At the end of November, we could occasionally see Mu Zheng on campus. At the end of each treatment cycle, he can be discharged from the hospital for a few days. The students must have been very unfamiliar with the sick face, and the heavy and sluggish body wrapped in cotton clothes. When he was in physical education class, he could only sit silently on the flag-raising platform, curled up like a fawn afraid of the cold, quietly watching everyone play on the basketball court or table tennis table. The rare sunlight rises and falls on the playground not far away, and the school building and the sky farther away also shakes. The leaves have fallen, and the trees point their straight or sinuous branches unobstructed at a clear sky. The clouds turned into intermittent threads, as if they were dotted lines of reverie. There is no need to run, no need to jump, just bask in the sky, and one can turn into a clear wind, a flowing light, a breathing tree, a quiet house. Only when the helicopter is incomprehensibly moving from far to near, and from near to far, will the thought of the stagnant flight under the blue sky and white clouds be briefly interrupted and attached to the rotating propeller.

Although winter has arrived, as long as you see the blue sky and sunshine, no one will be willing to stay in bed.

We know that reunions are temporary and luxurious, and soon he will be back at home or in the hospital. It's easy to slack off, even with the closest people. When I first got sick, everyone always secretly made a determination to work together in their hearts. As time went by, life gradually covered the once hot passion. We gradually realize that the fate of others is not so closely related to our own, and the pain caused by illness is crushed into every minute of the patient's life, and we cannot feel that loneliness and helplessness all the time. In the early days, almost every day, classmates visited Mu Zheng in the hospital, enthusiastically expressed their willingness to help him make up classes and take notes, and would happily stay in front of the bed and share all the fun and boredom in school with him. But after a month, it's a lot less. This is not necessarily indifference, the treatment is long, and Mu Zheng also needs to be quiet and alone. The best-case scenario is that we show up when he needs it, but there are never such a chances.

But try it too. On the first weekend of December, the match between us and the other school was postponed because the venue of the other school was requisitioned, and Mi Le and I went to the hospital again to see Mu Zheng. We didn't bring anything but ourselves. Teacher Zhou went out, and there were only three of us children left in the ward. We asked him about the old man and his sister. Mu Zheng said that his sister recovered and was discharged from the hospital, and the old man chose conservative treatment and transferred to a ward to slowly recuperate.

"That sister wasn't sick, she had a broken bone and her ribs were broken by her husband. Phew, that man doesn't deserve to be her husband at all. Angry. Every time I hear about this kind of thing, I think, it's good that Dad is here, and I must arrest that man. Did you know? That sister didn't go on anymore after graduating from junior high school, and her family directly asked her to marry someone else, and she hadn't met a few times before she got married. What age is this? Mu Zheng was indignant when he mentioned this, he was originally half-lying, but suddenly sat up straight.

"Well, it's pretty common in my hometown." Miller shrugged, "I have a cousin who got married a few years ago, and the object was also introduced by her parents. I gave birth to a child this year, and I became an uncle. ”

"So what does that kid call you? Uncle Miller? Uncle Mi? Why don't you just call it 'rice wine', it sounds pretty good. I smirked and rubbed Miller's hair.

"What rice wine? Get up, the nephew who learns can't call him rice wine? Mu Zheng was amused, and Mi Le took the opportunity to stomp on my shoes in the blind spot of his vision, "People can't speak yet!" ”

"Anyway, I think it's pretty bad. Of course, it's also wishful thinking on my part. Just looking at the circle of friends, my cousin is quite happy, and my brother-in-law is also very good to her, and she has met a good person. But isn't that just like gacha in the game? My cousin has drawn a good lot, but getting married is a very important thing, how can you try your luck like playing a game? Now my aunt says that it's good to get married early, and you don't need to know each other in advance. If others disagree, she will move out of her daughter and show up, and no one can say anything about her. ”

"If something bad doesn't happen to you, you may really think it doesn't exist." Mu Zheng shook his head helplessly, "The sister next door is too pitiful." In the past, her parents took good care of her, and she was not bullied, but she was suddenly sent to a place where she was unfamiliar, and she had to look at people's faces every day, and she was beaten when she was in a bad mood, and she was not allowed to go home all year round. The most excessive thing is that they took away her mobile phone, didn't buy her one for two years, didn't call her, and completely cut off contact with the outside world. ”

Our teachers didn't take their phones like that, they just said that they couldn't play during school hours. If you are caught, it is nothing more than a criticism, and you will be taken away for a few days and then let your parents take it back. That man is really more of a director of education than a teacher, and more of a parent than a parent.

