paranoid dependence

When Shen Nian pushed the door open and entered the room, the 'hum' sound of the electric fan on the desk that had been in disrepair for a long time also started to weaken. He glanced at the slowly decelerating fan blades and flipped on the switch of the overhead light, but it didn't turn on.

The power went out again.

There was still a physics paper on the desk, only the last big question was left, Shen Nian walked over and decided to finish it.

After the problem was solved, the voices of the neighbors came out of the window one after another, most of them were cursing. Why was the power cut off again?

Yes, the weather forecast says it's 39 degrees today, it's so hot.

Jianjia Lane, an urban village where Shen Nian lives, has been experiencing frequent power outages recently. There may be three or four days a week when there is no power. Because of the separate allocation to the factory, the remaining power consumption load is too large, unless another transformer is added, but they also have to apply to their superiors for this matter, and they will settle it after approval.

As for when it will be approved, who knows?Anyway, it’s just like this, maybe it’s almost the same after the dog days pass.

Shen Nian cleaned up the desk and went out again.

When the grandparents sitting in the alley saw him, they greeted him with smiles. Some asked him if he had finished his homework, some asked him when school started, and some asked him:

"I heard that your father is going to bring you a younger brother? Is it true? When will he bring you back?"

Grandpa Zhang's question made the bustling Jianjia Lane suddenly quiet, except for the constant cicadas on the trees, the only sound was the whistling of the plantain fan in Grandpa Zhang's hand.

"What is this old man talking about? What's the matter with you about the old Shen's family? It's too lenient." Grandma Qin, who lives in the deepest part of the alley, was the first to speak out: "No wonder your children don't come to see you. Well, the mouth is too broken, annoying, Xiao Nian ignore him."

"Hey, what are you old woman talking about? My children don't come because they are too busy with work and make a lot of money in the city. Who is like you? No one comes to see you all year round."

Grandpa Zhang and Grandma Qin quarreled again, no one cared about Shen Nian's answer, and Shen Nian ignored it, anyway, this alley has been noisy for so many years, it has already become a regular event.

But Grandpa Zhang was right, his father, Shen Chongshan, wanted to bring a child back to take care of him, and he already went to pick him up today, so he will be back soon after counting the time.

Shen Nian stood under the rainbow umbrella propped up by the entrance of the small shop at the street corner, wondering what the child brought back by Shen Chongshan would look like, and whether he would be easy to get along with.

But whether they get along well or not, I'm afraid they will live together in the future.

Shen Chongshan is a truck driver. He spends more than half of the year racing outside. Shen Nian seldom sees him, but he came back suddenly a month ago. He doesn't know what happened. He seems to be in a bad mood. He goes out early and late every day. Gui, even if he didn't go out occasionally, he would sit in the courtyard alone in a daze staring at the creepers all over the wall, and Shen Nianruo would not hear him calling for something.

After maintaining this state for more than half a month, Shen Chongshan told Shen Nian that his best friend passed away, leaving a ten-year-old boy unattended, and wanted to take him home and live together.

Shen Nian was a little surprised but had no objection, but he wanted to ask Shen Chongshan, you are not at home for more than half a year, who will take care of the child when you bring it back?But Shen Nian didn't ask, he felt that he didn't have the qualifications.

The sun at three or four o'clock in the afternoon is the most poisonous time, even standing under the umbrella is still uncomfortable, there is no one at the end of the road, Shen Chongshan may not come back for a while, Shen Nian is hesitating whether to go back wait.

But he could hear the discussion in the alley standing here, and he was afraid that it would become the focus again when he walked back.

He doesn't want to.

"Xiao Nian—"

When hesitating where to stay for a while, a voice scattered Shen Nian's thoughts, following the voice, Liang Qiu was galloping over from a distance on a bicycle while waving his hands.

When he got to the front, the handsome guy made a sharp turn, Shen Nian was afraid that his immature skills would scratch him, so he subconsciously took a step back.

"Handsome?" Liang Qiu stopped in front of him and raised his chin and asked him.

Shen Nian hooked the corners of her lips: "It's okay."

"Why are you standing here?" Liang Qiu looked at the street where there was no one in the front and back: "What about calcium supplementation?"

Shen Nian smiled and didn't speak, Liang Qiu didn't ask any more questions, as a young boy, he really couldn't understand Shen Nian's temperament, so he took a step forward and hooked Shen Nian's neck:

"If you don't say it, don't say it. Let's go, please drink a cold drink."

There is no electricity in the cold drink hall, Liang Qiu couldn't make any ice cream, so he could only buy two bottles of soda in the end. The boss said firmly that it was iced, but it was only slightly cooler than body temperature, Liang Qiu Almost desperate:

"If I knew it earlier, I would have taken you to my house. I've really had enough of this broken place."

The dilapidated place that Liang Qiu talked about was also the place where he had lived for more than ten years. It was not until three years ago that Liang Qiu's father's business improved, and it could almost be said that he became rich overnight, so he moved to the city, even though he was not in the same place. Live, but Liang Qiu often comes back, if it wasn't for the power outage, he wouldn't dislike this place so much.

The room was stuffy and it was roasting outside, so Liang Qiu squatted at the door of the cold drink hall, with half of his body inside and half outside, and asked Shen Nian:

"Have you finished your summer homework?"

