"Where are you two fooling around? Especially you, Huang Minxue! The captain was already injured, and you still took him around! I won't hammer you to death! As soon as he entered the door of the ward, Xu Mu rushed up and grabbed Huang Minxue, and he was dragged to Mu Zheng's bed with a helpless face. Xu Mu's resolute behavior made me subconsciously take a step back from the door. Fortunately, Mr. Huang was there, and he smiled and beckoned me in.

It was almost eleven o'clock, and we forgot the time.

"Yes, I'm sorry......" Huang Minxue put his hands behind his back and looked at Mu Zheng with shame.

Mu Zheng smiled and said it was okay, and handed him a few reports. It doesn't seem to be a lie to be a doctor after a long illness, but the two of them can actually understand these things? But people have to understand, especially if there are sick people among relatives and friends. Doesn't Tao Tao also understand the difference between several types of stones? I guess in a few days, I will be able to recuperate from a dislocation.

I walked up to Xuexue and asked both of them how they were, as if waiting for the referee's decision on the field. The senior exhaled a long breath, not a sigh, just a warm air current. For some reason, he leaned over me, and the bag on his back hit my hanging left arm. This startled him, and he hurriedly turned around and asked me if I had any pain. I said no, it's not a broken bone again. But what does Mu Zheng say?

"Don't be afraid. Not that problem, the doctor told me. Fortunately, fortunately, good luck, it is something else, although it cannot be taken lightly, but as long as you actively cooperate with the treatment, you can't die. If this phrase "can't die" comes out of the mouths of other children, I will think that it is really cool and handsome. However, when Mu Zheng said this, I was both happy and bitter. It's great that we can't die, Mu Zheng is not destined to leave us suddenly in the near future. It had been less than a day since he was admitted to the hospital, but I felt as if I had exhausted my energy for a year in these ten hours. Each of us must be like that. These ten hours have drained us, and I can't imagine what I'm going to do or what I'm going to do today if what I hear is a bad outcome. No wonder Xuexue dragged me out, he must have thought about this possibility. "I shouldn't be able to die", this sentence is simply a spring return to the earth, a desperate place to live. The doctor's report is like an oracle, or the will of God, which tells us, don't be afraid, rest assured, you have a long way to go in the rest of your life.

What's more exciting than "being able to live" that makes you want to cry?

It's true? Xuexue bit his lip and looked around, Teacher Huang looked at him with a confirmed look and nodded. He rushed over and hugged his father, burying his face in his arms. Teacher Huang stroked Xuexue's head with his big hands, relieved and loving.

I didn't see anything. I said this to Xuexue in my heart, and turned my face to Mu Zheng. He motioned for me to come closer, then took off the black cap that read Viva la vida and put it on my head.

"Keco, I've given you this hat. Do you know where it came from? He asked.

"A painting by a Mexican painter?"

"Yes, long live life. I'm going to learn to tell you. Xu Mu patted my right shoulder and walked to my side, "But this hat has its own story." At that time, Mu Zheng had finished treatment, and his hair fell out very badly, so he had to wear a hat. So Xuexue advocated in the class, wanting everyone to wear a hat. You know, boys are all neurotic in elementary school — and in junior high school, of course, when you put your hat on, you're going to be ripped off in two minutes. I was the class leader at the time, and when I discussed it, I said that it would be better for us to set a style, maybe it would be discounted, and the whole class wore a hat like wearing a class uniform, which was quite distinctive. It was because of this that I got acquainted with them, and I realized that the boys in the class were not all neurotic. ”

"You're the one who's crazy!" Xuexue came out of his father and said back to Xu Mu. She gave him a blank look, and then said that Viva la vida was the name she had chosen, the name of a song. But there should be a painting first, and then a song.

"Isn't this hat very precious to you, then? Why give it to me? I asked.

"Because I appreciate your care for me, and I think it's fitting for you to wear this hat. I want to convey the phrase 'long live life', not just as a memory of our own. It doesn't matter if you have a hat or not, it's the key to live hard and practice this sentence. After he finished speaking, he turned to Xu Mu again and asked if he could give me her hat too, and he would return his hat to her when he turned around. Xu Mu stretched out his hands and said what was this, and then took off his hat and handed it to me.

"It's enough for me to have one, why do you want to give me Xu Mu's too?"

"One is a souvenir for you, and the other is for you to give to others, and together we will pass on the spirit of life, from me to you, from you to others." Mu Zheng said.

"Don't, when you get better, you can pass it on yourself, isn't that good?" I grimaced. The skin is not thick enough to take it all.

"If you take it, you can take it, so much nonsense!" Xu Mu's words made me dispel the idea of returning a hat. Honestly put it on your head. Now there are two "Long live life" on the head, which is weird and heavy. Maybe that's the weight of life?