Later, she secretly bought one with her own salary and gave it to the man. Not to mention, she smashed it, forcing her to kneel on the shards. My sister finally couldn't help it anymore and smashed his phone too. The smash was neat, not muddy at all, and shattered more completely than her own. ”

"My sister must be very handsome when she smashes it. It's so beautiful, the man is so angry that he never thought she would dare to resist. Miller smiled bitterly and frowned, "However, I must have been beaten again." ”

"yes, that's how the ribs broke. I also asked how to deal with it, and then divorced. My sister wanted to leave them quickly, but she didn't ask for anything. Alas, if Dad was here, he would have to arrest the man, it would be really cheap for him. Mu Zheng snorted, "I have beaten people so many times, and I haven't been punished once, and I am still arrogant." Don't look at this kind of person at home like an uncle, commanding, yelling, maybe he is a groveling waste outside. ”

"Yes, you can't bow your head to such people! The more you whisper, the more brazen he becomes. ”

"Oh? It's really rare to be so upright. Seeing my "righteous speech" and a serious expression, Miller's paws immediately picked up my face, imitating a submissive tone, "'Don't dare anymore', 'Don't dare again', who is this?" ”

"That's it! If you should be tough, you have to be tough! ”

Just as he was about to quarrel with Millet, a familiar voice that he hadn't heard in a while sounded at the door of the ward. We looked back, and Ah Fang's hairy head poked out of the door. Subconsciously glanced at Miller. Luckily, nothing special. I almost thought he was going to be upset because Ah Fang was talking for me.

Mu Zheng hurriedly invited him in. He cautiously asked if his brother was there. Hearing Miller say that he didn't come, he went into the room, dragging a bag of round oranges, there must be more than a dozen, and it was estimated that it was quite heavy. Ah Fang said that it was Brother Bin who asked him to give it to Mu Zheng. Why didn't Li Bin come himself? I asked. My cram school was closed this weekend, so I went to the city to play at my brother's house. Brother Bin knew that my brother was Mu Zheng's teammate. What about Ye Ruiyang? Why don't you come along? Miller asked.

"Because...... I had a fight with my brother. Ah Fang sat on the empty hospital bed next to him, shaking his little feet in embarrassment, "I ran out by myself in anger." ”

"Huh? How can the two of you still quarrel? "I have always felt that the relationship between the two brothers is very good, not a brother is better than a brother, I never thought that Ah Fang would be so angry that he left Lao Ye alone.

"Brothers can quarrel, not to mention that we are just cousins. Just kidding, my brother is closer than my own brother. It's not a big deal, it's just a gamble. Something happened last week, and I felt like I was doing super well, and I wanted him to compliment me twice. I didn't expect him to praise me, forget it, and talk about me! I'm going to fight him to the end today! ”

We were busy asking what was going on. Ah Fang lay down on the bed, hummed a small tune and looked at the ceiling for a while, before getting up and slowly talking to us about last week.

As we all know, Ye Junfang is a smart and versatile child, but if you want to sum him up in one word, the most suitable one is probably "cute". In addition, he pays great attention to his clothing and appearance, and he is always a clean and well-behaved and sensible appearance, and he is loved by everyone wherever he goes. (Why is Lao Ye willing to quarrel with him?) As I said before, in order for Ah to go to school, their new house was specially chosen near the school. His parents' work unit is a bit far away, and it is difficult to pick him up, so he walks alone in the fifteen-minute journey of fifty-four middle school every day, which is a normal thing, and many classmates are like this in elementary school.

But something went wrong on the way out of school. Soon after the start of the new semester, Ah Fang always felt that someone was secretly following him. The first few times, I thought it was because I was too careful, but this situation is day after day. He noticed that the follower was a man, wearing a thin shirt and later a leather jacket, much taller than Ah Fang, with long hair and wide-rimmed glasses, and looked like a man of culture. At first, Ah Fang guessed that he was just on the same road, but soon found out that the man's target was himself, and even after attending cram school near the school, he could be seen drinking coffee or taking a walk outside the institution. He walked and he walked, he stopped and he stopped, and when he turned around, he pretended to play with his mobile phone. This situation lasted from the end of September to October. Ah Fang initially chose to go around and around to get rid of him, or to make him mistakenly think that he lived in another neighborhood, but soon found that the man was waiting for him on the way home, with a posture of "I can wait at this intersection, whether you pass by or not". He didn't dare to tell the adult, because the man was just following, and the adult was afraid that he would not be able to do anything about him. What's more, his parents have to run long distances to and from work every day, and he doesn't want to hurt them to spend time on his way to school. I didn't tell Lao Ye either. His brother is too far away from him, and speaking out can only make his brother worry and fear him every day. So, Ah Fang found someone who could help him solve the problem - Man Lin. After all, before switching to football, he practiced boxing and won awards in the city. Man Lin patted his chest and agreed, he had already said that he would "cover" Ah Fang, and the two of them lived quite close. The two of them have been home together since then, from October to the end of November, with a "professional bodyguard", Ah Fang doesn't care about the people behind him at all, and he is also talking and laughing all the way.

