River City Story

He Zhengxi devoted most of his energy to Lin Yan's affairs.Except for the occasional exchange of professional topics with seniors in the same department, he hardly makes new friends, and even rarely participates in group activities in classes and clubs.The students around him all know that he has an older brother with a different surname named Lin Yan, who is in the third year of junior high school. Occasionally, he will tease him, saying that he is too possessive and caring about his older brother. It's almost the same as 24 Xiaohao's younger brother.He Zhengxi couldn't help but want to laugh after hearing such words too much, thinking, can he catch someone without being possessive?Besides, it's not just a simple matter of chasing someone now. Of course, to be precise, he really didn't catch up... He Zhengxi is now in the middle of the mountain, when will he be able to climb up and take a look at the top of the mountain? The landscape is still unknown.

However, he could only yell at himself with these words.Now that He Zhengxi was facing Lin Yan, his courage was only as big as a sesame seed.His cautiousness made Lin Yan uncomfortable. Even though he knew it was not good, he still couldn't control his behavior and consciousness.

The two pushed and pulled each other. Fortunately, they both understood each other's thoughts, so their daily life was still harmonious.

At the end of November, when Yancheng entered winter, He Zhengxi was caught in a heavy rain on the way to find Lin Yan, and he suddenly vomited and diarrhea after staying at home for half a night.Lin Yan wanted to take him to the clinic, but He Zhengxi didn't bother to go, saying that he had a common cold and was sleepy and wanted to sleep. Lin Yan liked his tricks, so he agreed without thinking too much.As a result, the next morning, he opened his eyes and pushed him to get up, but he couldn't wake up no matter what.

Lin Yan sat on the bed for a few minutes before remembering to call the doctor in the community clinic, but he couldn't get through, so he dialed 120. The operator said that there was no car in the nearby hospital and he needed to transfer a car from other places. It might take a while. Arrive later.Lin Yan immediately became anxious, his voice was trembling, but fortunately he still had reason, after giving the address and hanging up the phone, he regained his composure and dressed He Zhengxi in an orderly manner.

He Zhengxi was tall and fell asleep in a state of exhaustion, the simple action of changing his coat became extremely difficult.When Lin Yan lifted his heavy head and put on a sweater for him, he suddenly felt that it was like dressing a dead person.He was made nervous again by his own thoughts, and when he got nervous, his hands trembled involuntarily.

"What should I do? I'm really useless, I can't even do this kind of thing well..."

He hugged He Zhengxi's head and muttered to himself. After several consecutive failures, Lin Yan stopped what he was doing and started to be dazed.After being stunned for a while, he said to He Zhengxi, "Wake up quickly, what's the matter with you, you don't listen to me now, you don't even go to see a doctor, and the umbrella I prepared for you doesn't matter. No need, do you really think of yourself as an adult? My brother shouldn’t have this kind of problem and drag you down like this. You are only a freshman, it’s great to have time to go out and play, what’s the matter with me every day, you’re tired Not tired, I know you are tired, tell me something quickly, He Zhengxi, you are going to kill me. What should I do, how can I tell your parents..."

"What are you talking to them about, bro." He Zhengxi who was in his arms suddenly said hoarsely.

Lin Yan was taken aback, and immediately lowered his head to see that He Zhengxi was struggling to sit up, he quickly let go of the hand that was clamping He Zhengxi's neck, and said falteringly: "...don't say anything." When I was in a hurry just now, my mind wandered, but it was conscious. Lin Yan knew what he was talking about and remembered it.

He Zhengxi raised his arms and stared at Lin Yan, "Anyway, I heard it too, although it was faint, like mosquitoes, buzzing around my ears, I was so noisy that I had to say goodbye to Meimeng reluctantly." .”

Lin Yan punched him and said: "I also punched 120, which made him miserable! Why didn't you wake up earlier?! What kind of dream did you have? Pigs are more alert than you!"

He Zhengxi picked out his ears and said innocently, "I'm hot all over now, what kind of dream are you talking about?"

Lin Yan shouted: "You have a fever! Are you hot?"

He Zhengxi yawned unsteadily, and said slowly: "Isn't that also hot?"

