godfather

That day, He Shaotang put one hand in his trouser pocket, bowed his head and walked out of the gate of Meng's house, striding away as if he was about to run away, his face was gloomy, and his aura was very unhappy.Before he left, the man took out a few RMB and stuffed them into the small drawer of Grandma Meng's sewing machine.

Meng Xiaobei trotted at the door, hurried to catch up, and shouted in a low voice: "Godfather, that..."

Shaotang suddenly turned her head, expressionless: "What are you doing?"

Meng Xiaobei said: "Oh... That's right, in a few days, next Sunday, I want to invite Liangliang and Shen Dawei to come and play at home."

Shaotang asked, "Which family?"

Meng Xiaobei said, "The house in the Red Temple."

Shaotang said: "In the future, those two little bastards will come to our house again, you don't need to ask me for instructions, come whenever you want."

Shaotang turned his head and was about to leave, his expression already very impatient.When he got angry, his black eyebrows were wrinkled, the white eyeballs were bloodshot, his nose fluttered slightly, and he either yelled at others or simply didn't speak at all. His appearance was quite scary, but he didn't realize it.

Meng Xiaobei stopped again: "Hey! Godfather, can you..."

Meng Xiaobei said softly: "I invited them to eat ice cream and bagels that day. The cooperative sells them."

Shaotang conveniently took out the wallet from his trouser pocket, and it became a habit to take out money: "Do you still have pocket money?"

Meng Xiaobei's eyes suddenly showed deep disappointment, and he said very boringly: "Yes, I have saved enough."

Meng Jianmin also chased him out, chased after Shaotang, and deliberately shoved him to an empty corner on the side of the family building, avoiding Meng Xiaobei and the surprised eyes of the neighbors.

Meng Jianmin's eyes were downcast and tired: "Shaotang, what my mother and my younger sisters said just now, don't worry about it, you don't have to worry about those things."

Shaotang said with a sullen face, "Don't worry, I'll help you if it's my turn."

Meng Jianmin said, "Brother, seriously, what should you help?"

Shaotang replied: "Aren't you still my big brother?"

There was something in Meng Jianmin's words, and he said sadly: "If I hadn't done it for my son, I would have 'severed friendship' with you!"

Shaotang thought to himself, if it wasn't for my son, for Beibei, I...

But he didn't say that.Men shouldn't care about each other, so stop embarrassing both parties.

Shaotang was in a depressed mood just now, and looked down on many things, and was impulsive and irritable for a moment, too lazy to talk nonsense with this family.However, when he saw Meng Jianmin's suffering eyes, he immediately softened.

After all, He Shaotang was extremely soft-hearted.His soft heart and his weakness of being easily swayed by emotions can be seen by everyone around him, even Meng Xiaobei can see that the little godfather is actually the best talker and the most used to children.At the Meng family's dinner table, Grandma Meng begged him so urgently, clutching his arm, that Shaotang absolutely couldn't refuse the old lady's earnest entreaties.He couldn't bear to let down Meng Jianmin's bloodshot eyes that were still full of hope.

The two sides hadn't seen each other for more than two years. When they saw Meng Jianmin again this time, Shaotang noticed that Jianmin's father was obviously old, with wrinkled forehead and sunken eyes. , far from being handsome when he was young.Who still remembers that there was a handsome guy who looked exactly like Zhao Dan in the family compound back then?

Shaotang stretched out his arms around Meng Jianmin's shoulders and squeezed hard, his palms pinched a handful of bitter bones.

Therefore, children really cannot have more children, Shaotang thought to himself.

It's best not to have a child in the sunrise, it's too worrying.What is affection and family affection? It makes people panic when they think about it.

……

Meng Xiaobei fell into an unhappy state again that week, making it awkward for everyone.His state has become an endless loop that cannot be untied at a certain age.

He didn't want to go home after school, so he played table tennis with his buddies on the playground for more than an hour, wearing a hurdling vest and sweating profusely.

Qi Liang scored the two people: "Shen Dawei, your game skills are too bad, you lost, hurry down!"

Shen Dawei gasped and picked up the ball, and stuttered: "Oh my god, I, I am so big and I am tired! I ran to catch a few balls, how much energy did I, I, I consume? Meng Xiaobei only consumed it." How many?!"

Meng Xiaobei didn't say a word, squinted at his buddy sideways, followed by another fierce slash, his eyes shot out fierce emotions, even the buckle!

Shen Dawei rushed over to catch that tricky kick, and threw himself into Qi Liang's arms with a grin...

