Cheng Mo cleaned up the things in the table, from tomorrow onwards, this position where he can look up at the blue sky will not belong to him, compared to being demoted to Class 9, Cheng Mo cares more about his learning points being deducted, and losing a lot of rights that should have been exchanged.

The people in the classroom dispersed quickly, because many people also signed up for extracurricular cram schools, and if they wanted not to fail in this competition, they had to work harder.

After packing his schoolbag, Cheng Mo looked at the watch on his wrist, and began to think about whether he should go to the hospital to take a look at it, and find a way to get this watch down.

Let's turn our gaze back to a week ago, the coldest day of April.......

There are green shoots growing tenaciously in the brick cracks of the square of Yangmingshan Funeral Home, and the harshness of winter is not far away, and those greenery seem a little lonely. There were light-colored lilacs swaying in the cold wind in the flower beds, and the thin bodies seemed to be blown off at any moment.

It doesn't matter if it's broken, the spring rain will urge those sluggish roots and shoots again.

Cheng Mo thought to himself.

At this moment, he is kneeling in front of his father's glass coffin in front of his father's glass coffin in the Juxian Hall of Yangmingshan Funeral Home, and his father Cheng Yongze is hanging behind him, and the posthumous image is enlarged and rubbed on the work card.

On both sides hang Cheng Yongze's mentor, Li Mingde, president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, president of the University of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, member of the Central Committee, and vice president of the Central Party School, personally wrote a super long couplet: On the article economy, it is enough for thousands of years, from now on, relying on the ancient city, the sunset climbs the tower, how can it be the first to ride a basket to mourn the iron man;

From the perspective of the couplet, Li Mingde is not like a teacher, but more like a confidant.

Compared with Cheng Yongze's appearance as beautiful as a crown of jade, the sixteen-year-old Cheng Mo is not tall, looks a little slender, malnourished, and looks very mediocre, barely being delicate, not at all as handsome as his father, and has nothing to do with his mother's beauty.

The only thing that looks good is the pair of eyes, like a little deep starlight hidden in the thick dark night, but this greatest advantage is hidden by a black plastic-framed glasses on the bridge of the nose.

At this moment, his expression looked a little numb, maybe cold, and his eyes were staring at the door of the funeral hall, as if he had no focus, as if he was indulging in endless grief, but if he looked closely, he would find that it was different.

The angle of his bow was always 45 degrees, without the slightest deviation, and his eyes never lingered on anyone, always looking into the distance outside the gate, and his dark eyes were full of calm.

Last year, Cheng Mo's father Cheng Yongze was transferred to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences as the deputy director of the Institute of Anthropology, and at the age of 44, he was elected at the beginning of this year as the youngest member of the Academy of Social Sciences (the status is equivalent to that of an academician of the Academy of Sciences, that is, an academician of liberal arts), although it is already the third batch of members of the Academy, but this honor still symbolizes the highest academic water of the Academy of Social Sciences, and even the highest academic level in China.

After all, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences is the ninth-ranked think tank in the world and the No. 1 in the country. (This article has nothing to do with reality, please do not compare the real ranking)

Cheng Mo's father, Cheng Yongze, was admired by many people in the academic circle all his life as a scholar and genius, but in life and family, he was not a qualified husband and father.

Cheng Mo was born 3 months ago and was diagnosed with congenital heart disease, and at the age of 6, he was diagnosed with "single ventricle, patent ductus arteriosus, aortic ectopia, pulmonary artery stenosis", such a complex condition is very rare, and it cannot be treated surgically, and the doctor bluntly said that it is a miracle that such a child can live past the age of 20.

Speaking of which, Cheng Mo should get more love from his parents, but Cheng Yongze devoted himself to academic research and almost ignored Cheng Mo, and all the pressure was on Cheng Mo's mother Lin Yiqing.

Cheng Mo's mother Lin Yiqing is Chinese, his parents are both in the United States, and Cheng Yongze, who he met when he came to China to study, was attracted by Cheng Yongze's handsome appearance and genius status, and married Cheng Yongze under the strong opposition of his parents without a long run-in.

However, married life is not what she imagined at all, Cheng Yongze is almost negative in other aspects except for his academic greatness, he has no interest at all, except for giving money, he has almost never undertaken family obligations, and even Lin Yiqing quarreled with him, he didn't quarrel with her, just listened silently.

In anyone's opinion, Cheng Yongze is not worth wasting his time and energy on anything other than his academic interest.

As for why he married Lin Yiqing, Cheng Mo guessed that his father may have been deeply influenced by Socrates, you must know that for the ancient Greeks, the ideal marriage did not require spiritual communication, and men and women had their own division of labor and missions.

