Rust II

Ding Hua, who had no problem with the signal, seemed not in a hurry this time. He listened to the other end and didn't answer. He just stood in the corner again, avoiding a passenger on the same flight who was rubbing shoulders with him, and waited patiently.

After a long while, I heard the other party's usual gentle voice whisper back: "...very good." After a pause, he asked in a lower voice than the previous moment: "You...your mobile phone number..."

"Ah? Mobile phone number?" Ding Hua paused deliberately, then raised his eyebrows slightly.

"...Mmm." Lin An responded, and two seconds later, he forced a very short smile, and asked with a little tentativeness: "...your mobile phone number...why...is different from the previous one ?”

"Huh? Different?" Ding Hua pretended to be puzzled, and then seemed to react quickly, smiled and asked: "Oh, you mean the one at the beginning of 187?" He said again, seemingly casually: " Hey, I changed that number a long time ago. It’s been almost a year since I changed it. Speaking of this, don’t mind, Linzi. It’s been too busy a while ago, and there were too many fucking things. I wanted to change the new number several times. I sent you the number, but I forgot about it as soon as I turned around a few times..." Ding Hua said nonsense in a serious manner, and a few words were obviously full of loopholes, but he was stunned by his righteousness and a little guilty conscience. Her innocent attitude and extremely sincere tone were packaged like real gold.

But at this time, Lin An had no time to distinguish the truth from the truth in the other party's language. When his brain heard the phrase "it has been a year since the number change", it was like an old-fashioned radio that lost its signal in an instant. With a sound, a burst of electric current rushed through, and fell into a deathly silence.

Ding Hua was still babbling on the other end of the phone, he couldn't hear him at all, and he just responded indiscriminately instinctively, even when the other party hung up the phone more than ten minutes later, he was in a trance and felt uncomfortable. Know.

The other party's laughter not long ago kept echoing in my ears, floating back and forth, like a cloud of mist that was trapped and could not be dispelled, quietly accumulating in the internal organs, and it was not until a long time passed that the mind suddenly broke free from the mist , directing his already stiff fingers, quickly returned to the function page of the phone, and opened the inbox.

One year, 12 months, and nearly 360 days, I saw more than 120 messages from this number, silently occupying the entire screen.

Lin An flipped through one by one, looking back, until the slanting sunlight above his head gradually turned from a faint pale yellow to an insolent and intense orange red.

Although Ding Hua didn't say it clearly, he didn't ask, but if the person who repeatedly gave him an indescribable illusion was not Xiao Ding, then who is he? ask.

What's more, Ding Hua, who has always been unable to hold back things and is the least good at covering things half an hour later, couldn't bear it anymore and sent several long messages one after another, finalizing the name that was lingering in his heart.

Lin An mechanically opened these messages one by one, and saw three or two envelopes with unread marks behind the other party's rare long "confession" with a trace of solemn voice——

Lin Zi, when I was just waiting for the plane, I thought about it carefully and felt that there are some things... It is better to tell you clearly. The number 187...in fact, it has been taken away from me by the boss since February this year. As for what he used it for, he didn't tell me, so I can't say.And the reason why I didn't give you the new account, and didn't tell you about the old account, was not because I was busy, and it wasn't because my memory was so bad that I just forgot, it was all because the boss didn't let me tell you.In fact, it's not just me. After this year, you should have discovered that even Chen Jialou's contact with you has become much less.

Lin An looked at each word very slowly, but there were only a hundred or so words, but he read them countless times before he opened the next text message with his colder fingertips——

In addition, this year, no, to be precise, it should be the past two years, brother, he has actually been paying attention to your movements, asking Chen Jialou to take care of you, and always asking me to relay the relevant information I got from him. Your news, the year you just left was not very obvious, but this year, for some reason, you suddenly let go of it completely, and let Xiao Wang and I, his assistant, handle it for you. The school donated the library, and it gave you things under the pretext of donating medical supplies and daily necessities, and in order not to make you suspicious, it also donated all the surrounding schools.Damn, I really don't understand why he went to so much trouble and didn't let you know why. He couldn't suddenly want to learn from Lei Feng and do good deeds without leaving a name, right?Oh yes, I heard from Xiao Wang that he has developed a strange habit recently. When it comes to holidays or something, he likes to run to your hometown town, and stay by the street and river for several days. For hours, I don't know what I'm looking at.

