Yizhi

In 1996, early January, cold winter.

The wind in the north is stronger than that in the south, dry and severe, making people dizzy.

The snow in the north can force people to hold umbrellas, and snowball fights can make people.

Song Yezhi turned his neck, and saw that the roofs in the north were not as high and sharp as those in the south, and the snow had accumulated a thick layer on the flat roofs, leaving traces of a winter.

There is also a difference in the IQ of birds between the north and the south, and the south is not as stupid as the north.

Song Yezhi stood under the eaves, motionless, looking at the silly bird in front of him and thinking.

Sweaters, cotton coats, down jackets, scarves, and hats were all piled up on his body, making him sore from the back of his neck to his shoulders.

There was a creaking sound, and the door of the courtyard was pushed open, and a gust of cold wind poured in.That posture was like a vicious dog off its leash, scurrying around in the small courtyard, biting whoever it caught.

But Song Yezhi was bitten especially badly.

Song Yezhi heard footsteps coming from the door and in front of him, and ignored them.Enduring the soreness in his bones, he lowered his chin, hid half of his face in the scarf, and still stared at the startled bird flapping its wings.

Entering the courtyard gate, Yi Qingwei lowered his head to put away his umbrella, and when he looked up, he saw a boy standing quietly in front of the gate with a birdcage in front of him.The boy looked at the bird, and the bird also tilted its head and looked at him inwardly.

One person and one bird were in a strange stalemate.

This scene, in Yi Qingwei's view, is very novel.

He took two steps forward and stood directly in front of the person, his tall figure covering the boy in his shadow.

He tilted his head and asked, "It's so cold, what are you doing?"

The boy blinked, but said nothing.

Yi Qingwei stared at him, and after a few seconds, he reached out and touched the man's scarf, exposing the boy's nose and lips.

"Song Yezhi, right?" There was no emotion in the words.

Song Yezhi thought, this person is quite interesting.When a question is thrown out, it is not like an inquiry, but a certainty.So I raised my head, and just as it happened, the wind brought a snowflake, which fell on the eyelashes leisurely.

Seeing Yi Qingwei at first sight was unreal.

He blinked again, and the snowflakes shook off, and then melted in the eye sockets, giving off a icy cold wetness.

Now it's clear.

Song Yezhi just looked at him and didn't speak for a while.

Yi Qingwei didn't care. After looking around, his eyes fell on him again, and said: "Come and see your grandpa, and take you to my house for dinner."

There was too much wind outside, and when people walked to the door, Song Yingjun heard the movement, and hurriedly called the nanny who cleaned the bedroom to open the door and welcome people into the room.

Yi Qingwei walked at the end, his front foot had already crossed the threshold, he stopped, he turned sideways with the door open, raised his eyebrows, and smiled half-smile.

He asked, "No?"

Song Yezhi withdrew his gaze from Yi Qingwei, hid his face in the scarf again, and said softly, "No."

The Song and Yi families have been friends for several generations.

Song Yingjun and Yi Weigong have been neighbors since their parents, and Song Yingjun has called Yi Weigong his elder brother since he was born.In the end, the two joined the army together and went through the rain of guns and bullets together, which was a life-threatening friendship.In his son's generation, Song Jun got married, and when his wife was pregnant with Song Yezhi, the couple went south to do business.A few years later, the business got bigger and bigger, and I took my parents to the south to pay respects.

Song Yezhi's grandmother died of illness last year, and Song Yingjun's health became worse and worse. The old man planned to return to the north to spend his old age.Song Yezhi was not close to his parents. When his grandfather came back, he followed him.

Yi Weigong has three children, two sons and one daughter, and Yi Qingwei is ten years behind his elder brother.My elder brother is in politics and has a family.My sister is in business, unmarried and childless.The two are often so busy that they don't see anyone for several months. Song Yingjun's family only got off the plane last night, and Yi Qingwei, who is the most leisurely, is sent to invite people to get together at home early the next morning.

The room was very lively, Song Yezhi stood alone outside the door, no longer staring at the bird, but staring at the thread of the scarf.

With a creak, the door opened again.

The nanny poked her head out and said softly, "Xiaoye, grandpa has allowed you to come in."

"Oh."

Song Yezhi took off his clothes and took off his scarf as he walked. He didn't go to the living room after entering the door. He hurriedly opened the bedroom door to change into some light clothes.

The nanny carried the birdcage into the house and put it away, followed behind him, quickly stepped forward to hold his hand, and muttered: "Don't take it off, you have to go out later, if you take it off and put it on, you will catch a cold, and then you will catch a cold again." Need to take medicine."

"Also—really going to eat."

Song Yezhi didn't want to go, it was too cold, but he didn't want to wear too thick.

Winter in the north can be really embarrassing.

"Xiao Ye, come here to say hello to my little uncle. You were punished to stand still, don't you remember the rules and manners?" Song Yingjun waited for a long time without seeing anyone, and spoke.