Xenophon, one of Socrates' disciples, gave the reasons for marriage in the Qi Family: first, to reproduce, secondly, to provide for people in old age, and finally to share the work, which was outside the main house for men and indoor work for women, including keeping food and goods, feeding babies, making bread, sewing clothes, etc.....

Cheng Mo remembered that Socrates had said to Xenophon: "I advise you, when you see a beautiful woman, run away quickly." ”

Xenophon was puzzled and asked, "Why?"

Socrates replied, "This young and beautiful animal is much more terrible than a poisonous spider! A good marriage will bring you happiness only, but a bad marriage will make you a philosopher." ”

Cheng Mo felt that his father's marriage was just an experiment, and he was a crippled experiment.....

After giving birth to Cheng Mo, Lin Yiqing persisted for six years, and finally Cheng Mo's illness became the last straw that crushed her, and when Cheng Mo was seven years old, she chose to divorce Cheng Yongze, and gave up Cheng Mo's custody and returned to the United States.

Originally, according to the doctor's advice, it was best for Cheng Mo not to go to school, but helplessly, Cheng Yongze really didn't have the energy to take care of Cheng Mo, so he hired a nanny to take care of him at home, the older nanny stole and took it, and the younger nanny tried to seduce Cheng Yongze without saying anything, and he hardly did housework, so under Cheng Mo's own strong request, he was sent to school.

It turns out that the doctor's words are not wrong, Cheng Mo, who has grown to the age of sixteen, has brushed shoulders with death several times, and the critical illness notice is almost commonplace for him, but Cheng Mo is lucky, because most people with such serious diseases die in infancy, but God's favor allows him to survive tenaciously, and like other children, he also carries a schoolbag and "enjoys" campus life.

It's just that Cheng Mo has been different from other children since he was a child, not only can he not exercise vigorously, but he is also prone to colds and illnesses, and often has to go to the hospital for injections.

Because of his illness and intelligence, he was specially taken care of by the teacher, plus he couldn't exercise, and his emotional lips would turn purple, so different, ridiculed, ostracized, and unable to make friends is natural, even if he is like his father, he has been a top student since he was a child, and his grades have always been the first in the class, but he still can't change the situation of being isolated.

After entering junior high school, the phenomenon of cyanosis became more serious, and the lips and nails would turn purple if you exercised a little. The mobility is also weakening, and the chest will be tight and wheezing after walking for a long time.

When he was 15 years old, when he took the physical examination for the high school entrance examination, the doctor told Cheng Mo that his heart grew like a gourd, and it was a miracle that he could live until now. The doctor also called Cheng Yongze and bluntly told Cheng Yongze that Cheng Mo may not live to be an adult (18), and suggested that he should not continue to go to school, it is better to take Cheng Mo around and enjoy the last time of his life.

Cheng Yongze ignored the doctor's advice, Cheng Mo still took the high school entrance examination and the entrance examination, and entered Changya Middle School with the first score in the Xingcheng Entrance Examination, and Cheng Yongze was also transferred to the Huaxia Academy of Social Sciences that year.

Originally, Cheng Yongze wanted to bring Cheng Mo to the capital, but after Cheng Mo passed, he was seriously unadaptable, unwell, and his condition worsened, so Cheng Yongze could only let Cheng Mo return to Star City, anyway, Cheng Yongze was not worried about Cheng Mo's self-care ability.

In addition to giving money, Cheng Yongze has not given Cheng Mo any help in life over the years, it is completely Cheng Mo himself taking care of himself, except for Cheng Mo's own medical treatment, medicine, and meals, all other trivial matters in the life of the Cheng family, such as paying water, electricity and gas bills, asking someone to clean, etc., are all taken care of by Cheng Mo, so Cheng Yongze is still very relieved about Cheng Mo, but Cheng Mo feels that his father, who can only engage in research and write papers, is more worth worrying.

It's just that Cheng Mo didn't expect that he hadn't hung up yet, and his father, who basically had zero self-care ability, hung up first in a car accident.

Cheng Mo didn't have much sadness about his father's death, in Cheng Mo's view, life and death were inevitable, and his father Cheng Yongze, as an anthropologist, was naturally a philosopher.

Philosophical research is the process of constantly moving towards such a state of mind and gradually establishing a conscious consciousness of death, which is to constantly rehearse and rehearse exercises to prepare for death, that is, to achieve an existence without the limitations of the physical framework.

This is what Plato meant when he said, "Philosophy is a rehearsal of death."

In layman's terms, a person's whole life is accompanied by death and is preparing for death, and death is not a loss of life, but just a step out of time.

Cheng Mo has a very deep understanding of this, and he also looks at life and death very lightly, not looking down on it, a person like him, who has been so close to death since birth, has long been sad to death if he can't think about it.

recalled that when he was young, he couldn't exercise, and the only entertainment he could choose was to read books, but Cheng Yongze did not show Cheng Mo children's books, but directly gave him a set of philosophy books to make enlightenment readings, and when other people's children recited "Three Hundred Tang Poems", he read "Philosophical Enlightenment for Children".