As Ding Hua spoke, his tone gradually changed from initially speechless to helpless: Alas, Lin Zi, to be honest, these words should not have been said by me, really, if it wasn’t for this business trip , I can't come back for ten days and a half months, and it just happens to be the New Year's Eve. I really don't have the guts to expose my brother's background like this. You know his temper, and he looks silent. No sound, really angry, ho, but no one can hold it.But I really can't stand it anymore, I don't know what is... What's the problem between you two, in short, I said what I said today, but how to deal with it depends on the two of you .If you think you can still hear it, just listen, if you don't like it, then take advantage of the opportunity of New Year's greetings to tell you a joke.How about it?

The short message divided into four or five paragraphs ends here.

Lin An remained motionless facing the screen in his hand, but his chaotic thoughts did not stop there. On the contrary, with the constant ups and downs of rapid but forbearable breathing, the rapid circulation of blood in the whole body, and the almost deafening heartbeat in the body, The hands and feet that had not moved for a long time became uncontrollably numb.

So numb... Even standing up and responding to the mother's call coming from the direction of the kitchen inside the house, it is completely impossible to do it.

Mother Lin finished the last hot dish in the kitchen, leaving only a pot of chicken soup simmering on the gas stove. When she bent down to remove other stir-fried dishes kept warm in the foam box, she raised her voice toward the hallway. He yelled, wanting Lin An to come over and help, and rush down the bowl and chopsticks to serve a dish.But until 2 minutes passed, there was no movement from the direction of the gate.

She felt strange, so she raised her voice again, but after several seconds, she still didn't get a response, so she put down her work and wiped her handles, and went out of the kitchen to look at the hallway with the open door.

I saw Lin An sitting blankly outside the door, with his face slightly lowered, not knowing what he was looking at intently.

The setting sun in the west shrouded the open space where he was sitting, and dragged a thin black shadow from the feet of the meditating person, crawling and stretching on the root of the wall a short distance away.

Dim and hazy, sometimes thick and sometimes faint, just like a thread of unfathomable thoughts wandering in the mind.

"Hey, what are you thinking, kid? You can't hear mom calling, come on, hurry up, put this place away and go in for dinner."

Mother Lin walked up to the other party who was still sitting in the slowly darkening sky with some amusement, seeing that he was still staring at the mobile phone firmly in his hand, and didn't even notice that she was standing next to her, so she couldn't help but take it. Shang Lisi urged with a mocking smile.

Only then did Lin An wake up, and hurriedly stood up from the rattan chair, but because of the excessive haste, the book on his lap fell to the ground with a slap, so he had to bend down even more flusteredly. pick up.After the whole set of movements, Mother Lin was even more dumbfounded, and whispered: "It's rough, the bigger it is, the more it looks like a child." After saying that, she shook her head and turned around and walked back into the house.

For the rest of the time, Lin An was like a wooden stake that had lost half of its soul. Mother Lin laughed, and he laughed too. The delicacies in the mouth, or the words hanging between the teeth, seem to lose their original taste and color invisibly, and become dull and dull.

It wasn't until halfway through the New Year's Eve dinner that the mobile phone placed on the corner of the table made another small short vibration, and the frozen eyes were reactivated as if they had been reborn.

Lin An looked sideways, and saw on the lit screen, a name that would never be absent on any important day in the past, came as scheduled on this last major festival of the year.

"Ding Hua": Have you started eating dinner yet?

The aroma from the pot of soup left in the kitchen became stronger and stronger. Mother Lin estimated that the heat should be up, so she greeted her and got up to make the last seasoning before the pot.

The small door connected to the kitchen was quickly closed after it was opened. Lin An took the phone and stared at the five characters. After a long time, his fingers slowly pressed the keyboard.

A few seconds later, a line of words was sent out: eat.

After a while, a new message from the other party flooded in: What are the New Year's Eve dishes prepared at home?

