Chapter 17 Section 16

I walk on the embankment.After school students gathered in small groups, drawing a soothing arc, extending to the iron bridge in the distance. Bugs were chirping on the dirt slope, and at the same time, Chihiro's bicycle made a rattling sound. "It's really refreshing in autumn." Chihiro sighed. The autumn sky is blue and clear, and the thick colors seem to be sucked in when you look up and stare.Thin clouds float over the high school, flowing slowly with the wind. A baseball game is being held on the beach on the opposite bank.The batter swung the bat, and a moment later, the clatter of metal was heard across the river.The red dragonfly flies over the river as if gliding.

On the path overgrown with weeds, the soil was very dry, and Chihiro's shadow and I were side by side.She pushed the bicycle, and the monotonous rotation of the shadow of the spokes of the wheel made people feel drowsy. The nose is full of the smell of the sun and dust, the back of the winter school uniform is hot from the sun, and my forehead is still oozing sweat. "It would be great if the weather was like this every day." Students riding bicycles pass by us from time to time. "Among the year, I like autumn the most. Where's Kazumi?" Autumn is really good.

"Hmm... probably summer." "Huh? Isn't it very hot in summer?" She asked me why, and I considered the reason. "Well, it really is because of the summer vacation." "Ah, this reason is no good, it's too cunning." "I like the ocean." "I see, the sea... I see, it's because of the sea. 'A summer experience' is pretty good." Chihiro suddenly laughed as she spoke, and poked my side with her elbow.Really, I don't know what she is thinking. The front wheel of the bicycle twisted up and down, she let out an "oops" and hurriedly straightened the handlebar again.

"Speaking of which, my family has never been to the beach. So when it comes to swimming, the first thing that comes to mind is the school's swimming pool." Chihiro continued to say that after entering high school, she must find a boyfriend, and Xia Tian asked him to take her to the beach. A bicycle suddenly passed us, ringing the bell of the bicycle.The person was riding a female bicycle called a Kunche, with legs bent outwards and pedals, the front of the school uniform was completely open, and the sleeves were rolled up to the elbows. "Hirata. Put on your helmet!"

Chihiro yelled behind the man.Hirata didn't look back, just waved his hand and rode away. Chihiro snorted. "It doesn't matter anyway, even if the guy dies in an accident or something." "He's just being cool." Although I think ordinary helmets are more handsome. The iron bridge is getting closer and closer. On the sandbar in the river where the pier is located, an uncle wearing a straw hat is fishing.How he got there I wonder. On one side of the causeway there was a sign forbidding vehicles, and we crossed the yellow iron block shaped like a cannonball and entered the main road.

"goodbye." "Byebye." I took out my schoolbag from Chihiro's car frame and waved my hand.She got on her bicycle and went across the bridge.I walked up the ramp in the opposite direction.A group of students were walking side by side on the road side by side. I saw a big truck making a rumbling sound and almost passing by them. I couldn't help but lament how dangerous it was.There is only a short way to the bottom, and it is safer to hold back your words and line up in a longitudinal row without causing trouble to others. In the distance came the siren of an emergency vehicle.

I leaned over the fence on the left and looked down at the roofs of the houses.In the small yard between the house and the embankment, the mother with the child on her back was collecting clothes.As soon as I smelled dinner, my stomach started to growl. The traffic light at the intersection with the boulevard is still red.Cars coming from the bridge line up here and wait for the signal light to turn green. On the left hand side, you can see a house with a tin roof, which has been corroded quite badly.Down the ramp, the eaves of the houses rose higher and higher along the way, and before long I was in the shade.But the residual warmth left by the sunshine just now is still there, and the clothes are still warm.

The sound of the siren came again, and it was getting louder and louder, and it seemed to be getting closer.The traffic lights at the intersection turned green, and the traffic began to move slowly, then stopped immediately when the sirens approached. "Emergency traffic, please get out of the way—" The siren was also mixed with the noise of the loudspeaker, and a white car passed the intersection in front of it from left to right.The shifting red headlights flashed my eyes. "—roads...emergency vehicle traffic." The siren's pitch lowered slightly, and the word Doppler effect came to mind.The car dragon started to move slowly again.I calculated that I might be able to catch up with the signal light this time, but the signal light indicating pedestrians had already started to flash, so I finally gave up.The students walking side by side in front of me suddenly ran after seeing the flashing signal light, and finally passed the moment the main signal light turned from yellow to red, and the pedestrian signal light had already turned red.

At this moment, the passing sirens stopped suddenly, judging from the sound, it seemed that they hadn't driven very far. Students crossing the road look to the right to see what happened.I also quickened my pace a little, and finally came to the intersection.The students on the other side of the road quickly ran to the right, and I also looked there. Behind the pedestrian bridge in the distance, flashing rotating lights can be seen.The cars on the down lane have been blocked from there to the intersection where I am. It seems that the situation just now is that the traffic light has finally waited until the signal light turns green. stop.The uplink lane is the opposite, and the vehicle whizzes past me.

