Chapter 7 Episode Seven

The leaves are falling. Jiang Man was sitting in a grove of Fragrant Hills in the western suburbs of the city. Yellow leaves, reddish-brown leaves, struggling in the late autumn wind, fell silently on her head and shoulders, and slid down again.She put her feet in the fallen leaves, and silently picked up some leaves, covered her feet, buried her ankles, and piled them up blindly. What is this for?Build a "Yellow Leaf Tomb" for yourself? She likes to read poetry, but can't do it.If she could write poetry, she would definitely write about her and the yellow leaf.She feels that she is now a yellow leaf, floating to nowhere.Tong Chuan is also a yellow leaf, I don't know where it fell.Really confused like yellow leaves falling!But the yellow leaves in autumn are green after all.She silently put the yellow leaf in her mouth and chewed it, a little bit of sweet juice remained in the veins of the leaf.How about you?She asked herself, have you ever been green?Ever been sweet?

Clumps of leaves fell from her head. Looking up, it was Xiaoyan walking over.Xiaoyan seemed to know that she wanted to bury herself, so she came to help in a depressing manner...Looking at Qi Xiaoyan, Jiang Man wanted to cry even more.He has extraordinary skills, and has entered the palace of the Chinese Department of Peking University as the first batch of college students admitted by examination.She asked Xiaoyan for an idea, but Qi Xiaoyan couldn't think of a way out, so she had to drag her here - saying that she wanted to find a place to cry hard and have a good time.Xiaoyan is so lucky!Personable.Her soft hair falls like a waterfall to her shoulders, and a snow-green wool cap is buttoned obliquely on her head, imitating the style of a French hat.He was wearing a black shiny and soft sheepskin short coat, and a fiery red georgette scarf fluttered from the large lapel.Under the feet are purple half-heeled leather boots.Against the backdrop of the mountains full of yellow leaves, the eye-catching face looks so white, so transparent, and so youthful.A pair of fairy-like red phoenix eyes rolled vividly under the fan-shaped long eyelashes.With a charming body, she is simply an excellent fashion model!Her emotions are cloudy and sunny, easily infecting and being infected by others.Now her unlucky look is not much different from Jiang Man's.

She threw leaves at Jiang Man's head one by one: "I'll help bury you first, and then you help bury me." "I am the one who should be buried, and I am the one who is unlucky." The corners of Qi Xiaoyan's eyes turned red, she didn't say anything, she sat down next to Jiang Man wordlessly, and the two leaned together. The feet of the two people were all stretched into the pile of yellow leaves. The yellow leaves seem to have turned around, swirling in the mournful autumn wind. "What should I do..." As he spoke and asked, in this lonely yellow leaf forest, Jiang Man burst into tears without any scruples, sobbing and shaking his shoulders.Xiaoyan's eyes were red at first, and she wept silently, and then she began to cry too.

It seems that there is a sneezing contest among the yellow leaves. Each of them cried their own, and no one cared about the other. After crying for a while, Jiang Man said, "Come on, I won't kidnap you...I won't cry anymore." "I want to cry! I haven't cried enough! Cry and cry happily. Huh..." Xiaoyan's crying sounded like a whistle, extremely miserable. "Come on—it's all my fault." "Everyone thinks they are the most unfortunate. I don't know that there are many unfortunate people in the world." What misfortune do you have?The daughter of the deputy editor-in-chief of the newspaper, her father has implemented the policy, the family is a family, the person is like a human being, and she was admitted to Peking University.Could it be that she remembered the scene of exhausting herself in the Great Northern Wilderness?That is a thing of the past after all!Then, she remembered that when she was saying goodbye to the Great Northern Wilderness, drinking wine, a partner asked her: "What secret weapon did you use to get back to Beijing?" Xiaoyan slammed the wine bowl: "You fucking nonsense You are welcome, sisters!"——after all, she is repaying her present life, so she vented her anger!

