desolate

After New Year's Day, the lives of the two gradually got on the right track and developed steadily. Pei also spent most of his time at the company, but he would go home every day no matter how late, so that the lounge where he used to sleep was changed into a utility room .

After Zhou Ze finished the exhibition, he became unemployed. Recently, he considered keeping a pet at home, but he hesitated because he was wondering whether to buy a tortoise or a parrot.

They lived peacefully until a few days before New Year's Eve, when the two decided to go back to Pingjiang for the New Year on a whim.

——Actually, it’s not a whim.

The cause was a phone call from Zhou Haiyang. In the past few years, Zhou Ze's uncle had been staying in Pingjiang. After he turned 40, he seemed to have suddenly figured out something—maybe it was two years ago, another Maybe three years ago.One day, he suddenly closed his beloved studio and went to an institution as a calligraphy teacher.

In short, he never picked up the carving knife again.

Half of the reason why Zhou Ze was able to return home early this time was due to Zhou Haiyang's secret efforts.

He always felt a little guilty about this nephew, as if if he had done something back then, the child would have had a better life—even though Zhou Ze didn't agree.

On the way back to Pingjiang, Pei also focused on driving the car, and the surrounding audio equipment was playing the second movement of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony - if he didn't read Chinese, he wouldn't even know the name of the song.

He usually likes to listen to cross talk while driving, and he doesn't get sleepy easily, but this time the co-pilot is Zhou Ze. pure music.

But before he got on the highway, Zhou Ze turned it back on.

He explained: "I sleep more soundly in a lively environment, and listening to pure music is prone to anxiety."

"Really?" Pei was also a little distressed, "Then I'll go back and see if the gramophone at home can play cross talk or something. If it can't be done, I can change to a TV. Not only can I listen to it, but I can also watch it."

But Zhou Ze said: "Well... let's leave it alone, we also need sentiment occasionally."

Pei stopped teasing him, and suppressed a smile: "Well, you have the final say."

When passing the toll booth, Pei Ye suddenly took something out of his coat pocket.

Zhou Ze lowered his head, the round white jade bracelets lay in his palm, and the navy blue tassels were still like satin.

Pei also said: "I forgot to give it to you all the time, but this time it was really consecrated, so don't lose it."

"You kept it?"

"Of course." The car started slowly on the road, and Pei also closed the passenger window tightly, and the car became quiet all of a sudden, "How do you say that word...you think about others when you see things."

Zhou Ze was amused by him: "Then they misunderstood you as a Buddhist, why don't you tell them that you are thinking about others? Listening to the Great Compassion Mantra and Buddhist scriptures every day is quite tormenting."

Pei also said: "...Maybe it's not a misunderstanding."

"?"

Zhou Ze was puzzled, but the other party didn't mean to explain a word more.

God is a thing born of human beings, whether it is creating the world or saving the world, those glorious and upright images are all imagined by human beings.The incense in the temple and the prayers in the church are nothing more than people who are not enjoying their lives together to join in the fun.

It wasn't until he knelt on that futon one day that he realized that when he was desperate, he really would rather believe in the existence of gods than accept despair.

—It is better to keep these words in your heart than to tell him.

The person in the driver's seat let out a sigh of relief, but when he turned around, he saw that the person next to him had fallen asleep.With a slight smile, he raised his hand to turn off the player's sound.

Three hours later, the car arrived at the Pingjiang toll station. After getting off the expressway, there would be a circular road. It happened to be on this road, and Zhou Zemi woke up in a daze.

The scenery outside has changed to low houses in the countryside, and this is the first time he has seen the other side of Pingjiang.The urban area of ​​Pingjiang has changed a lot in the past few years. A new area has been developed today, and brand new buildings and shopping malls will be built tomorrow, and the high-speed rail is even connected.

But only here, it seems that time has been suspended.

After entering the urban area, Zhou Ze realized that he had really returned to this familiar yet unfamiliar city.

Even though I have only lived for less than a year, it is particularly profound.

Zhou Haiyang's home is still in the original studio, but the plaque at the door has been removed, and it looks like an ordinary house.

When they parked at the door, they happened to meet Zhou Haiyang going out.Both parties were stunned for a moment, and finally Zhou Zexian said hello and handed over the gift he brought.

Zhou Haiyang nodded kindly and said yes. When he looked at Pei Ye, his expression froze slightly.

Zhou Ze quietly pulled him to his side: "This is my boyfriend, Pei Ye."

Pei was also a little at a loss, and greeted politely.

Zhou Haiyang was taken aback for a moment, and then squeezed out a warm smile: "Hello, hello, come, let's all come in and talk!"

The first floor of the house was converted into a living room. Although many layouts have been changed, the long wooden table is still there.

Zhou Haiyang went to the back to pour tea, and the two waited in the living room.

Pei Ye rubbed his palms and whispered, "How did I behave just now?"

Zhou Ze grabbed his finger: "It's good, it would look natural if it wasn't so stiff."

Hearing this, Pei Ye immediately showed an annoyed expression.

"Pfft." Zhou Ze couldn't hold back his laughter, and before waiting for the other party's complexion to get worse, he comforted him, "Don't be so nervous, my uncle is very talkative."

Pei Yewu was tense for a while, and quickly calmed himself down. Then he had time to look around. Maybe the long wooden table looked so familiar, and he suddenly remembered something.

"I've been here," he said.

That was the first time they met.

Pei Ye's memory gradually became clear. He pointed to the long wooden table: "You were sitting there at that time."

Zhou Ze also remembered: "...Then two inexplicable people came in and asked me to make a tombstone for them."

The two looked at each other happily, then turned their heads away.