Lin Yan let out a cold snort from between his teeth, passed He Zhengxi, got out of bed sullenly, and went to put on his shoes.

"Brother." He Zhengxi called Lin Yan to stop him.

"What?"

He Zhengxi pulled Lin Yan's hand over, covered his face, touched Lin Yan's palm lightly with his lips, and said, "You are not useless, you are still so handsome, and your professional courses have not been missed at all. I can eat two big bowls, and I heard that there were people who wanted to date you yesterday. You are so good, I am the one who has to worry, so I don’t even have time to hold an umbrella after class, otherwise what will you do if some woman snatches you away?"

Lin Yan hadn't been swayed by He Zhengxi for a long time, and when he did it out of the blue, it was quite useful, and the nerves that had been tense just now relaxed instantly.

"Don't be a lover here," Lin Yan said with a straight face, "Think about how to explain to the emergency doctor!"

"I'm sick." He Zhengxi lay down on the bed again, spreading his limbs, "Just now I was in a coma due to a high fever."

"Fuck you!" Lin Yan cursed viciously, "You can still hear what I said from beginning to end when you are in a coma, your coma is very high-end!"

"Ask someone's emergency doctor. There are many types of coma." He Zhengxi raised his legs and hooked Lin Yan's pants with his toes with a smile.

Lin Yan was annoyed by his unscrupulous attitude, and was too angry to speak, but he didn't know what to say, so he sat down on the chair and remained silent.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, bro!" He Zhengxi got up and pulled Lin Yan's sleeve, apologizing while confiding: "I'm really dizzy, I'm so dizzy, I can't keep my eyes open! My hands and feet hurt right now... "

Lin Yan turned around to look at him, and felt that He Zhengxi's complexion was really bad, so he asked, "How do you feel now? What do you want to eat?"

"Don't you have class in the morning?" He Zhengxi rubbed his head and sat beside Lin Yan, "It's still early, let's go to the school cafeteria together."

"The doctor will come later, let them see if you need to go to the hospital." Lin Yan stood up and said.He Zhengxi is alive and well all year round, and he rarely catches a cold. It is estimated that he will not recover within a week.

"I'm going to steam egg custard, do you want to eat?"

He Zhengxi's eyes lit up instantly, and he raised his hand and said, "Please put a lot of dried shrimps!"

Lin Yan: "Can I get you a ton?"

He Zhengxi threw his head back and fell back on the bed again, and said solemnly: "If you can get a ton, I can really eat it for you."

Lin Yan laughed and cursed, "Fuck you", then closed the door and went out.

He Zhengxi was still burning, his whole body was like soaking in a hot spring, he tilted his head and soon fell asleep again.Although he fell asleep, he didn't sleep deeply, and he could still feel what the people around him were doing.Lin Yan went into the bedroom to take his temperature. He used his hand at first, and then muttered and changed to an electronic thermometer.He Zhengxi closed his eyes and thought vaguely, Lin Yan's hands are really not young people's hands, they are not tender at all, they are rough and rough, but he just likes them, from childhood to adulthood.Without these hands, his life would probably be different.

The ambulance arrived soon, and Lin Yan invited the emergency doctor into the bedroom with an apologetic expression on his face. At that time, He Zhengxi was still awake. After a brief inspection, the doctor said that if he was really worried, he could just get in the car and go to the hospital, but it was not necessary.

Lin Yan struggled for a while, and finally sent the doctor downstairs respectfully, and offered to pay the fare.The doctor ran an empty car, and there would be some pimples in his heart after all. Lin Yan also knew that it was his fault, so he bowed his head and said some words of apology.He was too anxious, so he dialed the phone without thinking carefully. His attitude at the time was not very friendly. Now that he calmed down, he felt that he was really flustered and out of shape.

When going upstairs, Lin Yan vaguely thought, maybe in his heart, He Zhengxi has become as important as Xu Jialin.Because he didn't dare to imagine what would happen to him if He Zhengxi really left one day.

Is this a habit or a liking?

