Chapter 5 4. The woman on the bed shouted: I want to go home!

One autumn morning, Yu Xiaoman was busy washing radishes in the kitchen, when there was a knock on the door.She thought it was Ah Hui who came, so she threw the radish into the pool in a panic, wiped her hands hastily with a towel, then ran to the door ecstatically, and asked crisply outside the door: "Who is that?" ?” "It's Wu Jing's mother from my No. 4 villa." A strange woman's voice sounded outside the door. Yu Xiaoman couldn't help but squatted down in the cat's eye and looked out, only to see a middle-aged woman with permed hair in the shape of a chicken coop standing outside the door.The cat's eyes can only vaguely see the outline of people. Yu Xiaoman has never heard of the name Wu Jing, and the voice is not very familiar, but the woman said that she is from Villa No. 4, so you don't need to ask her. The wife of President Wu who was walking the dog in the compound.So Yu Xiaoman opened the door.

Standing in front of Yu Xiaoman, Wu Jing's mother seemed to have just cried, her eyes were red, her eyelids were swollen, and her black and blue eye bags looked very glaring.Although this woman who has passed her prime is tall and tall, well-dressed and gorgeous, her haggard complexion and anxious expression make her look old and weak.She seemed to have been hit hard all of a sudden, and she couldn't hold on any longer. As soon as she walked in, she sat down on the sofa without even saying a polite word, crying with snot and tears: " Xiaoman, I came here to ask for your help, you must help me with this favor!"

Yu Xiaoman didn't have a good impression of this woman who drove her mother-in-law out, but seeing her heartbroken look, she began to sympathize with her again.She took out a piece of facial tissue from the box on the coffee table and handed it to Wu Jing's mother, saying, "Auntie, don't cry, talk slowly if you have anything to do. As long as I can help, I will definitely help you!" Only then did Wu Jing's mother stop crying, and while wiping the tears on her face with a facial tissue, she sobbed and said to Yu Xiaoman who was sitting opposite: "Don't call me auntie, I hate people calling me auntie or something. My surname is Tang, and I am a professional woman in education, from now on you can call me Teacher Tang." When she said this, the expression on her face became more and more serious, as if she was lecturing students in class, and Yu Xiaoman Feeling exasperated and ridiculous.

Yu Xiaoman hurriedly changed her name and called her: "Teacher Tang." The teacher Tang's face immediately became amiable, and she lowered her voice and asked Yu Xiaoman: "Do you know my Wu Jing?" Yu Xiaoman shook her head and said, "I don't know." "It's no wonder. Wu Jing is reluctant to go out. Since she graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts last year, she has been sitting at home painting." Wu Jing's mother continued with red eyes, "It is said that she is not a few years older than you, but why? Like you, at first glance, it is as transparent as water. I just can't figure out Wu Jing's temperament. Although she is a mother and daughter, I have no idea what she is thinking in her heart. No, a few days ago, she suddenly proposed I want to move out. I was anxious when I heard it. You know our family is full of money and there are only three people. Usually her father is rarely at home, and there are only me and Wu Jing... I tried my best to persuade her to give up the strange idea of ​​moving out , She didn't shake her head or nod to what I said. At that time, I thought she had listened. Who knows, just yesterday afternoon when I went out for a walk with the dog, she moved away. The easel, clothes and so on were moved away. Nothing left, just left me a note in the dining room, saying that she rented a house outside and would live well by herself, and asked me not to disturb her..." Teacher Tang began to cry again .

Yu Xiaoman asked puzzledly, "Did you quarrel?" "No wow! I have pampered and spoiled her since I was a child. Needless to say, our family's living conditions now, she can satisfy her with whatever she wants. Even when I was poor a few years ago, I never made her short What. At that time, I was a teacher in elementary school, and her father was only a small section chief in the factory. The combined salary of the two of us was less than 1,000 yuan, but I always asked Wu Jing, who was in junior high school, to wear famous brand clothes , take her to KFC, McDonald's, piano, chess, calligraphy and painting classes, I have taken her to learn everything. Although the tuition fees are scary, I would rather eat pickles by myself than let Wu Jing be worse than others. No, she never After graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts, I couldn’t find a suitable job. I used the largest room upstairs as her studio. Since she moved into that room, I never dared to go in and even knocked on the door to ask her to eat. , she is too annoying."

"Then why did she move away?" "I don't understand her thoughts either! I came to you just to ask you for a favor to find her back." "I...can I go and get her back?" Yu Xiaoman was puzzled when she heard what Teacher Tang said. "After thinking about it, only you can help me! We don't have any relatives in Baiyun. Wu Jing has an aunt who lives far away, and she hasn't moved around for many years. I can't trust friends. You know my Wu Jing Jing's father is a well-known entrepreneur in Baiyun. As the saying goes, people are afraid of being famous and pigs are afraid of being strong. Celebrities have their eyes on him in every move, word and deed. If word of Wu Jing running away from home spreads, it will be fine. Ten, ten, ten, one hundred and one hundred, adding oil and vinegar, how does her father still work? How will Wu Jing behave in the future? I think I can only ask for your help. Although you and I are not familiar with each other, you come and go in and out of the compound every day Yes, I have long seen that you are a reliable girl, you will strictly keep the secret, and you will definitely not tell this matter. Also, you seem to be very assertive, and you are about the same age as my Wu Jing, She will listen to your advice." Wu Jing's mother was talking endlessly, her eyes looking at Yu Xiaoman were full of expectation.

"Do you know where she lives?" Yu Xiaoman was both moved and excited to be trusted by a woman who could be her own mother. "No. 5 Heping Road. A few days ago, when she called the real estate agency, I overheard this address. This morning, I went to Heping Road by car again and found the house she rented—that The building is very dilapidated, it’s like a slum. The corridor is steep and narrow, and it’s completely dark like a hole. Just like that, there are still some briquettes piled up at the corner, and I almost tripped over... Do you think Wu Jing is bewitched? Ah, with such good conditions at home, she actually moved to such a dilapidated place?"

"Have you seen Wu Jing?" "No. I stood on No. 5 for a long time, but I didn't dare to knock on the door." "Afraid of finding the wrong person?" "No. I have confirmed from the neighbor who lives next door that the person who moved in yesterday was Wu Jing. But I still dare not knock on the door. I am afraid that I will mess things up. Not only will Wu Jing not come back with me, she will Move elsewhere immediately." "How could this be?" "She... she hates me." "She hates you...why should she hate you? Don't you always spoil her?"

