The vehicle was moving very quietly.
Yang Xiaoyu held Wan Qiu's hand and never let go.
Wan Qiu's hands are not delicate and have scratches all over them. There are always sharp objects hidden in the garbage that can easily cut the skin.
Yang Xiaoyu's thumb rubbed those marks intentionally or unintentionally, as if they could be wiped away just like that.
In the hot summer, the car is very cool.
There was soothing, unknown music playing in the car.
The atmosphere is peaceful, calm and comfortable, which seems suitable for a lazy nap. Filled with the fragrance of fruits, you may have a sweet dream full of fruits.
Wan Qiu sat quietly in the middle of the back seat. He could see the scenery passing by outside the car window, but he soon lowered his eyes with trembling eyelashes.
The scenery outside the car changes from fewer and fewer buildings to a flat and dense forest covered with green.
Are they going back to the country?
Is there such a beautiful place in the countryside? Each plant has its own most beautiful growth posture, as if it is pregnant with gods who show beauty to the world.
The trees in the countryside should be messy, scattered, and irregular, and the weeds of different heights are always competing to thrive and occupy more land domineeringly.
Wan Qiu sat in the car, heading towards a completely unfamiliar place, just like he had once been going to Ning Qiaozhen's home in a shabby bus filled with the smell of cigarettes, gasoline, and rotten vegetables.
Even though Wan Qiu didn't care where to go, as long as he could be with his mother.
Because his mother was holding his hand and her warmth was being transmitted through her close shoulders, Wan Qiu did not feel too uneasy about the unknown.
This was also the closest period of time with his family in Wanqiu's memory.
It's getting more and more remote.
Wan Qiu saw from the corner of his eye that the road was becoming increasingly narrow and quiet, and there were not many vehicles passing by them.
These trees and the trees in grandma's house are like Ning Hai's friends and Chu Jianshu's friends. There is a huge difference between them.
Want to farm in a place like this?
If he wants to farm, can he still go to school?
"We're home, baby." Yang Xiaoyu lifted Wan Qiu's chin, pulled him out of his messy thoughts, and directed his gaze forward. "Look, this is our home from now on."
The black iron door that was opening automatically came into Wanqiu's sight.
The vast fence extending to an unknown place is full of lush and neatly arranged trees, the flat road stretches as far as the eye can see, and colorful flowers blooming in scattered patterns, dotted with stars and full of vitality.
As the vehicle moved forward, Wan Qiu saw several low buildings, brand new, brightly colored buildings, wrapped in pretty gardens and sunshine. The bright glass was hidden in the shadows, yet made the shadows bright as well.
There are so many windows. Will there be a lot of people in these buildings?
Is this a village?
With so many buildings, will they have many neighbors?
Do mom and dad get along well with their neighbors?
Will the neighbors dislike him and will he bring shame to his parents?
The car stopped downstairs of the building, in front of a tall, wide, and exquisitely embossed door.
Wan Qiu got out of the car and was attracted by the fragrance of flowers in the air. Without the vision restricted by the car roof, he was suddenly exposed to the vast blue sky without any buildings blocking his view.
Wanqiu stopped under the sky, as small as dust, but embraced by the pressing blue sky.
Wan Qiu carefully held the notebook and pen in one hand, and held Yang Xiaoyu's hand with the other.
Yang Xiaoyu kissed Wan Qiu on the cheek: "Baby, we are home. Does the house look nice?"
Wan Qiu turned his head to look at Yang Xiaoyu. His beautiful eyes took in Yang Xiaoyu's expression and he said, "It looks good."
The door opened, Wan Qiu looked up in response, and a stranger walked out of the door.
The man seemed to be illuminated by the dazzling sunlight and stretched out his hand to block the scorching sun. He had short hair, a gray shirt and trousers, and a straight posture. His strong forearms were revealed under his rolled up sleeves.
Is it a neighbor? Wan Qiu thought.
The man adapted to the sunlight, put down his hands, and met Wan Qiu's eyes. Wan Qiu unconsciously moved closer to Yang Xiaoyu, but the man did not look away like a passerby.
