River City Story

Lao Jiang's life is very regular, and he can cook a pot of health porridge for himself until 11 o'clock every day, but he couldn't make it today.As soon as he cleaned the casserole, he heard an earth-shattering cry from the outer room, which was quite familiar.Lao Jiang ran out to have a look, isn't this Lin Yan's younger brother He Zhengxi?

"Brother Xiaohe, what's the matter? Where's your brother?" Lao Jiang asked him with a smile while holding the pot.

He Zhengxi hiccupped from crying and couldn't speak clearly. Lao Jiang stretched his neck and listened for a while before he realized that Lin Yan fell asleep at home and fell unconscious.He threw down the casserole and carried the medicine box on his back, and ran to the old ancestral hall with He Zhengxi.

Lao Jiang was an old resident of Linshui Street, but it was the first time he entered this dilapidated house at the end of the alley.The small courtyard was kept clean, and there was a vegetable field in the corner. A few small clothes were hung on the drying poles, shaking back and forth with the wind.At first glance, there is actually a warm and comfortable taste.

Lao Jiang didn't have more time to visit, he was dragged by He Zhengxi all the way to Lin Yan's small bedroom.

"Grandpa Jiang, take a look. My brother is sick and I can't wake him up. He almost rolled his eyes just now." As he spoke, He Zhengxi was about to burst the embankment again. He was stared at by Lao Jiang, and he sucked Snot, hold back hard.

Lin Yan was wandering in Taixu at the moment, he had already become a reserve member of Dengxian, and he was just about to make a comeback.The faces of Xu Jialin and He Zhengxi were floating in the sky like kites, shaking his eyes so much.He decided to ignore those two psychopaths, and it was more important to cultivate immortality.Lin Yan pondered, according to the process in the novel, he had to ask a master first, the kind of expert.This mountain is shrouded in clouds and mist, and it looks like a fairy, and there are Taoist boys on the steps, with a ball in a bun, there should be a big shot.

The mountain gate was wide open, Lin Yan stepped forward and knocked on the rusty door knocker, the Taoist boys were all busy, no one came to greet him.Lin Yan seemed to be in the land of no one, he walked up the steps in a grand manner, walked for more than an hour, and finally came to the front of the main hall.He took a few breaths tremblingly, and stood outside the door with a respectful appearance, intending to speak out.

At this time, the ground suddenly shook like an earthquake, Lin Yan quickly hugged the pillar with his hands and feet, only to see that cracks began to appear around the magnificent hall, golden lights scattered in all directions, Lin Yan freed a hand to cover his eyes tightly.He peeked through the gap between his fingers, it seemed that someone came out of the golden light.The man was naked, with two rice balls in a bun, dressed like a Taoist boy, and he was not short, about 1.9 meters tall.The 1.9-meter giant Taoist boy was running towards Lin Yan.

Lin Yan didn't think this image was very good-looking, so he simply covered his eyes again. When someone ran to him, Lin Yan sneaked a peek through his fingers again curiously.

Lin Yan tremblingly pointed at the big tall man in front of him, tremblingly tremblingly said:

"He... He Zhengxi?! What's the matter with your height! How come you have grown to 1.9 meters, and you still have a 7-year-old face!"

I saw that Daotong squatting on the ground, pouted his mouth: "Brother——!"

This cry can be described as piercing clouds and cracking stones. Lin Yan's ears tightened when he heard it, and he was about to run. Within two steps, the 1.9-meter-long version of He Zhengxi, a giant version of a child's face, grabbed his arm tightly. He... He Da The child cried out loudly:

"Brother!!!"

Lin Yan's whole body trembled, and he repeatedly begged for forgiveness.

I will not be immortal anymore, please let me go, please remember to turn my brother into a 7-year-old, this appearance is too scary, I can't bear it.Perhaps it was the Master of the Heavenly Emperor who really heard Lin Yan's request. Soon, a giant finger stretched out from the hall, carrying the wind and landed on Lin Yan's forehead. With a light tap of the giant finger, Lin Yan felt his body suddenly become lighter. The whole person flew into the void.He was shaking and was about to stand still, when another gust of wind hit, and with the force of the wind, Lin Yan was suddenly forcibly thrown into the chaos again.

After floating up and down for a long time, a ray of light suddenly split the darkness in front of me.Lin Yan blinked and woke up. He was stunned for a moment, and recognized that he was lying on Lao Jiang's back. He took a look at his side from the corner of his eye. It was ok, ok, He Zhengxi was short, so Go to sleep at ease.

The sun was shining brightly outside, but He Zhengxi's heart seemed to be in an ice cellar, empty and cold.

