Searching for "Jiang Yuanshi" (Part 4)
Summer passed, and autumn in the south was gone in a flash, and winter came without any warning.
It was cold, and I didn't feel anything when the wind blew on my face at first. By the time I came to my senses, my skin was already numb and painful from the cold. Little Jiang Yuanshi, wrapped in a big cotton-padded jacket and wearing a plush hat, stood at the door of the kindergarten, his face red from the cold, like a frosted apple.
Grandma didn't come to pick him up today. Little Jiang Yuanshi watched the children around him being picked up one by one, and watched those children throw themselves into their parents' arms and be picked up high. Little Jiang Yuanshi stood quietly there, his eyes through the brim of his hat, watching silently, watching their backs disappear from his sight.
The kindergarten in the village is not as formal as the ones in the city. The small, medium and large classes are sometimes put together because there are not many people. There are not many children of the same age as Jiang Yuanshi. Those younger than him have their own playmates, and those older than him look down on those from the city who have delicate skin and flesh and feel that they will break if touched. Little Jiang Yuanshi, who had just come to kindergarten, originally had playmates, but since some time, the teacher began to take special care of him, fearing that he would get hurt or bullied. It was originally a good thing, but excessive favoritism and protection led to no one daring to approach him, or unwilling to approach him.
Originally there was a fat boy who was good at chatting, but actually their relationship was just average. It was just because the fat boy was talkative, his home was close, and he was from the town, the only two children who did not belong to the village became friends. The fat boy named Jiang Yuanshi "Dabai" because he looked white and chubby. He got this name from a cartoon.
When Xiao Jiangyuan was young, he asked his grandmother to let him watch the movie. The white and chubby Dabai in the movie looked very cute and reliable, so he accepted the name well.
But their friendship was short-lived. After the summer vacation, Xiaopang followed his parents to go to school in the town. Before leaving, he gave Xiao Jiangyuanshi a small model of Baymax. The model had a small head and a big body, and the only two circles on its face that looked like eyes were faded. It was a miracle in the world that such a pirated copy could be bought in a remote place. Xiao Jiangyuanshi found wood, popsicle sticks and other things by himself, and assembled an airplane according to the textbooks at home as a farewell gift for the other party.
The farewell was very peaceful. The two children exchanged gifts, waved goodbye and went home. The next day, Xiao Jiangyuan lay on the window at home and watched the car carrying luggage. He watched Xiaopang's parents holding Xiaopang's left and right hands and coming out of the house, getting in the car, closing the door, starting the car and leaving.
The shadow of the car disappeared from sight, just like that. At the same time, the only friendship in Jiang Yuanshi's life also came to an end.
Xiao Jiang Yuanshi was the only one left in the kindergarten. Gradually, in the eyes of the teacher, Xiao Jiang Yuanshi became a child who didn't like to talk and isolated the whole class by himself.
Children in the kindergarten come and go, and are replaced by new ones. In just half a year, there are many new faces in the class besides Jiang Yuanshi.
A new classmate tried to come up and make friends with him. Just as Jiang Yuanshi raised his hand, the new classmate was pulled away by the children from the older class and began to tell him about the dangers of getting close to Jiang Yuanshi. He was already used to the puzzled and bewildered looks that finally turned into "So that's how it is."
Xiao Jiangyuan's anticipation of going to kindergarten turned into numbness and even aversion to school, but his grandmother told him to be obedient, and his parents told him to listen to his grandmother and not make her worry and sad. He endured it for half a year. Kindergarten was really boring, the things to hand in were boring, and the activities were uninteresting. The happiest thing every day was when his grandmother would always appear at the school gate after school, and later Xiao Huang was added.
Little Jiang Yuanshi was the only child who had his grandmother and dog with him to pick him up. But today, neither his grandmother nor his dog showed up. Could something have happened? Little Jiang Yuanshi was terrified, afraid something might have happened at home, afraid he'd been abandoned. He waited for who knows how long, his fleece gloves soaked with sweat, only making him feel even colder. He knew the way home and could go back alone, but he was afraid of what would happen if he left now and got separated from his grandmother and the others.
But Xiao Jiang Yuanshi waited for a long time, and most of the children at the kindergarten gate had left. The teacher who sent the child home called but no one answered. In the end, there was no choice but to leave Xiao Jiang Yuanshi with the security guard.
