Section 2

Forget it, let's talk about it again after waking up tomorrow

Gui Xiao originally intended to leave after delivering her to the door, but after taking the box, he left. Qin Xiaonan naturally took her hand and led her inside, hesitatingly following along. Indeed, this place had been expanded, now two to three times larger than before. The cement floor was fresh and clean, with cars either suspended or parked in two rows, and workers were busy next to each vehicle.

... ... hung up

He finished speaking, then took off his padded jacket and threw it onto the sofa. Meanwhile, he picked up half a pack of cigarettes that was lying on the coffee table.

A plain white shirt, a black cotton jacket unzipped, clearly just thrown on casually, resembling a youthful appearance. However, there are no tools for repairing the car in hand, as he squints against the sand and dust swirling in the wind, peering at her through the glass.

She left Xiaonan's room and received a rather unexpected phone call from Bai Tao

... ... Lu Chen

Qin Xiaonan hurriedly took a few steps and asked Lu Yancheng where the restroom was. Lu Yancheng pointed outside and informed him that it was in a small room to the right of the courtyard. Qin Xiaonan quickly turned around and ran off.

The spacious room has no unnecessary furnishings, and one cannot speak of any furniture; there is a bed and a cabinet, neither new nor old, but not from many years ago either. However, the general layout and arrangement have not changed, remaining as it was in the past

I have been unable to take calls at home recently, so please do not call me. I will reach out to you when I can.

The child chattered incessantly, speaking in a dense manner, mostly about Lu Yancheng, much of which he had heard from his own father

No charge, Gui Xiao paid the parking fee, exited the garage, "formal procedures"

I am living on campus this semester, which is quite frightening. There are twelve people in one dormitory, and the dormitory corridor is filled with beds

From the moment she stepped through this iron gate, she felt a sense of unreality

gasping for breath, wanting to get some fresh air

I will just say a few words to you and then leave, "Gui Xiao stood by the door, casually pulling the collar of her winter coat up to her nose, "I have taken care of Qin Xiaonan's matter for you, but we still need the household registration book. You need to bring the household registration book to complete the formalities."

Don't say it, it really does look like that

The sound of her calling his name is the most enchanting sound in the world

He simply entrusted himself with a task, agreed to it, completed it, and that should be the end of it

On the day it was settled, Gui Xiao was quite happy. She took the children out for a meal at the most expensive Western restaurant and even tricked the children into drinking a couple of sips of red wine. She was going to drive, so she didn't touch a drop of alcohol.

She followed Lu Yancheng to the far end of the factory, where the aluminum door was ajar.

When Lu Yancheng was booking her flight ticket with her passport photo, he was vague, only saying that it was temporarily inconvenient to take the household registration book and birth certificate. Gui Xiao also just brushed it off with her cousin's wife, who was helping her with the matter. Over the past few years, the cousin's wife has raised a considerable amount of funds from Gui Xiao to support remote mountainous areas, thus maintaining good relations with many key schools involved in exchange and educational assistance.

He rolled the sleeves of his long-sleeved shirt up to his elbows. Bowing his head, he contemplated lighting a cigarette

Stepping inside, there was an office and a row of lounges. People inside could see two individuals through the glass, and many would glance over a few more times. He did not pay much attention to it, leading her to the very end and pushing the door open

It was more than two hours later when we arrived in town

A few days ago, she was still foolishly reminding him to bring the child's household registration book when he was in Erlianhot

She did not hold on firmly, and the glass window crashed along the track... It pinched her two fingers. The pain made her tears stream down, and in a state of helplessness, she bit down on the pinched area, trying to stop the pain with pain. Standing in the darkness like this, she took her time, and after standing for more than an hour when the pain had lessened, she wiped away the remaining tears and returned to the bedroom

Gui Xiao stepped on the brake, stopping in front of a large iron door several meters high

Gui Xiao picked up the suitcase and went out, where he took it from her. Her freshly washed hands felt clean and cold, as if just soaked in water, when they touched him. "Is it new?" he sensed something was amiss.

When she brought him, it was in a travel bag. She bought a lot of things for the child in Beijing. Firstly, she felt sorry for him having to take care of himself since he was little. Secondly, she wanted to dress him according to the current style of seven- or eight-year-old children, so that he could quickly integrate into this environment and avoid being ostracized. However, she was quite worried about sending the child to him, wondering if that rundown repair shop could accommodate people again.