"Don't ask, okay?" Teacher Tang said in a begging tone, her eyes filled with tears immediately, "You go to her and tell her that if you don't go back, your mother will go crazy and jump off the building." "Will she listen to me?" Yu Xiaoman couldn't help feeling troubled when she thought that she was going to meet such a girl with a weird personality. "She is still very polite and friendly to outsiders. You go, at least she won't shut you out, but I can't do it..." "Then let me try!" Yu Xiaoman nodded solemnly. When Teacher Tang saw that Yu Xiaoman agreed, a smile appeared on his face.She stood up, took out an envelope that she had prepared a long time ago from her pocket, and stuffed it into Yu Xiaoman's hand: "Here is 50 yuan for your ride. There is a business card with my home phone number in it. What's the matter?" You can call me anytime."

"Ah—Teacher Tang, I have money. Besides, it doesn't cost much to take a ride." Yu Xiaoman hurriedly pushed the envelope back. But Teacher Tang resolutely put the envelope on the coffee table and said, "You think the money is short, don't you? Teacher Tang begs you for help, I can't let you pay the fare back! Xiaoman, can you do me this favor? If you can bring Wu Jing back, I will thank you again!" She said, looking at Yu Xiaoman with caressing eyes and saying, "If Mr. Tang has someone like you, I will thank you again!" An obedient daughter will be fine! Sigh, Teacher Tang’s life is miserable. She has a good life, but there is no way to live it... Why is this? Is it all my fault?" As she spoke, the circles of her eyes turned red again.

Yu Xiaoman comforted her and said: "Teacher Tang, don't worry, I will go to No. 5 Heping Road after lunch, and I will definitely find a way to get Wu Jing back." Only then did Teacher Tang say "thank you" repeatedly, and walked out the door. Yao Xiuhua had a delicious lunch.A big pot of stewed pork and radish cubes, seven big steamed buns, even the soup and water were eaten clean.After eating, Yu Xiaoman brought her another steel pot of cold boiled water, and she drank more than half of it in one gulp while holding the pot. The strange thing is that after eating and drinking, Yao Xiuhua did not lie down to sleep as usual, but sat down on the bed like a stone Buddha, her eyes were still half-closed looking at Yu Xiaoman, as if she had something to say . Yu Xiaoman, who was about to leave with an empty rice bowl in her hand, saw Yao Xiuhua staring at her, not very fiercely, so she stood curiously and wanted to see what new tricks she was going to come up with. "I——want—to go home!" Suddenly, Yao Xiuhua opened her mouth, uttering these words with great effort.At first, Yu Xiaoman didn't hear clearly, and thought she said "I want to eat shrimp", so she couldn't help but want to laugh, thinking, this old witch is always the same, she just knows how to eat, eat and eat , but also to eat tricks.After a while, she was still stunned by Yao Xiuhua's sudden new request.This was the first time she had heard Yao Xiuhua talk so much in half a year. "What did you just say? Say it again!" Yu Xiaoman said in a commanding tone. "I want - go home!" This time, Yao Xiuhua's enunciation was much clearer. "You want to go home?" After hearing Yao Xiuhua's words, Yu Xiaoman was even more surprised.She simply put the rice bowl in her hand on the ground, took two steps forward, looked at Yao Xiuhua with tears in her eyes and asked, "Which home do you want to go back to? Isn't this your home?" Unexpectedly, Yao Xiuhua shook her head with difficulty, panting and repeated: "I want to go home!" After saying that, she began to sob softly, like a child far away from his hometown begging his parents to take him back home. The weeping Yao Xiuhua looked extremely ugly, the narrow eyes and thick nose were out of shape on that fat face, the slack mouth was ugly and crooked, the fat on her neck twitched with difficulty, moving her The fat all over his body was trembling.However, Yu Xiaoman still saw the sadness in Yao Xiuhua's heart through this ugly appearance. Maybe she had a premonition that she was going to die.Many people will say the word "go home" when facing death.Yu Xiaoman was thinking to herself, she once read such a scene in an extracurricular book: before the grandmother died, she looked helplessly at the relatives around her and kept shouting "I want to go home Send me home", the "go home" that the old lady said here means "on the road", and "on the road" doesn't mean the road to death... Yu Xiaoman couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.But she raised her head and looked at Yao Xiuhua carefully, but it was difficult to see the breath of death from her body.She had a rosy complexion and sat upright. Although there was sadness in her expression, it was not the whine before death.It is difficult to equate this with the "heart failure" mentioned by Liu Liping.Most of the heart failure patients on TV are lying unconscious on the hospital bed, how can they sit up and say over and over again: I want to go home! "Which home do you want to go back to?" Yu Xiaoman asked after