Southwest, Rongcheng.
The cold wind is biting and the ice and snow are flying.
It's New Year's Eve, and the whole city, which is full of strong New Year atmosphere, does not fall asleep as the night goes by, but becomes increasingly lively.
In the old city, there is a barbecue stall called Old Soldier on Chunyuan Road.
"Lao Zhou, today is the Chinese New Year and it also happens to be your birthday. Let's go together and have a good drink." A young man in a black down jacket raised a glass filled with beer and shouted to Zhou Hai who was sitting next to him.
Zhou Hai nodded to his good friend Lin Dong, picked up the wine glass, and said: "Drink less, Lin Dong. I'm very happy that you can come and accompany me."
The conversation was over, and the wine was drunk.
It's snowing outside, but it's warm and cozy inside.
A glass of warm beer mixed with fresh fermented glutinous rice and red dates has a wonderful taste that makes you indulge in it.
"Eat, these are tender bones, this little wine is nothing. Today, your birthday is eighteen, and my two brothers are adults. I am very happy. I heard that you are still studying in school?"
Lin Dong smiled, looked at Zhou Hai with bright eyes, picked up the iron pot filled with beer and slowly filled the wine glass: "What plans do you have for the future? According to me, reading this book is useless. Instead of studying, it is better to leave school early, find a good job, and work hard to make money. I am now working with my uncle, and I can earn three to four thousand a month."
Zhou Hai heard Lin Dong's words and ate a bunch of roasted tender bones. His eyes were a little confused and hesitant, and he shook his head: "Plans? There is still half a semester. We will wait until the college entrance examination is over. I think I will become a student." Soldier, my old man has always wanted me to be a soldier."
"What's the point of being a soldier? If you go out and work for two years and come back with 20,000 or 30,000 yuan, you might as well spend two or three years working hard."
Hearing Zhou Hai's words, Lin Dong ate, sighed, and said: "These days, it is difficult to become a non-commissioned officer and stay in the army. I think it is a waste of youth not to be an officer. Being a top soldier does not work. Before you Don’t you want to be a pilot? If you can become a pilot, that’s pretty much it.”
pilot. ——
When Zhou Hai heard this word, his heart trembled slightly, and a trace of desire surged out, but soon he fell into silence and there was no movement.
"Well, I said I just wanted to, just think about it."
Zhou Hai looked at the dark night sky outside the barbecue stall and the bustling streets with neon lights, and said: "I still want to go to the army to sharpen my skills."
Lin Dong looked at Zhou Hai, who was a little stubborn, and shook his head: "Oh, I'm too lazy to talk about you, you are just stubborn and sharp-edged. If your mother is still here, with stable grades, and is admitted to the military academy, I won't say a word to your brother. ...Forget it, I will wait for you at the construction site in two years. From now on, we will contract projects, make a lot of money, and sleep with the most beautiful women."
"Okay, wait for me then." Feeling Lin Dong's pride, Zhou Hai laughed and shook his head, raising the wine glass in his hand.
drink wine.
Have fun.
The barbecue stalls were filled with glasses of wine.
Today is New Year’s Eve.
Today happens to be Zhou Hai’s birthday.
There are still four months left before the college entrance examination.
The party didn't end until late at night, when New Year's Eve came, and they spent twelve o'clock at the veteran's barbecue stall.
Fireworks and firecrackers are not allowed to be set off this year, and the New Year atmosphere in the past is much lighter.
Lin Dong left without letting Zhou Hai see him off, mainly because his girlfriend suddenly arrived, smelling of alcohol and drunkenness, and walked toward a nearby home step by step.
The drunk Zhou Hai, wearing a thick down jacket and stumbling, also embarked on the journey home.
Their homes are about 500 meters apart, one on the left and the other on the right. The Veteran's BBQ stall happens to be in the middle of the two homes.
"It's better to be a soldier... although, Army."
On the way home, Zhou Hai, who smelled of alcohol, was not as free and easy as when he was drinking before. Instead, he looked melancholy and lonely, with a hint of self-mockery on his face.
Joining the army was Zhou Hai's dream that had been etched in his heart since he was a child.
However, he dreamed of becoming a pilot flying freely in the sky, not the army.
Zhou Hai has been following this dream since he was a child. If it hadn't been for the blow a year ago, he would have at least been able to become a pilot.
Instead of the current situation, there is not even a 1% possibility of becoming a pilot.
After thinking about it, Zhou Hai, whose back was as straight as a pine tree, exhaled a breath and continued walking towards his home not far away.
"Ding……"
At this time, a slight pain suddenly came from the tip of his right toe, which kicked something, and then a sound of rolling objects came out and entered his ears.
"what?"
The pain stimulated his brain, causing Zhou Hai to wake up suddenly. He looked down and saw a purple cylindrical crystal about ten centimeters long that reflected the dim street light, slowly rolling.
"Purple craft glass?"
Picking up this cylindrical crystal that refracted light, and looking carefully up and down, Zhou Hai scratched his head, a little confused: "This thing is quite beautiful, go back and study it."
Putting the purple cylindrical crystal into his pocket, Zhou Hai continued to move forward without stopping. He walked for more than ten minutes before returning to his dark home.
The home is a bungalow, ordinary, nothing special, a typical architectural style from the 1980s.
Go in and turn on the light.
The bright incandescent lamp is powered on, blooming with the light that symbolizes hope, and the entire main room is brightly lit. There is a photo frame in front of the main room, which contains photos with black and white as the main color.
There is only one person in the photo, a man with a kind face and a smile, Zhou Pingyuan.
After turning on the light, Zhou Hai picked up the paper money on the sofa beside him, came to the door, took out a lighter, and lit the red incense candle: "Old man, Zhou Pingyuan, this is the money Zhou Hai burned for you. The second semester of the third year of high school will be here soon. I’m going to join the army after taking the exam. Although I’m not a pilot, my mother and grandparents have already burned through all their paper money, and our father and I don’t have any of this, don’t you think?”
The pale yellow paper money slowly burned, releasing light and heat.
The firelight reflected on Zhou Hai's face, and his whole body shone with tears. Thinking of his father's kind face, and the pale face that comforted and encouraged him on the hospital bed before his death, made him tremble slightly.
leukemia.
This medical term means one outcome to anyone - death.
Zhou Pingyuan, who works from dawn to dusk every day to earn more money, was diagnosed with leukemia a year ago. This disease caused the family of two father and son to collapse.
In just one day, Zhou Pingyuan's hair turned white, and his extremely deteriorating mentality and mood accelerated his condition.
After eighteen days of illness, Zhou Pingyuan couldn't hold on any longer, and with a pale face, he showed his last smile to Zhou Hai.
At this point, Zhou Hai was the only one left in the world.
Eight years after his mother left, Zhou Pingyuan left. Such a blow was fatal to Zhou Hai.
His stable life was disrupted. Zhou Hai not only had to study, but also worked hard to earn money and support himself.
People's energy is limited, and Zhou Hai no longer has a living environment where he can study peacefully. The consequence of this is that his academic performance has gradually declined.