He looked at Lin Yan who was sleeping in front of him, and felt that the little piece of sky he had managed to prop up was about to collapse, and the anxiety scattered all over the ground formed a circle, firmly blocking him in the middle.

"...Brother, wake up! Don't sleep! Brother!!"

The 7-year-old unlucky boy He Zhengxi grinned and cried loudly in the "Jianghu Doctor" clinic, his nose and tears seemed to be releasing floods, and Lao Jiang couldn't bear to look directly at him.

"Cry! Cry on your stomach next to your brother's ear, maybe you will wake me up directly!"

"Really?" He Zhengxi sobbed and braked.

Lao Jiang stroked his non-existent long beard and nodded solemnly: "Of course."

He Zhengxi believed it, and he carefully moved half a circle to the other side of Lin Yan's small hospital bed, sniffing his nose while walking.He grabbed Lin Yan's hand and sat down on the chair like he did in a TV drama.He Zhengxi stared at Lin Yan's pale, sweating face, and all kinds of emotions surged into his heart again.

"Wow--brother!! Get well soon, I'm a fool, I'm not mad at you anymore, wake up quickly! I'll cook for you, and I'll get 100 points in the exam , I won’t bully you when I grow to 1.9 meters! Brother! If you don’t want me, no one will want me!!”

From He Zhengxi's own point of view, he cried miserably, which can be regarded as tears for those who heard it and sadness for those who saw it, but Lao Jiang sat beside him, almost laughing out loud.

He was used to seeing He Zhengxi playing tricks, and it was indeed the first time that he collapsed like this.He Zhengxi's crying with an accent was really a little funny.Poor He Zhengxi acted like no one else, and cried to himself for about 2 or 3 minutes, then Lin Yan woke up frowning.

He opened his eyes and saw that He Zhengxi was crawling into his arms with snot and tears all over his face.Lin Yan turned his head and aimed at the trash basket.

"Cough—vomit cough!"

He Zhengxi was frightened by Lin Yan's reaction and did not dare to move.

how?Is it true that I am so hated by my brother... I will feel sick when I see me?

Lin Yan retched twice, but he didn't spit out anything, and lay back on the bed again.His ears were buzzing, his throat seemed to be clogged, he couldn't move up and down, he couldn't even breathe, he had to open his mouth and breathe hard.He Zhengxi drooped his head, not daring to look at Lin Yan. Just now he had exhausted all his energy from crying, but now Lin Yan woke up, and started to feel sleepy as if he had to catch up.

Seeing He Zhengxi's appearance, Lin Yan felt very sorry. He cleared his throat and said in a low voice, "Go home. I'll just sleep at Lao Jiang's place for another hour. There's lunch on the table. Remember to eat it, don't you?" If you like it, you can go out and buy it with change, but you must not start your own fire."

He Zhengxi wiped his eyes and nodded.He wanted to take a nap, but he felt that he couldn't leave Lin Yan in the clinic. He struggled for a long time, but instinct overcame reason.When he came to the door, he came back and said, "Brother, this small bed is enough for the two of us to sleep in."

Lin Yan was able to roll his eyes smoothly this time, he gritted his teeth and said, "Go home, wash your dirty face, and change your dirty clothes!" He Zhengxi had no idea about cleanliness, so he agreed like a goose, and ran away go home.Lin Yan sent the ancestor away and closed his eyes again. He was dizzy and needed to catch up on sleep.

Seeing that the sweat on his face had lessened, Lao Jiang got up and hung a sign outside the door for a temporary rest, walked to the small kitchen at the back of the clinic, and started washing rice and cooking porridge.Lin Yan was suffering from heatstroke, and his body was too tired. In addition, his ears were injured in a previous car accident, and his dizziness symptoms were a bit severe.

He Zhengxi returned home, washed his face and changed his clothes according to Lin Yan's instructions.He was already so sleepy that he was about to nod his head, but he still wanted to listen to what Lin Yan said.He Zhengxi put away the things on the table and went to open the refrigerator.The cold air rushed to He Zhengxi's face, driving away his drowsiness.Vegetables, fruits, and cooked food are arranged neatly and beautifully on the upper shelf of the refrigerator.He squatted down and pulled open the frozen layer. Apart from two boxes of his favorite ice cream, there was only one piece of beef cut into small cubes. It was clean, in Lin Yan's style.

This refrigerator is very old, and it could only be used as a cabinet when he first came here, but it has been repaired now.He Zhengxi didn't know when Lin Yan asked someone to fix it. He didn't care about these things at all, and Lin Yan was always taking care of them.