The old man's security room was so warm that Xiao Jiang Yuanshi shivered. The old man was kind enough to give him a piece of candy and took out a new paper cup to pour him some hot water. Xiao Jiang Yuanshi took it obediently and said thank you. The old man touched his head, gave him a small stool and sat on it. He also threw a square object, which was a game console. I heard that the old man found it when he was collecting junk. It was still usable, so he put it in the security room. Every child whose family came late could play with it. Xiao Jiang Yuanshi was lucky enough to be among them.
It's just a very simple Tetris, but this is Xiao Jiangyuan's first time playing it. His grandmother only accepts educational toys and games. In his grandmother's eyes, a game console like this is something that affects learning.
Xiao Jiangyuan had only secretly watched others play before, and when he was with Xiaopang, he just watched from the sidelines.
Tetris, a small game to kill time. Watching different blocks fall, combine and disappear, the falling speed is getting faster and faster. At first, Xiao Jiang Yuanshi quickly over the game, but after many attempts, he seems to have found the skills. As he gets more and more familiar with it, he can't stop. When he beat the 66th level and was about to start the next level, his vision suddenly dimmed, as if someone blocked his sight. Xiao Jiang Yuanshi raised his head.
It’s mom and dad.
Their faces were gloomy. Xiao Jiangyuan sat on a mat, holding his game console, feeling a little bewildered. Why did his parents come? It wasn't even Chinese New Year yet.
The child looked a little confused. His parents, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, looked similar but also very different from the photos. The father with glasses didn't look as kind as in the photos, and the mother with long hair didn't have a smile on her face.
They looked at Xiao Jiangyuan coldly, then glanced at the game console in their hands, and their faces became even uglier. They were about to say something when the security guard came back from outside. Seeing them, he asked if they were the child's parents. After confirming, he asked why they came to pick up the child so late.
The parents, who had originally had sullen faces, suddenly changed their attitude 180 degrees. The father pushed his glasses, raised a smile, and while apologizing, he stated his and his wife's professional identities. Both parents were teachers, one taught at a university and the other at a high school. Both were busy and could not take care of the child, so they had to send the child to his grandmother in the countryside. Today, they had a rare opportunity to come back and wanted to give the child a surprise. They deliberately did not let the grandmother come to pick him up, but they did not expect that the child would be late.
While saying sorry, the father took out a cigarette box from his pocket and handed it to the security guard. The security guard waved his hand and kindly asked them to take the child away. He also reminded them not to keep the child for so long next time. The mother smiled and took Jiang Yuanshi's hand. Little Jiang Yuanshi had already put the game console aside. He was helped to stand up and waved goodbye to the security guard. Then the father picked up little Jiang Yuanshi and took his mother's hand and left with the security guard's feeling that he had a good relationship with young people.
They walked home. Little Jiang Yuanshi was actually a little hurt, but he hadn't been held by his parents for a long time. This time, he was held high like other children. Just when he opened his mouth and whispered, "Mom and Dad," little Jiang Yuanshi was put down.
The child looked up blankly, as if he didn't understand what he had done wrong. His father, who had been smiling, suddenly changed his expression and said coldly, "What did you learn in the countryside? Were the games fun? Did you play so hard that your parents didn't even yell at you?"
Xiao Jiangyuan shook his head helplessly and said, "No."
His mother advised, "After all, this is the countryside. The education is definitely not as good as in the city. If I had known, I wouldn't have left him with me. He's so addicted to games. By the way, where did you get the game console? Did the security guard give it to you?"
Before Xiao Jiangyuan could explain, his mother pronounced her verdict: "This is an uneducated place that misleads students. Anyone can be admitted to the kindergarten."
At this time, the father acted as a peacemaker and calmed the mother's emotions.
The two of them started chatting about rural education, and gradually moved the topic to a higher level.
Little Jiang Yuan was very cold when he lost his embrace. His gloves fell on the old man. He could only follow his parents with his hands in his pockets. The originally happy journey home became long and confusing.
He misses his grandma and Xiao Huang a little. When can he go home?
The flooded road surface in winter froze into ice, and he accidentally fell down. After all, he was still a child. Seeing his parents not stopping, he couldn't help crying, and his voice gradually became louder. His parents finally stopped and turned to look at the fallen child.
Their expressions were indifferent, with frowns and some impatience, as if they hated the child's shrill crying, but in the end the two of them sighed and walked towards the child.
When the mother pulled up little Jiang Yuan, she complained, "Didn't he just fall? Why are you crying like this?" As she spoke, she brushed off the dust and mud on little Jiang Yuan's body, took out a tissue to wipe his slightly scratched face, and then lifted the child up from his armpits. The child lay on his mother's shoulders, feeling the occasional pats on his back. The father took off his gloves and put them on the child. Although they were a little big, they were very warm.
