Short story

The town is located by the west water, and songs are sung from all directions.

16-year-old Erlong, unlike other children. At this age, he already has responsibilities. Do nothing all day, have fun and enjoy yourself.

When I was walking in the park, I heard an old man playing the erhu and a song "Horse Racing". His blood was boiling and his eyebrows danced with the music.

The old man is wearing a pair of small dark glasses with a black round frame, wearing semi-hung clothes and surrounded by old fans. He is so intoxicated. Erlong was interested in this erhu at that time. This little thing has only two thin lines. It's really interesting how it makes so much noise.

It took me a long time to know that the old man is an immigrant from outside the city and only comes once a week. Time also depends on his mood, and he can't touch the law at all. This meeting is purely fate. Erlong won't stay here all day like other old people in the park. It's boring for him. He only comes once in a while, but when he saw that the erhu played by the old man attracted him so much, he secretly made up his mind that this was my way out.

I didn't come here often, but stayed in the park all day, waiting for the arrival of the old man. Find a chance to talk to the old man, help him move things, move things, do this and do that. The old man is also a discerning person. He knows what Erlong wants and still plays dumb.

Erlong lost his temper and said, "Grandpa, I want to learn to play the erhu from you." Grandpa said, "Young people don't like it very much, let alone learn it. Look at the old things around me that are over half a hundred years old. I like a lot, but I can't pull more than the first one. " The old man looked at Erlong with a grain of salt and smoked his pipe. The old man is afraid that Erlong is just a teenager with three points of blood. He taught many younger generations in his life, but none of them persisted. He doesn't want to take the effort to teach an idle person.

Erlong didn't say a word, and cleaned up the rosin powder next to the piano barrel. He is also thinking about whether he was carried away for a while or whether he made an extremely calm decision. A voice told him to do it if he likes, and screw his reason.

Before Erlong spoke, the old man said, "Two years." "What?" "Be my apprentice for two years, I'll teach you the real skill, or get out!" Erlong paused. The old man's words surprised him a little, but they did not exceed his expectations. Without thinking, he knelt on the ground and called out to Master. "Don't fight, you can fight again in two years. I won't teach you anything in these two years, but will only sharpen your mind. Again, don't fuck off!" The old man's voice is powerful.

In this way, the two-point and one-line life began, and the old people came more frequently, about four times a week. Erlong also secretly learned the master's technique, which was very decent. The old man wouldn't let Erlong's apprentice take him home. Every time he comes on foot, the cloth shoes on his feet are covered with dust. Erlong is also very disciplined and won't follow his master out of curiosity.

After a year, Erlong learned nothing, but the technique of maintaining erhu became more and more skilled. His master often coughs all year round. At first it was just a dry cough. Later, he began to have sticky phlegm stuck in his throat. When he speaks, he often needs to clear his throat and spit before he can speak.

One day, the old man called Erlong to his house for dinner. Erlong is a little curious. Why not invite him to dinner today? The control of curiosity made him move involuntarily. When I arrived at Master's house, an antique courtyard came into view, with a fence yard, a blue brick road and a sesame wall.

Master asked him to go into the house first, and he went to get things himself. Erlong pushed open the door, and the pattern in the room was a bit rigid, with a lot of mahogany furniture. Erlong sat stiffly in the chair, as if a pair of eyes were watching him not far away.

Bang bang, what's that noise, heartbeat? No, there's a noise behind the door. He opened the door and saw a girl about his age. They both looked at each other. The girl shyly lowered her head and Erlong looked straight at her. The girl is wearing a blue and white cheongsam made in Soviet Union, and flowers are coiled around her. She blooms everywhere, giving off bursts of fragrance. The plump posture is also vividly reflected in cheongsam, which makes people intoxicated.

Erlong is thinking that this can't be a fairy in the sky, and the sound of bang bang reminds me again. This time it's a heartbeat. The girl twisted the book, glanced at Erlong again and said, "What's the matter with you?" The girl knows that Erlong is her grandfather's apprentice, and her voice is very polite and soft. Erlong stammered, "Nothing ... Nothing." Erlong scratched his head, looked around and glanced at the girl.

