March 4, 2007, Lantern Festival.
A snowstorm unprecedented in fifty years swept through Shen City.
At 6:30 in the morning, the deepest part of the snow was more than one meter.
Shenbei New District, which was just established a year ago, was particularly severely affected because of its large number of shantytowns. Many houses were collapsed by a heavy snowfall overnight.
In a low and cramped rental house in the shanty town of Jiuzhou Road, Lu Tao was holding a Zhongnanhai cigarette in his mouth, looking at the snow covering the window sill, and gnashing his teeth in worry.
He has been out of prison for less than 20 days. In order to make ends meet, he can only make a living by pedaling.
The so-called board is actually a human-powered tricycle covered with a plastic shed and used to carry passengers.
At this time in Shencheng, air-conditioned taxis were everywhere. Few people were willing to take a human-powered three-wheeler that was leaky and not very safe. Business was not easy to do.
Lu Tao originally thought that there would be many people visiting relatives on the Lantern Festival, so he could do more work when the taxis were full. Who would have thought that there would be such a big snowstorm.
"Dong dong dong!"
Just when Lu Tao was feeling worried, someone knocked on the back window of the house, and at the same time the landlady's voice came: "Xiao Lu, are you up?"
"Sister Ma, I'm awake!"
Lu Tao tightened his collar and walked over to open the curtains.
The landlord, Sister Ma, is in her forties. She is seriously overweight, but she looks very kind.
Seeing that Sister Ma was holding a snow-clearing tool in her hand, Lu Tao took the military coat on one side and said, "Wait a moment, I'll go out and help you."
"It's freezing outside. Don't come out. I'm almost done."
Sister Ma waved her hand and smiled at Lu Tao: "Xiao Lu, when you rented a house before, I thought it was very difficult for you as a child, so I agreed to let you pay the rent every half month. Can you see if you can pay the remaining rent today? Will you give me the money to make up for it?"
Lu Tao looked at the calendar on the wall: "Aren't there still two days until the day I pay the rent?"
Sister Ma said with some embarrassment: "There are still two days, but you also saw the heavy snow. My son fell off his leg while riding a motorcycle after leaving the night shift last night. Over there at the hospital..."
At this time, Sister Ma's husband walked out of the main room in the courtyard, stood next to Sister Ma and asked, "Is the money coming?"
Sister Ma nodded: "I was talking to Xiao Lu!"
"Oh, what's there to say about JB! How old are you, and you still have to pay half a month's rent when renting a house?"
Sister Ma's husband looked at Lu Tao impatiently through the window: "I was not at home when you came to rent the house, otherwise I would definitely not rent it to you in this way! Before tonight, you have to pay the remaining two and a half months' rent. , I have one month left to pay the deposit! Otherwise, hurry up and pack your bags and get out!"
Lu Tao's face was hot after being scolded by Sister Ma's husband, but he still forced out a smile that was uglier than crying: "Brother, as you know, I just saved up money to buy a tricycle last week, and the money in my hand is quite tight. , I really can’t raise so much money in half a day..."
"Does that have anything to do with me? I rent a house, and I'm not a philanthropist! I feel sorry for you, who the hell cares for me?"
Sister Ma’s husband not only cursed, but also had a look of disdain on his face: “What the hell is this age like? You, a young man in his twenties, can’t even scrape together four or five hundred yuan. How are you still alive to be a JB?”
"Old Wang! I know you are in a bad mood when your son is hospitalized, but don't take your anger out on others!"
Sister Ma heard that her husband's words were getting more and more unpleasant, and she finally couldn't listen any more. At the same time, she said to Lu Tao: "Xiao Lu, Lao Wang is also impatient, and his words are a bit unpleasant. I apologize to you on his behalf, but don't take it personally." go.
My old mother-in-law just had a heart bypass surgery two years ago, which depleted her family's financial resources. When our relatives and friends knew about our situation, they were unwilling to lend us money for fear that we would not be able to repay it!
