"Xiao Xu is back, yo, I bought such a big black cat."
Xu Zhi'an had just walked to the door and was about to open it when a familiar voice came from behind. Looking back, he saw a middle-aged woman about forty or fifty years old looking at the black cat in her hand and smiling.
"Yes, Aunt Wu. After get off work today, I quickly went to a vegetable market and bought this black cat. Director Lu said that Ah Xing's condition is getting worse every day, and I don't dare to delay it any longer."
The woman is the hostess of the room next door to her, her name is Wu Guizhi. Her husband has been working in Guangdong all year round. She and her seven or eight-year-old child set up a stall in Jiangning every day for the children to go to school.
Because the two families are close to each other, it is inevitable that they will occasionally intersect in daily life matters such as firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea. Xu Zhi'an also lives here alone with his younger brother Xu Zhixing, so the relationship between the two families becomes stronger and stronger as they go back and forth. The better come.
Wu Guizhi nodded, "That's true. It would be better to resolve this matter as soon as possible. By the way, have you contacted Director Lu?"
"I called Director Lu on the way and he said he would be there in a little while."
"Mr. Lu Dao will call me soon when he arrives, and I'll come to see if there's anything I can do to help."
"Okay, thank you Aunt Wu." After Xu Zhian thanked the woman, he turned around and opened the door to his room.
The weather in Jiangning in June is already very hot, and the sun usually doesn't start to set until after eight o'clock. It's only half past seven now, and it's still daytime outside.
But after Xu Zhi'an opened the door to the room, he just gently pushed open a gap that was only for himself to enter, then quickly squeezed into the room and quickly closed the door again, and the room suddenly fell into darkness.
It's the kind of complete darkness without a trace of light.
All the gaps in the house that allow light to pass through, the windows, and even the cracks in the door are tightly blocked by black cloth, and no outside light can enter the house at all.
"Axing, I'm back. I haven't eaten for another day. I must be hungry, right?" Xu Zhian asked softly.
Although nothing could be seen in the room, Xu Zhian still heard a slight shaking sound from the bed not far away.
"I went to the vegetable market after get off work today to buy some vegetables. Let's make you your favorite Kung Pao Chicken today." Xu Zhian held the plastic bag in his hand and groped in the dark based on his memory to find the one in the room. Then he put the dishes on the floor and turned on the flashlight of his mobile phone with difficulty.
"Although this vegetable market is a bit remote, the vegetables sold there are quite fresh. This chicken is a good chicken that I picked out after a long time. I even asked the shop owner to pluck and clean it for me. , it will definitely taste good when used in cooking.”
Although the person on the bed was silent, this did not affect Xu Zhian talking to himself.
"Meow~"
Suddenly, the black cat brought back by Xu Zhi'an meowed softly, immediately breaking the long and solemn silence in the room.
There was another sound from the bed not far away, and a somewhat hoarse voice.
"Is this... a cat?"
Xu Zhian nodded, "When I got off work today, I went to an old vegetable market in Jiangning and bought it from a small vendor."
"Wet market? Is it reliable?"
"I checked it when I bought it. It's a purebred black cat. It's not dyed, and it looks quite healthy. As for whether it has any diseases, I can't control it. It won't survive anyway. today."
"Have you contacted Director Lu?"
"Don't worry, I've called Director Lu. He should arrive around nine o'clock. The black cat has also been purchased. Wait until Director Lu starts the ceremony in the evening. After the ceremony is completed, Ah Xing, you will be fine."
Xu Zhixing did not reply, and the room fell into silence again.
Xu Zhi'an sighed softly, turned on the flashlight on his phone, adjusted the angle, and made sure it would not shine on other places in the room, and then started cooking his brother's favorite dishes.
Xu Zhi'an has been learning to cook since he was eleven years old. Now he is very skilled in cooking. It only took him ten minutes to prepare a dish, and the rice in the rice cooker on the side was also cooked.
After preparing the meals, Xu Zhian placed them gently in front of the bedside table in the dark, then walked out of the room and gently closed the door behind him.
Ever since his brother had problems, he no longer wanted to eat with him.
Although I have said many times that I won't mind, the boy's self-esteem is still too strong when he was a child, and he cannot accept being seen like this by others, even his biological sister who grew up with him.
