madman

Before going to bed at night, grandma boiled a pot of hot water for the two children.

"Xiao Xun, take a bath at night and then go to bed. You are an older brother, help your younger brother to wash. Lele has grown up and has a thin skin. She doesn't want to let grandma wash. After washing, you sleep on the kang in the east room."

"Grandma, do I still want to sleep with him?"

"There are two sleeping rooms in our family. If you don't stay with Lele, is it possible that you still sleep with grandma when you are so old?"

Zhou Xun was helpless. Before his parents divorced, there were endless quarrels almost every night. He hid himself in the small attic and slept.

Later, his parents divorced, and after his mother left, his father took advantage of his appearance and married a rich family without stopping, that is, Wang Lijuan.

Zhou Dahai took him to live in Wang Lijuan's house, and Zhou Xun slept alone in a small room far away from everything.

After thinking about it for a while, Zhou Xun looked back at Lin Zhile standing beside Kang Yan'er, his small body tensed and cautious, as if he had returned to the state he had been in a few years ago.

There is no electricity in the village, and candles are lit in the house at night. The light is dim, and Lin Zhile's flustered eyes are also hidden in the dark.

Zhou Xun knew that the little man was probably stung by what he had said in the afternoon. He mixed the water in the bathtub, tested the water temperature, and waved to Lin Zhile, "Come here, give you a bath. Go to sleep on the kang."

Lin Zhile was a little ashamed when he heard that he was going to be bathed, but when he heard that he would not be allowed to sleep without washing, he quickly took off his clothes, naked, and did not forget to cover the chick with both hands in front of him, and ran away In two steps, two little feet thumped into the bathtub, splashed a little water, and wet Zhou Xun's clothes.

"Son, slow down." Zhou Xun wiped off the water droplets on his body, squatted down and began to use a towel to wipe Lin Zhile's back with water.

Lin Zhile sat in the bathtub with his back to Zhou Xun, and when Zhou Xun put a towel on his chest, he shivered.

"Tickle?"

"afraid."

"Then wash the place you can reach by yourself, and I'll wash it for you if you can't reach it. Look at you, you look like a little clay figurine." Zhou Xun washed his whole body with soap again.

Lin Zhile's little face was originally flushed by the heat, but now it was flushed like an overripe apple.

Zhou Xun teased him, "It looks like a little girl after washing, white and clean. Let me be Brother Xun's wife when I grow up."

"I don't," Lin Zhile turned her head to look at Zhou Xun, serious, "Brother Xun looks better, I want Brother Xun to be my wife."

"Hey, it's the other way around," Zhou Xun deliberately took a towel and rubbed it on the itchy flesh of his chest, Lin Zhile hid here and there, giggling.

"Let me see your little hand, is it still the same as before, like coal?" Zhou Xun stopped bothering him and grabbed his hand to look at it.

Lin Zhile's hands were small, with purple-red chilblains on the knuckles, and the palms were rough and gritty. Zhou Xun didn't dare to touch them hard, so he held his hands in his palms and put them in the water Bubble.

"This time it's not Xiao Heitan's hands. It's not dirty anymore, but it needs to be taken care of."

"After you told me that year, I washed my hands well every day, and went to the river to wash when I got dirty." Lin Zhile said without beginning or end.

Zhou Xun searched in his mind for a long time, and suddenly remembered that he disliked Lin Zhile's dirty hands before, so he didn't take the peach cake in his hand.

"What about winter? Go to the river to wash?"

"Well, go in winter too."

Zhou Xun felt guilty and distressed, and changed the subject abruptly, "How old are you this year, are you nine years old?"

"It's 29, and you'll be 11 years old on the [-]th of the twelfth lunar month."

"Eleven? Are you eleven?"

No wonder Zhou Xun made a big fuss, but Lin Zhile looked too small, she took off her padded jacket and trousers, her legs were as thin as chopsticks, her ribs looked painful, and she walked lightly.