"Okay, okay, old rules, old rules." Huang Minxue snapped his fingers and took out the guitar from his piano bag. Instead of playing or asking us what we wanted to hear, he politely walked over to the other beds and bent over to ask if anyone would mind listening to the guitar for a while. Xu Mu and I also passed, and I added that he was the best guitarist in our school. There were only the injured sister and a gray-haired grandfather in the ward, and they both readily agreed.

"Captain, guess a riddle! When you call her name, she's gone. What is it? He walked to the open space in front of the hospital bed, and Xu Mu followed, and the two of them cleared their throats and prepared for the performance.

I smiled and said that Mu Zheng had told me, silence, silence. from a movie.

"Well, listen to Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel's Sound of silence! Captain, Garfunkel and you have the same birthday. He blinked deftly and plucked the strings. [1]

Hello darkness， my old friend，

I've come to talk with you again，

Because a vision softly creeping，

Left its seeds while I was sleeping，

And the vision that was planted in my brain

Still remains

Within the sound of silence.

In restless dreams I walk alone

Narrow streets of cobblestone，

Neath the halo of a street lamp，

I turned my collar to the cold and damp

When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light

That split the night

And touched the sound of silence.

And in the naked light I saw

Ten thousand people， maybe more.

People talking without speaking，

People hearing without listening，

People writing songs that voices never share

And no one dared

Disturb the sound of silence.

“Fools“ said I，“You do not know…

The voices of boys and girls rise and fall gently, merging into a gentle wave that obscures the deep night sky. Suddenly, he felt that the life of learning was vast, and how far away could he reach in the music? Different styles of music can flow from his fingertips and throat, which is amazing, it reminds me of the vast galaxy and the universe, the abundant and inexhaustible light and remoteness. He seemed to absorb everything, to contain everything, and he seemed to be just the little boy playing the guitar in front of me. Life is such a wonderful thing.

"No, no, no, don't, don't, delete this sentence, delete it." He played and sang, stopped without warning, and stopped Xu Mu on the side by the way. And we haven't had time to get out of the music.

"Damn, I forgot to tell you, don't sing this." He explained to Xu Mu that Xu Mu didn't scold him this time, but said very understandably that it was really inappropriate.

"I'm doing it all over again, I'm sorry everyone." He bowed to us and began to play again. A short melody we heard was repeated, not sung until it was picked up on the part that had just been broken.

… Hear my words that I might teach you，

Take my arms that I might reach you.“

But my words like silent raindrops fell，

And echoed

In the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed

To the neon god they made.

And the sign flashed its warning，

In the words that it was forming.

And the signs said，“The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls

And tenement halls.”

And whispered in the sounds of silence.

The singing is still very good, but once it is broken, it is always a little difficult to return to the previous state. Everyone was applauding, and the only thing I didn't need to do or could not applaud was that I took out my phone and searched for the lyrics, and found the deleted sentence. It's a brilliant metaphor, and it's really not suitable for a hospital room.

I'm embarrassed to learn to learn, and I smashed my speech. The old man on the side opened his mouth and rapped very well, although he couldn't understand English. After receiving the compliment, Xuexue walked up to the old man and politely asked him if there was a song he wanted to hear. The old man smiled and said yes, but you probably won't be able to play. It's okay, I'll play whatever you want to hear, it's a big deal to learn now, with this confidence, he said. So the old man said, if you want to listen to revolutionary songs, they are all old songs, can you play them?

Xuexue crooked his mind and thought about it for a while, and snapped his fingers with another hand, yes, wrap it around me. He pulled up a chair and sat closer to the old man. Everyone looked at him curiously, as if they were all teachers who were inspecting him.

"I don't get much, this one is the most familiar. Okay, listen to "The Song of the Guerrillas", written by ......" He didn't think about it for a moment, and anxiously threw a pleading look at his father. [2]

"He Luting." Teacher Huang replied.

The old man's eyes seemed to twinkle, and he nodded approvingly on the bed, and we children waited expectantly.

Xuexue sat firmly in his chair and moved his left hand to the middle of the strings, and put his right hand to the lower end. As the fingertips beat up and down mischievously, the brisk tune leaps into the small hospital room. He didn't sing, he didn't need to sing, we knew the lyrics so well, and the lively and witty heroic image could resurface through decades of history just by the fluttering strings, and any language became redundant. The old man consciously clenched his fists and swayed slightly in the air as rhythmically as possible, as if he was directing and beating the beat. The most amazing thing is that when he played "We grew up here, every inch of land is our own", Xuexue actually played the drum with his guitar, which is the kind of snare drum that will be beaten when the army marches forward, which is orderly and crisp and pleasant. Even when I looked wide, there was only one boy and a guitar in the room. Xuexue is a magician who plays the guitar. Could it be that he really has a soul in his guitar? Or will he be able to communicate with the soul in the underworld and be helped by another world?

