In the ward, Jin Yueji was lying on the bed. She no longer had any of her former energy. She was dying and weak. It was difficult to even raise her hands.
"Bingkun~~~"
"He still refuses to come?"
Looking at Hao Dongmei sitting on both sides of the bed, Jin Yueji asked feebly.
Hao Dongmei shook her head, helplessness written on her face.
Hao Dongmei, who is now in her forties, has taken good care of herself since she has never given birth to a child. With a little modification, she looks like a beautiful woman in her thirties.
But what's the use of taking good care of her? Looking at Jin Yueji lying weak and weak on the hospital bed, Hao Dongmei felt sad, a sense of powerlessness filled her body, and she couldn't hold back the tears in her eyes.
"Mom! Dongmei!" Suddenly, the ward was pushed away.
"Bingyi!" Hao Dongmei said in surprise: "You're back? Just arrived?"
"I came here as soon as I got off the train!" Zhou Bingyi walked quickly to the hospital bed, put down the briefcase in his hand, and asked anxiously: "How is mom?"
Speaking of this, Hao Dongmei couldn't help but shed tears in her eyes again.
"Mom's condition is not good..."
"Dongmei!" Hao Dongmei had just said a few words when she was interrupted by Jin Yueji. Jin Yueji, who was lying on the hospital bed, showed a kind and kind smile to Zhou Bingyi and asked: "Bingyi, are you going this time?" Is everything done?"
Zhou Bingyi said: "Mom! Don't worry, the discussion is almost over."
"That's good! That's good!" Jin Yueji breathed a sigh of relief: "Your work is related to the future and destiny of the entire military factory and the future of tens of thousands of employees in the military factory. You can't be careless in the slightest."
"I know Mom, don't worry, everything has been taken care of this time."
Jin Yueji is quite concerned about the arsenal. The main reason is that Zhou Bingyi is now the secretary of the arsenal. Both the arsenal and the arsenal are prospering and losing. Moreover, Jin Yueji used her connections with the Hao family to push Zhou Bingyi to this position.
Hao Dongmei is only a doctor, or a gynecologist. Only Zhou Bingyi can inherit the Hao family's network of connections. But if Zhou Bingyi himself fails, it will be of no use even with the Hao family's protection.
The current affairs in the military factory are the biggest test for Zhou Bingyi.
If it succeeds, it will fly into the sky and transform into a dragon, soaring for nine days. If it fails, then Zhou Bingyi's official career will come to an end in this life.
The result waiting for him is to be transferred back to the Qingshui Yamen like the previous Strategic Development Research Laboratory, without power and power, and to retire in peace.
After talking with Zhou Bingyi about the military factory for a while, Zhou Bingyi answered in an orderly and well-founded manner, which made Jin Yueji quite satisfied.
Looking at the couple who couldn't hide their sorrow, Jin Yueji advised: "You don't have to be sad. Birth, old age, illness and death are human nature. And I've lived enough at my age."
Jin Yueji herself is quite calm.
Hao Dongmei couldn't restrain herself anymore, grabbed Jin Yueji's hand, and cried: "Mom! Don't say that, you will get better."
"I know my body myself." Jin Yueji smiled with relief, and in turn comforted Hao Dongmei: "Okay, you are already old, but you are still like a child, crying all the time."
"I will always be a child in front of my mother."
Looking at Hao Dongmei and letting her hold her hand, Jin Yueji raised the corners of her mouth with a smile, and then looked at Zhou Bingyi: "Bingyi, mom wants to say sorry to you!"
"Mom!" Zhou Bingyi immediately looked flattered and panicked: "Don't say that."
"Hey!" Jin Yueji sighed and said regretfully: "As the old saying goes, when a person is about to die, his words are also good. This person really became more sober towards the end. I have many regrets in my life, and I have done the same things. Many measures have been taken, but at the end of the day, the only thing that I can't let go of is the matter between your brother and Zheng Juan."
"It's because I'm too selfish, too paranoid, and insistent on going my own way that the relationship between you brothers becomes worse and worse."
"Mom! Why are you talking about this? It's all over." Hao Dongmei wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and comforted Jin Yueji.
