Chapter 5 Chapter 2 The Pain of the Shabby House
School finally starts!
The last year of high school, the last year of the majority!
Shihua cheered in his heart.
The class meeting will be held the next day, and the president and department heads of the class will be elected as usual.
When it comes to performances at the graduation party, the drama instructor has already selected a script for them.
The students who nominate who will play whom, of course, are the group of drama masters.
Speaking of the dance project, the dance teacher said:
"I made up a solo ballet called "Clam Pearl". Who do you suggest dancing?"
Sheng Shihua is not the only middle school ballet dancer in the middle school class. No matter whether the students like her the most or not, the grade-eve performance will receive parents, guests and all middle school students. Note:
"Sheng Shihua."
The dance teacher smiled with satisfaction, Sheng Shihua was originally the candidate in her mind.
Sheng Shihua raised his hand to speak to the class teacher.
"Teacher, can I stand in front of the blackboard and talk?"
"Can."
Sheng Shihua calmly faced all his classmates and teachers with confidence:
"During the summer vacation, I had an idea and worked on it for three full months."
She quietly watched the students' reactions, because only Fat Pang, Shui Wenjun, Gao Yingying and Fang Yi knew about her plan.
"Thank you very much for the teacher's arrangement, but I don't want to be the only one performing clam ball dance."
The students were in an uproar, and the dance teacher couldn't guess what she wanted.
"Dear teachers and students, this year is our last year on campus. I hope that on the eve of parting, all students will participate in performances in front of and behind the scenes, and work together to do something to commemorate."
Fat Pang, Shui Wenjun and Gao Yingying all looked at her with support.
Fang Yi sat on the chair indifferently, as if he was waiting for you to continue.
"I made up a forty-minute dance."
The students in the class didn't know how to react for a while, because not many people knew how to dance.
"I've divided the scene, edited the music, choreographed the dance steps, and hired someone to paint the scenery."
"Where are so many people coming to dance?"
The students chattered in unison.
"We still have eight months to prepare. I also serve as a coach. After class and on weekends, I can rehearse at school."
Then, Sheng Shihua proposed a group of students who sewed dance clothes and briefly stated the outline of the story, the main characters, supporting roles, and the number of dancers.
The president said:
"Anyone second?"
Chubby was the first to raise her hand.
Shui Wenjun was busy encouraging his classmates to agree.
Gao Yingying was a little nervous, her face turned pale.
Fang Yi is still in place.
"Then please vote, and those in favor raise their hands."
Unexpectedly, most of them raised their hands.
Fang Yi didn't raise his hand.
Class teacher said:
"It's very encouraging that Uswacca took the time to take charge of this."
The dance teacher was thoughtful, although he kept a kind smile on his face.
Class teacher said:
"But don't forget two points: First, this year's exam, studying is the most important thing. I encourage your cooperation spirit, but the exam results must be good. There has never been a student who failed a subject in the exam.
Second, dance drama must pass the standard. If the standard is not enough, the performance will not be approved at that time. Students must understand this first. "
The president said:
"Now nominate the role candidates. The behind-the-scenes working group is organized by Sheng Shihua himself. Those who are willing to participate can participate, and those who are not willing to participate may not participate. The team leader must be approved by the class meeting, and the members do not have to."
After the meeting, the dance teacher quietly pulled Sheng Shihua to a corner of the campus:
"Shihua, why don't you dance the "Clam Pearl" dance? It's a beautiful solo dance that I made especially for you."
"Thank you, teacher."
"Shihua, it's very troublesome to make a 40-minute dance drama, and there will be many unexpected problems."
The teacher has taught dance all his life, so many worries are inevitable.
"Teacher, I think I can handle it."
The teacher is a teacher in the school and only teaches folk dance. Although Sheng Shihua respects the teacher, he doesn't pay much attention to the teacher who teaches folk dance in physical education. The teacher doesn't know how much she has learned in the ballet school, so she can only sigh A newborn calf.
Sure enough, Gao Yingying was elected as the prince, Shui Wenjun got what he wanted to be a witch, and Sheng Shihua was of course the coordinator and sleeping princess.
Fang Yi learned ballet a year earlier than Sheng Shihua, but she refused to do anything in front of or behind the scenes.
Shihua doesn't annoy her either, Fang Yi has always had a bad temper.
The classmate in charge of sewing quickly picked up the large canvas for the painting scene.
"How can I carry it to others for painting? Twenty feet high and forty feet long!" The students took a lot of effort to roll the canvas into a big tube like a carpet.
"A water!"
Sheng Shihua didn't think about this problem, so he had to call Shui Wenjun for help.
"There's a way, there's a way. I'll get the boys from the YMCA to come get a truck."
"Where did you move to?"
Sheng Shihua asked.
"Then I have to ask Li Qi."
Shui Wenjun said.
Li Qi asked to move to the roof of his teacher's painting garden, where he could spread the canvas.
Sheng Shihua hadn't heard from Li Qi for several weeks, so he couldn't help following the truck.
Of course Shui Wenjun was directing the group of boys clattering.
Pangpang also wanted to go, but Sheng Shihua persuaded her not to go.
Fang Yi sneered aside.
The big and heavy canvas was moved to the roof of the painting garden. Li Qi was waiting, tall and thin, standing under the shed of azaleas that covered half of the roof. down.
As usual, Shui Wenjun glanced at Li Qi a few times without wasting time, said a few words of flattery, and then hurriedly followed the boys who hadn't returned home to report for duty.
On the rooftop, only Li Qi and Sheng Shihua were left with their half-sleeved white clothes rolled up.
The forty-five-degree sunlight at four o'clock in the afternoon illuminated Li Qi's eyes very softly. His tall and slightly hooked nose was like a lonely and independent mountain peak. In the interlacing, he has the handsomeness of a teenager and the leisurelyness of an artist.
