The next morning, after breakfast at Jin Ling's place, Zheng Qinglan said that she wanted to go back to the mine. Jin Ling sent him out of the shop. Zheng Qinglan rode for a long distance. When he turned around, Jin Ling was still standing there looking at him. He felt warm in his heart and waved at Jin Ling, who waved back at him.
Zheng Qinglan didn't go back to the small house in the mine directly. Instead, she went to her fourth aunt's house. When she went there, her fourth aunt was about to get off the bed. Zheng Qinglan called her fourth aunt. When her fourth aunt saw Zheng Qinglan, she put down the things in her hands and said happily,"So early." "Where is my uncle?" "Didn't you ask us to give suggestions to the village last time and organize us to go out and study? "I didn't expect that the village would really agree after we said it. Your uncle and a few other professional households formed a group and went out to learn pig raising techniques. Our pigsty won't be useful this year, but it will be useful next year.”
"Isn't that just nice? By then, we'll have the technology and some small problems can be solved by ourselves. We'll also be able to make it in time for the credit union to lend money, and the funds will also be solved.”
"Yes, I'm happy when I think of the days when I can count a lot of money. Qinglan, don't laugh at Fourth Aunt for being a money-grubber, haha.”
"Who doesn't want to be rich? With money, you can do whatever you want. Oh, how do you deliver fish to the mine?”
"When your uncle left, he got a batch of fish and put them in the net cage. When I want to deliver the fish, I will go to the net cage and pick them up. It's very convenient. It's just that the fish will become thinner after being placed in the net cage for a long time.”
"Then let the fish go. I'll help you catch the fish when you want to deliver them.”
"That won't do either. If you move the water often, the fish will be easily frightened. If they are frightened, they won't eat for a few days and will lose weight. When we have money in the future, we want to expand this fish pond and sell the fish to big fish merchants. We will only sell the fish once a year at the end of the year, so as to avoid small fights like now. We will suffer losses and not earn much money.”
"Why don't you do it now? It was better to start early than later. When the fish were sold out, he would start expanding the fish pond. It was winter. After the expansion was completed in winter, it could be put into use in the spring of next year. By the end of the year, there would be profits.”
"Oh my God, it's a pig and a fish. How much money would we have to invest?”
"Fourth Aunt, the outside world is now making pig and fish sets. Pig manure can be used as fish feed and can save the cost of raising fish. My uncle might do the same after learning.”
"Then let's wait for him to come back. I can't be the master of the house alone.”
"Then you should discuss it with uncle. Can you make it bigger? That way, it's easier to see the benefits. I'll go back now."
"Why did you come here?”
"I just came to take a look. This is also my job.”
Fourth Aunt asked in confusion,"Just looking around is work. What kind of work is this?"”
"It's not just looking at it. You have to communicate with others and think about it. Find some useful materials from it so that you can write something useful when you go back.”
"Oh, by the way, the last time you left here, you said that you would come to find us if you had something to do. What's the matter?”
"I want to ask you if there are any storytellers nearby. I want to collect some old stories.”
"Oh, it's here. It's probably not easy to find one. Nowadays, old stories are no longer told. Children watch cartoons, and adults watch television or movies. It's been many years since I've seen a group of people gather together to listen to stories. I heard some stories when I was young, but I've almost forgotten them. Forget it, forget it. Anyway, I won't need to coax my grandson in the future. If you tell Fourth Aunt these things, Fourth Aunt won't understand either. You sit at home or walk around here. I'll walk around the field and think about it as I walk. I'll see if I can remember something. You can have lunch here."
"No, I still have something to do when I go back. You can think about it slowly. I'll come back to listen to you when I have time.”
"Alright, that works too. I'll think about it carefully. Perhaps I can think of a few more. It's fine if you don't eat here. I'll pack you two catties of noodles and a few eggs. If you don't want to eat in the canteen, make some for yourself.”
"Fourth Aunt, there's no need."
"The noodles you make yourself taste better than the ones you buy. You'll know once you eat them.”