"Yes, Mom, it's all over. Bingkun and I have also settled our differences." Zhou Bingyi knew in his heart that although Wang Zhong had accepted his apology, the relationship between the two would never return to the past.
Jin Yueji shook her head and laughed at herself: "If you can't get over it, Bingkun won't even want to see me."
"My only regret now is that I couldn't personally apologize to them in front of them." Jin Yueji said sincerely.
"Mom, stop talking. I'm going to find Bingkun!" Because of this matter, Zhou Bingyi hit a wall many times with Wang Zhong. No matter how hard he tried to persuade him, Wang Zhong still refused to let go. And his attitude is extremely firm.
"Forget it! Let's forget it!" Jin Yueji said: "It's better not to disturb them. It's good like this now. Everyone goes about their own business without disturbing each other."
Having said that, Jin Yueji's eyes were filled with regret.
Seeing this situation, Zhou Bingyi and Hao Dongmei looked at each other.
The couple used an excuse to walk outside the ward, and Zhou Bingyi worriedly asked about Jin Yueji's condition.
Hao Dongmei looked sad! The tears in his eyes fell silently: "Lao Gao said that Mom's time is running out, maybe... just for a while, so that we can prepare in advance... prepare..."
Looking at Hao Dongmei, who was in tears, Zhou Bingyi felt a pain in his heart. He stretched out his hand to hug his wife into his arms without saying any words to comfort her, because Zhou Bingyi understood that in this situation, a warm embrace for Hao Dongmei, and a warm embrace for Hao Dongmei. The shoulders that Hao Dongmei relies on are worth a thousand words.
"You go back first and take a bath and sleep to refresh yourself. Mom is here to watch over me." After sobbing softly for a while, her grievances and discomforts were almost vented, and Hao Dongmei turned her head away from Zhou Bingyi. Lifting his arms, he looked at the lapel of his clothes that was wet with his own tears, and a faint warmth surged in his heart. He straightened the lapel of Zhou Bingyi's clothes, looked up at him, and said with gentle concern.
Zhou Bengyi's eyes flashed slightly, and he didn't know what he thought of. He nodded and said: "Okay! I just want to go back and change clothes first."
Summer is no better than winter. It's hot in summer and it's easy to sweat. If you cover it for a long time, your body will smell. Zhou Bingyi didn't shirk Hao Dongmei. They were both an old couple and their relationship was no longer limited to love. Naturally, there was no need for it. Come on, these are fake.
Zhou Bingyi hurried back to Hao's house, took a shower and changed his clothes. He saw that it was almost past four o'clock. He was about to call the driver and ask him to drive him to Wang Chong's house. Suddenly, his heart moved and two figures appeared in his mind.
Then he walked out and walked along the garden road for a while, and came to a small building. Through the window, he saw someone in the house, so he walked up to his phone and rang the doorbell.
"Bingyi?" Qu Xiuzhen was surprised when she opened the door and saw Zhou Bingyi standing outside.
Although Qu Xiuzhen and Ma Shouchang have a good relationship with Jin Yueji, they are only good friends. They and Jin Yueji are very different in hobbies and personalities. They get together occasionally, but most of the time they don't interact much. They usually get together. We met in the courtyard, stopped and chatted for a few words, and that was it.
"When did you come back? Have you gone to see Sister Jin?" While talking, Qu Xiuzhen still brought people into the house.
"I just arrived today. I went to the hospital as soon as I got off the train."
"Old Ma, Bingyi is here!" Ma Shouchang was sitting on the sofa, squinting his eyes and looking intently at the TV. On the TV was the 1983 version of Journey to the West.
Hearing Qu Xiuzhen's words, Ma Shouchang raised his head and glanced: "Bingyi is here, sit down quickly!" He said hello, and then quickly returned his attention to the TV in front of him.
Qu Xiuzhen poured a cup of tea for Zhou Bingyi and explained with a smile: "This old man, ever since Bingkun installed a TV in his house, he has been like a child, watching it all day long. Congcong took the child with him two days ago. Come here, this old man actually has the nerve to grab the remote control from Little Tail and the others."