Xiao Jiangyuan's tears and snot were wiped away, and he was held in his mother's arms. After walking for a while, he was held in his father's arms again.
The family walked home like this.
Like a happy family of three.
Mom and Dad still loved him, and Xiao Jiangyuan forgot all his previous sadness and experiences, and only remembered the warmth of his parents' arms.
When little Jiang Yuan returned home, he was picked up by his grandmother, who was wearing an apron. The child was already asleep with scratches on his face, which made his grandmother feel distressed: "It would be fine if you two didn't come back, but you came back so late to pick up a child, and your face is even scratched."
"We took him for a walk. Children are playful and accidentally fell." The parents responded to each other. The grandmother looked at them and said nothing. She just took the child back to the house to apply medicine. When the two adults followed, they suddenly discovered the special layout of the house.
"Mom, you got a dog? Aren't you allergic to dog hair? Why keep a dog? It's not good for your health. Did this kid want to get one? How can he be so ignorant?"
"Stop talking nonsense, kid. Yuanyuan is very well behaved. I think I only raised that puppy because I like it. You don't need to take care of it. It's not even Chinese New Year yet, what are you doing here?"
The parents looked at each other and said, "We're planning to bring him to the city. He's old enough to go to elementary school, and the quality of education here isn't as good as it is in the city."
The grandmother changed the child's clothes and tucked him into bed. She came out and said with a stern look on her face, "Why didn't you think of this when you were in kindergarten? Now you think about the teaching quality. I think they're about to be evaluated for excellence again. It wouldn't be good if the news got out that the teacher's child is a left-behind child."
The old lady was merciless and exposed their intentions in one sentence. The two people did not blush. The mother said, "We know that we owed Yuanyuan these years. We were young and ignorant back then. Now we miss him very much and want to make it up to him and give him the best. Mom, you are also a teacher, and you said that the child is very smart. This country kindergarten is okay, but elementary school is the starting line of life. Big cities have more opportunities and the teaching quality is also top-notch. We don't want to bury him. And every time he calls and asks us when we will come to visit him, we feel sad and guilty..."
After all, they are still blood relatives. The grandmother had a cold face. After a long stalemate, the grandmother sighed and said, "Forget it. It's the child's fault for always missing mom and dad. You'd better do what you said. When Yuanyuan wakes up, you can talk to him."
"Okay, Mom, do you want to come with us? And this dog... It's not that we don't want to keep it, but there are a lot of rules in this city, and some dogs are hard to keep. There have also been a lot of cases of poisoning dogs lately, so..."
"...I know. I won't go. I'll tell Yuanyuan when the time comes. By the way, have you seen my dog? It's a khaki Chinese native dog. Why hasn't it come home yet?"
The couple looked at each other and shook their heads, saying, "No."
That night, Xiao Jiang Yuanshi developed a high fever due to being frozen for too long and fell into a coma. The village clinic could not cure him, so they drove to the town. The town gave him an IV drip but there was no improvement. If this continued, the child would be burned to death.
That night, an ambulance followed by a white car drove out of the countryside and headed towards the city.
The road was blocked by something before it left the countryside. The driver got out of the car and saw a khaki dog lying in the middle. Its fur was stained red with blood, the blood under its body had long dried up, and its internal organs were ruptured.
It was obvious that he was hit by a car. There are many animals running around in the countryside, so accidents are unavoidable.
To get to the car, they moved the dogs to the fields on either side of the road, then got in the car and left.
The ambulance started, and a white car with high beams on followed behind. Its wheels rolled over the road, leaving traces of dried blood under the wheels.
That night, it snowed, and the accumulated snow covered the road, burying the puppy. After the snow melted, the road returned to normal, but the dog was nowhere to be seen.
When Xiao Jiangyuanshi woke up again, he was lying on a hospital bed. There was no grandma or puppy, only his parents.
They explained the whole story to Jiang Yuanshi, telling him how serious their illness was, how anxious they were, and how much effort they had put in.
There is another good news. Xiao Jiangyuan will live in the city and reunite with his parents.
He should be happy, but in such an unfamiliar environment, Xiao Jiangyuan finally asked cautiously: "Will Grandma and Xiao Huang come too?"
Seeing his parents shaking their heads, Xiao Jiangyuan didn't cry, but felt even more confused and empty, as if there was a big hole in his heart and wind was blowing in.
It hurts so much.
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