her was her big hands. In winter, there are often several chilblains on the back of the hands. When it is more severe, it will remind people of a baby's small mouth.

Her brother was very well-behaved. He never made a loud noise, and every time he entered the ward, he would nod and greet those who looked at him. The clothes are not very new or pretty, but they are always neatly dressed. He was a well-behaved child who could wear old clothes, his collar would never wrinkle or yellow, his coat should be zipped tightly, his trousers would be firmly attached to the back of his tongue, and his laces would never fall apart or fall to the floor—these were impossible for a boy of that age.

When he first came, he walked to his sister's bed, and his sister asked him to sit down, but he shook his head and refused, but his father was not polite, and sat straight to the end of the bed. My sister pointed to the bed on the side and said that this little brother is called Mu Zheng, and there is a younger brother named Huang Minxue, both of them are as old as you and can play football. So he walked to Mu Zheng's bedside in a dignified manner, and shouted with some restraint, Brother Mu Zheng is good, Brother Minxue is good, my name is Li Bin, Li of Dawn, and Wen Wen is polite. Mu Zheng remembered the name, as well as his thin body and fluffy hair. Learn from him, what position do you play? He said that if he has played as a striker, he can also pull on the side or in the middle. Mu Zheng smiled, one person can do the things of the two of us, it's awesome. My sister looked at Mu Zheng and said, when you get better, you can play football together, and I'll watch quietly. If you play well and win the championship, I will teach you to sing We are the champions, the song of Queen, which means "we are the champions", the champion is the champion, remember?

Mu Zheng thought, if one day, the three of them become teammates, and Sister Li Wan sings to us, then she and I must be fine. It's much harder to beat your illness than to win a soccer game – I'll be the champion of champions.

Sister, is Brother Mu Zheng okay? Li Bin's careless question silenced the ward. The white walls make this small space like a transparent boat floating in the sea, and none of the patients who are sailors know how long the calm will last, and naturally they don't know where the shore waiting for them will be or when it will arrive. Healthy people, despite being with the sick through thick and thin, always stand on the shoreline called "life". Even if the sick relatives and friends are close by, the fire of their life is swaying on the unpredictable sea, never knowing whether tomorrow will be extinguished on the other side or will be ignited again on this shore.

He'll get better soon, he's in great shape. You will go back to the green field and run together against the sun, like three little trees chasing the sun. There will come a day when I can walk out onto the balcony and open the window and I can see you and hear your little feet kicking the balls. That's what she said, I don't remember exactly. The children were very happy to hear it, and Mu Zheng almost had the illusion that he would recover tomorrow.

But it's always a little uncomfortable to recall those words now.

Mu Zheng is a little jealous of Li Bin, not just because he has a healthy body – for patients, every healthy person makes them aware of the abnormality of their body and situation. The world is ridiculous, two children of the same age, both like football, both like music, one is healthy and can go to school, and the other is lying in a hospital bed, not knowing whether it will be on earth or heaven when he opens his eyes the next day. Why am I the child who lies down and waits to die? What did I do wrong? Whenever this strange question came up, Mu Zheng wanted to shed tears. But to whom can he show it? He couldn't cry when his mother was around. He couldn't cry when she wasn't there, and there were many people in the ward who were worse than him, especially the sister next door. When he was still in kindergarten, his father took him to get vaccinated with Xuexue. It was a very ordinary morning, the clouds were light and the wind was light, the sun was mild, and Mu Zheng would not have thought that his father would become a hero twenty days later and disappear from his side. The injection room of the hospital was filled with children, and the cries and cries were endless, coupled with the evasive footsteps and the chasing of parents, it was as if it was rushing to a market. Dad was dressed in civilian clothes and took off his police badge and hat, just like all dads. He said to Mu Zheng very gently, you will go first later, and you will learn younger than you. If you're scared, you can cry, but don't shout out, because if you shout, you'll be even more scared, and you'll be scared too, understand? Mu Zheng nodded sensibly, keeping his father's words in mind. He noticed that Xuexue was also listening very attentively, and nodded his head with him, with a greater amplitude than he did. The two of them were one of the few children in the injection room who didn't cry or make a fuss that day, and they were praised by the nurse and the father.