At the right moment, the old man came back from outside and took a roast duck, a bottle of soju and some dishes. When he saw his granddaughter, he went into the kitchen and said, "How was the chat? This is my granddaughter, isn't it beautiful, son? Don't make any bad ideas, or I'll make you too much. " The old man lifted the bag twice and said jokingly.

"Jade bead! Side dishes. " The old man shouted. Ah, her name is Yuzhu, which is really nice. It must be better to call such a white face Pearl. Erlong thought happily in his heart, and his mouth was almost wide to his ears. Erlong is not idle, carrying chopsticks, as busy as a bee.

Sitting at the dinner table, Erlong didn't dare to pick up food. Although he was careless in the park and often bickered with Master for fun, here, because of this woman, he didn't even dare to breathe hard, for fear that Yuzhu would show half disgust. After three rounds of wine, the old man's drunkenness has hung on his face. They talked a lot. The proud pupil whom the old man taught before didn't like the old man's manners, and he was ashamed to say that the old man was his master, and now he is even two strangers. You didn't even look at me as a bad old man. "The old man said sadly about his past, silently wiping away the tears in the corner of his eyes.

Speaking of Yuzhu's parents, the old man was embarrassed, but he couldn't bear to drink a few glasses of wine and "spit" his thoughts to this outsider. Say that finish, Yuzhu put down his chopsticks and walked into the room. Erlong looked at her and then at the master. The host said, "Let her go. I know she doesn't like to hear it, but I have to say it today. " The old man told Erlong another bitter thing he had hidden in his heart.

"Yuzhu's parents are two self-employed people in their hometown city. They did a little business and didn't make much money, but they were also famous in the city and lived a very fragrant life. I don't know which day someone came, saying it was Yuzhu's father's classmate, and asked him to invest and do something big. I am an old man with white sideburns and know nothing about business. Yuzhu's father was cheated by a ghost. Whether he likes it or not, he took all the money he had worked with my daughter for so many years. I didn't have to think about it, but I lost everything and I still owe a lot of money. Even taking away my savings is nothing. Alas ~ "The old man leaned back and closed his eyes.

Erlong didn't say a word, but quietly listened to Master telling his life experience, which he had never experienced before. He is still full of endless passion and longing for the future.

Master opened the wooden cabinet and took out his own musical instrument. He sat down slowly and raised his arms. This is the first lesson he wants to teach Erlong, "Love in Music". With the strength of wine, this piece of music actually reveals sadness. An almost natural tune sounded, much like "Two Springs Reflecting the Moon", but with a different tune. "Two Springs Reflect on the Moon" belongs to the story of A Bing, but this song. This song has been ringing for a long time, and it has entered a different artistic conception. Seeds, buds, young trees, broken branches, regrowth, becoming trees, towering, rotten wood, standing for a hundred years, destroyed by the wind. Music reverberates, making people sleepless. With a bang, the string broke and the song stopped. This is too much love. The old man has a deep memory of his past, but he still can't get out. Even the noisy wind at that time felt sad and stopped howling.

Erlong, who was walking on the road, was holding a flannel bag in his hand, which was a gift from his master, an erhu wrapped in black python. The master spent a whole year making his erhu, and every detail was carefully polished. The python skin was dragged by an old friend, and it took a lot of effort. Erlong is very happy. This is the first gift that Master gave me, a great gift in my life.

In the following years, he often went to the master's house to study. After a while, he became more familiar with Yuzhu. She is not as shy as she was at first. Now they are very close and lively in front of Erlong. She is two years younger than Erlong, so she is called Brother Erlong. Yuzhu also plays the erhu very well. She has been practicing with her grandfather since she was a child, and now she has ten years of skill. Actually, she is not very interested in erhu. She likes western musical instruments and wants to wear beautiful skirts, play the piano or violin, but now she can only maintain basic food and clothing with her grandfather and occasionally eat a good meal. Her body is satisfied with her present life, but her soul yearns for a more noble and pure life. She can only be satisfied with the enrichment of her spiritual world. Looking for her own light in books, foreign writers' books are her favorite. Books by Russian and French writers are often on her desk. In her spare time, she always sits alone in the corner of the table, enjoying the baptism of her soul through the sunshine outside the window.

