Chapter 50 4

Replacing gas tanks was tiring, but Wu Zhenqing did it very seriously, no matter it was raining or snowing, he would never miss someone's home. One rainy day, he carried the gas upstairs again, put it down at the door of a house, wiped the tank dry with a rag, and knocked on the door. It was Zhang Meng who opened the door. Wu Zhenqing was wearing a raincoat, but she didn't recognize it, and said, "Please help me carry it in!" Wu Zhenqing carried the can into the door without a sound, and carried it into the kitchen, and connected the gas pipe for her without a sound. Zhang Meng said: "Thank you, master, please come in and sit down for a while and have a cup of tea!"

Wu Zhenqing hesitated for a moment, and followed her into the house.Zhang Meng is practicing painting at home, and there are large and small banners and vertical banners of weird black fish everywhere on the table, floor, wall, and sofa. While making tea, Zhang Meng said: "Master, I am a reporter from the Evening News. If you don't rush away, I would like to ask you some information, for example, the income of your individual service providers, whether people discriminate against you, and you yourself And how do you see yourself... In short, just chat casually, if you want." She put a cup of tea on the coffee table, and took two paintings from the sofa: "Master, sit down!"

Wu Zhenqing stopped "appreciating" those eccentric paintings, faced Zhang Meng, and pulled his raincoat and hat behind his head. Zhang Meng was taken aback: "It's you?" Wu Zhenqing said: "It is a great honor to serve you." Zhang Meng said incoherently: "Today is Sunday, I rest. I have nothing to do. I will practice painting at home..." Wu Zhenqing added: "I dispelled your idea of ​​an impromptu interview, isn't it a disappointment?" Zhang Meng was embarrassed and at a loss: "I...I really didn't expect...it would be you."

On the contrary, Wu Zhenqing seemed to have an incomparable psychological advantage, and smiled quite reservedly: "I really didn't expect that I still earn you two yuan a month." He took out the gas certificate and returned it to Zhang Meng: "Why isn't your name written on it?" Zhang Meng took the gas certificate and put it in the drawer, turned around and leaned against the table, tried to calm down her emotions, looked at Wu Zhenqing and explained: "How can it be so easy to get a gas certificate? It is borrowed, and the gas tank is bought at a high price."

Wu Zhenqing said: "By the way, I have to make a small request to you. When changing the gas in the future, the tanks must be cleaned. This is a new regulation of the gas station. Last time, the four tanks were not changed because they were too dirty. I did it for them." Zhang Meng said: "I will definitely remember. You sit down for a while and drink that cup of tea before leaving." Wu Zhenqing said: "Will it not destroy your leisure time?" "You've already seen it. I don't even know how to treat you. Why do you push me into embarrassment step by step?"

"Okay, then sit down for a while..." Wu Zhenqing said while taking off his raincoat. Zhang Meng walked over to pick up the raincoat.He hung it on the hanger for him, picked up the mop from behind the door, and mopped the water dripping from the big raincoat on the floor. Wu Zhenqing said bluntly: "I'm really sorry for messing with you, I think I'd better go." Zhang Meng immediately realized how wrong she was to mop the water at this time, so she put the mop back in its original place, and confessed: "Don't go. I sincerely want to stay with you for a while."

Wu Zhenqing sat down on the sofa. Zhang Meng went to the table again and leaned against the table. After a while, Wu Zhenqing said: "Everyone likes to say that the world is small, but in fact the world is still very big. For example, we are all in the same city. After returning to the city, counting the time in the theater a few days ago, we only met Two sides. If I hadn’t come to serve you today, I wouldn’t know you live here.” Zhang Meng said softly: "I didn't hide from anyone on purpose... I... really don't have the time or energy to keep in touch with some of my former acquaintances. But only you, I will never forget, really, I can't forget it even if I want to..."

Wu Zhenqing listened carefully, seeming to chew every word she said: "You saved my life. I always want to find a chance to repay...I..." Wu Zhenqing: "Go ahead." "I... I will definitely repay you. Really! Or... Shall I ask someone to find you a job?" Wu Zhenqing smiled strangely: "Good idea, what a good idea. Tsui Hark told me that my comrades in the Corps and I were released from the detention center so smoothly. You did a lot of hard work! So, you don't have to feel that you owe me anything, have you repaid it already!" Zhang Meng said: "That's not considered repayment. If it weren't for a report I wrote, the matter of you guys wouldn't be taken so seriously by the public security department."