Lin Yan was a complete novice when it came to feelings, and he couldn't find a more appropriate way to get along with He Zhengxi.But to be honest, the state of the two people in life is almost the same as that of ordinary couples, even closer than couples, but the physical contact has not deepened.Thinking of this, Lin Yan was a little embarrassed. He lacked interest in this kind of thing, and He Zhengxi was not old enough at all, so it would be more appropriate to put it aside for the time being.

He returned home with a mess of thoughts, went to the kitchen and took the custard warmed in the steamer into the bedroom, and handed it to the dumbfounded He Zhengxi, "Eat first, and then think about things after eating."

He Zhengxi took the egg custard, pointed to the small powder blue spoon and said, "This thing is so childlike and fun."

Lin Yan picked up another bowl on the dinner plate, raised the same small spoon, and said with a smile: "Didn't you buy this from the mall? It was said that both of you must use the same one."

"Huh? Really?" He Zhengxi recalled with his swollen head, and found that it was true.Lin Yan said at the time that it was okay to buy the same ones, but the popular stainless steel ones were more durable, and He Zhengxi didn't know what happened, so he had to go to the children's section to buy them, and finally chose the two pairs he was using now.

"Is it your girlish heart?" Lin Yan asked.

He Zhengxi snorted: "Isn't it cute? We never used such a pretty one when we were young."

Lin Yan guessed that He Zhengxi probably had a cold that caused the phenomenon of acting like a baby, so he smiled, bowed his head and ate the custard.

After eating breakfast, He Zhengxi regained his strength, shook his arms and said that he wanted to go out to class with Lin Yan, but Lin Yan disagreed and wanted him to continue sleeping at home.The two argued about this matter for another 10 minutes, and finally He Zhengxi persuaded Lin Yan. The price was that he had to wear a hat and a thick sweater, and he had to wear a coat over the thick sweater.

"I'm like a bear now." He Zhengxi followed Lin Yan and said, "Look at the school, which one is like this."

Lin Yan said: "I see that in the school yesterday, no one ran out to get wet in the cold weather."

"Actually, you can't cover a cold like this."

"The floor heating at home is too hot. You have a fever and sweat all over. If you go outside to cool down, you will get sick again if you don't wear it too much. If you are still in your head, you should know that this is common sense."

He Zhengxi is still at an age where he doesn't care about being sick, but he cares about being handsome or not.He raised his head to look at the bare sycamore trees with bald crowns and pruned branches, and found that he, like these things, was not stylish enough.Lin Yan turned to look at him for a while, and said, "Don't be melancholy, it's not too late to wait until you're done, you don't plan to find a girlfriend anymore, you care so much about what to do."

"I don't care about you." He Zhengxi jumped forward, half lying on Lin Yan's back, "Besides, I was born like this, so I don't need to be embarrassed."

"The older you get, the more shameless you are." Lin Yan bent over and turned his back on him, "I haven't seen you from head to toe, inside and out, do you still need clothes to set it off?"

He Zhengxi jumped down, stuffed his hands into Lin Yan's coat pocket, and said maturely while shaking: "The two of you get along, and it's a little fresh from time to time. Hey, you don't understand these things, and it's useless to talk about it." It's kind of cute like a child complaining about adults who can't keep up with the times.

Lin Yan chuckled and said, "You know, you're amazing, you're 17 or 8 years old, and it's still fresh to get along with. Are you stupid?"

He knew He Zhengxi very well, just like a doctor sees a patient, it makes no difference whether you wear clothes or not.Even when he just looked at He Zhengxi sometimes, he couldn't feel how handsome he was, but when he was in the crowd, he would indeed feel pretty good.

After walking a few steps, He Zhengxi suddenly said again: "You are just like the display in the window, you have no desires or desires."

Lin Yan looked over in surprise and puzzled: "What kind of metaphor is this? I also have many goals, okay?"

He Zhengxi thought to himself, should he buy a house for Uncle Xu, or provide for Uncle Xu to take care of him?Lin Yan's desire and pleasure was to earn money so that Xu Jialin could live a stable life for a few years after he was released from prison. He Zhengxi knew this very well.He was actually quite curious about Lin Yan's plans for the future, because Lin Yan had never talked about these things with him.He Zhengxi knew that he had plans to take the postgraduate entrance examination, but what would he do after graduating from graduate school? Would he continue to run a restaurant, focus on academics, or find a company to go to work every day?

