beginning of autumn

2000 Summer

Suddenly it rained heavily, and the road suddenly turned into a vast ocean. The strong wind blew the bustling street deserted, and even the pot lid on the meatball stand was swept away to the side of the road.Even though it's summer, Qiu Yunfei can still feel the slight coolness.Originally, he had made an appointment with his father to pick him up here, but he had been waiting for so long, and he still didn't see his father.The splash of water from the eaves gradually wetted his trousers, and the trousers were stuck tightly to his calf like tape, and the inside of his shoes was also wet.The road leading to the village was full of mud. Occasionally, trucks passed by, splashing mud everywhere, and he couldn't help frowning slightly.

Maybe Dad forgot the day when he came back...

The rain gradually stopped. He picked up the heavy bag and walked hard on the way home.Dad was implicated by an irrelevant incident a few years ago, and the higher-ups took this opportunity to remove him from his post on the grounds of his poor health. The life of the family is no longer as good as before.The year when the accident happened, Yunfei coincided with the college entrance examination. Due to a sudden change in his family, he was not in good condition, so he missed his ideal school by one point.Now that he has just graduated from university, what will happen in the future, Yunfei's eyes are full of confusion.

Everything in the quiet courtyard remained the same, and the uneven bricks and stones under the feet were covered with dark green moss.The stars and flowers in the corner are swaying in the wind, as if telling him the sorrows of the past.Yunfei walked into the house with heavy steps, the room was quiet and empty.The wooden bed placed on the west side of the room was only covered with a layer of white sheets, which was a bit horribly clean.He put the big bag in his hand in the corner, lifted the blue and white curtain, the original bottles and cans on the table in the back room were gone, only a new wooden photo frame was fastened son.He gently turned the photo frame over with trembling hands, and the whole world seemed to lose its color in an instant. Looking at the familiar and kind face above, he suddenly felt heartbroken, and couldn't help crying "Wow" and fell to his knees. on the ground.

※※※※※

Li Qiu was sitting on the bus going to the provincial capital, looking at the gray sky outside the window, she shed tears unknowingly.I still remember that on the day Uncle Qiu passed away, Li Qiu just happened to visit him, and saw him lying quietly on the bed, with a thin body and a haggard face, he was no longer the same as before.Uncle Qiu opened his eyes slightly, saw Li Qiu standing in front of the bed, and nodded towards him, with his mouth slightly opened, as if he wanted to say something to him, but he couldn't say a word.Li Qiu understood in his heart that he must be missing Brother Yun, so he took out the photo of his childhood from his small bag and showed it to him. Uncle Qiu stared at the childish boy in the photo, A slight smile appeared on his pale and colorless face.Li Qiu saw that his hair was a bit messy, so he trimmed it for him personally, watching the strands of blue hair slipping down, he couldn't help feeling a trace of sadness in his heart, he just wanted to do something more for Yunfei at this moment, so that he could come back Time is not so sad.

Sister Xiujuan just gave birth, Liqiu originally wanted to stay with her and take care of her for a few more days.But my sister said that a friend of hers opened a company in the provincial capital and was short of manpower, so she urged him to hurry over.He also said that boys can't stay at home all the time, and it's good to see the world.When Jianjun's mother heard that Liqiu was leaving, she grabbed him tightly, crying and refusing to let go. Brother Jianjun comforted her for a long time before going back to the house crying.Her madness seems to have improved a lot in the past two years. No one saw her running around the streets with a pot. At first glance, she was no different from a normal person. Everyone said that this was the result of sister Xiujuan's careful care.

※※※※※

As soon as September is over, autumn is getting stronger, and the green crops in the fields have turned into an attractive golden yellow.Yunfei followed his mother to harvest corn in the field. He had never done farm work before, and within a few days, his fingers were scarred by the rough leaves.In the evening, he carried all the sacks full of corn to the edge of the field. His clothes were soaked with sweat, his thin shoulders were burning like needles, and his legs were so tired that they seemed to be filled with lead. Woke up.

At noon, my mother went to Gangzi's house and asked him to help bring the corn back from the field with a tricycle.The Gangzi accepted some favors and agreed wholeheartedly.But seeing that the sun was about to set and he was still nowhere to be seen, my mother couldn't help feeling a little anxious.