What are you crying for?What are you crying for? "What price did I pay to go back to Beijing... woo woo..." The words Xiaoyan revealed in pain made Jiang Man's heart sink suddenly.Yes.Maybe she's... that's horrible.Xiaoyan and she are all like this, for a kind of fanaticism, for the pursuit of a vague thing, even desperate. "What the hell is going on!" "Don't ask... Sister Man, don't ask. If you don't ask, don't ask..." Xiaoyan immediately held back her tears, as if she was afraid of revealing her feelings when she was emotionally impulsive.She didn't want the scars in her heart to be seen, so she wiped her tears: "Don't cry, that's enough, I'm happy today."

"From now on, none of us should cry. You shouldn't—you're the luckiest person in this generation." "Lucky? Hehe, lucky! Only lucky people know their misfortune, but unlucky people don't know they are lucky..." "okay?" "okay." "I shouldn't have dragged you here and made you..." "It's my own periodic emotional low tide, it's okay...it's over now." "It's over?" "Well, it's over." silence. Leaves fall, leaves fall; leaves fall, leaves fall... "Sister Xiaoman, I'm too selfish...But, to be honest, you will be better after going through ninety-nine and eighty-one difficulties. I still remember Tong Chuan's saying that 'broad leaves can turn into needles' .Although it may be irrational, I believe it. You can find him, find him, visit the prison, send food, send cold clothes... If you think about him, he must also think about you. This is luck! This is better than me Qiang—I'm destined to be a modern-day 'nun'."

"Where can I find him?" "I can find it anyway." "Can't find it!" "I can find it." The two comrades in the Corps were crying together just now, and now they are arguing again.Jiang Man wondered, where did Qi Xiaoyan get her confidence?She felt that Qi Xiaoyan was better than herself, and she was completely lost in confusion, disappointment and pain.The former Jiang Man was lost, but now he seems to be a different person.The indomitable Xiaoyan in the past hid her pain and remained the same.Xiaoyan suddenly thought of another idea: "Let's go, I thought of an idea, go to the headquarters of the military region to ask, try your luck. All the doors in the world are opened by knocking."

Leave as soon as you say, snow blue woolen hat and red georgette scarf walk among the yellow leaves.This little swallow!Let's sing a song.She sang the song "My Sun" from Naples, Italy, which is popular all over the world: "Oh, what a glorious, bright sun. After the storm, the sky is so clear! The fresh air refreshes the spirit..." Her singing voice is very Crying is not laughing, it is purely a kind of vent, a kind of cover-up.She roared loudly and without any sense of music, and ran down the hill staggeringly, stirring up the yellow leaves.Her demeanor was out of harmony with her singing.How can it be said that "after the storm has passed", the "sky" is "clear"?The dark clouds have not dissipated over her and her face!

Two hours later, they came to the gate of the military compound.The high walls and deep courtyard of the military command organization, the sentry posts are loaded with guns and live ammunition, which is daunting.The reception room is surrounded by men and women.If people want to enter the gate of the courtyard, they must pass through this checkpoint, and they must make a phone call inside to be allowed to enter before they can issue a pass.As soon as Xiaoyan stood in the crowd, he attracted the conveyer's attention. He was busy for a while, and used his eyelids to push the others aside, and singled out Xiaoyan: "Who are you looking for?" "Let's ask someone." "He Which department are you in? What building do you live in?” They couldn’t answer.Jiang Man hurriedly said: "That's what happened. He joined the army at the end of last year, and his name is Tong Chuan. We know his troops in the Beijing Military Region. We want to find this person." "The Beijing Military Region is so big, which army is he in?" Which division? Which regiment? There’s no way to find it, I’m only in charge of the compound here.” The words were rushed, and when he was forced to this point, Jiang Man squeezed out the truth that he didn’t want to announce: “He is a prisoner...” The words fell through. , Conveying sharp eyes, looking Jiang Man and Xiaoyan from top to bottom, as if to find out the connection and common ground between them and the prisoner.The indifferent and distrustful gaze made Jiang Man shiver.I heard the message say: "I can't find it."

