Chapter 4 Four

Therefore, this night in this city, a group of people who "can't sleep tonight" have been added.Ordinarily, the 23-year-old Fang Yuzhu did not belong to this group, although during this period of time, there were also some troublesome things that kept bothering her, and the things were not small. For example, my mother was hospitalized again, my father was also ill, and I, who was only 20 years old, was caught in the wave of laid-offs... etc., etc., but because of her cheerful and open-minded nature, she is always willing to trust the aunts and uncles of the neighborhood committee Those common sayings that I said, such as: "A living person cannot be suffocated to death by urine", "A boat will be straight when it bends", "A skinny camel is bigger than a cow", "If you have a bowl, you will always have a spoon "Lah... wait, wait, especially the sentence that Dad often said: "Don't worry, no matter what, socialism can't make people hungry", let her take one hundred and twenty-eight yuan and seventy-five cents a month The subsidy for laid-off workers can still fall down every night.Of course, after all, I'm still in my early 20s, and I can't help but look at the world with my eyes open.And this world is really not the kind of world that doesn't make people think.Therefore, many times, she also hesitates, is in a trance, is also anxious, and even depressed, and occasionally tastes the taste of life called "insomnia" once or twice.For example, tonight, she has "insomnia".She couldn't figure it out at all. In a family like hers, the father is so upright, the mother is so dutiful, and the elder brother is so capable Among the men, there is only one person Fang Yuzhu really admires, and she also admires this person, that is her brother Fang Yulin), and she is also very smart and hardworking (he is not ugly! He is in the sixth grade of elementary school Since then, boys have been writing letters to me. I hate it! What do you know about love?!), why can’t I live in the three-bedroom and four-bedroom new building, but I am determined to live in this dilapidated courtyard?Now everyone says that as long as there is a "big cap" spread out at home, there is nothing to worry about.But the big cap spread to her house, why didn't it work? The family of 4 still lives in a half-quilted one-story house, which is less than 15 square meters including the walkway and the space for the coal stove.What's wrong with this big man and big woman? !

...Fang Yuzhu thought wildly, tossing and turning on the bed like a big cake, unable to fall asleep.Of course Fang Yulin couldn't sleep that night.Their beds were next to each other, separated only by an old monochrome curtain.Fang Yulin couldn't sleep, and lay there thinking about the case that happened at Laifeng Villa during the day.You ponder yours, don't toss!No, they still took a stick, and after a while, they fiddled with the lamp hanging from the beam of the house, so that all kinds of light and shadow, rectangular, triangular, flat strip, cylindrical ...was constantly shaking in front of Fang Yuzhu's eyes, which made her even more upset.Fang Yuzhu was also worried that he would cause a short circuit on the wires, and it would be a pity that a fire would destroy this large piece of dilapidated bungalow that should have been destroyed long ago, but it would ruin his future because of it, which is terrible!

This brother of hers is going to achieve great things, and all the hopes of her family are pinned on him!She firmly believes in it. "Brother, what's wrong with you? Are you letting people sleep?" Fang Yuzhu finally couldn't help it, "Teng" he sat up from the bed, lifted the quilt, put on his shoes, and was about to snatch Fang Yulin's hand in that stick.At this time, Dad's voice came from the inner room: "What's the matter? What time is it?" Fang Yulin hurriedly responded: "Dad, it's okay, it's okay." Fang Yuzhu quickly turned around to turn off the light, and then went inside There was another violent coughing sound in the hut.Both Fang Yulin and Fang Nanzhu were busy getting thermos bottles.

Fang Yulin graciously gave up the thermos bottle he got first to his sister.After a while, the sound of Fang Yuzhu pouring water for his father and beating his father's back came from the inner cabin.After a while, the hut became quiet, and Fang Yuzhu came out quietly.Fang Yulin took the thermos bottle from his sister and patted her gratefully. Fang Lizhu urged in a low voice, "Go to sleep." Fang Yulin just nodded, but still sat motionless under the blanket. After a while, he put on his clothes, picked up a cotton coat, and walked out. The alley was dark and very quiet.The snow has already stopped.There was no one else in the alley, only Fang Yulin was walking slowly.Occasionally, a flatbed cart loaded with vegetables or other non-staple food would come from the suburbs unhurriedly, and continue to pedal towards a nearby vegetable market.Out of the alley, Fang Yulin lit a cigarette, stood blankly by the iron railing at the crossroads, smoked slowly, thinking about everything that happened in Laifeng Villa in the afternoon.After a while, footsteps sounded behind him, and they stopped not far behind him.He didn't move.He could tell who it was.

After a moment of silence, Fang Yulin didn't speak, but asked, "What are you doing here?" "Don't worry about my brother!" Of course Fang Yuzhu answered. "Hey, who is going to cut me such a big man?" Fang Yulin turned around, and wanted to "reprimand" Fang Nanzhu a few words, but when he raised his eyes, he saw Fang Yuzhu holding a leather hat and a pair of extensions in his hands. camel hair black scarf, his heart felt hot, his tone suddenly softened, and he just said: "Go back quickly, I won't freeze you to death!" Fang Yuzhu smiled mischievously, walked up to him, stood on tiptoe, put on the fur hat and scarf for him.