After his father was gone, Mu Zheng did not forget this way of behaving in the world. At most, I buried myself in the quilt and wept, so that no one could see it, especially if I didn't want my sister on the side to see it. Occasionally, he felt that he was not only alive for himself, nor just for his mother and Xuexue, and his father, who was gone, but he was also living for the person in the hospital bed next door. Live one more day, the body becomes a little better, and everyone can feel hope, especially the sister next to her.

But it was still recognized. Wrapped in a trembling quilt in broad daylight, how can you hide it from others? She reluctantly got out of bed, patted the quilt, and asked him what was wrong. He said he was changing his pants. You've changed for ten minutes, she said. When she opened it, she saw his face crying like a little cat. Missed Mom? Still miss your little buddy? She asked. He just shook his head. She said, wipe away your tears, you're a little man, don't cry. She lay back on her bed and hummed a song that only he could hear, like a whisper in the night, the shadows floating on the ceiling diluted and dripping. Mu Zheng asked, what is the name of this song. My sister said, guess a riddle for you, and the answer is the name of the song. This riddle comes from a movie called "Life is Beautiful", and it is a sentence: when you call her name, she disappears. What is it?

I do not know. If I call someone, she will disappear when I call her, then I will never call her, and I will never call her, never for the rest of my life. Mu Zheng cried and said. Don't disappear, don't disappear, okay? No one should disappear. I'm so scared.

Don't cry, you're such a stupid boy. Through the gap left by the bedside stool, she smiled at him, pale and gentle. It's a riddle. The answer to it is silence. As soon as you speak, the silence disappears. If you're not happy, just say it, let the silence disappear, and the unhappy things will disappear.

Perhaps inspired by this sentence, Mu Zheng ran to the school and broke the long-standing silence between him and his classmates on the blackboard with chalk. After being dragged back to the ward, Teacher Zhou severely reprimanded Mu Zheng, who was paralyzed on the bed. She left the room with red eyes and went to wash his clothes. Mu Zheng blamed himself while hanging water, and his sister opened her mouth and said that you have a good mother, don't make her angry in the future. Mu Zheng agreed. My sister asked again, why can't I see your father all the time? He's dead, Mu Zheng said. So, I'm sorry, little man, I didn't mean to. It's okay, sister, I know. So she then asked, "So, do you have any brothers and sisters?" No, my grandfather's family is only my father's, and I don't have uncles and aunts. On my mother's side, my grandfather died very early, and my mother and my grandmother have been dependent on each other since childhood. I don't have any older siblings. Xuexue is my best friend. Oh, in this way, then you have to be kind to your mother, and you have to live better, after all, it is a handle, and your family's incense will be passed on. My sister laughed. By the way, have you ever thought about having a younger sibling? I think I would love to have it, if only I had a healthy younger brother and sister, I would definitely be a good older brother. Mu Zheng said. Even if they are sick, I have to spoil them, but it's impossible, Dad is gone. Not necessarily, what if your mother meets a very good person and wants to reorganize the family, my sister said, just like in "Family with Children", have you seen it? Can you accept that someone you don't know suddenly becomes your younger sibling? Mu Zheng twisted his head and thought about it, and said that if my mother wanted to get married again, the other party would definitely be a very, very good uncle and would be very good to me. Even if I suddenly have a brother or sister who is not related by blood, I can get along with him. What if it's an ignorant child who needs you to take care of everything? My sister continued to ask. No way? Honestly, who can I take care of now? Mu Zheng shook his head. As long as I get better, I can handle the bearish child. There could not be anything more difficult in the world than the difficulties I am facing now. Of course, he didn't say that last word.