"Can Mom push you into the fire pit?" "You are all kind - stop nagging, let me read the book for a while?" "You are kind enough to be a donkey? Xiaoman, can I be with you forever? Sooner or later, it will be set on fire and go to the 'chimney alley'? Even if nothing happens to him, I will see him confiscated without father or mother. Look, let me say it right? I have crossed more bridges than you have traveled, so it doesn't hurt your ears." "It's annoying!" "You have to talk if you're bored. Say, say! How can there be a girl who doesn't marry? You're seventy or eighty, and you have to be supported by your hometown?"

"Come on, come on, my mother! You go to the street and drag a man to get me out." "No one is chatting with you, joking around. Aunt Liu will bring someone here tomorrow, aunt, I'm waiting for your words." "Bring, bring, bring! Find me a place to eat, and you won't have to feed me..." "I've raised you up! I've raised you twenty! Is it a shame to say this now? Is it a shame? Don't cure your anger with me. Look, if you can do it, you can do it. If you don't, you can't drink water. Press your head forcibly, you are free. I said, do you want to see it?" "Don't look - I'm fine with it!" The old mother cracked the stove with a cattail fan outside the shockproof shed, and clouds of soot seemed to roll out of her bulging cheeks.Jiang Man was reviewing the long neglected homework in the small shed, not only looking for sustenance in books, but also hoping to have a chance to be admitted to a technical school or something, to find something to do.But she couldn't find peace for a moment, and her mother's mind only revolved around this matter all day and all night, making her distracted by the noise.She fell on her back on the bed.She covered her face with a textbook, and tears trickled down from under the spine of the book.What she said just now was serious, willful, a "challenge" to her mother, and a helpless choice.Autumn passed and spring came, and seven months had passed since Tong Chuan's letter. It was already spring again, and there was still no news from Tong Chuan.She had nowhere to go, and nothing to think about.She wrote to the military headquarters to inquire about Tong Chuan's whereabouts, but the letter fell like a stone;Xiaoyan is also helpless, and her homework is very tight, so it is not easy to trouble others.Jiang Man hasn't got a job so far, and she's slumped in a small shed all day long, eating her father's pension and the alimony sent by her brother. It's really hard for her to open her mouth and have no face to swallow.The most unbearable thing was the nagging words of the old mother, forcing her to submit every day.She couldn't stand it anymore, and if she didn't think about changing the environment, she would go crazy.Jiang Man was headstrong when he was young, and his temper was reckless.Now, she is angry with Tong Chuan, angry with her mother, and angry with herself.Since it was hopeless to see Tong Chuan again, he decided to find someone else, so as not to look at his mother's face, so as not to be tortured in the painful waiting.She didn't think too far—think of the long mental anguish that followed such a choice.She is still a girl with little experience in the world, and she can't bear the heavy pressure inside and outside her heart.The neighbor's aunt is beyond reproach, she didn't eat you a bite of the meal, didn't drink you a cup of tea, she just came to help Jiang's family when they saw difficulties.It is fate that should complain. In the middle of the second day, the neighbor's aunt brought someone. He's a soldier, very reserved.Entering the door, I was so nervous that I almost knocked over the low shed.Jiang Man did not look at the soldier with critical eyes like ordinary young men and women who "look at each other".With only a slight glance, he lowered his head.The man's stature was similar to Tong Chuan's, and he was also tall and strong.His chin was shaved and blue, and his eyes were small and bright.As usual—the introduction of the introducer "Building a Bridge": "This is Company Commander Lin, Lin Dalin. She is Jiang Man." After saying that, he pulled Jiang Mu.Mother Jiang was staring at Lin Dalin, wishing she could tear open his internal organs with her eyelids and take a look: "Let them talk for themselves..." The two old ladies were ready to avoid it. But Jiang Man shouted: "Mom, Auntie, don't leave." The three people in the small shed, who were almost squeezed close to each other, were all stunned, not knowing what it meant. Jiang Man: "My aunt must have told Comrade Lin about my situation—I'm just