They say a penny can beat a hero, but I have no choice but to tell you this! Let’s not talk about paying three mortgages and one mortgage. Do you think you can make up this month’s rent today? "
Seeing that Sister Ma had said this, Lu Tao could only bite the bullet and agreed: "Sister, before dark, I will definitely give you this month's rent. If I have the ability, I will give you more."
In order to save money, Lu Tao rented an illegal building with only more than ten square meters. The monthly rent was 120, which was paid in two installments.
But now, all his money combined is still fifty-two and a half yuan short.
There was only half a pack of dried noodles left at home. The old godmother who cooked the noodles had eaten all of it, and the coal for the stove was almost exhausted.
This is his current situation. If he doesn't work today, he will be hungry tomorrow.
Lu Tao cast his gaze out the window, looked at the falling snowflakes, listened to the whining wind, and silently picked up the military coat and dog-skin hat next to him.
The front door had been sealed by heavy snow. The moment the window was opened, the snow outside poured into the room like a collapse.
The cold wind carrying the snowflakes was more like a knife scratching his face.
Lu Tao pushed aside the snow outside the window, held on to the window frame and got out, wading through the thick snow towards the place where the tricycle was parked.
It was windy and snowy, and there was no one in the alley. Only Lu Tao pushed an old tricycle and walked step by step through the thick snow.
Sister Ma's husband's words still echoed in her ears, and a sense of grievance rose from the bottom of her heart, making Lu Tao's throat feel clogged.
Today is not only the Lantern Festival for family reunion, but also his twenty-second birthday.
Three years in prison left him without his family and friends.
At the end of the alley is a slope with an angle of 30 degrees. Lu Tao usually has a hard time pushing the cart here, but now the slope is covered with ice and snow, making it even more difficult.
Lu Tao hunched over, and when he was about to push the car up, his foot suddenly slipped and he and the car slipped down.
"Snapped!"
At the same time, a hand wearing a leather glove stretched out in front, grabbed the handlebar of the tricycle, straightened it, and helped pull it up.
"thank you!"
Lu Tao received help from a kind person and raised his head to say thank you, but when he saw this person's appearance, his smile froze on his face.
Parked on the street outside the alley was a Geely Freeship that was still running.
Standing in front of him was a fair-faced young man wearing a down jacket named Guan Lei. He was the younger brother of Lu Tao's brother Guan Shuai.
Guan Lei looked at Lu Tao and smiled: "Brother Tao, happy New Year."
The reunion of old friends did not bring joy to Lu Tao's face, but a hint of disgust appeared on his face: "What are you doing here?"
"On the day you were released, I went to Lingyuan No. 5 Prison to pick you up, but the people in the prison told me that you were released three days early."
Guan Lei sniffed: "After returning to Shencheng, I have been asking for news about you, and I have also been to your house..."
Lu Tao frowned instantly: "Did you go to my house?"
"went."
Guan Lei nodded: "On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, I went to your house with gifts to pay New Year greetings. As a result, the old man was very angry, threw out all the things I brought, and drove me away. I only found out after asking the neighbors. , It turns out that you have never gone back at all. I heard someone said that I saw you here last night, so I came to try my luck."
"My father severed ties with me in the first month after I was imprisoned. I have nothing to do with him, and I have nothing to do with you. Please don't harass me and my family again."
Lu Tao said nothing, turned around stubbornly, and pushed the tricycle to leave.
Seeing this, Guan Lei stopped the tricycle: "Brother Tao, are you still angry with my brother?"
"Shouldn't I be fucking angry?!"
Lu Tao turned around and shouted out of control: "Three years ago, if I hadn't saved your brother, would I have been sent to prison? And how did he repay me? In the past three years, he has called me once. Have you ever visited a prison? When you were having fun outside, did you ever think about how long your time in prison would be?"
"Brother Tao, my brother has never forgotten you, and he has never betrayed you."
Guan Lei wrinkled his nose and pinched his temples with his hands, his expression a little painful: "He... is dead."