Zhou Bingyi glanced calmly at the big-ass color TV that Qu Xiuzhen said was a gift from Wang Zhong. The Neon Sharp color TV was not very cheap.
"My mother also likes to watch TV at home. Now she doesn't go out much." The mother in Zhou Bingyi's mouth is Li Suhua from Guangzi Film. Naturally, Wang Zhong bought the TV set in the old Zhou family. After installing the TV , the neighbors of Guangzi Pian, Li Suhua’s old sisters, took their grandchildren to Lao Zhou’s house every day.
"Speaking of which, I haven't seen your mother for a while." Qu Xiuzhen felt a little emotional, but Zhou Cong often brought Little Tails and the others over to see her, so Qu Xiuzhen understood Li Suhua's situation fairly well.
"Why are you here all the time?" Qu Xiuzhen asked straight to the point without going around with Zhou Bingyi.
"During this period, I am not in Jichun. Thank you for your help with my mother-in-law's affairs. Otherwise, Dongmei would not know what to do if she were alone. I am back now, so I wanted to come over to thank you. You two, thank you."
"Hey! You are still telling us this." Qu Xiuzhen said: "These are what we should do. Sister Jin is my old leader and the matchmaker between me and Lao Ma."
Ma Shouchang also said: "We didn't do much, we just did what we could. Don't be so polite."
After chatting for a while, seeing Zhou Bingyi's brows showing a bit of exhaustion, Qu Xiuzhen sighed and said comfortingly: "Birth, old age, illness and death are natural for human beings, but you must also take care of yourself. You must not exhaust yourself. You must be healthy." If I and Lao Ma can help me, just say something."
"Secretary Qu, thank you!"
Zhou Bingyi struggled and said: "There is indeed something I want to trouble you with right now."
“It’s about Byung Kun.”
"Is it related to Bingkun?" Qu Xiuzhen frowned slightly and looked at Zhou Bingyi with some confusion.
Zhou Bingyi said: "Due to some reasons, Bingkun and Zheng Juan had a grudge against their mother-in-law. My mother-in-law has always felt guilty about this and wanted to apologize to them in person, but Bingkun is too stubborn. , I went to him many times, no matter how hard I tried, he just didn’t want to meet my mother-in-law.”
"I have no choice but to think of you!"
Qu Xiuzhen sighed after hearing this. Although she wanted to agree, she still shook her head and said, "Bingyi, it's not that I don't want to help, it's just that I'm afraid I can't help you with this matter."
"You are Bingkun's eldest brother. You must know him better than we do. If Bingkun gets stubborn, even ten cows won't be able to pull him back. I don't have the ability to persuade him."
Zhou Bingyi never expected that Qu Xiuzhen would refuse like this without thinking, and also so directly.
"Hasn't Bingkun always respected you and Dean Ma?" Zhou Bingyi was still a little reluctant.
"Even you, the eldest brother, can't talk about him, let alone us two old guys who have no relationship with him. Besides, he respects us because Lao Ma and I helped him a little bit. Busy, Bingkun is also a person who knows how to repay his kindness. Over the years, he has shown such respect to me and Lao Ma. But Bingkun thinks about the small favor we had in the past. It is because he is a kind person. We, the old couple, can't do it. Just repay the favor with a shameful face!"
"Do you think this is true?" Qu Xiuzhen looked at Zhou Bingyi after finishing speaking.
Qu Xiuzhen's words have been made very clear in repaying the favor.
"You're right!" Zhou Bingyi looked stern.
"I didn't think twice about it. Secretary Naqu, you and Dean Ma sit down first and I won't disturb you. Dongmei is the only one watching over my mother-in-law. I really feel uneasy." He quickly made an excuse for himself. .
Qu Xiuzhen immediately said seriously: "Although it is important to take care of Sister Jin, you should also take care of your own health. Don't be too tired."
"Thank you, Secretary Qu, for your concern!" Zhou Bingyi said, already standing up: "Then I will leave first, and I will visit you with Dongmei another day."
After sending Zhou Bingyi away, Ma Shouchang was still staring at the TV, but suddenly he said: "Old Qu, why did you reject him just now?"