thinking about it. "Go back to the home in the county!" Although Yao Xiuhua's articulation was not clear, her thinking was quite clear. "You used to live in the county?" Yu Xiaoman asked again. "County—county seat!" "Do you have any relatives at home in the county?" "No!" "Then what are you going back for?" "I want to go home!" Yao Xiuhua no longer answered Yu Xiaoman's question, but repeated "I want to go home!" In order to calm Yao Xiuhua down, Yu Xiaoman had no choice but to persuade her, "You can go home if you want to, but you have to take care of your body. With your current state, how can you go back?" After listening to Yu Xiaoman's words, Yao Xiuhua shut her mouth as expected. She wiped away the dirty tears on her face with her sleeves, and took a deep breath. Gradually, her distorted facial features returned to their places. Slowly lay down on the bed. "I - want - go - home!" Amidst the loud snoring, Yao Xiuhua said intermittently. Yu Xiaoman stood at the door of Yao Xiuhua's room for a long time. Although Yao Xiuhua didn't seem to be dying, she still took precautions. When she walked down the stairs with an empty rice bowl, she kept struggling in her heart. Should she tell Liu Liping about Yao Xiuhua's sudden change, or wait?Of course, she is well aware of the consequences of "liing about the military situation". She can bring Wang Jingfang and Liu Liping back with just one call. The moment of death is approaching...but Yao Xiuhua is sleeping happily, dreaming and talking in sleep...Then how will Yu Xiaoman face Liu Liping and Wang Jingfang, and how will she face those doctors and nurses? Yu Xiaoman hesitated again and again, but decided not to tell Liu Liping about it.However, just to be on the safe side, she called the well-informed Ah Hui. "Ah Hui, you are the only one at home. I want to tell you something!" As soon as the phone was connected, Yu Xiaoman went straight to the point. "Brother Qian just left with that old woman, and I was the only one. What's the matter, Xiaoman, so secretive?" Ah Hui asked playfully on the other side of the phone. "My aunt just spoke!" "Yao Huahua wasn't dumb in the first place? Didn't she cry every day that she was hungry?" "That's not the case. She just said she wanted to go home!" "Then let her go back! Don't pay attention to her, she's talking crazy!" "But I don't think it's crazy! She said it over and over again, with a serious expression on her face. She also said that her home is in the county." "Her home in the county seat has been deserted all her life. Why go back there? Isn't she talking crazy?" Yu Xiaoman felt that what Ah Hui said made sense.After thinking about it, she felt a little uneasy: "Did she mean something else when she said to go home?" "What's the meaning?" "Isn't everyone willing to say 'go home' when they are dying?" "Hey, Xiaoman, where do you want to go? I think Yao Huahua is living more and more vigorously, and she is far away from death! Don't even think about it, people who are dying can still eat so much food?" "Then I don't need to tell Sister Liu about it?" "What did you tell her to do? Yao Huahua lay on the bed all day long, her mind spinning wildly, talking wherever she went. If she said something crazy, you should report it to Sister Liu. Is it annoying! Xiaoman, listen carefully , When Yao Huahua can’t eat anymore, she’s close to Lord Yan. If she can eat and sleep like she is now, I can guarantee that she can live for five hundred years.” Ah Hui giggled non-stop while talking. Only then did Yu Xiaoman feel relieved.She was just about to put down the receiver, but unexpectedly, Ah Hui started to say mysteriously again: "Hey, Xiaoman, are you free tomorrow? I'll go to you in the morning and tell you a secret, a big secret." "What a secret, I want to hear it now! Aren't you the only one in your family?" "Walls have ears, I have to tell you face to face." Ah Hui's laughter came from the other side of the phone.Yu Xiaoman was infected by her unconsciously, and couldn't help laughing.The two girls chatted a few more words on the phone before saying "goodbye" to each other. Yu Xiaoman got off the taxi at the intersection of Heping Road. She thought that No. 5 Heping Road was in front of her, but unexpectedly she was standing in the opposite direction: No. 225 was written on the door plate in front of her.what else can we do?The rest of the road can only be measured by steps. She is inexperienced, and she can't even take a taxi. She just told the driver to go to Heping Road. Therefore, they pulled her to Heping Road and let her go. Yu Xiaoman walked slowly along the sidewalk beside the road, full of frustration in her heart.This made her feel once again how difficult it is for rural people to make a living in the city, and often a small negligence can lead to a big mistake. Fortunately, after she walked down the long section of the road with her head depressed, the house numbers of the buildings on the side of the road began to shrink gradually, but the road surface became narrower and narrower, and both sides of the road were filled with vendors selling fruits