Li Yunhai sat on his coffin and looked at the relatives and friends who came to mourn, each with their own expressions, some whispering, and some looking sad.

It's just that she didn't come!

Outside, the gongs and drums shook the sky, and with the sound of firecrackers, he seemed even more small and trance-like.

Li Yunhai didn't know where he would go next.

The people he wanted to touch couldn't see him, and the people couldn't hear his hoarse scream.

A deep sense of powerlessness came over him, and he suddenly realized that he was just a fragment of his soul that had been scattered here, and that a messenger would come to take him on his way back from the Yellow Spring. Waiting to go through the process, being cleared of memory, queuing, and re-selecting the script.

He only hoped that, next time, he would not come to the world again.

……

Fallen leaves leave the ground and drift to the branches,

Blooming flowers gather into buds,

Dew drops jump from the water to the lotus leaves,

The sun rises in the west and sets in the east,

The sky is stormy, the world becomes abstract, and hundreds of millions of pedestrians hurriedly retreat like a movie playing backwards.

Time goes back to July 1, 1984, Li Yunhai abandoned all his thoughts and family wealth, and returned to his alma mater, Xizhou Industrial and Technical School, he just graduated, and just celebrated his 18th birthday yesterday.

He finally came to the world.

Li Yunhai studied at a junior high school.

In the late 70s, early 80s, and even early 90s, many children born in rural areas chose junior high school and high school colleges.

If you go to secondary school early, you will be able to jump out of the dragon gate, transfer the grain relationship into the city, turn into an urban hukou, and have the food book that only urban residents have. More importantly, the state package distribution work can help reduce the financial burden on the family a few years in advance.

Therefore, some children who had particularly excellent academic performance in junior high school at that time chose to go to junior high school.

Three years ago, Li Yunhai was admitted to the radio major of Xizhou Industrial Technology School in the provincial capital with the first place in the county in the total score of the high school entrance examination.

If he follows the old path of his previous life in this life, then he will be assigned to the machinery factory in Meishan County after graduation, and he will work for ten years, and then the machinery factory will close down, and he will be assigned to the county economic and trade bureau.

In the early 90s, it was popular for government agencies to run enterprises and divert civil servants, and some people chose to go to the sea to go to enterprises. At that time, the bureau made it very clear that people who go to the sea to start a business in an enterprise are no longer civil servants.

Ten years later, the companies they started closed down, and they were laid off.

Li Yunhai was unfortunately one of them, and after being laid off, he was decadent and indulgent in his unemployment. As everyone knows, cigarettes do not solve the bitterness of life, and spirits cannot eliminate the sorrow of the world.

His wife Shen Xiulan and he are secondary school classmates, majoring in accounting, and stayed in the provincial city commercial bureau after graduation, she and Li Yunhai fell in love freely, although they were separated, they were united for love and gave birth to a lovely daughter.

In the process of reform, Shen Xiulan did not choose to go to the sea to go to the enterprise, honestly stayed in the agency, and became the director of the department after 20 years, and often went abroad to inspect and travel, not only has a car and a house, but also has a very high salary, and lives a very nourishing life.

After Li Yunhai was laid off, he was sluggish, lived a chaotic life, and quarreled with his wife all day long, resulting in great contradictions. Finally one day, the two parties agreed to divorce, and the daughter was raised by Shen Xiulan.

In marriage, if one person's economy is not good, two people will suddenly have no feelings. Without an economic foundation, no matter how good the relationship is, it will be zero.

At the same time, the Li family's parents passed away one after another due to illness, and Li Yunhai, who had finished the funeral, was seriously ill for three days.

Li Yunhai realized that he had reached his forties, and he was half cold. I think that at the beginning, I was also young and frivolous, and my blood was strong. In the end, firewood, rice, oil, and salt frustrated the spirit and broke the thought; In the end, the sophistication of human feelings sharpened the edges and corners and bent the backbone.

After he woke up, he was self-denying and excited.

He promised himself that in the future, he must be fresh and angry, and he will be magnificent!

Li Yunhai started his own business with high spirits, ten years of hard work was unusual, he finally had his own small company, his wealth increased day by day, he walked out of the trough of his life, and lived a decent rich man.

After the divorce, Shen Xiulan has never remarried, nor has she ever looked for a man, and only takes her daughter to rely on each other.

Just when Li Yunhai was preparing a diamond ring and a cart of flowers, and was about to make a request for remarriage with his ex-wife, a sudden car accident made him lose everything.

At this moment, the campus of Xizhou Industrial and Technical School is full of sorrow after graduation.

The young men and women who have been together for three years are about to go their separate ways.

Graduation assignment, in principle, is where to go back and forth.

Some of the roommates in the boys' 306 dormitory have left, in addition to Li Yunhai, there are two people here, one is the thin Liu Xing, and the other is the fat army.

