93. Two years later
Two years later.
In the old lecture hall of Qingshi Junior High School, several people on the stage shouted at the audience at the top of their lungs:
“We all follow the rules and regulations.”
"All compensation is fair and equitable."
"Please believe that we did not deceive you."
…
Even if the people on the stage shouted at the top of their lungs, the people below were not willing to be outdone:
"Your rules and regulations are all bullshit."
"How can this be fair and just? Why should my house have 3 square meters less?"
"You are a bunch of liars."
…
There was a lot of noise going on between the stage and the audience. Xu Wenqiang was fed up with it, so she took out an English reading comprehension book from her schoolbag and started doing it.
"Are you still in the mood to do the questions?" Su Xiaoshan squeezed through the crowd and sat down next to Xu Wenqiang.
Xu Wenqiang said, "They keep arguing over and over again, and I'm tired of hearing the same old things."
"That's true." Su Xiaoshan leaned back in his chair and looked coldly at the group of people who were arguing in front of him.
"Does your family want a house or money?" Xu Wenqiang asked.
"My mother wants a house. She says she has lived in a bungalow all her life and wants to live in an apartment building. My father wants money. He says houses are dead, but money is alive," said Su Xiaoshan.
"What do you think?"
"I don't care. After the college entrance exam, I'll be leaving here anyway," Su Xiaoshan said. "This farmers' market is finally going to be demolished."
Xu Wenqiang turned to look at Su Xiaoshan, the friend who grew up with her in the farmers' market.
"Su Xiaoshan, do you really dislike this farmers' market? It's going to be demolished, don't you feel bad at all?"
"Why would I be reluctant to part with it?" Su Xiaoshan sneered, "It stinks to high heaven and is pitch black. It should have been demolished long ago."
Two years after Xu Yanmei's death, the Qingshi Farmers' Market was reportedly going to be demolished and rebuilt.
This news was like a bomb that tore through the entire farmers' market, leaving everyone feeling lost. The government actually had a comprehensive demolition policy, but ordinary people, feeling lost, were always afraid they would be deceived by this bombing.
Therefore, the government held meetings again and again, trying to gain everyone's trust. And the venue for each meeting was chosen to be the lecture hall of Qingshi Junior High School during the winter vacation.
"Could it be that you still can't bear to let go?"
Su Xiaoshan's last sentence stumped Xu Wenqiang.
When Xu Yanmei was alive, this farmers' market was where she and her daughter made their living. So even though it was stinking and dark, Xu Wenqiang still had some affection for it.
As for being reluctant? Not really.
After Xu Yanmei's death, Xu Wenqiang stopped setting up a stall at the farmers' market. The money Xu Yanmei left her was enough for her to finish high school. As for college, Fu Dongqing and Wang Rui had already made plans for her to choose a school with scholarships and apply for student loans.
Therefore, Qingshi Farmers' Market is no longer the place where Xu Wenqiang makes a living, and Xu Wenqiang is not reluctant to leave.
However, the Qingshi Farmers Market was where Xu Yanmei had lived with her for more than a decade. If it were demolished, the traces of Xu Yanmei would disappear as well.
"However, I do miss Qingshi Junior High School." Su Xiaoshan said as he looked around the lecture hall.
"Really?" Xu Wenqiang looked at Su Xiaoshan, who was full of nostalgia, and smiled softly, "But now, whenever I think about those days in junior high school, I will definitely have nightmares at night."
Her junior high school days were filled with fights and verbal abuse from Chen Yang. If memories could be erased, she would erase every memory of junior high school without leaving a single trace.
Su Xiaoshan's heart sank as he looked at Xu Wenqiang. During the life-and-death struggle between Xu Wenqiang and Chen Yang in junior high school, he had thought he was playing fair, but he had selfishly chosen to stay out of it.
Xu Wenqiang didn't want to say anything more. She packed up her things, stood up and walked out.
The people behind me are still arguing, and I don’t know if they can finish arguing and reach a conclusion during this winter vacation...
As Xu Wenqiang walked out of the auditorium of Qingshi Junior High School, a gust of cold wind blew into her neck. She shuddered and quickly covered herself with the hood of her cotton coat.
After wrapping herself up, Xu Wenqiang started walking. After taking two steps, she saw someone she hadn't seen for a long time.
The man and Xu Wenqiang were a few meters apart and stopped at the same time.
Chen Yang hasn't seen Xu Wenqiang for a long time.
Ever since he was taken away by the police from the hospital and since Xu Yanmei passed away, he and Xu Wenqiang seemed to be living on two different earths, rotating in their own orbits with no intersection at all.
Xu Wenqiang no longer set up a stall at the farmers' market. She went to school and went home on time every day, and never went to the farmers' market again.