this one, and Comrade Lin has also read it, let me express my opinion." The neighbor's aunt said "Oh!" "How can there be such a thing?" "That's how I am." "Girl, this is not buying apples and pears. Once you pick them up, you can exchange them, and it's not a pity to throw them away. You have to weigh them up to see if they fit together. Jiang Man, you should also think about it." "I have no objection." Jiang Man said almost silently. Angry? ! Who are you angry with? Mother Jiang was already trembling with anger, but she couldn't scold, beat, or have a fit. Not only was the soldier no longer restrained, but he looked at Jiang Man and couldn't help smiling.He found Jiang Man's astonishing and abnormal straightforwardness amusing and funny. The neighbor's aunt was afraid that Jiang Man would not be able to come to Taiwan because of the soldiers, and she was afraid that Jiang Man was trying to control his anger, so she didn't know what to do. Seeing Lin Dalin smiling, she "slid along the slope" and half-jokingly said: "Well, Dalin—you Shaking your head doesn't count as nodding." Jiang's mother was busy smoothing things over: "Let's have a bowl of tea. We Jiangman are straightforward, and we hide the cleaning stick in our sleeves-no bending. What I know is that she is straightforward. I don't know, I think she is 'two hundred and five'. Don't you I care—Comrade Lin." Lin Dalin shook his head: "Xiao Jiang, I'm a soldier, and I also like to be straightforward. But marriage is a big deal, so don't be too rash." rash?Yes, indiscretion!Jiang Man thought, since he can't love what he loves, since he is not Tong Chuan, what else is there to choose?She was completely disappointed in life, and her eyes turned red.Dalin is a sensitive person. He saw Jiang Man's emotional changes and said: "I know that your life is very difficult now, but there is no need to give up on yourself. You have been to the Corps, and I have joined the team. Although it is only a few months, it can be regarded as coming from then." Oh, a reasonable man. Jiang Man: "People are better than me, I'm a vagrant." "It's not what you want, it's caused by society." Well, he's good at understanding people. Dalin: "If you want, we stay together and understand each other." "If you have no objection, it's settled. I'll wait for you to enjoy a bowl of rice." Dalin suddenly stared at Jiang Man vigilantly: "Why are you in such a hurry? If I have a bad temper—won't we get along?" "I have no expectations of life." "Xiao Jiang, don't be like this. Don't care whether our business can be done or not, I will do my best to help you, let's think of a way together..." Jiang's mother was so moved that she nodded repeatedly, and the neighbor's aunt quietly pulled her out of the shed, chatting privately.There were two young people left, and the atmosphere became less serious.Dalin: "Shall we watch a movie tonight?" "whatever." "How about going to the football game?" "whatever." Dalin smiled wryly and shook his head, a kind of bile-bitter sympathy flooded his heart. speechless. Lin Dalin saw a squirrel cage hanging on the small shed, and the little squirrels were jumping around, so he used his hands to hold the cage to tease the little creatures. Jiang Man: "Don't move." "...?!" "You don't move!" "Don't move, I'll do it myself." Twenty days later, Jiang Man repeated this sentence again, and took the squirrel cage from Dalin's hand, as if he was afraid of disturbing her little thing.Dalin looked at the squirrel, unable to solve the mystery.The old mother was fiddling with pots, pans, ladles and spoons, and she kept muttering: "Amitabha! Dalin, thanks to you three! The house was renovated in about twenty days. I was like saying that living at home, Orphans and widows are really impossible! Thanks to you three. Amitabha!" moved!Amitabha. Lin Dalin is a good person, and the Lin family are all good people. Look at the big forest, carrying out the camphor wood box from the shockproof shed, the person is almost bowed into an "O" shape, sweating all the way.Thanks to the hard work of the three of them, father and son, two houses stood up again on the ruins burned by the fire.Dalin's father, Lin Haimeng, and his youngest son, Xiaolin, are doing finishing work in the "new house", painting the doors and windows.Lin Haimeng is a veteran who joined the army during the War of Liberation. He returned from resisting US aggression and aiding Korea and put on a steel vest.He has a low education and a low position. He changed his job and became the secretary of the local production management department of a district.He is old-fashioned