Some people joke that their dormitory is complete with land, sea and air, the army is the army, Li Yunhai is the navy, and Liu Xing is the air force, because the stars must be in the sky!

The army stuffed the few clothes and books into a woven bag with red, blue and white stripes, and when he turned around, he saw Li Yunhai sitting on the edge of the bed in a daze, and shouted: "Yunhai!" What happened to you? ”

Liu Xing smiled: "It can't be that I broke up with Shen Xiulan, right?" ”

Lu Jun said: "Liu Xing, don't talk nonsense, Shen Xiulan and Yunhai have been in love for two years, how can they break up?" ”

Liu Xingdao: "That's hard to say, people are very realistic now, last night, there was a cry on the playground, all of them were breaking up." After all, Shen Xiulan is from the provincial capital, and she will stay in the provincial capital to work after graduation, and I heard that she has entered the Commercial Bureau. And what about our sea of clouds? He wants to go back to work in Meishan County Machinery Factory, isn't Yunhai? ”

The army sat down next to Li Yunhai, patted the other party's shoulder vigorously, and comforted him: "Yunhai, you had your birthday last night, we had dinner outside, you and Shen Xiulan went to the playground, right?" Did she really break up with you? I really didn't expect that Shen Xiulan was also such a woman! Yunhai, you don't have to be sad, a manly man, don't worry about poverty, where is there no grass at the end of the world? ”

Li Yunhai, who was in deep thought, was woken up by the army's slap, and said with a smile: "Xiulan and I haven't broken up, don't talk nonsense." I was thinking about it just now! I don't want to go back to work in the county! ”

Liu Xing also squeezed over, climbed Li Yunhai's shoulder, glared at the single eyelid and said, "Yunhai, aren't you going back to the county?" So where do you go? ”

Li Yunhai took a deep breath and said calmly: "I want to stay in the provincial capital to develop." ”

Liu Xing said in surprise: "For Shen Xiulan? You are willing to come to work in the provincial capital, but the question is, which unit is willing to accept you? You don't have any acquaintances in the provincial capital. ”

The army slapped Li Yunhai's arm hard, and said with a sigh: "Yunhai, accept your fate!" Go back to Meishan County Machinery Factory to report, otherwise you won't even have this unit. If you have a chance in the future, you can slowly find a way to transfer to the provincial capital. ”

"Well, I'll report to the unit first. I'll get you in the car first, and I'll say goodbye to Xiulan when I get back. Li Yunhai already has a plan, even if he has other ideas in this era, the unit must be attached to one, otherwise many things will be difficult, but in this life, he will definitely take a different path in life!

He helped his two roommates pack their bags and take them outside the school.

At the bus stop, the three hugged each other and cherished each other.

Bus No. 2 to the train station came, and Lu Lu and Liu Xing got on the bus with duffel bags.

The army sat by the window, poked his head out of the window, and shouted at Li Yunhai: "Yunhai, remember to write to me!" Our good brothers, we are destined to be reunited! ”

Li Yunhai saw that Lu Fatzi's eyes were filled with tears, and he was also moved, and waved his hand: "We three brothers, we will play together again when we have time!" ”

Seeing off his good friend, Li Yunhai turned around and went back to school.

"Sea of Clouds!" A crisp and melodious shout came from the school gate.

It's Shen Xiulan!

She is wearing a white skirt and a floral blouse, looking very elegant, with a round face and fresh makeup, giving people a different sense of innocence, looking Chu Chu and moving, slender and delicate, graceful, front and back, white and clean.

Under the white skirt, a pair of straight long legs are exposed, with small high-heeled sandals, making her look tall and slender, coupled with jet-black hair, under the background of the sun, it adds a bit of hot feeling, bright and beautiful.

She ran over to Li Yunhai and said with a little grievance: "I thought you would say goodbye without saying goodbye!" ”

In his previous life, Li Yunhai did not say goodbye, because he was afraid that this separation would be forever.

After returning to Meishan County, the two maintained their relationship for two or three years through correspondence, and then broke through all secular obstacles to register their marriage.

At this moment, Li Yunhai looked at the red face of the next world, she was so young and lovely, people were secretly fascinated.

Even if he lives another life and sees the woman he loves, he is still ruthlessly moved.

"Yunhai, come to my house for dinner, right? Walk! Shen Xiulan tugged at Li Yunhai's sleeve, "I told my parents that I would take you home to meet." ”

Li Yunhai hesitated and said, "Xiulan, is this appropriate?" ”

Shen Xiulan said: "Hey, didn't we say okay in the grove in the playground last night?" You're going to marry me in three years! Shouldn't you meet my parents? ”

Li Yunhai thought for a while and said, "Okay! ”

He helped Shen Xiulan carry her luggage and got on the bus to Shen's house.

The two sat in the back row of seats on the bus.

