near and far

The Spring Festival is coming soon, and all the people in the city who have left their hometowns are like birds returning to their nests, and they can't wait to fly back home.The huge city suddenly became more than half empty. There were few cars and people on the roads, and the crowded subway in the past was now empty.

After graduating from university, Le Mingxin worked as a physical education teacher in a nine-year school. The salary is not high, but the advantages are stability, benefits are good, and the working environment is simple. He likes it very much.The school he works in is considered a well-established and famous school, and most of the teachers are old. Everyone sees that he is young, cheerful and lovable, and they take good care of him.

The old ladies and aunts in the circle of friends are posting travel photos every day, waving red silk scarves and posing in various poses.Le Mingxin lay on the bed, liked each of them, commented and praised them sincerely, and harvested a bunch of roses in reply.

Seeing that it was getting late, Le Mingxin got out of bed, shivered and put on a gray turtleneck sweater and a denim jacket, and looked for another slipper in the room with no lights on. The floor was cold and so cold. He hopped and hopped, but couldn't find it for a long time, and he was too lazy to turn on the light, and finally hopped to the entrance, planning to change his shoes and go downstairs to eat spicy hot pot.

At this time, the phone rang, Le Mingxin took out his cell phone to check, it was Kang Chen calling him.

"Hello, Brother Chen." Le Mingxin put his phone on his shoulder and changed his shoes.

"Are you free tonight?"

"Yes, I have."

"Hey, when I ask in vain, you must have a lot of free time when you have winter vacation. Come out to play tonight."

Le Mingxin has been working for three years and has been in the junior high school. Just a few months ago, the school asked him to take care of Xiao Douding, a first-grade student in the elementary school.The physical education class in the first grade was like a group of freed chickens. Le Ming struggled for more than a month before he managed to figure out some ways. When he really got to know these little devils, he realized that children are also cute as children.

When he got off work that day, he found a little girl sitting alone on the steps of the school gate, her bangs were straightened, she was braided in two braids, and she was looking at the school gate with her knees folded. No one answered her.

Le Mingxin recognized this little girl as one of several classes he taught, named Kang Xiaoqin, he walked over and knelt down and asked her, "Why haven't you left yet?"

When Kang Xiaoqin saw Le Mingxin, as if she saw a savior, she immediately pursed her mouth and burst into tears, which she couldn't shed, she was very pitiful.

"Teacher Le, no one wants me anymore..." Kang Xiaoqin sobbed.

Le Mingxin was frightened by her, so he quickly comforted her and said, "Where are your parents, what's the phone number, I'll give you a call."

The security guard in the security room poked his head out and said, "Mr. Le, I called, but his father's phone has been turned off."

"Where's mother?" Le Mingxin asked.

Kang Xiaoqin bowed her head and said nothing, Le Mingxin didn't know what to do, she stood up tired from squatting, who knew that Kang Xiaoqin thought he was going to leave, so she hugged his leg in fright: "Teacher Le, take me home."

Le Ming was afraid that it would be unsafe for her to stay here for a long time, and it would be dark, so he sighed, pulled her up, and said, "How do you get to your house?"

Kang Xiaoqin stood up, patted her butt in an old-fashioned way, and said while thinking with her fingers: "Exit the school gate, turn left, and take a bus at the bus stop..."

Le Mingxin interrupted her: "The bus stop is on the right."

Kang Xiaoqin's tears were about to fall again, she sniffed and said, "Then, turn right, take the bus, three stops, get off and you will be there."

Le Mingxin had one head and two big heads, and led this little Douding to take the bus. After traveling for more than half an hour, they arrived at the downstairs of Kang Xiaoqin's house. Xin coaxed her to take her to McDonald's, and then took her back to wait.

When it was dark, a man in a suit and leather shoes, sweating profusely from anxiety, ran all the way back.

Kang Chen was late for the company meeting that day, and the nanny asked for leave and was not at home. He forgot to pick up the child. When he saw Kang Xiaoqin, he hugged and apologized. He was very grateful to Le Mingxin. Two days later When I am free, I will ask Le Mingxin out for dinner to thank him.Kang Chen is young, has a successful career, and is very comfortable with him. He is an acquaintance.Originally, Le Ming didn't want to have more contact with the parents of the students, and only wanted to have a meal, and a friendship with a meeting and a nod would be fine.Who knew that the first time he had dinner, Kang Chen had spotted the gay dating app that he just downloaded the day before yesterday on Le Mingxin's phone.

"Hey, Teacher Le, so you too..."

