Chen Xiang lay on the bed, meditating. Suddenly, a "character" flashed into his mind, and he thought of one of his classmates named Feng Xiaojun. Feng Xiaojun and he are fellow villagers, ten miles away from their home, after graduating from secondary school, Feng Xiaojun did not study junior college, and came to Beijing with his brother to work. It's just that I don't have any contact information. Chen Xiang took out the notebook he carried with him, which recorded the phone number of another classmate named Liang Gang, when he was in his hometown, he heard from his family that the classmate named Liang Gang was also in Beijing, and he was with Feng Xiaojun.

It was already late, and Chen Xiang decided to wait until dawn to find a public phone to call Liang Gang's house, and Liang Gang's family must have known about Liang Gang's phone in Beijing. After he contacted Liang Gang, he went to live with them. After having this idea, Chen Xiang's heart was much more steady, and as soon as his heart was steady, he immediately felt that his legs were sore, and he fell asleep after a while.

It was the autumn of 2000, the weather was a little cold, Chen Xiang did not have a mobile phone, and after getting up early the next day, he walked to the service desk of the guest house in thin clothes and asked where there was a public phone. "The public phone is at the commissary next to the guest house, just turn right when you go out." The middle-aged male waiter on duty told him.

Chen Xiang thanked him, came to the public phone booth, spent an extra piece to make a long-distance call, and learned about Liang Gang's mobile phone number in Beijing from his classmate Liang Gang's family.

After Chen Xiang dialed Liang Gang's mobile phone, he was very excited, like a man in the water grasping a straw, he grabbed the phone tightly, but deliberately made his voice very stable: "Liang Gang, I'm Chen Xiang." ”

"Oh-Chen Xiang, hey-you're calling from Beijing. You're in Beijing too?! Liang Gang's voice on the other end of the phone sounded a little surprised, and it was no wonder that Liang Gang was surprised, they almost never contacted each other after graduating from secondary school.

"Well, I've been in Beijing for a few days. My cousin's house was here, and he asked me to come over and see if there was a suitable job. Chen Xiang deliberately made his voice sound a little happy in tune.

"Oh-what did your cousin do?" Liang Gang's curious voice came from the other end of the phone.

"He opened his own cultural company and had a printing house." Chen Xiang deliberately said it lightly. In fact, he hoped that Liang Gang would ask him about his "cousin", because he had nothing to show off, and at this time, only this cousin, who was the boss, could take it out to make a fool of himself to dispel Liang Gang's doubts and worries.

"Okay, when are you coming over?" Liang Gang didn't know Chen Xiang's true situation, and asked enthusiastically.

"Let me see the time, you tell me the address, I'll write it down first." Chen Xiang was eager to get Liang Gang's address, but asked quietly.

"Okay, you remember." Chaoyang District Tuanjiehu **Community* Unit No., you take bus 731 to come. When you can't find it, call me and I'll pick you up. “

"Okay, okay. If I have time this afternoon, I'll go and see you. Chen Xiang suppressed his excitement and paved the way for his plan, in fact, he was bound to pass the afternoon. He wished it was over now, but he felt like he couldn't act so urgent.

In this way, after Chen Xiang asked Liang Gang's address and the bus route, he found a small stall to eat steadily, bought a bun and soy milk, and ate his stomach steadily. After eating, Chen Xiang immediately returned to the guest house to check out.

Chen Xiang didn't know how far away the address Liang Gang was talking about. He thought it would be better to prepare early and set off early, so that he could talk about anything when he got there.

Chen Xiang didn't say hello to his cousin and went directly to his classmate. In retrospect, he didn't apologize in the slightest bit for being rude, and he was happy with the decision.

When he arrived at the place where Feng Xiaojun and Liang Gang lived, he learned that the house in which his two secondary school buddies used to live in Beijing was worse than at home: living with strangers, the dormitory of five or six people was small and cramped. Chen Xiang didn't care about this, this public dormitory now has a spare bed, and he came just in time, and the monthly rent is only 50 yuan.

Since Chen Xiang had called Liang Gang before and said that he had a cousin in Beijing, after he took his luggage to Feng Xiaojun and Liang Gang's residence, the two of them were enthusiastic about him, and they didn't ask him why he didn't stay with his cousin, just because Chen Xiang thought that they were looking for a job here and wanted to work with them.

After settling down briefly, the three old classmates chatted. Chen Xiang learned that Feng Xiaojun and Liang Gang worked in a cabinet factory, designing drawings. He also planned to go, but Feng Xiaojun told Chen Xiang that he had to be able to draw CAD drawings, Chen Xiang didn't know what CAD was, and he still had more than 300 yuan left, so he decided to sign up for a computer training class and learn the thing called CAD that could ensure that he could find a job.