Yuzhu, like Erlong, studied for several years. Yuzhu will not support her family for no reason because of the decline of her aunt. However, Erlong dropped out of school and went home because of his heavy play. His father looked at his disappointing son and didn't want to say anything more. He also turned a deaf ear to Erlong. His mother loves his son very much, but Erlong doesn't get her kindness. Her attitude towards her mother is neither very good nor very bad, but she is tired of her mother's nagging. Erlong often doesn't stay at home. When he is hungry, he goes home for dinner. He won't stay at home at all. As for the money, his father will not give it to him. His father thinks that a man of seventeen or eighteen should stop asking him for money. At this age, his father has entered the society to fight hard, instead of fooling around all day and wandering around like a ghost. Erlong's mother can't stand her son's suffering and often gives him money secretly. Speaking of Erlong, it's like splashing water.

His father has a bike. It was a treasure then. His father works not far from home, so he won't ride it on purpose. He will carefully put it in a room at home and lock the door for fear that others will seize his "love".

But "Devil's Hand" has been lurking here for a long time, just waiting for an opportunity, which is so attractive to him. The dark and shiny paint version, the phantom wheels, the dripping grease chain, everything, all attracted his attention.

The time has come, and I must seize it.

Erlong will definitely ride a bike when he sees his father go for a drink. Cleaning the facade is essential. When he got home, he was in a daze and forgot to lock the door. Erlong took this opportunity to secretly drive the car out and put it in a dark alley between neighbors.

At dawn, as soon as the bus got on, the master's family set off.

When I arrived at Master's house, I saw that the old man was not at home, and Yuzhu was alone. Seeing Yuzhu in the yard, I quietly walked over and patted her on the shoulder, which startled Yuzhu. Some of them were about to cry, but when she saw it was Erlong's brother, she let her guard down. Erlong wants to take her to the city to play, so she can't walk well on her bike. By the way, she can help dad "run in" his car.

After some entanglement, Yuzhu agreed, saying that he just wanted to buy a pair of cloth shoes for his grandfather who was about to celebrate his sixty-sixth birthday. Erlong was very happy. First of all, he was happy for Master's birthday. Second, Yuzhu agreed to "date" with him. Erlong said, "I also want to buy something for Master, but I have no money!" This is sad, Erlong. Yuzhu saw him frown and said, "As soon as you arrive, you can. If you can't, I will say that we bought these cloth shoes together. I'll pay for you first, but you must remember to pay me back! " An understanding jade bead can always think of a solution first. She looked at Erlong's face with watery eyes and smiled. For a moment, she felt that Erlong, who was strong and tall and a little dull, was a little charming. Erlong has long been impressed by her beauty.

Two young men and women always inadvertently cultivate the seeds of love. Whether this love bud will grow into a towering tree is still unknown. We can only leave good wishes and wait for the fruit to ripen.

Yuzhu asked Erlong to wait for her. When she went to get the money, she went to a corner near the corner shed and squatted there to move bricks. There is a dark trough in the wall, and Yuzhu takes out a mahogany box in it, which is the size of a palm, small and exquisite. There is a silver hairpin inlaid with pearl pines. The silver is a little black and oxidized. Obviously, it is a bit old, and a little money is just enough to buy odds and ends such as cloth shoes. It's a little far, Erlong can't see clearly.

"Brother Erlong, let's go!" Yuzhu said with a smile. Erlong said dully. The two of them set off. Yuzhu sat in the back seat of a bicycle, holding Erlong's skirt in one hand and a pile of money in the other. Erlong can't even ride a bike, let alone be a human being, let alone such a "stunner". It's crooked, one minute to the left and one minute to the right. Erlong is very nervous and happy.

When they arrived in this city, they went to a famous old shop selling cloth shoes. Yuzhu took a fancy to a pair of embroidered black and white cloth shoes at a glance. When asking the price, I didn't bring enough money, and Yuzhu's disappointed expression hung on her face. Erlong was very anxious and wanted to help her, but there was no way. Finally, she had to buy a pair of old coarse cloth shoes.