Sheng Shihua, who was wearing a light blue cheongsam school uniform, had her long hair braided into two small braids, and the fiery red cuckoo made her snow-white face pink.
"You are like a pastel painting," Li Qi looked at her like a model, "pink blue, pink, pink white."
Li Qi gently wiped her face with his hands:
"It feels like you're made of pastels right now, I could almost rub pink on your face."
"Is this anytime, or never?"
Sheng Shihua asked softly.
Li Qi laughed:
"Unfortunately, Shui Wenjun contacted me, I didn't know you would come too."
"I also have whenever and never."
Sheng Shihua said.
"Undo your braids, I like your hair loose."
"Do you want me to dismantle it?"
"I don't like rubber bands and barrettes on women's heads."
As Li Qi said, he opened her braids with his hands, and the straight hair above the shoulders shone golden in the sun.
"Leave your hair down to your waist, the longer the better."
Li Qi gently brushed her soft hair.
"I've never seen hair as soft as silk. Give me one."
Li Qi carefully plucked a strand of silky hair from the top of her head, facing the sun, a single strand of silk gave off five-color illusions.
"Give it to me."
Li Qi put Sheng Shihua's long hair into his white denim trouser pocket.
After all, it was an afternoon in September, and the big red bricks on the roof were scorching hot. Although Sheng Shihua had icy muscles and bones, and was usually cool and sweatless, this time, he was so hot that he was sweating profusely.
Sweat soaked the collar of her tightly buttoned cheongsam, and the sweat wet a stream between her bulging cleavage.
In the loose blue cloth cheongsam, sweat outlines her as if she is naked.
Li Qi's eyes cannot be separated from this little girl, his heart cannot be separated from this little girl, Lucy and the others are a group of beautiful peacocks, but Sheng Shihua is a delicate flower, her roots should be on the clouds.
He has seen a lot of girls, but he just doesn't know how to deal with this Sheng Shihua.
Stick it in your heart, but don't hold it in your hand.
Li Qi was stunned for a while.
"Li Qi, I put the little white flower you gave me that day in my new Chinese document."
"In the book, what else do you put in?"
"I've clipped all kinds of leaves, butterflies."
"What looks best?"
"Butterflies are the worst."
"why?"
"A butterfly is only beautiful while alive, only its wings are beautiful."
"Boys don't put butterflies in books."
"Did you know that the body of a butterfly is a worm, and when it is flattened, it turns into a ball of paste, which is very ugly. However, you can't just tear off the wings of the butterfly. If you tear it off, the butterfly is no longer a butterfly." ."
"So, I don't like butterflies anymore, it's beautiful and disgustingly ugly all in one."
Sheng Shihua talked about it, but Li Qi only felt warm and fragrant, and he imagined how beautiful she was when she danced ballet.
"It's too hot," Li Qi said, "There's a clump of flowers and leaves in the flower shed that's very dense and shady, let's go in and lie down."
Li Qi stretched out the canvas circle a few feet, stacked two layers, and lay face to face with Sheng Shihua.
Li Qi propped his head on one hand, staring at Sheng Shihua who was panting slightly from the heat.
"Hey, stranger, why do I seem to have known you all my life and feel so comfortable with you."
"Aren't you comfortable with anybody?"
"No, that's different." Li Qi shook his head, "You seem to be my home."
"Home?"
"You don't understand. You have a home. I never had a home."
"Are you sorry?"
"No, I've never had one, so I don't know what's so bad about not having a home. Ever since I met you, I've felt very happy, as if I've got something I've never had before."
"I came here specially to find you today."
"I thought you were reserved."
"I'm not rigid, I just have a lot of constraints."
"I'm not bound, but I'd like to be a little bit."
"You won't like it, what binds me also binds you, if..."
"What if?"
"You're so stupid, if I don't tell you, I'm leaving too."
"What if?"
Li Qi asked.
"If you don't know it by now, then I don't need to say it."
"Xiao Sheng, I'm not a very complicated person, don't ask me to guess."
"It's not asking you to guess, it's just asking you to do it."
"Xiao Sheng, I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't hurt me."
Sheng Shihua pouted her little mouth coquettishly, they were lying face to face, their faces were so close.
Li Qi thought of the women he had, one, two, three, four...there were countless, all random girls.
He is basically a half-street boy, and the relationship between a man and a woman feels as natural to him as Yunyu. Of course, there is nothing special to remember after Yunyu, and he has never loved anyone in particular. He has never thought about this issue at all.
However, Sheng Shihua is like a chick that has just cracked its eggshell. She seems to think that love must be pure.
The thick rhododendrons made Shihua's slightly pouting mouth bright red, and his clear and innocent eyes were waiting like dreams. Li Qi turned his body on her, and kissed her deeply and tenderly.
That was her first kiss.
Li Qi knew.
After kissing, her mouth was like an empty hole, and her tongue froze.
However, her mouth is very fragrant.
There was a fragrance he had never smelled before.
Sheng Shihua wrapped his arms around Li Qi's back, wanting to be intoxicated.
"Your mouth is delicious, let me taste if your tongue is also delicious."
Shihua parted her lips slightly.
"Let the tip of your tongue taste mine too." Li Qi guided her step by step very gently.
As soon as the tip of Shihua's tongue stuck out, he was sucked by Li Qi. It was a much hotter feeling than before, like two people fused into one.
Shihua also sucked Li Qi's lips and tongue instinctively, until she didn't know when to stop before she relaxed her lips.
With a look of pity on Li Qi's face, he let her go and turned to lie flat on the ground.
"You must be laughing at me."
"What are you laughing at?"
"Laugh I don't know how to kiss."
"You didn't understand just now, but now you understand, and it's very good."
Se-hwa smiled with his lips pursed as if he had won a progressive student award.
Li Qi sighed:
"How can I hurt you?"
"You didn't hurt me."
"I don't know, and can't, in this lifetime."
"I didn't think you would."
