father - home

Jade?

"You've been in the study for the past few days? You and Yu..." I asked eagerly, then stopped suddenly, I shouldn't have asked at all.

Zhao didn't seem to hear.He took out a pack of cigarettes from his trouser pocket, took out two cigarettes, handed one to me, and kept one in the corner of his mouth. Then he groped for a match, and I took out the lighter to light it for him.

Zhao has never smoked after the operation, and I will never smoke in front of him.It's just that a few times before I met him, I just pinched my cigarette butt, and he would come over intentionally or unconsciously, taking a deep breath quietly, that's all.Unexpectedly, he was actually carrying a cigarette with him now. He had already smoked most of the pack of cigarettes, and there were not many cigarettes left.I remember there were more than one in the bedroom, which should be enough for him to suck.

Zhao took a few puffs and exhaled a large cloud of smoke.The smoke dimmed his eyes, but it couldn't hide the pain in his eyes.

"Yu said that autumn is the most beautiful season of the year." While speaking, Zhao held the cigarette between his fingers, and after speaking, he quickly continued to smoke.Looking at this picture, it seems that he is addicted to smoking.Is he trying to cover up?He has no need to hide from me.He was depressed and disturbed to the extreme, struggling with pain and unable to calm down.

The morning mist cleared, and under the sunlight, everything added a layer of reflection, including the people surrounded by smoke and the green smoke slowly dissipating.Lake Chiem in the distance is like a shining silver plate, and the vineyards are more like golden velvet carpets spread on the hillside. The colorful forests are infused with each other because of the halo of the leaves, blurring the layers but making them more brilliant. The high sky is a rich and eye-catching indigo blue, with scattered white clouds floating lightly in it.The colors of autumn are warm and gorgeous, although the wind has been mixed with a strong chill.

"It's really beautiful." I said, "Yu said she likes the dusk very much, but it's a pity that the dusk is getting shorter now."

"So she paints almost from morning till night, not just dusk."

"I remember some oil paints at home." I didn't say that it was left by my uncle Friedrich.He is extremely talented in painting.At that time, grandpa burned all his paintings, but the oil paints, tools and brushes were put away by mother.Germans have always been proud of being frugal, since those things can still be used, since paints and brushes don’t mean anything, and since mother said she also likes to paint——mother should have nothing to do with uncle, and grandpa can’t refute it With the face of the young lady in mind, these painting tools have been preserved.

"Yes, if Madam hadn't found so many paints and brushes, Yu would not have been so excited. After all, pencils can't express such gorgeous and rich colors. Joseph also made several picture frames for Yu."

I didn't expect my mother to take it out.I knew Jade could draw, but never cared.Sometimes I really feel that I am an extra person. When I am not there, they are always harmonious and happy, but when I am present, everything will be messed up by me.

Zhao took another cigarette out of the cigarette case. I wanted to persuade him to smoke less, but I didn't say so. Instead, I helped him light it.Zhao intentionally answered the wrong question, I knew it well, and I was slightly relieved, but then...

"Marty, can you do me a favor?"

"What?" If Zhao asked this way before, I would find it strange, but now... our relationship is already very strange.

"Can you...can you tell me the color of those leaves? And the colors of these tombstones, flowers, and churches."

"What?" I was so surprised that the smoke almost fell from my lips. "you……"

Zhao looked at me and smiled embarrassedly, "This is my secret, you can't tell anyone." Then he smiled apologetically.It should be an apology for the request itself. "I'm colorblind, and it's all gray, of course in different shades of gray, so it's not too bad."

"This...how is it possible? Don't you know the color of my eyes and hair?" I stared at those black and white eyes, I couldn't believe it.Could it be that it is too black and white, too beautiful, so it can only see black and white, this is punishment?Or a balance?

Zhao smiled embarrassedly, "That's... I asked Ellen. I can see that your eyes and hair are very light in color. I was too curious and wanted to know, so I... summoned up the courage to ask Ellen."

"The mother?"

"That's what Yu said. When she first saw your mother, she was a little scared. She said it might be because of your mother's eyes: almost transparent gray, cold."

"The sunrise?"

"I know that the sunrise is orange, the lake is blue, and white wine is pale yellow."

Zhao spoke slowly, immersed in reverie, trying to imagine and feel, what should those colors look like?orange?blue?Pale yellow?His eyes couldn't tell the colors apart, yet in his pupils I could see all the colors, very beautiful, bright, full colors.

Zhao smiled and nodded lightly, as if it was just a trivial matter. "I wanted to keep it a secret, it's not a big deal, but, Yu said the color of the forest is beautiful, but I don't know... can you tell me? You know, I won't ask anyone else except you, I don't want to Tell this secret to others."

"You should have told me sooner."

Zhao lowered his head and moved a little closer to me.Any closer and I could kiss his forehead. I really want to wrap my arms around him and kiss him.

"If I knew, I'd tell you all about the... brick-red roofs, white walls, purple beech trees..."

"Some maple trees have changed color."

"Yes, there are red ones, yellow ones, brown ones..."

"You tell me... I'm afraid to paint with her, afraid to be with her, because I can't respond to her, I can't give her happiness."

"Okay." I nodded in agreement.