As for Chen Yang, if Chen Long had not refused to admit after waking up that it was Chen Yang who smashed his head, and that it was Chen Long who locked him up first, and that Chen Yang was under the age of eighteen, he would definitely have to bear legal responsibility.
Although he escaped legal responsibility, Chen Yang received an expulsion notice from No. 1 Middle School before school started.
After dropping out of school, Chen Yang stayed at home and never went out. Later, he was forced by Chen Long to take over the braised meat shop in the market, and became a vendor in the Qingshi Farmers' Market.
Xu Wenqiang had nothing to say and continued walking forward.
In the cold wind, Chen Yang asked her from behind, "Xu Wenqiang, do you want a house or money?"
Xu Wenqiang didn't even turn around, "It has nothing to do with you."
Chen Yang caught up again, "Why doesn't it matter? If you want a house, we will still meet--"
"So what if we meet?" Xu Wenqiang interrupted Chen Yang, "Do you still want to catch up with me and beat me up and scold me?"
"Xu Wenqiang, can you please speak properly?"
"Okay, then let's talk it out."
Xu Wenqiang looked at Chen Yang and told him calmly, "Chen Yang, even if I want a house, I won't come back to live here. After the college entrance examination, I will leave and never come back."
"Not coming back?" Chen Yang repeated in a low voice.
"I'm not coming back." Xu Wenqiang said.
What are you coming back for?
Xu Wenqiang turned and left.
When Xu Wenqiang returned home, she saw Xiao Cheng busy packing things in the living room which was piled high with things.
"How did the coordination meeting go? Were there any results?" Xiao Cheng looked up and asked.
Xu Wenqiang put down her schoolbag, sat down on a cardboard box, and sighed, "Everyone in this farmers' market is a businessman, and they're all calculating. Whether it's money or a house, everyone wants to take advantage of the opportunity to make as much as possible. This demolition will probably take a long time."
Xiao Cheng paused and said, "Let them take it all. Demolition is inevitable. Those who sign first can choose the apartment type and floor. A good apartment type and floor are much more valuable than what they are fussing about now."
The Qingshi Farmers' Market demolition and reconstruction project was awarded to Xiao Cheng's father, Xiao Shilei's construction company. Xiao Cheng immediately told Xu Wenqiang that she must choose a house. Xiao Shilei had predicted that real estate would become a powerful force in China's economic development over the next decade or so, and that housing prices would undoubtedly soar.
Xu Wenqiang had no idea what was going on, so she decided to listen to Xiao Cheng. The demolition was scheduled for the beginning of next spring, and with time running out, Xiao Cheng and Xu Wenqiang agreed to move during the winter break.
Xu Wenqiang looked at the mess in the room, feeling somewhat empty inside. Xiao Cheng said that they didn't need to move any of the furniture in the room, just her clothes and books. She knew that there was really no need to move anything here, but she still felt a little reluctant to leave everything here.
She walked to Xu Yanmei's room and pushed the door open. It was already empty inside, and even the air smelled of mold and mildew, a sign of a long absence.
Xu Wenqiang was in a daze. Xiao Cheng stood beside her and reached out to close the door.
Xu Wenqiang looked up at Xiao Cheng, and Xiao Cheng also looked down at her, "Xu Wenqiang, come sleep at my house from tonight."
"Go to your house and sleep..."
Xu Wenqiang cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Xiao Cheng, let's be clear. I've rented your house now, so your home is also mine."
"Oh, I forgot about that." Xiao Cheng crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "So, are you going to sleep at this house or ours tonight?"
"Our family..."
Xu Wenqiang almost choked. But Xiao Cheng's words were indeed correct. She had rented Xiao Cheng's house, but it was just a room. So, that "home" was indeed not her own.
Xu Wenqiang coughed twice and said, "It's such a mess here, I won't sleep here."
Xiao Cheng immediately said, "Xu Wenqiang, I have to sleep over there tonight too."
"You want to sleep over there too?"
"Yeah, I had a fight with my mom when I went out this morning, so I don't want to go home tonight."
Xiao Cheng's words sounded like something he had just made up, but Xu Wenqiang could only let him go. "It's fine with me. That's your home anyway."
Xiao Cheng laughed, "Then let's hurry up and clean up, and go home early to cook. Xu Wenqiang, what do you want to eat?"
Xu Wenqiang thought for a moment and said, "It's so cold, I want to eat something hot."
"Then let's eat hot pot."
"Alright, we can call Gao Zhe."
"Gao Zhe is not at home."
"How do you know?"
"He told me."
…
Taking a break from his busy schedule, Xiao Cheng sent Gao Zhe a text message, "Go out somewhere to play tonight, and come back to me to get reimbursed."
Gao Zhe looked at the text message and asked the heaven in silence, "Where can I go to play in such a cold weather?"
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