Shihua said it as a matter of course.
As the sky was getting dark, Li Qi felt a surging impulse in his heart, he had better leave her immediately.
However, he was worried that she would go home alone.
"I'll take you home."
"Come to my house for dinner."
Li Qi was already very hungry. A twenty-two year old young man seldom didn't feel hungry.
"Mom, I invited Li Qi to dinner."
Although Mrs. Sheng was not very willing, she reluctantly nodded, because no one had a reason to kick someone out after dinner.
Recently, the business of the painting garden is not good, the teacher doesn't have many students, and he accepts more than a hundred a month, and his own environment is not good, so it is impossible to invite Li Qi to have a good meal.
Li Qi ate four bowls of rice, and the Sheng family finished it all, but he was still eating.
Shihua was a little frightened.
After eating all the dishes, Li Qi simply picked up the plate and poured the juice into the rice.
Shihua had never seen him eating, but he made him a little embarrassed.
After eating, Li Qi left.
Father Sheng didn't say anything, but just looked at his daughter strangely.
Mrs. Sheng looked unhappy:
"Why does he eat like a hungry ghost? I've never seen anyone pick up a saucer and pour juice into the rice."
When children of the Sheng family eat, their arms should be close to their bodies, and their elbows should not be supported on the table.You can only hold your own piece of meat. When other people lift their chopsticks to a dish, you can’t lift them at the same time. Under the chopsticks, you are not allowed to make a sound while eating soup and chewing.
Li Qi did all of this.
"This Li Qi has no family education, so it's hard for you to see him well."
Se-hwa avoids his mother and runs back to the room.
Mrs. Sheng realized that her daughter had fallen in love, and she decided to be soft and hard, and sooner or later they would terminate their relationship.
Shihua is also very busy, and the dance drama has exhausted her both physically and mentally.
The driver followed her all day long, and she could only meet Li Qi at an agreed place in the time she could steal.
Sometimes it is on the corner of the street not far from the school, under a big tree.
One day Fang Yi said to her:
"You and Li Qi are hugging each other, everyone in the world has seen it, it's so disgusting."
"Don't tell my mother!"
"Who do you think I am?"
Fang Yi was annoyed.
"Fang Yi, don't be annoyed, I'm so annoyed."
"You're asking for trouble."
Fang Yi said.
"Even you don't like Li Qi?"
"I like him, there's nothing wrong with him being a fool, but you'll get tired of him sooner or later."
"Fang Yi, he is my boyfriend!"
"It's not him who will hurt you, it's you who will hurt him."
"Why do you always think I'm a bad person? No matter what I do, you always think I have bad intentions?"
"I know you better than you know yourself. Shi Hua, don't forget we grew up together."
"I won't make Li Qi sad."
"You will, you will." Fang Yi said, "Let him go early."
At this time, Shui Wenjun came over.
"Xiao Sheng, Li Qi has changed."
"Changed? How did it change?" Sheng Shihua asked.
"It's so strange, he used to have a lot of girlfriends, but he hasn't seen them for a while, and just waits for you foolishly."
"What's so strange?" Fang Yi always thought that Mr. Shui Wen had no brains.
"He doesn't even want any other girlfriends!"
"Xiao Sheng won't find it strange." Fang Yi said, "When does she put ordinary women in her eyes?"
Fang Yi's tone included Shui Wenjun's meaning, Shui Wenjun naturally didn't understand the implication, but Sheng Shihua was afraid that Fang Yi would continue to be harsh.
In fact, she was also a little upset. She fell in love with Li Qi out of curiosity. She thought he was complicated and challenging, but she didn't expect him to be so simple.
"I'm not a complicated person." Li Qi was right.
He didn't really feel Mrs. Sheng's dislike for him at all, he would still go to Sheng's house to eat four bowls of rice occasionally as if he was home.
Shihua is like a new adventurer who was going to encounter many thrills, but unexpectedly, she is walking on flat ground, which makes her feel no sense of conquest.
Sometimes she felt that Li Qi was annoying her, but Fatty said:
"He has no one else in this world except you."
Shihua felt that the burden on his shoulders was heavy, rehearsing dances, coping with the exams, fighting against the pressure of his mother, and Li Qi's insanity.
But Li Qi was kind, he cared for her so much and never violated her.
After the set was finished, she thought of Li Qi sweating profusely on the roof of the painting garden, wrapping the canvas with a large tape in the wind and rain, and she was so grateful.
The day of the rehearsal has arrived, and the rehearsal is usually segmented segment by segment, and everyone performed very well.
But Sheng Shihua forgot that she was the one who turned on the tape, she was the one who turned it off, she was the one who asked people to appear on stage, and she was the one who taught people how to put on makeup.
All the costumes were sewn shortly before the rehearsal. The rehearsal that day was actually just the first time on stage, with the scenery, the intermission, and the opening and closing.
This became chaotic. Between the first and second scenes, the curtain could not be opened for a full twenty minutes. The backstage was a mess, and Pang Pang, who was in charge of pulling the curtain, was so anxious that he didn't know what to do.
The next day, the class teacher said seriously:
"All the teachers have seen your rehearsal last night, and decided that it cannot be staged tomorrow. It is a 40-minute three-act dance drama. The closing time is longer than the dancing time. It is too messy."
Gao Yingying, who was the leading actor, was stunned, leaning on the table and burying her face in her arms.
Shui Wenjun burst into tears.
The students who were in charge of making the costumes worked day and night to sew them tightly, and all their hard work went to waste in an instant.
"This is the result of inexperience. The behind-the-scenes work is not well organized. Looking at it separately, every scene is good-looking, but it's a pity that it can't be organized." The head teacher said.
Sheng Shihua is the coordinator, and the organization is not good, needless to say it is her negligence. When the students are sad, when they hear the words "poor organization", they will intentionally or unintentionally vent their anger on Sheng Shihua. Well, it was she who made it like this.