and vegetables. The middle of the road is crowded with large trucks pulling goods and cars carrying people.Car horns, large and small, were screaming one after another, and small vendors were scrambling to solicit business, and the noise was disturbing.Yu Xiaoman walks carefully among the stalls, and at the same time has to pay attention to the house numbers of the buildings on the side of the road. No. 5 Heping Road is just on the street, and a brand new blue number plate is nailed to the wall of a dilapidated six-story building. The corridor was pitch black, and the smell of oily smoke and dust rushed towards us.Yu Xiaoman carefully held onto the cold handrail and walked up the narrow and steep stairs. On the second floor, she stopped in front of a rusty anti-theft door.After hesitating for a moment, she timidly reached out and knocked on the door. "Who is it?" Yu Xiaoman only knocked lightly twice, and there was a response from the door.It was a girl's voice, lazy and coquettish. "it's me." "Who are you?" The voice inside the door raised an octave, sounding a little nervous. "I'm Yu Xiaoman! Your neighbor." "Are you here to collect the water bill? I just moved here yesterday, so I didn't use much water." Obviously, Wu Jing didn't know who Yu Xiaoman was. She thought Yu Xiaoman was a neighbor at No. 5 Heping Road. Yu Xiaoman made a mistake and said, "I have other things to ask you for." Then, there was a rattling sound of unlocking the door. The door opened.The two girls stood at the door, looking at each other from a distance, and they were both surprised. Wu Jing, who was several years older than Yu Xiaoman, looked more like a younger sister in front of Yu Xiaoman.Her figure and height have inherited her father's shortcomings, short and thin, with flat chest and no girlish air.However, her face is beautiful, and her vivid facial features make up for the shortcomings of her figure. She has short black hair, rosy skin, and slender eyebrows raised high, beautiful and elegant; her eyes are not big, but they are black and bright , there is an aura hidden in it; the nose is a bit sharp, which gives people an inaccessible impression; but the small and delicate mouth, and the corners of the mouth curved upward when smiling, make people feel that she is kind and amiable . Yu Xiaoman stared intently at Wu Jing who was wearing blue overalls covered in oil paint, and didn't know what to say for a moment.It was Wu Jing who spoke first: "Please come in!" Only then did Yu Xiaoman follow Wu Jing into the door. Passing through a narrow corridor, there is a room of about twelve square meters inside. The cement floor is pitted and the white gray walls have peeled off, revealing the gray background inside; A single bed with an iron frame and a small bookcase converted from a wall cabinet. In the bookcase are some large picture albums lying around. Next to the bookcase is a dilapidated brown artificial leather couch with several cracks on it, like The child's mouth was open. On one side of the sofa was a delicate blue suitcase, and on the other side were piles of dull-colored clothes. Wu Jing's easel was placed in the middle of the room, on the upper half of the canvas. Part of it is painted with a girl's lively face, the lower part is still empty, and oil paint bottles and various brushes are piled up around the easel. Yu Xiaoman looked at this nondescript room with surprised eyes. "Come on, sit down, sit here!" Wu Jing put some clothes on the sofa onto the suitcase, giving Yu Xiaoman an open space. "No need, I'll just stay for a while and leave!" Yu Xiaoman said while standing in the middle of the ground with some embarrassment.For some reason, as soon as she entered this room, she had a premonition that Wu Jing would not go home with her.Although the furnishings in the room are simple, almost all of which are broken furniture left by the owner, Wu Jing's work clothes stained with oil paint and the easel in the center of the floor told her that Wu Jing has regarded this place as her own home. up. "Are you painting?" Yu Xiaoman asked, smelling the strong smell of oil paint with her nose. "Yes. Is there anything you can do with me?" Wu Jing said while bending over to tidy up the scattered paintbrushes. "I'm your neighbor from Jinyu Garden." Yu Xiaoman said frankly. Wu Jing raised her head and looked at her: "You live in Jinyu Garden, why haven't I seen you before!" "I'm the nanny of Villa No. 3." Wu Jing straightened up, still looking at Yu Xiaoman in doubt: "So my mother asked you to come to me?" Yu Xiaoman nodded. Wu Jing's face was covered with a cloud: "She followed me!" "Teacher Tang said that she overheard your call to consult with the real estate agency." "Whether it's stalking or eavesdropping, the nature is the same anyway." "Teacher Tang said that she loves you very much and cannot leave you. She stayed up all night last night. She said that if you refused to go home, she would go crazy and jump off the building." Yu Xiaoman repeated what Teacher Tang told her those words. Unexpectedly, after hearing Yu Xiaoman's words, Wu Jing laughed: "My mother will go crazy and jump off the building because of me? The devil would believe it! Money and the house are everything to her, so what am I!" "Why do you think so?" Yu Xiaoman said reproachfully. "What can I think?" Wu Jing bit her lip, pulled Yu Xiaoman to sit on the sofa with herself and said, "You don't know my mother." She opened her mouth to speak but stopped. "You hate her?" "It's not that serious, but a little bit." "why?" "I can't explain clearly in one or two sentences." "But you should have a good talk with your mother. No matter how you say it, you shouldn't move out! How sad it is for her to do this!" "You don't understand. In fact, I moved out because of my mother on the one hand, and for my freedom and dignity on the other." "Don't you have freedom at home? Teacher Tang said that she gave you the largest room as a studio and never dared to go in and disturb you." "That's just a material freedom." Yu Xiaoman asked puzzledly, "What else do you want?" Wu Jing knew that Yu Xiaoman didn't understand what she was talking about, so she said bluntly: "Go back and tell my mother that I live a very good life outside, and I am a hundred times happier than at home, so let her stop bothering me gone." "So you're not going to go back with me?" Yu Xiaoman said awkwardly, "How can I explain to Teacher Tang?" "It's not your fault. She has no right to blame you." Yu Xiaoman stood up slowly: "Teacher Tang thought I could convince you..." "You have tried your best. Thank you, really, I am very grateful that you came to me. In fact, I like you very much and want to be friends with you. You can come and play anytime in the future, as long as you are not sent by my mother." .By the way, write down your home phone number... Oh, this is embarrassing for you. Your master doesn’t allow it, so forget it. When I sell my paintings, I will have money Then you can install the phone." Wu Jing kept talking apologetically. "Can't you even pay for the phone installation? Then why don't you ask Teacher Tang for money?" Yu Xiaoman asked in surprise. Wu Jing smiled and said, "I can support myself." When Wu Jing sent Yu Xiaoman out, she said many words of gratitude.She asked Yu Xiaoman to visit her often, and said that next time Yu Xiaoman came, the place would be different. As soon as Yu Xiaoman opened the door, she heard the phone ringing in the living room.She quickly put on her slippers and ran to answer the phone. The call was from Liu Liping, who sounded annoyed.Liu Liping said that she waited outside the door all afternoon and asked Yu Xiaoman what she was doing. "I... did someone a favor." At first, Yu Xiaoman hesitated a bit when she spoke, but as she spoke, she made up her mind to tell the truth, "The thing is like this, the owner of Villa No. 3 Teacher Tang came to me and asked me to go to Heping Road to see someone for her." "You go to see friends for her? Why doesn't she go by herself?" "She's not well." "Then she can order you!" "..." "She's really good at calculating. Others pay to hire a nanny, and she uses it for free. Why should she use it? Besides, you didn't take her salary, so why do you listen to her orders..." Liu Liping became more and more angry on the phone . Yu Xiaoman felt that Liu Liping's words sounded harsh, unreasonable and domineering, and she was a different person from usual.She simply held the microphone in her hand and said nothing. "Are you listening?" Liu Liping probably had finally vented enough, and began to say in a softer tone. "En." Yu Xiaoman only hummed one word from her nose.Indeed, she didn't know where she was going wrong.At the same time, she refuted every word Liu Liping said in her heart, ten thousand people were not convinced.Yes, she was a paid nanny at Villa 4, but she didn't sell them.Wang Liang is right, she is not a slave, her body is free, and she can help whoever she wants except doing her part. Liu Liping has no right to interfere, and no one else has the right to interfere.If Liu Liping fires her for this, she will leave immediately.Wang Liang and Tao Zhen will help her, and Wu Jing who just met will not turn her away. Probably Liu Liping also realized that she had gone too far, so she returned to her normal state and asked like an amiable big sister: "Why, are you angry with me?" Seeing that Yu Xiaoman was still silent, Liu Liping's tone became more cordial, as if coaxing a child: "Okay, can sister Liu apologize to you? Sister Liu is also in a hurry! After you leave all afternoon, I will wait outside the door Now, I don't know what you did, can I not worry about you? What if I run into a bad guy? " When Liu Liping said this, Yu Xiaoman felt that she was also at fault in this matter.If you go out for an afternoon, you should at least say hello to Liu Liping.But when she went out, she really didn't expect it would take such a long time.Who is to blame?It's all because she didn't explain clearly to the taxi driver, causing herself to walk from one end of Heping Road to the other end. "Have you had dinner?" Liu Liping asked again with concern. "not yet." "By the way, how did she know you?" Seeing