reborn stepfather

Chapter 26

After about a week, I was finally able to escape the quarantine.

After packing up my things and walking through the empty and desolate yard as always, Mrs. Zheng stood upstairs and looked at me from a distance.

Afterwards, she told me that the moment I walked out of the iron gate, I turned my head and smiled at her. She said that she always remembered that smile and was very impressed.

"I hope one day I can laugh like that," she said.

But I don't remember.

I was full of joy, and I only remembered that the locked iron door was slowly opened by the doctor. At that moment, time seemed to be slowed down ten times, and a world I had expected for a long time unfolded very slowly in front of my eyes—— At one end of that world, Chi Qian, Er Ge and Wei Heng stood.They're coming for me.

During the week of waiting for the examination, I drew blood for examination almost every day, and took an X-ray of my lungs during the period, and the results finally became more and more optimistic day by day.I also seemed to gain strength because of this, and my body became vigorous. Two days before I left, the fever had completely subsided, and I seemed to have fully recovered in an instant.

Apart from checking, all I could do in the quarantine area was to call Chi Qian.

Since Mrs. Zheng heard that I was not infected, she refused to come to see me, and she strictly forbade me to visit her or hang out in the ward.She was thinking of me from the bottom of her heart, and of course I didn't want to ask for trouble.

So I had no choice but to talk on the phone with Chiqian.I heard from the second brother that as soon as the phone in the living room rang, no matter where Chi Qian was at that time, he would blow over like a whirlwind within three rings of the phone.We often talked on the phone for a long time, which made the second brother resentful. He often complained that what if Wei Heng called him and the line was busy?I had no choice but to point out a harsh reality for him: "Stop dreaming, how could Wei Heng take the initiative to call you?"

Obviously afraid of his harassment, you have blacklisted the number, okay?

I heard from Chi Qian that after I say this, the second brother will be able to mourn for a whole day with a low pressure on his head.

So Wei Heng drove to the quarantine area, and the second brother's eyes immediately lit up like light bulbs.As soon as Wei Heng's car door opened, he surrounded him like a bee smelling a sweet smell. Although Wei Heng knocked his shoulder away and walked in front of me without squinting, the second brother was not discouraged at all, he followed behind staggeringly, It looked as if just seeing Wei Heng himself was as satisfying as eating a big meal.

And my younger brother, who was recovering from a serious illness, was completely ignored by him. Fortunately, Chi Qian rushed over and gave me a big hug to make up for that little loss.

"What do you want to eat tonight?" I touched Chi Qian's hair that had become less curly, "Dad will make it for you when I get home."

"Meatball soup!" Chi Qian said loudly.

"No need." Wei Heng walked over, "Come to my house tonight."

"Huh?" I looked at him puzzled.

"Congratulations on your survival after the catastrophe." Wei Heng smiled slightly, "I wanted to treat you to a good meal outside, but unfortunately there are no shops on the street, so I have to treat you to a simple meal at home."

"You don't want to cook by yourself, do you?" I looked at him in horror.As far as I know, the aunt of Wei Heng's family has returned to her hometown during her divorce, and no one in Wei Heng's family can cook. There seems to be a gene in their Wei Heng family called: "It can make any food into poisonous arsenic. "

"Of course not." Wei Heng smiled even wider, "Isn't there you?"

I think, it turns out that what he said to invite me to eat simply is to let me be self-reliant in the past.

"Ayan, the dishes at home are all freshly prepared. You just need to turn on the stove, chop the vegetables, stir-fry them, and cook them." Wei Heng opened the car door and stuffed me and Chi Qian inside. And the second brother has quietly occupied the co-pilot position at some point.

"Oh my god, how did you survive the past few days." I looked at Wei Heng in disbelief.

"Ah, I bought a lot of French baguettes." Wei Heng said slowly, "And I found that I can still bear the hunger, but eating bread is a bit bad, it can't supplement vitamins and crude fiber, which makes people feel tired. I have a lot of barbs on my fingers."

I shook my head helplessly.

That's right, I've convinced him.

"Ajuan wants to eat meatball soup?" I lowered my head and said to Chi Qian, who had been clinging to me just now, "Let's have it at Uncle Wei Heng's house tonight."

Chi Qian nodded obediently: "I'll help Dad wash the vegetables."

So cute.I rubbed his head again and sat with my arms stretched out against my chest.

Wei Heng held the steering wheel with both hands, and the second brother took the opportunity to reach out and poke his waist: "Daughter-in-law, why didn't you tell me? I can make you whatever you want~ You don't need to hire any aunts anymore , Just call me directly, save trouble and money."