Qu Xiuzhen refilled Ma Shouchang's thermos with hot water and put it in front of him: "What if you don't refuse? Agree?"
"If you want to agree, then why didn't you stop me just now! Or you could just agree yourself and I won't stop you." Qu Xiuzhen said angrily.
Ma Shouchang picked up the thermos cup, and Qu Xiuzhen quickly reminded him to be careful of the heat. Ma Shouchang blew on it and took a sip.
Then he sighed and said with emotion: "It's hard for an upright official to deal with household affairs!"
"It's good that you know!" Qu Xiuzhen said: "If this is something else, we can definitely help, but in this matter, we'd better not get involved."
"Others don't know what kind of temper that boy Bingkun has. Don't we still know?"
"Besides, Sister Jin is, to put it harshly, a bit bureaucratic and out of touch with the masses. She thinks that the old Zhou family is a working class family and looks down upon others. Zhou Bingyi and Dongmei have been married for so many years, so I haven’t seen their two families interact with each other, and the Bingkun family doesn’t even know which house the Hao family belongs to, and Sister Jin is only a daughter like Dongmei.”
Ma Shouchang also sighed and shook his head: "Director Jin is good at everything, but this is the only thing he did not do well enough. We are cadres of the party and the people, how can we be separated from the masses."
The old couple have exactly the same views on this point, which is why the relationship between the two families has been good for so many years, but it is only limited to this.
"Also at the beginning, Cai Xiaoguang's matter was nothing more than what Old Hao said. It did not touch the principles and bottom lines, but it could also select talents for the country. But Bingkun asked us to help. There is nothing fishy about it. , do you believe it?”
It was precisely because of her familiarity with Jin Yueji's family that Qu Xiuzhen worked under Jin Yueji that she had a better understanding of what kind of person Jin Yueji was.
Zhou Bingyi and Hao Dongmei have been married for many years, but except for Zhou Bingyi, the Zhou family doesn't even know where the Hao family's door opens.
This kind of thing was not uncommon in the old society, but now the new society has been established for many years, and the party's consistent purpose is to come from the masses, to the masses, to be as close as one family with the common people, and to be one with them, not only in In the eyes of Qu Xiuzhen and his wife, and in the eyes of the vast majority of the older generation of revolutionaries with pure beliefs, this old feudal society idea is a cancer of society and should be eliminated early in the long river of history.
Qu Xiuzhen said: "Eight years of resistance war, three years of liberation war, why will we win in the end? It's not because we are the people's army and the people's party. How can such feudal and decadent ideas appear in our country?" Among these people’s cadres.”
"Okay, okay, why are you talking about old sesame seeds and rotten millet?" Ma Shouchang rolled his eyes at Qu Xiuzhen. There was almost no one around. Why are you talking about this?
Qu Xiuzhen said: "Isn't it because Bingkun has the attitude he has today because of these things that are accumulated over time? Otherwise, Bingkun and Zheng Juan would be so kind. Why is it that at this time, you are not even willing to see Sister Jin for the last time? You are not even willing to accept an apology? "
"And there might be something we don't know about here!" Qu Xiuzhen said firmly.
Ma Shouchang was silent for a moment and did not answer.
"Today we will pretend we have never seen Zhou Bingyi. Next time Bingkun and the others come, don't let me know." Qu Xiuzhen warned.
Ma Shouchang waved his hand and said impatiently: "Okay, I know!"
It's just that the TV series that I was so excited about just now don't seem to be so popular now.
······
On the steps, two antique doors were open. Two adult black dogs lay lazily on the stone steps behind the door, with iron chains tied around their necks. When the driver parked the car at the door, the two black dogs He was already awakened.
When they saw Zhou Bingyi get out of the car, Dahei and Erhei had changed from lying down to standing, and four pairs of eyes fell on Zhou Bingyi in unison.
As soon as Zhou Bingyi stepped onto the steps, Dahei Erhei started barking vigorously.
Da Hei Er Hei has a strong body, his four pairs of eyes are still full of energy, and his two pairs of wind-catching ears are standing high, but the hair on his body is not as black and shiny as at first glance. This is the erosion of time, Da Hei Er Hei Hei is almost nine years old, which is as old as ancient times among humans.