He Zhengxi closed the refrigerator door, suddenly feeling sad.From coming to this house to now, Lin Yan has done many things for him.Obviously both of them are children, but Lin Yan is already like a real brother.Lin Yan can grow vegetables, bargain, do laundry, and cook.Lin Yan's chat was very interesting. He could read the collection of jokes in the cracks in the old newspapers every time.

The more He Zhengxi thought about it, the more frustrated he became, and he lost his appetite.Lin Yan is probably the best brother in the world. , but what did I do?Awkward?Recently, he learned the term "Cold War" from TV dramas, which may be very suitable for his current state.He Zhengxi wanted to punch himself, but he was afraid of pain, so after thinking about it for a long time, he took the bench and fumbled to learn how to wash clothes.He had never used a wooden washboard before, so He Zhengxi lifted it up and weighed it, it was very heavy, rubbing his fingers back and forth on it made it a little painful.

He felt that his elder brother was really strong.

He Zhengxi's clothes were washed so-so, but the more obvious stains were gone, he was quite proud.The clothes drying pole in the yard is not high, and He Zhengxi can use it by stepping on a bench. When standing on it, his field of vision is wider, and the corners and corners that he didn't pay attention to before seem to fall into his eyes all at once. .

The small water tank where the silver carp was temporarily kept was shining, and the beans planted by Lin Yan began to climb. Next to a few crops of small green vegetables, there were two sunflowers, one tall and one short, blooming towards the sun.He Zhengxi didn't know how much thought and energy Lin Yan, who was only 10 years old, put in to take care of this dilapidated and messy courtyard.Although he was grateful to Uncle Xu for picking him up from the trash can, Uncle Xu left the next day, and Lin Yan was always taking care of him. ,

He Zhengxi met many children as old as Lin Yan during his more than 2 years of being abducted.Perhaps because of the ups and downs and deceptions, most of them lost their spirits in their eyes, and there was no trust in each other, and they even started to form cliques.When He Zhengxi was participating in their escape plan, he was denounced by a child who was half a year older than him, and had no choice but to jump off the Xicheng Expressway.

Fortunately, he was still alive at the time, but his knee was bloody from the fall, but He Zhengxi could only run in his mind, and didn't notice that he was injured at all.Later, when he arrived at the old ancestral hall, it was Lin Yan who discovered it first and treated his wound.

"You're going to fester, what did you do, hiss... it hurts so much!"

It's obvious that he was injured, why are you in pain, He Zhengxi was cursing at the time.

"Let me make it simple for you first. I'm not very good at treating wounds. I learned a little bit from Lao Jiang."

Lin Yan squatted in front of He Zhengxi's calf, chattering, the hair on the top of his head was cute in shape, and the hair color was not very dark. He Zhengxi stood for a while, and his heart gradually became more at ease.

This brother is different from the previous brothers.

After He Zhengxi finished drying his clothes, he suddenly lost his sleepiness.He didn't know until how old Xu Jialin could adopt him, nor could he predict how many years he could stay with Lin Yan.When I turn 18, will I be separated from Lin Yan?He Zhengxi panicked a little.He likes the old ancestral hall, Linshui Street, and Lin Yan, and he hopes to live here forever.He even hopes that he can grow up a little more, so that his brother may not have to get up at 05:30 in the morning during the summer vacation to sell breakfast.

7-year-old He Zhengxi set his first goal in life in a daze on this hot afternoon.

For Lin Yan, letting him lie down and sleep at home is the most tormenting.

Early the next morning, he was still preparing to go out on a regular basis.He Zhengxi had been sleeping in Xu Jialin's room, but he slept with Lin Yan last night, and when Lin Yan got up in the morning, he also woke up.

"Brother, it's so early..."

Lin Yan leaned on the edge of the bed to tie his shoelaces. After an afternoon and a whole night's sleep, he even finished a small pot of Lao Jiang's exclusive medicinal porridge. Although he was still a little top-heavy, he felt much better.Lao Li didn't know about Lin Yan's illness. At this time, he might still be waiting for him according to the agreed time.

"Go to sleep, I will make breakfast for you and warm it in the pot, remember to eat, you know."

He Zhengxi didn't answer. Seeing Lin Yan go out, he rubbed his eyes and got up, put on his clothes with a rustle, and walked into the yard.Lin Yan was washing his face, and splashed a handful of water on his face, the hot and sticky feeling was swept away, and it felt cool.He usually wears bangs, but now his smooth forehead is exposed, and a few strands of wet hair are sticking to the corners of his eyes. He is not as pale and weak as yesterday, and looks very energetic. His crystal black eyes are full of energy.

He Zhengxi stood on the steps, watching Lin Yan wash his face in bewilderment.He felt that such a brother, although different, was full of vitality.

