soft hedgehog

Liang Yuchen became more and more busy after the start of the second year of graduate school. On the one hand, his studies were getting tighter, and on the other hand, he became more and more in touch with a year-end friend.

There were few classes on Friday. In the evening, he bought some fruit at school and took the bus to No. 35 Beiyao Hutong.Not many people still live in hutong courtyard houses nowadays, not to mention the inconvenience of driving in, the decoration is also outdated, and the maintenance cost is higher.

After knocking a few times and waiting for a while, the red lacquered door opened, and there stood an old man in his early fifties, not tall and thin, with a pair of glasses in his coat pocket. The next one is called Zhai Qiuyan.

"I was just thinking that it's time for you to arrive." Holding a purple sand teapot in his hand, he had obviously been waiting in the courtyard.

"Uncle Di."

Liang Yuchen carried his things into the courtyard.

This well-preserved courtyard house faces south in the east-west hutong. The gate is at the southeast corner of the house. When you walk in, you will find a spacious courtyard with flower stands on the tiled roof, a half-person-high fish tank with lotus flowers floating on it, and a round stone table. With four low stone benches, the current weather is just right for enjoying the shade in the courtyard in the evening.

Zhai Qiuyan had no children, and he was the only one living in the main room in the huge courtyard of more than [-] square meters. The other three wing rooms were all empty, deserted and dusty, and there was no one to clean them.After Liang Yuchen saved him that day, they left each other's phone numbers, and the next day he took the initiative to contact him, hoping to thank him in person.

The benefactor made it clear that there is no need to thank him, but the beneficiary insisted.As a last resort, Liang Yuchen visited this courtyard for the first time during the Spring Festival. At that time, he was really intimidated by this kind of life hidden in the city.

"Just come, you don't need to bring anything." Zhai Qiuyan led him to sit down on a stone bench and rest, "I can't eat by myself."

Putting the plastic bag in his hand on the stone table, Liang Yuchen said: "If you can't eat, you can share it with your neighbors. You are usually taken care of by them when you are alone at home."

"I can't talk about taking care of it. I live by myself. I usually go to the flower and bird market when I have nothing to do. I buy some vegetables from the vegetable market and cook them. I don't go to join in the fun."

He seldom interacts with his neighbors, and his personality is relatively withdrawn. Moreover, most of the courtyard houses in this alley are now vacant and waiting for sale.

After speaking, he poured a cup of hot tea for Liang Yuchen.

"Try the lotus leaf tea I made myself, cleared fire."

Drinking hot tea before summer is a way to keep in good health. When Liang Yuchen picked it up, it really smelled like lotus.

"How is your English learning recently?" Zhai Qiuyan is like his elders, who cares about his studies every time we meet.

"It's not bad." Liang Yuchen took a sip of tea, and the exhaustion from the car ride all the way was relieved, "The grades last semester were considered passable, and I'm going to practice soon."

"What unit?"

"consulate."

"Consulate?" Zhai Qiuyan said bluntly, "Going to this kind of place for an internship is more in name than in reality."

The tone is quite contemptuous.

Before he retired, he was a big player in the northern simultaneous interpreting field. The so-called national team, the main reason for the withdrawal was because of lack of physical strength.In those days, two interpreters took turns at an important conference, and after a few hours they were close to collapse, and they often had to be supported by disciples to get out of the black box.Later, when the physical examination found that he had a heart problem, he didn't dare to risk his life any more. He also wanted to leave the opportunity to young people, and retired to do desk work, translating books, which cost a lot of money.Therefore, the fact that Liang Yuchen is a graduate student majoring in translation gave him unexpected joy, and he believed that this chance meeting was a chance from heaven, and he also regarded him as the last apprentice in this life.

Liang Yuchen pushed down his glasses and said shyly, "Of course this kind of opportunity is nothing to you, but it is a rare opportunity for me. I am far behind you in those days."

Zhai Qiuyan waved his hand indifferently: "Language is the most important thing about the environment. I stayed abroad for 12 years and even talked in English in my sleep. You are young and have never been abroad, so naturally you are not ready. If you have the opportunity, you should go abroad. Nurturing for a period of time will be of great help to improve the ability."

Liang Yuchen put his hands on his knees and nodded slightly: "I'm also thinking about it. There will be a short-term exchange program during the summer vacation of the second year of graduate school. I will sign up as long as I have enough money."

"Short-term?" Zhai Qiuyan frowned, "What can I learn in one or two months of exchanges? If there are long ones, go for the long ones. Don't universities now have semester-based exchanges? You don't have to worry about money. I have one here." , as long as you need—”

"Uncle Zhai." Liang Yuchen cut him off and gave him a gentle smile, "I have saved more than 3 yuan myself, and I have the money. The reason why I didn't choose long-term is mainly because I think about my family."

If he really made up his mind to study abroad, he would definitely aim to get a scholarship, and he couldn't spend his family's money rashly, and of course he couldn't ask for money from others.

Zhai Qiuyan took a sip of tea and shook his head disapprovingly: "You are still so young, it's shameful not to go out for a while. And I remember you told me that your father has remarried and the family is very harmonious, so there is no need to stick to it." Take care of your dad."

He tried to persuade him, but Liang Yuchen held the rim of the teacup with one hand, lowered his eyes and said nothing.

The courtyard was not lit, it was all illuminated by the white light from the main room.Mosquitoes flew past my ears, disturbing my mind for no reason.

