continue to depend on

That's right, Shirley has worshiped two men in her life, one is the Son Jesus who was crucified on the cross, the sacrificer in the Old City of Jerusalem, and the other is the oil painter Shen Yunqing in Jinling City—the other sacrificed By.

Yun Qing grew up in a church and had no parents, or maybe she did?However, being there is the same as not having one. According to his adoptive father, a foreign missionary who always had a bushy beard, blue eyes and blue hair, he was sent to the church as soon as he was born.

It's better to say throw it away than give it away, because he has never met Yun Qing's parents.

On that snowy night more than 20 years ago...

"In short," the bearded missionary, loyal to the Lord, lowered his shining blue eyes, and his absent-minded eyes fell on the thick book of English poems opened in front of him, his faint voice was as soft as a sigh, "then It snowed so hard at night..."

By the age of 22, Yunqing had drank foreign ink for four years. He was studying and living in Europe, and his major was finance—not chosen by him, but chosen by his adoptive father.

He was asked to study finance because it is easy to find a job after graduating from this major. With a degree, he would be a manager of a foreign company in China or a bank clerk, which one would he not be able to do?They are all iron rice bowls, they don't suffer much, and they work leisurely, which is really the best thing.

Yunqing returned to the motherland at the age of 22, without a degree, and did not graduate. She really had nothing. The past four years were completely wasted.

His adoptive father knew about this, as in ancient times when he sent his own pigeons to deliver letters, he waited and waited anxiously. When the pigeon came back, he was full of joy. When he saw that there was no letter post on the pigeon's leg, a basin of cold water was poured down on his head. No use.

In the past four years, Yunqing has gone to learn oil painting. No one knows how he suddenly fell in love with painting. He is so enthusiastic that he is also learning painting in his dreams at night. Daihong, orange green, bright yellow, bright blue, black gold, Dark green...the kingdom of colors.

It doesn't matter if you don't have a drawing board, the colors fall into the void, and you paint in the air.

Maybe it wasn't all of a sudden... Maybe he already had traces of his interest before studying abroad?Nobody paid much attention.

Downstairs of the church on Sunday, hymns in English ditty swayed among the girls in the choir, and went straight to the upper floor of the church. Yunqing stood in front of the stained glass window on the east wall of the second floor, obsessed. Looking at the flower window.

As usual, for church gatherings, Mr. and Mrs. Mai will come, and there are probably models for everything...?Dress models in the window of foreign companies, model cakes on glass cabinets, sandy red watermelons cut and placed in front of the fruit stand... like husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Mai are the most typical model couples.

They have a very good relationship. Walking on the road, even outsiders who have never met can see that Mr. Mai always does things for his wife, carrying this and that. They don't follow the example of other new-style people who divorce and remarry.

They had a daughter within two years of their marriage. This daughter was Shirley. Shirley inherited the largest fortune from her mother when she was born. When she was eight or nine years old, her skin was whiter, her eyes were bigger, and her eyebrows More clearly, she is as beautiful as her mother.

Mr. Mai is married and has a wife and a daughter, but often he is not happy, and there is always a shadow of suspicion in his heart. Although he is good to his wife, it is only because he is a good old man, whoever will be Mr. Mai's wife , he will treat her well.

Shirley followed her parents to the church, and Yun Qing's adoptive father, the priest, came up to meet her. Mrs. Mai turned sideways to talk to Mrs. Zhang next to her, and Mr. Mai chatted with the priest. , turned to look around.

Yun Qing was going downstairs to go out at this time, the creamy white blouse woven with white wool had a layer of fluff all over it, and there was a warm feeling when she looked at it, for some reason, Xue Li felt like old friends at first sight.

When he walked by her she grabbed him, smiling eyes like crescent moons, and asked, "How did you come down from upstairs? You are from the church? What's your name?"

Before Yun Qing could speak, Mrs. Mai next to her was the first to react. When she closed her mouth, she cut off the conversation with Mrs. Zhang like scissors. he laughs.

Mrs. Mai said, "Yunqing came back from abroad? How is your book? Are you doing well all these years alone? Are you looking for a job? It's not so easy to find a job now. My brother works in a foreign company. , can you help me to find out if there are any vacancies available..."

After hearing this, Shirley asked Mr. Mai, "Huh? Mom knows this boy?"

Mr. Mai smiled: "You didn't come to the church before. I don't know. This child is the adopted son of the priest here. His surname is Shen and his name is Yunqing. He went abroad to study a few years ago, and now he is back."

Mrs. Mai was still talking and laughing with Yun Qing, until the church bell rang at this time, Mrs. Mai stopped talking as if she had just woken up from a dream, and looked at her husband, Mr. Mai, and smiled, "I don't know what to have for dinner today , buy some crabs to eat?"

Mr. Mai likes to eat crabs the most. When he heard this, he nodded happily and agreed, but he didn't notice that his wife's voice and smile were a little unnatural.

The bell stopped, and the crowd rushed to the front of the church, and the atmosphere suddenly fell silent. Mrs. Mai was caught in the crowd and looked back at Yun Qing. Seeing his thin back, she couldn't help but look downcast.

The priest talked about the Bible earlier.

"So he took off his clothes, and was inspired to speak before Samuel, and lay naked all day and all night..."

The meeting in the church ended, Mr. Mai unexpectedly refused to leave, and smiled at Mrs. Mai: "Hey, you and Shirley go home first, I want to confess to the priest here, I will go back later, I Don't forget to buy that crab."

"Why did you suddenly think of this!" Mrs. Mai was taken aback, and her voice was raised a few degrees. She was surprised, but also very embarrassed. She also felt that the voice just now was abrupt, and she lowered her eyes.

"There is still a game of cards tonight," Mrs. Mai tried her best to dissuade, "You should come back with us, huh?"

However, Mr. Mai refused her with a smile.

In the evening Mrs. Mai worked crabs in the kitchen, and Mr. Mai did not come back so sooner or later. She felt anxious, even the ticking of the pendulum was too loud.

Mr. Mai came back at nine o'clock in the evening. At the dinner table, Mrs. Mai probed him, but couldn't ask any questions. Mr. Mai refused to say anything. He used a small long spoon to dig out the crab roe meat inside the crab shell, feeling restless. Earth, tasteless to eat.

He really went to confess, confessed that he had the base idea of ​​wanting to find a female student, regretted that he hated his wife's wedding night in the bridal chamber was not perfect, and confessed that he had been unable to let go of this all these years...

He repents, but God knows, whether he regrets it or not! Is it regret or hatred?Who knows, the priest will keep the secret for him anyway.

Thinking of this, he heaved a sigh of relief. After all, it would be much easier to say it. He can't be a mute for a lifetime, and no one can be a mute for a lifetime. How aggrieved! I have to say it, but I can't say it to her...

He breathed a sigh of relief, thanked the priest, and sighed for a while: "The priest is really a sacrifice. He guards other people's secrets and forgives other people's sins. They themselves can't even get married."

Mrs. Mai only used a handkerchief to wipe off the lipstick stains on the corners of her mouth.