The casual chatter that day seemed to make Mu Zheng vaguely understand why he was jealous of Li Bin. In addition to his healthy body, he also has an older sister. A gentle and considerate sister who sings well, has gone to a good university, and has played guitar and bass. If only she were healthy, we all had to be healthy.

This jealousy completely disappeared on the day when the summer of the third grade was approaching. Mu Zheng found that Li Yun's father had not come to the hospital to see her for a long time, but her mother appeared frequently. And my sister's health is getting worse, she eats less and less, she lies in bed all day, motionless except for her eyes, and has to be helped by a nurse to pull up the curtain when she goes to the toilet. On the contrary, Mu Zheng seems to be gradually recovering, at least his spirit is much better than before. Judging from the tone of my mother's voice to the doctors and nurses, it seems that the miracle that I have been waiting for for a long time is quietly happening. Mu Zheng was not very happy, which reminded him of the experience of sending a report card, first looking at himself, and then at the study, he was embarrassed to show a happy expression. However, now that I have fallen behind in so many classes, even if I go back, I have to make up for it slowly, and it is estimated that I will fall to the last of the class. You won't repeat a grade, will you?

Mu Zheng was thinking wildly, and suddenly found that Xuexue really walked in front of him, as if his fantasy had become a reality. There happened to be no one else in the ward that day, only two patients and healthy students remained. Mu Zheng asked him about the results of the unit test, which were still the same, ordinary except for English. Why do you ask me about the exam as soon as you come up, you're not happy to study, do you only have the exam in your mind? Then you will take the test for me? I'd rather go back to the exams, or go to school. Mu Zheng laughed, and also heard the small laughter of Li Wan lying on his back.

Then Li Bin and his mother came. She aged so fast and so powerfully, just like the idiom described, gray hair overnight. She walked tremblingly towards her sister, who seemed to be waiting for this moment and had been preparing for it for a long time. Mu Zheng, she turned her head to look at the adjacent bed with difficulty, you said it was better yesterday, is that so? I heard from the doctor that you can get out of bed and walk away. Mu Zheng nodded. Xiaobin, Xuexue, you two accompany him downstairs to play, don't be too far, can't go outside the hospital, okay? It's not so much a proposal as a request from my sister. They agreed without any problems. helped Mu Zheng up from the side of the bed, and even though the weather was a little hot, he still put a coat on his hands. They carried Mu Zheng on the left and right, and they went out with ease. Li's mother then closed it.

They didn't go downstairs. Li Bin said that he wanted to hear it, his father didn't come home for half a month, and his mother didn't mention him, so she said that she was going out to work, maybe she would talk to her sister about him. Mu Zheng agreed. He wondered what was going on with his sister's health.

Did the old man run away?

No. What are you thinking, kid? Are your parents such people?

It's nothing. I only know that some people are not worthy of being parents at all, especially those who ruin their children's lives.

What do you mean?

Don't you just want a handle? I was reading a book, and when I came home for the Chinese New Year, I suddenly found that there was one more person. Well?

What do you mean by a handle? Xuexue asked in a low voice. Li Bin also shook his head in confusion. They looked at Mu Zheng, and he blushed.

Don't you like Binbin? You brought him well, he was cute and sensible......

yes, I like him. I am willing to give up that job in Shanghai for him, I can break up with my boyfriend for him, I go to work day and night for him, I have done it all, no complaints, right? But you damn it with your conscience and say, before you gave birth to him, did you discuss it with me? Have you asked your daughter's opinion? I'm not a family member at all. Xiaobin was stuffed to me by you. There's nothing wrong with him, and I can only love him. He's a good boy, and that's the only relief I've had in all my years. But what about you? The old man said that there was a problem with his body, and he patted his ass and was laid off. Well, you still have a little conscience, and the haircut is still the same, but how many people are left in that factory? Doesn't my brother have to be raised by me?

Wanyun, calm down, there is something wrong with your parents, but there must be a boy in the family......