I couldn't respond to her, couldn't give her joy.Zhao has already answered me.They are husband and wife, but they are isolated in two worlds. Together, they are more lonely and more painful.As long as I'm here, you don't have to worry about anything.Maybe this is the last thing I can do to help you.

The conversation became more relaxed. I explained various colors to him, tried my best to describe and make metaphors, and sometimes I was embarrassed by inappropriate words, or smiled knowingly.I faintly felt hesitation, regret, and almost said it.If I had known in advance, I might have persuaded him to give up returning to China, at least not now, with his body and color blindness, how could he go to war?On the battlefield, he will face greater danger.But things can't be changed until now.I have helped them book the Ark Royal, an American cruise ship departing from Hamburg on October 10. They will first arrive in New York, the United States, and then transfer to a ship for Hong Kong, China.

No matter how relaxed the atmosphere, no matter how firm the belief was, it was hard to hide Zhao's shock and trance after hearing the news.

So fast!Zhao didn't say it out loud, but I knew it was too soon, even if he returned to his heart like an arrow, he would not be able to adapt to the sudden news of leaving immediately, and there was less than three weeks left.

"I didn't need to be so urgent, but throughout October, there was only one American cruise ship. The United States is still a neutral country, and American cruise ships are relatively the safest."

Zhao nodded, but didn't express anything other than that.

The service was over and we were walking back, where Mother and Mrs. Reininger were waiting.

We talked as we walked, because we found a topic that was easy to talk about without any pitfalls or hidden reefs, and it was a secret that only the two of us knew. We talked excitedly and enthusiastically, not paying attention to Chitu, it I don't know when it ran ahead of us.

Things happen in an instant.First there was the rapid sound of horseshoes, and then there was an exclamation, and the car horn suddenly sounded, almost at the same time, with a muffled bang, and the ground shook, and the screeching sound of brakes, the exclamation came again, and then stopped abruptly.

I glanced at Akira in horror.His gaze had already crossed my face, and he turned and rushed to the road.

There is a yellow truck parked on the highway, the front of the truck is turned to the right, and on the left side of the front, which is the front of the normal driving route of the truck, Chitu is lying quietly on the ground...

I stopped behind Zhao, a dozen meters away, and stared blankly.

There was no blood on the ground, but Chitu was still so beautiful, like a burning flame, because of the sunlight and the yellow reflection of the truck, the flame became brighter and more dazzling.But it is so quiet, it never lies so quietly, even when it is beside Zhao, it always shakes its ears, flicks its tail, turns its body, it is always trying to attract Zhao's attention, like a naughty child.Zhao always pays attention to it and cares about it.After the silver sword left, Zhao must have cared more about it.

Zhao sat beside it, stroked its forehead, and talked to it, as in the pen of the stable, on the shore of Lake Chiemsee, in the meadow by the stream.

"I'm sorry, sir... I didn't see it... it came out of nowhere and I didn't have time..."

"It's not his fault, Monsieur Baron, we all saw this horse rushing up."

"Yeah, yeah, he started following my greyhound (horse's name) and he looked fine, then somehow he just went crazy."

"We know it's your horse, and he's the handsomest thing here, and he's been very well behaved, and we've seen this gentleman ride him a lot."

"Go and call Mr. Zweig, he should still be in the church, he hasn't left yet." Mr. Zweig is the veterinarian in the town and happened to come to church.

Truck drivers, familiar and unfamiliar folks from the countryside, chattered around me.I have understood, understood the cause, process and result of things.

There are not many cars in the village, and most of the villages who come to church come on foot. There are also a few people who take a carriage or ride a horse. Only I come by car.When meeting the same kind, Chitu excitedly leaned forward.The church is on a half slope, and there is a gentle downhill road to the road.On this downhill road, Chitu heard the sound of a truck engine.This sound is different from my off-road vehicle. It has only been heard once, and that time, the silver sword was taken away and put on that yellow truck.Chitu straightened his neck and looked at the road, and it turned out to be yellow.This is not the truck carrying the silver sword, but Chitu thinks it is, it thinks the silver sword is in the truck...

I finally separated from the crowd and walked over.The red rabbit's neck is a bit thick, and its skin is smooth and shiny, as if it has been blown.Its heart is still beating, its eyeballs are still moving, the eyes are open, the pupils have been dilated, the whites of the eyes are invisible, and the eyes are blood red.

"How is it?" I put my hand on Zhao's shoulder and asked softly.

Zhao didn't answer, didn't move, he was still talking to Chitu.

Mr. Zweig walked around to the opposite side of Zhao, bent down, examined carefully, and shook his head. "It's a broken neck, I don't think so, Baron."

I nodded, but I was powerless to speak, and I really couldn't open my mouth to call Zhao up.

"Master, if... leave this place to us."

It was Mr. Reininger, and I almost cried with gratitude.I know that I can't be blocked on the road like this. The folks gathered around have already blocked the traffic.It's not just out of curiosity, but out of courtesy, out of respect for me.Now that I'm here, they won't leave before me.

"Zhao, you know it's dead, get up."

This time Zhao raised his head, looked at me calmly, and stretched out his hand.

"what?"

"Do you have bullets in your gun?"

"Yes, why?"

"give me."

I was a little scared, but Zhao's tone was calm.I pulled out the gun and put it in his hand, then turned around, took two steps, and the gun went off.