Exhausted from playing, the three buddies went home together, Qi Liang hugged Meng Xiaobei affectionately: "I bought a small cake to go to your house that day?"

Meng Xiaobei: "No need."

Qi Liang said: "My dad knows people, and he can buy that kind of round cake with fillings. I'll get some more boxes of peach juice, it's your birthday! It's such an important day, our buddy is such a loyal person!"

Shen Dawei: "Is the rich man you're talking about your own father or that stepdad?"

Qi Liang: "You're talking nonsense, of course I'm my dad! You think I'm so cheap, you call everyone 'my dad'? There's a big difference between a real dad and a second dad!"

Meng Xiaobei said coldly: "How much difference is there between the father and the stepfather? They're all about the same!"

Qi Liang: "Huh?"

Meng Xiaobei frowned, and said irritably, "Forget it, I don't want you to come to my house that day, so you don't have to."

Qi Liang: "...What's wrong with you, Meng Xiaobei?"

The students in a class are basically the same age, and some students in the class celebrate their birthdays every now and then.Among the good friends, some treat guests at home, and it is popular to send greeting cards to each other, childish and warm half-fold small cards with simple and fresh patterns.

During the summer school drum band training, Sun Yuanyuan quietly slipped a card with an envelope to Meng Xiaobei during the break: "Happy birthday."

Meng Xiaobei said flatly, "Oh... I haven't arrived yet."

Sun Yuanyuan: "Why don't I send you off in advance?"

Meng Xiaobei: "Thank you."

Sun Yuanyuan said: "In a few days, many people will definitely send you greeting cards."

The corner of Meng Xiaobei's mouth twitched slightly, teasing the poor: "I don't take anything from others!"

Sun Yuanyuan was very happy, smiled shyly, and lent the math exercise book to Meng Xiaobei to copy.Girls develop rapidly in elementary school, are tall and mature early.The classmates in their class have reached the age when they have nothing to do between classes and discuss boys and girls when they have nothing to do. The younger the children, the less taboo they are to express their pure and true emotions.The classmates in the class spread small notes and gossip, saying that Sun Yuanyuan likes Meng Xiaobei, and the best girl in our class also likes boys.

After playing football on the playground, the brothers sat on the parallel bars to watch the girls dance rubber bands, and chatted with each other about the girls.

Qi Liang said: "Who do you think Wang Lin or Sun Yuanyuan in our class looks the best?"

Meng Xiaobei thought for a few seconds, and said honestly, "I think Sun Yuanyuan is still pretty."

Shen Dawei snorted, "You like her, right?"

Meng Xiaobei squinted provocatively: "You both like her, right?!"

Shen Dawei glared at Meng Xiaobei with jealousy.Qi Liang whispered: "Xiao Bei, have you ever kissed a girl?"

Meng Xiaobei shook his head: "No, why should I kiss them?"

Qi Liang smiled and said, "I kissed one, in kindergarten!"

Qi Liang put his arms around Meng Xiaobei on the parallel bars, "I'll teach you how to kiss, just like this"... Meng Xiaobei said "Oops" twice, trying to avoid Liangliang's sticky mouth, almost leaning back fall down.

Shen Dawei yelled: "Damn it, you even kissed him, it's disgusting! How does it feel?"

Qi Liang put on light pink and delicate lips: "How does it feel? Hmph, it feels like Meng Xiaobei is eating dumplings stuffed with pork and scallions for lunch!"

Meng Xiaobei thought to himself, I will smoke you to death with pork and scallions, Liang Liang!

He was playfully kissed by Liangliang, but he didn't feel anything else. In front of his eyes and in his mind, it was clearly another person's lips shaking.

These days, he and Sun Yuanyuan are doing homework together, laughing and joking with girls, playing ball with buddies, venting and wasting the infinite energy lingering in his body... all the time, in the infinite space, the facts in his mind There is only one person who really cares about the world.That man has the best lips, much more handsome than Liangliang, now imagine those two lips are like peach petals, his mouth is soft when he gnaws on his ass, but the stubble on his chin is rough and piercing, masculine, Make him electrify.

There is also a cute little mole at the corner of the mouth, which makes this person look younger all of a sudden.

The mind of a young man is ignorant but extremely focused and infatuated.At that time, Meng Xiaobei didn't quite realize what the word "like" meant, and he was already deeply attached to someone.

