Three or Two Things about Rebirth

Jiayang’s summer is as short as a woman’s youth.

Flowers bloom and fall, the sun rises and sets, and the Heilongjiang River freezes over again, entering a long winter.

The number of readers in the reading room became scarce again. Qiu Luming was basking in the warm winter sun by the window, holding a copy of the original Russian novel "Quiet Flows the Don" in his hand.

This book was not on my father's bookshelf. My mother borrowed it from the principal of No. 1 Middle School. After she got it, she carefully wrapped it in a cover and was extremely careful when reading it.

When Qiu Luming went to the finance office upstairs when the salary was paid this month, Chen Xingchen said to her in front of several colleagues, "The old Russians have disintegrated, and it's still uncertain what the future will be like. Is it useful for you to learn this?"

"It's useful." Qiu Luming said lightly, "Read the original novel."

Chen Xingchen glared at her and put her hand on her belly which was not yet pregnant. "Are you mad at me? I'm pregnant!"

"Pregnant?" Qiu Luming was surprised. "I'm not nice to talk to you, but please don't be offended. I'm telling you, in this cold winter..."

"Shut up!" Chen Xingchen yelled at the cashier, "Give her the expenses first and tell her to get out!"

After counting the money, Qiu Luming returned the salary bag to the cashier, "Thank you, Sister Liu!" Before leaving, he turned back and said to Chen Xingchen with a smile, "Sister Chen, smile! Otherwise, the baby you give birth to won't look good!"

Pragmatic people pay attention to being targeted. When doing things, they must first see the target results and must also obtain actual benefits in the process.

What's the point of learning Russian? Of course it's useful! Qiu Luming thought, now she can read novels with a dictionary, chat with her father, and say things she doesn't want her mother to hear. After getting her diploma at the end of next year, she can continue to apply for a self-taught or correspondence undergraduate degree, and her salary can also increase. With so many benefits, how can it be useless!

Qiu Luming closed the book and wrote in Russian on the manuscript paper: Live and learn.

This is what my father said most often.

At noon, Qiu Luming had his lunch in the canteen of the border defense brigade again. This time, it was brought by a young soldier with a Sichuan accent braving the wind and snow.

Fang Yuan's way of trying to please his future sister-in-law was to order his soldiers to run errands for her. He sent her an umbrella on rainy days, a pair of army shoes in winter, and occasionally some food. He sent a different person each time, saying that he was afraid that she was too young to fall in love with a soldier, and that if she wanted to find a soldier, he could introduce an officer to her.

Fang Yuan's father was the political commissar of the Yi City Armed Police Detachment. Her work in Jiayang was definitely just a transition. Qiu Luming didn't understand why his second brother was dating her. Was he destined to be a live-in son-in-law for someone as talented as him? Or did he just like this kind of willful girl?

Qiu's parents naturally knew all this. They kept a wait-and-see attitude towards their second son's feelings and never urged him to bring his girlfriend home to visit.

The border defense brigade is a special existence in Jiayang. They are under the jurisdiction of both the public security department and the superior border defense detachment, but are not subject to local financial constraints. Therefore, the food in the border defense brigade canteen is better than that in the public security canteen, and much better.

Qiu Luming scooped up a piece of braised beef and half a spoonful of rice soaked in the soup, and put them into his mouth together, eating with great joy and satisfaction.

The task of gaining weight in autumn this year has been successfully completed!

The door of the library opened, and the north wind blew in. Someone stomped his feet outside the door and came in. Qiu Luming didn't care and continued to eat. During the lunch break, readers borrowed and returned the most books. Some people took advantage of the warmer weather at noon to go to the reading room to read books and newspapers.

Suddenly, the footsteps in the corridor stopped at the door of the reading room, and the person seemed to hold his breath.

This made Qiu Luming nervous as well. She stopped chewing and looked at the half-open door of the reading room in confusion.

A pair of dark brown leather shoes stepped to the door, and the door was gently pushed open. Qiu Luming looked in the direction of the shoes and saw a man about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, wearing a black mid-length hooded cotton jacket, who was standing by the wooden door of the reading room, staring at her.

——This guy’s mood is obviously abnormal, he is definitely not here to read a book!

Qiu Luming put down the spoon and opened the drawer on the left side of the desk with her left hand. There was a baton and a police dagger inside. Although it was not in compliance with the regulations, her second brother still got them for her.

The man finally pushed the door of the reading room open completely. His eyes suddenly turned red and filled with tears. He opened his mouth twice and said, "Yun!"

This name and voice suddenly reminded Qiu Luming of the time when she met four or five men riding bicycles side by side near the stadium on her way to work the day before yesterday. She moved to the far right side of the road, and the moment they passed each other, she clearly heard someone among them shout "Yun".

She didn't care, didn't even look at him, and rode straight to work.

The next day, someone came to the library again and shouted "Yun" at her. Obviously, the voice was also calling her.

"Do you want to borrow a book? Please go to the reading room over there. If you want to read magazines or newspapers, please show your reading card." Qiu Luming is impartial in his work.

The man took off his hat, pulled down the scarf around his neck, and still said to Qiu Luming, "Yun!"

Qiu Luming saw a handsome yet weathered face, and a tear slid down his rough skin and sank into the scarf.

Hey, maybe this guy is mentally ill! Qiu Luming's heart was filled with alarm. He stood up and raised his voice, saying, "You got the wrong person. There is no one here!"

At the same time, my left hand grasped the handle of the baton, my mind was in a mess. What tricks had my second brother taught me?

Uncle Li was a really good man. He could tell something was wrong with Qiu Luming's voice, walked over quickly with his hands behind his back, and knocked on the door with his knuckles. "What are you eating, Qiu? Hey, is there a reader here? I'll keep an eye on you, you eat yours!"

Qiu Luming felt a little more confident, and without saying anything, he looked directly at the man.

The man lowered his head and was silent for two seconds. He reached out and stroked his short flat hair. When he looked up again, his eyes had become calm. He took out his ID card from the inner pocket of his leather jacket and placed it on Qiu Luming's desk. He said sincerely, "I'm sorry, I recognized the wrong person. Now, I need to apply for a reading card."

Qiu Luming glanced at Uncle Li, sat down, and took out a blank reading card from the drawer.

Uncle Li came over and picked up the ID card. "Ma Zhenyi? That's a good name. Hey? This is a temporary ID card!"

"Yes, I just moved my household registration back, and I haven't gotten my long-term ID card yet."

Uncle Li became interested and asked, "Have you been to the army? Which old Ma family are you from? Why don't I have any impression of you?" At this time, the old soldiers were demobilized.

Ma Zhenyi shook his head expressionlessly and did not answer.

Qiu Luming had no interest in his identity. "I need two one-inch photos."

"Ah?" Ma Zhenyi was stunned for a moment and said, "I don't have it."

"If you don't have any, go take a photo first!" Qiu Luming inserted the blank reading card back into the paper box in the drawer, but did not close the drawer.

Ma Zhenyi glanced at the drawer and suddenly smiled, revealing a canine tooth. He said, "Did I scare you? I have no ill intentions. You look very, very, very much like a classmate of mine in junior high school!"