Yes, so I'm superfluous, if only you had given birth to your brother in the morning. He's almost grown up, I'm useless, it's time to go. Bear with me, it won't be long. Why don't you let the old man take you with you? Let Xiaobin stay with me for a while, he was brought up by me. When I die, let him go with you to enjoy the blessings, will you be successful?

Don't say that, you'll be fine. Binbin is still young......

No matter how young I am, I can't raise it. The doctors have said that at this stage, there is no use except waiting for miracles. Save some money for my brother to marry a daughter-in-law and wait to hold my grandson, I'm serious. I want to give up.

Do you hate us very much?

Don't you hate? Why not hate? I was only twenty years old at the time, and I hadn't learned how to deal with anyone, and you wanted me to be a mother, is there anything more ridiculous in the world? When you are a teacher, you have to take an exam, you have to take an exam, you have to take an exam, and when you are a civil servant, why don't you take an exam when you are a parent? Are you eligible? Am I eligible?

Isn't that how they all came here......

So rightfully so? Other people's families want boys, but our family must squeeze our daughters dry, right? Are you happy with this result? Is my brother happy? If he knew it, he would be sad to die. Damn, I want to be mad at you, but I feel sad at the mention of Xiaobin. He was not at fault at all, so why should he bear all this? Did you ever consider having this day when you secretly gave birth to him? Tell me, have you thought about it?

Wanyun, don't say that, Mom can't stand it.

Now that I know I'm sad, what did I do earlier? It's too late, it's too late. I don't have a few days. I'm human too, I have feelings, and I have my own life. If I wanted, I could have a younger brother and take care of him like my mother did when he grew up. I did, but it wasn't my will, it wasn't my choice. You gave birth to him in a daze, and then said that you couldn't raise him, so you pushed it to me. I've ruined you like this for the rest of my life. Forget it, what's the use of saying this? If you are angry, you have to lose your life, you old man should live well, don't let Xiaobin become a child without a sister and a mother.

Mu Zheng and Xuexue both noticed that Li Bin was trembling, as if he was standing in the snow wearing only a single coat in winter. They kept gently patting and petting him, like two puppies tending to their companion who had fallen to the ground with hunger. Li Bin was restraining himself from making any sound, although he couldn't control his tears.

Stopped talking? Where the hell did the old man go? Ran away?

Don't say that. Mom has money, and she has to continue to be treated.

Where did you get the money? Cut Bill Gates' head?

Mom and Dad are old and useless. There is still a little savings at home, plus a patchwork with relatives, which is enough. I went to the doctor and can arrange surgery for you. Or else, just treat it?

Pull it down, I don't have a number of how much money we have left? Less nonsense. How could those relatives be willing to borrow money? It's too late for people to hide from you. Just tell me straight, where did the money come from?

Mom can't say.

Dare to do it or not?

Mom can't say.

What can't be said? I'm all going to die. It can't be the old man who steals and cheats, right? Forgive him for not having the ability, he can only bully and bully his daughter.

Don't say that about your dad.

Parents like you, doing such a thing, and not letting the dying people complain and complain?

Your dad went first.

What do you mean?

His waist is not good all the time, or he will not be able to do it. In order to save money for your treatment, he went to work.

It's a bride price for my brother, right?

There was an accident at the construction site half a month ago. The other workers are young, and your father can't run, so he can't leave. You see, this is a list of compensation, 300,000.

Didn't my mother tell me that my father was going to work in other places? Li Bin's voice was as light as thin paper, and his little face twitched in pain, and Mu Zheng and Xuexue realized that their almost mechanical slapping did not serve to comfort them at all. The two of them were panicking when Li Bin suddenly stood up and rushed towards the staircase. Xuexue, you go and chase him, I can't run, you catch him, don't let him have an accident. Mu Zheng said while crying and trying his best to keep his voice low. Xuexue ran out without saying a word. A heavy sense of powerlessness hit Mu Zheng by the door, and he squatted down dejectedly, leaning his head against the gray wall clumsily, and continued to listen to the sounds in the room. The hospital has its lights on at all times, making it impossible to tell the time of day outside. The dizzy light and the sound of chasing footsteps distorted the long, hollow corridors, and crying and laughing simultaneously in every corner of the wall, the world shrinking and rapidly falling in the eyes.