His liking is very simple, without consideration of interests, without extravagant demands on physical desires, and he doesn't understand those things.Every time I see each other, have a meal at the table, talk with my arms around my shoulders, and sleep with my arms around that person's waist at night, I feel very happy, and someone hurts.

Every time I quietly stared at the face and back of the master, the emotional hunger and hope that emanated from every pore in my body and mind were indescribable.

He likes his little daddy.

******

Besides, Meng Jianmin brought Meng Xiaojing back from the outside, and when he returned home, his face was full of emotion, his eyes were red, and when he saw their boss, his first sentence was: "Your godfather is really a good man, please repay him well in the future!"

Meng Xiaobei said absently, "Oh, you guys went out together again?"

Meng Xiaobei sat on the bed, rarely caring about his younger brother: "Meng Xiaojing, does your leg still hurt?"

Meng Xiaojing didn't wear woolen trousers this time, and the trousers were rolled up to reveal a pair of thin white legs: "I haven't had any pain in the past two days, and it's not like I can't walk every day."

The two brothers sat side by side, Meng Xiaobei looked at each other's legs, then at his own, and concluded with a unique experience: "Meng Xiaojing, do you know why your leg hurts and I'm fine?"

"Let me tell you, you have been covered at home since you were a child! The oil residue is white-lack of refinement!"

Meng Xiaojing rolled his eyes, disgusted: "Your legs are really black, your knees are smashed, I don't want to practice like you."

Meng Jianmin sat alone for a while, and said to himself again: "Shaotang is really nice, I'm so sorry to bother him, I didn't think of it!"

At that time, Meng Jianmin saw the awards that Meng Xiaobei had won in the district competitions at home, touched the pure white handsome uniform with epaulettes hanging in the wardrobe, and gradually understood in his heart that a child like the boss should come to Beijing, see you The world is right.A small broken school in Xigou, interested in a painting competition for classes?A drum band in uniform?

Meng Jianmin said: "Hey, if I knew it was like that, I wouldn't let Meng Xiaobei recognize this godfather."

Meng Xiaobei suddenly raised his head and asked coldly, "Why?!"

At this time, he was still brooding and petty.His godfather is good everywhere, but occasionally he has a bad temper and a cold face, throws people thousands of miles away with a word, and he can't get close to him, and he doesn't celebrate his birthday every year, and there is no birthday gift, never.Last year, his grandma cooked dinner for him on his tenth birthday, but his godfather didn't show up at all, shirking his busy schedule and not coming.This man was so busy that he didn't have a son in his heart.

Meng Jianmin got up and went to the kitchen to chat with his old lady about an accident that happened when he went out today.Shaotang took his father and father to hire a famous doctor through their relationship. Not only did the job get done quickly, but he also made a family farce for nothing before leaving, which made Meng Jianmin sigh!

What's going on here.It is said that after all, Shaotang is a member of the army compound, and he also serves in the Beijing army. He has been on duty in the municipal party committee compound all year round, and knows some people quite well. He has made several trips for Meng Xiaojing in the past few days.Shaotang drove a military jeep from the Yuquan Road compound, and took Meng Jianmin and Meng Xiaojing to visit the family compound of a certain ministry in Xicheng District.

Meng Jianmin didn't know the inside story at all at the time, and Shaotang only said that if he asked someone to do it with his head, it would definitely be done!Shaotang was silent all the way, with a serious expression on his face, a cigarette between his fingers holding the steering wheel...Meng Jianmin privately thought that Shaotang was annoying him and didn't want to see him, and he was even more embarrassed to speak.

The gates of the ministries and commissions are strictly controlled, and people who come and go in and out of the red brick buildings wear blue-gray cadre Chinese tunic suits.Meng Jianmin and his son have never been in this kind of place.

A certain cadre surnamed Wang they went to meet had clean windows and a living room with bookshelves on one wall. He looked like an intellectual cadre.Cadre Wang wore a pair of big glasses with bold black frames, and he looked at He Shaotang with a special taste, and he stared at him for a long time.

Shaotang was dressed in a formal military uniform, dignified and formal, and very personable. That day he was sitting on the sofa clasping his hands, talking with his eyes down.

Shaotang said sincerely, we have also ran and asked, Dean Zhang has a strange temper, usually does not meet strangers, I am soft-spoken, young and not deep enough, my elder brother is an ordinary citizen, it is impossible Like those high-ranking officials and rich people, they spend thousands of dollars to hire a famous doctor, so I can only trouble you to help me out.