"Eat more food to gain weight and grow taller."

"I ate a lot at night." Lin Zhile touched her stomach, "Look, it's still bulging."

After Lin Zhile finished speaking, she deliberately puffed her stomach out.

Zhou Xun patted his stomach lightly, "Eat more in the future, I'll get you a basin of water to flush."

After taking a bath, the two of them lay on the bed which was not too small. Zhou Xun was not used to having people around him, so he used an unused quilt between them before going to bed. Don't cross the line, you sleep in yours, I sleep in mine."

Lin Zhile hugged her quilt and lay inside, her small body leaning against the wall, leaving space for at least two people.

—

—

The next day, Zhou Xun was awakened by a strong sense of oppression. He had a dream all night. In the dream, the faceless man had been chasing him, but he had no strength in his hands and feet, and it was difficult to take a step.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I felt the arms tightly hugging my neck, and a leg pressing on my waist. There was a strong sense of gravity, no wonder I had a nightmare all night.

Lin Zhile, this little boy, looks honest and quiet during the day, but his sleeping position is really bad.

Last night Zhou Xun felt that he was in a daze and was about to fall asleep. Lin Zhile jumped over the quilt between the two of them from inside, and put half of his body on Zhou Xun, including his arms and legs.

Zhou Xun pawed down and down two or three times, but then he was too sleepy, so he didn't care.

I didn't sleep well all night, and I kept yawning just after waking up, but Lin Zhile was full of energy, and helped grandma do this and that early in the morning.

"Grandma, let Lin Zhile sleep in the same room with you at night. I won't sleep with him. He is too dishonest." Zhou Xun said to his grandma after breakfast.

"As long as you have a lot of things to do and you don't want to sleep with Lele, then let Lele go to my room to sleep at night. When spring starts and the weather gets warmer, I will give him a separate room."

Lin Zhile frowned and looked at Zhou Xun, regretting in her heart: If only I slept more honestly, I would be able to sleep with Brother Xun all the time.

Zhou Xun was used to carelessness, so naturally he couldn't touch Lin Zhile's back and forth, and asked him: "Is there anything interesting in the village now?"

The disappointment in Lin Zhile's eyes disappeared, "There is a snow track in the back mountain, where you can ski."

Zhou Xun went back to the house and took out his gloves and hat to put on, "Okay, I see."

As he spoke, he walked out, and Lin Zhile trotted behind his buttocks to keep up, "Brother Xun, I'll go with you."

"Don't follow me, you are so small, you can't play with me."

"Brother Xun, I'm eleven."

"Don't bother me, don't follow me." Zhou Xun stretched out his hand to block it.

Lin Zhile didn't dare to follow anymore, and watched Zhou Xun out of the yard, turning a corner and disappearing.

Teenagers couldn't stay at home, Zhou Xun didn't want to bring a kid to follow him, and soon he was having fun with people of his age in the village.

Half-children play crazy and don't care about their heads. Zhou Xun got into a fight with a thick-headed little chubby guy. The reason was that Zhou Xun's ski car accidentally bumped into the fat guy's ski car while skiing.

"You pay me for the ski bike."

"Fuck, I didn't even scrape off a piece of skin on your ski car, so why should I pay you? Such a big man, so fucking stingy."

The little fat man blushed at what he said, and the two wrestled together. Zhou Xun relied on his skills, and the little fat man relied on his strength, and neither of them gained the upper hand.

"You are the Zhou Xun who was driven back to grandma's house by his stepmother. Your mother ran away with someone, and your father stepped in to eat soft food." Xiaopangdun looked anxious, and said ugly words, " Your grandma raised a little madman again, are you also infected with madness?"

Zhou Xun's blood surged up, he clenched his fist and punched him in the face, and the children who watched the excitement saw that they were fighting hard, so they pulled away for fear of accidents.

