prophet

"It's okay, that's how we came here." Father Xia looked at the dumplings in the bowl and clicked his tongue twice.

"Hey, don't tell me, I almost forgot. When your father was young, he was in a hurry in the kitchen every time, and the dishes he cooked were too bad for human beings." Mother Xia saw that the father and son had a tendency to let go of their previous suspicions. , grinning.She recalled that when the two first got married and lived together, many problems that were not discovered during their passionate relationship emerged one by one, and the couple experienced many sweet and annoying frictions. "I really didn't expect at the time that you turned out to be like that..."

"What is this and that?" Father Xia said angrily.The atmosphere gradually became active, and the people at the table were chatting and laughing, and from time to time they brought the topic to Xia Yubing.Xia Yubing knew that his parents wanted to know more about his situation this year, but he had never been a talkative person, and would often answer their questions in a few sentences. Once upon a time.

"I remember when I was just pregnant—" Xia's mother seemed to think of something suddenly, and swallowed the words again, with a wrinkle between her brows.

Father Xia looked at his wife, and his eyes met. Father Xia instantly understood why his wife didn't continue talking.The atmosphere became a little delicate in an instant.

"Should we go to the temple to pray for blessings tomorrow?" The words came out suddenly, and the people at the table looked at Xia Yubing who rarely raised topics.

People in the Xia family have never been superstitious, but they have developed the habit of going to the temple to pray for blessings at least once a year. The starting point was 13 years ago. Since then, one person has never returned. There has been no news for many years, which makes people feel in a daze Did that person really exist?Xia's father and Xia's mother always have the same illusion. Is that person an illusion?But why is there such a painful hallucination?But the yellowed photos on the bottom of the box told them it was real.In the year when the two brothers were kidnapped, the family did not know how many times they went to the police station. At the beginning, the people in the police station would tell them with great apology and sympathy that the case was still not making much progress. The visit made the policemen impatient, and the cryptic phrase "more or less good" that had been kept in their hearts woke them up like cold water. While waking them up, it also extinguished their hopes.Xia's father admitted, but Xia's mother was still not reconciled. In the end, she could only hope for the gods of nothingness. She thought, maybe it would be really useful?It was also from that year that she began to take Xia Yubing to the temple to pray.But no matter what, in this family, the person who makes people sad when mentioned has gradually become an unspoken taboo topic.

That year, although Xia Yubing was only five years old, he still remembered very clearly that it was because of him that his elder brother fell into a situation of eternal doom.If it wasn't for him, his brother would definitely be able to escape, if it wasn't for him, his brother would definitely be out of danger.But no if.Xia Yubing may not have known what that meant when he was a child, but as he grew up, he gradually understood that the guilt in his heart also grew up, and he became the last person in the family who was reluctant to mention his brother's name.But now, it was he who took the initiative to provoke the topic.This can't help but surprise them.

Sensing the surprised gazes of the people around him, Xia Yubing chewed and swallowed the last dumpling in his mouth, and then brought up another matter.

"During the National Day holiday, our college had a folk gathering activity, and we went in a free team. We went to a place called Yunshui Town, which is a very famous water town in that area. It felt a bit like Wuzhen to me. There, I met I met a man, a very good man, we met at the dinner table, he said he was on a business trip, I thought there would be no next meeting, but the next day, I found out that he appeared next to the hotel in the century In the time-honored steamed stuffed bun shop, we would always run into him later on, and later on, I found out that we actually knew the same person. He also helped us solve a very difficult matter. Fate is really amazing." Xia Yubing picked the wind The thrilling accidents that happened during the process were hidden, and the narration was unhurried, but the next sentence he said made people look sideways: "I think he looks like my brother to me."

Xia's father and Xia's mother were both surprised and happy when they heard the words.But Xia Yubing didn't seem to notice it, he paused and continued: "But I know, he's not. If he is, why didn't he recognize me when I said my name?" Several people at the dinner table Hearing the words are silent.

"But I thought, what would my brother be like if he wasn't like this?" No one answered him.

Xia Yubing looked at the dishes in front of him, but his eyes drifted to nowhere. He continued: "But I always think that my brother should be like that now. No matter where he is, he will have a good life. My brother has always been That's the kind of person, isn't it?"

This sentence was confusing at first, but Father Xia and Mother Xia still understood what he meant.His elder brother has always been a considerate person and always thinks of others, so he sacrificed himself to protect his younger brother in a critical moment. He saved his younger brother not to make him feel guilty, but to let him be safe. , Live happily.So what reason does he have to resent?

I don't know how long the silence lasted, but Xia's father sighed and said, "Xiaoyu has grown up." He looked at his wife, and the moment their eyes met, they both captured comfort and emotion in each other's eyes. So many years have passed , should have been relieved long ago.Their children have been looking forward to them all the time.

Mother Xia hesitated for a while, then said with a smile, "Let's go to the temple tomorrow to have a look."

Xia Yubing nodded: "Can you tell me about my brother?" The year his brother was kidnapped, he was only five years old after all, and even his face was blurred in his memory.

"Well...you two brothers look...really not alike at all." Father Xia looked at Xia Yubing and frowned and thought for a while and said.

"Nonsense, they are very similar, especially the nose and lips are exactly the same." Mother Xia said angrily.

"How do you remember it so clearly?" Father Xia looked at his wife suspiciously, and then at his son: "I remember, your brother used to be a handsome guy, but you were like a doll when you were young, like a girl."

Xia Yubing, who has always hated being told that she looks like a girl: "..."

"It's obviously very similar. I just saw the photo not long ago." Xia's mother said.

"I said what you were sneaking around in the room before, so that's what you were doing." Father Xia teased.

"Who said I was sneaky..."

A few people talked to each other, and the atmosphere gradually became better again.

Xia Yubing watched his parents bicker, and the corners of his mouth gradually curled up.He suddenly thought of the marriage blessing that Qu Hedong had sought in Yunshui Town, and smiled.At that time, the campus network was really noisy.He talked a lot tonight, including that Xia Tong who looked like his brother.But he knew he still had some words left unsaid.For example, Qu and Dong who have been taking care of him like brothers.Qu Hedong, how are you doing in London?What are you doing now?Xia Yubing couldn't help thinking.

The author has something to say:

I finally have time to write--don't hit me, I will write well--