that Yu Xiaoman had spoken, Liu Liping asked endlessly. "Who are you talking about?" "That Teacher Tang." "She came to the door. I've never spoken to her before." "What friend did she ask you to see for her?" Yu Xiaoman hesitated for a moment: "Her relatives are sick, so let me help deliver some medicine." Yu Xiaoman's lies were reasonable, so Liu Liping couldn't say anything more.She pondered for a while on the phone before saying: "I went to find you because I want you to go to the countryside with me." Yu Xiaoman was taken aback: "Going to the countryside? Is it far?" "Go to my sister's house. Tell me if it's far or not, or if it's close, it's more than two hundred kilometers away!" "Can we come back that day?" "I want to spend the night there." "What about Auntie?" "I will arrange for Ah Hui to take care of her." "When are we leaving?" "Tomorrow is Friday, how about Saturday?" "Saturday?" "What, are you okay?" "No. You can go any day!" "Then it's settled. I'll pick you up in my car on Saturday morning." After Yu Xiaoman put down the phone, she couldn't help being upset for a while.Now, she couldn't care less about being angry with Liu Liping, and what bothered her even more was not being able to reunite with Wang Liang on Saturday.In order to wait for this day, she suffered for six full days, and it was too long for her to wait for another six days in vain.But she had no other choice, because she had no right to refuse Liu Liping.Liu Liping bought out her Sundays and holidays with 500 yuan, and also bought out her freedom.It was at this moment that Yu Xiaoman suddenly understood the true meaning of Wu Jing's dissatisfaction with material freedom.If you put a person in an iron cage, wear the best clothes in the world, and eat the best food in the world, but don't let him take a step out of the cage, and don't let him have contact with the outside world, then what's the point of his life? ?Perhaps Wu Jing resolutely moved out of the villa and lived in the slums in order to obtain another kind of freedom other than the cage.Thinking about her own situation, Yu Xiaoman suddenly understood Wu Jing, and even admired her courage.Originally, she had always felt guilty for not finding Wu Jing, and she didn't know how to explain it to Teacher Tang.At this moment, she felt relaxed, secretly glad that Wu Jing didn't move back.She herself is a bird that has lost her freedom and is locked in a cage. Why should she act as an accomplice in shutting down another bird that has escaped? Yu Xiaoman picked up the envelope that Teacher Tang put there from the coffee table, found a business card with "Excellent Teacher Tang Shuyuan" in it, and dialed the phone number of Teacher Tang's home according to the number on it. "This is President Wu's home, who are you?" On the other side of the phone, Teacher Tang who answered the phone said every word in Mandarin. "Teacher Tang, I'm Xiaoman!" Teacher Tang's voice changed immediately, and her speech speed increased eight times: "Ah, Xiao Man, you are back. Did you see Wu Jing? What did she say? Did she agree to move back?..." Hearing Teacher Tang's eager voice, Yu Xiaoman couldn't help but want to laugh: "She doesn't want to move back, she said that she lives outside very well and is very happy, so you can rest assured!" Yu Xiaoman almost gloated Intonation said.Liu Liping's phone call made a 90-degree turn in her thinking. "How could this be?" Mr. Tang said in tears on the phone, "Did you tell her that I would go crazy and jump off the building because she didn't move back?" "I told you everything. But she didn't believe it." Yu Xiaoman wanted to say "She said you only love the house and money" according to the script, but she swallowed the words, which was a bit too mean.On the other side of the phone, Teacher Tang didn't reply for a long time. Yu Xiaoman's heart softened all of a sudden, and she quickly comforted her and said, "Teacher Tang, don't worry, if she lives outside enough, she will move back." "She's not coming back. I know her temper!" When Yu Xiaoman heard what Teacher Tang said, she lost her mind for a moment: "Why don't I go find her again!" "No need...she is forcing me to death..." Teacher Tang began to cry. Hearing Teacher Tang's desperate cry, Yu Xiaoman's heart began to fluctuate. At this moment, she was not sure whether Wu Jing's actions were right or wrong. "Teacher Tang..." Yu Xiaoman called out sympathetically, but didn't know what to say. "Xiao Man, thank you! I know you have tried your best." Teacher Tang said, and put down the phone. But Yu Xiaoman held the receiver and thought that she should go to Wu Jing's place again and try to get her back, at least she should make it clear to her mother before leaving. Ah Hui doesn't look like a nanny at all, she will go wherever she says, and when she says she will arrive, she will be right.Her freedom made Yu Xiaoman both envious and jealous. In the morning, before Yu Xiaoman had finished tidying up the house, Ah Hui came. Today's Ah Hui seems to have encountered some happy event, looking very excited.This cheapskate who always came to