—

—

When Zhou Xun returned home, his padded jacket was torn and his face was painted. After returning, he entered his room and locked the door behind him.

Lin Zhile stood close to the door frame, with light hands and feet, not daring to make any noise or knock on the door.

Grandma came over and knocked hard on the door, "Xiao Xun, did you fight? Did you win or lose? Did you lose? I'm sorry to come out."

Zhou Xun was almost pissed off. After being told by his grandma, if he didn't open the door again, he really lost the battle and became a coward who only dared to stay in the room and never go out.

Zhou Xun opened the door, only wearing long johns, "Of course I won."

"Look at you, what's so great about being able to fight, from now on don't do it at will." Grandma brought him a padded jacket and trousers that she made herself, which was exactly the same as Lin Zhile's. "Grandma will make it for you." Yes, wear it."

"Grandma, I don't wear it, it's too ugly."

"If you don't wear it, just go bare."

"It's not ugly, it's pretty." Lin Zhile couldn't tell the difference between beauty and ugliness, he only knew that Zhou Xun was wearing the same clothes as him, so he gave Zhou Xun the padded jacket in grandma's hand, "Brother Xun, wear it."

Zhou Xun couldn't do anything if he didn't wear it. He didn't bring a few clothes. He took the cotton jacket and trousers and put them on. Looking at himself who was suddenly bloated, he looked disgusted.

Lin Zhile was delighted, "It looks good."

—

—

The next day, Little Pang Dun took the initiative to find the door, his face was still swollen, and he called Zhou Xun in the yard, "Zhou Xun, I came to apologize to you today, let's go out to play together."

Zhou Xun didn't want to talk to him at first, but everyone came to apologize, and he didn't want to be too stingy. Besides, he would stay here for a long time, so he went with Xiaopangdun.

Lin Zhile wanted to follow Zhou Xun this time, but she didn't dare to get too close, for fear that Zhou Xun would find him annoying, so she followed him secretly, not far or close.

Zhou Xun and Xiaopangdun went to the river in the east of the village. The river had long been covered with thick ice, and the ice surface was covered with scattered and crossed skate marks left by skates.

There are already several children on the ice, all skating.

Little Fatty gave Zhou Xun a skate, "Let's compete."

Zhou Xun likes skating, and even learned figure skating on purpose. Compared with this, he is not afraid.

"How do you count winning or losing?" Zhou Xun asked.

The chubby man followed the ice and pointed upstream, "See that crooked-neck tree? Whoever slides there first wins."

Lin Zhile hid behind a snowdrift next to the upstream, and couldn't hear what they were saying. He only saw Zhou Xun put on his skates and started skating upstream. He thought he was discovered by Zhou Xun, but Zhou Xun Didn't come to him, just slid up.

Lin Zhile's heart skipped a beat. He knew what was upstream, and he didn't care about being discovered. He ran up the river desperately, "Brother Xun, don't slide that way."

The ice in the upper reaches has holes of various sizes and is also frozen, but the ice surface is very thin. In order to catch fish, the villagers will lower the nets in the upper reaches and collect a net in a few days. Everyone in the village knows this. The children in the village only skate in that small area and never go upstream.

The river course was winding, Zhou Xun was skating happily, and the little fat pier was skating slowly behind him, Zhou Xun was not in a hurry, nor was he skating straight, he was so absorbed in the game that he didn't hear Lin Zhile calling him.

Lin Zhile ran up the river crazily, but Zhou Xun was about to slip into the ice hole, Lin Zhile ran directly onto the ice, the ice was too slippery, he fell flat straight, just in time Blocked Zhou Xun.

Zhou Xun stopped, and before he could stand still, he saw where Lin Zhile fell, and the ice began to crack.

With a plop, Lin Zhile fell down.

"Lin Zhile..." Zhou Xun yelled, his eyes were red, he didn't care about anything else, he kicked hard, threw off the skates on his feet, and plunged into the glacier from the broken ice.