In Wan Qiu's vision, he was walking down the stairs at a fairly fast pace, but Wan Qiu could hear the clear sound of his footsteps on the ground.
The man was approaching him.
Wan Qiu saw his face clearly. He was young and serious. When his dark pupils looked at Wan Qiu, Wan Qiu seemed to see the night.
Wan Qiu looked at the man in black, distinguishing the complex emotions intertwined together, "happiness" and "unhappiness" coexisting.
"Aze, come and say hello to our baby? Baby, this is Yang Ze, your second brother."
Yang Xiaoyu took Wan Qiu's hand and moved Wan Qiu slightly away from Yang Xiaoyu and stood in front of Yang Ze.
Yang Xiaoyu let go of Wan Qiu's hand. Wan Qiu held the notebook in both hands, but it was more like hugging his own arms.
Second brother, older brother.
Wan Qiu had been reminded in advance by Chu Yigui, and suddenly realized that this tall man was his brother.
Wan Qiu thought of who those familiar eyes looked like.
Wan Qiu stood there and raised his head, but even though he knew he had a brother, Wan Qiu couldn't match up the Yang Ze in front of him.
He doesn't look like a brother, but an adult, like a father.
"Third brother, welcome home." Yang Ze lowered his head. He was taller than Chu Jianshu and there was a distance of two steps between him and Wan Qiu. Wan Qiu could only raise his head as much as possible to look at his second brother.
A strange, serious man would be a huge pressure on any young child.
Wan Qiu said: "Thank you."
Wan Qiu's eyes subconsciously looked for Yang Xiaoyu.
"It's so hot, let's go home." Yang Xiaoyu suddenly stepped forward and put his arm around Wan Qiu's shoulders.
In such a short time of standing in the sun after getting off the bus, the scorching sun had taken away the last bit of coolness. Yang Xiaoyu's hot palms rested on Wan Qiu's shoulders, as if instantly injecting him with courage and stability.
Following Yang Xiaoyu, when passing by Yang Ze, Wan Qiu suddenly felt his arm being rubbed.
It was not very heavy, but gentle, as if it was lightly brushed by a falling bird feather.
Wan Qiu turned around and saw Yang Ze staring at him with dark pupils. When he turned around, his straight back was slightly bent, as if he was deliberately bending down to stop him.
Yang Xiaoyu closed the door, blocking Wan Qiu and Yang Ze's sight.
"Aze, you can act happier." Chu Jianshu said to Yang Ze.
Yang opened his mouth but sighed and smiled distressedly: "I was just a little nervous and didn't greet you properly. It's my fault."
Chu Jianshu smiled faintly: "I didn't let you see Wan Qiu before because I was afraid that Wan Qiu would be confused. Now that he is back, you can get closer to him."
"I will, Dad," Yang responded.
"Don't be so serious. Coax him more."
"Yeah." Yang Ze's lips curled up a little reluctantly, "I'll adjust it."
Chu Jianshu nodded and walked into the room.
Yang Ze unconsciously curled his fingers a few times, and it seemed that the touch of Wan Qiu's arm just now still remained between his fingers.
It seemed so thin that it could not be held in the hand at all, and as soft as sand that would drift away if the hand was let go. When it passed through the fingertips, it rubbed the skin and brought a slight and barely perceptible pain.
Yang sighed again.
"Aze, you are too nervous. Don't you know that your face looks scary when you are nervous?" Song Wenqi stood beside the open driver's door, supporting the car and teasing Yang Ze.
Yang Ze glanced away, obviously a little embarrassed: "Uncle Wen Qiu, don't laugh at me."
Chu Yigui was about to leave, but Song Wenqi suddenly stopped him.
"Yigui, can I ask you something?" Chu Yigui stopped and turned around. Song Wenqiu continued, "How can you tell that Wanqiu likes cartoons instead of balloons?"
Chu Yigui looked away, as if thinking, and then looked at Song Wenqiu and said, "Brother won't say something he hasn't seen before. I haven't seen anything related to balloons in brother's house."
"That doesn't mean it's a cartoon, does it?" Song Wenqi said.