Zheng Qinglan returned to the mine. The Kuangqu was quiet. When she entered the small courtyard, she didn't see anyone. He went into his room and sat in front of the table, recalling the contents of Jin Ling's notebook while writing and drawing on the paper. This was one of his characteristics. He was not good at sitting there and daydreaming. He liked to write and draw as he pleased while thinking, as if this was the only way to get inspiration. He drew for a while and felt uncertain. After all, he had only seen it briefly and did not remember it deeply. He would not consider this problem today. He would give his opinion after reading it carefully. This kind of opinion would be more effective and would be the best respect for Jin Ling. So he put down his pen, but he couldn't find anything to do for a while. It was really not easy to start this week. His work was not like those routine jobs. When the time came, he would naturally do what he needed to do. His work, on the other hand, depended entirely on his heart. What am I thinking about now? Or should I say who is it? It's only Shang Liu Xin. The others are far beyond my reach. She should be in the office. It was definitely not appropriate to go to the office to give her snacks now. Moreover, it was quite eye-catching and would definitely attract some discussion. Forget it, he would give it to her after lunch. Hence, she casually picked up a book and flipped through it. However, she could not read a single word. She did not know where her mind was. It was as if she was thinking about something, but also as if she was not thinking about anything. What was going on today? He was puzzled. In the past, such a situation rarely occurred. Could it be that something was about to happen?
During lunch, he didn't see Shang Liu Xin. Zheng Qinglan was confused, but he didn't dare to ask anyone. He ate a few mouthfuls and poured the rest of the food into the swill bucket. After washing the dishes, he hurried back to his room, took some snacks, and knocked on Shang Liu Xin's door. There was no response. He knocked a few more times, but there was still no movement. Could it be that he wasn't in the room? He knocked heavily again, and Shang Liu Xin's weak voice came from the room,"Who is it?"
"It's me, Zheng Qinglan."
"Wait a moment."
Zheng Qinglan looked around. Luckily, there was no one around. After two to three minutes, Shang Liu Xin opened the door slightly and said,""Come in."
Zheng Qinglan squeezed through the door and saw Shang Liu Xin with her messy hair, dry lips, and sunken eyes. She quickly asked,""What's wrong with you? Are you sick?”
Shang Liu Xin didn't say a word. She lowered her head and sat on the chair. If it wasn't for the back of the chair, she might have fallen down. Zheng Qinglan looked around the room for a water bottle. When she saw it, she picked it up and shook it. There was still some water inside. She took a cup and poured a cup for Shang Liu Xin. Shang Liu Xin silently took the water. Zheng Qinglan then passed her the snacks."These are the snacks I bought for you. Have some.”Shang Liu Xin looked at Zheng Qinglan and said,""Thank you, Little Zheng. You've given me a lot of comfort these past few days. You've made me feel that this world isn't so cruel that it makes people despair.”
"Things have already come to this. Immersing yourself in pain will only hurt yourself. You have to think more about your parents, your siblings, they are all looking at you, hoping that you will be safe and happy. You must not let them down.”
"I know. I won't do anything stupid.”Pausing for a moment, Shang Liu Xin continued," I've already written out my experience. I want to complain to the leader.”
"Have you thought about the consequences of your actions? The wicked may not be punished, and your reputation will be hurt even more.”
"I don't care so much. Anyway, my reputation is already ruined. I can't let a heartless person live happily. I can't stay here any longer. I'm going back tomorrow and then look for a job elsewhere.”
"Then where are you going to look for a job?”
"It's also in the mine. I've worked in the coal mine for the past few years and have some experience. I'm not doing technical work. If there's anything useful in my house, you can keep it. As for the rest, I'll get my dad to move them back.”
"Look, you don't even have the strength to talk. Let's not talk about this problem now. I'll boil some water for you. After you wash up, eat something and rest for a while.”Shang Liu Xin didn't say anything, so she agreed. Zheng Qinglan looked at the coal stove. It had been extinguished. It was cold and there was no heat. Zheng Qinglan quickly heated the coal stove, but it burned slowly. Zheng Qinglan was so anxious that she picked up a fan and fanned it fiercely. The whole room was filled with smoke, and the two of them choked and coughed. Zheng Qinglan opened the door. She couldn't care less about how others looked at her. She brought the stove outside the door, found an air vent, and faced the door to the air vent. Then, she fanned the stove with a fan. Soon, the stove was burning brightly. Zheng Qinglan carried the stove back into the house, filled two bowls of water in the kettle, and put them on the stove. Then, she picked up the fan and fanned the stove. The fire burned brighter and brighter. The blue flame jumped out of the furnace and wrapped around the kettle tightly. Zheng Qinglan put down her fan and took out a biscuit from her snack bag. She handed it to Shang Liu Xin."Eat some biscuits and drink some water first. I'll cook some noodles for you. The water has already boiled and will be ready soon.”Zheng Qinglan brought noodles and eggs from her room. After cooking them, she brought them to Shang Liu Xin and said,""Alright, you can eat. Have a good rest after you're done eating. Don't think too much.”