Seeing that something was wrong, Little Fatty ran away, and several children who had been skating downstream gathered around after hearing the movement.

In fact, the river is not that deep. After Zhou Xun jumped down, he found that the water on the river only covered his chest.

But this depth, to Lin Zhile, was beyond his head.

The icy water drenched their padded jackets, and it was bitingly cold. Zhou Xun quickly found Lin Zhile under the water, and carried him ashore from the river.

Lin Zhile couldn't swim, and the icy river was cold for nine days, and the water could freeze people to death. When he fell, he was choked a few more times, and when he was picked up by Zhou Xun, his consciousness began to blur.

For a while, I felt my chest was being pressed hard, and for a while, I felt that my cold lips were covered with damp heat.

Lin Zhile coughed out the water in his lungs, and he gradually became awake, but his teeth kept shaking up and down.

"Brother Xun, it's cold."

"We're going home now."

Some of the onlookers recognized Lin Zhile, and whispered something like "little lunatic" to their companions.

Zhou Xun flew out with a few sharp eyes, and the children who were watching scattered in all directions.

When Zhou Xun carried Lin Zhile home, grandma just came back from the outside, seeing the two of them wet, she immediately realized it.

"My God, you two lifeless bastards, did you go to the river at the east end of the village to play? There are nets and fishers there, I forgot to tell you for a while," Grandma and Zhou Xun said together. Lin Zhile put it on the kang and took off his soaked clothes, "Xiao Xun, grandma still has two cotton jackets and trousers in her house, which are going to be worn by the two of you during the Chinese New Year, go find them and change them quickly."

Zhou Xun found out a new coat, first brought Lin Zhile's to put on for him, and got a hot towel for him to wipe his face.

"Lele grew up in the village. She knew that the upstream ice surface was not strong. Why did you fall?" Grandma was feeding Lin Zhile hot water while muttering, "Xiao Xun, hurry up and take the wet After changing the clothes, I will call the doctor later."

Zhou Xun told grandma the ins and outs.

Grandma went out angrily, "Xiao Xun, look at Lele."

Lin Zhile was lying on the bed with her eyes closed, her lips were blue, and her small body couldn't stop shaking.

"Brother Xun, the bottom of the river is so dark and cold."

Zhou Xun got on the kang, lay down next to Lin Zhile, lifted the quilt and lay down and hugged him tightly, trying to warm up his cold body, "You little fool, you don't have to stand in front of me, I'm really falling It’s okay to go down, it’s just a matter of getting wet.”

Lin Zhile's teeth were trembling, and her voice trembled, "It's too cold in the river, I'm afraid you'll catch the cold."

He came with the old doctor in the village, as well as Fat Dun and his parents.

Zhou Xun looked at them, jumped off the kang all at once, grabbed the collar of the fat man's clothes and dragged it out, "Damn fat man, you fucking dare to plot against me, I will kill you today."

Seeing this, Fat Dun's parents hurriedly pulled the two of them, and Fat Dun's mother protected Fat Dun behind her, "Boy Zhou, why are you fighting back?"

Zhou Xun said, "Not only do I move my hands, I also want to move my feet."

After Zhou Xun finished speaking, he kicked Pang Dun again, but his parents stopped him.

Grandma came over and gave Zhou Xun a hand, "Let the doctor show Lele first."

The doctor first listened to Lin Zhile with a stethoscope, then took his temperature, then gave Lin Zhile an injection, and hung up the water, "If you have a fever, you need to hang up the water for a few days. After two days, the fever subsides, and it will be fine." gone."

The doctor didn't want to get involved in other things, so he was ready to leave after a few instructions.

Only then did Zhou Xun feel relieved, thinking of Lin Zhile's hand, he stopped the old doctor again, "Doctor Liu, do you have chilblain ointment for wiping your hands?"

"Yes, yes, you go to my house tomorrow, and I'll get it for you."