"Come, drink tea." Zhou Haiyang just came out with a cup, and he couldn't help but feel relieved when he saw the two of them smiling happily, "Although I don't have any descendants in my life, I am very happy to see that you juniors are doing well now. .”

Zhou Ze said: "If grandma is still here, she must think so."

Zhou Haiyang nodded: "The old man wants to see me find a decent job all his life, it's a pity..."

After finishing speaking, the subject changed, and he looked at Pei Ye again, but pointed at Zhou Ze's house: "You know, I watched him grow up, he was very naughty when he was young, but now he has changed, he has become a An artist! At that time, I taught him stone carving, and he couldn’t even carve straight lines..."

Zhou Ze interrupted: "It's all in the past."

The middle-aged man who was immersed in the past suddenly froze, then sighed, and didn't mention it again.

After leaving Zhou Haiyang's house, Pei Ye suddenly asked Zhou Ze a question in the car.

"Why did you suddenly become a sculpture?" Although he didn't understand, he could feel that what he was doing now was different from before.

"Stone carving is also a kind of sculpture art, but with a different material."

Zhou Ze explained it this way.

His current works prefer to use plastic materials, that is, clay sculpture.Although both belong to the art of sculpture, but the lines are separated like mountains, one focuses on sculpture and the other on sculpture. The two are not connected. Therefore, he almost gave up all the accumulation of the former and learned new techniques from scratch.

—It is very easy to deceive a layman.

Pei also believed it easily, although he always felt that something was wrong.

In the evening, the two had a meal with some old friends they hadn't seen for a long time.

The meal was very sudden, the other party heard about their whereabouts for some reason, and when they called, the invitation was very warm. It just so happened that Zhou Ze also wanted to meet them.

On the way there, Zhou Ze heard Pei Ye talk about the current situation of those people.

Xu Duozhi became a father last year. He managed the noodle restaurant at home very well and opened two branches. A few years ago, Ju Haonan was arrested for visiting casinos and served two years in prison. A small barber shop, still with colorful heads; Jin Yang went to Xinjiang and hasn't been back for a long time, and no one knows his recent situation.

After Zhou Ze heard it, he suddenly thought of a boy who always put half a bottle of hairspray on his head, so he asked, "What about Wen Jialang?"

"He..." Pei Ye was backing up the car, so he paused for a moment, with a helpless expression on his face, "He recently went to Australia, and I heard that Meng Chuyu went to school there, and his father always wanted him to go back to work, and even let me Go and persuade him."

How can it be persuaded.

As soon as their car was parked, a small, hairy head popped out of the window.

"Damn, don't steal your uncle's car!"

Xu Duozhi ran out wearing an apron, and picked up his two-year-old son in his arms.

Zhou Ze got out of the car and said hello: "Long time no see."

Indeed, after a long time, Xu Duozhi didn't recognize him at first glance, and after two seconds of reaction, he stuttered and called out his name: "Zhou...Zhou Ze! Oh, long time no see, long time no see! You have changed Yeah, I almost didn't recognize it."

Zhou Ze said: "You too, you have become a father."

Xu Duozhi should be the first one among them to get married. At the beginning of the college entrance examination, he could only go to a junior college. He simply didn't study and went out with Pei Ye to make a living. But within a year, he ran back home to inherit the family business, and then went on a blind date and got married. , give birth to a child, push the boat along the way.

"Are you blowing cold wind here?"

As soon as Xu Duozhi left, a man with a pink head didn't suit him very well.

"Long time no see." Zhou Ze repeated the four words again.

"It's been a long time, this dog finally doesn't have to secretly wipe away tears in the middle of the night." Ju Haonan dismantled Pei Ye's platform as soon as they met.

Pei Ye: "..."

Who wiped tears in the middle of the night?

Without exchanging greetings, several people moved indoors, which is Xu Duozhi's noodle shop.

This is a new store, and the decoration is all in a novel style. There is a hot pot in the middle of the hall, and the whole store is burning warmly. After entering, Zhou Ze saw Xu Duozhi's wife, a somewhat pungent but virtuous woman .

"Come on, let me respect the young master first." Xu Duozhi raised his glass first, "It's not easy for the two of you after so many years, and you have been together for a hundred years."

Zhou Ze complained while drinking: "No, why do you still call me young master..."

Xu Duozhi quickly blamed him: "I'm sorry, I'm used to it... Isn't it all because of Pei Ye!"

The person named gave him a blank look, and then talked about another matter.

"I heard that Teacher Wu is hospitalized?"

"...Yeah, it's been a while, and I have cancer." Xu Duozhi quickly picked up, "Didn't I call you back last month? It just so happened that everyone went to see it tomorrow, and there was a class reunion."

Pei didn't agree immediately, but turned around and asked Zhou Ze: "Is your mother coming back tomorrow?"

Zhou Ze said: "It's okay, let's go see Teacher Wu together."

Xu Duozhi said anxiously: "Then let's go together tomorrow."

Pei also asked, "When is the party?"

Xu Dazhi: "Noon."

Pei also calculated the time in his mind, and said to Zhou Ze: "Then follow me to meet someone in the morning."

Zhou Ze asked curiously, "Who is it?"

Pei Ye smiled mysteriously: "My sister is also your sister."

Zhou Ze's expression was slightly startled, but soon became pleasantly surprised: "Ah...she, is she okay?"

"It's pretty good, except that I have to invite the parents back home every month."

Ju Haonan put a chopstick of beef into the bowl, and his tone suddenly turned cold, "She is taking care of her grandparents at home tonight, so she can't come here. I heard that you were happy to come back for several days, but you seem to have forgotten this younger sister?"

Hearing this, Zhou Ze's expression suddenly became embarrassing.