cover me

With Boss Lin not around, the atmosphere was a bit more relaxed. Although he was talking a lot when he was around, he was the head of the family after all, so he always had a bit of majesty.

Mr. Xu greeted everyone for dinner, and Aunt Li, the nanny, was also called to sit together after finishing her work in the kitchen.

Aunt Li declined, Xiao Xu said with a smile: "Come on, Chen Yan is also one of my own, so what's so polite about it?"

After everyone was seated, Mr. Xu introduced: "Chen Yan, Aunt Li is good at cooking local dishes. It's a pity that you chose hot pot. Next time you come, try her sweet and sour pork ribs. It's absolutely top-notch."

Aunt Li smiled modestly and helped Chen Yan cook the meat and vegetables, and the latter said repeatedly: "I will do it myself!"

"You study hard, eat more." Aunt Li said.

Chen Yan said that he had tasted her cooking, and that every year Lin Yanxing sent him dishes from her hand, and she was one of his breeders.

Lin Yanxing looked at this joyful scene, not to mention how happy he was, the anger of being forced to solve it by himself in the bathroom has disappeared, thinking that my daughter-in-law is just a pain in the ass, do you have any?Are you envious?

He couldn't see the sadness on Chen Yan's eyebrows, and he couldn't guess Mr. Xu's muttering in secret.

Suddenly Mr. Xu stood up and said, "I forgot the vinegar dish."

Aunt Li said, "I'll get it."

Mr. Xu refused: "I want the balsamic vinegar for soaking Laba garlic. It's on the high cabinet. I'll go."

He went to the kitchen, and suddenly shouted: "Chen Yan, help me move a stool, this kimchi pot is too heavy, I can't use it without stepping on the stool!"

The nanny and Lin Yanxing were both there, and they usually didn't order the guests, but just as Aunt Li stood up, Chen Yan had already gone with the stool.

Mr. Xu opened the high cabinet door to cover the two of them, and said softly, "I have something to say to you when no one is around for a while."

Chen Yan was taken aback for a moment, then nodded.

Mr. Xu took the vinegar plate, and took a plate of fat beef from the refrigerator freezer, and winked at Chen Yan: "Let's go, let's boil the meat!"

Lin Yanxing asked loudly in the restaurant: "What are you two doing? You haven't come for so long!"

Mr. Xu scolded: "Eat yours, meddle in so many other's business!"

Chen Yan sat down to cook the meat, occasionally met Mr. Xu's eyes, and the latter only smiled mysteriously.

After dinner, Mr. Xu pulled Chen Yan out, saying that he was going for a walk nearby to digest food. Lin Yanxing's legs and feet were not good, so he was naturally left behind.

After leaving the yard, the two of them walked along the path by the lake. The shadows of the surrounding trees were swaying, the street lights were dim, and there were slight water patterns on the lake at night. The lotus was about to bloom, and the leaves were graceful.

Chen Yan waited for Mr. Xu to speak, but he did speak, but the words seemed to be out of reach.

"I'm from County Y, Province X," Mr. Xu asked, "Have you heard of this county name?"

Chen Yan shook her head. Province X was far away in the border, and a small county below was unheard of.

Mr. Xu said: "The national border passes through us. The most famous specialty is metal mines. The whole county is full of large and small mines. There are public mines, and most of them are secretly mined by private owners. My hometown is in Y Z Township in the county, there are three small mines in the township, and there is one next to our village."

"Mining this thing is profitable, but it pollutes the environment a lot. Our village is called a cancer village. The mine has been open for five or six years, and there are more than 30 cancer patients in the village. My grandfather and uncle are both under the supervision of private owners. Hired miners, my father is a rural teacher, the wages are so low that he can’t even support himself, so he became a miner. The wages in the mines are not low, but they are exchanged for money. Soon the health will go wrong. The three of us Relatives passed away within a few years."

He glanced at Chen Ren, saw that he listened seriously, and continued: "I think back to my hometown to this day, and it is still the scene of the sewage flowing, men, women, and children are all disheveled to make a living on the poisonous land, I don't know Whenever disease and death will come. But they can't do without, because mining ore brings money the fastest, hundreds of times faster than farming, and they need money."

Chen Yan asked: "Do you want to leave?"