"Brother, what kind of work do you like?"

"Why do you ask this?" Lin Yan said, "This is not something you can get if you like it."

He Zhengxi grabbed his hat and said, "I'll just ask, I'm curious."

Lin Yan is not willing to think about this problem. He doesn't know when his problem will be cured, and if he will do it again.What's more, there is Xu Jialin's problem. He doesn't know if it will affect his future employment.

Seeing Lin Yan's sudden silence, He Zhengxi was worried that he might have said something wrong, but soon, Lin Yan opened his mouth and gave his own answer.

"Actually, I don't know what I like." He said, "Although I have been rushing forward non-stop, it is quite difficult to really say I like it."

He Zhengxi immediately said: "Then don't think about it, use your brain, as long as you like me."

At this time, Lin Yan slyly counted with his fingers and said, "If you do the math, there are many people I like. Uncle Xu must be counted as one. Lu Chi, Mr. Zhao, Cheng Qi, and Chinese cabbage are also good... "

He Zhengxi grabbed his hand and pressed it down, begging for mercy: "Be nice to me!"

The two chatted naggingly all the way, and walked to the front of the teaching building without knowing it. It happened that Lin Yan's roommates also came to class. Cui Chen joked: "Oh, the learning assistant is here again!"

"Oh!" He Zhengxi raised his hand to greet them.He has perfectly integrated into this small group, and even exchanged contact information with these people, the purpose is naturally to inquire about Lin Yan's every move at any time.From the point of view of ordinary people, He Zhengxi's attention to Lin Yan was abnormal, but after getting used to it, he felt that it didn't matter.

He Zhengxi accompanied Lin Yan after two classes and left. Cui Chen stared at his back, which turned back every step, and praised Lin Yan: "Your brother, you have too much perseverance. Boy and girl friends don't care so much. of."

Lin Yan was lying on the desk feeling sleepy. Hearing Cui Chen's words, he yawned and said, "Are you envious? Then go find someone."

Cui Chen said angrily, "Don't mention it, we just broke up!"

"Why did you split up again? Isn't she very virtuous and beautiful? You definitely didn't treat her well."

Cui Chen also lay down on the table, and said distressedly: "Hey, I have to learn from you. You said that you two brothers have been together for so many years, why are you not bothered? I can't hold on."

Lin Yan raised his eyebrows: "What kind of analogy is this? Can brothers be like lovers?"

Cui Chen teased, "How are you guys like brothers? Are you as good as a young couple? No, you are even sweeter than a young couple!"

Lin Yan immediately fell silent, speechless, after all, he has always felt so...

"Actually, we all understand." Cui Chen patted Lin Yan's shoulder and whispered.

Lin Yan looked over in astonishment: "What do you understand?"

Cui Chen spread his hands and said, "It's not related by blood anyway."

Lin Yan felt relieved now, and asked helplessly, "How did you tell?"

Cui Chen's face was full of disbelief: "Do you still need to look carefully? Your so-called younger brother, like checking the post every day, cares about you in every detail, and his mother doesn't do this!"

Lin Yan nodded thoughtfully: "That's true, but we don't have that kind of relationship for the time being, no, it's just... not that deep."

Cui Chen leaned over with interest and smiled: "Then Xiao He is something you can't ask for? I didn't see you squatting to watch him attend class."

"You old man, what are you doing with such gossip?" Lin Yan frowned and pushed him away, then leaned back on the chair with some hesitation and said, "Actually, how should I put it, our relationship is quite balanced, not what you think Like that."

"Oh, it's mutual love." Cui Chen immediately added.

Lin Yan couldn't laugh or cry, okay, it's also considered a happy relationship.It's just that Lin Yan knew that although he nodded to He Zhengxi, compared with He Zhengxi's, that liking was still too weak, and it was far from reaching the point of passionate love.

But he is too lazy to think about it for the time being, at least he has no free time right now. Ten minutes later, he moved to the laboratory with his classmates, and it didn't take long for him to completely forget the problem.Another two hours passed, and when he got his head out of the experimental data again, He Zhengxi walked downstairs with his schoolbag on his back at regular intervals.