Pang Pang frequently looked at Sheng Shihua with concern, but Sheng Shihua still sat there calmly.
Amidst Shui Wenjun's cries, the sound of swallowing from some of his classmates, and the gloating expressions of some of his classmates, Fat Pang didn't know how Shihua would deal with the random arrows flying from all directions.
"Tomorrow, there can't be no dance program at all, Shihua, if you rehearse the court dance, the school only approves that one."
Shihua is like a thousand arrows piercing his heart. Not only did his hard work all year end in failure, but he also faced complaints and cynicism from his classmates.
"Yes, teacher." Shihua's voice was the same as usual, she would never cry.
The students' attitude towards her changed, they were very indifferent, and some even had expressions of rejoicing.
During the nap, Shui Wenjun, Gao Yingying and Pang Pang took Shihua to the flower garden where they used to chat, which was in a remote part of the campus.
Shui Wenjun was still crying, Gao Yingying gently wiped away tears, Pangpang wanted to say something to comfort Shihua, but couldn't think of what to say.
Shui Wenjun cried for a long time, looked back at Sheng Shihua who was sitting silently on the grass without tears, and said in surprise:
"I cry like this, why don't you cry?"
Sheng Shihua shook his head resolutely.
"If you cry, I can rest assured, how can I hold back like this?"
Shui Wenjun was very worried about Sheng Shihua, seeing that she held her head up and did not cry, Shui Wenjun inevitably continued to exchange tears, beating her chest and crying her share on behalf of Sheng Shihua.
When class was over, the dance teacher passed by the classroom and saw that the students had all dispersed. It seemed that no one paid much attention to Sheng Shihua, and she was sitting in her seat next to the window thoughtfully.The dance teacher tapped lightly on the window.
"Shihua, I want to tell you that you are very talented, after all you are only sixteen years old."
"Thank you teacher." Shihua was calm, but grateful, she could see that the teacher cared about her, and this teacher was the one who rejected her kindness at first.
The "court dance" is a group dance. Shihua is originally a princess, so of course she also has a part to perform. The whole dance was magnificent that night.
"Shihua, you were as beautiful as Elizabeth Taylor on stage just now!" Fatty said.
A few weeks before the exam, Shihua felt betrayed by everyone. Mr. Shuiwen saw that Sheng Shihua was not valued as much as before. Although he was quite affectionate to her, he spent most of his time socializing with other popular students. .
Fang Yi said to Shi Hua: "Disappointed with Mr. Shui Wen? The deal is unfair, isn't it?"
Only Pangpang accompanied her step by step.
The day of the exam is approaching, and the students are busy with their revision.Some are piled up, but no one pays attention to Sheng Shihua.
She didn't know how to win back the hearts of her classmates. When she went back to school every day, she could only be silent and silent. The classmates were getting farther and farther away from her, and she was getting farther and farther away from them.
She can't wait to graduate and leave school soon.
All she received was a lesson, a lesson, without a gentle voice.
Li Qi still looked for her often, but he acted as if nothing had happened, he didn't care that the scenes he had drawn for many months were not all used.
On the roof of the painting garden, there are stacks of messily folded thick canvas oil painting scenes, and he doesn't feel that his efforts are in vain, as if he never painted in sweat, heat and cold.
He doesn't care much about success or failure.
All he cares about is when Shihua can sneak in to see him.
"You don't regret wasting your efforts in vain at all?" Shihua couldn't help asking him.
Li Qi shook his head.
He didn't even ask Shihua how he felt after his failure, and Shihua couldn't talk about it.
Shihua swallowed his tears, feeling really distressed that he didn't know where to spill them.
"What's the big deal? Why are you bored?" Li Qi didn't understand at all.
"I have never failed in seventeen years." Shi Hua leaned in Li Qi's arms, "I just told you, if I told others, they would think I was very arrogant."
"Ha, have you been very successful in the past sixteen years?" Li Qi thought it was ridiculous, "You just want the wind and the rain."
"Don't you think I'm outstanding at all?" Shi Hua was a little surprised.
"The gadgets you made in middle school, and being a poster dancer, isn't it a major event in life, isn't it?"
"Nothing is a big deal in your eyes?"
"If you're like me growing up with no food to eat and you're left to fend for yourself, you don't think it's a big deal."
"You don't know that people look down on you, and you don't know that you have a bright future, Li Qi, you are too used to resigning yourself to fate."
"What's there to be nervous about? You're nervous about everything."
"You are a born loser!" Sheng Shihua blurted out, and after speaking, she felt that this was her potential dissatisfaction with Li Qi.
Li Qi didn't mind.
"Why don't you get annoyed?" Shihua hoped that he would have a little temper.
"What's the trouble? Say whatever you want, I love you."
"I don't love you!" Shihua said angrily.
"I don't believe it, you love me, you love me."
"I'm leaving soon. I'm going to America to study in September."
Li Qi fell silent suddenly, hugging Shi Hua for a long time, his eyes were red.
"Li Qi, I must go to school."
Li Qi sighed:
"Then what can I do? I can't live without you."
"Forget about me, Li Qi."
"I can't." Li Qi hugged Shi Hua's hand tightly like a drowning child, "I have nothing but you."
Sheng Shihua felt breathless:
"Li Qi, I can't bear all this, the pressure from school, family and you. Let's not see each other again."
"Xiao Sheng, don't treat me like this." Li Qi was like an orphan who was about to lose his family.
Shihua hardened his heart, rushed down the stairs, jumped into the taxi and left.
She wanted to find a big tree that she could rely on, but Li Qi, who looked like a big tree, was actually weaker than her, and she was really overwhelmed.
After a round of charge, the exam finally passed. This week, she didn't have time to think about Li Qi, and Li Qi didn't look for her either.
Mother had already packed her luggage, and as soon as the notice from the United States came out, Shihua could start school.