Have you missed me? Sigh, what should I do? We have no common language anymore. Can't you say a few more words to me?

... ... is broken, my mother knows that I am in a romantic relationship at an early age

She thought she heard a voice: "Who?"

Helping Gui Xiao secure a spot can be considered a form of repayment, as it is entirely a matter of benefiting without incurring any cost

Over there, there is the crisp sound of metal striking. The thick, pungent smell of machine oil rushes towards me, as if the air itself has a color. A mottled black.

It was just that my cousin seized the opportunity to make fun of her, saying that she went to Inner Mongolia to relax and brought back a child without a household registration. Not only did she help the child with schooling issues, but she even filled in the child's permanent address as her own home: "Sister, if it weren't for the fact that you are a woman and the conditions cannot be met, I would really think this child is your illegitimate son left in Inner Mongolia."

The phone call was abruptly disconnected, and Gui Xiao wandered around the balcony three times, contemplating closing the window

The line is disconnected

After repeating this several times, confirming that no immature words would be spoken, I finally answered the phone: "Hello?"

Previously, a scrapped car was dismantled into pieces, and now, lying in the shadow of the chassis, with a narrow field of vision, it truly feels like returning to over a decade ago: lying on a stained sponge mattress, seeing the returning dawn cat peering at oneself, its small pointed face turned away from the light, and that hand, as if seeking to cling tightly to him.

Bai Tao said, "Zhao Minshan got divorced a long time ago, I heard it from Gui Xiao, I heard it, Chen Ge returned from Erenhot a couple of days ago, the two of them have some business to attend to"

Looking down at the time, it was just past 2 AM. Knowing full well that a late reply was impossible, I still inexplicably sent a message: I heard you returned to Beijing

As dawn breaks, I go to open the window

Place the child in bed, wipe their hands and face clean, remove their outer clothing and pants, and tuck them into the quilt

"I hope for your understanding," Lu Yancheng said, "I have had urgent matters at home these past few days, so I haven't been able to free myself."

About two years ago, after a gathering of middle school classmates, there had been no private contact since. She picked up the dried sheets from the rack while listening to Bai Tao mention a name that sounded quite familiar: Zhao Minshan. ... She remembered this person; during middle school, she almost caused Hai Dong and Meng Xiaoshan to break up, it was that day ... . ... The day she and Lu Chen witnessed an inappropriate scene for children.

At that time, she relied all her emotions on a telephone line, which was invisible and intangible; how could he not understand how pitiful that was?

The place that had repeatedly appeared in her memories over the years was right in front of her. Gui Xiao, through the front windshield, looked at the half-open iron gate, lost in thought for quite a while, until she was called by Qin Xiaonan beside her

Just as I had just wrapped myself in the blanket, my phone rang again. A glimmering white reflection appeared on the pitch-black television screen, accompanied by an incessant vibration, indicating an incoming call. ... It disconnected and then called again, called and then disconnected ...

Gui Xiao thought that since it could be supplemented later, there was no need to rush at this moment, and it would be better to wait until after the New Year to discuss it further

He placed the box next to the kettle by the door and said, "It's cold in the factory, don't rush to take off your cotton coat"

Just before the flame touched the cigarette butt, it was about to ignite, but Lu Yancheng suddenly released his fingers. The flame was extinguished

The day after tomorrow? His tone was somewhat uncertain

On the way back, the child's face was as red as if they had applied rouge: "Is transferring schools expensive?"

Lu Chen

Since Qin Xiaonan arrived in Beijing, he has never been to the suburbs, let alone to the rural villages. He has always been leaning on the front passenger seat, excitedly observing the small town where his Uncle Lu was born and raised.

She continuously engages in mental preparation for herself

Upon arriving home in the evening, she struggled to carry the child inside. As she walked through the living room and climbed the stairs, she contemplated whether to install an indoor elevator, so that in the future, for reasons such as illness, rheumatism, fractures, or intoxication, she would not have to struggle to return to the bedroom... it could also serve as a means of transportation...

Gui Xiao went to the reception to report the name of Lu Yanchen. The doorman squinted his eyes, looking at her and Qin Xiaonan, with the words "curiosity" clearly written on his face: "Wait a moment, young lady, I will call inside."