While eating in the cafeteria at noon, Lin Yan took out his mobile phone and flipped through the calendar and said to He Zhengxi, "December is almost here."

He Zhengxi slurred a few noodles in his mouth, "You want to go back?"

Lin Yan hummed melancholy and said, "I have asked for too much leave this semester, and I don't know how to talk to the teacher."

He Zhengxi didn't really want Lin Yan to go back to Xicheng: "Actually, you can wait for the winter vacation. Didn't Brother Lu Chi just go there recently and said that Uncle Xu is very good."

Lin Yan didn't speak, and continued to brush the calendar back and forth.

"Winter vacation will be in the first ten days of January." He Zhengxi continued, staring at his fingers that kept sliding, "It's a vacation, I have more time, and I feel more at ease, so things may go smoothly. In December, it's not an awkward time. No embarrassment, we still have to prepare for the final exam, and Uncle Xu is not worried about you leaving your studies and running back."

He Zhengxi tried to focus on persuasion, and sure enough, Lin Yan turned off the phone, rubbed his eyebrows and said, "Think about it again, I'm really tired recently, and I always feel that I have to go back."

He Zhengxi put down his chopsticks, shook Lin Yan's other hand on the table, "Don't think about so many things, we'll leave as soon as the winter vacation is over, I consulted with Lao He, and he said he would help It shouldn’t be a big problem to contact the designated hospital over there.”

"Don't bother your father. This is not an ordinary relationship. Besides, Uncle Xu is still in jail. It's not that simple."

"Why can't you use the resources? Don't you agree with this?" He Zhengxi picked up his chopsticks again, and gave Lin Yan a piece of glutinous rice balls. "We're not using our connections to break the law. You must know better than us. Your way of thinking is too tortuous, and you keep entangled in unnecessary things."

"Maybe." Lin Yan said wearily, "I can only do this in my life, I can't be free and easy."

He Zhengxi immediately realized that Lin Yan was depressed again, so he retorted: "No, you don't know how good you are at all."

"Really." Lin Yan said indifferently.

Seeing that he was not in a high mood, He Zhengxi could only shut up knowingly.

This lunch was not very pleasant. On the way back to the dormitory, Lin Yan felt uncomfortable in his stomach. After running into a nearby public toilet and throwing up, he collapsed into a cold sweat and sat on a bench outside for a long time before recovering.He Zhengxi understood that Lin Yan was upset, so he stayed quietly by his side all the time, and didn't deliberately find topics to make fun of.

Seemingly unable to think of a solution at all, He Zhengxi was very frustrated.The professional knowledge in the healing courses falls on real people and hits the wall everywhere.

Am I not hard enough, he thought, or am I too young?In five years, will I have more ideas than I have now?He Zhengxi looked up at the gray sky, at a loss.

"I'm sorry, because of my affairs, you became like this." Lin Yan said suddenly, "I've always been afraid that you would be burdened with unnecessary things."

"You're like this again." He Zhengxi pulled off his hat annoyedly, "No, I'm willing to think about your affairs every day, because we are a family, and this is all I should do."

Lin Yan said with a solemn expression: "But I don't want to see you like this, He Zhengxi, I am your eldest brother, I only hope that my younger brother can be happy every day." He lowered his head annoyedly, closed his eyes, "I'm very contradictory now. I'm not sure if it's meaningful to tell you these words now. By this time next year, if I still can't return to the original state, what should I do..."

He Zhengxi leaned closer to Lin Yan, and said in a low voice: "I am also confused, brother. But...we have persisted to this point. The most difficult time has actually passed. Going forward, the road will be more difficult. It's getting smoother, right?"

He convinced Lin Yan, and wanted to convince himself, that his heart was as cold and gloomy as the sky above his head.

The wind blew over, and a few dead leaves rubbed against the ground to make a rustling sound.He Zhengxi stretched out his foot to block one of the leaves. He moved forward a few inches, and the leaf followed suit. The wind suddenly became stronger, and the leaf flew away on its own.

Lin Yan never answered, and when there were no one else on the road, he grabbed He Zhengxi's shoulder and leaned on it lightly.