Officer Wang nodded while listening, Xiaotang, cough, cough, me, me too, it's hard to say, after all, we haven't seen each other for more than two years.When he left Beijing at the beginning, he said that if he saw a doctor again, he twisted off his neck, cut it off, and it was all over!

Shaotang laughed, and said, don't worry, a person like "Shen Dao Zhang" loves his life more than anyone else, so he is reluctant to cut himself. Does his family still have a successor?

Cadre Wang said, successor?His eldest son died on the farm, and he also has a younger son, only three or four years old, who seems to be called Zhang Wenxi, who is being held hostage in Beijing!

Shaotang raised an eyebrow, child, hostage?

Cadre Wang raised his glasses and said it was not so!The child Zhang Wenxi was sent to a laboratory in the army to do research, but in fact he was detained and prevented from returning to Shaanxi, for fear that his father would sneak out of the country and join the Japanese.Who can explain the messy things in the army!

Shaotang was not interested in the military's set of secrets, so he stared at the person in front of him and said, Minister Wang, I already knew about your friendship with Dean Zhang. After three years of natural disasters in the labor camp farm, it is not the friendship of ordinary people. People starved to death, you two came back alive.Don't play tricks on me, I already knew it!

Officer Wang is embarrassed to hold his glasses, alas, don't mention...

Shaotang is very good at talking, and he is very affectionate and reasonable.He said, when you two masters were criticized on the same stage and fed to pigs in the pen, I know it was not easy for you.You quietly gave him a few steamed buns, and he missed your kindness in need.What other people say is useless, but what you say is the most useful.So I'm asking you, will it work? !

Officer Wang said in a low voice, actually, why don't you ask your uncle, he's in charge of it.

Shaotang snorted coldly, Dean Zhang hated my uncle to death, hated him the most, my uncle is hated by others for his work.But you are different, you have a debt of gratitude to that person.

Shaotang fiddled with two cigarettes on the coffee table, and said, I haven't asked you for anything in ten years, and I haven't troubled you in any way. I'm here today, and I'll leave the words here. You do what you can, and I'm busy with you. Can you help me?

It was because of this sentence that Officer Wang remained silent, with unbearable eyes showing, and finally nodded in agreement, okay, Xiaotang, let me tell you, I will introduce you, and I will try my best.

Meng Jianmin told Grandma Meng sentence by sentence, chatting.

Meng Xiaobei just stood aside and listened in a daze. There were many things he didn't understand at his age, but he was deeply attracted.The Shaotang that was relayed from others had a different feeling from the person he was familiar with.

After Shaotang finished his business, he thanked him very solemnly, without talking nonsense, got up from the sofa and left, and Officer Wang couldn't help shouting from behind.

Meng Jianmin listened to the back and forth from the side, wondering in his heart, He Shaotang's expression and tone when he talked with the other party, the etiquette was complete, the speech was straightforward, but in his bones he was rusty and indifferent, the distance seemed to be thousands of miles apart, the eyes met but intriguing, never Like normal relationship!

Mrs. Wang's wife is a dignified and polite female cadre. She enthusiastically makes tea and carries a basket of vegetables to go out to buy vegetables.Shaotang respectfully called the other party "Auntie".At this auntie, Meng Jianmin suddenly realized it!

Shaotang stopped his "auntie" from letting her go out, but Mrs. Guan waved her hands away, not to disturb their conversation.That aunt is a kind and kind person. After carrying the vegetable basket downstairs that day, she realized that she only brought the basket and no wallet. She was embarrassed to go upstairs again, so she took the vegetable basket and circled the small garden downstairs, and circled eight times. Son.

The two men talked in the bedroom at home.

The bedroom door was ajar, Meng Jianmin sat in the living room with his son, heard everything, and was moved with emotion, but he couldn't get a word in, and he was embarrassed to leave first.

The catastrophe of ten years is the tragedy of the turbulent years in the past.

He Shaotang's surname is not He, but his original name is Wang Shaotang. His mother gave him a nice name.

The person in the room was Wang Jingcheng, a man in his fifties, with a trembling voice: "Xiaotang, come and leave without saying a few homely words, do you really hate me?"

Shaotang calmly explained: "No, really not, you think too much, it's all over."

Wang Jingcheng said: "Has it passed? It has passed. Why did you leave Beijing at that time, run alone in the valley for so many years, and refused to contact me...I love you, I love you, really, I have always...I am very Sorry, I..."

Shaotang said seriously: "I was young and ignorant at the time. I deserved to go to Xigou to practice for a few years. This is not a good thing... I have been a soldier for many years, and I have lived a good life in these years , didn’t suffer much.”

