Yuzhou, Ping'an Inn.
On a drizzly and cool morning, the streets were quiet and deserted.
The lame man led two brown horses and gently stroked the horses' heads.
Presbyopia sat on the chair next to the door, folding his arms and taking a nap.
"You said, the boss's wife is leaving after dinner, why don't we wake up the abandoned son and let him see the boss's wife again?" The lame man said a little lonely, "If you ask me, after all, the abandoned son has stayed with the boss's wife for so long, and Now that the boss’s wife is gone, I don’t know how long it will take to come back, so what will happen to the abandoned children from now on!”
The presbyopic man yawned, stood up, twisted his waist, and said, "Don't worry so much. Even if the boss lady leaves and doesn't come back, isn't there still a pig butcher here to accompany her? She won't starve to death. Besides, Our landlady and Master Zi are following us, so it’s impossible for anything to happen.”
"Why are you two still grinding outside? If you don't go inside to eat, the noodles will be burnt!" Aunt Biao shouted in the room at the top of her lungs.
Presbyopia responded, "It's coming, it's coming, it'll be there soon!"
When the lame man heard the sound, he tied the horse to the pillar at the door, and then hurried into the house.
In the room, the landlady and Zi were already sitting at the table, and Mrs. Biao was holding the noodles cooked in the pot with chopsticks.
"Huh, it smells so good!" The lame man couldn't help but swallow when he smelled the fragrance, "Aunt Biao's craftsmanship is really getting better and better. How do you say that, this... this song only has a few times... …heaven…”
Presbyopia said with disdain, "You only have so little ink, but you still want to say something nice, how dare you! This sentence goes like this, this song should only exist in heaven, and how many times can it be heard in the world! This is Used to praise people for singing beautiful songs, just like the ones sung by the gods in heaven!”
"Ah, yes, yes, that's what I mean. I just want to say that Aunt Biao's cooking skills are as good as those of gods. I remember that someone praised her cooking skills and even gave her the title of Food... What's that? "
Snapped
"Cripple, you have already broken one leg. The remaining leg looks asymmetrical. How about I help you break this leg too!" Aunt Biao put a bowl of noodles on the lame man with a snap. In front of him, he said coldly to him, his eyes full of anger, as if he was very dissatisfied with what the cripple just said.
Knowing that he had made a mistake, the lame man hurriedly slapped himself twice. He grinned with crooked teeth and said, "No, no, no, leave me a leg, otherwise I won't be able to help you with your work in the future."
Aunt Biao glared at him coldly, and the presbyopic person on the side hid behind her back and laughed.
At this time, the proprietress stood up, picked up a bowl of noodles, blew a few puffs of hot air, and said, "Okay, don't make so much noise so early in the morning. That guy drank with me last night and was drunk." Save yourself the trouble and let him sleep a little longer.”
When the three of them heard this, they all nodded angrily and did not dare to say anything more.
Zi frowned and looked towards the stairs of the second floor with flickering eyes.
After a while, a patter of footsteps came down the stairs.
The landlady looked back with some surprise, and saw He Yiqi, with a snotty face and a snotty nose, walking unsteadily down the stairs.
An unnatural smile appeared on the face of the landlady, and her eyes swept over the faces of the four people next to the table one by one. Mrs. Biao, the lame man, and the presbyopic man all shook their heads hurriedly. The landlady's eyes finally stopped at the man who was talking unhurriedly. On Zi who is eating noodles.
Facing the boss lady's scrutinizing gaze, Zi was silent for a moment, then took a sip of noodle soup, smacked her lips, looked up at Aunt Biao and said, "This noodle is a bit bland, I'll add some salt!"
After saying that, Zi stood up and walked to the kitchen in the backyard while Aunt Biao and the other three looked at her in shock.
The proprietress raised her hand to directly stop Zi, then put a hand on his shoulder. While holding the bowl of untouched noodles in front of her, she stood up and said, "My bowl is a bit bland, I'll go to the kitchen to add some more." Salt it."
After saying that, the landlady took Zi in her arms and walked to the backyard together.
At this time, He Yiqi came over yawning and said with blurred eyes, "What time is it? We've already started eating! Hey, isn't the noodles made by Aunt Biao today delicious? Why do you all say it tastes bad?" Is it bland? Don’t you usually say that the food cooked by Aunt Biao is delicious? Did Aunt Biao get distracted while cooking noodles today? "
"Okay, okay, hurry up and wash up and get ready to eat. It's going to be cold when we meet."
Before He Yi could ask why, Aunt Biao put down the bowls and chopsticks and took him aside, pouring hot water for him to wash up.
He Yiqi was also in a daze. He was drinking wine with the landlady last night as usual, but today he woke up so early.
Like a few days ago, he always slept until noon before waking up, but today he woke up so early in the morning, and he couldn't sleep as if he was possessed, so he went downstairs.
But he didn't think much about it. He just guessed that it might be because he drank less than usual last night.
When He Yiqi finished washing and walked to the dining table, Zi and the landlady happened to be back from the courtyard. Zi still had the same indifferent expression, while the landlady had a gloomy face and looked unhappy.