Le Mingxin was almost frightened by Kang Chen's straightforwardness and frankness. Because of family accidents, he had been working part-time for four years in university to study for research. After work, his social circle was narrow. Not to mention falling in love, he didn't even have the right sexual orientation. People have said that after finally mustering up the courage to download a dating app, Kang Chen broke through it.

He blushed to the base of his neck, the corners of his eyes drooped slightly, and his head drooped, like a big dog that didn't catch a Frisbee.

Kang Chen patted Le Mingxin on the shoulder and said, "There's nothing to be shy about, let's make friends."

After going back and forth, the two actually became friends. Kang Chen was single with a daughter, and he was still a crook. Le Ming didn't know the inside story, so it was hard to ask.Kang Xiaoqin was happy now, Teacher Le actually became her father's friend, she was secretly happy for a whole week, and regarded the patient and good-tempered Le Mingxin as her elder brother.

"Where are you going?" Le Mingxin took the key from the glass bowl in the entrance and asked.

"I'll pick you up later."

Kang Chen invested in a small bar with a few friends. After half a month since it opened, he remembered that he hadn't seen Le Mingxin for a long time, so he invited him.After coaxing my daughter to sleep, I drove out to pick up someone.He saw Le Mingxin standing on the side of the road, wearing a denim jacket with a turtleneck sweater, jeans and sneakers, his hair was limp and not combed well at first glance, and he looked like a college student after working for several years. Him: "Get in the car."

Le Mingxin's Malatang felt swollen and warm in his stomach, feeling sleepy, sitting in the co-pilot, feeling drowsy.

Kang Chen hated iron for being weak: "The nightlife has just begun, Mr. Le, why are you dozing off?"

Le Mingxin yawned and said, "Biological clock."

Kang Chen gritted his teeth: "You have been on vacation for less than half a month, and you haven't been transferred yet."

Le Mingxin grinned and showed a mouthful of white teeth: "Brother Chen, I really envy you. You have been showing your value at work, but I am living a holiday life in a daze, eating and sleeping. I really shouldn't .”

Kang Chen almost didn't stop and kicked him off.

But after a while, I arrived at the small bar that Kang Chen invested in. Instead of being in the noisy bar street, I found another way. I found a secluded place by the river. There was a signboard on the wall next to the gate. There are three big cursive characters "Bian" and a yellow light on it, which feels a bit hidden from the world.

There are still a few flower baskets at the door, and it looks like it has just opened.

Le Mingxin liked it at the first glance, and praised it twice, Kang Chen stopped the car, and hummed twice triumphantly: "Not bad. I don't know where that kid He Chengan got so many ideas."

The cold night wind blew the water vapor from the river onto Le Mingxin's face, he suddenly turned his head to look at Kang Chen: "Who?"

Kang Chen didn't hear it, so he walked forward, raised his hand and greeted in the distance: "Old He."

Le Mingxin looked over, there was still a person leaning against the wall at the door, wearing a black hoodie, leaning against the wall with one leg bent, because of the cold weather, wearing a dark blue knitted hat, the deep facial features stood out instead, With a cigarette between his fingers, he waved his hand lazily at Kang Chen: "Yes."

Le Mingxin frowned to recognize the man's face hidden in the shadows, but did not dare to recognize it.

"Ming Xin, this is..." Kang Chen wanted to introduce, but turned to look at Le Ming Xin, and asked in doubt, "Do you know each other?"

He Cheng'an snuffed out the cigarette and threw it into the trash can, hitting it just in time.He stood up straight, his face was clearly illuminated by the light, his eyebrows were protruding, his eyes were deep-set, his hands were in his pockets, his eyes rested on Le Mingxin's face, and after a while, he said, "I don't know."

Le Ming was choked by such a choke, and stopped talking.

He clearly remembered that on the first day of the second year of high school, in the middle of the first class, He Chengan, who had shaved and short hair that could almost see his scalp, suddenly stood up.

"Teacher, I'm not feeling well."

Then he didn't come back to class all day.

After school, after school, Le Mingxin finished playing ball. In a hurry, he flushed his head under the faucet. His head was full of water, and he was about to run back for evening self-study.Detour around the path, passing the locked botanical garden, through the hollowed-out wall, it seems to see someone lying on the lawn inside.

Le Mingxin was startled, stepped on the hollowed-out place, leaned on the top of the wall and looked down.He Chengan was lying on the grass by the wall, sleeping soundly, his chest heaving and falling.His head was wet, and the drops of water flowed down his cheeks, chin, and finally fell down, accurately landing on He Chengan's smooth forehead.

He Chengan frowned and opened his eyes, meeting the shocked man on the wall.

The last ray of the setting sun burned on top of Le Mingxin's head, coating his outline with a layer of light.