Shang Liu happily took the bowl and said,"It's really hard on you, thank you!"”
"Let's not talk about these polite words. Hurry up and eat.”With that, he walked out and closed the door.
Sitting in front of the table, Zheng Qinglan repeatedly drew the words " go "," stay "," benefits "," disadvantages ", and " what to do " on the paper. He naturally knew that he didn't have the right to decide whether Shang Liu Xin would stay or leave. He only felt that Shang Liu Xin deserved sympathy and needed help. Even though his ability was very weak, he could still give her some mental comfort. When it came to Shang Liu Xin's decision to stay or leave, he also suggested that Shang Liu Xin leave this place and change her environment. The people she interacted with were all new people, so she could slowly forget about the things that made her unable to raise her head. At least she didn't have to live in a circle where everyone knew about her background, where she would have to listen to harsh words. The only benefit of staying was that her work would be easier, and there wouldn't be much new things to learn. However, compared to the huge mental pressure, this wasn't worth mentioning. The premise was that after Shang Liu Xin moved to a new environment, she couldn't bring up the matter of revenge. That way, the rumors would follow her like a shadow. In this society, people always talked about other people's scandals. " What should I do?" Zheng Qinglan felt that she was just a normal colleague of Shang Liu Xin. She only knew a little bit of the inside story and felt more sympathy for her. This sympathy was related to her personality. She didn't want to see others suffer. When she saw others suffer, she felt that she hadn't done her duty. In fact, this had nothing to do with her. Zheng Qinglan thought of something that happened when she was in junior high school. It was a winter day, and the north wind was blowing. Two naughty boys were making a scene in the classroom during the break and broke the window. The class teacher was very angry and punished the two boys to stand in front of the broken window to block the wind for the class. The two boys stood there shivering in the cold. Zheng Qinglan felt like she was slapping herself in the face. He stood up and told the class teacher that as the class monitor, he had not fulfilled his management responsibility and was willing to be punished with the two boys. The homeroom teacher did not say anything. He let the two boys stand to the side while he stood in front of the broken window. Although he was shivering from the cold, he felt that he had done his duty. Not only did he not have any resentment in his heart, but he also felt comfortable. After the incident, some of his classmates said that he had the courage to take responsibility, while others said that he was stupid and asked him why he took responsibility for something that had nothing to do with him. He didn't say anything. What was there to say?
The other time was when Zheng Qinglan had just started working. The city held a commendation ceremony, and all the departments had to light firecrackers to congratulate them. Zheng Qinglan looked left and right but did not see anyone holding firecrackers in the Cultural Bureau. If the host announced that there were no firecrackers when the Cultural Bureau played the music, it would be so embarrassing. Therefore, he asked Luo Tianyin anxiously,"Director, who's setting off firecrackers at the Cultural Bureau? If there's no arrangement, I'll go buy some.”Luo Tianyin looked at him reproachfully and said,""This is not my business. You can ask the director.”Zhang Changfeng teased,"The emperor is not in a hurry, but the eunuch is. You've only been here for a few days, and you're already worried."?”Although Zheng Qinglan was a little unhappy, she was still worried that no one would set off firecrackers later. She sat there with her heart clenched tightly. The host finally mentioned the Ministry of Culture. Zheng Qinglan's heart jumped to her throat. She didn't expect someone to set off firecrackers. The stone in her heart was finally lifted. Zhang Changfeng said to him,"See? There are people who worry about you, not you."”Although Zheng Qinglan regretted her recklessness, she still felt that it was better for someone to worry about a unit than for no one to worry about it.