Wei Heng didn't even look at him, but just snorted softly.

I laughed and proved it for my second brother: "But my second brother is really good at craftsmanship."

Maybe it can be compared to the New Oriental graduates who have [-] stainless steel stoves and [-] masters with strong skills. There are too many benefits to say, stable jobs, high income, and guaranteed lifelong employment.

Wei Heng looked at his second brother from the corner of his eye for a while, and said, "Then you can also help chop vegetables at night, fry them, and cook them."

"Good!" The second brother nodded sharply.

Arriving at Wei Heng's house in the evening, the second elder brother was full of energy and planned to show off his talents.So he rushed to do all the things in the kitchen, and I was very helpless when I was pushed aside, so I had to squat in the corner with Chi Qian to wash the cabbage.

I brought him a small bench and rolled up his sleeves for him along the way.

There were a few faint, long streaks on his arms that, if not from a belt, might have been from an iron coat hanger.Although there are only faint pink traces left now, it is completely possible to imagine the scene of the flesh and blood at that time.

I stroked his scar lightly, Chi Qian's hands trembled, and he shrank back a bit.

He still has many such scars on his body, big and small, old and new.I saw it when I helped him take a bath before, because I could guess who did it and what happened, so I never asked.

"Does it hurt?" I asked him.

"It doesn't hurt anymore." Chi Qian pulled his sleeves down a little, and dipped his hands in the water to fiddle with the vegetable leaves, "It doesn't hurt a long time ago."

I looked up at him, and he just looked down.

Who asked him this, I obviously asked him if it hurt at that time, and I made it clear that I was going to be vague.

But it's the same... which means it hurts, right?

I felt a little bored and sad, so I also lowered my head and silently washed the vegetables without asking any more questions.

This child has suffered a lot from places I don't know about, and he doesn't act like a baby like other children. He will slowly get up when he falls. Even in my previous life, I have rarely seen him cry.Probably because even if he cries or complains, he can't get comfort, or he doesn't want to be viewed with sympathy, so he has always preferred to cover up in every possible way rather than show weakness to anyone.

Perhaps this is his way of protecting himself.

"dad."

Hearing him speak suddenly, I quickly raised my head: "Huh?"

But Chi Qian didn't look at me, still bowed his head, and kept moving his hands: "Father, let's all be together from now on."

"It's the same even if I'm sick. I hope that my father can take care of me when I'm sick, so that I will get better soon. And it's the same when my father is sick. I don't want to stay at home alone... I also hope that Dad will feel that I will get better sooner..."

I looked at him silently.

Before waiting for my answer, Chi Qian finally raised his head slowly, and looked at me with some anxiety.

"Why?" I asked him softly, "We haven't been together for long...why you..."

Why is this so, value me?

I don't have much money, I'm average-looking, and I haven't figured out the way to take care of children for two lifetimes, so why should I be like you?

He slowly lowered his head again: "Dad gave me a candy when we met for the first time."

"Oh?" Is it the time you went to Zhaoshui Village to pick him up?Have I ever bought such a thing as sugar?

"Obviously my mother said those words, and my father was already very sad. I could see it, but after my mother was called to the room by my grandma to talk, my father came over and grabbed a candy for me." He continued, "Before Always watching other people eat, that was the first time I ate."

A few images flashed through my mind, the vegetable leaf in my hand was accidentally broken off, I lowered my eyes slightly.

Ah, it turned out to be about that time.

"When Mom mentions Dad, she always says that you are the most kind-hearted person in the world." Chi Qian looked at me without blinking, his eyes were actually a little scorching.

At that time Chi Qian was five or six years old, I don't remember exactly.He was brought to me by Liqiu, who pressed his shoulders and made him kneel in front of our family.Following her, she cried and knelt down, begging me to let her go and let her pursue her own life and happiness.

I froze in place almost immediately, the person I was in the midst of the furious mother and the sullen father, who seemed very calm.

In fact, I was just so shocked that I couldn't even react normally.

No matter how dull I am, I can still feel that Li Qiu doesn't like me that much, but I don't know the truth, I always have a one-thousandth hope that even if she doesn't love me, won't she still marry me?Then after marriage, as time goes on, she will gradually like me.

I held such a ridiculous wish, and then watched it turn into fly ash inch by inch.

My parents brought Liqiu, who was kneeling and begging, into the room to persuade them. I know that my parents actually don’t like Liqiu at all, but they are even willing to humbly beg Liqiu not to divorce for me. No matter what, my parents hope that I will not be hurt. .

At that time, only me, who was dumbstruck, was left in the living room, and Chi Qian, who was still kneeling on the cold floor tiles of the living room.