Along the way, Yuzhu didn't speak, just looked at this pair of old cloth shoes silently, and it was very unpleasant in his heart. Erlong said, "Don't scare me, talk to me, or see if the scenery here is beautiful. In short, don't bow your head, just be happy, you have already licked my meat. " Yuzhu was amused by him. Erlong's "trick" succeeded. Yuzhu and Erlong talked about their unhappiness caused by buying shoes. Erlong said, "When I have money, I will buy seven pairs of shoes for Master, one pair a day and not repeat them for a week." "You can draw a pie." Yuzhu said with a smile.

The two enjoyed the scenery along the way and returned to their destination with a smile.

On the host's birthday, Erlong bought a roast chicken and two Jin of sauce beef and came to the host's house. Obviously, he asked his mother for money, and the amount was quite large. When he entered the room, the host asked him to sit for a while, and then dinner began. Yuzhu is also smiling at Erlong, making irresponsible remarks, and there are few serious words.

Erlong at the dinner table poured a glass of wine for Master and took one himself. This is the first time to drink at the master's house. The host drank three glasses of white wine. After drinking white wine, my stomach began to feel restless. When the wine is strong, the pain disappears, leaving only immortal pleasure. Chatting, he said something to Master and Yuzhu, saying that he was an adult and a real man. His father asked him to be a soldier, and he had the same plan. He passed the physical examination and will leave in a month. It's sudden, but understandable. He sympathized with his master. He studied Master's skills, but he didn't carry them forward. At last he went another way, and he was ashamed. A big man leaned his arm on the table and covered his eyes with his hand. Although he didn't hum, he must be crying, not only his eyes, but also his heart. He felt sad for his master and her budding love.

Yuzhu had mixed feelings when she heard that moment. She is happy for her second dragon brother and sad for his decision. A "pain in the ass" coming every day is leaving. After a month, she couldn't see him. It was three years. Who knows what will happen in these three years. No, she felt she had to do something. But she can't change anything.

In the remaining month, Erlong came once in the middle, said the departure time and where he was going, and never came again.

On the day the train started, the whole family was saying goodbye to Erlong. My father just said a few words to me, but my mother cried bitterly. The figure that Erlong most wanted to see never appeared. The train began to move slowly forward. Looking at Erlong Mountain in the scenery outside the window, I saw a virtual shadow standing at the window. Hallucinations, no, no, it's Polygonatum odoratum. She will come to see me off. She was wearing her favorite cheongsam and hat, looking at me from a distance. She likes me, right? Erlong asked himself over and over again in his mind. He is very happy. A three-second shot inspired Erlong's slow beating heart and made it full of strength. But he is not sure whether this hat is the woman he loves. If so, why didn't she come to say goodbye in person? His heart is tangled again, and he is looking for excuses and reasons for her.

When young men and women fall in love, all imperfections in each other will be blocked by the filter of love. Only love as thick and sweet as honey will be filtered out forever. This little bit of sweetness will slowly fill the honey pot of the soul, but who knows when this honey pot will run out or deteriorate?

Erlong left a letter for Yuzhu when he left. The letter simply and directly expresses a young man's love for a woman, hoping to get a woman's affirmation and reply. If she loves him too, come to the railway station to see him off. A little embarrassed, but this is the reply he wants girls to give.

Erlong believes that even in the distance, it is better than the sweet words and vows of eternal love.

Three years later, Erlong retired, and this young man with a higher heart than the sky has long since faded from his innocence. The military camp is a good place to sharpen people. His mind will be sharpened as it should be, and his body will be polished all the time. When he stood on this homeland again, a man with indomitable spirit came back. He thinks about Yuzhu all the time. He wants to come back and ask her a question face to face. If she loves him, why not give him any news? Erlong thinks this is a problem that doesn't matter to her now, but it is engraved in his heart and can't be forgotten. He is eager to know the answer.