At this time, Linshui Street is still sleeping. Occasionally, there are neighbors who get up early to work, and pass by the alley on a motorcycle. Unknown birds occasionally cry once or twice, and the faint light in the distance begins to scatter on this sleepy-eyed dim over the city.

Let the world stop at this second, He Zhengxi quietly thought.

"You're in a daze, you're like a world-class expert. If you don't sleep, follow me to Lao Li's, meat buns, small wontons, pies, eat whatever you want, and take care of your fill." He was congratulated during this period Under the influence of Zhengxi, his accent also began to deviate, and coupled with his original speaking habits, it sounded strange and cute. He Zhengxi smiled after hearing it.

"Virtue, I don't understand you." Lin Yan, with a toothbrush in his mouth, passed by He Zhengxi who was giggling at the door.He didn't understand what the kid was thinking every day, and he didn't have the time to delve into it. In Lin Yan's mind, earning money is a serious thing.

When the two brothers trotted all the way to Lao Li's breakfast shop, it was exactly 6 o'clock, which was a bit late in terms of time, and Lin Yan rolled up his sleeves quickly and went into battle.He Zhengxi also wanted to help, but just as he stretched out his arm, Lin Yan held him down.

"The heat in the cage is hot, you have no experience." Lin Yan said.

He Zhengxi was a little happy, he thought that Lin Yan was thinking of himself again, he was very useful, he raised his arms to hug Lin Yan.

But soon, Lin Yan added another sentence: "When the time comes to spend money to treat injuries, the gains outweigh the losses."

He Zhengxi had no choice but to turn his elbow in the other direction in embarrassment, and scratched his hair.

At the gate of the junior high school of the experimental school, the cute kid selling breakfast came again today, and this time the kid brought a little kid.The middle school students and nearby residents who come and go like to chat here before leaving after buying breakfast, especially the female students and uncles and aunts.

"Xiao Lin is here again!"

"Hey, who is standing here, Xiao Lin, your brother?"

"It's so cute! Let my sister pinch her face!"

"My grandson is still rolling on the bed, hey, so sad."

Lin Yan was smiling the whole time, as if he was already familiar with this way of communication.Even when he is not too busy, he will specially chat with the elderly.

He is very loved by the elders, and he is working here under the sun early in the morning at a young age, which makes people feel sorry for him. It is normal for someone to want to talk to him. There is even an old lady who always goes far away. Passing by, purely to take care of Lin Yan's business.

The police on duty nearby would occasionally come over, and after knowing that he was neither in personal danger nor forced to do something, he didn't investigate further.

He Zhengxi looked at the waves of people who came to buy breakfast in front of him, feeling a little apprehensive.This was the first time he had met so many people face to face, but his adaptability was not bad, and he started playing after getting used to it slowly.He Zhengxi's personality is more cheerful and lively than Lin Yan's. When he was about to close the stall, he even sweetly called a 50-year-old grandmother "Auntie". "Auntie" laughed after hearing that, took out a pack of snacks from her pocket with a smile on her face, and stuffed it for He Zhengxi no matter what she said.

"You're really arrogant..." Lin Yan glanced at He Zhengxi while no one was around, "You're going to be twitching your tail."

He Zhengxi raised his eyebrows mischievously: "Of course, you just wait, I'm very good, little brother."

Lin Yan pursed his lips and said with a smile: "Then you have to keep working hard and try to earn a lot of money for my brother as soon as possible. I just want to live a life of eating, drinking and having fun."

He Zhengxi stood up straight with his legs together with a "snap", and gave a crooked military salute to Lin Yan: "I promise to complete the task!"

Hearing this, Lin Yan patted He Zhengxi's small shoulder with great satisfaction.

The two packed up their things and chatted for a while under the tree. When they were about to return by the same route before Lao Li came, two familiar figures appeared dangling in the distance.

Lin Yan curled his lips: "Why are you two again?"

Feng Bowen smiled: "I still want to ask, every time we meet, it's the two brothers talking about cross talk."

Lin Yan: "You guys are too late for class, you are late every day."

Feng Bowen: "You children don't understand the things of adults."

Lin Yan and Feng Bowen talked back and forth, He Zhengxi was silent, Song Rui was quite curious, usually this little brother pinches Feng Bowen, why is it so quiet today.He took a few steps forward, moved closer to the narrow and pitiful tree shade, squeezed He Zhengxi aside, and said, "Are you going out for a walk with your brother today?"

Little Brother He nodded solemnly, but remained silent.

Song Rui continued to patiently say: "It's too hot today, my brother will take you to the school canteen to eat popsicles, shall we go?"

