As he left the station, Gu Chen began to feel a dull pain in his abdomen again. Now he could only rely on painkillers to relieve it. He opened his backpack and drank one pill with mineral water.
Now he is very sure that the red number is related to him. Everything in his eyes shows 99, which is hard to come by, lingering on, and very annoying.
"Young man, do you want to take a taxi?"
Gu Chen followed the sound and saw a migrant worker walking towards him, with a mottled motorcycle behind him. He must have just gotten off work from the construction site and took this opportunity to make some extra money. They are all poor people who are forced by life.
"Sorry uncle, my home is too far away and your car can't go there."
Gu Chen shook his head and refused. He was telling the truth. He really couldn't go there on a motorcycle.
"Come on, Xiaohuozi, take my seat. I can go anywhere and make it cheaper for you."
Another uncle saw the situation and ran over, eager to help him pull the suitcase.
"Are you going to Gujiagou in Huaiyang County?"
"Go, go, my car has a cover, I can go anywhere."
As soon as the uncle heard that there was something going on, he immediately enthusiastically took the suitcase from his hand and showed him the way. He didn't refuse, let's take a look first.
"Come on, come on, this is my car. I'll help you put your luggage in the back."
Gu Chen looked at it and saw that it was a van. He must have been a wild boar. It was a lot cheaper to take this bus.
"Young man, are you from Huaiyang?"
Gu Chen nodded and said nothing.
"Young man, I see you don't look good. Are you feeling uncomfortable? If you feel uncomfortable, lie down first. The back is wide and you can sleep directly. I'll call you when you get there." The uncle said with concern when he saw his pale face.
Gu Chen didn't show any pretense and lay down directly. It would take a few hours to get home, but he couldn't just sit there. It would be too uncomfortable.
The van was speeding along, going up and down the highway, going in circles, and two and a half hours passed before I knew it.
Gu Chen woke up leisurely, sat up and looked at the fleeting tree shadows outside the car window. He had arrived at the county seat and was running towards Gujiagou. At this time, he began to feel uneasy again.
He didn't know how to tell his parents when he went back. He couldn't face the scene of the white-haired person giving the black-haired person away. Although he certainly couldn't see it, he could imagine it.
He was an only son, and his parents must be so sad to die at such a young age.
"Hey!" He sighed deeply, thinking about how his parents cried bitterly when they found out about this, and felt sad alone. He decided in his heart that he would hide it for now and be happy every day.
About twenty minutes later, the van turned from the main road into a cement branch road.
Gradually, country roads and ridges and reservoirs appeared in front of us one by one, and even the air became extremely clear.
I haven't been home for three or four years. Several villas and a park have been built in the countryside. Many places have changed. The previous dirt roads have become cement roads. Although they are not wide, they are enough for two cars to cross.
Although the small environment has changed a lot, the big environment is still like a rural area, with everything that should be available. After all, the buildings here are all retirement estates. Almost all the elderly people from wealthy families like to be quiet, stay away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and return to the countryside. , to put it bluntly, they are here to provide for the elderly.
"Young man, where do you live? Please show me the way."
"left."
The uncle's voice pulled him back from the tranquil beauty. He looked ahead and pointed to the fork on the left following the direction of his memory.
"okay!"
The van picked up speed again, and it was obvious that the uncle wanted to get the money as soon as possible.
Another seven minutes passed, and a two-story simple villa appeared in front of it. It was covered with red glazed tiles and was the same as those seen on the road.
This is his hometown. The old bungalow has been demolished. Because it occupies a large area and several acres of his own land are also occupied, the authorities gave him a demolition fee of 1.5 million.
Originally, they lost their house in the county town, but my parents didn’t want to leave the place where they were born and raised, so they advanced 500,000 yuan and bought this small villa with an area of nearly 150 square meters for 2 million yuan. It is still in its original location. Unchanged.
"Ten thousand, carry it."
The van parked on the side of the road, and my mother's laughter came from the small courtyard of the house.
Because all the land at home was built as a park, my mother stopped farming. She had nothing to do all day, so she asked the neighbors to play mahjong.
Dad is working at the construction site and has not come home yet.
"The young man's family is really rich, and they all live in a villa." The uncle said while helping him take down the box.
Gu Chen didn't reply. He took out two hundred cash from his wallet and handed it to him. This was the price negotiated before getting in the car, so it wasn't expensive.
The uncle took the money and drove away quickly, maybe he wanted to pick up another order nearby.
"Mom, open the door, I'm back." Gu Chen stood on the roadside with a backpack on his back, a fanny pack on his waist, and a trolley case in his hand, and knocked twice on the iron gate of the hospital.
"Okay, okay, I won't fight today, my son is back!"
Soon, the sound of mother's excited footsteps came from the courtyard.
"Clang!" The iron door bolt was opened.
"Son, I miss my mother so much!"
The mother in my eyes is in her forties, but her face is already a little yellow. This is the result of the wind and rain in the early years of farming. Now that she is free, she looks much better.
"Son, why have you lost so much weight?" Chen Guilan held his hand with one hand and grabbed the box behind him with the other.
"Oops! Son, why are your hands so cold? Are you sick? Come inside with mom."
She held Gu Chen's hand like a popsicle, and when she saw that his face was pale, concern and worry suddenly surged into her heart.
"Guilan, I'll come and play cards with you tomorrow. Let's go first."
As soon as he entered the house, three aunties walked out of the courtyard. Gu Chen didn't recognize any of them. They might be new neighbors who had moved in.
Mom replied and couldn't wait to lead Gu Chen into the house.
"Son, have you had lunch? If not, mom will give you your favorite dish."
It was already three o'clock in the afternoon, and he really hadn't eaten anything, because not only did he feel nauseous after eating, but his abdomen also hurt terribly.
"Mom, I haven't eaten yet." He replied.
Then Chen Guilan quickly ran to the kitchen and lit the natural gas stove.
Soon, garlic-flavored red oil was brought to him. He ate it slowly. Although he felt uncomfortable, he still resisted spitting it out.
In the evening, Gu Changjiang went home and saw his son. The two father and son chatted happily for a long time, but he didn't eat dinner.
Because he was afraid that his father would make him drink. According to his father, what fun would a man have if he didn’t smoke or drink?
At night, he lay on the new bed his mother had prepared for him. The November day was slightly cold, but he turned on the air conditioner and heater.
Turn off the light, and the red 99 in front of you is still bright red and translucent. It can only disappear in your eyes if you close your eyes, but the shadow of the number always appears in your mind, which lingers.
The next day, at dawn, his mother did not come to wake him up. She probably wanted him to rest more, but since he became ill, he rarely slept in.
When he opened his eyes, his eyes were sore, and tears flowed down unconsciously, sliding down his cheeks and soaking the pillow cover.
There is still a conspicuous red number in front of me, but it has changed to 98...