At the end of the song, Xuexue once again beat the non-existent snare drum and ended the wonderful performance in such a brave and neat way.

I admired him so much, and the applause in the room conveyed the same opinion as me. The old man raised his fist and wiped it from the corner of his eye, saying that the children now are really amazing. Xuexue bowed to him very modestly, and I hurriedly asked him how he played the snare drum, he was so handsome. He smiled, it's simple, it's the twisted strings, the guitar drumming, nothing special. A guitar is a band. Before the words came out, he glanced at Xu Mu, stuck out his tongue and said that he was joking, without Xu Mu and Mu Zheng, the band would not be a band. Xu Mu pretended to be angry and punched him in the head, and said softly in his ear, go ask the young lady.

I won't have to say I'll go too, he muttered.

There is nothing special that my sister wants to hear. So I learned that I had just played a Chinese guerrilla song, and now I would like to listen to a foreign one. Listen to the Italian partisan song, Bella ciao, "Goodbye Friends". This time he didn't sing the lyrics, but whistled while playing. I've heard this song as a movie interlude, it's continuous and euphemistic, heavy and reluctant but also heroic to die. The clever whistle adds a little lightness to the music, and the seemingly careless ease is full of nostalgia, as if he really wants to resolutely put on a rifle longer than the guitar on his back after playing, and go away with the guerrillas, disappearing on the bridge covered with morning mist. [3]

Learn to learn a guitar, one second he is a confused youth, the next moment he is a determined warrior, and then he may be a wanderer who travels far away, a teenager who falls in love, a worried parent, a sinner who prays at the end of his life, or even a wisp of wind in the mountains, the clear flow of a stream, the silence of the sigh of the sea, and the deep wrinkles of the primeval times. The vastness of the world flows on a few strings, and it is constantly flowing out of the soul of his playing.

Whenever people walk through here,

They all say what a beautiful flower.

That's all he sang. When he finished playing, he wiped his chin with his right hand, bit his lip again, and secretly kissed the edge of the guitar amid applause. No one asked him why he did it. Maybe it's remembering the person who gave him this guitar? Maybe this phrase is dedicated to her? I don't have to ask, I don't have to guess, it's enough to quietly echo the songs we've listened to, the words we've talked about.

"Learn, everyone......" A voice that was not so familiar but not unfamiliar enough sounded behind me, and everyone turned around one after another to see Li Bin leaning on the door frame and poking his head out.

"Brother Bin." Xuexue was a little distracted when he saw him, and his hands were holding the guitar tightly.

"You play so well. It's so right that my sister gave you the guitar. He rubbed his fingers together again, and cautiously asked if we could let him in. Of course, there will be no objections. After he entered the door, he greeted everyone, first with the old man and Mr. Huang. Xuexue handed the guitar to his father and walked over to him.

"Long time no see, Brother Bin. I miss you so much, although I've been angry with you since you ignored us. The two of them hugged each other firmly.

"I miss you too, I'm sorry, I don't dare to see you."

"Li Bin? You've grown taller, are you here to see Mu Zheng today? Teacher Huang asked.

"Ah, Mr. Huang, I, I'm here to see Mu Zheng, and I'm also here to see Ke Ke." Facing the elders who have the dual identities of teachers and parents, Li Bin is very cramped.

"I'm fine, you can talk to Mu Zheng more, you didn't talk much yesterday." I took a few steps back to make way for Li Bin. But instead of going to the bed, he slipped out the door. In the midst of my confusion, I saw him come in with an old man. Silver-haired, wearing a black jacket and pants, a pair of old gray sneakers, and a heavy fruit basket in his wrinkled hands.

This is his mother.

She walked slowly in front of me, with a solemn and difficult step. Li Bin took her hand as if he were an adult, holding a toddler. I consciously stepped back again, but the direction she was walking told me that her destination was not Mu Zheng's hospital bed.

"What is this?" I asked. Then I saw her walk up to me, and without the slightest hesitation, she closed her eyes, lowered her head in front of me, and put her hands together. Before I could think of what to say, she suddenly bent her knees and knelt in front of me. His eyes were still closed, his eyelids were trembling, and he was trembling on his dry face carved with the vicissitudes of time.

It was nearly twelve o'clock, and the sun had not yet set, and the autumn chill was chilling the floor through the light. My mind went blank, everything I saw in my lingering eyes was chaotic and even, the quiet air was mixed with a tumultuous noise, and I heard the non-existent bell, ringing in my heart, and the memories that were not too distant stirred there.

"What's the matter, get up, what's going on?" Teacher Huang walked up to her and tried to help her up. She shook her head dumbly. Li Bin said, "Teacher, this is my mother's decision.

