Chapter 26 fourth quarter

Thinking about it later, there were early signs. Like that thing by the river.Like a broken fried egg. Three months ago - in early April, when I was transporting the materials needed for the bridge pier repair project to the river, unloading unexpectedly took a lot of time, and the sky was already orange when I finished the job.There were still two deliveries that had to be delivered that day, so I jumped into the driver's seat and started backing up.When I adjusted the direction and was about to leave, I found a little girl running where the truck tires had just passed through the rearview mirror.She flung herself into the arms of a woman who looked like her mother, weeping in fear.

I felt like all the blood had been drawn from my body. I didn't even notice that there was a girl behind the car and I almost ran into her.Ever since I was engaged in delivery work, the president and Youhui have repeatedly reminded me to pay attention to safety. That was the first time in my adult life that I really felt the word "death".It has never happened since my father died of illness in the sixth grade of elementary school.I haven't received any obituaries from relatives for many years, and none of my friends and colleagues has passed away.Death will appear in one's own life, which has never been thought of before.But this time I almost bumped into a girl, which made me feel the word clearly.

Death is always by my side. Another precursor is Yuhui's fried eggs.One sunny day two weeks ago, I returned to the office during the day.I usually go out with a truck in the morning and don’t go back until evening, but that day I happened to forget my phone in the locker of the office, and I went to pick it up after finishing the nearby delivery. —Called you and rang in the locker— —Sorry, I forgot where— I scratched my head and apologized to the president. When I was about to leave the office, I was stopped by Tomoe. ——Xiao Liang, have you eaten yet? —— ——Ah, I was going to the convenience store——

— Shall we go after eating? —— It seems that Yuhui is about to start making her and the president's lunch. ——There is fish and miso soup, nothing big—— After a little humility, I sat opposite the president across the desk in the office, watching the old TV program and smiling wryly at the president's cold joke.Listening to the jingling of the tableware in the kitchen and the sound of the rice cooker being switched on and off, I feel -- I'm in a good mood. But this mood disappeared instantly when Youhui put the dish on the table. ——Xiao Liang was still young, so he wanted to add fried eggs to you, but failed——

The yolk of the fried egg on the plate was broken. —Sorry, don’t eat if you don’t want to— ——ah, it’s okay—— Even though I said this, I still felt a heavy feeling in my stomach. When he got sick, his father hoped that the doctor would tell him the details of his condition.The doctor clearly told his father about his condition and showed him the X-ray examination film. ——The cancer cells in the middle of the pancreas are spreading—— To the primary school student son and middle school student daughter who came to visit, the father in the ward explained his condition half-jokingly, probably to ease the sad mood of the children?Or is it that the father wants to dispel the incurable disease attached to himself by joking?My father hates showing timidity in front of people, and he is a face-saving person.

——It’s a black and white photo, like a broken fried egg, messed up—— As he spoke, his father's bearded face tilted.That was two months before he died staring at the ceiling amidst the singing of cicadas with blood-red eyes. After that, I couldn't eat fried eggs anyway. —Sorry, I’m full— In the end, I only touched You Hui's fried eggs.The president snatched away the plate and ate it all in a blink of an eye.Youhui smiled and looked at me worriedly for a moment, as if he sensed something. "Sister, have you heard of hanging mosquito net grass?" It was still raining the next day.I went to the hospital to visit during work breaks, and the visit time was coming to an end.Then there is one more item that has to be delivered.

"I know. In the textbook, it will become a square when it splits, right?" When my sister said this, I couldn't help but stop my hand that had already reached into the pocket of the overalls.In the pocket are the stems of mosquito netting grass that I secretly picked when I came out of the office this morning.I wanted to show off what I just learned, and I brought it on purpose. "Yes, after all, you are a teacher." "Brought it?" I was taken aback.How did she know?My sister has already sat up, waiting for me to take out the grass for hanging mosquito nets.No way, I had to take it out.Because of the lack of water, the stems of the mosquito net grass have begun to wither.

"Oh, it's already wilted." "Try it, it might be easier to handle if it becomes soft." It's boring to be encouraged by my sister. It may be that this mood affects the movement of the fingers. When I tore the stem with my sister, the stem broke. "We have different temperaments." I babbled and tossed the broken stem in the trash. "How about the inspection?" "There is no result yet. Isn't it the kind that will come out soon." "Why? It's very simple, right? Just check for polyps." "I'm not the only patient."

"Ah, yes." The hospital at night is very quiet, and the sound of someone pushing a trolley can be heard elsewhere.Looking out of the window, I can see the slender night through the cracks in the curtains.The rain falling obliquely glowed white under the reflection of the electric light billboard in the distance. While watching the rain, my sister hummed softly: "...It's really a dark song." "yes?" My sister used to like to sing.Until my father informed us of the diagnosed illness, whenever we went to the hospital to visit together, my sister would walk and sing beside me.I don’t remember much now, but they are all nursery rhymes, old songs with similar lyrics that don’t fit middle school students.Listening half-heard, sometimes you will feel warm in your heart, sometimes you will feel lonely and desolate, and sometimes you will think of the distant mountains and sea.