"Hey, I just realized why the boss lady got up so early today. Is this the sun coming out in the west?" He Yiqi said curiously while taking the noodles served by Aunt Biao.
The landlady glanced at He Yiqi and said casually, "I'm ready to leave today."
"Oh." He Yiqi simply responded, and after a while he realized what was happening and said in surprise, "You are leaving today? So soon?"
The landlady hummed and said, "Yes, I'll leave after finishing this bowl of noodles."
He Yiqi asked in confusion, "Didn't you say you wouldn't leave until spring? It's just a few days after the New Year, and you're going out now?"
The lady boss sat down, picked up the noodles in the bowl, and said, "It's already a new year, isn't it the beginning of spring!"
When He Yiqi heard the words, he lowered his head and looked at the face in front of him. He didn't know what he was thinking about. After a long time, he slowly picked up the chopsticks.
The lame man and the presbyopic man on the side also rarely made any jokes, and silently ate the noodles in their bowls.
In Ping'an Restaurant, this seemingly calm and uneventful breakfast had a rare calmness as the background, quietly exaggerating everyone's thoughts.
The only sound left on the dinner table was the sound of people squeezing noodles and the clinking of bowls and chopsticks. Even if He Yi abandoned the noodles so slowly that the noodles were cold and he had only eaten half of the noodles, the bowl of noodles would still be finished.
After Aunt Biao collected the dishes and took them to the kitchen for washing, the lame man and Presbyopia went outside to look after the horses.
Only He Yiqi, the proprietress, and Zi were left at the dinner table.
"What are you going to do when you go out this time?" He Yiqi asked.
The landlady forced a smile on her face and said, "If I were to say that I was finally found by my biological father, and his life was in danger, he wanted me, the only bloodline, to inherit the wealth of the family, and from then on, I would rise to great heights, become the richest person in the world. Boss lady, do you believe it?"
He Yiqi grinned and said, "Your reason is too false. Of course I won't believe it."
"Hey, hey, you said it yourself, you don't believe it. You don't even believe what I said, and you still ask me a question, so I might as well not answer it. Anyway, you won't believe it if I say it, so what else can you do after I say it? What do you mean?" The landlady said with a smile of success on her face.
He Yiqi shook his head helplessly and said, "Well, since you won't tell me, I won't ask this question. When will you come back?"
The landlady laughed and said, "Do you really want me to come back? Haven't you always wanted to inherit my restaurant and live a life without having to do anything every day and still have enough food and clothing? Then what if I come back? Your comfortable life will no longer exist."
"Then don't I have to live my life like this now?"
"Then it looks like I have to find you some dirty work to do, otherwise you'll always be wandering around in front of me in boredom, and I'll get upset just looking at you." The landlady held her chin in one hand, looking thoughtful. He looked like he was really thinking about what kind of job to find for He Yiqi.
He Yiqi also leaned on the table, raised his head and looked at the familiar face of the landlady up close, as if he wanted to engrav this face deeply in his mind and never forget it.
Both of them tacitly ignored each other's gaze, and they also ignored that the conversation between them had been asked a long time ago.
Zi on the side also chose silence at this time, giving the two people in front of him a quiet environment to say goodbye properly.
However, it didn't take long for the landlady to retract her gaze, turn her head to look out the door, and said with a surprised look, "Ah! What time is it now? It's time for us to set off, so I just whispered It’s really strange why it’s been so long after just a while!”
As she spoke, the landlady walked towards the door.
Ziye also stood up and followed closely behind the landlady, wanting to walk out the door too.
Just when the landlady and Zi were about to walk out the door, He Yiqi suddenly stood up, looked at the back of the landlady, and asked loudly, "You will come back, right?"
The landlady said without looking back, "I don't know. If I don't come back, I will leave this restaurant to you. You can stay here peacefully!"
After saying that, the landlady and Zi walked out of the door one behind the other.
After skillfully getting on the horse, the clatter of horse hooves sounded. The lame man and the presbyopic man stood at the gate and greeted, "Have a safe trip, boss lady!"
"The boss lady must remember to miss us!"
“We’ll be here to help you keep an eye on the store!”
…………
No matter what the presbyopic and lame man shouted from behind, the proprietress just rode her horse and walked forward silently.
The neighbors and neighbors along the way cast curious glances at her.
"Hey, boss lady, what are you doing today?"
"It's only been a few days since the New Year. Are you ready to go on a long trip?"
"Is the boss lady going to the county town? Can you bring me a chicken back?"
"The boss lady..."
The landlady was silent all the way, as if she didn't hear the shouts of the neighbors on the road.
The horse's hooves were in a hurry, as if he was trying to pass over an article that he didn't want to continue writing, scribbling and panicking.
"Wait a moment!"
An anxious figure ran out of Ping An Restaurant, it was Na He Yi abandoning it.
He Yiqi eagerly chased the boss' wife's retreating back, like a young man chasing the wind. It was clear that the wind could not stop for him for a minute, but he still tried his best to keep her.