"Why, you don't recognize me?" Since the last time he went to Wang Zhongdao in private to express his modesty, Zhou Bingyi was like a dog's skin plaster, and he would bring Hao Dongmei to Wang Zhong's house from time to time.
After showing more faces, Da Hei and Er Hei were naturally not as wary of him as before.
It's just that he has been busy with the military factory recently. Zhou Bingyi is hanging upside down all day long, wishing that he could be used as two people. It has been half a year since he visited the house.
Dahei and Erhei walked up to Zhou Binyi and sniffed the edges of his trouser legs and shoes, but didn't bark again.
"Brother?" Zheng Juan was cooking in the kitchen. When she heard the movement of Big Hei and Erhei, she knew someone was coming, so she hurried out to take a look. When she saw it was Zhou Bingyi, she greeted him happily.
"Why are you here?"
"I just came back, come and take a look!" Zhou Bingyi picked up a few gift boxes in his hand: "By the way, I brought some small gifts for the children."
"Come just as you come, bring any gifts, you're not an outsider." Zheng Juan was very enthusiastic, "Bingkun hasn't come back yet, and Congcong should be home by now. Why don't you go in and sit for a while, watch TV, have some tea or something?" If you pour it yourself, I won't call you."
"Just in time, when Bingkun comes back, you two brothers can have a good drink."
"Hi! If you have anything to say, you go about your business first and I'll go in and sit down by myself."
Zhou Bingyi went straight into the living room carrying the gift.
The living room remained unchanged from before. Zhou Bingyi put his things on the shelf in the entrance, put on his slippers, and walked into the living room. He looked around and saw that there seemed to be a few more photo frames on the wall where the photos were hung, and he became curious. walked over.
Most of them are a group photo of several children. The group photo is of the Wang Zhong and Guangming families. In the photo, Wang Zhong and Zheng Juan, Guangming and Zhang Qiaoer are sitting in a row, with smiles on their faces. Zhang Qiaoer is pregnant. She was also holding a little guy who was just over one year old, her and Guangming's third child. For this little guy who suddenly arrived, Guangming and his wife even paid a fine.
The three elders, Zhou Cong, Zhou Ling and Zhou Ming, stood at the back.
Little Tails, Doudou, and Qingqing sat cross-legged in front of Wang Zhong and the others, each with a happy smile on their face.
Even the little guy sitting on Zhang Qiaoer's lap was smiling from ear to ear.
The other photos are all of children. They were all taken without the children knowing when they were playing. Just by looking at them, you can feel the changes in the children at that time.
After a while, Wang Zhong arrived home first.
After parking the car, he went straight into the kitchen: "Daughter-in-law, are the children back?"
"No!" Zheng Juan had already started cooking, "But brother is here and waiting for you in the living room. Go and have a look!"
Although Zhou Bengyi didn't say anything, Zheng Juan was not a fool. How could he not see that Zhou Bengyi came running over just after he came back, so something must have happened.
"Brother?" Wang Chong felt something was wrong and was pushed out of the kitchen by Zheng Juan.
"Brother, why are you here?" Wang Zhong walked to the table against the wall and poured himself a glass of cold water to drink.
Zhou Bingyi said: "There is something I want to discuss with you."
Wang Zhong raised his eyebrows slightly: "If it's my sister-in-law's business, I'd better stop talking about it."
"If it's a military factory matter, I can't help!"
"It's about Dongmei's mother." Zhou Bingyi put on a forced smile: "The doctor said that Dongmei's mother has only been alive for a few days. She knows that she can't help you and Juan'er, and she has caused you two It’s hurtful, so I want to apologize to you two in person while I’m still awake.”
Wang Zhong turned to look at Zhou Bingyi and sighed helplessly: "Brother, are you really confused or are you pretending to be confused?"
Zhou Bingyi was stunned when Wang Zhong asked: "What do you mean by this?"