Mr. Xu sighed: "Yes, I want to leave. I was 17 years old when my father died, and I was in the second year of high school. My mother died a few years ago. The family has no source of income. The money I earned was spent on medical treatment and medical treatment. In terms of aftermath, I still owed a lot of debts, so I had no choice but to drop out of school and go to the mine. On the first day, I was hit by a stone on the head, and a bloody hole was made. I sat on the edge of the mine and cried loudly. I really don’t want to Then go back to the man-eating underground."

"Lin Zhantao sponsored me." Mr. Xu smiled, "He followed a business investigation group to investigate projects in our county, donated tens of thousands of dollars to our high school, and didn't deliberately choose the target. To whom. My high school head teacher liked me very much, and immediately reported my name after hearing the news."

"I took Lin Zhantao's money to finish high school and was admitted to university. After graduating from university, I came back to him. It was not for repaying kindness, but because I felt that I fell in love with him. He also felt that I was at his mercy. Although he and I were born The difference between heaven and earth is actually the same kind of people, and they are not serious and good things. At that time, Lin Yanxing’s mother went abroad, and Lin Yanxing was still young, so he needed someone like me by his side, so I just stayed like this year after year .”

He smiled and asked Chen Yan: "Is my story nice?"

Chen Yan shook her head: "It doesn't sound good, it's too bitter."

"Bah," Mr. Xu laughed, "How dare you say I'm bitter? We're not the same."

Chen Yan also smiled: "I don't need to mine."

President Xiao Xu gave him a friendly shove, and continued: "When I first came out of that remote county, I was still looking forward to a better life in the future, but when I fell in love for the first time, my head was broken. The other party took the initiative to chase me, waiting downstairs in the dormitory to bring me breakfast every day, I thought this person was okay at the time."

"As a result, I was discovered by the other party's parents just after talking for a month. They investigated me and found out that I was born in such a way that I was almost scared to death. The next day, my lover sent a message to break up with me. He didn’t return the phone calls, came to the door to avoid him, and threatened to sue me to the school, saying that my surname was harassment.”

"I was so angry that I almost wanted to jump off the building. Lin Zhantao came to me and said, Xu Junrui, are you stupid? You have only been out of the sea of ​​suffering for a few days. Why waste your time on this matter? Others hit a wall, got hurt, and The road can be retreated, where are you going? Back to the mine? Then I won’t pay your tuition fees, so I’ll dig your grave as soon as possible!”

Mr. Xu said: "Old Lin actually wanted to comfort me, but he couldn't speak well, but I think he was right. Before you live your life as a person, your feelings are worthless, or even just your fetters. Others can choose you, tease you, spoil you, and abandon you at will, because you two are not equal, and you are just a joke. So I will have no feelings in the future. I just want to make more money, learn more, and go Climb up, first pay off the debts owed by the family, and then settle down."

President Xiao Xu looked up at the moon: "No one in Licheng dares to say that I am a joke now, I seem to be qualified to talk about love, but I have already looked down on those people, I haven't liked them for so many years Who... I don't care anymore."

He turned to Chen Yan with gentle eyes: "Speaking of now, do you understand what I mean?"

Chen Li is only half his age, but he never treats him like a child, he knows he can understand.

Chen Yan bit her lower lip until it turned white, he really understood.

President Xiao Xu said: "People have to be selfish in their lives, especially people like us. It's no good if we can't fall in love with anyone easily."

He picked up a wicker, put it in his hand and slowly pulled the leaves, and said, "I lied to you when I said that Lin Yanxing was going abroad, just to test you. Don't worry, Lin Zhantao will not let his son go abroad."

"Why?" Chen Yan asked.

Mr. Xu said: "First of all, Lin Yanxing is eighteen. His father and mother promised the old man and the old lady that they would divorce when Lin Yanxing became an adult. Now the promise has been fulfilled, so the delay is half a year, and the rush is two months. He Mom is going back to China to go through the formalities."

He asked: "Do you think his father will let Lin Yan go? It's too late, isn't it the same as sending Lin Yan into his mother's arms? Although the child is grown up now and there is no guardian, his father will not be reconciled. I pull the big one by myself, and the old man and the old lady won't let it."

Chen Ren nodded.

Xiao Xu finished picking the willow sticks, and lifted up a wisteria hanging next to it: "There is also Lin Zhantao's own tragedy."

"He has two children, both from the same compound, and they play very well. Both of them were sent abroad when they were seventeen or eighteen."

He snorted mockingly: "Their circle is full of lawless and incompetent demon kings. There is no good person. Even if a good person enters, he will learn badly. If Lao Lin hadn't been forcibly sent to the army, he probably would have played a fool."

