Jinghe Station
In the spring of 2015, Tang Heng underwent a bone marrow transplant. Thanks to the relationship with his attending physician, he invited an experienced domestic doctor to perform the surgery.
The operation was successful. Although rejection reaction was inevitable after the operation, the symptoms were gradually alleviated.
Lin Luo and Du Yunyan finally felt relieved.
On March 5th of that year, Lin Luo's birthday, she received a gift from Tong Yun, who was abroad. It was a birthday cake, her favorite mango flavor, with "Happy Birthday" written on it. Lin Luo thanked her on QQ. They had exchanged no fewer than ten messages over the past year, and she was deeply touched that Tong Yun remembered her birthday.
She also liked cakes very much. When she made a wish, she inexplicably thought of a cake that Fu Xingchuan had made before. She still remembered the sour and sweet taste of strawberries, but if someone else gave her a strawberry cake now, she would definitely not dare to touch it.
Everything is reviving and everything is getting better.
Lin Luo is very serious and patient when tutoring high school students in mathematics. Her students have made great progress, so she has always had a good reputation in the tutoring group.
Tang Zhihua started selling goods through live streaming. At that time, the entire industry was still in its infancy, but Tang Zhihua felt that this was a business opportunity. He insisted on contacting suppliers with guaranteed quality and also had a certain fan base.
Although Lin Luo wasn't particularly good-looking, she had the best figure among them, so she became Tang Zhihua's model. Sometimes, if her clothes sold well, she would get a share of the profits. Cody came from a wealthy family and had plenty of money, so he never pressed Lin Luo for repayment, but she did pay back quite a bit over time.
After her scholarship was taken by someone else last year, Lin Luo conducted deep reflection and examined herself. She gradually learned how to put on makeup and dress properly, and became sophisticated and tactful while remaining sincere and down-to-earth. She loves life even more, and strikes a reasonable balance between work and study time. She doesn't push herself so hard, and occasionally takes a few days off to reward herself by reading in the library, treating it as a rare rest time.
In August, a white piece of paper was posted on the utility poles in Changlin Lane, a demolition notice. Du Yunyan hugged her and cried, saying that she wouldn't have to work so hard anymore. She should have been relieved, but she couldn't be happy.
She walked to the old house and stopped. The door was locked. The sycamore tree was still lush and leafy as before, and the osmanthus flowers were especially fragrant this year, but such scenery might no longer exist in the future.
Every household in the alley moved out one after another. Aunt Li was reluctant to leave the place where she had lived for more than ten years. Before leaving, she took a lot of photos and sent a copy to Lin Luo.
They rented a small house near the hospital so that Du Yunyan could take care of Tang Heng. Lin Luo usually stayed in the dormitory and was busy with part-time experiments during holidays and rarely went home.
Fortunately, video calls were already very common at that time. Tang Muchen complained to her through the screen: "Sister, if you don't come home, I'll almost forget what you look like."
"You miss me so much! Then when I go back tomorrow you have to finish your homework so I can check it." Lin Luo threatened him.
"ah!"
Despite the tight financial situation in the past few years, they hadn't neglected Tang Muchen's food expenses. He was growing rapidly, and every time Lin Luo returned, she was shocked by his changes. He was in third grade, with average grades, but because he loved to play, he was good at sports. Lin Luo smiled and asked, "So, should I come back?"
"Can't you just come back and play ball with me without checking my homework?" Tang Muchen said coquettishly.
Lin Luo took the opportunity to explain the business, "Okay, Uncle will be discharged from the hospital in a few days. If you can be obedient and make sure he pays attention to his diet and doesn't overwork himself, I will promise you."
"No problem, I'll take care of it." Tang Muchen patted his chest to assure him. Lin Luo asked him about his recent studies, but the brat always changed the subject. "Moving isn't good at all. There's no one to play with me anymore. My younger brothers all recognize someone else as their boss."
He rushed to tell Lin Luo about his friends' recent situation. "I used to see them every day, but now I don't see Brother Ruan Ye once a month. By the way, Sister, do you know how Brother Xingchuan is doing?"
"I don't know." Lin Luo said casually, but the pause of her writing hand exposed her as a lie.
She didn't expect it to be such a coincidence. Xiang Cheng and Fu Xingchuan had a good relationship and often played together. Lin Luo could often learn about Fu Xingchuan's recent situation from his circle of friends, and the latest news was that he had broken up again and was preparing to continue his studies.