While Shihua misses Li Qi, he refrains from looking for him.
There was no news from Li Qi for two or three weeks, so she was upset like a deer.
Could it be that he took what she said seriously and never saw each other again?
Mrs. Sheng Da was relieved to see that her daughter hadn't secretly gone to meet Li Qi recently, and Li Qi hadn't come either.
But Shui Wenjun called,
"Xiao Sheng, Huayuan said that Li Qi hadn't gone up for two weeks. He only heard that he called to say that he was not feeling well, and then he disappeared. His teacher called his house, but the phone was disconnected. I don't know where he was. What's the matter?"
"Even you don't know?"
"Xiao Sheng, do you have his home address?" Shui Wenjun asked.
"No."
"I have, I'll give it to you, you go and see him." Shui Wenjun said, "I can't accompany you, I'm dating."
Sheng Shihua copied down Li Qi's address in Shau Kei Wan, took his mother out of the house, and left in a hurry.
With his character of not caring about anything, he would not commit suicide, nor would he not look for her, so she became worried.
Arriving at a dirty and old street, Sheng Shihua followed the path and touched the four dark stairs. The stairs were incomplete and uneven. She knocked on the door, but no one answered.
After standing for a while, she tried to turn the door knob, but it turned out that it was unlocked. She opened the door and went in, only to see a mess, painting books, painting utensils, and dirty clothes piled up in a small room. bed.
In the lower compartment of one of the beds, Li Qi was leaning on the pillow. His face was thin and shriveled, even his eyes were sunken, and there were two big dark circles around his eyes.
He was trying hard to turn around, reached out to the bag of self-made bread that had been stored for an unknown number of days on the bedside table, picked up a piece, and shivering, tore it and stuffed it into his mouth.
Shihua's heart was sore, he rushed over to hug Li Qi.
He was hot all over, and it was obvious that he had been ill for a long time from his weak appearance.
Shihua asked "What's the matter with you?" Before he finished asking, he was choked up so that he could not speak.
"Hey, don't cry, I'm not dead yet." Li Qi gently stroked her long hair.
"Why do you eat this?" Shihua looked at the white bread in his hand, it was dry and hard.
She searched for boiling water and tea in that small room, but found nothing.
"what do you drink?"
"Hose water."
"You can't drink it, I'll boil some water for you."
Shihua found a small uncovered iron fort, and frantically boiled water on the messy single-burner water stove.That was something she had never done in her life.
"Why don't you go see a doctor when you're so sick?"
"I went to see it. The doctor said it was pneumonia. Later, seeing that I was working too hard, he told me not to go to the medical office. He came to see me. I really couldn't move."
"That doctor is quite kind." Shihua said.
"It's the neighbor doctor. He watched me grow up and knew that no one would care about me, otherwise no one would know when I died."
"This is the fourth floor, right?" Shihua had never been to such a small place.
"This is a room built on the roof." Li Qi was a little out of breath, but still smiled, "You still call me a born loser? You've seen the environment I live in, and it's not easy for me to meet people when I come out." Is it rude?"
"Sorry."
"Don't say sorry, you haven't seen worlds other than yours."
How much loneliness and grievances Li Qi has experienced, he has never complained about his sufferings, a child who has grown up like this, after twenty-two years, Shihua couldn't help crying in his arms.
"Don't cry, don't cry, does this scare you?"
"Although the doctor came to see you, you can't just boil without eating or drinking." Shihua wiped away his tears and thought for a while, "I'll call Pangpang and ask her to ask the maid to make some porridge or something Come on, I don't know what to do."
"The call was cut off and I didn't pay the phone bill."
"I'm going to borrow a phone to call, where is it?"
"There are grocery stores on the street."
Shihua ran down the stairs profusely in sweat, and shook the phone to Pangpang:
"I don't know what the patient should eat. Ask your servant."
After a few hours, Pang Pang arrived with some porridge and soup panting.
The two girls served Li Qi eating soup and porridge.
"Go home, this place is stuffy and hot, I'm afraid it will make you sick."
"No, I won't go." Shihua stroked Li Qi's burning forehead.
Fatty looked at Shihua with a series of question marks on his face.
"Aren't you going?"
"I have to accompany him until he can walk. How can I rest assured that he is like this?" Shihua insisted.
Fatty looked at Li Qi, full of panic at the moment of the catastrophe, and said:
"Her mother keeps her under control."
Li Qi said to Shi Hua in a weak voice:
"Shihua, you better go."
"Yes, otherwise her mother would come up and drag her back, I wouldn't dare to imagine."
"Fatty, call my mother and tell her that I won't be home these few days, and tell her not to worry, don't look for me, I will go back in a few days."
"Then I tell her where are you?"
"Help me this time, don't tell me how she asks you."
"I won't lie!"
"I'm not telling you to lie, I'm just telling you not to say anything."
Fat Pang was frightened and frightened. Aunt Sheng was not easy to deal with, but she resolutely nodded and accepted:
"Xiao Sheng, I will bring food every day, and you don't know how to cook."
Shihua embraced Pangpang emotionally, and the two girls had tears in their eyes, saying everything without saying a word.
Pangpang left, Shihua sighed and said:
"She's braver than me."
"This is not for you to live in." Li Qi said wearily.
"Don't worry about me, you can take care of yourself."
"Xiao Sheng, take good care of yourself, I don't have the strength to greet you anymore."
Shihua sat on the edge of the bed, pressed his face to Li Qi's, and said softly:
"You and I, face the world together."
"You and I, face the world together. No one has ever said this to me." Li Qi said sadly.
Sheng Shihua slowly moved his body onto the narrow bed, gently brushing Li Qi's eyelids with his soft fingers:
"Close your eyes, you are tired, sleep for a while, sleep for a while, I will accompany you."
Li Qi was hugged by Sheng Shihua, and fell into a drowsy sleep.