Lin An stared blankly at the delicious dishes on the table, then lowered his gaze, edited the names of the dishes in front of him mechanically, and returned to the past again.

After a while, but driven by an inexplicable emotion, he edited another two words with a dazed look: What about you.

The other party did not reply.Not long after, Lin's mother returned to her seat with soup, and the previous harmonious atmosphere was restored during the dinner. The news broadcast was broadcast on the TV directly in front of the table. It adds a bit of festive atmosphere to the lively night.

Lin Anqiang smiled at his mother, who kept discussing with him the previous year's Spring Festival Gala programs with great interest, but his eyes lingered uncontrollably on the phone screen at hand that had already completely darkened.

At 07:30, the news broadcast ended, and the New Year's Eve dinner with only two people in the Lin family was coming to an end.Lin's mother took advantage of the commercial break and began to slowly clean up the uneaten soup and leftovers on the table. Lin An also got up and took the spoons, chopsticks, plates, etc. to the sink in the kitchen next door, and rolled up his sleeves to help wash the tableware .Time passed by as the water washed between the hands, at eight o'clock, accompanied by the sound of various cannons and cannons played by children from other houses in the town from time to time outside the house, the TV set symbolized the official start of the Spring Festival Gala. The chorus of the song was also passed into the ear very clearly from the inside.

Lin's mother almost finished cleaning up the kitchen 10 minutes ahead of schedule, took a bowl of melon seeds and fruit and sat back in the dining room, watching the program with relish, while chatting casually with Lin An who was sitting next to her, but no matter what happened on TV, No matter how wonderful the gorgeous singing and dancing scenes are, and no matter how wonderful the sketch crosstalk that makes the audience laugh out loud, Lin An, who is sitting quietly at the other end of the table, is still unable to get involved in it.

Ding Hua's words a few hours ago, as well as the hundreds of messages lying silently in the inbox, are now like the all-pervasive wind in this winter night, once again whistling and continuously penetrating into his slightly tense body. The stiff body and the roar lurking in his head also became more and more violent and uncontrollable with the memory that disturbed his mind several times tonight, so that after a long time, he kept an eye on it together with his coat pocket. A thin layer of sweat uncontrollably oozes out of the palm of the mobile phone's motionless emotion, which is indescribably similar to nervousness and bewilderment.

Perhaps it was because Mother Lin, who was sitting next to her, finally noticed the restlessness and uneasiness floating in the air, turned her head and looked at him several times, and finally asked with some puzzlement and worry: "What's wrong? What's wrong with your face?" Suddenly so bad?" After asking, he looked at the other party carefully, showing a slight smile, and asked softly, "Tired?"

Lin Anqiang suppressed his chaotic thoughts, heaved a sigh of relief, forced a smile and shook his head.

Then he tightened his grip on the mobile phone quietly held in his hand, as if he finally couldn't bear the suffocating air anymore, he smiled again with the corners of his mouth pulled, stood up slowly, and said in a low voice: "I... go out for a walk. "

Mother Lin was surprised, "Now?" As she spoke, she turned to look at the half-way party on TV, and asked, "It's so cold, are you going to watch the party?"

"...Hmm." Lin An responded softly, "I feel a little bored."

"..." Lin's mother glanced suspiciously at the live broadcast on the TV, which is generally only the elderly people would like to listen to, and smiled knowingly, "Okay, let's go, remember to come back early, I read the program list in the newspaper before, and said that there will be sketches and magic tricks you like to watch at 10:30."

Lin An stood still for two seconds after hearing the words, slightly hooked the corners of his mouth, and said softly "Okay." Then he turned around and closed the door, walking towards the door illuminated by the lights of the neighbor's house.

The moment the door was opened, the breath that had been entrenched in his chest for the whole night seemed to finally flow out slowly through the pores of his body with the help of the wind blowing in his face.

Lin An was walking slowly on the concrete road in front of his house, and the shadow cast by the lamp became round, flat, short, and long with the movement of his steps, just like his fluctuating mood at this moment.