No one told him to get up, and he dared not get up.

I stared blankly at the door where Li Qiu and my parents were, and there were occasional vague quarrels, low cries and pleadings.Time passed slowly, the voice inside became smaller and smaller, and my heart seemed to be cooling down little by little like hot water that had been tormented, and despairing little by little.

At that time, I was humble and hoped that my parents could help me bring Liqiu back.

So I looked at the child kneeling there upright.

He is so thin.

I remember at the time, the first words that came to my mind were this.

The over-long forehead hair covered his eyes, and the old sweater, which had been washed white, was put on his body, and the cuffs were slightly unstuck.There are a few damaged places on the trousers sewn up with crappy needles and threads. The sewing technique is really difficult to catch the eye, like a child's own handiwork, which is very uncoordinated.

At that time, Chi Qian had just been picked up from a relative's house, and life under the fence might not have been so easy.

I looked at the child who appeared out of nowhere in a daze, but the child looked out the window in a daze. A few sparrows were sitting on the tangled wires, combing each other's feathers, and the wires were slightly shaken by them.

In the distance are hazy green hills and a distant sky, and fat fluffy clouds pass slowly.

My heart skipped a beat because I saw loneliness and bitterness in the child's eyes, which you can't believe you see through the eyes of a young child.

He is as unhappy as I am.

I walked over slowly and took a candy from the table.

It was a snack casually thrown here by the eldest brother's two children.

I pulled him up and put the candy in his palm.

At that time, I still thought that if Li Qiu could stay with me, this child might become my child, and maybe I should please him now, coax him, and treat him better.

After a long time, the child made a sound like a mosquito: "Thank you uncle."

I forced a smile, hesitated for a moment, and raised my hand to stroke his head.

At this moment, the door of parents' room opened suddenly, and Li Qiu, whose eyes were swollen like walnuts but couldn't hide his relief, came out first.

Dad was smoking a cigarette with a worried expression on his face, and mom didn't come out at all, as if sitting alone in the room and sulking.

I stared at her tightly, but she looked away without looking at me, just walked over and took the child's hand.

When she walked past me, she lowered her voice and said, "Ayan, I'm sorry."

I understood at that moment that some people and some things are irreversible.

Li Qiu took Chi Qian away like this, that was the first meeting I don't want to recall.

At that time, my mind was in a mess, and it took several days for my brain to function normally, and I ran away as soon as I regained my ability to think.

Of course, I didn't expect that for Chi Qian, that brief meeting with only one sentence was actually a precious memory, and it even became the reason why he trusts me so much now.

"I ate that candy for several days. After returning from my father's house, I hid under the bed and licked it secretly. It was orange-flavored. I was reluctant to eat it, so I wrapped it and hid it in the pillow. Finally it It melted away. But there is still a faint smell of candy in the pillow, and I think it is still in the nose."

Chi Qian raised his naked hand, pointed to his nose seriously, and said to me innocently with a smile.

My eye sockets were a little hot for a while, in order to cover up my gaffe, I reached out and pinched his cheek, and said with a smile: "I see you look smart, but you are a solid-eyed idiot."

A candy that no one else wants in exchange for a sincerity that will not betray you.

This may be the cheapest deal in the world.

"Hey, how long do you have to wash this half of the cabbage?" The second brother poked his head out of the kitchen wielding a spatula, "I really can't stand the sticky look of you father and son, it makes me sick to death. "

I filtered out the water in the basin, stood up and stuffed a basin of cabbage into the arms of my second brother: "If you want to care, we have a good relationship between father and son. If you, a bachelor without a son, are jealous, just say it, and I won't laugh at you." .”

"Tch, it's really stinky, really stinky." The second brother shook his body, as if he wanted to shake off the goosebumps, took the basin and shrank back to the kitchen and started working in full swing. After a while, he heard a sizzling sound inside, the smell and turning The sound of frying overflowed together.

I wiped my hands, bent down to pick up Chi Qian, and tiptoed to the living room of Wei Heng's house: "Shh, let's sneak to watch TV, we won't help him anymore."

Chi Qian lay on my shoulder, covering his mouth and laughing.

"Let's be together in the future."

Taking advantage of no one listening, I whispered in Chi Qian's ear.

And those sad and tearful pasts, let it pass.

"Yeah." Chi Qian answered softly on my shoulder, "Dad, we've made an agreement."

He suddenly raised his head, put his arms around my neck, and kissed me on the lips: "Be together forever."

A fleeting kiss, the touch on the lips is tender and soft.

I staggered, dazed.