and responsible. During the "Cultural Revolution", he stood aside and went to a cadre school, and suffered a lot.Dalin is very like his father, both filial and obedient.Kobayashi is completely different. He graduated from high school and learned how to manipulate computers in the Institute of Mathematics of the Academy of Sciences.This little boy, bell-bottom pants, fresh smell all over his body.Whistling while waving the paintbrush, Lin Haimeng stared at him.The father and son, wearing the stars and wearing the moon for twenty days, supported the house.Jiang Man was full of gratitude.Jiang's mother even recited "Amitabha". While cleaning up the broken things, she said to Lin Haimeng, "Look, how can I thank you three for your great kindness?" Xiao Lin yelled: "Can you invite us to have a meal at 'Lao Mo'?" Lin Haimeng smiled honestly, and whispered: "Don't listen to the boy's nonsense, your words are out of line—we are in-laws." Jiang Man, who was hanging the squirrel cage on the eaves, shook his hands and almost lost the little squirrel. The busy two generations were sweating profusely. Jiang Man felt a chill down his spine. The Lin family liked Jiang Man very much, and liked her silence, quietness, and diligence.She has been to Lin's house several times, doing whatever work she catches, washing and rinsing, kneading dough, and spare no effort.As for Jiang Man's education or work, Lin Haimeng is planning.The house has been built, which is naturally a "milestone" in the history of the relationship between Jiang Man and Dalin.Lin Dalin paid hard work and enthusiasm, and what he longed for was Jiang Man's love.How much love did Jiang Man give him?She tried to love Dalin with all her heart, and since she met him, her mother hid Tong Chuan's luggage behind the "Yin Mountain".But the little squirrel brought by the Great Northern Wilderness seemed to be alive as a witness, watching what she did.See things and think about people, yes.Why she couldn't forget the prisoner who was serving his sentence was unclear.Love is neither language nor words, but a code of emotion, the silent communication of spiritual information, and the transmission of timeless messages.She tried her best to be submissive and easy-going to Dalin.But when she was alone with Dalin, she would feel that the face of the strict soldier in front of her was blurred, while another person——Tong Chuan appeared clearly.She was with Tong Chuan in her dream, and one day she got up early, and Dalin came to see her early, she was curled up in bed and dreaming dimly, Dalin said to the old man, "Jiang Man hasn't woken up, I'm leaving first." These words actually got mixed into the dream!Jiang Man yelled, "Tong Chuan, don't go!" Fortunately, Da Lin didn't hear him.Dalin is a man, a man is a talent, he is virtuous, he walks with his face, he stands with his posture.It is completely in line with the military teaching model, and it is also the so-called ideal lover in the minds of many girls.He's not rude, but he's also emotional.One day, Dalin was tired all day renovating the house.Working for Jiang Man is his happiness, which excites him and reminds him.He believes that with every layer of bricks laid, the relationship between him and her will be consolidated and thickened.In the dark doorway, Jiang Man gratefully handed over the towel handle, Dalin suddenly took her hand, and pulled Jiang Man into his arms irresistibly.Jiang Man felt his hot chest approaching, and his sweaty mouth was also open, slowly approaching.Her subconscious mind made her turn her head, and at this moment, what she saw through Dalin's shoulder was the halo of light hanging on the house under renovation, and the halo of light became strangely in her eyes the frame of a wooden house The bonfire, and then, the Great Northern Wilderness, the small forest train station... broke into her heart, and she saw Tong Chuan again!The ice water topping at the small forest train station is not as cold as this moment.She shivered and pushed Dalin away: "Don't, don't do this, not now..." Dalin let go, breathing heavily. She stood dumbfounded. "Jiang Man, what are you thinking? Tell me! What do you think of me?" No, no, Tong Chuan never said that.Don't ask.Tong Chuan once said, "Why do you speak so bluntly? If you don't speak, you are its master; if you speak, you are a servant..." "What do you think of me?" "Why did it have to be like that... Are you angry?" "..." "Dalin, promise me—call you 'brother'." "What do you mean? Keep your distance? Okay." Dalin's small eyes flashed angrily, he took a fixed look at Jiang Man, turned around, and went