"When my brother and mom were together every day, I was always nearby, walking the path my brother had walked." Chu Yigui nodded his eyes, "I have seen cartoon character hydrogen balloons being sold many times. I didn't specifically remember what character it was, I just remembered the color, so I made a bold guess."
"Luck?" Song Wenqi was a little surprised. Is it that simple?
"Yeah, it was luck." Chu Yigui replied with a lazy smile, "That's the only balloon my brother has ever seen. If I guess wrong, there's nothing I can do."
Song Wenqi was sure that it was indeed luck.
"Okay, I'm leaving now. I still have work to do in the company." Song Wenqiu said with a joking smile, "Your annoying father left all the work to me just to play with his son."
Yang Ze smiled faintly: "Dad should go back to work tomorrow."
Song Wenqi drove away, but perhaps because of this interruption, Yang Ze regained some consciousness.
The image of a pair of clear, blank eyes gazing at me appeared in my mind. They were as pure as a child, so small that they could even be easily held in their mother's arms.
Yang let out a long sigh and looked up at the sky.
When I actually saw it, I felt more complicated than I expected.
"Should I go buy a hydrogen balloon?" Yang Ze murmured after hearing the conversation just now.
"Brother, are you going?" Chu Yigui tilted his head. "I think you can take brother to watch cartoons instead of hydrogen balloons."
"What cartoon is it?" Yang Ze also knew that Yang Xiaoyu had someone buy the cartoon.
"'Fruit New World', or give your brother some fruit, he likes fruit very much." Chu Yigui took the initiative to reveal some information to Yang Ze.
"Thank you, fourth brother." Yang Ze said sincerely, "You have worked hard during this period."
Chu Yigui smiled and said, "Second brother, don't be so serious. I am scared just by looking at you, let alone your brother."
Yang rubbed his face, feeling a little overwhelmed.
——
Isn't this a residential building?
Wan Qiu followed Yang Xiaoyu. After entering the gate, he was stunned by the huge corridor. The roof was extremely high and the entire space was extremely wide and bright.
Some unfamiliar neighbors could be seen passing by around, and probably because everyone in the village was familiar with each other, Wan Qiu received a lot of curious looks.
It’s just that this curiosity…seems a little too enthusiastic.
Wan Qiu had never been the center of so much attention before. He unconsciously held Yang Xiaoyu's hand and lowered his eyes, unable to hide his nervousness. However, contrary to his nervousness, he did not hide behind Yang Xiaoyu. Instead, he occasionally raised his eyes to observe the expressions of these people.
Is it a neighbor?
Why are you smiling at him?
What kind of response do they want from themselves?
Wan Qiu stared blankly, a strange emotion surging in his chest, and he had a weird feeling.
Everything he saw was something he didn't understand.
The huge house has exquisite carvings and decorations everywhere, huge scrolls, long corridors, and beautiful gardens outside the windows at all times.
Wan Qiu was unable to correctly express his doubts and anxieties, nor could he get correct feedback.
"Baby, are you tired after doing examinations all day? Do you want to rest?" Yang Xiaoyu poked Wan Qiu's cheek with her finger, "Mom will take you to take a shower first, okay? Our baby smells like the hospital's disinfectant."
Chu Jianshu was somewhat helpless about Yang Xiaoyu's suggestion: "Xiaoyu, Wanqiu is already a teenager."
"So what if he's a teenager? There's nothing on his body that mom hasn't seen."
However, Yang Xiaoyu's voice was a little deep. Her eyes were on Wan Qiu's collar. She could still remember that when Wan Qiu had a physical examination, there were scars all over his body that were not suitable for a child of this age.
"Mom wants to see more of the baby."
I want to personally apply medicine to Wan Qiu's wounds that have not yet recovered, and I want to apply scar-removing medicine to the scars left behind.
I want to do something with my own hands, to erase the memories of the suffering this child has experienced, bit by bit.
"You're fourteen years old and you still need to have gender awareness." Chu Jianshu tried to dissuade her.
"Let me take my third brother to take a bath, Mom." Yang Ze had just entered the door when he heard the conversation about taking Wan Qiu to take a bath.