There are customers coming out of the shops on the roadside.The windows on the second floor were open.Instead of crossing the main road, I walked directly along the right side of the road towards the pedestrian bridge. I had an ominous premonition, and when I came back to my senses, I was already jogging. — Hirata? Before I was halfway through the run, the siren suddenly sounded again, which startled me.The chimneys of the factory can be seen in the distance.The sound of the siren floated along the road to the distance again.I slowed down, adjusted my breathing, and walked towards the pedestrian bridge.

The place where the accident seems to have happened is tens of meters ahead of the pedestrian bridge, because there are still many people watching on the sidewalk, so that should be the scene of the accident.Following the line of sight of everyone, I saw a green station wagon parked across the road. When I passed by the retrograde person, I glanced at that person's expression, which seemed very dignified.The vehicles were driving on the driveway as usual, and the bus turned on the direction lights and leaned in the direction of me.Some of the onlookers hurried to the stop sign and passed me. I walked onto the pedestrian bridge and continued to climb after a short break in the middle.The beating of the heart.At this time, the siren of a police car was heard in the distance.When I got to the overpass, I immediately poked my head out of the handrail and looked around the car in question. A green station wagon was parked there with its accident lights flashing.Among the crowd gathered on the sidewalk were several students in uniform, including people I knew.Those students were very excited, talking to each other loudly.Even if I am far away, I can clearly see the hot face on my face. Then, I saw another bicycle that was in disarray. It was a women's bicycle leaning against the barrier in front of the station wagon.It was the one that Hirata was riding just now. The siren was getting louder and louder in my ears. "That's it, that tower." After turning into Yanhu Road, I pointed to the target tower, and Matsuura praised it. "Yeah, that belongs to the president." The blue of the sky and the shimmer of the lake have hardly changed from when we first arrived at the lake.But if you look closely, the shadows of the trees become thicker, and the heat from the wind seems to have weakened a bit.The biggest change is that the tower is now in the backlight, and the sun is gradually setting. "Yeah, it's so beautiful." Matsuura seemed to have temporarily forgotten the pain in his hands, and his voice seemed very light. I looked in the rearview mirror, and the angle was just right enough to see Matsuura sitting in the back row.He stretched out his hand wrapped in a handkerchief out of the window and looked out at the scenery with a smile. The car slowly drove in an arc along the shore of the lake.The sun that was on the front also changed its position, and it will soon be hidden behind the woods on the right. The sunlight shining through the gaps in the leaves kept shaking. Tendo raised his sun visor while shifting gears with his left hand.When passing under the tower, a small road appeared on the right side. Turning the steering wheel, the car creaked and drove up the ramp, and then saw the villa in front of it in a piece of green. Someone came to the outdoor platform on the east side, and it seemed that they were starting to prepare for the barbecue.Kaori stepped out of the crowd and came towards the car. The vibration stops, there is a sound of the handbrake, and the engine shuts off. "It's here, huh, I'm exhausted." I got out of the car and took a deep breath. "By the way, Matsuura, how are your hands?" "Ah, it's all right. Yeah, it really saved my life. I didn't know what to do at the time—ah, hello, Kaori, I'm late." "Hello—what's the matter?" After Kaori noticed Matsuura's tragic situation, she stopped talking, but Matsuura's tone was extremely comfortable. "Ah, when the car stopped, the front cover suddenly smoked. This injury was scalded when I hurriedly opened the front cover. I don't know if it was caused by oil or steam... I immediately covered my face, but luckily my face is fine." His clothes were covered in oil, but he was not actually hurt.Matsuura stretched out his left hand wrapped in a handkerchief to Kaori, and there were many blisters on the palm.Matsuura seemed to be bragging about his scars, but Kaori's face changed when she heard it. "Isn't this - very serious! Is it okay not to go to the hospital?" "It's okay. Just a little sting." "It needs to be treated right away—by the way, it's better to apply cold compresses first. Medicine, brother!" Kaori called out. "We have to think of a way, and we can't leave it alone." Kaori took Matsuura's normal hand and led him to the outdoor platform.The back of Matsuura looked very happy when he was dragged away, maybe it was just my illusion. Because of this incident, Matsuura became the focus of everyone on the spot, leading everyone through the window connecting the outdoor platform with the indoor, and walked into the house. "Hey, it's so serious," Oiso called out immediately. I couldn't help but sighed, and then helped Tendo take out Matsuura's luggage, and walked to the hall with my arms in my arms. After entering the living room, they found that everyone had formed a circle around Matsuura who was sitting on the sofa.Oiso sat on the left side of Matsuura, firmly holding his left wrist.There is a first-aid kit on the table, and the absorbent cotton and suture needles are next to it. From this, it can be seen that the pus in the blister has been squeezed out.Xiu sitting on the right painted something like green ointment on his palm, and Matsuura just kept expressing his shame. After the emergency treatment was