Wang Jingcheng said sadly: "I, I actually miss your mother very, very, very much..."

This man in his 50s actually started crying from this sentence!Cry so loudly!Maybe it's because I have suppressed and pretended for too long at ordinary times, and I have no chance to show my truest emotions. Once the ban is lifted, it will explode, causing my throat to choke, trembling and panting while talking!

On the contrary, Shaotang remained calm from the beginning to the end, stood up, and then sat down slowly: "You said you are too, you have been separated from my mother for so many years, you are not considered a family, why are you crying in front of me? You Don't do that."

I have never seen Lao Tzu crying in front of his son, what is this called!

Cadre Wang was struggling psychologically, but also felt that he was wronged and could not be understood. As he got older, he became more and more like a child. He took off his glasses and wiped his tears: "I just want to cry, you make me cry In a while!"

"I didn't dare to cry when your mother died. I was afraid of making a mistake. I didn't have the opportunity to cry. I didn't have a memorial service and a cemetery for her. I kept it in my heart. I was so uncomfortable! I really, I really, I really It's the one who loves her... always... woo woo woo woo..."

Shaotang looked at the person in front of him without moving, "You love her."

Wang Jingcheng choked up and said, "Believe me, I was forced, forced."

Shaotang was expressionless, and pursed his lips: "I was forced to divorce her, and I couldn't walk with her."

Wang Jingcheng cried: "I was forced to be helpless, I was forced to go to Liangshan! But I never said anything bad about your mother, not a single word!...I admit that I have no ability, no backbone, I am cowardly...I, I am sorry for her ... woo woo woo..."

Shaotang heard this silence for a long time, feeling a little sad: "You still love her."

Wang Jingcheng said: "I can't forget her, I can't let her go. Xiaotang, I didn't expect you to come to me today."

With a deep voice, Shaotang asked back: "Love also left. I drew a line when my mother was in the most difficult and desperate time. Do you still love? Tell me, what is love?"

In a word, Wang Jingcheng choked up and lost his voice, crying!Facing Shaotang, he bent down his old waist, or his waist had never been straight.

Meng Jianmin was surprised, and he had never seen a high-ranking cadre who called the wind and rain to do big things with more than [-] people outside, crying in front of his family in private, in such a cowardly and cowardly manner, it was impossible to look directly at him.

It was only then that he realized how much he owed Shaotang.

I haven't asked for anything in ten years.How much Shaotang was unwilling to step into this house, how troublesome, after all, it was not because of his son Meng Xiaobei's troubles with the brothers.

Wang Jingcheng kept apologizing to Shaotang, trying to repent.

Shaotang waved his hands, there was no quarrel, no yelling, and the eyes were filled with moist water vapor. In the end, he just said two words: You really didn't feel sorry for my mother. You two broke up peacefully. There is no resentment. I don't have the right to make irresponsible remarks about the disasters that millions of people experienced and suffered back then. I really don't hold grudges against you.

As a junior, I am not qualified.But as a man like you, I am an adult, and I understand what a man is.I just feel that sometimes you are not a man.You're a man, you're a husband, how could you leave the one you love in that situation?What is love? It is that when you have no way to go in front of the most difficult and desperate life, even if you can only crawl forward on your knees, you still hold her hand and don't let go, and make a way for that person.I thought it was love.

It's not that I underestimated you, if I were you, I would never let go.

……

Wang Jingcheng cried for a while and finally said, next Sunday will be your mother's day. It has been more than ten years. I want to pay homage. Can you go with me?

Shaotang had no words to answer, and was silent for a long time: "Don't cry, if you want to go, you should go by yourself another day."

Wang Jingcheng was not reconciled, and begged again: "Xiaotang, I will definitely help you with your friends' affairs. You also promise me one condition, and come and see me often in the future."

Shaotang remained silent, probably because he was forced to agree to the exchange of family affection.

At this time, Meng Jianmin and his father were still sitting in the living room, listening to the wall in a daze.

Meng Xiaojing managed to understand a sentence, raised his head and said, "Dad, next Sunday is my brother's and my birthday."

Meng Jianmin: "...um."

Meng Xiaobei leaned against the door, quietly listening to his father and his grandma learning these words, automatically filtering out what he didn't understand, with no expression on his face, he touched the copper bullet hanging on his chest.

He suddenly wanted to see his little dad, wanted to hug and comfort his possibly sad little dad, and missed him very much.