"Wait a minute! Wait for me! I want to go with you too!"
He Yiqi shouted loudly. At this time, he was running with all his strength.
Pedestrians along the way looked at the child chasing the landlady with strange eyes.
"What's wrong with this child? And the boss lady..."
"I guess it's just this child who has a bad temper. Just like my children, he insists on me taking him with me when I go out to do business."
"The boss lady is not going to elope with this man, is she? She left so fast, just after the Chinese New Year, and even left her own restaurant. I just don't know whose father this child is, and it seems that he was left behind. Here it is.”
"I've told you a long time ago that this child must be the father-in-law's father, and I don't know which wild man left it. No, after having a new man, I don't want this child anymore."
"What a shame, this poor baby is being abandoned just after he has grown up. What a crime!"
"Yes, yes, I heard that Lord Zhou is going to send troops to suppress the rebellion. These troubled times are coming soon. This child is all alone. I really don't know what he will do for a living in the future!"
…………
People's pointing fingers did not fall into He Yiqi's ears at all. Now there were only bursts of wind in his ears, constantly urging him to run faster, faster, faster, asking him to catch up quickly. Go up to the blurry silhouette in front of you.
The town is really small.
When He Yiqi was finally about to catch up with the proprietress, they had already left the town and reached the main road.
"Wait...wait for me, I...I can't run anymore..." He Yiqi put his hands on his knees and panted heavily.
He was sweating profusely from running all the way and was exhausted.
However, the decisive figure showed no sign of stopping. It was still moving away amidst the clatter of horse hooves, carrying the young man's feeble pursuit.
He Yiqi's eyes were full of confusion and unwillingness. He once again took exhausted steps, trying to catch up with the boss's wife, a woman with countless mysteries and mysteries wrapped around her body.
However, those who pursue mystery will only be tricked by mystery.
His legs were as heavy as lead, and his chest was burning like a furnace. I don't know if it was the sweat on his face or the tears in his eyes that blurred the outline of the back he was chasing.
"Don't...don't go...don't leave me alone...I don't want to be left behind!!!"
"No, you... give me a reason to leave, even if you lie to me... lie to me!"
"Why... why don't you take me away! Where are you going, and when will you come back..."
He Yi was shouting hoarsely behind him, but the two horses came up to speed, stirring up the dust along the way and throwing all the distracting thoughts, doubts and unwillingness in his heart to the ground, trampling them to pieces. .
He was like a child who was aborted and turned into a bloody mess before he was born. He swallowed back all the doubts and confusions in his sorrow.
Staring at the figure disappearing at the corner of the mountain road, He Yiqi felt a little worried in his heart, maybe the landlady would never return after she left.
There is always an unexplainable feeling about this mysterious woman.
Apart from Aunt Biao, she is the woman who has the most contact with He Yiqi, and she is also the person He Yiqi feels best fits the image of his mother.
No one told him who his parents were, and He Yiqi's life experience has always been a mystery.
He Yiqi has always felt that the answer to this mystery lies in the two women, Aunt Biao and the landlady.
However, as the landlady left without saying goodbye, it not only took away the maternal expectations that He Yiqi had placed on her, but also brought an emptiness in He Yiqi's heart.
He Yiqi stood on the edge of the road. He had been standing there all afternoon. Most of the people in the town gathered around him from a distance and pointed at him.
Of course, there are also well-meaning people who come up to express their condolences to He Yi.
For example, Wei Lao Orion, who has always liked He Yiqi, and Lan Yu, who taught He Yiqi how to count and write.
After they learned about this, they rushed over immediately.
But no matter what they said, He Yiqi just stood on the roadside so stubbornly, looking eagerly at the end of the road, as if waiting for something.
However, there were only a few carriages returning from purchasing goods from the county, or the figures of travelers waiting to arrive.
Wei Lao Orion and Lan Yu were almost speechless, but they couldn't coax He Yiqi back.
"This kid's temperament is really two points stronger than that of a hungry wolf who likes to fight and is full of blood." Old Orion Wei said with emotion.
Lan Yu frowned and said, "It's easy to break if it's too strong, and it's easy to bend if it's too straight. If you can't maintain a pure heart after being so stubborn, I'm afraid you will fall into the abyss and become a great devil!"
"Ah, no way. I don't see why you should abandon this child and follow you, who is usually well-educated and sensible. How could he go astray! This is impossible. Although this child has a bad temper, his temper is not bad. He won't Something happened." Old Orion Wei said firmly.
Lan Yu said, "I'm just worried that he will go astray. If such a person puts his mind on the right path, he will definitely be able to achieve great things in the future. However, if he puts his mind on the evil path, he will only be able to achieve great things in the future. Afraid……"
Lan Yu paused. He was as clear as a mirror. After being taught why to give up for so long, he could also see the paranoia in this child's character.
This kind of paranoia cannot be said to be good or bad. It can only be said that it depends on where it is used in the future.
"He looks like a kid who doesn't care about anything on the outside, but in his heart he values some things more important than his own life!" Lan Yu looked at the sunset standing there. The young man's back murmured softly.
…………