After a long time, Zhai Qiuyan suddenly realized: "Are you in love?"

Most of it is feelings that can make a highly motivated young man give up the opportunity for further study and promotion to stay in China.

Not speaking is the default.

Liang Yuchen lifted the pot and refilled a cup of tea for each other.

"Really in love?" Zhai Qiuyan looked at him with an elder smile on his face.

Liang Yuchen raised the teacup to his lips, smiled and shook his head: "Not yet, but I don't want to be too far away from him."

Whether they can be together or not, he doesn't want to be too far away from his brother.

Di Qiuyan was startled by such a gentle and plain tone, he was so deeply involved before they were together, and he was afraid that he would suffer in the future.He asked, "So serious?"

In fact, this is a superfluous question.Not long after meeting him, Zhai Qiuyan also knew that he was always serious in his life and work, almost rigidly.

The teacup in his hand fell on the slate table, Liang Yuchen withdrew his hand, still resting on his knees, with an expression on his face that was [-]% sunken.

"He is a character who is prone to trouble. If I am not here, no one will clean up for him."

There is ten percent seriousness in the words.

Zhai Qiuyan pondered for a moment, then slowly said: "Emotional matters hurt others, you must know how to leave room for yourself."

When he was young, because he didn't know how to leave room, he hurt others and hurt himself, and ended up hurting both sides and never married for life.

"I understand." Liang Yuchen looked at the white flowers and roses that had worked so hard to transplant in the yard, and thought of the person who made him fall deeper and deeper, and asked, "Uncle Di, can I break some roses and take them away."

Zhai Qiuyan was surprised: "Aren't you allergic to pollen? What do you want this for?"

There is not much rose pollen, but for Liang Yuchen's consideration, he still knocked off most of the petals during the day.

"Someone likes it." He smiled.

Ji Tong has a childlike heart, so he should like such flowers.What's more, when we first met Jasmine, the tiger-headed Jasmine, he owed it to Ji Tong. He liked this rose when he saw it, and if he gave it to Ji Tong, Ji Tong wouldn't hate it either.

Zhai Qiuyan couldn't help but feel that feelings are so harmful, even Liang Yuchen's character would never leave the Venerable Master.He got up and took scissors to cut off a few branches with full flowers, wrapped them tightly in plastic bags and put them in paper bags before handing them over.

Liang Yuchen thanked him, took out the notebook he carried with him, and wanted to ask for advice on some difficult points in the translation.Zhai Qiuyan was naturally happy. Two translation enthusiasts with a 30-year age difference moved to the living room to discuss the so-called "Xin Ya Da" issue.

Unconsciously, the night is late, the moon is hanging in the sky, and the clock in the living room is going to nine o'clock.

The tea had already been refilled twice, and Liang Yuchen couldn't help stretching.Di Qiuyan put on his clothes and packed up the leftover tea: "Sleepy? Then go back early, it's the same next time, I'll be there anytime."

Liang Yuchen took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose: "It's okay, I'm not sleepy, I still have two sentences I want to hear from you, and I have to hand them in next week."

As soon as the voice fell, the phone in his pocket vibrated.

He took it out and saw that it was Ji Tong calling.

"I'll answer the phone first." He immediately put down the pen that he had held for a long time.

Zhai Qiuyan walked to the window with his hands behind his back, admiring the moonscape outside.

"What's the matter, are you hungry again?" Liang Yuchen asked with a smile.

Recently, Ji Tong was so hungry that he always made trouble for no reason. He called him while lying on the bed in the dormitory and begged him to buy supper.

"Brother..." Two seconds later, a trembling voice came from the other side, as if scared, "Come here..."

He shivered, "What happened?"

"I—" Ji Tong on the other end of the phone paused, obviously afraid to speak out.

"Say it." He growled.

"I hit someone while riding a bicycle, and I'm on my way to the hospital now." Ji Tong's voice was filled with tears, "Now the parents are going to come to settle accounts with me, I'm afraid, bro..."

There was a roar in Liang Yuchen's head, and he stood up abruptly: "What about you, are you alright?"

"I got a scratch on my calf, but everything else is fine."

He just calmed down a bit, looked up at Zhai Qiuyan by the window, then turned his back and asked in a deep voice which hospital, hung up the phone and immediately started to pack his things, throwing away all unfinished translations, and hurriedly stuffing his notebook into his bag stuffed.

"Uncle Di, my younger brother got into trouble again, I have to go find him now."

Zhai Qiuyan had vaguely heard most of it, and walked over and handed him the bag of flowers: "Do you need my help?"

"No need, I should be able to handle it." He took the flower bag, walked outside the door and bid farewell to Zhai Qiuyan, "It's getting late, you should go to bed early."

"Call me if you have something to do, don't be polite to me."

"Ah."

As soon as the gate was closed, the young figure ran towards the entrance of the alley before he had time to say any more.

The alley was silent and dark, and for several minutes there was only the sound of Liang Yuchen's hurried footsteps.

Zhai Qiuyan stood at the door until he could no longer see anyone before turning back and walking back to the courtyard, walking slowly, always feeling strange in his heart.When he passed the rose flower, he paused, his eyes shifted to the white stamen, and he suddenly recalled what Liang Yuchen said just now: my brother got into trouble again.

The person you like loves to cause trouble, and the younger brother also loves to cause trouble. There are always so many coincidences in the world?

He stood in the courtyard and pondered for a long time, feeling anxious in his heart.