Chu Jianshu and Yang Xiaoyu looked at each other and knew that Yang Ze hoped to have some time alone with Wan Qiu.
As a mother, Yang Xiaoyu also hopes that her children can live in harmony with each other, so she took the initiative to ask Wan Qiu for his opinion: "Wan Qiu, are you willing?"
Wan Qiu stared at Yang Xiaoyu, and Yang Xiaoyu smiled.
Wan Qiu looked at Yang Ze again, and her beautiful eyes seemed to be replicating every delicate emotion of Yang Ze.
"If Wan Qiu doesn't want to, second brother won't force you." Yang Ze treated Wan Qiu more cautiously than Yang Xiaoyu.
Finally, Wan Qiu blinked and said, "Okay."
Yang Zeyi's stiff and gloomy expression finally revealed a hint of relief, as if he was relieved. He turned sideways and made a gesture to let Wan Qiu follow him.
Unfortunately, Wan Qiu didn't understand and just stood there looking up at him.
Wan Qiu didn't know what Yang Ze wanted to do, but Yang Ze was worried that Wan Qiu might have changed his mind and was unwilling to go with him.
The two brothers were in an inexplicable stalemate, one tall and one short, like pillars of different sizes fixed to the ground.
Yang Xiaoyu smiled disrespectfully: "Aze, hold your brother's hand."
Yang Ze lowered his eyes and looked at Wan Qiu, and Wan Qiu was also looking at him.
The tips of Yang Ze's ears gradually turned a light red.
Wan Qiu's eyes were clear and beautiful, like colored glass carved by the most skillful craftsman in the world with great effort, dyeing Yang Ze's black reflection with bright colors.
When he stretched out his hand, Yang felt his fingertips trembling, and his knuckles were so stiff and tense that he felt uncomfortable.
It was as if the one being invited was not his own brother, but a timid and fragile cat that could run away at any time. He didn't know whether it would arrive first, the cat's paw or the paw pad.
However, Wan Qiu calmly held Yang Ze's hand.
Those eyes stared straight at Yang Ze, observing him carefully.
When Wan Qiu's hand touched his fingers, Yang Ze felt extremely complicated because of the strong sense of joy as if a timid cat had placed its trust in him.
He shook Wan Qiu's hand back.
The small and thin fingers seemed to have no weight or temperature, making Yang Ze's heart tighten.
Yang Ze's smile revealed a hint of self-blame and bitterness, which he himself did not even realize.
But in Wan Qiu's eyes, the serious Yang Ze seemed so happy that little fireworks were ignited all over his body.
"Wan Qiu, let's go."
When Yang Ze took a step forward, Wan Qiu followed him.
Without any doubt, follow quietly.
His footsteps were so light that they seemed to be non-existent, which made Yang Ze wonder if Wan Qiu was floating above the ground.
"Mom." Chu Yigui, who had been silent all the time, suddenly spoke up, "Can I go back to my room?"
"Of course, take a rest, Yigui. Please keep looking after Wanqiu." Yang Xiaoyu knew that Wanqiu and Chu Yigui got along very well, and had been cooperating with them to run around the hospital.
"What's the big deal? It's what we should do. I'm leaving now, Mom and Dad." Chu Yigui said and turned around.
Yang Xiaoyu reminded: "A welcome dinner will be prepared in the evening."
"I'll come out on time." Chu Yigui responded, said goodbye and left.
However, Chu Jianshu and Yang Xiaoyu looked at each other and did not see complete confidence in Chu Yigui in each other's eyes.
Chu Yigui is an impeccable and perfect child, who seems to have been born to grow up according to the template of a good child.
Chu Yigui is qualified to express himself, and they are willing to accept Chu Yigui's emotions, but they don't even know whether Chu Yigui has any emotions or not.
It was like an extremely precious doll that was born to be hung in a display window. They could only admire its rare beauty through the glass, but they could not touch it, and could not see if there were any unknown cracks under the doll's gorgeous and complicated clothes.
Every time this happened, Yang Xiaoyu felt helpless.
Maybe she is really not suitable to be a mother.