"The two of them were in their adolescence when they went out as children. They were supervised at home, and they were free when they went out. So they smoked, drank, ate noodles, dragged cars, and did everything. As a result, within two years, one died eating noodles, and the other crashed a car. If you die, you haven't lived past twenty."

Mr. Xu smiled: "That's why Lao Lin would rather put his son in a local school like Eleven Middle School, and then send him to some local university. He will always see what he should see in the world, but he can't be sent to the slaughterhouse of capitalism. Got it. ?"

Chen Yi said, "Understood."

"Are you happy?" Mr. Xu asked.

"Happy." Chen Yan said flatly, but there was no expression of relief on his face.

Mr. Xu has already made it so clear that even if Lin Yanxing never goes abroad, it is impossible to go further with him in the future.

Mr. Xu said: "I brought up Lin Yanxing. I know who he is. This kid is very good, but his status is too high. Most people can't climb it, and they shouldn't. He treats you well." , That's his business, don't give him any favors, don't hurt yourself. High status means no freedom, if his father could choose freely, he wouldn't spend so many years with his mother. "

Chen Yan smiled: "Brother Xu, am I the one who would make such a mistake?"

President Xiao Xu held his shoulders and walked forward: "I know you are not. After three years of running in vain, I believe that there are people who have a hard time in the world. No matter how difficult life is, you can't take a wrong step."

Chen Yan said, "Yes."

He understood too well that one wrong step, one wrong step, in the end he worked hard for whom, and ended up alone and scarred.

If you want to stay by Lin Yanxing's side, you can't talk about feelings. If you have feelings, you have extravagant expectations. If you have extravagant hopes, you will be dissatisfied, resulting in jealousy, resentment, regret, desolation, pain, and madness.

He died once, and he couldn't afford it. Mr. Xu could see it through his eyes, and advised him for his own good.

He asked: "Brother, what do you plan to do in the future? Are you still married?"

President Xiao Xu turned his face away, smiling with crooked eyebrows: "I don't know, I don't have any elders in my family, and no one cares about me. Besides, Lin Zhantao is an awkward old man, and he urges me to get married when he's interested, but you can see I'm really looking for someone, and he's not happy."

Chen Eun asked: "Do you have feelings for Mr. Lin?"

"Uh..." Xiao Xu thought for a long time, "I don't know, I don't care, but after all, there is only one person left in front of me. Oh, let alone two people, even cats and dogs have feelings after getting along for a long time, right? "

He looked up at the shadow of the tree and said: "The fate between me and him is enough! Oh, if I can't, I will live by Lin Zhantao. His love life is also in a mess. All of them are white-eyed wolves. With me by his side, he at least has someone reliable. He can talk to someone when he is upset, and he can take care of him when he is old and sick. What is the use of money? It depends on people. He fished my life out of the mine, and I guard him as a matter of course."

The two walked half a circle around the lake, and parted ways at a fork in the road. Chen Yan said, "Brother, I'm going back to school from here. Say hello to Lin Yanxing for me."

President Xiao Xu looked at him gently: "Go."

Chen Yan turned around and walked away, then suddenly turned around: "Brother Xu, I don't like Lin Yanxing, can I rely on him to earn two living money in the future? It's too difficult for me to live alone in this world."

Mr. Xu chuckled: "It's good to make money, don't rely on him, come back to work with me after graduating from university, I'm better than that kid!"

Mr. Xu is not a god after all, so he can't know foretelling. He doesn't know how strong Lin Yanxing will be in the future.

Chen Li bid farewell to him and walked to the main road. After returning to the school dormitory in half an hour, Lin Yanxing's phone came in while he was climbing the stairs.

"Why didn't you tell me when you left?" Lin Yanxing said in a bad tone.

Chen Eun said: "What's there to talk about, we meet again tomorrow night, I have to come back to do the questions."

"Your uncle!" Lin Yanxing scolded, "Why did you..."

Why don't you understand?

Is the question important or am I important? !

Lin Yanxing hung up the phone angrily.

Chen Yan sat down on the steps and looked at the screen of the phone that was gradually going out. He had a cold face before, but now it was even colder.

He understood the truths Mr. Xiao Xu said 800 years ago, and he has lived for two lifetimes, so he still can't understand them?

He is not the kind of person who just says "like" and moves forward bravely. On the contrary, he has loved but dare not confess, has been loved but dare not accept, and has been standing in the cracks created by himself all his life, with no way forward. , back without support.