You are not afraid that the operation will fail, the people will be gone, and the money will be gone.

Mom, as long as Wan Wan is still alive, she doesn't want anything else.

I can't guarantee that. Alas, really, what did you do earlier? You are so pathetic. Don't think that I don't hate you anymore, I hate you to death, and now I just pity you. You don't know anything but work. My dad is a little man, with soft ears, and he is what his relatives say. Is it worth it to put your life into it in order to have a handle? 300,000, one life, ha, it's funny. Treat me? This is your brother's bride price, your pension money. It's Dad's life. Don't smash it in the water.

Mom, as long as you live.

It's you who threw the money into the water.

Mu Zheng struggled to stand up and insisted on walking towards the stairs step by step. He couldn't listen anymore. The relationship between patients is special, and everyone may see each other as a mirror. Not only do you refer to each other's conditions and treatment results, but the experiences of others may also become your own at some point in the future. Mu Zheng couldn't imagine that he was not the only one around him who lost his father. In addition to hearing this sudden news, he also vaguely felt a possibility, although he couldn't figure out what this feeling was at the time. But after a few years, he understood that perhaps this fate would also befall him. No, not on him. He is a person who will die at some point for no reason, and this lack of reason has nothing to do with the disease in the body, it is linked to age. He was at an age where no one should think of death, the death of a child was the most incredible thing in the world, and yet the black vines of another world had entangled him. There is only one person who accepts this fate of nothing: his mother. As a patient, as a child, or as a son, Mu Zheng had no strength to keep himself outside the ward.

Xuexue caught Li Bin, hugged him tightly, and sat on the dark tile steps of the stairwell. I hurt my sister and my father. He said. If it weren't for me, my sister wouldn't have gotten sick and my dad wouldn't have died. I shouldn't have been born. It's fine without me. Mu Zheng stepped down the steps and squatted in front of the two of them, his steps heavy and soft.

Binbin, don't cry. We are men and we are not allowed to cry.

Liar, you're crying yourself, how embarrassed to say me.

I am a patient and I can cry. You are not sick, you don't cry when you study.

As he spoke, the two of them turned their heads to look to the side, and they both lowered their heads.

For a child of this age, in the face of this kind of thing, there is really no other way than to cry and hug in despair. This is different from the experience in the injection room, where the crying conveyed panic, and when Mu Zheng recalls the narrow stairwell, he feels not only the fear of the unknown and death, but also the close connection between the three of them. At that moment they really saw each other's inner worlds, even though it was just a little boy trembling helplessly. Through this trembling, they confirmed each other's existence, a kind of "I will always be with you, never separated" existence. No one said anything more, and the only sound in the air was snot and tears wiping damp, but they all seemed to tell each other that you still have a friend, no, more than one.

I can't remember how I got back to the ward, the sky was spinning, the ceiling and tiles were turning into blurred clock dials moving, and the tears on my face and the red of my eyes couldn't be washed away. It was soon exposed. Li Wan's mother took Li Bin away, believing that she would soon tell him the facts of what had happened. As soon as they left, Li Wan asked Mu Zheng, who was lying back on the bed, with a bleak smile, how did it feel to peek into other people's secrets?

Not good at all. Xuexue answered for him.

Xiaobin knows everything?

It was not clear what else they could say other than apologize. When my sister speaks, it's nothing to know. Sooner or later, you can't keep it a secret, it's better to know sooner. By the way, you two little ghosts, listen to me.

The eyes of the two of them were as serious as those of first-year students on the first day of school.