Yu Xiaoman's place to eat and drink, and was never willing to pay a penny, actually pulled out a bag of hardcover Alishan watermelon seeds from his bulging flower handle pocket, threw it on the sofa, and shouted happily. Yu Xiaoman yelled: "Hey, I'm treating you today!" As she spoke, she dragged Yu Xiaoman to sit on the sofa and chatted: "Why are you cleaning up so clean? Yao Huahua lies in the pig's nest and sleeps all day, you just put The house looks like a palace, and she can't enjoy it." Yu Xiaoman said angrily, "You're not afraid that Sister Liu will talk about you if you run out so early!" Unexpectedly, Ah Hui turned her small mouth away, and said something that surprised Yu Xiaoman: "Sister Liu didn't sleep at home at all last night, she cares where I go." "Sister Liu doesn't sleep at home? Then where does she sleep!" Yu Xiaoman asked after her. "Isn't it a foreigner? Sister Liu is the owner of the company and often stays with clients in hotels to play cards. Sometimes they stay in hotels for half a month." "Then what about Brother Qian?" "Isn't there me!" "Brother Qian, does he have any objections?" "Didn't I tell you a long time ago that Brother Qian is a coward. Besides, without Sister Liu fighting the world outside, with his salary from the Municipal Federation of Literary and Art Circles, he can live in a two-story building? Can he drive a Buick car? Can you wear famous brand clothes? Brother Qian found a wife like Sister Liu, but he got a lot of money. You haven’t seen how generous he is, and there’s a stack of credit cards in his wallet. That day, I went with him to help him go abroad My niece studying abroad spent more than 5,000 yuan on a suitcase in Keli Plaza. It is an Italian brand called Adi. Can you believe it? Keli Plaza is not a store that ordinary people can enter. Everything is foreign famous brands , Death is expensive, death is expensive, if you buy a few things, you can spend 20,000 yuan. His niece is also a master who has seen the world, and she only buys famous brands. Just like that, Brother Qian said: "Look at it." Just buy whatever you want, your aunt said, it’s not easy to study abroad, so I must give you a few things that satisfy you. Do the math, this time spent a year’s salary of Brother Qian, but Brother Qian Without even frowning, he stood in front of the cashier, took out a peony card from his wallet, and handed it to the cashier. In the blink of an eye, 20,000 yuan was eaten by that small machine. Look how alive they are. How handsome! I stood by and stared in a daze. My father worked hard for a year, but he couldn’t earn the money of a suitcase! Then again, Brother Qian’s chic , Didn’t it come from Sister Liu? It’s better for a man to have money these days than anything else. Even those who are officials are doing it to get more money to spend. Otherwise, why do they want to take bribes?所以，钱哥活到这份上，也该知足了，实在也没有什么可抱怨的。” 阿慧滔滔不绝地说个不停，于小蔓只有当听众的份儿。在槐树镇，百分之百的都是男人挣钱养家，她从没听说还有女人养着男人的。更让于小蔓无法理解的是，既然钱哥是窝囊废，仅仅是个花钱的主儿，刘姐还养着他干什么。于小蔓心里这样想着，就忍不住说了出来。 想不到她的这个问题把阿慧也难住了：“嗯，我还真是说不清楚。是不是因为钱哥长得帅啊？不对，钱哥才一米七三的个儿，除了那身名牌，人老是像没睡醒似的，既不精神，也没什么气质。他真是哪方面都不如刘姐。刘姐长得多漂亮啊，她简直就是人见人爱的女人。”阿慧摇摇头，被彻底搞糊涂了。 两个女孩坐在沙发上东猜西想了半天，也说不出个所以然，于是，干脆专心磕着瓜子。半斤瓜子磕了大半，于小蔓想起上次王亮来时，吃剩下一些小食品，就去厨房的柜子里给阿慧拿来一包台湾话梅和一包亲亲虾条，阿慧享受着小食品的美味，就又来了精神：“对了，我还没告诉你那个秘密呢！” “我正想问你呐，快说，是什么秘密？”于小蔓笑着催促道。 “我在钱哥的书房发现了一样东西。”阿慧把一颗话梅扔进嘴里，有滋有味地嚼着，“你猜猜会是什么？”阿慧卖开了关子。 于小蔓嘟着嘴：“你又来了！我哪能猜到啊！” “没错，我就是给你三天三夜的时间，你也猜不出来。”阿慧吐出话梅核，又抓起一根虾条放进嘴里，“这世界上真是什么怪事都有，还偏偏就让我碰上了。上次我不是告诉过你，钱哥跟一个老女人有来往吗。我一直没弄清钱哥与这老女人的关系，也不知道那老女人总是神神秘秘地来找钱哥干什么。前几天，我在打扫钱哥的书房时，看到书桌上放着一张报纸，上面的头像就是那老女人。我平时不大读书看报，可这一次见是那老女人的头像，就趴上去看了看。这一看不要紧，就让我发现了大秘密。你猜怎么着？钱哥前几天写的一首诗上竟署着那老女人的名字：马艳芳。在老女人的头像下边，是两行小字的作者介绍，说马艳芳是白云诗坛的一匹黑马，尤其在她的丈夫老画家天易去世后，她的'悼亡诗'更是达到了炉火纯青的境界……原文我背不下来，反正都是是些赞美她的话。可这首诗明明是钱哥写的呀！钱哥有个毛病，喜欢自我欣赏，每写一首诗，就要大声地念给我听，还要问我感觉怎么样。我能说什么？只好连声说不错，挺不错的。其实呀，我一直觉得钱哥的诗写得不怎么样，别看我不懂诗，再怎么说上初中时中国外国的诗也学过几首，孬好还分得清。尤其这首题目叫《想你》的诗，别提有多肉麻了。钱哥摇头晃脑地读给我听时，我心里还想，这不是写给死去的爱人的吗？刘姐又没死，他悼念个什么劲啊……我生怕自己冤枉了马艳芳，就又打开钱哥的抽屉，想找到原诗的草稿证实一下。天哪，这一证实可不要紧，我在钱哥的抽屉里找到了一个硬皮夹子，里面夹着二十三篇署名马艳芳的诗歌和散文剪报，在这个夹子的后面，很有条理地放着钱哥写的草稿……” “阿慧，你没弄错吧？”听了阿慧的话，于小蔓连连摇头，脸上带着一百个不相信的表情。 “呔，我怎么会弄错。”阿慧从沙发背上拉过她的花提袋，从中拽出一个黑皮夹子，颇不服气地塞到于小蔓的手里，“喏，你自己看！” 于小蔓吃惊地看着手里的黑夹子说：“你怎么把它拿出来了？钱哥要是发现了怎么办？” “我是拿出来做证明的呀。要不，你能相信吗？” “我相信不相信又有什么关系。你这样做就不怕丢饭碗吗？” “小蔓，你可真是个乡下妞啊！你怎么就傻到了这份上？我手里有了这些材料，就有了他们的把柄。那几个死要面子活受罪的男人女人，谁还敢随便砸我的饭碗？只要我把这复印件交给白云晚报的记者——这天大的丑闻，让他们的脸还能往哪搁？真的，包括刘姐在内，即使她知道了这件事，也不希望被宣扬出去。” “你要把这个夹子归为己有？” 阿慧那小而明亮的眼睛里，闪着狡黠的光芒：“我只是借着用用。刚才，我已经在你家门口的复印店把夹子里的原稿和剪报全部复印了两份，花了我一百多块钱呢！不过，这没关系，我很快就会挣回来的。” “你复印它有什么用啊？”于小蔓依然是一脸的傻气。 “有用，当然有用！”阿慧的脸上露出与她这个年纪不相称的狡猾，“它会让我发财的。小曼，你在城市呆得时间太短，还不了解城市人。我算是看透了，你想在这里活得光鲜、富有，就得想歪门邪道。凭当保姆或是像田姐做清洁工，就是累死，一天到晚也只能挣个馒头咸菜的钱。说是劳动致富，那全是骗人的鬼话。我来这儿三四年，就没见哪个开出租车的当清洁工的成了大款。可我家那个大院和你家这个大院的人，住着别墅开着名车穿着名牌吃着宴席，哪个干过体力活？他们一个个耀武扬威的，花钱像流水，他们有什么本事？这钱都是从哪里来的？是像我们一把泪一把汗挣来的吗……”阿慧越说越激动，脸上的表情一会儿是激愤，一会儿又充满了哀怨。于小蔓觉得阿慧的话也不无道理，可她还是不明白阿慧要拿那些复印件做什么文章。 阿慧见她仍是一副懵懵懂懂的傻样子，就又进一步解释说：“我手里有这些复印件，马艳芳和钱哥都会给我钱的时候，说不定钱哥钱包里的那些牡丹卡就会钻到了我的花提袋里啦！”阿慧畅想着，小嘴巴得意地撇着，还晃了晃圆圆的脑袋。 于小蔓这才听出点门道：“你是说……你是说你要拿着复印件诈骗？” “别说得那么严重。这算什么诈骗啊！我只想利用它弄点钱，过几天好日子。再说啦，他们的钱又不是正道来的，我敲一点点，就权当是对他们搞歪门邪道的惩罚。” “可你这样做，我总觉得有点不对头。”于小蔓忧，忡忡地说，“这不也是歪门邪道吗？” 阿慧不屑地瞪了于小蔓一眼：“你害怕什么？