Chen Xiang gritted his teeth and spent 200 yuan to sign up for a CAD tutoring class, but because he usually had to eat expenses, he was about to run out of money before he finished studying. Chen Xiang couldn't ask his classmates to borrow money, but he couldn't ask his family to send it. The 500 yuan he paid for coming to Beijing was only after his family sold his donkey, and now he will definitely not be able to get a penny out of his distant adobe house.

Now, Chen Xiang can only buy two steamed buns a day, and he can satisfy his hunger for three meals with mustard. However, even so, the remaining 30 yuan only cost 5 yuan. "What to do? What to do? Chen Xiang was secretly anxious, but there was nothing he could do.

Once, on his way back to the dormitory from the training class, he passed in front of a steamed bun shop, and he was so hungry that he saw the landlady who sold steamed buns filling the guest with steamed buns, and he couldn't wait to rush up and say, "Give me two steamed buns to eat." However, he did not go up after all.

"We have to find a way to borrow some money first." Chen Xiang pressed his hungry stomach with his hand and was about to vomit bitter water, as if talking to himself, and muttered as if "self-ordering".

Chen Xiang got on the bus to his cousin. He had secretly sworn that he would never come to this ghost place again in his life, but now that no one is persecuting him, he took the initiative to turn back. He really had nowhere to borrow money.

Yes, in the face of survival, he is like a trapped beast. Now the first thing to do is to find a way to solve the first problem of survival: the problem of eating.

However, Chen Xiang also knew that his cousin would not lend him money easily. But, reason told him that he would not want to borrow money from anyone except that his disgusting cousin might "lend" him money. Although the classmate is financially better than himself, if he asks his classmate to borrow it, it will inevitably make the classmate suspicious, he once "showed off" that he has a rich cousin in Beijing. What's more, he also knows that his classmates' financial situation is not much better than his own. As for his cousin, he would never lend him a penny.

As expected, when Chen Xiang stood in front of his cousin and explained his intention to her. I saw his cousin glance at him fiercely with her eyes and said, "Who are you, ask me to borrow money." Also borrow 2,000 yuan! ”

Chen Xiang had long been mentally prepared to accept the embarrassment and embarrassment, but he didn't expect his cousin to ask such a vulgar question. Chen Xiang suppressed the nausea that had generalized to his chest, and said in a voice that couldn't be calmer: "We are the old watch, aren't we the old watch?"

Obviously, this is not what his cousin wants to hear. Chen Xiang paused and explained: "I'm going to learn CAD drawing, I don't know anything now, I can't find a job." When I learn CAD and get a job, I'll pay you back immediately. ”

Chen Xiang stared at his cousin, hoping that she would have a little verbal response, so that he would know what to say to "do what he likes". Now, he had to put aside his high pride and try to cater to his cousin, whom he deeply hated.

However, he was disappointed. His cousin, pretending not to listen, walked to the table, picked up a bunch of keys and said, "I'm going to work." ”

Chen Xiang was in a hurry, chased to the door, stretched out his hand to stop her, and said, "Look, aren't I also thinking about our future?" I don't know anything now, I don't have any skills, and I can't make my own money. Only when we learn and work and earn money can we live together. You tell me? ”

This sentence obviously played a huge role. I saw his cousin look at his face, and his tone was much softer: "Why do you spend so much money to learn CAD?" ”

"Well, if you don't have it, you can lend me 1000 first, I'll pay half of it first, and then I'll go for a job when I'm almost done." Chen Xiang saw that his cousin was loose, so he hurriedly "struck while the iron was hot".

"Okay, I'll lend you 1,000 yuan." As he spoke, his cousin took out 1,000 yuan from his wallet and handed it to Chen Xiang.

Chen Xiang couldn't wait to put the money in his pocket immediately, but he deliberately slowly stretched out his hand and took it and said, "When I learn well, I will pay you back." I'll go first. ”

"It's cold, I'll buy you a padded jacket. Let's go again tomorrow. "My cousin kept him.

"No, no—I've got a jacket, I'm leaving—" As he spoke, Chen Xiang hurried away as if avoiding the plague, and ran quickly in the direction of the station.

"I'll buy you clothes, and you'll eat before you go—" his cousin shouted after him.

"No, I still have to study at night, I'll go first." Chen Xiang left without looking back. His cousin, who was chasing after him, spit out enthusiasm sprinkled in the afterglow of the autumn evening, and no one could bear it.