If I'm not there one day, you can accompany Xiaobin more. His life is no better than mine. The house assigned to my family by the factory was sold, and there were only two people left in the family, and most of them would have to go back to the barber shop in the future. That broken place, there are fewer and fewer people, and it is very deserted, and if you want me to say, it was demolished and pulled down early. There weren't a few kids left. I'm not afraid of anything else, I'm afraid that he will be bored and panicked alone, and he will miss me in the end. At that point, it's useless to think about me, there is no more of me.

No, sister, you'll be fine, aren't you going to have surgery? Mu Zheng said, his voice intermittent. I feel like I'm getting better, and you'll be okay too. Binbin can't live without your sister. I can't live without you either. Didn't you say that it would be up to the three of us to win the championship?

I don't have any hope, the operation should be a wish of my parents, I pity them. I did, and they were relieved. Well, if you get it, I'll see it, no matter where I am. When a gust of wind blows, I think I heard it. Forget it, I won't coax you, it's boring. Let's just say that, Mu Zheng, I envy you. You have a good mother and the best friend in the world, I see it all. Unlike me, there's nothing to worry about. What's more, you can get better, and one day, you can go back to school, go back to the football field, and grow up healthy like other children. It doesn't sound like anything special, but it's a luxury to live like this. You're all fresh, I'm old. So, you two have to cherish yourselves, don't repeat my mistakes, and give your whole life to someone else. When you grow up and have your own life, you have to think about it. Entering into other people's lives and creating new lives cannot be sloppy. Hey, I'm telling you all this, I'm confused, but it's cute. You can choose the life you want, and I think Xiaobin can too. That's nice. Cherish this opportunity and don't waste it.

The two of them agreed, though they didn't understand it. She turned her head to the other side on the pillow, the dust on the wall peeling off like time. This was the last time Mu Zheng had heard Sister Li Yun say for so long. They spent a few more days together until her sister went for her surgery. A creaking cot pushed into the room, and she was lifted to it, saying goodbye to the little boy with the turn of her eyes. Before that, she said, her twenty-ninth birthday would be in a few days. My brother will use the little change he has saved to buy her a small cake and eat it together. Mu Zheng nodded fiercely.

In the few days without my sister, time passed unusually slowly. Lying on the bed in a daze, Mu Zheng felt like the root of a small tree, growing secretly in every piece and every inch. Summer is approaching, especially when you hear the dense sound of insects and lingering wings. A small flying insect landed on his tousled hair as evening approached, and with a shake of its head, it landed on the white sheets of the hospital bed, and struggled desperately on all fours. Mu Zheng looked at it until it struggled to turn over, flew away slowly, and disappeared into the suspended air.

On the day of her sister's birthday, Mu Zheng woke up late. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw Xuexue sitting on the empty bed next to him, looking at him intently, kicking two little short legs. Mu Zheng said, you come down, today is my sister's birthday, and she will come back later. Xuexue snorted and said what happened to sitting, and what does it have to do with birthdays. Of course it matters, Mu Zheng said, Binbin bought the cake. But it's small, if you sit on the bed crumpled and people are unhappy, you won't have your share.

I seem to have been a little unhappy on the day of my studies. It's the most common awkwardness among boys.

And my sister didn't come back. Li Bin came alone, with tears on his face.

"As soon as you look at it, you can see that there is no cake to eat." Mu Zheng let out a long sigh after finishing speaking, the kind of sigh that was enough to blow out the candle flame.

"So, do you often go to Li Bin later?" I asked.