Shihua touched his forehead, he was still running a fever, but he was sleeping peacefully.
She got off the bed softly, picked up the dirty clothes scattered all over the floor, and took them to the bathroom to wash.
In that bathroom, there was no bathtub at all, only a flush toilet, a shower head and an old plastic basin. There was a square mirror with a broken corner hanging on the wall. Although it was so small that it was almost impossible to turn around, it was clean.
She tiptoed to find washing powder, and after searching for a long time, she found it near the stove.
She tried her best to wash quietly without making a sound, lest she wake Li Qi up.
Too much washing powder was applied, and the entire plastic basin was full of foam. It didn't slip off after many times of water.
After wringing out the clothes, there was no place to dry them, only the window facing the street was open, and there were a few hangers made of iron wires, it seemed like Li Qi usually hung his clothes there to dry.
Looking out of the window, the whole street is full of colorful clothes hanging out of the window, like the national flags.
At night, Li Qi woke up in a daze, and she fed him medicine and porridge until he fell asleep again, and then she ran to the lower compartment of another iron frame bed and slept with her clothes on.
It was dawn, the sun was shining brightly, and it was terribly hot, but she smelled the fragrance of dried clothes, which was very satisfying.
The first time I did laundry, the first time I smelled the soapy scent of clean clothes.
Li Qi woke up, and Sheng Shihua happily showed him the white shirt and trousers that he always wore.
"Sniff it, it smells so good."
"You did my laundry?"
"Yes, it's all washed, isn't it very fragrant?"
"Fool, put too much washing powder, no wonder it smells so good."
"How much should I put?"
"A handful, it's concentrated dishwashing liquid." Li Qi kissed her face, "You washed it with your own hands, and I won't be willing to wash it again in my life."
"Fool, I'll wash it for you after you wear it."
"I stink, don't I? Smelly and ugly."
"Well, it stinks a bit more than usual, take off your undershirt and change into a clean one."
Sheng Shihua half supported him and took off his undershirt over his head.
"How many days have you not showered?"
"Forget, sick and muddled."
Li Qi said embarrassedly.
"I'll wipe your body for you."
Sheng Shihua brought some water out of the only plastic basin, and wiped his head, face, and hands with a wet towel.
As soon as she wiped her trousers, she blushed.
"I wipe myself, haven't I seen a man?"
Li Qi took the half-dried wet towel from her hand.
"I've seen them when I was swimming, but they were all wearing pants."
Then he blushed again:
"I...I'm going to iron the clothes, you do it yourself."
"Can you iron it?"
"Don't worry, why not?"
"Don't burn your hands."
Shihua opened the ironing board and turned his back to iron the clothes.
It was the first time, but seeing the wrinkled clothes become flat, I was as happy as a little housewife.
"Ironing turned out to be fun."
"Fun?"
Li Qi's heart sank.
This innocent, pampered daughter of a rich family has done so much for him.
"You can turn around and give me some pants."
Se-hwa tosses his pants to him.
"Get dressed and turn around."
Shi Hua turned around, Li Qi combed his hair with his fingers, he looked much better than yesterday.
"Do you know how I swim?" Li Qi said, "Sometimes in the middle of the night, I would jump into the sea without nakedness, hey, you have never seen a man without swimming trunks."
Shihua didn't have a good answer.
The doctor came up, looked at Li Qi, and gave him medicine:
"The fever has subsided a little today, and my energy is better. I have a girlfriend, and I feel better very quickly."
"Doctor, what can he eat?" Shihua asked with concern.
"Anything he can eat," said the doctor. "Don't worry, lad. It'll get better soon. Rest for a few days."
Li Qi touched the desk, the doctor pressed his hand and said:
"Ah Qi, don't rush to pay the medical bills, we'll talk when we're done."
"I have." Shihua took out his skirt pocket.
"Xiao Sheng, you don't need to pay, I will pay on my own." Li Qi stopped her.
The doctor stared at the flowery girl for a while, then left without saying anything.
Near noon, Pang Pang came up with food panting, and Pang Pang haggarded a lot overnight.
Seeing Pangpang made Shihua think of home.
"Xiao Sheng, you go home, I can't stand it."
"You didn't tell me where my mother is, did you?" Shihua was taken aback.
"I don't want to say anything, she told my mother, and my mother scolded me all night." Fatty was obviously wronged.
"Did you tell me?" Shihua asked.
"Of course I didn't say, I was interrogated by your mother for a long time, I just said that I received your call, I don't know where you called from." Fatty said, "The food I ate today was bought from the street. I didn’t dare to ask the servant to do it when I came back, I finally slipped out, and I have to go.”
"Fatty, he is still ill, I can't leave."
"Your mother is so shrewd, I think she guessed that you and Li Qi are together, but she just doesn't know where you are."
Over there, Mrs. Sheng was talking on the phone with Aunt Wu's family.
"It's okay for her to run away for a few days." Aunt Wu said, "Children can't be forced. When they are forced, they think they are Romeo and Rong Liye. When they get excited for a while, it's not fun to stage a story of dying for love."
"When will we catch her back?"