Song Yezhi responded, "Wait a minute..."

I wanted to say something more, but held back.

He zips up his clothes slowly, reluctantly shuffling.

Yi Qingwei sat across from Mr. Song, warming his hands with a cup full of hot tea.

The sub-zero days are merciless. When people walk outside with an umbrella, their hands are shaved and bloodless.However, Song Yezhi, who had just entered the door, took a hasty look, only to feel that those hands were white, lined by brown wooden cups, as white as flowing jade.

Yi Qingwei wanted to ask a long time ago: "Did you get punished to stand at the door just now?"

"When I came back last night, I met a bird with beautiful feathers and a beautiful voice. I paid some money to bring it home. Who knew that the bird cage was empty when I got up early in the morning. I didn't even think about it. I knew it was this guy who did it. Since I was a child, I have loved picking up my birdcage, and I don't want to see me raising birds." Song Yingjun snorted softly, "Punish him to face the wall for half an hour."

"Fly? I saw one when I came in."

Song Yingjun laughed and said, "It's so strange that I want to let it go, but it flies into the house and hides in the corner of the wall without making a sound."

When Song Yezhi entered the living room, he saw Yi Qingwei smiling, and he didn't know what he was laughing at.

He narrowed his eyes and bowed slightly, and said, "Morning uncle."

"You are early too."

This uncle is still not old.

Song Yingjun knocked on the table and told him to bring hot water to warm up.Song Yezhi didn't like to drink hot water, so he didn't move when he approached, and just said, "My mouth is hot."

"Why don't you drink it if it's not hot?" Song Yingjun pinched his face, "This face looks like porcelain in the ice cellar, drink it soon. I will open my cage later, and I will deal with you as usual."

There were outsiders watching the fun, Song Yezhi didn't want to say more, and answered with lowered eyelids: "Oh."

"Are you hungry? After a few sips, go to Uncle Yi's house for dinner."

Mrs. Yi was in her late thirties when she had Yi Qingwei by accident. She was reluctant and could not bear to take it away, so she gave birth resolutely.Therefore, Yi Qingwei was born in the younger generation, and suffered a lot from addressing since he was a child.

There were tea leaves fluttering on the cup surface, Yi Qingwei gently blew it away, took a sip, moistened his lips, took time to look at him, and asked casually: "How old are you?"

"16...17," he replied.

Uncle Yi struggled to death: "It's almost a few years old, and I will be called brother from now on."

Song Yingjun shook his head: "No, seniority can't be messed up."

Song Yezhi was not at the same point as them, just thinking: Then...how old is the difference?

"Our young people don't pay much attention to these things." Yi Qingwei put down his cup and raised his chin at Song Yezhi, "Huh?"

For some reason, the person standing opposite didn't speak, and just looked at him, the same as before at the door.

Yi Qingwei didn't hide, and met Song Yezhi's eyes.

Suddenly the man spoke, his voice was clear, but with a soft and waxy tone that is unique to southerners and cannot be changed.

"What's your name? Young people of my generation usually call each other by name."

Before Yi Qingwei could respond, Song Yezhi was knocked on the back of the head by his grandfather, made a false reprimand, and was driven into the car again.

The Yi family no longer lives in a house, but lives in a detached house.

After getting out of the car, an aunt immediately came out to help Mr. Song into the house.Song Yezhi followed Yi Qingwei to the trunk of the car and took out the gift.

The two walked one behind the other, Yi Qingwei slowed down and waited for him.

"Give me the one on the right hand."

Song Yezhi glanced at Yi Qingwei's full hands and said, "I can lift them."

"I know you can lift it, but I'm afraid you'll fall in two steps while carrying it." Yi Qingwei said in a lazy voice, mocking him deliberately, "Have you ever stepped on the snow in the north?"

Song Yezhi stomped his feet twice: "Have you worn the anti-skid boots in the south?"

He knew that the person in front of him had good intentions, and then added: "Both hands are holding things and keeping balance."

"Really?" Yi Qingwei squinted at him, bent over to approach him, passed the rope through his fingers, and said, "Then give me both hands."

Suddenly approaching and leaving in an instant, he was empty-handed and a little at a loss.Song Yezhi was stunned for a few seconds, then he clenched his palms stiffly to capture a trace of warmth.

The snow gradually stopped.

I don't know if it's an illusion, or it's always been like this in the north.The sky is gloomy and the ground is bright, influencing each other, but the boundaries are clear.

Song Yezhi followed step by step, watching the back of the person in front of him intently.Yi Qingwei was wearing a knee-length gray coat today, the buttons were not neatly buttoned, and the wind blowing from the front made the hem of the coat flutter.

Song Yezhi clenched his palm again.

People in the north are different from those in the south.

The legs are longer and the nose bridge is higher and more defined.