"The lyrics are also very dark." "Beiyuan Baiqiu, a famous poet." "The name is also very attractive." "Probably not his real name." While smiling, the elder sister put her hair behind her ear with one hand, leaving a long hair between her fingers.My sister stared at the long hair for a while, then rolled it up on her index finger and threw it into the trash can next to the bed.There is a lot of hair curled up beside the mosquito net grass that I threw into it just now. "The hydrangeas in the school are about to bloom." My sister looked out of the window again.

"There are still hydrangeas in the school?" "It's beautiful. I'm still looking forward to seeing it when I get out of the hospital." The face of my sister reflected in the window lost all expression like a doll for a moment.I found it strange that I looked at my sister, but still had the usual profile.Probably because of the sunlight. The book cover Ben was going to give her had been in the back pocket of my work pants, and by the time I noticed it, I was already in the truck. The real rainy season comes later than in previous years. My sister spent more time in the hospital than expected, and finally spent more than a week curled up in the hospital.The physical condition has not been optimistic. ——Going back half-way is causing trouble, anyway, there are vacant beds. —— My sister said so.He also said that the result of a close examination is a polyp, so there is no need to worry, just an operation will be fine. I took another break from work during the day to visit her in the hospital.A group of children came out of my sister's ward.There are six men and women.It seems that they are all about the same age, and it should be her sister's student who came to visit her. My sister is reading a letter on the hospital bed. "Yo." I greeted her, and she didn't look up, still reading what seemed to be letters from the children who had just arrived.I glanced from the side, and the messy words written in pencil were full of polite words. "My sister is very popular." Ignored again.What kind of attitude do people come to see you on purpose?I clicked my tongue in a sound she couldn't hear and sat down in the folding chair. Suddenly, his eyes turned to the bedside.On the table with small wheels are my sister's small mirror and library book, and next to it is a picture drawn with colored pencils.I thought it was brought by the children just now, and my eyes didn't stay there, but I turned back immediately.It is impossible for elementary school students to draw so well.Is the art teacher here too? Finally, I realized that this was a painting I had seen before. "...Why put such a thing here?" Unknowingly increased the voice. "For no reason, on a whim, I let my mother find it." My sister finally replied to me, but she still didn't look up. That picture was painted fifteen years ago.There are three faces lined up in the painting, in the middle is my mother with a round face that is a bit nervous for some reason, and on the left and right are me and my sister who are smiling heartily. ——It was a holiday in the store.At that time, my father, who was still in good health, was going to teach us how to fish, but he suddenly changed his mind and ran to the racetrack alone.So very rarely, my mother took us to a department store two stops away to buy things.There is a space for events under the elevator on the first floor, where a bunch of people gather.Looking curiously, it turned out that a painter with a mustache was painting paintings for customers at a price of 1,000 yuan each.My sister was clamoring to paint, so after shopping, we and my mother lined up. Seeing myself smiling beside my mother, I was really annoyed.I still liked my mother back then.Although dissatisfied, but still like it.Because I didn't know that my mother turned out to be that kind of person. "I heard from my mother today." My sister looked at me unexpectedly. "You hid before?" My sister was calm with anger. I have a bad relationship with my mother, of course my sister knows.I don't know how many times she asked me why.My sister has been wondering why since my father died.But I didn't tell her, I always stubbornly didn't tell her. "It's not even hiding." "My mother said that you came into the conversation room like a thief, and you were very shocked. There is nothing to do if you have a bad relationship, but it would be too much to hide. When I heard about this, I felt sad for my mother." After saying this in one breath, my sister's eyes returned to the letter in her hand, her lips were tightly closed, as if she didn't want to talk to me any more.But after sighing, she still raised her head. It was her habit to sink her throat down a little bit when she was serious. "How long are you going to continue?" "what?" "Mother's matter, don't ask what you know." I can only look away silently. "Liang, tell me the reason! Ask mom, and she always says she doesn't know what's going on." Can't tell.Impossible to say.I deliberately smacked my lips and turned my head away.The rain still didn't show signs of stopping, and it kept falling outside the window mixed with the wind. "...I went back to work." I didn't look at my sister and stood up.The elder sister didn't say anything, just kept chasing after the younger brother's side face. Before I left the room, she said: "Liang is always acting like a baby to me." "To my sister?" I do not understand. "Mother's business. Although I don't know why, it is because of me that you can always treat mother badly." "What are you talking about..." "If it is an only child, Liang must have a good relationship with his parents. You are acting like a baby. Although my father has passed away, I am still here." My sister sighed.It sounded both a sigh and a tired gasp after talking too much in one breath. "What will you do if I'm gone?" If my sister is gone— "What's the meaning?" "Means nothing." After speaking, my sister just looked at her hands crossed on the quilt.