盛太太忐忑不安。
"过几天她自然会回来。"伍家伯母说。"世华口袋里有没有钱？"伍家伯母问。
"我没给她很多现款的，溜掉了，口袋里也不会多过一百几十。"盛太太说，"只怕那李颀还有钱捱日子。世华都未恋爱过，我怕她……我想她不会的，她都不懂的。"
"她怎么是恋爱？好奇而已，多过几天，那穷小子怎伺候她？"伍家伯母说，"抓回来了，马上押她到美国去。"
这边厢，世华时刻担心母亲出现。
她匆匆出门，口袋里只有几十块钱，又不敢回家拿，她知道一回去了便不能再出来，只是她不忍告诉李颀。
黄昏到了，世华去开灯，灯却开不着。
"截电了，我好几个月没交电费。"李颀说，"我只余下几块钱，老师的环境也很窘迫。"
"你不是开过画展吗？"世华问。
"无名画家，有人赞，没人买的。"李颀说，"我去拿根蜡烛来，随时有准备。"
简陋的斗室，点起蜡烛，暗暗中一点光，射在天花板上，勾出了个小圈圈。
世华拉着李颀还微烫的手，凝视着天花板。
"这就是你和我的世界，我永不会忘记。"世华道，"你快点好起来。"
李颀虽是虚弱一点，但在烛光下，那张清瘦了的脸仍是双眉飞扬，鼻子英挺的，方方的中间有凹痕的下巴，仍是那么地动人。
"小盛，不要对我失望，不要担心我，你到美国念书去。"
"你怎么办？"
"傻瓜，都活了二十三年了。"
"我还未走。"世华说，"陪得你一天是一天。"
李颀不想说什么，只是哀伤地搂着她。
两个人依偎到天亮，堆着一块睡了。
翌日，李颀烧几乎全退了，世华跑下街里买了点面饭。
下午街上响起咚咚锣声，也听见小孩子们的吱咕集合声。
"什么事？"世华问。
"耍猴戏的江西老头来了，每隔几天都来一次的。没看过吗？"
"没有，"世华孩子气地说，"我下去看看好吗？"
"我陪你去。"李颀的身子有点晃荡，头晕了一阵，扶墙定了定神，"我们下去。"
"你支持得住吗？"世华抱着他的腰，李颀挥开她的手。
"当然支持得住，不要扶我，手牵手不是很好吗？"
李颀挣扎着走下楼。
江西老头一面打锣，一面嚷着些不知什么话，猴儿熟练地从残旧的戏箱里戴面具，一时扮孙悟空，一时扮大花脸。
那头黑狗也会演戏，会打转，会让猴儿骑着当大将军策马。
世华看得手舞足蹈。
老头儿很卖力，猴儿和黑狗也出尽浑身本领。
看了半个钟头，老头儿反着铜锣向观众讨赏，大人小孩都一哄而散了，掷角子入铜锣的没几个。
世华自动跑到老头脸前，细看那张沧桑的脸，在零落的一角硬币中，世华放下了五块钱，老头儿受宠若惊地谢完又谢，仿佛从没见过那么大的赏赐。
李颀也摸了口袋里仅余的几元出来，放进了铜锣。
"怎么那些人看完不给钱的？"世华惊奇地问。
"通常都没几个给的，这儿是穷区嘛，谁有什么余钱？"李颀说。
"那为什么老头又常来？"世华不解。
"他还懂得去什么地方？去山顶，你住的华宅？怕老早给警察锁起来了。"李颀说。"路远迢迢，老头儿从江西把猴儿狗儿带到个人生路不熟的地方……"世华难过得想哭。
"每天捞几块钱，老头儿已经很满足了。"李颀说。
"那不是比做乞丐还苦吗？卖力半天，赔笑脸，人家不给赏还要笑。"
"那是他人生的最后尊严。"李颀说，"我们上去吧，我累了。"
上得到四楼，门口赫然站着个凶巴巴的老妇，穿着唐衫裤，剪齐到耳珠的白发全往后梳。
"不交租便别进去！"老妇用手挡着门。
"下个月吧，李婶，你知我有钱不欠你的。"
"三个月了，下月又下月，你有钱自己花了，不交租！"
"我真的没有钱，我又生病了，最近没收入。"
"没收入还陪女朋友上街呢，病什么？"
"别吵，别吵，"世华将口袋里余下的几十块钱塞给她，"先拿这些去，让我们进去，过两天把租还清给你。"
李颀阻止她也来不及，老妇忙不迭地接了钱，世华半推半赶地把她送下楼梯。
李颀一阵天旋地转，脚步虚浮，世华把他扶入房间。
"你怎么办？"世华急了，"我没有钱，你又没有钱……我找胖胖来。"
"小盛你走吧。"
"我怎能走？"
"你不走有什么用？"
"你身体未复元，什么都没有。"
"你走吧，我活得下来的。"
"李颀，我就陪你坐在这儿。"
"小盛……"
李颀吻着她的前额。
这时门一推开，盛太太和司机出现了。
"世华，跟我走。"
"Mother!"