With his current status, this was all he could do for Shang Liu Xin. Actually, he admired Shang Liu Xin's courage. He couldn't let those beasts in human clothes retreat after hurting someone, but he was worried that this would bring even greater harm to Shang Liu Xin. How could he allow Shang Liu Xin to take revenge and not get hurt? Why were there beasts in human clothes who should go to hell? What was the use of cursing like this? It could only make him sad and not hurt those beasts in human clothes at all. What was the difference between these animals and killing people? Killing people hurt people's bodies, which were tangible lives. However, these animals in human clothes harmed people's reputation and dignity, which were another kind of life. Moreover, they were not worse than tangible lives at all. However, why couldn't they be judged and punished? In the long run, what protection would there be for a person's dignity and reputation?
Zheng Qinglan sat in front of the table for the entire afternoon. She kept asking those questions in her head until she heard the noise outside. She turned her head and looked out the window. It was already dark. The miners had gone up the well.
Zheng Qinglan stood up and walked to Shang Liu Xin's door with the bowl. She hesitated for a while and knocked on the door. Shang Liu Xin asked,""Who is it?"
"Zheng Qinglan, let's have dinner. I'll accompany you." Zheng Qinglan pretended to be relaxed.”Shang Liu Xin said from inside,"I'm not hungry, go eat."”"Go, I'll wait for you." Zheng Qinglan said.”Shang Liu Xin opened the door a crack and stood inside, saying,""Go eat. Do you think I can go out like this?”Zheng Qinglan looked up. Although Shang Liu Xin had combed her hair and washed her face, she was still very haggard. She stood there swaying. If it wasn't for her hand on the door, she would have collapsed. "Then give me the bowl. I'll get it back for you.”"No, you go." With that, he closed the door. Zheng Qinglan had no choice but to go to the cafeteria alone. Lan Guiying stopped him." Brother, what are you talking to Shang Nizi about?"”"I didn't say anything. I just asked her to go to the cafeteria for dinner.”"You really care about her. This Shang girl is really pitiful. She hasn't gone out for two or three days. I used to be quite annoyed with her, but now that I see her like this, I feel really bad. A girl could withstand a few tortures. She was such a heartless man. She called for a car to kill her when she walked, drowned when she went into the water, burned to death when she used fire, and rotted to death when she got sick.”
"Sister-in-law, these are the best words I've said to you since I met you.”"Sister-in-law is also a woman. She knows the difficulties of women.”After entering the cafeteria, Zheng Qinglan ordered some food and looked for Captain Dong in the crowd. This man had traveled extensively and was knowledgeable. He could come up with ideas at critical moments. Zheng Qinglan trusted him. However, he couldn't find anything after searching around. He went to Baogen and asked,""Brother Baogen, where's Brother Dong?”"Oh, he had something to do at home, so he took Sunday off and went back.”"Did he say what it was?" "Nothing. He left in a hurry. We're so far away from home. It's not easy to go back. Something big must have happened at home. Otherwise, his family wouldn't let him go back. Why are you asking him? Do you still want to go down the well? If so, I'll arrange it for you. Brother Dong has left, so I'm in charge of the underground well now.”"I didn't see him, so I was just asking. How are the conditions in the well now?”"It's much better than before. We're no longer as worried as before. Everyone's energy has swelled up like a balloon. We've exceeded our quota every day and can get a decent bonus at the end of the year.”"No, it's all because of everyone's strength.”"Brother, you just like to be humble. Let's not talk about it anymore. After you get the bonus, our brothers will treat you to a drink. Not here, but at a hotel in the city.”
Zheng Qinglan put the bowl back into the room, turned around and knocked on Shang Liu Xin's door again. Before Shang Liu Xin could ask, he said,""It's me, Zheng Qinglan." Shang Liu Xin opened the door. Zheng Qinglan walked in. The room was already very dark, so she couldn't see Shang Liu Xin's face. Zheng Qinglan turned on the light. Shang Liu Xin obviously felt uncomfortable, so she covered her eyes with her hands. Zheng Qinglan glanced around. The bed was tidied up, but everything else was still the same. The quilt was folded and placed at the head of the bed, but it was already messy. Perhaps before Zheng Qinglan entered the room, Shang Liu Xin had been leaning on the quilt. There were two knitted sweaters on the bed, and the other one was knitted. She was only missing two sleeves.