Wan Qiu was held by the hand.
Walking down a long corridor.
Wan Qiu is very short, but the people around him are tall and walk very slowly, so Wan Qiu doesn't have to exert any effort to follow them.
Looking up, Wan Qiu secretly observed Yang Ze, his brother, his second brother.
Wan Qiu clearly felt Yang Ze's happiness, but there seemed to be some unhappy emotions mixed in with this happiness.
Yang Ze didn't know how to talk to Wan Qiu, and Wan Qiu wouldn't speak on his own initiative.
Wan Qiu looked around. This place was very big. Even though it was such a big place, there was only one door far away.
I walked for such a long time but didn't see many neighbors.
Looking out the windowsill at the garden, I couldn't find a trash can.
Wan Qiu was observing, but he felt a little worried at the same time.
Suddenly, Yang Ze, who had been leading him forward, stopped, and Wan Qiu also stopped.
Yang Ze lowered his head and looked at Wan Qiu, while Wan Qiu raised his head and looked at Yang Ze.
Neither of them spoke.
Finally, Yang Ze was the first to look away, opened the door, and took Wan Qiu in.
"I don't know what you like, so I just arranged it simply. If there is a style you like, I can add it later."
Wan Qiu followed Yang Ze into the room, and suddenly a variety of colors appeared in Wan Qiu's eyes.
As far as Wan Qiu can remember, he lived in three different houses.
The first house was narrow, crowded, smelly and dark.
The second house had a thatched roof, dark narrow windows, dim lights, uneven floors, the smell of poultry, mold, and clods of earth.
The third house has a clean floor and bright windows, and sunlight shines in through different windows in the house every day.
And now the house appeared in front of him, Wan Qiu felt as if the whole room was set in the sun.
Snow-white, spotless curtains, bright floor-to-ceiling windows that seemed non-existent, a huge, soft bed... The sunlight shines through the window, casting its light evenly on every piece of furniture.
The strange, soft, delicate and stunning furniture exceeded Wanqiu's understanding of furniture.
There are many things here that Wan Qiu cannot understand, but Wan Qiu clearly realizes that these things are really beautiful.
Yang lowered his head and watched Wan Qiu carefully observe each decoration.
Those eyes, which looked very similar to Yang Xiaoyu's, seemed to be decorated with bright twinkling stars bit by bit by the things he prepared, and filled with soft cotton.
You should like it, right?
Hope he likes it.
Yang Ze saw Wan Qiu raise his head and look at him.
"Second brother." The soft, androgynous voice of the boy made Yang Ze a little nervous, but Wan Qiu just looked at him and looked around, "Do I have my own room?"
"?" Yang Ze looked at Wan Qiu, not understanding. Isn't this Wan Qiu's room?
"Is there no room for me?" Wan Qiu looked at the other small rooms in the house, and then looked at the huge, transparent floor-to-ceiling window with some reluctance.
"This is your room." Yang Ze said. Didn't he explain it clearly to Wan Qiu?
here?
Wan Qiu blinked: "Where am I going to sleep?"
"On that bed." Yang pointed to the only huge, soft double bed in the room.
However, Wan Qiu's eyes widened: "Then where do mom and dad sleep?"
"Sleep in their room."
Yang Ze and Wan Qiu looked at each other, and Yang Ze saw the obvious confusion on Wan Qiu's face.
Yang Ze vaguely seemed to understand why Wan Qiu asked this.
The room Wan Qiu was referring to should be a small room in a house, not a place that is like a whole house.
"Everything here is yours. Starting from this door, everything in here is yours." Yang explained.
Wan Qiu's eyes widened, and he looked towards the room again, then at Yang Ze.
The repeated glances were enough to prove Wan Qiu’s current confusion.
"This bed is yours." Yang pointed to the double bed.
"This rocking chair is yours."
"This is the sofa and coffee table, and they are also yours."
This bathroom is yours...
This balcony is also yours...
Wan Qiu's eyes were wide open, and even though he didn't say a word, those eyes were enough to tell Yang Ze that he was already confused and dazed by what was happening before his eyes.
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