But not long ago, Man Lin's grandfather fell ill, and the family moved to the city, in order to be closer to the hospital and facilitate the treatment of the elderly. Going to school, seeing a doctor, and moving around are just these two reasons, and I have almost never seen a parent move for the convenience of going to work. Having lost his "protective umbrella" all of a sudden, Ah Fang obviously felt that the tailgating had intensified, as if he wanted to recover the losses he had not been able to approach for a month. He was like a ghost that could not be shaken off, stretching and stretching a dark shadow, haunting behind him, threatening to engulf him at any moment. It's not that Man Lin didn't make arrangements, he asked Ge Xingxing and Wang Rui, who were also in the school team, to take care of Ah Fang. But Ah Fang told them that the man did not dare to follow him. It's nothing more than that I don't want to trouble the seniors. If there is no way, a child like Ah Fang will not ask for help, let alone such a continuous request for help. He had no choice but to give his back to himself.

If I were Ye Ruiyang, I would have to scold Ah Fang.

After perceiving that kind of imminent action countless times, I was nervous every day before school, and when I walked on the road, I consciously looked around, like a rabbit with pricked ears, ready to sneak into the hole at any time, as if I was a person who wanted to do bad things. The first thing I do when I get home every day is to close the door, and then carefully observe from the cat's eye if anyone lingers in front of the door, and only after a long time does I dare to let out a breath and collapse on the sofa.

Ah Fang had made eye contact with that man a few times. They are all at the critical point when the tide of fear rises, and they almost break down their psychological defenses. At that time, there was both helplessness and despair, and there was neither ferocity nor threat in the man's eyes, not even covetous desires, but just staring coldly, as if staring at a bird by the side of the road. For some reason, this kind of gaze puts more pressure on Ah Fang. He was a judge of judgment to him, ready to pronounce sentences, and he was just a prisoner who did not know when he would accept an unshakable outcome.

If only my brother were still living in my house. Ah Fang thought about it. But it's too selfish, my brother is not his, he belongs only to himself. What's more, although the time when my brother lived in his house was happy, there were also very dark things behind it. Just last week, Ah Fang didn't sleep all night one day. This is the third time. The first time was when Lao Ye ran to his house, and the two of them were lying on the small bed and couldn't sleep. For Ah Fang, it seems that he knows in ignorance that there are other people's lives in addition to his own life, a completely different life. The second time was the day the master died. It's true that people die. He understood. And this time, Ah Fang felt the long-standing fear and uneasiness spread like a damp in the quilt in insomnia, enveloping his body, and the world was cut into countless black and white grids, and he could walk in any direction. He walked for a long time and grew up little by little. But growing up is not maturity. True maturity is independence, taking care of yourself, protecting yourself, and taking responsibility for every decision you make. Be brave, you can't always rely on others. He caught the wandering shadow in the insomnian roaming of the black and white grid and cast it at the rising sun.

What exactly do you want to do? If it's okay, don't follow me. Do you understand?

The man was clearly unprepared, and perhaps never imagined that the little boy who had shrunk his head so many times and avoided him would turn around and throw these words at him menacingly. He was stunned for a moment, and Ah Fang took the initiative, and his words were more direct: Get out! Don't think I'm a bully, I've been putting up with you for a long time!

Little friend, my brother is not a bad person...... He held back for a long time before he could say this.

Get lost! I don't care about you! If you don't roll again, you will call the police!

The man walked away. In the next few days, he showed up by luck, and was bombarded away by Ah Fang. This week is completely gone.

"Isn't that good? Ye Ruiyang is full of food, or has he eaten too much, what is there to say about you? Millet tapped Ah Fang's knee.