What does it have to do with you? Lin Xiao continued writing while she counted the money.
As soon as the demolition compensation arrived, Lin Luo repaid Cody. They weren't particularly familiar with each other, but it felt like they'd known each other for years. Every chat was a joy, and they cherished their connection, like pen pals from a foreign land.
The family no longer had to worry about financial problems, and Tang Heng was recovering well and receiving regular checkups. Another good thing was that Lin Dayong had returned, making a comeback and returning to Shanghai to reclaim the lost territory.
Lin Xiao saw him again after four years. His hands had become as rough as Tang Heng's. Because he wanted to see her soon, his temples had turned gray, and he hadn't had time to dye them yet. But his tone remained the same: "Princess Xiaoxiao, Daddy misses you so much."
When they saw each other, they both burst into tears. Du Yunyan still couldn't stand Lin Dayong, but she often felt that life was finally getting better.
In the second semester of her junior year, Lin Luo received an offer from a well-known pharmaceutical company. The salary was good, and Du Yunyan was very satisfied. However, Lin Luo declined. Du Yunyan looked at her anxiously and asked, "Are you going back to Shanghai with your dad?"
"No," Lin told them solemnly, "I want to take the postgraduate entrance exam."
Tang Heng was the first to agree. "Uncle supports you. Our family is rich now and can afford your education. Whether you only study for a master's degree or continue on to a doctorate, it's all fine."
Du Yunyan didn't agree immediately. When Lin Luo said, "I want to go to Peking University," her eyes reddened and she said, "Okay."
During her postgraduate entrance exam preparations, Lin Xiao brought the same dedication she had for the college entrance exams. The difference was that this time, Lin Dayong was by her side, caring about her every detail and often taking her on relaxing trips to de-stress. More importantly, she had a moon in Jinghe and snow waiting for her. These factors kept her going.
In mid-March 2017, after celebrating her birthday and enjoying the mango cake Tong Yun had given her, as usual, she boarded the high-speed train to Jinghe. Lin Dayong had originally planned to book her a first-class flight ticket to accompany her, but with a contract to discuss, Lin declined and set off on her own to take the second interview at Jinghe.
Just like the year she arrived in Nan'an, Lin Qiao sat in Seat A, by the window. The glass reflected her face. She wore an apricot knitted jacket and a black pleated skirt. She wore light makeup and tied her hair in a high ponytail, looking fresh and clean. Compared to before, her face had lost its youthfulness, and she was no longer timid or afraid of what might happen in the future.
No matter what, she thought she must tell Fu Xingchuan everything this time.
There was a snowstorm on the way and the train was delayed. Lin Luo did not arrive at Jinghe Station until 11:30 pm. She first informed her family and friends that she was safe. Everyone was still awake waiting for her call.
Du Yunyan's ears were sharp. "Is it raining heavily over there?"
Lin Luo was just pushing her suitcase out of the station. It was indeed pouring rain outside, with a howling wind. Lin Luo couldn't help but shudder, "Hmm."
Du Yunyan began to nag: "It's so late, you have to be careful when you take a taxi back to the hotel. It's raining heavily, ask the driver to drive slowly. Did you bring thick clothes? Will you be cold? If you are cold, buy two pieces, don't catch a cold..."
"Mom, let's talk about it tomorrow! I'm tired and want to go back to the hotel early." Lin Luo interrupted her quickly, otherwise she would keep nagging.
Lin Luo likes rain, the heavier it rains, the happier she is.
She sat on the suitcase and watched the rain. Most of the other people leaving the station did not stop and hailed a car to leave. Lin Luo stayed in the corner of the eaves and made up her mind to call Fu Xingchuan.
"Beep—beep—" Lin Luo's heart raced with the sound, like a raging wind. Raindrops lashed her body, but she ignored them for the moment, her attention focused on the phone.
The call was connected, and Lin Luo cleared her throat, "Hello."
"What do you want to talk to Fu Xingchuan about? He's taking a shower now and it's not convenient for him to answer the phone." It was the female voice she heard when she talked to him on the phone last time. Lin Luo pursed her lips.
Are they back together?
"Oh, I see. I'm his high school classmate, Lin Luo. Could you please tell him and ask him to call me back later?" Drops of water fell on her body, and Lin Luo felt cold to the bone. She quickly stood up and went inside to take shelter from the rain.
"Okay." The woman agreed readily and the call ended.