"Have you thought it through? Do you have to leave?”
"What's the point of staying here? Everyone looks at me strangely and thinks about those messy things. It's better to die than to live like this.”
"Why are you saying such silly things again? After some time, everything will get better.”
"I just want to go to a faraway place, a place where no one knows me. I want those unbearable things to disappear from my memory as soon as possible. To be honest, I'm almost going crazy from these things. I regret it every time I think about it. I hate myself and that heartless beast.”
"You said that you wanted to go to another mine. Was that a lie?”
Shang Liu Xin smiled bitterly," I did think so before, but that mine is only a hundred miles away from here. There are also many people working there. What's the difference between going there and here? I might as well go further, the further the better.”
"Did you tell your parents that you were going somewhere far away?”
"I just told them that I was going to work at the mine I told you about. I also told them that the mine was much bigger than the coal mine in the village and that it made more money.”
"If your parents don't hear from you after a long time, they'll go crazy.”
"If I'm doing well outside, I'll call them, write them letters, and send them money. If I'm not doing well, then forget it. I'll just pretend that they don't have a daughter like me. Anyway, I didn't make them proud and even humiliated them.”As she spoke, Shang Liu Xin couldn't help but cry. After a long while, she said," I knitted a sweater for my parents each as a show of filial piety. Perhaps in this lifetime…"
Zheng Qinglan felt like her heart was being cut by a knife. She almost cried, but she held it in. After choking for a while, she said,"Do you need to bring anything when you go out?”
"I didn't bring anything else. I only brought a few clothes to change into, toiletries, and a letter of recommendation from the village.”
"Where's the money?"
"I've given my salary from the mine to my parents. I still have dozens of yuan in my hands. I can support myself for a while.”
"I still have dozens of yuan here. Take them all.”
"How can that do? Your salary isn't high, and you still have expenses.”
"It's okay. I don't go far, so I can't spend much money. When my salary comes next month, I'll have it again. When you're out, you have to buy everything.”
"Then consider it a loan. I'll return it to you in the future.”
"Alright, you have to work hard. When you have money, you can return it to me with interest.”
"Little Zheng, you're really a good person."
"Sigh, my ability is too small. I can only give you this much help. How about this, I'll use your coal stove for tomorrow morning and return it to you when it's done.”
"You can use it. I don't want it."
"No, I'll only use it tomorrow morning.”
When she returned to the house, Zheng Qinglan touched her pocket and was shocked. Oh no, she had given all the money to Shang Liuxin. How could she buy groceries tomorrow? She opened her bag and poured out everything inside. There were a few notes inside, and the total amount was less than one yuan. What should he do? By the way, tomorrow morning, I'll go to Fourth Aunt's place to get a fish and borrow a few yuan from her. Then, I'll go to Jin Ling's place to buy a few vegetables. Zheng Qinglan spent the whole night thinking about Shang Liu Xin and the farewell dinner for her. He woke up the moment the sun rose. It was very cold outside. Zheng Qinglan couldn't help but shrink her neck. Then, she rode her bicycle and rang the bell all the way to her fourth aunt's house. Fourth Aunt had just woken up and had not washed up yet. When Zheng Qinglan called Fourth Aunt, Fourth Aunt was shocked. When she saw that it was Zheng Qinglan, Fourth Aunt rebuked,"Why are you so early? You gave me a fright.”Zheng Qinglan said," Fourth Aunt, give me a fish and lend me a few yuan. I want to buy some vegetables and treat someone to a meal. I've already lent my money to others. I don't want a big fish."”Fourth Aunt took out a snakeskin bag and put a fish in it for him. Then, she took out fifty yuan and handed it to him. "I don't need that much," Zheng Qinglan said.”She only took ten yuan, said goodbye to Fourth Aunt, and left in a hurry. He went to Jin Ling's market and bought a pound of meat, two cucumbers, and two carrots. Then, he rushed back. When they returned to the mine, the sun had not yet risen. He lit up the stove and boiled the rice in the multi-purpose pot. Then, he cut the fish, meat, and vegetables. He was afraid of disturbing Shang Liu Xin, so he did all this quietly. Finally, it was done. Zheng Qinglan looked at the dishes on the table, feeling both satisfied and regretful. Zheng Qinglan came to Shang Liu Xin's door and knocked lightly, saying,""It's me, Zheng Qinglan. Come with me. I have something to tell you.”Shang Liu Xin opened the door and followed Zheng Qinglan into the room. Looking at the dishes on the table, Shang Liu Xin asked,""Who are you treating to dinner?" "I didn't invite anyone but you. Since you're leaving, I don't know what I can do for you. I cooked a few dishes to express my gratitude. It's just that it's too simple.”Shang Liu Xin's eyes reddened,"Little Zheng, thank you so much. I will never forget everything you've done for me."”"Don't say that. We've known each other for a long time, so this is what I should do. It's just that it's too simple, so it can't be considered a farewell dinner.”Shang Liu Xin choked on her sobs but didn't say anything.