"Hmph, that's what I thought, I told my brother this morning. I thought he would say that I had grown up, but who knew that I was scolded and said that I shouldn't have directly found the bad guys, what if something happened. I didn't have an accident at all! He muttered and looked at me, "Brother Ke Ke is right, you can't just bow your head when you encounter this kind of thing." Bad people are bullying the weak and afraid of the hard, and as soon as you bow your head, they will be very energetic. ”

"Nope. Ah Fang, I want you to apologize to your brother. He doesn't mean anything else, it's just for your good. I hung my head and looked to the ground.

"Why do you even think so! I thought you were the most empathetic! Ah Fang's unconvinced voice was much louder, almost shouting, "You don't understand at all, I finally took the courage once!" I still feel like I've grown up stronger, and you still treat me like a little ghost! ”

"Actually, you've grown up a long time ago." I walked over to Ah Fang and patted him on the back, "You don't need to prove yourself anymore. From the day Lao Ye ran to your house, you have grown up, and you are more mature and stronger than many people. It's not just people who are brave when they face the bad guys head-on. ”

He blinked at me with those bright eyes, which were watery inside, and he might have almost cried just now.

"I understand your brother's thoughts. If nothing else, your brother has a friend who lost his brother when he was younger than you. It was his own brother. This elder brother feels that he didn't protect his younger brother well, and he hurt his younger brother, and he has always been sad, until now. Don't be angry with your loved ones, gambling is not good for either of you. Wasn't you afraid that your brother would worry about you before, how can you be willing to hurt him and hurt yourself now? Your brother says you, not because you are not brave or mature, but simply because he is afraid. He's afraid of losing you. ”

Ah Fang pursed his lips and looked down at his little shoes. Everyone was silent for a while, and then he kicked out in the air and said he understood. Actually, I also care a little too much about him and want to be praised by him. He smiled when he finished speaking, and he was as sunny and lovely as he had remembered.

"Okay, let's not mention Lao Ye's friend, it's heavy. Let's talk about something else. Miller's words were dry and hoarse, and he had to clear his throat halfway through speaking, "Leave nothing else." I thought about it, the reason why that person followed Ah Fang, and knew which school and which make-up class he was in, could it be related to Ah Fang's mother? ”

"My mother?" Ah Fang's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yes. Doesn't your mom often post videos and photos of you online? I've also paid attention to it, and several platforms have it, and sometimes they also post positioning. You've been growing your followers. ”

"Yes, but I never cared about it myself. I didn't want to be an internet celebrity, but my mother liked to post it. What does it have to do with that person? ”

"Isn't that how a lot of your information leaked out, you think? So that pervert can guess which school you're in and recognize you based on the videos and photos. Although it was settled this time, maybe there will be another one. Miller swiped his phone and found evidence for his reasoning, "So, your mother should be careful the next time she sends it." Don't post too many life photos, and don't position yourself. You can also delete the previous ones, don't disclose personal information. ”

"I don't agree."

It was Mu Zheng, who had been silent for a long time, who spoke.

"I see what Millet means. But what I want to say is that if you want to criticize anyone, the last thing you should criticize is the victim. He was a little excited, and his hands were outstretched.

"I'm not blaming Ah Fang's mother, I'm just saying to pay attention......" Miller explained.

"I know!" Mu Zheng interrupted him, his hand still waving, "But the key is not to post photos and videos." It is everyone's freedom to send these things, and they can send them whenever they want, so why should they give up their rights because they are afraid of bad people? Therefore, if you want to blame, you have to blame those who should have protected Ah Fang but failed to protect him, and they didn't make this society safe enough. It is we the police who are really going to be criticized. This matter is very easy to solve, and Ah Fang will call the police from the beginning. As soon as that person heard that Ah Fang was going to call the police, didn't he immediately run away? But we didn't find anyone following Ah Fang, and Ah Fang thought that it might be useless to call the police. This is a dereliction of duty on the part of the police, who failed to convince them and did not popularize safety knowledge. ”

"You're too harsh, aren't you? You're a student, not a police officer. Even if your dad is a police officer, you can't ask for so much. I said, "Don't get so excited, it's not good for your health." You calm down. ”

Mu Zheng was right. That's what my dad asked of him. The police are meant to protect everyone, but when people need protection, they can't think of themselves first, which is not right. ”

Someone else was standing in the doorway and talking.

"Azie, how long have you been eavesdropping? Let's recruit from the truth. Be lenient in confession, and strict in resisting. Mu Zheng's voice was cold, but the smile on his face was a little unbearable.