So every time after making a meal, Xu Zhi'an would put the meal on Xu Zhixing's bedside in the dark, wait for about half an hour, and then go in and pick up the leftovers after Xu Zhixing finished the meal.
Compared with his depressed mood a few days ago, Xu Zhian, who is sitting here today, is in a much better mood.
According to Director Lu, as long as all the things he needs are prepared and he comes to the house to start the ritual, his brother will not have any problems anymore.
In the past few days, everything that Director Lu needed has been prepared. After buying the last black cat today, Xu Zhian quickly called Director Lu.
Director Lu on the other side of the phone heard about it and quickly promised Xu Zhian that he would be here around nine o'clock in the evening to help her brother out of trouble.
Of course, in today's profit-oriented society, Daozhang Lu did not come here out of any chivalrous heart, but for the remaining payment of 10,000 yuan that he could give him.
Fortunately, I was lucky enough. The salary from working in Suzhai was quite high. I also asked the boss lady to advance one month's salary, and barely made up the balance to pay Daochang Lu.
The good thing about Tongzilou is that the neighbors all know each other. When they meet, everyone will greet each other warmly and chat for a few words. Sometimes someone’s family will cook something delicious, and they will warmly invite the neighbors to taste it at their home, or who’s family. If there is any trouble, other neighbors will step in and do whatever they can to help.
But again, the disadvantage of living here is that everyone in the neighborhood knows each other, and any gossip or gossip can spread throughout the entire Tongzi Building in less than ten minutes, and then everyone starts talking when you are not around. Most of the people who talk about things related to you are talking about things you don’t want to hear.
Naturally, everyone in Tongzi Building knew about Xu Zhixing's affairs. At first, most people urged Xu Zhian to take his brother and move out of the building quickly, for fear of affecting their normal living here.
But this is undoubtedly a big problem for Xu Zhian, who is alone with his younger brother. The rent in this Tongzi Building is already the cheapest in Jiangning. If you want to move to another place, the rent will be at least two to three dollars more than it is now. times.
At that time, Xu Zhian had to work while preparing for the college entrance examination. If she spent more time on working, she could not guarantee whether she would fail the college entrance examination.
In order to get the neighbors to agree that she and her brother would continue to live here, Xu Zhian gritted her teeth and sold a silver bracelet that her mother had left for her, and used the money to buy a bunch of fruits and other gifts. , went door to door in Tongzilou to deliver fruits and food to every neighbor, and promised them one by one that his brother would not take the initiative to harm others, and that he would lock the door of his room every day when he went out, and wait until he came back. The door will reopen.
Unlike his younger brother Xu Zhixing, who is a troublemaker, Xu Zhian has been the favorite of the neighbors since he was a child. He is gentle, generous, sensible and considerate. Even if he is a little girl, he will help every neighbor in the Tongzi Building.
So after Xu Zhi'an begged for a while, everyone looked at the little girl's sincere attitude, and after thinking about it for a few days, Xu Zhixing had indeed stayed at home honestly and never stepped out, so they agreed to Xu Zhi'an's request. Please let them live in the Tongzi Building for a while longer.
"Xiao Xu, haven't you eaten yet?"
While Xu Zhi'an was in a daze, Wu Guizhi sat down next to her at some point, holding two steaming steamed buns in his hand, "Here, I steamed two extra steamed buns tonight, and no one in our family ate them. Here you go." Bar."
"Thank you Aunt Wu." Xu Zhian quickly took the steamed bun.
Wu Guizhi smiled and said, "No need to thank you. We have been neighbors for so many years. I have watched you and Ah Xing grow up. They are just like our own children. Two steamed buns are not valuable. Just take them and eat them." Bar."
Xu Zhi'an took a bite of the steamed bun. It was a little sweet. It must have been specially added with sugar.
"Auntie, when Director Lu's method of opening the forum is successful and Ah Xing returns to normal, I will definitely treat you to a meal. Thank you for taking care of me and Ah Xing during this time." Xu Zhian said seriously.
Wu Guizhi waved her hand, "These are all small things. The most important thing is that Ah Xing returns to normal quickly."
Xu Zhian nodded and looked up at the moon that had begun to rise in the east.
Everything is ready, but I don’t know why, but I always have a bad feeling in my heart.
