Chapter 15 Section five

I didn't go to the river the next day.After the last class, I went to Xiaoxing's house.When leaving the school gate, I saw Xiao Xing's figure disappearing in the direction of the river.Is she still going to see me today?Standing side by side on the bridge pier as usual, having some irrelevant conversations?Or is she going to scold me for what happened yesterday?In any case, I have no intention of seeing her. I'm thinking about what I should do. Standing in front of the porch, I rang the doorbell.No one answered.Press it again, and there was a burst of ceasing sound from inside, and then the sound of unlocking from inside.

There is a woman standing on the three-fold soil in the entrance. One can tell at a glance that this is the woman who was drinking at the table when Xiao Xing was shaking with that man that day.There is one more obvious thing.She is undoubtedly Xiaoxing's mother.They are very similar in appearance.Taking off the water from Xiaoxing's body, without cleaning it, and painting his face with laziness and humiliation, this is the woman in front of him.Her back is not as straight as Xiaoxing's, and she has a pair of eyes that are extremely inconsistent with the whole body and a crooked mouth.

Seeing me, she narrowed her eyes.That's not the result of the upper and lower eyelids moving together, but only the upper eyelid falling.She said nothing, seemed to be waiting for me to say something. I don't want to say more.I didn't intend to say anything more.When you see my uniform, you should know that Yuki and I are from the same school.Seeing the way I looked at her, you should know that I came here full of aggression. "I saw it." I said something briefly. "Saw it from the window over there." Knees start shaking.The beating of the heart seemed to intensify.The woman's expression remained unchanged.Her whole body reeked of alcohol.There was a reddish black scar on the fleshless side of the cheek.There were also bad abrasions on the veined hands.Every wound is still fresh.

I was taken aback. ——If you don’t go back…—— Yuki looked at his watch and said. ——Mom…was…—— Did she say at that time that mom would be beaten? Xiao Xing didn't come back until after six o'clock yesterday.Does this have anything to do with her mother's injury? The woman's lips parted, making a nasty sound. "So what if you see it?" Sounds and diction like a man.She stared at me with cloudy eyes. "I saw it, so what can I do?" The face that should have been similar to Xiao Xing looked like a bird's face at that moment.A bird that has no emotion but goes mad in silence.Inadvertently, anger has broken through the throat and entrenched in my head.There seemed to be something hot pressing on the back of the eyeballs, my whole body trembled and my fists were clenched.

"Please stop that kind of thing." no respond. "Who is that man? Why—" The opponent's face convulsed slightly.Then she suddenly opened her eyes wide, concentrated her strength on her face, and suddenly brought her face close to mine. "My man, that is." Her eyeballs were trembling. "He said he wanted to have sex with the young man, so let him do it." The colorless lips parted slightly as if looking for the next words.Bursts of alcohol came out from inside, passing over my face wetly.I was so stiff that I couldn't move.Her face, strangely twisted, was right in front of my nose.It was only when the next sentence came out that there was a hint of emotion in her distorted voice.

"Why don't you come and feed me?" Then she turned around quickly and slammed the door shut with a harsh sound. I am running.Stepping on the icy winter ground.Pedal, pedal, run to the river.Tears flowed out.Tears were blown by the wind and slid down the collar of his shirt.For money, for life, is Xiao Xing going to be crushed by a man?Does it clap its wings and make a sound of pain like a butterfly in winter? I want to see Xiaoxing.Seeing her, shouting loudly in front of her.But what should I shout?What is the use of one's own voice and actions?I'm still running.The surrounding buildings were melting and disappearing, and Xiao Xing's voice came from the invisible scenery.A thin dog's breath is average, and the hinges covered with rust are average.

Xiao Xing stood there.In the same place, with schoolbags in both hands, looking into the distance with clear eyes.Noticing footsteps, she turned to look at me.I ran to her side. "I'll figure it out." The moment I opened my mouth, I realized that with just this one blurted out sentence, I would embark on a road that I could never turn back.But I never thought of turning back.Can only move forward.Something must be done.Find a way.I had to find a way—these thoughts swelled and expanded in my chest, and suddenly turned into something more concrete and more violent, and the countercurrent surged up my throat, and I blurted out:

"I killed that man!" Xiao Xing opened his eyes wide, and took a breath of cold air with a rustle.From my words she understood that I already knew everything. "Kill him, save Xiaoxing, definitely kill him, I—" What was said next I don't remember myself.It seems that these few words are just repeated in my impression.But I clearly remember that these words of mine were inadvertently and easily obliterated by a sentence squeezed out of Xiaoxing's throat. "Don't be so self-righteous." It took me even a while to realize that it was Yuki's voice.That mournful sound, as sharp as the roar of a cornered animal, pierced my heart.A few seconds later, I lost feeling all over my body, my brain was paralyzed, and a cold air rose in my stomach.It was as if the air around him had disappeared, and the silence echoed in his ears.Koyuki's pale face standing in front of him was clearly engraved in his eyes, but there was nothing else.There was a sound from the ground, and at the same time Xiaoxing's figure began to fade away.She looked directly at me and gradually backed away.

"You...do you support me?" She asked the same thing as her mother.This is undoubtedly another blow to me.Cracks appeared in the tense nerves, and a lot of emotion poured from them. "Will you pay my tuition?" Tears welled up.Inside the ribs, the heart beats painfully.Blood circulated through my body, but I lost feeling in my extremities.I wanted to say something, wanted to say something, but my mind went blank.I looked at Xiaoxing, and put my senseless right hand into the schoolbag, holding the rectangular box that I hadn't taken out since that day. "I'll save you, definitely."

I could only repeat these meaningless words in my mouth, and handed the box containing the Christmas presents to Xiaoxing.During this time she never left my sight.Xiaoxing watched me reach out to take the box.Under the reflection of the setting sun, Xiao Xing looked at my red eyes. Xiao Xing didn't open the box, and suddenly covered her face with her hands and started crying.Intermittent sobs could be heard from her trembling hands.