"It's a decade long. It's not eavesdropping, but I hear you chatting, so I don't want to interrupt you. I couldn't hear it clearly, but you were too loud. However, it is also good that you are recovering. ”

Sister Li Wan is right, it's not good to peek into other people's secrets at all. Your own secrets will also be prying eyes. Mu Zheng shook his head helplessly. Not necessarily, it depends on what the situation is, right? Miller laughed and rubbed his knee against my ass - I had just stood up and said hello to Huo Yuqi. He was followed by a tall man, with an angular face, a healthy bronzer after the sun, not quite like my classmates, full of heroism, strong hands and feet, and looked much older than us. Relatively speaking, Huo Yuqi, who is about the same height as me, looks polite and polite, and he speaks unhurriedly, if I hadn't known him before, I would definitely think that the child behind me was the child of the police family and the captain of the high school attached to the Institute of Technology.

However, what surprised us even more was that Ye Ruiyang followed them into the door. If you think about it, the chair outside the ward is quite long. Ah Fang apologized to his brother, and Ye Ruiyang did the same thing. Seeing that the brothers were reconciled, I bit my lower lip very hard. That's nice.

"Mu Zheng, I also want to apologize to you." Ah Qi walked to the side of the bed, put his hand on Mu Zheng's shoulder, and the other party gently tapped his wrist.

"When I was in elementary school, I didn't know until late that you were sick, so you'll be fine. I haven't been able to be there for you on the hardest days, even this time. I'm always there when you need me, and I don't feel like a friend. As he spoke, he sighed.

"Don't be so yourself. Besides, you've come to see me twice, and I'm very impressed. Mu Zheng's two hands on the quilt gave him thumbs.

"Could have done better. My dad used to be better if he could have done a little bit, just a few minutes. I don't want to repeat the past. He grabbed Mu Zheng's shoulder hard.

Mu Zheng turned to look at him, his gaze and tone were still peaceful: "Don't worry." It's all over, don't blame yourself, it's not you who have the problem at all. I'm fine now, and I won't leave everyone behind so easily. ”

It's no surprise that the two of them would become friends, and their personalities are too similar. Be strict with yourself and be lenient with others.

"Okay, let's not talk about the past. You've been hanging your seniors aside for a long time, and you haven't let anyone open your mouth for a long time. Mu Zheng looked at the sturdy tall classmate beside Ah Qi.

"No, I'm a junior. Hello seniors, hello students, my name is Aniwal, and I am a student in the first year of junior high school attached to the Polytechnic University. ”

Aniwal's self-introduction was short and powerful, and his voice was very thick. Everyone was curious and asked him if he was XJ. He smiled and said that his hometown was in Yili, and when he talked about his hometown, he showed a child's shyness, and said that everyone is welcome to come to Yili to play, the scenery is very good, the food is very good, and there are very few perverts. Everyone was happy. His parents worked in Jiang Yuan, so they followed, and in just a few months, they became the main striker of the Polytechnic University. Aniwal said that he heard the story of Mu Zheng, the golden boot last season, from Huo Yuqi, and he wanted to ask his seniors for advice, so he came to the hospital with the captain today to visit, and hoped that Mu Zheng would give him some advice. Everyone laughed when they heard it, as if they were the swordsmen of the Tianshan Mountains who came to see them in martial arts novels. Mu Zheng said that he had long heard that the level of XJ football was very high, and he was afraid that it was he who wanted to consult others.

Okay, let's get better quickly, maybe we'll meet in the knockout round. Without you, it would not be easy for Yizhong to win against us. Ah Qi put his hand in his pocket and said, not so much as a war letter, his tone was more like encouraging Mu Zheng.

It's not easy for you to win a hit, if nothing else, you have to at least find a way to score a goal for our captain first. He's not going to let you score easily. Mu Zheng looked at me, and Azi also introduced me to Aniwal, saying that I was the best goalkeeper of last year's rookies, and especially that I was the bravest person here. I hurriedly said it was a joke, only to be pushed by Miller's knee again. Aniwar held out his large hand to me, and I shook it firmly with him.

It's going to be a tough opponent. However, we are now in jeopardy of qualifying from the group. If we don't qualify, Aniwal certainly won't have a chance to score against us. So, let's try to create a little opportunity for him. After all, he gave everyone a lot of super delicious dried milk that day, and it was full of milk and sunshine when chewed.