Li Yunhai turned his head and said: "Xiulan, if one day, we are together, but I can't give you a happy life, and because of my incompetence and self-abandonment, I divorced you, will you blame me?" ”

Shen Xiulan's eyes were as clear as water, and she said gently: "I am with you is the happiness I want!" You're going to give me happiness, right? ”

Li Yunhai doesn't know what to say, what will happen after more than ten years of marriage, who will believe it if he says it now?

In the heart of a girl, there is only a vision and yearning for a better future.

Shen Xiulan's father was an ordinary government cadre, and her mother was a bank worker.

Today happens to be Sunday, and her parents are home.

In fact, Li Yunhai is very clear about the situation of her family.

When he arrived outside the family courtyard where Shen Xiulan's house was located, Li Yunhai saw a non-staple food business department, so he walked in.

After the Third Plenary Session of the 11 th CPC Central Committee, along with the development of the country's economy, the supply of commodities in the market has taken a fundamental turn for the better. By around 1985, except for grain, oil, televisions, bicycles, washing machines, and other commodities supplied by vouchers, all other commodities were basically supplied openly.

Among them, the first to be released is two waters: fruits and aquatic products. Fruits and aquatic products are open, and you don't need to have a ticket to eat watermelon and apples, you can buy them freely.

In the early eighties, with the development of agriculture and the textile industry, the supply of cloth became more and more abundant, and the cloth ticket was abolished.

Non-staple foods, cereals and other materials can also be purchased at the bargaining counter, bread, noodles, candies and other items, even if customers do not have food stamps, they can also be bought with only an appropriate price increase.

Even if you don't have a meat ticket for meat and other items, you can buy it at a special shop with money.

Because of regional differences, the time of opening up in each province is also different, and the more developed the region, the sooner it will be opened.

Xizhou is located in the south of the Yangtze River, the economy is okay, and the liberalization of many materials is much earlier than that in the central and western regions.

In fact, buying materials with tickets is more beneficial to the poor in the era of material scarcity, otherwise the limited materials will be controlled by the rich.

For example, the meat ticket is to solve the problem of the poor eating pork, and a person can use the meat ticket to buy pork for 9 cents a pound once a month.

The remaining pork in the market can be sold in special stores, even if it is sold for 5 yuan a catty. If a rich man feels that a pound of pork a month is not enough to eat, then his purchase of special meat will not have a big impact.

In this way, the poor can eat some pork and meet the luxury needs of the rich.

Seeing Li Yunhai walking into the grocery store, Shen Xiulan grabbed his arm: "Yunhai, you don't need to buy it, I have everything at home." ”

Li Yunhai said: "The first time I went to your house, I have to buy something, right?" Reach out and don't hit the giver, otherwise I will be beaten out of the door by your parents, and it won't look good. ”

Shen Xiulan knew that he was from the countryside and his family conditions were poor, so she didn't want him to spend money.

Li Yunhai also has two younger brothers and two younger sisters in school, and the rural people don't make much money, and they are so poor, but fortunately, Li Yunhai has excellent grades and is studying in a publicly-funded secondary school, so he needs very little money.

But Li Yunhai still insisted on his opinion, took out a big unity from his pocket, and said with a smile: "Don't worry, I have money!" ”

In those years, the average monthly salary of urban workers was only 40 yuan. In fact, most ordinary people only have a monthly salary of twenty or thirty yuan, and some people have lower incomes, but they are averaged up by high-paid earners.

Ten yuan of workers, peasants and soldiers can indeed be regarded as a lot of money!

The current price of rice is one dime and two cents per catty, and even if you buy a catty of pork, it only costs 9 cents.

He first looked at the prices of everything on the counter of the grocery store.

The retail price of apples is 4 cents and 6 cents, and if you buy bananas, it will be higher, you need 5 cents and 5 cents a catty, if it is watermelon, it is very cheap, and it is the season to eat watermelon, and it is only 7 cents to buy a pound of watermelon.

Li Yunhai bought a ten-pound watermelon. He weighed more than two pounds of bananas and more than two pounds of apples.

Shen Xiulan was in a hurry next to her, and shouted vigorously: "Enough!" That's enough! Don't buy it! What a waste of money! Comrade, we don't want these apples and bananas, just buy a watermelon! ”

The salesperson at the grocery store, a woman in her forties, looked at the two of them and asked with a smile, "Who are you listening to?" ”

Li Yunhai said: "I spend money, of course listen to me." ”

He turned his head to Shen Xiulan and said, "Listen to me this time, and listen to you in the future." ”

Shen Xiulan flattened her mouth and said, "What a waste of money!" ”

Li Yunhai said: "Honoring your parents is not a waste." Your mom loves apples, and your sister loves bananas. ”

The salesman smiled: "Yo, I can hear it, what are you two doing?" Is this going to my mother-in-law's house? ”