Hearing the sound, Shen Nian cast her eyes on him, seeing Liang Qiu's flattering smile, Shen Nian smiled helplessly:

"Copy again?"

Liang Qiu got up and walked over to stand beside Shen Nian.Holding his neck and discussing with Shen Nian:

"I made an agreement with my mother. If I can finish my summer homework within three days, she will buy me a mountain bike that I like. Help? You know, I am not bad at studying, I am serious about the exam. I still take it very seriously, isn’t it just that I am too lazy to do my summer homework.”

This was true, so Shen Nian didn't refuse, and walked home together with Liang Qiu after drinking a bottle of cold drink in the scorching heat. The crowd in the alley still didn't disperse, but the topic was no longer about the Shen family. It's over, Shen Nian greeted them and led Liang Qiu into his yard. When he entered the house, the topic in the alley changed to Shen's family again.

Shen Nian took out his summer homework from his room as if he hadn't heard it, and handed it to Liang Qiu. Liang Qiu took it with a smile, glanced outside the door, and asked:

"Uncle Shen really wants to bring a child back?"

"Yeah." Shen Nian said, "I've picked it up today."

"Uncle Shen doesn't stay at home all year round. Isn't bringing a child back here to find something for you? Can your mother agree?"

Shen Nian saw that he didn't speak, Liang Qiu realized something belatedly in the silence, and said:

"Your mother, she..."

"She never contacted me." Shen Nian said.

Shen Chongshan and You Xiaoyue divorced three years ago, without notifying himself, Shen Nian only said something to him when Shen Nian came home from school and found that all traces of his mother had disappeared at home:

"Your mother is gone, and we will live together as father and son in the future."

Also from that time on, Shen Nian never saw You Xiaoyue again, and You Xiaoyue never came back even once, and she didn't even connect to the phone, it was like... It was like she forgot that she had a son.

But even if he had contact with You Xiaoyue, Shen Nian felt that she would not react, because she didn't care about him when she was here.

Liang Qiu didn't know what to say, even though he was the best friend, he couldn't understand Shen Nian in some aspects, for example, he didn't know why he was only 14 years old, but he had a calmness that could only be seen in adults , I don't know why he can accept Shen Chongshan's absence from home for more than half a year without crying or fussing, let alone why he agreed with Shen Chongshan to take that child back.

"Shen Nian." Liang Qiu looked at him, "I don't think you consider me a friend."

Shen Nian seemed not expecting him to say that, and was stunned for a moment: "Why do you say that?"

"I'll tell you everything, even you know when I'm constipated." Liang Qiu said, "But I think you haven't told me many secrets."

Shen Nian laughed when he heard the words:

"Liang Qiu, have you ever thought that I don't really want to know when you will be constipated?"

Liang Qiu: "..."

Liang Qiu looked at him helplessly and was about to say that these were two different things when there was a noise from the alley.

"Hey, Chongshan is back? Why did you come back in a pickup truck? What good things did you buy?"

"This is the child you told the village committee to bring back, right? It's so pretty, it looks like a child from the city at first glance, so good."

When Shen Nian and Liang Qiu walked out upon hearing the sound, Shen Chongshan jumped off the back of a small pickup truck, went to the passenger seat and opened the door, stretched out his hand to hug a child, the little boy seemed very scared, I have never seen so many people, even if they were put on the ground, they still hugged Shen Chongshan tightly, buried their face in his back and did not let go.

Shen Chongshan stroked Gu Zhi's hair with his backhand, looking very happy, and said to the two workers who came by pickup truck together:

"Trouble you, this is the one, thanks for your hard work."

Most of the people living in the alley were old people, and most of them were illiterate. Someone asked again: "Chongshan, what are you buying?"

"Air conditioner." Shen Chongshan smiled: "The child has just come to live, I'm afraid he'll be hot."

"Yo." Grandpa Zhang heard the words, with a slightly yin and yang tone: "This is the first day you got it back and you were so close. How come I didn't see you being so kind to Xiao Nian?"

At this time, there are still a few air conditioners in the village, at least the first one in Jianjia Alley.

The worker moved very neatly, and the neighbor had already moved the two boxes off the back of the pickup truck while talking to Shen Chongshan. Shen Nian stood at the door and stepped aside to let them into the yard. At this moment, he Hearing Shen Chongshan's voice, he said:

"Xiao Nian is not afraid of heat."

Liang Qiu looked at Shen Nian almost subconsciously, Shen Nian seemed not to feel his gaze, walked over to Shen Chongshan and called 'Dad', Shen Chongshan turned around and said with a smile:

"Where is Xiao Nian at home? Just let me introduce you, this is Gu Zhi, who will live with us in the future."

Shen Nian looked at the boy who was holding him behind Shen Chongshan, he didn't see the face, only saw two thin but fair arms, hugging Shen Chongshan tightly, Shen Chongshan looked at him sideways, coaxing him, with a soft tone:

"Gu Zhi, come out and see brother, he is the Shen Nian I mentioned to you, he will take care of you with my uncle in the future."

Shen Nian didn't know if Gu Zhi had met Shen Chongshan before, so he trusted him and listened to him very much. After Shen Chongshan finished saying this, he let go of Shen Chongshan a little, poked his head out from behind him Come to look at yourself, greet Shen Nian cautiously but politely, and call him:

"Miss my brother."