"It doesn't have to be like this. The arm thing is long gone. Otherwise, I'm not qualified to forgive anyone, I can't even forgive myself. I said, wanting to ask her to get up. She still shook her head stubbornly, as if her body had solidified into a sculpture, and shaking her head was the only thing she could do.

"Ke Ke, we're not here to ask for your forgiveness, and don't force yourself. We're just here to apologize. We've apologized to your mom and dad, but haven't apologized to you yet. This apology is three years late, and you are also suffering for three years. I'm sorry. We would also like to apologize to your brother if possible. Li Bin also lowered his head, maintaining the same face as his mother.

"He's not here. In the hometown. With my grandparents. I'll talk about that later. Auntie, get up. It's too cold on the ground. ”

She was as motionless as a stone statue, which frightened and bewildered me. I looked around in a panic and saw that everyone was just as terrified as I was. Only Mr. Huang stretched out his big hand and gently patted the back of my neck. He didn't know what was going on, but the gentle reassurance of the elders calmed me down a little. I sensed the weight on top of my head again, the two hats had been stacked on top of each other for too long. So, I asked Mu Zheng, both hats are mine, right? Can I dispose of them as I want? Mu Zheng nodded. I took off the top one and put it on Li's mother's lowered head almost without any weight, covering her silver hair. I don't know what kind of scene this is, maybe it is a little similar to the coronation ceremony in ancient times. The sun was spreading cold on the earth, and even if it was just touching the body of the man kneeling in front of me through my hat, I couldn't resist the cold from the inside out.

"It's very windy and cold in the north of the river. Stay safe when you go back. I said one last word to her. Then he turned around and told everyone that I wanted to go back to school. Millet came back this afternoon, and I said I'd wait for him at school. It's the truth. God knows how much I wish Miller was by my side at this time, and I didn't want Miller to be with me last night when I was lying in bed waiting to be reset. Everyone thanked me and wished me a speedy recovery. I put away what little I had with me. Li Bin's mother was still on her knees and did not get up. In front of her was no longer me, but the shadow of the sun shining through the glass, the dim cross of the window frame. I said goodbye to everyone, to everyone, turned around and went out, and entered the elevator without looking back. From the slow-moving metal box wall, I saw Viva la vida on a black hat again, Long live life.

[1] The Sound of Silence is a collaboration between Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel and included on the album Wednesday Morning, recorded on October 19, 1964. The song was used as the theme song for the American film The Graduate in 1967, an interlude to the movie Watchmen in 2009, and an interlude to the movie Guild Wars in 2013.

The lyrics that Xuexue cut are "Silence like a cancer grows", that is, "Silence grows like cancer". It's really not appropriate to mention it in the ward......

Meanwhile,

Hello, dark, my old friend

I'm here to talk to you again.

Because an illusion is creeping in,

Left seeds behind while I was asleep.

This illusion took root in my brain,

remains,

Accompanied by the sound of silence.

In dreams where I couldn't sleep peacefully, I walked alone.

Cramped cobblestone streets

Under the aura of street lamps.

I cocked up my collar to keep out the cold and humidity.

When my eyes are pierced by a shining neon light,

It pierces the night sky,

The sound of silence was touched.

In the undisguised light,

I saw thousands, probably more.

People say but don't speak,

Turn a deaf ear to.

People write songs that will never be sung,

No one dared to disturb the silence.

"Fools," I said, "you don't know

Silence grows like cancer. ”

Listen to me, and I can teach you,

Hold my hand, I can touch you.

But my words are like falling raindrops,

Echoing in the well of silence,

And people worship the neon god they have created.

Warnings flashed in the light,

Read between the lines,

It tells people:

"The words of the prophet are written on the wall of the subway,

as well as in the halls of cheap apartments,

And whispered in the silence. ”

[2] "Song of the Guerrillas" is a mass song in the style of a march. It was composed in 1937 by the famous Chinese composer He Luting. The melody of "Guerrilla Song" is light, smooth, vivid and lively, and the rhythm of the elastic snare drum runs through the whole piece, which not only gives the melody a sense of progression, but also expresses the typical image of the guerrilla fighters skillfully and flexibly maneuvering with the enemy, waiting for an opportunity to destroy the enemy. In the early 90s of the 20th century, this "Guerrilla Song" was undisputedly selected as a "20th Century Chinese Music Classic".

[3] The Italian song "Ah, Goodbye Friend" is called Bella ciao ("Girl, Goodbye"), originally sung by Yves Montand. The song was an Italian partisan song that was widely circulated and was later quoted as an interlude in the film "The Bridge" in the former Yugoslavia. It is a euphemistic, beautiful, bold and magnificent song, expressing the feelings of the guerrillas who left their homeland to fight the invaders. The song praised the fearless heroism of the guerrillas, and vividly showed the love of the members for their hometown and the spirit of seeing death as home