Little Brother He shook his head, and moved half a step towards his brother.

Song Rui felt that he was about to admit defeat, he shrugged his shoulders while pinching his backpack, and said, "You suddenly changed your sex, you're not cute anymore."

At this time, Feng Bowen and Lin Yan stopped chatting, and turned their heads, and looked at He Zhengxi who had been silent all this time.

"Is it too hot? I said you should sleep at home." Lin Yan frowned and said, the temperature was 30°C at this moment, and He Zhengxi's forehead was sweating.

He Zhengxi shook his head again, he clenched his fists, and under the doubtful eyes of everyone, he said solemnly: "I want to be a steady brother."

Lin Yan was stunned after hearing this, and then laughed out a "puchi" after a few seconds: "Silly brother, do you know how old you are? We are not necessarily stable until we are 30 years old. That is the old man's thing."

The courage that He Zhengxi mustered disappeared in an instant, he lowered his head shyly, grabbed the seam of his trousers tightly and let out a groan.

Lin Yan shook his drooping head and rubbed it vigorously.He Zhengxi received the silent comfort from his brother, and his mood quickly recovered. He tacitly accepted Lin Yan's task just now, and continued to confront Feng Bowen intently.

The four of them didn't play for too long, and soon, the grade director who subdued Song Rui appeared at the school gate.He was wearing glasses, a shirt and trousers, with a gentle demeanor, and even a pair of leather shoes on his feet.With such a dress, his running steps are actually very neat, and he is even more energetic when he shouts at the students.

"Song Rui, Feng Bowen! It's you two again! Come back to class for me!!"

Seeing this, the two people who had been named stopped chatting, and left Lin Yan and brothers behind, and surrounded the school gate with the teacher, running around twice like a wild donkey grinding a mill, and ran back.

Lin Yan and He Zhengxi watched such a real farce for free, and they were very happy.Soon Lao Li came to pick him up by bicycle, but Lin Yan and He Zhengxi didn't get in the car either. They pushed Lao Li one by one, and returned to Linshui Street with laughter.They still ate at Lao Jiang's house for lunch this day.After cutting the pulse earlier, Lin Yan turned his head to leave, but was caught by Lao Jiang, who insisted on letting the two children try the new herbal porridge he just tried.

Naturally, He Zhengxi was very happy and agreed immediately, but Lin Yan was very conflicted.He is not used to accepting favors from others, but consciously or unconsciously, he is always enjoying them. Lin Yan is confused and hesitant about this.What's more, Lao Jiang's porridge is indeed rich in nutrition, but the taste and appearance are really weird to the extreme.In terms of eating, Lin Yan is still an ordinary child who is very superficial and only pays attention to external beauty and intuitive experience.

But even though there were countless thoughts hidden in his heart, Lin Yan still didn't leave.Lao Jiang was very close to them, and he couldn't bear to refuse.It was only when the two of them passed through the backyard and sat at the Dafang table that Lin Yan felt that his misunderstanding of Lao Jiang was too deep, so deep that he wished to bow to Lao Jiang immediately as an apology.

"Happy... Chinese New Year?" He picked up the bamboo chopsticks, looked at the table full of big meals, and asked stammeringly.

Roasted eggplant, steamed fish, braised chicken feet, old duck soup, and braised frog...

He Zhengxi was also dumbfounded. He was working with Lin Yan early in the morning and had a so-so breakfast. At this moment, everything seemed like a gluttonous feast.

Lao Jiang's wrinkled face showed a little bit of complacency: "Have a good meal. If you don't eat too much, you are not allowed to leave. Lao Xu is not at home, and you two can't make do, you know?" Yan was ready to listen to the teachings, but Lao Jiang didn't say more, he quickly ended the "teaching" by himself, and began to greet the two of them for dinner.

Compared with Lin Yan, the emotions in He Zhengxi's heart were more pure and straightforward.He suddenly hoped that Lao Jiang could really be the grandfather of the two of them.

After being forcibly taken away from his hometown for two years, he actually had long forgotten his grandfather's appearance and name, but He Zhengxi still vaguely remembered that his grandfather should also be a doctor, because he had a vague image of his grandfather wearing a white coat in his mind.Lao Jiang also often wears a white coat. He is still an old man, but he never sells his old age. Every time Lin Yan calls him "Lao Jiang", Lao Jiang just pats him on the head and scolds him as "little brat".

He Zhengxi chewed on the frog leg and quickly became sad.He thought he was brave, but he was still a little homesick. He wanted to know if his parents had called the police to find him, he wanted to be told stories to him when he was sleeping at night, and he wanted to lose his temper unscrupulously.

What to do, I'm going to cry.