Qinghe Town is different from other towns in County X. When the New Year comes, fireworks and firecrackers are flying all over the sky. On the contrary, it may be more lively during the day, but it becomes quiet at night.A few years ago, when someone set off fireworks in the open space in front of their house, they accidentally ignited a row of trees and lawns planted in front of the open space, which almost caused a large fire. The township government and the village committee made regulations. Fireworks are set off in places where residents gather, especially in places with greenery. If they really want to set off fireworks, they can only be concentrated in a designated new square 500 meters away from the farmhouse.

And the direction Lin An is walking aimlessly at the moment is the place that used to be a river, but now it has been filled into a ball court and dance hall.

But for some reason, the closer I got to the direction of the square, the steps under my feet slowed down more and more, and a memory about a certain night that was deliberately pressed deep in my heart seemed to shrink with this distance. , rising again inevitably from the heart.

Lin An's footsteps stopped completely at the end of the road.

He stared blankly at the blurred bricks, tiles, plants and trees hidden in the night because he lost the guidance of the street lights. After a long time, he took out his mobile phone from his pocket again and turned on the screen in the darkness.

I saw the word "Ding Hua" still quietly hanging on the top of the inbox, and with the continuous tapping of the down key, another name at the bottom also disappeared after more than ten seconds. Now in sight.

Lin Andan stared at the name for an unknown amount of time, until his eyes suddenly became sour, his hands trembled slightly in the sudden vibration, and a short message indicating that the sender was Ding Hua poured in again.

The reply was the content I sent three hours ago: almost the same as you.

Two seconds later, another message came: I was busy with something just now.Finished?

Lin An stared at these two lines of words for a long time, raised his finger and turned back: yes.

In a few seconds, he was quickly returned: so fast.What are you doing now?Chatting with relatives, or watching the Spring Festival Gala?

Lin An: ...No.

--doing what?

——It's a bit boring, let's go for a walk.

The other party didn't reply immediately, and after more than ten minutes, he suddenly sent a rare sentence with his name on it.

Lin An's eyes moved.

The other party asked: Do you want to watch the fireworks?

Lin An stared at these words motionlessly for a long time, then suddenly exited the inbox as hard as he could restrain his blurred vision, called up the number in the address book, and dialed it with trembling fingers.

As expected, the other party did not answer.

The call was hung up quickly and naturally, and the next second, it was dialed again.

Over and over again, revealing indescribable depression and persistence.

Until I don't know how long it has passed, finally after a short message with only two words but full of heartfelt desires, the always cold and mechanical ringback sound echoing in the receiver was replaced by a vague and light breathing sound.

——Brother Xu.

Lin An grabbed the phone, feeling the hot temperature coming from the palm or the fuselage, held his breath and listened for a long time, then yelled again in a hoarse voice:

"...Brother Xu."

After a pause, he asked again, "...is that you?"

The person on the other end of the phone did not respond, and only silence spread quietly in the night sky.

Lin An didn't make a sound either, just stood at the corner leading to the square, quietly listening to the indistinct sound of fireworks exploding from nowhere, after a while, Fang spoke again in a slightly hoarse voice.

But still those three words: "Is that you..."

After a pause, he gasped slightly again, his eyes were flushed instantly, and he said intermittently: "... I... Brother Ding... Brother Ding told me, this year..." When he said this, he suddenly choked up. After a while, he seemed to calm down, tried his best to maintain his composure, and asked softly, "...It's all you, right?"

There was still no answer on the other side.

Lin An looked at the small piece of night sky that was faintly illuminated in the distance, and unconsciously, there was a choke in his throat. Ding Hua's phone call in the afternoon had explained the facts clearly, but he still couldn't help it. I checked everywhere, as if this was the only way to completely release and dispel the confusion and panic that had been stagnant in my chest from the bottom up, along with these whispering questions one after another.

"From the library, to donations, and those text messages...it's all about you...isn't it?" Lin An murmured, his eyes finally turned from sour to wet with the end of these words,

"But why...why don't you..." However, the next few words, like a piece of iron, were firmly burned in the throat, making it impossible for anyone to make a sound.

But there was still only a wordless silence in response to him.

"...I want to see you, Xu Xin." A few seconds later, Lin An suddenly spoke softly again.There is a rare firmness in the trembling words.