After Doctor Liu left, Pangdun's parents dragged Pangdun with his head drooping into the back room.

"Ms. Zhou, Fatty told us about what happened in the afternoon. It is really our child's fault. The child is young and ignorant. Let us compensate you. We will pay for the child's medical expenses," Fatty's father held a bag in his hand. Putting the basket of eggs on the ground, he slapped Fatty on the back again, "Quickly apologize."

Fatty poked his neck, tilted his head, and without saying a word, was kicked by his father again. His mother gave his father a look, and kept pushing the child behind her to protect her.

Grandma snorted coldly, "I'm not talking about you. Your children are too uneducated. They are young and have so many bad intentions. Parents, don't indulge your children too much. Whose child is not a treasure? Our child If something really happens, how do you pay for it? How do you compensate our whole child?"

Fat Dun's mother was not convinced at all. Although Fat Dun first asked Zhou Xun to go skating and started the matter first, but Lin Zhile fell by herself. She raised her chin and said, "Aunt Zhou, what do you say? Yes, our fat guy didn't do it on purpose either. That kid from the Lin family is a lunatic, maybe he jumped into the river on purpose, and he's only been in your house for a few days, do you need to protect him like this? Didn't the doctor say No, it will only burn for a few days."

Zhou Xun lost his temper, picked up the broom and began to drive people out, "Get out, are you here to apologize? Lin Zhile came into our house for a day, he is a member of our family, no one can bully him."

Grandma was also panting with anger, standing at the gate of the courtyard and yelling loudly, "Mother Fatty, you have lived for 50 or [-] years anyway, what's wrong? After eating rice for decades, you don't have a long life. Pulled it all into the cesspit?"

"You..." The fat mother pinched her waist, her jaw trembled in anger, and she wanted to say it back, she was at a loss for words, and then she was dragged away by the fat father. .

—

—

The grandma watched the man leave, and called Zhou Xun aside, "Xiao Xun, you are short-tempered. It is normal for such a big child to fight. Today they came to apologize, and you did it directly. Grandma didn't stop you." , because grandma wants to make as much trouble as possible, and people in the village are all bullying and fearing hard, after this news gets out, no one will bully Lele in the future. "

"But you, you have to restrain your temper in the future, and things will be smooth if things are slow. Don't worry, otherwise, you may meet some shady people in the future. You will suffer a lot at that time, you have to remember."

Zhou Xun nodded in response, "Got it, grandma."

Lin Zhile burned for three days, and Zhou Xun kept watch day and night in front of him for three days.

It’s completely neat, it’s already the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, and this day happens to be Lin Zhile’s birthday. He’s never had a birthday before. This time, grandma and Zhou Xun started to make arrangements early in the morning and cooked a table of dishes, which made him very rare long time.

"It's my birthday, let's make a birthday wish." Grandma made a jujube cake with brown sugar in the middle as a cake.

"Brother Xun, I want to sleep in the same bed with you in the future." Lin Zhile's eyes sparkled, looking at Zhou Xun, making a birthday wish.

"You have been sleeping with me for three days. You are not honest when you have a fever. Sleeping on the same kang with you is already my limit. Don't push your limits."

Lin Zhile whispered, "Brother Xun, you are warm, but I am afraid of the dark and the cold."

As soon as he said this, Zhou Xun would definitely remember Lin Zhile's falling into the glacier because of him, and he lost all temper and bottom line.

Based on this sentence, Lin Zhile's plan to build a house for him in the beginning of spring was shelved, and she has been relying on Zhou Xun for 13 years.

After that, Zhou Xun had a little tail behind him. Wherever he went, Lin Zhile followed him. No one in the village dared to call him a little lunatic, at least in front of them, no one dared to show his face. bullying.

During that New Year's Eve, Lin Zhile's reluctant and annoying questions were indispensable to their conversations every night.

"Brother Xun, when school starts, are you going back to the school in the city?"

"Um..."

"Then when are you coming back?"