Mrs. Qiaofeng came to the east with a hoe on her shoulders. Seeing Yunfei's mother and son sitting on the side of the ground waiting for someone, she guessed in all likelihood, and she yelled this way from all the way: "Oh! , Isn’t this Xiaoyun? How can such a dignified college student do such clumsy farm work? It’s overkill.” Yunfei’s mother heard a little irony in her words, and said with a smile: “Nowadays college students are all over the street. Yes, it's just that he knows a few more words than ordinary people, and he can't eat. Xiaoyun is a native child in this village, and it's normal to do some farm work, but he's a little stupid compared to others." Coincidentally After hearing this, Aunt Feng smiled and said: "What are you talking about? After all, Xiaoyun has a diploma, so there is still a chance to get promoted and make a fortune. Unlike my family's bastard, who didn't study hard since he was a child, he didn't count on it in his life He will have great promise. It's just that with a little bit of strength, you don't need to look at other people's eyes." Yunfei's mother saw that she was going back, so she asked her to remind her when she met Gangzi.After hearing that, Qiaofeng's wife laughed and said: "I said, sister-in-law, you don't know what kind of person that Gangzi is. Although there is Gang in his name, there is no steel in his teeth, and everything he said can be used as a fart." .Especially after marrying that Qiu Yanyan, she is as cowardly as a grandson of a turtle. It’s not here yet, maybe the shrew will control her again, and waiting is useless. I advise you to think about it sooner. Find another way." Yunfei's mother was really at a loss when she heard her say this.

Seeing that the sky is getting darker and darker, the wilderness is extremely unsafe, but if you go home like this, you are afraid that the corn put in the field will be picked up and stolen by others.The mother and son were in a dilemma when they suddenly heard a tricycle approaching from the east, and the man on the car shouted from a long distance: "Auntie, it's so late, why hasn't the corn been harvested yet?" Go back?" Yunfei's mother knew that Jianjun had come, so she told him the current situation in detail, and Jianjun said after listening, "Don't worry, Auntie, I will come back immediately after I deliver this cart of corn. Help you."

After Jianjun left, the surroundings became more and more quiet, only the dry grass rustling in the wind could be heard.Maybe it was too tired, Yunfei leaned on his mother's back and fell asleep in a daze.Mother heard the slight snoring sound in the dark, she quickly shook him awake and said, "Xiaoyun, don't sleep here, be careful of catching a cold." Yunfei sat up, silent for a long time, suddenly remembered something , cautiously said to her mother: "Mom, the last time the TV station applied for a job, the result actually came out a long time ago. I just kept it secret from you and didn't dare to tell you. It's because I didn't get selected and I embarrassed you and my father. "My mother shook her head and smiled after hearing this: "How could it be? In my mother's heart, we Xiaoyun will always be the best. In fact, your Uncle Li told me about it early in the morning. The exam was originally just a cover. It is said that the candidate has been pre-determined before the exam. It is normal for you not to be selected, so don’t pay too much attention to it. This is just an unimportant experience in life. As for what will happen in the future, you still have to work hard on your own. I fought for it. For example, your little Uncle Li, ever since Qian Guodong became a minister, he has been repeatedly excluded in his work unit. In the end, he quit in a fit of anger and switched to a clothing business. Everyone said he was impulsive. Don't go to the whole clay rice bowl with the iron rice bowl in place, you will definitely regret it in the future, but isn't he the one who opened the largest Xindu commercial building in the county. As the saying goes, when a tree moves to death, People move and live, and everything has to be thought through."

After listening to his mother's words, Yunfei said after a long silence: "Mom, after the harvest is over, I want to go to the provincial capital. Linna once told me that if I don't have a job, I can go to her at any time. After hearing this, my mother just smiled lightly and said, "Maybe they are just talking casually, so why should you take it seriously?"

※※※※※

After helping Yunfei's family unload the corn, it was past ten o'clock at night. When Jianjun was driving by the small shop next to the village primary school, he suddenly saw a person stumbling out of it in front of him. He was limping, and bumped his head against the electric pole in front of the school.Jianjun couldn't see who it was, so he hurriedly parked the car aside.