The other party still didn't answer.

Lin An also stopped making a sound, just waited quietly, but as time passed, the moisture in his eyes was gradually drowned out by an unconcealable loss in this too long silence.

"...Do you want to watch the fireworks?"

Tens of seconds later, a long-lost but still very familiar voice rang from the phone without any warning.

However, what he said did not answer the other party's previous question, but just repeated the content of the slightly inexplicable text message he sent to the other party a few minutes ago.

Lin An's body trembled slightly, but he didn't answer.

A few seconds later, Xu Xin's deep and gentle voice came from the earpiece to his ears again.

"...It shouldn't be far from your home. If you want to see it, look up."

Before Lin An could react, he subconsciously lifted his neck slightly.

The moment the sky was illuminated, everything around was shrouded in light as if it were daytime. At the same time, a scream full of excitement and surprise also came from the square at the other end blocked by the wall with the handset of the mobile phone. At the same time, it was deafening and extremely clear——

"Wow! It's so big and beautiful! It's really beautiful! Mom, look at it! This one, this one, and that one!" Then he turned around expectantly: "Uncle Uncle, you will know all of these later." Let it go?!"

The other end was quiet for a moment, and then, amidst the sound of fireworks setting off one after another, he replied in a low voice:

"Well, I will let it go."

There was another burst of joyful cheers on the other side, and after a while, the cheers were gradually suppressed by the familiar female voice with a local accent: "Hey, don't run, don't run, it's dangerous! Come back and stand here with your mother! Be obedient!"

Lin An stood there dumbfounded, the blood in his body surged rapidly in his body following the huge explosion of fireworks above his head, and the sudden rapid heartbeat also kept agitating his temples and eardrums, making his brain feel like the sudden explosion Like the illuminated night, it turned into a blank in an instant.

Lin An didn't know how long he had stood like this until the last firework fell and annihilated in his sight, then he woke up suddenly, staggered out from a corner of the semi-enclosed wall, then quickly walked around the base of the wall, and cast his gaze straight at dozens of people. square meters away.

The sky suddenly returned to darkness, leaving only a few wisps of thin smoke lingering and still refusing to disperse, wandering under the gray night sky.

And the tall figure that had appeared countless times in the dream and disappeared countless times was also surrounded by this mist, standing sideways on the side of the square.

Lin An walked forward step by step, until he reached the steps by the side of the square, he stopped Kankan, and looked at the silhouette who bent down and lit a second box of fireworks and then quickly stepped back a few steps with sore eyes. After a while, he softly called out to the microphone of the mobile phone that had not been put down: "Brother Xu."

As soon as the voice fell, the night sky was lit up again by flying sparks.

The person who was stopped seemed to be aware of it, and when he heard the sound, his gaze rose slightly as the fireworks lifted into the air, and then he slowly turned his face sideways.

Their eyes collided in an instant.

Lin An stood in a daze only a few meters away from the other party. The tears that had been stored in his eyes for a long time finally met the quiet and deep eyes that were also looking at him, together with the little fire that hit the ground, Winding down the face.

Then, I don't know how long passed, and he, who had already been blinded by his eyes, couldn't tell whether there was such a warm hand passing through the hazy night, accompanied by a whisper, hesitating, and gently falling on it. on his cold face covered with tears.

"...Lin An."

The other party stood under the alternating light and dark night, staring at him silently with slightly drooping eyes. After a long time, he showed a short and vague smile, and opened his mouth softly:

"……Happy New Year."

--Finish

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That's it, it started with a reunion and ended with a reunion.

Thank you for your company along the way. It is not easy for Brother Xu and Xiao Lin to return to each other after going around. It is even more difficult for you who follow the article... Thank you very much.

Two more things to say:

1. The text will enter V on 9.23, which is Monday

2. There is a side story, the initial estimate of the number of words should be quite a lot, it can be regarded as a response to supplement and continuation of some details of the upper and lower full texts, but it will have no effect if you don’t read it.No V, put it in the column alone, if you are interested, you can pay attention to it, but when to write it is not sure, try to start it during the National Day, if you are not busy