Fang Yulin blushed slightly, took a half step back quickly, and said with a low smile, "Get up, people can see, why do you think so!" Fang Yuzhu smiled lazily, and instead went forward to hook her brother's arm and said, "What do you think? Who cares what they think, don't care!" "Don't play tricks here! Be obedient and go back to sleep. I'll walk around alone and think about something." Fang Yulin hurriedly pushed Fang Yuzhu's hand away.He is not used to this kind of "excessive" intimate behavior between men and women.When the relationship with Ding Jie was smooth before, when the two of them walked around together, Ding Jie always stuck to him.He will feel uncomfortable.

"Actually... It would be nice if we had half a room in our house... Then, you can read some books at home... Think about something..." Fang Yuzhu's eyes suddenly flashed a quiet light.Before Fang Yulin could react, she suddenly stepped forward and grabbed his arm, and said happily, "Let's go, I'll treat you to a dark beer. Today I'm rich, and the factory gave us laid-off women workers a layoff subsidy." ..." "How many?" Fang Yuzhu took out two "old man's tickets" and shook them proudly: "Two hundred yuan! It's enough for the two of us to make a meal. For the rest, buy some shrimp tomorrow and make some dumplings stuffed with three delicacies." Take it to Mom. She always said that the dumplings in the hospital are tasteless... By the way, I will buy two more packs of good cigarettes for Dad..."

Seeing how excited his sister was with just two hundred yuan, and thinking of the scenes of those "big money" and "rich women" who were in contact with on weekdays spending money like water, Fang Yulin felt uncomfortable for a while, and quickly put those two " The old man returned the "ticket" to his sister, dragged her into a nearby food stall, found a clean table, An led her to sit down, and went to the counter to buy two bottles of dark beer, a can of oranges, and two dishes. Side dish, a plate of dry fried small yellow croaker.After taking two sips, Fang Yuzhu asked: "Brother, these days, I see that you don't sleep well at night, are you thinking about the case, or about being punished..."

Fang Yulin drank all the beer in the woods in one gulp: "Who wants to punish? A vice captain of the ball team, do you think I really take it seriously?" "Blow! These days, your face is drooping..." "Wow", Fang Yulin refilled the glass again, and withdrew his mouth: "You don't even think about it, brother is almost 30, and he is still a bachelor, can you not worry about getting angry?" Fang Yuzhu tossed the wine bottle away, not wanting her brother to drink so hard, and then said unhappily: "Fuck me. You are not the kind of person who scratches his head and scratches his head and climbs up a tree on a wall if he can't marry a wife for a while. man."

Fang Yulinzi laughed: "Ha! I'm almost 30, and I can't earn a house for my sister to live alone. My father is sick, my mother is hospitalized, and my sister is laid off... A majestic man can't do anything. 30! My good girl , can I sleep soundly?" Fang Yulin's voice was almost like shouting, which attracted the attention of other diners in the restaurant, and they all turned their heads to follow the sound.Fang Yuzhu knew that these few words really came from my brother's heart, and they were also the most painful things in my brother's heart. Further down, he could really pat the table and shake out all the things he was not used to.She quickly fell silent.

Half an hour later, the two of them left the small shop and walked slowly on the bone-chilling street.After a while, Fang Yuzhu said in a low voice: "Brother, do you know what Dad told me a few days ago? He said he was not afraid of anything. Mom was hospitalized, he got sick, and I was laid off. He was not afraid. He couldn't Look at you drooping your head. He said that you are the pillar of our family, if you droop your head, our family will be completely ruined." As she spoke, Fang Yuzhu's eyes became faintly red hot. Fang Yulin also felt uncomfortable for a while, and lowered his head. After a while, Fang Yuzhu asked about Ding Jie.Fang Yulin shied away, saying that it was nothing. "Nothing? She is the daughter of the commander in chief..." Fang Yulin gave his sister a disgusted look: "Stop it." Fang Yuzhu was puzzled: "What's the matter? She is the daughter of the commander of the military region!" "You don't know that's what I don't like to hear the most? You don't know that Ding Jie has been chasing me from middle school to university..." "A boy has been chased by a girl for ten years. Do you still think you are glorious? You are great? I know you like Sister Ding in your heart, but you dare not pursue her openly..." Fang Yuzhu began to raise her voice. "Haha!" Fang Yulin laughed dryly again. "I like her? I dare not pursue her publicly? Tsk!" "That's right. Let me tell you, Sister Ding came to our house this afternoon. Originally, she didn't want me to tell you..." Fang Yulin was taken aback, and quickly asked, "Is she coming to our house?" "She heard that our father was ill, my mother was hospitalized, and I was laid off again. She was very worried. She still..." "What's the matter? Say!" Fang Yuzhu hesitated for a moment: "I told you, you are not allowed to curse." Fang Yulin glared at her again impatiently: "Say it, you!" Fang Yuzhu thought for a while and said, "She heard that Dad's unit hasn't reported medical expenses to the employees for more than a year, and left a sum of money for Dad when he left..." Fang Yulin suddenly became angry: "You took it?" Fang Nanzhu also became angry: "You know Sister Ding's temper..." Fang Yulin stomped his feet and shouted: "You don't know my temper? Muddy!" At this moment, the BP machine on Fang Yulin's waist beeped.He took it off and glanced at it, but closed it impatiently.