"Yes. I was discharged from the hospital just before the summer of that year. Although I made up for a holiday class, Xuexue and I would often go to Li Bin. He and his mother live where we are going today, in a steel mill in Jiangbei. His father used to be a laborer there, and his mother ran a barbershop there. However, the efficiency of the steel plant has long been lost, and there are fewer and fewer people in the factory area, and the business of the barber shop is not very good. The primary school where Li Bin studied was originally a workers' primary school in the factory area, and there were only a few classes left in the fourth grade, and few teachers were willing to stay there. Later, I heard that it had been merged, and all the teachers and students had been transferred to other schools, and the whole campus was empty. Actually, it's pretty good, we went there to find Li Bin to play football, and we could go directly to the school, and no one cared about it at all. On the weekends, the school comes alive, and many people who can't find a place to play football will come, both old and young. The only downside is that there is no net in the goal, and it is very troublesome to pick up the ball. By the way, the course was real grass, and then the grass grew and no one trimmed it, and the ball couldn't roll, so we didn't play. It is estimated that in another ten years, the goal will be covered by weeds. ”

"Is he doing now?"

"I don't know." Mu Zheng shook his head in the darkness in the car, "That's why I'm going to look for him." While I can walk. ”

"Why don't you know? Aren't you good friends? ”

"I don't know. After my sister died, everyone was very sad, but they all made a promise with each other to be strong. Li Bin also came to the hospital to see me a few times, and then I was discharged, and when I returned to the court, I could feel that Bin Bin was very happy for me. I can't say that Xuexue and I can heal him of the loss of his loved ones, but at least we are really happy when we are together, the kind of happiness that can forget how difficult life is for a while. But...... Three years ago, we went to play with Li Bin, only to see that the door of his barbershop was locked. We thought he had moved and wanted to ask a neighbor, but as you can imagine, there was no one nearby at all. I called, I sent messages, but I didn't reply. After a few days, I went again, and saw a note posted at the door, which was handwritten by him, and left it for me and Xuexue, saying that we should not meet again. I don't understand. ”

"Did you him off?"

"Maybe. But I had a good time before I lost contact. We occasionally have a little mood, but we never have an overnight feud, just quarrel a few words. And if something happens, Xuexue and I will apologize immediately. The two of us thought about it for a long time, but we didn't think of anything that offended him. ”

"The problem may not be yours."

Mu Zheng has always been a very sincere person, and he will not be the kind of child who can make life angry for a long time.

"We went to him a few times after that. Once Xuexue and I found him at home, the lights were on, and when we knocked on the door, we didn't answer, so we had to leave. Some time ago, you know, I saw the list of various schools in the Mayor's Cup and found that he was in the list of fifty-four, number 20. I was very puzzled because last year I searched the list of every school, and there was no name Li Bin. ”

"Maybe he didn't make the varsity team last year or gave up playing for some reason, but he came back this year. After my brother died, I didn't play a single game of football until I was in junior high school. ”

"That's a scary thing you say." Mu Zheng shuddered, "His mother is alone at home." ”

I couldn't help but keep shaking my head as if I was crazy, saying that it was nonsense just now, and not everyone is like me. Mu Zheng said that he didn't mean that, and if it were him, he would definitely not have the heart to play football again when he encountered such a thing.

Our knees touched in the darkness and panic.

"Speaking of which, I have to thank Brother Chuan, he helped me get Li Bin's mobile phone number." The two of us smiled heartily, Brother Chuan can really know people all over the world, "He is finally willing to meet me." ”

"Okay. After seeing him, you have to go back to the hospital for me. ”

As he spoke, the car stopped in silence, and a crooked iron door opened in the night. The driver asked us for the third time if the positioning was correct, and Mu Zheng replied for the third time that there was no problem. The master said, I can wait for you here, if you want to use the car later. We were both embarrassed to keep him waiting, and he said it was okay. Mu Zheng said again, master, do you want to leave a mobile phone number. Let's go outside first to see if we can take orders, we may have to stay in the factory for a while, and if we happen to be lucky, we will take your car back. The master said yes and reported his number. Mu Zheng thanked him and said that he was sorry for pulling him so far away. He smiled and waved at us and said go ahead and stay safe. So, the two of us walked into the dark factory area, flanked by the towering silhouettes and shadows of the buildings. Dark clouds hovered above them, casting the cold air of late autumn over the lonely land.