He still remembers that the first chapter of the book was called "Life and Death."

The stone does not die because it does not change. It doesn't die because it never lived. Everything that changes, grows, and grows will disappear: there is life and death.

The difference in life is that the value is different, the mosquito dies when it dies, you cry when the dog dies, and after a person dies, the more people who are sad and the more people who remember him, the greater his value....

Cheng Mo watched the bustling people write five hundred or one thousand favors in front of the table at the door, and thought to himself that with his father's emotional intelligence, he could become the deputy director of the Institute of Anthropology, how much did he contribute to academics?

Seeing his aunt Huang Qiaoyun sitting at the table, smiling and counting the money until her hands cramped, Cheng Mo was a little helpless, and his next life may not be as easy as he thought, because the identity of a minor is not a protection for him, but a restriction.

Just when Cheng Mo felt that his legs were sore, and his body was unbearable, his uncle Cheng Jidong came over and said affectionately to Cheng Mo: "Cheng Mo, it's time for cremation, you wait and walk in front with the urn....."

Cheng Jidong is forty-one years old, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, and good facial features, he looks a little like Cheng Yongze, but he is far from being as handsome and elegant as Cheng Yongze, he is a little fat, and he dresses like a village and town cadre.

Cheng Mo's aunt looks a little good, and Huang Qiaoyun, who looks virtuous but is actually pungent, is the accountant of a factory.

After Cheng Yongze passed away, Cheng Jidong and Huang Qiaoyun came to Star City to help manage Cheng Yongze's funeral, in fact, most of the work was completed by Li Fengxian, the chairman of the trade union of the Hunan Academy of Social Sciences, and Cheng Yongze's colleague.

Cheng Mo's grandparents died early, and his mother Lin Yiqing had already been heard from for a long time, and the guardianship was about to fall on Cheng Jidong and Huang Qiaoyun, so he directly received a large amount of pension from Li Fengxian without Cheng Mo's consent, and also took Cheng Yongze's salary card.

It is equivalent to saying that all the inheritance left by Cheng Yongze is in the hands of Cheng Jidong, and Cheng Mo is also very helpless about this, although he can live independently, but legally he cannot.

In the past two days, his uncle and aunt have moved into his house, and are applying to the neighborhood committee for Cheng Mo's guardianship, so active Cheng Mo of course knows what it is for, not to mention that he has a heart attack, how long he can live is unknown, even if he is healthy, his uncle and aunt will definitely use all means to take advantage of it.

Cheng Mo is temporarily powerless in this regard, his body does not allow it, and the law does not allow it, of course, he can also find a way to ask others to become his guardian, but after thinking about it, his father actually has no one who Cheng Mo understands, and can be regarded as a good friend of Cheng Yongze, so Cheng Mo can only be silent, planning to stay up until he is eighteen years old.

Cheng Mo didn't look up at Cheng Jidong, just let out a slight "oh", got up and rubbed his kneeling legs that were a little unconscious, because he had been kneeling here for a long time, and at this moment his lips were a little purple, and the corners of his forehead were still decorated with beads of sweat.

Such a long time of kneeling is actually a big burden for Cheng Mo's body, although he has been very happy, but Cheng Mo just endured silently and did not say anything, although this kind of filial piety is meaningless in Cheng Mo's opinion, but he is still willing to try his best to complete such a ceremony, which can be regarded as a kind of respect for tradition.

Cheng Jidong didn't care about Cheng Mo's happiness, nor did he mind his slightly cold attitude, his nephew had always looked like he was going to die, he had already understood and used to it, Cheng Jidong explained a few words to Cheng Mo, and immediately went to greet the leaders who came to see Cheng Yongze off, with a flattering look on his face.

After a while, I don't know who handed the urn to Cheng Mo, and then his father's body was carried out of the glass coffin, and the drum and bugle corps was ready to play, Cheng Mo held the urn and looked back at his father and thought: We will all die, because we are alive, it seems a little ridiculous to say this.

With the words of the funeral master of ceremonies, the crowd in the auditorium lined up quietly according to their positions, and the sound of mourning music played by the cheap band without any beauty was not a little sad except for the noise.

Cheng Mo stood at the front as an only son, and when the queue marched towards the cremation furnace - everyone was silent......

Thinking of the team seeing off other people's families, they were all crying, Cheng Mo felt that he should respond to the situation and sobbed twice, otherwise no one shed tears during the whole funeral, it would be too sad.

It's just a pity that before Cheng Mo had time to squeeze out two tears, the crematorium had already arrived.

Cheng Mo looked at his father's side face under the firelight, and thought: This is really a funeral that is not too sad.