Li Yunhai said: "Yes, the first time I came to the door." ”

The salesman said, "Young man, then you have to bring a bottle of wine!" ”

She turned around, took a bottle of wine from the back shelf, and put it on the glass counter: "Oh, just this bottle, Xizhou Daqu, a piece of five, a pound, enough amount, but also enough face, Xizhou people love to drink." ”

Li Yunhai said: "Okay, just buy this bottle." ”

Shen Xiulan reached out and squeezed his hand: "Really don't buy it anymore!" My dad doesn't drink! ”

Li Yunhai knew that her father was drinking, and said with a smile: "He will definitely drink the wine I bought." Okay, listen to me this time, and listen to you later. ”

Shen Xiulan couldn't resist him, so she had to stomp her foot lightly and pouted in displeasure.

The salesman quoted the price while pulling the abacus: "Ten catties of watermelon, seven cents a catty, is seven cents; Bananas are two catties and six taels, 5 cents and 5 catties, which is a piece of four cents and three cents; Two and a half pounds of apples, 4 cents and 6 pounds, that is, one piece of one cent and five pounds; One bottle of Xizhou Daqu, five pieces. That's a total of four pieces! ”

Shen Xiulan's mental arithmetic was as fast as the salesperson's plan, and said: "That's right, that's right, it's four pieces of seven cents and eight." ”

Li Yunhai handed over the great unity in his hand.

The salesman took the money, pinched it, looked at it again, and said, "Charge you ten yuan, and find you five yuan and two cents." ”

Li Yunhai took the money and put it in his pocket.

This is all the money he has on him, if he goes back to his hometown, he will have to pay two cents for the bus fare, a nine-cent ordinary express hard-seat train ticket, and when he arrives in his hometown Meishan County, he will have to take the car back to the township.

The five dollars and two cents left after buying things were enough for him to go home.

The salesman took the net pocket and packed the fruits and other things, handed them to Li Yunhai, and said with a smile: "Young man, if your good deeds are done, remember to invite your aunt to eat candy!" ”

Li Yunhai smiled: "Okay! I borrowed Auntie's good words! ”

Shen Xiulan blushed beside her and pulled Li Yunhai's clothes: "Let's go!" I didn't see it, you're quite good at chatting, and you're not afraid of life when you see anyone? Where did you get the ten bucks? ”

Li Yunhai replied: "I usually save money by eating and saving." ”

Shen Xiulan said: "How good is it to keep it and buy some meat to eat?" This fruit is so expensive! ”

Li Yunhai listened to her rambling endlessly, but he was not bored at all, but felt very happy.

He carried a few bags of fruit and liquor, followed Shen Xiulan, and entered the courtyard.

This is a very old-fashioned family community, the buildings are all three stories high, brick and tile houses, a neat row of rooms, and the outside is a corridor, similar to the layout of the tube building.

Standing at the gate of the courtyard, Shen Xiulan pointed to the door of her house and said, "When I arrive, my house is on the first floor, the first door by the stairs." Remember! ”

There was an old-fashioned mosquito curtain in front of the door, and the door was open, and you could hear the sound of a television inside, and a few women cooking in the hallway.

Li Yunhai suddenly stood still.

Shen Xiulan said: "Hey, Yunhai, why don't you leave?" ”

Li Yunhai looked at the back of a woman who was stir-frying, and pursed his lips that were a little dry: "I'm a little nervous." ”

Shen Xiulan laughed and said, "What are you afraid of?" My parents are intellectuals and very reasonable, so you don't have to be afraid. ”

Li Yunhai asked, "Do they know that we are in love?" ”

Shen Xiulan said: "We have been in love for two years, and we also exchange letters during the winter and summer vacations, I want to hide it from them, but I can't hide it!" Many of the letters you wrote were received by my sister, and when she got it, she had to read them in front of my parents! ”

"Huh? And what I wrote to you, all the people in your family listened to? Li Yunhai's rare old face turned red, "Then I don't dare to go in, forget it, I'd better go home!" ”

Shen Xiulan was so anxious that she stomped her feet, pointed at him and said, "Li Yunhai, you go, don't look for me again when you leave!" ”

Li Yunhai turned around and grinned: "I'm kidding, I'm at the door of my mother-in-law's house, how can I pass through the door and not enter?" ”

Shen Xiulan snorted lightly: "We are not married yet!" Who is your mother-in-law's mother-in-law? ”

Li Yunhai said: "You will be my wife sooner or later, you don't have to run!" Hey, Shen Xiulan, my wife, look at me, there's nothing unclean, right? Can I see your parents? ”

Nong Xiulan blushed, and reached out to push him on the shoulder: "Why didn't I find you so flamboyant before?" ”

Li Yunhai laughed, hardened his head, and walked towards this familiar and unfamiliar mother-in-law's house.