every breath

Zhou Chuyao was told by her parents when she was very young not to disturb her brother next door.The elder brother next door is not in good health and needs rest.

The house next door is beautifully built, the exterior walls are painted white, simple and elegant.The yard next door is also very beautiful, always full of flowers and plants, and different flowers bloom in different seasons.

When she occasionally went to the yard to loosen the soil for the vegetable fields, she would see her brother from the next door standing in the sun in a white cotton shirt, bowing his head to water the flowers in the yard.

That elder brother is very good-looking, probably because he doesn't go out very often, he is fairer than ordinary people.Under the sunlight, it seems to disappear.

Zhou Chuyao once secretly hid in the yard to watch him water the flowers. When he was alone, there was always a gloomy cloud on his brow, as if he was thinking about something important and difficult.Even with other people it seemed to surround him with a faint melancholy which no company could dispel.

Sometimes he would find a pair of curious eyes on the other side of the yard, he would smile and wave in her direction, and then call her name: "Xiao Yao, good morning."

Since she was a child, she didn't like talking very much. She always nodded and ran home, and rarely communicated with him verbally.

But she likes to observe the brother next door.

The brother next door is five years older than her and attends the only elementary school in the town.Because of my poor health, I never take physical education classes, and I often ask for leave because of illness, so I don't have any particularly close friends.When he is at home, he likes to water the flowers, read books, and play the harmonica.

The tunes he plays are very nice.The music came through the wall, and Zhou Chuyao was often fascinated by it.

She likes the heavy and slightly husky tone of the harmonica, blowing all the songs out of the story.

Then one day, she boldly knocked on the door of the house next door, and said the first real sentence to Qin Xuanyang who came to open the door: "Can you teach me to play the harmonica?"

Qin Xuanyang taught her the basic skills first, and she learned them quickly.When she was able to play songs independently, the first piece she learned was Green Sleeves.

Every evening, the two of them sat on the stone steps of Qin's house and practiced that English folk song together.

But Qin Xuanyang can't take time out to guide her every day, sometimes he is so uncomfortable that he can't even go downstairs.Zhou Chuyao could only sit in her yard and practice by herself.

What impressed her most was that one evening she was watering the flowers in the yard.Suddenly there was a sound of glass shattering on the second floor of the house next door, followed by a woman's shrill scream from the room.She had never heard such a desperate cry, and she froze on the spot in fright, not daring to move.Her mother hurried over when she heard the noise, and a few minutes later, she saw the ambulance stop at Qin's house.

She didn't see Qin Xuanyang being sent into the car, because her mother came over with a pale face and pushed her back home.

A day later, Qin Xuanyang still did not come back.

Two days later, still nothing.

It wasn't until three months later, when the summer was almost over, that Qin Xuanyang finally came back from the hospital.But his body is still very weak, and he can only rest in the bedroom on the second floor.Mom told her again not to disturb the brother next door.

But she sat in front of her house in the evening and played "Green Sleeves" on the harmonica Qin Xuanyang gave her.

After three months of repeated practice, she has been able to play this English folk song fluently by herself.

Under the setting sun, the melody of "Green Sleeves" flew with the evening wind.She saw a head protruding from a window on the second floor, and the brother next door waved to her palely and smiled.

That evening, she played "Green Sleeves" over and over again.

Alasmylove, youdomewrong (ah, my love, you did me wrong)

Tocastmeoffdiscourteously (abandon me you are unjust and heartless)

Ihavelovedyouallsolong (I've been in love with you, ah, so long)

Delightinginyourcompany (how happy to be with you)

Greensleeveswasallmyjoy (Greensleeveswasallmyjoy)

Greensleeveswasmydelight (Greensleeveswasmydelight)

Greensleeveswasmyheartofgold (Greensleeveswasmyheartofgold)

AndwhobutmyLadyGreensleeves

When she was seven years old, Qin Xuanyang was about to move to a big city for treatment.

The day before leaving, Aunt Qin went to her home to bid farewell. Mother Chu Yao held Aunt Qin's hand and said a lot, and both of them had wet eyes.

Zhou Chuyao sat in the living room and watched the two adults crying while talking, her face was still expressionless.After a while, she noticed someone standing by the door and beckoned her to pass.

When she went outside, Qin Xuanyang patted her head and handed her a few sheet music: "This is for you, you need to practice the harmonica often."

She looked up at Qin Xuanyang, who was tall to her, and asked, "When are you coming back?"

"I don't know either." He shrugged, "I don't know if I can come back, maybe I'll die in a few days."

The 12-year-old boy talked about life and death without any fear, as if it was his old friend.

She didn't hold him back with tears and snot. Instead, she showed a maturity and stability different from her peers: "You live well, and you will teach me to play the harmonica when you come back."

He smiled: "Yes. "Green Sleeves" needs to be practiced hard."

She nodded and held the music score in her arms: "You must not die."

He smiled and rubbed her hair again: "It's beyond my control, people are always going to die, sooner or later."

She looked back at the two women with tears in their eyes in the living room, then looked at him solemnly and said, "Aunt Qin will be very sad when you die. My mother will also be very sad."

"I know, I know." He smiled helplessly, "What about you, won't you be sad?"

She nodded, then shook her head again: "From now on, every time I play "Green Sleeves", I will think of you."

"Thank you." He thanked her solemnly, and finally patted her on the head, "Goodbye."

"Goodbye." Seven-year-old Zhou Chuyao said goodbye to him.

Qin Xuanyang turned around and walked out of the yard.

It's just that "goodbye" didn't come true.

From then on, Zhou Chuyao never saw Qin Xuanyang again.

********

Yongchuan.

It was another evening, Zhou Chuyao took a habitual walk along the river, and as expected, she saw Zhuang Yu by the river looking at the mountain alone in a trance.

Under the setting sun, his shadow was stretched obliquely and broken, just like his eyes staring into the distance.

"You're here again?" She walked to Zhuang Yu's side.For the past few days, she could see Zhuang Yu looking at Ye Zhishan ecstatically by the river at this time.Therefore, it is not surprising to see him here today.

"My heart is a little confused." Zhuang Yu's smile was faint and sad.

"I heard from Yuan Yang that you are leaving in a few days?"

He nodded and smiled bitterly: "Well, my vacation is coming to an end. If I don't go back, I will be fired by the company."

"Aren't you looking for Qin Xuanyang?"

He was startled, and then slowly shifted his gaze to Ye Zhishan in the distance: "If you can't find it, what can you do?"

She hesitated for a moment, as if she had understood something, and said, "I know where he might be."

"where is it?"

As the dusk gradually passed, she turned her head to look at the shadow of Daiqing Mountain in the distance: "Do you know the legend of Ye Zhishan?"

Zhuang Yu followed her to look at the lonely shadow of Ye Zhishan not far away under the dark blue sky, and said, "He told me that."

"That legend was told to him by my grandma." Zhou Chuyao turned to look at him, "When he was young, he liked to listen to the legends told by the old man. Do you want to go and see it?"

Feeling both sadness and anticipation, he nodded.

Yes, maybe that person is there.

Zhou Chuyao sighed: "Then let's go and have a look tomorrow."

After a while, she asked again: "Do you really think that he will come back here?"

There seemed to be fireflies dancing in the grass by the river. He looked at the faint lights and said, "I don't know. But I hope he is here."

However, the wind never came.