over, Kaori, who stayed behind her brother just now, changed her position and wrapped the bandage that she had prepared in her hand round and round around Matsuura's left hand.Xia Zi sat in front of Matsuura, frequently asking him if it hurts.Among the crowd, only Sanjo stood a little far away, staring at Matsuura's back without moving. It was the same when riding in the car, Matsuura's burns were severe, but his expression was surprisingly indifferent.He stared blankly at Kaori's side face, probably able to endure pain.Kaori acted very seriously, and was about to tie up both ends of the bandage. "It's done." Matsuura met the eyes of Kaori who raised her head, ah, thank you, and looked away while thanking her. "You can't be judged by your appearance. You are very strong." Oiso patted him on the shoulder, and it was only then that Matsuura looked around for the first time.Who is this guy?Ugh?Why is the room chief here?There seemed to be such a question in his eyes. Xiuyi answered. "This guy is an acquaintance of mine, his name is Daiso. We joined suddenly." "Ah. Speaking of jumping in, I'm—" Matsuura nodded and bowed. Daiso suddenly stood up and shouted. "Ah, yes, fire—" He ran to the window and sat down, put on his shoes and rushed to the outdoor platform. As a result, the crowd dispersed, and each started to act.I looked at Tendo, who was sitting on the sofa smoking a cigarette.I followed Kaori into the kitchen. "Ah, teacher." After washing her hands, Kaori turned around.Several large bowls were taken out on the table, all filled with vegetables cut into large pieces. "Is everything ready?" "yes." "That's it..." I looked around. This is a stunning kitchen, laid out like something out of a food show.There is a counter in front of the cooking station, and you can stand there and overlook the canteen next to it.The silver-faced sliding doors in the back of the room are refrigerators and freezers, which are directly embedded in the wall, and the size has exceeded the scope of domestic use. "This kitchen is awesome." "Yes, but the equipment is only available, and few people use it." "Anything to drink?" I drank it.But Kaori shook her head. "I'm going to toast later, just bear with me and drink some delicious beer later." "Also." I went back to the living room again, and there was the sound of crackling firewood crackling outside the window.I looked out the window, and there were two barbecue grills side by side on the outdoor platform, one of which was already ablaze.Next to it was a white table and reclining chair that I didn't know where, and Tendo and Xiuyi sat on it and smoked.Daji was wearing gloves, holding an iron tool like a tongs for holding charcoal, and frequently fiddled with it in the stove.Xia Zi stood behind Daji with a cardboard box.She wiped her face with a hand that was stained with charcoal just now, and there were a few black marks on her face.Santiao was at another stove, fanning desperately with a round fan to support the combustion. Daiso looked at us and said. "Hey, Kaori. It's almost the same here." "start?" "Well, let's grill." After he answered, he covered the large iron plate next to the stove. "As for the tableware—brother, come and help me get it, and there's also Tendo." "Oh My God." The two who sat calmly on the chairs glanced at each other and stood up slowly. I looked into the room, and Matsuura was coming back from the depths of the corridor wiping his face with a towel.At some point, he had changed his chance. He took off his oil-stained shirt and put on a new one.When I saw his new clothes, I couldn't help but wonder if I couldn't change to something more casual. When I passed by, I reminded him that it had started, and then we went back to the kitchen and carried the bowls full of vegetables, meat, cutlery, and sauces to the living room window.Finally, Oiso yelled when he saw Tendo come back with a can of beer. Putting the vegetables on the oiled iron plate, there was a sizzling sound that sounded delicious.Everyone was given small saucers of sauce, and I realized my shoes were missing, so I went to the foyer to get them, then went back to the window and went down to the outside deck. It was not evening yet, the wind was blowing, and the smoke was slowly rising.The outdoor deck itself is in the shade, but about half of the birch forest in front is still in direct sunlight.The white trunks and green leaves glisten, and when you look up, the sky is also blue. Falling back to the ground, there was another si-si-the sound of grilling vegetables, which sounded like a big increase in appetite. "It's baked, it's baked." "Wow, time for a barbecue?" "Let's bake it. Brother, I can't eat it yet, let's drink it first." While talking, Matsuura hurried to the window one last time. "We're about to toast." I urge him. "Wow, I'm catching up now. . . . Huh? Where's my shoe?" He looked back and forth at the entrance to the outdoor terrace. "Ah, sorry, I wore your shoes." Tendo sat on the chair and raised his feet. It turned out that Matsuura's leather shoes were worn by him, which didn't seem to fit well. "what." This unreasonable behavior caused a burst of laughter. "Matsuura, I'm sorry you were able to take my shoes from the hall... No, I'm so sorry for you." "It's okay, that's it. You sit down too. Let's drink first, Shihe." I have opened a chilled can of beer and hold it in my hand.Everyone is also ready for all the toasts.Xia Zi opened it again alertly, and handed it to Matsuura's safe hand. Xiu nodded. "Well, cheers!" "cheers!" After echoing, I killed it in one go.Gudong, Gudong, Gudong.Cool, bitter liquid travels down the back of your throat as the bubbles pop, tugging at your esophagus.The hunger and thirst from the body was satisfied at the same time. When I removed the can from my mouth, I couldn't help but sigh in satisfaction.