把柄在我手里，现在呀，我的处境就像一首老歌里唱的那样：不是人民怕美帝，而是美帝怕人民，你懂吗？” “我不懂！我只知道你这样做是犯法的。”于小蔓生气地说。她真的不理解阿慧为什么会对一件犯法的事那样津津乐道。 阿慧一边把黑夹子从于小蔓的手里抽回来，放进花提袋里，一边嗔怪地说：“你是朽木不可雕啦。我也不愿再多跟你费口舌。这事到此为止，咱不再提了。不过，我有言在先，这事就你知我知，可千万不能说出去，你明白吗？等我弄到钱，一定请你到小香港酒家好好吃一顿。” “我不稀罕赃钱请客。” 阿慧把花提袋放到沙发背上，回头用手揽着于小蔓的腰，用圆脑袋蹭着她的肩头，像小女孩似的撒娇说：“好啦，别给你棒捶当针了。人家肚子饿了，你倒成铁锅盖了，连饭也不管啦！” 于小蔓这才换了笑脸说：“咱们做白萝卜红烧肉。你掌勺，我当帮手。做它两大锅。” “天哪，你要撑死我呀！”阿慧有些做作地喊道。 “还有楼上你那个姚花花也要吃呀！” “怎么，你给她吃这个？”阿慧认起真来。 于小蔓自知说漏了嘴，忙改口说：“今天就让她吃这个吧，省得我还要出去买汉堡包。节省点时间，咱俩好多聊会儿。” 阿慧意味深长地看了她一眼：“你不用遮掩了，小蔓。其实我早就知道你给姚花花吃这个。要不，你哪来的钱买小食品啊！”于小蔓的脸一下子红了。她还想为自己的做法编些理由，但她心里明白，无论如何她也骗不过鬼精鬼灵的阿慧。她真后悔不该用小食品招待阿慧。可每回阿慧来时，她都不由自主地倾其所有。阿慧见于小蔓不说话，就又说：“其实，你给姚花花吃白萝卜红烧肉没什么不好。这比汉堡包有营养。只是刘姐知道了恐怕会不高兴的，她给姚花花那么多生活费，是因为汉堡包太贵……”阿慧欲言又止，脸上露出讳莫如深的神情。 于小蔓听着阿慧的话中话，突然有了一种大祸临头的感觉。她那苹果似的脸蛋像是被烧着了，烧得她眼赤心跳，嘴唇蠕动着，就是说不出话。她自以为保守得很好的秘密，就这么轻而易举地被阿慧识破了。她一心想去弥补这个过失，却又手足无措地不知该从哪里下手。情急之中，她差一点哭出来。 还好，阿慧在彻底揭穿了她的秘密，刺到了她的痛处之后，又开始来安慰她了：“好啦。瞧把你吓成了啥样子。我又不会告诉刘姐，你怕什么呀！” 于小蔓这才舒出一口气，但还是忍不住为自己辩护说：“我真的不是故意的……” “你当然不是故意的。要是故意的，刘姐还不得给你扣一顶虐待病人的帽子。”阿慧没有让于小蔓继续表白下去，又不冷不热地来了一句。 于小蔓这回倒找到了反驳的机会：“我虐待她什么了。连你都知道萝卜红烧肉比汉堡包有营养。我又没饿着姚花花。” “可刘姐会说你贪污了姚花花的生活费。”阿慧见于小蔓又在没理找理，还露出不服输的样子，就狠狠地来了一句。 正是这一句，真正地击中了于小蔓的要害。她忍不住哭了起来，边哭嘴里还边念叨着：“我贪污生活费？这不是冤枉人吗……”阿慧见于小蔓真的承受不住了，就又攀着她的肩膀说：“你怎么当真了呀？咱这不是在瞎聊吗？刘姐怎么会说你贪污呢？吃什么东西不花钱啊！刘姐最喜欢你啦，她常说她用过的所有保姆中，最让她称心放心的就是你。” 于小蔓这才嘟着小嘴，止住了哭。 阿慧见她不哭了，忙不失时机地说：“反正这件事也就咱俩知道，我知道你是好心，可刘姐不一定领情。那咱就别告诉她。小蔓，这算什么大不了的事啊，你还值得哭鼻子抹泪的。别说咱没沾他们的光，就是沾了点儿，又怎么样？钱就该他们花，美食就该他们享受啊！走，咱们做萝卜红烧肉，好好开开荤！”阿慧连扯带拉地把于小蔓推进了厨房。 阿慧最后的两句话倒是让于小蔓吃了定心丸。这话王亮对她说过。真的，她怕什么呢？用姚花花的生活费买了些吃的，这也算贪污吗？ 气头上的于小蔓突然又有了一种理直气壮的感觉。她和阿慧一起切着萝卜，说说笑笑，很快便把刚才的烦恼给忘了。 周六早晨，刘丽萍的一个电话，让于小蔓吃了定心丸。刘丽萍在电话里说，去乡下的事要往后推几天，因为从北京来了一个客户，她要陪着看地皮。 放下电话，于小蔓就差没跳起来了。 昨晚，她往白云大学打了好几次电话，才找到王亮。听说周末的“聚会”要泡汤，王亮也很失望。他已习惯了这每周一次的“开斋节”。 于小蔓刚放下电话，又赶紧拿起电话，拨了白云大学的电话号码。 得到王亮“我一定准时到”的承诺后，接下来，于小蔓便开始一心一意地为晚餐做准备。 像以往的周末一样，她先是急匆匆地去超市采购。临出门时，她带走了从姚秀花嘴里省下的所有饭费，共计五百二十七元钱。刘丽萍的电话让她有一种失而复得的惊喜，她的心老是像小鹿一样跳动着，嘴里始终哼着一首叫《阳光下的男孩》的流行歌曲，每当哼到第三句，“你那明亮纯净的眼睛令我心醉”时，她就不自觉地放慢速度，再重哼一遍。就连上下楼的脚步也是跳跃的，就像一只在草地上奔跑的小山羊。 于小蔓在超市入口拿到筐子后，先进了酒类货架。她连眉头也没皱，就从货架上取下三百元钱一瓶的西班牙产红葡萄酒。虽然她和王亮都不善喝酒，也不会品酒，但为了营造一种气氛，为了能看到王亮酒后那兴奋的神情，于小蔓还是很舍得在酒上花大价钱的。尤其对来之不易的今天晚上，她更是在所不惜。电视上说这类酒多是假货，可不管怎么说，这酒瓶看上去十分精致，瓶盖上有金箔一类的装潢，更让于小蔓看在眼里的是瓶贴上的外国字。尔后，她又去了饮料货架，把四听可口可乐装进筐子里。她在肉食恒温柜前转了一圈，先后拿了两块韩国烤肉、一只家乡葱油煎鸡和一包威尼斯火腿肠。超市里现做的日本烤鳗鱼价格非常昂贵，就那么黄黄的不到半斤重一小段鱼肉放在快餐盒里，就要卖到四十多元钱。但于小蔓犹豫了一下，还是把它买下了。在超市的出口处，她看见一个衣着华丽的女人手里提着一袋黄灿灿的美国橙子，觉得摆在餐桌上一定很好看，就又提着分量很重的筐子奔到水果摊……她甚至还学着那女人的样子，选购了造型和口味俱佳的小甜甜蛋糕和可尔面包。 付完账后，走出超市的于小蔓数了数口袋里的所有零钱，竟还有一百多元。于是，她又在金玉公寓对面的副食店买了一块新鲜的猪肉。她要学着阿慧的做法，为王亮红烧猪肉块。 回到家里，于小蔓要做的第一件事，便是把从超市采购的东西全部藏起来。尽管王景方和刘丽萍都很少光顾这个家，但她还是不得不预防万一。现在，她最担心的是阿慧不请自到。昨天阿慧走后，剩下她一个人时，她细细地回想着阿慧所说过的每一句话，还是感到了后怕。一旦阿慧把这件事告诉了刘丽萍，她在这儿的日子就难过了。一方面她希望阿慧来聊天，另一方面，她又很害怕眼尖的阿慧发现新的破绽，尤其是今天，她最担心的就是阿慧的突然闯入。如果让阿慧知道王亮来度周末的事，那她于小蔓可是让人抓住了大把柄。诡计多端的阿慧会不会以此来敲诈她呢？尽管她不想把阿慧想得那样坏，可经历了昨天那场风波后，她还是告诫自己要小心。 正是这些“不速之客”弄得于小蔓既担心又紧张。她把食物袋提上楼，全部放进自己卧室衣柜的空格里，将柜门关紧，又关上卧室的门后，她才算松了一口气。一般情况下，没人会到她卧室里来，更不可能去开她的衣柜。 于小蔓站在楼道里，看了看手腕上的儿童电子手表，表盘上洋娃娃的手指正指向十一点。她这才想起该给姚秀花做午饭了。早晨，为了等刘丽萍的电话，她没有到门口的小吃摊上买早点，只给姚秀花吃了些昨晚的剩饭和剩菜——两个馒头，一碗米饭和半盘萝卜块，也不知她吃饱没有。 于小蔓转身下楼时，却意外地听到身后有嚓嚓的声音。她猛一回头，就见姚秀花已爬出了门口，正用肥大的手掌吃力地抓住门框，似乎想站起来。 于小蔓瞪了她一眼，知道这是瞎子点灯白费蜡的事，也没走过去帮她，就自顾自地下楼做午饭了。 傍晚时分，天气骤然变了。黑压压的乌云阴沉沉地覆盖着西边的天空，一时间狂风大作，大院里的树木花草被刮得东倒西歪。只一会儿的工夫，天地间便是一片昏暗，能见度降到了极点，于小蔓从厨房的窗子往外看去，大院外面缓缓而过的汽车全都亮着灯，即使如此，那车灯看上去，也像萤火虫一般。这是今年秋天的第一场沙尘暴。从去年开始，由于自然环境的不断恶化，起自大西北的沙尘暴就光顾了白云这个内陆城市。每每这样的天气，为了减少沙尘的袭击，人们上街都要把头和嘴巴包在头巾里；逆风行驶的自行车根本就蹬不动，甚至还会被风吹得左右摇摆；而顺风行驶的自行车又很容易被从身后刮过来的暴风掀翻。因此，这样的时刻，大街上全是推着自行车艰难前行的人们。除了上班族之外，大多数没有急事的人都选择躲在家里。 于小蔓一动不动地站在窗前看着沙尘暴在半空中起舞，心里也一阵阵地不安起来。她为王亮担心。她既害怕王亮因这恶劣的天气而不能如约，又担心此时已走在路上的王亮会遇到不测。前几天电视上就有过报道，北方的一个大城市在沙尘暴天气，发生多起伤亡事故，有人被风刮掉的广告牌砸死，也有人被大楼上刮坏的窗子砸伤。 然而，就在于小蔓忧心忡忡的当儿，门外却响起了敲门声。 王亮比原定时间早到了半小时。他像是有什么心事，神情萎靡，眼睛泛红，头发蓬乱，本来很光滑的下巴上，也冒出了斑斑点点的黑胡茬子。在这狂风大作的深秋里，身上只穿一件红不溜秋的旧T恤衫，一条又肥又长的蓝裤子皱皱巴巴松松垮垮地挂在腿上，脚上那双不知穿了几年的黑皮鞋，也没擦油，鞋尖难看地翻着猪皮的灰白色。 “你生病啦？”他一走进门，于小蔓就吃惊地问。 “啊，没有哇，我挺好的。” “你不冷吗？”于小蔓仍上下打量着他问。 “不冷。我从来不怕冷。”王亮用两手搓着冻得通红的脸，强打精神说。 于小蔓端来一只切开的美国橙子，让王亮先在茶几上吃着，自己则忙着布置餐桌。 看着于小蔓忙里忙外的样子和满桌的美味佳肴，王亮的脸上才出现了笑意：“嗨，这么丰盛啊！” “丰盛吗？瞧，我又买了一大瓶洋酒！”于小蔓见王亮来了精神，便拿起放在餐桌中央的红葡萄酒瓶冲着他得意地晃了晃，“真正的西班牙产红葡萄酒。” “这酒很贵吧？小蔓，你哪来这么多钱啊？”王亮站起身，走到餐桌旁，拿起酒瓶凑在灯下看了看，尔后，又抬眼看着于小蔓，脸上露出狐疑的表情。 于小蔓躲开他的目光，俏皮地说：“反正不是偷来的。你就别管价钱了，那些有钱人天天在大饭店里喝洋酒，咱们穷人就不该享受一回呀！”说着，就夺过酒瓶，拿进厨房启开了瓶盖。 “请入座吧，先生！”于小蔓点亮了桌上的四只蜡烛，幸福地看着温馨的烛光，学着电视里那些女主人的样子，对王亮做了个请的手势。等王亮坐下后，她又为他倒了半杯酒，这才退到对面的座位上坐定。 “来，王亮哥，把杯里的酒全喝了！”于小蔓端起酒杯，微红着脸，不无激动地说。 此刻，王亮的兴致也来了，端起酒杯，一饮而尽。 “再干一杯！”这一回，于小蔓为他倒了个满杯。 “不行。我哪能一口气喝这么多酒啊！”王亮看着杯里几乎要溢出来的酒，踌蹰着。 “你一定要喝！今晚咱们能坐到一块儿喝酒可真不容易啊！”于小蔓端起酒杯，将杯中的酒一口气喝完，“我原以为要等下个周末才能见到你……”她的眼圈红了一下，然后，开始滔滔不绝地讲起近几天发生的乱七八糟的事情。当她讲丽萍批评自己多管闲事时，不由愤怒起来，把昨天在电话里不敢反驳刘丽萍的话，全对着王亮讲了出来。 王亮也被激怒了，他充满豪气地喝完杯中酒后，将酒杯往桌上一扣，义愤地说道：“小蔓，你就应该这样，无论做什么工作，都要讲究自尊自爱，独立自主。至于主人的规定，去他妈的，那是不平等条约，他们不就是给了你几百块钱吗，就有权规定你这样那样，这些经过了你的同意吗？反过来说，你又给他们规定了什么呢？他们有什么权利干涉你助人为乐的自由？我在白云大学待这三年，感受最深刻的就是贫富的差别，富人对穷人的歧视。就拿我来说吧，在班里学习是头几名，体格健壮，仪表堂堂，可那些有钱的女孩子从不正眼瞧我，更别说跟我交朋友了。为什么？还不是因为我家里太穷吗？我穿不起名牌，没钱请她们下馆子，给她们送礼物。唉，穷人的孩子想活出个人样来，难呐！我拼死拼活地学习，原以为能有个出头之日，现在我才知道毕业后仍是前途渺茫。如今国家不包分配，让大学生自己找工作，像我这样在城里无亲无故的学生，家里又拿不出钱请客送礼，哪个单位肯收留我啊……”王亮说到伤心处，眼里就有了泪光，“我爸我妈为供我念大学，吃尽了苦头，我本想毕业后找个好工作，好好报答他们。而现在看，毕业后我面临的只有一条路：回老家待业，也就是说，我很可能被分到县城某个快要倒毙的小工厂当工人……这就是我们穷孩子的前途——难怪就连那些经济拮据的农村女孩子也很瞧不起我们，凡有点姿色的都千方百计地往富人堆里挤，拼命巴结城里的小瘪三子。这样她们就可以留在城里，兴许还能找到个好工作。我们班有个戴着近千度眼镜的男生，听说当年他的分数根本就不够录取线，他是大二时从民校插班来的，人长得真