After the meal, Shang Liu Xin handed a key to Zheng Qinglan, saying,""This is my key. I don't think I'll be able to see my dad when I go back now. They usually can't stay idle at home. I've already written them a note. When I go back later, I'll put it in my sweater. I've already told my dad to come here to get something.”
"Aren't you going to say goodbye to them?”
"No, I'm afraid that I won't be able to hold it in and let them see through me.”
"I won't leave if I can't."
"No, I've already told you what I need to say.”
"I'll send you off later. I have a bicycle.”
"There's no need. If my dad finds out that you sent me away, he will blame you. This has nothing to do with you.”
"Then I'll send you out of the door and watch you leave.”
"Little Zheng, why are you doing this? I'm not worth your concern.”
"I don't know why, but I just feel that I should send you off. I hope that you will have a safe journey, leave safely, and come back safely.”
"Alright then, it's a deal.”
Shang Liu Xin wanted to help clear the dishes, but Zheng Qinglan refused. Shang Liu Xin went back to her room. Zheng Qinglan tidied up a little but didn't wash her hands. She soaked her hands in a small basin and washed them before going back to Shang Liu Xin's room. The room was tidied up. The bedding and luggage were tied up neatly with ropes. A stack of books was also tied up neatly. The tables and chairs were wiped clean and placed neatly against the wall. The middle of the room was empty. The small room that was originally very crowded now seemed a little empty. The floor had been cleaned. There were no traces of sprinkling. It might have been cleaned long ago. Maybe it was last night, or midnight, or it was cleaned early like Zheng Qinglan.
Shang Liu Xin passed a chair to Zheng Qinglan and sat on the edge of the bed. The two of them just sat there without saying a word. After the commotion outside quieted down, Shang Liu Xin said,""They're all at work. I should go.”Zheng Qinglan picked up Shang Liu Xin's bag and followed her out. Shang Liu Xin locked the door and said to Zheng Qinglan,"Remember, give the key to my dad." "Got it. Don't worry." Shang Liu Xin walked in front while Zheng Qinglan carried her bag and followed closely behind. If it was a few days ago, he would still be afraid of others talking about him and Shang Liu Xin being together. But now, he didn't care about these opinions of others. People should talk about their feelings. Compared to helping a person in trouble, these discussions weren't worth worrying about. When they reached the entrance, Shang Liu Xin wanted to take the bag from Zheng Qinglan's hands. Zheng Qinglan dodged and said,""Can we not leave?" Shang Liu Xin took the bag and said with tears streaming down her face,""Little Zheng, don't be like this. You're not me, so you can't understand the suffering. I'm leaving to get out of this, understand? Go back. If I come back one day, I'll go and see you.”"You won't be able to see me. I'll be back in a few days.”"I know you work at the cultural center. Don't worry, I'll definitely be able to see you if I want to.”
Shang Liu Xin left. Zheng Qinglan stood there motionlessly. Shang Liu Xin turned around and waved at him. He raised his hand but stopped. Shang Liu Xin walked a few steps and then turned around to wave at him. He didn't move at all and just looked straight at Shang Liu Xin. Shang Liu Xin also stopped and stood there. She walked a few steps back and then stopped. After standing there for a while, she resolutely turned around and didn't look back.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。