Wu Zhenqing said: "That's true. But those who don't know don't blame...Anyway, I heard you reciprocate with open mouth, and I feel that there seemed to be only a little accidental story between us back then, and it should end with peace of mind when we draw a period at the end. Well, at least on your part?" Zhang Meng hurriedly said: "I didn't mean that. But... I really think that what happened back then should be let it go. So... the last time I saw you in the theater, I had a... object... I am very happy for you .” "What's there?" "Oh, maybe it should be called the fiancée."

"She's not fucking!" "But, she loves you very much!" "But I don't love her!" Wu Zhenqing stood up abruptly, and said while walking towards Zhang Meng, "Are you happy for yourself? No matter whoever in the world becomes my wife, you are happy for yourself, aren't you? But you know in your heart that I love you! From the age of seventeen or eighteen to now in my thirties!" He had already walked up to Zhang Meng, grabbing Zhang Meng's arms with both hands: "When I carried you out of the big forest back then, why didn't you say you wanted to repay me? Then you got hepatitis, and after I donated blood for free in the company, I sneaked to the rural health center to donate again Blood, they want to give me 20 yuan for nutrition, I shook my head and said no money, they asked me what I wanted, I said, you have a sugar factory, give me five catties of sugar, I walked dozens of miles to send the sugar When I arrived at the battalion and delivered it to you, why didn’t you say you wanted to repay me? I gave up my family leave three times to a female educated youth in our company because her brother was in the same company as you, and we reached an agreement. After signing the agreement, her brother will also give you three family leave! Don't you know why I did all this? "