to work again.His temper is a little small.No matter how magnanimous a person is, he can't stand such an embarrassing situation. Good man!Dalin was melancholy about this topic for a long time.He would rather see this as Jiang Man's serious attitude towards life and women's shyness.If so, what is there to complain about?Lin Dalin is upright, rigorous, and restrained in food and clothing.He also absolutely gets up according to the army time at home, and his biological clock has never been out of order.He wants to train and train soldiers' wives according to his own principles. Because they are soldiers, they can only sing "Tianhe Pei" once a year when they get married.After a short period of contact, he tried his best to pay, and he also hoped to gain something.However, he is capable of leading a platoon, a company, or even a battalion, but he cannot figure out Jiang Man's "mystery".This is also the charm of love for him.He asked for more emotional things, hoped that he could fully understand Jiang Man, asked for loyalty, and was also a little "jealous".Watching a movie that time, Lin Dalin found out that Jiang Man's neighbor was a handsome young man, so he decided to change seats with Jiang Man.Facing this jealous man, Jiang Man wanted to confess several times, but swallowed back the words. The more this happened, the more Jiang Man felt guilty, not only for the person in front of him, but also for the person who hadn't heard from him.She felt that she was a sinner, and she was unfaithful to both Da Lin and Tong Chuan.She fell into extreme pain and contradiction.On the second day after Dalin moved in Jiangman, his family leave was up, and he was going to go back to the Kunming army.Jiang Man went to see him off.The two came to the bustling city West Fourth, 102 trackless station.When the tram stopped and Jiang Man was about to be surrounded by people on board, she heard someone calling her name.Then she saw Xiaoyan in a red dress waving.She hesitated for a moment, her whole body was as uncomfortable as if she had been scorched by fire. In an instant, her leg that stepped on the door fender was retracted again, and she couldn't help shrinking back. Dalin had no choice but to step back: "What's wrong with you?" She said nothing.She silently waited for the next bus, and thought to herself——you unlucky bastard, you tragic figure!Are you not suffering?Since you are afraid of being asked, why do you want to... You have become a bat that can't see the sun! "What happened to you?" "nothing." "If you don't tell me, I won't leave." "Why do you force me?" "What do you mean forcing you?" "Dalin——I can be your wife, your slave, and your old mother, isn't that okay? But you can't allow me to have my own past..." "What past?" "Okay, don't leave if you don't go, interrogate, I'll confess to you." "No no...forget it. It's really inexplicable that you are so angry." Lin Dalin wanted to ask what happened, but suddenly he was afraid to ask again.He seemed to sense that he was going to ask the last thing he wanted to hear.His temper will be unbearable. tragedy?yes.tragedy. Of course, life isn't all pain.Shortly after Lin Dalin left, Xiao Lin came to tell Jiang Man that several hospitals jointly held a nurse training class, and her father had already signed up for her.The exam is two months away and is imminent.Jiang Man gritted his teeth, got up early and stayed late, stayed at home, his eyes were bloodshot, his clothes were wide, and he reviewed the neglected homework.When she saw her name on the list, she seemed to return to her childhood in an instant, screaming and flying home like a bird. "Mom, mom! 'Fan Jin' won the exam! I won the exam——!" "What Fan Jin? Who are you 'offending' with?" "I passed the exam!" "Amitabha! My mother!" The old lady exclaimed with joy. "There is one who failed the exam, ask me—what department is your father in? It must be a man with gauze hat wings." The old lady said: "You just say - dig out the latrine." "I said - 'underground worker', to show the door to heaven. People don't believe it. I thought I went through some kind of 'back door', where is it!" The old mother said seriously: "Don't pretend to be ignorant. It wasn't Dalin's father who signed up, so you can be on the list? We have to remember him, don't let him down." Yes, I owe the Lin family another love. No matter how you say it, Jiang Man finally found his whereabouts with his own efforts.It's just that the feelings are still suffering amidst the turmoil.She will go to a nursing training class for one and a half years, which is the main thing.What else?Let it go--she thought.