"闭嘴，跟我走。"盛太太正视李颀，"你若不放她走，我报警去。"
"妈妈，他没做错什么，他病着。"
"跟着这个像野狗般的人干什么？他游手好闲，只等女孩子请他看电影，请他吃饭，世华，你盲了！"盛太太说。
"妈妈，不要侮辱他！"
"盛太太，"李颀抓着床架起来，"莫欺少年穷，将来你会没脸见我，我不是你说的那种人！"
"你现在便没有脸见我，没有脸见我女儿，"盛太太看见李颀那有气无力的样子，对司机说："下去，五分钟后再上来。"
"世华，司机在时我不方便说，为了替你们两个留个面子。"盛太太锐利的目光直视李颀，"李先生，不要说任何人扯谎，这一分钟我对着你，对着我的女儿，说几句话。"
一时间热腾腾的空气似乎变了炼狱的炉。盛太太的双绲边名贵丝质旗袍，在家里凉快，在这儿她抽出把精致的檀香扇来扇凉，也想扇开些汗臭。
"李先生，你四处睡过很多女孩子，当然不是在这里，是我女儿这么笨才自己摸上来这肮脏地方，对不对？"盛太太的视线没离开过李颀的眼睛，不让他有垂目的机会。
"妈妈！"世华惊叫着。
盛太太不理她，只继续问李颀：
"是不是？"
"是。"李颀坦然地答。
"李颀！"世华再度惊叫。
"是。"李颀毅然地望着盛世华，"小盛，我不会骗你一句，以前我的确是这样。"
"世华，听见了？人家当你是什么？"盛太太说。
"盛太太，不用你说，我自己跟小盛说。小盛，过来，牵着我的手。"
盛世华心里开始有千百个疑问，她不是他唯一的女朋友，他甚至承认他跟别的女人不晓得在什么地方上过床，她有嫉妒和被伤害的混乱感觉，但还是走到李颀身边，让他牵着手。
"小盛，那些女孩子不像你般纯得像白纸一张。不错，我和她们睡到哪儿去便哪儿去，我没有爸妈教我，也没叫过人来这地方，你上来了，不嫌弃这破旧斗室，你不晓得我有多感动，原来除了寻欢作乐外，是有人豁出一切关心我的。那些事情我没跟你说，因为你不懂。"
"盛太太，"李颀指着世华说，"这几天来她没换过衣服，我没有碰过她。我绝对有脸见你。"
"但你必须明白世华要回家。"盛太太语气强硬。
"妈妈，不行啊，他还病着，他没钱交租，连电都截了……"世华哀求着。
"小盛，这是我自己的事，我会应付。"李颀苍白的脸，没令他懦弱。
盛太太从皮包拿出五万元钞票递给李颀：
"世华是个心地很好的女孩子，我要她放心离开你，五万元不算多，但这一年你可够用了吧？"
李颀接过那五万元钞票，侧着头轻轻笑着，把那五十张千元钞票撕得粉碎：
"盛太太，我说过我的事我会应付。"
盛太太羞恼交集：
"对着我的女儿表演？很精彩的戏，可惜我不会为你鼓掌。"
这时司机带着几个警察上来了。
"什么事？"其中一个警员问。
盛太太可以看到李颀眼中喷出火来的愤怒，摇着檀香扇说：
"没什么，一场误会而已，劳烦各位了。"
"小姐，车子在下面。"司机对盛世华说。
"世华，走。"盛太太用威胁的眼光命令着女儿，回头又对几位警察说：
"小女还没到十七岁，我怕她迷路而已，幸而这儿的李先生帮忙找着了她，不然我真的会以为她被人拐带了，谢谢你啦，李先生。"
"是的，世上的奸徒很多。"李颀语带双关地针对着盛太太。
"世华！"母亲最后通牒地唤着。
世华依依地望住李颀。
"别忘了猴戏。"李颀笑着说。
世华只觉他这一笑间有无限凄苦。
众人拥簇着世华下楼去，李颀没有送，也没关门，只是胜华频频回头，每次都见到李颀痴痴地看着她。
回到家后，盛太太没花多余时间，翌日便带她上美国领事馆签证，一签好了便告诉她后天上机。
世华在母亲的严密监视下，一颗心只记挂着李颀。
明天便上机了，无论如何，她都要见李颀一次。
母亲下午茶有个应酬，母亲一出去了她便赶的士到筲箕湾找李颀。
跑上李颀住的四楼，门居然紧锁着，敲了半天门，没人应。
"李颀，你在吗？小盛啊！"敲了半个钟头，里面人声寂寂。
那个包租的李婶挂着一串锁匙跑上来：
"那姓李的走了。"
"怎么你把他撵走了？我不是说过两天清还租金的吗？"世华又惊又怒。
"我没撵他走，他自己倒走了。"李婶大为不满地说，"租当然没付清。"
"他到哪儿去了？"
"你问我我问谁？我也想找他呢！"
"他还欠你多少祖金？"
"一百八十块。"
"我现在就给你，要是他回来，便让他住吧。"世华说，"请你开开门，让我看看他的屋子。"
李婶收了钱，勉强地把门锁开了。
果真是人去楼空，他的画具、白衬衫白长裤都不见了。
"让我在这儿坐一会。"世华对李婶说。
"只许坐一会，我要锁门的。"李婶就蹲在大门口守着。
世华轻抚着每一样留下来的东西，那残旧的塑胶水盆，那没有盖的旧铁锅子，熨衫板和熨斗还在她替他熨衣服时的同一地方，窗沿还挂着那几个铁线拗成的衣架。
世华拿了衣架，呆坐在李颀睡的双层铁床下格，抚摸着李颀睡过的枕头和床单。
"李婶，我可以把这几个衣架拿走吗？"
蹲在门口的李婶回头望望，咄了一声："又不是我的，你喜欢拿便拿。"
叮咚喳喳，窗外传来锣鼓声，耍猴戏的江西老头来了。
"别忘了猴戏。"李颀说过的。
世华像抓着一线希望，抱着衣架跑下街里。
是的，江西老汉耍猴戏来了，仍是差不多的表演，猴子和黑狗的戏服似乎又残旧了点。
江西老汉用只有他的猴子和黑狗才听得懂的土话发号施令，猴子不停地敏捷探头往戏箱里换面具，找帽子，以它们有限的技艺，以求温饱。
世华远近地探头，希望看见李颀。
小孩群中没有他的那高高的身影。
啊，在那街角身长玉立站着的好像是他，世华不禁往那边跑了几步。
那不是李颀，只不过是个身材较高的白衣男子，根本没一处和李颀相像。
世华唏嘘地回头，江西老汉正翻转了铜锣向众人讨赏，小孩照例一哄而散，只有几个好心的小男童小女童和一两个大人在掏角子。
但角子还未掏出来，世华已看见皱纹深长的江西老汉脸露惶恐之色，钱也不讨了，只赶忙抽起戏箱没命似地往街尾的黄泥山坡跑，猴子和黑狗随着他狂奔，原来警察追来了，这小小江湖卖艺猴子一味跑一味躲，显然那不是第一次。
流了半天汗水，一个赏钱也拿不到便又要亡命天涯地逃，世华惊惊地夹在他们和警察中间跑，似乎那样可以保护他们。
那条黑狗笨一点，跟了一会追不上，急得团团转，世华那时已跑不过警察，老汉和猴子已逃得不知所终了，黑狗还在彷惶地东跑西跑。
黑狗黑狗，你不能让警察捉住啊，