Standing in the yard of his master's house, he suspected that he had come to the wrong place, but how could he remember this place he was worried about every day? Although the yard is full of vitality, there is no human breath, so messy weeds, yellow and green intertwined, a mess, without a trace of reason. He wants to know what happened in this small town in just three years.

Answer, yes. I want to find the answer. He walked to the corner where Yuzhu used to withdraw money. He hopes to find some clues from the past, and there are bricks in the way. He saw the hope and began to throw it wildly, and his reason was being eroded little by little. The red wooden box is still there, but there are many cracks on the surface. The box was unlocked, obviously waiting for the person she was waiting for.

It will give all the answers.

Envelope? Three dusty envelopes and two envelopes with stamps were returned. Address? At first glance, it was the general location of Erlong military camp, but because the address was ambiguous, it was impossible to give the letter to Erlong, and they were all returned.

The first letter was sent six months after Erlong went to the military camp. It is about Yuzhu's love for Erlong, but because of her shyness and cowardice at that time, she dared not meet him directly, so she could only watch Erlong silently from behind. She said that her grandfather's health is getting worse and worse, and he needs to take Chinese medicine often to take care of it. Cough is also an old man's companion for a day. Sometimes coughing even makes him tremble, and often he can't even play the erhu. The doctor told him to give up smoking. The old man is old and has a twisted temper. Yuzhu can only let him, which makes her anxious and distressed.

The second letter was sent in the second half of the following year. I said some household words and some heartfelt words, just like a wife at home waiting for her husband who went to war to come home. In the past two years, she has read a lot of books and experienced the precipitation of time. Her mind is becoming more and more mature and steady. She is no longer a little girl at home, but also an independent woman. Many people like her, but she refused them one by one without explaining the specific reasons to others. But Erlong knew that she was waiting for him, waiting for him to come back. Her biological parents came to see her and asked her to leave here to live with them. Her father opened a small factory somewhere and started his career again. The debt at home was almost paid off, but she and grandpa refused their parents' invitation. Her grandfather didn't want to move any more, so Yuzhu stayed in the yard with him.

The third letter was not sent, but it can be seen from the color of the paper that it was written in the last year. The content is the last thing Erlong wants to see. Grandpa died shortly after being diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. Yuzhu also contacted her parents. Her parents advised her to leave with them and not to stay here any longer. At first she didn't want to, but she didn't wait for a "letter from home" for nearly three years. She is tired and wants to forget the past. I choose to start a new life instead of indulging in the memories of the past.

This is indeed a good choice. She is a very intelligent girl, who knows how to leave her family and won't suffer any more because of this kind of thing. But she is not a silly girl. After waiting for so long, she could see the light at once, but then she gave up her original belief.

A drop of water fell on the writing paper. What is this, tears? Then a few drops of water fell on the stationery and it rained. The raindrops beat against the leaves and made sounds. This rain has washed away the beauty of countless years, washed away the endless yearning for the future and washed away the deep desire for love. The thumb-sized love tree has been swallowed up by the ocean of time before it grows up. Whether the water drops on the stationery are rain or tears, only Erlong will give us the answer.

Erlong, hobbling in the rain, is on his way to Xijiang River. He wants to go there and have a look again. Yuzhu said in her letter that she would wait for him there. "Second longge, the river in Xicheng has risen again. Do you think this water looks like a flowing crowd, but even if it is crowded, I will wait for you. "

Erlong, walking on the road, seemed to see the rain beads sitting by the Xicheng River in the rain. He remembered all kinds of memories when they practiced erhu before. Erlong seems to hear Yuzhu playing the black and green snakeskin erhu. The long tune is sometimes passionate, sometimes sad, sometimes silent, and sometimes crisp, as if telling their love story, until the aging dusk, it turned into a positive result.

Erlong fell into the mud on the beach by the river. He is crying silently. He grabbed the weeds at hand, spit out the mud in his mouth and crawled forward. He wants to be closer to the river. Even if the heavy rain soaked his skirt and doused the flame in his heart, he would leave there and re-enter. He wants to see the answer behind the fog in the rain and her face.

A small town, a past event and a story are thought-provoking.