This is his life over the past many years

In the early morning, Gui Xiao helped Xiao Nan pack the suitcase

"It's over," he said

He actually came back, returning without any greeting

I bought him some clothes, kept the good old ones, and threw away the not-so-good ones. Now the children at home are in good conditions, so you should also buy him some new clothes every year. If he is too out of place with his classmates, he will be excluded and bullied. Gui Xiao also said, "Not too many, as there are school uniforms most of the time. Just about... that's all, do you have any other questions?"

Arriving? Qin Xiaonan curiously looked outside, this is the auto repair shop that Aunt Guixiao mentioned, it is so big, much larger than I imagined

No problem, I can help just in time

Without any emotion

The dirt road has been replaced with asphalt, yet the only constants are the long river of unknown origin and destination, along with the endless rows of poplar trees that have grown along the riverbank for decades. As the car passed by, two or three groups of students were playing on the ice, while a young boy caught up with a girl, lifting her up onto his shoulder, eliciting bursts of laughter and exclamations.

The person on the other end of the phone fell silent for a moment and said, "I apologize for the trouble."

It is quite large, and it seems to have been expanded again

Qin Xiaonan is much more well-behaved when she is asleep than when she is awake. Playfully, she uses her fingers to poke at the child's outrageously thick eyelashes, worrying about leaving Beijing the day after tomorrow. Lu Yancheng has not yet returned; who would be the best person to take care of Qin Xiaonan? Usually, it is manageable, but with the Spring Festival approaching, it is not quite appropriate to leave her with anyone.

When he was on the North Second Ring Road, he spoke about the operation to apprehend suspects across districts, leading a team that pursued for two days and two nights, traversing five snow-capped mountains, with the police dogs' paws covered in blood, yet the chase continued... Upon reaching the West Second Ring Road, he mentioned the life-threatening zone at an altitude of over 5000 meters, where they had to trek for several kilometers to carry out villagers suffering from hypoxia and unconsciousness... Stuck on Chang'an Street, the conversation shifted to meteorological data, with no ground guidance available, and even the surrender markers were missing, necessitating an urgent high-altitude parachute drop...

Two years ago, I hurried back for a gathering and did not have the chance to stroll around the town. Now, looking at the changes, it is indeed significant. The three-story shopping mall has closed down, the stall selling lamb skewers and the auntie are also gone, and the place where the billiard hall used to be has opened a series of small shops.

The child felt a sense of relief: "My dad advised me when he came, that if it is expensive, I should not attend. He is worried that Uncle Lu might secretly pay for it."

I tried the heating, but it was too dry, so I turned on the humidifier for the child

A faint sound of friction from the flint, a small flame sprang up from his fingertips

... ...

The Spring Festival is approaching quickly

Upon hearing that Lu Yancheng had returned, Qin Xiaonan wished she could sprout wings and fly to that small rural town to see her Uncle Lu. Seeing the child's excitement, Gui Xiao did not delay either. She took him along and drove out of the city.

He took the cigarette he had been biting, crushed it, and looked up at her directly: "Do you still love me?"

Bai Tao poured beans from a bamboo tube, conveying everything he had heard from various sources, both from the front and the side. After going over it repeatedly, there was nothing more to add; it was simply that he had returned and was getting married to Zhao Minshan

He nodded: "I will give you the money later"

"It's alright," she replied, "I will be leaving Beijing the day after tomorrow, and with the Spring Festival approaching, it is inconvenient to entrust the child to a friend. I heard you are back, so I thought I would ask if you could come and pick up the child."

I will be on a business trip for a long time, and at that time, I will have my cousin take you to handle the enrollment," she said. "As for the formal transfer, you do not need to pay any extra fees, but the elementary school does not provide accommodation, so you may need to find a way to solve the housing issue yourself. After all, if you live here, it is too far from the school.

Lu Yancheng placed his phone on the concrete floor. He was the only person left in the factory.

The sister-in-law has resolved the formal enrollment issue, but still emphasizes that the household registration certificate is essential. It can be submitted later, but it cannot be absent.

Well, since there is not enough space to store everything, I bought a new one

The mobile phone is left on the TV cabinet, and the person climbs onto the bed

"Brother Chen," Bai Tao explained, "I thought that after Brother Chen returned, you would look for him, so I just wanted to let you know."

I am saving money, just wait for me. Once I get into university, I will be able to see you. Can we talk for one more minute?

She looked out through the somewhat dirty glass window and saw him come out

The night is too quiet, and I faintly hear my own echo

Let me drive you there. I will go over tomorrow, it's settled.

She came to her senses: "We have arrived."