Lin Luo continued to sit on the suitcase listening to the rain, waiting for Fu Xingchuan to call back.
If he called, what would she say?
I might tell him that I have come to Jinghe and we can watch the snow together. I have traveled thousands of miles to keep the promise we made that year, although it seems I am still a step late.
Time passed minute by minute. At 12:30, there were few people at the station entrance. Fu Xingchuan still didn't call back. The rain was still heavy, and Lin Luo's faint crying was hidden in the sound of water.
Maybe he has forgotten that agreement a long time ago!
Lin Luo was tired of crying and stopped. Just then, a man came out from the rain. He was tall, holding a big black umbrella and a bouquet of bright red roses in his arms, which attracted Lin Luo's attention.
A girl walked out of the station. She seemed to be the one he was going to pick up. He curled his lips and was about to go over when another man rushed to the girl and hugged her. "Baby, aren't you tired? You missed me so much that you took a bus until late at night to come here. This year, it was Brother Zenian's birthday, and you didn't even come."
"Now you know how much I love you! Wen Zenian is just an old-fashioned man who only knows how to read. If it weren't for his family, I would have dumped him long ago." As the girl spoke, she heard the sound of something falling. It was the man letting go of the bouquet of roses in his hand. It fell to the ground, splashing a lot of water. The girl quickly separated from the person next to her and asked him, "Why are you here?"
"Brother Zenian, please listen to my explanation."
The man folded his umbrella, pushed him away with the umbrella handle, and questioned the girl, "Didn't you say you couldn't come to my birthday because you broke your leg? It takes a hundred days to heal a broken bone. I was wondering how you could recover so quickly and come here to surprise me. It turns out you were just scared. You've been lying to me all along."
Although he was deceived and betrayed by the girl, he said calmly that Lin Luo sympathized with him. At the same time, he was wondering whether her arrival was a surprise, a shock, or a trouble for Fu Xingchuan?
"Wen Zenian, now that you've discovered it, I won't hide anything from you anymore. He and I are in a relationship. We've been together since last year. I'm sorry for you. Let's break up!" The girl said it easily. Wen Zenian laughed and grabbed the man's collar. "Last year, I treated you as my best brother, and this is how you treat me?"
"Good brother? When have you ever considered me a brother? When I said I wanted to come to Jinghe to make a living, you told my mom that I was not suitable and would never amount to anything. Do you have a brother like you?" The man pushed Wen Zenian away.
"I'm advising you not to give up your high school education and go out to work. It's for your own good." Wen Zenian lowered his eyes, as if he was struck by the two of them. "So this is how you think of me in your heart."
"Why are you acting so pitiful? It's as if we've bullied you." The girl took the man's hand and said, "Let's go. I'm sleepy. Let's not waste our breath on him anymore."
The man and the girl disappeared in the rain. Lin Luo looked at the roses wet by the rain and burst into tears again.
Wen Zenian heard her crying but didn't say anything. The two poor souls who were hurt in love stood on one side to shelter from the rain.
She didn't know when the rain stopped. Lin Luo leaned against the wall at the station entrance and took a nap. When she woke up at six in the morning, she quickly took out her cell phone, but no one called her.
Her hands and feet were numb and her whole body was in pain. When she stood up, she realized that she was wearing a coat that the man named Wen Zenian had worn yesterday. He also put a rose on the side of her schoolbag.
The water droplets on the flower disappeared. Lin Luo pulled it out and noticed a sticky note underneath. "I don't know why you're crying, but you're probably not as miserable as me. I'm giving you a flower. I hope you'll be happy tomorrow!"
His handwriting was beautiful, and he even drew a smiley face. Lin Luo smiled knowingly and left the station with her suitcase.
In the hotel, she applied ice to her swollen eyes from crying last night, removed her makeup, raised the corners of her lips in front of the mirror, and showed a natural smile.
"Do you know that you are the last one to enter the re-examination?" the interviewing teacher asked her the next day.
Everyone was very competitive this year. The re-examination score line for the biology postgraduate entrance examination at Peking University increased by 40 points. Before this, Lin Luo had already learned about it and knew that she had to get a high score in the re-examination to have a chance of being admitted.
"I know." Lin Luo smiled. "So I also know that the re-examination is very important to me. We postgraduate entrance exam candidates are all indomitable roses. I am luckier than them to be able to stand in front of you teachers, but it also shows that I have the ability. Please test me."
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