It didn't end well.

"...Hey, go back and do the questions!" He stood up on his knees.

It's better to do the questions, how much to pay, and how much to gain.

Mrs. Zhang said that if he can still maintain the top dozens of grades in the third year of high school, he can securely enter 985. Even if he is still a widow in his life, he has entered a prestigious university at least, and there is at least one decent thing in his life.

Just as he was about to leave, he heard someone calling him from behind: "Chen Yan!"

He turned his head and saw that it was Teacher Guan.

Guan Qinghua probably hasn't combed his hair since he got up in the morning, and his clothes are also wrinkled, with a stack of books in his hand, and a large black computer bag on his back, looking very unhappy: "Where did you go to play again?"

Chen Yan said: "I didn't play, Lin Yanxing was injured, I will send him home."

"Have you finished the test paper yet?"

"I haven't... watched Lin Yanxing's game this afternoon." Chen Yan confessed honestly.

Teacher Guan walked up the steps: "Go, go to the dormitory, I'll talk to you."

Tomorrow is closed on Sunday, and there is no evening self-study tonight. There is almost no one in the dormitory building, and the corridor is empty. Chen Yan opened the door and asked Teacher Guan to come in.

The old manager pulled up a chair and sat down at the table and said: "Chen Yan, you have been so wasteful recently, the tasks I assign to you, you will not be able to complete them nine out of ten days, if you spend all the time you wasted on the basketball team these days Study, you can enter the top three in the class at the end of the semester."

Chen Yan smiled apologetically, "Can I start working hard tomorrow?"

Teacher Guan said, "No."

"Then today." Chen Yan changed his words.

"It's not about today and tomorrow," Teacher Guan pondered, "Let's put it this way, isn't there a metaphor about monkeys climbing trees? Some monkeys are born on high branches, such as forest geese; some monkeys don't even have a tree, such as you You can't put yourself and him in the same category just because Lin Yanxing always takes you to play. son?"

Chen Eun said, "No."

Teacher Guan said: "Let me say something cruel, you and him are forced together by time and space, just like my college girlfriend and I, when we graduate, this space is gone, and all our emotions are gone. If you don’t want to dissipate, you have to be willing, he is still a monkey on a high branch, and you still have to search for your tree everywhere, understand?”

Chen Yan stared at him blankly: "...You are not like this usually, why are you so reasonable today?"

"I'm worried," Guan Qinghua said, "I'm afraid you will be confused."

Chen Eun said, "I'm not confused."

Teacher Guan snorted: "It's good if you don't get confused. Forget the papers you haven't done, but what about the ones you have done? Bring them to me for approval."

Chen Yan took out a few sheets from the bedside and gave them to him. He found a pencil from his bag, turned on the desk lamp to make corrections, did not mark the correct ones, and drew a small circle for the wrong ones. This is his habit and the meaning is unknown.

Standing behind him, Chen Yan suddenly asked, "Teacher Guan, are we friends?"

"We are masters and apprentices. When we arrive at T University, we will be masters and apprentices as well as senior brothers." The old manager said, "Don't worry about you, my friend? Let me tell you, every year after the college entrance examination, the sophomore will be automatically promoted to the third grade, so You are now in the third year of high school, don't act like a normal person..."

Chen Rin said: "Mr. Guan, can you let me wait a while? I have a headache."

"Okay." The old manager said, "Why do you have a headache? Is there a cool breeze?...Look at your mistakes in this question. Your basic skills are not solid, and you can make mistakes in question types that use formulas?"

Chen Li also pulled up a stool, and put her face on Teacher Guan's back.

"Teacher Guan..." he said softly, "I have no relatives. If you can't find the tree in the future, you have to help me."

"Aren't I helping you?" Teacher Guan said, "Can you be where you are today without me?"

Chen Yan buried her head, and then cried.

His crying was always silent and motionless, just shedding tears. Mr. Guan was dull and couldn't hear those moist and resentful breaths.

Why are you trying to persuade him?

How obvious is he?I don't think so, it's good to hide.

He doesn't like Lin Yanxing, he really doesn't like it, no one needs to remind him, he knows it by himself.

Anyone who wants to say that he likes it is really blind.

He doesn't climb the tall branches.

Teacher Guan finally noticed something, and asked, "Ren'er, what are you doing?"

"Nothing."

He smiled with tears in his eyes, the spring outside the window was gone, and the lights were dimmed.