Wang Zhong shook his head and explained impatiently: "Yes, indeed, Juan'er and I have always had a knot in our hearts about what happened back then, and it hasn't gone away yet, but do you really think that this is the only thing between her and our family? What's the matter? Just apologize and Juan'er and I will forgive her and that's it?"
Facing Wang Zhong's question, Zhou Bingyi's face darkened: "Isn't it?"
Wang Zhong poured another glass of water, drank it in one gulp, raised his hand to wipe the water stains from the corners of his mouth, and walked straight to the sofa in the hall to sit down: "First of all, I will never forgive her, let alone see her. Juan'er is the same."
"Let me make it clear to you first. If you want to convince Juan'er first and then come to me, I would like to advise you to give up this idea as soon as possible. Otherwise, you will never visit my house again. .”
"Bingkun, there's no need to speak so harshly!" Zhou Bingyi frowned, not even understanding Wang Zhong's actions and explanations.
"Stop!" Wang Zhong said, "If you still want me to call you big brother, don't mention this. Juan'er is kind-hearted, but I am different. I don't want her kindness to become a tool for others to take advantage of. "
"Bingkun, you..." Zhou Bingyi's expression changed, feeling that Wang Zhong was a little on the line.
"Listen to me first." Wang Zhong did not give Zhou Bingyi a chance to speak. Zhou Bingyi's face was a little ugly, but he still suppressed his unhappiness: "Say."
"I don't want to argue with you on the topic of repaying grievance with kindness or repaying grievance with kindness. And you are not me, so don't impose your ideas on me. If I say I don't want to, then I mean I don't want to."
Zhou Bingyi was anxious and said quickly: "But we are brothers. Dongmei is your sister-in-law, and her mother is my mother-in-law. To put it bluntly, we are all a family. We did have conflicts before, but now we have the opportunity to resolve them." Conflict, why don’t you want to?”
Zhou Bingyi knew Wang Zhong's temperament, so he asked about the reason, hoping to start from here.
Wang Zhong looked at Zhou Bingyi and said calmly: "We have separated."
"If you and my sister-in-law come over as guests, I welcome you. My sister-in-law is my Zhou family's wife, and she is not bad, but as for the Hao family, forget it. I don't want to have anything to do with anyone in the Hao family except my sister-in-law. .”
"I've said it all, so don't be persistent. If you have time to waste time here with me, you might as well show your face to your mother-in-law's bedside and spend more time with her and your sister-in-law."
"But there must be a reason!" Zhou Bingyi still didn't want to give up. After all, this could be regarded as Jin Yueji's last wish before she died.
"That's the reason, okay!" Wang Zhong saw that he still didn't give up, and simply showed no mercy: "Didn't they think that the Hao family was a high-ranking family with high thresholds and looked down upon our old Zhou family? Have you forgotten how you felt when you were caught in a dilemma for so many years?"
"You have forgotten, but I have not forgotten. Oh, when they were deprived of all their positions, taken away their rights, and sent to the countryside, what did our family do at that time? How did you do it? You can never leave me. It’s not an exaggeration!”
"But what about them? After they were rehabilitated, they immediately felt that they belonged to a high-ranking family. People from high-ranking families looked down on us working-class families. Didn't Zhou Zhigang always look forward to meeting his in-laws? But what happened? Until his sister-in-law's father He passed away, have you ever met him?"
"Later, we did meet. It was already 1981. Your mother-in-law did meet us, but why did they meet? They were teasing you two and fooling our mother into asking Juan'er to adopt her little tail. you."
"Is this the kind of person? I didn't rush up and slap her a few times, because it was for your and mom's sake."
Mainly because I was afraid that my hands were too heavy and I was too angry at the time. Given Jin Yueji's age, if she really lost her strength all of a sudden, wouldn't she be causing trouble for herself?
If he had done that accidentally, Wang Zhong would have lost his life. Wang Zhong was only thirty at the time. How old was Jin Yueji? No matter what you think, you will lose.
"Oh! I'm about to die now. Thinking about the past, I feel regretful and want to apologize, right? I want to ask for peace of mind, right?"
"I won't give her this chance."
Wang Zhong was also very angry at Zhou Bengyi, saying that he was so anxious that he would say anything out loud.