Zhang Meng closed her eyes: "I know..." Wu Zhenqing shook her: "Speak! I want you to speak out today!" Zhang Meng: "It's...friendship..." Wu Zhenqing yelled: "Nonsense! You are nonsense!" Zhang Meng said softly, "It's... love." Tears flowed from her closed eyes. Wu Zhenqing finally let her go; Wu Zhenqing's finger marks were left on her bare arms.She lowered her head, her short hair covered her face, and she gently caressed the finger marks on her arms with interlaced hands. Wu Zhenqing stared at her, feeling sympathetic, but suddenly reprimanded: "My brother is the most principled soldier, but in order to have a child at home to take care of them, he had to do something against his will, begging his elder brother The chief wants to call me back to the city in the name of a non-staff logistics soldier, but what did you say to me? You said that if I left the Great Northern Wilderness, you would have no one to be close to in the Great Northern Wilderness... You fucking Didn't you say that back then!" Zhang Meng still lowered her head and said, "Yes..." Wu Zhenqing picked up the teacup, looked at it but didn't drink it: "Because of your words, I have stayed in the Great Northern Wilderness for another five years! If I had returned to the city five years ago, I wouldn't be in this situation today! " He got angry again and slammed the teacup down. Zhang Meng remained motionless. Wu Zhenqing pressed further: "Have you ever loved me? You answer!" "I...I...I really haven't thought about marrying you..." She covered her face with her hands and cried. Wu Zhenqing was stunned for a moment, and said with a wry smile: "I never thought about it..." He raised his face and looked at the roof, "I understand... Back then you needed someone who cared for you, sympathized with you, and loved you with his whole heart, The person who gives you the greatest comfort when you need some kind of spiritual comfort and emotional comfort, and it turns out that I am such a role in your life, and willingly! A 100% big fool! The way you are grateful That is—you will repay me once when you have the ability and the opportunity. For example, now that I have no formal job, you can ask people to find a job for me! If you repay me, your psychology will be balanced. You will also There are good reasons to forget everything in the past, and you don’t have to hide your name in fear that I will find you, and you won’t feel that you owe me anything in front of me; and I, Wu Zhenqing, should be wise, conscious, and forever. Disappeared from your life..." He also had tears in his eyes. His upturned face slowly returned to normal, and he turned to Zhang Meng: "Okay, I'll just be sensible, I'll just be more conscious, I'll just disappear from your life, and you won't see me again... I'm sorry I was not calm for a while, and I dropped a cup on you." He bent down slowly and picked up the broken cups one by one. Zhang Meng lowered her hands from her face and raised her head slightly to look at him. He gently put the broken glass on the coffee table and said, "Farewell." He went to the hanger to get his raincoat. Zhang Meng ran over and took off the raincoat first, hugged her in her arms, and said with tears in her eyes: "I'm sorry for you, I know I'm sorry for you...but don't think of me so badly, so selfish...even I said I don't know if I loved you back then. Back then I didn't know if that counted as love..." Wu Zhenqing said: "Ma'am, give me my raincoat, I don't have time to continue listening to your explanation." Zhang Meng said in a hurry: "Listen to me, I beg you to listen to me again, I have convinced myself more than a hundred times that only by marrying you can I be worthy of you... But every year I grow older... , I understand more about the meaning of marriage, and the more clearly I... don't love you. We are not suitable to live together, it will make me very painful, and it will definitely make you painful..." "Enough!" Wu Zhenqing tugged on his raincoat.Zhang Meng held on to the raincoat: "Since we've said it face to face today, let me tell you what's on my mind! I... I understand that a man who loves a woman as deeply as you can't get the same return, What is it like in my heart...I can do the most shameful thing for a woman for you...I am willing to satisfy part of your love for me...three times, five times, ten times, dozens of times, I am willing! As long as This will gradually ease the pain in your heart. Even today, right now, I would! I just can't tie the new life I just started today to you, it's terrible for me things..." When she spoke, Wu Zhenqing stared at her and listened silently.Seeing that she stopped talking, he asked, "Are you finished?" Zhang Meng let go: "It's over." Panting, she looked at Wu Zhenqing calmly and relieved.The expression on her face told him that no matter what he did to her at this moment, she would not resist in the slightest. Wu Zhenqing stared at her, and pulled the raincoat into his hands. Zhang Meng closed her eyes again, as if expecting something to happen. Wu Zhenqing slapped her across the face.Zhang Meng covered her face and turned sideways. There was a loud slam of the door. When Zhang Meng turned his face slowly, Wu Zhenqing had already walked out the door. Zhang Meng's face was full of tears, looking here and there in the room, and the weird black fish on each piece of paper seemed to be staring at her with bulging eyes, gloating at her. She picked up those paintings from various places, tore them off, crumpled them one by one, crumpled them into paper balls of different sizes, and threw them all over the floor... She walked slowly to the window and looked out— On the drizzled street, Wu Zhenqing, who was wearing a raincoat and carrying the gas tank from the flatbed truck, slipped and fell, and the gas tank rolled far away. Zhao Xiaotao, who was holding an umbrella and wearing a military uniform, happened to come over and put his foot on the gas tank; Zhao Xiaotao put the umbrella on the ground and wanted to help Wu Zhenqing put the gas tank on his shoulders. Wu Zhenqing pushed Zhao Xiaotao back a few steps with both hands, and Zhao Xiaotao He stared blankly at Wu Zhenqing picking up the gas tank. Zhang Meng left the window, walked to the desk, opened the drawer, and found a cigarette.She heard Zhao Xiaotao's footsteps going upstairs, which seemed to have contributed to some kind of tension in her heart.She extinguished the cigarette in the ashtray and ran to close the door. The knock on the door rang "tuk-tuk-tuk".Zhao Xiaotao said outside the door: "Xiaomeng, it's me! I'm Xiaotao!" Zhang Meng leaned against the door and said nothing. Zhao Xiaotao shouted again: "Xiaomeng! Xiaomeng! Open the door! Didn't we agree that I will accompany you to learn painting from a teacher today?" Zhang Meng said inside: "Don't knock!...I know it's you..." Zhao Xiaotao asked: "What's wrong with you? That Wu Zhenqing...what did he do to you!" "I didn't do anything...he didn't do anything to me either!" "Then why don't you open the door? Why don't you let me see you?" "You go! I don't want to learn painting today, I don't want to see you!" "If you don't let me see you, I won't leave!" "Please, have mercy, let's go! Don't bother me..." "Then... I'll come see you another day..." "No, don't come here again...let's...pull it down..." "I said come, I must come!" Zhao Xiaotao went downstairs and left. Zhang Meng listened, but couldn't hold back anymore, covered her face with her hands, leaned against the door and began to weep.