Seven or eight spectators squeezed out from the small shop, and a fancy-dressed young daughter-in-law ran over and squeezed the man's ear, cursing, "Gangzi, stop! You dare to talk to me after drinking a few mouthfuls of cat urine!" I’m talking back, let’s see how I’ll deal with you when I go back.” That Gangzi was not to be outdone, and yelled at her with his eyes wide open, “Qiu Yanyan, your dad is no longer the director, so I’m still afraid of you? Talk nonsense again and see if I don't kill you bastard when I go back." Everyone laughed when they heard this.Qiu Yanyan was shy and angry, and had to pinch Gangzi again and again.Just when the husband and wife were arguing, someone suddenly ran over from the east and asked anxiously, "Who saw Xianglian? Is Xianglian here?" Everyone shook their heads when they heard this.Someone asked him what happened, and the man said: "Something happened to Junlong in his family. It seems that he suddenly fell from a high place while he was working, and he is being sent to the hospital for emergency treatment. It looks like it must be a disaster. Everyone chattered after hearing this, and the Gangzi suddenly stared straight ahead and jumped up and exclaimed in surprise: "Brother Hui, Brother Hui, don't come here, please, please let go!" Brother me, I don’t dare anymore.” Seeing him like this, everyone was so frightened that they all fell silent.Seeing that he was talking nonsense again in front of everyone, Qiu Yanyan grabbed Gangzi's arm and dragged him back home desperately.

Later, I heard that the original director Qiu couldn't get sick because of knowing this, and he had nightmares all night long, and even invited a mage to come to the house to exorcise ghosts.On the surface, the village said it was doing some kind of cultural propaganda, but in fact, it was just to ward off evil spirits, and spent a lot of money to fight an iron flower at the west end of the village to appease the undead.Let’s not show whether we can get it safely or not. The iron flower fight was so beautiful, it was as gorgeous as fireworks, and it attracted folks from ten miles and eight villages to watch it. It was truly an unprecedented event.

※※※※※

Half a month later, Yunfei still didn't listen to his mother's dissuasion, and came to the provincial capital full of hope, but after leaving Linna's house, he couldn't help but smiled wryly, maybe what his mother said was right, he was just talking casually.In fact, what he couldn't get used to even more was the contemptuous eyes of the family when they looked at him. Linna's mother offered to help him find a place to stay for one night, but he politely refused.

He found a hotel nearby by himself, but when he checked in, he found that the money in his pocket had disappeared.I had no choice but to come out from the inside and sit on a chair by the side of the road, looking at the vehicles and pedestrians coming and going on the street, feeling at a loss in my heart.

"Little brother, it's so cold that you're sitting here alone, you're lost, right? Brother is very familiar with this area, do you want to help you find out?" A tall and thin man had a cigarette dangling from his mouth. , walked up to him and said.Upon hearing this, Yun Fei hurriedly got up and laughed, "Brother, you are worrying too much, I'm just waiting for someone here."

"Oh, wait for someone? I don't think you can wait like this. If you keep sitting here, someone will come to trouble you." The man said with a smile on his face.Yunfei felt a little uneasy in his heart, so he got up and walked aimlessly forward, he could feel that person was following him all the time.

There is a company in front with the lights on, and through the glass, you can still see people walking back and forth inside, as if they are working overtime.Yunfei just wanted to get rid of the tail behind him as soon as possible, so he opened the door and walked in without thinking much.

As soon as he stepped into the door, he was stopped by two uniformed security guards, one of whom asked him coldly: "Sir, it's so late, what's the matter with you coming to the company?" Feeling that all the eyes in this hall are focused on him at this moment, he feels that he is like a disheveled, disheveled, annoying beggar, his breathing is a bit unnatural, and his brain is short-circuited instantly, yes A series of questions raised by the security guard, he hesitated and didn't know how to answer them.

"Sir, if you don't speak again, we will ask you to go out." The security guard said to him rudely.He could feel that the tail outside the door hadn't gone far, so he said casually in a hurry: "I... I'm actually here to find someone. Is there anyone here named Chen Liqiu who is my best friend? It seems that he is... working here... I have something urgent to find him." He himself didn't know why he thought of this name.In fact, he just wanted to stay here for a while, even for a short while.

The security guard was stunned for a moment, and after explaining the situation to the person in charge, he really brought out a boy from behind to see him.He looked back nervously, and froze there in shock.I could only hear Li Qiu asking shyly, "Brother Yun? Why are you here?"